Chapter 4 #2
“Of course, while we’re gone, we don’t have to worry as much.”
“No, you’re right,” Qylar said, forcing a smile. “I wasn’t thinking straight last night. We shouldn’t open ourselves to someone finding out. It’s safer to keep outsiders away from our private spaces.”
His mind recalled the eggs, and worry settled in his stomach again. He was almost positive he’d been mistaken about releasing any, but he couldn’t be completely sure. He hated having any measure of doubt when it came to something like that.
Maybe that’s why he ran. Maybe they finally came out, he saw them, and he freaked.
“Are you sure this one wasn’t something more?” Alex asked, searching Qylar’s face like he could read his thoughts.
Read his thoughts.
“When you were first with Cryss, you were able to hear some of his thoughts, right?” Qylar said.
“I still can on occasion. Usually when he’s feeling a strong emotion.” Alex frowned. “And now I’m sensing panic in you. Why?”
Qylar took a deep breath and released it slow. “No panic.”
“Did something happen last night?”
“Nope,” Qylar fibbed, hoping Alex wouldn’t pick up on it.
Alex narrowed his eyes and stared him down.
“The only thing that happened was I had a very, very good time with my one-night friend—which I promise I won’t repeat with another.”
“Well, not ever. I don’t want you to be alone, Q. I just want you to be sure it’s someone we’re all safe with and not some rando none of us will ever see again. We have to be careful. We are aliens, you know.”
“Don’t say that too loud. Someone from the government might kick the door in and deport us all.” Qylar leaned closer, pressing his shoulder to Alex’s. “Well, maybe not you since you were born here—but Cryss, me, and the kids were born on Nefyria.”
“Don’t joke like that,” Alex muttered. “Ripping families apart is an atrocity.”
“It is, and I sometimes fear for this one,” Qylar said. “If they ever found out—we’re not the kind of aliens they deport. They’d take us to a black site to cut us open and see what’s inside.”
Alex shivered. “They come for my kids and they’re going down. My little tentacles might not be much, but I would find a way to keep my family together.”
“Rest assured—Cryss and I won’t allow anything to happen to your family.”
“Our family,” Alex corrected. “It’s yours, too.”
Qylar didn’t reply.
“And when you find your mate and have kids, we’ll be one big family,” Alex said.
Alex got up and collected the kids’ empty plates, and Qylar realized he’d not seen any signs of Cryss.
“Where’s your husband?”
“He’s driving down to Seaside. He said he’d texted you about it last night, but you were clearly too busy to respond.”
Qylar patted his pocket and realized he’d left his phone next door. “I don’t have my phone with me. What was the text?”
“He just learned of a place called the Meatery down there. They supposedly have the best beef in California, and he’s picking up a few things. Since there’s no cows on Nefyria, I think he’s going to eat his body weight in beef before we leave.”
Qylar chuckled. Cryss never saw a problem a roast couldn’t fix.
When he was excited, nervous, or worried, the cooking began, which had been near constant lately.
Cryss had been bringing over heaping plates for weeks.
Good thing Qylar had a near bottomless pit for a stomach and an adoration for Cryss’s culinary skills.
Now in hindsight, the most recent spate of over-cooking was likely due to Alex’s pregnancy and concern for his child and mate’s lives.
“You all didn’t go with him?”
“We were going to, but I wasn’t feeling well and didn’t want to be cooped up in a car for hours.”
Qylar scoffed. “He should’ve taken the kids and let you rest.”
“He planned to, but I told him not to. It’s an hour and a half one way, if there’s no traffic jams. There’s no reason to stuff two little ones in car seats for three hours or more when they could be playing in the comfort of their own home.”
“Plus Zaadi got sick on our last long drive,” Qylar added.
“That, too,” Alex said. “They’d be much happier here.”
“Or at the park,” Qylar said before popping a few more blueberries into his mouth. Ael spread a tentacle over and snagged a couple, too. The kid was awfully young to be so good at picking up tiny bits like that. Maybe all those blueberries weren’t so bad after all.
“Thank you for offering to take them. It’s appreciated.”
“No thanks needed. You know that.”
Alex sighed and slowly ran a hand down his abdomen.
It was the first time Qylar noticed a hint of the swell.
He gnashed his teeth together at the sight of it.
He didn’t begrudge them their children. He loved Zaadi and Ael…
and would love the new child just as much.
But he was not yet in the right headspace to see it without feeling a stab of pain.
Zaadi walked over to him and tugged on his knee. “Let’s gooooo, Uncle Q.”
Qylar eyed Ael, who was shoving blueberries into his mouth as fast as he could, making him look like a squirrel with his cheeks full of nuts.
Qylar snorted with laughter, shaking his head.
Zaadi marched to the front door, dragging her brother with her.
She turned to eye Qylar, who still hadn’t risen.
“Uncle Q?!”
Qylar slid off the stool and sauntered her way. “Yes, my princess.”
