Fire's Embrace [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 6] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) (23 page)

Something in Sari’s chest eased at Phoenix’s words. His eyes met Phoenix’s burning ones and he smiled slightly. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

He couldn’t always doubt and dwell on one vision that might not even be correct. Phoenix deserved a chance to prove that he truly meant what he said, just like Rachen deserved a mate who loved him. They couldn’t forever live in the shadow of a distant and confusing hallucination.

Perhaps he was making a mistake in dismissing it. He’d been so convinced that the vision had come from Jenarra, and he still believed that. But he also felt that Jenarra wanted him to stand up for what he believed in and to support the people he cared about. That was what Sari aimed to do, to hope and trust in a better future.For humans, the phoenix meant rebirth. Well, maybe this time around, humans had the right idea.

They led Sari’s mother to the cliffside, where her plane was already waiting. Eventually, the rest of the Tersain joined them as well. “We eagerly await your next visit,” Hareem said.

“Well, you might not have to wait for too long,” Eanera replied. “Once I handle the issues that summon me back to Rose Noire, I have to return to Sari to be with him throughout his pregnancy.”

Distantly, Sari wondered if she was still concerned, or if her worries stemmed from more than just Phoenix’s presence. Either way, he couldn’t exactly ask her, since the time for her departure had arrived.

A few hugs later, Eanera was boarding the plane, looking like that was the last thing she wanted to do. From the doorway of the plane, she took one last look at Sari. Her grip on the gift box was so tight her knuckles went white.

Sari waved at her and smiled. Tears gathered at the corner of Eanera’s eyes. “I love you, Sari,” she mouthed.

“I love you, too,” Sari replied.

As the jet doors closed, Sari wondered why those words felt so much like good-bye. He wondered just what his mother knew that she wasn’t saying and why she’d left anyway. He had a feeling that once he found out the answer to these questions, he wouldn’t like it.

* * * *

That evening

The dining room was crowded with various members of the Tersain family. Clustered all around the table, they ate, occasionally exchanging comments.

Rachen sat next to his mate, almost unable to believe that this was possible. A few weeks back, he’d wanted it so badly for himself and his mate. He’d wanted everyone to love and understand Phoenix at least half of what Rachen did. And now, finally, things seemed to be heading in the right direction.

“They’re great people,”
Phoenix said through their bond.
“I don’t know if I would have been so welcoming in their place.”

Rachen shot his mate a besotted smile.
“I don’t know how welcoming they’ve been, but they’re not blind. They see how amazing you are.”

Phoenix shook his head, chuckling.
“You’re just biased,”
he said as he took a sip of wine.

Across from them, Karein and Sari were eating quietly, although Rachen knew they were likely communicating through their mate bond. Sari was a little sad that his mother had left, and Karein had been hovering and worrying ever since. Talrasar sat next to Sari, giving the younger fae space but also somehow managing to seem open and warm should Sari want to approach him.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, a conversation had started between Camden, his siblings, Taryn, and Graham. “I do think we can reach out to the other castes given time,” Taryn was saying. “It might not be right now, but eventually everyone will see that Hareem means well.”

“We’ve spoken to some of the other rare shifters,” Arlen said, “and they’re not convinced just yet. The draechen haven’t proven to be very trustworthy in the past. Sure, we know that’s changed now, but they’re not as close to the situation as we are.”

That comment meant far more than Arlen probably realized. It pointed out a real change in the policy of the naga toward Draechenburg. Rachen was pleased to see it. In fact, the naga had surprised him in that they’d been quite open toward Phoenix and hadn’t automatically assigned him to the category of threat to be eliminated.

“We know it’s not going to be easy,” Graham added, “but we won’t let that stop us. As soon as Caelyn gives birth, I’m going to find my pack and speak to some other friends of mine in the paranormal community. They’ll spread the word.”

