Chapter 29 #2
I’ve done my research, even if I was annoyed at myself at the time for being obsessed with a man that ghosted me.
Guild halls tend to be this weird combination of a tavern and a motorcycle club, blended into something wholly unique.
Big on protecting the guild name’s reputation to the point of murder, a family that has each other’s backs even if they don’t particularly like one another.
But if someone fucked with a Shadow Knight?
Every single member would step up to even the scales.
By the same token, if one was killed? The entire guild would step up to take care of any mates or children left behind, no questions asked.
The jobs posted aren’t even always murders, though the Shadow Knights specialize in assassinations.
Still, they’re under no obligation to take them if they don’t morally agree with the request. They exist firmly in grey territory, but I’d argue they’re more honorable than most men, even if it’s pride driving their actions.
Havoc Knight may be a monster, but he’s one that worse monsters fear.
Sucking in a breath, a little afraid of what I’ll find, I rip off the last of the tape and open the box, only to frown at what’s inside. I don’t know what exactly I was expecting, but it wasn’t… this.
“What the fuck?” I mutter, gently extracting the fragile husk. Embarrassing as it is to admit, it takes me a good five feet before it clicks that I’m not crazy.
“What is it?” Stryker calls, glancing over his shoulder between flipping pans.
“A basilisk skin. Well, a shed one, not skinned. Damn near perfectly intact, too.”
After I’ve finished unfurling all twelve feet of it and gently setting it on the couch, I find an envelope inside the box.
Kiara,
Rome has informed me that my first idea for a gift was inappropriate, so I hope this is more acceptable.
Admittedly, I’m not well read in the care of magical creatures, but in my own line of work, I know how valuable a basilisk skin can be in creating antidotes.
Hopefully, it’ll be of some use at your clinic.
In case I missed the mark, though, I’ve included a few other options that might serve you better.
Anxiously awaiting the day you come home,
-Vic
“Goddamnit,” I murmur, blinking back tears.
Thankfully, Stryker gives me the illusion of privacy as I finish diving into the gift.
Unicorn blood, hemlock root, mermaid scales; there’s even a phoenix feather.
And though I grew up around them, I know how the rest of the world thinks they’re extinct.
A single feather would go for a fortune, not to mention everything else in this box.
And he gave it to me like it was no big deal. A casual, ‘don’t be mad at me anymore, I got you a present.’ This box would go for half a mil on the black market, minimum.
You can’t buy forgiveness, but maybe, just maybe, you can buy enough time for empathy to strike.
Make someone pause long enough to reevaluate the way they see the world.
Remind them that in the grand scheme of things, we’re all just doing the best we can.
Sometimes we slip up, but the most important thing is to acknowledge our flaws and try to do better in the future.
Make amends to those we’ve hurt when we weren’t being our best selves.
Stryker, bless his soul, sees me mentally spiraling and casually asks, “So. Zayd, was it? He really spoke?”
Shaking off the crippling weight of emotion threatening to drag me under, I force a smile. It takes very little time to become genuine, and I beam proudly, “He sure did. Complete sentences, even.”
Plating up the finished food, he breathes an incredulous laugh. “How the hell did you manage to pull that off? No one has ever rehabilitated a feral shifter before.”
“Honestly? I’m not 100% sure. Sitting on his face probably helped. No time to attack people if you’re busy drowning in pussy.”
“Got that right,” Zayd agrees as he walks into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from his eyes as I slide into my seat at the table.
He walks straight up to me and swivels my chair to the side, dropping to his knees between my legs and tucks his face in the crook of my neck. “This helps,” he murmurs against my skin, making me shiver at the tickling sensation. “Your scent makes it easier to fight against the fog.”
Meeting Stryker’s shocked gaze above his head, I smile smugly, running my fingers softly through Zayd’s wild hair.
“Good to know. I’ll make sure to leave you with one of my shirts or something when I go to work.
Though it’ll be a lot easier to take snuggle breaks now that we’re moving into the clinic. ”
“About that,” Stryker says, serving up the rest of our plates. “Now that I've invited myself to move in, what if we start looking at houses instead?”
