Chapter 26
The unmistakable sound of water exploding from someone’s mouth, followed by violent coughing, came from Soraya’s left as she bit into her last, buttery roll.
“Did you just say mate?” Nokoa choked out.
A low hiss filled the space around her.
“Say it a little louder, Nokoa. I don’t think the rest of the people in the tavern heard you,” drawled a second male voice.
The hand wrapped around her shoulder pulled her tighter into a solid, warm body. As Soraya chewed the last of the delicious bread, a mouth brushed against her ear.
“Did you enjoy the bread? Would you like more food?” The raspy voice whispered in her ear.
“Do you think it’s wise to stay here with her, Raz?” the second voice asked in a hushed tone.
“If she is still hungry, yes, Sakari.”
More food sounded wonderful. Soraya turned her head to say just that, when she became ensnared by a set of beautiful golden eyes.
She stared, transfixed. His eyes were like molten gold, and considering how close their faces were, she swore the gold in Raz’s eyes was churning—melting and swirling in the heat she found there.
His bronze skin only made them glow brighter in the shadows of his hood.
And…his eyebrows— they were white as snow. It was…beautiful. He was beautiful.
What’s with all these beautiful men? she thought.
“Raz?” Sakari hissed, but Raz ignored him as he gazed at Soraya.
The longer they stared at one another, the more Soraya could feel a low, thrumming sensation deep in her chest. It was like a warm ember, and something about it felt familiar, as though she had felt it before.
“Congratulations, Raz. I’m really happy for you—and you, of course, my lady,” Nokoa whispered. “It’s an honor to witness your first meeting.”
Raz’s hand came up to graze her cheek.
Her eyes fell closed as she shuddered at the tender touch.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
Soraya opened her eyes and felt torn between closing them again or staring at the stranger for all eternity.
A white strand of hair fell across his forehead. It looked soft to the touch.
He chuckled, the sound smoky and promising.
“Do you like what you see, sweetheart? Have my charms robbed you of all speech? I often have that effect on people.”
Someone to the left sighed heavily. And all Soraya could do was to continue to stare at him.
He winked at her. “Is the need setting in, love? Should we skip the meal and head for bed?”
“As much as I would like to be sensitive to your budding mating bond,” Sakari said, deadpan.
“This is not the time or place. We could be surrounded by enemies, and considering attacks are occurring at a much higher rate, coupled with you being newly mated—I don’t like the outcome if someone were to attack you in foreign territory.
You hardly hold back as it is. In fact, you should leave the territory with her, and we can check on the refugee situation and find out if our witness survived,” Sakari whispered harshly from their right.
“And where will they go?” Nokoa snorted from their right.
“Last time I checked, there isn’t exactly a safe place for us.
Even our base is seconds away from being discovered.
I say let them have the night—you only have your first meeting once.
We can worry about the future when it happens. Besides, no one knows we’re here.”
“Your strategic insights are truly something to marvel at, Nokoa. And it’s cute you think they’ll stop at one night.”
An animal-like growl emanated from her right.
“Ignore the idiots, my love. My name is Raziel. You may call me whatever you like. Should I make up a name for you?”
Soraya licked her lips. Everything felt so overwhelming. Too much was happening, and their conversation was too complex to follow. Were they talking about their theater group? Were they ad-libbing?
She was too hungry for all of that nonsense.
“I have three plates of the house special. Can I get you lads anything else?” the bartender asked, breaking up the moment.
Soraya took the opportunity to pull her gaze away from Raziel and look over at the bartender.
She gasped and jumped into Raziel, almost bonking her head against his nose in the process. His other hand came up, and he pressed her back into his front as he straightened behind her.
“Do you know this barkeep?” Raz’s voice shifted from gentle and coaxing to razor-sharp.
Sakari muttered, “This is exactly what I’m talking about.”
Soraya shook her head. Indeed, she was robbed of all speech as she gazed at the red-headed bartender with pointed ears. A memory wiggled at the back of her subconscious.
Pointed ears.
This wasn’t the first time she had seen pointed ears.
Her stomach growled.
Theater, she thought.
The bartender was only wearing a costume.
She was at a pub with theater people after all. Actors. It would stand to reason that some would be in costume.
