Immortal Becoming

by Wendy S. Hales

  He could feel her sated contentment. Through the psychic bridge she’d just shared with him, Jess now had a clearer idea of what bloodmating with him would feel like. Her dawning realization bloomed in her with anticipation and longing. He still needed to hear her say yes. At least now she would know what she was saying yes too.

  The residual tremors receded, and Shane was able to set Jess on her feet. Lathering her curves, he shampooed and conditioned the silken bounty of her hair. He could feel her utter exhaustion. Except for the few hours at his apartment a few days ago, and the time she was unconscious after her iron poisoning, she hadn’t had any rest, nor had she eaten in over twenty-four hours. He was treating her more like a fellow Ranger on a mission than a caring mate.

  Holding her against him, he towel dried them both. She was languid, practically dozing off against him. Scooping her into his arms, he laid her gently on the bed. Shane was unable to stop smiling. Jess curled up on her side like a kitten, her eyes falling closed on a sigh. Her hand reached out in search of his warmth. Beautiful, brave … mine.

  Compelled to touch her, he swept a lock of her hair from her cheek, lingering his fingers against the softness. Leaning over, he pressed a feather-light kiss to her temple. “Shane.” A soft, breathy whisper escaped her. Joy filled him. His name on her kiss-bruised lips was his undoing. Jess’s hand reached farther across the mattress, searching until he captured it in his.

  “Rest, Beauty. I am just going to find us something to eat. Then we can call a cab to take us to the Ryu.” She answered with another sigh, followed within seconds by little purring snores. He thought his heart would burst from his chest simply watching her sleep.

  The youngest of four brothers, Shane had historically never allowed himself to become close to anyone outside his family. Especially females. He loved females, all females, in every species. He had never lacked for sexual partners over the centuries. But he’d always avoided even short emotional interludes with any of them. He had even turned down a prior protégé because he didn’t want to mentor a female.

  His father had died when he was not much older than Jerika, killed by a pack of male Hulven Morsdentes led by a female Elven. The dynamic had never been duplicated to his knowledge. His father had led the hunt for the pack for decades before finally catching up with them on a small Australian island. The pack was psychically high from killing a school of Aquaties and had pretended to be raping the female leader. His father had fought for the female’s release, carrying her out of harm’s way while his companions continued to battle the remaining pack. Weakened from his injuries sustained fighting for her freedom, he was unprepared when the female had tightened her arms around his neck and struck his vein. He was already losing blood from his wounds, and it had taken the female only minutes to finish off the great warrior.

  Shane’s eldest brother, Gregor, was the first of the hunting party to realize what was happening. He removed the Mordent’s head before his father’s body hit the ground, but it was too late. His father was drained.

  At the same time, Shane had been teasing his mother while she hung laundry on the line. He had been looking forward to beginning Meshy Hell the following week. He had been telling his mother she was going to get lax not having anyone except Father around to chase after, and she had thrown a clothes pin at him. His brother, Miguel, had appeared, and her eyes had become large and glazed.

  “Nippur! Please, Fates, no. Nooooo,” she’d screamed, followed by a long broken wail, before collapsing into Miguel's arms.

  “Mother?” Shane knelt beside them, taking his mother’s hand. He felt the bond to his father break and knew his brothers where feeling it too. “Mother!”

  “Stay with us,” Miguel had pleaded. The look on his face told the story: She would join their father.

  Gregor appeared by their mother’s head, still breathing heavy from the battle, covered in the blood of their father and his killer. Tears streaming down his face, he’d fallen to his knees sobbing. “I failed him, Mother. I am so sorry.” His head hung in grief. Conlon had come next, taking position beside Shane, one hand on Shane’s shoulder and the other clasping his hand over Shane’s and their mother’s.

  Still cradled in Miguel’s arms, with Shane and Conlon holding one of her hands, she’d reached out to cup Gregor’s cheek with her other hand, linking them all together. She let her love for them flow freely one last time.

