Nash pressed his back against a wall in the Ladrole and watched the thief prince cavort with his rogues. The court laughed and drank and generally acted as though they didn’t have a care in the world. His stealth tech hid him from any eyes or tech, but someone could still bump into him. It was why he pressed against the wall and moved as carefully as he did. No cloak to accidentally brush against someone. His armor kept him dry, but his hair was soaked from the nightly rain.

Edging around a table he carefully stepped in front of the fireplace as the waitress passed. His shadow blended with hers and then Nash was only a few steps away from Varan. It would be too easy to slit his throat if that’s what Nash wanted to do. Lucky for the thief he was here for information and not retribution.

Nash would love to tear into the male for the way he’d danced with Adelina the night of her coming-of-age party. He knew what it meant and had known it was an offer the crown princess would never accept from Nash.

A rough tap on the prince’s shoulders made Varan stiffen and suddenly his knife was out at the ready, the photon plasma humming dangerously. “Meet me in your office,” Nash whispered, and then he left the tavern and took the familiar steps.

The last time he’d been in this rotten place was when he’d followed Adelina. It irked him the courtesan had been right about that. He had followed Adelina in secret, not trusting her when they’d first talked about finding his people. No one was that selfless.

Nash shook his head as he phased through the door. He’d been wrong about Adelina. She really was something else despite how easy it was for her to piss him off.

A few moments later Varan reached his office. By that time Nash had deactivated his stealth shield and lounged on one of the luxurious couches the thief possessed.

“How in the cula’ting hells did you get into my office?” Varan demanded. The thief was positively outraged none of his protections worked against Corinthian tech.

Nash shrugged. The male was gravely mistaken if he thought he’d give that little nugget of information up. Oh, he could be persuaded if what he received in return was worth it. “I wanted to thank you for the intel about Princess Kaita. I’ve been organizing my warriors to go and retrieve her, but I had to get it sanctioned through the Crown. You know how that goes,” Nash said, waving his hand in irritation.

The two males were silent as they stared each other down. Tension rose. Nash decided to try another route. “I won’t be leaving for a few days, but I’d like to know as much as I can by then. Have you been able to contact more of my people? If I’m going to be on the border, I should take advantage of the time I’m there. My own genetic pings aren’t able to cross so much distance and everything past Pedranus is too far.” Giving the thief free information might convince him to open up enough for Nash to actually get what he needed.

The frown didn’t disappear from Varan’s face but he did cross the room and sit on a neighboring chair. The thief slouched down, arms resting lazily as he studied Nash. The casual position didn’t fool him, Nash knew Varan could throw a knife in a heartbeat if he wanted to, but hitting his target wouldn’t be easy. Nash was much faster than he appeared.

Nash continued talking as he watched the thief process everything he said. “If I can find more of my loyal forces it would give Draga a better chance. I don’t plan to sit back and let the Draga galaxy do all the fighting. I will take whatever forces I have and fight alongside my allies, but the more forces I have the better it is for everyone. Currently the patrol I brought with me is only ten thousand. The Neprijat have trillions.”

Varan knew the numbers, but Nash wanted to drive the point in further.

“Princess Adelina has done everything she’s promised and more.” Nash hesitated at the reminder of what she’d given up.

Varan suddenly sat up and leaned in. “So it’s true. One of my little snakes mentioned the princess had to promise to marry anyone Raena tells her to.”

Nash narrowed his eyes at the thief. It was uncanny the way he gathered information. He wondered who in the palace worked for Varan. The place was full of spies.

“Yes, it’s true.” There was no point in denying it.

The thief lounged back again. “Perhaps Raena will consider me a fine match after everything I’ve done for the Crown.” Varan’s eyes narrowed. “My chances are better than yours anyhow.”

Nash’s blood boiled. How dare the bastard throw that in his face? His hands itched for his blades. He was still furious the thief had the balls to present himself as an option at the party when he’d been standing right there. It had infuriated him even further when the princess didn’t deny him. “I’d be careful with your next words,” he warned.

The twinkle in Varan’s eye and the half-smile made the leash on Nash’s anger strain. The thief leaned forward and Nash’s muscles tensed in preparation. “We both know Adelina enjoys my company despite my crooked ways. I’ve never made her regret the choice to trust me.”

