Chapter 128: This kind of jealousy could eat you alive

Kellen didn’t know what to do, and that wasn’t his fault.

He could tell that no one else had an idea what to do, including Hill and Pamela.

This had nothing to do with the Guides that were downstairs since Kellen’s Dad and Taylor were all over that, including Esper Blake and Esper Douglas. Over the last few days, the Guides had a rather mixed reaction. Some were doing well, while others were…not. That was fine. It would take time, and patience, and everyone improved at their own pace.

Charlie was a godsend when it came to their treatment. He showed them that even if he hadn’t been kept with them, they could get somewhere safe and be treated well. It broke Kellen’s heart that he was able to do so, but Kellen had known that Charlie’s situation hadn’t been normal almost from the beginning.

All Kellen could think was that it was a good thing that his Dad, Charlie, and Esper Blake weren’t here at the moment. He had a feeling that Esper Blake would have thrown up her defensive field immediately, and Kellen’s Dad might lose his calm demeanor.

“Rhysie!” The crazy person who had been allowed into the Guild called as they raced towards a stunned Rhys.

They were in the conference room, using the large space mostly to accommodate the big feelings that everyone was feeling. Even if Kellen couldn’t feel powers like the others, that didn’t mean that he couldn’t be considerate of them. This was supposed to be one of those times, but as Kellen sat next to Rhys’ empty chair since the man had been standing when the door was flung open, Kellen wasn’t quite sure what he felt.

He looked around the table, his Mom, Hill, Pamela, Miro, Gunther and Sergei sitting with them at this moment. Sergei had been invited only because of his connection to Brent, and everyone but Kellen had made that clear. Even Kellen’s Mom had made it clear, and while Kellen thought that was rude, he wondered if it was a pride thing on the part of the Espers.

Like they couldn’t admit that as S Classes that they were getting close. They always had an excuse. Kellen had been thinking that was rather cute of them until Rhys had gotten up to chat, pace the floor while he spoke, and then about 5 minutes into it the door had been flung off of its hinges and these two were here now.

Kellen had never seen them before in his life. However, as he scanned the faces at the table, they could not say the same thing.

The only people who seemed confused were Sergei and his Mom, which told Kellen two things. These were people that the Saturn Guild knew, and the general public did not.

The one who flung themselves at Rhys and called him Rhysie reminded Kellen of Sergei in a bare minimum way. They were also covered in piercings and tattoos, but in Kellen’s opinion, Sergei’s were more tasteful. They weren’t even wearing a Saturn Guild uniform, instead wearing a thin tank top in a peach shade, covered in dirt, and a pair of grey sweatpants that made Kellen completely aware of the fact that they had a dick.

Kellen’s frown of disapproval could have touched the floor.

They had black hair, glittering black eyes that reminded Kellen of Gunther in a fucked up way, and several lip piercings that made Kellen uncomfortable. Kellen flinched. He had never been one to judge people like this before, had never even considered that someone’s appearance could make Kellen uncomfortable.

He would never have these thoughts about Sergei. He couldn’t even imagine himself feeling this way about the other man, but for some reason Kellen had his hackles raised when it came to this man and the other man coming into the room as well.

Well, actually, Kellen was a little less confident in calling the other person a man. From a distance they were tall, thin, flat chested, but Kellen didn’t feel like calling them a man was…correct.

Unlike the other man, they had longer blonde hair pulled back in a braid and threaded with pretty green beads. They looked like glass, or like cut gems and as they got closer, Kellen could tell that they were being held in place with pieces of thin wire wrapped in gold. They were wearing thin clothes as well, but theirs covered a bit more.

They had a thin, floral cardigan, a white t-shirt and a pair of slacks. It was pretty androgynous and Kellen narrowed his gaze as he stared at their disarmingly pretty face. They had pretty, light blue eyes to go with their pretty long blond hair and pretty features.

Kellen didn’t like these two at all.

It worried him that he felt this way, but it was only made worse when the first man let Rhys go and the pretty…man? Went and hugged Rhys as well.

Kellen’s hand not in the sling clenched onto the edge of the table, knowing that he heard it crack but he didn’t give a fuck. Who were these people and why were they touching Rhys?

Rhys didn’t seem to notice Kellen’s behaviour, at least not at first. Everyone else was a little too stunned by their appearance to really notice Kellen’s behaviour either.

“Jax? Jules? Why didn’t you say anything if you were going to be here?” Hill asked, her voice tight, her eyes wide. Jules gave Hill a smile that felt eerily like a Guide smile, but didn’t quite fit. Kellen’s gaze narrowed, his hand clenching on the side of the table again as something coiled beneath his skin, hot and heavy.

Was it anger? Was it annoyance? Kellen wasn’t quite sure, but he didn’t like this.

“We told you we were coming, it was Rhysie who diverted us a little longer. We picked it up, by the way. Dropped it off at the Medical Bay. It was busy, but I couldn’t see anyone around? What’s up with that?” The more effeminate one asked and Kellen snapped his attention to Hill and Pamela, curious what they would say.

