Chapter Seven #3
His gaze sharpened. “Then, I think you should be in your house.”
Keska narrowed her eyes at him. “You caught on.”
“You said overwhelmed.” His eyes narrowed.
Hedoreth leaned down and whispered in his wife’s ear.
Aluhara laughed. “Ah. Right. Do you need help?”
Keska sighed. “I will ask Hemma. She’s my housekeeper.”
She sent a message to Hemma, and there was a smile in her reply. “Sure, Kes. Not a problem. How long do you run?”
“Um, three days. Two if he’s matching my energy. One if my birth control fails,” she typed.
“Got it. Laying in supplies. Do I have your permission to take Kessie around the city?”
“I will ask Sorooth, but I can’t think that it would be an issue. I can ask Salat to help if it helps.”
“Good. Get the authorization from Sorooth, and contact your business partner.”
“Sorooth, do you authorize Salat and Hemma to take Kessie around the city during the overwhelm?”
He smiled and nodded. “She wants written clearance?”
“She does.” She sent a text to Salat, and he replied, “Excellent. Baola is with us this week, and she’s been desperate to get into the city. I would be glad to take Kessie around.”
“Hemma will be coming along as a chaperone.”
“That will be fun. I always wanted to turn some girls loose on a live range. I just got Sorooth’s authorization.”
“Fine, but you are the responsible adult. Remember that.”
A laughing cat emoji filled her screen.
She exhaled. “Okay, his step-daughter is in town tomorrow, and she wants to have fun in the city, and Kessie is welcome to go with them, and Hemma is going to come with to chaperone.”
Sorooth smiled. “Well, is there anything else we can do here?”
Aluhara grinned. “I would never get in the way of a heat, so I suppose we can just finish up, hug, and then try to make arrangements to meet again.”
Keska grinned, took the statue of her, and gave it to Sorooth. “You can’t keep me. You can keep all of us.”
She handed over the group statue, and Aluhara smiled. “I haven’t met half of them.”
“Then, you have many more reunions to look forward to.”
She walked over and hugged Aluhara. “I am learning. Every time I meet someone new, I am learning. Mother Aluhara, it has been delightful to meet you.”
“It has been wonderful meeting you, daughter. It’s nice that at least my hair overwrote Nelith’s genes.”
Keska laughed. “Thank you. You were way too serene.”
Aluhara grinned. “I used to kick ass on a regular basis, now I only have my beloved Hedoreth to pick on. He takes it, but we negotiate afterward.”
“Well, if I could ever get a confirmation that I would be safe at the stronghold, I might try to visit once. I just don’t want to hurt anyone. I will be so tense it won’t be funny.”
Aluhara nodded. “I believe I understand. You know what happened to Nelith.”
“It was the same time I got pregnant with Kessie. I think our minds linked, and she may have been calm, but the pain burned me. That atonement had a result, and her child is here in the city. At least her hands grew back.”
Aluhara paled. “Oh.”
“And she was the same height then as Kessie is now. Two rutting bastards were willing to attack a woman who looked like a child.”
“Oh, gods. Okay. I will talk to the royal family. And thank you. Your wariness makes much more sense.”
“Yup.” Another soft pulse started running through her. She walked to the door of the private room and spoke to the hostess. A few seconds later, the bill was there, already paid.
Keska sighed. “Who paid for it?”
Klauz came out of the kitchen. “I did. You don’t take advantage of your partnership nearly enough.”
“Fine, but if Salat shows up with three young women tomorrow, put it on my tab.”
Klauz grinned. “Done.”
Sorooth put his arm around her waist. “Ready?”
“Yup. Apparently, the big purple doofus comped the bill.”
Hedoreth frowned. “Why?”
Klauz said with delight, “She’s a partner in the business. Has been since the capitol. She has an instinct for where to put her money.”
Keska sighed and pulled out one of the projectors. “Here. You can let Drin have this, and it will broadcast full-size through your coms. Just tell me how well it worked, and don’t tell me what she did with it. I want it back in a month and for it not to be sticky.”
Klauz laughed. “Thank you.”
“It will link to her com and work from there.”
“How?”
“Because I told it to.”
Sorooth chuckled. “Shall we go?”
She felt her body changing gears. “Yeah, probably a good idea.”
Aluhara was on the arm of Hedoreth, and Kessie wormed her way under Keska’s arm. “Are you in heat, Mom?”
“No, not yet. Getting there.”
