by Mikayla Lane
“That was Quinn! Not Christopher!” Chris argued weakly, knowing his father was right.
“Son . . .” Grai had to pause to control his own rising temper. “Get it together before you try and fix things with her. At the rate you’re going now, your own son will kill you before you get to see him born. You can scoff at me all you want, but if I were you, I’d suck it up and ask your sister and the other females how to fix it, because you’ll never see Quinn or your son again at the rate you’re going.”
Without another word, Grai left the small room and slammed the door behind him so hard one of the hinge bolts almost popped out.
Chris shook his head and refused to even consider talking to Angel, Dree, or Lara about the situation with Quinn. He and Quinn had been the best of friends for 10 years, and he knew he could easily manipulate her back into his life and hopefully his arms by using the knowledge gained from their years together.
Now that she’s here, I’ll have more control as well. Problem solved, Chris thought with a grin until his swollen jaw protested the movement.
“He can hit like a freight train, can’t he? Are you OK?” Mikal asked as he popped into the room and winced at Chris’s face.
“Yeah, and yeah,” Chris agreed. “Where’s Quinn?”
“She’s in the medlab with Lara and Chance. They are waiting for Amun and Lauren. Dree, Angel, Sam, and the cats are on their way back in another transport in case you were wondering—you know, about the rest of your assigned team.”
Chris stood and made a move towards the door, but Mikal moved into his path. Chris tried to go around him, and Mikal again moved to block him from the door.
“What the fuck, bro?” Chris growled.
“You broke our code,” Mikal said simply.
Chris chuckled and took a few steps back from his brother.
“Oh, come on! We were kids when we said that crazy shit,” he argued a little nervously.
Suddenly Deacon came in the room, and Chris thought that he’d get a reprieve from Mikal’s anger until Chris saw the look on Deacon’s face.
“What the hell?! I screwed up, and I know it!” Chris argued as he threw his hands up in exasperation. “Do you really think that calling on some childish oath and punishment we made up as kids is going to fix it?”
Deacon struck him so hard he hit the ground and almost blacked out. Chris closed his eyes and shook his head to clear it as Deacon knelt beside him.
“You bastard! We raised every damn one of our brothers on that oath, and they believed in it as much as you did when the three of us created it! Don’t sit here and try to nullify it just because it was your dumb ass who was the first to break it,” Deacon growled at him.
Deacon shook his head in disgust before he stood and looked at Mikal.
“Maybe you can talk some sense into the asshole,” Deacon said before he stormed out of the door.
He slammed the door so hard the heavy metal banged loudly as it hit the frame and then the wall, sinking the door handle into the drywall. This time the added force caused the lower hinge to break, and it made a huge crash as the top hinge broke from the weight, and the door banged to the floor. Chris looked up in time to see Deacon stomping down the hallway. The door breaking behind him didn’t even interrupt his stride.
Chris leaned back against the bed, raised his knees, and put his head in his hands.
“I take it everyone is in agreement?” Chris asked, already knowing the answer by his awakening reception from his family.
Mikal snorted and raised a white eyebrow.
“What do you think? Dad’s right; you almost killed us all. And your explosive temper nearly killed your mate and child. Consider this a lesson in control,” Mikal said with an evil smile.
“We were kids!” Chris argued weakly.
He knew Deacon and Mikal were right. The three of them had made the oath to protect one another and others from their power. Chris knew he’d broken that oath with his treatment of Quinn and while battling Satalis.
Mikal sat on the floor next to Chris and put an arm around his shoulder.
“If it makes you feel any better, I took my shot, and so did Deacon. Dad doesn’t count because he was never a part of the oath,” Mikal said.
Chris snorted and tried not to think about how badly both sides of his jaw hurt—or how bad it’d be in the days to come once all of his brothers had taken their shots at him.
“Dad was really pissed,” Chris muttered.
Mikal slapped Chis in the side of the head.
