Chapter 382 Chapter 382
He hadn’t slept, despite swimming almost to the point of exhaustion. Konner stared at the cup in his hand, the herb mix was doing nothing to shake the fog from his head.
“Temperatures are really dropping.”
He turned to see Calum coming toward him, he held a steaming cup and Konner could smell the coffee. Did they bring their own, he wondered because it wasn’t anything they stocked?
“A few more degrees and the snow might stay.” Calum stopped beside him, “does the lake freeze over?”
“For the most part.”
“Do you swim under the ice?”
Konner nodded slowly, “some of us do, we break a trail along the other side, the rest are content with the pool house.”
“Shaelan’s tests have told her water birth is the best route.”
Konner looked at him, “I’ve been wondering.” He cleared his throat, “Is Shaelan staying for it?”
Calum chuckled, “I’d have to tie her up and carry her away from here before those babies arrive.”
“Sorry about taking so much of her time, but I can’t say things would be as calm if she weren’t here.”
“It’s fine. It’s peaceful here and it feels like we’ve been watching over our shoulder since we met.”
Konner nodded and watched the ripples in the water after a fish jumped. “I know this is an odd question,” one he hadn’t even known he was going to ask, “but does your or any of the other clans have children between un-mated couples?”
Calum sipped his coffee, watching him over the cup. He lowered it and then blew out a forced breath, “before Shaelan—I would have said no, for the most part, children aren’t possible without the mate connection—but some have found a way to trick the mind and body in that area,” he took another drink, “I gather from the talk at dinner last night that it isn’t that way for your kind?”
Konner shook his head, “no, we can breed with any of our kind, as long as it’s in the water during the right cycle.”
“I read the report, doesn’t sound like Tomas’ group has figured that out.”
Konner sighed, “either part of it. From what Terah described, I’m not sure she’s even aware of it either.”
Calum grinned and lifted the cup. “Pretty sure she’s going to figure it out soon enough.” He toasted him, “I’ll catch up to you in your office, I’m going to coax my work-a-holic mate to go for a run.”
Konner watched him walk back up to the path leading to the house they were using. He supposed he should allow for guests in the future building plans. Having Calum and Shaelan here had brought new energy to the clan.
“Serious thoughts so early?”
He smiled at his aunt’s tone. “Always.” Turning, he smiled at her. He hadn’t seen her as lighthearted as she’d been lately in a long time. They were going to have to have a clan meeting and discuss changing things.
“It’s a different place here now.” Her tone was very contemplative.
“I noticed.”
“Notice anything else?” She looked like she wanted to grin but didn’t.
Konner glanced around, “like what?” He looked down to see her watching the lake. Turning he saw there were two wakes splitting the surface, like when someone moved close to the surface. Terah popped above the surface and turned to wait for someone to catch up. He couldn’t have looked away now if he had to.
A good ten seconds later, Reeves surfaced and shook his head at her.
Terah laughed at something he said.
“I thought you asked everyone to wait to swim with her.”
Konner frowned, “I did.” He continued to watch as they came toward the shore.
Alviva chuckled. “I don’t think she’s big on your rules, nephew.”
He gave her a brief side glance.
“You should go swim with her.”
He wanted to more than anything. “It’s more complicated…”
“Why because you’re attracted to her?”
He knew she was watching him now and refused to look down at her.
“It won’t be like you and Olanna.”
Snapping his head, he looked at her.
“I’m old, not blind.”
“I just—I don’t know if I’m strong enough to swim with her,” he blew out a breath, “if she’s mine—I want her to experience life before…”
“Talk to her.”
“If she’s not,” he rubbed his hand over his face, “then at some point, I’ll have to let her go if I find her mate.”
“So you’re going to avoid the problem? It’s not your way—you conquer problems as if they’ve never been there.”
Reeves walked through the shallows as Terah did a flip and went back out. “Maybe I’m just getting old.”
His aunt chortled.
He didn’t think she understood. “With or without a mate, she wants children—a lot of children.”
“How is that bad, Konner? She’s young, incredibly strong, and has qualities we thought long gone…”
“I don’t want her to be used as a breeding mare.” That would make them no different than Tomas.
“Talk to her…”
“She doesn’t understand…”
“She may not know words, but she knows feelings, talk to her.”
“I can’t right now, I have to…”
“Fly off into the sunset and save the world?” She smirked.
“No,” he scowled, “I have to go meet someone that’s saving another almost extinct clan.”
“You are noble to a fault, my nephew, but I do wonder,” she looked out at the water.
“Wonder what?”
“Who’s going to save you when your heart gets to the point it can’t face another false lead and empty lake.” She tapped her cane on the stone and motioned with her chin, “you might want to calm your man down, he looks like he’s going to jump right out of his skin.” Still chuckling, she walked away. “I’m going to go swimming with Terah.” Her tone was daring him to object.
Konner watched her walk away before turning to see Reeves standing in front of him. The baggy shorts, that he didn’t know how he swam in, were dripping onto the stones in front of him.
“She joined me.” Reeves held his look, “I didn’t think anyone else was up when I went in.”
Konner looked at his neck, despite already knowing they weren’t mates. “I guess you’re stuck with your fourteen-year plan then.”
Reeves looked like he was going to drop, the relief was that visible. “We are not mates.” He blew out a loud breath and turned toward the lake. “She is so fast I don’t know how she gets up to speed so quickly.”
Konner dragged his gaze from the water and looked at him.
“Pretty sure even you are going to have to work to keep up with her.”
Konner raised an eyebrow at him.
“I’m not joking, Konner, apparently the genes from more than one Alpha line give you insane strength and speed.” He smirked, “if you two have kids, a boy, we’ll have the equivalent of the man of steel.”
Konner laughed, “you watch too much TV.”
“Or you don’t watch enough and have forgotten how to dream.” Reeves held his look for a moment and then turned and walked away.
Konner scowled at his back. Forgotten how to dream? What did that even mean? Shaking his head, he looked back to the lake to see his aunt swimming alongside Terah.
Sucking in a breath, he turned on his heel and walked quickly, before he stripped down and jumped into the lake with them.