by I. T. Lucas
That was encouraging. Mey felt weak, feverish, and achy, but it wasn’t too bad.
Several people came over to say good luck, and then Yamanu was walking again.
In the clinic, Bridget showed them into a patient room full of monitoring equipment.
“I’ll leave you two alone to get settled.” She pointed at the hospital johnny neatly folded on the bed. “Put it on and call me when you are ready.”
“Do I have to? I have my comfy home clothes on.”
“I need to attach wires to you, and if you pass out, I need to put a catheter and an IV in. Unfortunately, it’s not going to work with your comfy clothes.” She smirked. “Besides, it’s an opportunity to moon Yamanu.”
“Well, if you put it that way.”
With a wink, Bridget stepped out of the room and closed the door.
“Do you need help undressing?” Yamanu asked.
She’d been so weak that he’d had to get into the shower with her, wash her, towel dry her, and then put clothes on her. Things hadn’t changed much since then. After all the well-wishing, Mey felt more upbeat and hopeful, but her limbs still refused to cooperate.
“Yeah, I do.”
He helped her out of her clothes, including her underwear, and put the hospital gown on without taking the opportunity to cop a feel.
Mey didn’t know whether she should appreciate that he hadn’t touched her or feel offended by it. Her guy was a gentleman, and that was nice, but she wanted him to desire her no matter what state she was in.
Was it insecurity?
Perhaps.
Yamanu helped her lie down and covered her with the blanket. “Comfortable?”
“Can you raise the back of the bed a little?”
“Sure.” He pressed the lever until she told him to stop. “I’ll let Bridget know that you are ready.”
“Okay.”
While the doctor attached the wires and checked the equipment, Yamanu leaned against the wall and pulled out his phone. “I’m going to text Kian and tell him the good news.”
“Isn’t it a bit too early?” Mey asked. “What time does he usually start his day?”
“He’s in the office already.”
Mey wondered if the boss would come to visit her.
“Kian says congratulations,” Yamanu said. “And he wants to see me once you are settled in.”
Mey didn’t want to be left alone in the patient room, not yet, but on the other hand, she didn’t want to appear clingy and interfere with Yamanu’s work.
Except, she didn’t have to say anything. Yamanu read her like an open book.
“I’ll stay a little longer.” He pulled out a chair and brought it closer to the bed.
“All done,” Bridget said. “Here is the remote for the bed.” She handed Mey the device. “And here is the remote for the TV.” She gave her another one. “It gets boring to just wait. So, you might as well entertain yourself. We have internal streaming with all the latest movies.”
When the doctor left, Yamanu reached for Mey’s hand. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just don’t want to be alone. But you can’t keep Kian waiting.”
“He said to come when you are all settled. You are not settled yet.”
Someone must have knocked on the door because Yamanu got up to open it. Mey didn’t hear the knock, but that wasn’t unusual. The soundproofing they used in the village was the best there was.
“We heard the good news. Can we come in?”
Mey recognized Ella’s voice. “Yes, please come in.”
As Yamanu opened the door all the way, Ella and Callie rushed to her side.
“I’m so happy, I could cry.” Callie bent down and kissed Mey’s cheek. “Finally. We were starting to worry.”
Mey chuckled. “And yet you tried to convince me that there was nothing to worry about.”
Callie shrugged and hopped up on the bed. “There was no reason to stress you even more.”
“I wasn’t worried.” Ella got up on the other side of the bed. “I knew you were going to transition.”
“Alena and her team are coming back on Saturday,” Callie said. “Which is perfect because you are going to transition by then and we can have a party to celebrate.”
“Awesome. I can’t wait to hold Ethan in my arms. He is such an adorable little boy.” She smiled. “Besides, there is an old wives’ tale that if you want to have a boy, you should hold one as much as you can.” She glanced at Yamanu and smiled. “I want a boy who looks just like his daddy.”
29
Yamanu
Yamanu’s heart swelled with love and gratitude. There was no better expression of Mey’s love than her wanting a boy who looked just like him.
He pushed away from the wall and walked up to her.
As Callie moved aside, making room for him next to Mey, he bent and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “And I want a bunch of girls who look just like their mother.”
Mey smiled. “Let’s have five of each. How about that?”
“It’s a deal.” He looked up at Ella, who was wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “Are you going to stay here for a little while longer? Kian asked me to come up to his office, and I don’t want to leave Mey alone.”
Ella sniffled. “We will stay until you come back. Take as long as you need.”
He looked down at Mey. “Are you going to be okay with Callie and Ella?”
“Yes.”
He kissed her again. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
She nodded.
It was a beautiful day outside, and as he walked over to the office building, Yamanu thought that it was a good omen for Mey’s transition to start on such a cloudless day.
It was a silly superstition, which he would have never voiced in front of his fellow Guardians, but he believed in it, and it helped ease his anxiety. Several of the transitioning Dormants had had a rough time, some slipping into a coma that had lasted days, and in Turner’s case, weeks. They had almost lost the guy, but he was a stubborn sucker and had somehow pulled through.
Mey was young and healthy, and she hadn’t even passed out, so chances were that her transition would go smoothly, but it wasn’t a sure thing. She could still slip into a coma.
