Tempestuous Miracles (8 page)

"Cute as she might be, she has given three quarters of the pack gray hairs with her antics," Roman replied. "But now, come. You're probably tired after your trip. Would you like some refreshments?"

They were led into an expansive living room easily three times the size of the one in Mirian's home. Mirian supposed it made sense that everything in this house would be massive—after all, it was built for a pack, not a handful of people. That wasn't really what surprised him, but rather, the fact that despite its size, the place had a very distinctive homey feel.

Several members of the staff brought in snacks and drinks, but they weren't faceless servants. All of them without exception stopped to coo over Luna, who preened and yipped under their attention. At one point, Julian let the girl go, although Mirian noted both Julian and Roman always kept a close eye on her.

At first, the conversation was a little stilted. Mirian was acutely aware that he was bringing his issues in the life of a peaceful family. It was probably noticeable, because Julian and Roman didn't press him, instead choosing to speak of their pack, mentioning a lot of anecdotes about their daughter.

Apparently, she was known to give her family quite a lot of scares, even going so far so as to escape mansion grounds. "At the time, we didn't realize she could shift into a wolf shape," Roman explained, "so we were all quite confused as to how she could elude her babysitters."

"Oh dear," Mirian said. "I bet you were terrified."

"We were, although by the time we heard about it she had already been found." Julian's expression was a weird thing, torn between fondness and a quiet fear. "It turns out that she is quite the matchmaker since while looking for her, Roman's cousin Benjamin found his own Bearer mate. His name is Mercury. Maybe you'll meet him later."

Wow, that was quite a story, and Mirian could understand why Julian felt conflicted about it. Undoubtedly, he was happy for the new couple, but his child's disappearance must have frightened him terribly.

"I'd like that," he said, hoping to dispel the strange mood that had settled over the room.

He wasn't sure if he was successful, but in the end, it didn't really matter. After running around for a bit longer, Luna exhausted herself and ended up draped over Roman's lap. Roman picked her up and pressed a kiss to Julian's cheek. "I'll take her to the nursery. Love you."

As he got up, Roman gestured for Frey to follow, and much to Mirian's surprise, Frey did. Julian and Mirian were thus left alone, and Mirian struggled not to panic. "Umm... Is something the matter?"

"Not at all," Julian replied. "Please don't look so startled. It's just that... Roman mentioned that you'd never been around other Bearers and that you largely grew up isolated. I thought that maybe you had questions, things you'd like to ask me that you'd be more comfortable talking about if it was just the two of us." He smiled sheepishly. "It's fine if that's not the case. I simply wanted to give you the chance to ask."

Mirian was a little surprised to realize that he actually wanted to confide in Julian. There was something about Julian that confirmed what Mirian had hoped for, that here, he might find someone who could understand.

"I'm just... I'm not exactly sure where Frey and I are headed. It's a very complicated situation. We haven't mated yet."

Julian gave him a look full of understanding. He sat next to Mirian on the couch, although he also kept some distance between them, ensuring the fact that Mirian didn't feel pressured. "You know, when I first met Roman, I hated the idea of him being my mate. I practically refused it outright."

Mirian's eyes widened. "What? Why?"

"All my life, I'd been trapped, simply because of a twist in my genes. My family had already chosen a spouse for me. And now, a man had showed up out of nowhere, claiming he wanted to help me—only to then say that he was my other half. It was just like with everyone else. Or so I thought."

Mirian could understand where Julian was coming from. He might not have had Julian's experience—his father had made sure of that—but his cage had been one of a different nature, and he'd still yearned for freedom.

"How did you know? How did you know it was what you wanted?"

Julian laughed lightly. "It was pretty obvious from the beginning, but I was just being stubborn. It occurred to me that if I hadn't been a Bearer, if all those choices hadn't been taken out of my hands, I would have already embraced what Roman offered. I was fighting it so hard because I couldn't fight any of the things that happened before. Once I realized that, I knew I didn't have to be afraid."

Mirian bit his lower lip. "I realize I've had it much easier than you and I shouldn't feel the same fear you do, but..."

