by I. T. Lucas
Good. That gave Anandur hope. At this point he didn’t care about catching Alex. Bringing one scumbag to justice would only mean another one taking advantage of the vacancy. Nothing in the grand scheme of things would change.
His only concern was for the fate of the boat’s crew.
Chapter 40: Nathalie
“Yeah, no, still nothing.” Andrew held the phone to his ear. “Yeah, I will. No worries, Kian.”
It was the third day after the ceremony and still nothing. Kian had been calling every day at least twice a day, despite Syssi’s hourly update texts.
Bhathian had called twice.
The good part was that Andrew was still off work, so they’d been spending their days together, having fun. The bad news was that he was going to run out of his vacation days and there would be none left when the transition finally began.
On one hand, Nathalie was glad nothing was happening; on the other, she hated the prolonged torture of uncertainty, and her fears being dragged out.
Andrew pretended he wasn’t worried, but she knew he was.
“Anyone hungry?” she asked.
They’d taken her father to the park for a walk, and the plan was to go grab something to eat and then head to the movies. Provided Papi was up to it. Lately, he’d been tiring pretty quickly, and they had limited their walks to no more than fifteen-minute stretches at a snail’s pace.
“I could use a bite.” Papi perked up. One thing that hadn’t been affected by his disease was his appetite. A very encouraging sign since the loss of interest in food usually signaled that the end was near.
She wrapped her arm around his shoulders. “What would you like?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Chinese.”
“Chinese it is,” Andrew said.
Taking Papi for Chinese, especially an all-you-can-eat buffet, wasn’t the best idea, and she should’ve said something, but her mind had been busy with other things.
Like, what would she do when Andrew’s symptoms started to show? Would she even know what to look for? Syssi had said she had flu-like symptoms, but Bridget had said that Andrew might react differently.
What if Andrew needed a repeat round with Kian?
Shit, she couldn’t deal with another tournament.
Papi stuffed himself until he could barely breathe and they had to take him back. The movie would either have to wait for some other day, or they could leave Fernando to nap at home and go out by themselves.
He fell asleep as soon as Andrew turned on the ignition.
“Jackson is bringing another guy over,” she said as Andrew eased into traffic.
“Who is it? Do I know him?’
“You may. According to Jackson, I’ve met Gordon a couple of times, but with the constant parade of his many friends coming and going, I don’t remember who is who.”
Andrew tapped the wheel with his finger. “You have to admit that the kid is good for business.”
“Jackson? He is good period. I offer a prayer of gratitude every morning for him. If we ever have a son, I hope he’ll turn out like Jackson.”
Andrew snorted.
“What? Is there something I should know about him?”
Andrew looked like he was about to say something, but then he shook his head. “No, you’re right. I would be very proud if my daughter or son turn out like Jackson. Entrepreneurship is probably the most important forward driving force of humankind, or immortal kind. That’s one of the reasons I have such huge respect for you.”
At the compliment, Nathalie felt her cheeks warming.
Oh, the sweet man. What a nice thing to say. “I wouldn’t call my little bakery-café an entrepreneurial achievement.”
Andrew turned his head towards her, his gaze intense. “Modesty is not always a virtue, Nathalie. Pride in your hard work and accomplishments is good. It’s motivating.”
“Whatever you say.” She pointed ahead. “Just look at the road and not at me. We are not immortal yet, and neither is Papi.”
Andrew did as she said, but he wasn’t done with her. “I want to hear you say it.”
“What?”
“That you are proud of all you have accomplished.”
Stubborn man.
There wasn’t anything special about what she did. Like most people, she worked hard to pay the bills and take care of her family. There was nothing heroic about it.
“Okay. So I’m proud that I managed to keep a roof over my dad’s head and pay the bills. Happy?”
“Not even close. How about the care you provide him with? How many children do you think would have dedicated their lives to the care of an ailing parent?”
“More than you think. There are everyday, unsung heroes all around you, Andrew, and they don’t expect any medals for their hard work.”
That shut him up, but not for long.
“I agree. No one is going to give them medals for their hard work and sacrifices, but at least they should allow themselves to feel proud.”
Nathalie chuckled. “Why are we fighting?”
“We are not fighting.”
“Aha.”
Andrew sighed. “It must be the stress. I want this thing over and done with. It drives me crazy that nothing is happening, and anticipating symptoms starting at any moment drives me even crazier. Especially since I have no idea what the symptoms might be. For all I know, it can start with an itch in my big toe.”
“Not the pinky?”
“I’m serious.”
She sighed. “I know, baby.”
As much as she hated to even think about it, Andrew had to go for another round or just forget all about it. Trouble was, he would never be happy with the second option because he’d gotten it into his head that he had to make her immortal.
Before that was on the table, he’d been undecided.
Should she try and push him to reconsider?
Nathalie had never expected to get another chance at talking him out of it, but here it was, and if she didn’t take it and Andrew died in the process, she would never forgive herself for chickening out. Bringing it up again wouldn’t earn her any points with him, that’s for sure. But in the grand scheme of things, one more little spat was nothing.”