She smiled weakly at the red-headed man with fake ears.
He scowled down at her before moving on down the bar to assist with other customers.
“Are you okay?” someone asked, but it didn’t quite reach Soraya. She was too focused on the plate of steaming food in front of her.
“Are you going to eat that?” she asked no one in particular.
A beat of silence.
Raz’s hand reached out and brought the plate of food in front of her. “It’s all yours. Eat. Afterward, we’ll retire somewhere safe for the night.”
Not waiting for a second invitation, Soraya grabbed the fork that Raz offered her. Before she could tuck into her food, his fingers combed through her hair, brushing it behind her right ear, where they paused.
She mumbled her thanks—at least, she thought she did—as she looked down at her plate full of delicious food and became mesmerized.
The dish was filled with white rice, spiced meat, and vegetables slathered in a glistening sauce.
Without waiting another second, she packed her fork with rice and a piece of meat that looked like chicken and stuffed it into her mouth. She moaned around the food, and his hand, still resting on her stomach, tightened.
She rather liked how his hand felt as it held onto her.
While eating her fill, she heard Raz say, “You two should eat while you still have the chance. As Sakari said, too many things are happening to be a coincidence, and I have a feeling things are about to become—” a finger on his free hand traced the rounded curve of her ear. “More interesting.”
“You mean how Makoto and Alkimos claimed to have also found their mates?” Sakari asked.
Soraya’s ears perked up. She knew those names, but from where?
“Yes,” Raz affirmed. “Information not openly shared with the public, given the circumstances.”
“You mean how they each lost their mates?” Nokoa snorted as he grabbed a plate of food. “How does that even happen?”
“It happens more often than you think,” Sakari said matter-of-factly, as he too pulled a plate closer to himself.
There was a slight pause before Raz continued, “I heard they share a mate.”
The other two fell silent. Soraya’s fork scraped across the plate as she tried to pile more rice onto it.
With each bite, she could feel the hunger ebb away, and her mind became sharper, one tasty mouthful at a time.
And with her mind functioning normally again, it also helped her to keep track of the fascinating conversation they were having.
“Well, that’s…When was the last time two kings of Alphame shared a mate?” Nokoa wondered, mystified.
“Millennia,” Raz said distantly. “Not since the age of Asteria.”
“Do you believe they share a mate?”
Raz continued to trace Soraya’s ear. It was becoming rather distracting as she continued to eat. “It’s possible.”
Nokoa blew out a breath. “Do you know her name?”
“No.”
A beat of silence passed before Sakari spoke up. “I heard that the other kings—”A heavy sigh left his mouth before he continued. “It can’t be a coincidence.”
Raz paused his tracing of her ear. “What did you hear, Sakari?”
Sakari shifted next to them. “I thought it was just rumors, but…there are whispers that Tariq and Sorenth also found their fated.”
A heavy pause followed while a chill ran down Soraya’s spine. Those names…she heard them before. She was sure of it.
But from where? She couldn’t remember.
“And what of Caelestis?”
“There is no information on him, as usual,” Sakari said, his cloak rustling as he shrugged.
“What does it all mean?” Nokoa asked.
Sakari answered warily, “Nothing good.”
They are really into their role-play, Soraya thought gingerly. She might have heard of this play before. A lot of it sounded familiar—especially the names.
She finished the plate and finally felt some semblance of being full. She sighed with contentment, even as something prickled at the back of her mind.
“I think we are hurtling toward a new age—one where the truth and our people will be set free. We can finally expose King Titus for what he is and get the aid Nhifili needs.”
Raz reached for a tankard that had been placed in front of their group by a gorgeous waitress, who gave him a flirtatious wink.
Raz ignored her, picked up the drink, and brought it to a surprised Soraya’s lips.
She was about to object, but her dry throat made her think better of it.
She took a sip and politely started to push his hand away.
The tart, zesty taste of wine blossomed on her tongue before washing down her throat.
It was surprisingly crisp and refreshing.
Pursing her lips, she tugged on his hand, and he brought the tankard back to her lips.
She took a sip, then another, before greedily taking the mug from his hands. He willingly let go, his hand coming back down to rest on her stomach in a much-too-familiar way—she was slowly beginning to realize the gesture was inappropriate for two people who had just met.