“Oh.” She paused as they got in the elevator, and Keska tried to focus. “Are you going to have another baby?”
“Not today. Not tomorrow.” She smiled at Kessie. “There is time before anything happens.”
Kessie smiled. “But you don’t feel good right now?”
“I feel different. My body is out of practice and trying to get ready to do something it doesn’t normally do. So, it’s like running without stretching. My body is trying to stretch.”
Sorooth coughed as he ushered them out onto the main floor, and Aluhara was concerned, touching Keska’s cheek and forehead.
Keska grinned. “Are you going to tell me to take two aspirin and lie down? I can assure you, it doesn’t actually work.”
Aluhara kissed her forehead. “I know. My metabolism is so slow that this never happened to me. It took an entire lab team just to speed me up to the point where they could harvest eggs once, and then someone stole them.” She smiled at Kessie.
“You have no inkling of how happy I am that they are coming back to me. You are a treasure, Keska. You and your sisters. I hope to meet them soon.”
“We will issue an invite after we are out of our speed wobble.” She reached into her purse and took out a small object the size of a coin. “If you ever need to stop someone in their tracks, use this. Hit them centre mass. The gadget does the rest.”
Aluhara smiled. “Thank you, but my favourite part of tonight is the statue of our family.”
Sorooth nodded. “My favourite part is yet to come.”
Keska sighed, hugged Hedoreth, and hugged Aluhara again. They walked to their car, which was near Sorooth’s, and then everyone went their separate ways.
Sorooth tucked her into the front seat after Kessie was seated. “How long do we have?”
“Three hours. Hemma is gearing up for it.” Keska sighed. “I wish it had an off or not right now button.”
He kissed her quickly, grinned, and closed her door. He walked around and got behind the wheel, and they were off in a few moments. He reached out and held her hand during the entire drive back to the house between schools.
The gate at the drive closed behind them as they drove in, and Keska got nervous as she always did when he was around for a heat. This time was different. He was staying.
Once inside, Kessie hugged her and her dad and skipped off to get some snacks with Hemma, showing off the statue and her dad’s statue.
Keska fidgeted. Sorooth asked quietly, “Do you have a space?”
She nodded. “Let’s pack a bag so we don’t look like we have been wrestling bears when we’re done.”
“Oh, I am never done. I am just resting for propriety’s sake.” Sorooth smiled as they walked to the bedroom, and she picked her clothing.
“Oh, shoot. You don’t have clothing here yet.”
He grinned. “It’s fine. I can fold these and put them aside. I will order our luggage from our hotel while we are here. It will be here when we emerge.”
He tapped into his com unit and nodded. “They will be delivered here when Hemma requests them. I notified her as well.”
“Oh. I am sorry. I should have thought of it.”
“Keska, the first time we were together, you lunged at me and took me to the ground in seconds. Your current coherence and restraint are the result of maturity.”
“No, I just know how fast I can get your clothes off.” She smiled. “And how fast you can.”
He laughed.
She had her bag and nodded. “So, to the soundproofed zone?”
He nodded. “Lead the way.”
She inhaled and took her go bag to the rear stairs. She walked down to the main floor and then to the basement. The heavily fortified door beckoned, and she keyed it open with a code before looking to Sorooth. “Biometrics?”
He nodded, and she coded him into the system. A few moments later, they were inside, and she was checking the plumbing while he made the bed. Once they connected, they were going to be tangled for a very long time.
When everything was set, she returned to the main room and kicked off her shoes. Sorooth was unbuttoning his shirt when she reached for the zip on the dress. He walked over to her and smiled. “Let me.”
Facing her, he reached behind, slowly lowered the zip, and then pulled the fabric forward and down. His breathing hitched, and she smiled as he leaned in for a kiss.
“Keska, I have missed you with everything in me.”
“Sorooth, I am glad you are here.” She slid her hands up his chest as her bra went and her panties hit the floor.
He lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. “So am I.”
* * * *
Three days later, Kessie, Hemma, and Ekbert were sitting around the table when the couple came in, leaning against each other and looking like they had fought a shipwreck for days.
Hemma got a platter out of the oven, and Keska grinned. “My favourite.”
Five pounds of barbecue of various origins were waiting.
Keska croaked. “How did you know?”
Kessie pointed to a water glass. “It stopped wiggling.”
Hemma smiled calmly. “It’s a good indicator.”
Ekbert laughed. “I am going out. Kessie, did you want that swimming lesson?”
