by Honor James
“Last we heard she was,” Volker told her, peering into the pizza boxes. Shutting the lids he looked to her and shrugged. “Haven’t seen her, ever actually, so I couldn’t even tell you anything about her except that she’s an AEDA agent on leave and that Gavriel and Artaxias are her mates. Oh and her name is Lilly and she’s human. Beyond that, nada.”
“She’s the reason that they brought me the photos that they were trying to decode isn’t it?” She asked with a frown. “She’s the one who was programmed to react to certain images.” At their look she shrugged. “Believe me, some of the stuff that I’ve read because I couldn’t touch electronics opened my mind to some really odd things. She was programmed to react to certain stimuli, and those kept popping up on dead men’s skin on a case she was working.”
“Not only on corpses’ skin,” Kristjan said. Both she and Volker looked his way. “What? I get into the office occasionally and listen around the water cooler. Apparently, and this is all off the record so you never heard nothing. But apparently these guys that programmed her took it even further and started to fuck with her work environment too. They replaced rugs all over the place so that if she caught sight of them she’d start to get that fugue state going. After that Ax and Gav took her home and kept her tucked away while they hunted for these assholes. But”—he shot them a look—“then the texting started. No matter what phone she had, no matter how many times they changed the number or set up restrictions, the texts with the image in them, came through. She can’t even touch a phone that has more than a quarter-inch screen right now without absolute fear that she could be triggered.”
“Damn. Which is why they need me,” Luna whispered. “I can deprogram her, but I refuse to try if she is pregnant. If so it will have to wait because it’s going to be brutal and exceptionally hard on her body. As much as I hate to say it, and think it, for now she might be best to just simply live like I have been living sans any electronics until after her child is born and she’s strong enough to go through deprogramming.”
“They are keeping her as far from electronics as they can. Anything that the ones trying to make contact can send something to her. It’s why they’ve gone retro with her cell phone. She needs to have one on her so that her mates have some semblance of knowing she’s safe. Though there is usually one with her at all times,” he told her.
“Which makes perfect sense, especially if she is pregnant. I couldn’t see any mates from the other side leaving their pregnant mate and unborn child alone. Period.” Ever. It was at least the feel she got and if her memories were anything to go from as well, it was the absolute truth.
“No, we tend to be slightly overprotective annoyances during a pregnancy. It’s actually amazing that more of us aren’t killed during that time,” Kristjan said, grinning in the mirror at her.
“There’s a first time for everything I’m sure,” Volker commented. “There.” He pointed to a driveway.
“Yup, I see it.” Kristjan pulled in and up to the gate. Leaning out he pressed the buzzer and waved. The gates began to open just as he pulled his head back in the window and he moved them up toward the house.
“Well just remind me that I love you if we ever are blessed thusly and that I can’t take off the head of the men that I love.” Or something like that. “Because I have a feeling that if we were to get pregnant and you two went over the top I might have to just kiss you or something.”
“I seriously doubt that would be your first instinct, but if it is, go with it,” Volker told her. As they stopped he slid out of the truck with the pizza in hand and pulled her door open to let her loose. “I happen to think it’s a better way to deal with pushy mates than other methods I’ve seen.”
Luna doubted that it would be her first instinct as well, but hey she would go with her first and then her second would undoubtedly be to hug and kiss them both. “And you are right, kissing you is always a good way to get what I want, right?” She hadn’t been with them but for a couple of days, but she had a feeling she was right on this one.
“Don’t know, but I think we should definitely experiment later,” he said, smiling slightly. Bumping the door shut he put a hand on her back and guided her up the walk to the front door. It was already open and someone, a large and imposing someone, was waiting. “Ax, good to see you,” he said.
The icy blue gaze settled on her for a long moment before the Vhampire nodded. “Good to see you, come on in. Lilly is happy to have something she wants instead of what we keep insisting she should eat. And I think she’s just happy to have some company beyond us.”