He trailed off, unable to vocalize the emotions in his heart. Julian waited patiently, letting him gather his thoughts.

"I want this," Mirian finally said. "But I have moments when I wonder why I want it, or if I should want it. Does that make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense. Mirian, we're Bearers. You and I might not be very alike, but I'll hazard a guess to say that you were also told that you were meant to have a certain role. Your father is a good man in that he tried to free you from that role, and you have no idea how happy I am for that. But even the fact that you had to run away and hide made you different. And being a werewolf's mate... That's another role, and you have to get used to the thought, to understand it before you decide if you want to accept it or not. You need to give yourself time. Frey certainly won't rush you. I can tell he loves you very much."

Mirian's eyes widened. "Do you think so? Do you think he loves me? We've only just met."

"Sometimes you just know. But don't overthink it. Just let yourself feel whatever you feel. It's perfectly all right to be whoever you want to be. Believe me, that's the person Frey wants by his..."

Julian suddenly paled, swaying slightly. Mirian grabbed Julian's hand, instantly on alarm and ready to call for someone. Julian stopped him. "It's fine." He guided Mirian's palm toward his belly. "Luna's sibling is being as demanding as she is."

"You're pregnant?"

"It was a bit of an accident, I'm afraid. We wanted to wait until Luna was older, but suppressors are useless for a werewolf's mate and other types of contraceptives are... unreliable."

"Wait... Suppressors don't work for you?" That was definitely something important to know.

"Ah, I supposed I should have mentioned that sooner. No, they don't. I thought Roman and I were safe after our first time, but well... Luna was the result."

Mirian felt faint. "So if Frey and I mate..."

"There's a good chance that you will conceive, yes. I've found condoms are effective up to a point, but they aren't meant for werewolves, I'm afraid. I haven't gone into heat after my first pregnancy, but it didn't make that much of a difference." Julian's expression sobered. "The truth is, Mirian, there's very little protection for us Bearers, beyond suppressors, at least. I'm happy about having another child, but there are countless Bearers out there who do not have a loving partner. Roman and I are trying to change that, but it will take a long time and a lot of help."

"And you think I could help?"

"I don't know," Julian answered. "I will be honest and say that I am selfishly glad for every werewolf that finds a Bearer mate, if only because it brings us closer to me proving my theory. If we can get people to believe that Bearers are shifter mates, things would change a lot. But that's still very far away."

Mirian hadn't really known what to expect of this conversation with Julian, but it definitely hadn't been this. Living on the island for so long had distanced him from the world, and it had never occurred to him to wonder what other Bearers were going through, or if he could help them in any way.

Leaving aside his own personal problems and dilemmas, Mirian had to admit that this new realization made something burn inside of him, a new goal, a new destination.

"I would love it if you could teach me," he said. "I might not know much about the research you've done so far, but I'm a really fast learner."

A thought occurred to him, the memory of his strange psychic episode flashing through his mind. If Julian was looking into what it meant to be a Bearer, that kind of information would be useful. Besides, he wanted to understand himself, and clearly, Julian was the go-to person for that.

Still, a part of him didn't know how to address something so delicate, and as such, he heard himself ask, "Mr. Montblanc, if I may... Have you ever exhibited unusual abilities?"

"It depends on what you mean by unusual," Julian replied. "I seem to be faster and somewhat stronger that regular humans, as well as more resistant to diseases."

That was something Mirian had known already, and while it was nice to have it confirmed, it wasn't what Mirian had been looking for. Well, there was no way around it. He had to ask outright. "It's just that... You see, I enjoy drawing in my free time. More often than not, they're just doodles, nothing I really think heavily about. Hours before I met Frey, I drew his eyes."

"His eyes? Are you quite certain?"

Mirian nodded. "There's no doubt about it."

"That's very interesting indeed. It would seem, Mr. Lamine, that you are full of surprises." Julian offered Mirian a small, but warm smile. "I'm afraid I can't explain this unexpected skill, but I can assure you that I will try to figure it out. For the moment, there's just one thing I'd like you to know. We're here for you and for your mate. And on a more personal level, I'd like to be your friend."

