Xiam tried to smile. Zella grinned from ear to ear. Zeph just stared as if he heard something wrong.
"I'm gonna be a real mommy," She said as she hugged Zella gently. "Can you believe it?"
Xiam chuckled nervously. "You're gonna be a mommy?"
Muin just grinned and gave him a hug.
"A mommy." Zeph gave a cutting glare toward Zaria. Mommy and a widow.
"Zeph? Say something," Muin demanded. "Come on."
"You're…having a baby." Zeph couldn't say anything else without causing unruly things to happen. Predator. Who would do something like that with someone so young. Instead he imagined different things that could accidentally happen to Zaria. Branches fall unexpectedly sometimes.
Muin frowned. "Okay? Is that it? I haven't seen you in forever and that's all you have to say?"
"Oh, he's happy I'm sure, he's just a little startled." Xiam shook Zaria's hand. "Congratulations."
"Yeah, congrats," Zeph growled at Zaria as he looked at the offensive warno closely. A little older than Muin, his butt, he was at least as old as him! "Congrats on stealing Muin before she's even 300 and impregnating her. Great news, you know that borders on illegal?" Zella and Muin gawked at him, but he didn't care.
Zaria didn't back down though. "Who exactly are you?"
"Friends call me Zeph," Zeph stated. "You can call me Guardian Zephyr Smilliat. Don't forget even a syllable, predator."
"Did I wrong you in some way Guardian Zephyr Smilliat?" Zaria asked confused.
Zeph tried to keep his temper down but he couldn't get past it. Muin was almost like his little sister and she had been taken in by a predatory male. She should have been older, he should have been someone willing to wait until 400. Birthing too young was risky, anyone worthy of Muin should have waited for kids. She'd need extra attention now during birth, the chance of complications would go up by at least 10 percent. "If I was here, you never would have even talked to her."
"Yes he would have." Muin grabbed Zaria's arm. "Because I would have gone behind your back Guardian Zephyr," she said defiantly. "Come on Zaria, let's go."
Zeph just watched in horror as they left. "What did she just say to me?"
"She's not the same little girl," Xiam reminded him. "That's the reason Zaria got her Zeph, she wanted to get caught by him."
Zella crossed her arms, appearing anything but pleased with him. "They're married and they are having children, accept it and move on. Not every guy is a predator no matter what you think. Everyone gets married, and everyone moves on."
"She's her own woman." Xiam gestured over at Zella. "At least you have one of them who obeyed you." He smiled, until he remembered. "I mean, the best she could?"
Zeph didn't say anything for a while. It was nice to come back and see his childhood friends. They had been so close for so long, he would almost call them family, but the reason he was there did not escape his mind. He would never let anyone else get close enough to Zella to hurt her again. Getting the King to make a deal wasn't easy, but he put his career on the line for it, as well as his life. If he ever revealed what the King had done he would be charged with treason. No need to get worried, so far she's been fine. As long as there were no lasting consequences he could keep the secret for the rest of his life. He looked back at Zella and remembered what Xiam just said previously. "Zella, could we go back and clean a place for me? I don't want to wait until nighttime before I can get settled."
As he thought Zella was eager to get out. "I'll see you Xiam."
Zella and Zeph went home, and talked about old times as they cleaned up a spare room. They shared some laughs and a simple supper Zeph somehow managed to choke down before getting ready for the night.
"That's tidy enough," Zella remarked as she brought down the sheets over the bedspread. Having Zeph in her life again felt odd, but comforting at the same time. She didn't need him for physical strength, she knew how to take care of herself in that convention, but having her pal come back at such a crucial time made her feel more confident.
There was a serious drawback to this, however. When Zeph kept everyone away, it was literal. Besides her brother and her sister, he'd watch her like a hawk around everyone and everything. She remembered how disturbing it had been at first, someone always watching every move whenever a boy appeared. She had an unquenchable hatred for him for a whole year when he first lived with them. Who had the right to choose to whom or when she talked?
In the past, she had been so livid when he told the neighbor boy-the cute neighbor boy- he couldn't talk to her because her pheromones were too high. How could he speak of something like that? Then when he threatened him if he did so, she had ran inside and screamed as she ripped up every single book of his she could find. She refused to listen, to learn how to fight, or to obey his command. In fact, if he had asked her to do something as simple as exercise, she'd lay around watching television just to spite him.
It wasn't until one uneventful day when she had been playing in the backyard with her little sister, that five boys jumped the fence after them. If Zeph had not been nearby, she had no idea what they would have done to her or her little sister. He was just a child himself and came away with more than one broken bone, but he had risked his life for them. Yes, the line between overprotective and protective, was blurry once she started to grow up.
