48. Yamanu
Yamanu sprawled on a lounge chair and surveyed the group of males gathered around him with a contented smile playing on his lips. The balcony of his cabin was filled with the rich aroma of cigars, laughter, and, most importantly, camaraderie.
Looking at the faces of the males who had stood by his side through countless missions, he felt a surge of gratitude. Arwel, Bhathian, Anandur, and Brundar were like brothers to him, and Kri a sister, and it was a damn shame that she had bowed out, saying that she didn”t really belong with the boys. She was the youngest Head Guardian, and he was so damn proud of her.
She should have been here.
Then there was Onegus, the chief, and Kian, the big boss. The Clan Mother”s son was a good leader, fair and just, and no less importantly, the guy had an uncanny knack for business, which had them all living in style and armed with the best weaponry money could buy and William could produce.
Julian was the odd one out in the group. The young doctor wasn”t a Guardian, but he had joined the force on several missions and had proven himself to be coolheaded and capable under fire, which was admirable for a civilian.
Yamanu had befriended Bridget”s son when he had started volunteering at the halfway house for the survivors of trafficking, running the weekly karaoke night. Julian was charged with managing the place, and he did that remarkably well considering that he had never managed anything before. Having a mate who had been a victim of trafficking herself probably made Julian better suited for the position than most.
Yamanu had found himself looking forward to those karaoke nights. Bringing the girls joy through singing was a different path for him to make the world a slightly better place. As a Guardian, he protected his clan and saved victims of trafficking when not running missions against the clan”s enemies. His singing was just something he enjoyed doing, while his powerful thralling and shrouding abilities were weapons in the clan”s arsenal that he had spent centuries honing and developing through great personal sacrifice.
Celibacy had enabled him to channel all of his energy into his massive thralls and shrouds, diverting hordes of marauders away from his people and enabling countless missions that would have been impossible to pull off without it.
And yet, the Clan Mother had been willing to give up that protection just so he could find happiness in the arms of the female he loved. As it turned out, his abilities had not disappeared when he had broken his vow of celibacy, but the goddess couldn”t have known that, and he would be forever grateful to her for encouraging him to mate Mey.
He had never expected to find love, had never even dared to dream of it, but the moment he”d seen Mey for the first time, Yamanu had known that she was the one, the missing piece of his soul.
His talents had not diminished after their union but had only grown stronger, as if Mey”s love had unlocked some hidden reserve of power within him.
He had never been happier, and he owed it all to Mey, Annani, and the group of friends gathered on his balcony.
Smiling to himself, Yamanu pushed to his feet and lifted his whiskey glass, the amber liquid glowing in the soft light of the setting sun. ”To Mey.” He raised a toast. ”My one and only, my mate, who became the owner of my heart and gave me a reason to live. And to all of you, whom I”m honored to call brothers, thank you for always having my back.”
After they had all clinked their glasses and emptied them in one go, Arwel grabbed a bottle and refilled them. ”To Yamanu.” He lifted his glass. ”We all owe you big time for sacrificing so much to protect our sorry hides.”
Arwel had sacrificed himself plenty and was still sacrificing almost daily, but Yamanu didn”t think this was the time or place to mention it. He planned on toasting his brother-in-arms at his own bachelor party, which would happen tomorrow, the last day of the cruise.
Nodding, Kian rested his cigar on the lip of an ashtray. ”I don”t even want to speculate about what would have befallen our clan if not for your immense shrouding and thralling abilities, Yamanu. And you did that all while keeping secret the great sacrifice you were making to be able to do so.”
Yamanu felt self-conscious. ”That”s precisely why I kept my vow of celibacy a secret from you all. I didn”t want this.” He waved the hand holding the cigar. ”I didn”t want to be treated differently and put on a pedestal. Each one of you would have done the same given similar circumstances.”
As the others averted their gazes, Yamanu laughed. ”I know what you are thinking. No way would you have given up sex to grow your power, but I assure you that you would have done it if you knew that your sacrifice would save your loved ones from annihilation by our enemy or by humans. After all, what are our lives worth without those we love to live it with? Nothing.”
A few moments passed as each of the males contemplated his words and tried to imagine themselves in his position.
”I agree,” Kian said. ”When I was still a bachelor, I would have sacrificed everything to protect my clan. But now, I”m not so sure. My wife and daughter will always come first, then the clan, and lastly, my own needs.”
”I”ll drink to that.” Yamanu lifted his glass again. ”To our mates!”
Onegus waited until they all emptied their glasses before opening another bottle of fine whiskey and refilling them. He raised his glass in a final toast. ”To Yamanu and Mey and their everlasting love and commitment to each other and to the clan.”
Yamanu clinked glasses with everyone before downing another shot. Fine whiskey was meant to be savored, and it was a shame to drink it like that, but it was for a good cause.
Julian raised his glass, his eyes shining with mischief. ”Now that the toasts are done, it”s time for a song.” He bowed to Yamanu. ”I believe that the one about the bonny lass in the blue dress is most appropriate for the occasion.”
It was one of the favorites on karaoke nights, and the girls asked for it each time.
”That”s a fine one, indeed.” Bhathian wrapped his arm around Julian”s shoulders. ”We will join you for the chorus.”
Yamanu grinned. ”Aye, ”tis a fine choice.” The song was more funny than romantic, but the melody was lively, and it always put everyone in a good mood.
He cleared his throat, and as he began singing, the others joined in, their strong voices blending in a harmonious chorus despite some of them slurring their words. Bhathian”s deep, rumbling bass provided a solid foundation, while Julian”s smooth tenor wove a melodic counterpoint. Anandur added his rich baritone, and Brundar tapped his foot to the beat, which made Yamanu stupidly happy because Brundar never actively participated in things of that sort.
The chorus swelled, and the men clapped their hands and stomped their feet in time with the tune. The sound carried on the breeze, and soon, more voices joined them from the other balconies.
As the final notes faded away, the men erupted in laughter, and applause sounded from the other balconies.
”Thank you!” Yamanu called out to his impromptu audience.
”A toast!” Onegus leaned over the railing, raising his glass high to the spectators from the other balconies. ”To all the bonny lasses who”ve captured our hearts!”