Page 41 of A Mate for Vasek
“Oooh, you know the crew of theRevenge?” Danka’s eyes were wide and sparkling.
Dawn looked down at the note in her hand, and there, at the bottom in a pretty cursive, were the words,Go knock ‘em out! – Cami.
You know what? She was! She was going to knock ‘em out. Screw sitting around moping over a stupid medic who didn’t care about her. She was going to waltz into that party looking like a million bucks and have the time of her life!
Chapter 21
Vasek
Vasek leaned back onto the rough bark of the tree. He’d been hiding outside of Dawn’s door all night, and he wasn’t proud of it. He’d followed her and Dex back last night after she’d joined the crew for a soak at the baths and a dinner at one of the on-site pubs. He now had a set of nail marks on his biological hand from how hard he’d clenched his fist to stop himself from barreling toward them to rip her away from the human male.
Luckily, Dex had not tried to go into her room or even share a kiss. The male could live another day.
Vasek had been invited to the baths as well, but had declined after realizing she was going to be there. He’d given a barely believable excuse, and he was sure he’d either offended his old friend, or Kean knew something was wrong.
And somethingwaswrong. Because he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Dawn since the moment he’d left her the other day.
He wasn’t stupid. He knew what this was. This was the start of the mate bond.
It wasn’t too late, though. If he avoided her from now on, the bond wouldn’t fully develop, and he’d be safe. Then why the fuck was he camping out in front of her door, hidden behind a bush like some creep?
He watched as the young male making a delivery to her door walked away. Had the package been for Dawn? Or for the young female?
What he really should be doing was finding out more about Ranek and his whereabouts. The news was that he was already in the outer planets.
“Should I be worried that you are sneaking around in my gardens watching a female currently under my protection?”
Vasek whipped around to find Kean leaning against the next tree over. How had he gotten in here without Vasek hearing?
“I…” Vasek had no response.
“I’ve been trying to reach you for the past galactic hour. I should’ve just come here last night when one of my guards reported a male hiding in front of one of the female dorms. You’re lucky I recognized your ugly mug and told him not to knock you out.”
Shit. Was that who’d been trying to comm him?
“Are we going to have a problem, Vasek?”
“No. I was just leaving.”
“Right you are. You’re coming with me for an important meeting.”
Vasek frowned, but followed the male through the intricate gardens to his office, curious as to what type of important meeting Kean had planned the morning before the big party celebrating the unification of Vosthea under his rule.
Vasek tensed the moment he saw the male sitting at the table. Ranek.
“Sit,” Kean demanded, pointing to a chair at the other end, but still on the same side of the desk. Two armed guards settled in front of each door, as if to say they were sealed in until Kean chose to release them.
Vasek did, feeling the heat of Ranek’s eyes on him. His brother looked so different, so much leaner after years of captivity, but he recognized him all the same. They shared the same dark, nearly black-green eyes as their sire. Ranek had cleaned up and looked presentable, and was even wearing a typical merchant’s outfit.
“You are both guests at my stronghold, and I expect no trouble to come from either of you. Every year, there are attempts on my and my mate’s lives at these events. I do not need to be babysitting quarreling brothers as well.”
Kean set a tumbler each of an amber liquid in front of them. “Drink and promise there will be no fighting or violence from the two of you in my compound.”
Vasek looked over at his brother, and the realization that he sat next to a virtual stranger had his chest tightening. It had been so long. He no longer knew who sat next to him. Did Ranek still hold him accountable for not saving his mate? Ranek had been held in a Dominion facility for so long, Vasek wondered if there was any part of his brother left.
It was Ranek who took the cup first, downing the liquid in one gulp. “You have my word, Kean.” He put the cup down, then placed his hand on his chest, pinkie side out. “I owe you for getting me out.”
Kean had gotten Ranek out? Suddenly, Vasek felt a sense of guilt, but pushed it back, reminding himself that his brother had taken his hand in a fit of rage and given him the scars on his face. It had felt like a fair trade at the time when Vasek had left him locked up in a Dominion facility for life.
