He pressed the control button, and the door slid open. He paused there and glanced at her over his shoulder. “It’s my job to keep my partner and our operation safe. But it’s my purpose to keep you safe,kiraia. I’ll be nearby if you need anything.”
With that, he walked into the hallway. The door closed a few seconds later, but Drakkal’s presence—and his intoxicating scent—lingered in the apartment long after he’d left.
She was torn. Though her instincts told her Drakkal could be trusted, her gut hadn’t always been right in the past.
But this feels different.
It did, and that scared the crap out of her. She’d made some bad—reallybad—decisions in her life, and she couldn’t afford any more. She had her baby to worry about. Yet nothing about Drakkal made her feel like accepting his offer would be a mistake. This…could be her one and only chance. A chance to give her baby a good, safe life.
As for Drakkal claiming her as his mate…
That both freaked her out and intrigued her. She wasn’t disgusted by him—obviously not, considering her body’s reaction to him—but he was…different.
There’d been people in the gang she’d run with back on Earth who’d considered azheras nothing more than walking, talking animals. Some humans had been ostracized for associating with aliens, and the treatment was sometimes worse for those who became physically involved with nonhumans. Shay had seen people beaten, tortured, and killed, all because they’d allowed themselves to feel for somethingother.
But that wasn’t the case here in Arthos, and she’d be lying to herself if she claimed she didn’t feel something when Drakkal looked at her, when he touched her.
And it wouldn’t have made a damn difference to her on Earth, either. She would never have let someone else dictate how she should feel or live her life, and if she wanted an azhera as her man, then she’d damn well have him.
But did she?
Shay settled her palm over her cheek, wishing that it was Drakkal’s rough, scarred there hand instead.
ELEVEN
Drakkal took a swig ofgurosh, hoping the fiery-sweet beverage would help force his attention back to the here and now—if only for long enough to complete his turn and keep the game moving. He understood the rules and gameplay of Conquerors well, even if he’d never been quite as good as a few of the people he usually played with, but he was struggling tonight. The gameboard—a large holographic map depicted in hexagons of varying elevation and pattern—made little sense to him, and the colors on it, which marked the territory claimed by Drakkal and his opponents, seemed to bleed together.
It would have been easy to tell himself he was just feeling off, but he knew the real reason for his distraction.
Shay.
“Come on, azhera,” Arcanthus whispered. “How are we supposed to beat Sam if your head’s not in the game?”
Samantha, who was seated to Arcanthus’s right, turned her head toward him and narrowed her eyes. “Is that how it is?”
Arcanthus’s mouth fell open, dragging his brows downalong with it. “And what exactly are you accusing me of, my flower?”
A mischievous smirk lit upon Sam’s lips. “Being bad at Conquerors and secretly plotting against your mate.”
Urgand, the vorgal sitting to Drakkal’s left, sucked in a sharp breath. “I’d better go get my medkit.”
“Why’s that?” Arc asked, frowning with exaggerated hurt in his eyes.
“She just bludgeoned you with the truth.”
Warm laughter erupted around the table, even from the big cren, Razi, who never seemed to take his attention off the board when he was playing Conquerors. Drakkal joined in, grateful for anything that could take his mind off Shay, even if it was only for a few moments.
Drakkal finally selected a holographic card from his hand and placed it on the board. Two of the empty hexagons bordering the one upon which he’d played his piece changed to his color—a muddy orange brown. The majority of map, as usual, was divided between Sam’s and Razi’s colors.
“Theguroshis hitting you hard tonight, Drakkal?” asked Sekk’thi, the female ilthurii seated beside Sam.
“Just more fun to get a rise out of the sedhi by throwing the game,” Drakkal replied with a smirk.
“We had a deal.” Arcanthus shot Drakkal a glare as he reached out and made his own play. He set his card down without looking—directly beside one of Sam’s hexes. Arc’s card changed to her color, crimson.
“Maybe you should pay attention to what you’re doing, Arc,” Drakkal said.
Samantha, Urgand, and Sekk’thi laughed.