Strange how life worked, he thought, entering his small guest apartment, pulling the curtain closed behind him. He’d finally come to terms with his past, only to be turned inside out by his present.
Tony knew that Naura was doing the right thing by moving on with Braum. He couldn’t, however, wrap his mind around why it hurt to admit it.
Hanging the towel on a nearby chair, he dragged on his clothes and lay across the bed, thoughts of Braum alone with Naura plaguing his restless mind.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Naura watched with bated breath as Braum crept to the doorway and checked the hall.
“Do you think he heard?” she questioned as he returned to her side.
Braum grinned. “I am certain of it. I could hear his rage-filled breaths.”
“Are you sure this will work? I feel guilty for angering him.”
“It will work. He needs to be made to see what it feels like to lose you to another. It is only a small push.”
“A deceitful push, Braum.”
“Would you rather he left without understanding his feelings for you?”
Naura’s heart skipped a beat. “No, of course not. I only want him to love me for me and not out of fear of losing me to another.”
Braum picked up her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. “If you cannot see that the human loves you, then you are more blind than he is.”
“Why will he not admit it to me?”
“He cannot admit it to himself, sweet Naura. He is confused, tormented by his need to hold on to his past.”
Taking a deep breath, Braum continued. “If what you have told me about his mate and son is true, then he fights a battle that may be impossible to overcome without help. We are merely giving him a nudge.”
“I hope you are right. I do not want to lose him, my friend. He does not strike me as the sort to easily manipulate.”
“You are not manipulating him. What we did here was nothing more than allowing him to know the pain of losing you to another. The rest will be up to him.”
Naura wrapped her arms around Braum’s neck in a show of appreciation. “I cannot thank you enough.”
She laid back and smoothed the sheet across her lap. The shirt she’d donned had been one of Abbie’s T-shirts, loose enough to allow her wound to breathe.
Braum stood to go. “Do not thank me yet, sweet one. Wait until after the mating ceremony before expressing your gratitude. The human is stubborn and displays an enormous amount of restraint where you are concerned. His honor will not allow him to defile you.”
“But it is not defiling when consent is given,” Naura retorted.
Braum nodded. “As I said, he is stubborn and in need of a nudge. Be patient, my friend. I have more in store for your precious land walker.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Naura called as Braum laughed and left the room.
She could hear his chuckles long after his footsteps disappeared.
Throwing back the sheet, Naura slowly sat up on the edge of her bed, taking shallow breaths to control her pain.
She set her feet on the floor and cautiously rose. The pain was bearable as long as she made no sudden movements.
Thoughts of Tony spurred her forward, lending her the strength she needed to venture out to the hall.
“Oh, my God,” Abbie gasped, running toward Naura with a speed that belied her small stature. “What are you doing up?”
Naura accepted Abbie’s offered arm. “I am going to bathe, and I need your help with my hair.”
Abbie clucked her tongue. “You really shouldn’t get your wound wet this soon. It could get infected.”
“My wound is healing quickly, thanks to your uncle’s blood. It will be fine.”
“Very well,” Abbie conceded. “But you could have waited for someone to help you.”
Naura smiled down at the top of Abbie’s head. “You are helping me.”
“Very funny. What are you planning to do with your hair?” Abbie questioned as they moved along toward the bathhouse at a snail’s pace.
“I want you to make it pretty like yours.”
Abbie laughed. “You have the most beautiful hair I have ever seen, and you want it to look like mine?”
“Thank you for the compliment, but I want what humans refer to as a makeover.”
“I see. Well, let’s get the bath behind us first, and I will fix you right up.”
“You are the best sister I have ever had,” Naura confessed.
“I’m the only sister you’ve ever had.”
Naura laughed, feeling better just by being in Abbie’s presence. “True. And I would not trade you for anything.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
A few minutes later, they arrived at the bathhouse. Abbie helped Naura out of her clothes and into the pool. “I think I’ll grab a bath too since I’m already here.”
Naura narrowed her eyes. “You are making certain that I do not hurt myself.”
Abbie stripped out of her clothes and joined her mate’s sister in the pool. “Well, if you lost consciousness, you could drown.”
“I cannot drown.” Naura giggled, splashing Abbie with the water as she settled in next to her.
Abbie grinned back. “Oh, yeah. I forgot about that. Must be nice to be able to breathe underwater.”
Naura grew serious. “I would give anything to be more like you. To be human.”
“Don’t say that,” Abbie gently scolded, placing her arm around Naura’s shoulder. “You’re unique and beautiful. Why would you want to change that?”
Naura blinked back tears of frustration. “If you could be more like Hauke, would you not gladly change something about yourself to make that happen?”
Abbie blew out a breath. “I suppose I would. I’d love to have gills, to be able to swim with him for hours without the need for oxygen.”
“Then you understand.”
“Yes, but Hauke is my mate. Why would you…” Abbie’s voice trailed off as understanding dawned. “You want to please Uncle Tony.”
Naura gave up fighting the tears and allowed them to fall. “I love him.”
