Chapter Six #2
Drazien didn’t allow me to move anything, even the suitcase carrying my civilian clothing and the things I had planned to take with me.
Since I had no choice but to set my furniture out and renting a storage unit for four boxes seemed too much of a waste, all of it was going to have to go with me, and I frowned at the backseat of my car as I realized how hard it was going to be to get it onto a public shuttle and then into the speeder that would take me back to the North American Alliance building.
“What is wrong now?”
All the lugging things up and down the stairs hadn’t bothered Drazien, while I was breathing hard just from standing outside watching him.
I didn’t trust him enough to go back inside in case anyone else came out and spotted him, but it felt as if it were midday during the peak of summer instead of early morning in August.
My gaze swung to him, and I was tempted to tell him he was the issue, but I’d decided to play along with this… mission, so I needed things to remain cordial between us at the least.
“I’m just not sure how I’m going to bring all of this with me when I go for the blood test.”
Drazien blinked at me once before moving his hand to one of the things on his belt.
I hadn’t had the chance to get a good look at them, but there was a black square with buttons on the front, and he pressed several in rapid succession, then rattled of a string of Morraki too fast for me to catch more than the first few syllables.
There was a pause before another voice replied in his language.
“There. Fixed.”
I waited for him to explain but all he did was cross his arms over his chest and grin. I hated the way my belly flipped every time he smiled, but I fought the urge to frown.
“How?”
Instead of answering right away, he stepped forward and reached out to curl his fingers around my wrist. The heat of his palm made me suck in a sharp breath and try to tug free, but he turned and hauled me towards the stairway to my apartment as if I were a child.
“I have someone coming to get it. They’ll take it straight to the Zeydvorrash.”
My brow furrowed but I let him pull me up the stairs as he spoke. When he tugged me inside the empty apartment and shut the door behind us, I couldn’t help blurting the first question on my mind.
“But what if the injection didn’t work?”
Drazien had released my wrist but kept walking towards the kitchen. Grabbing my water bottle from the counter, he brought it back to me with one brow raised, the look on his face asking if I really thought that was possible.
I tried to swallow but my throat stuck, and I forced away the urge to refuse the water. I needed it, but it was odd for him to provide it before I asked.
“Thank you.”
I managed to keep the words from sounding bitter, but Drazien’s grin grew wider as if he knew exactly how I felt.
Hiding my emotions was something I was usually good at, but exhaustion made it hard to focus on keeping my expression clear while trying to be sure I wasn’t forgetting something important.
Before I knew what I had done, I was tipping the bottle back, trying to shake the last drop onto my tongue. It had been almost full when he handed it to me, but I was sweating so much I felt dehydrated.
My eyes moved to the fridge. Before I could take more than a step towards it, Drazien took the bottle from my hand and strode into the kitchen himself.
He looked from me to the water dispenser on the front if the fridge, then to the bottle in his hand, and for a second I wondered if he knew how to fill it, but with a quick stoop to see where the spout was, he managed to figure out that he needed to place the bottle there, and the sensor did the rest.
I was still confused by the fact that Drazien had somehow gotten onto a secure post to apparently stalk my apartment, but with the way he’d avoided answering most of my questions, I wasn’t sure asking him about it again would do any good.
Instead, I tried to focus on what else I needed to do to uphold my end of the bargain I’d agreed to by accepting the injection.
“How long will it—”
I was cut off by a voice from the box on his belt, Drazien’s frown making him look more intimidating than he already did. He pressed a button on the box and spoke in Morraki to whoever was at the other end, but my brain was too fuzzy with exhaustion and fever to make any of it out.
Leaning back against the wall, I slid down until I sat on the floor and let my eyes drift closed, muttering under my breath.
“I’m never going to learn Morraki if you don’t speak slower.”
“I didn’t realize you wanted to. How much do you already know?”
I startled, jerking my eyes open to find Drazien crouched in front of me. His body blocked most of my view, my water bottle dangling from his fingers.
Fingers tipped with black claws that came to points longer than I had ever let my nails grow.
“How do you get dressed without shredding your clothing?”
The question escaped before I could stop it, but if he could deflect, so could I. I didn’t realize it might not be the best question to ask until his lips spread, and a deep thrumming sound came from his chest as he quirked a brow at me.
“Already thinking about me naked?”
If I hadn’t been feverish already I knew I would have felt heat rush to my cheeks as I gaped at him. I hadn’t until he mentioned it, but suddenly I couldn’t get the image that appeared out of my head.
How far did his kethra extend beneath his shirt?
How much control did he have over his tail?
Was he equipped like a Human?
I cleared my throat and dragged my eyes away from him, fixing my gaze on the window letting in hazy morning light.
“No. I was concerned about the damage your claws could do.”
I forced the words through tight lips, trying to control my breathing and the erratic rhythm my heart had taken up. Drazien’s chuckle tempted me to look at him once more, but I resisted the urge until he pressed a finger along my jaw and forced my head towards him.
“I can be careful, rethari.”
He dragged the tip of his claw along my jawline, lighting up nerves and sending a shiver down my spine, and while the line he’d drawn throbbed even after he pulled his finger away, there was no sting like there would have been if he’d broken the skin.
Swallowing, I was relieved when there was another knock at the door that stole Drazien’s attention. He stood in a controlled motion, but I didn’t miss the coiled tension in his muscles or the deadly focus he placed on the door.
“It’s okay. That should be the inspector from Base Housing. Don’t attack them.”
He barely spared me a glance as I used the wall to push myself upright, but he took a step back, crossing his arms over his chest. I figured that was the best I was going to get, so I dragged in a deep breath and opened the door.