Love Eternal

by Nikki McCoy

  “This doesn’t make sense,” he murmured. “Dhani wouldn’t do this.” There were too many missing variables. It felt like he was staring at a puzzle, his mind trying to see the picture clearly when it was obvious pieces were missing.

  “Maybe he thought he’d lost you. Suicide doesn’t make him weak. Not after everything he’s gone through.”

  “No,” Tailor said, shaking his head again. He told Manning about the whitening of his mate’s hair following each of his bouts of anger. About the electric shocks he’d felt earlier when Dhani had grabbed his waist, and even how Dhani seemed to use sex to calm himself down. He expected Manning to try to explain it all away with common logic, but his friend only nodded grimly.

  “When Quinn was tending to his hand,” Manning said quietly, “Dhani didn’t move or speak. His eyes were…dead. Like he was somewhere else entirely. And his scream… I’ve never heard anything like it. I wouldn’t think it had come from him if I hadn’t known for certain he was alone in this room. Do you think Roh Se Kahn might still have some kind of hold over him?”

  Ice crept into Tailor’s veins. “It’s possible.” Entirely too possible for his liking. “Cy told me about the reports Rowan’s received from his men of strange movement at Roh Se Kahn’s castle. It’s too close to Dhani’s appearance.”

  “Agreed.”

  “If Dhani doesn’t improve soon, I’m taking him to see Keenan. For some reason, he doesn’t want to go, but if anyone will know what’s happening to him, it’ll be Keenan.”

  “If that becomes necessary, Quinn and I will go with you.” Manning raised a hand at Tailor’s protest. “Dhani is family to all of us. I’d protect him as I would my own mate.”

  Tailor nodded in gratitude. He gently shook Quinn awake to thank him, then picked up his mate. Dhani didn’t stir once as Tailor carried him to his own room and laid him down in the bed while Manning left with Quinn. He replaced the bandage on his mate’s right hand then lay down beside him, pulling him close.

  For hours, he watched Dhani, brushing his hair softly and hoping to Goddess he was wrong about Roh Se Kahn’s hold on his mate.

  * * * *

  Over the course of the next week, Dhani’s condition only worsened. He became distant, withdrawn. The day after his attempted suicide, Tailor had asked him if he’d tried to take his own life. He had smiled and denied it, not even bothering to hide the lie from his energy or come up with a cover story.

  Over the following days, he continued to help build the library and engaged readily in conversation. Although his attitude wasn’t quite friendly toward his mother, he appeared to have accepted her presence and treated her cordially. He’d also warmed up to Cy and laughed occasionally at his jokes.

  Everything seemed to have returned to normal, or as close to normal as they’d ever been, yet Tailor could tell his mate’s behavior was forced. All of it, down to the way his body responded when Tailor kissed him and held him at night. He was rigid and hesitant, his smiles lacked true joy and when he looked at Tailor, it felt like he was looking right through him.

  Laya was convinced she was the cause of his distance. She admitted it might have been better to hold off on the truth of her mate and Dominic’s spirit for a while, but she hadn’t wanted to rekindle her relationship with Dhani on a lie. Tailor had to concede his respect for her choice. If he’d found out later she had kept Dominic’s spirit a secret, he would’ve had no trouble kicking her out.

  To her credit, she didn’t let Dhani’s cool attitude deter her efforts to befriend him. Each day, she thought of new, heartfelt stories to tell him about his youth spent with her, such as the stories she used to read to him and the trouble he’d gotten into. She also told him of what she’d done with her life afterwards and how she’d thought of him every day.

  Her love for her son was genuine, and her regret for abandoning him even more so. Despite the abuse Dhani had gone through as a result, Tailor was beginning to admire her. She’d done the only thing she could think of to save her son and had tracked Tailor down years later to try to save him again.

  Tailor also did everything he could think of to pull his mate out of his apparent depression. He’d reassured Dhani repeatedly that Dominic’s spirit wasn’t a justification for his attraction. It was only the force that had driven Tailor to realize he could love again. Not all mates chose to bond, and some of those who did never truly fell in love, as Laya could attest to. Whenever he told Dhani this, however, Dhani would merely smile and say he understood.