“I know you are going to be mad at me for saying it, but this might be a sign that you need to reconsider. Fate is giving you another chance to back out. And just to make things clear, I’m all for forgetting about immortality and living the life we have.”
Andrew sighed and reached for her hand. “I know, sweetheart. You’re afraid for me, that’s all. But be honest with yourself for a moment. If I was already immortal when you met me, would you think twice about wanting to become immortal as well?”
“Of course not. I would want to share your life, and getting old while you didn’t wouldn’t have worked.”
“Okay, how about if you only met Bhathian, without me, and he arranged for some random male to be your initiator? Would you’ve refused?”
The answer was easy, she would not have.
Discovering she had an immortal father she hadn’t known about, Nathalie would’ve wanted more time with him regardless of Andrew. And with the strong possibility that her mother was an immortal as well, it was a no brainer. Nathalie had been alone for so long, craving a family, a connection, she would’ve jumped at the chance of having one in a heartbeat.
“I would have accepted. To get to know Bhathian, to have another chance with my mother once he finds her, to have a big extended family. All of that is worth risking the remainder of my life for. But I can’t tolerate the risk of losing you.”
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “You won’t. Even without Syssi’s foretelling, I know I’m doing the right thing. But now there is something that bothers me.”
Nathalie wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes before turning to look at Andrew. “What is it?”
“You would let some random immortal male have sex with you, your first time, and bite you?”
&n
bsp; Pretending to ponder, she tapped her lips with her forefinger. “Well, no, of course not.”
Andrew cast her a sidelong glance. “Really?”
It was so hard to keep a straight face. “Not just any random immortal. I would’ve lined them up and chosen the best looking one.”
Chapter 41: Andrew
Nathalie had only been teasing, he knew that, and yet Andrew couldn’t help the sharp spike of jealousy. Even hypothetically, the idea of her choosing one of the immortals to facilitate her transformation was enough to have his mood plummet into the dangerous zone of murderous rage. Because unless he transitioned, the hypothetical would become practical.
What if he was immune? What if he hadn’t inherited the immortal genes like Syssi?
It had never crossed his mind that his transition might fail not because his body wouldn’t survive the change, but because it was incapable of it. The clan had never tried it with someone his age. Syssi was the oldest Dormant they had ever activated, so they assumed that her difficult transition was what should be expected with older Dormants. They never considered that a Dormant’s ability to transition might expire after a certain age.
It was strange how something you weren’t even sure you wanted became so crucial and so desperately coveted once you realized you couldn’t have it.
Andrew was reminded of what Susanna had once shared with him. For as long as he’d known her, his sparring partner and occasional friend-with-benefits had never wanted to get married or have children. Until the day her doctor had informed her that she couldn’t. Susanna had been devastated. At the time, Andrew had believed that her illogical response had to do with infertility making her feel like less of a woman, her body betraying her in some way. Now he realized that it might have been one of the reasons but not the only one. The forever closed door, the irreversibility, that had been a big part if it too. If not the biggest.
There was nothing like walking a mile in someone shoes to understand them better. The possibility that it was never going to happen for him terrified Andrew.
In small part because he’d already imagined himself as an immortal, living a charmed life with Nathalie by his side. Mostly, though, the panic had to do with the thought of losing her.
He could never accept Nathalie refusing immortality on his account. She might think she didn’t want it now, but she would regret it later.
Damn, his hands shook with the need to pull out his phone and call Kian right away to schedule another round.
Patience.
First, he needed to help Nathalie get her father inside.
“Papi, wake up, we are here.” She nudged her father’s shoulder.
His eyes popped open and he smiled up at her. “I had the nicest dream. I dreamt about you when you were little, playing with your mother. My beautiful girls.” He took her hand and let her help him out of the car.
Andrew stayed close in case the old man lost his balance, which happened to him a lot upon waking. Fernando was a heavy guy, and Nathalie might not be able to hold him up.
As soon as Fernando’s feet touched the sidewalk, Nathalie wrapped her arms around his thick waist and heaved him up, holding on to him until he was steady.
A few minutes later, they had the guy settled on the couch in the den, watching one of his shows.
“I’m going to call Kian,” Andrew told Nathalie.
She wrapped a blanket around her father’s legs. “Wait,” she asked, tucking the corners under Fernando’s thighs.
As they stepped out into the corridor, her palm shot to his forehead. “What’s going on, Andrew? Are you experiencing symptoms? I’ve never seen you looking so anxious.”
He snorted. “I wish. I’m calling to schedule another round. And this time I want him to pump me as full of venom as he can without killing me.”
Nathalie frowned. “What changed between now and fifteen minutes ago? I thought you wanted to wait a little longer.”
“Come with me.” Andrew took Nathalie’s hand and led her to the bedroom.
Closing the door behind him, he sat on the bed and pulled her into his lap. He was going to do something he had never done with anyone before—share his fears.
