Page 213 of A Soul to Embrace

When Jabez had first laid eyes on the willowy woman and her soft, freckled features, he never would have guessed she was one of the head scientists. Considering she’d taken over his mother’s work, he figured Raewyn had a good relationship with her. He intended to keep the woman at arm’s length.

As he opened the door, two scents wafted through the crack.

One was gentle and sweet. He frowned when he found it familiar in his memories, but he struggled to place it.Maybe I did know her as a child.It’d been hard to pick it out in the conference room due to the other seventeen councilmembers.

The other scent had one side of his nose wrinkling in surprise.Merikh?Hard to mistake that citrusy, spiced, masculine aroma.

As soon as Jabez tried to enter, Merikh’s broad, muscular chest came into view and was entirely in the way. Arms folded above his rounded gut and partially leaning against it, a growl rumbled from the Mavka as he tipped his bear skull down to him. His bull tail flicked to the side in irritation.

Since he had no issue getting into the Mavka’s space, his chest grazed the back of Merikh’s armoured forearms when he stepped forward and closed the door behind him.

He peeked up at Merikh, just as the burlybitchgrowled, “Behave.”

“I am the epitome of tranquil and controlled,” Jabez said with a shit-eating grin less than a foot from Merikh’s. “You’re the one who doesn’t know how to keep himself from losing it. How’s your mother? Does she know you’re here?”

Speaking of the Witch Owl – who Merikh hated – was a terrible idea on Jabez’s part. But he was incapable of not needling the brutish male, and after how things had endedduring their last conversation, he did really want to get back at him.

He expected the roar that came from Merikh. What he hadn’t foreseen was a massive fist slamming into the side of his face until his cheekbonecracked. Being shunted to the side with nothing but a singular, unexpected punch, Jabez crashed into a long counter. Glass jars filled with herbs, questionable liquid, and who else knew what, knocked over, rolled across the counter, and then smashed against the ground.

“Merikh!” Raewyn yelled at the top of her lungs. With her fingertips brushing the edge of the counter to orientate and guide herself within the room, she ran to the side. “I told you that if you couldn’t keep your temper under control, then you weren’t allowed to be here today!”

She spoke in English, probably due to Merikh still learning Nyl’kira. Jabez continued in the same language, so all understood.

Immediately discombobulated, Jabez used his elbows against the counter’s top as he fought to get back to his feet. More jars shattered and broke. He wiggled his jaw to make sure Merikh hadn’t fractured that as well.

“I’m not quite sure I deserved that,” he muttered with a pout.

“You killed my brother, you pointy-eared fuck!” Merikh roared with his claws bared. He stomped towards Jabez, his heavy, bare, claw-toed feet slapping against the obsidian floor, and he was surprised the big bastard didn’t crack it.

Oh shit!Jabez teleported before Merikh could even swipe at him and ended up on the opposite side of the enraged Mavka.

I guess I did deserve it.He hadn’t known Merikh wasawareof what had happened to his winged brother.

Merikh snarled as he turned with orbs so red, Jabez was surprised he hadn’t fallen into a rage. “I should break every bone in your fucking body.”

“Temper temper,” Jabez taunted, stepping to the side before Merikh could swing. “Ifyoucan’t behave, perhaps you should leave.”

“And leave you alone with my bride?!”

Figured as much.Why else would Merikh be in this laboratory? The reminder of the woman had a callous glint lifting into his features.

Jabez teleported again. Raewyn gasped when he clasped her face from behind and pressed his chest against her back to keep her still. She stiffened in his hold, especially as the point of his right index fingernail stabbed into the thin, fragile skin right beneath her eye.

“Calm down, Merikh, or else,” Jabez warned.

“You’re a fucking coward!” Merikh snarled, refusing to move with his precious bride now in harm’s way. The guards covering his forearms and calves were struggling to keep his quills down, and he appeared to be moments from shredding them apart.

“Cowardliness is just a word.” Jabez brought his face right next to Raewyn’s and gave the brute a glare. “A smart man will use any means to take back control of a situation, and we both know I’m no stranger to hurting someone’s mate to get my way.”

“You’ve been here a little over a day and you’ve already violated one of your restrictions,” Raewyn sneered, her gentle voice hard and unbending.

“How so?” Jabez let a chuckle fill his tone. “So far I have harmed no one, andthreateningsomeone has never been a violation of a crime. I was told to use my ability to teleport to evade a fight, even in self-defence.” Then, right next to her ear, he stated, “You demanded I come here this morning, then kept him here, knowing he was angry with me. What did you think was going to happen?”

Although he preferred the terms playful and witty, he was sure Merikh told them he was an asshole or something. Of courseJabez would go out of his way to annoy his old friend, and Merikh should have foreseen this outcome.

“He refused to leave me unprotected. Can you blame him after everything you’ve done?”

“What about what he’s done?” Jabez countered, raising a brow at Merikh when he dared to step closer. “He helped me raze towns, even an Anzúli one. He’s eaten people, and killed countless humans and Demons. His hands are just as bloodied as mine.”