Primal Bonds 2 (Tales of Beastkin)

14. Nolan

14

Nolan

T he restricted archive was a vast chamber, its high ceilings supported by intricately carved stone columns. Rows upon rows of towering bookshelves stretched as far as the eye could see, filled with ancient texts, scrolls, and artifacts—some volumes so ancient that their pages crinkled like the delicate wings of a butterfly. Soft golden light emanated from ornate sconces along the walls, casting a warm glow over the room. Antique wooden tables and chairs were scattered throughout, their surfaces worn smooth by years of use. In one corner, a group of beastkin researchers huddled over a collection of fragile scrolls, their hushed whispers barely audible in the cavernous space.

Nolan, Lan, Vanessa, Madi, and Lyria walked in, and Cedric, hunched over a scroll, looked up in pleasant surprise. A chuckle escaped his lips as he greeted them, his voice echoing in the quiet space. “My, what brings you all down here at this ungodly hour? Late-night research?”

Nolan’s lips quirked into a half smile. “Indeed, a late-night research binge. You know how it is when curiosity strikes.” He paused, his tone shifting slightly. “But this isn’t just any research, Cedric. We’ve got ourselves a bit of a situation. We need to dig up everything we can on essence children.”

Cedric, understanding the gravity of the situation, gave a curt nod. He swiftly directed the remaining staff to momentarily abandon their ongoing research, shifting their focus to the enigmatic subject of essence children. The staff, a mix of beta beastkin with scholarly dispositions, swiftly abandoned their tasks, eager to assist in the urgent matter. The room buzzed with a renewed sense of purpose as everyone began to carefully extract old texts from the shelves. Some piled the books high in their arms, while others used carts to transport the heavy tomes to their workstations. Gloves were distributed to protect the delicate pages from the oils of their skin.

Lan donned a pair of gloves and reached for a book. He frowned at the ancient script, his eyebrows knitting together in frustration. “I can’t read anything that’s not English,” he grumbled, setting the book aside.

Nolan chuckled softly, passing Lan a tablet with translated text already loaded onto the screen. “Read this and make notes of anything that has to do with essence children and life essence,” he instructed.

Lan nodded, his fingers already swiping across the screen as he settled into his task. The room filled with the rustle of turning pages and the scratch of pens against paper. Each individual present was engrossed in their work, the weight of their mission pressing upon them.

As the hours slipped by, the clock hands creeping ever later, the group’s focus never wavered. Nolan watched as Lan’s eyelids began to droop, exhaustion creeping over his features. The young wolfkin’s head dipped lower and lower until it came to rest on the table amid a sea of papers and scribbled notes.

Nolan felt a soft smile tug at his lips as he gazed at Lan. The sight of the boy, vulnerable and unguarded in sleep, stirred a tender protectiveness within him. Reaching out, he gently caressed Lan’s face, the pad of his thumb brushing over a softly protruding canine ear. Even in sleep, Lan leaned into the touch, a soft sigh escaping him. It was moments like these that made his heart ache with an unspoken longing.

Across from him, Lyria’s eyes flickered with curiosity as she studied the pair. “You know, it’s quite the spectacle,” she began, her melodic voice barely above a whisper to avoid disturbing the others. “Watching you dance around your feelings for Lan.”

Nolan’s hand stilled, and he met Lyria’s gaze with a composed expression. “And why would my personal affairs be of any interest to you, Lyria?” he asked, his tone carefully neutral.

Lyria leaned back in her chair, the ghost of a smile playing on her lips. “Oh, come now. It’s as clear as day how you feel about him. Everyone can see it, except perhaps the boy himself. You’re smitten.”

He withdrew his hand from Lan’s face, a casual smirk on his lips. “Well, maybe I like to keep things interesting,” he said.

In truth, Nolan’s hesitance was born from a deep-seated fear of scaring Lan away. He knew all too well the horrors Lan had endured—the trauma of his captivity at The Institute, the sexual abuse he had suffered, and the harrowing journey that had brought him to this point. Lan’s past was a minefield, and Nolan trod carefully, not wanting to trigger any painful memories with a misstep.

Lan had been just a child when he was shipped from China, crammed into a shipping container like cargo, destined to be sold to the highest bidder. Working under The Institute, the Beastkin Control Organization Soldiers’ raid had left most of the children dead, their lives snuffed out in a hail of gunfire. Lan, along with a few others, had managed to escape, only to be caught and thrown into The Institute’s cold, unforgiving embrace.

Nolan’s heart clenched at the thought of Lan’s suffering. He wanted to be the one to shield Lan from the world’s cruelties, to offer him a sanctuary in his arms. But the fear of overwhelming Lan with his intense feelings held him back, leading him to adopt a playful, flirtatious demeanor instead—a facade to hide his true intentions.