The obnoxiously tattooed one grabbed the chair next to Rhys’ on the other side, pulling it out and plopping himself down. Kellen found every move that they made annoying, obnoxious, and Kellen could feel how his body was ready to fight. He was a hand and an eye down, but by everything holy, he was ready to fight.

“A lot has happened while you two have been away. This is the first time you’ve been back in a year, Jules, Jax.” Rhys’ voice had an edge to it, like he was scolding them. The tattooed one puffed out his cheeks, looking more like a child than a grown ass man as he spun in his chair. Kellen felt like he was vibrating in his chair.

“Oh, don’t be too upset, team Dad. I made reports, didn’t I?” The man complained while the other one stayed too close to Rhys, chuckling.

“Those reports were two words. That wasn’t a damn report!” Hill snarled, clearly having to be the one who received those reports. The tattooed man stuck out his tongue at her, grinning and Kellen had the displeasure to notice that he had split his tongue. Great. What the hell was Kellen going to do with that information?

“Hey, you knew we were alive enough to send a report, hmm? We were safe. We’re always safe.” He said, waving a hand and Kellen couldn’t believe that statement at all.

“Who is the new face?” It was a soft question from the new…person? Kellen’s body was on edge. Who is the new face? Which one? There were three, but Kellen knew that it had to be about him. He could feel the gaze of the person behind him on his back.

“Ah. Jules, this is my partner, Kellen. Kellen, the idiot over there is Jaxon, but he prefers to be called Jax, and this is Jules.” Kellen spun stiffly, turning in his chair to meet the blue gaze of the curious person behind him. He barely looked at Rhys, a muscle in Kellen’s jaw twitching. Jules watched Kellen, his, their gaze interested as Kellen’s fell flat.

Lifeless.

“Your partner? You mean they’re a Guide? Rhysie, I knew you had a type, but I didn’t realise you were violent. What did you do to him?” The teasing way they spoke had Kellen’s blood boiling. He spoke before Rhys could, even if Rhys looked like he was going to laugh it off. Kellen would not let them get away with this kind of disrespect. Not to his man.

“Rhys had nothing to do with the condition that I am currently in. If you are a part of the Saturn Guild, you should have been aware of what has been going on inside and outside of the city. We’ve been under attack by a group that wants to eradicate all Guides from the city and the rest of the world, and we had a dangerous gate that opened up and swallowed and killed our members while in the middle of a monster stampede. Rhys would never leave me in this state. This is the result of my ability to stop the gate from taking any more lives.” Kellen knew it wasn’t his place, he did, but he couldn’t stop himself.

He was vibrating with anger and at the level of disrespect that they were showing Rhys. Showing their people. Rhys’ eyes went wide, Pamela’s eyes went wide, Hill’s eyes went wide. The only people who didn’t appear to be shocked were Gunther, Kellen’s Mom and Sergei.

Sergei actually laughed.

“Rhys, if you don’t step away from…Jules, I’m going to make you.” Sergei said, humour in his voice. “For Kellen’s sake.” He sounded deeply amused and Rhys, for his part, finally glanced down and noticed the state the Kellen was in. Rhys looked…shocked.

If Kellen had been a little more himself, he might have given Rhys a break. He might have known that in the back of his mind somewhere that seeing these two after a year of essentially silence would have meant that Rhys was surprised too. He couldn’t always see the futures of those around him that well.

That would, tragically, apply to these people as well.

Jules was the one who stepped away, putting their hands up and taking several steps back. Jules seemed to have a better understanding of what was going on compared to Rhys, and that only made Kellen’s jaw twitch.

“I’m so sorry, Kellen! I had no idea. There is nothing like that between Rhysie and I. Jax would kill me if that was the case.” Jules said seriously and Kellen didn’t care to believe them. Rhys stared at Kellen, his narrowed gaze, his flared nostrils, and Rhys let out a shaky breath.

“We’ll be back.” Rhys mumbled, gently tugging Kellen’s hand away from the edge of the conference room table and noticing the distinct finger hold that Kellen had made in the table. He carefully tugged the man up and out of his chair as Kellen reluctantly let him do so, and then led him out into the hallway and into the free conference room beside them.

All the while everyone else in the room watched quietly. It was Kellen’s Mom who sighed into the charged, empty space of the room.

“He’s going to eat him alive.” She muttered quietly, shaking her head. Sergei snorted, crossing his arms as he leaned back, looking too pleased at the turn of events.

“Dear Kellen has every right to do so. They’ve both been neglecting each other because of their situation. Rhys has forgotten how crazy he used to be because he’s passed it.” Sergei said, smirking. Sergei remembered, and Kellen’s Mom’s lips thinned.

“I’ll be telling Henry of this.” It was a serious warning, and Pamela sighed, putting her head in her hands.

“We’re so fucked.” She whispered. Hill reached out, patting her back but neither confirming it nor denying it.

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