Karel tossed Tiana through the opening, her screaming swallowed as she went through.
“I don’t care what you want,” Alyx told her. “Now you’ll live with the other outcasts from society.”
He peeled her off him and shoved her into the opening, effectively cutting off her cries.
“What planet?” Liv wondered. “Where?”
“It’s a hunting galaxy. Filled with barren wastelands and animals we never even heard of. Super dangerous,” Bella replied. “They’ll be some dinosaur’s midday snack.”
Wow. “Sounds like they’re going to have to work hard to stay alive.”
“Well, now they won’t have time to plot killing me,” Bella said.
“There’s always a bright side to everything.” Liv grinned.
THIRTY
Liv and Bella went in to check on Keliana, while Karel and Alyx washed the blood off. Liv peeked in Keliana’s room to see her wide awake and sitting up in bed. “Don’t sneak around, get in here and visit with me. I want to know what all that fuss was I just heard outside.” Liv smiled and pulled Bella in with her. They sat on either side of Keliana on the bed.
Bella smiled and gave Keliana a hug. “You are looking better every time I see you.”
“I feel almost back to normal already. Got to love these shifter genes. Liv here has provided me with all the protein I can eat, and I am pretty sure the poison is out of my system completely. I would even venture to say by dinnertime, I will be ready to eat at the table with the rest of you.”
“Did you eat everything? I can get you something if you’re hungry,” Liv offered as she stood and headed toward the door.
“No, I am fine. Your mate took care of me before he and Alyx went looking for you two.” Keliana peered from one to the other. “Where are those boys anyway? I want to hear what is going on.”
“We’re here, Aayi. I figured you would be going crazy for answers by now,” Karel called out as he and Alyx entered the room with big grins on their faces.
Keliana huffed and narrowed her eyes at Karel. “You aren’t sassing me, are you? You aren’t too old to be taken to task, you know.”
Karel blushed and shot a look at the others who were trying not to smile. “Aayi,” Karel pleaded, “you live to torture me, don’t you.”
“Someone explain what just happened.” Keliana looked from face to face waiting. “No one, really? Was it that bad?”
Liv cleared her throat. “Aayi, I think it’s more that we are still piecing it together.”
“You know what they say, two heads are better than one. Or I guess in our case five heads.”
“This morning after I left you, I went for a walk in the garden. I didn’t know at the time who she was, but a blond lady threatened me for ruining her plan. A few minutes ago the same lady came out of the forest and attacked us. She wasn’t alone. Tiana was with her.”
Bella took over the story. “The blonde is Alyx’s cousin Nadeeya. She has tried multiple times to get rid of me, so she can have Alyx for herself. After the last time, we sent her to her brother for him to watch over her. It would seem we were too lenient.”
“Alyx and I subdued the women and Alyx banished them,” Karel piped in with the last of the story. “They went too far this time.”
Keliana sat back and thought for a few minutes. “One thing I don’t understand. How did Tiana fit into all this and why was she poisoning me?”
Liv said, “When I was talking to Tiana, I mentioned that Karel told me she worked in the castle. I asked if she was one of your assistants, Bella. She became extremely angry at my question and said she wasn’t good enough to work with you. That she attended the king’s cousin. She was very bitter. I remember being surprised because you were so sweet.”
Alyx cut in. “If I may, I have an idea as to why. Karel and I have been talking and we think it was an elaborate plan to get to Bella. With her advanced pregnancy, I assigned Karel to stay by her side. This made it impossible for Nadeeya to attack again.” Alyx rubbed a hand down his face. “When you suddenly got sick, we believed it was just your time,” he added. “We didn’t stop to think you’d gotten sick once she’d come here to visit with you.
“Nadeeya recruited Tiana to poison you to make Karel rush to your side, Keliana. Everyone knows how loyal jaguars are to their mothers. It would seem she set it up to happen at the time I would be away at the summit meeting with the bears. Bella still had protection, but it wasn’t people Bella knew well, therefore they stayed back a bit and gave her more space.” Alyx paused to let that sink in and Karel carried on.