Reading Time: 110 Minutes

Title: Heart of the Devoted
Series: Nature Provides
Series Order: 3
Author: Keira Marcos
Fandom: 9-1-1, The Sentinel
Relationship: Evan Buckley/Eddie Diaz
Genre: Romance, Alternate Universe, Sentinel Fusion, First Time
Warnings: Explicit sex, Canon-Typical Violence, Angst, Discussion-Murder, Discussion-Child Abuse, Discussion-Domestic Violence, Referenced-Rape, Grammarly Beta
Word Count: 54,675
Author’s Note: Read the prequel.
Summary: Sentinel Evan Buckley’s world is turned upside down when a baby on a harrowing call latches on to him psionically. It takes him down a path that he was determined to avoid for as long as he could.

* * * * *

Chapter Six

Buck had been pacing since Christopher had been temporarily removed from the suite, and Eddie let him. He figured the more nervous energy the man got rid of, the better.

“There’s no one I trust more than my abuela.” Eddie got settled on the bed and watched Buck continue to meander around the room.

“She’s great,” Buck said in agreement. “Her psionic profile is very comforting, and it’s clear she’s immensely powerful. She could’ve ascended to Prime status of the whole damn country if she’d bonded. You know her circumstances only highlight why mundanes shouldn’t be involved in our internal politics at all. Homophobia and everything that comes with it—that comes from them. In our natural state, that kind of bias just doesn’t happen. The data from non-urban Sentinels and Guides prove that.”

“Yeah, of course, it does. Society thrives on oppression and bias, Buck.” He shrugged when Buck sent him an appalled look. “People actively seek for someone to look down on and judge as inferior so they can feel better about themselves and their circumstances.”

“You’re really jaded,” Buck said thoughtfully. “It’s so unexpected.”

“Is it really, though?” Eddie questioned and patted the bed in front of him. “Come over here.”

Buck crawled onto the bed and settled down in front of him. “I’d feel better if your parents would go back to El Paso.”

“So would I,” Eddie assured. “But worrying about them and what they’re doing is just stressful and a waste of time. No matter what they think, they have no power and no ability to do anything. It’ll work out one way or another. I don’t believe for a moment that my father will turn his back on his own mother.”

“And if he does?”

“Then I’ll never speak to him again as long as he lives,” Eddie said and dropped his gaze to Bea. “I can’t let him continue to be a negative presence in our lives. It’s not good for Christopher, and it could be even worse for Bea. Her sensitivity will be an ongoing issue for us. There will have to be a conservator—someone who can be with her when we’re not. The Burton Foundation will pay them a salary.”

Buck nodded. “We’ll have to do interviews, I suppose. I’ve avoided Guides like the plague and never used a conservator after I came to the US.” He reached out and traced the curve of Bea’s cheek gently. “I’ve never loved anyone the way I love her. I didn’t even think it was possible to feel this way about another human being.”

“Fatherhood hit me hard,” Eddie said. “I knew I’d never be the same.”

“Did your ex-wife feel the same?” Buck questioned. “I don’t understand how she could…just walk away from Christopher.”

“I think she cut her losses because she wasn’t going to get exactly what she wanted,” Eddie said roughly. “Some people function on that level, and it’s hard to understand how compromise is beyond them. I wasn’t the man she wanted me to be, and when I came online, it became glaringly obvious I was never going to be what she wanted. Shannon walked away so she never had to see me again, and she just let Christopher go at the same time. Maybe her maternal attachment was never that strong, or I just killed all the love she had for both of us.”

“Don’t blame yourself for her behavior,” Buck said roughly. “I took a trip down that road, blaming myself for everything my parents said to me.” He shrugged. “Everything they felt. Everything they lost. It all seemed like my fault. Sometimes, I still think if I’d just be a little more of something that maybe Daniel would’ve lived.”

“The odds were never in your brother’s favor,” Eddie said gently. “And none of it was your fault.”

Buck nodded. “I know that, but the whole thing hurt a lot, and I tried so hard to push it away and let it go.”

“Instead of dealing with it,” Eddie said. “Which is not great self-care, Buck, and you already know that.”

“Knowing a thing and doing a thing are two different things,” Buck said and waved both hands in frustration when Eddie laughed.

“Let’s do this so we can get Bea settled,” Eddie said and took a deep breath. “Then we can figure out what you can live with when it comes to living and working with me as your Guide.”

“What I can live with?” Buck questioned in confusion. “I….” He ran his hands over his head. “Listen, Eddie, I realize I’ve been dragging my feet on the bonding issue since I was seventeen. But when I commit to something, I’m all in. I didn’t get here in a normal way, and that’s off-putting, but you don’t have to worry about me being less than what you need. You don’t have to manage your expectations as my Guide.”

Eddie really didn’t know what to do because he’d been preparing himself to deal with exactly that until Buck grew comfortable with their circumstances.

“My parents have a terrible relationship,” Buck blurted out, and Eddie focused on him. “She’s controlling, cruel, manipulative, and loves no one. He’s weak-minded and content in the life she has curated for them because he doesn’t have to make any decisions. He does absolutely nothing without her permission, but he also seems to live in this fantasy world where he believes everything would be perfect if Daniel had lived. I see all of that when I look back at my childhood.

“I see my sister’s desperate need to run as fast and as far as she could. Maddie grew up controlled by our mother, so her relationship with that asshole she married was fucking normal. I don’t want to see any of that as normal, and I certainly wouldn’t want to model any sort of dysfunctional relationship to our kids.”

Buck looked down at Bea, and Eddie couldn’t do anything else but do the same. She sprawled in his hands, utterly relaxed. Her little blue onesie had tiny white flowers all over it and was a little big on her. All of her clothes were a little too big for her.

“You dress her in loose clothes because of the swaddling issue,” Eddie said. “She gets upset when her movement is restricted.”

“Yes, very upset,” Buck agreed.

“She might like one of those sleep sack things,” Eddie said. “We’ll get her some if they haven’t already appeared in whatever nursey was set up in your absence.”

Buck nodded. “She likes to be able to move her arms and legs.”

“You should hold her,” Eddie murmured. “Settle your mind, and she’ll tuck close psionically because of the tether. I’ll open up my mental shields and draw you both in. I’ll build the bond behind the psionic barriers that I’ve built and maintained since I was very young. When I came online, the little wall I’d created as a child became a fortress. It was such a relief.”

“Your abuela is amazing,” Buck admitted. “It’s astounding she taught you such a thing as a latent. How far along is Christopher?”

“Very far,” Eddie said. “He’s a lot of innate ability, and he trusts her so much that it’s really easy for her to coax him into exercises.”

Buck took her Bea when Eddie offered and let her rest in his palm and against his arm. “Okay, let’s go.” He lifted his chin a bit in challenge.

Eddie stared for a moment, more curious than anything else. There was an element of challenge in Buck’s eyes that he found compelling and far more attractive than he felt was reasonable. They were so compatible that it wouldn’t take much for a bond to form between them, and he’d worked hard since getting comfortable in the man’s space the day they officially met to police a strong boundary between them. He let his shields thin, and a soft blue light started to dance in the air around them.

Despite his overt fear of rejection and loss, Buck slid into his mental space without a single bit of prodding. Eddie found the acceptance and willingness such a relief that he fell quickly into the process that he’d always figured would be a bit difficult for him. The privacy of his mind had become an immense comfort long before he was even an adult.

The empathic bond bloomed between them so easily that it was breathtaking. He pulled gently and brought his Sentinel close psionically. Relief flooded his mind. Eddie reached out blindly, and Buck’s hand caught his.

“Easy,” Buck murmured. “We’re here.”

The bond was shining like a star in his mind, so he relaxed into it and focused on the tether that Buck shared with his daughter. Bea’s sweet, innocent and chaotic presence was swirling around them. Eddie caught her with an amused laugh and brought the energy representing her on the psionic plane close to him. Bea was lovely and powerful. It was easy to join the tether, and as he did so, he focused on the resonance that was cycling through her. He started to push it down deep as planned, but in the moment, he felt compelled to pull it close to him.

The plan, all along, had been to suppress it, but it felt like the wrong choice. So, he pulled and pulled until the resonance abandoned her completely and, after just a moment’s indecision, took it for himself. There was a sharp burst of pain, and for several agonizing moments, it felt like someone had put a vice around his heart. Eddie shuddered as he took a mental step back from Buck and Bea. The psionic plane trembled around him; he released the resonance and let the plane take it.

When he opened his eyes, Buck was staring at him in shock.

“You okay?”

“Did you take it and keep it?” Buck asked quietly. “Because I wasn’t… I would’ve held it, Eddie. You didn’t need to do that.”

“I did take it, but the psionic plane let me release it. The whole experience is gone for all of us,” Eddie said. “It seemed like suppression might come back to haunt her, and you were right when you said she never needed to remember it. It was horrific, for the record. I would put it right up there with getting shot on the pain scale.”

“Jesus,” Buck muttered and looked down at Bea, who sleeping peacefully. “I think I can put her down.”

“I think so, too,” Eddie admitted. “She’ll sleep solidly for a few hours as the tether resettles.”

Buck left the bed and took Bea to the bassinet, then carefully put her down. He stared for a moment, then lifted his hands away. She fidgeted briefly but then relaxed. Buck stared for a moment and carefully pulled the open side up and snapped it into place.

Eddie left the bed and joined Buck to stand beside the bassinet a few feet from the bed. “What’s up?”

“It’s so weird,” Buck admitted. “The resonance was intruding on the tether, right?”

“Yes,” Eddie said. “Which is why it was so starting to impact you as well. But it’s gone now, so we don’t have to worry about it.”

“I….” Buck took a deep breath. “I really want to kiss you.”

“Yeah, of course, you do. The lack of a full imprint will probably drive you nuts otherwise.” Eddie nodded and stared at the baby for a few moments before taking Buck’s hand. “Come here.”

Buck took the demand for an invitation, and Eddie laughed a little as he was very gently prodded all the way to the bed and onto it. His Sentinel followed intently and crawled over Eddie as he sprawled on the mattress. Eddie spread his legs, and Buck settled right on top of him as he sought a kiss.

He cupped Buck’s head and groaned softly as their lips met. The kiss was so soft, so sweet, that it was startling. Buck shuddered against him and abruptly rolled them on the bed so that Eddie was on top. For a moment, he was confused, then he broke the kiss and braced his hands on either side of Buck’s head as he lifted away. He stared for a moment and took a deep breath. Their bond was pulsing between them, strong and so lovely that it was breathtaking. He straddled Buck’s hips and put both hands on his chest.

“Tell me what you want.” Eddie wet his lips. “Explicitly.”

Buck grinned and raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking me to talk dirty to you?”

“If you want something dirty, sure. Communication is important,” Eddie murmured. “Admitting what you want is what I need from you when it comes to the intimate parts of our bond.” Buck nodded. “And we’ll work on getting you to admit what you need later.”

Buck scrunched up his nose. “Mind your own business.”

Eddie laughed and poked Buck in the chest. “Guess what, asshole? You are my business.”

Buck sat up, cupped his hips, and pulled him as close as possible. “I really want you.”

“Oh, I noticed.” Eddie ran his fingers through Buck’s short hair and cupped the back of his head. “How does your imprint feel?”

“Indistinct,” Buck admitted. “I thought it was good, but…the bond is so strong in comparison.” He tucked his face against Eddie’s neck and took a deep breath. “I need more.”

Eddie pulled his T-shirt over his head and tossed it aside. “Take it, then.”

Buck’s hands were shaking as they swept up his back. “I’ve never been this close to a Guide before. I don’t….”

“Stop denying yourself,” Eddie ordered fiercely against Buck’s hair and huffed a little in surprise when he was put abruptly on his back.

Buck straddled his hips and took off his own shirt. “Did you know I have problems with authority? Because I do.”

Eddie grinned, threw his arms over his head, and relaxed on the mattress. “Who’d have thought it? Alpha Sentinels are normally so easy to work with.”

“Now you’re just fucking with me,” Buck muttered and hooked his fingers into the front of Eddie’s pajama bottoms and tugged a little. “I want to fuck you.”

Eddie lifted his hips as Buck slid downward and sucked in a breath as he was stripped utterly bare. He curled his toes against the duvet. “We should take this off the bed, or we’ll get it dirty.”

Buck left the bed, and Eddie followed to remove the duvet. By the time he was throwing the thick material onto the floor, Buck was naked and invading his space. Eddie spread out on the mattress and opened his legs as Buck retrieved lube and a condom from the nightstand. He watched his Sentinel toss the supplies on the mattress.

“She’s going to sleep through this, right?”

“Yes.”

“And the tether….she won’t feel us?”

“No, it’s not like a bond. She’ll never feel any of our pleasures or pains,” Eddie assured as he offered Buck his hand and pulled the man onto the bed with him. “It’s just pure undefined comfort now, which is why we’ll have to be careful with it as she ages.”

“Okay,” Buck murmured and sought a kiss. “I don’t resent this or you.”

“I know—I’d feel it if you did,” Eddie said and sucked in a breath when Buck wrapped a hand around his cock.

“Nice,” Buck murmured. “You’re just a bit thicker than my favorite toy.” He grinned when Eddie laughed. “Anything off the table?”

“Just the normal kind of things that a Sentinel wouldn’t ever do,” Eddie said in amusement. “No body fluid play beyond semen, I’m not into pain—giving or receiving, and I’d prefer to be the only one in your bed. If monogamy isn’t something you can handle emotionally, then….” Buck brushed their mouths together.

“I couldn’t ever share you,” Buck confessed against his cheek. “It feels like it would hurt our family in the long run. So, I would never expect you to tolerate a third, either.” He lifted his head. “Besides, I’m doing this, and that means—I want to fall in love, get married, and have more babies.”

Eddie grinned. “Yeah?”

“Yeah, so get on board this train, Eds,” Buck murmured and slid downward.

Eddie’s breath caught, and he spread his legs with a low groan as Buck sucked his cock in deep. “Dios.”

He curled his hand against the back of Buck’s head and let the other fist in the sheets. It was clear immediately that Buck wanted him to come, so he let the pleasure wash over him, pushing it back through their bond. Buck groaned around his cock, one hand clutching at his thigh, and Eddie knew he’d gotten it just right. He came far before he intended, and Buck swallowed every bit of cum he had to offer.

Buck released his cock, turned his face, and sucked hard on the skin of Eddie’s thigh, then sat up with a huff as he reached for the lube. Eddie grinned and wet his lips as he stretched.

“Don’t act like you hated that.”

Buck laughed. “I nearly came all over the sheets, and I really want to fuck you. No one would ever look at you and think you’d play dirty like that.”

“No, but I’m sure they hope I do.” Eddie rubbed one foot against the mattress as he watched Buck pick up the condom. “You don’t have to use it unless you prefer it. We were all screened for STDs during the first phase. I heard four people were dismissed on those grounds. I didn’t pay attention to the names or anything, but our area wasn’t shielded for privacy.”

“I knew about the screening—I wouldn’t have blown you raw if I hadn’t already known that.” Buck took a deep breath and flicked the condom between his fingers. “I’ve never come inside another person without a condom.”

“It’s your call,” Eddie assured. “Just know I’m fine either way. Some Sentinels find any sort of barrier between them and their Guide deeply and profoundly uncomfortable. And frankly, you seem that sort—on the cusp of a fucking savage.”

Buck grinned. “I’m as civilized as the next urban Sentinel.”

Eddie scoffed as Buck tossed the condom aside and picked up the lube. “You’d probably be living in a hut in the middle of Peru if you had your way.” He palmed his half-hard cock and gave himself a long, slow stroke as Buck slicked up his fingers and shifted forward. “It’s been about a year since I’ve had sex with a man, and I rarely use anal toys.”

“I’ve got this,” Buck murmured and brushed his fingers tip over Eddie’s hole.

Eddie took a deep breath at the gentleness of the touch and released his cock. He threw both hands over his head and spread his thighs as wide as possible as Buck slid one finger in. It was a sweet, intense pleasure that he adored but hadn’t had for a long time for no real reason. Quickly, he found himself rocking into the insistent press of Buck’s hand and groaned when a second finger was added between one moment and the next.

“You’re beautiful,” Buck said. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

Eddie didn’t have a response, so he took a deep breath and shuddered through an intense wave of pleasure as Buck’s fingers pressed against his prostate. “Fuck.” He lifted his hips with a groan. “More.”

Buck added a third finger, thrust in deep, and watched intently as Eddie took what he was given. He’d never minded being watched, so the scrutiny wasn’t unnerving or uncomfortable. Having his Sentinel’s undivided attention was amazing, and no matter his words, it was clear that Buck needed him in a profound way.

“Come here,” Eddie said. “Please.”

Buck slicked up his cock with lube still clinging to his fingers and moved up the length of Eddie’s body to settle between his legs. “I’m pretty thick. Are you sure that’s enough prep?”

“Yeah,” Eddie said and cupped the back of Buck’s head. “Kiss me.”