“Then you should tell him how you feel. He may—”
“I have told him,” Naura interrupted. “He knows how I feel about him.”
Abbie’s eyes became huge. “Oh, boy. What was his response?”
“He does not want me.”
“Oh, bullshit,” Abbie barked, grabbing the cake of soap. “He’s always been such a hardhead.”
Indignation rose up inside Naura. “He has been hurt, Abbie. His life was destroyed long ago, and he does not know how to feel, to love.”
“Yes. But it’s been over fifteen years. It’s time he moved on.”
“I have deceived him,” Naura blurted out before she lost her nerve.
A wrinkle appeared between Abbie’s brows. “Deceived him, how?”
Naura filled Abbie in on what had happened in her room with Braum, his plan to provoke Tony’s jealousy and bring out his possessive side.
A deep belly laugh burst from Abbie, startling Naura.
“You think it is funny?” Naura gasped in shock.
Abbie eventually calmed enough to answer. “Immensely funny. Braum came up with that all on his own?”
“He did. Braum is well versed in the art of love. He is very popular with the females.”
Another giggle escaped Hauke’s mate. “I’ll just bet he is. Okay, here’s what we’re going to do.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Tony awoke to the sounds of laughter coming from somewhere down the hall. He rolled from the bed and padded through the foyer to have a look.
Abbie strolled through the corridor, grinning at a comment Naura had made. The two of them obviously found something humorous while he’d been tossing and turning for the past hour.
His gaze zeroed in on Naura, and his breath caught. She’d cut her hair. It hung in layers around her shoulders, framing her face with bangs she hadn
’t had before.
Her eyes were rimmed with dark makeup, enhancing their jade-green beauty. But nothing prepared him for the ruby-red color of her lips.
She had obviously been with Abbie since he’d abandoned his eavesdropping post.
The tank top Naura wore was a size too small, and her jeans hung low on her hips, displaying her belly button and entirely too much skin.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he growled as they approached.
Abbie stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek. “We are going to have dinner with the king and some of his men. You should join us.”
Tony jerked his thumb in Naura’s direction. “She’s going to dinner dressed like that?”
Naura took a step forward. “What is wrong with how I am dressed?”
“Nothing, if you want the entire Bracadyte guard sniffing around you like dogs in heat,” he ground out. “I suggest you go change.”
Naura’s chin lifted. “You do not have the right to suggest that I do anything, Anthony Vaughn. Nor do you have the authority.”
Tony couldn’t bear to look at Naura another second without the temptation of throwing her over his shoulder and tying her to his bed. The woman could piss him off faster than anyone he’d ever known. But son of a bitch, she was beautiful, he thought, as he ground his teeth in anger.
He rested his hands on his hips and shifted his attention back to his niece. “You did this to her?”
Abbie had the audacity to grin. “Guilty as charged. Doesn’t she look amazing? I can’t wait until everyone sees her.”
Taking hold of Naura’s hand, Abbie sent Tony a wink. “Now if you will excuse us, we’re famished.”
Tony could only stand there in silence as they trailed off toward the great hall, sashaying in their tight-fitting jeans as if they had not a care in the world.
“Son of a bitch.” He spun around and entered his apartment to grab his shoes. He’d be damned if he would allow Naura to traipse around in that getup without him with her.
* * * *
Hauke entered the great hall and scanned the room for his mate. He found her seated to the left of the king with his sister sitting to her right.
“Abbie?” he mentally summoned, hanging back in the shadows to keep from calling attention to himself.
She paused with her fork near her mouth, but she didn’t look up. “My love?”
“Would you mind excusing yourself from the group when you have finished your meal? I must speak with you.”
“I was just nibbling on dessert. You’re not going to eat?”
He hesitated. “Once we have spoken. I will await you in the hall.”
Backing out of the room, Hauke returned to the hall and leaned against its stone surface.
He’d noticed the changes in his sister, but he’d question her about that at another time. Hauke was only grateful that she’d survived.
“You’re home.” Abbie beamed, rushing into his arms. “I was so worried.”
Hauke held her close, basking in her sweet scent before pulling back and kissing her soft lips. “I missed you, soul of my soul.”
She kissed him back with a passion that staggered him.
“I want to love you for hours,” Hauke assured her, brushing his lips across hers once more. “But we must talk first.”
She leaned back far enough to search his eyes. “What is it? Where’s Henry?”
“I do not know where he is. I can only tell you that we found traces of human blood in the water near the boats.”
“Oh, my God,” Abbie whispered, moisture forming in her eyes. “Do you think it was Henry’s?”
Hauke briefly closed his eyes before opening them and cupping his mate’s beautiful face. “I cannot be certain of it, but Vaulcron and I both believe the blood to be Henry’s.”
Tears spilled over to track down her cheeks. “What if he’s dead, Hauke? What if those bastards killed him?”
“Shhhh,” he crooned, pulling her back into his arms. “We do not know that he is dead. Vaulcron has left for Cuba to pick up more supplies. He has assured me that he will bring back information on your father.”
“But how can he find out anything about Henry in Cuba?”
