Fated Healing [Kindred of Arcadia 5] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (19 page)

“That was a good idea, Claybourne. We do not want this virus getting into the wrong hands,” Liam said,

ending the call with Lachlan.

“What will the council do now?” Claybourne lightly pet Felix, who ate up the attention.

“They are bringing in the supplies to replenish your clinic and then heading out. Grandfather has

decided to stay for a little while. I can appreciate how helpless he must have felt. You and Felix were the

only ones who were able to do anything,” Liam said, looking over to where Sebastian batted at Rebecca’s

fingers playfully. Liam yawned wide.

“I think everyone should take their loved ones home and get some rest. I’ll be available for follow-ups

starting tomorrow.” Claybourne yawned.

“Good idea, Doc,” Liam said, picking up his mate from Rebecca’s lap before dropping a kiss on the top

of her head.

“Consider it doctor’s orders,” Claybourne said as he waved good-bye to everyone. Feeling that all was

finally safe in his world, Felix closed his eyes and lay his head on his mate’s forearm and fell asleep.

* * * *

Over the next few days, Felix and Claybourne kept a close eye on Rebecca, Kate, and Sebastian to make

sure there were no lingering side effects that could harm their unborn children. Felix could tell that even

though she was smiling and joking around, Rebecca was still worried about her son.

“Are you sure he’s okay, Doc?” Rebecca asked again when Felix and Claybourne joined everyone for

dinner at the diner. Everyone had agreed to meet at the diner after Ms. Brayburn’s funeral service. The

mood in the diner was a somber one as everyone sat close to their loved ones in dark colors.

“Yes, Rebecca, he is perfectly fine,” Claybourne reassured her. Nodding quietly, she snuggled down in

Aleks’s arms, unusually subdued. Felix watched her frown and rub her belly, and the hairs on the back of

his neck started to rise. He would bet his next microwavable pizza that she was up to something. Felix

looked around the diner. Everyone was too busy with their own mates and friends to notice Rebecca’s

strange behavior. He sighed. He would have to keep an eye on her. They had worked too damn hard to save

her for her to get into trouble now.

“I thought the service was just lovely. Edith would have loved all of those handsome men gathered in

one place, looking so dashing in their suits,” Ms. Tully said, smiling.

“She would have fainted away at Prince Gabriel giving her eulogy.” Ms. Anderson fanned herself.

“Such a good boy,” Ms. Martin agreed.

Felix looked over to see Gabriel hiding a smile. Ever since receiving the Prince’s blood, Felix had felt a

connection to the vampire. It was a strong connection, like the one he had with his mate. However, unlike

the bond with Claybourne, there were no emotions involved, just a sense of being part of something more.

Gabriel looked over to him and gave a slow wink. Felix grinned back.

“Quit flirting with the mated prince,” Claybourne whispered in his ear. Felix, without even looking to

aim, elbowed his mated solidly in the stomach.

“Oh I’m sorry, baby cakes, I didn’t see you there.” Felix looked up at his mate, making sure his eyes

were wide and full of surprise. Claybourne grunted and rubbed his stomach.

“Don’t call me baby cakes,” Claybourne complained.

“Okay, Tigger,” Felix said, batting his eyelashes. Claybourne just sighed.

“You’re going to have your hands full with that one, Doc,” Emmett said, laughing.

“I knew you liked me. Sorry, Emmett, you’re too late, I’m mated now.” Felix placed a hand over his

heart dramatically. Emmett gave a large, loud, belly laugh.

“If anyone could tempt a straight man it would probably be you, Felix,” Emmett said, grinning.

“Mine!” Claybourne growled and wrapped an arm around Felix’s waist, pulling him into his lap.

Felix patted Claybourne’s chest.

“Lord have mercy, this caveman thing is sexy as hell. Say it again, big boy.” Felix purred up at his mate.

Claybourne’s face ignited. Around them everyone started chuckling.