Nash lunged to his feet. Varan knew too much about the goings on in the palace for a male who hardly ever set foot there. The thief knew exactly what to say to set him off. “And you’re saying I have?” he demanded.

Varan didn’t bother to stand. He slid a knife from its sheath and started cleaning his nails. “Well, maybe she doesn’t regret her choice, but she sure doesn’t trust you with her secrets, does she?”

The leash on his fury slipped and Nash moved. Varan flipped over his chair and shoved it at him. Nash simply threw it aside. The resounding crash as it shattered against the bookshelves made the room shudder. Books tumbled to the floor and Varan’s cocky grin turned to a snarl. “I knew Corinthian’s were brutes, but I didn’t know they couldn’t respect a book’s worth either. It explains why your kind can be so inept and stupid.”

The Prince of Thieves darted toward Nash faster than Nash could have guessed. The blow against his jaw was enough to snap his head to the side, but Nash held his ground. He growled as he rubbed the sore spot and looked at the small, blond male in front of him. Snapping him in half would be too easy, a disappointment really.

Nash had speed and size. His body was built for the Khara galaxy. His huge fist went straight for the thief, but the male dodged – moving right into Nash’s following uppercut. Varan stumbled back, but recovered quickly. He readjusted his jaw with an annoyed look of appreciation.

Talking was pointless. Nash wanted retribution for the insult with violence, not pretty words. The two of them danced across the room, attacking and defending faster than the eye could follow. Varan held his own, but he was no match for Nash’s brute strength. The thief was wily and cunning. He put the table between them and his eyes darted for the best defensive position.

Varan was able to hold Nash off, but just barely. Nash could see he was wearing the male down and it would only be a matter of time. With a grin and a roar he smashed both fists down into the table and it cracked down the middle. It was time to end this.

“Hey!” Varan yelled, jumping away from the flying debris. “That’s my property you’re destroying, you behemoth!”

It felt good; better than he had been for weeks. Nash was exhilarated. Adelina was a constant tease and the tension ate at him every damn day. His anger wasn’t welcome among the stoic Dragans and all he wanted to do was yell and roar his anger and indignation, smashing things to bits or fighting every damn person he could like he would at home. But ironically he had no need to be so destructive on Khara Prime. Their daily life was rigged to burn off the aggression that was second nature to his people.

Here on Draga Terra he was so stifled, shoved into a tiny, ill-fitting box.

Varan came at Nash and the two of them crashed together. They fell to the floor and the entire room shuddered as they wrestled and grappled with each other. No matter how strong and heavy Nash was he couldn’t quite get a good grip on the slippery thief to pin him. Varan would yield, he would bare his throat and acknowledge Nash as the more dominant.

“Enough!” Nash finally yelled. His large hands wrapped around Varan’s neck. The thief jabbed his sharp knuckles into Nash’s side. Quick and hard – the punches were incessant and the pain enough to make Nash grit his teeth as he squeezed. Varan’s face started to turn purple, but his punches grew stronger and faster.

He gave the male some grudging respect. Varan may go down, but not without taking his opponent with him. The thief bared his teeth and snarled, even tried to get his teeth around one of Nash’s fingers. Nash moved one knee to pin his face to the floor.

“Yield,” Nash demanded. His breathing was heavy. Varan had been a more challenging opponent than he’d expected and it made him grin with violent pleasure. “You’ve already done better than most in my galaxy, now yield before you lose consciousness.”

Those dark green eyes glared daggers at Nash, but Varan finally tapped his leg and lifted his chin. Nash growled his victory and flicked the thief’s unprotected neck. “You fought well,” he said, sitting back on his haunches.

Sweat dripped from Nash’s hairline and he whipped his hair aside to remove some of the moisture. He ran a hand through the loose strands and grimaced at the movement. Nash’s sides were bruised beyond belief; there may even be a broken rib or two and he’d be sore for days. The spot on his jaw throbbed and he rubbed the tender skin with a rueful smile.

“What is wrong with you?” Varan asked, as he brushed the dust from his pants and stood.

