Becoming One [Kaliss 2]

CHAPTER 1 “Ezzy, if you don’t stop hovering I swear to you I’m going to zap your ass and not with the kind of charge that makes your balls tingle,” Jewel snapped as he walked into the office. Nelson laughed. “You better be careful, Ezra, with the way Jewel’s powers have been going, he’s likely to either electrocute you or remove your balls completely.” Ezra rolled his eyes. “I’m not doing anything but making sure he arrives for lunch on time.” Jewel placed one hand on his hip as he waved the other around, snapping, “And the four shits my brother sent couldn’t do the same thing? Damn it Ezzy, being pregnant does not make me porcelain. I am quite capable of making it to the solarium on my own. You’re going to be late for your meeting with Orion and Nixon about the installation of the electricity in the new sports dome we just put up for the Summoning Ceremony.” “Oh and don’t forget about your one o’clock lunch with Peter Ross,” Nelson chimed in. “Peter Ross?” Ezra asked and then seemed to remember. “Oh! The plumber guy. I thought Orion was dealing with him. I have Axel for construction and Nixon for the electrics.” Nodding, Nelson answered, “Normally he would, yes. However, Orion is meeting with the Dires about the security of Kaliss for the Summoning Ceremony. Orion wants to make sure we don’t have a repeat of what happened to the visitors and your father, since so many dignitaries are scheduled to come for the Ceremony.” “Then there’s the fact that Nicu still has not been caught,” Jewel stated. Nodding, Nelson said, “Orion told me that all the Scions have men entered for the Ceremony and have already reserved rooms for themselves as well as their entries. He needs to make sure that he and his men are hyper aware, and enough men are on watch, since so many have entered in the Ceremony as well.” Sighing heavily, Ezra walked to his mate, leaned down and gave him a soft kiss, then muttered, “I’m starting to regret ordering the Summoning Ceremony to begin with.” Jewel gently placed his hand on Ezra’s cheek, whispering, “Everything will be fine, Ezzy. Well as long as you stop the damn hovering. Otherwise, all bets are off.” Ezra backed up but stared deeply into his mate’s eyes. Nelson felt his own heart get all gushy just watching the two stubborn asses looking at each other with so much love. They looked at each other like he and Orion looked at each other every time they were in the same room. Nelson looked away, just before Ezra kissed his mate and walked out of the room. “What has you so upset, Nelson?” Jewel asked as he sat. Nelson shrugged. “I guess I’m just jealous.” “Jealous of what?” Jewel asked in surprise. “That he has not made his mating official,” Briar answered. Rolling his eyes, Nelson looked at Briar and then Helio. “I have told you more than once to stay out of my head, Briar.” “And I have told you more than once, we can’t read minds. Your face gives away your thoughts,” Briar said as he sat. Picking up his napkin, Nelson shook it out and placed it on his lap. “Then stop reading my face —it’s rude.” Helio gave a soft laugh. “Is that even possible?” Nelson rolled his eyes, saying, “Just sit so we can eat. I only have an hour before I have to get back to the office. I have to finish with the housing arrangements for all the people coming to this shindig.” “You do know that this ‘shindig’ is going to be us hosting some of the most important people in Ezra’s coven?” Jewel asked, lifting the lid off his plate. “Oh Gods, what the hell is that?” Nelson asked as he looked at the brown meat on something he couldn’t quite make out. Jewel blinked in confusion at Nelson’s disgust. “Its barbeque pulled pork on vanilla ice cream. It’s so good. Would you like some?” Shaking his head, Nelson muttered, “No thank you. Knock yourself out.” Helio looked at Jewel’s plate. “I’d like to try it.” Nelson shook his head. “No, you really wouldn’t, Helio. That’s a pregnant man’s dish.” Helio tentatively took a bite and squinched his face in disgust, grabbed his napkin, and wiped his tongue. After taking a large drink of his water, he finally said, “Nelson’s right. That is just nasty.” Jewel took a spoon and dug in, taking a large bite, muttering, “You guys don’t know what’s good for you.” Briar tentatively pulled the lid off his plate and Nelson could see the man sigh in relief when he saw he had Chicken Alfredo like Nelson and Helio. Just as the little butterfly dragon picked up a forkful, he asked, “Do you think we’ll be ready for the Summoning Ceremony?” Jewel nodded. “We will be even if it kills me. I just wish my powers weren’t so damn wonky. I could help finish the sports arena.” “That thing is huge. It has to be over a hundred thousand square feet,” Nelson stated. Nodding, Jewel replied, “It’s one hundred twenty-five thousand square feet actually. I was thrilled that Axel was able to get it up in just a week.” “That’s because Kerrick sent so many men to help out,” Nelson replied. “Kerrick sent twenty men to watch over me. I just used them to get a job done then called my brother and promptly had most of them removed from the coven house and sent back to him,” Jewel stated. “Well I can see not all of them were removed,” Helio said with a smile as he turned