“Zayd?” I ask softly.
He mumbles against my neck, “I go wherever you do, doesn’t matter to me. Easier to fortify one location than split our attention between two. With Stryker and Devlin, though, we can make whatever you want work.”
With one final, deep inhale, he extracts himself slowly, as if he’s not fully confident that he won’t slip back into feral territory the second he’s away from me.
But one step turns into two, and he sighs in relief.
Still, he drags his chair as close to me as possible before taking a seat and thanking Stryker for breakfast before giving it his full, enthusiastic attention.
Stryker stares at him like he still can’t believe it, not even taking a bite yet. He shakes himself out of his stunned stupor. “Agreed. Is there any reason besides saving money that you want to stay at the clinic, Kiara?”
I take a few bites of hashbrowns and mull it over.
“Pride? I know it’s not a sustainable long term plan, but I really need to get this place cleared out in the next couple of weeks and would prefer sleeping at the clinic while we figure out our next move instead of jumping into the first house available because of the bad timing.
But I don’t want to make you guys suffer if you’re not on board with it. ”
Zayd swallows his last mouthful, eyeing his empty plate longingly. “You found me sleeping naked behind a dumpster; I don’t give a shit where we stay as long as I’m with you.”
My heart warms as Stryker slides his plate across the table for him before grabbing another for himself.
“Same. My time in the military was a hard lesson in appreciating the basics. After enough nights surviving off of cat naps at the mercy of the elements and choking down whatever was available to survive the trek back to base camp, I’m thrilled with access to a bed and clean water. So it doesn’t matter to me.”
Guilt has me pushing my food around with my fork. “I’m not trying to make you sleep on the floor indefinitely. I just need some time to figure things out, and-”
Zayd slides his hand beneath my hair, palming the back of my neck and stroking his thumb over my skin, steady and soothing. “No one is upset, little goddess. We’re happy so long as we have you by our side; the rest will fall into place.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Laying it on a little thick there, Z.”
His low chuckle hits me right between the legs, his thumb continuing its comforting path across my sensitive skin. “My people would lose their minds if they met you, swearing your abilities were gifted from Bastet herself. You’re amazing, my sweet mate; embrace it.”
Well shit, why couldn’t I have been born there instead of my village? Sounds way more fun. Well, until they spotted the black veins and decided I was an abomination and sacrificed me to their gods for brownie points.
Closing my eyes, I take a beat to put myself in their shoes and reframe the way I’ve been looking at the situation.
They’re grown men and can make their own choices.
Heck, they don’t even have to stay there with me, if they don’t want to.
I don’t technically need to be out of my house for a few more weeks, and there’s always the bed and breakfast Stryker’s been staying at.
Not to mention, if he doesn’t want to wait for me, Stryker could visit Ellis himself and get a house assigned to him.
Zayd may not have as many options available in his current state, but he could always stay here a while longer.
So if they decide to help me drag a couple of mattresses into one of the exam rooms at the clinic, who am I to stop them?
Though I really don’t like the idea of being alone after last night.
Whoever I rescued Yukina from must have figured out I was involved if they were looking for me specifically.
Rentown is far enough away from Mercy Ridge and nobody knew I was going to the fundraiser as my brother’s plus one, so it must’ve been a fluke that somebody there recognized me and told their boss.
Or hell, maybe it wasn’t about Yukina at all, and someone just clocked me as a center and thought when they showed up to crash the auction, they’d grab a few women along with whatever items they planned to steal.
Regardless, the wards around Mercy Ridge are impressive enough that I’m not too worried, so long as I don’t leave town until the heat dies down.
The invisible barrier may not be perfect, but it ensures no humans can pass through; mystics only, even if they’re powerless.
After the shitshow Ever went through exposed the loophole in the intent of the barrier, supposedly the gargoyles added another layer of protection for anyone that slips through the cracks, but they’ve been tight-lipped on that to keep the element of surprise against potential threats.