Nash shrugged. “I enjoy a good fight.” The little courtesan had surprised him too. Perhaps Adelina was right and he really knew nothing about her people and what they were capable of behind all their stupid rules and protocol.

“You could have used your tech,” Varan said as he walked to his desk. He opened a drawer and then eyed Nash as he reached for something. “Why didn’t you?”

Nash shrugged and got to his feet. His gaze roamed over the damage he’d done to the thief’s office. “Why didn’t you use your knives?” he retorted, picking up pieces of broken furniture and tossing them into a pile. He really needed to make sure to work out at least twice a day. His aggression had built up too much and whenever that happened objects ended up broken, or people.

Varan rubbed some ointment on his neck, the scent was pungent but not unpleasant. Nash’s nostrils flared as he recognized a hint of jasmine. “Leave it for the servants. You didn’t wreck anything irreplaceable otherwise your eyes would be mine,” the thief said. He tossed the tin to Nash and he caught it out of reflex.

Nash appreciated the medicine in Draga more than he would ever admit. The second he got his kingdom back he would make an official request to trade in intel. His galaxy could use this medicine as natural healers were rare. People still died from infection and sicknesses on his planets.

He peeled the armor from his skin down to his waist with a wince. His ribs were definitely bruised. The sharp smell of the salve was strong as he rubbed it into his skin. It was the first time Nash had shown his bare chest to anyone in the Draga galaxy. The scars wrapped around his entire body, some old and some new. The brands of his people went across his pectorals and banded across his chest and over his biceps. The black marks told a story few on Draga Terra could read let alone understand.

“Holy gods,” Varan breathed. “You have scar tissue.”

Nash raised an eyebrow. “And?” It was a reaction he’d expected, but it still bothered him. He knew the difference between his people and Adelina’s. The Corinthians’ weakness was medical advancements with all their focus on the battle tech and intergalactic travel.

“I’ve never seen scar tissue.” Varan shrugged and it seemed that was the extent of it.

He was grateful Varan kept the matter at that. The thief poured two glasses of alcohol and handed one to Nash. They both sat on the couch, the rest of the furniture ruined around them. Nash tipped back the drink and made a noise of appreciation. He’d needed this.

“If it makes you feel better, the reason I staked a claim last night was because of those rumors,” Varan muttered into his drink. He downed the alcohol in one go. “The princess is a friend and I worry about who Raena may choose for her.”

Nash swallowed the growl he felt rise up at the challenge. The thief was right though, at least with him Nash knew Adelina would be safe and it grated he had to admit that, even if it was only to himself.

“The way she looks at you though, she would choose you, Nash.”

Nash snorted. “The princess is one of the most aggravating females I’ve ever dealt with.”

With a huge sigh Varan slumped and looked up at the ceiling. “They all are, mate.”

Nash chuckled. “Got female problems of your own?”

Varan snorted and reached for the bottle of alcohol. He refilled both their glasses and sipped. “Not really,” he admitted with a shrug. “Nadyah shut me down. The woman has issues I don’t pretend to understand and she won’t let me in. I’m not the begging type.”

Nash was silent as he contemplated, sipping his own drink. The courtesan was complicated and he would never pretend to understand why the Draga galaxy had created courtesans to begin with, but Varan was upset about it.

“Is she attracted to you?” Nash asked. He wondered how one could tell if it was real attraction, or just a part of a courtesan’s job and genetic makeup.

The thief downed his alcohol and set the glass on the floor. He linked his hands behind his head and leaned back. “I wasn’t sure until she accused me of not being good enough for Adelina. I’m not always the smartest male when it comes to females, but I do recognize jealousy when I see it. It will be extremely difficult to come back from her rejection, if she’d ever give up her contract with the House.”

“Sounds like you two have a lot to work out,” Nash said. “Glad I don’t have to.”

Varan laughed. “Like your situation is any better. It’s simply different my friend.”

It surprised him, but Nash found himself grinning. Who would have guessed Varan would have been the companion he needed?

Nash had to remind himself he’d come for a reason. “I need your help retrieving Kaita, and then as much info as you can get me about the Drakesthai.”

