The Unveiling (16 page)

"Keep your hands to yourself, or we'll never get out of here," Rivka said as she removed her outfit with her powers, tested the water with her hand, and stepped inside the stall.

"Those words don't match the look in your eyes."  Bastien stepped in behind her.

"Wants versus responsibilities."  She ducked under the water’s spray, and he grabbed his body wash from the shower rack behind her. Pouring an ample amount into his hand he replaced it, rubbing his hands to get a good lather as he fixed his gaze on the sandstone tiles. If he looked at her body glistening with water they'd never make it out of here. Fifteen minutes they were dressed and walking out of his room. Phelan and Zasha paused when they caught sight of them.

"Rivka?" Zasha whispered.

"Hi." Rivka waved.

"Wait, you two?" Phelan gestured toward them with his index finger.

"Yes," Bastien said.

"What? When?"  Phelan’s eyes were wide, his face twisted into an expression of bewilderment that made him snort.

"Awhile ago," Bastien said. 

"How? You've been around each other before … The Purge?"

"The what?" Zasha asked. Her query broke the tension that had built in the hallway.

"A very risky, idiotic, procedure that blocks The Wanting along with a good seventy-five percent plus of your emotions." Phelan kept his gaze fixed on Bastien as he spoke.
This was not the way I wanted him to find out.

"You owe me a conversation later," Phelan said. His lips were stretched into a line, and his jaw was tight.

"I know. I need to walk Rivka out first."

"I can find my—"

"No. Now that the secrets out, there's no reason to sneak around."  He was proud to have Rivka as his mate, and now everyone would know. A thrill of excitement zinged through him. In a lot of ways this was perfect timing. Phelan was going to be pissed off no matter how he broke it to him. Now it was one less obstacle in the way of a solid relationship with Rivka.

"My office in fifteen?" Phelan asked.

"I'll be there."

They parted ways, and Rivka glanced up at him as they walked. "I didn’t mean to cause any trouble."

"It had to come out sooner or later, and I always prefer sooner."

"Do you think he's really upset?"

"Phelan takes everything on himself. Like a parent trying to bear the brunt of pain for their child. He's been that way since Mom and Dad were killed. It's too much weight on one man's shoulders. Having Zasha has changed that a lot, but I can see we've still a ways to go."

"What do you think he'll do?"

"Lecture me until my head wants to explode."

She snickered.

"You think I'm kidding?" he asked.

"It's hard to picture you getting lectured by anyone."

"Despite my outward appearances he is still very much the elder brother."

"Oh to be a fly on the wall."

"You're enjoying this a little too much, Riv. I had no idea a Star Maiden could be so bloodthirsty."

"Just me, I'm quite special, you see. There's never been a maiden quite like me, longest reign and all of that."

He risked a glance over to see if the comment was a dig. She caught his gaze and winked.
Nope, it was a joke.
If you told him a few months ago his perfect match would have a wicked sense of humor he never would've believed it. Just one of the million ways his perception had been turned on its head.

"Well, this is my stop." Rivka gestured to the door behind her.

"I feel like if I say thank you, you'll slap me."

"Hmm. I might."

He liked this playful side of Rivka that emerged more with the time they spent together.

"Then I won't say it."  He opened the door. "Be safe."

"Of course." She stepped through, and he watched her until she got into her car.
Now to get chewed out.

****

Phelan sank down in the chair at his desk.
Have I been remiss in my duties to my family?  Am I so caught up with Zasha that I’ve missed things?
Does this extend to my people?
  He was walking a thin line, new wife, a baby on the way, and the biggest crisis he’d seen during his run as King looming over him and threatening to explode at any moment.
I'm exhausted.
Phelan ran a hand over his face and released a deep breath. A knock sounded on the door.

"It's me."

"Come on in, Bast."

Bastien walked in and sat down in the chair across from him. His back was rigid, his muscles were tense, and his mouth was curled down at the corners.

"I know you're waiting for me to yell at you. Trust me, I'd really like to, but it wouldn't change things, and to be honest I'm tired as hell. What I want to know is why?"

