Jaded [The Moonlight Breed 9] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)

by Gabrielle Evans

  “Zuriel?” Nithron jogged up to him and crouched on the other side of the girl. “Zuriel, what are you doing here?”

  “Spiro,” Zuriel whispered. “He’s coming. I called for him. He’s coming.” His brain wouldn’t function properly to form more than a few words at a time, but he hoped he’d gotten his message across.

  “Okay,” Nithron answered just as quietly. Rounding the unmoving body, he took Zuriel’s shoulders and lifted him to his feet. “Let’s get you out of here. You don’t need to see this.”

  A flash of metal caught his attention, and he glanced back at the girl, noticing the gold bracelet that adorned her wrist. It was thin and delicate with just a single charm in the shape of a daisy. “I knew her.” He couldn’t recall her name, but she’d worked in the bakery just down the street.

  Footsteps pounded against the earth behind him, slowing as they approached, and another set of hands landed on his shoulders. “Come here, lirimaer.”

  “I knew her,” he repeated, unable to look away. “I can’t remember her name.” This was very important. He needed to know her name.

  “It’s Lily,” Nithron answered. “Her name is Lily.”

  “Lily.” He bobbed his head. That sounded right. “I forgot to tip her for the apple bread yesterday.” His eyes stung, and his throat constricted, burning as he fought back his emotions. “I just saw her yesterday.”

  “Shh, baby.” Spiro wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him back to his chest. “I’ve got you.”

  “Who would do that?” Lily was so sweet, and she’d welcomed him—a complete stranger—with a smile and a hug. “Who would want to hurt her?”

  “She looks like the others.”

  Zuriel jerked around to stare at the guard, and guilt hit him hard in the gut. He’d been trying to find answers. Hell, he’d broken his golden rule and eavesdropped on people’s thoughts, hoping to overhear something that could help point to how Thalian and his father had died.

  Jacobi had used his powers of seduction to question some of the guards without them even realizing it, while Mihail and Nikola had been using every available opportunity to travel to the mainland, utilizing the library to scour the internet for information. So far, however, they’d found nothing useful.

  “This is my fault.” If he had tried harder, maybe Lily wouldn’t have suffered as she had.

  “Zuri, you didn’t do this,” Spiro responded with a firm squeeze to his midsection.

  He couldn’t keep the secret any longer, and it all came spilling out in a rush. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled when he’d finished explaining what he and his friends had been trying to do. “I should have done more.”

  “You did everything you could, and I’m inspired by your dedication, but this stops now.” A hardness entered Spiro’s gaze, and the muscles in his jaw tensed as if he was grinding his teeth together. “This is dangerous, and you’re going to get yourself hurt.”

  “But…I—”

  “No,” Spiro growled. “Nithron, please take Zuriel back to the palace.”

  Nithron nodded, gripping Zuriel’s elbow in an unshakable grip. With his free hand, he reached for the walkie-talkie on his hip, fingering the knob at the top. “Should I call for more guards?”

  “They’re already on their way.” Marcel strode toward them with narrowed eyes, stopping short and bowing respectfully to Spiro. “Rissian had a craving for vanilla bean coffee this morning. The café was still closed when I got there, but the smell coming from inside was awful. I found Jaeah dead behind the counter.” He stared pointedly down at Lily’s bloated form. “I radioed for more guards.”

  “Someone else is dead?” This nightmare just kept getting worse, and Zuriel desperately wanted to wake up now. These residents weren’t related to the royal family, blowing his theory completely out of the water.

  “Zuri, go home and stay put until I get there.”

  He had no argument against going back to his room, but he did worry for Spiro’s safety. “Come with me.”

  Spiro offered him a sympathetic smile, but Zuriel knew the answer before it even came. “You know I can’t, but I’ll be there soon.” He kissed Zuriel’s forehead and eased him away. “I’m needed here.”

  He needed the king, too, but with two more deaths, he felt selfish for even thinking it. “Yeah, I know.” Allowing Nithron to lead him away, he glanced over his shoulder, feeling his heart ache for his lover.

