“You’re hilarious.” Looking at her with one eye closed, he couldn’t speak as yet. “Did you know that after you come, and it was fucking amazing, that you make little sounds in the back of your throat? A clicking sound.”
“That would have been my dragon. That’s his sound—like a purr, I guess you could call it.” Pem rolled to her side so that she could look at him. “I felt him there. Did you?”
“Yes. He spoke to me too. Telling me that he loved me.”
Theo wasn’t surprised by that. He told her he loved her as well. “I saw you talking to my mom earlier. I hate to bring her up at this moment, but did she give you information on being the mate to a dragon?”
“She did.” Pem rolled to her back and didn’t speak for several moments. “She said that she didn’t know if we’d be able to have children. I think that hurt her as much as it did me. She so wants a grandchild. But she did tell me that there any number of children we can adopt, and they’d be just as much ours as if we’d created them ourselves.”
“I would love any child you were willing to have with me. By any means. I love you so very much.” She told him she did him as well. “There are other things you’ll need to know. I should have pointed this out before we came up here. You’ll need to eat more red meat, just to be able to keep up with me. It’s not just sex, but even when we sleep together. I’m hot all the time, and your body will work on trying to cool you off. Juice too. Anything fresh you want to drink is better than nothing.”
“I think our cook told me that this morning. I was still in overwhelmed mode then.” He asked her if she was all right now. “I don’t think I’ll ever be all right. But I think I’m handling things a little better than before. I told you I stopped taking the medication. I’ve not had to resort to it again at all. I’m proud of me for that. Also, the thought of ending my life hasn’t entered my head either. For which I’m very grateful.”
“I am too. I nearly forgot to tell you. You had a phone call yesterday from a doctor by the name of Pinchester. He wants you to call him back about the case against Doctor Charles Shivas. I didn’t ask, but I’m assuming he did something to you?” Theo knew what he’d done. Aunt Carson had told him. But he wasn’t going to tell Pem that. “Do I need to kill someone for you?”
“No, not yet, at any rate. He tried to get me to sleep with him when I was coming here. I sued him and his practice for it. I have the recordings of everything, and they’re telling me they don’t have them. Like I’m going to send them the ones I have.” He asked her if Carson could look into it. “She already is. She’s sort of scary, isn’t she?”
“You have no idea. But I’m glad she’s doing this. Hell will be paid, and I won’t have to see you through bars.” He closed his eyes for a moment, just to think about the rest of the things she needed to be told. “Your dad is getting out of jail tomorrow. I’m not sure why they’ve held him for this long. There is a rumor that he’s planning on going to the house to live there. He seems to think you’ve been lying to him, or someone has, about the place being torn down.”
“He’ll figure it out.”
Theo watched her. She was closing her eyes slower and slower. When she finally fell asleep, he didn’t move from his position on the bed. Reaching out to Finn, he told him where he was.
While we’re here, is there anything I can bring down for you? Not right away, but tonight sometime. He didn’t ask him why he was there, but Theo suspected he might already have figured it out. He asked him if he could find the necklace he’d made for Mom long ago. Yes. I can find it. I actually think I know just where it is.
Getting up, careful not to wake Pem, he started toward the area he was looking for. Finn started speaking to him even as he bent to pick up the jewel cases he’d been looking for.
The boys’ bodies are being shipped home. Aunt Carson took care that a funeral director from their town was on the plane with them when they left a little while ago. Neither Austin nor Caroline is aware that the boys are riding with them. I thought it was better that way. Theo agreed with him. He’s also going to try and talk them into a graveside service without anything in the paper. It’s all over the news about them already. Aunt Carson made sure he understood there were going to be a lot of pissed off people if they had anything more than that. Apparently, the town they live in isn’t all that keen on the boys or their parents. I still have trouble wrapping my mind around the things they said to Mom.
Pem and her grandma are taking it a good deal better than I thought they would. I think MaryBeth is still thinking about leaving her gun at home, and what more could have been done if she’d brought it. I doubt very much they would have let her in with it. He told Finn he’d found the necklace. How did they get the one gun in? I never thought to ask.
I saw the recording. Stanley went through the metal detector first, and of course, set off the alarms. While he was emptying his pockets, David put up a hell of a fuss about the toys that he said belonged to him. The two of them were in and out of the detector several times, setting it off. By the time it was settled between them, Stanley just walked into the station while his brother came through with the gun in his back pocket. You can even see when Stanley gave him a thumbs up when they were both on the other side. Christ, to know how smart they were at this is fucking scary. Theo agreed with him. I think I told you that Amos passed away, didn’t I?
Yes. The guy was stressed to the limit when I spoke to him right afterwards. They’re attaching that to the body count too. The state is suing their parents. They said they were negligent by letting them use a firearm in the first place. Not to mention not having the guns locked up away from them. I have a feeling they’d have gotten them anyway. Like you said, they were just too smart. Theo looked around for other things he could bring home for Pem to wear or just to put into the house.
