Ever Cynical

Chapter 15- Bad News

Kieran POV

For all that we had felt so embarrassed initially, we quickly felt completely comfortable nude. Our desire for each other was obvious, but the whole point of bathing together was intimacy, not s*x. I gestured for her to come over to me, so that I could wash her hair. I'd wanted to touch it the moment I saw her. It was sumptuous and silky. I was happily lathering and enjoying the texture while she swirled the water and soap suds in her hands when Geoff popped into my head.

Um, Alpha, I hope I'm not interrupting but... He started tentatively.

Well, Beta, I'm bonding with my mate and, though we are not engaged in activities that need a block, I'd say yes, you are absolutely interrupting. I grumbled. He sighed.

The thing is, I just got a phone call and normally I would not bother you until later but... He sounded like he'd rather spit nails than talk, and I understood that he would not have interrupted if it had been possible to avoid it. The faster he got it out, the faster I could get back to making my mate feel like the most important person that ever existed.

For Goddess' sake just spit it out!

It was from the Elder Council. Well, the Alpha King, actually. He is sending an envoy next week to strongly encourage you to join the council... again. I sighed again, and Anais turned to look at me as I continued to rinse the suds out of her hair. I shook my head.

"Geoff." I whispered as I pointed to my head. She nodded and continued to play with the water, knowing I would tell her what was up once I got the chance. It pleased me that she trusted me even that little bit.

The thing is, I checked their website on my phone, and both Ludolf and Donato have nearly identical bounties out for Anais. Under different names, with different illustrations, but nearly identical. No crime is listed, merely that they want her for "the betterment of our race." Alpha, I'm beginning to think they both want to mate her or use her as a breeder. I growled. Anais quirked a brow.

Find out as much as you can, Geoff. If either of these kings caused trouble for my mate, they would soon realize I was not going to tolerate it. I would personally come for them and destroy them.

Of course Alpha, but I suggest after dinner we meet and talk about how we can hide her while the envoy is here. No way someone in the king's court can be trusted. His tone was derisive and full of indignation on his Luna's behalf. So glad he was my friend and Beta.

Sure, sounds good. You are absolutely correct. Thanks, Geoff.

See you at dinner, Kier.

I leaned my head on Anais' shoulder, and she patted me, feeling my stress as I inhaled her scent greedily.

"We have a problem, mo chridhe. Ludolf and Donato are still looking for you, and next week one of Ludolf's men supposedly representing the council will be here to speak with me." She smiled sadly, avoiding my eyes, then stood and began to dry off, clearly taking my statement to mean that she had to leave. I was not having that, not at all. She was mine.

"I understand." She said, even though it was clear to me she was misunderstanding, yet again. "I will pack my things and go. I can leave detailed instructions for you on how to set everything up." I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me, our wet bodies sliding together deliciously. We were already bonding, and there was just no way I was letting her go. I growled possessively, forcing her eyes to meet mine.

"You are going nowhere, mo chridhe. My mate. This is your home forever." My voice was combined with my wolf's, Ri'dubh just under the surface as we fronted together. She looked confused.

"But..." Her brows drew together as her eyes searched mine.

"No way am I letting you leave me. I have waited so long, those idiots are not getting close to you." I know I sounded desperate, but dammit I was. I needed her, my pack needed her. She was exactly where she belonged.

"Are you sure it's worth the trouble, mon coeur? I wouldn't want to get anyone hurt on my account." Her eyes softened as she cupped my face. I kissed her hard and fast.

"There is nothing I am more certain of. What it does mean is that we need a plan. While we can hide you for a time, it's not my intention to do so once you have your wolf. Kings or not, they cannot interfere with a mate bond in the eyes of our world. Behind closed doors and with unknown people, they might have been able to skate by, and hope people didn't notice, but once you are officially my Luna, I dare them to come after you." I spoke fiercely, my aura slipping out. Anais patted my chest.

"Okay, big bad alpha. Thank you for having my back. Now let's naked cuddle after we dry off, mmmkay? I have the weirdest desire to rub all over you. Is it a scent thing?" I nodded, laughing. We dried off and hopped into her bed. Thank goddess I'd put her in a room with a king-sized bed. After a few minutes of scent marking each other thoroughly, we'd both fallen sound asleep, with my beautiful mate draped across my chest and my face in her hair.