Caelyn smiled at Graham, although he didn’t speak. He had been pretty quiet, too, although he was likely just considering the message his family had sent him. Rachen had eventually remembered to convey it, but so far, Caelyn hadn’t made an official request to Karein or the other Imperial Consuls to allow his parents and siblings here.

Phoenix glanced Caelyn’s way, tilting his head in an oddly birdlike gesture. “You should probably be getting ready then,” he said. “It feels like your child wants to come out already.”

Silence fell over the dining room. “How do you know that?” Sari asked.

“The energy around Caelyn is changing,” Phoenix replied calmly. “Am I wrong?”

Caelyn shook his head. “No…I don’t think you are.”

Suddenly, he looked very pale. Graham’s complexion went even pastier, and he shot to his feet. “Oh, gods, oh gods…We need a doctor. Get a doctor.”

“Calm down, Graham,” Caelyn said. “I’m not the first person to have a…baby.”

He grimaced as he paused, and Rachen could tell that he was probably starting to have contractions. He wasn’t sure how he knew that, but he suspected it was something his mate had subconsciously conveyed to him. With every day that passed, Phoenix amazed him more and more.

Graham picked Caelyn up, his eyes wild with fright. “What do I do?” he asked, sounding lost.

“Let’s get him to lie down,” Sari replied. “We’ll notify the doctors. Meanwhile, Talrasar and I will help you.”

He walked to his friend’s side and took Caelyn’s hand. “How are you doing?”

“Fine,” Caelyn replied, his voice trembling slightly. “A little scared.”

“Don’t be,” Graham told him. “I’m right here, angel. I’m with you.”

His voice suddenly grew stronger, as if he was forcing himself to be optimistic for Caelyn’s benefit. Rachen could understand it perfectly, since he was just as protective of Phoenix. He wished he could help, but he was no healer.

“I might be able to lend a hand,”
Phoenix told him. He bit his lip, obviously uncertain.
“But a birth is something so delicate. I don’t want to unbalance it.”

“Let’s just stay out of it,”
Rachen advised his mate. The last thing he wanted was for something to go wrong and Phoenix to be blamed for it.

“I’ll step in if Caelyn or the baby is in danger,”
Phoenix decided.
“No sense in intervening until that point, right?”

He didn’t sound very happy about it, and Rachen realized that Phoenix would have preferred to avoid any possible pain for the young sprite. Phoenix didn’t fully have all of his memories as Alwyn Cyraltin, but he did remember enough to know that Caelyn had never wanted him to get hurt. Not to mention that he often ended up mediating the occasional dispute between Phoenix and Sari.

It was kind of telling that no one had asked for their help in the first place. Perhaps they still didn’t trust Phoenix, or maybe it was something entirely different. Either way, Rachen would have felt offended on his mate’s behalf, if not for the very clear knowledge that this moment was far more important than their individual sensibilities.

And then, Caelyn did something that touched Rachen to the core. “Phoenix?” Caelyn asked softly. “Will you come with us? If something happens…”

“Of course,” Phoenix replied automatically. “But don’t worry. Nothing is going to happen. Your baby just wants to come out and meet his daddies.”

It was really a relief that this was finally happening. Caelyn rarely showed it, but he’d started to get anxious as to the reasons why his baby was taking so long in showing up. Almost two months had passed since Taryn had given birth, leaving Caelyn puzzled regarding his own pregnancy. On several occasions, Phoenix and Sari had tried to point out that, given the hybrid nature of the infants, it was going to be different for everyone. Not to mention that Taryn’s baby had likely come earlier than he was supposed to because of less than pleasant circumstances. Nevertheless, it was still a good thing that the moment Caelyn and Graham had been waiting for had at last arrived.

Graham carried Caelyn out of the room, and Phoenix and Rachen followed. At first, it seemed like they would be headed toward Graham and Caelyn’s quarters, but in the end, the werewolf decided against it. As Graham entered the closest empty chamber, Rachen stole a look his mate’s way and saw the smile on Phoenix’s face. Suddenly, Rachen truly felt like everything would be all right. At last, both he and Phoenix were part of a family, one who trusted and cared about them. Today might not be about them, and yet, it felt like such a landmark. Caelyn’s words had cleared up that final doubt in Rachen’s heart and mind, and it meant the world to him.

