Cold Mark (39 page)

All of my hair was now white. Even my eyebrows.

I grinned, peering at myself in the mirror again. The white hair suited me. I grabbed a hair tie from the counter and pulled my hair up into a ponytail, ready to make myself breakfast ... and then froze.

I screamed.

Killeg and Phila were inside the bathroom before I even blinked.

I jerked around to face them. And pointed at my ears. "They. Are. Pointed!"

Both men blinked, rubbing their faces to fully awaken.

I jabbed at the top of my ears in case they hadn't heard me. "My ears are now pointed!"

Killeg bent at the waist and leaned close, studying my left ear. "It would appear they are."

Flustered, I rambled, "I expected the hair. I did not expect my ears to look like yours!"

Phila raised a white brow. "You are part Mian and Kireg. It shouldn't be too much of a shock. And, besides, what's wrong with our ears?" His gaze ran over my hair, and ears, a smile playing on his lips. "You weren't complaining about any of our body parts yesterday—all day long."

"Nothing's wrong with
your
ears—the ones you were
born
with." I growled quietly and then turned to stare in the mirror. I leaned over the counter to study my ears more thoroughly. The tops were each pointed now, not as sharp as a Mian's, but not as round as a Human's. I patted them with a careful touch. "Do you think anyone will notice?"

Killeg yawned, and then kissed the side of my neck. "Jax and Stiller will since they'll know what to look for, but not others. It isn't as pronounced as a Mian's." He played with my ponytail, grinning. "You'll have to tell people you dyed your hair, though."

I swatted his hand away and sighed, staring at my reflection. "I guess my ears aren't so bad."

"They're cute." Phila smirked, but his eyes were predatory. "You're ours now."

I pointed at my head. "Not because of this. But, yes, you're
my
men now." I flicked a finger at their hands and dug through my cabinet. "Get rid of the damn Harem rings. You'll only wear mine."

They didn't argue, removing the three rings on each of their fingers. I placed those in a sack so they didn't lose them. After all, they would need to give them back to the women. I tossed the bag on the counter and placed my two rings in their hands. Both men wasted no time putting them on.

Their right thumbs sported
my
rings now.

I lifted my eyes, peering from under my lashes. "So?"

Phila's lips twitched. His gaze tracked over my lips. "You like us. A lot."

I huffed in his face, and shoved them both out of the bathroom when they snickered at my reaction to the truth—they could feel my emotions through the rings so there was no point in denying it. "Go make me breakfast while I take a shower."

"You're a demanding Human." Killeg ran his fingers through his bed rumpled, chaotic hair.

I slammed the door in their faces. I grinned, delight in my choice—of them—making my heart pound. "We already distinguished that last night."

Killeg's laughter was a blessing. "Yes, we did." He paused for a second. "We'll leave your breakfast in the oven so Sweet Pea doesn't get it. We have something we need to do before our meeting with the other Plumas. Be ready in two hours."

Completely mute, Malik and Leo stared at Phila and Killeg like they were senseless.

Phila barely kept his frustration in check. "We are offering you half of the land to the north of Center. You know it is rich in minerals, enough to keep your people happy. I don't understand what the issue is."

Leo blinked his golden eyes. Twice. "The issue is that you want us to live side-by-side."

Killeg explained again, "Citizens of the west and east are already doing it in Center. It would be a natural location for the Plumas to live. Our people could travel to Center and enter our land through there. We've already discussed it with the litigators. The zoning will circle our combined land."

I thought it was genius.

If only my Vaq would get on board with this plan.

Malik rested back on his chair and placed his hands on the conference table, staring across at us. "Are you expecting us to live peacefully together?" He snorted, full of contempt. "You know that will never happen. It's hardly civilized in Center as it is."

"This is an example of what we could do with the land." Phila tapped a button on a Com-pad, and a screen flickered at the end of the table. A blueprint of two identical mansions was represented. He pointed at the long line between the two. "And that is ram-shield that could be in place to keep anyone from wandering where they shouldn't be."

Malik studied the screen. "Who would take care of the ram-shield?"

"The litigators."

Leo considered Phila and Killeg. "Answer me one question.
Why
do you want this?"

Phila folded both of his hands on the table. "Because it is a step in the right direction."

Leo sat silently, waiting for further clarification.

Killeg explained, "If we live side-by-side, it would mean better communication between us."

Leo watched them carefully. "Then you do want peace. Do you know how ridiculous that sounds?"

I interrupted, "He said better communication. That doesn't mean peace. He's referencing the matter of the Humans and their growing need to live somewhere other than Joyal—as their experiments have clearly depicted." I pointed a finger at the ground. "Here, if you don't get my point. If the hybrid Humans were ever accepted on Triaz, it would be best to have the Plumas unified." There was nothing like the worry of another species infiltrating one's planet to unite the current owners of said planet. It was a solid plan.

A quiet descending on the room. Phila and Killeg didn't argue with what I said, allowing my words to filter into Malik and Leo's minds, of the inevitable truth that could happen one day.

Malik flicked at finger at me, eyeing the Plumas. "You two should have started with that. It would have made this meeting go a lot smoother."

Leo nodded and finally turned his attention to the screen, staring at the blueprint. He tilted his head to it. "That house is much too small for us and our staff."

Phila chuckled, quiet and content. "I'm sure we can work it out."

"Thank you for not using your powers on them again," I murmured after my Vaq had left the room. "I don't want them to be puppets to anyone."

Killeg kissed my cheek. "We're in agreement there. We don't enjoy using our Kireg side unless we have to, and those men are intelligent enough to make right choices for their people anyway."

Phila cleared his throat and lifted a box from his pocket.

He sat it right in front of me.

My brows pinched, and I peered up into his dark gaze.

"It's a gift from us."

"Really?"

"Yes. We hope you like it. It's the first of its kind, we were told."

With excitement bubbling in my chest, I opened the box. I could only stare. "Two rings."

Killeg nodded, his eyes on mine, and then he turned in his seat and flicked the back of his collar down. He glanced over his shoulder. "We didn't want you to feel left out."

I touched the mark on the back of his neck, identical to mine. "Is it ... "

"It's a Cold Mark. The first time men have ever gotten them."

"Mother Joyal," I whispered.

I tilted and lifted the back of Phila's hair.

He was marked too ... and wearing a smile. "Do you like it?"

"As if you need to ask!" I grabbed the rings and placed them on my thumbs ... and emotions not my own tickled at the back of my brain. I smirked, knowing that feeling all too well. "You guys like me. A lot." These Plumas had shown me a world I never knew existed, and I was here to stay.

M
OON
M
ARK

(Mark Novel #2)

When natural disaster strikes Joyal, Madeline is tossed from her planet into the hands of the Kireg. Madeline has always feared the Kireg, an alien who can bend—or snap—a mind with only a thought.
What she found on their home planet is even more frightening as civil unrest explodes in pandemonium.
But the one thing she never expected to find was a warm male body in her bed after surviving a night of riots on the streets…or what they had done together.

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A
BOUT THE
A
UTHOR

New York Times bestselling author and award-winner, Scarlett Dawn is the author of the Forever Evermore new adult fantasy series, the Mark new adult science fiction saga, and the Lion Security contemporary series.
She lives in the Midwest, adores her music loud, and demands her fries covered in melted cheese.

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