“Behave, trouble.” Claybourne kissed the top of his head. Felix settled down in Claybourne’s lap,

feeling happier than he had ever been in his life. Ma brought their dinner over and set it on the table in front

of them. Felix was practically bouncing at the large plate of lasagna in front of him. He eyed the melty

cheese and sighed. Perfect. He was about to dig in when Claybourne’s cell phone began to ring. Felix froze

and looked up sharply to Claybourne.

“I’m starting to hate your phone. It’s never anything good.” Felix eyed the phone with worry.

“I’m sure it’s nothing,” Claybourne said good-humoredly until he looked down and saw the name. He

closed his eyes and started muttering. He lifted Felix out of his lap and answered the phone.

“Claybourne here,” he said.

“Since when do you go by Claybourne? Honestly, Maddox,” a crisp female voice said. Felix perked up

one ear and listened in. He saw Sebastian lean forward, along with Ashby and Nic.

“Nice for you to call. Anything wrong?” Claybourne asked lazily. Felix looked up at his mate, surprised.

Claybourne was anything but lazy or laid back. His relaxed tone didn’t sound like him at all. In fact, the

crisp female voice sounded more like Claybourne than he himself did at the moment.

“Anything wrong? Anything wrong! I find out that my baby brother almost died in a shifter plague and

you ask me if anything is wrong!” The angry voice spoke with clipped, staccato-like words, easily

conveying her exasperation without sounding hysterical. Wait. Baby brother? Felix scooted closer to his

mate.

“I’m fine and it wasn’t a plague. It was a carefully altered living virus, manipulated by a witch’s spell,”

Claybourne explained.

“Oh, that makes all the difference, I feel so much better.” Her sarcasm spoke volumes.

“I also felt that you mated. You couldn’t call and warn me? I was in the middle of working on a case

with my team. I was going to wait for you to call me when I found out about your virus.” The woman’s

voice softened a fraction when discussing the mating but then modulated back to anger when talking about

how it affected her.

Claybourne dropped his head back and he sighed.

“Sorry about that, Madison. I forgot that it might affect you. Were you okay?” he said gently. She

snorted.

“Of course, I am the best, after all. It actually added a sense of urgency to my closing remarks, since I

wanted to get home and go to bed. Who is it? A tiger?” she asked. Claybourne looked down at Felix and

Felix stuck his tongue out at him.

“His name is Felix. He’s a disorganized, loud, smart-assed, messy, flame-headed package wrapped in

trouble.” Claybourne smiled gently at Felix. Felix could see the love for him in his mate’s eyes and couldn’t

help the goofy grin on his face. The man just turned him inside out.

“Oh. Oh, Maddox, he sounds perfect.” There was a quiet sniffle before she continued.

“You needed a man like that in your life. I can’t wait to meet him. Did he manage to remove that large

stick from your ass so he could fuck it?” she asked, laughing.

“Mad-i-son!” Claybourne exclaimed. Felix was laughing so hard he had tears running down his face.

“Oh is that him? Let me talk to him,” the woman ordered. Without introduction, Claybourne passed the

phone to Felix who was still trying to catch his breath.

“Hello,” Felix said finally.

“Hello, Felix, my name is Madison. I hear that you are causing my baby brother some trouble,” she said

evenly.

“I try to,” Felix answered. He heard a light, bell-like laugh and had to smile at it.

“Good. I can’t wait to meet you. I should be there soon for a visit,” she informed him. Claybourne’s

head snapped up.

“You in Arkadia?” Claybourne snorted, knowing she would be able to hear him.

“I know, I know. I said I would never visit your country bumpkin town, but it’s my duty as oldest to

check on you and meet your mate. Felix, be honest with me. There is electricity right? Running water?”

Madison asked. Connor snorted from behind the counter laughing.

“Yes, but little else,” Felix confirmed.

“Oh god, that’s what I thought, I…hold on,” she said before they all heard her yell to someone in the

background.

