unchallengeable

There was no way she could get any sleep with the amount of heartbreak she felt. She cried until she wouldn't allow herself to anymore. Crying wouldn't help. Nothing would.

Her eyes felt thick and uncooperative. Bleak and swollen. Anyone would be able to look at her and know that her heart was breaking.

She'd known all of this was too good to be true. She'd known that when it came to an end that she'd be nothing left but bleeding, broken pieces.

What she hadn't known is that she'd have to lose them all.

It didn't have to be forever. If she kept reminding herself that maybe she'd be able to live through this.

Tears leaked from her eyes. That was a lie. She was walking out on her family. After all they had already lost.

She'd never forgive herself for that.

"Human Jessalynn, the future King will not be delayed any longer. He is coming back early and will be here within the hour."

"Thank you, Dezrick."

Leaving the bed, she reached for the candora she'd left on the floor last night. How was she going to accomplish single handily destroying everyone she loved?

All without them knowing how much it was killing her?

As hard as it was going to be, her best course of action was spending as little time with them as possible. Which was horrible since she didn't want to waste one moment with them.

"Please tell me all the hurling is over. I felt for you, I really did but_____."

Julian stilled. "What happen? Is Kell_____."

"Fine and on the way home. I just had a bad night."

"Ah, babe. I feel horrible. If I'd known you were going to have such a hard time of it, I would have stuck it out."

"Nonsense. No sense in both of us being sick."

He felt her forehead. "Maybe you should go back to the infirmary."

"Don't be silly."

Jess untangled her hair then put it up in a quick tight bun. "We should hurry. I don't want to miss breakfast with Mel."

Her voice cracked but she pretended not to notice.

He caught her hand and drugged her down the stairs to the front entrance. "Dez, do a full scan. Do blood work, the whole thing."

"That will not be______."

"Just do it."

"Julian, I_______."

"Go ahead and say I'm being silly one more time to clarify how seriously wrong something is."

"I am unable to do blood work from here, but all the scans are clear. She is slightly dehydrated but nothing more."

Jess managed a small smile. "I love you, Julian. Always will."

She's told him that more times than you can count but this was the first time his face fell when hearing it.

"You're dying, aren't you? The sickness? Those little fuckers waited too long to treat you, didn't they? I'll kill every one of them. We'll get a gun, and we'll go up there and_____."

Her smile broke. God, she wasn't good at this. She turned away from him. This is why she couldn't spend any time with them. Especially him. "Don't be talking like that in front of Mel and Aunt Sarah. You'll upset them for no reason. Come on. You heard Dez. All I need is some breakfast."

He never said anything else, but he watched her carefully.

Obviously, she wasn't the worst actor to ever live. Her aunt and sister winced over the story she told them about last night then they moved on to their day ahead.

"Should I go to the store this afternoon, Jess, or do you want to? For dinner, I was thinking Mexican. What do you think? You and Julian could both invite someone."

Since her aunt had been looking over a clear screen in her hand, she didn't notice her nieces' pause. One last family dinner? She wished she was strong enough for that. "I'm sorry, Aunt Sarah. I can't. There's things I must see to."

That caught her aunt's attention and she looked up at her. "You're passing on Mexican?"

"Of course not. You'll have to save me some."

"I can do that but for now on try not to miss our family dinners. We get so few of them and they are important."

She nodded then leaned down over her pop tart buying herself some time. "I know."

"Of course, you do. What about you two? Tacos?"

"Count me in."

"Jetidi is coming too."

"Sounds good, sweetie. I'm meeting with a woman who wants to help care for some of the orphans, so I want to leave early this morning."

"Bye, Aunt Sarah. Love you."

"Bye, Aunt Sarah. Remember to keep all your doctor appointments. It's important."

Her aunt was so beautiful. It was good to see her getting a little bit of life back into her eyes.

With a smile and a question in her eyes, she kissed Jess's forehead. "I will, honey."

Jess watched her till there was nothing left to watch.

"I don't want to be late either. Jetidi is going to walk with me."

"Mel, Jetidi is great but maybe you shouldn't be spending so much time with him. Okay? Julian and I will walk you to school, like we always do."

