Page 225 of A Warrior's Fate

Rhydian was the one who asked, “Are we supposed to bow?”

Isla looked back at Adrien as he lifted a hand. “No, I’m just here as a friend. For Isla.” He gestured towards Kai. “For you.”

Isla rose a brow as Kai and Adrien met each other’s stares and held like they were having their own form of secret communication. It hadn’t dawned on her how similar they were, how frequently they were drawn to converse with each other. Sat together at the feast all those months ago—when her mate had first asked the Heir about who she was—and speaking again at the Gate. There was mutual respect and understanding between them, the only people in this room born of alpha blood with a heap of expectation on their shoulders.

It was that respect, Isla figured, that had Kai bowing his head anyway, albeit shallowly. At his side, the other four of his family did the same.

Isla finished presenting everyone else to the boys, ending with Rhydian and then Ameera who’d picked them up at the borders.

At the general’s assumed second introduction, Sebastian chuckled. “We’ve met.”

Isla wasn’t sure what had happened on their trip into the city, but fire lit in Ameera’s eyes as she downed her heftily filled glass of liquor and replied smoothly, “So we have.”

Isla’s brows shot up. All of them appeared taken aback, except for Rhydian.

Were they—flirting?

“What the hell was that?”

Isla looked at Kai, whose brows were drawn in confusion. She shrugged at him. “I have no idea.”

“Wait, are you two doing the mate thing?” Sebastian’s voice made her jump.

Before she could answer with a jab for him to mind his business, Ameera declared, “Well, no more tonight!” She picked up the decanter again while pointing a finger between both Isla and Kai. “We are making this a no-mate-to-mate-secret-communication zone. No mind-flirting or mind-fucking or whatever you two do. Make things obvious so I can see myself far away. I’m not dealing with it.”

Isla cringed, and she heard Adrien taunt quietly behind her, “Mind what?”

“Shut up,” she mumbled back.

“Looks like someone needs to get laid,” Jonah mused beneath his breath after a low whistle, but loud enough for Ameera, who had since turned to gesture a warning at Rhydian and Davina, to hear. Needless to say, on her next spin, her fist made contact with his shoulder.

And at that moment—as Isla also caught the way Sebastian’s eyebrows rose at the statement and heard Adrien murmur for him to relax since they’d only been there for two Goddess-forsaken hours—she felt an even deeper understanding with the female general.

By fate or by choice, since they were children, their lives were forever entwined with their respective idiots for male companions who, somehow, they wouldn’t trade for anyone else.

And true to form—

Sebastian stepped forward, and Isla resisted the urge to grab him before he said anything stupid to incite Ameera’s annoyance any further.

Her brother’s eyes roved over the spread of alcohol. “So, this is the party, huh?”

Isla tensed as Ameera whirled back on him and stilled. She took all of it in—him, the booze, the family—and something shocking flashed behind her eyes.

Sheer frustration and hurt. Not at them, and not an entire brokenness, but a fracturing Isla had seen too frequently with her lately. Always during those times when she would bid Ameera goodbye so the general could discuss Ezekiel’s movements with Kai. Tonight, while she was certain her parents were having their “date night” together, had been her only reprieve.

“You want a party?” Ameera countered, that look disappearing as quickly as it had shown up, though there was still an edge to her voice. She held Sebastian’s eyes but addressed the room, “Let’s go to Abalys.”

At the mention of the region, Kai, Rhydian, and Jonah appeared to perk up, smiles sliding across their faces. Even Isla felt the corners of her mouth ticking upwards.

“Abalys?” Davina’s nose scrunched as if she could already scent the river town.

Ameera hummed in affirmation, breaking eye contact with the Imperial Beta’s eldest and finishing her second drink. “Kai’s challenge is in three days, and I’ve just had one of the worst weeks of my life. I want to go out, I want to get drunk, I want to play cards, and maybe—” She cast a glare at Jonah. “Maybe I’ll get laid, who knows.”

Sebastian pointed. “I don’t know what this place is, but I’m in.”

Ameera snickered. “Of course, you are.”

Discussions on whether the trip would be smart or safe were had in haste, and it wasn’t long before all of them agreed that a night out, like old times, was truly what they needed. Adrien and Sebastian had to simply not broadcast who they were. Lay low.

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