and wiggled his fingers at one of the guards at the right of the door. “Jewel, I know it must be a pain in the ass, but you are next in line to be king of the elves, The Re’s mate, and carrying the next in line for that throne. It isn’t unreasonable that Kerrick and Ezra would want you kept as safe as possible,” Nelson softly stated. Sighing, Jewel replied, “I know, but I hate having no privacy, Nelson. I had to keep two guards from entering the damn bathroom with me this morning and I haven’t had s*x in days because the fuckers won’t leave the room. I’m really getting fed up. There has to be some limits to this shit.” “I think you should talk with Kerrick and make some ground rules,” Nelson stated then turned as Helio played with his magenta hair and rapidly blinked then smiled at the same guard. “Helio, are you flirting?” Nelson asked with a snicker. Shrugging, Helio replied, “I think he’s cute. Keir said that if I think someone is cute I should let them know. I’ve watched some of the women around the coven and that’s what they do. Well, they do that and toss their hair back. I think that man is cute, but I don’t want to—you know.” Nelson laughed with Jewel, both nodding their heads as Briar looked at the guard Helio spoke of and shrugged. “He’s okay I guess. I like my men a bit—who the heck am I kidding, I don’t know what I like. I’ve never really paid attention.” “Keir needs to mind his own business. He’s an Imperial guard, not a love specialist,” Jewel muttered. Nelson smiled and lightly tapped Briar’s foot with his own, saying, “Give it time, Briar. However, Helio, might I suggest being you and not trying to be like everyone else. You look like you have something in your eye and are constipated on top of it. Just be you, and when the time is right to let someone know how you feel, you’ll know.” “But I want a mate and if I don’t practice, how will he know I’m interested?” Helio muttered looking down at his hands. “No one can force a mating to happen, Helio. It happens when it happens. You and Briar just really started shifting again, after a really long time. Maybe fate thinks you need some time for adjustment. But, when the time comes, I have no doubt you will know exactly what to do.” “Like you and Orion? You still haven’t done anything about your mating. Why is that? I know it isn’t the love part because anyone with half a brain can see the way you two are with each other. So why is it you haven’t taken the plunge with that large hunk of man?” Jewel asked wiggling his brows. Nelson felt his cheeks heat, knowing that the three men were staring at him. Nelson felt like an i***t. He should have changed the subject to something else. Shame filled his heart and soul. He knew that the coven was watching him and Orion, and if the gossip was right, people were even placing bets on when or even if Nelson and Orion would mate. Gods, Nelson wanted to. He had wanted nothing more in his entire life. However, what no one seemed to know—or maybe it was understand—was that Nelson couldn’t mate Orion. It wasn’t that he didn’t want the man. Gods, who wouldn’t want a man like Orion? Orion was sweet and gooey on the inside and strong and sexy on the outside. Jewel burst out laughing. “I don’t know what you were thinking a bit ago, but I much prefer the look you have now.” “What look?” Helio asked. “The one that says Nelson wants to start at Orion’s toes, sucking and licking until there isn’t a piece or a part he’s missed,” Briar giggled. Nelson’s ears had to be as bright red as his neck and cheeks. Gods, Nelson hated how embarrassment looked on him. “Seriously, Nelson. Why haven’t you and Orion mated yet? I know that it can’t be the scars. You are not a shallow asshole like so many around here, so what’s the story?” Jewel asked, “If you tell us, maybe we can help. Please, Nelson, let us help,” Helio practically begged. “You said friends tell each other everything and know that no one else will be told. We take our secrets of and for each other, to our graves. That’s what you said, Nelson,” Briar argued. Sighing heavily, Nelson pushed his plate away, saying, “It’s not a secret, but I don’t think people have given it any thought with all their stupid betting and needling.” “I don’t understand,” Jewel stated in confusion. “Me either,” Helio replied looking at Briar for explanation. Briar scoffed, “Don’t look in my direction, I don’t get what he’s saying any more than you do, Helio.” Nelson shook his head and rolled his eyes. “I already told everyone. My Santorini fox is gone. I haven’t felt so much as a tickle of his fur since the day I took out Fallon. Without my ability to shift into my fox, or just my fox claws, I can’t mate with Orion. Trust me, if there was a way to have Orion as my own, I would gladly take it.” “Oh Gods, Nelson, I never thought that it wasn’t that you didn’t want to, but that you couldn’t. Fuck, we are all so damn stupid,” Jewel said with self-disgust. “Maybe Helio and I can do something. We might be able to jump start your fox,” Briar said in concern. “You can’t jump start something that isn’t there, Briar, but thanks anyway,” Nelson whispered. Jewel gasped, “What if he is there, but is so far inside, you can’t feel him?” “What are you talking about, Jewel?” Helio