Chris
My whole body released all the pain; everyone gasped and sputtered as we got our breath back. On our knees, the group waited while Iku caught Romero and gave him no choice but to go into a lust-filled consummation. Michael played music to mask the grunting and moaning coming from the tent. However, the earlier party atmosphere was shattered by Romero's powerful display of what he could do and how fatal the branding effects were… If we had known… Ahasuerus and his men would never have survived. If I had known what would happen, I would've taken Michael's place in a heartbeat. Not only to put everyone in their place but also to give Juliet her riphath attributes. I didn't care being half-vampire… Everything worked out for the best... The way it was supposed to… What if I joined Juliet's harem and Vittore… Soren… Niana? If he could've fallen in love with her—like that… We would've been unstoppable… If Romero could make Iku bend…
I looked Juliet's way; she sat back on her heels, taking deep breaths, the fire highlighting her distress. Some of the others winced, trying to get on their feet, but failing. Warden cradled his stomach, grimacing; the pain fresh and lingering. The humans must have suffered under the immense pressure; at least they survived… My body still felt stuck under the weight of a truck, compressing everything together. Juliet met my eyes on her and we shared the heavy moment. She was struggling with it all. Louis. The future. Choices.
"I told you it is not the way!" Kaia raised her voice for the first time since I'd known her. She drew everyone's attention. Her voice broke with fury, "I did not want to do this… He can have us all killed!" Manifested, she paced around, consuming herself with golden veins. "Look at you all! And he is mating with her… And had no choice!" Her shadow flared out along with her loud exclamations.
Roa was on her feet, "Did you want your king to kill himself? Do you know he has not mated with her for a hundred years? Ignores her. Shuns her. Has given in to his powers!" Kaia's eyes widened at the revelation. "Look at your own mate." Kaia took the time to actually find Caleb in the crowd; sweat had stuck his fringe along his forehead. Blue veins protruded, throbbing down his neck. My son was also not doing so well. "Kings lose the way more than you know... We are only helping him; yes, he can still be angry, but we are hoping he will not be… Do you understand?"
It's the most I've ever heard Roa speak, maybe because I was finally able to understand the dheka. Kaia headed Caleb's way, fell onto her knees, and threw her arms around him. Marcus was the first to get up out of everyone; I didn't know what possessed him, but he turned to Selena, grasped both arms at her elbows, and with difficulty, helped her to her feet. As she stood, the two looked deep into each other's eyes, also having a quiet conversation… My brow furrowed. I quickly looked at Juliet to see if she noticed. Even with all her new maturity, her expressive lips pulled to calm herself down, and she averted her eyes from the couple. She wouldn't want to create more drama for one evening. Marcus moved her way and held out a hand to her. She slapped it. The corner of his lip lifted, and he looked at me, a serious glint in his eye. He mouthed, "Drama."
I shook my head in disbelief; the guy still had no clue; there was a time and place for everything, and right now was not the time for a joke, not after everything Juliet had to go through with Louis that morning. I covered my face with two hands, and suddenly, the habit of rubbing up and down and wishing everything to calm down was back. Didn't he know how close she was to losing her s—? I was a bit too scared to take them away; the world did disappear when I did it; a figurative wall to shield you from the outside.
Juliet's laughter made me look, and the two were in each other's arms, laughing at me. My mouth fell open. No! They planned it. I chuckled and got to my feet. If they thought I'd get angry about Selena, they have gone and lost their minds. I couldn't care less about her anymore. Our relationship had faded, and I remembered very little of what I once made such a big deal about. F— I actually went back in time because of her.
The group slowly found their footing, and a long line formed at the bar. Voices chattered. Juliet turned the dial on the music. Smells of food drifted through the crowd. Alcohol… Our resolution to enjoy the evening continued until I was taken back to Earth, and all the nights we spent like this.
"Hey."
Still in line for a drink, I turned to see Warden half behind me, "Hi."
"I'm officially apologizing for… everything… I could've done something."
