Master Foltham’s nostrils flared with several deep, heavy breaths, his throat flesh swelling and deflating with them. He didn’t look at Nostrus when he said, “That will be all for now.”
Nostrus stood, turned away, and walked toward the door. He told himself that his burgeoning sense of satisfaction at seeing Master Foltham so irritated by dealing with the bounty hunter was both immature and inappropriate, but he couldn’t dismiss the feeling. Part of him—a part to which he would never give voice—thought it served Master Foltham right.
If this was the path they had to take to make Master Foltham see the folly of outsourcing a contract for something Nostrus would’ve gladly done by his own hand, so be it. One way or another, they’d get their hands on that azhera. One way or another, Nostrus would right his failure.
And it will all be worth it just to see the look on the azhera’s face right before he dies.
EIGHTEEN
Drakkal drew in a deep breath through his nostrils, closed his eyes, and turned his face toward the sky. The surface air, though as fraught with clashing scents as that in Undercity, was sweet and fresh, and the light of the quasar was pleasantly warm. He hadn’t been topside in a long time—not since the day he’d driven Arcanthus and Samantha to the Ventrillian Mall over a year ago. The abundant plants and fountains on the upper city streetsalmostcreated the sense of being back in the wilds, far from the troubles of cities and civilization.
He opened his eyes and glanced at Shay, who was walking beside him, her left hand in his right. She held her other arm beneath her belly for support; it had grown noticeably larger in the month since Urgand had performed her first medical scan, and the cub had grown along with it. The time was fast approaching. She’d give birth soon enough, and his excitement and anxiousness increased with each passing hour.
He had dedicated himself to being a father for this cub, and nothing would make him waver from that. He only hoped that he would be a worthy father.
“It’ssomuch nicer up here,” Shay said, turning her head to look at him. “Why didn’t we do this sooner?”
Drakkal shrugged, sweeping his gaze around to take in the shining buildings, well-tended gardens, and countless pedestrians in their varied clothing. “Never really had a reason to.”
“No reason to? The air up here is reason enough.” She closed her eyes and inhaled slowly. “It’s so sweet I could take a spoon to it and have it for dessert.”
Drakkal’s eyes fell upon her again, and he smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind,kiraia. We do have to be careful, though. We’re not exactly law-abiding citizens.”
“Ha! Speak for yourself, kitty. I’ve turned over a new leaf, remember?”
“Should I remind you that the first thing you did once you were free was rob me?”
She grinned up at him. “It was self-defense.”
“Oh. No problem, then.” He flicked his gaze to her stomach. Over the last several weeks, she’d often grabbed his hand and pressed it to her belly so he could feel the cub within shift and kick. “How are you feeling? Have the cramps eased?”
She shifted her hand to the top of her stomach. “They come and go, some stronger than others. But I’m okay. Urgand said it was normal for how far along I am.”
Whether it was normal or not, Drakkal didn’t like it. Shay’s discomfort had only increased lately, and her pregnancy was clearly impacting her in many ways. She couldn’t move as easily as she had when they first met, she often seemed fatigued, and she struggled to find comfortable positions in bed no matter how she and Drakkal contorted their bodies—or how many different pillows and blankets he obtained to accommodate her. And there was nothing he could do about it. He hated that feeling of helplessness, hated that his mate was suffering, and that he couldn’t do anything to diminishher suffering.
Over the last few days, she’d taken to moving ceaselessly, even when she looked otherwise exhausted.
Shay stepped in front of him, causing him to stop, and raised her hand to cup his jaw. “You suck at hiding your thoughts.”
Drakkal frowned and furrowed his brow. “According to you and Arc, I just look grumpy all the time.”
“A hot grumpy.” Her lips spread into a wide, teasing smile. “Asexygrumpy.”
He stared into her eyes, and warmth spread across the surface of his skin. His tail swung around to brush along the outside of her leg. “I just wish I could do more for you,kiraia.”
Her smile softened as she stroked her thumb across his cheek. “You do everything already, Drakkal.”
“Everything will never be enough,” he said, unable to keep his lips from stretching into a grin; he knew she considered such sentiments sappy, but it was the truth. He’d never been one to share his feelings—and had never been accused by anyone ofsuckingat hiding his thoughts before her—but it came naturally in Shay’s company.
Shay’s cheeks pinkened. She opened her mouth to speak, but quickly snapped it shut, lips pale and thin. She released his hand to clutch the sides of her belly, drawing in a sharp breath. “Oh. That was a rough one.”
Drakkal’s frown swiftly returned. He placed one hand on her shoulder and cupped her cheek with the other. “We’re going back to?—”
He was silenced when a voice—a husky, feminine voice that was entirely too familiar—said, “Drakkal?”
For an instant, Drakkal’s past, stretching back twenty years, was laid bare at the forefront of his mind. All the pain, hurt, and heartache flooded back, as raw and potent as it had been back then. He turned his face toward the person who’d spoken.
The female azhera gasped. “Itisyou.”