Sweet Alien Savage (Zerconian Warriors Book 4) by Sadie Carter Page B

asking him to meet her there,” Koran told her. “He’d noticed some bruising on her and told her to contact him if she ever needed help. When he arrived, the body was cold. We believe the murderer sent Darac the note to frame him.”
    “But why frame Darac?” she asked.
    “Because he’s an outsider?” Safan guessed.
    “Or maybe the killer wanted to give the ambassador a reason to force us to leave,” Jaxan added. “Could this have anything to do with the real reason we are here?”
    She frowned. “No one knows about that except for Aline, myself, and the High Chief. How could Sally’s death have anything to do with that vid?”
    “I don’t know,” Jaxan said. “But whoever sent out that vid hates the idea of human females having anything to do with us. Maybe they don’t know the reason we are here, but they still want us gone.”
    “Yes,” Koran nodded. “This could be a way to make Earthers fear us more. By framing one of us as a killer.”
    “I guess you’re right,” she said. “I could see how that would work. But I still don’t understand why they would use Darac?”
    “Maybe they just picked one of us at random,” Safan suggested.
    “Or they could have seen Darac and Sally talking,” Torex added.             
    “But that means they killed Sally to make you guys look bad. That’s awful.” She placed a hand over her stomach. Her head spun. “Did Sally’s life mean so little?”
    “You are not going to cry are you?” Koran asked in a horrified voice. She glanced up to find them all staring at her uncomfortably.
    “What?” She sniffled. “No.”
    “Maybe you should sit down.” Jaxan moved from his seat.
    “We should get tissues or hot water or blankets.” Safan stared around the room in a panic.
    For goodness sake. A few sniffles and you’d think the world was coming to an end.
    “Calm yourselves. I will handle this.” Koran loomed over her.
    She watched through blurry eyes as he clasped hold of her shoulders, then stared down at her sternly.
    “Mila, you will not cry.”
    “I won’t?”
    He shook his head. “No.”
    “Why not?” She really felt like she might. Her friend had just been murdered. She’d had no sleep. She hadn’t felt like eating this morning so she was feeling light-headed.
    If it wasn’t for the men looking on, she was pretty certain she’d be curled up into a ball, crying her heart out like a teenager whose prom date had stood her up.
    “Because I order you not to.”
    Talk about arrogant! “You can’t order someone not to cry. It doesn’t work that way.”
    “It will. Crying won’t help. We have things to do.”
    She stared at him incredulously. How could he be so unfeeling? Wiping at her eyes, she pulled herself together. She had experience with pushing her own feelings and needs aside for others.
    “I’m fine now. Let’s get on with things, shall we?” Standing, she moved towards the door.
     
    Koran watched Mila leave with the sense that she was upset with him. What had he done?
    “I do not think she appreciated that advice,” Safan stated.
    “You are supposed to comfort a female when she cries,” Jaxan added. “Not order her to stop.”
    Koran scowled at him. “How many crying females have you cared for?”
    “None,” Jaxan admitted. “But Mila taught us about how to conduct ourselves should a female cry. You are to offer her comfort. A hug if you know her or find her some tissues.”
    “And pat her back and say ‘there there’,” Torex added.
    “What would that achieve?” Koran asked incredulously.
    Torex shrugged. “I do not know. But she did not look happy with you.”
    No, she hadn’t. Koran wondered where he had gone wrong. Emotions helped nothing, they got in the way of clear thinking and logical action. It was obvious to him that he had to help Mila get over this affliction of allowing feelings to cloud her thinking.
    He stepped outside, frowning to discover Mila wasn’t waiting for him. “Mila?”