asked. “Magic is a precarious thing. The saying that all magic comes with a price is true. It’s one of the reasons we aren’t using magic to build this town. Now don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that I can heat up my blankets with just a flick of my finger, or snap and my clothes are gone and Ezzy can make love to me without the wait. However, each use can either take from the person using it or mess with the environment around us. Therefore, sometimes it’s just best if we go at things as the humans have to do. Yes, it’s time consuming and yes, it’s annoying as hell when you know that all the pixies and elves would have to do is blink and the town would be as we would like it to be. However, Ezzy and I didn’t want to start our new life with the coven on magical grounds. We wanted to make sure its foundations were strong and unshakable.” ‘That’s great, but what the hell does it have to do with my fox?” Nelson asked. Jewel sighed, then looked Nelson straight in the eyes. “You abused your fox, Nelson. You abused the magic he could provide. I have no doubt that your Santorini fox was begging you to stop whatever it was you were doing, and you ignored him and continued on with your revenge.” “Now wait just a damn minute. Fallon was outside the Council building with thousands of warriors ready to attack and kill everyone in the place. Had I not done what I had to do, everyone in Maddox and Crystal would be dead,” Nelson snapped. Jewel gave a sharp nod. “That’s true, but you have three brothers who are just as capable of doing what you were doing, and yet you refused to allow them to help.” “It was my fight, Jewel! Mine! Fallon had me locked up for years. Beaten, abused, malnourished, and…” Nelson stopped his rant and whispered, “I had dreamed so many times about how I would kill the son of a b***h. Of all the s**t the man put me through, I swear, the one thing I hated the most was Fallon’s ability to keep me from shifting and letting my fox out. We would call to each other and I would sing to him, telling my little fox that one day we would be one again, then when that time finally came, I barely gave myself a chance to get to be a whole me before I was shifting faster and faster, killing all those sons of a bitches bent on destroying my family and all their friends. I couldn’t let it happen.” “Your fox asked you to stop!” Jewel urged. Nelson looked away, but Jewel wasn’t letting it go. “Your fox asked you to stop! Admit it!” “Yes, he asked me to stop, but I couldn’t. It was a strategic plan that was working and would save so many lives. I tried explaining that to my fox, but he kept asking me to let him catch his breath. I couldn’t do that. Fallon would have figured out what was going on and then the surprise of the attack would have been gone. I had to finish what I started,” Nelson insisted. “You could have asked your brothers for help. You didn’t. Your fox knew this, Nelson. It was too much magic in too short a time,” Jewel stated. “I don’t understand. Nelson says all he did was shift. How was that too much for his fox?” Helio asked. “Shifting is magic, Helio, and even more so for a Santorini fox. It’s like a tune hit that gets higher and higher in pitch until the glass shatters all around for a Santorini fox. The faster, the higher pitched it is. So, when Nelson continued to shift, even though his fox warned him to stop, it didn’t just explode the armies all around, it was a betrayal to Nelson’s fox and he did the only thing he knew to do when they had been taken by Fallon to begin with. His fox hid. The problem is, now the poor thing has no clue who he can trust.” “So, what you’re saying is Nelson’s fox got his feelings hurt, ran away, and is now hiding?” Briar asked in wonder. Nodding, Jewel replied, “I believe so, yes, and if he wants his mate like he says he does, then we need to find him a Nocta.” “What’s a Nocta?” Nelson asked. Helio looked at Nelson. “Jewel’s amazing and he’s right. A Nocta is a dream walker of sorts. They can enter your body and mind through a dream entrance and take anyone you wish in with him or her. They can speak from within, see everything you see both consciously and subconsciously. If anyone can help find your little fox, it’s a Nocta.” “Even if I was willing to go that route—and I’m not saying I am. I wouldn’t even know where to begin to find a notornal-thingy you just said,” Nelson muttered. “Nocta—and that’s okay, I do know where one is. All I need is the go-ahead and I’ll set it up,” Jewel stated. Nelson couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Jewel might have a way to get his fox back. “Hell yeah, I want to do this.” “We’re going to have to talk with Orion,” Helio softly said. “Orion has nothing to do with this,” Nelson argued. Jewel scoffed, “Oh yes he does. Your fox is pissed at you, Nelson. Your fox doesn’t trust you. However, your mate—well that is a different story all together. Orion can speak with your fox. He can explain what happened and be the go-between for you and your fox. Think of Orion as the mediator or couple’s counselor. He will be the one to hopefully make your Santorini fox listen. Otherwise, you will have lost your fox forever and never be able to complete your mating.”