"Why did I undergo The Purge, or why didn’t I tell you about Rivka?"

"Both, in detail, please."

"I was seventeen with a lot to live up to. I didn’t believe I could do it on my own power. I needed an edge. I knew The Purge would provide that."

"How in the hell did I not see it?"

"Most of the time we spend together is in a work setting, and that doesn’t make my lack of emotion that noticeable. You have a lot on your plate, Phelan. I wouldn’t worry about it. Besides since we've been on Earth the effects have started to fade."

"Sad that it took us coming to another planet to become a close knit family."

"Agreed," Bastien said. "Rivka … she was unexpected. I passed her coming into the house when she was leaving one night, and it was like a punch to the kidneys. I'd never reacted to anyone like that. I knew it meant one of two things. She was my mate, or The Purge was fading."

"Is that why you've been hanging out with Mars so much! I thought you were trying to get yourself a girlfriend."

Bastien laughed. "After all this time?"

"Hey, I figured better late than never." Phelan shrugged.

"It was an experiment. My date, Beckey, was lovely, but there was no spark. The next time I saw Rivka a jolt of pure energy coursed through me. I didn't have any doubts after that."

"Why keep it to yourself though? We would've celebrated with you."

"Oh, there wasn't any celebrating. She was pissed, and to be honest I can't blame her. When I decided to do The Purge I made the decision for her."

"I don’t even know what to say…"

"Yeah, that was my feeling too. We're working our way through it now."

"You looked plenty cozy out in the hallway."

"We've come a long way."

"Good. No more secret keeping, Bast."

"No promises. This didn't directly affect you. I know you're used to bearing the brunt of the responsibility in the family, but it's time to let go. You have Zasha, the new baby, and this Tavel situation to deal with. We're all adults, who are very appreciative of all the things you've done for us, but ready to make our own mistakes."

The words made his chest ache. He knew they were his brothers, but in a lot of ways they felt like his children. It wasn't until recently they gained that brotherly camaraderie between them. For Kade and Mars especially he'd been a father figure for a long time. It was a hard role to step down from.

"You're going to be an actual Dad soon enough, Phe. Relax, we'll come to you if we need help."

"What else have I missed?"

"Nothing, I promise."

"Do the others know?"

"Yeah, Mars figured it out, and I had to tell Kade, because I needed his help."

"With what?"

Color blossomed in Bastien's face.

"Research. I'm new to the whole dating scene. I wanted to get it right."

Phelan choked back laughter. To go from feeling nothing to being in the throes of The Wanting had to be difficult.

"Is there anything I can do now?"

"Nope, now I'm trying to dig myself out of the ginormous hole I made over the years."

"What's the Star Maiden like?"

"Riv? She's nothing like what you'd expect. She has a wicked sense of humor, a lot of attitude—I mean that in a good way."

"Really?" he asked, shocked.

"I promise, she's a take charge kind of woman … I like it."

"The General and the Star Maiden, it has a ring to it. Will she be moving in now?"

"Nowhere near asking that question yet, bro. She's barely letting me take her on dates."

"Ouch. How do you handle it?" He knew all too well what it felt like to hold yourself back from your mate.

"One day at a time."

"Best way to go at it."

"Any news on Tavel?" Bastien asked.

"Nothing, it's like the man disappeared off the planet. Mars said his contact wanted to meet up with him. So I'm hoping we'll get something there. Zash wants to bring a special geneticist onto the team to help fill in some of the gaps we may have in our theories. I've okayed it. At this point I'm half desperate."

"His quiet is making me antsy too. Is he trying to think up a new plan or succeed in his old one? It's like searching for a bomb that's ticking down." Bastien scowled.

"My other question is what happens to him once he's caught? There's no way I trust humans to contain him indefinitely. He's crafty, powerful, and patient."

"We also don't know who he's working with," Bastien added.

"Yeah, that's been bothering me. Are they walking among us, collecting info that keeps him one step ahead of us?"

"You think we have a leak?" Bastien sat up and leaned over the desk. "Have you seen anything that would indicate a security breach?"

