Page 53 of Fate of Draga

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Kaiden said, eyes on Asher. “I would greet you properly, but I’m a bit busy.”

Varan chuckled like there was some joke no one else had heard.

Nash tapped the gauntlet on the stranger’s arm, and just before it deactivated she heard him mutter, “Don’t make me regret this.”

When the helmet was pulled back into the armor Veri had to blink before she could fully comprehend what she was seeing. By that time Asher had already jumped to his feet, pistol out as he stepped in front of her.

Varan stood and snatched the pistol from Asher so fast Veri hadn’t even realized he’d moved.

She just wanted to tell everyone tostopfor a moment so she could figure out what thehellswas going on and how she felt about it.

Because Adelina wouldn’t have brought a bloodyNeprijatinto the solar without good reason.

“He’s on our side, mate,” Varan told Asher with a pointed look at the couch.

Asher didn’t move until she tugged on his hand, and Veri winced when he glared at her. For a split second she felt like she’d betrayed him, but this was so much bigger than the two of them at the moment.

“Just listen to what they have to say,” she whispered.

“That is our enemy,” Asher spat, pointing at the Neprijat who strangely kept his eyes to the floor.

“So it is.” She’d never seen one act quite so…passive before. “I want to know more.”

Asher gritted his teeth so hard she feared he might shatter them, but he sat.

Adelina didn’t move but her entire body seemed to relax ever so slightly. “This is Sozav,” she said. “Varan found him in a supposedly abandoned Neprijat factory. We eradicated the threat, but my husband had the good sense to question why they’d hidden a Neprijat factory, including weapons and supplies, from their own people.”

Then Sozav looked up and his gaze went straight to her.

Asher stiffened beside her but didn’t make a move to protect her. He knew Veri was more than capable of taking care of herself.

“The Huntress,” Sozav said. “We’ve heard of you.”

Veri didn’t dare blink. Her instincts didn’t scream ‘predator’ as they had when she’d fought multiple warriors on the battlefield. But he was still dangerous. “And how, pray tell, have you managed to hear of me?”

Only those on Priea called her the huntress, at least until Asher had taken it up after she’d been crowned Queen of the Hunt.

She cocked her head to the side and considered this warrior who didn’t strain at the restriction two enemy males provided. He didn’t reach for their weapons which were easily within his grasp, and he didn’t seem like he was going to try and kill them all either.

At least not at the moment.

“You would be worshipped among my people,” Sozav said, dropping his eyes to the floor once more.

Adelina shrugged a shoulder delicately and sipped at her tea. “He does not mean the Neprijat as a whole, or their king. He means the ones who honor their old ways.”

Asher started at that. “Tell me everything,” he demanded. “And before William gets here.”

So Varan stood and clasped his hands behind his back and began to explain everything he’d learned since they’d taken Sozav.

All Veri could think of when she looked at her enemy were the males who’d said the same thing to her.

She would be worshipped.

Because she was a strong female – a warrior. But also because they recognized something in her. They revered hunting and she’d been doing it all her life. How could they possibly sense that?

Then Varan explained what animal the Neprijat had chosen to splice their DNA with. The king consort had even prepped vid footage of what a great white shark was and what its skills were.

One of those predators couldsensetheir prey from kilometers away.

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