by Rinna Ford
He sighed and I could see his body relax. His claws and sharp teeth receded back leaving a completely human form. Ainsley came up from behind me, still as his wolf, and rubbed his head and side against my leg before rearing back and pushing me in the direction of the cabin. He nudged me a few more times until I took the hint.
"I think he wants me, us to go to our cabin," I told Xander. "Fair warning, my other uncle is there. He's a caster and is even more protective over me than Ainsley is. But, will you go with me?"
Xander chuckled in a sarcastic way and got in step beside me. "Sure. Sounds like fun."
As we walked through the forest, I noticed that he kept glancing at me and smiling, making me do the same. What were the odds that my childhood best friend would be the person fate destined to be my perfect match?
"So, your name's Emelia, right?" he asked as we kept walking. I nodded my head but didn't trust myself to speak. "It's a very unusual name, but I knew someone with that name once. She died when we were kids." He looked at me speculatively.
He was starting to figure things out on his own, and I realized I needed to get ahead of it. I couldn't deny who I really was, because there was no way to hide something like that. I mean, I’d just manifested my dragon and possibly some caster abilities. He had to know that I was a dragon, or at least a shifter because of our mate bond.
I could deny him, turn him away. If I did that he'd never have to know my half-breed status, and I’d be safe from anyone else knowing about it. His father did turn me in when we were kids. What if he was as much of a rule follower as his father was? Would he turn in his mate for not being a full shifter? My dragon growled in my head at the thought of denying Xander.
Back off. I'm trying to decide what is best for us. I just found you and I don't want anything to happen to us. Okay? I sent soothing thoughts toward my dragon, but I could tell she wouldn't be appeased until she had her mate. I needed to do something to calm her because my chest was starting to hurt again.
"Yes, it's an unusual name, at least that's what I've been told," I finally replied.
We reached the clearing near the cabin before Xander could ask me any more questions. Ainsley shot around us and ran toward the house. He shifted as he reached the bottom step of the porch and quickly went inside. He was back outside and wearing a pair of sweatpants before Xander and I were able to reach the cabin, with Devlin right on his heels.
The look on my uncle’s face was downright dangerous when he saw the man standing next to me. Before I could get a word out, Devlin raised his right hand. Xander immediately sunk to his knees and groaned as if in pain.
"Stop, Dev!" I shouted and leaned over to try and help Xander.
"What did you do?" Xander groaned. "What did you do to my dragon?" He looked up at Devlin, still in pain.
"I didn't take away your dragon," Dev told him. "I merely suppressed him."
Xander rose to his feet with a murderous look on his face. He clenched his fists and took a step forward. "Give him back," he growled.
Without a word, Devlin's sword appeared in his hand the same time Ainsley began growling again.
I threw my arms in the air and groaned. "You know what? Go ahead and kill each other!" All three pairs of eyes cut to me. "I'm so sick of this shit already! If you need me, I'll be inside eating dinner because you guys are being idiots, and I'm fucking starving!" I stomped up the stairs, around my uncles, and into the house.
"Dumbasses," I grumbled as I sat down at the table and began piling food onto my plate. I didn't even notice what I was putting on my plate, and I really didn't care. I was beyond angry at all three of them, and on top of that, I really was hungry, having slept for over thirty-six hours.
As I ate my first bite of food, the cabin door opened and all three men filed inside. Ainsley came first followed by Devlin and Xander, they all had sheepish looks on their faces, making my anger simmer down a little bit.
Devlin walked into the kitchen and took another plate from the cabinet and handed it to Xander. He sat down quietly at my left and began putting food onto his plate. Devlin and Ainsley did the same, without talking. That was how the rest of the dinner went. Not a word was spoken between the four of us, even though everyone exchanged looks. Looks of hopefulness, distrust, confusion, and worry. We didn't need to speak, our expressions said it all as we silently ate our dinner.
