Releasing May 31. Pre-order now: Amazon, Amazon UK, Nook, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, print
If it isn't one thing, it's a mother.
* * * *
Conyod was finishing his morning rounds as an intern in the hospital’s psychiatric department and heading to the employee lounge for lunch. He’d drawn the Imdiko wing for his seasonal rotation and found it demanding despite being an Imdiko himself. His breed, natural caregivers and nurturers, tended to set aside their needs in deference to those of family and clanmates. They often ignored warning signs of emotional stress or mental illness until they reached severe crisis. Even on the brink of collapse, they usually continued to insist they were fine.
Conyod was coming from a session with such a patient, who’d attempted suicide a few weeks prior. “I was just overworked and tired. Exhaustion made my life seem worse than it was,” he’d told Conyod and the presiding doctor who was monitoring the intern’s work. “I’m better now. I’m ready to return to my clan.”
“The situation at home hasn’t changed,” Conyod had pointed out. “You’ll be returning to your clan’s elderly parents who need care, your job, and your Dramok’s nephew who lives with you. Until you have a plan in place to delegate duties and hire in-home assistance and respite care, you’ll end up overworked again.”
“Assistants will only add to my tasks since I’ll have to check everything they do. I’m the only one who takes care of my family properly. They need me.”
It was the mantra of too many Imdikos. The urge to take care of others and fix everyone’s problems drove a number of them to therapy sooner or later…most of them kicking and screaming along the way.
Conyod wondered if he’d end up the same should he join a clan. He hoped knowing the danger signs would keep him out of trouble…but he knew one’s own mental state was the hardest to diagnose.
The employee lounge was in sight when his personal com went off. He checked the frequency and managed to fend off a groan. A spike of anxiety stabbed his gut. He considered turning the com off.
There was no hope for it. If he didn’t answer, she’d continue to com until she was frantic. Then she’d call his supervisor, demanding to know what tragedy had befallen Conyod to keep him from responding.
He diverted to an empty patient room so he could deal with her and possibly the rest of his parents privately. As soon as the door shut behind him, he clicked the continuously buzzing device. “Hello, my mother.”
Lafec sighed loudly, as if she were ready to drop from relief. “Why did it take so long for you to answer, Conyod? Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”
“I’m at work. You know my schedule.”
“Indeed, I do. It’s your lunch break.”
“My lunch break happens when I’m done treating the patient I have just before it. Trauma doesn’t serve a clock.”
He heard his impatience, but it was impossible to rein it in. How many times had they been through this?
Lafec wasn’t a slave to her emotions…at least, not when it came to anything except Conyod. She was as tough as any rancher on the plain, fit and capable when it came to the family’s kestarsh breeding business. Her firm hand had trained many an animal, no matter how skittish or ill-natured.
She dropped the fussiness over her surviving child abruptly, which told Conyod either Tuher or Sema were present and had quietly…and no doubt diplomatically…told her to ease up. “How are you? It’s been a couple of weeks since we spoke.”
“Well.” He began to relax since there was no accusation in her voice.
“Busy?”
“Internship means long hours, unfortunately. But the experience is invaluable. I’m learning so much they can’t cover in a lecture hall.” He was able to warm up, thanks to his work being a safe subject.
“I always knew you’d do well. Soon you’ll be running the hospital.”
Her pride brought guilt that his first instinct was to keep her at a distance. He chuckled awkwardly. “I doubt it but thank you. How are you and my fathers? Is everyone all right?”
“We’re well.” Dramok Tuher’s rough baritone was affectionate. “Training the new colts. We wish you were here to help.”
A pang of homesickness struck Conyod. He loved training the kestarsh, which were so vital to ranch life. “I wish I were too. How’s Dresk?”
“The love of your life is fine. He’s full of himself these days, thanks to a dozen of his strong young offspring running around and impressing potential buyers,” Imdiko Sema answered, laughter in his tone. No doubt he knew Conyod had been hard pressed not to ask about his favorite mount before everyone else. Calling Dresk the love of his life hadn’t been far off the mark.
“When will you visit next?” Lafec asked.
“This rotation won’t be up until summer. I’ll have a week, then I start the next…maybe I can come for a couple of days.” Reluctance and guilt for feeling unwilling to see his parents often churned in his stomach. He quickly changed the subject. “Is my father Vel there?”
“I am,” came the gruff voice of the Nobek. “You sound good, Conyod. I hope you’ll visit as soon as possible.”
“Of course. Any other news?”
“We finally finished cleaning up after the big storm. The new stables are built, and we’ve almost finished repairing the old barn. I’m sure we’ll be able to better withstand another sudden blowup, should it occur.”
“We had a wild ronka herd tear through here a couple weeks ago,” Sema joined in. “They knocked down a few poles of the corral. It brought down the containment field, but Dresk kept the mares close to the stables. None of them panicked.”
“Dresk never gets flustered,” Conyod boasted. He’d trained the champion himself. Doing so had helped him get over his dread of the mountains surrounding the ranch.
Except one.
“He doesn’t like the ghost,” Lafec muttered. “He makes a lot of noise and kicks the walls when it’s around.”
“Ghost?” Conyod’s heart forgot to beat for a moment.
“There’s no ghost,” Vel snorted. “Just drunk ranch hands seeing things.”
“Nevip doesn’t drink, and he doesn’t bother making up tall tales,” Lafec said. “He saw the boy—”
“He got caught up in everyone else’s hysteria and thought he saw something.” Tuher’s commanding tone quieted his clanmates. “We should let Conyod go to lunch. Next time, we’ll call in the evening after you’ve hopefully finished for the day, my son.”
“That would be great,” Conyod said. “My love to you all.”
They said their goodbyes and ended the com. Conyod had little time left to eat his lunch prior to his first afternoon session, but he lingered in the room as his thoughts swirled.
The ghost had returned? The small white figure that had
haunted the plains and spooked the ranchers after his brother’s death?
* * * *
He
needed a hero and found two. Can love rescue him again?
Nobek
Sletran never took Imdiko Conyod’s infatuation seriously when he rescued him
years before. When Conyod shows up in his life again as a strong and successful
man instead of a traumatized victim, Sletran has to reconsider the one he once
rejected and now can’t imagine life without.
Conyod has
never given up on the man he considers his hero. Sletran is all he’s ever
wanted for a clanmate, and he’s determined to win him at last. But the past refuses
to be laid to rest. When Conyod convinces Sletran to see him for who he’s
become, will who he was resurface and destroy the love they’re building?
Sletran’s
commanding officer Dramok Erybet is instantly fascinated by Conyod when the
soldier brings his love on base for a visit. However, Sletran isn’t the Nobek
Erybet feels is right for him. When he rejects the Nobek, he risks losing
Conyod too.
Against the backdrop of heartbreaking childhood tragedy, a ghost who haunts Conyod and his grief-stricken family, and military brass determined to oust Erybet from the rank he’s worked so hard to reach, three men must come to terms with who they are. When tragedy strikes, the nightmares of the past must be faced and buried once and for all. Conyod, Sletran, and Erybet must dare everything to find redemption and hold on to each other.
Releasing May 31. Pre-order now: Amazon, Amazon UK, Nook, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, print
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