Me, too, Kil. God, I’ve missed this, missed being inside you, the way you moan and beg.
Killian gasped as Shiloh moved, slowly at first, then faster, thrusting as deeply as possible into Killian.
So good, so hot. Shiloh pegged Killian’s gland repeatedly, loving the way Killian cried out.
Killian met every thrust of Shiloh’s hips with his own and, begging for more, stroked himself.
I want to see you come, now, Kil.
Killian exploded like the order was all he was waiting for. He saw stars, their mutual pleasure setting fire to his nerves even as he tried to keep his eyes open to watch Shiloh come. Despite how weak Killian felt, he managed to wrap his arms around Shiloh as his lover collapsed onto him. Breathing heavily, they were both unable to move.
For the first time in weeks, Killian felt content. His husband was where he belonged.
We both are, love, Shiloh replied to the thought, making Killian grin. Sometimes their bondlink was a pain because they couldn’t really hide anything from each other, but at other times, like now, it was just perfect. Like Shiloh.
Killian had the vague notion they should clean up and get out and about—there was still work to do—but he felt so replete and content he didn’t want to move, and he could feel that same peaceful, sleepy resistance to moving emanating from Shiloh. They fell asleep, smiling.
§ § § §
They did get some work done after their nap, taking the teasing in good part.
Killian was helping to take up the slack for Carys, who had been placed on bed rest for the last weeks of her pregnancy. She was driving William crazy because she didn’t seem to grasp that the concept of “bed rest” meant you stayed in bed and rested. On more than a few occasions, William had been heard to remind her that bed rest did not mean you got up before dawn to gather eggs from the chicken coop or feed horses or the any of variety of things they’d all caught her trying to do.
In the end, Killian, William, Mary, and nearly every married male on the estate ganged up on her and told her the next time she tried to escape her bed, they would tie her to it with logging chains. Even so, Carys was not accepting her confinement well. Each of the residents of the estate visited regularly to cheer her up and keep her company, which allowed William to finish up the baby projects. When Killian got a clue as to Carys’ ill temper, he had a quiet word with William, asking him if bed rest meant no sex at all, too. He’d had quite the laugh the next morning when he went to visit and William answered the door in his robe, grinned, flipped him off, and shut the door in his face, not to be seen the rest of the day. Apparently, sex was still on the menu. Carys was a little more sociable after that, and so was William.
One evening, Shiloh and Killian visited the expectant pair for a nice evening of talking and playing cards. Afterwards, they walked home slowly, enjoying the cool, crisp evening. Harvest was coming soon, and they would be working almost from sunup to sundown to get everything done. This was the calm before the yearly storm, and they were making the most of it while they could. Although Shiloh was looking forward to being able to see the fruits of his labor, as it were.
Killian puttered around in the kitchen with Shiloh, cooking a late dinner together, and then sat close at the table to eat. They washed up together, made some hot chocolate, and then cuddled on their couch in the den. Relaxed, they watched a little TV and quietly discussed their plans for the next day.
“Shiloh?”
“Hmm?”
“I heard from Kelia this morning.” Shiloh looked at him curiously. “She says she knows a young woman that might be an appropriate surrogate, if we would like to talk to her.”
Shiloh was silent for a moment. Killian felt Shiloh’s initial rejection of the idea, which surprised Killian. He knew Shiloh wanted children.
“I don’t want either of us having to be single parents. Well, not any more than we already are, with the boys and Araminta,” Shiloh answered. “With the way things are right now, that’s effectively what we’d be. Whether the baby was with you or me, most of the time, we’re apart. I would rather wait and raise our children together.”
Killian thought about it. Shiloh was right. It just hadn’t been something he’d considered. He’d been a single parent since he was thirteen, so he hadn’t perceived their separations as an issue for childrearing. And with the needs of Jaden and Jimmy both, Shiloh had been thrown into the deep end of single parenthood, even if he hadn’t complained once, something that made Killian love him even more. “Okay I can see that. I’m sorry, I just never thought of it as a problem.”