Chapter Eleven
I picked up my plate after the last morsel of food was eaten, and took a step toward the kitchen sink when Devlin said to me, "Emelia, that can wait." He had his elbows on the table, his hands clasped in front of him. I slowly lowered back down into my chair. "Let's go in the living room and talk, all of us."
I turned to Xander, who looked just as serious as Devlin and raised my eyebrows in question. He nodded once then rose from his seat, holding out his hand for me to take. Taking a deep breath, I carefully took it, letting him help me up. The attraction intensified the moment our palms connected, making me gasp. He smirked down at me, and I knew, that he knew exactly what he was doing, although I could also tell that he wasn't completely unaffected either.
I quickly jerked my hand away as if I were burned and crossed my arms over my waist. "Don't do that again," I snarled and walked into the living room, taking a seat in one of the armchairs. I needed to get some distance from Xander if I were to get through the conversation without letting my hormones make decisions for me. And, there was a lot I needed to decide. Xander reluctantly took the other armchair and scooted it closer to me, while Devlin and Ainsley sat on the sofa.
"First of all," Xander began before anyone had a chance to speak. He leaned forward, his elbows propped onto his knees and his gaze firmly planted on Devlin and Ainsley. "Who are you guys? My mate says that you're her uncles, but only one of you is a shifter."
"That's not important right now," Devlin retorted, also leaning forward in his seat."What's important is Emelia and her safety."
"I agree that her safety is important," Xander said, obviously feeling more annoyed, "but call me crazy, I don't like my mate living in a cabin in the woods with two men, one of which I know she's not related to."
I cleared my throat, and all three men glanced in my direction. I decided to at least tell him a little truth to see what he would do with it. Then, I'd decide if I should explain more or tell him to leave and never come back.
"You're right," I said, "I'm only related to one of them, but the other might as well be my uncle too because he has looked after me like an uncle would. So please, back off. It's not important right now." I gave him a stern look to show that I meant it.
Xander sat back in his chair, not completely on board, but I could tell he would drop it for the moment.
"Okay, then. What is important?” he asked. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
"On the way here, you said that you had a friend growing up named Emelia and that she died."
"Firecracker, don't," Devlin blurted out, but I held up my hand to stop him.
"It's okay, Dev. It's him." I shrugged my shoulders and tears filled my eyes. "If I can't trust my mate, who can I trust? And besides, if it doesn't work out, we can always run, right?"
"What do you mean run?" Xander snapped. "You're my mate and I will not lose you after I've been waiting for you for years!" Standing, he was obviously ready to stop me if I tried to leave him.
"Settle down, Xander Liu," Ainsley said and stood up as well. "What she's afraid of is that you won't want her after she tells you about herself, and because of who your father is, it might create even more problems for her."
Xander's head whipped back toward my direction. "Is that true?" I nodded my head. "What does my father have to do with us? I love my father, but he doesn’t control my life." He turned his body and fell to his knees in front of me, his hands on the armrests of the chair, so he was eye to eye with me. “Please, just say it, whatever it is. I won’t reject you over it.”
A lone tear fell down my cheek, and I quickly wiped
it away as I turned my head toward the fireplace. "Please sit back down, Xan. I don't think I can say what I want to say with you so close right now." I didn't look back at him, but I felt him back away and go sit down in his seat.
"You know, that's the second time you've called me Xan," he said. "Only one person in my entire life has called me that. Not even my parents."
I finally found the courage to look at him again, my dragon urging me on. "I know."
"I thought I was dreaming when I saw you standing by the water. You looked just like her, and that’s because you are her."
I nodded my head again.
"But how? How is that possible? My father told me that you had died. He said that Eric Von Brandt kidnapped you and killed you and then himself."
My eyes cut to Devlin, and he stared at the ground, his jaw clenched. Oh, I was going to kill Chei Yun Liu if I ever saw him. Of all the ways to fake my death, saying my father was the one to do it!
"Lies. All of it," I growled. "Your father is a fucking liar. In fact, he's the reason I'm even in this mess."