Anais POV

I stretched against the smooth, warm male body in my bed and smiled. He was such a sexy cutie, snoring softly as he slept, his cheeks slightly flushed, and his dark lashes curled against his cheeks. Don't judge my term y'all. He'd definitely hate it, and his team would die laughing, but I was allowed to think it in my head. I inhaled his coconut, lime and vetiver scent deeply. Every day it got stronger and more attractive. Claire giggled.

It was so awesome when he insisted you stay, huh, ma Cherie? Her tone was wistful and dreamy.

Yeah, better than any gift he could ever give me. I truly meant it. I'd never once felt needed or truly wanted in my whole life until now.

He's really a very sweet alpha.

Claire, do you know anything about why these kings are so set on finding me? I mean, it's literally been hundreds of years! And also, remember when the boys mentioned that nearly all Immortals hail from Ireland, originally, and yet I'm from France and my parents were human? Doesn't something feel off to you? I feel like I'm wearing a veil and trying to navigate in the dark.

I wish I knew more, ma Cherie. I do think they are right that the family you grew up with was not actually yours. But I have no idea beyond that. What you have seen, I have seen.I know some things beforehand, but not much after the fact, sadly.

I sighed as we both went silent. I needed more information in order to properly protect what had become my people. The entire pack, and Immortals across the world. Now that I was not alone, I was determined to keep them safe. I was the oldest that we knew of, after all. I felt frustrated at the sheer amount of time I had wasted. I could have found him so much earlier and probably had a whole family by now. I'd never thought about children... well, pups... before, but now that I had a mate, a home, and a family, I was ready to get started yesterday. I'd have to talk about it in detail with Kieran, but I doubted he was interested in putting anything off either.

I settled my cheek against his smooth and chiseled chest, kissing it lightly. His hand moved up to my hair and I looked up to see him smiling down at me. He said nothing, just let his strong hands caress my face and back as he looked into my eyes. My hand drifted over his muscular torso, watching him shiver in anticipation. Suddenly, the emotions felt too intense, and a giggle bubbled out of me. He quirked a brow, and I began to giggle uncontrollably. He could not help falling into a laughing fit himself.

We finally stopped, both gasping in pain from the amount of laughing we'd done. He held me close, his chin on my head.

"I'm hoping we can be serious long enough to actually mate, mo chridhe." I giggled but took a deep breath to stop. Seriously.

"What does mo chridhe mean?" I knew it was Gaelic, but that was one language I had not learned. I guess I probably should.

"Ah, it means my heart." He said and kissed the top of my head.

"Oh that's funny because I had settled on calling you mon coeur, which means the same thing in French. I guess great minds really do think a like, huh?" He chuckled under my ear. It was such a nice sound. I drew a circle on his chest. "Soooo... Kieran?"

"Yeeeeees?" Goddess he was such a goof, but I loved it.

"Have you, um, thought about pups yet?" He jerked under my finger, suddenly very tense. "What is it?" I pulled back to look at him. His face had lost its humor. "What's wrong?" He sighed, plunging his hands into his gorgeous hair.

"I want pups, all the pups you want to give me, whenever you want them." He was deadly serious. I went to smile but his next words made my heart clench. "But we rarely have offspring." At my shocked expression, he continued. "We can only have pups with our fated mate, which historically has always been another Immortal." The pieces began to click together.

"And with your current numbers, finding a mate is probably super rare." At my statement he nodded. "Unless other Immortals are hiding like I am?"

"I'd love for that to be the case, honestly. I'd like to get them all here, even if it makes us a target. I have this odd feeling that it's one of the things I'm supposed to do. Additionally, Immortals only have one heat per year, and historically, that's been the only time our she-wolves have gotten pregnant, but birth rates have dropped to less than thirty percent of heats ending in successful pregnancy." He looked so upset, I felt bad for bringing it up, even if I knew it was a necessary conversation.

"So, no need for birth control, then, right?" I tried to lighten the atmosphere. He smiled, but I knew he still felt bad for his people. No, our people.

"No, birth control will absolutely not be necessary." He rubbed my nose with his. "This has been a day filled with information overload." He chuckled. "Shall we get ourselves decent and head down for dinner, then?"