Page 36 of Fleeing from the Monster

Keri looks up, her eyes meeting mine as she asks, “Why is that?”

“We can’t have a child until after the ceremony,” I explain.

Although her mind goes to the way we'll make that child, she says, “Well, then let's plan one very quickly.”

Grace clears her throat. “It may help that to take my mind off of Leah and waiting for you to come down that I basically already planned everything for it.”

Keri throws her head back. “You just love being in control.”

Grace grins. “Yeah, that, too. Do you mind?”

Keri shakes her head. “Not since it gets me bonded to Linc sooner.”

I feel the excitement that rushes through her at the thought and smile. If she wanted to have it right now, I would.

We visit with my family, me finally persuading Keri to pass Bazin to me, catching me up on everything that's gone on while I was in my cavern. But Kayo and Leah, the threat of the humans coming down, it all hangs over every word, every sideways glance, and every strained laugh. I rack my mind, trying to think of anywhere Kayo might have gone, anywhere he would have felt was safe enough to both hide and keep his mate. And all the while, I can feel Keri's many emotions. She hides them well from everyone else, except maybe Grace, who knows her sister well, and reaches over every now and then to link her hand with Keri's.

She feels guilt, thinking her telling Leah to run may be what put her in whatever situation Kayo had to save her from. Her stomach sinks every time she wonders what exactly that situation was. If the president threw Leah in prison after they sent her down anyway, or if they really had done something to her that placed her in the hospital. She feels anger, so much anger, at the president, at all the leaders, for lying, for tricking her and Leah. For them using their lies now as a reason to try to harm us. She feels fear over not knowing where Leah is, or if she's okay. She wants to save her like she's done so many times before, only she can't, and doesn't know how to. She misses her, so, so much.

But then she looks around her, Grace to her left, me to her right, and she smiles up at me, remembering all she has right now that she never thought she would. A mate, her sister again, a nephew, and at least the hope of seeing Leah again. She brushes Bazin's hair, and his small horns before leaning forward to kiss his head, then she kisses my hand wrapped around him.

We eat last meal with my family, and they give us gifts to celebrate Keri deciding to stay. Dresses made by Grace in colors she knew were Keri's favorites, decorations for our seating area from my mother, and furniture from my father and Olex, a chair and small table. Grace and Olex leave first once Bazin goes back to sleep, and after Grace gives Keri a long, tight hug.

“Tomorrow, then,” my mother says once we're all alone. “You're sure?”

Keri nods. “As long as it's convenient for everyone.”

My father laughs. “No one here would ever turn down a reason to eat food and celebrate.”

Keri smiles. “Tomorrow, then.”

“In that case…” My mother pulls out a box from under the table. “I have this for you. If you don't like it, please don't feel obligated to wear it.”

Keri opens the box and I watch her pull a sunset orange dress out of it. Long sleeved, floor length, with, what my mother calls, a pleated bottom.

“Grace told me your size and that you loved that color, so I made it. But again, if you—”

“It's perfect,” Keri breathes. “Absolutely perfect. I don't know how to thank you.”

“Just seeing you smile while you wear it will be more than enough.”

Dress and gifts in hand, we bid my parents goodbye and walk back to our cavern. Keri gives a little chuckle as we get closer.

“If anyone had ever told me there is where I would end up when that shaft lowered me into the ground, everything would have been so different.”

“Would you have come or still tried to run?”

“I would have run, but only towards you.”

Once we're inside our cavern, I put the gifts down and Keri walks towards our bedroom, her troubled thoughts following her. I grab her hand and pull her towards me. She easily comes, her body relaxing into mine. Even a few days ago this seemed so impossible, for her to be so at ease with me without having to ask or fight for it, without her having to battle herself to allow it. But even against me, her worries continue, the guilt and anger not far behind.

“It wasn't your fault, Keri,” I say low.

“It is. Either way, it is. If she tried to run, it was because I told her to, and they caught her. Who knows what they did to her, Linc? Where they had her, what she suffered through? If she didn’t run, and they just threw her in prison or hurt her after they lowered me down, then it’s because I was foolish enough to run, and I put her in that position, to be at their mercy. She was already so fragile. What if what they did broke her, Linc? What if she does come back to us, but she's not even the girl I knew anymore?”

“If they broke her, then Kayo won't stop until he's helped her put every single piece of herself back together again. He will hold her until her tears have dried and make sure she knows her strength. I know this because it's the very same thing I would do with you. I don't know all of what happened, but I know none if it was your fault. The blame lies solely with your corrupt leaders and the lengths they're willing to go to to hide something that shouldn't be hidden at all.”

“Do you think they're coming here?”

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