I’m supposed to tell you that you did a fantastic job of taking over the crime scene. The Feds were thrilled to death that you’d had Amos put the recordings and other things in the safe. He said he’d had this happen before. Yes, but locking the recordings in the safety deposit box was a stroke of brilliance. That way, when they arrived, they knew that no one had tampered with anything in it. Even having each of the officers there to write up in their own words, what went down was great. Theo said he was just making sure everything was where it needed to be. Speaking of which, I wish you’d think of taking the job as police chief. I know we have a great deal to handle as it is. Having someone right there that can tell us when and where there is trouble would go a long way in us being able to get help to people faster. Think about it. All right?
I’ll talk to Pem. Right now, I want to get to know my wife better. Theo laughed as he sat down on one of the many chairs that were stashed in here. I don’t know how anyone that has been around as long as we have can ever get used to saying that word. Do you know what I mean?
I do, and you’re right. He felt his brother’s distraction. I don’t know how much longer you’re going to be there, but when you get back, come see me. Nothing terrible, but there have been some developments in the hospital that is going to be built.
Theo wandered around for a little while longer in the cave. He wasn’t really looking for anything but did manage to find a pile of things he wanted to take back with him. One of them was the photo album that their parents had put together when he and his brothers had been born. Even Rachel might get a kick out of seeing them as young dragons.
“What are you doing? I thought I’d broken you.” He laughed and handed Pem the album. Sitting up, she dressed, and he was disappointed. He also knew she was sore. He was himself just a little. “Even when you guys were babies, you were huge, weren’t you?”
“Finn was bigger because he was hatched first. You’ll have to have Mom and Dad tell you about some of the pictures. I’d actually forgotten it was in here. I have some things I’d like for you to wear. With nothing else.” Pem l
ooked at him, her eyes so beautiful they took his breath away. “I love you so much, Pem. I don’t think if I said that to you every minute, you’d understand the amount of love that I have for you.”
“Oh Theo, that was so wonderful.” He helped her up and noticed again that she was sore. “I might need to take a long hot bath when we get back.”
Feeling both sorry and terrific that he’d made his mate walk with a limp, he wasn’t going to tell her that it had taken him twenty minutes to work the kinks out of his own body. Thankfully, he healed quickly, or he was sure he’d never live down how much pain he’d been in from making love with his mate.
Chapter 5
There were news reporters all over the high school, inside and out as it turned out. MaryBeth wanted to tell them all to go to hell. However, she wasn’t going to make a scene. Not today. She knew that these people, vultures she thought of them, needed to make a living as much as the next person. Even if it was to go to a funeral for the wonderful souls that had given their lives all in one day.
“Thank you for sitting with me, MaryBeth. I just don’t know how I would have functioned if you’d not been here today.” Telling her it was her pleasure, MaryBeth felt her eyes fill with tears again. The woman sitting next to her was Linda Benson. Her husband of three years was one of the last murdered by her grandsons. Linda was going to have a baby soon, and that bothered MaryBeth more than anything. That the little boy or girl would never know their father.
The services were all being held in the high school gym. The caskets, all covered in draped flags, were lined up in the gym in front of the chairs. They, too, were lined up tightly on the floor for all the townspeople to be there for the fallen ones’ families. Even the bleachers were filled to capacity. The injured officers, as well as the families of the victims, were in the first four rows. The rest of the seats on the floor were for dignitaries, as well as the Mannings—all of them were there.
MaryBeth had never met a family like the Mannings. They weren’t just what a person would call close—they were even closer than that. Good to each other too. And she noticed that when one of them went a step too far in joking around, it would only take a look from someone, and they’d bow their head and say how very sorry they were. MaryBeth could hang around them for the rest of her life if they’d allow her to.
Not only were they generous with their money and understanding with each other, but they were also compassionate with everyone they came in contact with. She’d seen Cooper slip some money to a teenager. Milo held a small child while a mother was crying. Each and every one of them had a specialness about them that she wished more people had with each other.
When the service was over, she helped Linda up from her chair. As they walked past all the other caskets, she waited with her as she paused by her husband’s. That was when a movement out of the corner of her eye had her pulling the younger woman closer to her. The microphone nearly hit the two of them in the face.
“We were wondering how you felt about your grandchildren.” MaryBeth, having had enough of that question slapping her in the face, knocked the microphone from the man’s hand and grabbed him by the tie.
