Chapter 20 #2
Qylar didn’t answer. He rummaged through the refrigerator a moment and then handed Kenji a cup of cut, mixed fruit. “Eat that for now. I’ll make you something more substantial when we get back down.”
“Why are you going hog wild with the decorating?” Kenji asked before he popped a strawberry between his lips.
“Do you not like it?”
“I do. It’s beautiful,” Kenji replied.
A sly smile came to Qylar’s lips.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Qylar said.
Kenji narrowed his eyes. “Why won’t simple do? It’s what Alex and Cryss requested, right?”
Qylar shrugged.
Kenji narrowed his eyes even more.
Qylar rolled his.
“Oh my god… you’re doing it for me.”
One of Qylar’s brows rose.
“You are,” Kenji said, inwardly gasping. “Please don’t go to all of this trouble for me. The tree is more than enough.”
Qylar looked unfazed. “No. It’s not enough.”
“If I implied that I wanted an over-the-top, everything-covered-in-Christmas, Hallmark movie holiday set, I swear I didn’t. I just want to spend time with you. You and the monster tree you just had to buy.” Kenji grinned.
“I want this Christmas to be special.”
Kenji wrapped his arms around Qylar. “It already is.”
Qylar squeezed him tight, and Kenji never wanted to let go of a man who’d go to those kinds of lengths to make him smile.
Qylar checked the screen over, reading Kenji’s test results. All of his human vitals seemed in order. The system alerted him to nothing out of the ordinary. He reread them, worried he’d missed something.
“Well?”
Qylar sighed. “I see nothing out of range.”
“I told you so,” Kenji said, too much triumph in his tone for Qylar’s liking.
“There’s still the messages that might be waiting for us,” Qylar said, not ready to lose so easily.
He didn’t like the idea of staying in Aspen without having Kenji checked over, but how could he refuse his mate’s plea to remain, either?
The awe he’d already witnessed on the man’s face over simple joys like an empty Christmas tree awaiting decorations or a quiet a morning snowfall had shaken him to his core.
He didn’t want to take that away from Kenji.
“Check your messages, then. Do your worst.”
Qylar shook his head, fighting a smile. He grasped his mate’s hand. He led him from the biolab and headed for the pilot’s deck. Qylar opened the subspace portal and was pleased to find four messages waiting for him. Hopefully there was helpful information within at least one.
His contacts had no news for him besides letting him know they would work on finding him something. The doctors, however, replied with something much more interesting.
To: Qylar of House Null
From: Dr. Njeri, Qlr Royal Academy of Science
Heading: Pregnancy Concerns
Message:
We were at first baffled by your partner’s odd symptoms and unsure of the cause for such a reaction.
One member of our team, Dr. Zelif, suggested we reach out to the Academy of Antiquity for help deciphering its root.
As you know, Prince Alizand displayed talents long lost to our species—namely his telepathy and emotional perception—and Dr. Zelif posited that Kenji’s recent behavior might be tied to our distant past, as well.
Dr. Alzgn, Head Historian, has suggested that it may be tied to a distant cousin to the modern Nefyrian.
Our people were once two separate species—our early Nefyrian ancestors and the Nytidea.
Though the Nytidea are now extinct, most modern Nefyrians have genetic markers for both species in our blood today.
Early Nefyrian and Nytidea interbred in vast numbers.
Nefyrian genetic material was largely dominant, wiping out many Nytidea characteristics, yet we still carry a bit of our extinct cousins into the present.
The largest percentage of Nytidea genetic material ever tested was roughly six percent. Until we tested Kenji’s blood. Of the third of him that is Nefyrian—nearly half that is Nytidea.
The Nytidea were dramatically smaller than Nefyrians, as you claim Kenji is to you—and could travel with greater speed over short periods of time.
From the study of ancient writings, it has become widely believed that the Nytidea went through a brief stage of fervent mating—in aquatic form—early in their pregnancies.
The reason behind it is not known today, though there are several loose theories.
From what you described, this could be what Kenji is now experiencing.
Of course, we cannot be absolutely sure.
You can return with him, and we can attempt to make him more comfortable, but from what you’ve described, I believe it might be best for the two of you to weather this short storm privately, if it is what I suspect it to be.