  Spiro wasn’t nearly as okay as he led everyone to believe, and he looked so alone standing over the lifeless form of someone who had once been his friend. Zuriel couldn’t change the past, but maybe he could heal his mate and give him a reason to look forward to the future.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Goddamn it!” Spiro raged, downing the contents of his glass before sending the crystal sailing into the fireplace to shatter. He pushed both hands into his hair, pulling roughly at the locks while he paced his office.

  In the mere weeks since he’d become king, three people had died, and he was no closer to knowing why. He had nothing to tell their families, no comfort to offer them. Additionally, the arrival of more sentries in the town had gained the attention of the residents, and they’d amassed in the streets, whispering amongst themselves as they watched on in obvious fear.

  After paying his respects to the families of the deceased, he’d spent hours fielding questions and assuring everyone on the island that they weren’t in danger. It was a lie, but the last thing he needed was mass hysteria.

  If he’d been honest, however, he’d have told them that any one of them could be next, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Gods, banging his head against the fucking wall would probably produce better results than any of their tests or speculations.

  Grabbing the rum off his desk by the neck of the bottle, he spun in a circle, searching for his glass. When he remembered he’d taken his frustrations out on it, he shrugged and tipped the bottle to his mouth without care of propriety. Two swallows later, he pulled the clear, empty bottle away from his lips and frowned. He didn’t remember drinking that much, but it would explain why the room was suddenly spinning.

  Had he been human, he’d probably be passed out in the middle of the floor. Good thing he wasn’t human, because he needed another fucking drink.

  A soft knock echoed around the room, and the door creaked open so that Zuriel could poke his head inside with a tense smile. “Hey, can I come in?”

  “Sure.” Oh, he really needed to sit down. Damn his elven tolerance for alcohol. “Are you feeling better?”

  “I’m okay.” Slipping into the room, Zuriel closed the door behind him and shuffled a little closer, looking him over with a speculative eye. “Are you drunk?”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “You are!”

  “Zuriel, I assure you that Dr. Spiro Melonious Araceli does not get drunk.”

  His mate snickered, not looking even a little convinced. “Maybe not, but King Araceli is hammered.”

  “King Araceli was my father, and he was a certifiable prick.” There was a place in hell reserved for people like his daddy dearest. “When I was fifteen, I stood right where you are while guards carved derogatory remarks into the flesh of my back on my father’s orders. Of course, since I’m part shifter, they healed.”

  “Why would he do something like that?” Poor Zuriel. He sounded a little sick to his stomach.

  “Who knows? Because it amused him, I suppose.” Turning in a circle, Spiro held his arms out to his sides and twirled his wrists. “This was his kingdom, his dominion, and he could do whatever the hell he pleased.”

  “Spiro, I think you need to sit down.”

  “Oh, he was pissed when those cuts healed. So, he had more sentries drag me—literally—out into the courtyard and tie me to that old, ugly tree. Then he invited the entire island to watch as he beat me with a cane.”

  It had hurt, sure, but the humiliation and pitying stares had been worse. That was just the begi
nning of his father’s reign of terror, though. “Once I shifted for the first time, he had this ingenious idea to raise money for the circle. Every full moon, he invited werewolf and shifter packs to hunt me. Each member paid an entrance fee, and the winner won the pot.”

  “Jesus Christ,” Zuriel breathed. “How old were you?”

  “It started when I was fifteen.” He chuckled darkly. “I was fast, though. Plus, I knew how to hide, and I knew how to fight.” Spiro didn’t know why he was telling his mate all of this, but once he’d opened the flood gates, he couldn’t dam the memories from spilling out.

  “I don’t even know what to say. Why didn’t you leave sooner?”

  He’d thought about it. There had been many nights when he’d stayed awake, dreaming of disappearing from the island and never returning. “Rissian was just a baby when it started, and then along came the others. As long as Father’s attention was focused on me, he left the younger ones alone.”