“Yes, please.” She walked around and hugged her parents. “So, do you think boy or girl?”
Keska lifted a weak arm and wrapped it around Kessie. “At this point, all I am thinking about is shredded pork.”
Her daughter looked up at her and then to the housekeeper. “Okay. Hemma, when can we tell them about everything that happened?”
Hemma covered her eyes. “After they are back to themselves, so give them a few hours. They are going to be crashing on the couch today. Catching up with things.”
Kessie grinned, hugged her dad again, and ran outside with Ekbert.
Hemma looked at the two actives, who were staring at her accusingly.
“Everyone is fine. There was some light property damage, but Salat is taking that on his driving, and Kessie made a friend. Baola is coming over to play this afternoon. We did go to Daycross on Thursday. I know where you live. So, Kessie had a great day with Lii and Baola.”
Keska groaned. “What day is today?”
“Saturday morning. If you want to go to the family barbecue, they will send someone after lunch. It’s seven in the morning right now. Kessie gets up early.”
Sorooth settled next to Keska and balled up meat in his fingertips for her.
Hemma watched and got the tray of fruit for them afterward. Water, juice, tea, and coffee were all offered.
She watched her boss slowly recover from a three-day heat, but there was a glow under her skin that made her smile. A new little lord or lady was forming inside her.
When they were sipping their beverages and the meal had been cleared, Keska asked softly, “So, what happened?”
Hemma started putting the few shreds of leftovers away. “Nothing of note.”
“That sounds like a lie.” Keska chuckled.
“It isn’t anything that should be concerning. Now that you two are up, it’s all good.”
Sorooth smiled. “Uh-oh. I am calling Salat.”
He kissed Keska, got up, and walked into another room.
Keska said, “Hemma, where’s your necklace?”
Hemma touched her neck, and the pendant that Keska had made with the emergency com inside was gone. “Uh. It broke?”
“Tell me.”
She lifted her head. “I don’t have to. Salat is in the driveway with Khytten, the littles, nannies, and Baola.”
Keska blinked. “You called them?”
“Salat wanted to speak to a friend of mine. There have been queries. A lot of queries.”
“Oh, shit. You had to call Zephyr.”
Hemma tapped her nose.
“It was recorded?”
“Yup. All over the news.”
“Oh, dear. So, everyone saw.”
“Yup.”
“Shit. Did she do anything watery?”
“Nope, but she is rather hard to miss. Sorry, but it was necessary.” She smiled. “Salat has a crush, and I think Khytten isn’t too far behind.”
Keska laughed softly. “Is she well?”
“Um, she’s hiding in your pool.”
Keska’s eyes went wide. “Fucking hell.”
A dazed Sorooth came forward. “They... went on a road trip.”
Keska nodded. “Got it. Is being a parent always this exciting?”
He wrapped his arms around her. “Let’s have another and find out.”
She leaned into him and sighed. “We have another set of guests coming to the door. It isn’t usual, but we have a special guest in the pool. Possibly helping with the swimming lesson.”
“With Kessie?”
“And Ekbert. Yes.”
Sorooth asked softly, “Can we go back to your nest?”
Keska laughed. “We can go back there anytime you want but not today. Today isn’t for that.”
Hemma must have opened the door because Khytten came up to her. “I am so sorry about this, but something happened. Here. Drink this.”
“Do you have one for Sorooth? I was a little rough with him.”
Her partner snorted. “She isn’t wrong.”
Khytten went from concerned to amused. “Here you go. One each.”
Keska slugged back her vial, and Sorooth did the same. Salat slunk in a little sheepish. He cleared his throat. “First, love the house. Great yard.”
Keska smiled. “You have been here before?”
“Yeah. You have an amazing daughter and a housekeeper who keeps her head. With Baola in the mix, they were unstoppable.”
Sorooth said, “Who tried to stop them?”
The kids trooped through the house with their older sister and their nannies. Baola already had her swimsuit on. Khytten grinned. “Seers.”
Keska sat back down, feeling better and less achy. Salat and Khytten sat down, and so did Sorooth.
Salat said, “Do you know that your housekeeper has a price on her head but not for what you would think?”
Keska grinned, and Sorooth put his arm around her. “Tell me more.”
The story spilled out, and footage was displayed, leaving Sorooth horrified and then impressed.
Their first official day as a household was off to an astonishing start. Keska wondered what their anniversary would bring.