Loch & Key (Miracle: Salvation Isle #7)
1. CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 1
“Do you think your stuffed elephant Elle might want to talk about some of her dreams?” Nessim was at a standstill with Maylee Holt. She had been through trauma that no one, but especially a child, should have to deal with.
She’d barely turned one when humans, and some shifters, had invaded their town and had either taken everyone hostage or killed them on sight. For a time, they’d hoped her parents had been alive but were sent to another slave camp, but that wasn’t the case.
After searching their hometown, their remains were found. Brayden, their uncle, had mourned his sister greatly, but hadn’t balked at taking in his two nieces and nephew. From the interactions Nessim had seen, he loved them dearly. Thankfully, so did Brayden’s mate, Karim.
But now that she was nearly four, nightmares of all she’d been through had begun. Worse, it seemed her terrified screams in the night set off her siblings, Ellery and Zayan, into their own nightmares. They had been older and experienced much worse at the hands of their captors.
“They put a knife to Elle’s throat,” she whispered as she pointed to her stuffed elephant’s neck. “Told her to carry those heavy rocks or they would kill her.”
That they would do that to a one-year-old made him sick. Then again, if they hadn’t, they most likely would have just killed her outright. Even though what she’d been through killed him, at least she was alive.
“That must have been really scary for Elle,” he said. “I bet Elle could use someone to talk about it. Do you think you could continue to help her talk to me?”
Maylee nodded slowly. He eyes glistened with tears that she was doing her best to hold back. But she said nothing, looking decidedly worried instead.
“Maylee?” When she refused to even look at him, Nessie gently asked, “Is there some other reason Elle is frightened that I should know about?”
Big, soft brown eyes the color of a fawn’s fur stared at him as a tear rolled down her cheek. “Said if she told, they would come kill her. Can they find her here?”
Typically, Nessim was a pacifist. He abhorred any violence. But after hearing that, he would have gladly searched the men out and killed them himself if they weren’t already dead. It was utterly appalling that they had done something so cruel to a baby.
“No, Maylee, they can’t,” he assured her.
When she didn’t seem to believe him, he added, “Your uncles made certain none of the men who attacked your town or kept you captive could ever come after anyone again. You are safe here. I promise.”
Those sweet brown eyes shone with the desire to believe, but the terror she’d been through didn’t allow her the reprieve. “Would you like me to ask your Uncle Karim to come in so he can tell you himself?”
Her head bobbed up and down several times.
Karim and Braydon took turns bringing their nieces and nephew to appointments, so he never was certain who was going to show up. When he saw it was Karim bringing her in, Nessim had to admit to being relieved. Those kids adored both their uncles, but there was something about Karim's strong Alpha vibes that had them trusting him to protect them.
Braydon was more nurturing, although based on the stories he’d heard, the man had been no slouch in going after the bad guys, either. But, in the end, he’d been the one to get Kaylee, Zayan, and Ellery away from the violence to a safer location until the fighting was over.
Opening the door to the waiting room, he asked Karim to join them. It hadn’t been the first time and most likely wouldn’t be the last, which was why Karim hadn’t bothered to ask him what was happening. Instead, he went right to Maylee and kneeled down before her.
“You okay, Maylee?” he asked as he drew her in for a quick hug.
Maylee looked from Elle to Nessim, then back to Elle with more than a little panic in her eyes.
Not about to let her suffer more than she already had, Nessim spoke up. “According to Elle, the bad guys on the island threatened to find her and kill her if she ever told anyone what had happened there. I assured her you took care of the bad guys, but she needed to hear it from you.”
Karim pulled her back into his arms. “I promise you, we made certain none of those men could ever harm another person or shifter ever again.” He pulled back enough to look into her eyes before asking, “Do you believe me?”
Obviously, she wanted to, but something was still holding her back. “How sure?”
Karim glanced over his shoulder, sending Nessim a silent question. Normally, he was loath to talk about death or killing in front of children, but sometimes it was necessary for them to heal. Add to it her experiences already, and it was likely for the best.
He gave Karim a nod.
Not once had Karim looked away from his niece as he told her the truth. “Because with the Council’s approval, we killed every single person who held you on that island. There is no one left to come after Elle or any of us. They can’t take anyone from their homes or keep them locked up any longer.”
Maylee threw her arms around Karim’s neck and held on for dear life as she sobbed in relief. The emotions pouring off her were palpable and Nessim had to admit to fighting off the tears that were threatening to leak from his own eyes as he watched her cling to her uncle.
“Why don’t you take her home and give her lots of cuddles. I think it would be the best medicine for her,” Nessim suggested. “We can pick up where we left off during our next session.”
Straightening with Maylee tucked against his chest, he mouthed thank you before striding out the door. Nessim just hoped this might mean a turning point for the little girl. She and the whole family needed it if they were going to find their way through the worst of it.
Forgetting would never be an option, but with time and talking it out when things got bad, they would find a new normal for themselves that would still mean a life filled with happiness and laughter.
Jotting down a few notes about where they’d stopped, Nessim leaned back in his chair and took several deep, calming breaths. Talking with children drained him, and he tended to ensure he never had back-to-back appointments with kids. It wasn’t that he didn’t like them, but the anger that boiled up at hearing their stories enraged him.
Like he said, he wasn’t someone who wanted anyone hurt, but after some of his sessions, there was nothing he would have liked more than to beat one of these assholes to a bloody pulp. Thankfully, they were usually dead already, but he didn’t like how it made him feel.
Thankfully, when he checked his appointment book, he saw no child. Actually, it was one of his favorite clients who had a way about him, and Nessim often felt better by the time their session was over. Kylo.
He was their Alpha’s mate on Salvation Island and always made certain everyone was taken care of, no matter what time they arrived or what they needed. The first day Nessim had flown in by helicopter, he had been with about twenty people they’d rescued who wanted to come live on an island protected by one of the world’s leading computer geniuses, Yosi.
Kylo was Yosi’s mate and had been through enough of an ordeal to need therapy himself, yet, Nessim had the sneaking suspicion he scheduled this appointment more for Nessim’s benefit than his own. Years before, Kylo had been traveling around with his group of friends as they’d all been kicked out of their childhood homes for being gay.
Unfortunately, they often were caught in compromising positions with other men, and whatever pack or group they were living close to would either chase them out of town or straight up try to kill them. The last time, their home had been burned down with them still inside.
Only because they’d learned through the years to have an escape route were they able to get away, but not before Kylo had been severely burned. To this day, he still walked with a limp, as his leg had been too badly damaged to heal fully.
Hence his need for therapy. Don’t get him wrong, they did often discuss some of the terrifying situations he’d been in, or pain he’d endured while struggling to survive, but usually about halfway through their session, Kylo had a way of telling funny stories that had them both laughing until Nessim felt lighter and more capable of coping with his long days of helping those in need of his services.
It was one of the many reasons he loved it on Salvation Island. The job may take its toll on him occasionally, but he wouldn’t give it up for anything. Already in a better mood, he set about making them some tea, Kylo’s favorite drink on these cooler days.
With any luck, the rest of his day would be a little brighter after seeing the Alpha Mate.