  Of course, the man had a name. Spiro hadn’t spoken it since the day he’d left, though. To give a name to the monster made him real, and he’d spent a lot of years trying to forget the things he’d suffered at the bastard’s hands. It was bad enough that he’d ever existed, but Spiro refused to immortalize his father by speaking his given name.

  Lost in the past, he hadn’t noticed Zuriel making his way across the room until he was standing in front of him. There was no pity in his red-rimmed eyes, but there was sadness. Guilt assailed him, because he’d been the one to put that look in those beautiful baby blues.

  “I’m sorry, lirimaer.” His head was beginning to clear, and he felt ashamed of his outburst. He had no right to complain about his life when Zuriel had lived through so much worse.

  “Hush,” Zuriel whispered thickly as he reached out to take his hand. Leading Spiro to the small sofa, he encouraged him to sit before kneeling on the floor between his feet and resting his head on Spiro’s knee. “I’ve never met my parents. A few months ago, right before you came to Haven, we all got really sick. Zavion saved us. He’s always looked out for us.”

  Then Spiro had waltzed in and taken away the only family he had. Fuck, he hadn’t thought it was possible for him to feel any worse, but he did. “I’ll take you home.”

  Zuriel was right. He didn’t want to be king, and he didn’t have to be. There was no acceptable reason for him to cling to it so hard other than the fact that he felt he could make things better for his people, finally move them forward and give them a better life.

  Rissian could do just as much, though, and he could probably do it better. He’d made a lot of mistakes in his life. Some he’d learned from and some had no lessons to teach. However, he never made the same blunder twice, and he wasn’t about to begin with something as important as his relationship with Zuriel.

  “Once again,” Zuriel said with a grin, “you’re missing the point. You were thinking that I had it worse off than you, but it’s not a competition.” His head lifted from Spiro’s knee, and he peeked up at him though long lashes. “I suspect my parents were part of a breeding program at The Hive, but I’ll probably never know. I made it out, though, and I have Zavion.”

  “Do you miss him?”

  “Yes. He’s my brother, my twin, and I’ll always miss him. This is where I belong, though. This is where you belong.” He jabbed one finger toward the window behind the desk. “These people need you, and I think you need them. The things that happened in your past aren’t your fault, and you need to stop blaming yourself.”

  “That’s a bit of the pot calling the kettle black.” Spiro wasn’t the only one who couldn’t let go of the past. Their entire relationship had been hindered by Zuriel’s adamant belief that he wasn’t worthy of love because of the things that had happened in that hell hole.

  “No.” The pleasant smile never left his lips. “I don’t blame myself for what happened in The Hive. I don’t blame myself for being a genetically engineered freak. I just have a hard time believing that anyone can love me once they know the whole sordid tale. I mean, who wants to spend the rest of their life with a whore?” He shrugged flippantly, but Spiro could see the tension in his shoulders. “See, not the same at all.”

  The alcohol-induced buzz had finally worn off, probably killed by the depressing topic of conversation, but Spiro was grateful. He had something very important to say, and he wanted no doubts of his sincerity when he said it.

  “You’re wrong, you know.”

  Zuriel arched an eyebrow and cocked his head to the side. “About which part exactly?”

  Scooting forward to rest on the edge of the cushions, he cradled Zuriel’s cheeks in both hands, holding him delicately like the precious treasure he was. “You are very easy to love, lirimaer. Your beauty, your kindness, your zest for life, and your unwavering loyalty—everything about you takes my breath away.”

  Those gorgeous blue eyes misted, and a single tear slid down Zuriel’s soft cheek, but Spiro wasn’t finished. Lifting his mate to his feet, he took Zuriel’s place on the floor, kneeling before the small shifter.

  “You are everything good in my life, and I’ll never take that for granted. I love you, Zuri, for everything that you are, and I’ll love you every day for the rest of our lives if you’ll let me.”

  Zuriel sniffled as another tear trickled from the corner of his eye. “You said I didn’t understand yet, but I would soon. I think I get it now.”

