"Yes, though when I returned to Storm Keep to study for my assessment and take over as head of the Water Temple it had been a while since I saw them. My family left Storm Keep right after Zach and I came of age.
"One of the first things I did when I returned to the city was look them up. They claimed one another not long after I left and moved to the Lower City to begin their work at the Water Temple."
"Why did neither of them become temple head?"
"Laelia said she didn't want the responsibility and Radclyffe was denied the position because his father is on the board that reviews application for city positions. When they moved to the Lower City his family disowned him."
"Why the Water Temple?" he asked.
She smiled. "It's where they
were born."
"I studied like a fiend and they would help me, though they avoided Kendrick like the plague," she gave a one shoulder shrug. "Everyone thinks I can fuss back at him because I'm not impressed by his power, but nothing could be further from the truth. Growing up I saw his immense power and it terrified me, but I knew if there was one person in all the world who could help me get stronger it was him. I wasn't fearless, I was stubborn," she swallowed hard. "And it helped that I saw how he was around Keelan."
"Were the two of you close?" Micah asked softly.
She nodded. "They didn't receive many guests considering Kendrick's sunny personality so Keelan got excited when I came to visit as a child. He was studying for his warrior exams and used to share his note taking techniques," she shuddered. "The entire city felt Kendrick's grief the night Keelan was lost."
"According to Meryn he's just not in his body right now," Micah clarified.
"What does that even mean?" she asked. The last update received from Kendrick while she was in Storm Keep was that he was working to help Keelan. When she offered to travel to Lycaonia to help he advised her it wasn't a medical issue and everything was being done to restore Keelan.
"I have no idea and the Alpha Unit is very 'hush hush' about it. Not because they don't trust us, but because whatever happened is so important that the fewer who know the details, the safer Keelan will be. All the warriors respect that decision and haven't pressed for more details."
"Maybe after we cure the virus we can help them," she suggested.
He smiled. "That sounds like a good plan to me." He gave her a quick kiss then closed his eyes. "We won't be able to help anyone if we don't get some sleep."
"I am hoping for sexy dreams with a montage of our claiming," she said before yawning.
"Me too," he said.
Before she could think of another topic to keep her wide awake his even breathing lulled her to sleep.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Micah leered at his mate over coffee in their garden the next morning. "Thanks to your suggestion right before I nodded off, I dreamt about our claiming, it was a montage of sexy images, but done like an ESPN highlight reel." He sipped his coffee. "I got extra points for claiming you midair, then it got weird. We got stuck above the platform and my gran's next-door neighbor Mr. Compton had to get us down." He shook his head. "I don't know whether the dream was arousing, humiliating, or disturbing." He heard a thump and when he looked around he couldn't see his mate. Her cup of coffee was balanced precariously on the arm of the platform bed, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Serenity?" he called.
He heard a gasping noise under him and he leaned over the side of the bed. His brilliant healer of a mate, had, once again, fallen over while laughing at him.
"Congratulations, I now have a complex," he chided.
"Micah, stop!" she yelled, while gales of laughter echoed throughout his normally tranquil oasis.
He smiled at her antics. He loved how she gave herself over to her mirth and joy. She held nothing back when she laughed, he just wished it wasn't because she was laughing at him.
After a couple more minutes, she finally dragged herself back up on to the platform and took a sip of her coffee. "I needed that," she said, still smiling.
"I do aim to please." He leaned back. "What are our plans for the day?"
She looked at him funny. "Don't you have to patrol or do unit work? Back in Storm Keep the units were constantly running patrols around the city."
He shook his head. "Eta was assigned to Level One to rotate in guarding the mates." He grinned at her. "I'm your guard."
Behind them in the house the clock chimed and he stood. "Come on, my one and only. Time for breakfast." He rubbed his hands together. "I can't wait to see what Sebastian made, I hope we're having waffles, his waffles are legendary."
"So, everyone really does get together for meals?" She drained her coffee cup and followed him inside. "I hope Vivi has an update about Aiden's blood. As much as I would like to help in the lab all we can do as healers is make patients comfortable, we're useless when it comes to human science."