“Son of a bitch,” I growl. “I’m going to skin him.” Standing, I start to make my way out, when Draco’s words stop me.
“You’re not going anywhere. What didn’t you understand about not leaving these walls? This could be a way to get you outside so that you can be seen.” He might be right, and they could be using Jason to get to me. Grunting, I turn back to my chair and sit.
“Tell him to leave, that she doesn’t want to see him,” I state, looking down at the screen. Her asshole of a brother is now pacing.
“Will do,” Elrik replies as he closes the door and leaves.
“He’s got balls pitching up here,” Brandr says.
“Give the word and I will go outside and finish him,” Burkhart offers as he leans back in his chair.
“We’re not doing anything to him; at least, not yet,” Draco says as he looks over at Tor, who is quietly standing against the wall looking at us. “You think you can get one of your men to shadow him and see what he’s up to?” Tor nods and pulls out his phone. Draco is right; we might find out something by following him.
“Anyone have anything else before we get on with it?” Draco asks. When no one says anything, he dismisses everyone. Walking out, Bion stops me with a hand on my arm.
“Congratulations, Brother,” he states.
“Thanks.”
“It sucks that it has to be in this kind of situation,” he says. “Do you think she will be ready to try again today?”
“I’ll talk to her and text you,” I say as I leave. I’m about to turn into the corridor where her room is located, when she appears, dressed in dark jeans and a burgundy long-sleeved shirt. “Where are you going, sweetheart? Thought you would be resting.” I pull her up against me until her front is flush with mine.
“I wasn’t tired, and I didn’t know when you would be coming back,” she murmurs as she places her hands around my neck.
“Let’s go back,” I state, already starting to guide her, but she stops, shaking her head she looks back to where she was going.
“I’m hungry,” she states, but from her tone and her glance up at me and then back, I assume there is more to it than that.
“What’s going on?” I ask, and see her eyebrows raise before her shoulders droop.
“I received a text from Jason that he needed to see me and that he was at the gate. I didn’t think it would be a problem, as there would be people around,” she says guiltily. Fuck, this brother of hers is becoming a problem.
“You can’t go out to see him.” I feel her tensing in my arms, and I continue before she can get upset. “For the simple reason that the Keres might be watching, and they would know that you are mine by your energy alone.”
“And that is a problem?” I realise that I haven’t told Talia about my involvement with Leif or about our suspicions. Taking her hand, I walk us back to the room. When we’re both inside, I sit on the bed and pull her onto my lap. It’s time that I tell her everything so that she can understand what we’re up against and how it involves her.
“We suspect that the guy responsible for this whole plan with the devices is a Keres called Leif. The problem is that Leif has a personal grudge against me.” I stroke her cheek as I continue relaying the facts to her. “We think that he will detonate the devices as soon as he knows that we have mated. I just haven’t figured out why he would wait for us to mate. It’s not as if you have been exposed and also carry it.”
“How were the other women exposed?”
“They were all kidnapped and the device was placed by their ribs where it is difficult to extract.” I feel her tensing at the recounting of the details, but it’s information she will need to know.
“Have you checked the other women to see if they have the device? Maybe they were placed in another way.” At her question, I tense. We thought about it but never thought it possible, as Jasmine and Gabriela weren’t kidnapped or under the Keres’ radar at the time.
“In what way do you think they would place the device without them knowing?”
She shrugs but then continues. “It sounds like an uncomplicated procedure, but you’re right; they would have noticed if they had a new scar.”
“Sweetheart, do you suspect that somehow the device was placed on you?” I can feel the panic tightening my stomach at the thought of her having the same device in her body.
“Oh, no . . . no. I was just assuming.” She shakes her head. The relief I feel is overwhelming. How do the others manage to know that their women have these explosives that could go off at any moment?
“Sweetheart, we need to move the extraction of the devices forward. We are going to try those extractions again and again until we are sure that you are comfortable with it.” She starts to nod and then stops.
“What am I doing wrong?” she asks with a frown.
“It’s not that you’re doing it wrong, but when we work on the others, we need to be precise.” I place my hand over her stomach and start to stroke gently. “You extracted it fine, but you let it fall once it was out. If that was a real device, it would explode. You were nervous. That’s natural, but we were working on a dog. When it comes to the women, it is going to be more difficult and you are going to have to be calm.”
“I understand. When are we going to try it again?” I see the look of determination on her face, and my heart races with how proud I am of her. She is a worthy life partner, mate, and I will do anything in my power to protect and please her for eternity.
“I will text Bion, and we can do another experiment soon.” I bring my hand behind her neck and pull her towards me so that I can kiss her. As soon as her lips touch mine, I feel my body heat with pleasure. I want to make love to her again, but I know that we must get her ready or it might be catastrophic for the others. Pulling back, I take a deep breath. “Let me text Bion,” I mutter as I help her stand.
Pulling the phone out of my pocket, I send a text. A minute later, Bion replies. “In half an hour, we will try again. Does doing this tire you, sweetheart?” I want her to do this and practice until she’s ready, but not if it affects her somehow.
