Nadine Book 5

37. Processing

I stretch as big as I can while Tye throws his pants on to answer the door.

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I HAD TO WAIT MONTHS."

Tye lays back in bed and snuggles me. "He never said what he wanted."

We laugh and cuddle for a few minutes, then there's another knock on the door.

"I guess he actually wanted something." He gives me a kiss and gets up to get the door again.

I watch out the window. The views are amazing. Clouds of all colors. Suns. Planets. Rocks are floating around. It's so beautiful.

I feel his lips on my back, and it relaxes my whole body. I lay my head down, and he kisses between my shoulders to the back of my neck.

"I need to go follow him around, babydoll. You going to stay here and watch out the window?"

"You should stay with me. He's only going to complain that you didn't have to wait."

"The only reason I don't have to wait is that we don't have the time for it. I know that." He kisses my back again. "But I would wait for you. I would wait forever."

I don't even know what to say. "I'll get up in a bit. I want to watch a little longer."

"Take your time babydoll." He runs his fingertips down my spine as he leaves.

I hear the door shut and I start bawling. I hold the blankets and cry into them.

This isn't fair. We're going to end up dying to stop this loop. I didn't even get to really claim them. Dipak waited so long for me, now that he found me, it'll be over. Marcus had pretty much no love. Now he has some, it's going to be over. Tye and Tre are so young. They're going to give it up. They are the bravest men I have ever met.

I don't even get to make them dads. I cry so hard.

Tye wraps up around me and holds me. I didn't even hear him come back in.

"It'll be ok, babydoll." I can hear the emotion in his voice. I know he's crying too. "In this life or the next, we'll all be together again."

"I love you Tye."

"I love you Nadine."

We hold each other and cry for I don't know how long.

Then someone knocks on the door. He wipes his eyes and kisses my head. Then he gets up.

I hear older Dipak. "Oh shit."

I wrap up in the sheet, then peek into the sitting room. He is hugging Tye and Tye is bawling.

"Get something on and get out here."

I find my dress and put it on. I take a minute and wash my face. I try to collect myself as best as I can.

My boys are in the sitting room. I throw myself around Tre and cry again. He sits down with me on the couch.

Older Dipak is sitting on the coffee table in front of Tye's chair, trying to talk to him. He's the only older one here.

Marcus sits on the couch and Tre puts me between the 2 of them.

Dipak plops down in the other chair and rubs his eyes.

Older me comes in and sits on the coffee table between us. "You don't have to do this. You can live out your lives. No one is telling you to do anything."

Tye shakes his head. "There are no options. We can live and have 88 babies. The first one is a girl. No one knows whose she is because that's the way we want it. We each have a boy. It takes 500 years to have children. They are kings and queens everywhere. Sometime like 8,000 years from now, a plant tries to eat her. It's already done. We have to stop the loop. No one should be stuck like this."

"But that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. We're giving up everything."

Older Dipak rubs his eyes. "They're babies. They haven't even got to live yet."

Older me nods. "Why don't you wait? We can wait 13 years. You could at least mark each other."

Tye shakes his head. "It'll never be enough time. 13 years... 100... 1000... There will always be a reason to keep waiting. Soon it'll be 12000 years and we'll be like everyone else. We have to change it. We can't wait."

Dipak smiles. "We have to be happy with the time we get together. I know it hurts, it's ripping my heart out too. But, we found each other." A tear falls out of his eye, and he wipes it away quickly. "We got to find you and know you. Hell, now we even get to mark you." They chuckle. "It's not perfect. But it's what we get. Our story is different from the others before us. For that I'm thankful. At least it's our story."

Marcus kisses my head. "Once the loop breaks, everyone gets to live. Time moves on. People everywhere won't be stuck. They get to live their lives. They get to see what happens after that 12,000-year mark. No more going back. No more doing this over and over. No more 88 babies and a plant that tries to eat you." He pulls me in and hugs me. "And I don't know about everyone else, but once this life is over, I'm calling a vacation life with you. 50 or so years on the beach would be nice."

Tre shakes his head. "No hard labor or work of any kind."

Tye smirks. "We'll set ourselves up with some money. Anything we could need. We could each live 50 years on a private island with her."

Dipak relaxes. "That sounds perfect."

"Get some brains to do the gardening. I don't even want to do that."

"You didn't do that in this life either, Tre."

"Vacation life woman. I'm not doing anything but you and watching water. And I don't want any fishing poles on that island. I am not taking you fishing."

Everyone cracks up laughing.

Marcus kisses my head. "I'll take you fishing."

