by Cree Storm
Leaning in, Zev placed a soft kiss on Jett’s lips then pulled back and rested his forehead against Jett’s again. “Thank you for always being here for me, my beloved, and for being so loyal and understanding. Even though we don’t have a clue what’s going on.”
“Always, love. Always for you,” Jett whispered, then kissed him. “But now that I see you and Zen together, I think I have a pretty good idea of what we’re about to find out, and it’s going to be okay, Zev. I promise you. No matter what we have to do, or what you decide, I am here right next to you, standing with you. And I promise you, that no matter what, everything will be okay.”
Zev smiled at his mate. “Well, if you say it will be, then it will be. I have no doubt about it.”
CHAPTER 7
Once everyone was seated and Angelo and Morgan joined them, Toby and Twix handed out drinks and food. When they all settled down and Twix sat on Finn’s lap, at Illan’s request, he finally started talking. “Zen, I know this has all been very confusing to you, but all will be revealed in a moment. You told me about your mother―”
“Wretched cunt,” Zen hissed under his breath. A small hand immediately laid on his thigh and Zen instantly felt calmer. He turned his head and looked to his pretty mate who sat beside him. Pascal gave him a soft smile of encouragement and Zen melted into those eyes. As much as he was curious to hear what the dragon leader had to say, he just wanted to be alone with his sweet pea. They were supposed to be having dinner together, just the two of them, like a second date, not sharing it with a table full of people he didn’t know. Yes, he had met some of them at the club and knew others a little more, like Rhys and his mates, but he didn’t really know these men. What could they possibly need to tell him that they thought important to him?
“He sounds like he knows my mother,” Zev whispered to his mate, Jett.
“That’s because he does, Zev,” Illan said then looked to him again. “Zen, I know this is a very personal matter and you don’t really know us enough yet to feel comfortable in sharing your story, but I think these men, that I look to as my sons, need to hear what happened to you.”
Zen looked around the table, meeting each of their gazes and saw as much confusion as he felt. He then looked to Pascal sitting beside him, his mate looking at him like he hung the moon. No, he really didn’t want to talk about his private matters with all these men, but something inside him was telling him he should.
Pascal placed a gentle hand on his chest and moved in closer. “You don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to. You can say no to Illan even though he’s so big and grumbly sometimes. I do know that he wouldn’t ask unless he thought it was important, but whatever you decide to do, it’s okay, and I will agree with your decision.”
Gods, his mate was so good to him already. He wanted to take Pascal out of here and just go for a walk with him and talk all night. As much as he would love to hold the man naked in his arms and love on him, Zen promised himself he would wait. And knowing that that was okay with his mate, and that Pascal wasn’t pushing him on anything, including this, but standing beside him, gave Zen the courage to speak and tell his story.
He leaned in and brushed his lips softly against Pascal’s, then pulled back and turned back to the table, looking at everyone again. He swallowed the nerves that were building inside him and started to speak before he chickened out. He told them of his parents love affair and how his mother had lied to his father, then about that day and how his father got him away and to safety in Maddox where they made a life together. As he finished his story he noticed many tears around the table, including some of the big, strong dragons.
“You poor thing,” Angelo, the Crystal arson investigator and detective commented as he wiped the tears from his eyes.
“How anyone could harm their own child, or any child for that matter, is beyond me,” Ethan whispered, drying his own face.
“I had no idea, Zen. I am so sorry she did that to you,” Rhys added.
“I know this is hard, Zen, but would you please tell everyone what your mother’s name is?”
“I don’t understand any of this, and even though I hate saying that bitch’s name,” he sneered. “My psycho of a mother was Lucinda Brady.”
Zen watched as Zev’s eyes went wide and his olive skin lightened to the color of milk. “Son of a bitch!” Jett hissed from beside Zev and immediately wrapped an arm around his mate’s shoulders, pulling him close and kissing Zev’s temple.
“So, she’s still alive?” Zev whispered from between clenched teeth, as his eyes filled with hatred.