“What are you insisting that she eats?” Luna asked with a frown. “You can seriously not tell a pregnant woman what she can and cannot eat. That’s just seriously all around bad. I’m surprised that you are still alive if you are trying to tell her what she can and can’t eat. Poor woman.”
Artaxias just lifted a brow at her words. “She has some health issues that we are trying to regulate through her diet instead of putting her on drugs like the humans prefer. It’s not our way which,” he inhaled deeply. “As a Spiryte you should well understand. Your people are closer to the natural elements than any other of the races.”
He took the boxes from Volker and tipped his head. “They are both in the kitchen waiting most impatiently. Come along, but shoes off first,” he ordered before he headed toward the back of the house.
“Yeah well until just a few minutes ago I thought I was human.” Luna shot back at Artaxias. “And it’s good that you are helping her, from what I understand medications and the races don’t mix well.” Maybe that was why she had been in such a fog, she had been prescribed heavy medication to take daily. “Huh. Interesting,” she said as that thought hit her.
“Exactly.” Artaxias threw her a look. But she wasn’t sure to what he was agreeing with her about.
Volker just shook his head and urged her to keep moving. Kristjan was snickering behind her. The closer they got to the kitchen the louder the other pair seemed to be. When they got in there they found them arguing over a hand of cards.
Luna looked up at Volker and frowned. “What?” she asked quietly and then took in the sight of the man and woman arguing. “Are the two of you arguing over poker?” Luna grinned and took a seat. “I’ve read books about poker. Can I play?” She had read books written by the best poker players of their times and knew the ins and outs of the game like mad crazy, just no one would play with her.
Gavriel blinked at her. “You must be the mysterious Luna Black,” he said and grinned. “Sure, we’ll deal you in as soon as Lilly admits she is trying to distract me from playing my best with her underhanded tactics.”
“More like under the table,” Artaxias muttered. He passed out plates to everyone, each with a napkin on top. “What does everyone want to drink?”
Luna snickered and shook her head. She looked to Lilly who looked as if she were truly angelic, until she began to laugh. Between giggles she asked for water from Artaxias.
Lilly held her hands up and with lips twitching she shook her head. “I can’t help it if he gets distracted easily. All that I was doing was putting my hand on his knee. I can’t help it if Gavriel hasn’t yet figured out how to keep control of himself with me just touching him.” To which she added a flutter of her eyelashes at her mate. “And you know what I need, Ax.” The look that Lilly gave the large Vhampire was more than a request for a drink.
“Then you’ll just have to wait, won’t you,” he said, shooting her a look. He collected beers for the guys and plenty of water as well for everyone to have. Finally settling down next to Lilly he put a hand on the back of her neck and squeezed lightly. “Eat your food, babe, we’ll talk about the rest of it when the company goes away.”
Leaning into Artaxias Lilly smiled and nodded. “Sounds good to me. Later you will ensure that I’m happy, right?”
Luna grinned and looked up first at Kris and then Volker. She wondered if she was the only one who was feeling slightly un
comfortable or if this was a normal for the mated couples. She honestly didn’t know, but it was odd to her. Very odd.
Snorting at her Artaxias handed her a water and leaned in to whisper something in her ear. Lilly’s eyes went wide and then she laughed, hard.
“Ignore those two,” Gavriel advised, already digging into the pizza boxes. He took a slice and then a big bite, sighing happily as he chewed. “All right, Luna, what do you need to know, what do you want to know and is there anything I can help you with that’s not clear in your memories?”
Luna shook her head and frowned. “Wow, you just jumped right on in there didn’t you? I don’t know what part of that to answer first.” She admitted. “The memories are so jumbled that it’s not even funny. I want to know why I keep frying things out and why I shock everyone except for these two.” Which she was perfectly fine with that. “And why can I not tap into the power that I’m sure that I probably have?”
