Healing Kisses (Sophia and Santiago) novel Chapter 202

201

The Kingston entrance is completely flooded. Ragnar pokes my arm and motions for me to help him. There was an incident during our training when one of the water valves broke, and we fixed it. I held the water back while he used his hand to mend the metal. It was the first time we were able to use our abilities that way.

"Ready?" he asks. I nod and catch the water when he lifts the plastic the staff used to try to slow the leak. He mends the metal and works his way down the pipes until the water stops spilling out. "That should hold for a bit, but they definitely need replacing."

"That was interesting," Oliver says, looking between us.

"That's a cool combo."

I sweep my hand over the puddles and guide them to the storm drains. Ivar comes over and smiles at Oliver before he looks over at Ragnar. The two of them nod at one another, and I know they're up to something. I can see the sparkle of mischief in his eyes.

"We'll be back. Is it okay if she stays here with you?" Ragnar asks my brother.

"Dumb question, Oliver smirks. Ragnar pats his arm playfully.

"'ll be back in a couple of hours. Reach out for anything that you need," he says, kissing the top of my head before he and Ivar walk away. Ivar winks at me and then gives his attention to Ragnar.

"Do you not get along with the other one?" Oliver asks.

"var, and of course, I do. He's the reason why I'm here," | admit. "It's just tense between the four of us."

"Me?"

"No, Kaylee. Ivar's mate. She was one of Romano's alphas, and I killed him when I took over the city. A lot of people hate me for that. It's a long story."

"I saw it," he clears his throat. "Water carries memories."

I was hoping he hadn't, but I guess that's a little too much to ask for.

"I know," I nod, looking up at him, embarrassed. He reaches out for my hand.

"Why didn't you go home?" he asks.

"What home?" I shrug. "There was no home after what happened. He was my mate. Goddess-given. I was a kid. I didn't understand, and I didn't want to. I just wanted something in my life to feel real."

"I'm sorry," he lets out a heavy sigh.

"There's nothing to be sorry about anymore," | give his hand a squeeze. "I'm good now. I have been for a while."

"I had the same procedure done to me, but it wasn't like yours," he says quietly. He looks back at the house and then at me. He turns towards the beach, and I follow after him.

"Are you okay here?" I ask.

"Yeah, he smiles. "But Lilly is the leading doctor for Oroboros, and she's loyal to what they do there."

"Does she know?"

"Yes, everyone has known about Dr Galloway for some time now. The thing is that when she left, she vanished.

"Is there a way I can convince you not to burn Oroboros down?" he looks at me sideways, knowing what the answer is.

"You have it all wrong," I shake my head. "I don't want to burn it down. I want to own it. Infinate Tech doesn't have a medical sector yet. Western Medicine is the most advanced medicine field in the world.

"Sure, American tactics aren't always savory, but they get shit done. There is a shortage of Lycan pups. Our numbers are at an all-time low, and l aim to fix that.

Starting with Kaylee. Adding it to the King's personal treasury not only expands our militia, but it strengthens it.

It opens doors to bigger opportunities.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not backing out of this one. I also want to learn more about all of this. During my training, I realized that I'm not as smart as I thought I was. I'm sheltered, and now that I have real power, I'm becoming entitled as hell.

"My goals, although they remain the same, change with every milestone. I find that under my mate's influence, I want more. I crave it. After what happened with Santiago, I can't limit myself to just being someone's mate. It nearly destroyed me the first time. I know Ragnar will never ever be like him, but this is for me. It's a bonus for him."

"And he's okay with this?" he sighs.

"Ragnar is very protective of me. They all are. I watched Ivar fall apart when Kaylee rejected him, and I felt helpless to make it better for him. I can only imagine what it looked like to them when I came back into their lives. We're a family. But his contempt for Kaylee exceeds his need to keep his family happy.

"He sees her as a threat. That's how drastic Ivar's change was. He thinks that Kaylee will try to hurt me if I ever let my guard down around her. It's not just me getting hurt, but the way he lost Clarity. There will always be times when the King and I don't agree."

"I can't believe that you two are mated," he laughs. "He thought you were annoying when we were kids."

"I know, I laugh. "I love getting under his skin. I honestly don't know where I would be without him."