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villa and of my private staff. I got the feeling he didn’t approve of me, though it definitely had nothing to do with me being gay. He liked Yuri quite a bit, but then everyone did.
    “Yes?” I was irritable.
    “You have a visitor, my lord. Korneiley Church from Nevada. He requested an audience at once.”
    The cherry on the cake of my week. Koren.
    “Show him in.”
    There had been a time when my heart would have flipped over at the news that Koren Church was anywhere near me. I had been wildly, madly, desperately in love with him, and our on-again, off-again relationship had only added fuel to the fire. I had wanted him but couldn’t have him, he had wanted me but our timing was bad, and round and round it had gone. We were both stupid, both self-centered, and both of us had wanted the other to cave. The last time he walked away, though, had almost killed me. My heart had been too mangled and the jealousy eating away at it just not worth it. You couldn’t always wonder if the person you loved, loved you back. There was a time to simply know and be content in that knowledge.
    I stood when he walked in.
    He stopped by the door. The man was still very easy on the eyes. The short, thick blond hair, deep olive-green eyes, laugh lines, long and straight Roman nose, full lips, the gold of his skin, the grace of his movements… there was no missing his beauty.
    I opened my mouth to greet him as Samani Baro, hathen of my house, slipped past him into the room.
    “I must speak to you,” she said quickly.
    In that instant, I saw his eyes glide over the stunning woman—and he liked what he saw.
    Sometimes life gave you reminders without anyone else having to know. Stupidly, for a second, my heart had opened because it was so good to see him. But any words now were empty, as I had seen his interest in another. It was as simple as that. When I was in the room, Yuri saw no one else. I had gotten used to it, to being the most important thing. I would not give that up for anything.
    “I was—” Koren began.
    “Wait.” I stopped him, rounding on Samani, who had not been distracted at all by the beautiful man in our midst, her focus all on me.
    “Yes?”
    “The contingent from the tribe of Aswanet has barred me from checking on the concubines in their quarters. Your khatyu must break down the door to gain entrance, and nothing may be destroyed inside your home without your permission.”
    Why was I being bothered with such mundane crap? Didn’t she know I didn’t care?
    She made a face. “I know you don’t like to deal with this kind of thing, but your sekhem, who is normally here to handle these requests, is absent. Because of that, I must come to you.”
    “What does he usually say?”
    “He says to do what I think is best.”
    “That sounds like good advice. Do that.”
    “And I have your permission to act in your stead?” She was making sure.
    “You do.”
    She made to leave.
    “Wait.”
    Her eyes came back on me.
    “Make sure you let me know if the girls are hurt.”
    “Of course.” She gave me a quick bow, spared a nod to Ebere, and then left.
    Koren watched her go.
    “I always liked her.” Ebere said brightly. “She always handled Ammon so well. He used to come to my chambers fuming because she’d outmaneuvered him again and again.”
    “Your mate complained that he had missed bedding another?”
    She tilted her head, and there was just a hint of a smile.
    “It’s a wonder you didn’t kill him yourself.”
    Her gaze met mine.
    “I’m glad you didn’t hate me.”
    “Nothing to hate.” She was adamant.
    I cleared my throat. “I enjoy having Samani here.”
    “You were smart to elevate her to hathen.”
    “Someone needed to do it, and you certainly wanted nothing to do with the harem.”
    She scoffed. “No, I didn’t.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    We were both finally focused on Koren.
    “You have a harem?”
    I waggled my eyebrows.
    “All semel-atens have harems,” Ebere educated Koren, the