“Because you’ve been there, done that,” Shiloh replied with an affectionate smile. He kissed Killian’s cheek. “Is it a problem that I’d rather wait to raise more children?”
Killian shook his head. “No, Sprite, I get what you’re saying and it doesn’t bother me. It’s not like we can’t change our minds later, if circumstances change.”
“It would be nice to have some time to ourselves too, before we have babies underfoot.” Shiloh leered theatrically.
Killian looked at him, then gently pushed Shiloh down on his back on the couch. He moved so he covered his husband, dropping kisses on that lithe little body as he moved up, until he finally reached Shiloh’s lips. He kissed his Sprite, savoring the taste of him.
Shiloh laughed as they came up for air. “We’ve got time to ourselves right now, Sprite,” Killian said with grin. He groaned as Shiloh undulated under him and leaned back down to kiss his Sprite again hungrily.
They were slowly removing each other’s clothes, kissing as they did, when Killian’s phone rang.
“Fuck!” Fumbling to find the dratted thing in the dark, he fell off the couch.
Shiloh finally found the phone and handed it to Killian with a rueful smile.
“Killian?” William sounded scared. Then he groaned like he was in pain. “Carys’ water broke and there’s a lot of blood in it.”
“Fuck! Alright, William, hang on, I’ll call Lucretia. She’ll help.”
“Please hurry, Carys has passed out.”
“Don’t move her, William. We don’t know what’s wrong. Help’s coming.” Killian turned to see Shiloh was already talking to Lucretia on his own phone, telling her what was going on, having listened to what William said through his bondlink with Killian.
Shiloh nodded to Killian to show things were under control.
And then William’s voice was replaced by a “call dropped” tone. Thankfully, it rang again almost immediately.
“We’re at the hospital on the island, Killian. Thank you.” William sounded relieved.
“Go with Carys, William, we’ll deal with things here.”
William hung up without even saying goodbye.
Catan and Kelia both appeared in the den, concern on their faces.
“Deity!” Shiloh gasped.
“Sorry,” Catan said, “but time is of the essence, I believe. Who’s going?”
“I’ll call Mary, and William’s parents,” Killian said, slightly more accustomed to the fact that Sennrojai did not stand on ceremony during an emergency.
“Don’t bother,” Catan replied. “We’ve met them before, so we’ll grab them, too. We’ll take you to the hospital before we fetch the boys,”
Kelia reached out to Killian and Shiloh. “Carys may not make it, Killian,” she said as gently as possible. “That’s nothing William needs to hear because he needs hope, but right now it doesn’t look good.”
Oh, Deity, please. Killian shared the thought with Shiloh. Surely Deity would not be that cruel.
“Have hope. She could pull through. But you need to be prepared, just in case.” Kelia looked at Shiloh sadly. “This is one of the heavier parts of being an Artris: picking up the pieces.”
Shiloh nodded. “At least we’re still dressed, I suppose. Let’s go.”
Suddenly they were in the brightly lit Arrival Room of the Hospital on Rimalia. They quickly left, because the room was exactly wha
t its name implied—a safe place to teleport in and out of—so it needed to be clear at all times to avoid possible collisions. Lucretia would have sent Carys and William to this room.
The two Artris went up to the maternity ward, where they found William and Araminta in the waiting room. When William saw Killian, he ran and threw himself into Killian’s arms, crying in fear for his wife and child.
Holding his best friend tightly, Killian reminded William that Carys was young and strong and told him to have faith that both she and the baby would be okay. Shiloh stroked William’s back, asking him if he had the logging chains for Carys, because it was a fair bet she’d need a day or two to recover and he didn’t think she’d take that well. She’d expect to just walk out and go harvest everything by herself, in a day, just like any typical stubborn female.
Reassured somewhat, William gave a hiccupy laugh and they all settled down to wait.
Two hours later, a pair of Tii-su came out of the surgery ward looking both grim and pleased at the same time. One of them carried a small bundle. Killian braced himself for bad news, feeling Shiloh do the same.