  “No, Gregor, you did not fail him. You could never fail him. He loved you, all of you. We both have been honored to have you four as our sons. You boys have been our pride and joy. Promise me.” She met each of their tear-filled gazes with her own, silently eliciting a nod of agreement from each of them, the way only a mother can. “You will take care of each other. Stay close always.” Again each boy nodded to her in turn. Then she released a final breath and her heart ceased to beat. Her energy released to the universe in search of their father’s, doubling the empty spot left in her sons.

  Through their family bond, they had retrieved their father’s body. Tying their mother and father together face to face and heart to heart per custom, they lit a double pyre, burning them to ash together.

  Gregor’s mate Teja, her belly swollen with child, had joined them in mourning. Standing stoically beside her mate and his three brothers, she’d paid homage and bore witness to the pyres burning for four full days. Shane adored his brother’s mate. Teya held strong and brave for his brother during that dark time. Still Shane had shied way from anyone who might cause in him the devastation he’d seen in his mother’s eyes. He’d never wanted to risk getting close enough to anyone to chance that, until Jess. Now he understood. What he felt for her was a miracle.

  Gregor and Teja had a baby girl a few months after his parents’ death. Shane and his brothers had all come for the birth, each offering an ounce of blood to the health of mother and child.

  Irsu, named after their mother, Girsu, charmed her way into the hearts of her brawny uncles. A rebel in her own right, Irsu had refused to settle on a mate and had instead elected to have a child on her own. That child was Jerika. Head-strong and independent like her mother, she was the only female Shane could not refuse to mentor.

  Jess wasn’t the only one checking in with family at the Ryu. Jerky Girl would be there too.

  Chapter Twenty

  Jess woke to the smell of pancakes and coffee. Stretching her body, she felt aches in the yummiest places. She got out of bed and made her way into the bathroom, where she caught her reflection. Her hair was completely dry, wild from having fallen asleep on it wet. Splashing water on her face and putting her hair into a ponytail, she headed to the source of the smells making her belly rumble. Again.

  The sound of voices stopped her outside the kitchen door. “So let me get this straight.” Eric sounded disbelieving and somewhat annoyed. “Jess has family that looks like her?” Someone must have nodded because he continued. “You see her and think, ‘Huh, I wonder if she is related to this guy I know.’” Again a pause before Eric continued. Obviously this was not the first time this explanation had been told. “Dumb-ass luck, you call said buddy, and lo and behold, hallefuckinleuia, she turns out to be the long-lost prodigal child of a rich family.” A long exasperated sigh. “I still am not buying it, especially since you’re fucking her. Did you fuck her before or after this rich family claimed her?”

  A scrapping sound, followed by the bang of one of the kitchen chairs hitting the floor, and the pound of something heavy hitting the wall behind where she was standing told the story. Ducking through the doorway, she wasn’t surprised to see someone pressed to the wall. She was mildly surprised to see it was Eric rather than Shane. “Don’t you ever disrespect your sister.” Shane teeth were clenched. “I didn’t say they were rich, fuckwad. I said they wanted to pay her travel expenses and cover her salary.”

  “I wasn’t disrespecting her, prick. I was questioning you.” Eric was holding his hands out to the sides in acceptance of his position, which was not to b
e confused with surrender. Jess knew full well she’d trained Eric to break that hold easily. Eric bit right back at Shane. “It all seems just a little too convenient for my taste. You show up, sweep her off her feet, and introduce her to some long-lost fucking ‘we can pay for everydamnthing’ family. You have just the perfect candidate to take over her classes while she goes off with you to get to know this supposed family. I may have been born at night, but it sure as shit wasn’t last night.”

  Figuring she better break up the bromance, Jess entered the kitchen, hands on her hips. “Shane, put my brother down before I kick your ass myself.” Turning to Eric, she said, “Shane didn’t even mention my family until after I threw him down. You, baby brudder, are outta line.” Grasping both men on the shoulder, she stood on her tiptoes to bestow a kiss to both of their cheeks. They continued to glare at one another, but at least they both had their hands to themselves. Turning to the counter, Jess grabbed a plate and started loading it with pancakes. “I hope these are for me.”

  Eric picked up the chair from the floor and sat back at the table. Shane poured her a glass of OJ and handed it to her. Jess took a seat across from her fuming brother as Shane loaded his own plate.