“I am too going to visit my brother. I don’t care, get someone else to take that case. You know what,

you’re absolutely right. A couple days isn’t enough time away from here. I fucking quit! No. I don’t care if

my name is on the building, I just gave you my resignation, and don’t forget to cut me a check for my

unused vacation time. I believe I have several months’ worth accumulated over the years. I feel like buying

my baby brother a present. The fuck you say? I wrote that contract myself, do you really think I don’t know

I am entitled to vacation payout? I am the best goddamn lawyer on the east coast and you just pissed me off

so much that I quit. Have fun explaining that to the other partners. Bye-bye now.” The sound of clicking

high heels tapping across a hard surface echoed on the phone.

“Okay where was I? Oh yeah, I’m coming down for a few days. I’ll be settling things here before

coming to visit,” she said as new sounds of car horns, people yelling, and street noise were clearly heard.

“New York?” Felix and Rian gasped at the same time.

“Please, please, please can you pick up some things for us?” Felix pleaded as Rian threw himself into

the chair beside him. The musical laughter was heard again.

“Oh, you poor country babies, of course I’ll shop for you. Shopping is an art that I have perfected. Text

me your sizes and pictures and I’ll surprise you,” she offered. Rian let out a loud squeal and grabbed the

phone from Felix.

“I don’t know you and I’m not into women, but I love you!” he yelled into the phone before Felix

snatched it back.

“Hey, she’s my sister-in-law, I call dibs!” Felix yelled.

“Now I really can’t wait to meet you guys. Bye, Maddox, see you soon,” she said and the call ended.

Felix turned to Rian.

“Clothes. Clothes from New York!” Felix yelled.

“Actually, it will probably be clothes from Milan and Paris. She has an affinity for European designers,”

Claybourne said between bites of lasagna. Felix and Rian stared at one another before more squeals filled

the diner.

“I didn’t know you had a sister,” Felix said after he and Rian calmed down.

“I have two sisters actually. Madison and Maddie, or Madelyne. We are triplets, Maddie is the youngest,”

Claybourne explained.

“Wow. So you’re a doctor and she’s a high-power lawyer, what is Maddie, like an astronaut?” Felix

asked. Claybourne’s eyes got a little sad.

“According to my parents, Maddie is a disappointment. She’s an artist. She works in multiple mediums.

She’s actually an artistic genius. Madison and I are proud of her, but my parents disowned her when she

refused to study business and keep with the family’s plan for her. Madison and I support her the best we

can though,” Claybourne said.

“Maybe she should come visit, too,” Felix said, wanting to erase the sadness from his mate’s eyes.

“We lost track of her when she started travelling in Africa to paint the wildlife. Madison has sent more

than one Sentinel group over there to find her, but no such luck. I hope that she is okay no matter where

she is,” Claybourne said, putting his fork down.

“How did your sister manage to send more than one Sentinel group to Africa to search for your

youngest sister? They don’t take orders from anyone,” Gabriel murmured, sounding impressed.

Claybourne gave an evil grin. “No one can compare to my sister when it comes to persuasion and

argument. She wasn’t exaggerating when she said she was the best lawyer on the east coast, however I think

that statement is inaccurate. She is the best lawyer in this hemisphere. She only takes cases where she can

help people, and has never lost. Not even when she first started. Not only was she able to get the Sentinel

commander to agree to send search and rescue teams, but she has it so they constantly email her status

updates. I don’t ask what she does, and she doesn’t tell. Very early in her career she explained the term

plausible deniability. I only asked that she use her super powers for good.” Claybourne shrugged.

“I have to meet her,” Rebecca said, her eyes blazing with curiosity. Claybourne eyed Rebecca with

trepidation.

“Maybe not the best idea,” he said.

“No,” Liam agreed.

“Definitely not,” Gabriel nodded.

“Hell no,” Aleks said.

“Y’all are mean!” Rebecca crossed her arms over her chest.

“I’d be scared to death at what the two of you could come up with,” Aleks said.

“Maybe she could explain some of the more complicated legal rhetoric to me,” Rebecca said.

“No,” Aleks repeated. Rebecca’s eyes narrowed right before she broke out in a wide smile.

“Okay, I won’t ask her,” she said sweetly. Aleks, Liam, and Bran stared at Rebecca for a second. Kate

laughed.