Page 42 of Upon Shattered Bonds

Her telepathic voice, melodic in a way no human voice could ever be, resounded in his mind. At this point, it’s a necessary evil. But I’m not myself right now, and meeting them on uneven ground isn’t something I’d typically agree to. I’m sure you can understand why.

He nodded. If it pleases the lady, I’ll happily gut them should they breathe at you wrong. You only need to say the words.

One blink. Two. And then, his heart tore to pieces.

She smiled at him. Faint, the smallest curve of her luscious red lips—but a true smile, aimed directly at him.

Shocked by the fundamental change, Zeke examined the ghosting mating bond between them more thoroughly. Beneath her resolve and determination, he was astonished to discover feelings of tenderness and affection. Both were directly related to him.

I very much appreciate the offer, Zeke, and I may very well take you up on that.

Activity began around them, but Zeke remained beside his mate, looking to her for his cue. When Nina tugged idly at the neck of her fighting leathers only moments later, Zeke’s mind was made up.

“I’m taking you to your bedroom,” he said, picking her up. “You’ve still got blood on your leathers, and I’m sure you’d prefer to be clean when you meet with the others.”

“That I would.”

Four minutes later, he had her perched on the edge of a marble bathtub. She’d changed into something more comfortable—while he Amped her from the other room—and then he’d made good on his promise.

He dabbed at a misting of blood that’d splattered across her cheek, marveling at the softness of her skin. Sitting perfectly still, Nina’s breaths skittered along his hand as he worked. It was a quiet moment, and he both loved and hated the silence that’d fallen between them.

Something had continued to nag at him. In his gut, Zeke knew he should ask the question, but he didn’t want to replace the softness in Nina’s eyes with something sharper. He was near certain that bringing up the topic would sour their temporary truce, but his honor compelled him anyway.

“Why do you have black market merjhas in your armory?”

Nina shifted away from the washcloth that dabbed at her skin, then went still. “Why were you snooping around in my armory?”

“It wasn’t intentional,” he answered honestly, finding that fire was barreling down their mating bond. “Why aren’t you answering the question?”

A flurry of thoughts rioted behind Nina’s features, but she didn’t respond.

Sighing, he reached out again and dabbed at the blood, thankful when she didn’t move away again. Keeping his voice even and steady, without accusation, he tried from a different angle.

“When the Quint Treaty decreed that all merjhas were to be destroyed, there were no exceptions. Why do you have them, Nina?”

This close to her, he could hear her swallow. “They’re in my possession to be destroyed, Zeke. I confiscated them off the black market.”

“But five?” he asked. “One, sure, but five isn’t a coincidence. How long have you had them?”

“Those five were gathered within the last four months.”

“Four months?” The answer begged another question. “Did you gather them together, or separately?”

“I confiscated them all separately.”

The admission made his jaw clench. Studying her, he searched for the driving factor that’d led her to doing such risky work—because it was inherently risky. The leaders of the black market, though shrouded in anonymity, were deadly and without conscience.

The Peace Accords had been signed by many Raeth clans, but not all. Hundreds of clans existed across the globe, and hundreds more clanless were without a higher rule. No one person was in charge of their immortal breed, and sometimes, their people suffered.

Intentionally loosening his jaw, Zeke asked, “Why are you inserting yourself in the immortal black market? What ties could you possibly have—or want—to it?”

Again, her silence spoke for her.

“You don’t trust me.”

“I don’t trust anyone with that information,” she replied.

He rocked back and away from her, the washcloth coming down to his side, forgotten. “Why? Because it’s damaging to someone else or to you?”

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