  “There’s plenty here if you want some, Eric,” Shane offered.

  Eric, never one to turn down food, loaded a plate. Shane took the chair beside her. His leg rubbed up against hers under the table, and he met her eyes with a meaningful stare, making her blush.

  “No footsie under the table. Geesh.” Eric sat back across from them, rolling his eyes.

  A double knock sounded and the back door opened. Aymee and Jerika came in. “You could have warned me that class had Navy Freaking Seals,” Jerika whined.

  “And miss the look on your face? Not on your life, sista.” Shrugging, Aymee added, “You did good.”

  “Good, I almost got hacked in half. Long swords! Who the hell trains with long swords anymore?” Still grumbling, Jerika took a deep breath in. “Is that pancakes?” Shane nodded, using his fork to motion to the heaping plate on the counter. Aymee and Jerika began filling plates.

  “Jess teaches the only long-sword class in the area, plus our Ryu’s classes are known through the military ranks as challenging and innovative. We’ve worked hard to make a name for our little school,” Aymee lectured. “Admit it, chick, those Seals are nnniicccee to look at, and they pay a fortune for that class.” Aymee took the seat next to Eric while Jerika leaned against the counter.

  Jess loved that class. She was actually kind of bummed that she missed it. “So how do you think you did?” she asked Jerika.

  “I need more work with the long swords.” Jerika glanced at Shane, and he gave her a slight nod. “I think I held my own.” Shoving a forkful into her mouth, she chewed thoughtfully and swallowed before adding, “They were pretty fine to look at.” Her gaze moved suggestively to Eric.

  Oh shit, he wouldn’t, would he? Reaching over, Jess batted the top of her brother’s head. Setting her fork down, she glared at Eric and Jerika. “Look, you two. There will be no—and I mean no, nadda, ziltch—work hook-ups. Period. Not with co-workers. Not with clients. Am I clear?” Eric knew this, but she included him in the “do not fuck with me” stare along with Jerika.

  Once the awkward silence was out of the way, Jerika asked, “So does that mean I get to cover your leave? Am I hired?”

  Jess looked from Aymee to Eric, receiving a nod of approval from both of them before answering. “If you want a job, you’re hired, whether I go on leave or not.” Giving Shane an annoyed look, she added, “I haven’t decided if I’m going for sure yet.” Eric snorted. “If I do, I expect the people I love and have supported to support my decision.” She looked pointedly at Eric.

  “I will. It’s just everything is happening too fast.” Eric looked down shamefully.

  “Aymee and Eric need to know you’re okay without my influence.” Shane verbalized what she had already deduced.

  Shane and Jerika watched, looking uncomfortable. “Jess, you want Shane and me to go grab your Jeep and bring it here for you?” Jerika gave her an easy way to be alone with Eric and Aymee.

  “I only caught part of the story you were telling them,” Jess protested to Shane. “What about Moira?”

  “Turns out Moira had her own plan in place should something like this ever happen to her.” She could tell Shane didn’t like Moira’s plan by the tone of his voice. She was coming to appreciate her aunt’s innovative style.

  “I’ll help you telepathically with Aymee and Eric if you want, or I can give you the memory of my conversations. That way you can have true privacy with them,” Shane offered.

  “The memories would be great. I haven’t had that before.” Suddenly her mind was infused with Shane’s memories. He’d made a call to the Ryu earlier and spoke to Jerika, Aymee, and Eric by speakerphone. That one had an overlay of a simultaneous telepathic conversation in which Shane told Jerika that he was in love with Jess. Then she got the full view of what had transpired between Shane and Eric before she awoke. Eric was lucky Shane just put him to the wall.

  “Thank you, Jerika. It would be great if you and Shane would grab my Jeep for me.” She added telepathically to Shane, “Please get my purse and gym bag too.”

  Heading for the door, Jerika baited Shane. “I get to drive the Jeep back. You can drive my Kia.”

  Giving Jess a peck on the cheek, Shane headed for the door. “Don’t even try it, Jerky. Never gonna happen.” Shane pulled the door closed behind him, but Jess could hear them bickering back and forth all the way down the drive, ending only when she heard the two slams of car doors. Was her hearing getting better?