I stretched out my hand to him. He shook it. I rested my other on his shoulder for a moment and let go, "I can't say it's okay, but would it really have made any difference… You would've died and been replaced… I didn't want that either."
"Thank you."
"The way my mother is, you might have done me a favor." We both looked Satya's way, who was in deep conversation with Cindy. What could they possibly have in common… I chuckled. Ira. Where was my father? I looked about and didn't see him. I scanned the crowd as fast as possible to find Liam. Oh no. The two were having a heart-to-heart? Where was Louis when you needed him? Curiosity was my new character flaw.
Warden took his leave to join the other humans seated on cushions with drinks in their hands. Four of them to convert into ittoqures; if we could find them all dheka wives. No. First, we needed to see who walked out of the tent when Romero and Charlene were done.
I was next in line for a glass of a drink I knew would take only one to get me flat on my face. Michael and Marcus were playing bartenders, and they laughed as they filled one and handed it to me. "Very funny."
Marcus shrugged, "Juliet is still very jealous… She'll probably never let it go that both of us had a thing for the tall blond."
I didn't want to talk about Selena and changed the subject, "So, how long do you think the love tent will be busy?"
"Till tomorrow morning… The two will pass out after that much influence."
"I can't even imagine," Michael said, taking a large sip of his own drink, shaking his head, and pulling his lips tight at the sting of the liquid. "A normal dheka pushes you to lose control. What the hell would it feel like to have Iku overwhelm your senses?" The man took another large gulp. Did he not know? I was going to sip mine. "Only Marcus hasn't exper—."
"NO!" Marcus and I said at the same time.
"Why the f— not?"
After what I heard coming from the bathroom a few mornings ago, I didn't think it would be a good idea. Marcus's vocals had woken me up. Accompanied by the sex noises… I was ready to join them by the time I pounded on the door and ordered her to give me the same treatment. It was a bit insulting that we were all in some camp for her.
"I can't ruin it for her," Marcus gloated. "I lose all control with her, and I want her to be able to walk the next morning… I don't want to treat her like that, and you never know."
Michael drained his cup and struggled to put it on the counter, swaying. I held back my amusement and handed him another, seeing a smile tug on Marcus's mouth. "Thank… you…" His words slurred. In one chug, he emptied the second glass and slammed it on the counter, shattering it into pieces. "S—! Anyway… I get it... You're… protecting our asset—" Marcus shoved Michael on the chest. The big guy grasped to take hold of something but dropped to the ground—lights out.
We high-fived and laughed, "What do you think is in this stuff?" I asked.
"Cindy said there are two plants they combine, and in the process of making alcohol, it also has a drugging effect… It was your idea to only serve this."
"Yeah, let the fun begin."
"What are you planning?"
"Let's see, Jamal and Soma need to finally get over their issues."
"Okay… I did tell them to stop following me around… You know… find a city they liked and settle down."
"No, something else is holding her back… Anyway, we've got eight vamp girls and what, ten, eleven vamp men to find mates for... That will be entertaining… Until we're close to the ninety-five demons walking with Romero's army… What if all of them awaken dheka men in the process?"
"Oof. No wonder Romero is freaking out."
"Speaking about freaking out, Liam and Ira are off somewhere."
Marcus, very interested in this scene, scanned the crowd. "Should we go eavesdrop? This is one conversation I'd like to witness."
"I could find them." I manifested and smelled the air for my father. Where would they go? Ira could've traveled them a ways out. No. The wind carried my father's familiar scent right up my nose. They're not even hiding. I pointed.
Caleb appeared next to me, "What are we doing?"
Marcus waved his finger at us, "The two of you together are dangerous. One needs more entertainment than the other."
Caleb and I did our riphath intimacy arm grab thingy. Marcus was right, we had connected like we were never even apart. He made us disappear, and in a trio, we moved through the clustered groups and tents.
The manly couple was only over two small hills, slightly hidden from the noise and crowd, although it was quiet as we approached. What were they doing? Was one already dead, and we'd have another issue to overcome. A small smile tugged at my heart for Ira… He was thrown into the deep end with this one… Breaking up a marriage! Making a woman fall in love with you.
