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

 

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 thehospital’s psychiatric department and heading to the employee lounge for lunch.He’d drawn the Imdiko wing for his seasonal rotation and found it demandingdespite 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 untilthey reached severe crisis. Even on the brink of collapse, they usuallycontinued to insist they were fine.

Conyod was coming from a session with such a patient, who’dattempted 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 thepresiding doctor who was monitoring the intern’s work. “I’m better now. I’mready to return to my clan.”

“The situation at home hasn’t changed,” Conyod had pointedout. “You’ll be returning to your clan’s elderly parents who need care, yourjob, and your Dramok’s nephew who lives with you. Until you have a plan inplace to delegate duties and hire in-home assistance and respite care, you’llend up overworked again.”

“Assistants will only add to my tasks since I’ll have tocheck everything they do. I’m the only one who takes care of my familyproperly. They need me.”

It was the mantra of too many Imdikos. The urge to take careof others and fix everyone’s problems drove a number of them to therapy sooneror later…most of them kicking and screaming along the way.

Conyod wondered if he’d end up the same should he join aclan. He hoped knowing the danger signs would keep him out of trouble…but heknew one’s own mental state was the hardest to diagnose.

The employee lounge was in sight when his personal com wentoff. He checked the frequency and managed to fend off a groan. A spike ofanxiety stabbed his gut. He considered turning the com off.

There was no hope for it. If he didn’t answer, she’dcontinue 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 withher and possibly the rest of his parents privately. As soon as the door shutbehind him, he clicked the continuously buzzing device. “Hello, my mother.”

Lafec sighed loudly, as if she were ready to drop fromrelief. “Why did it take so long for you to answer, Conyod? Are you trying togive 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 Ihave just before it. Trauma doesn’t serve a clock.”

He heard his impatience, but it was impossible to rein itin. How many times had they been through this?

Lafec wasn’t a slave to her emotions…at least, not when itcame 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. Herfirm 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 nodoubt diplomatically…told her to ease up. “How are you? It’s been a couple ofweeks since we spoke.”

“Well.” He began to relax since there was no accusation inher voice.

“Busy?”

“Internship means long hours, unfortunately. But theexperience is invaluable. I’m learning so much they can’t cover in a lecturehall.” 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 thehospital.”

Her pride brought guilt that his first instinct was to keepher at a distance. He chuckled awkwardly. “I doubt it but thank you. How areyou and my fathers? Is everyone all right?”

“We’re well.” Dramok Tuher’s rough baritone wasaffectionate. “Training the new colts. We wish you were here to help.”

A pang of homesickness struck Conyod. He loved training thekestarsh, 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 thesedays, thanks to a dozen of his strong young offspring running around andimpressing potential buyers,” Imdiko Sema answered, laughter in his tone. Nodoubt he knew Conyod had been hard pressed not to ask about his favorite mountbefore everyone else. Calling Dresk the love of his life hadn’t been far offthe 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 andguilt for feeling unwilling to see his parents often churned in his stomach. Hequickly 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. Thenew stables are built, and we’ve almost finished repairing the old barn. I’msure we’ll be able to better withstand another sudden blowup, should it occur.”

“We had a wild ronka herd tear through here a couple weeksago,” Sema joined in. “They knocked down a few poles of the corral. It broughtdown the containment field, but Dresk kept the mares close to the stables. Noneof them panicked.”

“Dresk never gets flustered,” Conyod boasted. He’d trainedthe champion himself. Doing so had helped him get over his dread of themountains surrounding the ranch.

Except one.

“He doesn’t like the ghost,” Lafec muttered. “He makes a lotof 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 handsseeing things.”

“Nevip doesn’t drink, and he doesn’t bother making up talltales,” Lafec said. “He saw the boy—”

“He got caught up in everyone else’s hysteria and thoughthe saw something.” Tuher’s commanding tone quieted his clanmates. “We shouldlet Conyod go to lunch. Next time, we’ll call in the evening after you’vehopefully 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 hadlittle time left to eat his lunch prior to his first afternoon session, but helingered in the room as his thoughts swirled.

The ghost had returned? The small white figure that hadhaunted the plains and spooked the ranchers after his brother’s death?

* * **

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