"What do you mean? My father is an honorable shifter! He's the head shifter on the Council!" Xander was getting angry right alongside me, but for a different reason.
"Your friend, what kind of paranormal creature was she?" I asked with my chin raised.
"She, you are a caster." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, his forehead scrunched in confusion. "I don’t understand. How can I be mated to someone of a different race?"
"It's because my mother is a caster, but my father was a dragon shifter."
He jumped back up out of his seat. "What the fuck?! Emelia, what your parents did was forbidden!"
I flinched and went as far back as I could into my armchair.
"And that was the exact reaction she was worried about. Way to go," Ainsley snarled.
"I said it was forbidden, not that I rejected her or that I'd turn her in dumbass." Xander turned back to me, his eyes pleading. "Honey, you have to believe me when I say that I have missed you every day for fifteen years. When my father told me that you died, I felt like I had died along with you. I didn't understand why you, a caster, meant so much to me, but now it all makes sense." He turned back around to Devlin. "I knew you looked familiar. You are her uncle, not the wolf."
"I have a name, you know," Ainsley muttered.
Devlin ignored his boyfriend and answered Xander. "Yes, I'm her uncle. I'm her mother's brother, Devlin Stratton. I've looked out for Emelia her entire life, and if you even think of doing what your father and the Council did to her, I will end you where you stand."
My dragon roared but I pushed her back down. I didn't want anything to happen to Xander either, but I knew, or I at least hoped that Xan meant what he said.
"I would never hurt her," Xander sneered. "The fact that you would even feel the need to threaten me over it lets me know how you feel about mates." Xan turned back around to me. "Tell me what happened fifteen years ago. Please. I promise to be good." He sat back down in his seat to prove his point. "I won't get up again until you're finished."
Devlin gave me a curt nod while Ainsley's mouth turned up in a small, but reassuring smile. They were with me, no matter what happened tonight. It would hurt like hell to turn away from Xander, but I'd do it if I had to. There was no way I'd let Devlin hurt him any more than he already had, though.
"Okay, Xan. I don't know all the details because my memories are still coming back to me, but from what Devlin told me, I had my first shift fifteen years ago. Your father was my only witness." He looked down to the floor, his forehead scrunched. "My parents were in love even though they were from different supernatural races. They had me, and my mom raised me as a caster until she couldn't anymore. My father, Eric Von Brandt pretended to be a family friend all those years."
"I remember him coming around to help out your mom, but I was always told that the races could be nothing more than friends." He honestly looked confused by this whole thing. "So my father saw you shift?"
"Yes. And he reported me, a caster shifting into a dragon. As you said, it was forbidden, so they came for me." His eyes went wide. "My mother took me away and cursed me while my father fought them off. She took away my memory and all of my paranormal abilities, and Devlin hid me. Up until a month ago, I thought I was a normal human named Anne Smith that no one wanted. Devlin told me about the supernatural community and that the curse would soon wear off, making me a half-breed supernatural again. That was a day and a half ago.” I paused for a moment to collect my thoughts and get them back on track. “Xan, they executed my father in front of my mom. The Council, I mean. I don’t know if your father was involved in that part."
"I’m sorry,” he looked down at his hands, “I don’t know if my father was involved either. How could your mother curse you? Lucia doesn't seem like she'd hurt a fly." His words cut me to shreds.
"You know my mother?" I asked quietly.
"Yeah. She married her mate, Michael Ironshot. He's on the Council with my...father and she’s friends with my mom. That had to be why she was spared."
I already knew that, but hearing that Xander had interacted with my mom over the years stung. She obviously wasn’t held there against her will like we thought she was if she was able to have friends and be happy. Devlin jumped up and walked toward the kitchen.
"Devlin?" Ainsley asked, worried.
"I'm just going to clean up dinner," Dev quietly told him. "I'll still be able to listen, I just need to make myself busy before I do something I regret." Ainsley got up to go help him, leaving Xander and me alone.
