Page 59 of Fractured Souls

“Wow,” Abbey whispered, but she didn’t seem entirely surprised. “Don’t worry, honey. You are so safe with him.”

Nythian became aware of a presence behind him. He turned and saw Enki. “What is he doing here?”

Enki tipped his head in acknowledgement but said nothing. He leaned back and crossed his arms, becoming a shadow as his exo-armor blended with the obsidian wall behind him.

He was different now. Ever since the Tharian had left his body and bonded with Alexis, he’d been much calmer, the madness extinguished from his amber eyes.

“Shift change,” Tarak snapped in Kordolian. “Enki will guard her for the time being. I need to discuss things with you.”

Nythian’s inner beast craved the prospect of a fight, but he didn’t want to leave Alexis. The thought of leaving her in the presence of another male, even one who was already mated… it was unbearable.

He showed his fangs, ready for a confrontation.

“You’re going to have to get used to this, Nythian,” Abbey said calmly, not intimidated by him in the slightest. “You can’t be going around trying to fight every male that’s in her presence.” She seemed mildly amused, as if she’d seen this kind of thing a hundred times before. “Don’t worry. It wears off after a while… a little.”

Alexis’s eyes bugged. “What the ever-loving hell is going on here?”

“Oh, you’re coming with me, girl. We need to have a talk. Meanwhile, they’re going to discuss things in Kordolian First Division Warrior-speak.”

“Huh.” Alexis gently disentangled her hands from his, brushing her fingertips over his palms in a gentle caress that set his nerve endings on fire. She gave him a strange look. “You know, I think that might actually be a good idea.”

She was so calm. How could she be so fucking calm? When they’d first started this long, torturous, blissful dance, she’d been all over the place, and he’d been in control.

Now it was the other way around.

“Nythian,” Tarak growled, and there was a dangerous edge to his voice that hadn’t been there before. “Training chamber, now.”

Nythian stiffened, anger and bloodlust coursing through his veins. Being in close quarters with two other dominant males was making him a little bit crazy right now.

He was on the verge of disobeying his commander…

Settle down, idiot!

But he was loyal to Tarak for a reason, and if there was one person who understood the storm inside him, it was his General. More than once, Tarak had stopped him from doing something he would have regretted later.

“Go, Nythian,” Enki said softly. Even Enki, who used to be the craziest out of all of them, thought it was a good idea.

Fearing what he might become if he didn’t get some sort of release soon, Nythian exhaled slowly as he nodded. “Fine. Let’s go.”

“What’s Kordolian warrior-speak?” Alexis raised an eyebrow.

Abbey waved a hand nonchalantly. “Trust me, it isn’t a language you or I could ever understand.”

“I’ll be back soon.” Nythian leaned in and allowed Alexis’s scent to envelop him.

She smiled then, and it was the most sublime thing he’d ever seen in his life.

His heart nearly exploded out of his chest. Too late, he realized his claws were out. He could have devoured her whole there and then, exploring her lithe body with his mouth, burying his face in the warm sweetness between her legs.

Shit.

He was too far gone.

He turned away, following Tarak out of the room. It was the only thing he could do.

One more look at her and he would lose it.

Fifteen

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