“A month or so left. I want to order him to take it easy and just rest but I know him. He’ll fight to the very end. He’ll fight until Lonir takes him from us.” Lonir was the God of Death.
She was surprised when Shar wrapped her arms around her. “It’s okay to let your emotions out. You don’t have to always be strong,” she said gently.
“I can’t. I’m afraid if I let it go, I’ll break and never be whole again,” Kaia admitted. Still, the tears started and a soft sob escaped her. The arms around her tightened and Shar didn’t shush her. She just let her cry.
Kaia was only vaguely aware of the door opening and then there were other arms around her. The soothing warmth of her men filled her, even the fractured warmth from Baz, and she let them hold her as she poured out her grief and her fear. When her tears finally subsided she pulled back from their embrace.
“We could feel your pain and couldn’t stay away. We hope we didn’t intrude,” Rafe said gently.
“No. It was just what I needed,” she admitted. She turned to take Shar’s hand in hers. “Shar, this is Baz. Baz, meet Shar. It seems she, too, is my mate.”
“Yeah, we kind of gathered that with the way you were clinging to her as you cried,” Baz said.
“Oh, fuck you.”
“Gladly,” he said cheekily.
Kaia laughed, even though it was watery. “Thank you, I needed that.”
“I aim to please. It’s nice to meet you, Shar. Welcome to the family, as fucked up as it is. Which is all on me,” Baz told her. “But I’m going to do my damnedest to fix what I broke.” He reached over and wiped away a stray tear from Kaia’s cheek. “I’ve already started reaching out to my contacts. I should have responses soon. When Silas comes, he’ll be met with a small army, you’ll see.”
“All right, we should let Shar eat and get settled,” Rafe said. “Besides, Kaia has favors to call in,” he pointed out.
“True, I do.” She squeezed Shar’s hand. “Thank you.”
“I should be thanking you. You got me out of that hellhole.”
“Maybe so, but you let me unload on you without thinking less of me, so we’re even. I’ll see you later.”
Kaia was headed toward the comm room when Tuck stopped her. “We got a problem.”
“What now?”
“Someone at Drago compound recognized us. Or rather, they recognized Micah, and since it’s known he’s with us now…”
“Ah fuck. I was hoping we’d have some time.”
“Yeah, well, seems Draigen wants a meeting with you.”
“Shit. When and where?”
“Tomorrow night at 8 at The Denizen.”
“Fuckity fuckity fuck fuck fuck. All right. Send word, let him know I’ll be there.” She would take Rafe and Baz as well. She continued to the comm room. She had shit to do before she could worry about the meeting with Draigen. At least with it in town they would be relatively safe. Relatively. It was already getting late but it would be hours yet before she’d be able to crawl into bed.
It was 4 AM by the time she crawled into bed beside Rafe. “There you are. I was getting ready to come looking for you,” he murmured.
“Took me longer than I thought it would,” she confessed. “Draigen knows it was us who attacked the compound. Someone saw Micah. I knew it was a risk, but he was the only way we could get in.”
“Fuck. How bad is it?”
“I don’t know. He wants to meet tomorrow night at The Denizen. I said I’d be there. I want you and Baz with me. We might need Baz to back up why we were there in the first place.”
“Sounds like a plan. Get some sleep, babe. You look exhausted.”
“I Am exhausted,” she admitted. She yawned and curled around him before she rested her head on his chest, closed her eyes, and let sleep pull her under.
Chapter Six
