Page 298 of Gladiators of the Vagabond Boxset

“Not surprised,” I rushed to say. “Anyone would be a fool not to want to pay to hear you sing.” Her expression smoothed out again, and I dared pull in a deep breath in relief. She was an amazing singer; even the typical low-lives that visited Yengar could recognize that.

Getting to her feet, Novalee on her hip, she nudged a second bag out from behind the edge of the bed. “Some clothes and supplies to help us get through the next few days. Do you know when the Vagabond is going to pick us up?”

I bent down to retrieve the bag, happy to be able to do that again without any pain.

As I inspected the contents, I tried to formulate how to give her the bad news, but I got distracted by the sight of several prepacked rations and some fresh fruit.

I pulled out a juicy, round Keftir and bit into it eagerly, the sweet taste exploding in my mouth. I was really hungry, it turned out.

Once I’d stuffed myself with fruit and an entire ration, I looked up to see that Tori was smiling at me with a bemused look on her face.

A little embarrassed, I rushed into the bathroom to wash my hands and face.

That’s when I noticed that the new mix of metals in my system had colored my usually silver skin green and blue in places, with little coppery glitters along my shoulders and abdomen.

I looked like a more mature, masculine version of Novalee now, and it shocked me how good that made me feel. I could be her dad, looking like this.

When I came out of the bathroom, I saw that Tori had curled up in the corner of the bed, a portion of her black scarf draped over one shoulder and across her chest. Novalee was tucked beneath it, obviously being fed.

I felt like I was intruding on a private moment between mother and child—until she smiled this soft, warm smile my way.

Welcoming me back, that gesture alone was an invitation to sit next to them.

Perching on the edge of the bed, I folded one leg under myself while I eyed the drying bloodstains on the floor.

“Sunder called. They are safe, but they can’t come back to the station for a while, not until things blow over.

They pissed off some bigshots berthed here when they rescued most of the humans Drameil offloaded. ”

Thorin, Jakar, and Camila had managed to raid an auction house on the station and had freed fourteen of the humans, while Fierce had rescued two who had already been sold, and Sunder had located a human who had somehow managed to escape.

The two I had a lead on were now officially the only ones not safe.

I had passed on the information, but the Vagabond was currently on the run, trying to avoid several ships—those belonging to the owner of the auction house and to the one Fierce had stolen from.

I explained all that and tried to make sure she wouldn’t worry by adding, “We’ll figure this out.

You got me back in shape with your supplies, so we’re good—better than good, even.

” Her brown eyes on me were thoughtful, but I could see the slight bruises beneath them.

She was clearly tired, and all I’d done was make her worry more.

“What’s next? How do we get back home?” she asked quietly, tilting her head down at an angle that made it look like she was now watching Novalee.

Then I realized that she was peeking at me from the corner of her eye, half-hiding her face behind her long hair.

Was she checking me for injuries? Or was she just checking out my chest?

Shifting a little closer to where she sat, I stretched out both my legs on the lumpy bed.

“We’ve agreed to meet on a planet just inside the Kertinal Empire.

Rakex isn’t too far from here, we can book ourselves passage.

” My skin was tingling now that I was feeling better: from her nearness, from the chance to be in her presence without her being angry with me.

We hadn’t had a real conversation ever since that night, partly because I’d avoided her on the ship, and partly because she’d done the same.

Now we were really stuck together for the next while; the thought made me excited as well as scared.

Could I protect her out here on Yengar, on whatever ship I’d have to book us passage on?

Could I convince her that we were made for each other, that she was my mate? My Tally?

It felt like she’d heard my thoughts when she scooted a little closer to my side and rested her head against my shoulder.

“I’m glad you’re okay now. I wish you’d told me sooner that you were running low.

We could have…” She shrugged a little helplessly, and that must have dislodged Novalee, as it was followed by a protesting noise, then a satisfied grunt.

“I could have helped you find what you needed before we got into a firefight,” she finished, her attention on the baby latched at her chest. Her agile fingers fussed with the scarf that covered them.

A shaft of desire lanced through me at the sight.

I wanted the right to watch her nurse her child without that covering.

Since that wasn’t going to happen tonight, I simply shifted my leg to hide the growing evidence of my desire, then daringly leaned my head against the top of hers, breathing in her scent.

“If we’d gone to get me what I needed,” I said, a smile curling at my lips as I ran a finger over Novalee’s hidden back, “she wouldn’t be here. We’d have missed the Vagabond entirely.” Tori shuddered as that thought sank in; she would have been devastated had she been separated from her daughter.

She tilted her head up to look at me, and our eyes met, hers that beautiful, velvety brown, some kind of emotion simmering in them.

It was the first time we’d looked at each other like this since the fight—the big one—and the connection between us was still there.

Soaring to life between us at that moment, my body responded even further to her nearness, my cock stiffening painfully in the tight confines of my pants.

I couldn’t bring myself to care; I felt hope that we could mend the rift between us again.

I wasn’t sure if it was me or her who closed that final bit of distance, but her silky lips were pressed against mine, all my nerve endings lighting on fire.

She was soft, and with just a little press of my tongue, she opened her lips and flooded my senses with her sweet taste.

If I hadn’t known it already, I would have known by her taste that she was mine, she was made for me.

I just had to figure out how to make her stay.