As they came into view, Caleb stopped moving and looked my way. Okay? Liam was standing with his hands on his hips. Ira was doing the same, but pacing from one spot to the next. His treads had made a deep groove in the sand. "What are they doing?" Caleb asked.
"I have no idea?"
At once, the three of us turned around. Juliet was invisible, with every last person in the crowd holding on to one another, coming over the last little heap of sand. This would be our live show for the night. We made ourselves comfortable in a big group, sitting and watching this silent movie.
So we waited. Ira walked back and forth, stopped, and kept moving. Liam was very patient with him; the only thing moving was his hands from one position to another. He didn't say one word or make an exasperated noise.
This internal battle Ira was going through lasted for another half hour. He was never good with being put on the spot. No, he ignored everyone and made decisions… Suddenly, to be thrust into a family unit and the possibility of hurting someone or making the biggest mistake of your life… If he decided to leave… "Jeez, I wish I knew what Liam had said to silence the one man who always has something to say," Selena finally broke the silence.
"Cindy, what are you hoping for here?" Warden asked.
"Maybe I was a bit stupid to get involved with the one man who will probably break my heart."
"Satya, how did you land a king?" Sammy asked.
"If I'd not been on Earth for as long as I have, I'd be offended by the insult."
"For f— sake," Caleb mumbled. The boy had a real problem with his grandmother. "You've been there so long, and you still don't get it!"
"Oh, Caleb, I wish you would reconsider taking over from Ira." He ignored her. "Very well, I'll indulge the children for a second… I was what?" She looked at Silvanus.
"We were around four hundred and something."
Cindy laughed lightly, "Ira made me believe you were fifteen… before I knew who you were."
"That might have been more romantic… On Zoreah, it's really very carnal… We walked past each other, and at first it was just another day… Silvanus and I knew who he was, but there was no friendship yet… Anyway, after a few steps, I turned around. Ira already had and smiled... We both changed our minds, I guessed... The little courting ritual commenced where you look each other over and decide. Ira was the first to lift up his arm to indicate he was willing…" Satya chuckled, "It all happens very, very fast… The next moment, Chris was conceived up against a tree on the outskirts of Shumaan."
"It was his go-to private spot," Silvanus joked.
"No wonder I only saw him sleep with a few women," Caleb commented.
"Oh, Oh. Shhh, he's stopped pacing," Juliet said.
Ira's head lifted. Please, please, please don't be an idiot… However, he'd be giving up a lot. His position and future avenues. Two thousand years of life left… If he stayed with us here, he could die before he even reached another thousand… Sharing one woman with another guy… for the rest of his life.
"I love her, man… I don't know what else to say."
The crowd cheered and clapped as Caleb and Juliet brought us back from our invisibility. Ira looked our way and searched the crowd for Cindy. Everyone around her pushed her to her feet. "Come on! Seal it with a kiss. From both the men in your new life! So they can make the decision… Seeing it is different than accepting it," Kubra said.
"It's harder for the vamps… Ira is used to sharing women," Carl pitched in.
"That's not true, look at how jealous I am…"
"You're not normal, Chris," Caleb said under his breath.
Cindy stood, waiting for them to make the first move. The two men were staring each other down. Who would it be? Completely different in looks, demeanor, and attitude. Both tall, tho.
"Come on, think about it this way, you're both going to outlive her by a few hundred years."
As if they found common ground and a problem to solve, Liam said, "Cindy and I haven't been to the origin city…"
Ira's posture relaxed, "We could live on Zoreah for two thousand years."
"She could use the formula, and you could have more kids."
"Sam is there."
"You could take the stone back, and Zoreah could flourish again."
"We have no more threats."
"Wait, wait a minute," Juliet stood up, "I thought we decided to forget about the teleportation… Stay here and make this our home base no matter the cost."
"I'm never going to see my kids again?" Cindy asked. "My grandkids won't even know who I am? Liam, I thought you wanted to go into the room and see what happens."
