The Dark Prince's Prize

Chapter 4-2

“Hey, this is where you wanted to come, isn’t it? You said Paul Grove’s place. This is it,” she inquired with a raised eyebrow.

Adalard blinked and nodded. He fumbled for the door of the transport, uncharacteristically clumsy. He cursed when he realized he had forgotten to undo his seatbelt. She shook her head, laughed, and reached over to press the release.

“At the rate you’re going, you may not make it out of the yard before you’re caught,” she said with a cheeky grin.

By Ceran-Pax’s orbs, this female makes me feel like a teen, he reflected with distaste.

He grabbed his bag and slid out of the transport, slamming the door harder than he meant to in his irritation. The metal bent under the force, leaving a dent the size of his hand. Mouthing a silent curse, he focused a shaft of energy and repaired the damage. He frowned when a wave of fatigue hit him.

“Are you okay?” she asked with concern.

“Yes,” he replied in a terse tone. “I am to see a hu—a man called Mason Andrews or Chad Morrison,” he replied.

“Follow me,” she said with a nod of her head in the direction of a structure.

He fell into step with her as they crossed the wide yard. She had retrieved another hat from the transport. This one had a wide brim around it and protected her head from the falling snow. She pushed her hands into the pockets of her thick coat, then paused a few feet from the steps leading up to a long porch and gripped his arm, gently forcing him to face her.

“Listen, I hope you aren’t doing any drugs. No one here will tolerate it, plus it will just get you killed if you go out into the wilderness stoned out of your mind,” she said.

“I have no need for drugs,” he replied laconically.

She gave him a look that said she didn’t believe him before she released his arm and shoved her hand back into her pocket. He was about to argue his point when the back door opened and a man stepped out. Samara greeted the man with a warm smile.

“Hi, Mason. I picked up one of Mr. G’s guys walking along the highway.” She grinned over her shoulder at him before she looked back at Mason. “May I introduce Prince Adalard Ha’darra from the planet Curizan. He’s an alien,” she said with a wink.

She climbed the steps and passed Mason, disappearing inside the house. Adalard shrugged when Mason glared at him. He climbed the steps, pausing with a raised eyebrow when Mason put his hand out.

“Are you really one of them?” Mason asked as he looked up at the sky and gave a short jerk of his head.

“What do you think? By the way, my planet is Ceran-Pax. My species is called Curizan,” Adalard clarified with a slight grin.

Mason dropped his arm to his side and shook his head. “I wish you guys would give us some notice before you show up. It sounds like Samara didn’t believe you. Keep it that way,” Mason instructed.

Adalard’s eyes glowed with suppressed power at the stern warning. He was not used to being told what to do. He stepped inside the warm house and looked around. They entered through the rear of the house into a large kitchen area.

He immediately focused on Samara. She was chatting with a woman next to a large stove. Her aura filled the large area and wrapped around him. The woman’s eyes widened when she noticed him. She looked at the man beside him with a concerned expression. Mason briefly bowed his head in acknowledgment before looking at Samara.

“Well, I’d better get to work. I can make up the extra time today—and Mason, if possible, I’d like to talk to you in private before I leave,” Samara said.

“That’ll be fine. I’ll be here all day. I have paperwork I need to work on. Keep an eye on the weather. It looks like we might have more snow later this afternoon,” Mason commented.

Samara nodded. “I heard the forecast on the radio. You have to love Wyoming. It’s either hot or it’s snowing. I’ll bring the horses into the upper barn and make sure they are taken care of,” she said. She held up a steaming cup between her hands and smiled at Ann Marie. “Thanks for the coffee. I missed my cup this morning.”

“Are you sure you don’t want some breakfast? It will only take a couple of minutes to make you something,” Ann Marie replied.

Samara shook her head. “No, I’m good,” she said, and nodded to Mason before she exited through the door they had just entered.

Adalard jerked when the door closed behind her. The snap of her aura away from his made him think of a rope stretched too taut before breaking. He was—bereft at the loss of her power. The emotion was so strong that he took a step to follow her, stopping only when Mason put his arm out to block him.

“I think we need to have a talk,” Mason stated.