7. Kano
Chapter 7
Kano
H ow sweet my precious pets are!
Kano loved how Arden and Shane helped Rally move past some of his mental scars from the trauma of betrayal. He adored how ugliness simply bounced off Shane’s good-natured outlook.
They are such worthy Mates. Abah-Sah, let them find us fast.
Losing her and Shane would be his death knell. Compared with that, all the hardest parts of his life made no difference. Even his darkest moment, which was inextricably tied to Vai’s lowest point.
The icy fingers of the malicious entity pricked at the painful memory. He resisted its influence effortlessly, thanks to Vai’s Emotion Absorption taking the brunt of its pressure.
Kano put his hand on Vai’s shoulder. The fine, tight tension in Vai’s spiritual form concerned Kano.
Shane turned around to hug Vai, rubbing his cheek on Vai’s shoulder in loving support, and Kano’s affection for Shane grew even more fierce.
Kind, amiable Mate.
Shane would be well-rewarded for his loving nature when Kano was finally, truly with his sweet ones.
Vai relaxed into Shane’s embrace, turning his attention to Kano.
“ Let them see. They should know.”
Kano would do this for his Brethren. He understood that freely giving these memories would steal the flavors of pain from their enemy, giving it no fuel for its cruelty.
“ By your will, Vai.”
Vai aligned their memories, letting them fly unchecked into the minds of their Mates.
D evastated, Arvai sensed the evil prowling toward his Brethren because of him. Abassan mated, but there were potential consequences to their Mates.
This might be too high a cost to bear. Perhaps it is better to leave Kiraly and Takano together and safe on Lio HomeWorld.
Takano rushed into their private quarters in the Abassani, shouting his pain at his wayward Mate.
“You would leave us?”
Arvai blinked up in surprise.
“You know my thoughts?”
Takano was blazing angry.
“I know your heart , Arvai.”
Takano paused, rubbing his chest through the ache.
“You are ripping ours apart. Stop.”
“I don’t want you hurt!”
“Then we stay together. Come what may.”
They sat down across from each other, reaching their hands out for connection, gazing into each other’s eyes as Arvai absorbed the depth of connection they already possessed. To break it would break them. Kiraly would be lost, too.
Arvai pushed the possibility of separation away, never considering it again.
Takano stood steadily with Arvai and Kiraly.
Always.
K ano shivered at the echo of potential loss.
“ I thought I ’ d lose my mind that day.”
Vai snickered.
“ You lost your mind long before that!”
Kano’s laugh overpowered the gritty, miserable moan of the intruder.
“ That ’ s a fact.”
His heart filled with joy as he remembered the first time he’d seen Vai, surrounded by beautiful, pink flowers, leaning against MotherTree in the Bon’Fiel Meadow.
Arden sighed as she enjoyed the moment he shared.
Their dream-scape had warmed considerably. Kano believed the dark entity’s hold was collapsing.
A grating cry of horrid disappointment echoed around them.
“ I will have you! You will never be complete.”
They ignored it.
Vai drove it to the very edge with a blast of spiritual light sparked by the memory of jubilation he felt when he first sensed Arden all those spans ago. Rally added his exhilaration, and Kano reveled in his thrill at discovering her. Arden shared her wonder.
“ No! You are hopeless . Hopele...”
Shane was delighted.
“ How amazing!”
And just like that, the screeching soul-destroyer disappeared from their dream.