“I’m terrified, Nathalie. What if I’m too old for the transition to even begin? What if I missed my chance? I have to find out. I’ll go one more round with Kian, and if this time around it doesn’t work either, we’ll keep on trying.”
“For how long?”
Andrew rubbed his neck. “Until he or I give up.”
Nathalie cupped his cheeks. “I love you so much.” She kissed him softly on the lips. “If this is what you want, I’ll be there for you each and every time, cheering you on. But if it doesn’t work, then it wasn’t meant to be. We will still have each other and our entire mortal lives ahead of us to enjoy, making babies and grandchildren like everyone else.”
Andrew closed his eyes. He was being greedy. Already, he had more than most people ever hoped for—an amazing woman who loved him unconditionally, and a supportive, caring family numbering in the hundreds. A whole clan of powerful immortals who considered him one of their own regardless of him transitioning or not.
Immortality was just a cherry on top.
Except, by staying human he was going to lose the first and most important part of his happy equation.
Nathalie had admitted that if it weren’t for him, she would’ve wanted to become immortal. Even though it was tempting to accept her sacrifice, it would be incredibly selfish of him, and he just couldn’t stoop so low.
So what were his options?
Let her go? Keep her but convince her to have sex with some random immortal so she could transition?
Damn, those were two really bad choices.
As impossible as it was for him to even think about it, he would rather Nathalie had sex with another guy than let go of her completely. Except, he would have to ask Bridget to put him in an induced coma. That was the only way he could survive this without popping a vein in his brain and dying of an aneurism, or committing suicide by attacking the immortal male before he had a chance to do the honors.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Nathalie murmured.
He kissed her forehead. “Nothing good. Just running circles inside my head, thinking of worst case scenarios. I’ll better call Kian.”
“Do you want me to leave? Give you privacy?”
Andrew tightened his arms around her. “Stay. There is nothing I can’t say in front of you.”
Nathalie sighed, resting her head on his chest while he pulled his phone out of his pocket and called Kian.
“What’s up?” Kian answered before the phone even rang. He must’ve been on another call.
“Can you talk? I can call later.”
“No, I mean yes, I can talk. Please tell me you feel something different.”
“No, I don’t. We need to go for another round.”
“I was afraid of this. Tomorrow?”
“What time?”
“Six.”
“I’ll be there.”
“We'll see. Maybe you’ll get lucky and your transition will start tonight.”
Andrew chuckled. “Didn’t peg you as an optimist.”
“You’re right. See you tomorrow.” Kian terminated the call.
Nathalie snaked a hand under Andrew’s T-shirt and began caressing his abs. “What are we going to do in the meantime?”
Sweet, sexy Nathalie.
“Oh, I don’t know, play chess?”
She wrapped a few of his chest hairs around her finger. “How about strip poker?”
“Do you have cards?”
“Nope.”
“So I guess it would be a game of strip without the poker.”
“You got it.”
“Woman, I like the way you think.”
Chapter 42: Syssi
“I can’t believe Andrew has to do this again,” Amanda said as she and Syssi stepped inside the penthouse’s elevator on their way down to the gym
. “The only cases where another dose was needed, were when the boys were underdeveloped for their age.”
Well, that certainly wasn’t the case here. Maybe the level of difficulty increased on either side of the spectrum. Syssi wasn’t a scientist, but she was starting to think that there was a limited window of time for the transition to happen. Making it difficult for those either too young or too old. Maybe even prohibitive.
God, she hoped it was the first. The thought of Andrew not transitioning at all was just unacceptable.
Kian and Dalhu had gone ahead of them, with Kian murmuring something about getting ready. Syssi had no idea what he could’ve meant by that. It wasn’t as if any preparations were required, and why the hell had he needed Dalhu for that?
She hadn’t asked. Kian had been so distraught since Andrew had called asking for another round, she’d figured she’d leave him alone. He didn’t look like he wanted to talk about it. Heck, they hadn’t even had sex. Not last night and not this morning.
“I know. I’m worried. Mostly because Kian is freaking out. Seriously, I’ve seen him going through some tough shit, dealing with one crisis after another, and he was always so cool and collected.”
Leaning against the mirrored wall, Amanda folded her arms across her chest and frowned. “What do you mean by freaking out? What exactly is he doing?”
Syssi grimaced. “It’s more about what he is not doing.”
It took Amanda a moment. “Oh, I see, yeah, that’s bad. How long has it been going on?”
Even in this roundabout way, talking with her sister-in-law about her sex life was making Syssi uncomfortable. She looked away, examining the intricate carvings on the elevator’s wall paneling. “Not long. Just last night and this morning. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but it’s unusual for Kian. That’s why I’m so worried. Is there something you guys are not telling me? I’d rather know than guess the worst.”
Amanda pulled her into a hug. “As I said, it doesn’t always work the first time. Two times is not uncommon, three is rare. But it is in no way an indicator of trouble. The boys transition the same way whether they’ve gotten only one dose or three.”