  It was going on day seven now and Tailor’s apprehension was bordering on full-blown panic. Dhani had given up all pretenses of normalcy and spent most of his time alone in his room. He barely spoke and ate only when Tailor reminded him to. The only deliberate action he took was going to Tailor’s bed and curling up next to him every night.

  Tailor scrubbed his face and downed more of the whiskey in his glass. He stared out of the kitchen window at the night sky, mulling over the plans he’d made.

  Cy came in and poured himself a drink. “I think more of his hair is turning white.”

  “It is,” he confirmed with a sigh, taking a seat at the table. “I’m losing him. I know it has to do with Roh Se Kahn, I just can’t figure out how the God is still affecting him.”

  “Whatever you decide to do, I’ll be here.”

  Tailor creased his brow. “I value your friendship, but you’ve fulfilled your duty to Rowan in watching out for me. I’m sure you must have some family you wish to return home to.”

  Cy deliberated for a minute, then said, “I lied when I said Rowan sent me. I asked him to give me leave so I could help you.”

  His frown deepened. “Why would you do that? We hadn’t even met.”

  Cy upended his glass, refilled it, then sat down across from Tailor. “My brother died in the battle against Roh Se Kahn’s minions. He left behind a mate, six children, the whole white picket fence dream. It should’ve been me,” he said tightly.

  “When I found out about what Dhani had done to save his friend and that he’d been taken by the dark God, I had to do something. We all played a part in that battle, but Dhani showed more courage than almost anyone else that day. I couldn’t let another good man be taken forever by Roh Se Kahn if I could help it. Your mate deserves a chance at happiness, no matter what he’s going through right now.”

  Tailor felt a whole new appreciation for the man come over him. He raised his glass in salute and tapped it against Cy’s.

  Cy cleared his throat. “So what are you going to do?”

  He let out a heavy breath. “I’m going to take Dhani to see Keenan, whether he wants to or not. Hopefully, Keenan will know something about the changes he’s going through. I’ve booked a flight for all of us, including Laya. She’d have my head if I didn’t bring her along.”

  Cy grinned. “Mothers-in-law. Gotta love ’em. Just make sure she doesn’t take your balls, too. They’ve been known to do that.”

  Tailor scoffed then finished his glass and put it in the sink. “I’ll see you in the morning. We leave at eight.”

  He went to his room where Dhani was already sitting in bed waiting for him. He sat down in front of his mate and took his hands. Dhani’s gaze remained far away and his body listless. Tailor didn’t bother to couch what he was about to say in evasive words. “I’m taking you to France tomorrow to see Keenan.”

  For a brief moment, life flickered back into Dhani’s eyes and his energy reflected a mixture of joy and fear. Then it was gone. He gave the same apathetic smile he’d been giving for days and went back to staring into nothingness.

  A spark of anger pierced Tailor before he could tamp it down. He felt so utterly helpless. This wasn’t his mate anymore. It was a living, breathing shell with Dhani’s soul trapped somewhere inside. Dhani’s imprisonment was starting all over again and there was nothing Tailor could do to free him.

  “We’ll leave in the morning. I’m going to pack our bags then I’ll come to bed.”

 
; There it was again. That hated smile. Tailor kissed his mate’s forehead then packed their things. Dhani nestled into his side when he lay down sometime later, though Tailor couldn’t sleep. He spent the rest of the night trying to shove a single thought from his mind, refusing to dwell on what he had no answer for.

  What if they couldn’t bring Dhani back?

  * * * *

  The next morning, they boarded the plane to France. Manning and Quinn had left their son with Quinn’s sister, Mara, and her mate, Cherrie, to babysit for the next week. Dhani remained silent for the entire trip, staring out of the window. He barely acknowledged Laya when she tried to offer him the in-flight meal. It took a stern command from Tailor to get him to eat. They gathered more than a few stares, but Tailor ignored them.

  At the airport terminal in Florac, France, Rowan and Keenan were waiting for them. Rowan was similar to his brother, Quinn, in appearance. They both had the same pale skin, black hair and angular features. The only differences were Rowan’s trim cut hair and the fact that he was twice Quinn’s size.