Ever since that frightening day, Zella did the best she could to learn everything he had to offer: How to treat males who were stalking her, how to treat predators when they wanted a date, even some basic fighting techniques. Up until the day he left, she worked hard so she could protect herself and pass on everything she could to her little sister. "I only have purple sheets, I hope you don't mind. They're thin but it's hot outside this time of year."
Zella looked back at Zeph one more time. His presence was comforting, like a favorite sweater that was worn out but too hard to part with. It had been so long since they'd talked or even seen each other but it felt like just yesterday that he was there. A generation of the waryes race could have been born and passed on between how long it had been.
"I'm fine, no worries," Zeph insisted. "I'll see you tomorrow." He waved casually as he watched Zella leave the room, then he went over to the bed and stared at it. It would be better to be sleeping in his own room. He should have been able to relax and go to sleep with ease rather than being in that situation.
If it hadn't been for the King's trick, he would never have been there. He went to the bathroom connected to his bedroom and stared in the mirror. The last time he looked into that mirror, his face had been thinner and youthful. He noticed the bags under his eyes and his tired appearance and felt older than he was. "All those years being a Guardian and look what I have to show for it." He had hurt and lied to someone he had guarded, all because of the damn King's vision! It didn't matter whether she ended up pregnant in the end to the kingdom, what would be would be. The only ones who'd be affected would be them.
"Aah!"
"Zeph," He heard her voice cry out. Oh great, he'd been too loud.
Grabbing a green guest towel he wrapped his right hand carefully in it. He could see shards of glass split like icicles that had dropped all over the floor and the remnants of shards still in the mirror above the sink.
She was gonna freak.
"Zeph, what happened?" Zella gasped and covered her mouth. Yep, she freaked. She went over to his hand and gently removed the towel. "Zeph?" "Why did you feel like breaking my bathroom mirror with your hand?" she said to him like he was a stupid kid.
Zeph shrugged. Well dumb question, dumb answer, she should have known that. Tiny droplets of blood were starting to spill from his hand onto the shard stained floor. Oops.
"I'll get the first aid kit," Zella insisted.
"It's fine Zell," Zeph insisted back, but she didn't listen. She carefully swung over enough to open the bottom cabinet. "Impressive."
"Come on." Zella rolled her eyes and gestured out the door. "Let's go over to the bed and get you fixed up."
"If you insist." Zeph held his hand tightly, damn did that sting! Shoving his fist in the middle of a bathroom mirror was not the best thing he should have done. He was upset with himself, but he should have found another way. He left the glass-littered floor and headed toward the bed, sat down beside Zella and held out his hand. "Sorry, I'll replace the mirror again. I was practicing a move and it went wrong."
"You should try practicing your moves in a safer place, you're lucky you didn't hit a vein," Zella scolded him. "Hold still, this will hurt a little."
Zeph move slightly as she pulled out the glass that was embedded in his skin but he tried to remain tough.
"I hope I got it all, you might need to go to a doctor," she said concerned
"I don't need a doctor." Zeph pulled his hand away. "I need a broom so I can clean your floor." He stood up and glanced into her eyes. "Bad habits fall hard?"
Zella gave him an I-know-you look. "Your getting a stress relief ball for your birthday."
"No thanks, I'd probably end up popping it in frustration with a knife," Zeph joked. "Go on back to bed, I'll get everything else. Sorry to disrupt you." He looked back at her and noticed her robe. "What are you wearing?"
Zella looked down at her robe, then back up at him. Ah, so it begins. "Just regular pajamas beneath, nothing frilly or sexy, just simple long ones," she lied but she had to, silky lingerie felt nice to sleep in, especially in the middle of hot nights. "I'm going back to bed now."
"Are your curtains closed? Does your silhouette cast itself onto them?" Zeph's irritating voice asked again.
Zella held back her sigh, she would have to get used to his constant attention. "No, Guard Zeph, now I'm going to bed. Tell me later if you think you need more assistance with your hand." She turned to leave, almost home free.
"Good, then keep the lights off, and don't forget to change those clothes. Not only can I tell they aren't long, your purple neckline sticks out at the back. Oh and by the way, I did see your room and those lights. If you change right beside your bed your whole silhouette shows through giving every predator out there a great show. Also, your back door can be jarred open with one good tug and a crowbar, we'll work on that tomorrow."
Zella looked back at Zeph, but kept her mouth shut. She had forgotten that even if you really love an old sweater, it gets pulled out of shape and the stitching always becomes loose causing tail ends all over the place. The feeling of a comfy old sweater only lasts for so long until it has worn out its welcome. He is an old friend; he's trying his best. He's a Guardian and that's what he does. Yeah, annoy every part of her. Why did they even make a rule about a Guardian not involving himself with a woman? No woman would ever want one. "Goodnight, Zeph."