Page 48 of Thawed Gladiator: Victor

“Thank you, Damian,” she murmurs, her voice low and husky. “I’ve never felt so connected to another living soul.”

I help her stand and pull her close, my arms wrapping around her, holding her tight. We stand here for a moment, just breathing each other in, the water lapping nearby, the sun filtering down through the canyon walls.

“We’re warriors, Maya,” I say finally, my voice steady. “But sometimes, we need to remember there’s more to life than battle. That there’s beauty and peace to be found in the world, if we’re willing to seek it out.”

Maya nods, her eyes filled with understanding. “You’re right. I’ve been so focused on taking care of everyone around me, I’ve forgotten what it means to truly live.”

We stay in each other’s arms for a few more moments, basking in the peace of the sacred pool. Then, finally, I release her, my hand lingering on her cheek for just a moment longer.

I use the blanket to pat her dry, then ask if she wants my mouth on her.

“That was perfect, Damian. Perhaps tonight, in our little hut, but right now, I feel… complete.”

We leave the pool behind, our footsteps echoing through the canyon as we make our way back to the world outside. But for a little while, at least, we’ve found a moment of peace amid the storm. And that, I know, is something to cherish.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Maya

The ancient flip phone buzzes against my hip, interrupting our peaceful morning. Joseph’s rules about modern technology don’t extend to emergencies, so I step outside to check the message. My heart nearly stops when I read the message from my father.

“Why did I give him this number?” I mutter, regretting that I ever let him know the number of Kane’s phone.

My stomach does a little flip, knowing that whatever he wants, it can’t be good.

Baby, I messed up bad. These pharma people, they’re not just rich jerks in suits. They’ve got people everywhere—cops, feds, even judges. But I got something on them. Something big. Need to meet. Just you. Please.

My hands shake as I delete the message. When I step back inside, Damian is practicing ancient battle forms in the early light, his movements flowing like water. He pauses mid-motion, reading my tension even from across the room.

“Your father?” He doesn’t need my confirmation. “What troubles has he found now?”

“He says he has information about the pharmaceutical companies.” I sink onto the handwoven fabric top of a wooden bench, suddenly exhausted. “Wants to meet. Alone.”

Damian crosses to me in three fluid strides, his bare feet silent on the earthen floor. “A trap?”

“Maybe.” No. I refuse to keep lying to myself. “Probably,” I admit as I lean into his solid warmth. “But what if it’s not? What if he really has something we can use against these evil companies to get them off our backs?”

“The same man who tried to profit from my existence?” His voice holds no judgment, only careful concern. “Who runs from every challenge?”

“He’s still my father.” My voice gives my emotions away. I sound defensive. “And his fear seems real.”

Damian’s arms tighten around me. “Then we face this together. As we have faced everything else.”

“He specifically said alone—”

“And I specifically say no.” His tone brooks no argument. “We are beyond such games now,Fortis.”

The Latin nickname—his way of calling me “brave one”—makes my heart flutter despite the circumstances.

“Joseph should know about this,” I say finally. “If we’re going to leave the reservation’s protection, we’ll need his guidance.”

We find the elder in his medicine garden, coaxing life from the desert soil. He listens without interruption as we explain the situation, his weathered hands never pausing in their work.

“The spirits have been restless,” he says finally. “They say a storm approaches—not of rain, but of choices. Of consequences.” He fixes me with those piercing eyes. “You must go. Both of you. But not to the meeting place your father suggests.”

He names a location—a sacred site where ancient petroglyphs still guard the canyon walls. “The old ones will watch over you there. And if trouble comes…” His smile carries secrets. “The land remembers its protectors.”

I contact my father with the location, surprised to find when I look at a map, that he’s only five hours away. Though we’ve been driving much longer, we’ve gone out of our way as we attempted to avoid our pursuers.

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