“I don’t know. Why is this something I needed to tell them, Illan? And why does Zev look like he’s about to start a war to rival the uprising of the slaves against the Romans?” Zen asked.
Zev jumped to his feet and began pacing, his face twisted in rage. “She couldn’t even be more original, the fucking cunt. Zev, Zen. That bitch! What, were other names so hard for her to remember?” Zev hissed.
“I don’t understand,” Zen said.
Zev turned and met his gaze and Zev’s eyes softened. “Do you not see the resemblance between us? The hair, the eyes? Just like hers,” he sneered the last sentence as if it were the worse curse in the world.“My name is Zev Brady. And although I am ashamed to own kinship with them, I am son of Salem and Lucinda Brady.”
Now it was Zen’s turn to be shocked, as he felt all the blood rush from his head. The room began to spin and he was grateful he was already sitting down because he would have gone face first into the floor. A glass of water was placed in front of his lips and he immediately took a sip, then another, trying to push down the lump of fear in his throat and chest. He knew he was a grown man now, but the memories of that day, the fear he felt when his mother tried to kill him, and the evil in her eyes as she did it, all came crashing back to him, and he became consumed with terror.
“When she tried to kill me, she kept saying he was coming. At the time, I didn’t know who she spoke of, but years later I overheard my father talking to his brother. When I asked him who Salem was, dad told me Salem was her mate, and that he was a bigger psycho then she was,” Zen softly spoke.
“He was far worse. My father was the true definition of evil. The devil himself would guard hell from Salem entering because he would make Lucifer look like Mother Theresa. My parents were not true mates, but they were bonded, and together they caused more pain and suffering than Fallon himself. We’re both lucky to be alive,” Zev replied and sat back next to Jett.
“What did she do to you?” Zen asked.
Zev took a deep breath then shared with him what he could see the others already knew. A life spent in pain and fear of both his parents until Illan stopped it. His heart broke for the little boy that Zev was and the man he grew to be. He had only had five years of his mother’s wrath, but Zev had a lifetime of it. As Zev told his story all Zen could think of is why she was so evil and why did she have children to begin with if this is how she treated them? He hoped she was dead so she couldn’t come back and cause him or Zev, his half-brother, even more pain. Shit, he had a brother. A real, shared blood brother. And from what he could tell from Zev so far, they were both lucky to be away from her and Zev, from his father. And even with all the evil they had shown them, he and Zev had both grown to be good men. “You said was. So, he’s dead? Salem, I mean.”
Zev closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Jett held him tighter and kissed him again. “You’re safe now, babe, remember that. He can’t hurt you anymore,” Jett said lovingly to his mate.
“Salem was a sick fucker who deserved to die and he did. The dragons and phoenix took care of him,” Rhys said in a shaken voice. Zen looked to him and saw fear in his eyes as well and it killed him inside to think that anyone could hurt his sweet friend.
“He hurt you?” Zen asked.
“He tried.”
Illan and the others began to tell him about when Salem had set his sights on Rhys and how they killed him. He felt safe
r knowing that the man, beast, would no longer cause pain and suffering.
“Salem is no longer a threat to any of us, but if that bitch still lives, then we still have something to fear, you and I,” Zev said, drawing Zen’s attention back to him.
“The last time I saw her was that day,” Zen explained.
Zev looked to Illan. “I need to find out if she still lives. Not just for my own protection now and that of my mate, but for a brother I never knew about. Now that I do, I promise you that I will never let her hurt you again, Zen,” Zev pledged.
Tears came to his eyes as he stared into ones that looked exactly like his own. A brother. Zen could see the truth in Zev’s eyes and it filled him with hope when he also saw that Zev wasn’t disgusted by him, or turning him away. He was instantly claiming their kinship in front of all his family. He knew he was bigger than Zev, but he wasn’t a fighter. Sure, handling a bunch of rowdy idiots at the club called for muscle sometimes, but he had never been in battle like he knew these men, his brother included, had been, and the thought that his brother, who he just found, was pledging to keep him safe, felt good.
