Chapter 335 Chapter 335
Konner sat back and shrugged, “my Alpha is my great aunt, and she might be slow on land, but she can still give me a run for my money in the water.”
Rayne had both hands over her mouth now, looking at him. “I’m jealous. You look like you’re thirty-five at most.” She dropped her hands, “so you say no coffee or anything that dehydrates?”
Devin rubbed his hand over his forehead, “I don’t see you without caffeine—ever.”
Rayne moaned, “sad thing, neither do I.”
Devin went back around the desk and picked up another folder, he didn’t offer it, just continued to stand there and hold it. “Calum blasted me because I hadn’t called you.”
Now that he’d met him and seen what he was attempting to do, Konner didn’t feel as harsh toward the royal son. “I was unreachable for a few days, so you may not have even if you tried.” Setting the folder on his lap, he picked up the cup to keep his hands busy, “I was underwater for most of it, so you would have gotten voice mail at best.”
Devin nodded, even though his expression led Konner to believe he knew he was stretching the truth. “You will be called first, going forward.” He held out the folder, then lifted it away again, “these are going to be hard to look at, you understand?”
Konner put the cup down and put out his hand. “I can assure you I’ve likely seen worse.”
Devin held his look for a moment, something close to a kinship going through his eyes. He gave him the folder.
“I spent as much time with Terah as possible when she was brought here,” Rayne said softly.
Terah. Nodding, he looked down at the folder as he opened it. His vision blurred for a moment as the image registered. When it cleared, all he could see were ocean blue eyes looking at the camera as the picture was taken. “Her clan must have been from one of the groups closer to the oceans than the inlands,” He cleared the lump out of his throat, and briefly looked up at Rayne, “my clan’s eyes are more green hues as we settled in the North with the colder climates.” He looked back down at the folder.
“I didn’t even realize that,” Rayne said so softly it hardly registered she’d spoken.
The woman, Terah, in the photos was so thin, Konner could see her skeletal structure. “They starved her,” he said, his emotions getting the better of him, causing him to pause. “It would have been the only way to keep her as their prisoner.” He couldn’t look away from those eyes but continued talking despite what the sight of them was doing to his heart, “at full strength, nothing could have kept her there, our females are twice as strong as we are.”
“She was born there,” Rayne whispered from beside him.
Konner looked away from the photo to Rayne, he had to blink to bring her into focus, “I’m sorry?”
“She was born there, Konner, never exposed to clan life or the outside before Deacon carried her out of there.”
He scowled, “that’s—how is that possible? Our kind can only become pregnant in the water, in our true form.” He shook his head, “in natural water, not some tank somewhere.”
Rayne looked at Devin and then back to him, “her mother was pregnant with her when she was taken.”
Konner clenched his fist and put the back of his hand over his mouth. He closed his eyes and had to concentrate on breathing through the anger he felt. Dropping his hand, he looked back to Rayne, “she told you this?”
Rayne nodded. “She was a showpiece,” she looked down at her hands in her lap, “in some tank…”
Konner stood up and paced to the other side of the room. He couldn’t sit there and hear this. He’d failed. He held up the folder he gripped tight in his hand and looked at those eyes again. He’d failed this beautiful creature by not finding her mother, finding her. Inhaling a deep breath, he blew it out slowly, attempting to find some composure in front of the royalty behind him. “I’m sorry.” He cleared his throat which was tight with emotion.
“If you need to break something, I understand.” Devin said, “I certainly did when I learned that.”
“Just please, go outside if you must.” Rayne said, “I can’t keep having people fix walls and things in here.”
Konner closed his eyes and dropped his chin. Turning, he looked at the prince and then his lovely mate, her face was filled with so much concern it caused a hitch in his breath. “I’ll be fine, I assure you this is not the first heartbreak I’ve faced with my clan.” He cleared his throat, “I’m sure it won’t be the last.” He lifted the folders now bent from his grip and straightened them to hold them correctly. “Where is she?” It would be like stabbing himself in the heart, but he needed to see her if they hadn’t buried her. If they had, he would be digging her up and taking her to rest at the bottom of the lake.
“With so many around the main area of the camp, we took her to the small shelter on the other end of the lake.” Devin came around the desk.
Konner felt relief, he’d be able to take her to the bottom of the lake to put her to rest.
“I have to be honest here, Konner,” Devin leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, a serious look on his face, “the fish population isn’t going to survive, you really need to take her under wing and guide her.”
Rayne nodded, “the small animals on land aren’t faring well either, everything scares her, and then she kills it. She can’t help it really, it’s a gut reflex, that’s what the doctor called it. We moved her so she didn’t get startled by anyone out for a run…”
Konner stood there, looking from one to the other, his mind felt like a skipping disk. He opened his mouth and then closed it again, replaying their words in his head one more time. “She’s alive?” His voice sounded hoarse.
Rayne looked startled and turned to her mate.
Devin frowned, “yes.” His eyes widened, “you thought she’d died.” He rubbed his hand across his brow, “I thought—we didn’t call sooner because she was in bad shape, and we didn’t want to get your hopes up.”
Konner sat down in the chair before his legs gave out completely. “I thought I was coming to lay her to rest in the lake.” He said more to himself than the two people standing there with their mouths gaping open.
“We are completely failing at this leader of the people thing.” Rayne looked at Devin. She turned back to him, “she’s amazing with the children, pulls them around and lets them ride in the boat…” she sighed, “we should have led with that.”
Devin pulled her against his side and hugged her. “Dad better live forever.”
Konner knew they were talking but couldn’t focus through the static in his head. Terah was alive. He wouldn’t be laying her to rest, he would be taking her back to the rest of the clan. He felt faint and placed his hand against his chest as he took careful breaths to settle his heart that was thudding so loud, he was sure his hand was jumping from the impact.
“Konner? Are you all right?”
At the mention of his name, he looked up at her. “Uh, it’s just—been so long since I found the last one,” he shook his head, still not sure this was really happening. “She’s healthy enough to travel?” He slumped back in the chair, not caring about composure for the moment. “I’m at a loss.”
Rayne smiled down at him. “That’s understandable.” She turned to Devin. “Did you want to take him over to meet her?”
Devin nodded. The phone sitting on the desk rang loud. “As soon as I deal with whatever this is about.”
Konner got to his feet, suddenly remembering he was standing in the prince’s office. He motioned to the door, “I’m going to go get some air for a moment.”
Devin picked up the phone and put his hand over the mouthpiece. “I’ll come to find you when I’m done.”
Konner nodded, and bowed his head down for a few seconds, showing respect to both, and then turned on his heel and walked out the open door. He kept going until he was standing outside the door beside the guard. He turned and looked at him for a second and then gave him a nod before looking back to the driveway.
Konner went over to the van opened the door and dropped the folders on the seat. He leaned his forehead against the cool metal frame and stayed like that. “She’s alive.” Holding his hand up, he opened it and then nodded when he saw it shaking. “Okay.” He straightened away from the door and then closed it and opened the side door. Reaching into the cooler, he grabbed the last bottle of his water reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the packets. He needed to get it together. He couldn’t go meet her when he was standing here shaking like a scared child.