Page 106 of Shielded Heart

“She inspires me to be my best,” Arcanthus said, looking at Drakkal again. “Samantha is the only person I’ve met who shakes my confidence in thebestways, because she shows me I can always do better, can always strive for more.”

For several seconds, Drakkal held Arc’s gaze, seemingly in search of something. “Well, Samantha is in the lounge right now, probably going head-to-head with Razi in Conquerors. The two of them have been going back and forth beating each other all week. You should head over there with me. We can throw together some food, have a drink, and lose some credits.”

Arcanthus had known and trusted his core security team for years, and, even if he wasn’t as close to any of them as he was to Drakkal, he’d always enjoyed their company. It reminded him of his days on Caldorius, when, even during one of the darkest periods of his life, he’d found unexpected camaraderie with many other gladiators—even some of those he’d fought, like Drakkal. A little time with Samantha and the others could help alleviate some of the stress he’d accumulated lately.

“All right, Drakkal. Let me get a few autosearch and decryption programs up and going so the system keeps searching on its own. I’ll catch up with you.”

Drakkal nodded, dropped his hands, and pushed away from the desk. “Good. Don’t take too long. If I have to come in here again, I’m going to drag you out by your braids.”

Arcanthus leaned back in his chair. “Hmm… Idoenjoy having my hair pulled, but I imagine you’re a bit rough even for my tastes.”

“You have ten minutes, sedhi. Get your ass down there or I’ll give you to the Syndicate myself.”

“Don’t tease me with a good time, azhera.”

Drakkal exited the chamber; had the door been of the old-fashioned, hinged variety, Arcanthus was sure the azhera would’ve slammed it behind him just for the sake of being irritating.

Raking his fingers through his hair to sweep it back between his horns, Arcanthus returned his attention to the screens on his desk. Even now, he was tempted to delve back into work, to bury himself in it, to keep trying either until he found Vaund or he began bleeding from his eyes. For the first time, he regretted being so hasty in killing Straek; though the chances of it had been slim, the groalthuun might’ve eventually led Arcanthus to Vaund.

All this not knowing is driving me mad. Where is he? How much doesheknow?

No, forget Vaund for now… I need to see Samantha.

That easily, his thoughts turned to his mate, and he was grateful for it. He needed to see her smile and hear her laugh to remind him what was important. Needed to hold her to replenish his stores of hope.

His fingers moved almost of their own accord, pulling up the automated programs he already had running, along with a few others he’d not yet activated. He altered existing parameters and defined new ones, tweaking everything slightly, and set the programs to work one by one. He expected nothing to come of it—Vaund didn’t exist in the Consortium registry as far as Arcanthus could tell, and the nature of his cybernetic prosthesis meant he would be exceedingly difficult to trace via facial recognition even if Arcanthus knew what it looked like.

Vaund’s face was an interchangeable cybernetic helmet that could’ve been altered a thousand times over the years.

Arcanthus paused.

He didn’t know what Vaund currently looked like, but he had detailed images of Straek. There had to besomewhereStraek had gone regularly to meet with his boss—and he would’ve been recorded frequently on his way.

Drakkal’s ten-minute deadline had likely expired, and Arc was eager to see Sam, but this was an angle he couldn’t ignore. How had he overlooked it up until now?

It could take days for the system to pour over the countless surveillance feeds blanketing the city in search of Straek; the sooner begun, the better. Bringing up the proper program, Arcanthus fed in as much data as was readily available—including every image of Straek he and his people had obtained—and initiated the search.

“Can’t hide for much longer,” he said, smirking.

He pushed up from his chair and left the workshop with a new lightness in his stride. It was premature for celebration, but he’d finally recognized a lead with a strong possibility of producing results. That was more success than he’d had during the entirety of this search.

When he reached the first intersecting corridor, he paused. One way would lead eventually to the lounge, the other more directly to his bedchamber. He glanced down at his robe and frowned; he’d been sitting in it all day and felt dirty. What would another ten minutes matter when he was already late? He’d rather face Drakkal’s inevitable admonishment while freshly cleaned and clothed.

He’d rather faceSamanthawhile freshly cleaned and clothed; only the best for his mate.

He hurried to his bedchamber, stripped, and bathed. He selected a crimson loincloth when he was done—one that matched the color of the fabric draped over his pelvis in Sam’s painting—and had just opened his closet when the bedroom’s lights switched to pulsing orange and yellow, accompanied by a high, whining alarm.

The excitement that had been fluttering in his stomach petrified and sank, coalescing into a lump of dread.

He pulled up his holocom control screen and tapped the flashing alert. It split into several surveillance feeds from around the compound. Armed individuals were at several of the outside entrances, overwhelming the door guards with speed and firepower.

Arcanthus watched as several members of his security crew were gunned down in the alleyways they’d been posted in, their bodies collapsing in unidentifiable puddles and filth. He curled his left hand into a fist while the attackers rushed to the entry doors and placed explosive charges.

Not yet. Can’t be this soon. Can’t behere.

The ice in his blood turned to fire when he shifted his attention to the main-level entrance—the only entrance that didn’t let out onto the street two floors below—and saw a tall, slender figure clad in black striding along the path opened by the attacking gunmen. Arcanthus knew who it was just by the way he moved.

Vaund.

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