Kados' immediate displeasure eased as we returned to his offices, coupled with the happiness that I knew was sliding off me in pulsing waves, it would have hard a hard battle if it had wanted to linger.

He wasted no time. Once we'd made it to his quarters in the medical bay, he whirled on our little group ushering Addy into a nearby chair.

"How long have you been mated? Do you feel any differences? Any changes in the empath tendencies you already were feeling?" The questions rattled off one after another faster than Addy could even answer them.

"Umm, maybe a few hours at this point? Only differences I've noticed were that our bond reopened up—"

"Open," Kados ordered —not unkindly— and Addy complied. When she opened her mouth, with brutal efficiency Kados swabbed the inside of her mouth.

Afterwards Addy was left pulling a hint of cotton off the tip of her tongue before she returned to her answers, "I haven't noticed any differences to the emotion thing," that answer she followed up with a small wave of her hand as an after thought as she watched Kados pull out another utensil.

This one was more invasive than the swab but still mostly unnoticeable in the grand scheme of procedures. I watched him pull one of the same nerve sensitive patches that he'd used way back when Addy had gotten the language update.

"What's that?"

"It'll take a blood sample," I answered seeing as Kados seemed lost in his own thoughts. Addy, however was listening, I could tell by the fact that the color completely drained from her face and the fact that my stomach sank in tandem with hers through the bond.

"It's considered a non-invasive procedure," Kados answered before I had a chance to.

Maybe he was paying attention then. When I looked back his way he certainly was, looking at Addy like she was a lost piece of a puzzle that he'd been looking for. I knew the feeling.

"You might not have noticed any differences with the empath tendencies, but I can. I'd imagine Esayr wouldn't have noticed because it would later into his own abilities seamlessly. I'd imagine most of my team," his head jerked to the door that lead back out to the medical bay proper, "felt your stomach drop at the news that I was going to draw blood. Your ability to impress your feelings on others has gotten stronger."

Kados finally turned to look at Cece who'd been quiet since our meeting with the Prince, but had still kindly followed us in the wake of Kados' single-mindedness. "Have you noticed that difference as well?"

"For the most part no." Cece took the information in stride with not even a ripple to her clearwater calm emotion she always put off.

Her answer startled chaos, who was already making waves —the look of the intensity in the air sharpened almost unbearably so until I couldn't see straight. He smoothed it out with a considerable effort as he caught up with whatever thoughts were firing through his mind. "Why might that be I wonder," he turned to face Cece fully to assess her, "being human, you should be similarly susceptible to an Empath's abilities even just in the basis of genetics. On top of that we've had confirmation that Esayr could influence Addy's emotions pre-bonding."

That caused a ripple, small barely noticeable it lapped against the side of my shoes along the floor before it disappeared entirely. "Others have said I'm 'chill' though there have been quite a few people over time that have said I'm not human or that I'm unfeeling. Maybe it's a bit of all of those things."

It felt like a joke...but also didn't. None of us laughed, not even Cece.

"Did you enter the lottery, Cecelia?" Kados finders traced the line of the blood draw device, curiously.

"I did not. Considering the circumstances, I didn't think it wise."

"That's fair," I answered since the waves in the air were back, the picture of agitation. I'd bet anything that Kados was going to ignore that information.

"Would you consent to donate your material now?" He paused and when he was met with only the silence in the room he continued —no bartered, "if there was a stipulation in place for it not to be entered into lottery studies? And only to be used in my own personal research?"

"Only to be used in response to studies on Esayr and Addy's case," Cece countered in a stronger voice than is ever heard from her, "and to be destroyed after 1 Earth week. If you need additional study you can request new material."

Kados physically chewed on the thought. His gold eyes narrowed, "Fine."

"Fine," Cece echoed. The room stood still for a second while Addy and I watched the strange exchange of power that crackled between them. It was rare that someone didn't just give in to Kados, especially in scientific areas that were his element.

"Open," seemingly content without further conversation, Kados gave Cece the same one word order he'd given Addy.

Cece complied and let Kados swab the inside of her cheek. When he pulled back, her hand shot out and grabbed his arm, halting all of his movement, "I mean it. Any discoveries you find will be in either Esayr's or Addy's genetic imprint. You will not search my own contribution with the intention of finding any discoveries pertaining to me and only me. Understood?"

The gold in Kados eyes rivaled Roan's, his pupils barely even carved black slits, "Understood." The word came out through gritted teeth.

After that, Kados ignored her entirely, and even I couldn't tell if that were because of his interest in the task at hand consuming him again, or if it was a product of the writhing swirls of annoyance in the air that still lingered long after the right lines of his face eased.

"So all in all you feel well?" The question was directed to Addy, though Kados was preoccupied with the samples he'd collected from the three of us.

"A little bit sore, but other than that I'm fine."

That had Kados' head turning my way with a smile that turned into a laugh. I just resolved myself to finding a soothing salve in our quarters and easing it along all the sore bits of my mate when I got the first chance.

*****A/N*****

I got the job! My first day will be the fifteenth!

Mom got her MRI. We should hear about the results tomorrow when she goes to see her doctor.

I'm sorry for no post last week and for the fact that this post is on the shorter side. I've been finding it hard to sit down and find the words to write for the last two weeks because of all that's been going on. I've still been pushing myself to keep up my daily habits but not too much more than that. Mostly I've been trying to distract myself with less involved tasks like playing some more Animal Crossing or Genshin Impact.

I promise I'll get back into the swing of things, especially now that it finally feels like fall in Florida.

It's finally basic bitch Layla weather, and me and the cats are living for it,

~Layla