Buck positioned his cock with one hand and pushed in slowly as he brushed a series of soft kisses against Eddie’s mouth. The bone-deep pleasure of penetration made Eddie’s vision blur, and he arched into it with a harsh groan. He couldn’t help but move, and Buck followed his lead with one long slow thrust after another. Buck’s weight on top of him, pressing him down into the mattress, was as startling as it was thrilling. He’d never really thought he’d get off on such a thing, but he was precariously close to coming again.

“I love this,” Buck confessed against his cheek. “You’re so hot and tight on my cock. I had no idea it would feel this way to go raw.”

“I’m not going to last long,” Eddie said and shuddered when Buck took that moment to grind against his prostate. “Dios.” He clenched his hands on Buck’s back. “Fuck.”

“Yeah,” Buck said. “That’s it. Come on, get yours.”

Eddie let their bond spread out in the air around them, and blue energy shimmered on his skin as he gave into orgasm. Buck groaned, tucked his face against Eddie’s neck, and worked his cock into Eddie’s pliant body several more times before he shuddered and came. Eddie rubbed his Sentinel’s back with a gentle hand as pleasure flowed between them in a tight little circle that made rational thought a little difficult to come by.

“I….” Buck huffed a little and carefully pulled free of Eddie’s body before rolling onto his side. “That was fantastic.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened them, Buck was staring at his face. “What?”

“We haven’t talked about work.”

“I’ll transfer to the 118,” Eddie said and left the bed before Buck could respond. The last thing he’d ever want was his Sentinel at the 56, and he hoped that there wasn’t going to be an official conversation about it.

Buck followed him into the bathroom. “I can go to the 56 if you’re comfortable there.”

“There are already two Sentinels on my current shift, which means we’d get put on a different one altogether. And I….” He frowned and turned on the shower. “The captain for B is a fame whore, and the one on C puts me off. He’s never said anything to me or about me within my hearing, but the one time I worked C shift, because someone was injured, he acted like I was a burden when I was one of the more qualified firefighters on the shift. I have three more certifications than he ever bothered to get. At any rate, I wanted to go the 118 when I came out of the academy, but there was only one opening, and Captain Nash told me no.”

“Ah.” Buck cleared his throat. “The captain of C shift for the 56 is homophobic. He doesn’t say shit because he knows he’ll get fired, but he can’t always hide how disgusted he is by gay people. Hen refuses to do any overtime at the station because of him.”

Eddie stepped under the spray and laughed a little when Buck crowded into the stall with him. “I hope yours is bigger than this.”

“Yeah, it’s ridiculous. It would hold a party of five,” Buck murmured as he picked up an amber bar of soap. “I want to…touch every single inch of you.”

“Yeah,” Eddie murmured. “Sounds good.”

* * * *

Buck had texted and asked Cristobal and Lou to come to the suite after they’d completed the longest shower he’d ever had in his life. He felt compelled to do something specific, and Eddie hadn’t questioned him specifically about interrupting their bonding time. In fact, his Guide had called his abuela and asked her to bring Christopher back to them.

Buck shared a look with Cristobal before he shifted Bea in his hands and offered her silently to Lou Ransone.

“I….” Lou glanced between them but then took her with steady hands. He held her tiny body so carefully as he brought her close to his chest and inhaled against her hair.

“Is he imprinting?” Christopher questioned quietly.

“Yes,” Lou said and lifted his head. “Imprinting an infant is different than a child because her growth will be rapid, and she’ll smell like her parents due to how much they both hold her.”

Christopher stared for a moment. “Did you imprint on me?”

“Of course,” Lou said. “You’re my family, Christopher. I’ll always know exactly where you are—the rest of my life.”

Christopher’s mouth dropped open.

“He’s an Alpha Prime,” Eddie said. “That’s one of their many talents. It keeps their family safe so they can do their job at the best of their ability.” He cupped his son’s shoulder and focused on his grandmother. “Abuela?”

“I’m not leaving this suite until I hold that baby,” she declared. “And it’s dinner time.”

Buck laughed. “Let’s have dinner then. Did you want to invite Jetta?”

Isabel blushed. “Leave that stubborn woman exactly where she is. I’m still trying to decide what to do about her.” She crossed her arms when Eddie laughed. “Edmundo.”

Eddie held up both hands in surrender. “Dinner coming right up.”

“Is Thai okay? Any food allergies?”

“Sounds good and no,” Isabel said and stared pointedly at Lou.

Lou raised an eyebrow at her.

“Don’t sass me, young man,” Isabel said, and Buck laughed before walking into the kitchen.

By the time he prepped the vegetables and rice was cooking, Cristobal was sitting in the kitchen with Bea in his arms, giving her a bottle. It was interesting watching the older man interact with such a small baby because he avoided children like the plague most of the time. He noted that everyone had meandered away from them in the suite.

“Is everything okay?” Buck questioned as he tossed a large portion of thinly sliced pork into the wok that he had found in a lower cabinet. His own was larger and carbon steel, so he wasn’t sure about the one in the suite but was doing what he could with it.

“Everything is fine,” Cristobal murmured as he set aside the little bottle. “I didn’t realize how invested I was in you empathically until you started the bonding process. We haven’t had any sort of conservator tether in years, and yet….” He sighed and brushed gentle fingers against Bea’s cheek. “She’s very powerful.”

“I think….” Buck took a deep breath. “She’s an Alpha Guide.”

“Yes, I agree,” Cristobal murmured. “And she’s not the only one in your little family, Evan.”

Buck glanced toward Cristobal, but Eddie appeared in the doorway of the kitchen before he could respond.

“What?” Eddie questioned, eyes wide with shock.

Cristobal focused on Bea. “Surely someone so powerful as yourself, Eddie, would never presume to think his own child would be anything less than extraordinary.”

Eddie huffed, and Buck grinned before returning his attention to the food.

“Christopher is an Alpha Guide,” Eddie said. “Are you certain?”

“Oh, very. His spirit animal was asleep beside him in bed last night when Isabel checked on him. Timber wolf, if you’re curious. Easily over a hundred pounds in her solid state, which puts her twice the size of a real one. Gray and white with bright blue eyes,” Cristobal said. “I don’t think she’s shown herself to him.”

“Wolf.” Eddie sat down at the table. “I…. His power has been obvious to me since I came online, but I never suspected that he had the ability to be a shaman. I just didn’t think it would manifest like that. I blame Abuela.”

“And well, you should,” Cristobal said in amusement. “You needn’t worry, Eddie; Christopher couldn’t be safer. He will receive all the training and education he needs to follow the path set before him. Moreover, his status dramatically changes your legal situation.”

“Because a Guide on the path of shamanism has a unique legal status,” Eddie said. “The Burton Foundation will invest in him.”

“They will invest in you and Evan,” Cristobal corrected. “To protect both of your children, but especially Christopher. Bea’s online status and traumatic circumstances mark her unique but not especially interesting to the organization. Fortunately, we won’t have to seek a teacher outside of the pride. Isabel will teach him as she taught you.” He paused. “And I’ve asked for some of her time, and she’s graciously agreed to share her family lore with me.”

“Well, we’re all family now,” Eddie said.

Cristobal focused on Bea. “I’m the only child of only children. When my parents died, I found myself very alone in the world. No cousins, no aunts and uncles, and my grandparents were long gone. I suppose if I dug deep, I could find some very distant relations, but I wouldn’t consider them family in the truest sense of the word.” He frowned. “What I’m saying is that Evan ruined my life.”

Buck laughed. “I was content in Peru. You’re the one that trotted off to LA and got himself a Sentinel. I’d probably still be building garden beds for those sweet ladies in the valley who made me cookies while they tried to seduce me and skinny dipping in waterfalls.”

Cristobal looked up sharply. “Seduce you?”

Buck laughed and shrugged.

“He actually meant seduced,” Eddie muttered and walked out of the kitchen.

“Relax,” Buck said with a grin in Cristobal’s direction. “I never let the married ones take me to bed.” He paused. “Unless their spouse was part of the deal.”

“Relax? You were barely an adult. I want to go back there and curse out a bunch of people,” Cristobal declared and frowned when Buck laughed.

“I was nineteen,” Buck said. “And I lost my virginity at fifteen, so stop acting like I got debauched on your watch or something.”

Cristobal shook his head. “One day, karma is going to kick you in the chest, and you’ll have to watch your little girl go on her first date with some punk just like you.”

Buck couldn’t help but be utterly appalled. “Jesus, what’s wrong with you?”

Cristobal laughed.

* * * *

Eddie adjusted Christopher’s covers. “I’ve got a couple of things to talk to you about. Do you have any questions?”

Christopher took a deep breath and started, “Are we going to live with Bea and Buck? Can I call her my sister? Are you and Buck going to get married? Is Everstar still going to be my nanny? Are Grandma and Abuelo still here? Are they going to try to take me back to El Paso? Is Dr. Salas Buck’s daddy? Is he my new grandpa? Can I stay in the same school? Are you and Buck going to work together?”

Eddie stared for a moment, then laughed a little. “Okay, let’s start with the big one. My parents are never taking you back to El Paso. They might try to sue me for custody, but it wouldn’t go their way, ever. Buck and I will register our bond with the Burton Foundation in the next week or so. When we do that, he’ll become a legal parent to you just like I will be for Bea.”

“So, she’s my sister.”

“Absolutely,” Eddie said. “Dr. Salas did adopt Buck to provide him with some legal security on the family front. I don’t know if…he wants to be a grandparent. So we’ll play that by ear, okay?” Christopher nodded. “You’ll stay in the same school, and Everstar will still be your nanny, but we’ll have someone else as well since Bea will need a conservator. I’ll be moving to the fire station where Buck, Thomas, and Cosmo work.”

“That’s good,” Christopher said. “You miss working with Thomas.”

“I do,” Eddie admitted. “Some Sentinels and Guides get married to one another, but the registration of the bond is considered a domestic partnership which is very much like a marriage when it comes to legal matters. And we’re going to move to Buck’s condo because it’s closer to work and school. Plus, it’s bigger. Thomas and Cosmo live in that building so do Dr. Salas and Alpha Ransone.”

“That sounds safe,” Christopher said. “I like Buck a lot.”

“He likes you a lot, too,” Eddie said. “Probably more than he likes me.”

“That makes sense,” Christopher said. “I’m me, and you’re an adult. Abuelita says adults are full of flaws.”

Eddie laughed. “Yeah, true. Does all of that sound okay? If you’re worried about anything, it’s okay to tell me.”

“Do you think I’ll ever come online?” Christopher asked quietly.

“Do you want to?” Eddie asked.

“I want to be like everyone else,” Christopher admitted. “In our family.” He shrugged and looked away. “As much as I can, anyways.”

“Mijo, look at me,” Eddie encouraged gently, and Christopher turned back to look at him, brushing tears from his face. “Bea’s circumstances aren’t great. They aren’t something to aspire to. Due to circumstances beyond all of our control, she’ll never have the childhood she deserves. Her first moments on this Earth were hard, but they aren’t the hardest she’ll ever face. When I came online, this empty place appeared inside of me, and it was awful. I spent months learning to deal with it, to accept the loneliness that it created that had no resolution. Bea was essentially born with that lonely place. She’ll carry it for decades as she’s unlikely to find her Sentinel until she’s in her twenties.”

“That sounds awful.”

“It is awful, which is why we’ll be very careful with her and why she needs a conservator.”

“Abuela never bonded,” Christopher said. “Has she been lonely this whole time, Daddy? That’s so sad!”

“Abuela learned, over the years, to control the emptiness the psionic plane created. It requires a great deal of mental and emotional maturity to do it. She’s already teaching you how to do it, Christopher. Every single exercise she gives you is one step toward you achieving the most peace you’ll ever have.” He took a deep breath. “But to answer your real question, yes, you’ll come online. Dr. Salas has seen your spirit animal.”

Christopher frowned. “Why haven’t I seen her? That’s rude, Daddy!”

Eddie laughed. “I think she’s not shown herself to you because you’re pretty invested in getting a big cat like me. She’s not a cat, so…she could be worried that you won’t like her.”

Christopher huffed and looked down at his hands. “Buck has a big cat, too.”

“Bea has a red panda.”

“Really?” Christopher grinned. “They’re so cute. I love watching them at the zoo.”

“He’s pretty adorable,” Eddie agreed. “Your spirit animal is a gift from the psionic plane, and she is perfectly suited to you and the role you’ll play as an adult. Dr. Salas and Alpha Ransone both have birds of prey which are common for Alpha Primes. Dr. Salas has a brown falcon, and Alpha Ransone has a bald eagle.”

“Might as well paint a flag on his face,” Christopher said and shook his head when Eddie laughed. “Abuelita has a wolf. Those are special, right?”

“Very special,” Eddie said and cleared his throat. “The path of a shaman is an extraordinary endeavor amongst our kind. It takes strength, dedication, and the best of intentions.”

“Abuelita is amazing,” Christopher said with a nod.

Eddie barely contained his flinch when a huge timber wolf took that moment to hop up onto the bed and snuggle against his kid. Christopher stared at the wolf in shock before putting a trembling hand on her head.

“She’s mine?”

“Yeah, Mijo, she’s yours,” Eddie said. “What do you think?”

“She’s so pretty,” Christopher gushed. “But I can’t be a shaman, Daddy. I…I’m not….” He took a deep breath. “I’m not normal.”

“Well, I got news for you; shamans are never ordinary. From the moment they take their first breath until they are embraced by the psionic plane at the end of their lives, they move our world in amazing ways. The path you’ve been given is yours to walk, Mijo, but I’ll be with you every step of the way, okay?”

“Us, too,” Buck said from the doorway.

Eddie turned and found his Sentinel standing in the doorway with Bea. He nodded, and Buck came into the room.

“Can I hold Bea now?” Christopher asked.

“Yep,” Buck said, and Eddie shifted around, so there was room for Buck to get Bea into place.

He couldn’t help but reach out and shift Christopher’s arm around just a little to provide support as he took the baby.

“Hi, Bea,” Chris said as he put a hand on her stomach and held her close. “I’m your brother, Christopher. That’s a mouth full, so you can call me Chris if that’s easier.”

Eddie exhaled slowly as psionic energy shifted visibly around both children, and Buck’s hand settled on his shoulder. The wolf nosed against Bea’s blanket.

“That’s my spirit animal; she says her name is Jara.” Chris stared at Bea. “I didn’t know spirit animals could talk in your head. I’ve clearly got a lot of stuff to learn.”

Eddie glanced toward Buck and found him staring at the wolf in shock. He was really glad not to be alone in that because he didn’t know spirit animals could communicate telepathically, either.

Chapter Seven

“The workings of a wolf Guide are not normally discussed with those who are not…the wolf,” Cristobal said with a shared glance toward Isabel, who was watching Buck and Eddie pace back and forth on the veranda. “I only know what I know because I was mentored by a wolf Guide as a child.”

“But…she’s talking to him in his head,” Eddie protested. “And he’s not even online!” He waved both hands and huffed when his grandmother laughed.

Buck knew that level of frustration very well. “I get the need for secrecy, but our minor child is clearly going to be a wolf Guide, so we need more information than everyone else normally gets. Surely parents have some rights here, Cristobal.” He cupped Bea’s head as she made a soft whining sound against his chest, and her impossibly tiny fingers curled into his T-shirt. “To lower his stress, if nothing else.”

“Mundane parents aren’t privy to any information at all,” Isabel said. “And if Eddie’s spirit had been the wolf, I would’ve taken custody of him no matter what Ramon and Helena would’ve preferred. The foundation would’ve made it happen. The spirit of the wolf is an ancient endeavor, and she has a name because she’s done this before. Christopher isn’t her first Guide, and he won’t be her last. My wolf has walked the path of the shaman dozens of times. Almost all spirit animals move from one Sentinel or Guide to another, but wolves are entrenched in shamanism. It has created a well of immense power and innate ability.”

Eddie nodded. “You’ve known for a while that Christopher was a wolf Guide.”

Isabel hesitated.

“Abuela.”

“I met Jara the day after Christopher was born. It’s why I came to El Paso to see him, to hold him. The injuries caused during birth couldn’t be completely healed, but the psionic plane needed a conduit to protect his path.” She wet her lips. “To prevent him from going dormant. I do not regret it, nieto, and nothing you say will make me.”

Eddie stared for a moment. “I’m not mad, Abuela. I’m just confused. Even if you didn’t want to tell me when I was latent, I’ve been online for three years.”

“Three immensely painful and stressful years,” Isabel agreed. “Plus, there was the situation with the Beauregard family. Had they known about Christopher’s potential, Colton would’ve kept his opinions about children to himself and…. I can see your mother using this information to get what she wants.”

Eddie grimaced. “Abuela, Colton Beauregard is the single most unattractive Sentinel I’ve ever met in my life, and I’ve met over a hundred unbonded ones so far.”

“Over a hundred?” Buck questioned in shock.

“Despite hiding that he’s an Ascendant, Eddie did test repeatedly at the Alpha level,” Cristobal injected. “And he kept his minimum at ninety percent on compatibility to keep the field relatively wide open.”