Yamanu found Kian’s office door partially open, but he knocked anyway.
“Come in,” Kian said. “We have a lot to celebrate today.” He pulled a big cigar out of his desk drawer and offered it to Yamanu. “Congratulations on the outcome of your experiment and on Mey entering transition.”
“Thank you.” Yamanu looked at the fat Cuban, not sure what to do with it.
Next, Kian pulled out a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. “We can’t smoke in here, but we can on the roof.” He put the glasses in his pockets and motioned for Yamanu to follow. “I usually don’t invite people up there, but I’m making an exception for you.”
“I’m honored.” Yamanu dipped his head.
Kian chuckled. “It’s a one-time invitation.”
Yamanu followed Kian out of the office. “Still, I feel special for being invited even once to your sanctuary.”
At the top of the stairs, Kian opened the door and stepped out onto the rooftop terrace.
“Nice setup you’ve got here.” The boss had two wooden rocking chairs, and a side table brought up to the roof. There was even an outdoor umbrella to provide shade.
“I still don’t know who arranged that for me. The chairs and table came first, and then a couple of weeks later, the umbrella. No one is taking credit for it. I thought it was Amanda, but she swore it hadn’t been her.” Kian put the whiskey bottle on the side table and pulled the glasses out of his pockets.
“What about Syssi?” Yamanu asked as he sat down.
“It wasn’t her, either.”
“Perhaps Shai?”
Kian’s assistant was a quiet guy who didn’t like to attract much attention to himself, but he cared about his boss. Before Syssi had entered Kian’s life, Shai
had been the one who’d ensured that Kian had new clothes custom-made and delivered for him, that he hadn’t forgotten to eat, and that he hadn’t fallen asleep at his desk from exhaustion.
Kian sat down on the other rocker and pulled a box of cigarillos and a lighter from his pockets. “I suspect that you are right. It’s down to Shai or Bridget.”
It was sad that Kian didn’t have close buddies who he could have suspected of doing a nice thing for him. But maybe he was wrong.
“It could have been Anandur and Brundar.”
“Nah.” Kian lit his cigarillo. “They are not that thoughtful.”
“I’ll try to find out who did it.”
“Thanks. I need to know who I owe a favor.”
As Yamanu unwrapped the cigar, Kian poured whiskey into the glasses.
He handed one to Yamanu. “I heard that you successfully shrouded a massive fireworks display. How did you pull it off?”
“With Mey’s help. When I told her that you’d given us an extension, she insisted on me testing my powers right away.” Yamanu chuckled. “I wanted to wait until she entered her transition, but she refused to wait. I can’t say that her antics to make me randy weren’t fun to watch, but it was damn difficult not to do anything about it. I thought that I was a pro at self-denial, but those were the most torturous thirty-six hours I’ve spent in a long while.”
Kian dragged a hand through his hair. “I can imagine. The pull of a fated mate is stronger than any other. I applaud you for holding back. I’m not sure I could’ve done it when Syssi and I were just getting to know each other. I craved her nonstop. I still do, but now it’s more manageable.”
Yamanu wondered how long it had taken for the insatiable craving to subside, and whether it had anything to do with the addiction. “Did it become more manageable after the addiction set in?”
Kian rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I don’t remember when it happened precisely, but I think it was unrelated to the addiction. It took much longer than that.” He smiled sheepishly. “Get ready for a wild year.”
Yamanu had thought in terms of a month, like a honeymoon. But hey, it was all good.
“A year, you say?”
Nodding, Kian lifted his glass. “Let’s make a toast. To Mey for saving the day.”
Yamanu clinked his with Kian’s. “To Mey’s smooth and uneventful transition.”
“Indeed. To Mey’s transition.” As Kian sipped the whiskey, his expression showed his pleasure.
Yamanu took small sips as well, savoring the exquisite taste. The whiskey was one of the best he had ever had. “What brand is it? It’s excellent.”
“It’s Japanese. As with most things, they take the best of what the Western world produces and make it better.”
“I need to get myself a bottle.”
“I’ll get you one. I didn’t get you a housewarming present yet.”
Yamanu cocked a brow. “I didn’t move.”
“You didn’t, but you changed housing arrangements. Did you talk with Arwel about his accommodations when he comes back?”
It hadn’t occurred to Yamanu that Arwel might not be comfortable cohabiting with him and Mey. With the excellent soundproofing, privacy was not an issue.
Except, Arwel’s empathy might make things difficult for him. Nevertheless, Yamanu wasn’t going to tell Arwel that he had to move out. It would be his decision whether he wanted to stay or not.
“As far as Mey and I are concerned, Arwel doesn’t need to move. This is his house as much as it is mine and now also Mey’s.”
Kian laughed. “You are still thinking like a bachelor. A mated couple need their privacy, and with Arwel’s special gift, it would be like having a third partner who is privy to everything the two of you experience. You should call him and make the proper arrangements.”
Yamanu shook his head. “I can’t. When Arwel comes back, he will decide what he wants to do. He is my friend, and I’m not going to kick him out.”
