Chapter Fourteen. #2
“What’s the world coming to?” Leon lamented as he walked away.
Mitch stepped back as Shay shifted into a Yeti. “Holy crap, is it wrong that I feel like stroking him to see if that fur is as soft as it looks?”
“I can hear you,” Yeti rumbled dryly as he crouched and carefully picked up Diar.
“Yeah, still want to pet you, dude, which just sounds so inappropriate.” Mitch shook his head and followed Jess and Yeti out, ignoring the chuckles.
Pandora
“Relax, my love, you’re drained,” Luc murmured as he soothed her hair away from her face.
“Luc?”
“Yes, it’s me. Are you okay?”
“Tired. Diarmad was near death; it took a lot from me,” Pandora whispered. Luc lay down beside her and waved a hand. The curtains snapped shut, and the light turned off. Pandora curled into Luc’s body, and he tucked her in safely against him.
“You’re low, but not dangerously so, Pandora. I don’t like you risking yourself like this,” Luc chided. His arms tightened around her.
“Luc, I couldn’t let Diarmad die,” Pandora replied.
He sighed. Luc understood more about the future than Pandora did.
What Pandora knew was a burden; she couldn’t imagine what Luc was managing.
He was judging so many balls, and the responsibility fell on his shoulders.
Pandora supported where she could, but ultimately, it was Luc who bore the burden.
“Stop that busy brain of yours,” Luc said, kissing her forehead.
“I’m sorry. I worry about you,” she replied, yawning.
“Sweet Pandora, I’m fine. If it comes crashing down, then it was meant to. I find myself caring less as days pass,” Luc admitted.
“Don’t give up. God’s Warriors don’t quit,” Pandora stated.
Luc smiled slightly and hugged her tightly. “No, God’s Warriors don’t stop no matter what,” he murmured in agreement. He wished he had Pandora’s blind faith in himself. One wrong move from Luc and the world would burn; that was a heavy burden indeed.
Mitch
“I have to go to the office,” he said to Jess two days later.
“Why?” Jess demanded.
“Because I have some important meetings and I need to sign off on next season’s designs. But before I leave, I have a serious question.”
“What?” Jess asked, sidling up to him and wrapping her arms around him.
“The mate bond? Why don’t we have one yet?”
Jess looked away, and Mitch became suspicious. “It will grow over time,” she replied.
Mitch blew out a breath of air. “So biting each other while making love doesn’t come into it, and neither does your shifting to cement our tie?”
“How can I shift while you’re inside me? I’d kill you,” Jess cried.
“You don’t know that!” Mitch exclaimed, picking up on Jess’s worry. He rubbed his hands up and down her arms.
Jess tried to pull away, and Mitch stopped her. “Hey, stop. Look at me. I don’t care what we have to do if I am your soulmate.”
“Oh, it wouldn’t be a problem if I turned into Ness while you’re screwing. How sexy would that be, Mitch? You inside a hulking monster?”
“Okay, honestly, I’m not into bestiality. Not a turn-on for me. But if we have handled that for a split second, then we manage,” Mitch said.
“No.”
“This isn’t just your decision. Jess, I want the mate bond. I’m your mate,” Mitch argued. He wasn’t going to let Jess get away with this.
“Do you know what happens if we mate?” Jess demanded.
“We get a bond that’s special to you and me,” Mitch replied.
“And you turn into the Loch Ness Monster, too. Mitch, I’d damn you with my shifted form. I refuse to do that,” Jess said, shaking her head.
“And if we bond, I’ll help you gain further control over Disease. While that miserable fucker won’t like that, to me, that’s a bonus.”
“But one that damns you.”
“Jess, do you love me?” Mitch demanded, his heart pounding. Were these self-doubts she was having because she didn’t love him? He wished he had not asked, as Jess hesitated.
“Shit. I’m sorry, I’ll back off. Clearly, I’m further along in the relationship than you are. I’ll get Mary to send Diar and me home, and I won’t bother you again. When you’re ready, come and find me,” Mitch exclaimed.
