Determinant, a YA Paranormal Romance (Book 3 of The Guardians of Vesturon)

by A. M. Hargrove

  Rykerian leaned into me, nuzzled and kissed my neck and softly said, “Thank you, love.”

  “For what? Carpet fuzz?”

  “Hmmm. For giving me one of the best nights of my life, when it should have been the worst. For giving me a morning to always remember and for making me laugh when just a day ago I did not think I would ever laugh again.” He smiled and kissed the corner of my mouth.

  Whoa! Oh how this man had a way of making me melt right into my shoes!

  I slid my hand to his cheek and said, “I think I should be the one thanking you. If you hadn’t persisted in your belief that I was the one for you, we wouldn’t be standing here today.” I brought my lips back to his.

  “I think you two may need to go back to your bedroom!” Jurek suggested. My faced burned with embarrassment and Rykerian’s turned that wonderful shade of pink that looked so great on him. Then everyone laughed.

  Athyna came up to me and hugged me. Immediately I launched into an apology. “Oh gawd Athyna, I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I just blurted that out last night. I guess I got so used to hearing it from my nasty mother I didn’t stop to think about how it would sound to you. Please forgive my rude behavior.”

  “It is okay January. Maddie and Rayn told me everything and I am sorry about all of that. I also wanted to congratulate you and Rykerian on your uniting. I know Therron would have been happy for you.”

  That comment brought all conversation to a screeching halt.

  Trying to break the uncomfortable moment, I blurted out, “Athyna, I am happy to know I have a sister. Rykerian tells me I’v lucked out with you.”

  “Yes, well he would say that,” she smiled.

  Rykerian handed me a plate of food as we made our way to the table to eat.

  The room began to grow a bit noisy again, not so much with jovial conversation, but chatter nonetheless.

  Xarrid and Jurek were in close conversation, I suppose discussing their next move over how best to get control of the situation on Xanthus. Xarrid’s intentions of going back had been clearly made. He would not stop searching for Saylan until he found her and Jurek had agreed to help.

  The day wore on with various people coming and going. I had met so many friends of the family over the last two days my head was spinning.

  Rykerian, Rayn, Tesslar, Xarrid and Jurek were going to be meeting at the Command Center in the afternoon to formulate a plan on how next to proceed.

  Sharra and Maddie were discussing plans for Sharra’s redesign of the Star Avengers. With the expansion of the war, the number of pilots needed was growing so Sharra was in charge of the entire Star Avenger program, including recruiting and establishing space bases in strategic locations. They were deciding how to best implement everything.

  I was feeling quite useless so I began wandering around the house and ended up in the library, where I discovered ancient books written in a language I didn’t remotely understand. As I walked along, I started paying attention to the artwork on the walls. It was beautiful. Portraits, still life, and scenery all done in beautiful oils. This was such a lovely place, I felt like I should pinch myself or something.

  I sat down in a chair and reflected on the last few months of my life. It had gone from sheer hell to absolute heaven. I’m sure I walked around with a goofy smile pasted on my face. I felt giddy most of the time now. Really, how couldn’t I? I was married to hawtness on a stick! He was ridiculously smart, had this awesome family, he made me feel like I was the center of his universe and...just shut up January! I’m gonna make myself hurl if I don’t stop it already!

  “Don’t worry, you will get used to it,” Maddie barged in. “You had that look on your face. I remember feeling exactly like that when I first came here.”

  “I know. I keep wanting to pinch myself.”

  Maddie laughed. “In no time flat, you’ll feel right at home.”

  “It’s crazy, because I already do.”

  “That’s because your mate’s here. You’ll always feel at home wherever he is. And when you’re away from him, you’ll feel a part of you is missing. It’s painful not being with him.”

  Rayn barged into the room then, “Sunshine, I’ve been looking for you.” In his usual manner, he wasted no time in making his way to Maddie and gathering her into his arms. That was my cue to disappear.

