ReEmergent -Guardians of Vesturon [4] (25 page)

“
You mean with Jurek?”

“
Yeah,” Rykerian grinned.

“
Why?”

“
It’s a man thing.” He looked at Maddie sheepishly and added, “How can I find fault with him after everything he’s done? He knows how I feel too. It’s an inside thing with us now. January doesn’t even know and Jurek and I sort of laugh about it. But he and Xarrid are tight Maddie. I honestly think they’re tighter than any of us are. And I can never repay Jurek for all he’s done for Xarrid.”

“
I know, right? I mean, Xarrid was in such a dark place, it scares me when I think about it.”

“
Same here. He saved him. And of course, his men found Saylan. He saved Xarrid’s and my life when Therron was killed. The debts keep adding up. His bond to January is more than friendship but nothing sexual. He’s a very special being.”

Maddie smiled. “You know, I’m really glad you feel that way. I’ve always liked him...well, not at first of course. But afterwards. So, labor huh. Rayn’s gonna lose it?”

“
You have no idea. All your preparations will be worth absolutely nothing. He’s going to be go crazy all the way to the medical facility. You may even want to think about having Jurek on stand by.” He laughed really hard. “You know, maybe I want to see my totally, in control brother, in that state. I think I may enjoy it.”

“
I think I may need reinforcements.”

“
Maddie, I know you will!”

“
Are you two talking about your labor?” They both turned to see January entering the room.

Maddie laughed and said, “Yeah, Rykerian was recommending I have reinforcements. Apparently he would’ve left you on the front steps if his parents hadn’t interceded.”

“
Oh gawd, don’t remind me. I wanted to kill him. Even Jurek started to feel sorry for him. First off, he was running around in his boxers because he forgot to put on his darn clothes! Can you imagine? Then, I was having those awful contractions and he hopped in the transport, and left me standing there to fend for myself. I was humongous and could barely wobble, much less walk. You know how damn high you have to step to get into one of those doohickeys. I was furious with him. Oh, and then I was holding his hand when my contractions hit and he started whining like a baby.”

Rykerian looked at her in annoyance and argued, “I most certainly did not!”

“
You did too. You said I was squeezing you too hard!”

Maddie was giggling uncontrollably.

“
You were crushing my hand!” Rykerian turned to Maddie and exclaimed, “I swear Maddie, you should’ve seen the bruises I had for weeks. She nearly destroyed my hand.”

“
Yeah, right! As if. Even Jurek was making fun of you.”

Rykerian hit Maddie with a telepathic thought explaining to her that Jurek had to heal the crushed bones in his hand, but they didn’t tell January about it. Maddie raised her brows.

“
What?” January asked.

Maddie, quickly recovering, said, “I guess I’m definitely going to have to recruit some reinforcements then.”

“
The beautiful thing about it though is once Rayn sees the baby, he’ll be like putty. Just wait and see,” January added.

“
Well, I hope we don’t fight over holding it like you two did.”

“
You will. We will again too, won’t we January?”

“
Yes. You can’t help it. It’s like nothing you’ve ever felt and we can’t explain it either. So, are you feeling any better?”

Maddie laughed again. “Yes and no. Yes, because I think everything I’m going through is normal. No, because I’m tired of feeling sick and tired.”

January patted her arm. “I know exactly how you feel. Come with me.”

She followed January into her kitchen and took a seat at the table. January handed her a glass of something. “Drink up.”

“
What is it?”

“
Don’t ask, just drink.”

Maddie did and within minutes, started to feel better.

“
Okay, what is it?”

“
Just a bunch of blended fruits and vegetables. I think your body needs so many nutrients that it doesn’t get because you’ve lost your appetite and you’re queasy, this replaces everything and goes to work fast.”

“
It’s very tasty too.”

“
I’ll write everything down so you can make it for yourself. Drink it a couple of times every day. It won’t take your morning sickness away, but it’ll help with your lack of energy.”