“I usually get a headache, but today when you were there, I didn’t. I only get tired if I must do something for a long period of time. Say if I have to hold something in the air for various minutes, that usually tires me out.”
“What we can do is that when you extract the devices, I hold them up with air until we can place them in a concealed container,” I suggest, trying to find a solution.
“No, that won’t be necessary. I can easily extract it and move it somewhere else.” She bends down and kisses my forehead as her hand strokes my temple. “But thank you for offering.” Taking her hand in mine, I kiss her knuckles.
“Let’s go, but if you start to get tired or feel anything, let me know.” I place my arm around her waist and guide her out the door and towards where I know Bion will be preparing everything for the testing to begin. When we enter, I notice that Brielle isn’t around. Only Brandr and Bion, which means that Bion wants me to test the frequency too. The only issue I have is that even though we’re not close to the women when I test it, I’m apprehensive that somehow the devices will be able to capture the frequency somehow and activate.
“Are you ready?” Bion asks Talia.
“Sure. I will try not to drop it this time. Where would you like me to set it down?” Bion points to a round container at the edge of the table.
“On the day, that container will have a Jell-O kind of substance that will buffer any impact that might occur,” Bion explains. “We will have shields set up before you and around the women in case the device explodes when extracted. Before you start, Celmund will activate the frequency, and then you will have to extract the devices fairly fast.” I can feel her anxiety at what she’s been told. I wish I could protect her from all this and not have to use her to do what we are going to do, but there is no one else who will be able to accomplish what she can.
We know for a fact that i
f anything touches the devices, they will explode. Therefore, it will have to be extracted by energy alone. If it were in the open, I would be able to use air to move it, but in the body, it is impossible to do. I have thought about all the options since the women came up with this plan, and no matter how much I try to find another solution, this is the only way that I see it being done.
“Let’s try it again,” she murmurs. Her selflessness and courage make me proud. This time, I see that the animal is a duck. Where the hell does Bion get the animals from? When I look up from the duck, I see Bion looking at me with a raised brow.
“What?” he enquires.
“A duck?” I quip.
“It’s better than a pigeon,” he grunts. “That was our only other option.” If it weren’t for the situation, I’m sure I would laugh at his predicament. I see Talia’s hand lift and cover her mouth from the corner of my eye and realize that she doesn’t have the same restraint as me. My woman even going through a rough situation can still find amusement. That pleases me, knowing that she isn’t one to lie down and feel sorry for herself.
“Shall we start?” I suggest, and instantly regret it as I see her tense in apprehension.
“Are you ready, Talia? As soon as I cut, I would like you to start,” Bion states.
“Ready when you are,” she confirms as she approaches the table.
“We will only do this. I don’t want to use the frequency until the women are far from it.” At my comment, Bion tenses, a strained look on his face as he nods. I can only imagine how this is all affecting him as he realises what Brielle will be going through in a few days.
Picking up a scalpel, Bion looks at Talia again before he lowers his head and proceeds to cut the duck, a small incision under its wing. Talia leans forward, and a few seconds later, I see a little metal object lift into the air, and she moves it through the air towards the container. I wait to see how she deposits the object in the container and am surprised as she lowers it gently until it is lying inside.
“How was that?” she asks with a frown.
Moving behind her, I place my arms around her waist and pull her against my front. Lowering my head, I nuzzle her neck. “That was perfect. If you manage to do it like that with the women, we can bring the date of the extractions forward.” I feel her exhale, and her muscles start to relax against me.
“How are you feeling?” I ask in concern. “Tired? Headache?”
“I’m fine. Don’t feel any side effects,” she confirms as she turns her head and kisses my cheek in affection. I have never had this type of relationship before. Usually I only had a woman for sex, and as soon as it was over, so was all the interaction. The feel of Talia in my arms and the little shows of affection fill me with warmth. I must make sure that Talia is safe. If it in fact is Leif behind this plot, he will do anything to get to her, and I will not lose anyone else close to me because of him.
TALIA 14
The day has finally arrived. For the last two days, we have constantly practiced the extraction of the devices until I’m sure I can do it in my sleep. Yesterday, all the women were taken out of the area so that Celmund could work with the frequency at the same time as I was extracting. In another hour, Nova will be the first one to submit herself in getting the device extracted.
From what I have heard Celmund and Bion saying, Ceric has been fit to be tied with her being first. I have to know Nova a little, and I can tell that it is difficult to dissuade her once her mind is set. I hear the handle of the door turn, and I smile.
Celmund has been so attentive and caring that sometimes, I’m scared everything is going to end suddenly, that all of this has been a dream. These last couple days that he has hardly left my side, I know it’s because Jason has come asking for me every day at the gate, and Celmund is worried that I might attempt to somehow see him. Jason has never been so persistent; therefore, I know there is something that he wants, and I’m worried that Celmund might be right and that somehow Jason has gotten himself involved with the Keres.
“Don’t look so serious, sweetheart. Everything will be fine today,” Celmund says as he steps into the room. I am worried about what is going to happen today, but the thought of Jason had for a minute driven all thoughts of the occurrence out of my mind. Now it’s back with a vengeance, and I can feel my stomach twisting with nerves.