* * * *
Zen’s head was spinning from everything he had learned tonight, including finding a brother he never knew about. How amazing was fate that in this whole vast world of theirs that he had a brother that only lived in the next town over? A brother that his mate knew before him and was friends with?
He held Pascal’s hand as they walked through the streets of Maddox toward Dain’s house where Pascal was living, along with his brother, Dain’s mates, and Griffions, the pixie guards.
They had spent hours at Twixie's with the others as they tried to convince Zev not to go hunting their mother down and to just let it lie. As of now, if the woman were alive, why show her where they were? He understood Zev’s need to go to her and get rid of her before she came to them and did more damage, but he also agreed with the others. Don’t poke the beast and hopefully she never finds out where they are.
Walking along the street of the town Zen had called home for all but five years of his life, with his mate beside him, gave him a sense of peace he never knew. Even with not knowing if Lucinda was still alive or not, or where she was, being with Pascal made him happy.
Zen wanted to take his little mate home and claim him. He wanted to make love to him and show Pascal how much he already loved him, and how much it meant to him to have Pascal by his side, comforting and supporting him, but he wouldn’t. He wanted them to get to know each other and be in love first. He wanted the words spoken by both of them before he claimed his mate forever. Zen had no doubt that it would happen, but for his mate and for himself, he would wait.
They stopped in front of the gates surrounding Dain’s home and Pascal pressed the code to the security panel, allowing the gate to open. Once inside, he closed it and they continued their walk up to the front door. The moon was bright and the stars twinkled above. It was a clear night and Zen thought how great it would be to take Pascal up to the top of the mountain on the edge of town and lay on the grass as they looked at the sky. Maybe that’s where he should take his mate on their next date?
“Are you okay, Zen? You’ve been awfully quiet, but I don’t feel too much stress or anxiety coming from you.”
“I’m okay, sweet pea. My head is just full of everything that has happened to me today. First, I find my mate, and he is so beautiful and perfect for me. Then I find that I have a half-brother. Every time I think about my mother and remember what she did to me, now I have the knowledge of what she did to my brother, it just eats me up inside. But walking you home and holding your hand has pushed all of that away and has me focused on all the good and how lucky I am to have you.”
“I’m the lucky one. The fates really did smile down on me to give me such a good, honorable mate,” Pascal said shyly as they stopped at the front door.
Zen pulled Pas close and cupped his cheek as Pascal looked up at him with smiling eyes. “Are you sure you still want me as your mate?”
“Of course, I am,you silly man. Why would you ask me that?”
“Because of all the baggage I carry,” Zen replied softly.
“Everyone has baggage, Zen. It’s what you do with it. How you let it affect you and mold the person you become, and how you learn to move past it to make a better life, that counts. And you don’t have that much baggage. You have a sick twisted mother who may or may not still be alive. Your wonderful father who loved you with everything that he was, and made sure that you were removed from her and hidden where he could give you the best life he knew how to give you. I think you’re a very lucky man, and none of that matters in me wanting you as a mate. All of it matters, but has no bearing on how I feel about you, or how much I want you, except that it all had something to do with forming the amazing man that stands before me.”
Tears of joy welled in his eyes from the sincerity he heard come from his mate’s lips and Zen thanked the fates again for blessing him with the best mate ever. He leaned down and wrapped his arms around Pascal’s waist, then lifted him so that their faces were at the same level. Pascal giggled from the move and held onto his shoulders tight as his legs wrapped around Zen’s waist. Damn, he loved the sound of his mate’s laugh. “Thank you, mate. For being so amazing, and for being you,” Zen whispered, then pressed his lips to Pascal’s, loving the softness of them against his.
CHAPTER 8
"I got chills, they're multiplying," Pascal sang as he watered his plants.