“
Thank you. I’ve been so down about that lately.”

“
I figured as much. And you should be feeling better soon too. I’m having more of that damn morning sickness this time too. Maybe we’re both having girls.”

“
Oh good lord. If Rayn has a girl, that child will be locked in her room until she’s thirty years old. He’s going to be over the top protective. If the way he is with me is any indication, she’s in big trouble. I was hoping to break the ice with a boy first.”

“
I felt the same way. I was so happy we had a boy. So you’re not going to find out the sex either?”

Maddie frowned. “I want to but Rayn doesn’t.”

“
Brothers. They’re exactly alike. Rykerian was the same way. I wanted to know how to decorate the nursery. But nooooo! ‘We can’t know because then we won’t be surprised!’”

The two women laughed as they shared stories about their husbands. The pattering of footsteps interrupted their conversation and a toddler bounded into the kitchen screaming and laughing, “Manny Manny!”

Maddie laughed and scooped him up in her arms, planting a big kiss on his cheek.

“
Look who’s here! And he’s such a big boy already!”

Little Therron giggled as she tickled his neck with some more of her kisses and then put him back down on his feet. He clapped his hands on her knees and demanded, “Pway!”

January rolled her eyes and said, “Therron, not everyone wants to play with you.”

His huge blue eye turned sad and filled with water.

“
Don’t let him sucker you in with that look Maddie. He’s a pro.”

“
But look at him. I can’t help myself.” Maddie picked him up and sat him on her lap. She ran her fingers through his blond curls and asked, “What would you like to play?”

“
Out!”

“
Good gracious. You’re in trouble now. He wants you to take him outside to his play deck,” January explained.

Therron clapped his hands and wiggled his legs furiously, running in place on Maddie’s lap.

“
Well, come on then. What are we waiting for?”

He screeched in excitement as he grabbed for Maddie’s hand. She turned to January and said, “I might as well get used to this. Besides, I haven’t had any activity in a while. This will do me some good.”

“
Don’t let him wear you out!” January advised.

An hour later, Maddie dragged Therron back inside, and they both hunted something to drink. Rykerian brought them some water and he laughed at her. “You have dirt smudged all over your face.”

“
That’s because we were making dirt pies.”

“
Hmm. I hope they were tasty.”

“
Yes, indeed they were,” she smiled. “I think I need to go home and bathe.”

“
I think you need to let Rayn see you like this. Personally, I don’t think you’ve ever looked better.”

She fist bumped him on the shoulder and said, “Thanks bro. Catch you later.”

With the morning’s arrival, Sharra and Zander ate a light breakfast before summoning Jurek to their quarters.

“
Would you mind very much taking us back to Vesturon?”

“
I’m beginning to feel like the Yarrister’s personal taxi service.”

Sharra looked at him and apologized.

“
No, I need to explain. I had to take Saylan and Xarrid back to the sanctuary as she had a bit of a breakdown after...well you know.”

“
Oh no!” Sharra yelled, grabbing onto Jurek’s arm. “Will she be okay?”

“
I think so. It was too soon for her mind to handle and it just sort of relapsed. Besides all that, her brain is still recovering. Her memories are flying in at a very rapid pace. With everything going on, I think it sort of short circuited. I do believe after some rest, she’ll be fine.”

Sharra looked at Zander and then Jurek. “What of the other Xanthians?”

“
I took care of them.”

Sharra swallowed hard and shook her head. She understood what that meant, but she didn’t want to dwell on it. “So now what?”

“
We wait on Xarrid and for him to decide when Saylan is ready to return here or to Vesturon. And I take it you’re ready to go home?”

“
Yes. Zander and I want to get married.”

“
Oh bloody hell!”

“
Well, that’s a fine way to congratulate us!” Sharra huffed.

Jurek did one of his pacing numbers. It really was uncanny how much he reminded Sharra of her brother Xarrid. “You know something? You and Xarrid really could be brothers. Your actions are nearly identical.”

