Lilly's Torment(47)

"He could tell her, but I don't know if she'd remember it. The bouts of  clarity are few and far between as it progresses. Right now she'd  probably remember, and I know he wants you to meet her. He's  unfortunately got to contend with those bouts of dementia and finding  the right time for you two to meet."

"That poor man." She sighed and shook her head. "Maybe if we go to the  other side of the Veil and perhaps wait for her to have a bout of  clarity and then go to meet her?" she asked with a frown. "Because I  honestly don't know how else to make it happen. I would like to meet her  as well."

"We will make a trip there anyway in the near future. And yes, hopefully  we will be there during one of her bouts of clarity. They are currently  longer than the bouts where she believes Gav is still in diapers. Thank  the Gods, for both of their sakes."

"No kidding." She couldn't imagine what Gav had to be going through.  "Besides, don't we have a mating week coming up? Shouldn't we have time  alone so that we can do what we want to? During that time we can spend  it on the Other side, right?"

"Yup." He nodded and that was all she got. Sometimes he was so  uncommunicative and other times, very open. If only he chose his open  moments a little better, she'd get so much more juicy stuff. Sadly she  hadn't yet figured out how to actually pry what she wanted from him. She  only ever got whatever he felt like sharing.

Lilly just grinned. She shook her head at him and licked her lips. "You  can be one of the most tight-lipped men. I want to say infuriating, but  it just makes me grin instead. Just so you know." She couldn't stop  herself from reaching out and touching him. She loved being able to  touch him. It made her all kinds of happy.

"I know." He smiled that sneaky little smile of his. "It's really,  fine-tuned for the perfect reaction. Besides, I don't usually like to  talk, you seem to be able to make me do it just by looking at me. Very  disturbing, I have to say."

"Well I'm glad that I'm special. I'm super happy that I'm able to get  you to break your own personal code of silence and chat with me. I like  talking to you. I really love being able to talk to you, Artaxias. You  have an amazing view on life, one that I enjoy being a part of."

"The view or the life?" he asked, slowing for a red light. Stopping, he  looked at her. "What you enjoy being a part of," he added when she just  stared at him. "Which do you enjoy being a part of, the view or the  life?"

"The life. The view is wonderful, but being a part of the life with you,  Ax, is more amazing than I could ever tell you. I love being able to  have you close and knowing you are mine."

"Good to know," he said and they were moving again. He also fell silent  once more, his eyes moving and taking everything in as he drove, which  was all right. They were nearly to the office anyway.

When at the office, she looked over at him. "Okay, you ready for this  day to start or whatever? Are you ready for us to get in there and  hopefully get this done and over with as quickly as we possibly can, so  that we can get back home?" The less time they spent at the office, the  happier she would be.

"We go in, do what needs to be done, and hope for the best. Either way,  we're out of here at the end of the shift. I doubt we'll get any closer  today, but if we are lucky, we might just find something to help us  figure this out." Sliding from the truck, he came around to help her  down. Keeping her close, he walked with her to the elevator.

"I certainly hope that you are right," Lilly whispered and moved right  along with him. Her arm was around his waist, her hand loose at her side  near her weapon, and she knew that if he had to, Ax could get to his  faster than someone could blink. Yes, he really was that good and she  knew it.

"Relax," he said softly against her temple as they stood riding the  elevator. "I'll be right next to you the entire time we're here. No one  will get to you and no one will hurt you. You have my word," he told  her, his hold on her waist tightening slightly.

"I know." Lilly let out the breath she was holding and nodded. "I know  that you won't let anyone close to me, but I can't help but feel more  than a little nervous. I don't understand why I am so nervous, but I am.  Nervous about being around others, nervous about being around anyone  else other than the two of you."

"It's the mating," he said, like that answered everything. "It's why  it's mandatory for all those involved to take a week off. That time  allows us to work out all the excess energies and smooth out the edges  of the bonding. Until we have that time together, you'll feel a little  jumpy about being around others, especially males. Unattached males will  make the sensation even sharper. That's why I'll be glued to your side  the entire time we are here, Lilly."                       
       
           



       

"Good." She agreed with a nod. "And just when do we get our mandatory  time off? Please don't say it's after we catch this sick son of a  bitch." But she knew the truth. She knew that they wouldn't be able to  do anything until they caught the monster preying on women in their  area. Men as well. Damn, damn, and double damn.

"As soon as the captain signs the sheets or by the end of the week,  whichever comes first. There's a mandatory time limit that is set on how  long between a mating is consummated and when the time off has to  begin. By the end of the week, he has no say in it, we're off."

"Well, we will have to make sure that he knows I'm ready for my week off  with my guys. I'm more than ready to just spend a week alone with the  two of you, without distractions or work or anything. I just am in  need." Something she couldn't hide from him. Not now. Not ever. "I ache  and I don't like that feeling. At all."

"I know," he said softly. Another kiss to her temple as the elevator  stopped and then the mask was in place as the doors slid open. His eyes  were predatory and watchful as they moved through the various areas to  get to their office.

Lilly found herself stepping in closer to Ax. She knew she could defend  herself. She was damn good at what she did and she did have weapons of  her own creation that could take down most anything, but she didn't like  using them. Instead, she stuck as close to Artaxias as she possibly  could and moved through the bullpen with him until they reached his  office.

"Deep breath," he said softly, barely more than a whisper, but she heard  him. Pushing the door shut behind them, he frowned down at her. "What's  wrong?" he asked, sliding the hand on her back up and down ever so  slightly to comfort her.

"I feel as if I am ready to crawl out of my skin. I don't understand  what's wrong, but I feel as if there is a threat. I don't like that  feeling." She looked up into his liquid eyes and felt herself calming  somewhat. "I've never felt threatened coming in here before. Ever.  What's wrong with me?"

Frowning, he stepped in closer to her, blocking out everything from her  line of sight but him. "It could be the programming and the mating  combating one another. The programming is very specific and may go  against your natural inclinations during the mating, and vice versa. It  almost sounds like a panic attack, everything amplified to the point  your fight-or-flight response is being triggered. As it's one of the  most primal protective instincts all beings carry within them, it's also  one that can't be easily overcome or conquered. Your extra sensitivity  because of the mating is likely causing you to pick up on something even  we, the races, are unaware of."

Her head was starting to pound, and a thin sheen of sweat broke out on  her face. Shaking, she lifted her hand to touch his chest. "I don't like  this. I feel as if I'm out of control. I'm thankfully not searching for  a phone, but I see nothing but enemies all around and these are people  that I've known for a while." Tears shimmered in her eyes, the  programming having taken a seriously weird turn because of her mating.

"Shh, it's okay," he whispered. Pulling her into his arms, he enfolded  her in his arms and held her tight. "Slow your breathing, Lilly, and  just listen to my heart beating. No one is going to hurt you, they have  to get through me before they could even get a shot at you and we both  know you can outshoot everyone here. You are a kick-ass woman who takes  no prisoners."

She nodded and licked her lips again. "Okay." She was shaky still, but  not quite as full-blown panic mode as she had been. She looked up at  him, still shaking, but whispered, "Something is wrong. I feel like  everyone that is looking at me is the enemy. These are our friends, Ax.  This isn't right." She didn't like it, at all.