Reconciliation by Lisa Oliver

Chapter Twenty-Five

Seth felt as though there were a million ants crawling through his insides, all trying to get out, with no where to go. Around and around, these ants made him twitchy and on edge and were driving him nuts.

It was three weeks since he’d shared Zeus’s story with his mate – Luka’s belly had grown almost overnight. His mate wouldn’t tell him how many ‘munchkins’ they were having – Luka said it could be “two or more” but mentioned without an ultrasound machine, he couldn’t tell for sure.

They’d discussed the birth. Luka could only assume he’d be having a cesarian birth but was a little unsure how to do one on himself. Seth had rung Ra and asked him how Aziza was born, but Ra said it would be different for Luka, and it might be an idea to contact Silvanus to see if he would attend. Seth had never had anything to do with the old-as-dirt god, but dutifully jumped through the Paulie app hoops to get a message to Silvanus, who said he would attend ‘unless told otherwise.’ Which didn’t help. Who would tell him not to come?

Hence the nerves, and the ant-crawling, and the frustration Seth was feeling, but didn’t want to show. He should’ve realized trying to hide his feelings wouldn’t work as Luka was more in tune with him than anyone in existence.

“Seth, babe, I think you need to go for a ride. Taja will be feeling neglected.” Luka made his suggestion while they were having lunch under the same marque where Seth had first arranged food for his mate. “I’m just going to nap this afternoon, and I’m sure there is somewhere you can let off a bit of wind or create a storm or something without causing any damage to the house.”

“I haven’t done any damage to the house.” Seth frowned. “I can’t go. You can’t come with me.”

“Er, no, love.” Luka had that understanding smile that made Seth want to melt. “I think I’d be a bit too uncomfortable on a horse right now. But the babies aren’t going to be arriving in the next hour or two, so go and ride and let me take a nap. What do you say?”

Seth wanted to say no. It was there, right there on the tip of his tongue.

“You’re not going to have much time for riding when the little ones are here,” Luka added, as if sensing Seth needed a prod. “It could be your last chance for a while. I’m going to need your help during the first few months at least.”

And Seth was looking forward to taking an active part in childrearing when the munchkins arrived. The Paulie app had introduced him to YouTube, and he’d watched a ton of parenting videos while Luka had been napping.

“An hour. No more,” he said firmly.

“An hour will do you good, babe.” Luka leaned back in his chair, flexing his ankles on a footrest. “Call Taja and leave the clean up to me. I’ll still be here when you get back. The sun is lovely today.”

“Don’t go anywhere,” Seth warned as he got up, leaning over, blocking the sun with his shoulders. “No lifting, no going up those stairs or anything else without me here, understood.”

“I will be right here waiting for you.” Luka raised his head for a kiss. “Have fun with Taja.”

Seth kept the kiss brief, and didn’t say anything, his head already on the ride and the winds he could create. He walked away from the house, not wanting Luka subject to the dust and flying sand of the arriving herd, but not five minutes later, he was on Taja’s back and flying across the sands.

/~/~/~/~/

Seth hadn’t been gone ten minutes when Luka felt the presence of someone else. “I knew you’d come,” he said as he opened his eyes, looking into the furious face of Osiris. He hurriedly tugged a throw over his middle, to hide his belly. “I bet you’ve been stalking us for weeks, just waiting for your chance to get me alone.”

Osiris sneered as he looked around. “What’s this? Picket fences. Manicured lawn. Are you turning Seth into a house cat?”

“I like it.” Luka shrugged. “Anyhow, Seth won’t be long. What do you want?”

“Seth ruined my life. I plan to pay him back by ruining his.” Osiris’s eyes held a manic gleam. “I told you I would learn more about wolf shifters and I did. Isn’t it true, that when wolf shifters claim a mate, their mate’s life thread is tied to theirs?”

Luka frowned – Osiris was talking about a shifter’s bond with a human or another shifter. He opened his mouth to say so, but Osiris was on a roll.

“It’s so damn simple. I don’t have to kill Seth. I just have to kill you.”

“Er… that’s not…”

“Oh, don’t panic.” Osiris laughed and Luka remembered that laugh from the realm of the dead. “It won’t be painful. I don’t have the time to torture you like I did Malacai. But oh, you can be sure, I’ll be watching when Seth returns, to see the husk of your body stretched out here, gray and shriveled as though you’d been dead a thousand years. The agony on his face, the torture in his soul, and the pain as he falls, dead because of your bond – the bond you initiated.”

“I didn’t initiate it,” Luka yelled, because Osiris was getting closer, and he wasn’t sure if translocating to a god on horseback was actually a good idea. “One mate doesn’t overshadow the desires or needs of another. That’s not how mating works. You can’t kill Seth. He’s immortal and because we’re mated…”

“You’re not trying to tell me you were granted the rights to immortality just because Seth put a nasty tattoo on your neck.” Osiris flexed his long fingers and Luka noted the horrifically long nails. “Gods guard their immortality with their life – get it? I made a joke.”

“Yeah, funny.” Luka let out a weak laugh. He could feel his power building up – his omega power, but he held it back. As far as Luka knew, his power would only stop a fight to the death… “Argh,” he yelled as a cold clammy hand wrapped around his ankle, sharp pin pricks of pain shooting through his foot as Osiris’s talons broke his skin. “What are you doing? Let go of me.” He kicked out with the other foot.

“It’s a simple enough spell.” Osiris ducked back out of the way of Luka’s kick. “Your foot will go numb…”

It already is. Luka started shouting for Seth through their bond.

“That’s the narcoleptic effect starting,” Osiris continued. “Very soon your foot will go gray and start to wither, and the spell will continue up your leg, into your groin, killing your flesh and muscles one inch at a time until…”

Luka could feel it starting. SETH, he yelled as he curled over his hidden belly and pulled out his phone. “Paulie, I need your help,” he whispered as Osiris continued to monologue.”