Aba inclined his head.
Nate pulled on his t-shirt and swiped his brow at the sweat forming there, his mind going hazy. He shook his head to clear it. “If anything happens to me, make sure she gets back to Earth.”
“Then you fight to live, andyouto take her back,” Aba retorted. “Because she won’t go without you.”
Hell, didn’t he know it? “Try. Please.”
Aba sighed and nodded. “Now, tell me what’s wrong. Something seems off with you.”
Everything.And now a fucking dizzy spell.“Nothing. I want this fight over. I’ll see you later.”
Nate headed out, finding it hard to walk away from his sleeping mate. But he did, needing to shut down every facet of emotion he possessed to become the killer he was to get through the upcoming battle.
And he hoped he at least came out breathing because a fight of this caliber, during a blood moon, was one of the riskiest ever, especially where his beast was concerned.
His mouth thinned in cynicism. His thoughts might be consumed with having Ely in his life and hunting the ass who set the bounty on her, so, yeah, he was a little slow to figure out Azgor’s ultimate strategic endgame! But did the damn demon think he was a fucking idiot?
He knewexactlywhy Azgor had scheduled the match during this period and so fast after Nate’s last one. Azgor wanted the beast to emerge fully. It was probably what he had wanted all along and why he’d given Nate a part of Aba’s soul to seal the deal.
In the past, when he wasn’t bound to Azgor, he’d managed to call the shots to a degree in having the fights not happen during the blood moon. Now his hands were tied, and that sod Derrodus had made things worse, stabbing him with the fucking spelled dagger.
This fight, however, wasn’t just between him and his opponent, but another more deadly foe lurking within him.
With him weakened, the odds weren’t in his favor.
And it pained him that he could lose his life just when he found his heart.
CHAPTER28
Ely awakenedto a room trapped in a reddish gloom. Yet she sensed it wasn’t night any longer. Her hiking temperature had eased somewhat, but it still lingered beneath her skin—even if it were transient—she’d take it. But emotionally, she felt happier than she ever had in a long time…
Nate.
Just thinking about him, her smile bloomed. She turned over, the thin sheet tangling around her body, and frowned at finding Nate’s side of the bed empty. Dammit. Had he left for the fight already? Because she couldn’t sense him about.
She leaped out of bed and dashed to the bathroom. Her gaze darted to the window. In this place, she had no idea if it was morning, midday, or evening.
A quick shower later, she found her backpack in the room and changed into the extra clothes she’d brought. Boots on, she smoothed down the stretchy black tank top over her jeans, grabbed her denim jacket, and hurried to the kitchen.
She found the coffee pot and mugs on the table and no sign of Aba, though she felt him nearby. Unable to leave until Aba was back, and with hunger gnawing at her belly, Ely left her jacket on the chair and poured coffee. She might as well fuel up while she could.
In a plastic container on the table, she discovered chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon muffins. Aware of Aba’s sweet tooth, she wasn’t surprised he’d stocked up on the Earth goodies. She took a muffin and bit into the crumbly top, then drank some of her coffee as she waited, trying to ward off the restlessness creeping through her.
As she finished her meal, Aba walked in, carrying a box. He smiled when he saw her. “Had to get water. Rested?” he asked.
Heat suffused her cheeks. Hastily, she picked up her mug and sipped, hiding behind it, like that would help. “Yes, thank you. Where’s Nate?”
Aba gave a slight shrug, set the box on the table, and began stocking the cooling unit with water bottles. “He said to wait here for him.”
With his back to her, Ely couldn’t see his face to decipher his expression or even from his body language. “Why, where is he?”
“Mentioned he had some things to take care of today.”
What things? Okay, last night, with all that had occurred between them and emotions running high, some stuff was left unsaid. “He’s coming back here before the fight, right?”
A sense of foreboding took hold when Aba didn’t answer straight away.
“Aba?” She set her mug down. “Don’t cover up. I know something’s amiss. Where is he?”