Varan’s eyes widened and he leaned forward. “Are you going to cross into the Hai galaxy?”

He nodded. Varan had a keen mind. “I’m going to try, even if I have to fight my way past their defense lines. If we could ally with them we may have a fighting chance of winning this war. And believe me, there will be a war.”

There was silence for a few moments as they both considered the ramifications of exactly how bloody it could be. Once the Neprijat got through the shield – and eventually they would – they would rip through the rest of the Draga galaxy like fine paper. Many of the citizens on the planets wouldn’t be able to fight back, with the Draga forces spread out as they were it would most likely come down to a battle right on the capitol planet for the royal palace and each of the heirs, including Adelina.

Nash refused to let the Neprijat get that far. He was still angry with Adelina for pulling back without explanation, but that didn’t mean he would let anything happen to her. He still felt that pull, like a strong undertow threatening to drown him if he wasn’t careful.

“It seems as though we truly are on the same side,” Varan said. “I do have people in Hai right at this moment, but the lag between updates is outrageous. My long distance, secured casts are getting caught up at the borders. The shield is starting to create a lot of interference and as soon as it’s fully closed my intel will be next to nothing, but I can give you everything I have hoarded on them.”

It surprised Nash the thief would simply give it all up, just like that. “Why are you being so helpful?” he asked in suspicion.

Varan stood and crossed to one of his bookshelves. The Kalans had books everywhere, actual paper copies of anything one could possibly imagine and Nash would never get used to the luxury and waste of it. The thief took out a random book and opened it up. The pages were cut out and a small box was tucked inside. He pulled it out and flipped the lid. Discs; at least twenty and Varan deftly picked out a few.

“This box contains everything I have on the Drakesthai and the Hai galaxy over the last fifteen cycles.” The discs clinked back into the box and the thief handed them over without another word.

“Just like that?” Nash asked.

There was that cocky smile that set his teeth on edge. “Yes, but I do expect you to share some tech with me.”

“So you can use it to steal from the Draga Royal family? I don’t think so,” Nash said shaking his head.

“Then what will you trade for it?” Varan asked, stepping closer.

Nash tucked the box in his pocket and glared. He would have to give up something, he knew that. He wasn’t a bloody fool. But what could he afford to hand over? “I’ll give you my phasing tech.” The thief would still be visible even if he could access anything and that would be worth all the intel and then some. “That will pay for the intel, a squadron of your best fighters, and some gold.”

“You can pass through matter?” Varan didn’t even hesitate. He held out his hand in agreement. “Done, I’ll have the contract written up. We will go over the amount of fighters and gold later. Take your intel and get out of my court. I don’t need word to spread to Nadyah.”

Nash almost laughed, but he understood the sentiment all too well. If Nadyah found out about their visit, then no doubt she would pass it along to Adelina and who knows what the two of them would do with that information. “The females in our lives always manage to test us in ways we could never anticipate,” he said with a slight bow of his head. Nash pulled on his armor and secured it over his chest as he crossed the office, avoiding the destruction he’d wrought.

“You have no idea, mate,” Varan said as he followed Nash to his door. “Say, how fast is your ship exactly?”

No one was around to hear his reply. “With the right amount of fuel and supplies I can reach the border from Draga within the week.” Faster, if he really wanted.

The last time he’d traversed his entire galaxy Nash had managed five days, but he also never had a breakdown or ran into any other problems.

A low whistle of appreciation from Varan and he could practically see the wheels turn in the thief’s head. “That is definitely something to keep in mind during this upcoming war. Give me a head’s up before you leave and I’ll have the men as well as messages.”

Nash nodded. Despite their fight, they’d come out of it as allies if maybe not the best of friends. He clasped the thief’s arm in farewell.

If Adelina would talk to him, maybe he could get her to open up, even if it required riling her up to the point of hitting him. It was something to consider at least. Something about a physical fight always cleared the air.

Nash grinned with fierce pleasure. She was a hellcat when she was riled, and he loved how he was one of the few allowed to see that side of her, even if he didn’t like when she was angry with him.

When she withdrew from him body and soul Nash felt the emptiness. He would have to let go of his pride and ask for forgiveness.