Zaadi giggled.
Alex helped load both kids into the wagon and gave them both kisses before Qylar led them outside.
“Get some rest,” Qylar said over his shoulder as he headed toward Golden Gate Park.
The kids excitedly babbled to one another as he pulled them along. Once there, he sat back on a nearby bench as the pair raced around the oddly empty playground, sliding down the baby slides too many times to count. They had it to themselves, so why not?
His mind drifted to Kenji and their night together, replaying it and trying to figure out if he’d done something to cause the guy to run away. Like the house was on fire, according to Alex.
How the fuck am I going to find him again?
He wasn’t a regular at the Eagle… but hadn’t he said his friend was?
Maybe that was a way he could track Kenji down.
Qylar shook his head. He wasn’t accustomed to men running from him or having to seek out male attention.
Maybe that in and of itself should tell him to move on.
But there had been something about Kenji. Something that wouldn’t allow his mind to let go.
He lifted his gaze and checked the kids and noticed a trio of middle schoolers climbing up the kiddie slide. Qylar leapt to his feet seconds before one of the older boys pushed Zaadi out of the way and held her and Ael back so his friends could go down instead.
“Hey!” Qylar roared as he launched himself forward.
The first two boys made it down the slide and raced off before Qylar could reach them, but the third wasn’t so lucky. Ael had a tentacle wrapped around the boy’s neck, dragging the kid away from Zaadi.
“No hurt Zaadi,” Ael said, his little brows furrowed.
Qylar unwrapped the tentacle as quickly as he could while the older boy stared in shocked horror. Thankfully, there appeared to be no other children or parents close enough to see it, not even the two who’d bolted.
“What is he?” the kid asked, rubbing his neck.
“What’re you talking about?” Qylar asked, lifting a brow.
“He’s a monster with a tentacle for an arm,” the kid spat before sliding down to get away from Ael.
“I’d say you were the monster, bullying and pushing around little kids,” Qylar said. “You should be ashamed of yourself.”
“I know what I saw… that kid has a tentacle!”
“Get real,” Qylar said. “It’s a toy.”
“A toy can’t do that,” the kid barked.
“Yes they can. If your parents really loved you, they’d buy you better toys,” Qylar snapped.
“Fuck you, asshole. He’s a monster!”
Qylar leaned closer, allowing his eyes to go fully black. “Call him that again and I’ll show you a real monster. One who can find you anywhere. Even in your nightmares.”
The boy screamed and crashed bottom first onto the ground.
“Tell anyone and I’m coming for you,” Qylar growled.
He jumped up, a little pee stain appearing on the front of his shorts. He stared at Qylar over his shoulder as he ran away. He caught up to the two other boys before they all took off together. When they were out of sight, he turned to Ael.
“You can’t do that, sweetheart. You can’t let people see your tentacles.”
“He a bad boy,” Ael said, still frowning. “Zaadi’s turn.”
Qylar sighed, lifting the boy into his arms while Zaadi finally slid down. “Even if you’re trying to help someone, you can’t show your tentacles. They might scare people. Okay?”
“Okay,” Ael chirped, the frown disappearing.
He wriggled in Qylar’s arms, wanting down. Qylar lowered him, and he raced back to the stairs, ready to go back up.
“Uncle Q?”
Qylar gazed down at Zaadi. “Yes, princess?”
“Why can’t we just live on Nefyria? We don’t have to hide who we are there.”
Qylar sighed before kneeling to come to her eye level.
“Because there are no other children your age on Nefyria,” Qylar said.
Nefyrian infants were born in tide pools and left there to mature under the watchful gaze of guardians.
Most Nefyrians couldn’t shift into a human-like form until they were older, so they had to remain water-bound until ready to brave their first shift.
“You two would be the only little kids on the entire planet, and there would be no one your age to play with.”
“But we don’t really play with anyone here.”
“You will when you start school next year,” Qylar said, still not sure if a human school was the best choice for hybrid children, but he was deferring to Cryss and Alex’s decision there. “And you know what else they don’t have there?”
“What?”
“Toys. Kid’s movies or TV shows. Chicken nuggets or french fries. And the worst part? No taco trucks near the beach.”
Zaadi grinned. “Are we getting tacos?”
“As long as you don’t tell your parents,” Qylar whispered.
“Better not get one for Ael,” Zaadi said before climbing the stairs to the slide. “He’ll end up wearing it again and Papa will know.”
Ael slid down just then, and Qylar snagged him before he landed on his bottom on the ground. Qylar placed him on his little feet and let him go again. He immediately ran towards the stairs for another trip down.
“Tacos!” Ael yelled with a tiny, meaty fist raised over his head, like it was a war cry.
Qylar smiled to himself, all while an ache formed in his chest. He heard Cryss’s voice whisper through his mind. You have every right to want a family.
Alex and Cryss needed to stop filling his head with nonsense. If they didn’t, he might start believing it was possible… and that would only make his suffering worse.