Artifice - Man x Man - Book Six

Chapter 44 (M)

It would appear that parts of him were resurfacing. In my excitement at the admittance that we would be staying came the fear of obligations to a family that had never been held over us. I was used to him being a loner, he went wherever I did whenever it was necessary, and he did his own thing for the majority of our time together. 

With this promise came the warning that I had been concerned about since I first brought it up to him. Children didn't fit into our lives; we were dangerous and unpredictable people who had to go wherever necessary. How would that work if we had just promised to remain in this state? 

Verando left to confirm that Senator Campbell was missing, and I remained behind to practice with Tyler while Helen rested. Her frail body needed as much sleep as she could manage, and with Tyler's heavy circles, I knew that he wasn't feeling much better. 

But we had to build his stamina so that he could be helpful to us. With the rain coming in, going down to the ocean wasn't much of an option, so we settled for cloud control and freezing on the fly. Tyler was brilliant and dedicated, but we were both once again frustrated with his ability only to be able to wield the elements circumstantial. 

"Ugh! I hate this!" Tyler snaps as he once again drops the barrier and is soaked with rain.  

I guide him under the porch as he shivers, the chill threatening snow as heavy clouds move in from the west. "It was frustrating for me at first, too. You don't have a school to put you in life-threatening situations. It's just going to take more time." 

"We don't have time. The world needs us now. So you said 'Red' is back? She's a Solomonari, right? Can't she help us?"

I'm uncertain if I want to involve Tyler in this amount of drama. While Verando might choose to tell it like it is, I seem to opt for sheltering when it comes to uncomfortable topics like sex and the dominatrix who beat my husband. 

"I don't think she will be much help, Tyler. We aren't exactly friends."

"But you said she liked Verando?"

"She wants to sleep with him." I tell him bluntly, sighing at how 'dramatic' that sounds. "She's just not my favorite person." 

Tyler thinks this over and decides to drop it which I'm grateful for since I don't know how much more of his prying I can take. Is this what it was like? Maybe I was the source of a lot of our arguments, having to explain myself wasn't the best feeling in the world even though Tyler was plenty old enough for such things. 

He was practically my age. 

"How would you feel about going to another region once you have a better handle on your skills? Helen needs to get away from Gary, and you need more experience, it might be smart for you to leave the nest once you have a handle on things. Would that be something you'd be interested in? It might be safer to not have everyone in only one place, just in case something were to happen."

"Wouldn't we be stronger together? If they're going to come for us, we shouldn't be separated."

I used to think that way too, but in light of recent events it felt like less is more, defending massive amounts of people was impossible, small groups doable but in the end, it seemed we were our safest when we could take care of ourselves. 

"In a sense, unless a part of that group is a magnet for trouble. Verando and I tend to cause a lot of interest; I would hate for you to get captured or for Helen to fall into the hands of the government again-"

"Then our safest place is together." He declares firmly. 

I suppose it was so we could protect him, or maybe he was afraid to be alone with Helen. At this point in the relationship, all I wanted to do was be alone with my Alpha, but it would seem that his relationship with Helen was much different than my own. He didn't depend on her as I did Verando, he was much more her caretaker.