6. Kian

Kian sat down in his executive chair, a broad smile spreading over his face as he savored the familiar comfort of his home office. A portrait of Syssi with Allegra in her arms hung over the couch across from his desk, painted with Dalhu"s skilled hand from a favorite photograph Kian had taken of them. The wall to his left was mostly glass, the large sliding doors letting in the sun and the greenery of his backyard.

It felt good to be home.

After the cruise, with its endless parade of weddings and the constant socializing required of him, it was a relief to be back in his own space, surrounded by the trappings of his daily life.

The serenity wouldn"t last long, though. He"d invited Jade to give him a report about everything notable that happened in the village during his absence, and she was due to arrive at any moment.

He enjoyed a few more minutes of peace before a knock sounded on the door.

"Come in," Kian called out.

The door opened, and Okidu poked his head inside. "Mistress Jade and Master Phinas are here."

That was a surprise. He hadn"t invited Phinas but didn"t mind Jade"s mate tagging along.

"Show them in, please." Kian rose to his feet and walked over to greet them.

"Hello, boss." Phinas extended his hand. "It"s good to have you back."

"It"s good to be back." Kian shook both their hands. "Please, come in and take a seat."

Jade had her long dark hair pulled back in her customary ponytail, and she wore her customary black combat boots. She was dressed in all black, and so was her mate. Their boots were nearly identical, making them look like they served in the same unit, but they didn"t. Phinas was Kalugal"s lieutenant, and Jade was the leader of the Kra-ell.

"Welcome back, Kian," she said as they sat down, facing him across his desk. "I trust the cruise was a success?"

Kian nodded. "It was, thank you. It was more eventful than I would have liked, but we still managed to celebrate ten weddings, so the objective has been achieved."

Phinas chuckled. "Never a dull moment, eh?"

"I"m afraid so." Kian leaned forward to rest his elbows on the desk. "So, catch me up. How have things been in the village?"

Jade straightened in her seat. "Nothing to report security-wise. The lockdown was maintained per your instructions, and no suspicious activity was spotted around the village or the area leading to it."

"I"m glad to hear that," Kian said. "How is the community service of the Kra-ell pureblooded males going?"

On the way to his house, Kian had noticed the trimmed bushes on the village pathways and the new flowerbeds that had been planted.

Jade smiled. "I"m sure you"ve seen their handiwork. I keep them busy."

"That"s good," he said. "How are the rest of your people doing?"

The smile slid off Jade"s face. "They feel cooped up. Especially the purebloods. They need large areas to hunt in and to run free. The village is a nice little place—emphasis on the little. They need space to roam."

"Yeah. I get what you are saying. We promised them field trips, but we haven"t done so yet. Please start organizing small groups."

Jade nodded. "I will. But where would they go hunting? It"s not like there is much in the Malibu mountains besides coyotes."

"We can take them to the mountains around the cabin, but I don"t know how much wildlife they will find there. Perhaps you and Kagra should scope out the area first. Just stay well away from the cabin itself. I have humans staying there now, and I don"t know when they will go home."

Margo"s family was in the cabin, and a contingent of human security was safeguarding them. The Kra-ell were too alien looking to go unnoticed, especially when they were traveling together.

"I"ll check with Onegus about organizing transportation to the cabin area. I might take a couple more people with me, though."

"That"s fine." He rapped his fingers on the desk. "Anything else that you want to discuss?"

"That"s all for now."

Kian debated whether to tell Jade about Jasmine and the search for the pod containing the royal twins, but then decided against it. Much as he trusted Syssi"s vision, it might take a long time until it became a reality, and until then, there was no reason to share it with Jade. He would tell her once there was something to tell.

"Very well. Thank you both for safeguarding the village in our absence."

"It was the least we could do after all you and your clan have done for us." Jade pushed to her feet, and Phinas followed.

Kian rose as well and shook their hands again. "I"m glad that the Fates brought our people together."

Jade nodded. "As am I."