“You were in some sort of accident right?” he asked. She gave a nod, because everyone knew that. “And, from what I remember of the storyline, you had a serious head injury. Spirytes are magic based. We draw our powers from the universe around us and I mean from everything and anything. The people, the buildings, all the energy and shit that we live with.”
He took a sip of water and leaned forward, never taking his eyes off her. “Now, with a head injury, or blockage, your power could potentially go absolutely insane. At a guess I’m going to say that your mind and body shut down access to your abilities to protect you until you healed. But you never accessed the abilities again so you have a power build up, the shocks are, in effect, how your body is letting off little bits of excess energy so you didn’t have all your abilities just explode suddenly.”
“Yeah, exploding just doesn’t feel like a good term,” Luna whispered in horror. “Like every word that you are saying makes me think that I’m going to fall apart here, or explode. That’s not something I want.”
“Quit scaring her, Gavriel.” Volker growled at him.
“I’m being honest here, fanged wonder, so stuff it. You won’t explode,” Gavriel told her. “But your abilities are being smothered right now so you are shocking people and things around you. You can’t ever shock your mates because they are a part of you and you can’t shock yourself, right?”
“No I can’t shock myself.” Luna gave him and looked up at Kristjan again. “I’m terrified,” she admitted honestly and turned back to Gavriel. “I don’t know how to access the power inside of me. I feel it. All of it. But I can’t access it and that scares the crap out of me.”
“I can help you, it will likely hurt us both a little, but it’s possible. You’ll have to discuss it with your mates though because they will react when we do this. It’s super simple, we’ll do it outside with some space which is needed and I’ll unlock whatever is jammed up. Two minutes tops to do but you’ll have a headache and I’ll likely be nursing a few bruises from the end result of this.”
Luna looked up at her mates and with her eyes asked them what they thought. After a moment she looked at Gavriel and asked, “Can we wait until another day? I need to try to find my brother, and there is information that we have to go over and I don’t want to do it with a headache.”
“We can wait as long as you want. But be aware, now that you’ve scratched at the surface of your memories it might all explode free. If it does then your powers will snap back into place and you could end up hurting anyone and everyone around you. In this case it would include your mates since it’s not your powers so much as a side effect from your powers which means they won’t be safe. I am not saying this to pressure you, Luna. But you deserve to know the truth,” Gavriel said quietly.
Once more she looked to her mates. She needed their take on this. “What do the two of you think? Should we do this now and get it over with? Do it and then you both take me home and pamper me for the rest of the night?”
Kristjan sighed and looked at her. “I think it would be better to do it now, darling. If you don’t and it suddenly resets in a crowded space, who knows the damage that could be done. Or while in a vehicle, you’d knock the driver out and the Gods only know the damage that could result in.”
She hesitated also because they had been going to form their bond tonight, however they were right. “Okay. We will do this after we have had dinner.” Even if she was afraid to eat. “Or should we do it before eating? I really hate throwing up and if I am going to have a headache I just wonder what else it will do to me.”
“Your choice, but I’d recommend eating at least something. If you don’t want to screw with pizza than we have some Jell-O in the fridge, some pudding and even cheese and crackers if you’d like. But something in your stomach wouldn’t be a bad thing. Better than worrying and stirring up all that stomach acid to the point that it’s a cauldron of destruction gnawing at your lining.”
“Good point,” Luna said with a sigh and looked longingly at the pizza. “I think that I will just finish off the breadsticks then as long as no one minds? I don’t think that I should have meats and spices right now, but the bread, it’s so good with its garlicky butter yumminess.”
“Go right ahead,” Gavriel smiled at her. Grabbing another slice he took a big bite and hummed softly.
Kristjan took another slice as well and sank his teeth into it. He gave a similar hum of happiness and shot her a wink. “So how’s this going to work, Gav?” he asked after swallowing his mouthful.
