Page 63 of Nazab

“You have the ability to persuade people,” Queegly said wisely. That shocked everyone except for Zoe, who nodded. She’d picked up on it when she’d scanned her.

“Oh, I forgot about that,” Monica said. “Yeah, I can usually get people to see my way,” she confirmed. “But I was talking about my job.”

“What can you do?” Reegan asked. She’d said she was a plumber by trade.

“I’m a hairdresser,” Mon said.

Nazab winced along with his brothers when several of their females squealed in happiness. “Oh, my God!” Vic exclaimed, touching her shaggy black hair. “I’m in desperate need of a haircut, Mon! I need you to hack this mane off my head asap!”

“I know that look, love,” Amaros said when he saw the speculative expression on his mate’s beautiful face. “What are you planning this time?” He could have read Zoe’s thoughts, but the others probably wanted to hear this.

“I’m thinking we can build a small salon near the lake,” Zo suggested.

“That’s an awesome idea,” Wynter agreed. “Ree won’t have to add more plumbing to a room in our base if we build a salon.” Nova squirmed a bit in the crook of her arm as she cradled her. Her daughter could sleep through a tornado and it would take more than a few shrill screams to wake her up.

“I’m happy with that plan,” Reegan said. “We won’t have to dig up any floors or drill through stone walls.”

“I’ll draw some blueprints for it, with Zoe’s help,” Cam vowed.

“They already love you, female,” Nazab murmured to his cambion.

“They all seem so nice,” Monica murmured back. “I think we’re going to be really happy living here.” A shadow crossed her face and her mood turned a bit glum. “I just wish you didn’t have to return to the Void after we win this war.”

Everyone heard her, except for the human. Amaros motioned for his family to quieten down a bit. “I have something to tell you both,” he said gravely. “Fate spoke to me before she released me from the Void,” he said. “We’ve all been given a choice this time.”

Nazab listened incredulously as he sat at the dining table. He’d been wondering why his brothers were going through the motions of eating and drinking. His shock couldn’t have been more profound when his commander finished his tale. “The link I feel with my female will allow us to become bonded forever?” he asked.

“It will,” Amaros confirmed. He cradled his son in one arm as his mate fed Arak with a bottle. It was obvious how devoted he was to his small family. Tolas was just as doting with his mate and their daughter.

Nazab turned to his cambion to see she was deep in thought. He was ready to bond with her right now, but it was far too soon. They still had over a month left of her two month no-sex rule. “We’ll need time to think about it,” he said so she wouldn’t feel any pressure and she gave him a grateful look.

“Can I ask how you lost part of your leg, Mon?” the doc asked.

“Someone pushed my mom in front of a train when I was a baby,” Monica said. “She was holding me at the time. She died, but I survived.”

“I’d like to examine you after dinner, if you’ll let me,” Qiana requested.

“Sure,” Monica said with a shrug.

An idea came to Nazab and he voiced a question. “My mate was looking into having a rod inserted into her tibia,” he said. “Do you have any experience with that sort of operation?”

His hopes were dashed when the healer shook her head regretfully. “I was trained as a trauma surgeon, not in prosthetics,” she said.

Monica sagged in disappointment, but Xanthia spoke up. “I bet I’ll be able to code a bionic leg to you if we can get you one,” she said and looked at Sinai.

“I’ve never seen a bionic leg,” Sin said apologetically. “I could probably duplicate one if I saw a picture, though.”

Nazab wasn’t going to give up easily, but it seemed his female’s wish to become whole was going to be denied for now.

Chapter Forty-Five

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GRACE WAS FASCINATED with the idea of Monica having a bionic leg as they ate their meal. Angel woke from her nap in the great room and galloped into the room, meowing at the top of her lungs. She launched herself at Cam. The knight cursed beneath his breath when the feline’s claws dug into his thigh. “Sin!” he complained as he picked the little monster up.

“It’s not my fault Angel needs to eat fifty times a day,” Sinai said in exasperation. The feline was passed down to her and she stuffed some pork into Angel’s mouth to shut her up.

Monica’s spirits lifted a bit at the sight of their pet, but Grace could tell she was depressed. She mulled about her new sister’s missing limb when they cleaned up the table, then headed to the great room.