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The old military base was in shambles, and the jet hanger Nadya had chosen for their meeting place was cold and dark. She had picked the site from an old map she’d seen hanging on a wall in one of the buildings Rem’s soldiers used for practice. It had been the first thing to jump out at her, and when she had sneaked back later that night to study the map at her leisure, it was still the most notable landmark between Rem and Jalen’s territories. The map had labeled it as PFAB, and her arrival at the installation had done nothing to demystify for what the anagram stood. There were no signs posted. Most of the buildings had fallen or been demolished ages ago. Even the hanger where she now hunkered in front of a fire was mostly a skeleton of the structure it must have been once upon a time. She wouldn’t have had a clue about the building’s purpose if not for the rusted out bones of an old jet similar to one that had been in the articles in her grandmother’s magazines. The metal skeleton of the jet would have been utterly fascinating if she wasn’t under the compulsion to keep a constant watch for the arrival of Rem or Jalen. She had sent a messenger to Jalen two days ago, making the man think he bore an official message from Rem as he traveled under a white flag. Almost a day later, she had left another note for Rem before fleeing his stronghold. Nadya hoped she had timed events well, so that each man would arrive at roughly the same time—Rem thinking he was there to trade his life for hers, and Jalen believing he was arriving to reclaim Nadya in exchange for recognition of Rem’s territory and lands along their common border. The plan was solid, but had so many variables that she couldn’t muster any level of confidence in its success. If the messenger hadn’t reached Jalen, he would never know to come for her. Or, if the messenger arrived and Jalen read the missive, that didn’t mean he would come for her. In her heart, she believed he would, and she had gambled on emotion rather than logic. Nadya knew if Jalen didn’t show up, Rem would never understand her actions. He would find it impossible to forgive her, and she would have lost everything. She had busied herself upon first arriving by tending to her horse, and then building a fire and making a simple meal. After that, she had washed herself with water she’d brought. Now, she had run out of things to keep her busy, so there was no distraction from the worries crowding her mind. The chill in the concrete permeated through the thick bedroll she’d laid on it, and she shivered. The heat from her fire seemed to do nothing to warm her, though she had found ample fuel lying around to build a nice blaze. She couldn’t get warm because of the fears chilling her from the inside out. Knots had twisted her stomach taut, and she’d have thought it couldn’t get any tighter until she heard the sound of horse hooves approaching. She could identify only one animal, and Nadya held her breath as she waited to see which man would arrive first. Rem came into sight, his body hunched over the neck of his horse, which frothed at the mouth. The animal breathed raggedly, its sides heaving, when he drew up next to the mare she had stolen from the stable. The horse had obviously run itself ragged in response to his demands, and she pitied the poor thing. Her pity transferred to Rem when she saw how haggard he was. His complexion was ashen, and he seemed to have aged a decade overnight. Guilt stabbed her in her knotted stomach, making her gasp. She could only imagine what her lover had gone through the past day, thinking his most hated enemy had kidnapped her. He dismounted warily, his hand at the sword he’d strapped to his side. Rem looked around with obvious caution as he walked slowly toward her. “Where is he?” he asked, eyes darting around the dilapidated structure and grounds around it. “Where is Jalen and his army?” She held out her hand. “Come to me, please.” Rem seemed not to have heard her. “I came alone, as he instructed.” His stiff posture and tight voice betrayed his fury. “What kind of coward bargains with an innocent woman’s life to force his enemy to surrender?” “Rem, please—” Nadya broke off when the thundering approach of another horse reached her ears. Rem must have heard the approach before her, because he’d already swung in that direction, sword drawn. His stance suggested he was ready to fight to the death, and the way he had shielded himself in front of her revealed he would die protecting her. She gained her feet and walked to him as Jalen suddenly appeared. He jumped from the horse as it was still running, landing lithely just a few feet from Rem. For a second, she could only stare at him, having forgotten his masculine beauty. Even in the meager light from her fire, that did little to ward off the pressing blackness, his blond hair shone brightly. His green eyes were cold, his mouth little more than a slash across his face, and his nimble hand was holding his sword in under than a second. Nadya had to blink back tears and barely resisted the urge to throw herself into Jalen’s arms. It had been so long since she’d seen him. Almost two months had passed since he’d held her, and she ached to be in his embrace again. “There you are.” Rem’s lips skinned back as he growled at Jalen. The firelight made his fangs gleam. “I didn’t expect you to be here, coward. I thought you would hide behind your walls and send others to do your killing.” Jalen arched a pale brow. “I wouldn’t miss the opportunity to kill you after what you have done. I am going to tear you apart with my bare hands and drain the blood from your heart as it pulses in my hand.” “Enough.” Nadya stepped between them, earning shocked looks from each man as their gazes shifted to her. She propped her hands on her hips and alternated a glare between them for a long moment. Only when she was certain she had their full attention did she speak. “There will be no more fighting. I’m sick of you trying to kill each other.”
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