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word came out as a long low moan. She pulled away from him when he tried to hike her skirts up. “So, what have you been doing while I’ve stewed?” Granted, she’d been justified in her tirade, but it wasn’t very Dareauxian of her to let her full scope of emotions out there.
    “Informing the Navorain liaison to the Community that the Navorains do not agree with the ridiculous rules proposed by the New Chastity Party.” He smiled at her and hauled her back onto his lap. “Larsus stated that he doubted they would be passed. It was facing strong opposition from not only the Dareauxians but also the Deltains and Perseysians.”
    “That’s not that many members of the Community.” She didn’t really want to discuss the New Chastity Party or their platform. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed his cheek.
    “Ah, it may not seem so, but the Navorains are a parent strain. Our allies will rally to the commonsense response that we cannot deny the mating rites of several of the core members.”
    “I’m not following you.”
    “The Navorains also signed the pledge to not take advantage of a sexually repressed kind.” He chuckled when she slapped his shoulder. “ Tsk. Tsk . My t esra needs to learn her place.”
    “What does that word mean?”
    “Wife.”
    She laughed when he tickled her. After jerking out of his embrace, she ran across the room and nearly collided with Amanassa. His firm grip on her upper arms brought her to a dead stop. “Forgive me, counselor. My mate and I were…” She let her sentence fall off, knowing Amanassa could fill in the blanks.
    “I see your mood has improved, princess.” There wasn’t a note of condemnation in her counselor’s voice. “This bodes well for you and your mate.”
    “Has the crystal been prepared for transport to Dareaux?”
    “As best it can be, Your Highness. It was badly damaged.”
    “I’m aware.” Her emotions dipped. “It is regrettable.”
    Amanassa lifted the infanteum crystallae from where it lay. “This belongs to another now.”
    “I haven’t gotten that far,” she muttered.
    “There is no time like the present.” He released the gem. A small smile lit across his face when he steered his gaze to Michaelerus “If you would start the play, Supreme Commander.” He brushed his hand down Jada’s long hair. “It’s time for our princess to feed.”
    “I can wait. I know you must be half-starved, though.” She blushed. She was hungry. It wasn’t because Michaelerus hadn’t fulfilled her lust last night or sated her mating hunger but because she’d expelled so much of her energy trying to keep the common crystal alive so it could deliver its final report.
    She’d used up much more of her store during her tirade. A gnawing ache burned in the pit of her belly. This hunger wasn’t base—it was primal. It was the pain that told her she was close to losing her strength. No Dareaux ever wanted to be in her position. She was on the brink of collapse.
    “You waited too long,” Michaelerus commented. He walked up behind her and leveled his hands on her hips. “Jada.” A warning clung to his whisper of her name.
    “I was a little busy,” she responded in a vicious whisper.
    “You know better, Your Highness.” Amanassa shook his head. “You do us little good if you die of starvation.”
    “It’s not that big of a deal.” Okay, she’d like it not to be that big of a deal. Hell. She’d been hungry before. She’d even been nearly starved into a coma before. Still, that was back in the day when she’d been young and she’d given off energy as if she was self-rejuvenating.
    “Get undressed,” Michaelerus fairly growled. Abruptly releasing her, he strode back to his desk. “Now,” he ordered when she spun around. “I’ll not hear of you languishing because you don’t have the brains to say ‘I need to eat.’”
    He made it sound so simple. On many levels it was. Amanassa went to argue her position, but she stopped him by