“Unbonded Guides don’t have as much room to maneuver in the pride system as bonded ones,” Eddie said frankly. “My parents are problematic, as you know. My best defense is a highly invested Sentinel.” He waved a hand at Buck. “You’ll do.”

Buck tried to frown at Eddie, but his attitude was stupidly attractive. “Why is this Colton guy so unattractive to you? I saw his foundation file. He’s good looking, fit….” He trailed off when Eddie made a face.

“He’s gym fit, but he hasn’t worked a day in his life,” Eddie said. “His face is okay if you like that sort of thing, but he’s selfish, and that’s bone-deep ugly. He’s the only child of the Alpha pair of El Paso, and they spoiled him rotten. He’ll certainly function well as a bonded Sentinel, but I seriously doubt he’ll ascend to alpha for the city no matter what anyone around him expects.”

“Well, the best way to ensure their expectations were met would be to bond him with a powerful and compelling Guide that the psionic plane would embrace and the local prides would be eager to follow,” Cristobal said. “And that’s you in spades.”

“Ascendants don’t do that, though,” Buck said. “We’re outside the leadership structure.”

“They didn’t know about it. I started to tell them, in self-defense, but I wasn’t sure if it would be a detraction or not.”

“Certainly not,” Isabel said. “Because you’d have become the perfect excuse for their perfect son not being the new alpha. They’d have told everyone that he sacrificed that potential to shelter and protect an Alpha Ascendant Guide, and they would’ve called it an honor. Then their niece, who is four times the Sentinel their son is, would’ve stepped right into place to carry on their legacy. She will anyway because she’s the strongest of the whole family and recently bonded.”

“I’m getting more disgusted by the minute,” Eddie muttered and leaned against the railing. He crossed his arms. “So telepathy. Can other spirit animals do that?”

“I’ve heard of it happening during emergencies,” Cristobal said. “Mine’s never spoken to me, but I do get empathic feedback from her.”

“Yeah,” Buck said. “I understand Nova’s moods and motivations. I’ve never needed words to communicate with her, but it might be nice. I don’t know. She might boss me around more if she could talk to me.”

“Mars would certainly boss me around,” Eddie muttered. “I’d have left El Paso a lot sooner, I think, because she loathed it there.” He focused on his grandmother. “Can we meet Jetta, or did you send her packing?”

Isabel stared for a moment. “She’d like to meet you both and the children. We’re taking a break at the moment as the conversations haven’t been pleasant. She thought for decades that I was in a miserable and loveless marriage. There was a lot of guilt on her part. But she didn’t really like hearing that I loved your grandfather, either. She’s not jealous of him in any real sense, and she’s relieved that I didn’t suffer in my marriage. But she’s also bereft over what was taken from us.” She cleared her throat. “I can’t say that I’m any different. I don’t know if I even want to pursue a bond at my age.”

Eddie frowned at his shoe. “Are you worried about my father’s reaction? Because I think you’ve let the men you’re related to make enough decisions about what you’re allowed to have, Abuela.”

Isabel cleared her throat and stood. “My father loved me, but he never forgave me for not bonding with a proper Sentinel. I didn’t speak to him at all the last ten years of his life because when I finally told him about Jetta and what his bigotry had cost me…. He called me a freak of nature and ordered me away from him. He regretted it and tried to apologize, but I refused to hear it. He’d already cost me so much. I’d never let my own son do to me what my father’s expectations did to me, Eddie. Don’t worry so.”

“I don’t remember Abuelo ever being happy,” Eddie blurted out.

“He was trauma dormant, Eddie. He watched his own father murdered in the street as a child in Mexico,” Isabel said. “Not even marriage to a wolf Guide fixed him, and he believed himself broken no matter what I said. He loved his family, Eddie, but he hated himself, which made him miserable. I protected him and let everyone think he was mundane to make life easier for him. Don’t dwell on this; it’s not good for you or your family. My past and present is for me to manage.” She held up a hand when Eddie started to speak. “I mean it.”

He blew air noisily between his lips and averted his gaze.

“If you want to curse out your father, you have plenty of reasons,” Isabel said dryly. “There is no need to take mine.”

Buck laughed and focused on Bea as she wiggled. “She’s hungry. Please tell Jetta she can come to the suite and meet the kids. Thomas told me that my move is complete. Eddie wants to oversee his own move across town, so we’re leaving the estate tomorrow.” He turned to Cristobal. “On that front, Captain Nash and Chief Alonzo are coming this evening for dinner.”

“Is that going to be problematic?” Cristobal questioned.

“No, I’m sure they’re both just interested in seeing us properly settled. It helps a lot that we’re already in the same profession. So neither is preparing a recruitment speech. I suspect that Chief Alonzo would like me to move into SAR. He thinks I’m underutilized at the 118 due to its light brigade status and my certifications. I can’t say he’s wrong, but at the very beginning, I was drawn to working for Captain Nash. It feels important.”

“You offered to transfer to the 56 when we discussed it,” Eddie pointed out.

“Yeah, well, what I’d do for you is hell and gone different than what I’d do for Chief Alonzo,” Buck said and bounced Bea gently as she started to cry. “Okay, she’s done waiting.”

Eddie nodded and picked up the water bottles they’d brought out with them, and they returned to the suite where Christopher was working on his homework with Everstar. Buck had thought maybe they’d work on that together but had realized quickly that Christopher was very much a creature of habit and found great comfort in routine.

Everstar offered them a bright smile as they passed them sitting around the coffee table as they headed into the kitchen.

“We’ll need to tell her about the whole thing,” Buck murmured as he released Bea from the sling and watched Eddie pull a prepared bottle out of the fridge to warm. “So she can manage any situation that might come up when we’re not around. A face full of wolf would be startling for anyone.”

“Agreed,” Eddie said. “Did you want to start interviewing conservators for Bea here, or did you want to get settled at home first?”

“I think I want to be at home,” Buck admitted and pulled his cell phone from his pocket as he got comfortable at the table. “Since they’re going to be in our space, I want to get settled in the new place, which I know isn’t all that different from my old one. Isla is going to do the first round of interviews, and we’ll get a much smaller pool to pick from.”

Eddie nodded and stared at the bottle warmer. “Is this coming home with us?”

“Yeah, everything baby-related in the suite is ours,” Buck said. “What kind of conversation do you want to have with Chief Alonzo?”

“A brief, non-explicit one that implies that you staying at the 118 is best for your senses,” Eddie admitted. “I mean, we can go all-in and report the homophobia they already know about or point out that Captain Montclair is a glory hog that I don’t trust any further than I could throw him. But what good would it do? Both men have been with the department for decades and would be zealously defended by the union just on general principle since neither has ever had an official ding as far as I know.”

“Yeah,” Buck said but then frowned. “You know you could put me down in the middle of the Beauregard family, and many would assume I was related.”

“Blond hair and blue eyes,” Eddie said. “You could probably pass for Colton’s much better-looking younger brother.”

“How much younger? I didn’t even check his age.”

“He’s about ten years older than you and has been online for six years. He came online due to a hiking accident that left him stranded in the mountains of Tennessee for nearly a week. He survived it, which speaks to his strength, I suppose. But his disdain for children made him…disgusting to me. Colton started our conversation with his expectations that I would give up my son, Buck. He said it like it was nothing—like he’d asked me to change my shirt.” He pulled the bottle from the warmer and shook it gently before offering it.

Buck held it for a few seconds to check the temperature, then let Bea have it. She suckled greedily. “She’s eating better now.”

“Relaxing certainly helped,” Eddie said. “Did you get a referral for a pediatrician?”

“Yeah,” Buck frowned. “But I’m going to ask for another. The guy they brought out here made it clear that he hoped I was able to bond with a woman because Bea would need a mother. It was off-putting, and the psionic trauma specialist told him that gender didn’t matter, but he just shrugged it off and said that, in his experience, children were better raised by women. I told Cristobal that I wanted another option, and it’s being worked on. Who does Christopher see?”

“Dr. Elsbeth Scott,” Eddie said and sat down at the table. “He has specialists and a physical therapy team as well. The foundation set me up with everything he’d need when we came to LA.” He tapped a few fingers on the table. “Are you worried that I don’t find you attractive? Because I thought it was pretty clear that I do.”

“Of course not,” Buck scoffed and exhaled noisily when his face got hot without his permission. “Shut up.”

Eddie laughed. “You never get away with anything, do you?” He nudged Buck’s foot. “Come on, Buckley, you know you’re gorgeous.”

“And most would say the same thing about Colton Beauregard,” Buck muttered and stared at Bea to avoid looking at his Guide.

“Hey,” Eddie said and shifted his chair closer. “This isn’t about Colton at all, is it?”

Buck cleared his throat. “The first time I saw you…I knew. I just knew, and it scared the shit out of me because no Guide had ever interested me the way you did. I wasn’t at all surprised when I saw you in the first group of potentials.”

“How much of that did you watch?” Eddie asked.

“All of the first phase,” Buck admitted and shrugged. “I don’t know if that’s normal or not, but they were working to control my stress. Plus, Isla suggested that the more information I had about the process, the easier it would be for me to accept the results. I didn’t listen to any of it—not even in the personal interviews. I just watched the cattle-call part. It was easy to pick out when Cristobal revealed the baby and the issues around her. I was glad you stayed. I figured we were very compatible. I almost…that first day…I almost asked them if you could be invited to the estate. Just you.”

“It must have been frustrating when over a hundred people were brought here,” Eddie said quietly.

“Well, at that point, it was more about Bea than me,” Buck said. “What I wanted…couldn’t matter anymore. But I did want you—from the very first moment I set eyes on you. I was really fucking irritated to realize you were an online Guide. It was like the psionic plane was punching me in the face.”

“If Cosmo hadn’t warned me off, I’d have done my damnedest to get right in your face the day we didn’t actually meet because you ran away,” Eddie said wryly, and Buck’s gaze jerked to his. “And your lap.”

Buck laughed.

“Seriously. I kept myself on lockdown at work—as much as possible. If I hadn’t, I’d have probably felt you before I ever saw you.” He reached out and settled one hand on Buck’s forearm. “Your issues have got issues. It’s so fascinating.”

“I can’t stand you right now,” Buck muttered.

* * * *

Eddie hadn’t actually ever met Bobby Nash in person. He’d been turned down for an interview with a brief but apologetic phone call. They’d crossed paths on scenes several times, but that had always been, in retrospect, about managing Buck’s angst. The man showed up with a reusable grocery bag full of stuff, which amused Buck more than anything else. He’d exchanged baby for the bag, and Bobby Nash had accepted Bea with a smile.

Eddie hovered because Captain Nash was a stranger, and it made him nervous as fuck to watch him hold Bea. He felt like an idiot, so he motioned to the stools tucked up against the breakfast bar, and Gael Alonzo sat down with a knowing look in his direction.

“She looks so much better,” Bobby said as he followed Buck into the kitchen area. “Any issues with gaining weight?”

“No, I think she’s gained a few ounces, but the doctors aren’t concerned,” Buck said. “No overt signs of permanent damage due to the experience, and we’ve resolved her resonance issues.”

“What resonance issue?” Alonzo asked with a glance toward the baby before focusing on Eddie.

“She was reliving the experience of being stuck in the pipe repeatedly,” Eddie murmured and glanced toward the hallway, where Christopher was down for a nap. “The only thing that helped was Buck holding her due to the empathic tether that was created during the trauma.”

Alonzo exhaled slowly. “I realize her circumstances were awful, but I’m not happy with the fact that the birth mother isn’t going to be punished for this. She had months and numerous opportunities to escape that situation. I have no comparable experience, of course, but…it seems outrageous.”

“She’s little more than a child herself,” Bobby said. “And…they think she had a psychotic break during the birth. Either way, she’s been placed in a mental institution and might not come out for years. Sergeant Grant has been pressing the investigators in Major Crimes regarding pressing charges against the girl’s mother and older adult brother, who also lived in the apartment. She thinks they all knew about the abuse but did nothing because the stepfather was the only one working.”

“That’s…disgusting,” the chief muttered.

“Something to drink, sir?” Buck questioned as he started to unpack the groceries Bobby had brought. “We have a lot of bottled options—Sentinel safe. Green tea, water, various juices.”

“A green tea would be nice,” Alonzo said and paused only briefly when Bobby passed the baby back to Eddie. “I’ve heard a lot about the meals you two put together at the 118. I’m looking forward to eating well. Don’t tell my wife. I love her, but she hates cooking more than I do.”

“I hate it, too,” Eddie admitted as he sat down on the stool and let Bea rest against his chest. She wiggled a bit until she could put her face against his chest.

Buck slid a cold bottle of green tea into place in front of the chief and left Eddie a bottle of water. “What’s on the menu, Cap?”

“I marinated chicken,” Bobby said and tapped the large bowl Buck had pulled out from the bottom of the bag. “So butter chicken and rice, if that works for everyone. I left the chili powder out, just in case.”

“Christopher will be fine,” Eddie interjected. “He normally orders butter chicken when we get Indian.”

“I love Indian food,” Alonzo said and opened up his drink. “We have several options on the table for you two. At the 56, shifts B and C can make room for you as a pair, or you can continue to work separately. Nash is willing to take you as a pair on his shift, and Deputy Chief Ray Gaines is very open to the two of you joining SAR.”

“That last one is really tempting,” Buck said and laughed when Bobby tried to look hurt. “Come on, he’s big hero stuff.” He went to a cabinet. “We can add a bit of chili powder during the cooking. It’ll warm the spice up enough to add some flavor, right?”

“Certainly,” Bobby said and accepted the little bottle. “Let’s get the rice on, and you two can tell us what you’re thinking.”

“Eddie’s not married to his place at the 56,” Buck said. “Instinctually, I’m comfortable at the 118, which we think is important, and we don’t want to work separately. It would drive me nuts.” He paused in washing the rice and focused on Alonzo. “Your visit is unexpected, sir. I expected to get a phone call asking for a meeting in your office.”

“I was told that ordering an Alpha Guide Prime’s son, when he’s off duty, to my office in these circumstances would be politically unsound,” the chief said easily. “I actually have a person in my office whose whole job is managing Sentinel-Guide relations. Did you know? I barely knew until you trauma bonded with a baby in the middle of an emergency.”

Buck laughed. “I did know. I met with Ms. Slater when I was first hired. A political officer is a pretty common thing in city services when it comes to the management of Sentinel-Guide matters. She does a lot of heavy lifting for you on that front.”

“Moreso than I realized,” Alonzo said. “Captain Warner will want to have a conversation with you.” He focused on Eddie as he spoke. “He’s sad to see you go but couldn’t justify an offer when he already has two bonded Sentinels on his shift. You’ve been given eight weeks of paternity leave as well. HR processed that as soon as we were notified that you’d bonded.”

Eddie nodded. “You have something else on your mind, sir.”

“Yeah,” the older man said. “Did you want to give a particular reason why you aren’t intent on staying at the 56? Based on certifications, you’re both more useful at that station. Captain Montclair, specifically, has done a hard sell on a transfer for Buckley.”

Eddie made a face. “I’m not going to let that asshole use my Sentinel to get more YouTube views, sir. Buck’s online profile probably has Montclair practically vibrating with excitement but no.”

Buck laughed. “He just thinks he wants me on his shift.”

“True,” Bobby muttered. “Buck’s the most vigilant and, frankly, militant firefighter on my shift when it comes to safety issues. Montclair would be a frustrated mess inside a day. His first week on the job, Buck tried to get me to remove the pole from the station.”

“It’s a hazard, and no one uses it,” Buck muttered. “Because it’s not safe, and someone could break an ankle doing that Hollywood shit.”

Eddie shook his head. “It’s kind of iconic.”

“Lots of iconic things go into museums,” Buck said. “Let’s send that pole to one.”

Bobby laughed. “No. Every single kid who comes to the station for a tour takes a picture with it. Yours won’t be an exception.”

“This one needs a change,” Eddie said and patted Bea gently as he left the stool. “I’ll get Christopher up as well if we’re finished with the work conversation.”

“I am,” Buck said. “Unless the chief wants to hear us complain about Captain Lowery and his well-known homophobia that no one does anything about.”

Alonzo made a face. “My predecessor made him attend a seminar a decade ago, and all he learned to do was keep his mouth shut. I can’t actually fire him for what he thinks but never says.”

“He’s a cesspool on the empathic front,” Eddie said bluntly, and Alonzo’s mouth dropped open. “And I didn’t know why until Buck told me. I think he assumed I was straight because I was previously married to a woman. But he basically projects a great deal of ill will and anger. Now that I have context, it was always worse around Firefighter Marshall, who was known to be bisexual even before he bonded with a man. I only worked two shifts with the man and never agreed to more overtime with him again.”

“Daddy!”

“Coming, Mijo.”

Buck watched Eddie leave with Bea as he finished washing the rice.

“Do we have a rice cooker?” Bobby questioned.

“Nah, I’ll have to do it on the stove. Not a big deal with these portions,” Buck said. “I’ll need all eight weeks of paternity leave, certainly.” He paused. “I might need more.”

