7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Eden's fingertips on his skin were a spark to his barely controlled desire. Nero stilled, attempting to overcome his panther's reaction, while she jerked her hand back as though she'd been caught stealing from the cookie jar. She looked away, blushing furiously.

"Guess I should've asked before I jumped to second base, huh?"

Nero wrestled down the predator's reaction to her touch with transfiguration. There were some things he simply couldn't help, and her touch—certainly one as intimate as this—had brought the cat to the surface.

When he finally spoke, he barely succeeded in keeping the coarseness from his voice.

"You have standing permission, professor."

Eden covered her face in embarrassment.

She was so endearing, Nero knew he'd never be able to let her go. Even after spending less than a day with her, he considered the centuries of wait worth it. Fate had picked the perfect mate, and he couldn't even stand the notion of sharing his life with anyone else. While the bond hadn't yet materialized between them, it was only a matter of time.

There were some heavy and shocking truths he owed her when they got to his clan lands, but he hoped he'd manage to walk her through them without too much trauma. Now that he'd found her, everything would be right. He'd make sure of it.

Mating Raeths went through an intensely protective state, where separation was difficult to bear. Even going out for coffee had been almost too much. He'd teleported to Oahu just after she'd gone into the bathroom to grab a few personal items and maintain the pretense of having a hotel room in town. It had taken less than ten minutes, and most of that was waiting for her drink to be made at Starbucks. Once they got back to the territory he controlled, he'd breathe easier.

Beneath his skin, his panther prowled forward, as if intent to prove him wrong. There would be no relaxing of his protective and possessive urges for a long while. Every primal instinct screamed to capture her lips and taste the sweetness of his mate. He longed to feel her soft skin and coil her red curls around his fingers. The urgency of it drummed against his mind, and it was only his twelve centuries of practice that held him in check.

Instead, his psychic gift reached for her, gently cocooning her in peace. It was the only gift he dared give her. Influencing her emotions, even to encourage what he deemed the safest route to her, would be crossing a line.

As a Reader, he'd worked his entire life to help maintain the balance of those around him. If they started spiraling, Nero was there to pull them out. If depression snaked around them, suffocating and consuming their thoughts and abilities to pull themselves through hardship, he'd uncoil it.

Manipulating Eden's emotions for his own personal gain would rob her of her free will. Not only would it impinge on his honor, but it'd be coercing the woman he'd vowed to place above anything else in his life—even himself. Nero would never allow his selfishness to steal her consent.

"You sleep okay?" he asked.

"Like a baby. Strange, all things considered." She shrugged. "How about you? Was the couch comfortable?"

"The purring cat made it all worthwhile. Five stars."

Though a part of his mind had been awake enough to listen for any threats, it had been the first time in ages Nero had gotten a decent night's rest. Though Raeths typically only needed about four hours, last night, he'd slept almost eight. To wake up without the telltale signs of exhaustion was a gift.

"It really wasn't too bad?" She frowned.

He could tell she didn't believe him. "At home, I have insomnia. Too many things to do and think about. Here, I only had one thing to worry about."

Eden brightened. Walking over to him, she folded her fingers into his. "Insomnia is no fun. I've had a few times and hated counting the hours I was awake."

The slight weight of her hand in his was a potent reminder that his wait was over, and everything would fall into place now. Their eternity of bliss together was about to begin.

"I posted security around your father's neighborhood. They won't make themselves known or interfere with his life unless they absolutely have to, so I don't think there is a need to alert him and make him worry."

"I don't know how I can possibly thank you enough," she replied. "And yeah, I'd prefer not to distress him at his age. I feel so guilty for bringing this danger to his door."

"The Citizens' unhinged actions are no fault of yours, Eden. Rest assured, we'll be getting daily updates on your father's safety. Which brings me to the next issue: I managed to arrange a flight to Oahu last night—a colleague of mine is lending me her personal jet so we don't have to fly coach." He grimaced. "I don't want to rush you, but I really think it's best if we leave as soon as possible and not on a commercial flight that can be easily tracked."

"Absolutely." She glanced at the windows. "Seeing that guy here last night was enough of a wake-up call. I will rearrange my next few lectures once I'm away from here, and keep the dates out of the public eye for now. Besides, making you stay here and sleep on the couch would be torture."

"It really wasn't that bad."

"It's only a step above tarring and feathering, Nero."

He chuckled. "Morbid."

"I study fear as a profession and a hobby." She raised her eyebrows. "Torture is kind of my thing. If you'd ever like the lecture on that special area of expertise, it runs about three hours and is exceptionally painful to listen to."

Nero gave her a devilish grin. "Then it's a good thing we've got a long flight ahead of us."

