Clan Beginnings: Clan and Crave - Chapter Three, Scene One

 

Releasing May 31. Pre-order now: Amazon, Amazon UK, Nook, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, print

Conyod's bid for freedom has serious consequences.

* * * *

Conyod, age 15

Conyod scowled at the law enforcement psychologist who’dbeen grilling him for almost two hours. “I got tired of being bothered aboutchores and schoolwork. I wanted a break, so I left.”

“Two weeks ago.”

“Like I said.”

“Here’s the problem, Conyod.” The psychologist, a Dramokwho’d introduced himself as Tyaru, leaned toward him. He smiled confidentially,as if they were old friends who trusted their secrets to each other. “You’retoo thin for someone who’s been on his own for two weeks. Especially forsomeone who admits he brought a week’s worth of food when he ran off. You havethe look of a boy who’s been neglected for a long time.”

Conyod bristled. “Hardly. Until I snuck off, my family knewwhere I was every second of the day. They run a successful kestarsh ranch. Wehave plenty of food. I just don’t eat much.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’m not hungry!”

“No need to get excited, Conyod. Prior to leaving home, whendid you last get a decent night’s sleep?”

Stupid questions, and Tyaru kept asking them over and over.Why didn’t he just call Conyod’s parent clan to pick up their runaway son? Whatwas he trying to prove?

At least Sletran had been true to his word and theauthorities had allowed him to stick close. The Nobek sat next to Conyod in thesmall conversation area in a corner of Tyaru’s small, dingy office. When theyoung Imdiko looked at Sletran, he gave him a smile of encouragement.

It was as if the soldier actually cared. Conyod doubted hedid, but he appreciated the show. Sletran was obviously a good man as well asthe perfect protective Nobek. Conyod found himself wishing he could move closerto him and have Sletran put his arm around him for comfort.

“Conyod? How well do you sleep at home?” Tyaru pressed.

“Like shit.”

His profanity elicited no reaction from the psychologist.“Why not?”

“I have nightmares. Don’t you ever have bad dreams?” He wasbecoming confrontational, but he was tired of the interrogation. Send mehome and leave me alone.

“I have nightmares. Every night? No. Is that how often youhave bad dreams?”

Try two or three a night. Conyod was done answeringhis questions, however. “I want to com my parents. It’s time they came and gotme.”

“Letting you go home might be impossible, I’m afraid.”

Conyod stared at him. Was he in trouble for stealing producefrom the farm? A vision of him stuck in a containment cell, surrounded bycriminals, stabbed ice in his heart. “Why? Am I being charged? I took only acouple handfuls of berries!”

“Easy, Conyod. You aren’t in trouble.”

“Then why can’t I go home?”

Tyaru glanced at Sletran. “Well, it may be your parentsaren’t doing their duty by you as they should. They did report you missing, butyou’re underweight, a sign of neglect. Perhaps the issue is inattention to yourneeds. Something’s obviously wrong at home, especially since you ran away.”

Conyod sat staring at him, his mouth hanging open. Neglect?Tyaru thought his parents weren’t paying attention to him?

Laughter surprised him as much as Tyaru and Sletran, butonce it started, he couldn’t stop. He sat on the cushion, whooping peals untilhis ribs hurt and tears flooded his cheeks. He howled laughter until he nearlypassed out from lack of breath. Sletran did put his arm around him then, tokeep Conyod from crumpling full-length on the floor.

“Oh, ancestors,” he wheezed when he finally began to regaincontrol. “That’s…that’s incredible. Neglect. Oh, you…you actually think…”

He had to stop or he’d give in to hysterical mirth again.

Sletran helped him sit up. “What’s going on at home, Conyod?An Imdiko minor running away who’s in the shape you are is serious legaltrouble for his parent clan. If they’ve done nothing wrong, you need to tellus.”

His warning sobered Conyod. He hadn’t realized his bid forfreedom would have such repercussions on his parents.

“They aren’t neglecting me. It’s the opposite, in fact.” Hespoke to Sletran instead of the therapist against whom he’d develop a seriouscase of mistrust and antipathy. “They’re always there, watching every move Imake. Yeah, I don’t eat well, but it isn’t because they don’t feed me. They’reconstantly bugging me to put on weight. All day long, it’s ‘Conyod, where areyou going?’ or ‘Conyod, finish your steak,’ or ‘Conyod, you can’t go visit yourfriends since none of us are free to go with you.’ I can’t take a breathwithout someone there to notice it. I wish they would neglect me, at least fora few seconds!”

Sletran regarded him throughout his diatribe. Watched himclosely, in fact, but didn’t scrutinize him as his parents did. The Nobekshowed mere interest, unworried Conyod might suddenly vanish into thin air.“You ran away because they paid too close attention to you?”

“I only wanted to escape the constant supervision for awhile. I felt like I’d explode,” he admitted. “They love me, but it’s drivingme crazy. Our house, the ranch, those damned mountains…they all feel likethey’re closing in.”

“Have they always been so overprotective?”

Tyaru’s voice came from a distance. For Conyod, there wasonly Sletran. Kind, understanding Sletran, who saw him sitting there instead ofa would-be vacancy.

“Ever since my brother rode to the mountains and didn’t comehome, they’ve been scared the same thing would happen to me. Which is hilariousbecause I hate the mountains. I wouldn’t go there if you paid me every cent theImperial Clan has. Especially now since the ghost started roaming the area.”

“Ghost?” Sletran’s brows drew together.

“Yeah, all the ranch’s hands talk about the boy in whitewho’s been sighted on several occasions on our land. They’ve seen him near thecorral or on the plain, staring at the mountains. Most think it’s the spirit ofHoslek, my brother.”

“Have you ever seen it, Conyod?” Tyaru asked.

“No. I’m never allowed out of the house after dark. I’m notallowed anywhere my parents aren’t.”

“Breathe,” Sletran whispered. His big hand rubbed the backof Conyod’s neck. “Relax and breathe, Imdiko.”

“All I want is to breathe. They keep me cooped up. Theywon’t give me any room. I feel like a prisoner in my own home.” The tears thatcame this time weren’t from a hysterical laughing fit. They sprang from theache of having his every move under constant scrutiny, of love gonesuffocating. “I can’t breathe. They won’t let me have any air. That’s why Ileft.”

* * **

Heneeded a hero and found two. Can love rescue him again?

NobekSletran never took Imdiko Conyod’s infatuation seriously when he rescued himyears before. When Conyod shows up in his life again as a strong and successfulman instead of a traumatized victim, Sletran has to reconsider the one he oncerejected and now can’t imagine life without.

Conyod hasnever given up on the man he considers his hero. Sletran is all he’s everwanted for a clanmate, and he’s determined to win him at last. But the past refusesto be laid to rest. When Conyod convinces Sletran to see him for who he’sbecome, will who he was resurface and destroy the love they’re building?

Sletran’scommanding officer Dramok Erybet is instantly fascinated by Conyod when thesoldier brings his love on base for a visit. However, Sletran isn’t the NobekErybet feels is right for him. When he rejects the Nobek, he risks losingConyod too.

Againstthe backdrop of heartbreaking childhood tragedy, a ghost who haunts Conyod andhis grief-stricken family, and military brass determined to oust Erybet fromthe rank he’s worked so hard to reach, three men must come to terms with whothey are. When tragedy strikes, the nightmares of the past must be faced andburied once and for all. Conyod, Sletran, and Erybet must dare everything tofind redemption and hold on to each other.

Releasing May 31.  Pre-order now: Amazon, Amazon UK, Nook, Apple, Kobo, Smashwords, print