“You’re such an idiot that I can’t believe we allow you to lead us anywhere. Dad isn’t pissed; he’s scared to death—for you and your son. You’re supposed to teach the kid control, and your still-gestating kid has more than you do!” Mikal exploded in exasperation.
“I get it! I get it,” Chris mumbled, not wanting to fight with Mikal.
“Do you?” Mikal countered, completely unconvinced by Chris’s attitude.
“Do you really think this is how I wanted it to go?” Chris shot back. “Damn, bro, seriously! My mate hates my guts, and my kid thinks I’m an ass that needs to be shot across the lawn to keep away from his mother. Dad is disappointed, and that kills me more than if he was pissed at me!”
Chris managed to get to his feet and he paced the small room.
“Not to mention—I don’t even remember half of what happened with Satalis!” Chris ground out.
“Yeah, we got vids from Blade’s transport. It was the only thing electronic that wasn’t close enough to be blown by your dumb ass,” Mikal said with a small smile.
“Took out all the body cams?” Chris countered.
Mikal nodded his head.
“Body cams, our comms, scanners, and vids on Deacon’s ship too before he could get far enough away. You made one hell of a mess, and we need all the footage of that bastard we can get,” Mikal said with a sigh.
Chris sucked in a breath as the memories flashed clearly in his mind.
“Satalis almost shit himself in fear. He was scared, truly scared,” Chris whispered as he closed his eyes and allowed the memories to play back in his mind.
Mikal moved a few inches away from Chris then slammed his body into Chris’s to jar him from his thoughts.
“Man, you’re an idiot! We all almost shit ourselves! We were all scared! You had Shane, Reign, and Gun praying to dozens of gods for the safety of your body and soul, and Dad . . . Dad was a mess,” Mikal argued, his gaze holding Chris’s. “Don’t screw this up in your mind to be something it wasn’t. It wasn’t a fact-finding mission. It wasn’t done to help . . . you fucked up, man. You almost killed us all because you lost control.”
Chris sighed heavily and nodded his head.
“Can I go see my kid now?” he asked.
Mikal growled and shook his head as he stood.
“You’re killing me. Or I should say—you’re going to get me killed,” Mikal said as he held his hand down to help Chris off the floor.
Chris took Mikal’s hand and stood but kept hold of his hand as he looked into Mikal’s eyes.
“I have heard you and Father clearly. Thank you, for being here for me,” Chris whispered, sending his brother his love and gratitude through his energy.
Mikal leaned his forehead down to touch Chris’s like they’d done when they were scared little boys.
“I will always have your back. But I’m also going to be the one to kick your damn ass if you don’t get a handle on yourself,” Mikal said through the shengari’ before he disappeared from the room.
Chris nodded his head to the empty room, understanding exactly what Mikal meant. The consequences of being an out of control and dangerous brother were also clearly outlined in their brotherly oath. If they were going to hold him to the minor consequences, he didn’t want to see if they would honor the extreme ones as well.
*****
Quinn sat on the comfortable bed in the medlab and looked around her in amazement at what appeared to be a regular t
riage room. The only difference was the strange instruments, the odd items in a glass-front cabinet, and the computer.
“You don’t have to be scared,” Lara assured her. “Lauren and Amun are the best. They are experts in hybrids of all kinds. You and Christopher are in good hands.”
“I’m a human though. Do they have a clue what to do with a human?” Quinn asked, feeling anxious and overwhelmed.
“I’m a human as well,” Lara explained with a smile. “Just like you, I have a beast in my head. I know how you feel. This is all kind of crazy, and you’re feeling overwhelmed. I did when I found out. Hell, I took people hostage and shot someone.”
“No! Oh my God! Are they OK?” Quinn gasped, caught between laughing and feeling horrified.
“Oh yeah, Traze is fine! Luckily everyone was really patient and helped me through it all. We’ll help you in any way we can. Angel is Chris’s sister, and she’ll be here soon with Dree, who is the mate of Chris’s brother, Liam,” Lara said. “They are both pregnant and due around the time you are with Christopher.”