They laugh at him, and he has no idea why.

"I'll take you fishing when we get back. That way I can see why they are laughing."

Dipak nods. "That's for the best. I'll watch though. I haven't seen that in a while."

Future Dipak smiles. "Let's go have some dinner. Then we will jump back into hyperspace. You're going to have to watch those 2 being alone. They are young."

"Yea, they are going to have to process through the emotions of everything. And it'll be harder on them, especially because they're so young. But they're also both strong and brave. We'll get through it together."

Marcus winks. "We can have nightly talks like this 1."

Tye rubs his eyes. "UGH."

I stare at the ceiling. "UGH."

"My guess is, the teenagers like that idea."

Tye starts pouting. "I'm not a teenager anymore."

"Like hell you're not. My Tye. f*****g 10,000 something years old, still acts like a damn teenager. I'm surprised she's still sitting here. They could be off right now acting like teenagers. Making me go bail them out of jail or some s**t on some weird planet we haven't been to in 1,000 years. Or surfing on the people mover railings. It's always something with those 2."

"Can you show us the surfing thing?"

She shakes her head. Dipak stares at her. "No, that was very irresponsible, especially drunk. Someone could get hurt." Dipak looks away, and she nods fast.

"They summoned him to other planets to bail us out of jail. I don't ever want to hear you complain again."

Future Dipak crosses his arms. "Why do you 2 like going to jail? What is it about jail? Why is that fun?"

He smirks. "That's when you know you've had enough fun."

"Will you please come home before you've had enough fun?"

"Last time we went to jail, I don't think either of us could stand anymore. We were in the middle of the path sitting."

"YOU 2 HAVE ALREADY BEEN TO JAIL? God, they started young. When did you go for the first time?" He glances at future me.

"Egypt. We got done having s*x on the beach. The guards were coming. We got our clothes on and tried to run."

Tre squeezes me. "You were having s*x on the beach?"

I shake my head. "We didn't."

Future me smiles. "The stories aren't the exact same, but the outcomes are. That was our first time on the beach. The guards told Dipak what they had seen, and he used dragon strength to beat my ass. I ran and hid with Tye at his castle. Then Dipak showed up. I jumped over something and broke my neck. The doctor called for Marcus when I woke up. That's how I met him."

"I'm so sorry sweetheart."

She shakes her head. "It had to happen. It happened so I could meet Marcus. I also found out Tye was my mate from that. Daddy finally let me test with him."

"Daddy prevented it with you?"

"Yes, he kept saying it wouldn't be more than 2. Anything else was ridiculous, and I was being unreasonable." She rolls her eyes. "Got 4. Who prevented you from testing with him?"

"Dipak said the testing was traumatic on me, and he didn't want anymore done. I kept passing out, and it was hard for me."

"The testing for Marcus still happened because the magicians found a new way to do it? The boys knew before you did?"

"Yea that was the same... And now I know why you said dating was so fun. You must have had better dates than me."

"No, they were terrible. Those girls couldn't get anything right. But looking back, it was hilarious." She wipes her eyes. "And that old king who put Kane to sleep standing up."

My Dipak smiles. "I like the one who hit on him more."

She nearly falls off the table laughing. "You know he ended up being my ex's brother's mate."

"Ex's?"

"I thought Elek was my mate for a while. I had no idea about Marcus. So we were sneaking around while everything was going on. You didn't think that about him?"

"I think I did, but everyone kept saying no. It wasn't him. I left him alone for the most part. We kissed a few times, but that was it."

"Oh, that's definitely different. I was having s*x with him."

"That never happened with me. But now I see why you said he was so fun."

"He was fun. He broke my heart though. Once his brother got better, he was gone. I tried to see him a couple of times, but he was always too busy for me. Dipak and Tre helped me get over him. Then I kissed Marcus on the boat. We figured out we were mates right away. Then that was it for me. I was never interested in any other men. I had my boys and that was it."

"Did Elijah and his mate end up staying at the castle after they found out they were mates?"

Future Dipak stretches. "Yea, I let those 2 stay. Elek was not permitted in the castle again. Guards were ordered to kill on sight. I don't think they saw him."

My eyebrows shoot up. "He visits our village with his brother. It helps him to sit and listen to music."

"A few kisses are one thing. I can see why he's still allowed around you. Now, let's go to dinner. I can't talk about this anymore."

"Did Tye still jump over Kane and throw him?"

I nod.

She smiles. "That was the first time I realized Tye is a badass."

"I was ready to have s*x with him in the fun box."

Everyone cracks up laughing as we leave for the dining room.