Chapter 18
Zoren
Having Lyrian back in our quarters felt right, even if things weren't exactly as they were before. They never were going to be, so I wasn't surprised.
We'd spent the first few days reestablishing our routines, but with new boundaries that acknowledged his need for independence. It wasn't perfect, but we were trying. "The Rivera family is moving their pieces into position," Lyrian said, studying reports at his new command center—a compromise we'd reached. I was happy we were able to reach an agreement.
Instead of isolating him in meetings, I'd set up a secure operations room adjacent to our private quarters. "They think we don't see the pattern. They are underestimating us."
"But we do, thanks to you." I watched him work, noticing how he'd integrated his network of loyal captains with my existing command structure. It was impressive, even if it still made me nervous. "How are you feeling?"
He smiled, one hand resting on his expanded belly. "The twins are calm today. Mae says my blood pressure is stable." He knew what I was really asking—if he was pushing himself too hard. "I'm being careful, Zoren. I promised, remember?"
I did remember. Our new arrangement was built on promises: his to respect his limitations, mine to respect his abilities. It wasn't easy, but we were making it work. We had to make it work. Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do with my life.
A commotion outside interrupted us. Lieutenant Chen burst in, face flushed. "Sir, multiple attacks reported. The Vipers hit our north warehouse, and we're getting reports of simultaneous strikes against the Crimson Fangs and three other families."
Lyrian was already closing his eyes, extending his abilities. "It's starting. The coordinated assault we predicted." His face tensed with concentration. "They're striking from twelve different points, trying to fragment our defenses."
I moved to the command console, barking orders into the radio while keeping one eye on Lyrian. He was pushing his abilities, I could tell, but we needed the intelligence. That was what made it so difficult to watch.
"Santos's team is walking into an ambush," he suddenly announced. "There's a second force waiting in the abandoned factory. They're—" He gasped, pressing a hand to his temple.
"Enough," I said sharply, but he shook his head.
"No time. Santos needs to know." He pushed harder, face pale with effort. "They have shooters on the roof and in the basement. They're trying to box them in. Something needs to be done before it's too late. "
I relayed the warning to Santos while Chen coordinated our other forces. Reports flooded in: attacks on multiple fronts, old alliances shattering, chaos spreading through the underworld.
"The Rivera lieutenant," Lyrian muttered, still deep in his empathic trance. "He's not... something's wrong with his emotional signature." His hand moved to his stomach, a flicker of pain crossing his face. "He's not following the plan. He's going to betray them too."
"Lyrian, stop." I could see the strain taking its toll. The twins were restless, I could sense it. "We have enough intel."
"Just... one more thing." He pressed deeper, sweat beading on his forehead. "They're planning to... to..."
He swayed suddenly, and I barely caught him before he collapsed. His skin was clammy, his pulse racing under my fingers. The twins kicked violently, responding to his distress. He really shouldn't be exerting himself so much. It was hurting him.
"Get Mae," I ordered Chen, who was already moving. "Now!"
"I'm fine," Lyrian protested weakly, but his face was ashen. "The Rivera lieutenant... we need to..."
"We need to take care of you," I cut him off, lifting him carefully. "The cartel can wait."
Mae arrived as I was laying him on our bed. She took one look at the monitors she'd insisted we keep in our quarters and started barking orders. "Blood pressure's through the roof. The twins are in distress."
My heart clenched. This was exactly what I'd feared—his dedication to helping putting him at risk again. But I couldn't blame him. Not when his intelligence had just saved Santos's team and probably several others.
Besides, we had already gone through that and reached an agreement. I didn't want to argue with him about the same issue again.
"Both of you, out," Mae commanded, hooking up an IV. "I need to stabilize him."
"Zoren," Lyrian caught my hand. "The Rivera lieutenant. He's going to turn on everyone. You need to..." Another wave of pain hit him, and he curled around his stomach.
"I'll handle it," I promised, squeezing his hand. "You focus on our children."
Mae practically shoved me out, but not before I heard Lyrian mumble, "Don't lock me out of this. We're partners, remember? You do more than just protect me. You also let me help you."
Even now, even in pain, he was thinking of our agreement. Of the trust we'd built. And he was right about that. As much as I didn't want to admit it, he was.
Outside, the chaos continued. Reports of gunfire and explosions echoed across the city. Our enemies had finally shown their hand, but thanks to Lyrian, we weren't caught off guard. His network had given us warning, and his abilities had saved lives.
But at what cost?
Chen appeared with fresh intel. "Santos's team is secure. They caught the ambush force by surprise instead of the other way around. And sir... the Rivera lieutenant was just spotted meeting with our old enemies."
Exactly as Lyrian had sensed. Even at the cost of his health, his intelligence was perfect. At the cost of his health. Just thinking about that, I wished our deal was different.
"Mobilize everything," I ordered. "But keep a core force here. No one gets near this wing."
"Yes, sir." Chen hesitated. "And Lyrian?"
"I don't know." I stared at our bedroom door, where Mae was working to stabilize my mate and our children. "But I can't... I can't lose them, Chen."
"You won't," she said firmly. "He's stronger than you think. And he has you."
Yes, he had me. But I had him too, and his strength had just saved us from disaster. I couldn't cage that strength, couldn't lock it away. But I also couldn't watch him destroy himself using it. Navigating this was one of the hardest things I'd done in my life.
Another explosion rocked the compound. The war was escalating, and I was needed. But part of me remained fixed on that closed door, torn between what I had to do and love.
"Sir?" Chen prompted. "Your orders?"
I took a deep breath. Lyrian would want me to handle this. Would trust me to protect our interests while Mae protected him. That was partnership, wasn't it? Each of us doing what we did best, trusting the other to do their part. I hoped it was going to work.
