19. Az
Az
If anyone knows how to do this, it’s Pax.
He had been our most successful Arena Master in the history of the Northern Principality drakball team.
Watching him work was incredible. He always found a way to manipulate our opposition, conjuring the most fearsome creatures in holographic form or creating the most amazing arena terrain to set the game on.
He always pushed boundaries and set new precedents.
He was the one to come up with the idea to design the playing field with seventy-five percent perilous seas when we found out the First Rider on the Western team is not a strong swimmer.
No wonder the Capital’s team poached him away from us.
“Az, where are we going?” Lois asks, trying to keep up even though her strides are much shorter. Her personal comm, DJ, floats beside her.
She’s still allowing me to hold her hand – something that shouldn’t make me feel like my heart is about to burst out of my chest, considering the things we have done together.
“To see a friend of mine who owes me a favor.”
The concierge staff in the lobby of Pax’s building don’t even try to ask for my credentials before buzzing us through.
“I don’t really think they wanted to let us in back there,” Lois comments, still glancing back at them. I’m sure they’re still staring after us, too. I am a prince, and I am touching a female right now, after all.
I shrug and keep walking. “Perks of being my father’s son.”
By the time we reach Pax’s door, Lois is a little flustered from keeping up.
She looks fucking delicious like that, and I instantly start to wonder when the next time we’ll put that pleasure contract to good use will be.
But then the door opens, and we get a brief glimpse of Pax’s shocked face before he’s trying to close it again.
“Ah-” I interject, my boot over the threshold as I issue him with a look that I hope makes one thing very clear: he can’t just shut a door in my face. “I’m not here to break a horn for abandoning us, P, don’t worry.”
He still looks worried.
I try for a smile instead.
He looks even more worried.
Listen, Arena Masters are normally smaller and leaner than the rest of the team.
Their most important muscle is their brain.
They conjure the playing field, the obstacles, and any advantages their team’s points score allows.
If you pit him against a male of my stature in a physical fight, you’re going to be calling for his healer before it even starts.
But I’m not here for violence.
“Az,” he says, his voice unsure, his posture twitchy as his eyes flit briefly to my Lois. “Look, I know I left the team without any real explanation, and I still love you guys, but-”
I clasp him on the shoulder and barge my way into his apartment. “You had to follow the credits, I get it, I get it.”
“You do?”
He steps aside, disbelief in his tone.
Goddess above, what did he think? I would get physical with him over his legitimate transfer? Look, I was pissed. I thought we were all brothers of a sort. But I’m not the type to lay hands on someone for any of this.
Twisting back, I give him a simple, “Yeah.”
Besides, he has a few things I need right now: knowledge and skill.
“This is my…” I pause halfway to gesturing to Lois beside me, the word ‘bride’ clinging to my tongue, not willing to come out because it’s not true – not technically.
We have a contract, but not that kind. “This is Lois,” I finish, but feel the need to add, “She is under my protection,” after seeing the way he nervously eyes her.
Pax swallows. “One of the humans from up north,” he says, nodding to himself. “I have read about you and your species, Lady Lois; it is an honor to meet you.” He bows to her, but his eyes are back on me as soon as he straightens.
“Pax,” I start, stepping closer and clapping him on the back again. “You’re good with hacking, right?”
* * *
“So let me get this straight,” Pax says, pointing his bottle of Highhorn Brew at me now that he’s more comfortable with us being here.
“You want me to open a communication link with a human… a human that is currently on a planet three systems away… who has no previously established intergalactic communications link… using a personal comms unit that seems to be defective-”
DJ – who had been previously bobbing her little round form to the beats of some Earth sounds promptly goes silent, as if the machine itself is offended.
“Hey,” Lois – who definitely is offended – says as she snatches the comms unit out of the air and hugs the thing protectively. “She’s not defective, she’s special.”
Pax eyes my female like she’s a few heads short of a drak.
“Yes,” I say plainly, getting his attention back on me and away from my Lois. “You’re smart enough to do it. And Lois must be able to contact her mother.”
The weight of a small, human hand lands on my thigh and gives a little squeeze of gratitude.
I suddenly feel like I’m fucking flying. Honestly, winning the Drakball Grand Cup wouldn’t even feel this good.
I cover her hand with my own before she can pull away.
Goddess, but I love how freely she gives touches.
Pax clears his throat, his eyes lingering on where our hands join on my thigh.
We both pull back.
Pax shakes his head and looks me in the eye again. “Even if I could pull it off… Az, the Intergalactic Peacetime Authorities will be on all our asses if they ever found out-”
“If…”
Pax raises his brows and takes a swig of his brew. “Never thought I’d see the day His Royal Highness would be so willing to break the law.”
I fucking hate whenever the guys call me that.
“But you could do it?” Lois jumps in to ask, cutting off the growl building in my throat. “You could contact my mom?”
Pax sticks his tongue into the side of his cheek as his eyes bounce from me to Lois and back again.
He’s thinking it through. The difficulty of the task.
The risks. I hope he’s also thinking about the times I had a word with Coach to give him a chance, how I saw that talent he has before anyone else, and championed him to be part of the team.
It’s when his shoulders sag that I start to grin.
“Fuck it,” he huffs, finishing off his bottle in one gulp.