Shit, he had chills alright. Every time Zen walked into a room, spoke a word, or just sat breathing next to him. Today was he and Zen's one-month anniversary. The only time they had been apart was when he and Zen were at work or when they had to sleep.
Pascal was more than ready to make their mating official. He hated being away from Zen even for a short time, but there wasn't much he could do about it. Zen still insisted they wait until they could both say they loved each other and Pascal was struggling with that. How do you know you love someone if you've never really been in love? Brotherly love didn't count and neither did friendly love. This was lifetime, soul deep, all encompassing love. How does someone know?
Pascal moved his hips as he sang and thought about what to do about Zen, "You're the one that I want."
"OoOoOo"
"Ahhh!" Pascal screamed tossing the water bucket in the air and barely grabbing the ladder before he fell again.
Turning around, Ollie stood there laughing his ass off.
"That wasn't funny, Ollie. You could have killed me," Pascal shouted.
Ollie bent over slapping his knees, barely breathing. "You should have seen your face. Oh Gods, it was priceless."
Ignoring his brother's stupidity, Pascal made his way into the adjoining bathroom, and grabbed a towel from under the sink. Scrubbing his head, Pascal yelled out, "What do you want, Ollie? I'm a bit busy at the moment."
"No, you have plans for lunch with Zen. I thought you could swing this report over to Wyndingo's station for me. I have to head to Crystal to meet up with Jett," Ollie yelled back.
Pascal brought the towel down in aggravation. "This is like the sixth time you've asked me to drop something off at Wyndingo's station." Stepping out of the bathroom, Pascal went to the puddle of water on the floor, and started cleaning the mess up. "What's going on, Ollie? I swear, if I didn't know better, I'd say you are avoiding that place."
Ollie slapped his hand on his waist. "I am not avoiding anything. I just want to know if you can drop this off for me. You know that Jett and I have been made the liaisons for the paranormals to the humans. We're meeting Wade and some other humans for lunch and I'm going to be late if I don't leave for Twixie's now."
Standing, Pascal looked at his brother. He could tell that his brother was telling him a partial truth. It really bothered him that Ollie was holding back. That was nothing like his big brother. However, Pascal also knew that until Ollie was ready to talk, there was nothing he or anyone would be able to
do to get whatever it was out of the guy. It hurt a little. Pascal and Ollie were really close and his brother should know there was nothing they couldn't talk about.
Tightening his lips and letting out a slow breath, Pascal replied, "Okay, but Ollie, you and I are going to talk. Something is wrong and I don't like that you don't trust me enough to talk to me about it."
Ollie waved off his brother, turning to leave. "You worry too much. I'm fine, Pas, I swear. I'm just really busy since all that mess with the murders in Crystal. Illan and the rest of the Council really want us to help the humans understand the paranormal world and what is happening. It's a big undertaking. If we fuck up, we could seriously ruin our relationship with them, and we can't afford to let that happen."
Pascal walked into the bathroom as Ollie was opening the door. "Hey Zen, how's it hanging? Oh, I see, high and to the right. Does that mean you are excited to see my brother? When you gonna make an honest man out of my bro?"
Pascal felt his own face redden at his brother's brash attitude. Then the color deepened even more as a low heat ran up his neck, ears, and cheeks, when Zen replied, "Hello, Ollie. Pascal and I will make love when we are ready, and I don't feel the least embarrassed by my reaction to getting to see my mate after so long."
"Dude, it hasn't even been three hours," Ollie laughed.
Pascal walked out, as Zen looked up, giving Pascal that devastating smile. "Three seconds is too long when it comes to being with your mate. Just wait until you find yours. You will understand what it's like."
Ollie had a strange look on his face before he started out the door, yelling, "I'll just have to take your word on that."
Pascal stood rooted to his spot as Zen walked towards him. Zen's look told Pascal exactly what his intent was, and damned if he wasn't thinking the same thing. Pascal gave Zen his best come and get it look as his mate took him in his arms for a deep sensual kiss.