"Wait, what? You guys want to test your love?" Juliet asked.
"Well, everyone thinks I don't love Liam and settled." Juliet grimaced at the truth. "So, I might as well prove it… I'm not the problem unless these two don't know if they really, really, really love me!"
"Burn," Selena whispered.
"Mom, this is a conversation for tomorrow when Romero comes out of the tent… he might still ask us all to leave…"
Cindy and Juliet's eyes held, the only two in the crowd standing… "I don't want to leave, Juliet… I don't want to be stuck somewhere again… A whole planet is different, but one city on Zoreah or an island on En-gannim, a house in the compound where we need to fight Ian and Soren… We just got our family back! I didn't indulge your father's nagging for Marcus to brand you just for this, to mean nothing…"
"No! We need the teleportation up and running!" Juliet looked at Caleb, who disagreed with her decision to let go of the past. "Mom, we need En-gannim! Mirach needs it…"
"There will still be a few of us who can go off the planet… And for those who really want to live forever and not go all the way to Zoreah, they can connect to their kids… It means Sam could come home," Sammy gave her input.
"Again! It's not my choice. I don't know what Romero will say tomorrow. You guys saw him…"
Sammy jumped to her feet, "Fine! We were supposed to celebrate tonight! Come on, Mom, let's go dance."
"You heard her, guys! Enough of the heavy."
Soma and the four demon girls who had been walking with Marcus were the first to follow the two. They went into a run and picked mother and daughter up on their shoulders. "We have a few drinking games we invented over the last few years."
Sammy and Juliet said, "Chicken fight!"
"To the water!"
I turned to Marcus, "Do you want to tie Michael to a beast and let him be run around the whole night?"
***
Romero
Every muscle in my body was drained; the rest of me bone tired. I could not move anymore and struggled to catch my breath as I rolled off Charlene. We had stayed in one position the whole time; I ached all over. "Charlene." She did not reply. My head lazily turned her way, listening for rhythmic breathing. Her chest rose and fell steadily. I looked up at the roof of our tent; the music outside had died down a long time ago. Nothing inside me was angry anymore. All my worries and the many decisions I had to make suddenly had an answer. I had lost my way… Was it so easy? Could thoughts and feelings completely run your life? Or was it because I'd dulled my senses for so long again… We were supposed to put off that life after we found our mates… All the things Vittore did and the choices he made were worse because of time.
The three of us were born close together, only a few years apart. Mirriam was our little sister, whom we needed to protect. Vittore and her mate were good friends… On their journey to Resha Nudi, we wanted to travel with them… Yazen would not allow it… It was only a miracle she came back alive… Vittore could not accept our ways after his death… He left, and I do not know how he became involved with the raiders… How did he become so lost?
I stretched out my hand and rested it on her back, manifesting and letting my healing ability seep into her… Sleep slowly overtook me.
***
Voices outside roused me, a quiet drum of soft whispers. Charlene rolled into my arms. A pleasant smell wafted into our tent. My stomach complained. Charlene stroked over my chest; I had missed the soft comfort her touch could give against my skin. Curves and love. "Forgive me."
"Why did you stop, Carl? You could've been free."
"I was… conflicted… So confused… Forgive me."
"Romero, you hurt me… like no one has ever hurt me… for so long… What you did to me… was why I never wanted a mate in the first place. If… it wasn't for Kubra and Carl, you would've broken me to pieces."
I pulled her closer and wrapped my arms around her, "Can we start over? You will not leave, will you? I do not want you to leave…"
"No… I love you… There is nothing you can do that will change how I feel… Unless you don't love me anymore?"
"So last night was to find out the truth?"
"Yes… We could separate—"
I pulled her onto my chest and kissed her, "No… I was wrong… I never for one moment wished you never came into my life… Or that you would just go away… I was the one who turned away from you, and I am sorry… I did… believe I made a mistake… But this… You… were the best mistake I ever could have made…"
"Never again, Romero! You choosing yourself over us is wrong… It's not even fair, and I was patient… You said I could bring my family here."
