Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Link
Ihurry out of the room, leaving the two of them to rest, relieved that Lila survived becoming Saxon’s blood rose.
I go back to the medical room where John is being monitored.
I don’t have anyone else in the hospital wing at the moment, so I haven’t erected a barrier around his bed to keep anyone out.
Eric and William are still there, keeping an eye on their brother.
The expressions of anguish and helplessness on their faces makes them seem closer to their actual age for the first time.
The wrinkles on their foreheads and at the corners of their eyes are rarely visible, but with their pinched eyebrows and frowns, those signs of age are more prominent than ever from the distress they are feeling.
I desperately want to cure John, but even I have my limitations, as hard as that is to admit. I put those negative thoughts aside and focus on the present.
They look up as I come into the room. “How is Lila?” Eric asks, not giving me a chance to catch my breath, wringing his hands with worry.
“She’s fine. She and Saxon are now bonded, and she made the transition to part Vilaxian beautifully. Her body has adjusted to produce extra blood for Saxon,” I tell both men hesitantly, and William narrows his eyes.
“What aren’t you telling us?” he asks suspiciously, picking up on my nonverbal cues.
I sigh and take a seat on the lounge next to William. Eric is across from us in a single seat with John in a bed behind him. I have the bed set to scan his vitals every ten minutes and to sound an alarm if anything changes within that time.
“Nothing you need to worry about. Lila’s exhibiting more Vilaxian traits than I thought she would.
Saxon confirmed she has developed their senses, speed, and strength as well as a taste for blood.
Her muscle and bone mass has increased to compensate for the extra blood her body is now producing, and her heart has enlarged in size to cope with pumping that extra blood through her system.
In short, Lila has taken on almost all Vilaxian traits.
We will need to test her to see if she can fly. ”
I hope ripping off the Band-Aid quickly was the right decision to make. They asked, and I answered as factually and as scientifically as I could. There’s still a lot to learn about Lila’s new traits, but I can’t treat her like a science experiment.
Eric and William exchange hopeful glances. “So does this mean that Lila is as fast and as strong as them?” Eric asks, a tinge of optimism in his voice.
“Yes, that’s correct,” I confirm for the two men who smile gleefully, Eric slapping William on his back happily.
“Well, finally some good news. We certainly needed some of that!” William exclaims, leaning back into the sofa, and I see some of the tension drain from his body.
The two of them must have been concerned about how her bonding with Saxon was going to go.
“That’s fantastic. We won’t have to worry about her so much now that she has those going for her.
Now, we just need her to bond with Xavier and have her memories and magic returned to her. ”
The grandpas are ecstatic, and I’m happy for them.
They have been so worried about John, furious that he’s been poisoned.
We tossed around some ideas on how or where it happened, but we are clueless.
I did find a small puncture mark on his hip, and I assume that’s how the poison was administered, but we’re still at a loss as to who it was or when it occurred.
Thankfully we don’t have to worry about it being in the food or water supply.
The type of poison is something I’m not familiar with, and my database is huge.
Although I don’t want to put a damper on their good mood, I need to express my concerns.
“I can’t help but be worried about Lila. I haven’t done enough research into Skarrian matings, so correct me if I’m wrong, but usually mates take on some of each other’s powers, right?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Eric confirms, then he waits to see where I am going with my question.
“So far Lila has mated a shifter and a Vilaxian, and a warlock is her next possible mate.”
“Or a cyborg.” Eric winks at me. I’m not an eye roller, but I’d love to roll them now.
“Is it common for a Skarrian to have mates from lots of different races?”
The two exchange a glance, and William shrugs.
“To be honest, eighty percent of Skarrians only end up with Skarrian mates. It’s really only the ones who travel the galaxy that end up with mates from outside races.
It’s not uncommon for Skarrians to experiment with tourists, but a holiday visa to Skarr is only five days long.
Not many people want to seal a bond with someone that quickly, and there are many tourists to play with, so why settle?
When Skarrians hit adulthood, they usually have a good idea of whom they want to form family units with. ”
“That’s not saying it doesn’t happen, but it is unusual,” Eric adds.