“Miguel is not without resources, my mate. If he does not have news of Henry, he will obtain it without difficulty. Do not worry until there is cause to do so.”
Abbie nodded and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Thank you for going after him, Hauke.”
“You would have done the same for me.”
“There is nothing that I wouldn’t do for you,” she swore, laying her hand against his cheek. “You must be hungry. Come to the great hall and eat before it’s all gone.”
Hauke’s heart warmed. “I love you, keeper of my soul.”
“And I love you, Hauke. So much it makes my chest ache.”
Following Abbie into the great hall, Hauke said a silent prayer to whatever gods were listening for the return of his mate’s father. Be he alive…or dead.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
One Week Later
Naura dropped to her hands and kicked out her leg, sweeping Gryke’s feet out from under him.
The big Bracadyte landed on his back with an “umpf,” springing up before Naura could straighten.
He circled her with an appreciative grin on his face. “You have been practicing,” he pointed out, crouching low with his hands extended.
“Make your move, you big oaf.” Naura managed to keep her expression blank. Barely.
Gryke lifted an eyebrow. “I am attempting to be mindful of your injury.”
Naura waved aside his concern. “I am nearly healed, Gryke. Do not treat me as a child.”
“Nearly healed is not good enough, daughter of the king. He would have my head if I harmed you in any way.”
“Chicken,” Naura taunted with a grin.
Gryke tilted his head to the side. “What is a chicken?”
A chuckle bubbled up inside her. “It is human slang for one who is afraid.”
“I do not fear females,” Gryke countered, circling Naura as a shark would its prey. “I do not fear much of anything.”
He went in for the attack, feinting left before spinning right and sweeping her off her feet.
Naura cringed but didn’t cry out. The gunshot wound in her back had closed, but the pain still smarted a bit.
She jumped up using only her legs. “Very efficient, Gryke. Dirty, but efficient.”
“And you think the enemy will not fight dirty?” Tony softly questioned, stepping into the room.
Naura’s heart stuttered. It had been a week since she’d seen Abbie’s uncle. She had begun to think perhaps Braum’s plan had backfired on them. “Maybe you would share some of your military moves with us?”
Tony stared at her long enough that she grew uncomfortable. “Okay then. But him, not you.” He nodded in Gryke’s direction.
The giant Bracadyte flipped his hair back out of his eyes and faced Tony. “I have looked forward to the opportunity to push your butt.”
“Kick your ass. The correct term is kick your ass,” Tony pointed out as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside.
Gryke shrugged a massive shoulder. “The meaning is the same.”
Tony grinned. “Not quite. Butt pushing is done in private or in prison. Now, I know I’m pretty, but I’m sure there are plenty of females in Aukrabah with cuter butts than mine.”
“You joke with me.” Gryke nodded and stepped forward, a twinkle in his eye. “You will teach me the human jokes?”
“Maybe after I push your butt,” Tony teased, springing off his feet and kicking Gryke in the chin.
Abbie watched with rapt attention as Tony fought Gryke using a technique she had never seen.
The sparring seemed to go on forever until the two males broke apart, bloody and breathless.
Tony plopped down on the mat and laid back with his arm thrown over his forehead, groaning as Gryke fell out beside h
im.
Naura sat close by, watching the two of them interact as if they’d known each other for years.
“It is my turn,” she murmured, resting her chin on her knees.
Tony lifted his arm enough that she could see his eyes. “Don’t you have another female to spar with? I don’t feel right about fighting you.”
“Are you afraid that I will embarrass you?”
Gryke suddenly rolled to his feet. “I am going to the bathhouse.” He smirked at Tony. “Do not allow the female to get one under you.”
“Over you. It’s get one over on you.” Tony laughed, waving Gryke off. “Be gone with you.”
Stopping on his way to the door, Gryke chuckled and glanced back at Tony. “Will you show me more of your human military training on the morrow?”
“If I don’t get my butt pushed by this female.”
Naura blocked out Gryke’s burst of laughter and jumped to her feet. She curled her finger inward and lifted the corner of her mouth. “Get up, coward.”
“Coward?”
The deadly-soft timbre of Tony’s voice would no doubt inject fear into the heart of an average man. But Naura wasn’t afraid. If anything she was excited.
He stood in one fluid motion, studying her with those piercing blue eyes. “I’ll show you a coward.”
With lightning-quick speed, he had her on her back, pinned beneath him.
He jerked her arms above her head and held her wrists together in one of his large hands. “You should never taunt a man with nothing to lose.”
“Wh-why not?”
He settled between her legs, his gaze dropping to her mouth. “Because, he is without remorse or fear of consequences.”
The weight of his big body, his breath on her face, and the strength in his hands kicked her heart into overdrive.
She could feel herself softening, preparing for him as she did the night he’d kissed her a week ago.
Naura held her breath in a heightened state of excitement while Tony’s lips slowly descended toward her.
“Damn you,” he whispered, his mouth settling over hers.
Naura couldn’t breathe. Her thoughts scattered in a million directions. Her arms relaxed in surrender, and her eyelids drifted closed as Tony’s soft lips continued to caress hers.
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