Fyn and Celia got to the hotel on time. The press conference would take place in the big ballroom in which all the reporters could fit. Valkyrie Falls and other big cities in Avras had lots of tabloid magazines who had sent their reporters, but a lot of serious newspapers like the "Valkyrie Times" also sent their people since Othric Holden was one of the richest men in the country.

Celia craned her neck to look for Eondar since she was a bit taller than Fyn in her heels. The press conference would start in a just a few minutes, and neither of the two could imagine that the sire would let them down. Finally, she spotted Eondar's tall frame and waved to catch his attention. The photographer made his way over to them. Fyn noted immediately that Eondar looked somehow shaken although he tried to hide it behind his usual, stern expression. But there was no time for it now; he would ask later what exactly had happened. The important thing was that the sire had his camera with him.

The side doors opened, and a lashran couple entered. Celia muffled a squeal. "Oh, he's beautiful!"

Fyn just gaped. Othric Holden was a tall, good-looking sire with short silver hair framing his strong face. He was wearing an expensive steel-gray suit and slightly tinted glasses, but that wasn't what shocked him. It was the lifebearer at his side, smiling and indeed very beautiful. It was Kalish.

The flashlights of dozens of cameras went off as they stood in front of the journalists. Othric waited for a moment, then he started to speak. He had a pleasant yet commanding voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for coming. I'd like to introduce you to my fiancé, Kalish Norwell. We've been dating for two years, and now we've decided to take the next step. The bonding ceremony will be in three months."

As soon as he had finished, several reporters shouted questions, mostly at Kalish. The lifebearer smiled and answered.

A nudge from Celia brought Fyn back to reality. She was madly scribbling into her notebook. "Mr. Sheldon, shouldn't we ask something as well?"

"No. In fact, we'll be getting a private interview," Fyn declared. Now that he was over his initial surprise, anger took over. How on Wyndrah could Kalish have kept that from him? Sure, Fyn had never met Kalish's boyfriend "Rick" in all the time they had been dating due to the sire's tight time schedule, but from what Kalish had told him, the man had seemed extremely controlling and jealous. Fyn had always expected that Kalish would come to his senses, not bond to the guy! And now it turned out that the mysterious boyfriend was Othric Holden, of all people!

Fyn gritted his teeth. Best friend or not, Kalish was about to get his ass kicked.

The lifebearer let Celia and Eondar do the work, and when the press conference was over, he just pulled out his cell phone and typed a message. "Let's go get some coffee," he simply said and left. His companions had no choice but to follow him into the hotel bar. It was an elegant, quite place, and Fyn let himself fall into one of the overstuffed leather seats. His face promised murder.

"So what was all that about a private interview?" Celia asked cautiously. "Do you know Mr. Norwell from somewhere?"

When the journalist didn't answer, Eondar told the girl, "They're friends." And with a side glance to Fyn he added, "Apparently, this announcement was kept secret even from those closest to Mr. Norwell."

"Oh!" The girl bit her lip and turned her gaze worriedly to her superior. "That's... well..."

"Fynnie! Oh gods, if I had known you were gonna be here today..." A crimson whirlwind stormed into the hotel bar seconds later, but stopped abruptly in front of Fyn.

The journalist looked up at him. "Then what? Give me a warning? 'Oh, by the way, I'm engaged, and my fiancé - who is a hotel tycoon, by the way - will announce it publicly.' Apparently it's not necessary to tell this to your best friend at all," he stated icily.

"I'm so sorry! I really wanted to tell you when Rick proposed to me a few days ago, but since you're a journalist, he was worried that this would get out to the public too soon," Kalish answered with a pleading tone in his voice.

"Oh, that explains everything." Fyn got up from his seat, cursing his leg as he struggled for a moment to push himself up from the soft surface. His pastel green eyes glared daggers at his best friend. "Damn it, we've been friends since forever, and I never betrayed your confidence, Kalish! But apparently it's more important to you now what some rich guy in a fancy suit orders you to do!"