  As soon as they passed through customs, Keenan caught sight of Dhani. His face lit up with joy and he ran toward him, only to pull up short a yard away. Shock replaced his joy and a telltale sign of horror spilled out of his energy. He looked up at Tailor who nodded. Tailor had described Dhani’s condition to Keenan the night before, but he knew Keenan hadn’t quite been prepared for it.

  Keenan looked back to Dhani and yanked him into a fierce hug. Though Dhani didn’t lift his arms to return the gesture, his gaze was fixated on Keenan when Keenan pulled away to run a hand through the white strands of Dhani’s hair. It was almost a perfect match for Keenan’s own platinum hair now. “I don’t care,” Keenan whispered. “I’m just so glad you’re here.” He hugged Dhani again and this time didn’t let go for a while.

  Tailor, Quinn and Manning greeted Rowan, then Tailor introduced Laya.

  She shook Rowan’s hand. “Thank you for rescuing my son from the rogue Vam’kir and for keeping him safe…for a time. Tailor’s filled me in on what I’ve missed of Dhani’s life. I’m grateful your mate was, and is, such a good friend to him. I know they’ve both gone through a lot.”

  Rowan wore the same expression Tailor had when he’d first met the woman, distrustful and wary. “You could say that.”

  Keenan refused to let Dhani go as they picked up their luggage then headed to the parking garage. Tailor was glad to see that Dhani didn’t pull away once. Lately, Tailor had been the only person Dhani would allow to touch him for more than a second or two.

  Outside, Rowan tossed a set of car keys to Tailor. “I brought your favorite. Go ahead and take them,” he said, tilting his head to indicate Dhani and Keenan. “I’ll meet you back at my place.”

  Tailor recognized the keys to the classic Pontiac Firebird he’d constantly borrowed when he had lived with Rowan for six months to help get the treaty between their races in order. He was somewhat of a thrill-seeker and loved the hum of a fast car. It would have put a big, sloppy grin on his face to drive it again if his mind wasn’t preoccupied with the reason he was there.

  He recalled the way to Manning’s place, having driven it many times to and from Florac, and navigated the scenic roads easily. The palace of Manning’s birthright was majestic even at night. The turrets at its four corners were lit against the night sky and rose high above the buildings of Manning’s clan which surrounded it. An outer circle of several other clans made it almost impossible to lay siege to the palace.

  When they drove through the gates at the same time Manning arrived, a host of servants came out to take the cars and their luggage. Inside, Tailor took a moment to marvel at the changes Rowan had made. Gone was the cold feel of the iron fortress Rowan’s father had designed the palace to be, and in its place was warmth and comfort. The furnishings were modern yet cozy and the concrete walls had all been smoothed over and painted. A vast improvement.

  Tailor frowned and glanced at Rowan. “This is Keenan’s doing, isn’t it?”

  Rowan snorted. “He banned me from decorating after I suggested a pool table in the living room. I thought it was a good idea.”

  “Of course you did,” Keenan said derisively. “You also thought a full bar in the kitchen and a bouncing castle in Adreanna’s room were good ideas.”

  Tailor grinned. Adreanna was Rowan’s two-year-old daughter from his ex-wife, Deirdra, and Keenan was more protective of her than any parent he’d met.

  “You thought of that, too?” Manning asked. “I wanted to put a castle with a ball pit in my son’s room, but Quinn wouldn’t let me.”

  “And a little inflatable pool next to it.”

  “Yeah!”

  They carried on for a good minute, one-upping each other with their ideas and building their excitement. It wasn’t until Quinn tapped his foot on the floor and cleared his throat loudly that they finally quieted. Quinn glared at them. “Could we?”

  “Right, sorry,” they said in unison.

  Tailor shook his head, thankful he hadn’t lost his mind to parenthood.

  Keenan started for the staircase leading to the second floor. “I’ll take Dhani to his room.” He paused to look back at Tailor. “Do you two want to share one?”

  “Yes!” Dhani exclaimed, surprising them all. It was the first word he’d spoken in nearly two days.