There wasn't any sort of judgment or expectation in Julian's words, and it took everything in Mirian's power not to break down completely. Instead, he managed to muster a shaky smile. "Yes. I'd like that too."

****

It was hard for Frey to look at Roman's daughter and not imagine a child of his own, one born out of the bond between him and Mirian. It was even harder to listen to the less than good news Roman had for him.

"I looked into the dealings of the man you mentioned, your mate's grandfather. Julian told me he remembered him coming to his birthday party, which means he's connected to the Rowes—but that's not a big surprise. What is more worrisome is that he seems to be the driving force behind Miracle Labs."

Frey blanched. "The pharmaceutical company that makes suppressors?"

"That's the one. As you can imagine, I'm not very thrilled about that. We have been looking into figuring out new contraceptive methods for a while, and it's not like it's necessarily a surprise that the head of the labs has a secondary agenda. However, I don't have to tell you that this complicates matters."

"I just... I don't understand," Frey admitted. "If Duke Lamine is after Mirian, why would he focus his efforts on a pharmaceutical company?"

"I'm not sure what to tell you. The Lamine family has a long history of successful businesses, but it is only in the past decade or so that they've started focusing on Bearer medical care. For a time, they became the target of a great deal of corporate sabotage, but as of late, the situation has stabilized."

Frey thought about Mirian's physician, the suppressors Mirian regularly took and the apparently inexplicable fact that Duke Lamine hadn't found Mirian despite his considerable influence. He remembered the distractions mentioned in their conversation with Mirian's family. That would explain the sabotage, but not why it had stopped. It could all be a coincidence, but somehow, Frey doubted it very much.

"I told Julian not to discuss it with Mirian," Roman continued. "I thought it might be something you would want to address. But whatever the two of you decide, there's something going on here, something that worries me greatly."

The idea of Mirian unknowingly taking medication that quite possibly came from the same man he was running from made Frey's stomach turn. "Yes, I definitely have to discuss it with him. And perhaps... Perhaps it would be a good idea for Julian to see the suppressors Mirian has been using."

He was suddenly very unsettled, and he ached to see his mate again. Still, he stayed a bit longer with Roman and the now sleeping Luna, knowing Mirian probably needed some time with the only Bearer he'd ever met.

In the end, it was Mirian who came to him. He and Julian entered the nursery so stealthily Frey might have missed their approach entirely if not for his advanced werewolf senses.

Mirian's eyes were a little red, like he'd been struggling not to cry. However, he was smiling, and he seemed comfortable with Julian. That was already a big plus.

Frey hated ruining that comfort and happiness, but the matter of the suppressors couldn't wait. Mirian must have noticed his dark expression, because his smile faded. "What is it?" he whispered.

"Can I talk to you for a moment? It's important."

"Yes, of course."

"Please, feel free to use my office," Roman said. "It's the room adjoining this one."

Frey appreciated how accommodating the couple was being. He left Roman and Julian in the nursery and led his mate to the room Roman had indicated.

"What is it?" Mirian asked again. "Is anything wrong?"

"I'm not sure," Frey admitted. "It's about your suppressors. Roman just told me there's a possibility that your grandfather might be behind the company that makes them."

Mirian's eyes widened and all the color drained out of his face. "W-What? No, that can't be right. Father... Father would have..."

Yes, if this was true, Mirian's father would have probably known. The idea suggested things Frey didn't really want to think about.

"This isn't possible," Mirian said, clenching his fists. "My father placed me on the island to protect me. He wouldn't knowingly expose me to something like that."

"He might not have realized it. After all, you said your physician was in charge of the suppressors. There is also a chance that your suppressors are made by a different company. And further, it took some digging for Roman to figure out your grandfather's influence on Miracle Labs." All that was true, but it still didn't lift the weight on Frey's heart and the main reason for his suspicions. Exactly what had Mirian's father done to make sure his son stayed out of Duke Lamine's power? How had he kept the secret of their island safe?