Lilly's Torment(24)

Reaching out, he touched her back lightly as they moved into the  building, through security and to the elevators. "It will be all right,"  he said softly as they rode up. Pulling out his phone, he typed a  moment before showing her the screen. Just a quick message to Zhubin to  find out if he and the others were available for a frank discussion  about mating. He hit ‘send' and then pocketed it once more as they  reached their floor and moved to the captain's office.

"Thank you for that," Lilly said softly. "I truly do appreciate you  doing that. I know you didn't have to. But it really would make me feel  better to talk to someone who's already been through a mating or bonding  or whatever it is called and knows what to expect."

"They won't be able to tell you everything. Each mating is different,  after all. But hopefully they can give you some idea of what to expect.  Though, they are Luhpyne, so you can only take so much of what they say  to heart." His hand on her back kept her moving toward the captain's  office. "Did you want a drink before we go in?"

"Yes please, water, and why would I only be able to take so much of what  they say to heart?" she asked with a frown. "I guess I don't  understand. Why wouldn't we be able to take anything that they say to  heart?"

"Because the mating practices are different between the races. Ask  questions, but remember it may be different for us. As long as you don't  hold everything as written in stone, it will be fine." Ax touched her  cheek gently. "I just don't want you getting upset over something that  may not hold bearing on us."

"Okay, I think I can handle that," she said with a nod. "As long as you  know that I will ask questions. We need to find more people like you and  Gav that have gone through mating before so that we can figure out what  to expect from the two of you. I don't want to be in the middle of it  and something happens that scares the bejesus out of me. Please."

"I will see what I can do, Lilly," he said softly. "But I can't promise  I'll find anyone. It's rare for a cross-race mating to occur. I will try  and locate a few people from both the Vhampire and Spiryte races, at  the very least. Though, Vhampires are apparently very tight lipped about  what occurs during the mating and bonding rituals. Even I don't know  what happens. But since that is something the father is supposed to  share … " He shrugged.

"What do you mean? A cross-race mating? God, I feel like I'm such a  freaking idiot right now. You must look at me and shake your head every  single time that you look at me. I feel completely out of phase here, or  something. I've never thought about mates, mating or any of that.  Ever."

"Shh," he said softly. His thumb stroked slowly over her cheek. "Look,  let's get through the meeting first. Then we will go and meet Zhubin,  Ansell, and Lacey. Once you ask your questions, we'll sit and talk. I'll  tell you all I know, which isn't much, and we'll figure this out."

"It's everything, because you will be there and hopefully, soon, so will  Gav. I know that, with you two helping me, we will get through this  together. We will also come out stronger, right?" They would be a team,  and God, she prayed she could find out more information about being  mated to a Vhampire and Spiryte.

"Absolutely." He smiled. "Won't be more than a moment," he said.  Stepping away from her, he went into the lunchroom. Moments later, he  returned with two bottles of water. Passing her one, Artaxias looked at  her. "Ready to hear what the boss has to say?"                       
       
           



       

Taking the water, she unscrewed the cap and took a drink. After that,  she took a deep breath, looked at Artaxias, and in her best voice said,  "I think that I am as ready as I am going to get. Let's go and see what  the boss has to say. Let's just hope he's not firing me already."

"He's not going to fire you, little mate," he said quietly. Once more,  he pressed his hand to her back and guided her into the captain's  office. Closing the door, he waited until Lilly had sat down before  taking the other chair.

"Thanks for coming in you two, you feeling okay, Agent Webb?" The captain was looking at her with concern.

"As okay as I guess I can feel, knowing that there is something or  someone out there trying to control me. From what I understand, it's  like a subconscious demand on me to do this or that and it really,  really irritates the hell out of me. Pardon the language, sir."

"So I've heard," he said, drumming the fingers of his left hand on the  desk. "I know that Artaxias and Gavriel will keep you from giving into  those urges. But if you need anything, let me know." He tapped his hand  to the desk and then sat back. "All right, so what did you find out  about the metal scrap you found? I read the report, but I would love to  have it in layman's terms. I have the gist, but most of it went right  over my head."

"The metal is coated in something that is actually deadly to those that  live on the other side of the Veil. I encountered this once before." She  rubbed her temples, head suddenly hurting. "I think that it was a group  of people that wanted to kill as many from the other side of the Veil  as possible to send a threat?" Her hands shook. "I think." A frown  crossed her features, pain making her eyes want to water. "I'm sorry, I  don't think that I can talk about this," she whispered. "That doesn't  make sense."

"Same thing happened yesterday," Artaxias said. Leaning over, he pressed  a kiss to her cheek. "Lilly. Focus on me, Lil. I'm right here," he  whispered. His lips moved down her neck, his teeth nibbling gently and  carefully.

Lilly leaned heavily against Artaxias and then buried her face against  the crook of his neck. "I don't like this. At all. I want to find  whoever did this to me and pull their teeth out through their backside.  Promise me that we will find them and we will make them hurt?"

"I swear it, Lilly," he said softly. Wrapping his arm around her, Ax  hugged her close. "I will make them pay and then unleash you on them.  You have my word." Another kiss pressed to her temple that time, before  he drew back. "Captain, the compulsions are keeping her from telling us  all she really knows. I need to see just what it all does, but I can't  do that until later. I would like to get her out of here for some fresh  air, though."

"Go," the captain told him. "Do what's needed, but keep me apprised. If  she's a threat to this investigation, I need to know. Unintentionally of  course," the man added, likely because of the tension she felt  thrumming through Artaxias at the mere suggestion she'd compromise an  investigation. Her mate had been offended.

Lilly moved with Artaxias when he rose. Keeping a tight hold to his  hand, she was shaking slightly. "I think we should just go to the clean  room and try to get to the bottom of this. I hate any weakness in myself  and right now, that is how I feel, weak. Can we please just try to go  and get this all sorted?"

"As you wish, little mate," he said quietly. His arm was tight around  her, keeping her pressed to his side as he led her through their floor.  He took her to the elevator and they rode up, a ways up. Stepping off  after a few minutes, he led her through a blank slate of a room. There  were many doors, no windows and everything was pristine white. Not a  stick of furniture either, but lots and lots of cameras.

He stopped before a door and ushered her inside. There was a coffee  table, sofa, and a file waiting. Not much else beyond a jug of ice water  and a couple glasses. "Take a seat, Lilly. Ditch the jacket and get  comfortable. You need to be as relaxed as possible when we begin."

Doing as instructed, Lilly took a seat after pulling off her jacket.  Grabbing the weapons she had on her, she piled them onto the jacket and  leaned back on the sofa. Pulling a throw pillow close, she wrapped her  arms around it and sighed. "You might want to get rid of all of our  weapons before we start, don't you think?"

"Was planning on it," he told her. Collecting hers, he took them to the  wall and when he touched a spot, a panel slid open. His fingerprint  opened a safe, where he deposited them. Then he started pulling off all  of his. About thirty blades, three guns, and what looked like throwing  stars. After he locked it down tight, he moved toward her and sat. "Come  here, Lilly." He held his arms open to her.

She didn't hesitate in the least. Lilly was up and moved across the  couch until she was in his arms again. Settled on his lap, she rested  her cheek to his shoulder and let out a breath of a sigh. "What happens  now?" she whispered quietly. "Because I have to tell you, I'm more than a  little nervous about all of this."