“Why?” Alonzo questioned. “If you can say.”

“Bea’s online and will remain so,” Buck said. “So we’re going to need to get her a conservator. I don’t know how that process will go and what will be entailed. Frankly, it’s kind of terrifying right now to even think about leaving her with a stranger. Moreover, we’re going to basically have to invite this stranger into our home and into Bea’s emotional space indefinitely. It could be a major stumbling block for me on an instinctual front, so I’d like the department to be prepared for that.”

“The general speculation is that she’d go dormant within a few weeks,” Alonzo admitted. “We haven’t gotten much of anything from the foundation since you were secluded beyond the fact that you were both healthy. Then we were told you bonded with another firefighter, which was a relief.”

“Dormancy is very unlikely,” Buck said. “I met her spirit animal before I even met her.”

Alonzo nodded. “Will Firefighter Diaz need extra time as well if you don’t find a conservator quickly?”

“Yeah,” Buck admitted. “I can’t handle her on my own, and trying was exhausting. Even with the resonance issue resolved, we have to shield her empathically through a tether. The first few days, I had to be touching her constantly, or she’d scream her little head off.”

“Sounds like a lot of….” Alonzo trailed off. “It’s an immense sacrifice to make for a child that isn’t your own, Buckley.”

“She is mine,” Buck said firmly. “Her parentage doesn’t matter at all. The psionic plane led me right to her that morning, and she’d have died if I hadn’t accepted what was being asked of me. No child is a burden.”

Alonzo stared for a moment, then nodded.

Eddie returned with Bea and Christopher at the moment. “She’s getting a rash. We’ll need to figure out if it’s stress or if she’s sensitive to something we’re using.”

“Do you get stress rashes?” Buck questioned.

“Sometimes,” Eddie admitted as he adjusted Bea in the sling and helped Christopher up onto a stool. “Christopher, this is Chief Alonzo and Captain Nash. I’ll be working for Captain Nash when I go back to work.” He hooked a pair of crutches onto the back of Christopher’s stool.

“Hi,” Christopher said and looked between them. “Daddy said we’re having butter chicken for dinner. It’s my favorite. I didn’t know you could make it at home.”

“I accept no judgment,” Eddie said quickly when Buck frowned at him, and Gael Alonzo laughed.

* * * *

Buck wasn’t going to ever tell anyone that Jetta Watney intimidated the hell out of him. Her gaze was penetrating, which was on par with an Alpha Sentinel, but there was something other about her that he’d never seen in a prime. Maybe the fact that she was the match of a wolf Guide was a factor. Isabel was the only online wolf Guide he’d ever met, and he didn’t know enough about them to be comfortable.

Everyone around them stilled when he hesitated to offer her Bea. He flushed and cleared his throat.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured and took a deep breath. “I don’t think you should hold her.”

She stared for a moment, then nodded. “You’ve very good instincts, Buck. Don’t apologize for them. I was worried about it, but everyone else said it wouldn’t be an issue.”

“What’s the problem?” Eddie questioned as he put a hand on Christopher to keep his son at his side.

“She’s emotionally compromised,” Buck said and glanced only briefly at Isabel as he spoke.

“Bea’s basically wrapped in a psionic blanket, Buck,” Eddie said. “Because she’s receiving shielding from us both through our bond. It should be fine.”

Buck frowned and shook his head. “I don’t want to risk it.”

“And that’s fine,” Jetta said firmly.

Eddie stared for a long moment, then focused on Jetta. “What’s…the problem?”

“She has a broken bond,” Isabel said shortly. “And never sought treatment for it after her Guide passed. We’ll fix her soon. I would like her to have an imprint of both children for safety reasons.” She crossed her arms. “Apparently, retreating into the wilderness and living like a hermit didn’t work out.”

Jetta huffed. “Isolation and meditation is a viable healing method.”

Buck snorted when Isabel rolled her eyes and turned to Eddie. “It’s really obvious how involved she was in raising you. You know?”

“Oh, I know,” Eddie said wryly. “It drives my mother nuts.”

“Speaking of your mother, your parents are demanding access to you,” Isabel said. “And they reacted very badly to the letter that Dr. Salas sent.”

“Grandma’s never happy,” Christopher declared and went to the couch. “Someone come play the PlayStation with me.”

“Oh, me,” Jetta said and darted over to the couch even as Eddie huffed.

“There goes your escape plan,” Buck said wryly and inclined his head toward the kitchen as Isabel marched off in that direction.

Isabel sat down at the table and took Bea as soon as Buck offered. “Helena feels entitled to Christopher on a level that I wasn’t fully aware of.”

“Yeah,” Eddie murmured in agreement. “But she’s been told repeatedly she can’t do a damn thing legally to challenge my custody. Now, it would be even harder. Buck and I did decide to tell the foundation that Christopher’s spirit animal manifested. They’ve asked Isla North to submit an assessment as an impartial third party. We’ve asked her to put that off for a few weeks so Christopher can get settled after the move. He’s going to get stressed out, so managing that is important.”

“Is there anything we can do to mitigate the situation?” Buck questioned. “Because none of us need the stress.”

“Helena’s entitlement and Ramon’s general inability to make his own decisions is always going to be a stressor,” Isabel said. “We can cut them off, refuse to speak with them, and even get them sanctioned, but the stress won’t necessarily go away. We could let Lou throw his weight around and push them completely out of the region, but that could result in legal issues.”

“So, there’s no real fix.”

“Love is a stress all its own,” Isabel said. “For good and bad, Eddie loves his parents and wants to see the best in them despite the fact there’s no hope for it at this point.”

“I know I can’t make them be what I want,” Eddie said roughly. “And that I should just cut them off completely, but it’s hard to even consider because I know how much it will hurt them. For mom, that’s mostly about Christopher. But Pop loves us even if he can’t put any of his children before his wife’s happiness.”

“At some point,” Buck said. “You have to start placing your own happiness above your parents’. They don’t really deserve your consideration, Eddie.”

Eddie leaned on the counter and took a deep breath. “The worst part of it all is if they were able to get a court to even hear their complaint, my mom would be willing to get up in public and tell the world she thinks I’m an abusive parent. That’s literally the only accusation they could make that would put my custody of Christopher at risk. And she doesn’t care how much that hurts me. Maybe Pop doesn’t either.”

Chapter Eight

“Daddy.”

“Yeah?” Eddie looked up from his sock organization and found Christopher standing in the doorway of the bedroom he was going to share with Buck. It wasn’t even weird yet. He was going to give himself room to freak out about the level of commitment he’d made in the space of a few days.

“My room has a view of the ocean,” Christopher said.

Eddie grinned. “Yeah, I noticed. Abuela oversaw your room being moved. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, but I’ve got a whole ocean in my window!” Christopher came into the room and crawled up onto the bed, abandoning his crutches at the foot. “Plus, my bed is bigger.” He bounced a little. “Not as big as this one.”

“I figured you might like an upgrade to a full-size bed since we were moving,” Eddie said. “Buck had one in a spare room, and he said you could have it. If you want your old single bed back….” He trailed off when his son shook his head quickly. “Do you like your new sheets? Buck picked them out.”

“They’re nice, very soft,” Christopher said. “And the pillows are great. But he didn’t have to get me anything new.”

“Well, we were going to have to replace most of our linens anyways due to some skin sensitivity that he deals with. There will be new cleaners, soaps, and the like as well. Living with a Sentinel changes some stuff.” He started tucking his socks in the drawer he’d pulled out and put on the bed for ease of organization.

“Why didn’t I get to go back to the old apartment?” Christopher questioned.

Eddie shifted the duffel he’d used to pack his casual clothes and started tucking his boxers into the other side of the drawer. “I was concerned that your grandparents might show up when the movers were loading the van. We didn’t have much because I got the apartment furnished with the basics. Still, it took about an hour. The building manager had to have them escorted off the property the day before yesterday. I didn’t want you to be exposed to whatever sort of tantrum your grandmother wanted to have.”

“She does like to throw fits,” Christopher said thoughtfully. “It’s weird, but I think she enjoys them.”

Eddie winced. “So, you like your view?”

“It’s really pretty,” Christopher said. “Everstar will like the guestroom and the beach, too. It’s all very nice.” He folded his legs into the position he preferred for meditation. “Our other apartment was very nice, too. The Burton Foundation takes good care of us, right?”

“It’s part of their mandate,” Eddie said. “But the organization is made of human beings, and some of them are just as flawed as anyone else. You can’t trust someone just because they work for the foundation. Okay?”

Christopher nodded. “Abuelita says buttholes are everywhere.” He took a deep breath. “Who will be Bea’s conservator?”

“We’ll have a few interviews, and you’ll meet them as well. This person will be in our home a lot, and we want you to be comfortable with them.” He watched Chris’ shoulders relax. “What’s going on?”

Chris shrugged but then frowned. “Buck and Bea have been gone forever, Daddy. Where are they? Is she okay?”

“Oh.” Eddie relaxed. “She had a doctor’s appointment at the Psionic Center, and Abuela went with them. It’s supposed to take several hours because she has to be assessed. We split up to get stuff done as quickly as possible. Buck wanted to make sure you were comfortable here and that you’d have your things unpacked before you went to sleep.”

“He’s nice,” Christopher said. “I think you got really lucky.”

Eddie laughed. “Maybe he’s the one that got lucky.”

“Well, yeah, he got a great deal with you and me,” Christopher said. “Still, I was…hopeful that your Sentinel would want to be our family. It’s even better because he came with a baby, and I didn’t even think that was a thing.” Eddie laughed. “And Bea’s spirit animal is very sweet. Jara says that he’s gentle and patient. I think that’s exactly what Bea needs.”

“I agree,” Eddie said. “What else does Jara say?”

“Oh, that I never have to worry about Grandma taking me because she’d take care of her,” Christopher’s eyebrows went up. “I didn’t ask what she meant by that. She said my Sentinel is going to be kind, thoughtful, and…invested in the psionic plane, just like me. So that was nice to know.”

“It’s very nice to know,” Eddie said. “Did she tell you when you’ll meet them?”

“Precisely when I need to,” Christopher said and scrunched up his nose. “Which was the most frustrating answer I’ve ever gotten to a question, Daddy. Ever.”

“Did I ever tell you about the time I met Blair Sandburg?” Eddie questioned.

Christopher’s eyes went wide. “No. Daddy, when did you meet Dr. Sandburg? That’s amazing.”

“He came to Abuela’s house for dinner one summer evening when I was ten,” Eddie said. “I didn’t really know who or what he was at the time. Looking back on it, it was clear that he knew her very well. He was getting ready to retire from his position as the Alpha Prime Guide of North America. I didn’t hear a reason why. But he did speak to me about being a Guide and coming online. He told me I would be an Ascendant. He also told me I should be careful who I shared that information with and to guard my heart closely. He was quite cryptic and a little frustrating, to be honest. So, I understand your irritation regarding Jara’s answer.”

“What does it mean to guard your heart?”

“Deeply empathic people can be vulnerable to the emotions and agendas of others. We can, if we aren’t careful, be manipulated because we seek to comfort everyone around us, but most especially the ones that we love.”

“He meant your parents,” Christopher said. “Right?”

“I think so, yes.” He focused on unpacking because nothing he had to say on the subject was exactly kid-friendly.

“Did you ask him about coming online?”

“Not really. I did ask him if bonding with a Sentinel was really worth it in the end.”

Christopher leaned forward. “What did he say?”

“Dr. Sandburg said that bonding with the right Sentinel is a gift from the universe and that I shouldn’t settle for someone based merely on compatibility. He didn’t think the modern system was all that great. The process has changed since then because the foundation came to realize that there was far more at play than genetics and psionic profiles.”

“You didn’t settle.”

Eddie quirked an eyebrow. “How do you know?”

Christopher shrugged. “Buck’s amazing, Daddy. He feels really good—honest and like…love.”

Eddie watched his son’s cheeks flush pink, and he couldn’t help but smile because he agreed. “We should never tell him.”

Christopher laughed. “His ego would get so big.” He sprawled on the bed. “I think Buck’s our best friend, Daddy.”

“I think so, too.”

* * * *

“Captain Elaine Maynard is here with Sergeant Athena Grant,” Lou said and leaned on the desk in front of Buck. “They want to see Bea.”

“Why?” Buck questioned and was kind of sad that Isabel had abandoned him after Bea’s assessment and taken a ride home from Cosmo. He could use a buffer.

“Neither saw her on the scene, and I think they want to verify her condition for their reports. The Burton Foundation was really heavy-handed with the LAPD and the LAFD due to the baby’s trauma and your involvement. No one wanted to make a mistake and earn Cristobal’s wrath. He was so furious that he almost caused an empathic incident of his own. I barely got him contained after you were taken from the scene and the rest of the wretched circumstances were revealed. Plus, we had to physically tackle Thomas Marshall to keep him from committing homicide.”

“That must have been like that scene out of the Hobbit movie when those rock giants were fighting,” Buck said thoughtfully and grinned when Lou huffed at him. He reached out and put a hand on Bea, where she lay in her car seat. “I’ll meet with them, but no touching. She’s a little off. I think the separation from Eddie is proving stressful. We definitely need a conservator before we can even think about even one of us going back to work.”

Lou nodded. “They’re in a conference room downstairs. Isla is available to attend if you think you want a lawyer.”

Buck shook his head but then grinned. “So, if Cristobal adopted me and you’re married to him…you’re like my stepdad.”

“You’re really lucky your whole deal comes with two adorable kids,” Lou muttered.

“The LAPD sent two women I know,” Buck said. “Was that on purpose?”

“Sergeant Grant handled the scene and the management afterward. That came at the request of Captain Nash,” Lou said. “And Elaine Maynard is my boss. They definitely sent her on purpose. The Chief of Police thinks that she manages me on and off the job.”

“Wow,” Buck muttered.

“Also, they probably think that this was the less intimidating option.”

“Whoever made that decision hasn’t spent even a minute with Athena Grant. She’s intimidating as fuck.”

Lou laughed.

“Let’s get this over with. I want to have time to make dinner before Christopher’s bedtime. He asked for pork chops, which are apparently his favorite. I want to bring my A-game.” He stood and picked up Bea’s car seat. “Is there any news on Eddie’s parents?”

“They met Jetta Watney,” Lou said. “It went in an unexpected direction. Ramon Diaz seemed pleased for his mother, but Helena… told Isabel she was selfish and cruel to expect her family to accept her female Sentinel at this point in their lives. Ramon removed his wife from the house immediately, and they’re staying at an Airbnb about ten minutes from Isabel’s house. He called to apologize on his wife’s behalf and excused her unacceptable reaction as her just being surprised.”

“Yeah, because it’s so normal to manifest homophobia when one is surprised,” Buck said sarcastically. “She didn’t say that shit to Eddie.”

“Well, she doesn’t care about your bond and seems prepared to completely discard her son,” Lou pointed out. “From the start, she saw it as a method of taking Christopher from Eddie, and the Beauregard family encouraged that thinking. The Alpha of El Paso is furious that Eddie bonded. He doesn’t have your name yet, but it won’t be a secret for much longer. Registered bonds are public record due to the domestic partnership status.”

“What could they possibly do?” Buck questioned as they left the office and headed for the elevator.

“Nothing legal,” Lou said. “And I’ll sanction the hell out of the whole damn pride if they fuck with our family. Neither you nor Eddie have time for that sort of selfish bullshit, considering the circumstances of your children.”

“Thanks,” Buck murmured.

Lou took him down two floors and led him into a small conference room where Athena Grant and Elaine Maynard were having coffee.

“Hi.” Buck glanced between them as he put the car seat on the table in front of him. “I’m sorry in advance, but you can’t hold her. She’s online and very sensitive.” He took a deep breath. “And I don’t know either of you well enough to determine what sort of psionic bleed-off you produce. I try not to get into people’s business on that front unless they’re in my space a whole lot.”

“How is she?” Athena questioned as she stood and walked around the table to peek into the car seat.

“Good, I bonded with a Guide, and he joined me in the empathic tether I instinctually made when we pulled her out of the wall,” Buck said. “My Guide was able to remove the psionic resonance that was forcing her to relive the trauma of being…put in the pipe.” Elaine Maynard shuddered. “She’s mentally mature for her age. The doctors here have confirmed that her psionic profile reads at about three or four months. There are no physical issues to report so far. They can’t be certain about brain damage at this point. But whatever she might have to deal with later, she’s online, so it’s nothing so extreme that it would drive her dormant.”

“Can I ask a question about that?” Elaine asked.

“Sure,” Buck said and rocked the car seat gently as Bea fidgeted into the seat. He unbuckled the harness and scooped her out.

“Does she need a bottle?” Lou questioned. “I could warm it under some running hot water, right?”

“She’s not hungry,” Buck murmured and took a deep breath against her hair. “I think she misses my Guide or the balance he provides when the three of us are together.” He paused. “The separation probably wasn’t a great idea at this point. She hasn’t had time to fully settle.” He sat down and focused on Elaine. “Your question.”