“They don’t have to come!” Quinn argued, not believing other pregnant females would calm her nerves at all.
“Well, too bad!” Angel said with a grin as she barged in the door with Dree. “Since this is our home, and you’re our newest family member, this is exactly where we’re supposed to be!”
Quinn was bemused by the differences in the tall, dark-haired woman and the smaller blond, who walked right up and hugged her as if she were a lost friend.
“Another boy! I’m so glad! We’ll have two of each here now!” Dree said excitedly as she held her hand on Quinn’s stomach.
“You already know what you’re having too?” Quinn asked.
The four women in the room laughed, and Angel turned twinkling eyes to Quinn.
“They kind of make sure you know what they are pretty early,” Angel admitted with a wink. “Drago and I are having a girl named Isana.”
“Liam and I are naming our son Thrane,” Dree added as her blue eyes shone with excitement.
“Who has the other girl? You said two of each,” Quinn asked, wondering if she’d heard correctly.
“Mikal and I have a daughter named Charlie,” Chance explained. “She’s with Grai’s wife, Tricia, right now, but Mikal will get her soon.”
Quinn’s head felt like it was spinning with all the names and people associated with Chris. She’d always thought he was a loner like her; she had no idea he had a family larger than some small towns.
Just thinking of how much she really didn’t know about Chris only made her angrier at him. It wasn’t just the horrible things he’d said to her, it was that she felt like the entire 10 year friendship had been a lie.
“Hey, everything will be OK. Your son seems perfect, and you’re safe now. We take care of our own,” Angel said, hoping to reassure the increasingly angry and nervous Quinn.
The lights flickered in the room, and everyone looked to Quinn who blushed.
“Sorry . . . it’s just all a little overwhelming,” Quinn admitted.
Her stomach chose that moment to growl like a starving dog, and everyone burst into laughter.
“Come on; I’m always starving too, so don’t feel bad. Amun and Lauren can come get us in the kitchen,” Dree said as she held out her petite hand to Quinn.
Needing no other incentives, Quinn took the offered hand and slid off the bed. She followed the women through a maze of hallways before they ended up in a large, spacious kitchen.
“How many people live here?” Quinn wondered aloud as she looked around.
“Well,” Angel began as she rummaged through the fridge. “There’s 24 of us Dranovians, six Tezarians, and a prime. I guess I’m a prime too, but I’ll always consider myself a Dranovian like my brothers. Now you . . . that’s 32 and soon to be 4 children.”
“You can’t be serious,” Quinn whispered, thinking it had to be a joke.
“No, we’ve been together a long time,” Angel replied as she and Dree began loading down the table with food. “We like having each other’s backs and working together.”
“We also need the unique abilities of one another in order to defeat Satalis,” Lara added as she grabbed some chips and popped them open.
Dree threw a piece of sliced ham at Lara, which she easily caught and put in her mouth.
“We care about one another too. We’re a family,” Dree added before throwing a volley of illusions at Lara.
Quinn watched in awe as kitchen items flew at Lara’s head, and she waved a hand and easily dispersed them.
“Yes, we care very much for one another,” Lara added before she stuck her tongue out at Dree.
“How big is this place?” Quinn asked as Angel waved her towards the table.
Quinn accepted the plate Angel handed her, and she picked at the food on the table, putting a few things on her plate.
“You better grab more than that! I can’t be the only one eating more than the men!” Dree snickered before she dumped a few fried chicken legs on Quinn’s plate.
“Yeah, no kidding. I know you have be hungrier than that,” Angel agreed as she dumped a huge scoop of potato salad on Quinn’s plate next to the chicken.
“OK, OK,” Quinn said with a laugh as she pulled her plate away from the two women and sat on Lara’s other side.
Quinn accepted a fork from Lara and looked at the happy women as they ate together.