Gathering his thoughts, Nolan returned to the nearby table piled high with ancient scrolls and dusty tomes. The thrumming energy of the archive called to him, urging him to delve deeper into the mysteries surrounding essence children. He picked up a scroll, its delicate surface whispering secrets of the past. Focused and determined, he began to read the intricate script, his brows furrowing in concentration.

As the night wore on, the archive’s occupants remained steadfast in their research, despite the encroaching dawn. Vanessa had succumbed to exhaustion some time ago, her head resting on a pile of ancient scrolls. Madi had also fallen asleep with her hand still clutching a book, her pale-blond hair cascading over her shoulders like a silk shroud.

Even Cedric had dozed off, his head resting against the back of his chair, a pair of reading glasses perched precariously on the bridge of his nose. The beta beastkin researchers, too, had finally yielded to their fatigue, their bodies slumped over their workstations, surrounded by towering stacks of books.

Nolan, however, remained awake, his eyes never straying far from Lan. The young wolfkin was a vision of innocence in sleep, his dark hair fanning out around him. Eventually, he gently nudged the boy awake.

“Time to head back up,” he said, his voice soft.

Lan blinked sleepily, his eyes slowly focusing on Nolan’s face. He nodded, stifling a yawn as he rose from his chair. The others began to stir as well, their movements slow and lethargic as they packed away their research materials. Moments later, they stumbled into the living room, their movements sluggish and uncoordinated, collapsing onto the plush sofas and armchairs that were scattered throughout the room, their bodies sinking into the plush upholstery with audible sighs of relief.

Lan, in particular, looked like a beautiful corpse, his head lolling to the side as he slept soundly, oblivious to the world around him. His dark hair framed his face, accentuating the pallor of his skin and the delicate arch of his brows.

Shiro and Aka, who had just entered the room, were taken aback by the sight that greeted them. Their eyes widened in shock and concern as they rushed over to Lan, their movements frantic.

“Is Lan okay?” Shiro asked Nolan as he reached out to gently touch Lan’s arm. “What happened to him?”

Nolan offered them a tired smile. “Just a bit of sleep deprivation. He’ll be alright after he gets some rest.”

As if on cue, Thornbridge wheeled in a coffee cart, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the air. With his usual impeccable grace, the butler poured a cup and offered it to Nolan, who gratefully accepted. The warmth of the mug seeped into Nolan's hands as he took it. The caffeine was a welcome relief, helping to chase away the lingering tendrils of exhaustion.

Adam, Chase, Einar, and Magnus entered the room just as Nolan was taking his first sip. Chase chuckled at the sight of them, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“Looks like someone declared war on sleep,” he quipped.

Nolan managed a weak laugh. “We might have won the battle, but the war is far from over.”

Magnus grunted in agreement, his gaze lingering on the weary group. “You all look like you’ve been through the wringer.”

Nolan nodded, taking another sip of his coffee before launching into their findings. “We’ve discovered some crucial information about essence children,” he began, his voice steady despite his fatigue. “For starters, an essence child is born from the combined life force of an alpha and an omega parent. It’s a process that takes at least two years before the child can be born.”

He paused, running a hand through his hair as he gathered his thoughts. “After birth, the child continues to require its parents’ life force, as well as normal food, to survive. However, we haven’t been able to determine how long this initial phase lasts.”

Nolan’s expression grew serious as he addressed the elephant in the room. “As for the birthing process itself… well, we’re still in the dark. There’s no information on that front, and I must admit, the mechanics of it all are beyond me. It’s proving to be quite the conundrum. We’ve read through hundreds of texts, but there’s still so much we don’t know. We need to broaden our search, perhaps reach out to other clans for their archives.”

Adam nodded in understanding, his dark eyes reflecting a deep sense of responsibility. His gaze shifted to Shiro, who stood by Lan’s side, a look of quiet concern etched on his face.

Einar interjected with a thoughtful expression on his face. “It seems that Adam and Shiro will need to establish a routine for their lovemaking to ensure they’re adequately feeding their essence child.”

Shiro’s cheeks flushed a deep shade of red at Einar’s words, and Adam nodded.

Once Nolan finished his coffee, he set the empty cup down on a nearby table and made his way over to the sofa where Lan was sleeping. With a gentleness that belied his size, he lifted Lan into his arms and settled down on the sofa, cradling the boy against his chest.

As he wrapped his arms around Lan, Nolan couldn’t help but feel a sense of contentment. Despite the exhaustion that clung to his bones and the countless questions that still needed answers, holding Lan in his arms made everything else seem trivial. His eyelids grew heavy, and the sounds of the room faded into the background as sleep claimed him.