functions start to be impaired?"
Talia nodded, but her expression told Ty that she wasn't sure she agreed. "The documents said nothing about such things."
"They may not know. It's not something that they can easily test. Well, the exact science is beyond me, but until this revelation, the way I understood it was that a woman who loses their partner has little choice but to accept that she'll die. But it turns out that there
is
another option and Grace is trying to take it. She and I already have an existing friendship, and we know that we're compatible. It might
seem
callous, but if she's on a timer, then it makes sense. She's taking the steps needed to ensure her well-being. After that, she can take whatever time she needs to process and grieve."
The Israeli woman took this in quietly, giving no indication of her inner thoughts. Ty decided this was a positive sign, so he continued. "She's probably also working under the assumption that if we accept her into our family, she'll have the leeway to focus on her fellow partners. You said that one was dying? What's
she
doing for a new partner? What's happening with the other two?"
Béatrice sat herself down on the edge of the bed and put a hand on Ty's arm, being sure to avoid the bandages. "Grace spent most of the day with them, helping them come to terms with the situation. Of the two uninjured women, one wishes to go back to America. The other is fine to be reassigned to someone here. As for the one in hospital, she has not woken yet. Her condition was apparently quite severe. They are considering pulling her Oracle data from the US and running through our system to find a match. If she regains consciousness in time, they will give her the choice. If not...they will go with the highest compatibility. It is a bit heavy-handed, but I think it is a sensible solution."
"I don't know that they have many other options, really, but it's not my call to make." Taking a breath and wincing as the wound on his side protested, Ty swung his legs to the opposite side from where Béa was seated and began to rise.
"What are you doing? You're going to tear open your stitches! You need to
rest
!" Talia rushed around to his side, trying vainly to push him back. Béatrice made to follow, but Ty held up a hand.
"What I
need
is to reassure the others that I'm ok. Zoe especially. With all she's gone through, with everyone she's lost, she needs to see me on my feet. After that, I want us all in Zoe's room to address the issue with Grace. I need to hear everyone's opinions before we make any decisions."
"Tiberius!"
He ignored her, finding his uniform pants draped over a nearby chair and shuffling over to them. Putting them on would be an exercise in restraint and skill, what with one arm in a sling and bandages around his midsection. If either of them heard him voice his discomfort, they'd chain him to the bed for sure. He couldn't see his shirt, but then again, he didn't expect to. No matter. Hospital gown and pants would do the trick.
"You stubborn oaf! You could have
died!
You actually
were
bleeding out! You need to rest and let your body recover before you go pulling any of this nonsense!"
Talia was almost screaming the words as she stood there, barely centimetres away, but Ty knew it was coming from a place of worry and stress. Sinking into the chair, he grabbed Talia's wrist and pulled her into his lap. She didn't resist, startled at the suddenness of the action, and the big man wrapped his arm around the beautiful Israeli woman, holding her close.
"I get what you're saying. I also get why you're saying it. I appreciate it, my love. But while my health is certainly on your mind, you haven't said what's really bothering you." Ty felt her stiffening at the words 'my love' and suddenly, everything became clear. "Ah. Well. I got a little sidetracked that day, but I had intended to ask you to join me for a private dinner date, just the two of us. And though I reckon the item I ordered isn't quite ready yet, it was nevertheless going to be a night to remember. Tonight still can be that night, though."
Taking her left hand in his right, he brought it up to his lips and kissed just over where a ring would go. It was an action filled with a great deal of meaning and Talia buried her head in his chest, clearly unable to keep the smile from her face. "Idiot. With you injured as you are, I wouldn't be able to do half of what I'd want to. Nor would I be able to do it with half as much intensity." She turned her head and gave Béatrice a glance, her smile threatening to split her face in half. "Plus, you will likely have two women to imprint today as it is."
The French woman tutted. "Nonsense. I can hold off for another day. I also do have something of a request, if you don't mind, Tiberius?"
The big man nodded, sweeping his left arm out for her to continue before remembering that the arm in question was in a sling and not going to move very fast, or without pain. When he winced, Talia shifted and pulled the arm back to his side before getting up and allowing the French woman to take her place on his lap.
"Would you take me on another date as well?" For the first time, their eyes met, and though he could see the undertones of lust, there were two overarching emotions in her eyes among the myriad others. One was hope...hope he'd agree. Hope she'd make the impression she clearly thought she hadn't before. Hope that the relationship she'd wanted would bloom this time. But it was the second emotion that brought Ty's brain to a crashing halt.
That emotion, in those
unforgettable
eyes.
I know those eyes.
Rebooting, his eyes widened and he felt a renewed sense of guilt that he hadn't done right by the woman the last time they'd met. He'd agreed to go out with his brother and the two French ladies, but it hadn't been all that long since his last relationship had ended and he'd been distracted. Ty had to admit that with him being summarily abandoned by his previous partner, he wasn't in the right headspace for a date, but he hadn't been able to say no after just reconciling with his brother.
Over the course of that night, Ty hadn't once looked the woman in the eyes. Oh, he'd looked
at
her, and he'd conversed politely, but that hadn't been fair to her. Sure, he'd been hurting inside, but that gave him no right to hurt others with his casual cruelty. How he wished he could go back and kick himself.
And still she looked at him with those azure eyes. Eyes he hadn't seen during their previous encounter.
Because I never looked her in the eyes after that. I'm a bastard.
"Definitely. And this time, Béa, you will get the evening you deserved the first time. The evening my self-absorbed ass should have given you then."
He knew those eyes. He'd seen them once before, long ago. Long before the double date. How had he not put it together in all this time? The borderline obsession she seemed to have with him. Her insistence on
him.
"Amsterdam. In the alley. That was you."
At the mention of the city, Béa smiled so brightly she outshone the sun and she leaned in to kiss the man that had changed her fate all those years ago. Unable to believe it, Ty stared into those eyes; those pools of purest azure blue. When he had last seen them, the woman,
Béa,
Ty had to correct himself, had much longer hair, and it was midnight black, falling in waves around her face, not the straight ash blonde locks she shared with her sisters. She had been drunk, maybe drugged; he didn't know for sure at the time and hadn't been able to stick around for the report. He and two of the guys from the unit had been on leave, crawling through the pubs and nightlife of the famous city when they'd come across the scene. Six men were holding her down while she struggled. Their intent was clear, and the three Australians had intervened.
Three highly trained soldiers against a group of drunks. It wasn't anything as overstated as a fight. It was cleaned up in less than thirty seconds and while his companions had watched over the groaning goons, Ty had checked Béa's injuries. She had seemed dazed, but at the very least she was conscious. He knelt beside her and pulled his jacket off, checking for severe damage before he covered her. He could already see the bruises forming on her face, and scowled, wanting to turn and inflict further injury on the clowns behind him, but he met her gaze and was frozen to the spot.