Looking at him, I tense. “What happened to you?” When he left earlier today, he was fine, but now his eye is puffy and there is a cut on his cheek. It is obvious that he has been fighting.
“We had to put Ceric to sleep. When Nova laid on the bed, Ceric finally lost his shit,” Celmund reveals in a gruff tone. I have come to realise that these men are very close, and when something bothers or hurts one, the others are also affected.
“Will he be okay?”
“Yes, but we need to go so that we can proceed, because he won’t be out for long.”
“Well, then, let’s go.” I’m nervous enough, and the last thing I need is someone making a commotion while I’m trying to concentrate. Taking my hand, Celmund guides me out of the room and towards a room that has been set up for this purpose. When we enter, I see that Draco, Wulf, and Bion are in the room. Looking at the bed, I stop. I know Nova is there, but by the way she is covered by some thick grey metal sheeting, I can’t see her.
The reality of everything suddenly hits me. If anything goes wrong, she will be dead. Not only her but maybe me and the others in the room, too, as no one knows how strong the devices actually are. I feel Celmund’s hand on my neck rubbing gently. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. It will be fine. Those sheets covering Nova are to protect her if there is a blast once the device is extracted. You will also have the sheeting before you. Only your eyes will be visible.”
At his comment, my head snaps around. They are going to cover me with that sheeting too. The thought of it is already making me claustrophobic, and my breathing quickens. “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I state as I look at the sheets again.
“That is the only way I’m letting you close.” I take in a deep breath and glare at him. He is so stubborn and presumptuous. If it were another situation, I would argue so that he doesn’t think that he can command me about, but as it’s a dangerous situation, I see the truth of having to cover myself with them.
Huffing, I pull away and approach Nova. I hear a shuffle and know that they are bringing the sheeting to cover me with it. I can feel myself frowning, as I don’t like to be enclosed in anything. It drives me crazy. “Hold here, Talia,” Celmund states as he pulls up my hand and places it in a handle on the inside of one of the metal sheets. Taking hold of it, I groan. There is no way that I will be able to move with this thing, as it’s heavier than I am.
“I’m not going to use this,” I state as I push the metal sheet back to Celmund. I see him frown in displeasure, but I don’t care.
“You can’t do this without protection, Talia,” he states as he once again tries to get me to hold it.
“I can, and I will, or I won’t be doing it at all,” I say, and his muscles tense in anger. “I can’t do what I need to do if I can’t even see properly.”
“Fuck, Talia, this is dangerous. You can’t just stand over Nova with no protection. What if the device detonates?” he says angrily.
“Well, then, we will just have to make sure that it doesn’t, won’t we?” I quip as I raise my chin at him.
“She’s not doing this,” he states as he looks over at Draco and Wulf.
“She is doing this!” I say angrily. “I know you want to protect me, but you have no right to tell me what I will or will not do.” With those words, I approach Nova and look down at where I will have to extract the device. I jump in fright as I hear a bang behind me. Snapping around, I see that Celmund has thrown the metal sheeting across the room, and it has landed against the wall next to the door.
“Really, you’re going to throw a tantrum?” I argue.
He glares at me angrily but doesn’t reply as he
walks towards his equipment at the end of the bed. I turn around again and see that Bion is now standing on the other side of the bed, preparing himself for the procedure. “Are you ready?” he asks me, and I nod even though my hands are shaking and my nerves are shot. I will not give up now.
“Celmund?” he asks, and I hear Celmund grunt in reply
“Talia, you need to get the device out and into the container as fast as you can. Is it fine over there?” I notice that the metal container is filled with some kind of pink slush.
“Will the device fall into that stuff or will it stay on the top?” I ask in surprise.
“It will be sucked in as soon as it falls,” Wulf replies.
“Can we bring it a little closer?” I ask. “It will be faster if it’s closer.”
“We want it as far as possible just in case it does explode. Even over there, it’s too close,” Bion says. I look over at the side table next to the bed where the container is awaiting and realise that he’s right. If the device explodes, it might still reach all of us depending on its strength.
“Let’s get this over with,” Draco states as he moves behind me. Bion bends forward slightly with the scalpel. I take in a deep breath just before I see him start to cut. The blood starts to flow, but he makes a small incision just big enough for a five-centimetre object to pass through. Placing the scalpel down, he bends over Nova again and places two fingers in the incision and starts to prob as his fingers enter. My stomach turns as I see the blood and his fingers disappearing into her body. He moves them slowly until he has them completely buried in her body.
“You ready?” he says as he looks up at me. “I can feel it. I’m going to clear the blood away, and then you need to extract it.” I lean over the bed and look down at his fingers. Suddenly, I see the blood start to move, leaving a path between his fingers. I will definitely be asking him how he is doing that after we are finished. It’s like the parting of the Red Sea. As the blood completely parts, I see a dark lump that I’m assuming is the device.
CELMUND: Elemental's MC (book 7) Page 10