If his symptoms worsen, or there are new ones that appear, contact us immediately and we will judge if a return is necessary.
Dr. Alzgn, and many here in the Academy of Sciences, as well, are quite fascinated by the questions Kenji’s very existence might shed light on.
The Nytidea have been extinct for nearly half a million years now, so very little is truly known about them.
How Kenji has come to carry such a significant percentage of their genetic material is a mystery—but one we’re keen to unlock.
The easiest place to begin would be his family line, but without knowledge of his Nefyrian parentage, that leaves us in a quandary.
Dr. Alzgn is assembling a team to dig through the bloodline archives, hoping they might find clues to who his ancestors might have been. We also request that Kenji return to Nefyria at his earliest convenience and allow us to capture more blood samples for further analysis.
I wish that I had more concrete answers for you, but we are walking in the dark alongside you. If there is any more help I can provide, please feel free to reach out.
After reading the message, Qylar eyed Kenji.
“What?” Kenji asked, a brow rising sharply.
“I think you should read this yourself,” Qylar said, holding out his hand.
Kenji took it and read over Qylar’s shoulder.
When he was done, he turned to Qylar, his face devoid of emotion. He didn’t say anything for several beats until, “So, basically, I’m the Neanderthal Man of Nefyrian history. Cool cool.”
Qylar chuckled.
“I don’t want to end up some lab rat, poked and prodded, or become something of ridicule.”
“We’ll ensure that doesn’t happen,” Qylar said.
“Nefyrians don’t have carnival sideshows, do they? Come step right up. For just a quarter, you can see the part human, part alien, part extinct man. Don’t get too close or he might grab you and fuck you senseless as part of his ancient mating ritual.”
Qylar gave him a look, fighting a smile. He drew Kenji onto his lap. “You’ll not end up in an exhibition box, either.”
“How do you know?”
“That was from the Qlr Royal Academy. King Krythar, House Qlr, aka Alex’s father.”
“Ah,” Kenji said.
“We can discuss this with Alex before we return and perhaps request an audience with his father to ensure you are protected before you walk into the Academy for their tests.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea.”
“I have one last message from Cryss and then we can go back down,” Qylar said, much more at ease.
“I told you I was fine,” Kenji whispered.
Qylar could be a sore loser at times. He liked to win. But his lose meant Kenji likely was fine, so he’d let his mate win this one. He quickly read over Cryss’s message before lifting his gaze to Kenji, thoughtful.
“What is it?”
“I forgot to share the big news I received while you were sleeping. House Qlr-Kreegl has a new young lord. Xandor Ray was born yesterday, and both Alex and the babe are well.”
Kenji smiled. “If there’s a way you can pass on my congratulations to Cryss and Alex, please do.”
“I will.”
“He was early, right? The baby?”
“Almost two weeks, but all the children came a wee bit sooner than expected, so…” Qylar eyed the message Cryss had sent since. “According to this newest message, they’re planning to arrive in Aspen on the twenty-second or twenty-third. Cryss will let me know a precise date when it grows nearer.”
“And Uncle Q will get to meet his newest nephew,” Kenji said, a broad grin on his face. The smile ebbed as he looked at Qylar. “What’s wrong?”
“I know you want to stay here through the new year, but I think we need to return to San Francisco before they arrive.”
“Why?” Kenji asked.
“You know why,” Qylar murmured. He refused to pressure Kenji any more than he already had. If being around the children had made him question his decision, then he needed to remove that chance.
Kenji sighed. “If simply being in the presence of a child could make me question myself, I doubt my mind was all that firm in the first place.”
Qylar didn’t reply.
“The kids deserve to have their Uncle Q with them for Christmas—and you should be here with your family. I won’t take that from you.”
Qylar eyed Kenji, unsure. “We can table that discussion for now.”
Kenji scoffed. “I don’t want to leave.”
Qylar closed his eyes, knowing he wouldn’t be able to refuse his mate—but he didn’t want to pressure Kenji into a major decision either.
“We shall see.”
“Can we go back now?” Kenji asked.
Qylar nodded. “Of course.”
“And can we finally decorate the tree tonight?”
“Of course,” Qylar replied. “I saved it to share with you.”
Kenji hugged him. “I thought so, and I’m glad you did.”
“Dinner first…” Qylar said. “My mate needs to eat.”