  I headed back to the den and was intercepted by Rykerian. “I’ve been looking for you,” he said as he picked me up and carried me upstairs to our room. One thing was certain, these males were certainly...er, well, energetic!

  *****

  “You have this thing about carrying me around, don’t you?” I asked him afterward.

  “I had not thought about it, but I guess I do. Does it not please you?”

  “Oh no! It pleases me very much. As a matter of fact, I haven’t found anything about you that doesn’t please me. I’m the luckiest girl on Earth. Or on Vesturon. Or I should say the universe!”

  He twirled a piece of my hair between his fingers and for whatever reason, my stomach lurched a bit.

  “What’s going on?”

  “We have made our plans January. Rayn wants to go with Xarrid and Jurek back to Xanthus to try to retrieve Saylan. I think they will also take Maddie.”

  “Seriously? Maddie?”

  “Maddie is a formidable fighter and she abhors anything Xanthian. Besides, she is a trained Guardian. She graduated first in her class which is a most difficult achievement.”

  “What will you do?”

  “You and I will go back to the Compound on Earth. We need to retrieve your family and bring them to the Compound for safety.”

  “My parents too?”

  “Yes.”

  “I don’t think I want them there,” I said as I looked down at my knotting fingers.

  “I knew you would say that, though love, you cannot bring your brother and sister and not their parents. It would be something you would hate yourself for later.” He tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear.

  “I know, but...”

  “Sweetheart, if you leave them behind and they die, Tommy and Sarah will blame you for that. Are you willing to live with that? They love their parents, no matter how much you dislike them.”

  “How come you make so much sense?” I lifted myself up on my elbows and kissed him softly on the lips. “When do we leave?”

  “Next week.”

  “Good. Then let’s take advantage of this night shall we?”

  Chapter 5

  It was sad as we said our goodbyes to everyone. I made Maddie promise to keep me informed of what was going on with them. I was so frightened for her. I had never gone into a war zone but as Rykerian reminded me, we were getting ready to go into one ourselves.

  I got terribly nervous thinking about what Spartanburg would be like, so much so, that I ended up losing the breakfast I had just eaten. I was totally mortified over that.

  “Look love, there is nothing to be upset about. You are the one that reminded me the night of Therron’s death that we are in this for better or worse. Do not worry yourself over this little incident, okay?” he said, wiping my face for me.

  “Thank you. I think I want to brush my teeth.”

  After I finished, I told him about how I could barely keep food down the year after my parents had booted me out of their house.

  “It was like this every time I ate. I would eat a little and hurl. It was so gross. Everyone thought I was anorexic because I wouldn’t eat and I wouldn’t talk about it. You remember how God awful skinny I was when you first met me? Ugh! I was disgusting.”

  He brushed my hair back from my face with his fingers and said, “You were beautiful. You were always beautiful, even when I found you dying in the forest, covered in those horrid bruises. You were beautiful when you thought you hated me, when you were so angry with me for saving you. You have never been disgusting, my love.”

  I did the only thing I knew and that was I let my love flow to him from my mind. His ey
es widened and he gasped. His fingers dug into my shoulders as our souls merged. It was one of those defining moments. I knew we would always love each other with an intensity unmatched by anything I could describe or explain. He was mine as I was his, always and forever.

  *****

  We teleported to the Compound and arranged for my old family’s arrival. I was hopeful that it would go smoothly. Zanna handled the preparations. They would be staying on the upper level. There were four bedrooms up there so they could have their privacy. Rykerian and I would go first thing in the morning.

  That night, we ate dinner in the kitchen. I was rather sleepy so we headed up to bed early. Before we fell asleep, I told Rykerian stories about Tommy and Sarah. I was worried about how they had fared during the past few months. He rubbed circles on my back and it wasn’t long before I was fast asleep.

  I heard the click of the door and lifted my head to see my husband carrying a tray. He flashed me a smile when he saw me watching him as he set the tray down. He poured me a cup of coffee and lifted a lid off a plate to a beautiful stack of fluffy pancakes. I inhaled their aroma and when it hit me, my stomach roiled in protest. I flew off the bed and barely made it to the bathroom in time before I threw up all over the place.