"I did… It will never happen again… Do you believe me?"
"I love you."
"But? There is always a but."
"But you can't use your powers for some time… I want you to honor your promises... I want you back in my life."
"Deal… I will prove it to you… So, what did I miss?"
"Vittore received his colors for Juliet and killed himself."
My hands stopped moving over her, and my fingers grasped onto her body... I had no time to mourn his loss… And with the sudden draining of all my ability from my body, I was myself again… Four times now it had happened across races… I could not ignore fate any longer or rectify what was inevitable… In the end, he did the right thing… Chose to set things right… If I hurt Charlene again, I would have to do what Vittore did… He was more a king than I was… He chose his way… I wanted it both ways. He did more than me to show her honor…
"I'm sorry for your loss… When will you tell Imani?"
"Soon."
"Hey! Lovebirds! We can all hear your conversation. Come out and join the family." New clothes came in through the tent flap, "If you might have ripped hers to pieces."
My hand slowly glided over her back and sensually over the plump curve of her ass, down her inner thigh. I did not touch her core, only closely teased—lovingly. I was not going to move first, nor did I have a desire to ever leave the tent... She was naked on top of me, her legs open around my waist. We stared at one another as my fingers enjoyed the feel of her body. Every now and then, I would graze her lips.
"Juliet! Music," Charlene softly yelled.
"Oh, jeez."
I smiled, coming back up her body and sensually caressing the bulge of her breast with my thumb. I had missed this more than I could handle in the moment. The slow building of possibility and expectations… Suddenly, I lifted my knees to thrust her mouth closer to mine and caught her lips midair. Now I had two hands to drift down her body and cup her cheeks. More than handfuls. Only to slide down both thighs and tease her splayed opening, inching closer with every up and down stroke, but never slipping in my teasing. Our mouths moved sensually together, our tongues enjoying their meeting in the middle. I was waiting for the moment my fingers would miss my mark, graze her entrance, and she would wet the tips.
Charlene and I dressed each other with deliberate feeling, taking our time. I took her hand and kissed her palm, "Har abada tawa soyayya."
"Ahh, sweet, but really!"
I sighed, leading her to the crowd I was sure was waiting for me outside, and pulled her close to me once we faced everybody. "I have to apologize to everyone… Carl?" He raised his hand. "Thank you… Kubra was right; you bring us peace, and I am happy you are part of our family… I never thought I would say what I am about to say, but thank you both for taking care of her… Staying with me on this journey as a family…" My voice was shaky; I cleared my throat. "This had nothing to do with anyone but myself… I should never have trusted Brylee."
I searched for Iku among the many faces and held his eyes, "You did what was right, and I broke the trust between us… I will be better in the future." He inclined his head.
"So, with that out of the way… We will all join the army marching with Saleh and contain the problems in the east… Charlene will decide what we do with the wolves until the teleportation works again… Juliet?"
"Yes, you're not the only one who thinks we have to get it working again."
"Unfortunately, that is one thing we really cannot go forward without…" She nodded. "Once we spoke to the wolves, we can assess again… If all goes as planned, we will join Naji and Fia to escort them to the dark city… Whoever else wants to enter the room has my blessing. Those of you who will give your time and energy for the next few years in Nahrima must keep this in mind before you make the decision to stay… Because I hope you all will stay… I, too, would like toilets if Chris can figure it out."
"Of course, my liege... It will be my life's mission."
I looked down at Charlene, "Is that all? Do you have something I missed or disagree about?" She shook her head and dabbed at her eyes.
The crowd raised a few more questions, and some logistics were discussed... Out of nowhere, Michael appeared in the middle of the people seated on the ground. Some rolled out of the way. Others yelped and scurried on their hands and feet. He stood on his two feet. Behind him, strapped to his chest was a raiki paddling at the air, writhing in his confinement. Marcus and Chris burst out laughing, uncontrollably doubled over in their mirth. Michael sighed and joined them. Charlene tightened her hold on me and looked up at me, smiling.