Free 9781631055577NiKohsChosenMichaelsNC by Kenzie Michaels Page B

everything to my home office, and I’ll let you know if I
have time to patrol this afternoon. I may have to put it off until tomorrow. I
was informed of an unpleasant family matter, so I may
have to work from home the rest of the week.” NiKoh sighed. “If it’s not one
thing, it’s another.”
    LyDie
nodded. “I understand. I’ll take care of things here. Go, do what needs to be
done. I’ll contact you if anything imp ortant needs
your attention.”
    “Thank
you. I’m expecting a form from the academy, concerning OkVei. I need to fill it
out the day it arrives, so make sure you mark it as urgent.” NiKoh turned, then
faced his secretary and grinned. “They are all marked urgen t, aren’t they?”
    LyDie
smiled. “I will flag it as ‘extremely urgent’, NiKoh. Now go away and let me
get back to work. Make them purple this time.”
    NiKoh
laughed at the private joke he shared with her. Every time he worked from home,
he sent her flowers as an apology, and she humored
him by telling him what color she wanted. LyDie
knows me too well. It’s
a good thing her mate is understanding.
    He
reached out to his mother. Are you home?
    Of course. Do you need something?
    We need to call a family meeting. Is SaLie home?
    Yes. I assume you will inform RiKar?
    I’m on my way there now. He ended the link and teleported to the
Council of Elders and requested an audience with RiKar.
    NiKoh
tapped his fingers on his hips while he waited. Soon he heard his name being
cal led. He turned and saw RiKar’s bearded face
smiling at him.
    “What
brings you here my friend?” The two men clasped hands. “I spoke to KiRah the
other day. She is settling down at the House of WiLeh and is very happy.”
    “Good
for her.” NiKoh walked beside him down the long
corridor. “It is still hard to believe in less than a year, my little sister
will be Bonded.”
    “Young
KiRah is growing up. Pretty soon I will have to stop referring to her as
‘young’.” RiKar paused beside a doorway and indicated NiKoh was to enter first. “I will close the door. I sense your
distress.”
    NiKoh
grimaced, seating himself in one of the chairs which faced the desk. “Here I
hoped I was masking it well. But then, we have always been close. When you and
BaRok were at the Academy, I thin k you spent more
time at our house than your own.”
    RiKar
chuckled as he took his seat. “ReNei says the same thing. What’s on your mind?”
    “This.”
NiKoh pulled the photo from his pocket and placed it in front of the elder. “We
are keeping close watch on JeWa l and DuKah, since
they have not returned to Xaxa yet. Our observations revealed SaLie was
spending time with them. The Bond Test which was given to BaRok and TriSha has
apparently backfired.”
    RiKar
frowned. “It was my understanding she was repulsed by JeW al’s true nature and that was why her Joining was null and
void.” He glanced down and turned powder blue with shock. “This is true? Oh
dear gods…does ReNei know?”
    “I
don’t know. I’ve called a family meeting and informed Mother I would bring you.
She will l et me know when the family is assembled.”
NiKoh swallowed. “SaLie claims JeWal and DuKah are recruiting entertainment
acts, restaurant owners, and merchants to relocate to the space station, and
come to think of it, I have not seen my sister except when in her bed or sitting down. You don’t suppose Mother knows
and is helping her?”
    “Your
mother is an amazing woman.” RiKar shook his head and handed back the photo.
“Deceiving her family though? I doubt it.”
    “I’m
curious to know which of those deviants planted his
seed. Surely SaLie was scanned when she arrived? It would have taken care of
anything, unless she—” The idea was too incredulous to voice.
    “If
she announced she wanted to conceive.” RiKar’s tone was gentle. “There was
nothing the scan would do.”
    “But why?” NiKoh stood up, agitated. He pushed his hands
through his purple hair, causing