CHAPTERFIFTEEN
ONYX
There was silence at the table, but Onyx didn’t mistake it for calm. It was almost as if he could feel the conflict rolling over the boy, something that uncoiled inside him and stretched out in an aura around his body.
The restlessness is normal for his age. Once that testosterone starts flowing, boys want to fight and fuck everything in sight. The trouble is there’s grief in him too. A terrible hurt. He may never grow out of this if we can't heal it.
Onyx was determined to not let that happen. He would raise Martin to be a good man.
I’ll never give up on you, kid.
Martin looked up. His expression was far more relaxed than it had been a few minutes ago. He looked hopeful and expectant, and Onyx was relieved. Maybe the kid was starting to feel optimistic. The change of scenery and a girlfriend could go a long way toward changing Martin’s path.
“Kyra and some of the guys said there was football on today. I told them I was a star back on Earth, and they wanted me to play on their team. Can I?”
“Of course,” Azura said, a big smile stretching across her face. “We’ll accompany you if you like. It will be fun.”
Onyx grinned back at her, adoring every detail of her face.
When she is happy, she lights up from within. I’ve never seen anything as beautiful as this woman.
“We’ll have a great time at the stadium,” Onyx said. “They have amazing food there. Spending the day with you will be just magic.”
“Don’t you have duties?” Azura asked. Onyx waved a hand casually.
“Duties can wait.”
He hurried away to make arrangements and then returned to check on Azura. Martin had finished his breakfast and gone to wash up and change. Onyx led Azura to the front of the palace, where the aircar was waiting.
“Do you think Martin will be okay?” she asked softly. Onyx nodded.
“Today will be good for him. I think he’s making friends. And he has a place to release his energy productively. We don’t actually know what he got up to last night.”
“Say no more,” Azura said firmly. “I don’t want any details.”
Onyx laughed softly. Martin arrived soon after, and they took the car to the sports stadium.
By the amazed looks on both Azura and Martin’s faces, he could tell the scope of the place shocked them. It wasn’t built for humans but shifters.
It was open to the sky so dragons could fly in and out with ease, and the seats were set back from each other to accommodate all other kinds of shifters.
Not far away, a pair of lions shared a long bench, playfully cleaning each other’s faces. A bear scraped the inside of a bowl with his long claws, licking sweets from his paws. There was even a pair of wolves sitting above them, rolling around on a pile of thick cushions.
Onyx got Azura settled on a long couch with cushions and blankets and escorted Martin to the area under the stands where the other players were gathered. He hurried to the concession stand next, coming back with a huge box full of food.
“Onyx,” Azura laughed. “How hungry do you think I am?”
He shrugged, grinning. “I can’t be sure. That’s why I had to get one of everything.”
Azura looked into the box curiously. “Tell me about this Nova Aurora food,” she said, pulling out a paper packet full of dark blue morsels. “What is this?”
“That’s natter nut,” he said. “They grow on big trees, and there is a small farm just outside the city that grows them. They are roasted in zerk oil.”
“What is a zerk?”
“It’s a flowering shrub. The oil is processed from its seeds.”
“Hmm,” she muttered, tossing one into her mouth. Onyx smiled at the expression of joy that crossed her face.