The excitement that suddenly pinged through Eden echoed through Nero's abilities, and nothing could please him more. He actively enjoyed listening to his mate. Of course, he'd witnessed the horrors of human medieval torture methods first-hand, but if she wanted to tell him more about it, he'd be all ears. She could repeat the same sentence over and over again for hours and he would still love every word.

"I'll get my PowerPoint ready."

***

Nero had never been on a plane before. All the compartments and the narrow, cramped spaces were claustrophobic, even in the supposedly luxurious seating offered by the private jet.

Teleportation was far more efficient and comfortable, in his opinion.

"Your colleague must be well off to afford such a nice plane," Eden muttered, obviously impressed as she rested back in the vanilla-colored leather chair. Beside her, fast asleep in her crate, was Marianne.

Nero nodded. "Rona has certainly done well for herself. She owns a plot on Maui with a gorgeous beach, and her husband owns property in Iowa. I'd have to say though: Iowa versus Hawaii is no comparison."

"There's a joke in there somewhere about Illinois from Hawaii, but I'll refrain," she quipped. "I'm so excited to see Oahu. It's always been a bucket list destination."

"It won't disappoint, cross my heart and hope to step in front of a bus."

"I think you're taking the bucket list too literally, Coffee Shop Cutie. Let's keep the city bus out of it." She winked at him. "And I'll take your word for it—at least until we get there."

In that moment, Key's vision of them on the plane shot to the forefront of his mind, reminding him of what'd happen during this trip. Outside, the plane's massive engines roared to a start, and nervous anxiety began to seep into him.

Sucking in a breath and grabbing at the hand rests, he closed his eyes, imagining himself anywhere but here. He was happy to take on any invading force who endangered his people, step in front of a bullet to protect those he loved, or fend off literal rabid wolves. Something about traveling forty-thousand feet above the ground in a precarious tin can seemed to be his undoing.

"Nervous flyer?"

Eden's soft question prompted him to open his eyes. "Yeah."

"Living on Hawaii, I'd have thought you fly a ton." Her expression shifted to palpable concern. "Is it always like this for you or is it exacerbated by being worried?"

He swallowed harshly. "Flying in a giant metal box with wings is generally a problem for me."

"How do you usually get off the island, then?"

"I just close my eyes and tap my heels together, professor."

She laughed it off, clearly assuming he was joking. Truth was stranger than fiction. All thoughts exited his mind as the engines roared again, and the tiny wheels below them began moving. Heart thumping in his chest, Nero's grip on the leather seat tightened, and he had to consciously remind himself that he needed to maintain a semblance of normalcy.

That meant not breaking the flimsy armrest in half.

As they put on speed and began climbing into the atmosphere, Eden's palm slipped over his hand. Gently, she tugged upward. When he gave in to her ask, her fingers threaded through his, locking them together in reassurance.

"How familiar are you with medieval torture devices?"

He frowned at her. "Well, I've never experienced one personally." But he had seen them in action more than once.

"Let's count that as a personal success." She squeezed his hand. "I've studied them at length, and I still cringe every time I hear some of them described. Would you like to cringe, Nero?"

In that moment, he knew exactly what she was doing: getting his mind off his fear. "I would definitely like to cringe."

"Good. We'll start with the Rack."

"This sounds painful."

The roar of the engine and the forward momentum had him momentarily panicking, his hand tightening around hers. She didn't let go, gently squeezing and setting his anxiety back a step.

"The Rack was a pleasant little table designed to give the victim a bit of a stretch. Someone would be strapped down, and ropes would be tied around their limbs." She reached across and trailed a finger across his wrist. "They would slowly pull those ropes tighter, and I'm certain you can figure out what happened next."

"Yikes."

"Yikes is right," Eden replied as the plane lifted off the runway. "The Brazen bull, also known as the Sicilian bull, is one of worst ones in my opinion."

"Dare I ask?"

"It's literally what you're thinking. A life size bull, hollow on the inside. You can guess who was placed in that hollow." She paused for effect. "A fire was lit underneath it, and the metal slowly roasted the victims. It's about as morbid a death as I can imagine."

A bit of turbulence didn't distract him. "And these were all used in the medieval times?"

"There's some contention about how widespread they were, but the usage of the Rack and Brazen Bull has been proven. Other ones, like the Iron Maiden and the Pear of Anguish are a little less likely. It's a good thing, too. I can't imagine the poor souls that would've been subjected to those."

Nero had to agree. "I like having my own personal historian here to distract me."

"I'll happily terrify you whenever you're in need."

Moments later, the captain came on and announced that they'd reached their cruising altitude, and Nero sighed in relief.

