Chapter Twenty-Three
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STILL FEELING THE EFFECTS of Monica’s kisses, Nazab couldn’t get them out of his mind. He watched her drive most of the way back to their base before he spoke. “Why did you kiss me, female?” he asked.
“For luck, remember?” Monica said. She checked the rearview mirror and side mirrors automatically, even though they were the only ones on the road.
“It seemed impulsive,” he said, needing to get to the bottom of it. He’d taken the initiative the second time, but he’d also been a bit high on the power she’d imbued him with.
“It was a spur of the moment kiss,” his cambion agreed. “But it also felt right.”
That he couldn’t deny, but he had concerns. “Our wars don’t usually last for more than a few years,” he reminded her. “Once we win or lose, I’ll return to the Void.”
Monica glanced at him and grimaced. “Yeah, I know,” she said. “But Fate chose us for each other. She wants us to become paired up like your brothers and their females. Who are we to argue with the entity that controls us like puppets?”
He knew she was joking, but he winced anyway. Fate sometimes punished people who doubted her, usually painfully even if it wasn’t malicious. “I just don’t want you to get your heart broken, Monica Yamil,” he confessed.
“Neither do I,” his female said ruefully. “I’ve never been in love, but I’ve dated a lot of guys.”
Nazab stiffened in his seat. He didn’t have the right to question her choices, but he was instantly jealous.
“I’m glad you’ve had so much experience with so many males,” he lied, striving to keep his voice even.
“We’ll have to be careful when we take our relationship to the next level.
While cambions can’t procreate with humans, knights and soldiers can impregnate your kind. ”
Monica gave him a startled look before turning onto the road that would take them back to their base. “None of my boyfriends would have been able to knock me up?” she asked.
“No,” he confirmed. “They weren’t compatible with you.”
“Wow, I didn’t know that,” she mused. “But you don’t need to worry about getting me pregnant, lover boy,” she added. “That won’t be a problem for a while.”
“Why not?” he asked in confusion. “I can sense you’re fertile, so I know you aren’t having your monthly cycle.”
“And the hits just keep on coming,” Monica said, shaking her head at that piece of information. “I know you think I’ve slept around a lot, since I’ve dated so many guys, but hardly any of them passed my test.”
Nazab was instantly relieved and intrigued. “What is your test, female?” he demanded, willing to undergo whatever quest she set for him.
“I have one main rule when I’m dating and all of my boyfriends have to abide by it,” Monica reminded him, glancing at him to judge his reaction. “Only two men have managed to stick to my rule and made it to my bed.”
Nazab put his hand over his heart. “I vow to abide by whatever rules you set for me, my cambion,” he vowed solemnly.
Monica drove up the driveway and parked the truck in front of the house. She turned to face him with a serious expression as he dropped his hand. “My number one rule is that you have to wait for two months before I’ll sleep with you,” she told him.
A wide grin broke out on his face. “I only have to wait two months?” he asked in relief. “That’s like an hour to a Knight of Order,” he boasted. “That will give us time to get to know each other and to bond properly.”
Monica sagged a bit in relief of her own.
“I was worried you were going to freak out about it,” she confessed.
“Most guys only last a month before they give up. I dumped others when I realized I didn’t have a connection with them.
We already know we’re linked, so I’m hoping this relationship will blow the other two I’ve had out of the water. ”
Nazab took her delicate hand in his and gently squeezed her fingers.
“You’re in charge of our relationship, female,” he said.
“We’ll move at whatever pace you feel comfortable with.
I already feel like the luckiest knight alive that Fate chose you for me.
I’ll cherish you for however long we’ll have together. ”
Tears welled in her eyes at his sincere speech and she cleared her throat. “Okay, great,” she said gruffly, unwilling to succumb to her emotions. “I’m glad we got that cleared up,” Monica said, then tugged on his hand. “Let’s go inside so I can dig that bullet out of you.”
He reluctantly released her hand and they climbed out of the truck. Nazab carried the supplies inside and put the box on the dining table. Monica pulled a first aid kit out of it as he stripped his shirt off. “The wound in my side will heal naturally,” he said as he examined it.
“The pain I can feel from the wound in your back drowns out the other one,” his female said. He instantly went hard when her fingers brushed against his skin. “This is going to hurt me more than it’ll hurt you,” she added, then snickered.
“Why is that so funny?” he asked in bafflement.
“That’s what my Aunt Pansy used to say whenever she punished me for doing something wrong,” she explained.
“How exactly did the female punish you?” Nazab asked as his cambion opened the first aid kit on the table.
“Usually by smacking me with a wooden spoon,” Monica replied. “Spoiler alert, it didn’t hurt her at all,” she added wryly.
“What happened to your aunt? Was she raptured?” he queried.
“Nope. She died the day before the Rapture,” Monica said. “I never found out what the cause of her death was, since all hell broke loose the next day. There were no signs that anyone had murdered her and her place hadn’t been broken into. The cops said it could have been natural causes.”
“You didn’t find her body?” he asked.
“She never turned up to a prayer meeting she was supposed to go to,” Monica said. “One of her church friends went to visit her and called the cops when she didn’t answer the door.”
“I’m sorry for your loss, female,” he said when he saw a flash of grief on her face.
“Aunt Pansy didn’t really care about me, but she was the only family I had,” Monica said.
Nazab turned to her and pulled her into his arms. Her arms went around him, being careful to avoid his injuries. Her head came to rest on his chest and she leaned against him. The knight had never felt contentment like this before. Just holding his female platonically filled him with quiet joy.
“I’m okay,” Monica said, drying the few tears that had escaped her with a tissue she pulled out of her pocket.
Blowing out a sigh, she set out the items she intended to use on the table.
“The wound has closed over, so I’ll have to cut you open first,” she said.
Neither of them were looking forward to this, but it needed to be done.
Nazab turned his back and clenched his fists at his side.
He heard his female pull some gloves on, then she swabbed his back with something she took out of the kit.
He braced himself and she hissed in pain when the scalpel sliced him open.
His cambion worked fast and inserted tweezers into the injury.
She knew exactly where to look, since she could feel the slug inside her own back, and yanked it out.
“At least I won’t need to stitch you back together,” Monica said in relief as she wiped the blood away. “I’ll put a plaster on it, but I’m sure you’ll heal quickly.”
“Thank you, my female,” Nazab said, loving the way her eyes lit up at his claim on her. “I feel much better now that the bullet is gone.”
“So do I,” she agreed ruefully. “The pain is already fading.”
The one thing about their mysterious link that bothered him was the fact that she could share his pain.
Their wars with the Soldiers of Chaos were fraught with injuries.
He hated the idea that his mate would feel it if he was slaughtered in battle.
First, he needed to find his brothers. He had a feeling that wasn’t going to be easy.