Spinning around so fast, he almost knocked her down, Jurek said as he caught her, “I apologize. My comment was uncalled for. I was thinking about how bad your timing is. So let’s think about this for a minute.” Jurek blew out a long breath. “You bloody Vesturions and your damn vows. If you were any other species, you could just live together and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

Zander stepped up and said, “Yeah, well, we’re not. So let’s move on.”

“
Right then. So, marriage, huh? We have Saylan and Xarrid at the sanctuary because she flipped out. We have a pregnant Maddie and a pregnant January. We have six dead Xanthian officers that your father or none of your brothers know about. We’re also evacuating the minions. Do I have everything straight?”

“
Not quite. Zander and I want to be married in secret, like Rayn and Maddie, and then have our public ceremony later.”

“
Perfect,” Jurek said sarcastically.

Sharra smiled sweetly. “So what’s the problem?”

“
Are you crazy? I’m thinking damage control here. Your brother is going to have hell to pay in the first place and so will you.” Turning to Zander he added, “And you, you’re toast. They’ll blame you for even allowing her to consider this. They’ll say if you were any kind of male, you would’ve put a stop to her insane plan.”

“
But you said it wasn’t insane!” Zander argued.

“
You idiot! I know it wasn’t. But I’m not a bloody Vesturion with that silly protective thing going on. You above all should understand that...you’re the ones with all that protective crap going on.” Jurek held his hands in the air and gestured with his fingers. “They’re going to place all the blame on you Zander.”

Sharra blanched as the realization of what Jurek said sunk in. “How could I have been so stupid? Why didn’t I think of that?”

“
Oh, I don’t know. Maybe because you’re so bloody hardheaded like the rest of your brothers?”

Sharra moved to stand in front of Zander. “They’ll never forgive you.”

Zander put his hand on her shoulder, lightly squeezed them and then smiled. “Yes, they will,” he said.

Jurek looked at him for a second. “He’s addled Sharra.”

“
No, I’m not. We’re going to lie,” he grinned impishly.

Sharra sucked in her breath. “You know we can’t do that. Vesturions are unable to lie.”

“
I know that. We can’t, but he can,” motioning toward Jurek.

Jurek started to grin. “I like it. Go on.”

“
You’re going to tell them you forced me to come here. I didn’t know what it was all about. That part is the truth. I was unaware of all of this until I arrived here. I cannot travel between Lare-Stell and Vesturon on my own accord, so, in a sense, I have truly been trapped here.”

Sharra’s eyes drilled into Zander’s. “Can you pull this off?

“
For the amount of time we’ll need to do it, yes. They’ll eventually find out the whole story, but by then, they’ll understand the merits of it and we’ll be married by then.”

Sharra wasn’t sure of any of this and she told both of them. “I think you’re both addled. None of them will buy this.”

Jurek became completely still and he said in a deadly voice, “Oh, but they will. I will impart to them in some manner, just how bad it was for Saylan. They understand much of it now, but I can make them
feel
it. Even a few brief seconds of what she endured will be enough to sway them. I will also make them understand what happened here and how she snapped. How fragile her mind is. They’ll understand when I’m done with them.” The darkness had invaded Jurek and both Sharra and Zander felt it surrounding and suffocating them.

“
Bloody hell Jurek, you’re really scaring me!”

“
I’m sorry, but that bit just gives you a slight taste of what I can do to the rest of the Yarrister clan. Don’t worry about a thing. When did you two want to go back?”

“
Are we good on our story?” Zander asked.

“
Oh, we’re golden,” Jurek claimed.

“
What about Xarrid?”

“
I’ll get in touch with him later on today.”

“
Right then, let’s go.”

Jurek called Tak so he could take Zander and they were off.

********

It seemed that if Xarrid left Saylan’s side, the memories would crash into her and turn her into a pitiful mess. He was scared. So much so that she began to take note of it.