Chapter 20

Helplessness was watching the woman you'd sworn to protect be carried off.

"Because she just wouldn't stay where I put her." Victim blaming? Fucking right. Rafe had been trying to get to the bottom of who wanted Emma dead or out of the picture. Apparently, everyone. No one thought the girl from Earth was a worthy match for the chosen one.

Too fucking bad. She was the one he wanted. The one someone had taken from him. The woman he'd get back.

And he had a feeling he knew who to blame.

No one impeded his progress. On the contrary, he saw neither soldier nor drone on his way to the throne room, and sure enough, when he entered - the doors yielding to his touch - there was his uncle, Emma on her knees by his side, her head bowed but only until she heard him shout, "Did he hurt you?"

"No." The gaze she raised was anything but cowed. "But he won't let me go either."