My heart hurt for Devlin as much as for myself. He was sad and angry, probably more than I was because at least he could remember it. I was dreading those memories returning. I wanted to know everything, and yet I didn't want to feel the pain that Devlin was surely feeling.
I sighed, suddenly feeling like I'd been awake for years rather than a few hours. "So, what are you going to do?" I asked. That was the big question.
Xander studied me for a few seconds before reaching across the distance between us and grabbing a hold of the armrest of my chair, pulling it toward him. When I got close, he reached with his other hand and grabbed onto the other armrest, maneuvering the chair until I was right in front of him. Startled by the movement, I tried to get out of the chair, but he put his hand on my knee. His other hand went underneath my chin, gently lifting it so we were eye to eye.
"Emelia, I'm not leaving you," he told me without a single trace of doubt in his voice. "I will do everything I can to protect you, and that includes defying my father if need be. I swear to you as your best friend and mate, I will never hurt you."
I studied his face for several moments, before nodding my head in understanding. He sighed and sat back in his chair as if a great weight had been lifted off of him. He began to say something else, but Devlin approached us and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Xander, you're welcome to stay at the cabin, but you will not be sharing a room with Emelia any time soon. If you'd like, I'll show you to your own bedroom, far, far away from hers."
Xan raised his eyebrows as if to say, "Is he kidding?"
I sighed and turned to Devlin. “You know I’m an adult, right?” My tone was full of snark, but I wasn’t going to take it back.
"Yes, I know,” he replied as if he didn’t notice it. “But Firecracker, you thought you were human up to a month ago. You are still learning what it means to be a paranormal, and you are nowhere ready for that. Claiming your mate is so much more involved than you can imagine. It’s the biggest step you’ll ever take.” He turned his attention to Xan. “If you say she’s your best friend and your top priority, you won’t push her into this.”
“He’s not pushing me into anything!” I exclaimed and jumped out of my seat.
"Okay, I'll play along," Xander sighed at the same time. He stood up from his chair and gave me a look that showed he wasn’t going to fight my uncle on this. I hesitated and scrun
ched my eyebrows, wondering why. Xan then said, "Show me where I'm staying, and then I'll come back and take Emelia to her room." Devlin nodded his approval, then Xan looked down at me. "Are you okay with that, Emi?"
Emi. That was what he called me when we were younger. I gulped as a million memories washed over me, all of them with my best friend. He was the only one to call me that, just like I was the only one to call him Xan. He wouldn't let anyone else, told them I was special and that was why I got the privilege.
This man loved me when he was a boy, and I a girl. We just didn't know what that was, and by the time we did, it was all taken away. I remembered every smile, every passing glance, every time he went out of his way to do something for me, and every word he said. He was my mate, but even if he wasn't, I'd choose him all on my own. The realization hit me, and I couldn't help but smile. I nodded my head, finally answering his question.
"Lead the way," he said to Devlin and motioned for him to walk ahead. He took a few steps and turned back around to give me a sensual smile, before continuing on to the guest room.
Chapter Twelve
After putting the armchairs back in their correct spots, I went into the kitchen to help Ainsley put away the rest of the clean dishes. He dried them while I put them away. I could tell he was working up to saying something, so I continued on with what I was doing silently. I wasn't lying when I told Xan that I had started considering Ainsley to be my uncle too. He was the fun uncle, but also someone who guided and encouraged me as well. I cherished everything he said because not only did he know exactly what to say to lighten the mood or to make me smile, but he also really listened and never, ever judged, at least when it came to me. It felt as if I had been judged and treated as worthless from the moment I was found on the steps of the homeless shelter. I hated it, so the fact that Ainsley saw value in me, made him all the more important to me.
"Please be careful with him, Emelia," he finally said as he handed me the last clean plate. "I understand the pull of mates, but remember that his father is in league with the enemy. I don't know how close they are, but parents have a way when it comes to influencing their children to believe the same things they do."