Kalish shook his head, glorious hair flying wildly. "It's not like that. We..."

Fyn interrupted him. "You know what? I don't care. Let's talk when I'm not so mad at you I want to wring your neck." Then he just walked out.

Celia was too shocked to do anything, but Eondar quickly got up. "I'm sorry, Mr. Norwell. He really didn't mean that," he said. "But I can understand his surprise."

Kalish looked up at him helplessly. "And I thought he would be happy for me..." A sob escaped him.

"He will be, in time," Eondar promised. "Don't be upset." He gestured toward Celia. "This is Celia Warren, our intern. She's writing the article."

The girl smiled. "Pleased to meet you. I'm sorry for all this, but I'm also sure Mr. Sheldon will calm down soon. Would you like to have a cup of coffee with me?"

Kalish wiped his eyes. "That would be nice. And if you want to know anything, I'd be happy to tell you."

As the lifebearer sat down, Eondar excused himself to go after Fyn. He knew that Celia's sweet nature would help calm down Kalish, but he didn't want to let his partner stew in his anger on his own. He understood how disappointed Fyn must have been.

There were no words to describe how Fyn felt. All the revelations from before had left him somehow raw and fragile inside, and now this... and why on Wyndrah did it have to be Othric Holden of all sires?

In his anger, the journalist didn't really look where he was going as he stormed through the hotel. He was lucid enough to know that going back to his office like this wasn't a good idea and that he had to wait for Celia and Eondar. But he needed a moment alone. However, Fyn didn't really watch his step, and at the corner of a corridor he unceremoniously bumped into another person. Or, more accurately, he bounced back from a solid chest and landed on his rear.

"Damn it, watch where you're going!" Fyn cursed and raised his head to see what idiot had been in his way.

It was Othric Holden. Just perfect.

"I'm sorry, but you came out of nowhere." Othric held out his hand to help the lifebearer up, but Fyn ignored it and stood up by himself, albeit very slowly. Then he crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at the sire.

"No, you did, sir. You even had the gall to forbid Kalish to tell his best friend about the engagement! Are we living in Nandar or back in the old times when lifebearers were treated like slaves?"

Othric raised an eyebrow. "Then you must be Fyn. Kalish told me a lot about you. I'm sorry if this was inconvenient for you, but I had certain obligations..."

"Inconvenient?" Fyn couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Was it also inconvenient for you to meet me sometime during the last two years? Kalish also told me a lot about you, and I didn't like it. But as long as he was happy, I was willing to forget it. But now..." The journalist took a few steps toward Othric in a menacing manner. "Me and my family have had enough bullshit from you Holdens, and I won't tolerate anymore. If you ever so much as look at Kalish the wrong way, I swear to the forests that I will kick your ass! I have been training in martial arts since I was a kid!"

Othric frowned. "Pardon me, but I don't like being threatened. You seem to be upset, so I'll let it go, but..." He stopped, his frown deepening as he looked down at Fyn. It took the journalist a moment to realize that the sire was actually studying his face.

"I'm afraid Kalish never mentioned your last name," Othric said. "Are you sure we've never met?"

"I would know," Fyn grumbled. "And my last name is Sheldon." As his anger slowly faded after yelling at the man in front of him, he finally started to understand what was going on. Othric Holden was clearly seeing something familiar in him.

Had Fyn's sire been right?

There was only one way to find out, and Fyn wasn't about to live in uncertainty if this man was really going to marry his best friend.

"My father and I lived with brother some decades ago," the lifebearer said. "Officially speaking, your brother Aravin was my sire."

Surprise lit up Othric's face, and he finally took off his shades. Now it was Fyn's turn to blink. He and the sire in front of him had the exact same eye color.

"I think it would be best if we talked somewhere more private. Would you join me in my office?"

Fyn hesitated for a moment, and then he nodded.

To be continued...