“She’s beautiful,” Elaine murmured. “Is congratulations appropriate?”

“Thanks.” Buck smiled. “I wanted kids. I just didn’t expect to get two in the same week.” He paused when both women appeared startled. “My Guide has a six-year-old son. We’re figuring things out. Your question?”

“What happens to her if she goes dormant? Will she be turned over to social services?”

Buck took a deep breath. “No, of course not. The adoption is already final, and I…wouldn’t pass her on if something else happened to change her psionic circumstances. I’m just not…that kind of person, Captain Maynard. I know that sort of rejection intimately, and I’d never do it to anyone else.”

Elaine nodded and cleared her throat. “Good. My office has fielded several phone calls from the biological grandmother. She’s demanding access and is threatening to go to the press. She claims the Burton Foundation kidnapped her granddaughter.”

“Interesting position for her to take,” Buck said mildly. “Especially considering she let her husband rape her pubescent daughter repeatedly and ignored the pregnancy until she was forced to deal with her daughter’s reaction to giving birth alone in an abandoned apartment. Considering the size of that apartment and the incredibly thin walls, I don’t believe for a moment she was ignorant of what was happening. I hope that’s being investigated. She’ll never have access to Bea under any circumstances.”

“She hasn’t been given your name and won’t be,” Athena said. “The adoption was done privately and hidden per the Sentinel-Guide Protection act. She was told that federal law will prevent her from having any access to the baby due to the abuse. But she’s prepared to find a reporter to tell her story to, as Elaine explained.”

Buck considered that. “Tell her she can see Bea if she agrees to an empathic scan and a thorough interrogation by a Sentinel-Guide pair selected by the Burton Foundation.”

“She wouldn’t fool a bonded pair, but she might think she could.” Athena inclined her head and nodded. “It’s savvy. If she says yes, then the evidence of the interrogation is admissible in court. If she says no, she’ll have revealed her own knowledge of the situation due to fear of discovery. The detective in charge of the case is already investigating her knowledge and the brother as well since he’s twenty-two years old. The stepfather took a plea deal to avoid trial and was transferred to a federal prison out of state. He’ll serve forty-five years and will have to register as a sex offender if he lives long enough to get out of jail.”

Buck nodded, they’d asked him about the plea deal, and he’d agreed. “He won’t be allowed to return to California, incarcerated or not because Lou sanctioned him. The grandmother and brother will all be sanctioned as well. They’ll be moved away from Bea at the Burton Foundation’s expense unless they’re in prison.” He paused. “The birth mother…may spend a great deal of time receiving mental health care. But I’ve asked the Burton Foundation to offer her relocation and the means to make a fresh start.”

“Good,” Athena said. “Hopefully, they can give her a new name and convince her to never contact her biological family again. They’re not safe.”

“Yeah,” Buck agreed, and Bea curled up against his chest. He shifted her around and unfastened four buttons. She pressed her cheek against his skin and went lax in his hand. “Sorry, we’re going to have to start a skin-to-skin schedule, I think.”

“Definitely,” Athena said. “It’s comforting for all babies, and I suspect it will be the most comforting for her. You took off your shirt on the scene.”

“I don’t…remember much after I touched her,” Buck admitted. “I thought it would be good to wrap her up in my T-shirt. Regardless, we’re still adjusting and figuring things out. A baby comes with a steep learning curve.”

“You’ll be fine,” Elaine said. “If I know anything about you, Buck, it’s that you aren’t afraid of hard work.”

* * * *

Eddie felt his Sentinel heading in his direction, and after a few minutes, he connected with Buck’s heartbeat. He followed the sound all the way to the parking spot Buck was assigned. He couldn’t help but stand and go wait by the door. Eddie opened it before Buck could get his key in the lock and immediately got passed the car seat.

“She cried the whole way home,” Buck said. “I did a grocery pick up because I wasn’t sure I could take her into a store. Where’s Christopher?”

“On the patio reading,” Eddie said. “He’s ruined for life with this beachfront property.” Buck sighed as Eddie set the car seat down and freed Bea from the harness. “Hey, sweetheart. Did your dad ruin your whole life with a car ride?”

Buck laughed. “Shut up. Also, I thought I might go with papa.”

“Yeah?” Eddie said. “I tried papi. Christopher called me da from the very start and graduated to daddy by the time he was two. I blamed Shannon. We argued about him being taught Spanish because she didn’t speak the language.”

“I’m fluent,” Buck said. “Though my accent is Peruvian, as I learned Spanish while I was there. Over the years, I’ve adjusted a lot due to living here and the exposure that comes with it. I’d like Bea to learn both English and Spanish. A second language is a good fundamental skill as far as I’m concerned.”

“Agreed, well, we’ll work on it, and Abuela will as well. Everstar is fluent in Spanish, Mandarin, and English. She’s also studying French. Her goal is to work as a translator,” Eddie said. “So she’ll be able to adhere to whatever plan we put into place on that front.”

“That’s great,” Buck said. “Let me get the groceries, and I’ll tell you all about how I tried to move out of this fancy-ass condo situation five times in the first year I lived here.” He paused. “Only to discover that every single Burton Foundation-owned property in this city is worth millions regardless of location.”

“Our previous building had a sauna, a gym, a pool in the basement, and a fully staffed spa,” Eddie admitted. “I’m not sure how I feel about giving up the opportunity for an in-house pedicure and massage for a few hundred yards of beach. I mean, the spa was public access since it was one of the businesses on the ground floor that had been seduced into moving into the retail space. Also, we had a Starbucks.”

“It’s a few hundred yards of beach on a private gated property, and I can make better coffee. You’re SOL on the pedicure front, though,” Buck said and laughed when Eddie sighed. “At least your parents can’t just rock up and bang on our door.”

“Yeah, there’s that.” Eddie sat down at the bar with Bea, who appeared to have cried herself to sleep. “Still high maintenance, I see.”

“I think we need to do skin-to-skin on a schedule of some sort,” Buck said as he walked around the large bar and into the open-concept kitchen. “I haven’t had time to research it.”

“Come take her for a second then,” Eddie said, and Buck retrieved her so he could pull his T-shirt over his head. “Shannon did it with Christopher…as part of breastfeeding. She didn’t really want me to do it at all and acted like I was weird for suggesting it.” He let Bea rest on his chest and took a deep breath. “I resent her for it, and I just realized it.”

“He preferred you, right?” Buck questioned. “It’s clear that Bea will, and at this point, that can only be about Guide aura. You had to have had some small bit of that even as a latent.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said and slid off the stool. “I’m going to check on Chris. I told him he couldn’t stay out there without sunscreen if he started getting a lot of direct sunlight.”

“He won’t this time of the day,” Buck said, but Eddie walked across the room anyway and opened the doors leading out to the patio.

Chris was sprawled on a two-person lounger with his iPad and earbuds. He was bobbing his head a little. Eddie pushed in just enough with his hearing to catch what turned out to be K-Pop before retreating. He blamed his abuela for the K-Pop without any sort of hesitation. He’d caught them more than once doing PT to it.

Chris looked up and immediately pulled out his earbuds. “Oh, they’re back. That’s good.”

“Buck’s putting on dinner, so why don’t you come take a shower and get halfway ready for bed. Did you finish your reading assignment for school?”

“Yes, and I started reading the next book on the list. Plus, I watched three videos on YouTube that Mr. Benson recommended for the robot build and made polite comments on each one so he can confirm my extra credit.”

Eddie nodded. “Need help with your stuff?”

“I got it,” Chris said easily. “Can I hold Bea after my shower?”

“It’ll be time for a bottle by then. We’ll see how she feels and what Buck thinks.”

“Is it weird?” Chris asked as he packed away his iPad and tucked his earbuds into the front pocket of his backpack. He’d only brought one crutch out to the patio, so Eddie watched as he left the lounger and threw his backpack over one shoulder, then snagged the crutch.

He tried not to micromanage Chris when it came to the use of his crutches, but he couldn’t help but hover a little closer as they left the patio and headed for his son’s bedroom. It wasn’t far from the living room and was just a bit bigger than the one he’d had across town. It also had a small en suite with a walk-in shower that Thomas had installed railings during the move.

“Is what weird?” Eddie questioned and flushed when his son sent him a knowing look. He’d almost forgotten the kid had even asked a question.

“Having a co-parent after three years,” Chris said.

“Co-parent.”

“Everstar explained when I asked her about Buck and what it meant for you to bond,” Chris shrugged. “She said I should make a list of questions if I’m concerned or worried, but I’m okay.”

“It’s a little weird,” Eddie admitted. “But not in a bad way.”

Christopher nodded. “Makes sense. You get put off by change.” He laughed when Eddie made a face at him.

“Let me set the water temperature in the shower,” Eddie said. “Be careful about adjusting until you’re certain of the knobs.”

“Okay, Daddy.”

Eddie walked into the bathroom and opened the door for the shower. He noted with some amusement that the anti-slip decals on the shower floor were brightly colored dinosaurs. He turned on the water, adjusted the temperature, and put a fresh towel on the empty towel bar next to the shower. His abuela had put soap and shampoo in the stall, so he walked back into the bedroom and found Chris rummaging through his pajama drawer. He pulled out the Superman set.

“You good?”

“Yeah, of course,” Chris said with a smile. “It’s all pretty much the same. Just a little more room. Change is good.”

“Sure, kiddo,” Eddie said wryly as he’d been ground zero for the last meltdown regarding his son’s schedule being thrown off.

“That was months ago, Daddy, and I’ve grown since then. I’m developing as a person.”

Eddie laughed. “Don’t play in the shower, and wash everything thoroughly.”

“Gah.” Chris braced himself on the wall as he walked from the dresser to the bathroom. “That’s my personal business.”

“Well, handle your personal business then,” Eddie said with a grin and left the room.

By the time he’d settled back on the stool with Bea, Buck was pan-frying pork chops. There was also an appliance on the counter that Eddie hadn’t noticed before.

“I put some wild rice in the rice cooker since I’m making enough pork chops for two meals,” Buck said. “How do you feel about meal prep? Does Everstar cook, or do you provide ready-made meals for her and him when she’s on duty?”

“They’re allowed to order pizza once a week. I usually pick up a whole cooked chicken from the deli at the grocery store, and she’s comfortable cooking things like grilled cheese and breakfast. The only thing I’ve ever prepped for her is chicken enchiladas.” Eddie shrugged at the look that earned him. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate your efforts.”

“Does Christopher eat asparagus?”

“I don’t know that he’s ever had it,” Eddie admitted. “It’s not really a common element in Mexican food, and most vegetable experiments happen at Abuela’s. So zucchini, yellow squash, corn, spinach, chard, mushrooms, and nopal are familiar on his plate. He’s not fond of chard but enjoys spinach. The only thing I’ve ever seen him outright reject is yam. I think he expected savory, and when he got sweet instead, it put him off completely.”

“And he can handle most peppers?” Buck questioned.

“Jalapeño, pasilla, serrano, and poblano—yes. I’ve never allowed him to have habanero.”

“Certainly too hot,” Buck said. “I can’t cook with it. It causes immense sensory spikes for me—touch, smell, and taste. Might not be a problem now that I’m bonded, but I wouldn’t want to risk it outside of a controlled situation.”

“We’ll have to do some testing,” Eddie suggested. “Christopher asked if he could hold Bea after his shower.”

“I heard,” Buck admitted. “I think we should let him try to feed her. It will be a good test—since he’s not online. Only you, me, and Cristobal have done it so far. Figuring out her boundaries is important.” He paused. “He won’t get hurt if she hates it, right?”

“Nah, he’s very intuitive already and will understand.” Eddie watched Buck move around the kitchen and start cleaning some asparagus. “So you tried to move?”

Buck laughed. “Yeah, it was too much space, and I knew from the start that it was stupidly expensive. I had the money for my own apartment, and I tried to find something, but most buildings aren’t Sentinel-safe when it comes to occupation, and I needed built-in noise suppression and shielding. Even after a month here, I was used to the sound buffering that I activated at night to sleep. Cristobal also really didn’t want me to move far from him.

“I looked at houses but quickly realized I’d have to pay for extensive renovations on any established build and new builds…the houses are so close together. Plus, I’d need a service to take care of a lawn since I can’t mow my own damn grass. It was different in Peru—pollution was low, and there weren’t a lot of chemicals in the grass and gardens. Weed killer is a nightmare. At any rate, I tried several times to increasingly disappointing results before I just gave in and accepted the free luxury accommodations like a sane person.”

Eddie watched Buck put a small amount of water into a skillet and turn on the gas burner. “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to do a quick steam on the asparagus; when the water evaporates, I’ll add some oil and season them a bit. It’ll keep it light and fresh but also a little firm. I hate mushy asparagus.” He paused. “Do you prefer it a certain way?”

“No preference at all,” Eddie said. “Shannon used to make me grill it.”

“I like it grilled, too,” Buck said. “Thomas likes to barbeque once or twice a month. Everyone pitches in, and we cook a lot of food.”

He added the asparagus to the pan, salted it, and put a lid on.

“You really like cooking.”

“It’s an art of a sort,” Buck said. “And I appreciate the results. I have to eat well and watch the quality of the ingredients. If I eat junk, I pay for it sometimes two or three times depending on what it is.”

Eddie listened to Christopher leave the shower, dry off, and dress as Buck cooked. It was a weird situation to be in after so many years of basically being alone with his son. He couldn’t and wouldn’t discount his abuela’s contribution to his life, but he’d been alone as a parent since Shannon had bailed. Maybe she figured he deserved it since she’d been alone while he’d served in the Army.

“You’re brooding.”

“I am not,” Eddie denied and frowned when Buck laughed.

“Co-parent, huh?” Buck questioned.

“Yeah, but I’m adjusting,” Eddie said. “I never actually did that much, even with Shannon, because I was in the Army. She took care of the home, and I was in a war zone.” He cleared his throat. “It certainly wasn’t fair to any of us, but I was committed to serving and joined the Army before I met Shannon. I think we collided in a terrible way, and Christopher was our silver lining.”

“Well, I’ve got a much bigger adjustment going on,” Buck said and shrugged when Eddie laughed. “So we’ll just be patient with one another. Natalie Rutledge has some more paperwork for us—custody arrangements for the kids and medical power of attorney stuff. She said she’d drop it off tonight—she’s meeting with Lou and Cristobal about a situation that’s pissed her off. I don’t know the details, but apparently, it was an issue that started when Jetta Watney was the Beta Sentinel for the region, and she passed it on to Isla recently as the Burton Foundation failed to do so.”

“Which means they’re both irritated.”

“Very much so,” Buck said. “It’s to do with Santa Monica and the outdated tsunami warning system that the state needs to replace but hasn’t.”

“Not good, considering how often they get them out that way. Even small ones can cause problems if they aren’t properly warned and prepared for,” Eddie said. He left the stool and got a bottle out of the fridge for the warmer as Christopher left his room. “I’ll get them situated on the couch. How long on the food?”

“About fifteen minutes,” Buck said. “Plenty of time.”

“How’d her appointment go?”

“She gained almost a pound since birth, and she’s on track as far as everything else goes. They don’t think her visual acuity is extra at this point, but they aren’t discounting ascendant status for her. I asked them not to write anything down like that in her medical records, and Cristobal backed me up. I think we can trust the doctors at the local center not to speak of it, but only because of HIPPA and the fact that I have the money to sue the fuck out of them.”

“We’ll play it by ear,” Eddie said. “If scrutiny falls on her, I’ll put myself out there to deflect it.”

“You don’t have….”

“Of course I do,” Eddie said. “A good parent makes all the sacrifices they need to for their kids. To keep them safe. To make sure they have the life they deserve.”

“Yeah,” Buck said in agreement and pulled the bottle out of the warmer. After a few seconds of scrutiny, he passed it to Eddie. “Now begins the time-honored tradition of putting your oldest child to work.”

Christopher laughed from his place by the bar. “Feeding a baby isn’t work.”

“Says the kid who doesn’t have to get up at three o’clock in the morning to do it,” Eddie said. “On the sofa, Mijo. Get a pillow so you can prop up your arm to hold her.”

Chris did as instructed and held out his hands in demand. Buck laughed from the kitchen and shrugged when Eddie looked his way. He liked the open-concept kitchen; it created a nice atmosphere. In their previous apartment, the kitchen had been blocked off and isolated from the rest of the apartment. Much, he thought, like it was for staff.

He got Bea situated and showed Christopher how to hold the bottle. “Let me know if you get uncomfortable.”

“I think my backpack weighs more than she does,” Christopher said. “Was I this small?”

“You weighed eight pounds and three ounces,” Eddie said. “So you were a bit bigger, but you were full term. Bea was born a few weeks early. Fortunately, Buck gave her a bath in psionic energy during her rescue, so she’s okay despite being born early.”

“What if she has problems because she was hurt when she was born?” Christopher questioned.

“Well, we’ll just deal with them,” Eddie said easily. “And help her any way we can.”

“I hope she’s okay,” Christopher said. “Because she’s already got a lot going on with being online.”