"Contact all our allies," I said. "Tell them exactly what Lyrian discovered. Then prepare for the counter-offensive. We end this tonight."
As Chen hurried away, I touched our bedroom door one last time. "I'll make this quick," I promised softly. "Just stay safe. All of you."
The next twelve hours were chaos. While Mae worked to stabilize Lyrian, I directed our forces in what became the bloodiest gang war in recent memory. The Rivera lieutenant's betrayal, just as Lyrian had predicted, sparked a chain reaction that left the city's underworld in flames. And, in turn, we attracted more attention to us than most were comfortable with.
But we were ready. Thanks to him, we'd been ready for everything and anything.
When I finally returned to our quarters, exhausted and blood-stained, Mae was waiting. "He's stable," she said before I could ask. "The twins too. But Zoren..." She hesitated. "This kind of strain, this late in the pregnancy—it can't happen again. Not ever again. I don't care what you have to do; if you need to fight again, just make sure he doesn't feel the need to get involved."
My protective instincts surged. "It won't," I said firmly, already planning increased security measures, restricted access, anything to keep him safe. Not to mention, I also needed to talk to him about his excessive involvement.
I knew he wasn't going to like it, but it didn’t matter. It was the pregnancy that was making him easily annoyed. He needed to realize that our children were more important.
Mae's sharp look stopped me. "That's not what I meant, and you know it. You can't just lock him away again. Not after everything."
She was right. We'd been down that road, and it had nearly cost me everything. "Then what do I do?" I asked, feeling lost. "I can't watch him hurt himself trying to help."
"Talk to him," she suggested. "He's awake, and asking for updates."
Of course he was. Even now, he was thinking about the cartel, about our people. That was just who he was—who I'd fallen in love with. He was constantly worried about me and the people that cared about me.
People were sacrificing themselves for his sake, so of course he was going to be concerned for their well-being.
I found him propped up in bed, surrounded by tablets and phones. The monitoring equipment Mae insisted on beeped steadily, showing both his and the twins' vital signs. All stable, thank god.
"Santos?" He asked immediately. He didn’t even consider waiting to discuss something else first; he just jumped right into the thick of things.
"Safe," I confirmed, sitting beside him. "Thanks to you. The whole operation was a success, actually. The Rivera lieutenant's betrayal backfired when we exposed it. Most of the smaller gangs are surrendering. You don't have anything to worry about."
He nodded, satisfied, then caught my expression. "You're worried."
"Terrified," I admitted. No point hiding it—he'd sense it anyway. "When you collapsed... Lyrian, I can't lose you. Any of you. It would destroy me."
"You won't." He took my hand, placing it on his stomach where our children moved restlessly. "But you can't stop me from using my abilities either. They're part of who I am, just like your strength is part of you."
I closed my eyes, feeling the twins kick against my palm. "Mae says the strain is dangerous. That it can't happen again. She is worried."
"Then we find a better way," he said as though it was a simple solution, but he knew it wasn't.
That caught my attention. No argument, no defensive stance. Just... partnership. I thought that he was going to get angry at me again. I was glad that didn't happen.
"What are you thinking?" I asked.
"We establish protocols. Safe ways for me to use my abilities without overextending. Mae can monitor my vitals in real time, and set hard limits. And you..." He squeezed my hand. "You trust me to know when to stop."
It wasn't perfect. The protective part of me still wanted to wrap him in security and never let go. But this... this was something I could work with. It was better than what we were doing, no doubt.
"I do trust you," I said slowly. "I trust your judgment, your abilities, your strength. I just..."
"Fear losing me," he finished, reading my mind again and sensing my current feelings. "I know. Just like I fear being caged, being less than I could be. But Zoren, look what we accomplished today because we worked together. Your strength, my abilities—we're unstoppable when we trust each other."
The twins kicked again, as if emphasizing his point. I couldn't help but smile. Our children were always right. I trusted their judgment about this.
"They're going to be as stubborn as you, aren't they?"
"As both of us," he corrected, then winced slightly. "Though maybe with less tendency to overdo things."
My heart clenched at his obvious discomfort, but I forced myself to stay calm. It was the best thing I could do at the moment.
This was the test, wasn't it? Learning to balance protection with trust. It was difficult, but I was doing my best.
"What do you need?" I asked instead of giving orders. "How can I help?"
His smile was worth everything. "First, update me on everything that happened. Then we can plan how to handle the aftermath—together, but within Mae's medical guidelines."
So I did. I told him about the battles, the shifting alliances, and the way his intelligence had saved not just our people but our entire organization. He listened intently, occasionally offering insights that I knew would prove valuable in the coming days.
"We need to make changes," I said a few minutes later. "In how the cartel operates, how we handle intelligence." I touched his stomach, my fingers gentle. "Especially with the twins coming. We need a system that allows you to use your abilities without putting yourself in danger."
"You mean that?" He studied my face, eyes narrowed and assessing what I was truly thinking. And it wasn't like I could hide anything from him, so he was going to find the information he was looking for. "No more restrictions? No more cages?"
"No more cages," I promised. "But proper protocols, medical monitoring, and clear boundaries—that we set together. I won't lose you, Lyrian, but I won't diminish you either."
He pulled me close, our foreheads touching. "That's all I ever wanted. Partnership. Trust. The freedom to be who I am, with you beside me."
The twins moved between us, a reminder of everything at stake. But for the first time, I didn't feel only fear when thinking of the future. I felt hope.
Everything was going to be better.
"Rest now," I said, noting his fatigue. "Tomorrow, we'll start building something new. Something better."