Drustan slammed his fist into the side of the asshole’s head and sent him sprawling back onto the alley floor. “Not so full of jokes now, are you?”
He waited a full minute to see if the Gorgant would get back up, but the reptilian alien stayed down. Good, he’ll wake up with one hell of a headache later.
Serves him right for preying on innocent people.
Someone touched his shoulder.
He jerked away, spinning to face whatever new danger approached. But instead, he faced the old Hintilyon woman. And here I thought she’d crawled away when I snatched her purse back and tossed it to her.
Wincing, he took in her battered appearance. I should have hit the asshole harder. The thin layer of white fur that covered her body was matted and dirty from where the Gorgant had shoved her down onto the muddy floor. Even her sweeping white robe was torn. Little patches of blood blossomed on the material.
All this pain, and for what, to steal an old woman’s purse?
“Grandmother,” he greeted her politely, accenting her language quite badly. “Are you alright?”
She nodded and touched the side of his face, her bloodied lips curling into a gentle smile. “You saved me. Although it was not your responsibility to do so.”
It’s every male’s job to protect those smaller and weaker.
He shrugged, feeling strangely flustered. “Think nothing of it.”
She held him as he started to pull away. “I owe you.” Her white eyes began to spin slowly. “Ask the magic what it can do for you.”
Oh, yes. This world is supposed to have something called “magic” on it. Although he was intrigued by the notion, he could also feel time ticking away. He shifted the bag on his shoulder higher. My brothers will start to worry if I’m not back soon.
“You don’t owe me anything, Grandmother. Just get home and take care of your wounds.” He pulled free of her and started to walk away.
“Your mate.”
He froze, ears straining.
“What you desire above all else is your mate. The female who can love three such different males. Well, I can bring her to you.”
Turning slowly back around, he stared at the old woman. Can she really do such a thing? Just the thought of it made something foreign come to life inside of him: hope.
“Is such a thing even possible?”
Her strange, pale blue lips curled into another smile. She cupped her wrinkled hands together and began to whisper softly. Bright red light seeped out of the cracks in her hands, building in intensity until the entire alley flashed with glaring red light.
Closing and opening his eyes rapidly, he waited for his vision to return.
He felt her touch, and when he could see once more, he stared at the item she’d placed in his hand. A red stone that pulsed with a soft light.
“A heart stone,” she whispered. “The woman you and your brothers are meant for— the stone will call her to you.”
He thanked her, clutching it tightly in his hand before slipping it into his pocket. Aedan will laugh at me if he knows about this. And Bricus? I can only imagine how angry he’d become at just the idea of me trying for another mate.
As he walked back to their ship, he decided not to tell his brothers. What was the point? He wasn’t even sure he believed in magic or true love. And the worst thing he could do after years of hoping for a mate without finding one was to actually believe it was possible.
Reaching into his pocket, he squeezed the stone again. If only finding our female was so easy.