  “Are you okay?” Rykerian was by my side.

  “Please, go away. I’m so embarrassed.”

  “I thought we covered this yesterday, love.”

  “I know, but that was yesterday. I don’t know what’s gotten into me.”

  “I’m calling Julian,” he said, tearing his hand through his hair.

  “No, you’re overreacting. It’s probably just nerves. I told you yesterday. Seriously, I was like this for three years.”

  “I do not want to take any risks.”

  “Let’s wait until we have my family here. If it’s not better then let’s call him.”

  “Okay.”

  I brushed my teeth and was suddenly hungry. So I ended up having a couple of pancakes and a cup of coffee.

  “Are you ready?”

  *****

  Their backyard was overgrown with dead kudzu vines. It was February so all the greenery was dormant. Even so, you could tell, no one had been keeping up their yards. They weren’t doing any maintenance either. It was amazing how fast something could turn to disrepair.

  The back screen door hung off its hinges. I turned the door knob and it didn’t turn at all. You could just push the door open. I walked into the house. My mother had always been a neat housekeeper. While we never had fancy furniture or fine things, our house had been tidy and clean. Things had gone seriously south.

  The house was filthy. There were piles of trash everywhere. Dirty dishes were strewn across every spare inch of counter space. I kept walking. The den looked like a disaster area. The furniture was ripped and torn, like someone had plunged a knife in it with the sole intention of destroying it. Stuffing had been pulled out and the upholstery was torn everywhere. Pictures were lying on the floor, their frames broken into pieces. As I moved further into the house, I began to realize they couldn’t be living here.

  I looked at Rykerian. He brought his fingers to his lips, signaling for silence. He ran his fingers across his shadar and then looked at me. He held up four fingers and pointed down.

  A basement? This house didn’t have a basement that I recalled. I sent my thoughts to him.

  “January, this is a danger zone. We need to get out of here ASAP.”

  “This house doesn’t have a basement that I’m aware of.”

  “Then they have created one. Look for a trap door under a carpet, rug or a piece of furniture.”

  We went from room to room and I finally found it in Sarah’s room beneath her bed. Rykerian pushed it aside and lifted the door. I heard my father say, “Don’t come any closer or I’ll shoot.”

  “It’s me, January. You can’t harm us anyway. We’re wearing protective clothing that repels gunfire.” Thank heavens for Vesturion technology!

  “January, is that really you?”

  “Yes, Sarah, it’s me! I’ve come to get you all out of here and take you somewhere safe. Come on up, but you have to hurry!”

  “How do we know we can trust you?”

  “Come on Mom, do we have to go through this again?” I wanted to tear my hair out!

  Rykerian put his hand on my arm and I immediately felt better.

  I heard feet scrambling up steps and saw Sarah’s head pop up. Her face was filthy and she was super skinny.

  “Come here sweetie!” She threw herself at me and I lifted her in my arms. The rest of my family followed.

  “Listen, I don’t have time to explain this now, but I will in a couple of minutes.”

  “Rykerian, get us out of here.”

  His fingers tapped his shadar and seconds later we materialized at the mountain house.

  I still held Sarah in my arms and I asked her if she was okay. All I got was a nod. Tommy yelled, “Wow, that was cool!”

  My parents were speechless.

  “Come on, let’s go inside. I imagine you’re hungry.”

  After they ate an unbelievable amount of food, they filled us in on what had taken place. Even Spartanburg had been taken over by gangs. Everyone feared for their lives. There was no food or water. Cars were inoperable because there was no gas. Electricity was nonexistent. Nor was there natural gas. If you didn’t have an adequate store of nonperishable food, you were in serious trouble and if you did, the gangs would find out about it and come and raid your home.

  Then came the fun part. We had to explain where they were, who Rykerian was and who I was by way of my father. At first my mother sputtered, but after repeated reminders that we could always send her back to Spartanburg, she finally shut up. Tommy and Sarah thought the whole idea of aliens was totally awesome, making me laugh.