“I understand.” Kian leaned sideways and refilled their glasses. “Now that Mey is transitioning, we can go search for Jin.”
Yamanu took the glass and cradled it in his hands. “Do you have a plan?”
“I do. Once Mey is back on her feet, what do you think about taking her on a ski vacation?”
That was an odd change of subject. “I don’t know if she can ski.”
“But you are a good skier.”
“Where are you going with this? What does skiing have to do with finding Jin?”
30
Kian
Kian took a long puff from his cigarillo. “Vivian gave us more information about her sister-in-law. Turns out that Eleanor is an avid skier. Vivian says that she chose to work as a pharmaceutical rep because the flexible schedule and travel involved allowed her to visit all the best ski resorts in the country. One of those resorts is smack in the middle of the Quiet Zone.” He took another puff. “Well, not exactly in the middle, that would be the observatory and the naval base, but close.”
Yamanu, who had been holding the cigar more than smoking it, tapped on it to release the ash. “Isn’t it a long shot to hope we will find her there? It’s not like we can spend the entire snow season waiting for Ella’s aunt to show up.”
“No, we can’t, and that’s not what we are going to do. The idea is to show her picture to people working in the resort and find out if they have seen her around. If they recognize her, it will give us confirmation that she is in the area. Also, there might be someone who befriended her and who knows where she lives or maybe heard her mention how long it takes her to get to the resort, so we can narrow the search to the corresponding area. I think it’s a good start.”
Leaning back, Yamanu took a shallow puff of his cigar. “Sounds like a plan. I hope Mey knows how to ski.” He grinned. “I’m not cheap, but I like the idea of a honeymoon paid for by someone else.” Then his expression turned somber. “On the other hand, perhaps I should pay for Mey’s and my stay. After all, the clan is doing this for us.”
Kian shook his head. “We are doing it for the clan. Even if Jin didn’t have a talent that I can make use of, she is a Dormant who could be someone’s mate. That’s crucial to the clan’s survival, and therefore is number one on the list of priorities.”
“I’m glad you see it this way, but I still feel like I should pay for what I can.”
Stubborn, prideful man.
“Forget it. I’m thinking of coming as well and bringing Syssi with me. We haven’t been on vacation in a while, and my wife could use one.”
“What does it have to do with my sharing in the costs?”
“Think of it as a corporate retreat, which is what we are going to pretend it is. I’m going to find a large cabin to rent, so we are all going to stay in one place, and we are going to keep a low profile.”
That seemed to finally mollify Yamanu. “Who is going? I mean besides Mey and me and you and Syssi?”
“I don’t know yet, and I haven’t asked Syssi if she wants to go either. Turner and I haven’t finalized the plan yet.”
Lifting his half-smoked cigar, Yamanu grimaced. “This thing will take another hour to smoke, and Mey is waiting for me.”
“Don’t worry about it.” Kian waved a hand in dismissal. “Just put it in the ashtray, and it will die out. Go to your lady.”
“Thank you.” Yamanu finished what was left in his glass and rose to his feet. “For everything.”
“You are welcome. I’m relieved that you can still summon your powers when needed.”
“Yeah, me too. Mey is relieved as well. She feared that the clan would hate her once people realized why I didn’t have my powers anymore.”
“Hate is a strong word, but there might have been some resentment. People are people, and they are mostly selfish.”
Yamanu nodded.
Once the Guardian had left, Kian pulled out another cigarillo, leaned back in the rocking chair, and debated who he wanted to take with him.
If he an
d Syssi were going, Anandur and Brundar were going as well, and if they were going, they would naturally want to bring their mates.
He smiled.
Organizing a retreat for the Guardians and their new mates hadn’t occurred to him before, but it was an excellent idea. They were more than a bunch of people working together, they were a family, and sometimes he forgot that.
They would also need Arwel and his empathic skills, but that wasn’t a problem since the New York team was coming back on Saturday. Mey wouldn’t be ready for travel before that anyway, and he’d promised her that she could join the search.
Mey had made a good point about Jin not willing to go with them otherwise. Having Mey with them would save them a lot of explanations for which there wouldn’t be time.
They could thrall Jin, but that was morally iffy. If the girl didn’t want to leave, they were not going to force her.
Pulling out his phone, he called Anandur. “Can you and Brundar come up to the roof?”
“Sure, boss.”
When Kian didn’t have meetings outside the village, his bodyguards were helping retrain the new Guardians. Most of the fellows had left the force when swords had been the weapons of choice. A lot had changed in the world since then, not only in weaponry but also in fighting techniques. They had a century or two of catching up to do, and it was almost like starting from scratch.
Still, it was much easier to do than training newbies. These men had fought before and had honed the hard attitude and quick responses warriors required.
As the rooftop door opened, Kian turned to look at the brothers. “I hope I didn’t pull you out in the middle of a training session.”
“No worries, boss,” Anandur said. “We sat them down to do homework.”
Kian lifted a brow. “I didn’t know the Guardians had home assignments.”
“They are watching a video on how to disarm explosives,” Brundar said. “What did you want to see us about?”
Kian smiled. “A ski vacation.”