  “So, what’s really going on?” Grabbing a cup of coffee and taking her seat opposite two of the people she loved most in the world, Jess got right to it, not sure how much time they would have. “Is it Shane you don’t like or something else?”

  Eric gave an impatient snort, and Aymee elbowed Eric in warning, answering for them both. “It’s not that we don’t like him, what little we know of him. It just seems too fast. You just met this guy, yet you are willing to let an unknown take over your classes so that you can spend more time with him. It’s just not like you to be so … so … I don’t even know what to call it,” Aymee ended in a shrug.

  Always helpful, Eric jumped in to explain. “Irresponsible, impulsive, neglectful,” he said, succeeding in pissing her off. “I mean, aside from the short period of time you saw her perform at the academy, what did you really know about Jerika before letting her take over your classes?”

  “I thought you said she was doing good and you wanted her to work at the Ryu. Especially if I take this trip to meet these people I may be related too …” Jess started.

  “That’s another thing.” Eric cut her off. “How do you know you are related to them?”

  “It does seem rather odd,” Aymee added

  Eric continued, “We were all for you taking a couple of days with Shane. Hell, we’ve both spent days on end in bed with new lovers.” Aymee and Eric elbowed back and forth. “We are happy for you. The sex seems to be keeping your headaches and anxiety down.” Aymee nodded agreement as Eric spoke. “Talk to us, Jess, the way you always have. What are you really thinking?”

  “And more important, are you happy?” Aymee glared at Eric.

  Jess sighed. “You are right about everything happening so fast. It’s difficult to wrap my brain around the fact that it’s only been a few days. I feel like I’ve known Shane forever, yet I know so little about him too. Does that make sense?”

  Eric shook his head and stared at her like she was nuts. Aymee nodded with understanding. Jess had to wonder if the reason why Aymee never kept a guy around more than a few days was because she was secretly in love with someone she couldn’t be with. They both kept secrets from each other. Jess’s was her abilities, differences she had always hidden and downplayed. Could she be catching a glimpse of Aymee’s secret?

  She hated outright lying.
She couldn’t give them the entire truth. She was still learning the truth about herself, and there was no way she could explain what she didn’t fully understand. She would just have to stick as close to the truth as possible. “Even though you two told me to go ‘explore my sexuality,’ I actually had every intention of returning to finish up my classes for the day. I became ill, the way I do sometimes. It was bad.”

  Eric and Aymee looked at each other knowingly, then back to Jess. “Why didn’t you call?” Aymee asked.

  “I was about to,” Jess assured them. “I really like Shane, and I didn’t want him to see me sick.” She would burn in hell for that lie, she could already feel it. “Instead we got talking about family history, how I have always gotten sick, how the doctors have no idea why, how I have no one to ask if it is genetic. Shane mentioned a friend who had the same symptoms. He said the guy kind of resembled me, too: Blond hair, green eyes, the same gold star pattern around the pupil. Shane called him to ask him what he had and how he treated it. This friend of his has a mineral imbalance. He treats it with oranges, almonds, and grapes. I have been following the drink recipe and I can already feel the difference. I feel so much better.” She didn’t mention the mental shielding.

  “I knew it.” Aymee clapped her hands together. “I always knew it was diet.”

  “You were right.” Jess chuckled. “I also learned that chicken isn’t good for me. How suckie is that? No more chicken and dumplings.”

  “We’ll eat them for you, sis,” Eric piped up. Jess could tell through empathy that they both were feeling less worried about her already.

  “Yeah, I’m sure you will, brat.” She sighed with a pout before continuing with her half-tale. “Shane asked the guy if it was genetic, and sure enough it is. Lots of people in this guy’s family have this. I told this guy my mother and father’s name, and he checked with his family to see if either of my parents was related. No one in his family had ever heard of either of them. Shane and I spoke with them later, via Skype. Shane’s friend and his friend’s twin sister where both on camera, and it was amazing in a kind of creepy way. The woman looked exactly like my mother did. I really think they are family, and I think they could help me feel better, help me get control of this imbalance I have.