“Carys is alive, William, but she’s lost a lot of blood,” one Tii-su said as the other handed the small bundle to its father. William’s knees gave out and Killian and Shiloh caught him, supporting him and the baby. “Your daughter, however, is healthy, beautiful, and has some hellacious lungs on her.”
William tried to speak but didn’t seem able to.
Knowing what he wanted, one of the Tii-su spoke. “We’ve given her several units of blood and we’ve repaired the rupture that caused the hemorrhage. She’s very weak, but she’s alive and her mind is intact. We expect her to recover, in time.”
“What caused the rupture?” Killian asked as they stood holding William and the baby.
“It looks like the fetus implanted on a weaker section of the uterus. Carys will need some tests done to determine the risks of such a thing happening if she gets pregnant again.” She waggled a finger at William. “No more babies for four years. Carys needs time to heal completely, and it gives you time to get your little princess there potty-trained.”
William nodded obediently. “Can I see her?”
“Of course. Although, right now she’s unconscious,” the other Tii-su answered.
William straightened and brushed a kiss over his daughter’s face as she lay content in his arms. “Come on, Lucretia, let’s go see Senki,” he said softly, naming the girl. William looked around until he saw Lucretia sitting with Catan and Kelia. “She and Carys would be dead if you hadn’t acted so quickly. Thank you.”
The Sennrojai nodded. “You’re very welcome, child. Go on, go see your wife.” She smiled, a few happy tears sliding down her face.
Killian drew Shiloh close, hugging him in sheer relief. The three new grandparents joined the hug, dragging the Tii-su and Sennrojai into it as well, all of them crying with sheer relief. Jaden, Jimmy, and Araminta all wiggled into the hug as well.
§ § § §
After inviting Lucretia and the new grandparents to stay with them, Killian and Shiloh spent the night on the Island. Lucretia accepted, apparently so she could fawn over her new namesake, who was soon nicknamed Tia. As a new father, William was just grateful for the help. Killian took care of informing the appropriate people of William’s parents’ whereabouts. Carys awakened late the next day, demanding to see her daughter. She was awake for about an hour, long enough for everyone to see her and for the new family to spend some time together, alone. After that, the Tii-su were much more confident of Carys’ recovery.
Kelia and Catan returned the boys to Lady Masrei, and Lucretia returned Killian and Shiloh to Killian’s estate, where the tenants swarmed the three of them. It took a little time to reassure everyone that Carys would be okay and William and the baby were well. During the chaos, Killian caught Shiloh’s amused thought that it was a good thing they had pictures of the baby on their phones, or they’d be in danger of the crowd stringing them up.
Chapter 27
The last three days of Shiloh’s visit passed by without incident. As well as helping to prepare for the harvest, Killian and Shiloh joined the other men on the estate in rearranging William and Carys’ house so that when she was allowed to come home, it would be as easy as possible for William to look after both his wife and his daughter. One of the young unmarried males, Gregorio, also volunteered to move in with the couple to help until Carys was on her feet again. Killian spoke with the young man’s father, who vouched for his son’s ability to manage a household, so Killian agreed on William’s behalf.
After doing so, Killian had a niggling feeling that wouldn’t go away, and he called Kelia. She was very curious when he asked her to bring the young woman she’d mentioned as a possible surrogate, as was Shiloh.
“What’s up?” Shiloh asked, walking into the study. “I thought we agreed to wait?”
Killian shook his head, rubbing his neck. “I don’t know. I just have this feeling that she needs to be here, now.”
“So you haven’t changed your mind?” Shiloh asked, confused.
“I wouldn’t make that decision without you, Shiloh,” Killian said softly. “This is something different, I think. Maybe it has something to do with why Kelia suggested her, because I didn’t ask Kelia to find us a surrogate.”
Shiloh walked around the desk and Killian turned in his chair, so Shiloh could sit in his lap. They sat quietly, cuddling. It was nice, comforting at a time when both were upset about Shiloh needing to return to Morgaine House.