"There, see?" That amazing green gaze searched his. "Nothing to worry about."

She still didn't let go of his hand. Nero swooned. Everything Key had foreseen was coming true, and this vision was no different. Slowly but surely, he was falling in love with this amazing woman. Her compassion and caring soul spoke loudly—even when she was talking about torture devices.

When he was certain she'd fallen asleep, an hour into the flight, he unblocked his connections to his clansmen. Before he'd left for Chicago, Key had given him the smartphone he had no idea how to use to help with his human cover. The foreseer had told everyone in the clan to contact him through it for the time being.

As the psychic floodgates opened once more, a collective sigh of relief from his people swamped him. Nero had been sovereign of the clan for centuries, and each of them were actively linked to him. Several offered him the telepathic equivalent of a smile, while others sent messages.

Key was the most assertive of all. Is she with you?

Yes, Key, he replied. She's sleeping next to me, on Rona's plane. I honestly can't believe this is happening. That I've finally met her. She's everything I've dreamed of and more.

Good! Her response was positively giddy. I'm assuming she'll stay at your house?

She's yet to decide.

Nero wouldn't force it either way. Given the state of their clan following the Heat, every home was spoken for, but he had a townhouse reserved for diplomatic emergencies. Too many people came and visited his clan lands for him not to have something readily available.

Perfect. I can't wait to meet her, Nero.

After he'd sorted through clan business under the guise of sleeping himself, Nero mustered the confidence for the one conversation that was of pivotal importance. Nothing would stop the wave of repercussions if this didn't go the way it needed to.

Risking a glance toward his mate, he confirmed she was asleep. Though the conversation he was about to have was better done in person, he wouldn't risk teleporting off the plane and leaving Eden alone.

Having asked the other Raeth sovereign only moments ago if she was available, he knew she'd be waiting for him. Her familiar psychic signature brushed against his own as he reached out to her telepathically.

Nina.

Is everything okay?

Nero was unexpectedly emotional as he said, I've met her. I've met my mate.

Confidants and platonic companions for centuries, Nero and Nina had cherished their friendship through thick and thin. When they met, both of them already knew who their mates were, and it made for a close relationship never complicated by misplaced desire.

Nina had been almost as eager to meet his mate as he was, having a first-hand understanding of what living without hope of being mated was like.

Oh, Nero, she gushed. I'm so happy to hear that. How is she? Where did you meet? Do I know her?

Grinning despite himself, he replied, She's amazing. Her name is Eden Hawthorne, and she's a Professor at the University of Chicago and an author. She writes about Gothic fiction and—get this—the lecture I attended of hers was about fictional vampires.

Ha! That's fantastic. What are the odds?

Astronomical, he chuckled. Key's known all along it would be coming soon, but couldn't risk the future by telling me the date.

Seems Key literally holds the keys to our destinies. Nina's telepathic voice seemed tighter than usual. Will you tell me about Eden?

She's sweet, a bit sarcastic, and funny. Kind in a way that doesn't feel forced. She smiles at everyone she sees—and that's even in Chicago. I'm half in love with her already, he admitted. We're flying back to Oahu now.

Flying? She's human?

Nero shifted uneasily in his seat. Yes, she's human. We met the night the rabid wolves were released in Chicago. She was attacked.

Remmus mentioned something about a human in Chicago being targeted, but Nero, I didn't know it was your mate. She paused. How can I help?

For now, just have Remmus keep his ear to the ground. We're flying to my clan lands, and she'll be safer there. The Citizens won't just forget about her, though.

It's unlikely, Nina confirmed.

For now, we're going to ride it out in Oahu. But it can't be forever, Nina.

Nero hesitated, knowing the colossal weight of what he was about to ask his friend. He wanted to give Eden every advantage and option available to her. This conversation—and the one he'd have with Aidan soon—was imperative. First, he had to know that Nina would willingly agree. He wouldn't approach Eden with offers of immortality until he'd confirmed it was available to her.

Casting a prayer skyward, Nero asked the question that'd decide both his future and Eden's. If Eden wants to walk the road to immortality, would you be her sire, Nina? Would you see to her vampiric transition?

I'd be an honor, my friend, she began , but your mate must understand the process—and the disadvantages—that come along with it. When she's ready, I'll be happy to have the conversation with her.

And Aidan? Do you think he'd be open to biting her should she elect to go that route instead?

If I know my brother, nothing would give him greater pleasure than to turn your mate, she replied. But in any case, I can bring it up with him tomorrow—he's here with us this week and I might be able to steal a few minutes of his time.

A part of Nero relaxed into her certainty. I would appreciate that. Thank you, my friend.