“Where did you watch ABR? It doesn’t look like you’ve been in the house long.”
“The bar in the tradetown.”
“Is that where you’ve been hanging out?”
“No.” Azrim watches Radar roll in the grass, body flopping all over. “I killed those from the portals, tried to check on Rhysan.”
“Why don’t you come inside, have dinner with us? Tell us about it?”
Azrim steals one more glance at Tessi. A long one. Then he turns away. “Do not let her go, brother.Do not let go.”
Radar’s tail wags slower as he watches Azrim sulk off into the woods and drop down onto all fours. Even Radar is sad watching Azrim leave.
Tessi walks up to me and hugs me from the side. “Is he going to be okay?”
I kiss her temple. “I don’t know. With him, he could go either way. He’s stubborn as a Luna, smart as an Isonian with a heart as big as a human’s but as dark as a Helsvian’s.
“Let’s just get inside and get some dinner going. I want to hold you by the fire tonight.”
“Does it get cold here at night?”
“Very.”
She smiles. “Can I sleep with your Shifter?”
I grin. “If that’s what you want. Just keep in mind he’s a lot harder to control.”
29: Azrim
I circle Zorin’s place, the one that we were building together when I met Jezza. It eats at me that I left him to finish it alone as I went to chase her. He had seemed happy for me then. Now he’s angry with me.
I’m turned around and feeling inside out even more than normal. But he’s brought up something that’s just a reminder of another failure, not just to him, but to our pack, all two of us left. Losing Jezza made me feel like the stars want us to die off.
Why else would they take her and cause us so much pain?
The sharp agony of not being able to hold her or my son has slowly grown into numbness and rage over the last few months. But I’m a wreck inside all over again, seeing Zorin with Tessi.
Zorin’s new mate is even more beautiful in person than she was on the holofeed. She has proven she can raise a pup, though I fear she will baby Rhysan too much.
I stalk the hillside and catch a glimpse through the windows of Zorin, on all fours, curling up on his sofa. Tessi and Radar jump up and cuddle up with him. My isolation sinks in as I sit down among the dark trees to watch over them.
I could be inside with them.
But this is my responsibility now.
And yet he’s going to leave them when he’s called to serve. I know he will because it’s in our blood to protect.
It’s why I’m here, watching over them even though it kills me to look in on their happiness and remember the way my mate smiled at me when she curled up with me the same way.
For a brief time, I believed that I deserved or had at least earned her kind of love.
I shift my paws to find a more comfortable position on the rock I’ve poised myself on to watch over my brother’s home. I curl my tail around me and twitch my ears, listening for any sounds I don’t like. All night I stay.
In the first cracks of dawn, a lightless ship swoops low over the trees toward the wreckage at the bottom of the mountain. I’m certain it’s a Denarsoan scrapper ship.
They are only ever trouble.
I get up and slink through the edge of the trees, take a quick look back at Zorin’s house to ensure they’re still asleep, then descend the mountainside.