His babbling hid his hurt. Mitch had believed that he and Jess were reading from the same hymn sheet. Obviously, they weren’t. Mitch stepped backward, swallowing the urge to roar his pain, and moved away from Jess.
Jess made a weird noise and then launched herself at him.
Mitch caught her up, confused.
“I do love you; never doubt that. But I’m terrified that shifting into Ness will hurt or kill you. I don’t want to squish you!” Jess wailed.
Mitch tried not to laugh. “Honey, it’s less than a few seconds; you’re not likely to kill me.”
“I weigh nearly a ton. I would flatten you,” Jess argued.
“If you were on top, possibly, but I’ll be on top,” Mitch said.
Jess opened her mouth and then closed it. Mitch could read her thoughts. She’d not considered that. “Huh.”
“Yeah, no squishing involved then, is there?” Mitch challenged.
“No.”
“Now, when can we mate? I need the bond, and want everyone to know you’re mine,” Mitch demanded.
“When will you return from your meetings?” Jess lowered her voice. “No offence, but I’d rather have the place to ourselves when we mate.”
Mitch laughed. Yeah, Diar was being a cockblocker.
“I’ll be back in three days. Get ready, Jess, because we’re committing to the mate bond. And if you think of running, arguing, or anything else, be prepared. I will kidnap you and woo you stupid until you submit,” Mitch warned with a smile.
Jess grinned happily. “I love you,” she whispered.
“Ditto.”
Dairmad
“Damn, I still feel weak,” he muttered as he headed into the garden, taking breaks on the way. Jess’s apartments were quite far, so what would have been a five-to-ten-minute walk took longer.
“Here,” a growl said, and he was scooped off his feet.
“Holy crap, Big Foot!” Diar exclaimed in shock.
“Hey, Hunter Scum,” Big Foot growled out as he carried Diar into a pretty garden. Diar smiled despite the slight fear he felt. Then the insult registered.
“You stink and need a bath!” Diar retorted, and Big Foot stopped walking and stared down at Diar in his arms.
“Want to walk, puny human?”
“Allergic to water, overgrown ape?” Diar shot back. He began bouncing up and down, wondering what on earth was happening, and then realised Big Foot was laughing.
“You’re taking a risk,” Big Foot stated as he carried Diar into the garden and placed him gently on a stone bench.
Diar grinned. “Funny, Mitch says one day I’ll get my comeuppance, but not today, my friend,” Diar said.
“Don’t think we’re there yet,” Big Foot responded as he shifted into Durant.
“Jeez, you’re huge in either shape,” Diar commented. “And we’re not where?”
“At the point of being friends,” Durant replied.
“Only you are stopping that.” Diar looked over the garden. “It’s so peaceful here. You can forget what’s happening out there. If I were you, I’d never leave.”
“You sound troubled?”
“Yeah. Mitch saw the person who fired the missile.”
“Missile?”
“Handheld one. It’s a Sealgair Uilebheist special tool.
They took a flare gun and crafted small missiles that fit inside it.
Those rotten bastards made sure they had the impact of a normal one,” Diar explained.
“I now understand what it’s like to be on the receiving end of one.
It was lucky that I caught a glimpse of it and was already moving to avoid it.
If I hadn’t… not even Pandora could have saved me. ”
“They were aiming to kill you,” Durant surmised.
“No doubt. If they’d succeeded, Mitch would have gone scorched earth,” Diar said quietly.
“Isn’t Mitch at war with them now?” Durant asked curiously.
“Yes. But he’d have gone nutso on their ass. It’s no empty threat from him. Mitch isn’t heading home to have meetings like he told Jess. He’s determined to kick Frederick’s ass, and he’s going Rambo on him. And he’s without backup,” Diar worried.
“Do you think Mitch needs it?”
“Against his psychotic cousin and family? Alexander has lost his heir, Mitch. Frederick is the next best thing. Alexander’s going to move to protect Frederick.”
“Then maybe we need to protect Jess’s mate,” Durant mused.