Elara’s POV
Silas’s soft ears drooped pathetically. He pressed against with those puppy-dog eyes, tears appearing right on cue.
Talk about a complete personality flip.
He’d clearly figured out I wasn’t into being manhandled, so now he was playing the wounded victim card.
Silas had mastered the art of manipulation. The mont he turned on that vulnerable act, my vines automatically softened, wrapping his injury in gentle green healing light.
"Hungry?" I asked.
He nodded and got to his feet.
After pulling on a shirt and letting heal his wound completely, his entire deanor shifted back. He braced his hands on either side of the couch, trapping between his arms with that possessive glint in his eyes. A slow smile spread across his face. "You’re incredible, Elara."
"Such a charr." I tried to sound irritated, but my eyes kept wandering to his defined chest. The bastard knew exactly what he was doing.
"Move." This was way out of my league—I’d never dealt with soone this bold before. "Si, you’re getting your own room starting now."
I’d cracked his code: pure jealous type. Ti for extre asures.
Silas’s smile widened. "Fine by . Just make sure you use steel chains. Regular rope won’t cut it."
I flashed him an OK sign. "Perfect. I’ll make sure it’s exactly what you need."
Two can play this ga.
Those naughty outfits I bought suddenly make perfect sense. He’s clearly into the sa things—saves the awkward explanation. The pieces I picked out are pretty scandalous, after all.
Just the thought made heat creep up my neck.
"I’m getting the food. Up," I commanded.
"Wrong approach." He tapped his lips expectantly.
I rolled my eyes but kissed him anyway, unable to hide my smile.
This is exactly the energy I want, Dr. Pendragon. Keep it coming.
After the kiss, I had to crawl back through the food slot. The instant I stepped outside Silas’s Territory, Alistair appeared. "Well... this feels like getting caught in the act."
Alistair let out a long sigh. "Elara, you really are sothing else."
He shook his head helplessly and helped down. Once all the als were distributed, Silas erged fully dressed. Spotting Alistair, he adjusted his glasses, gave a polite nod, and said to , "Thank you for lunch, Ms. Sterling. Everything looks delicious."
Alistair just stared in stunned silence, his expression clearly conveying his disbelief at Silas’s performance. I caught Silas flashing a subtle, triumphant smirk in response to Alistair’s obvious skepticism.
——
The sanctuary buzzed with flirtatious energy—but the Sterling household was falling apart.
Recently, Cassian had finally retrieved Giselle from so desolate, forgotten planet.
Giselle was a wreck. In just days, she’d produced two clutches of insect spawn. Helena flew into a screaming fit and nearly attacked Cassian herself.
Despite his unpopularity, Cassian remained a Valerion Empire prince.
Before Helena could strike, he cut her off. "All this screaming makes you sound like a caring mother. But we both know you’re just selfish. Your own daughter couldn’t afford a decent drink out here. She needed my connections for opportunities. And now you want to bla ?
"I caused this ss, but I brought her ho. Everything else isn’t my problem."
He pushed past Helena and stalked away.
The rescue had been oddly simple. The abandoned asteroid had been crawling with larvae, and his communications officer had detected three B-class males. But when his forces arrived, soone had already decimated them.
Cassian’s pulse quickened at the battle scars carved into the rock—unmistakable traces of plant-based abilities.
Nobody in the Valerion Empire had manifested plant powers in many decades. Finding and recruiting this person would secure his control over the empire’s destiny.
"How dare you!" Helena’s fury burned even hotter than Cassian’s.
"So this is my fault? An imperial noblewoman can’t earn credits—am I supposed to hand them out?"
Helena bellowed, "Track her down. Tear apart every inch of Glimraven Port until you find that female. I want her shredded for what she did to Giselle."
But Cassian commanded, "Stop all searches for Si. I want that plant ability user located. And keep it quiet. Don’t alert anyone—especially not Mother."
"She dotes on her youngest. If that failure wasn’t a cursed half-breed, I’d never have had a shot."
"Ti to claim what’s rightfully mine."
Rosalind’s words still burned in his mory.
"My father is gorgeous, but beauty ans nothing when you’re an unloved concubine."
One of his soldiers asked, "But Your Highness, are we really letting that lowborn female escape after what she did to you?"
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