“True,” Eddie said. “But, we’ll make it work no matter what. Nothing to worry about. We’re a team, okay?”

“Okay,” Christopher said and focused on Bea. “Did you hear that, Bea? We’re a team.”

Eddie glanced over and found Buck leaning on the counter, watching them.

“I don’t like mushy asparagus either.”

Buck laughed. “You let me handle the food, Eds.”

 

 

Chapter Nine

“You need to leave immediately,” Buck said shortly, and the young woman who’d come to be interviewed as a conservator blinked in surprise.

“I….” She flushed. “You didn’t want to ask me any questions?”

“No.” Buck frowned and left the table, Bea trembling against his chest. “Your psionic profile is conflicting with hers so much that you’re actually scaring my baby.”

“She’s six days old, right?” the woman questioned with a disbelieving expression. “How could she possibly be scared?”

Eddie opened the door and motioned her out. “Cosmo. She’s done.”

“I’m a level six Guide,” the woman said in protest. “And I have a degree in psionic management.”

Buck glared at her. “Get the fuck away from us.”

Eddie blinked in surprise because while he’d known that Buck was capable of it, he couldn’t imagine a situation where his very gentle and easygoing Sentinel would use his emphatic voice. Personally, he’d never used it as he knew how threatening and disconcerting the voice was when deployed. The woman stumbled under the weight of the psionic-heavy reprimand, and Cosmo caught her then pulled her completely out of the room with a wide-eyed look in Buck’s direction.

Eddie watched his Sentinel tuck himself into the back corner of the room. “Hey.”

“I….” He cleared his throat. “I don’t know where that came from.”

Eddie walked across the room and leaned on the wall next to Buck, pressing close, so their arms were touching. “A few weeks after Christopher was born, we were at my parent’s house. I hated visiting, and Shannon wasn’t thrilled either, but it was easier than allowing them to come to our house. At least we could control how long the visit was without overt hostility.

“Anyway, Shannon was breastfeeding at the time, and Chris started to cry. Shannon asked for him back so he could be fed, and my mother refused. She started to berate us both for breastfeeding and how it was ruining her ability to bond with her grandson. I got so instantly fucking furious that I thought I might combust. I took Chris from her and gave him to Shannon, then told my mother if she ever refused to turn our child over to his mother again that, it would be the last damn she ever saw any of us. I still get mad thinking about it. It was infuriating. She was ignoring his needs and what both of his parents wanted because she’s selfish and…cruel.”

“Yeah,” Buck said. “But that wasn’t that woman’s problem.”

“Hell, Buck, a full-time conservator job pays 100k a year, and she wanted a job,” Eddie said. “I considered doing it before I realized how sensitive Chris is. I didn’t want to mix him into such a situation.”

“Oh.” Buck exhaled slowly. “If we had to pay that, we’d be better off with only one of us working. I have a lot of issues with Burton Foundation, but the financial endowment makes them far more useful than problematic.”

The door opened, and Cristobal appeared. He raised an eyebrow at Buck even as Isla North appeared at his side.

Buck flushed and took a deep breath against Bea’s head. “She scared Bea.”

“Paternal instinct is more of an issue than we thought,” Isla said thoughtfully and focused on Eddie. “How did you feel about her?”

“She was just a woman that wanted a job,” Eddie said. “Which isn’t offensive, but her dismissive attitude regarding Bea’s reaction to her was off-putting. A lot of adults are unconcerned about the discomfort of children because their wishes are more important. Guarding Christopher’s body autonomy was difficult due to his disability, and it felt more important as a result. Even now, some people are too impatient to consider how important his independence is to him. A few months ago, a man at the grocery store told me I should be carrying Christopher so he wouldn’t be in anyone’s way.”

“Wow,” Buck muttered. “I’d have cursed him out.”

“Don’t think I didn’t,” Eddie responded and shrugged when Buck grinned. “Let’s sit back down and try again. Okay?”

“Okay,” Buck said. “Sorry.”

“Never apologize for protecting our children,” Eddie said. “Or policing your own boundaries.” He gave Cristobal a nod when the older man raised an eyebrow. “We’re fine.”

“Okay,” Cristobal said and pulled the door shut.

A few moments passed before Isla escorted the next candidate in. They’d gotten bios on everyone being interviewed, so Eddie knew the basics of the twenty-five-year-old man who slid into a chair on the opposite side of the table in front of them. Buck was relaxed in the chair beside him. Bea wasn’t putting off any discomfort. Eddie cleared his throat, and the younger man focused on him.

“You’ve recently finished college,” Eddie said as he went through the pile of resumes they’d been given and had mixed up early when they’d been reading them. Only three out of the ten that were immediately on hand had made it past Isla North, who’d ended up doing the first interviews. “Mr. Larson?”

“Yes, sir, you can call me Brandon.” He wet his lips, and his cheeks darkened as his gaze flicked between them. “Alpha North said the job of conservator is for the baby? She’s online?”

“Yes, and she’s very powerful,” Buck said. “And sensitive. We work as firefighters and would need you to work the same schedule we work, which would equal two twenty-four shifts a week. We have a six-year-old as well who has a nanny of his own, but there may be occasions where you’d be asked to supervise them both if there was an emergency or whatever. We don’t expect that to be commonplace, and you would be paid double for those hours.”

Brandon nodded. “Who’s the nanny?”

“Everstar Bartlett.” Eddie paused when the young man grimaced. “Is that a problem?”

“Nothing specific, sir. She’s just…a lot for a latent. We were in high school together. It’s not really a surprise she hasn’t come online.” He shrugged. “She’s kind of aggressive.”

Buck laughed. “What’s your spirit animal?”

Brandon flushed with the kind of pleasure that Eddie recognized well enough. The attention of a Sentinel could be intoxicating for newly online Guides. He realized then that he should’ve put some kind of limiter on the process to avoid some ingénue trying to sit on his Sentinel’s lap.

“A pudu,” Brandon said. “A South American deer.”

“I’ve seen several in the wild,” Buck said. “I spent a great deal of time in Peru, where the northern pudu is common.”

The boy practically gushed. “I’d love to see Peru. Will your family travel there in the future?”

Rein it in, Bambi, Eddie thought, and Buck’s knee pressed against his own. Bea started to cry quietly, and Buck turned to him. Eddie took the baby and let her rest on his chest as Buck left the table in favor of getting the diaper bag where they had several bottles on ice. He shifted Bea so she could rest on his shoulder and watched Brandon’s gaze follow Buck as he went into a small bathroom attached to the conference room to heat the bottle under some hot water from the tap.

Eddie cleared his throat, and the younger Guide focused on him. He bit down on his lip as Eddie stared at him.

“Dr. Salas has a home in Peru that we can visit when we want,” Eddie explained, and Brandon’s eyes widened. “Buck is his adopted son.”

“Oh, I had no idea.”

“You think Everstar is aggressive?” Eddie questioned.

“Yes, but she was raised by a single parent, and life hasn’t been easy for her. It’s not her fault that she manifested a predatory spirit animal. I’ve heard she’ll probably come online sooner rather than later because her spirit animal has already appeared. It’s a mountain lion,” Brandon said. “I’ve never seen it, but she seemed proud to tell everyone about it, which is a shame.”

Buck laughed from the bathroom.

“My spirit animal is a black jaguar,” Eddie said, and all the color washed out of Brandon’s face. “I suppose it would be accurate to say I’m aggressive in nature as I served in the military before coming online during combat.”

“That must have been difficult, sir. I’m so sorry. Are you in therapy? The foundation has excellent mental health care resources.”

Eddie blinked in surprise and turned to watch Buck return to the room. “I…I’m fine.”

“Alpha’s don’t normally suffer from PTSD,” Buck said. “Sentinel or Guide, so don’t worry about it, Brandon.” He passed Eddie the bottle and inhaled gently. “I’m not normally this blunt, and I hope you aren’t offended by the next question. But what are the chances of you getting over your sexual interest in me?”

Brandon’s face went entirely red. “I…I’m sorry. It’s just you’re….” He wet his lips. “When they said they were searching for a conservator for a pair’s adopted baby—I didn’t expect you both to be so young and attractive. I kind of thought it would be a couple my parent’s age.” He waved both hands in a little helpless motion. “You’re beautiful and exciting to be around.”

Eddie knew that last part to be fundamentally true. “And bonded.”

“What?” Brandon questioned.

“He’s bonded and utterly unavailable to you. You will encounter many Sentinels just like him—irrevocably taken. For your own sake, you should work on learning to control your physical and emotional responses to people you find sexually attractive. You’re allowed your attraction, but it’s inappropriate to throw that attraction around for others to feel. If you’ve completed your course work at the foundation, then you need to go back for additional study—specifically to work on your empathic shielding.”

“I was told I had very good shielding.”

“That’s probably true under normal circumstances. You could be responding to the fact that I’m an Alpha Ascendant,” Buck said easily. “Fortunately for you, I’m a very rare circumstance. Bea seems to find you agreeable, but your shielding issues around me wouldn’t be healthy for you. Plus, you’re irritating my Guide, and that’s the stuff of an unhappy home.”

Brandon took a deep breath, and a tiny deer appeared in his arms. She nuzzled against his chest and made a soft sound like a whinny. “I’m sorry.”

“You can’t help it, probably,” Eddie said roughly. “What did you name her?”

“Heidi.”

Buck grinned. “That’s great.”

Eddie huffed a little and concentrated on Bea, who was eagerly suckling her bottle. She ate well, which was great and a relief. Buck escorted Brandon out of their space and came back with Isla.

“He was perfect,” Isla blurted out. “Sweet and charming and educated….”

“And he wants to sit on Buck’s lap for the rest of his life,” Eddie said sourly. “Which I’ll have to manage on the regular at work and probably even at the grocery store. But I really shouldn’t have to deal with it at home as well. Plus, Christopher might notice on some level, and that could cause him stress even if he doesn’t know exactly why.”

Isla nodded. “My apologies. I didn’t consider any of that in my interviews. Cristobal gave me a list of questions to ask, and I don’t have kids, so….” She shrugged. “I’ve got a big learning curve here.”

“It’s fine,” Buck said easily. “We’re all learning as we go along. You said you had one more for us to interview?”

“Yeah, we have another hundred resumes to go over, but most of them are still in the background check phase,” Isla explained. “I’ll get the last one for today.” She paused. “You’ve got about seven weeks of paternity leave left, right?”

“Yeah, but if one of us has to stay home with her until we get a proper fit, then that will be fine,” Eddie said. “The kids’ comfort comes first, so Christopher will have to be comfortable with our selection as well. This person will be in our space which equals a level of intimate access that can be disconcerting and hard to quantify.”

* * * *

Eddie checked Christopher’s harness even as his son tried to lean over to see Bea, who was snoozing in her car seat next to him in the backseat.

“How’d the interviews go?” Christopher questioned.

“Awful,” Buck said truthfully from the passenger seat and shrugged when Eddie sighed. “Bea didn’t like the first one, your dad didn’t like the second, and the third didn’t like us. She didn’t even sit down for an interview.”

Christopher huffed. “You guys are great, so she sucks.”

“Sometimes, low-level Sentinels and Guides are put off by the aura that alphas project,” Buck explained. “It’s a conflicting psionic issue. I had to deal with a lot when I was bonded. It’ll tone down a bit because of the bond your dad and I share, but there will always be people who won’t enjoy being around us.” He paused. “And you.”

“Me?” Christopher questioned.

“Your power will be attractive to some and off-putting to others,” Eddie said as he put Christopher’s backpack on the floor under his feet. “We can’t control that, but we’ll teach you how to manage it for your safety. Okay?”

“Yeah, sure,” Christopher agreed.

Eddie shut the door and slid into the driver’s seat. “How was school?”

“We finished our robots. I’ll get to bring it home next week. In art class, we’re focusing on modern art, and I have to come up with an idea for a sculpture. I did some concept drawing this afternoon. I think…I want to spend some time on the beach and maybe look at stuff under my microscope. It might be cool to make a sculpture of what a grain of sand looks like under magnification. Miss Murphy says it doesn’t matter where we get our inspiration. I asked because I didn’t want to get into trouble for mixing science with my art homework.”

“Sounds fun. You could break open a shell and check out the structure,” Buck said. “You might have to do some snorkeling.”

“Cool!” Christopher cheered.

“He doesn’t have snorkeling equipment,” Eddie said.

“Oh, well, we’ll just have to fix that. How can a kid live on a beach and not have snorkeling gear? That’s ridiculous,” Buck decided and grinned when Eddie huffed.

“I’ve never been snorkeling,” Eddie admitted.

“You’re ruining my whole life,” Buck declared, and Christopher started to giggle. “How am I supposed to deal with this? You’ve been in California for a year. You can both swim, right?”

“I can,” Eddie said. “And he does okay—I wanted to get him into a swimming class because he mentioned wanting to get surfing lessons. There’s an instructor who does classes for children with mobility issues. We’ve watched his videos on YouTube, but he has a waitlist. Chris is on it since he’s certified by the foundation to work with latent children.”

“I checked the list last week. I think I’ll get a class slot sometime in the summer,” Christopher said. “It’ll be fun. I should practice swimming, though.”

“We’ll practice in the pool and get you some snorkeling equipment,” Buck said as he started browsing his phone. “There’s a shop not far from home. Do you have a Kinderboard, Christopher?”

“I use one at physical therapy,” Christopher said. “I like it.”

“We’ll get you one for home to work on balancing—it’ll help with your surfing lessons.” He glanced toward Eddie, who just nodded.

Buck was the proactive sort which was interesting as Eddie tended to overthink things and stress even small decisions if circumstances would allow it. Everstar was due to arrive shortly after they got home. He’d made sure to make a schedule for her that would allow Christopher to spend time with her and give her the hours she’d normally have so her income wasn’t endangered while he was off work. So, once they got home, he set Christopher up with a snack and watched Buck move around the kitchen, prepping dinner.

Everstar arrived on time, totally distracted Christopher, and they were quickly out the back door heading for the beach to find the perfect grain of sand to look at under the microscope. He saw a sandcastle in their future. He also saw tofu in his future, and he wasn’t entirely sure he was on board with that. Buck had prepped it to drain before they’d left the house, so he’d known it was coming, but he rarely ate it as the main protein source.

“What’s on your mind for dinner?”

“I try to do a few veggie days during the week,” Buck said. “Kung Pao Tofu seems like the best choice to introduce Christopher to the idea of it. It’s got a lot of flavor, and tofu will take on the flavor profile of whatever it’s seasoned with.” He pulled the tofu from the fridge, finished draining it, and put it on the cutting board. “The peppers and cauliflower rice will be a distraction enough.” He looked up, and Eddie didn’t have time to remove the frown from his face. “Relax, you’ll like it.”

“You haven’t made anything I hated,” Eddie conceded and pulled out his phone when it vibrated in his pocket.

Pop: We will see Christopher this evening. I’ll pick him up for dinner. No excuses.

Eddie stared for a moment.

Eddie: No.

A little bubble appeared immediately, so Eddie just watched curiously as he waited for whatever vitriol his father was going to unload on him.

Pop: I wasn’t asking! I’m on my way to pick up Christopher. You’re not going to keep my grandson from me.

Eddie knew his mother’s tone when he saw it, so she was probably in the passenger seat of their rental car texting him on his father’s phone. She certainly thought he’d bow to his father’s authority before he would hers.

Eddie: I moved—so good luck finding us.

His phone started ringing, and he answered it.

“Eddie! Where have you moved to? Why did you move? Have you already moved in with your Sentinel? You can’t possibly think that’s appropriate for Christopher! We haven’t even met this man! My grandson isn’t going to live with a stranger!”

Eddie slid off the stool and walked to the French doors leading out to the patio, and went out so he could watch Christopher and Everstar on the beach.

“I’ve decided not to give you the address,” Eddie said. “This is our sanctuary, and my Sentinel deserves some peace of mind on that subject. He already finds you deeply offensive, Mom. It’s been more than a decade since you’ve had any ability whatsoever to make decisions for me, and you really need to recognize that now. If you can’t control your temper and moderate your behavior, you’ll find yourself sanctioned and actually prohibited from entering the whole damn state of California.”

“That’s ridiculous and impossible! I don’t care what sort of pull your grandmother has with the Alpha Guide Prime. He isn’t going to ban me for not approving of her ridiculous behavior! She’s too old to bond, for fuck’s sake, and that woman is awful!!”

“He’ll certainly ban you for abusing his son,” Eddie said and glanced into the condo. Buck was working intently in the kitchen and listening to his conversation at the same time.

“Why would his son care?” Helena demanded. “You’re not making any sense!”

“My Sentinel is the son of Alpha Guide Prime Cristobal Salas,” Eddie said plainly. “And he’s already warned you and Pop about your behavior. Dr. Salas is very protective of his son, and you must learn to control yourself. If you don’t, you’ll never be able to see Christopher again due to his sensitivity and his potential for coming online. You could end up in jail for abuse.”

“You…. Did you accept a substandard bond just to get power over me?”