“Anyway, to answer your question,” Angel said, chewing a piece a chicken. “Basically all of our homes are around 50,000 square feet, most of which is beneath the ground for our protection. The hangar you came in at is the uppermost part of the compound. We’re sitting at the level two kitchen right now.”
“We’re underground?” Quinn was so surprised her fork was still midway to her mouth as her head whipped around at the windows and light she saw coming in through them.
Angel gestured to the windows with her fork.
“That’s all artificial light programmed to prevent anyone from freaking out over being underground, although none of us ever had a problem. You’re not claustrophobic are you?” Angel asked.
“No, I’m not,” Quinn whispered, wondering why they continued to assume she was staying with them.
Quinn had been alone most of her life, and as much as she liked the women and meeting Chris’s family, she needed and wanted to get away from him and all of the craziness so she could think clearly and plan her next move.
Quinn listened quietly as the women explained the compound to her, deciding to broach the subject of leaving once she was sure Christopher was OK.
“There’s an entertainment level, training level, a family living level—that’s a new one that Dad made for us now that we have families! There’s already a great suite of rooms in between mine and Dree’s that you can have!” Angel said with excitement.
Quinn put down her fork. Her appetite had suddenly disappeared, and she was beginning to feel nauseous. Her mind completely shut out Angel and Dree’s happy chatter about planning her life for her.
“Hey!”
Lara’s sharply whispered word pulled Quinn back to the present.
“I’m sorry; my mind wandered. It’s all a bit much to take in,” Quinn quickly muttered.
Keeping her gaze on her plate, Quinn picked up her fork and played with the mound of potato salad as silence hung heavy in the air.
“You don’t want to stay,” Dree said as Angel and Lara waited to see if Quinn would admit it.
Quinn sighed heavily and put her fork down. Never one to back down from anything, she looked up into the expectant faces of the women.
“No, I don’t want to stay. It’s not you . . .” Quinn rushed to add when Angel turned her head to wipe her tears.
“We know that!” Dree said as she handed a napkin to Angel. “It’s Chris, the situation . . . hell, everything. We understand; we were just hoping things could be fixed, and we could raise our children together the way the brothers a
nd Angel were raised.”
Quinn felt terrible, but she knew that she couldn’t live that close to Chris, and she wouldn’t stay and force him from his family. She knew he didn’t love her; the only reason he’d come for her at all was Christopher. For that she was grateful—but not enough to live among them.
“I’m sure we can work out an arrangement so the children can still spend time together,” Quinn whispered, keeping her gaze on her plate and from the quietly crying Angel.
“Of course!” Lara said with a smile. “We basically have unlimited resources and can manage anything we put our minds to. In fact, why don’t you tell us your plans, and we’ll do what we can to help you with them.”
Angel and Dree shot Lara incredulous looks before she explained her idea to them through the shengari’.
“Oh hey! Yeah . . . we can help you,” Angel offered, wiping the last of her tears as she realized Lara’s plan could work.
“Beta!” Dree called out and clapped her hands in excitement. “It’s perfect!”
“Yes!” Angel said with twinkling eyes.
“I’ll see if Thjodhild can get rooms ready for us. Isn’t Amun, Lauren, and Sergei taking apart half the medlab there in order to bring it here anyway?” Lara asked.
“Yes, they are! Oh, this is far too perfect!” Angel said, her excitement level rising.
Dree, Angel, and Lara contacted their mates through the shengari’ and enlisted their help in keeping Chris distracted while they made their escape.
“What are you talking about?” Quinn asked. She was becoming more nervous the more excited the women became and wondered what they had planned for her.
“We’re talking about Shangri La, the Garden of Eden, a paradise of peace . . .” Angel said with a dreamy sigh.
“It’s real?” Quinn croaked out.
“If there is ever a mythical place of peace and tranquility, it is Base Beta. It’s just temporary! I swear,” Angel said.
“Exactly!” Dree added. “Only long enough for us to figure out where you can make a new home for baby Christopher and yourself. A place where you won’t have to worry about being bothered or in danger again.”
