Page 202 of A Soul to Embrace

With perpetual summer being a constant, the need for heavy clothing or the desire to cover up was low. There was a reason the Elysians had used magic to grow this tree to its daunting size: they required shade or they’d all incinerate over time from the heat.

It didn’t take his entourage long to enter the hallway of the conference chamber, and he could already see the large double doors at the other end.

When they were only a few metres from the entrance, the door suddenly opened for them. His brows furrowed in concern. He’d essentially given no notice, so they should have remained shut until the guards around him notified those inside of his desire to speak with them.

When a tall, daunting being stepped through the doorway, he realised it’d been unintentional and a mere coincidence.

His feet immediately halted, incidentally causing the female Delysian soldier to smack into him and make him stumble forward. His upper lip twisted in shock, as his jaw fell until it threatened to unhinge and fucking fall off.

“Merikh?” he grated out, barely believing that his old friend stood before him.

The large Mavka appeared unfazed as he stomped across the obsidian floor towards him, although his naturally red orbs did brighten menacingly in apparent anger at seeing him.

Standing two inches taller than Jabez’s own six-foot-nine height, the bear-skulled, bull-horned Mavka looked exactly how he had only a few Earth months ago. Well, his rounded, muscular gut did, as did the short black fur covering him.

However, he now wore a pair of black pants that had been tied around his knees. It left his calves free for white, armoured guards to be strapped over them protectively, ensuring he didn’t hurt others with his echidna quills. More intricate, segmented guards covered his bare forearms, with a large one strapped underneath the silky red singlet covering his torso. The singlet bore a silver strip where it crossed over his chest to be tied at his side.

His bull tail flicked back and forth, and the tuft of fur on the end of it curled.

Before Jabez could even begin questioning Merikh with how he came to be here in the Elven city, realisation dawned.

“It was you!” he growled out, snapping his fangs at him. “You’re the one who’s been feeding them information about Earth, you jerk of a Mavka.”

The burly male burst out in a joyful chuckle, stopped barely a metre from him, and folded his arms. “Absolutely.”

“Do you have any idea what you’ve fucking done?”

Anger clutched his gut, and he stomped down the hallway, alerting his guards, who suddenly chased after him.

Whatever he’d told the synedrus council meant they knew all about Jabez’s escapades and actions. That information had been vital in ensuring the councilmembers were swayed to likelynotlet them stay in the city. Had they been uninformed, they wouldn’t be aware of his callous bloodshed and the depths of his hatred!

Sure, he figured Merikh didn’t know Jabez would try to enter Lezekos while it wasn’t in flames, butstill.

It also meant that these people were aware of Merikh’s kind and had made it impossible for him to enter with an injured Zylah without bonding to her. He still didn’t regret it, but he would have liked to make that choice when he wasn’t under duress. By the cursed light, he would’ve liked to have the option to be lame and make itromantic.

“I don’t really give a shit, if I’m being honest,” Merikh chuckled back.

His fangs vibrated as he produced a deep growl, knowing the big fucker was only full of mirth because he wasn’t the one tied in restraints. Considering the bear-skulled Mavka was usually bull-headed and had a temper that was meaner and more violent than Jabez’s own, had their roles been reversed, Merikh would have tried to eat him by now.

And had Jabez not been restrained, he likely wouldn’t be so overconfident.

“So this is where you ran off to?” Jabez asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “How’d you evengethere?”

“I had a pretty fairy help me escape without your help,” Merikh answered, tilting his head in a way that could only be condescending. “My bride is something you hate the most. I found that rather humorous when I thought about it. I also thinkyou’d be disgusted to discover justwhoI’ve been shoving my cock into each day here – repeatedly, may I add.”

Jabez’s eyes flicked up to the bright-blue flaming soul between his tall bull horns. Other than the fact it had long, coily hair and pointed ears, nothing else about it was recognisable.

He shook his head, his lips twisting in disgust – regardless of who it was – before they softened. His brows narrowed.

“I don’t understand. You were my fucking friend. Why would you feed them informationknowinghow much I hated them?”

Any humour in Merikh’s voice died, and his orbs deepened to crimson as he bit out a snarl. “I haven’t been your friend for alongtime, Jabez. You made sure of it.”

He scoffed at that, especially as he doubted that was true. He knew this Mavka more than anyone else. After their last interaction on Earth, Jabez knew if it hadn’t been for the potential of a bride and a new life, Merikh would have returned to his side. Likely with a few conditions, but the temptation to rekindle their friendship had been easily recognisable in his body language.

Sure, Jabezprobablyshouldn’t have threatened his siblings, but he also knew Merikh didn’t give a damn about them – only that they were safe. Jabez had been attempting, in his own way, to show he had no intention of going after them anymore. He also hadn’t wanted to give away anything about his emotions, nor his regrets, unsure if he’d actually been able to trust his past companion due to old wounds.

Obviously done with the conversation, Merikh stepped to the side to go around him. Jabez glared at him, and it only deepened when the Mavka slowed to place his hand on his shoulder.

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