Eddie laughed. “Wow, Mom, check your ego.” He leaned on the railing and watched Everstar and Christopher barefoot in the shallows. Shell hunting had commenced. “My bond is none of your business and never has been. Listen, and take it on board, there will never be a day when you have custody of my son or any other children I have. You don’t have any rights where Christopher is concerned. Being a grandparent is a privilege that I allow you, and it is dependent on your ability to be a decent human being.

“I’ve been letting you say whatever you want to me for years because I don’t care what you think or what you want, and you were careful to never do it around Christopher. I haven’t cared about any of your preferences since I was a teenager. The thing is that letting you vent your spleen isn’t going to work anymore for a lot of reasons. The older Christopher gets, the more sensitive he will become. He will start to avoid you due to your lack of emotional control, which he’s already commented on.

“You have a host of mental issues, and it is not my job to manage them. I suggest you go back to Texas and get a therapist.” He paused. “And a psychiatrist because you probably need medication.” She huffed dramatically in his ear. “It’s up to you, of course. If you want to see your grandchildren, then you’ll get on board with fixing yourself immediately.”

“Grandchildren?”

“I’ve adopted my Sentinel’s daughter as part of the bond registration process. She’s a week old. You won’t be allowed to see her without an immense amount of progress on your part because she’s online as a Guide. I can’t allow you anywhere near her as you are. Plus, we’ve already decided that we’ll go through the surrogacy process at least twice.”

“You’d really keep me away? Don’t you need help with the baby?”

“Right now, Mom, letting you anywhere near our daughter would be empathically dangerous because of your mental health issues,” Eddie said warily. “And the foundation would consider it child abuse. I won’t take any sort of risk with my children beyond the fact that it could put our custody in question; they deserve better from me. They deserve a safe home, and neither of them needs to be exposed to your emotions.”

“I can’t believe you’re being so selfish like this.”

“Really?” Eddie laughed. “Dios, Mom, if you taught me anything my whole damn life, it was the benefits of being selfish.” He heard a short, sharp laugh in the background, and her mother hissed his father’s name in shock. “I have to go, and you won’t be seeing Christopher any time soon. Go home to El Paso and work on yourself. That’s the only remedy for this situation.”

“I’ll get a lawyer!”

“And the foundation will be happy to bankrupt you and Pop in a court process that lasts so long that all of my children will be adults before it’s finished,” Eddie said in response. “In order to see us in the future, you’ll need to go through a mental health review conducted by the Burton Foundation to insure that extended exposure to you won’t damage our daughter.” He took a deep breath when she burst into tears. “Goodbye, Mom.”

He focused on Christopher and Everstar for a moment, who were both bent over in the surf. She had a hand on him to keep him steady, which Eddie appreciated. Everstar had known practically from the start how to handle his son and what kind of support the kid would appreciate at any given moment. When he returned to the bar, Buck had a large portion of cauliflower rice in a skillet.

“That hurt you,” Buck said quietly and looked up from the skillet. “I’m sorry that it came to that. We should let Natalie know that a lawsuit is possible so she can get out ahead of it. She handles those kinds of family law issues regularly for the pride and for the foundation for the region itself. Isla is in criminal law.” He huffed. “We might need her as well if your mother throws some sort of public tantrum.”

“Yeah,” Eddie admitted with a sigh. “I’ll send them an email about the whole situation.”

“Daddy! We need a towel, so we don’t track water in.”

Eddie went back to the patio after snagging two towels from the linen closet and found Chris and Everstar using the small hose on the patio to get rid of the sand on their feet. “Did you find what you needed?”

“I’ve got wet sand, dry sand, and two shells. We couldn’t find any coral.” He passed Eddie a bag full of what the kid called his specimen bowls in it. The specimen bowls were little Gladware containers that Eddie bought just for his son to collect weird shit in, as he didn’t want him sticking the bones of a lizard in the same bowls he put food in.

“We’ll probably have to go out a bit,” Everstar said cheerfully. “The closest major reef structure is about 900 miles from here, but ocean currents can sometimes carry debris far. It’ll be a treasure hunt.”

“If you really want a piece and can’t find it—we can probably buy it online or at a tourist shop,” Eddie said as he knelt to dry his kid off. “Dinner should be ready soon, then we’ll settle in for homework, okay?”

“Sounds great,” Everstar said. “And smells better. I think I’m starving.”

* * * *

Bea was being a generally fussy baby, which was such a relief that Buck was kind of shocked. There was nothing off with her psionic profile, and she’d been fed. The diaper situation was fine as well. She’d even allowed Everstar to hold her while she and Chris had worked at the table on homework after dinner. He’d been relieved that both Eddie and Christopher had enjoyed the food because he’d worried a little about the vegetarian meal. Lou and Cristobal both were vehemently opposed to any meal that didn’t feature a big piece of meat.

He walked with her a bit and headed for the door as soon as he realized Thomas heading in his direction. They hadn’t had much time to talk, so he was already at the door opening when the other Sentinel arrived.

“Hey,” Thomas said. “She cool? She’s been crying for a half hour.”

“Sorry.” Buck bounced her gently as he motioned him.

“Nah, no need for that. I was just worried. I know you guys had issues today with the conservator process.” Thomas pulled the door shut. “She seems pretty chill overall.”

“I think this is just general fussiness,” Buck said. “Normal baby stuff, which is great even if she does seem inconsolable. She’s actually emotionally very even. Want to hold her?”

“Is it safe?” Thomas questioned. “Because, yes.”

“We can try it,” Buck said and transferred Bea into Thomas’ hands. She looked smaller as the other Sentinel let her rest against his broad chest.

The crying didn’t increase, but she was clearly startled by the new person. After a few moments, she actually stopped crying. Buck laughed.

“What?” Thomas questioned.

“You just distracted her, and she’s curious,” Buck said and dropped down on the couch as Thomas sat down. “How are you?”

“Me?” Thomas raised an eyebrow. “You’re the one that went from determinedly single to an instant family in a week. How are you?”

Buck considered that. “Better than I could’ve hoped for.” Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Seriously. Eddie is going to join us at the 118.”

“Yeah, Bobby already bragged about it,” Thomas said with some amusement. “Apparently, there are two captains at the 56 that are furious over it. Bobby’s dating Athena Grant. Did you know?”

“I suspected,” Buck admitted. “He’s been happier lately, and they look at each other a lot on scenes. Last month I had to pull him out of traffic because he was so busy staring at her he wasn’t watching out.”

“Well, she’s definitely worthy of staring at,” Thomas said wryly, and Buck laughed. “I remember the lecture you gave him about the statistics and how he’s most likely to die at the scene of an accident due to distracted drivers.” He focused on Bea, who was staring at him. “Hey, little one, you look so much better than you did.” He inhaled gently. “Can I imprint on her?”

“Yeah, of course,” Buck said. “Do you have one for Christopher?”

“Yeah, since I met him,” Thomas admitted. “I couldn’t even help myself, really. He’s such a sweet kid.” He brought Bea close and inhaled gently against her head, then placed a soft kiss against her hairline. “She seems content. Her scent pile isn’t cycling with stress anymore.”

“Eddie removed the psionic resonance outright when he joined the tether,” Buck said. “He just sort of flicked it away, and the psionic plane absorbed it. One of the more interesting moments of my life, honestly. I’ve been on the plane a lot, and Cristobal is very talented in that space, but…well. It was just really different.”

“It’s the bond,” Thomas said. “My relationship with the plane changed after I bonded with Cosmo. It’s deeper, and meditation is much easier now than it ever was before. It must be a relief to have him in the tether.” He looked down at Bea. “She fell asleep.”

“Do not be surprised if I make you come down here again to hold her,” Buck said, and Thomas nodded.

“I told you, years ago, that all the ladies like me.”

“Or you’re really boring, and that put her to sleep,” Buck said and grinned when Thomas rolled his eyes.

* * * *

“Everstar is still here,” Eddie said as Buck shut the nursery door. “She wanted to talk to us about something without Chris overhearing.”

“Okay,” Buck said. “You don’t think she’s going to quit, right?”

“Nah, she already assured me that it wasn’t about her job specifically.” Eddie prodded him gently toward the kitchen, where Everstar was nursing a cup of tea and staring at her phone.

“Hey.” She smiled and set aside her phone as they both got settled at the table. “Chris is really happy with the move if you were concerned.”

“It’s nice to know,” Buck said. “Do you have any concerns about your job? Changes you need to make?”

“Oh, no, everything is great on that front,” Everstar took a deep breath. “I wanted to talk to you about the conservator situation. I know you’re letting the foundation search for you and that Alpha North is handling the vetting process. The thing is that they only put out the notification to unbonded Guides.”

“That’s standard practice,” Eddie said. “We can’t really ask a bonded Guide to act as a conservator, can we?”

“Most of the time, that’s totally accurate,” she said in agreement. “But previously bonded and bonded are labeled the same in the system unless they specifically say otherwise. My favorite teacher at the Burton Academy was bonded for decades before her Sentinel was killed in a car accident about five years ago. She left teaching after he died to process her grief and repair her shields from the destroyed bond. She’s a registered nurse and has recently started working in home health care for aging Sentinels and Guides. She’s also completely bored out of her damned mind.”

Eddie nodded. “I bet. What’s her name?”

“Carla Price and her background in nursing, teaching psionics, and licensing would make her perfect for us.” She paused. “You guys.”

“Us works great,” Buck assured. “You feel like pride to me, Everstar. I hope that’s something that you’re okay with.”

“Yeah,” she said with a smile and stared at her tea for a moment. “I was hoping I could bring her over, and you could meet her? She has no idea I’ve been thinking about this, but now that I’ve gotten to be around Bea and hold her…I feel like Carla is the one for her. Plus, she only lives about ten minutes from here.”

“Let’s go the formal route,” Buck suggested. “I’ll ask Isla to invite her to the Psionics Center for an interview and ask her about Conservatorship based on a private recommendation. That way, if she doesn’t think it would work for her—she won’t feel obligated due to your personal connection with her.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “That’s probably the better bet. Do you really trust her?”

“I trust her so much that I’d give her my own kid to raise if I had one, and I was gonna die,” Everstar said. “Over my own mother.”

“That’s a ringing endorsement,” Buck said. “We met someone you went to high school with earlier today.”

“Oh, I know all about your interview with Brandon,” Everstar said and rolled her eyes. “He was all sadfaced at the coffee shop down from the center talking about how he got rejected for a conservator job because the Guide part of the couple was jealous of him.”

“I was not jealous of Bambi,” Eddie retorted, and Everstar laughed. “Did he use our names?”

“Nah, I wouldn’t even know at all if I didn’t know you guys were in that process, and it’s the only one going on at the center right now. Brandon’s a ball of fluff, honestly. He’d probably pee his pants if he ever had to meet the Alpha Primes, and that would be hard to avoid in your household.” Everstar waved her hands around. “Speaking of, excellent upgrade. I’m not even mad about the lack of a spa.”

“There are two spas within five minutes of this building,” Buck said. “I checked. Since Eddie likes pedicures.”

“You need one,” Eddie told him. “And you’re going to love it.”

“I take care of my feet,” Buck protested.

“Sure you do,” Eddie muttered, and Everstar bit down on her lip but eventually giggled despite her clear effort not to.

 

 

Chapter Ten

“You don’t honestly think that fresh-faced boy interested me at all, right?” Buck questioned.

“He’s only a few years younger than you,” Eddie pointed out. “I imagine he’d be very attractive to many Sentinels. Isla wasn’t lying when she said she thought he was perfect. He’d be very comforting, psionically.”

Buck huffed a little as he used a small towel to dry his hair roughly. “He probably cries during sex.”

Eddie laughed before he could help himself.

“And I’m sure he’d be perfect for some Sentinels, but I’m not one of them.” He dropped the towel in the basket and picked up his lotion before he left the bathroom.

He’d finished putting lotion on his feet and legs before Eddie joined him in the bedroom. Eddie snagged the bottle of lotion from his hand and set it on the nightstand.

“Hey.”

Buck tried to frown, but his Guide just crawled into his lap, all naked and warm. “What?”

“Are you mad?” Eddie asked as he pressed against his chest and put Buck on his back on the mattress. “Because I wasn’t actually jealous at all. It was clear he was putting you off like crazy, and even he hadn’t been, I trust you.”

“No, not mad. He really did put me off,” Buck admitted. “And that made me feel weird because…shouldn’t I find him just as comforting as Isla did?”

“You could’ve been reacting to his overt empathy. Frankly, if he doesn’t bond within the next year or so, he might need a conservator himself. His shields thinned out so quickly in your presence that it was startling,” Eddie murmured as he shifted and pressed against Buck’s rapidly hardening cock. “I sent Isla an email about it, and Natalie will do an assessment since I’m probably biased as hell. But, I don’t think he’s hardy enough for a conservatorship job and overestimated his abilities based on formal education.”

“Bea should sleep for a couple of hours,” Buck said.

“Yeah?”

“And Christopher is so profoundly asleep that I’m jealous,” he continued.

Eddie hummed under his breath and reached out for the lotion. He poured some into his palm, rubbed it between his hands to warm it, then started to spread it over Buck’s chest. “That gives me plenty of time to take care of you.”

“If that’s what you want to do,” Buck murmured because he was on board with whatever Eddie wanted. “Let’s turn on the soundproofing and push the world away for a while. There are internal alarms that will signal if needed.” He curled one hand around Eddie’s hip and sat up when he got a nod, then reached out for his phone. “It’s all on an app. I’ll add your phone to my account in the morning.”

Eddie wrapped an arm around his shoulders as Buck browsed through his phone and activated the noise canceling and the built-in Faraday cage for the condo. He made a pleased sound against Buck’s cheek.

“Better?” Buck questioned.

“Our previous building was too big and too populated for these kinds of individualized systems,” Eddie said. “I never used the noise canceling, but we used portable Faraday shields for the bedrooms.” He brushed his lips gently against Buck’s mouth.

Buck delved into the kiss eagerly because he adored the way Eddie tasted and laid back on the bed, taking his Guide with him as he relaxed. He cupped Eddie’s ass and held him still as they kissed. Eddie groaned into his mouth.

“I had a plan,” Eddie murmured.

“Does that plan involve me coming?” Buck questioned.

“Eventually,” Eddie said in amusement and sat up. He braced himself on one hand. “Can I fuck you?”

“Hell yeah,” Buck murmured and lifted his hips a little involuntarily. “I’d love that.” He released Eddie and threw his arms over his head as he used one foot to push them both entirely onto the bed.

“You’re strong,” Eddie said. “How much can you deadlift?”

“A little over 400 pounds,” Buck said. “Officially, on the job, I’m rated for 375. But with adrenaline and my imperative, I could probably hit the 500 range in an emergency.” He wet his lips and lifted his chin slightly. “Come on then, take care of me.”

Eddie huffed a little. “You challenge the hell out of me. It’s unexpected.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to get bored.”

Buck watched with half-closed eyes as Eddie warmed more lotion in his hands, and he offered his right hand when he was motioned to do so. He wasn’t always thorough on the moisturization front, so it was something of a luxury to have it done for him. He was so hard that he nearly came when Eddie wrapped a hand around his cock.

“Yeah,” Buck murmured and shuddered. “That’s good.” He spread his legs as soon as Eddie lifted away and huffed a little when his Guide let go of his cock.

“Turn over,” Eddie said, and Buck did as instructed with a little pout he didn’t manage to keep to himself. “You’re supposed to be relaxing.”

“Is that what this is about?” Buck questioned as he snagged a pillow and wrapped his arms around it. “Is that what they taught you in the Army? To help people relax with your dick?”

Eddie laughed. “The Army taught me to put my body to use in the best possible fashion in all situations.” He smoothed lotion over his back. “The American warfighter is strong, fierce, and dedicated to the deterrence of war and the security of our great nation.”

“That’s patriotic as fuck,” Buck muttered. “I told Cristobal once I wanted to join the Navy. He made me run ten miles a day for an entire month, then took me to this guy who taught mixed martial arts.”

“What happened?”

“They put me in the gear, threw me into a sparring ring, and Cristobal ordered me to hit the guy as hard as I could. He said I had to treat him like an enemy.”

“And?” Eddie asked gently.

“I was eighteen,” Buck said. “And the thought of it was so upsetting that I cried.”

Eddie’s touch slowed and gentled as he started to knead the muscles of his back. It felt amazing, so Buck let himself relax.

“I was in a staging camp in Afghanistan about three months after my eighteenth birthday. My second week in theater, I killed for the first time.”

Buck swallowed hard and tried to push down the shock, but he knew he wasn’t successful when Eddie sighed. “Sorry.”

“No, cariño, don’t apologize,” Eddie murmured. “It was the hardest day of my life. I felt like I’d ruined myself and was inconsolable for a week. If I hadn’t been a latent Guide, I’d have probably been discharged for my emotional response. As it was, my commanding officer treated me with kid gloves. Since I wasn’t required to list my latency when I enlisted, I hadn’t. But three Sentinels responded to the situation. I was attacked by an insurgent sneaking into the camp. It was over before they reached me, but it was obvious I was a latent Guide. They were all surprised it didn’t bring me online.”

