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Nalia plopped down into a seat and then lifted her leg up to place the boot she wore onto the chair. “So, how is the photography going?”
“It’s going well. It took me a week just to figure out how to use the camera Nicolai got for me. It’s a professional camera and I’m an amateur.”
Nalia chuckled.
“I’m not surprised he got you the best camera possible. And also that he turned the one room by the gardens into a small studio for you. You have all different art supplies.”
“I know. It’s extreme.”
“He’s making up for lost time.”
“He doesn’t have to. It’s overwhelming, and I’m not used to it. To even living in a place like this,” Malayna said to Nalia.
“Oh, believe me, I understand. You should look at Nicolai’s home as your own now. At least until you’re older, establish some sort of career. Then perhaps you could move out and into your own place.”
Malayna rubbed her finger along her eyebrow, feeling the anxiety immediately at that thought.
“Malayna, are you okay?”
She looked at her new friend and forced a small smile.
“I will be.”
The sound of laughter brought their attention back toward the house and the open screen door that led to the patio they sat on.
“Oh, I guess their meeting is over,” Nalia said to Malayna.
Malayna turned to see who was there and immediately saw the group of men. Her heart hammered inside of her chest at the sight of Border. She hadn’t seen him or the rest of his team—Star, Lucca, and Krane—for weeks. When they had rescued her from Vlladim, she had remained close to them. Nalia gave her leg a tap.
“You’re staring,” she whispered, and Malayna quickly turned away from the men but not before noticing the intense stare from Border.
“What are you doing out here? How did you get out here?” Chatham asked as he approached Nalia first but then looked at Malayna.
“Malayna, our woman is having a negative influence on you. She has you helping her ignore the doctor’s orders,” Chatham said and he bent down and clutched Nalia’s chin.
“The doctor said not to rush it. You’re rushing it,” he scolded.
Nalia complained about the doctor not knowing everything as her men joined them, taking seats around the table and near both of them.
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“We can make some plates and eat out here. There’s plenty of room,” Boian said to the men.
They agreed and Malayna felt the hand on the back of her chair then the caress to her hair. She turned to look up and saw Krane.
He smiled softly. “How are you doing, Malayna? Getting more comfortable with your new home?” he asked.
“I’m doing well, Krane, and how are you?” she asked. She couldn’t believe how attracted she was to Krane, and she knew she felt the same way about the others. It was scary for so many reasons. Cornikup had threatened so many times that he would take her virginity and allow Vlladim to help train her in bed. They had been waiting, and thank God they hadn’t forced themselves on her.
She shyly looked away from him but he surprised her by taking the seat next to her.
“We can grab some drinks and bring them out here,” Dusty said to them.
“I’ll help you,” Malayna said and stood up. As she did Border and Krane watched her. She felt their eyes upon her and it made her feel so nervous and also out of sorts. They were older men, at least in their thirties. She was twenty-one, getting ready to turn twenty-two in a couple of months.
“Malayna, is Nalia okay? She wasn’t in a lot of pain making her way outside, was she?” Dusty asked. He was so caring. All of Nalia’s men were. She also understood their positions in the family and she knew not to lie to them.
“She was a little, but I didn’t tell you that,” she said to him.