“And what about these Skarrians? Have there been any studies completed on how they cope with having such a broad range of powers?” I ask carefully, but I think William and Eric finally get where I’m going without me directly saying it.
“You’re worried about whether Lila’s body can sustain so many changes.” William rubs his chin thoughtfully.
“Yes, not to mention she’s pregnant. I don’t think it occurred to either her or Saxon to be careful. They may not have been rational enough. Saxon certainly would have had tunnel vision.”
“Are the babies okay?” A quiet voice at the door has me spinning around. Standing there are Xavier and Cas, and Cas’s normally bright complexion is washed out with worry.
“Yes, my friend. It was the first thing I checked. The eggs are happy in stasis. Lila’s kraken sent me smug feelings of satisfaction.
The fuck me vibes are well-sated for the moment,” I reassure him, feeling guilty it wasn’t the first thing I did.
He is her first mate, after all, and he must have been sick with concern this entire time.
He slumps against the doorframe and exhales loudly. “Thank fuck.”
“Come in, you need to be here for this.” William gestures to both men, but neither of them takes a seat. Xavier leans against the wall, adopting an air of nonchalance, but I can see how tightly coiled his muscles are, ready for anything, and Cas paces back and forth.
“Sorry, my kraken is not so reassured, and pacing keeps him contained for now. I’m going to go for a swim shortly, but I want to hear why you’re worried.”
“Just the fact that with the four of us alone, Lila is going to end up with a large range of new abilities, not to mention her own Skarrian ones once they are unlocked. That’s not even adding in that idiot merman who is the final mark on her shoulder,” I blurt in frustration. I hate not knowing all the answers.
William’s and Eric’s eyes widen at this news. “And does Lila return his interest? She was always muttering about the can of tuna fish.” Eric chuckles, but William doesn’t look as amused. I think he’s finally getting what I’m saying.
“Her mark is on his shoulder, he showed me,” Caspian confirms. “But that could also be the kraken fuck me vibes interfering with real interest.”
William shakes his head. “No, that’s not how it works. There needs to be genuine interest from both sides in order for the mark to appear.”
“Well, anyway, I think we need to hold off on any more bonding until I can do some more research. Maybe the Celestians will have some information that my databases don’t.
” My frustration levels are almost through the roof.
With all the data I have at my fingertips, there is nothing that reassures any of my concerns.
Xavier scowls, but before he can argue against my recommendation, I hold my hand up.
“I’m not saying it’s permanent, but she’s gone through two huge changes in the space of a couple of weeks on top of getting pregnant.
Let her body adjust before we throw anything else at her.
I know we planned to go straight to Westalin after we left Earth, but in light of the situation...
” My gaze slides to John before returning to the group.
“I think Celestia should be our first stop. We can have them cure John and ask them about Lila. They have magical ways to heal, which I just don’t possess. ”
“Fine, but do not ask me to wait to have my parents return her memories. She needs those to feel the intimate bond we have.” Xavier stubbornly crosses his arms, the most powerful being in the world looking like a toddler who had been told no.
“No, Xavier, I promise I don’t want to stop anything, just slow it down,” I assure him. I’m not sure if my words placate him, but he must know it’s the right decision.
William stands up and claps his hands once before brushing them down his pants.
“Good. I’m glad we’ve got a plan, but if you don’t mind, I need to go cancel the rest of our tour and do some major sucking up to our Earth promoters.
Eric, when Lila finally surfaces, I’m going to need you to teleport with her to Area 51 to pick up our detainee for deportation.
We are expected to pick him up in a little over twenty-four hours. ”
“I expect she will sleep for a good portion of that,” I tell them, and Eric nods, relief all over his face.
“Okay. I will go and advise the performers and crew of the situation then if you are going to handle the Earthlings. Please let us know if there are any changes,” he requests, and I quickly agree.
“Of course. If Xavier and Cas can get Lila some food and a change of clothes when she wakes, I’ll stay here and monitor John.” I could sense they needed to do something to help Lila and be able to see her.
“Actually, there is one thing we haven’t discussed.” Xavier pushes off the wall he was leaning on and comes over to look down at John, brushing his hair off his face before turning to look at us.