"You're being mean, Jess."

"I know but you still have to listen to me."

"That's not fair." Her eyes teared.

"No, it's not. A lot of things aren't but sometimes it can't be helped."

She was seven years old and already knew too much loss, and Jess wouldn't let that creepy little kid be another loss. More importantly, she couldn't chance her sister being marked by him. "Stay away from him. I mean it."

Now her sister's tears fell so she didn't bother hiding her own.

"You're being mean."

"I love you."

"He's my Julian."

"No, baby. He's your Kellum. You need to trust me on this."

"I don't want you to take me to school. I want Julian."

"Good idea. Run and get your things."

"Don't look at me like that." She told Julian as she started to clean up their dishes. "I know what I'm doing."

His arms caught her from behind. He rested his cheek on the top of her head. "Talk to me, baby."

"I'm just trying to look out for her. For all of you. She has to know that."

"She does."

"If she forgets you'll remind her?"

"Always. Now talk to me. Is it Kell? Did he upset you in some way?"

"No. Kell's great. You're great. I'm very lucky. Just trust me, okay? Tell me you trust me to know what to do."

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I do trust you. To always do what is best for us, but it's my job to do what is best for you."

She felt Kellum several moments before he was standing in front of her.

He might look worse than her. His eyes were tired and held more worries than any one person should know.

"You better get Mel to school. I'll hitch a ride with him."

Jess went back to washing up the few dishes. "You shouldn't have rushed back on my account. You can't always be by my side."

"Do not tempt me, Jessalynn. I will make it a law before you can blink."

She walked right into his arms. Her own arms wrapping around him tightly. "Look at you with a sense of humor."

"Who is joking? Dezrick, have you_____."

"He has. I'm fine. Look that bad, huh?"

"I feel your pain, Jessalynn. You are not fine."

"Have you even checked on poor Frick?"

"Dezrick?"

"He had a poor night but is feeling better this morning."

"See, I told you. Now beam me up, Scotty."

Using a finger, he tilted her chin up so he could search her face. He might be able to feel some of what she felt but because of his calming power over her, she might be able to keep him too confuse to know how very close to lost she was.

"How did the trip go? Bad guys taken care of?"

"My council in the city of Chicago wanted me to sit in on some of their meetings. More than some, so we are still in the process of departing the criminals. I left Alric in charge. Those men are very hostile towards my kind and refused to even listen to reason but they are not a danger to us."

"And the people they attacked?"

"Already healed. Frighten though."

"I'm sorry that happened to your people, Kellum. You should be with Alric taking care of that."

"My first need is to see to you."

"Maybe that would be true if we were mated and if you weren't king. I won't mind that sometimes you'll have to put what's right for your people over what's right for me. Sometimes I might have to do the same."

"One day your people will be my people and my people will be your people. And you will still be more important to me then all of them."

Jess didn't have the strength to argue with him, then he was kissing her, and she no longer wanted to argue with him.

She kissed him like this was the last time their lips might ever touch. The last time his arms might ever hold her.

When he felt her tears against his cheek, he pulled back so he could look at her.

"I missed you, Kellum. Look what you have reduced me to. I'm supposed to be stronger than this. I'm only half of who I use to be."

"Only because you are the other half of me. We are stronger than we have ever been."

"Then why am I such a mess?"

"Because you are still not as sure as I am, but you will see, I am not going anywhere."

It was more than just a promise to him. He caught her hand, his thumb rubbing back and forth over the top of it. Then the knuckles. Then each finger. His other hand caught her hip and brought her closer.

"I am not going anywhere." His hand traveled a slow journey up her back. "Remember that song? Sing it for me. Just for me."

Just for him, so he would know just how much she yearned for him, so he would know she's never wanted anything as much as she wanted him.

With her song, she begged him to need her just as much. Begged him to love her.

Carefully, he pulled the pins from her hair and let it down. His hand soon lost in the waves.

Jess opened her eyes. He was looking at her like she was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen.

In that moment, to him she was, but she was going to give him reason to never see her that way again.