  Xenessa, the Vam’kir historian, entered the foyer. She was exactly as Tailor remembered her, dressed in her usual conservative clothing with her brown hair swept up into a severe bun. Her timeless features softened her strict appearance, made even more welcoming by the large smile on her face. “You’re all here! I’m so—”

  She stopped abruptly to stare at Dhani. Her face paled and eyes widened. “Oh, sweet Mother,” she breathed, pressing a hand to her breast and swallowing convulsively.

  Seconds later, Cy came in through the front door. “Damn, I’ve missed home.” To Rowan, he said, “If you don’t mind, I want to visit my sister-in-law and her kids later to—” He paused abruptly as well to look over at Xenessa sharply.

  Xenessa’s mouth gaped as she stared at Cy, then glanced from Cy to Dhani repeatedly. “I…I…” she stammered.

  “I’m going to take Dhani up now,” Keenan said, each word stretched out to emphasize his perplexity over Xenessa’s strange behavior.

  Tailor didn’t bother to hide his confusion, either. He’d never seen Xenessa flustered. It was weird and oddly frightening. “I’ll bring him something to eat.” He went to the kitchen where Rowan’s cook already had a hot meal prepared for him. It was the same elderly, plump woman he’d met on his previous stay. She had a great, motherly nature about her and Tailor hadn’t been ashamed to flirt mercilessly to get her to cook his favorite meals.

  She handed the tray to him then patted his arm. “It’s good to see you again. My lord let me know you were coming and thought your mate might be hungry. Give Dhani my best, will you? He’s such a good boy.”

  He thanked her with a kiss on the cheek, to which she giggled. As he headed upstairs, a part of him was stunned that she remembered Dhani from the few days he’d spent at the palace before he and Keenan had run away to take on Roh Se Kahn by themselves a year ago. Then again, that Dhani had been the man he’d fallen in love with. The one who could make anyone feel good just by being himself.

  When he entered the room Keenan had taken Dhani to, he saw Dhani sitting on the side of the bed and Keenan taking off his shoes. Tailor put the tray on the nightstand then took his mate’s jacket off and stacked pillows against the headboard for him to lean back on. He took his mate’s face in both hands and said, “It’s time to eat, Dhani. Can you hear me?”

  Again, that hated smile met him. Almost mechanically, Dhani began eating the food Tailor had placed next to him. Tailor’s chest tightened the way it always did at the emptiness in Dhani’s eyes. His mate appeared so fragile, as though he might fall apart or waste away if Tailor wasn’t there to take care of him.

  Keen
an tugged on Tailor’s arm and leaned in close to whisper, “We need to talk.”

  Tailor kissed his mate on the temple then left with Keenan. As soon as they were in the outer hallway, Keenan clamped a hand around his wrist and pulled him downstairs to the living room. Everyone else was there, filling their plates with the food the cook had brought out for them.

  Keenan politely dismissed the cook then promptly went to the liquor cabinet and poured a drink, downing the entire glass. He screwed up his face, exhaling in disgust. “Damn, I hate this stuff, but I need it. We all do. Rowan, please,” he said, holding a bottle of gin out to his mate.

  Rowan cocked his head in confusion, but proceeded to fill a glass for everyone, giving them to Keenan to pass out. When he was finished, he sat down on the couch and looked at Keenan who was now pacing in front of the fireplace. “What is it, love?”

  Keenan took another gulp of his gin then clawed a hand through his hair. “That isn’t Dhani!”

  Chapter Nine

  Keenan waved his glass in the direction of Dhani’s room with a wild look in his eyes. “I mean, it is Dhani, but it isn’t. The Dhani I knew, he’s…well, he’s gone. I don’t know how the hell it happened.” He began to pace again with agitation in every step, shaking his head. “All I know is, that’s not my Dhani. It has to be some kind of spell. Some kind of exchange. I’m not sure, maybe a possession or something—”

  “Keenan!” Rowan said firmly. “Calm down. What are you talking about? If that’s not Dhani, who is it?”

  Keenan stared at his mate, then at Tailor. Hesitantly, he said, “My father.”

  As the room filled with silence, Tailor thinned his lips in frustration. “I already told you Roh Se Kahn has some kind of hold over him. I need to know—”

  “No,” Keenan interrupted. “I mean, that’s my father! I would recognize him anywhere. Dhani doesn’t just have darkness inside him like me. He’s literally a host for my father’s soul.”