“Okay, okay.” A soft blush spread across her cheeks as she spoke and in that moment, I wanted to learn every way possible to make that blush appear again. “So maybe I was drunk on ambrosia at the time of naming, but it just kinda stuck. And he seems to like it,” she argued in defense of the creature.
The fox in question was currently curled up into a ball onmy lap, purring contentedly as I reached out and stroked behind its ears. “Well then,” I mumbled after another moment of disbelief. “It’s nice to meet you,Loxl the Foxl.”
The bastard sighed with delight, nestling further into me as I reluctantly sat there, petting its coat. I still didn’t know how in Aurelia she’d managed to get a fennex fox as a stars-damnedpetof all things.
Fennex foxes were among the rarest magical creatures in the world, known for their uncanny ability to stay hidden, despite leaving trails of stardust in their wake. It was ancient lore that the foxes were dropped from the heavens by Aeternus, which is why their footsteps trailed in heavenly stardust. However, like many stories of lore our great-grandmothers passed along, this one held no truth.
I was nearly one hundred percent positive.
My phone vibrated from my front pocket, and I shifted back into the couch, carefully grabbing the device to skim the message. A disgruntled noise came from the bundle of fur on my lap, and I glanced down, givingLoxla few extra pets as an apology for inconveniencing his chosen napping location.
Staring at the device in my hand, my eyes scanned the text from Eleana. I rubbed at my jaw, annoyance over her message washing over me. But it was nothing I couldn’t handle.
I caught Axel watching me from across the living room, even as he chatted with Rae. His eyebrow arched in question, but I gave a quick shake of my head as my gaze shifted back to the stunning female on the other side of the room.
I hadn’t been able to get her out of my mind since the night we’d run into each other in Solis Court. The small crease in her forehead was crinkled at whatever Axel was saying, her manicured nails tapping rhythmically against the worn edge of the lavender-colored sofa in her living room. Her hair, usually tamed, was hardly contained by the singular clip holding back her waves.
She was breathtakingly stunning.
And she was mine . . . if we fully acknowledged the starbound bond.
I shook my head, needing to get the little minx out of my mind. There was a mission at stake, and I couldn’t afford to fuck up with so much at stake—withherfuture at stake.
Angry pounding sounded on a door in the distance, and I watched Raelyna jump up faster than I’d thought possible. Her dark brown hair flowed around her as she quickly hurried to her own doorway. Loxl leapt nimbly from my lap, silver paw prints trailing behind him as he quickly caught up to his owner, standing on her heel.
My gaze narrowed in on the display screen beside the door she seemed focused on, my hand already reaching for the firearm I kept in the waistband of my pants.
What is she looking for?
“Follow me . . . now.” Her words were a demanding whisper as she quickly began moving across the living room.
Axel tensed, both of us watching her in confusion as Loxl seemed to be the only one complying with her demands, his paw prints trailing after her.
“I’m sorry,” Rae stated as she spun on her heel, seeming to realize the two males sitting in her living room had yet to comply with her demands. “Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. Get off your stars-damned asses and follow me . . .now.” She scooped up Loxl from the floor as she bit out the final word, before whirling on her heel and stalking into an adjacent hallway.
I shot Axel with a confused glance before he shrugged and pushed up off the couch, following Raelyna down the corridor. With a sigh, I stood up, my gaze narrowing in on the display by the door once more, taking in the hallway, now entirely empty save for one RSG stationed outside her neighbor’s door.
That can’t be right.
We followed Rae’s hurried footsteps through her apartment.
“Care to explain what’s happening, starlight?” The words fell from my lips as I watched her quickly move deeper into her apartment. “Or are we just rushing through your apartment for enjoyment?”
“Not yet,” she stated, her voice still far softer than it should have been.Something is definitely off. “Just, trust me on this, okay?” The last few words fell like a plea from her lips, and we both grunted our agreement as she pulled on a hidden latch behind a bookshelf.
A low whirling noise filled the apartment, and then I heard a hatch open. Spinning around, hand already on my gun, I looked for where the noise came from.
I heard an amused huff slip from Rae as she stood on her toes, tugging on a thin cord that dangled from where her ceiling fan was. With a quick jerk, the ceiling fan moved, lowering, as a ladder extended down from the ceiling.
“What in the—” Axel didn’t even finish his sentence before Rae interrupted.
“I’m assuming you both are skilled enough toclimba ladder quickly.”
My eyes narrowed on her. “Yes,” I stated tersely. “But we aren’t going up there until you explain what’s going on.”
She huffed in annoyance. “Fine. But it’s got to be quick; we don’t have much time.”
“Much time for what?” I questioned, my hand still resting atop my firearm.