“How do I feel about my grandchildren? That’s the question you have for us right now? You should be ashamed of yourself. I bet your mother is right proud of her son. Coming up on a grieving widow to ask someone that sort of question. Have you no heart, young man? Don’t you care that there are seven dead family members right here in front of you?” She knew she was causing a scene, something she’d not wanted to do, but it was high time, MaryBeth thought. “A better question would have been to ask the families ‘Do you need anything?’ Without that contraption in your hand too. Do you know this woman’s name? The name of her poor husband? She lost everything the other day. Not a one of you came here to do anything but get a story. Well, let me give you one. Linda Benson lost her husband of three years the other day. Yes, it was my grandsons that did it. I hurt for all these people on a level that you obviously cannot understand. Mrs. Shiller lost her husband of thirty-nine years. He was set to retire, and now he’s gone as well. Mr. Lance over there, he has five little boys that he’s now going to have to raise all on his own. Did you think to ask him if he needed something? Perhaps you could have kept an eye on his boys while he grieved on his own for a moment? No, you wanted to shove that thing in my face for a story that will sell you papers or have people tune into your newscast. There are any number of people here that would have asked a better question than how I felt. You want to know? Well, here you go. I’m hurt—all the way through my heart. I’m confused. What would make little boys want to murder? I hurt for my son and his wife. My niece and her new husband. I hurt for this town and the grief that has hit them as hard as it could have. Look at you standing there with that thing in your hand, your recorder out, so you don’t miss a thing.” MaryBeth started crying, with no hope of stopping the tears now. “In a few weeks, less I’m betting, you’re going to be on to another story—another big one—and this town and the people here will be nothing more than a note—not even a noteworthy reminder will be on your recorder—while the people here will still be reeling from the deaths. Dealing with the day to day things, like having to remember that their loved ones are not going to be coming through the door. Not being there to take the children to the store or to get ice cream. Young man, you should be ashamed of yourself and what you’ve come here to do. Leave us alone, why don’t you?”
She walked out of the gym, holding tightly onto Linda. When they were at the car, she got in with the younger woman when she begged her to. Turning to her, she told her how sorry she was.
Linda smiled at her. “I’m not sorry. And you shouldn’t be either. My husband would have been so proud of you. He would have laughed his ass off too. You gave me a little of him just then. Telling them vultures off. That’s what he called them. So, I thank you for that, MaryBeth. Those people will just go on and label you as a crazy woman. But there will be a few here today that will say, ‘There goes MaryBeth. You should have seen her taking a bite out of one of them idiots.’ Thank you.”
There was to be a gathering at the home of Finn and his wife. MaryBeth hadn’t planned on going. It was just too much for her to go on pretending she wasn’t dying inside for what her family had done to this town. But Cindi had asked her to come along, and she didn’t think it was right, for all they’d done for her, to turn them down.
There was enough food for the entire town being set up. MaryBeth hadn’t had much of an appetite for the last few days. All she could think about was how Stanley had looked at her and Pem. Even in the middle of the night, she’d see his eyes staring at her, and she just couldn’t shake the feeling that had she brought her gun with her, he would have tried to kill her.
Of course, her reasonable mind told her she didn’t have to worry about that. There wasn’t much of a chance she’d have gotten it inside. But her mind and heart just couldn’t deal with it. None of it, as a matter of fact.
“Grandma?” She smiled at Pem. “Are you all right? You look a little lost. Come on into the kitchen with me. The women are in there making tea and talking. I think they’re also eating. My goodness, they sure can put the food away. And not gain an ounce.”
“I’m not hungry.” She went with Pem into the kitchen and heard them laughing as soon as she entered. It wasn’t as if she didn’t want anyone to laugh, but MaryBeth just didn’t have much laughter in her today. Cindi pulled her over to where she was sitting and handed her a plate of fudge. “I can’t have this, honey. I’m a diabetic.”
“No, not anymore. Didn’t they tell you that?” They had, but she’d forgotten. “We’re having a debate on the flavors here. By the way, this was made with faerie magic, so you might just get a little bit of that buzz from it. Here, try this one. It’s called peony. I’ve never even heard of that flower until today. Go ahead, try it.”
MaryBeth sat down and
picked up the small piece. “Oh, my goodness. It’s just like you’d think one would taste.” She was handed the raspberry one with a bit of honey. “I have always loved the taste of raspberries. This is good too. The little bit of honey makes me think of summer.”
MaryBeth ate what they handed her. It was all in small portions, very tiny little bites that would be just enough for her to answer their questions about whatever it was she was tasting. By the time she was finished with the treats, she realized what they’d done to her. Not sure what to say to them, she let it go. MaryBeth did feel a little better, having eaten something.
“I have to say how glad I am that you said something to that reporter. If you’d not, I certainly would have. He got off easy with you.” MaryBeth asked Wynter, another aunt of Theo’s, what she might have done to him. “He’d not be walking around well, that’s for sure. I just couldn’t believe he was asking you anything, much less about your grandsons, right then.”
“I couldn’t believe it either, to be honest with you. My heart was hurting enough as it was without that thing stuck up in my face.” She looked at Pem when she laughed a little. “Linda told me that she wished she could have been that brave as we were headed from the gravesite. Is there any more information on the others that were hurt?”
“They’re all going to be going home soon. A couple of the officers are going to need home care, and we’ve arranged that for them.” Winnie shook her head. “Sometimes I wonder what the hell this world is coming to. I don’t mean just those boys—something was wrong with the two of them—but people in general. I’m sure the autopsy they’re doing will show something was wrong with them rather than something wrong with the way they were raised. Not that I agree with talking to children when they need a good ass beating, but that’s just me. Kids are too free with the way they treat people if you ask me.”
“I saw a lady in the store yesterday with her two little ones. The older boy was tearing into loaves of bread and tossing the slices all over the store. His mother just stood there, telling him he wasn’t to act that way. That she was going to give him a time out when they got home.” Carson huffed. “I’d have given him a good bop on his ass and then made him clean the mess up.”
Theodore: Xavier’s Hatchlings ― Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance Page 7
