Chapter 23

Konner had been having feelings of anxiousness all day. That was the only label he could place on them. Normally he loved to fly, but the moment he’d gotten in the chopper to fly up to Ed’s, he’d wanted to be back at the Sanctuary. Terah. She was the reason for them, he didn’t have to dig too deep to figure that out. He’d left her with several adults to watch over her, she would be fine.

Checking the gauges, for the tenth time in the past minute, he looked behind him to see Shaelan and Calum looking out the window as they approached the property. “The treeline is the start of the land,” he said into the mouthpiece like some tour guide. “The river is one of two that feeds the fresh water and lake.”

“It’s beautiful, Konner.” Shaelan’s soft voice filled the headset.

“You fenced in the whole thing?”

Konner nodded as he navigated a gentle turn to head for the helipad. “Except across the rivers.” He considered it. “I wanted the creatures that live in the area to be able to come and go.

“I’ve been trying to talk Devin into fencing the campground.”

“Arcadia,” Shaelan interjected.

Konner grinned, having been there for that discussion. “Ah yes, Arcadia.” He smirked. “I believe that’s my fault because I call my home Sanctuary.” He maneuvered the helicopter so it just skimmed the top of the tree canopy, “but it actually is registered as an animal sanctuary.” He shrugged, keeping his eyes focused on where he was going, “I just didn’t say what type of animal.” It had taken five years and a lot of generous ‘donations’ to make it happen.

“Oh, you have somewhere to land.” Shaelan sounded relieved. “I half thought you’d land on the lake.”

“I’d need pontoons on the chopper to do that and I wouldn’t risk having someone swimming where I land.” He concentrated on taking it down as smoothly as possible.

“I didn’t think of that.”

As soon as he felt the vehicle touch the cement, he started the shutdown. He didn’t like the look of the one gauge, so he’d had to get Malachi to give it once over and make sure everything was good with it. If he could get Malachi to leave Raelyn’s side long enough.

“Welcome to the Sanctuary,” he said and then plucked the headset off his head and hung it on the small hook near his head. On second thought, he could fly over to the site that looked after the planes in the area that was for the Alliance. Until Rae had those babies, Malachi was going to be too distracted.

He got out and opened the side door for them to get out. Shaelan had insisted on bringing several cases with her. He’d assured her that they were well stocked with medical supplies, but she’d insisted. As he lifted two of them out, he supposed she had to travel with anything she’d need if she was called elsewhere. The Alliance needed more of their kind trained in medicine.

When the truck came out of the trees, Konner knew Malachi wasn’t driving. Never would he approach the chopper at that speed. His chest tightened, fearing something was wrong with Raelyn.

Auburn hopped out of the truck and started for him. Konner met him halfway. “Is everything all right?”

Auburn looked surprised. “Everything is fine. Malachi is at the fishery, so I said I pop over to get you.”

Konner blew out a breath. “How’s Rae?”

Auburn started for the chopper. “Cranky, happy, angry.” He shrugged. “You name an emotion and she’s felt it in the past hour.”

Konner smirked. Raelyn had always been highly emotional. He turned around to get the cases.

Calum was nodding to whatever instructions Shaelan was giving him about the two bags they were carrying.

“Just let Auburn know what goes to the house you’ll be staying in,” Konner told him when they reached them. “Auburn, this is Calum Dante and his mate Shaelan.”

Auburn nodded to both. “Do you want to settle in or...”

“I’d like to see...” She glanced at Konner. “Raelyn?” He nodded. “First, please.”

Calum didn’t look surprised at all that she wasn’t concerned with where they were staying.

“I’m just going to check in at the house, then I’ll meet you at Malachi’s.” He didn’t want to say he needed to affirm with his own eyes that Terah was doing fine.

Auburn smirked. “Might want to ask Lucus what he had to bury this morning.”

“Bury?” His heart jerked in his chest.

Auburn nodded. “Terah caught it stealing your fish from the lake when she went for a swim.”

Calum was grinning now too.

Konner brushed the hair back from his eyes. “I'll, ah, talk to Terah about that.”

“Might be a thought.” Auburn picked up the two cases Konner had abandoned and walked toward the truck.

Calum tilted his head and followed, leaving Konner standing there wondering how in the hell she’d caught something in the water. Blowing out a breath, he snapped out of it grabbed the last bag, and went to the truck.

He checked the entertainment room and found she wasn’t there either. Coming out of it, he stood there. Maybe she was over with Rae?

Lucus’ door opened, and he stepped out of it. “You’re back.” He smiled at him.

Konner nodded. “Is Terah over with Rae?”

Lucus smirked and shook his head slowly. He pointed to the doors that lead to the common house. “She’s in there with Lillee and Kisa, they’re baking cookies to thank Shaelan for helping her when she was found.”

Konner looked at the door. “Who’s helping?”

Lucus jammed his hands in his pockets. “Pax is manning the fire extinguisher in case the smoke alarm goes off again.” He closed the door to his room. “I had to get changed. I was covered in batter. Using the beaters is more complicated...”

Konner darted for the door and ran down the short hall to the dining area. He stopped so suddenly, that he swayed for a second. The entire island and floor, and possibly the wall too were covered in flour. It looked like someone had set off a bomb inside the flour canister. Nakisa sat on the counter, holding the cooking timer, and staring at it. Lillee was waving a towel in the direction of the oven. Terah, who looked like she’d been rolled in the flour stood holding a tray and frowning at it. Her hair was pulled up into an unsuccessful bun on the top of her head, hair sprung out of it all over her head giving her a mad scientist look. He looked over to see Paxton sprawled in one of the chairs, the fire extinguisher sitting on the table in front of him. He gave him a hard look, to which the teen shrugged as if to say ‘what else could I do?’