“The guy must have been something else to make it that far into a camp with three Sentinels in the area.”

“He was using countermeasures, yeah,” Eddie said. “They had to take off most of the clothes from his upper body to confirm he was dead because of the masking tech he was wearing to hide his heartbeat. Intel later confirmed that his goal for infiltration was the assassination of an expert civilian consultant whose sole purpose was to plan and establish FOBs.”

“What’s a FOB?”

“Forward operating base,” Eddie murmured. “We were hunting terrorists, so establishing bases and safe zones to launch tactical strikes from was imperative. We also used them to establish field hospitals as needed.”

“You said it was the first time?” Buck questioned.

“I don’t know how many people were killed the night I came online, Buck,” Eddie said quietly as he worked. “It was…a blur. I didn’t expect to come online with two advanced senses. I’d never even heard of an Alpha Ascendant Guide presenting in modern times, and while I’d been warned as a child that it might happen to me, I’d never really believed it. I was horrified both for myself and for the others around me. I took on their fear and trauma. All I smelled for months afterward was blood and death. The only thing I could really focus on was getting home to Chris and Shannon.”

“I kind of can’t stand her,” Buck confessed. “For hurting you both—for failing to be what you needed when you came home.”

“I failed her, too.”

“Maybe,” Buck said. “But Christopher never did, and she abandoned him. I don’t…I never really understood what it meant to be a parent because mine were fucking awful. But…I don’t think there is a limit to what I’m capable of when it comes to protecting our kids. I love them so much that it’s overwhelming. Where does that kind of love even come from?”

“I don’t know,” Eddie admitted. “I don’t think Shannon ever bonded with Christopher as a mother, and that maybe my own mother contributed to that. I shouldn’t have left them in El Paso. I should’ve…done a lot of things differently. But in the end, we’d have still ended up divorced because I’d have never denied myself a bond.” He ran his hands over Buck’s ass. “Sorry to have ruined the mood.”

“Well, the good thing about being a Sentinel is that I’m stupidly sensitive, and I can get back in the mood really quickly,” Buck said. “I’m sorry serving hurt you so much.”

“I’m okay.”

“Yeah, I feel that,” Buck said and turned over. He held out a hand and brought Eddie close as soon as Eddie accepted it. “Come here.” Eddie settled easily against him, and Buck cupped his face. “Thank you.”

“For what?” Eddie questioned.

“You’re making this easy for me…far easier than I have any right to expect considering the circumstances,” Buck said. “God, you’re so beautiful. It’s been driving me nuts since I set eyes on you.”

“Well, now that I know why you were always running away from me, it’s pretty funny,” Eddie admitted.

“What was it before?”

“Confusing and eventually irritating as fuck because most people go out of their damn way to get close to an online Guide. And there you were, running away from me like I had the plague or something.”

“Sorry,” Buck murmured and nuzzled against his jaw. “I’m awful.”

Eddie laughed. “You’re not, and that’s the whole problem.”

“Get the lube,” Buck suggested.

Eddie reached over and grabbed the lube from the nightstand drawer, and flicked it open. Buck spread his legs and palmed his own cock as he watched Eddie slick up his fingers. He wet his lips then exhaled slowly as Eddie immediately pressed against the rim of his asshole. He loved to be fingered open and almost blurted it out. Buck bit down on his bottom lip as Eddie slipped one finger in and pressed.

“You’re such a hedonist,” Eddie said in amusement as he slowly pushed in repeatedly.

Finally, just before Buck could demand it, he added another finger. Buck closed his eyes and rocked into the penetration with a soft moan. He tightened his grip on his cock as it leaked all over his stomach and fingers. Buck was torn between asking for another finger and demanding to get fucked when Eddie pulled his fingers free and slicked up his own cock.

“Yeah, come on.” Buck released his dick, and he pulled Eddie over him as soon as his Guide started to move. “In me.”

“I think I knew you were going to be like this,” Eddie admitted roughly as he positioned himself and pushed in deep.

“Fuck me,” Buck demanded, patience worn thin.

“Shhh.” Eddie pressed their mouths together and started to move with one long slow thrust after another.

Buck shuddered as Eddie ground against his prostate. He realized that he often had complete control over the sex that he had, and relinquishing that control to his Guide was a startling pleasure. He let go then and surrendered to his Guide’s care. The tone of the pleasure changed and deepened as he let his senses envelop Eddie fully for the first time since he’d completed his imprint.

“There you are,” Eddie murmured. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”

He came in that moment which was such an intense shock that he cried out. Buck curled his hands against Eddie’s back. “Give me more. Don’t stop.”

“I won’t,” Eddie assured. “I’m going to give you exactly what you need.”

Pleasure rolled over Buck in waves until he was hard again, and they were both slick with sweat. He adored the weight of Eddie’s strong body pressing against his own, the thick and hard thrust of a cock into him. It had been ages since he’d gotten a good, long fuck, and Eddie was giving it to him exactly how he needed it.

“Come for me,” Eddie encouraged, and he slid a hand between them to stroke Buck’s cock.

“Fuck, that’s….” Buck groaned and shuddered through another orgasm. He pulled Eddie closer and stroked his back as he came. “That could get addictive.”

Eddie hummed under his breath and pressed his face against Buck’s shoulder. “Yeah.” He pulled free of Buck’s body after a few moments and dropped down on the mattress beside him. “You’re the best sex I’ve ever had, and that’s just really irritating.”

Buck laughed.

“Fuck you.”

“You did,” Buck said with amusement as Eddie left the bed. “With an astounding amount of skill and vigor. Go Army.”

“That’s not the Army slogan.”

“Well, you were Army Strong, too,” Buck said cheerfully as he left the bed. “Or was it already the new one before you were discharged?”

Eddie braced himself on the sink and focused on Buck. “I always liked Army of One the best, which is from ages ago. They shifted to Warriors Wanted after I was discharged.” He shrugged as Buck turned on the shower. “I don’t know how I feel about it. It seems…like an appeal to toxic masculinity, which is already a big enough problem in the service.”

Buck pulled him into the shower. “Let’s not waste more water than necessary.”

* * * *

Isla had taken the intrusion into her workflow with no questions or concerns. She’d immediately sought Carla Price out for an interview, and in short order, Buck found himself back at the Psionics Center waiting to meet her. They’d talked about it, and Eddie had decided they should bring both kids. So, Buck was alone in a small office waiting on Everstar’s miracle while Eddie had the kids in one of the more comfortable rooms used for families using various services in the building.

He couldn’t help but exhale sharply as Isla led the older woman into the room. Carla Price stilled under his attention, and Buck felt the anxiety he’d been carrying around in his chest loosen completely. Carla smiled warmly.

Buck turned to Isla. “I’m going to buy Everstar a car.”

Isla laughed and pulled the door shut.

“How do you know Everstar?” Carla questioned, gaze narrowing. “She’s not online.”

“She works as the nanny for my oldest child—he’s not online but requires dedicated care due to cerebral palsy.” Buck motioned toward the table. “My family is a bit complicated, Ms. Price. Did Isla brief you?”

“No, and please call me Carla, Mr. Buckley.”

“Buck is fine,” he said as he joined her at the table. “I recently bonded with a Guide, but I’ve been online for ten years. My daughter was the epicenter of the empathic event last week.”

“Oh.” Carla’s expression shifted from shock to horror and finally to relief. “I’m glad she’s in such good hands. I’ve heard the bare minimum about the situation due to my reserve status with the center. I’m a registered nurse.” Buck nodded. “I was told that an infant came online during an abusive situation and I might be needed for care. But then, the whole team was released from standby the next day. I was worried that the baby might have passed.”

“I formed an empathic tether with her,” Buck said. “Her birth mother shoved her down a pipe in her apartment building, and she almost didn’t make it. I had to bond with a Guide to provide her with the security she needed to live and thrive. It wasn’t ideal, but I ended up with a perfect match despite the fact that I dragged my feet for a decade regarding the search process. My Guide has a six-year-old son. Yesterday, we started a conservator search for our daughter, Beatrice. It was frustrating, to say the least. When we met with Everstar later in the day, she recommended you with her whole heart. Apparently, you’re in line to get her theoretical child if she dies unexpectedly.”

Carla laughed abruptly. “I shouldn’t laugh. I adore that girl, but she’ll just say anything she thinks. So your infant is online? Sentinel or Guide?”

“Alpha-level Guide,” Buck said. “And our son is a burgeoning but latent wolf Guide.” Her mouth dropped open. “As you can imagine, Eddie and I have a full plate on the kid front. We both work as firefighters and have at least two twenty-four-hour shifts a week. Currently, we’re on paternity leave while we get used to each other and settle as a family. Bea needs a conservator. I think she’ll probably need one for a very long time.”

“How much trauma is she dealing with?” Carla questioned.

“She had a resonance problem related to being in the pipe,” Buck explained, and Carla grimaced. “But Eddie removed that resonance when he joined us in the tether and let the psionic plane absorb it. She’s as good as she can be considering her online status.”

“Will there be custody issues to consider?”

“No, the father will probably die in jail, and the birth mother’s rights were terminated. She is very young and mentally damaged by abuse. On the scene, she kept screaming that she should’ve killed the baby before she put her in the pipe.”

“How young is very young?”

“She turned fourteen a few months ago,” Buck said, and shock rolled off the woman briefly before she got ahold of her herself. “The step-father is the….” He took a deep breath. “One of the many charges he pled guilty to was the rape of a minor.”

“God, that poor child.” Carla sat back in her chair. “But, the lack of future custody issues is good as it means there won’t be stress around a process or possible visitation. And your son? What about his other parent?”

“Christopher’s mother surrendered her parental rights during the divorce because she didn’t want anything to do with Eddie after he came online as a Guide.” Buck looked down at his hands. “I don’t get it, but it is what it is. Christopher has adjusted as much as I think he can on that subject for the time being. Would you like to meet them?”

“I would love to meet your family,” Carla said warmly.

Buck had shied away from the idea of family for years, only allowing Cristobal to enter that protected emotional space, but there was no denying that he’d made himself a family in a matter of days. It was disconcerting but also an immense comfort. Maybe it was the bond, but he trusted Eddie on a level so profound that he didn’t know where it began or ended. There seemed to be no limit to it.

He led Carla down the hall and into the little waiting room that had a sofa and several chairs, and big windows. It was clearly designed to be cheerful and welcoming. Buck didn’t know if it actually hit the mark. Christopher was seated on the floor, using the coffee table in front of the sofa as a desk to color on. Eddie shifted forward and stood.

“Hi.”

“Eddie, this is Carla Price,” Buck said as he peeked into the car seat where Bea was sleeping. “Did she finish her bottle?”

“No, but there isn’t much left,” Eddie said as he offered Carla his hand. “It’s lovely to meet you, Mrs. Price.”

“Please call me Carla,” she said. “Buck tells me that your bond is new? You both seem so settled.”

“As it turns out, two Alpha Ascendants can create a very profound bond that feeds on itself,” Eddie said. “I hardly have to do any maintenance on it at all.” She blinked in surprise. “Buck didn’t tell you that part?”

“Gah, Eddie, the kids are a lot.” He huffed when Eddie laughed. “I didn’t want her to run screaming from the building.”

Carla grinned and focused on Christopher, who was staring.

“Christopher, this is Carla. She’s interviewing to be Bea’s conservator.”

Christopher stared for a moment, inclined his head, and Jara appeared beside him. She nuzzled against his hair before tilting her head slightly as she focused on Carla.

“Jara says yes,” Christopher said. “You feel really nice, Miss Carla.” His cheeks flushed as he leaned against his spirit animal. “What’s your spirit animal?”

A sharp bark made Buck look down, and he found a golden fennec fox at Carla’s feet.

“Fennec fox,” Carla said. “His name is Otis. Jara’s a nice name. What made you call her that?”

“Oh, she told me her name,” Christopher said. “Abuelita says that it’s common for the wolf to talk to their human. I hear Jara in my head.” He paused. “Abuelita promised me that I’m not going crazy.”

Carla laughed and nodded. “I heard Otis once in my head—a very long time ago.”

“Was it an emergency?” Christopher questioned. “I heard that happens with other spirits when things get dangerous.”

“It was in a very dangerous situation. Otis saved my life.” Her spirit animal barked and shimmered away. “Trusting your spirit animal is very important; Jara will never lead you astray.”

Buck picked Bea up when she started to fidget in the car seat. “The first conservator we interviewed put Bea off so much that she actually got scared. It was a weird experience.”

“I bet,” Carla said and frowned. “What was wrong with them?”

“Nothing really,” Eddie interjected. “They were just psionically incompatible, and she was eager for a job, so she tried to protest her dismissal, and Buck got…primal on her.”

“Well, she shouldn’t have argued,” Carla said and shrugged. “An alpha’s paternal instinct is well-known to be an issue.” She focused on Buck. “How does she feel?”

“Comfortable,” Buck said. “I think you can try to hold her.”

“Let me sit down first and settle my mind,” Carla murmured and put her purse aside. “I didn’t expect to meet her today.”

She took a seat in a chair, and Buck moved to the sofa.

“Do you need quiet?” Christopher questioned.

“I don’t, but thank you for asking,” Carla said. “What are you drawing?”

“Oh, me and Everstar on the beach looking for shells,” Christopher said. “Daddy and I moved in with Buck and Bea, so now we live right on the beach, and I can see the whole ocean from my bedroom.”

“A beachfront condo isn’t a bad place to go to work,” Carla said in amusement, and Buck laughed.

“Bea’s nursery is set up and has a full bed in it so that you’ll have your own bed to sleep in for overnights. Everstar will use the guest room next to Christopher’s. Eventually, I think we’ll have to move somewhere with more room.” Buck looked down at Bea. “We both agree that we’d like another.”

“Can I have a brother?” Christopher questioned. “Not that Bea’s not awesome, ‘cause she is. But a brother would be cool.”

Buck shared a glance with Eddie, who looked amused. “We can try, but gender is a social construct, you know. Bea’s a girl right now, but she might realize later that she’s a boy.”

Christopher nodded. “Okay.”

He went back to coloring with that decided, and Buck focused on Bea, who was staring at him intently. The psionic energy moving around them shifted and changed as Bea kicked her feet.

“Is that her?” Carla asked curiously.

“Yes,” Buck admitted. “She’s at least four weeks premature, but the psionic bath she got during the rescue matured her brain a little. Even still, the way psionic energy moves around her is unusual. Her spirit animal is a red panda. It could calm down as she ages or…not.”

“The plane is obviously invested in her,” Eddie said quietly as he joined Buck on the couch. “We don’t know what that means for her.”

“One little shaman is surely enough for any family,” Carla said in amusement with a glance toward Christopher.

Christopher smiled. “Abuelita said she’d teach me, and Dr. Salas said he would be honored to teach me everything he knows as well. So, I’m all set. I don’t know what Bea needs to learn yet, but I think we’ve got plenty of people around to teach her. Jara says I shouldn’t worry about Bea because nature provides, and Bea is a child of the universe just like me.” He shrugged. “Whatever that means.”

“Have you learned about matter in school?” Buck questioned.

“Hmmm.” Christopher scrunched up his nose. “Matter can’t be created or destroyed.”

“Exactly, so all the matter that exists has been here since our universe began,” Buck said and flicked one of Christopher’s curls. “That means, Superman, that you’ve got the stuff of stars inside you.”

“That’s really cool and weird,” Christopher decided. “Can we watch a documentary on that?”

“I’ll find something. Add Dr. Carl Sagan to your research list,” Buck suggested, and Christopher immediately reached for his backpack.

Buck focused on Carla as the energy in the room shifted again. “I think she’s ready to meet you.”

“I think so, too,” Carla said with a bright smile, and Buck stood. He very carefully put Bea in her hands. “Hello, darling. Look at you—what a pretty little bit of star stuff you are.”

Buck sat down beside Eddie and relaxed as he watched Carla hold their daughter. The amount of relief he was feeling had to be bleeding all over the place. Eddie took his hand and laced their fingers together. He looked at Eddie and got a nod. Christopher’s shoulders were relaxed, and he started to hum as he drew.

The door to the room opened, and Cristobal inclined his head. Buck nodded and exhaled slowly as Lou followed Cristobal into the room. He wanted to be surprised when Everstar appeared but just shook his head as he motioned her in. She threw up her arms in celebration and trotted into the room, pulling the door shut behind her.

“Awesome,” she declared and slid between the sofa and coffee table to sit with Christopher.

“This is Carla Price; she’s going to be Bea’s conservator,” Buck said. “Carla, these are my parents—Dr. Cristobal Salas and his Sentinel, Lou Ransone.”

Carla blinked just once and nodded slowly as Lou and Cristobal took seats. “Tell you what, Buck, the next time you hire someone to work for you…definitely lead with the beachfront condo.”

Buck just leaned into his Guide with a laugh, and Eddie shook his head. “Yeah, probably a good idea.”

 

The End