  The day flew by and I’d forgotten how much energy little kids had. By dinnertime, I could barely keep my eyes open. Rykerian suggested I head upstairs and he promised to show them where everything was. I never heard him slide into bed, for I was fast asleep.

  In the morning, he woke me up with nibbles on my neck, but I groaned because I didn’t want to get up.

  “Shall I fetch you some breakfast love?” he wanted to know.

  The thought of food turned my stomach into a heaving mass of bile. I flew out of the bed and hugged the porcelain goddess again.

  What was wrong with me?

  “I intend to find out love,” Rykerian said softly, but in a tone that told me he would entertain no argument.

  When I exited the bathroom, Julian was waiting for me. Smiling, he greeted me saying, “Do you wish this to be private?”

  For a second I was lost but then I figured it out. “No! Of course not,” I answered, reaching out for Rykerian.

  Julian led me to the bed and had me lay down. He took out his abracadabra wand and images started appearing everywhere. Obviously, I was amazed, but had no idea what was going on. His smile kept getting bigger and bigger, so I looked at Rykerian and he shrugged.

  “Well? Is she going to be all right?” Rykerian wanted to know.

  “Why yes. In approximately ten more weeks, her nausea and vomiting, along with her fatigue should disappear.”

  “Ten weeks!”

  “Oh, but then in about twenty nine weeks after that you will be extremely tired again!”

  “What? What is wrong with me?”

  “January, you are going to have a baby,” Julian said gently. “Here, let me help you up.”

  “Huh? A baby? What do you mean?” I asked as Julian helped me off the bed. My head was spinning with the news.

  “A baby?” Rykerian asked. He had a silly lopsided grin on his face.

  Julian was chuckling now. “Congratulations you two. You will make magnificent parents. Now January, get plenty of rest, make sure you eat well and you must take these vitamins every day.” He handed me a bottle of pills. “I’d like to check you again in a month.”

&nb
sp; “Okay.” I couldn’t speak. I was numb. Me? A baby? What was I going to do with a baby? I just got married for heaven’s sake!

  I stood there in shock as Julian left. Rykerian came and wrapped his arms around me like I was the most precious thing in the universe.

  “Sweet Deity! We are going to have a child.”

  The look on his face was one of pure enlightenment. Not because he had just found out he was going to be a father. It was something altogether different. Something I never expected in a million years.

  “We’re going to have a boy January. He was conceived the night Therron died; the night you showered me with your love and protected me with your soul.” He put his hands on either side of my head and kissed my forehead and said, “It is Therron’s way of speaking to us. He always said that when the Deity takes one soul away, another is sent to take its place,” his voice was filled with wonder and amazement. That was the last straw. I broke down and sobbed.

  His arms lifted me and carried me back to the bed. It seemed he was forever doing that, for one reason or another. He kept me wrapped in his arms and I kept sobbing. When there was nothing left to cry, he asked, “Is it that bad then?”

  “Oh Rykerian, it’s not that. I just wanted to have you to myself for a while. I never in a million years ever thought I would get pregnant so fast. I’m only nineteen and I thought we could wait. Well, the truth is I never even thought about it at all. I always knew I wanted children, but...” I sniffed. “And then I had thought about going to medical school and becoming a healer. I even spoke to Julian about it. I was going to discuss it with you but then Therron was killed and I never got a chance.”

  “A healer, huh? Do you not want to keep it then?” he asked it a very quiet voice.

  “WHAT? What do you mean? I could never...no! I mean YES! I want to keep it. Oh God! Rykerian, we made this child together. You and me! With our LOVE for each other. I could never...and if it is Therron speaking to us. Oh God Rykerian, how could you even think that?” The thought of what he was suggesting sickened me.

  “Sshh...” he put his fingers on my mouth. Then he kissed me and spoke against my lips. “I love you January and I have loved every single moment we have spent together and this child to me is a celebration of that love. It is tearing me apart to see you unhappy over this. That was why I asked.”