Phoenix pressed a brief kiss over Rachen’s lips, then entered the room after Graham. Rachen stayed outside, with his two brothers, the naga, and most of the members of their family. He should have probably been anxious, but he was certain that Phoenix wouldn’t let anything happen to Caelyn’s baby. Today marked a new beginning, and not only for them.

The high-pitched cries of the child echoed in the room as the infant protested being drawn out of the comfort of his birth father’s body. Phoenix held the boy close and rocked him, allowing the warm energies of the earth to surround the baby, singing softly to him under his breath.

As Phoenix held the baby, Graham wiped down Caelyn’s face of sweat and said, “It’s okay now, angel. You did great.”

Caelyn blinked, still looking dazed and tired. He’d lost quite a lot of blood because of the incision necessary to remove the baby, but Talrasar and Sari had kept it all under control. The draechen medic had been more than competent. Truly, the entire process had gone even smoother than Phoenix had expected. The baby was healthy, and so was his father.

On cue, Caelyn whispered, “I want to see him. I want to see our son.”

Graham walked to Phoenix’s side, and Phoenix passed the baby to his sire. A pang of jealousy struck him as he watched Graham, Caelyn, and their child together. He wanted to have that, too. He wanted hatchlings with Rachen.

“It’ll come,”
Rachen said through their bond
. “I want us to have children, too. Just be patient.”

“I’m a fire bird,”
Phoenix pointed out.
“It’s not in my nature to be patient.”

Nevertheless, he couldn’t cling to any petty feelings of envy, not when he saw the wide smile on Caelyn’s face. Caelyn’s happiness was simply contagious, and Phoenix couldn’t help but rejoice at the knowledge that a new life was starting today. He could feel it deep within him. His magic responded to the unique energy of the moment. The purity and beauty of it nearly brought tears to Phoenix’s eyes.

Instead of starting to bawl like a crybaby, he slipped out of the room. Talrasar, Sari, and the draechen medic followed his example, leaving the happy couple alone with their son.

Instantly, the rest of the family was upon them. Of course, they knew things had gone well, since Karein, Kael and Rachen had been able to monitor the entire process through their bonds with their respective mates. Even so, that didn’t seem to be enough.

“Can we see them?” Camden asked. Apparently, he’d grown attached to Caelyn, too.

“I think we should give them a little time to themselves,” Sari suggested. Phoenix couldn’t have agreed more. It was only normal that Caelyn and Graham have some privacy to enjoy their new family. They had already been provided with everything they needed for their son, and someone would be close by should they require further assistance.

Just as Phoenix thought this, the door to the room opened and Graham emerged from inside. “With your permission, Your Graces, my mate has a request. He wishes to see his family in the hope of reconciling with them.”

“Entirely understandable,” Hareem said. “We were expecting his request and are prepared to approve it as long as Phoenix doesn’t mind.”

“Naturally,” Graham said, glancing toward Phoenix. “If Phoenix is uncomfortable with it, we are prepared to meet the Sutharlainn somewhere else as soon as Caelyn recovers.”

Phoenix grimaced. The sprites had been the ones to imprison and use him. Caelyn was an exception, but Phoenix didn’t trust the rest of the Elusians.

However, it wasn’t fair that, because of his own misgivings, Caelyn should have to be deprived of his family. He had been forced to give it up when he’d mated Graham, and it must have been pretty hard.

Phoenix didn’t have parents or siblings. He was the only one of his kind. If he did have children with his lover, they wouldn’t be phoenixes. And since meeting the Tersain, Phoenix had begun to appreciate more and more the importance of having a family.

“Don’t worry about me,” he said. “If I don’t like them, I’ll just stay away. It’s a pretty big palace. Besides, Caelyn is more important right now.”