“You’re back.” Nakisa hopped off the counter and came running over to him. She hugged him, with flour-covered clothes and all. Pulling back, she smiled up at him. “We’re making cookies. It’s a lot harder than it looks.”

“So I see.” He stepped carefully on the flour-dusted floor and went over to stand on the other side of the island.

Terah had her head down and was scraping charred cookies off the tray, her forehead was covered in flour, along with her cheek and most of her top. She gave him a quick look. “We’re making thank you cookies for Shaelan.” Her forehead creased. “It’s not going well.”

Konner cleared his throat and didn’t know how to approach the situation. An armed enemy, he could handle, with the expectant faces of the three females that had destroyed the kitchen, he had no idea what to do.

“I found the recipe online.” Lillee held up a tablet, that he noted was also covered in baking products.

Terah heaved out a breath and turned to her. “We should watch that—” she waved her hand around in the air “—video thing again.” She frowned. “Maybe we didn’t fold the flour in right.”

Konner’s eyebrows shot up; they’d been trying to bake by watching a video.

“My mom always measures the butter, maybe we should have measured the butter.” Nakisa nodded and looked down at the timer in her hand. “One minute.”

Terah nodded, a serious expression on her face as she went over to the oven and stood like a linebacker would waiting for a hit. “I think maybe too much fell in.”

Konner turned around to see Lucus standing behind him now.

He lifted both hands. “I offered to look up an actual recipe, but was outvoted.”

He spun to look at Paxton. “You know I can’t cook.”

The timer buzzed, making Konner’s head snap around to see Terah opening the oven. Lillee was there waving the towel beside it to clear the smoke that came billowing out.

“I don’t think these worked either.” Terah turned, holding a tray of very crisp-looking cookies.

Konner put his hand over his mouth, trying to stall before he took a chunk out of the two teen boys that had let this happen. “Maybe next time you should, uh...” He glanced at Lillee to see her trying to brush the flour off her shirt. “Ask one of the women for some pointers?”

Terah set the tray on the counter beside the pile of charred cookies and exhaled a loud breath. “They were busy, and we wanted to surprise everyone.”

It came out of his mouth before he could stop it “I’m very surprised that, uh, you want to learn how to—bake.” He glanced to see Lucus smirking at the way he bumbled his way through that. “But uh...” He leaned over and looked down at the counter “Perhaps the video you watched wasn’t a legitimate one.”

“It’s true.” Lucus stepped over and stood beside him. “People do that all the time, put gag videos online.”

Terah frowned and pushed back the hair that had fallen on her face. “That’s not right.”

Konner glanced at Lucus, conveying a silent thank you to him for stopping him from digging the hole any deeper. “With dinner time so close, maybe we can postpone cookie making to another time.” He turned and looked at Paxton, “we need the dining hall cleaned for that.”

Paxton’s mouth dropped open. “I didn’t...”

Konner glared at him. “That’s right, you didn’t do anything.” He grasped Lucus’ shoulder firmly. “Lucus will help you clean up the kitchen while the girls go home and get changed.”

Terah blew out a breath again, disappointment on her face.

“Shaelan is checking on Raelyn now, so if you want to be there for the ultrasound. Perhaps you should have a quick shower?” He felt like he was standing on paper-thin ice right now and the slightest wrong move was going to plunge him into unknown depths.

“Yes. I want to see that.” She nodded her head slowly, then turned to look at Lillee and Nakisa. “We will do it right next time.”

Nakisa nodded, a smile on her face.

Lillee blew out a breath. “I’ll get one of Mom’s recipes next time.” She picked a piece of batter from her hair.

“Yes. No more videos.” Terah smiled at her. “Thank you for helping me. When I can read it will be better.”

“I will practice with you. I have a lot of books.” Lillee came over and hugged her.

“I would like that.” Terah leaned down and kissed the top of her powder-covered hair. “Now go, get clean.” She looked down at the front of herself and swatted at flour on her top. “I will go shower.” She nodded and walked quickly to the door.

Konner waited until the door closed then turned back to the three teenagers.

“I thought if I helped it would go better,” Lillee said quietly.

“I’m sure you tried.” Konner motioned to the door. “You better get back; we don’t need your mother worrying about you right now.”

She nodded hugged the tablet to her chest and went out the side door.

“I’m sorry, Konner.” Lucus looked around the kitchen. “I tried to jump in and help when I walked in, but it was out of control by then.”

Konner put his hands on his hips and looked around the area. “That’s an understatement.”

“It’s not as bad as when we tried to make the volcano in your kitchen.” Paxton walked over through the flour trail and opened the fridge to look inside it.

He looked down at the black cookies on the counter. “Don’t even remind me of that. You just better get this cleaned up before Olanna and Nolyn come to get dinner ready.”

Both boys’ eyes rounded.

“Crap.” Lucus spun around and went over to the garbage can.

“I just wanted cookies,” Paxton mumbled as he opened the cupboard where the broom was kept.

Konner glanced around at the mess once more and then backed away from it. Turning he saw the white footprint trail leading to his house. “Might want to do the floors when you’re finished.” He didn’t bother to look at their faces; he knew they’d have that ‘my life is so harsh’ expression on them.

Shaking his head, he went back into his house. That was not what he’d expected to come home to. Blowing out a breath he went to the kitchen and grabbed the kettle.

There were times he wished his kind could consume alcohol, and right now was one of those times.