  “Oh?” He loved that playful smirk, and he couldn’t wait to get his mouth on those kissable lips. “What do you get?”

  “You’re insane. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before.”

  “Come here, brat.” Wrestling his mate into his arms, he crushed their mouths together and kissed the breath from him. “It doesn’t matter if you can’t see it. I do, and that’s enough.” Then he patted Zuriel’s backside to urge him to his feet. “You need to eat before you get a headache.”

  It didn’t matter if Zuriel wasn’t ready to repeat the words. It didn’t even matter if he didn’t feel the same way. He was still there and still trying, and that was all Spiro could ask from him.

  “Wait, we’re not finished here,” Zuriel demanded. “You don’t just get to say something like that and then tell me I need a sandwich. What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “My apologies, lirimaer.” He dipped his head respectfully, but it was mostly to hide his grin. The fox was a lit firecracker when his temper flared. “Please continue.”

  “Well…” He trailed off, rolled his eyes, and huffed. “I don’t have some long-winded declaration or gooey sweet words to make you melt.”

  “I don’t need them.”

  “Would you be quiet?” Sucking in a deep breath, Zuriel let it out slowly through his nose, grabbed Spiro’s face, and looked right into his eyes. “I love you. That’s the only way I know how to say it, and I hope it’s enough.”

  Spiro’s heart skipped a beat and then picked up in rhythm while he fought the urge to tackle his mate to the floor and have his wicked way with him. Gods, no one had any right to be as happy as he felt right then. It just wasn’t natural, but he’d get used to it.

  “I think that was perfect.”

  “Okay.” Zuriel nodded once. “Now, I really am hungry. Let’s talk about that sandwich.”

  * * * *

  For the rest of the day, Zuriel felt like he was walking on a cloud. He also felt kind of bad about that considering two people had died, but he decided to cut himself some slack. Spiro loved him. He’d never thought he’d hear those words from anyone other than his twin.

  The best part about it was that he actually believed it. Spiro knew everything about him that was important and a whole lot of things that weren’t. Still, he loved him. His admission had been honest and heartfelt and so completely Spiro with all of those sweet words.

  “Oh, someone looks happy,” Jacobi teased when he walked into the shifter’s room. “The doc must be treating you right.”

  “I love him,” Zuriel anno
unced proudly. He’d been dying to tell someone, and while Zavion would have been his first choice, his brother wasn’t there.

  “I know.” That was all he said, but the smile and wink was a nice touch. “It’s about time, too.”

  “What’s about time?” Aspen bounced into the room with a happy smile. “Never mind.” Floating over to Zuriel, he gave him a tight squeeze and a quick peck on the cheek. “Congratulations, love. You two are a good match.”

  Sometimes, he swore Aspen shared his gift and could read minds. They had become closer since arriving on the island, and Zuriel no longer felt uncomfortable with asking about Aspen’s abilities. “How do you do that?”

  “I’m just observant, and you have the look of love. You wear it well by the way.”

  Zuriel didn’t think that was completely accurate, but everyone was entitled to their secrets. Even if he’d wanted to argue, he wouldn’t have had the chance. The door burst open, and Mihail came tripping inside with Nikola right on his heels. “We found something.”

  Grabbing Mihail’s wrist, Zuriel pulled him through the suite to the small table in the corner and shoved him into a chair. “Spill.” While he’d been facing his past and confessing his feelings, his friends had been on the mainland, still searching for information. “What did you get?”

  “Well, we called Xander, and he was able to get us a copy of The Council registry.” Nikola was still panting for breath as he tried to explain. “Now, the townspeople on this island aren’t in the registry, but you have to hear this.”

  “See these numbers?” Mihail jabbed his finger at a group of numbers listed beside each name on the list. “These correspond with the type of paranormal and how each is classed.” He held up another sheet of paper and waved it around. “These are descriptions of the different types and classes.”

  “Okay, so what does that mean?” He was trying to be patient, but it seemed like they’d been waiting forever to get some kind of answers.