Phelan shook his head at his ability to go into General mode in less than sixty seconds. "No, I'm grasping at straws."

"He's been hiding for years. Most of the trails we're exploring are dead-ins. It's only a matter of time until we stumble on one that's a valid lead."

"Yes, but who knows what he'll be doing by then."

"We'll get him, Phelan. We get a little closer every day."

"You're right. I need to look at it as a glass half full, or I'll lose my mind."

"I've never seen you this uptight before," Bastien said.

"I've never had so much to lose. It feels good to say out loud. It's been rattling around in my brain for months. This family hasn’t been known for its happiness, part of me feels like all of this." He gestured around the room with his hand. "As soon as we all get settled on Earth and find a bit of happiness, Tavel emerges. Kind of hard to believe it's just a coincidence."

“Maybe fate just assured you were in the right place at the right time to stop Zasha from being hurt. If she hadn't been your mate no one would've been there to stop Tavel from doing whatever he wanted."

"Why didn't I think of that?" he asked.

"Because you're too close to the situation."

"Good point. This whole thing has got me off my game," Phelan said.

"It hasn't shown."

"Thanks, bro, I needed to hear that."  The feeling of hunger hit him, and he sighed. "I should get going, duty calls."

"Zasha?"

"Yep, she's hungry again. The baby’s metabolism is hell on her."  He pushed up from the chair. "I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Later, Phe."

Chapter Nineteen

Today the ball was in her court. Rivka walked her condo one last time making sure things were in place. Going with the theme of laid back fun from their first date she was having Bastien over to make pizza and watch a movie. It wouldn’t require a lot of deep conversation, and she got the feeling cooking for himself wasn't a regular occurrence. She liked keeping the man on his toes. It made her feel like she was meeting him on equal footing.  Besides, he claimed to want to get to know her, and cooking was a huge hobby. This was his first time visiting what they referred to as the compound. The Priestess of the Stars owned multiple properties where a number of condos were grouped together. Most of the girls lived two or three to a place, but she was afforded her own as Star Maiden. The doorbell rang.
Showtime.
Rivka opened the front door, and her stomach did a flip. The man was gorgeous.

"Hi."

"Hi, come on in," she said. She moved back, closing the door behind him once he cleared the threshold. "Can I take your coat?"

"Sure." He shrugged out of the black wool button up to reveal pair of blue jeans and a long sleeved, navy blue sweater he wore over a simple white collared shirt. The cut emphasized his muscular arms and gave him a polished yet casual look that made her want to skip the get-to-know-you and take him to bed. They were brilliant together when it came to that.
Focus, woman.
She placed his coat on a hanger in the closet and turned to face him.

"I thought we could make some pizza and watch a movie. What do you think?"

"Sounds great. I've never made pizza before though."

"I figured as much. One of my guilty pleasures is the Food Network. I start watching it, and time seems to slip away from me."

"We have a cook and unless it's something simple I'm an awful cook."

She laughed. "I suppose you can't be good at everything. Come on, let's wash our hands and get started. I haven't eaten since lunch."

"Me either."

"I was planning on pairing it with a salad."

"Perfect."

"The kitchen is just through here."

He followed her into the decent-sized room with a square table that fit six and a stainless steel refrigerator. A breakfast nook sat a foot away from the fridge, lined with bowls of varying sizes and a pizza tray.

"I did a little prepping."

"You'll never hear complaints from me about being ready."

"I suppose I wouldn't," she whispered, more to herself than him. When she saw him dressed down and laid back like this it was all too easy to forget who he truly was. They walked over to the kitchen, washed their hands, and moved to stand beside the island.

"So." She turned her body to face him. "What do you like on your pizza?"

"Everything. What about you?"

"Anything except onions. How about cheese, pepperoni, green peppers, and mushroom?"

"I'm good with that."

"Good, we'll chop the veggies up first." She turned away, took out a bag of pepperoni, a carton of mushrooms, and a green pepper. Ripping off the packaging she tossed the plastic into the garbage can, ran the produce under a stream of water from the sink and walked to the counter. A wooden cutting board and a plastic one sat at the end of the counter.