Zane

 

 

 

“WHAT IS THIS girls’ night thing?” I asked, highly perturbed.

The women had departed the palace, heading for the city of Zertan. X, Jedrek, and I convened in X’s study, pacing. Well, X and I paced. Jedrek lounged in a chair, and he appeared far too amused for my liking.

“Cozmo is not a girl,” X repeated.

He stopped stomping around long enough to pour several strong drinks, tossing his quickly back.

“Girls’ night basically means they’re going to a club where they’ll dance a lot, drink copiously, and gossip about everyone.” Jedrek accepted his drink and savored a mouthful of alcohol.

“How do you know this?” X asked his closest advisor.

“Prairie. She talks a lot.”

“Hmmpph,” X grumbled. “This is all your fault, brother.” He pivoted toward me.

I downed my drink, quickly pouring more. As a Zenithian, I had a high tolerance, rarely affected adversely by liquor. “I can’t help it. I don’t know what Astrid wants from me.”

“Besides two cocks?”

“Fuck you.” I pelted a handful of roasted tuptup nuts at X.

He dodged them, smirking. “You know, if you fucked Astrid in the ass like Magnar seems to think, our man Jedrek here could use a few pointers.”

Jedrek mumbled something into his cup, pretending to be very preoccupied with . . . nothing.

“What was that?” I asked, welcoming the distraction from Astrid.

“If you two weren’t royals I’d kick both your asses.”

X laughed loudly. “Take it out on us on the training grounds tomorrow if you want. I don’t give a fuck.”

“Is it true you have a thing for asses?” I sat across from Jedrek, amazed when his swarthy cheeks lit with a clear blush.

“Does everyone know I—”

“You want to shove your cock up Dex’s ass? Isn’t that how you put it,” X jovially added.

“That was supposed to be a secret.”

“Not my fault Prairie had already figured it out.”

“That female—”

“Now, now. Don’t say anything about my mate you’ll regret.”

Jedrek grumbled some more, and I chuckled at his discomfort—better him than me. “Why don’t you just jump Dex’s bones already?”

“Because that worked out so well for you with Astrid?”

“She never complains in bed.”

“I’m going for the slow burn with Dex.”

“Slow burn? Fucking good thing we age so slowly, or you’d be an elder before you even mentioned your interest to him.” X sat on the edge of his desk, crossing big booted feet at the ankles.

“Remember what I told you about romance?”

“Yeah. And it worked with Prairie. I ain’t seen you romancing shit with Dex though.”

“Romance? I was going to attempt that with Astrid tonight.” I braced my elbows on my knees.

“Wasn’t that sort of the reason behind taking her on a whole tour of the grounds and forest?” My brother spied my empty tankard and refilled it.

“Suppose so.”

“And she let you fuck her after that?” he asked, because basically no subject was sacred between us.

“After Uncle came down hard on me. And she went all viper on him.”

“Ahhh. So she let you take her to bed to soothe your damaged ego.” Jedrek popped a mouthful of the roasted nuts into his mouth.

“That wasn’t a pity fuck.” My head coiled back.

“If you say so.”

“You’re not helping, Jedrek. And fuck you too, by the way.”

“I’d rather fuck Dex.”

And back to square one. Or two. While Astrid was out dancing, partying, probably flirting . . . and beyond my reach for the duration.

I glared out of the windows toward Zertan, the city’s lights creating a halo glow in the distance.

Moments later, my worst fears were confirmed. I groaned at the image swirling into my head from Astrid’s vision to my mind.

My eyes screwed shut. “Dammit.”

“What is it?” X hovered beside me.

 “She’s dancing with a male.” A Zenithian, half naked and sweaty. A fucking male who grinned when she swiveled around, her lunar blonde hair fanning around her shoulders. “I can see it.”

My hackles rose, my fangs tingled, itching to descend so I could tear into the flesh of the bronze-eyed interloper.

X patted my shoulder. “In that case I’ll order all males in the club to be executed immediately.”

“Really?”

“No. Suck it up,” he replied, and Jedrek chuckled.

Bastards.

I didn’t have to suck it up for long because I saw Magnar dragging the male away from Astrid with a forearm cranked around his neck.

I slumped in relief, dragging a hand down my face. I reached for my drink, but the tankard crashed to the floor as a sudden strangling sense of suffocation weighed me down.

Alarmed, X gripped my arm. “What now?”

“Astrid.” Astrid. Astrid.

But she was gone from my visions. Everything faded to deep dark black.

I jumped to my feet. “They’re in trouble.”

“Are you sure?” Jedrek rose, hand on the hilt of his dagger.

“I felt something then everything just went . . . blank.” I grabbed X’s shoulder. “Aren’t you getting a read from Prairie?”

He looked sheepish as he picked up his sword and tucked it into the scabbard at his waist. “She can block me from her thoughts if she wants.”

“But if they’re in trouble why wouldn’t she send out an SOS or something?”

“Have you ever known that woman to be logical?”

He had a point. But fuck. Astrid was in danger. I knew it.

“We’ve got to get to them. Now.” Feet pounding across the floor, worry pounding through my body, I led the charge from the palace.