Kelia called out from the front hall and Killian and Shiloh went out to meet them. The young Rimalian woman with Kelia was tall, broad-shouldered and about sixteen or seventeen, Killian guessed. She had an odd kind of timidity, though, one that puzzled Killian; Rimalian women were usually extremely bold. Maybe it was the circumstances.
Kelia introduced her as Rylie Vallamei.
Rylie shook their hands after a gentle nudge from Kelia. Giving Kelia a puzzled look, Killian and Shiloh led them to the study.
“I must apologize to you both, Killian, Shiloh,” Kelia said as they sat down.
“Why?” Shiloh had quickly learned Kelia could be very prickly but didn’t necessarily stand on ceremony. She rarely apologized for anything, and with the power to back that attitude up, seldom needed to.
“I’ve brought Rylie under false pretenses.” She patted Rylie’s hand as if to reassure her. It was a gesture they often used with Jimmy, and Killian had the suspicion it was for the same reason. Kelia nodded clearly catching the thought. “You’re correct, however, Rylie isn’t retarded in development, she’s brain-damaged. Her mother contacted me about your need for a surrogate. I arrived to speak to her and found Rylie being treated in a way I consider abusive. I decided the easiest way to get Rylie out of there was to agree she would make an excellent surrogate candidate and convinced her mother to allow the girl to come with me.”
Killian grinned. “Let me guess, you might have gently influenced that decision.”
Kelia grinned back. “I might have. No one deserves to be treated like that. I’m hoping Rylie might find a safe home with one or the other of you.”
Before she could say anything further, there was a knock on the door. Killian bid whoever it was to come in and William and Carys’ helper, Gregorio, walked in carrying a handful of receipts. “Sorry, my Lady, but you asked that I bring you the receipts for the baby supplies and stuff, as well as—” he stopped, staring at Rylie as though dumbstruck.
Kelia, Killian, and Shiloh watched as he dropped the receipts in his hand and moved towards Rylie. She flinched back a little and he knelt in front of her.
“Shh, Rylie, I would never hurt you. No one will hurt you anymore, Miisen.”
“What about Senki, Gregorio?” she asked haltingly.
Gregorio pointed first at Killian, then at Kelia and Shiloh. “He is my Artris, and they are Artris as well. They are powerful people, more powerful than your Senki. Y
ou are my Miisen, and if you wish to stay with me here, your Senki can’t force you to leave.”
When Rylie reached out slowly, Killian noticed a fine tremor in her hand; he wondered if it was normal for her or from the shock of bonding with her lifemate. She touched Gregorio lightly and the most brilliant smile Killian had ever seen graced her face, matching Gregorio’s.
Kelia, Killian, and Shiloh couldn’t help but smile as well, basking in the sheer joy the two broadcast, happy tears in their eyes. This was how it should be when lifemates met.
Killian stood and walked over to the pair, drawing them to their feet and ushering them to the door. “Go on, Gregorio, take the rest of the day. Rylie is welcome to live here as long as she wishes. Go get to know each other.”
“But my Lady, what about—
“Don’t worry, I’ve got the receipts, and William and Carys don’t come home with the baby for a few more days yet,” Killian said with a smile. “There’s time yet. Go on.”
“What exactly happened to her?” Shiloh asked after the other two left, hand in hand, glowing. “And how was she being abused?”
“The abuse is subjective, I’m afraid. Just constant belittlement and teasing with a very cruel edge to it. Most people wouldn’t think twice but she takes everything to heart, believes all of it. As for what happened to her, she survived a cattle stampede, of all things.”
“A cattle stampede?” Killian asked. “How old was she?”
“She was about ten years old and doesn’t remember a thing of it, but she suffered several blows to the head as well as other severe injuries,” Kelia told them. “Needless to say, the head injuries addled her wits. It was three years before she was declared as healed as she was going to get. She had to learn to walk, feed herself, all of it. She starts shaking when she’s overtired and she gets frustrated when she doesn’t understand things. Something told me to go ahead and call you about her—I guess now I know why. I had planned to ask Catan to take her in if you weren’t interested.”
Killian Page 21