Taking a drink of beer Gavriel shrugged. “Not that hard really. I’ll draw on my abilities and have Luna touch me. To get a sense of how backed up everything is and to read what’s going on inside of her from a magical standpoint. Once I get a read then I’ll have her sit down and I’ll do a mystical surgery on whatever’s got her blocked. Now, I should warn you two, even though you haven’t mated with her you’ll likely get a bit of something from her. It’ll be like a wave of sensation, small though because you aren’t fully mated, but it’ll likely rock you on your heels. And you’ll more than likely want to kill me. Resist the urge.”
Volker snorted and rolled his eyes. “I want to kill you on a nearly daily basis when I’m near you, Gav. I’ve resisted the urge so far.”
“You too?” Artaxias asked, shooting the other Vhampire a look. “Fuck, I thought it was just me.”
“No, but I think he’s got a serious skill for getting under a Vhampire’s skin and rubbing him the wrong way.”
“I keep telling you, Ax, I have talents,” Gavriel grinned.
Lilly just grinned and patted Gavriel’s hand. “That you do Gav, that you do. You have some mad skills, but so too does Ax so I would try to refrain from poking him too much. Save the poking for me if you wouldn’t mind?”
Luna snorted, “Oh god please tell me that you did not just say that?” Looking to her men she shook her head and asked. “When I get like that, please distract me from saying something silly by kissing me or something?”
“Deal,” they both said.
Volker shot her a grin and sipped his water. “I personally can’t wait for you to get to that stage. Though, around us, you are pretty much there and worse right now. You have zero issue saying whatever’s on your mind to us even if you haven’t realized you were speaking until after the fact.”
“Dear god don’t remind me.” She then proceeded to look at Lilly, Gavriel and Artaxias and tell them exactly what they meant. By the end of her little tirade she turned red and put her face in her palms, face palming moment that it was. “Crap on a freaking cracker I did it again.” Someone needed to install the filter to her mouth, soon, or she would be a permanent shade of red.
Everyone laughed at her embarrassment. Even her mates, but they would, they knew it well. “It’s okay, Luna,” Kristjan said, still chuckling. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close for a hug, pressing a kiss to her temple. “We still adore you even if you don’t have any filters on your sexy little mouth.”
“I
t’s good that you do because if you didn’t then we would be in a world of hurt because I truly do want both of you to keep me because I am damn well keeping both of you,” she stated bluntly and without hesitation. “I need you both in my life too much to filter what I want and need.”
“Of course we want to keep you,” he said, giving her a squeeze. “You are amazing and our mate, two excellent reasons right there. And we don’t mind if you say whatever you wish whenever you wish.”
“That’s a good thing since it seems I cannot seem to keep my thoughts and desires from the two of you.” Luna leaned into Kristjan however who wrapped his arm around her and smiled. “It’s very good that you want to keep me because I think I would fall apart without you.”
“No falling apart, darling,” he said with a laugh. Rubbing his hand up and down her arm he rocked her a little. “At least not outside the bedroom. Inside you can fall apart all you want to with us,” he assured her. When she looked he had a big grin on his face and wiggled his eyebrows at her.
Luna began to laugh. Shaking her head she looked at Gavriel and asked bluntly. “Please tell me that one of the abilities that I might have will be in making my mate’s clothes disappear just with a thought?” Again, her mouth ran off without her.
Gavriel, beer bottle near his lips, froze and had that caught-in-the-headlights look. “Uh, dunno,” he said, his tone cautious. “Your Spiryte royalty so the Gods only know what abilities you will have. And, from what Volker told me of your lineage, which is seriously old by the way, you could have it. I can’t promise anything since I don’t know for sure. Most Spirytes are pretty hush-hush about their abilities though rumors over the centuries do pop up here and there. We’ll know more once we get you unclogged.”
Luna looked to her mates and smiled. “I sincerely hope that it is one of them. It will make the coming headache worth the while,” she muttered. “Have I ever mentioned how much I hate headaches?”
