“Only a million times. I just got his brother’s number from Kendrick.”
“The rude ass who came here and wouldn’t look at anyone who wasn’t a dragon?”
Aleksander walked around to his chair with a nod. “Yep, that’s him.”
“Well, text the dick and see if he will be a help.”
“On it,” Aleksander answered, sitting and blowing out a flustered breath. Deeply concerned about Rafferty, he’d hoped his biggest issue was being caught between what his heart wanted and how his family would react to his homosexuality. Without any response, Aleksander couldn’t know if there was more to the story.
Your Grace, it’s High King Aleksander D’Vairedraconis. Your brother, Kendrick, gave me your number, I hope you don’t mind. I hate that I must ask you, but would you mind letting me know if Duke Rafferty is okay? We’ve grown to be friends and he’s been strangely silent now for a week. Thanks, and have a great day.
“Let’s see what you wrote,” Worth said, and Aleksander dutifully handed him his device. “Well done, Your Highness.”
“I appreciate it, Your Grace, now you want to give me back my phone?”
“He’s answered.”
Aleksander’s eyebrows rose at the quick response, and he eagerly tapped the screen to bring up the message. Your Highness, I’m always happy to hear from you. I can assure you that Duke Rafferty is hale and hearty. I will request that he respond to your messages in a timely manner as Court Kestle certainly would not wish to insult High Court D’Vaire in any way. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance.
They stared at one another once Aleksander read Sullivan’s words aloud, and Worth’s mouth twisted. “I say something is off.”
“Based on?”
“I don’t know. Gut instinct, perhaps?”
Aleksander was about to respond to Worth when another notification made his phone let out the melodic sound he’d chosen for Rafferty’s messages. “It’s him.”
“Well, finally. Read it.”
Aleksander, I’m sorry I haven’t responded to your messages. I’ve just needed to step away and think. I hope you can respect my need for space right now.
“He’s called you ‘Aleksander,’ ” Worth immediately pointed out. “He always refers to you as ‘Sander,’ Does he usually use that in texts too?”
“Yeah.”
“So, doesn’t it seem odd that he’s suddenly calling you Aleksander?”
“Not if he’s trying to put distance between us.”
“Or if he wasn’t the one who wrote it.”
Frustrated, disappointed, and heartbroken, Aleksander tossed his phone onto the desk. “It’s not a mystery, Worth. He’s struggled since the beginning with not only how he feels about me, but with his sexuality as well. Rafe’s never gone into great detail on it either, other than admitting his family is intolerant. There’s definitely more to it than that.”
“He was glued to your side the entire time he was here.”
“That was a month ago, and he already confessed that he stopped asking to visit again. His father keeps refusing, and he doesn’t want to upset him.”
“You’ve been best friends for months, and suddenly he doesn’t even want to talk to you? I’m not buying it.”
Aleksander frowned. “The reality is, we’re both going to have to get used to it.”
“Don’t go writing him off. Even if there isn’t anything fishy going on, and he’s truly stopping to think, that doesn’t mean you won’t hear from him again. You’re his mate, for Fate’s sake.”
Rubbing his hands over his face, Aleksander wanted to ignore the ache in his chest because of Rafferty’s rejection, but it was impossible. “This hurts.”
“Come on. Stand up and give me a hug,” Worth demanded as he got to his feet and cajoled Aleksander into doing the same. “I won’t tell you it’s going to be okay, because I don’t know that, but I’m here for you no matter what.”
“I really thought things were going great until he just stopped talking to me,” Aleksander mumbled against Worth’s shoulder.
“Keep faith, okay? His feelings for you were impossible to miss when he was here. He can’t brush aside your matebond either.”
Pulling away, Aleksander managed a half smile. “How do these other jerks make this matebond stuff look so easy?”
“They had to go through plenty of shit to get there.”
Aleksander had no choice but to accept that Worth was right, but it didn’t make him feel any better. Although he wanted to vent his feelings to Rafferty, he had to respect his desire for space. It was devastating to be told by the person who you’d grown closest to that they preferred silence to furthering the bond they’d built, and Aleksander hated it. However, he wasn’t going to allow himself to grow too angry with Rafferty. The man had a great deal to reconcile, and he was free to figure out things in his own way. Aleksander hoped that when everything was said and done, Rafferty would still choose to pursue their relationship, because he just didn’t know how the fuck he’d handle losing him.
∞∞∞
When Rafferty woke, his mouth was gritty, and his head was throbbing. But as consciousness slowly dawned, he was freed for the first time in centuries from the beast that had plagued so much of his existence. With his eyes still shut, he probed deep and could not connect with his dragon. Rafferty had no idea what it meant—was this heartbreak?
There was no pervasive sadness or tug toward the veil, but perhaps there was no room for that while he was trapped in a body so full of pain. It was supposed to be an inescapable darkness that slowly dragged you under, but all Rafferty felt was liberty from the entity that he’d only found any kind of balance with when he was with Aleksander. Missing his mate terribly and not being able to even contact Aleksander might simply have been too much for his instinct-driven dragon to handle.
A stark contrast from his beast’s odd silence was the inescapable agony that started at the bottom of his feet and went up to the top of his skull. Forcing his lashes upward, he could not keep from worrying and wondering. Although he was chained to a wall in a barren mine dimly lit by a single lantern, Rafferty vowed that he would not allow his beast to end him. There was no way he would leave Aleksander. Rafferty just had to somehow find a way to survive his family’s plans and put together his own rescue.
His limbs wouldn’t cooperate when he tried to move; there were simply too many open injuries. Rafferty didn’t even realize he was weeping as he tried to survey the damage until the tears burned his cuts. How could his father and brother do this to him? Sullivan had been his closest confidante until he met Aleksander.
Rafferty simply couldn’t wrap his head around their treachery, but he would see them pay for the damage they’d already wrought and whatever plans they had for the future. The druids employed at hospitals had the ability to heal him; then he’d run headlong into the arms of the man he could not deny he wanted to be with. Such thoughts should have his strong dragon rallying to the cause but, again, Rafferty could find no remnant of the animal that had dominated his existence since his first shift.
Gathering his courage and strength, Rafferty slowly repositioned himself to a somewhat upright position. It had taken countless minutes, and blood soaked his skin as he cracked fresh scabs, and Rafferty gritted his teeth against the pain. Needing to empty his bladder, what remained of his boxer shorts was buried in gaping wounds on both hips, and there was no way to even get the damn underwear down even if he had the energy. Humiliated and devastated, Rafferty closed his eyes and pissed himself.
“Well, look who’s awake,” Sullivan taunted, strolling into the small area where Rafferty was chained. When Rafferty lifted his lashes to glare at his older brother, Sullivan gasped loudly. “What the fuck?”
Refusing to say one damn word to the man who was intent on killing him and had likely already done damage to the relationship Rafferty had worked so hard to build with his mate, he simply stared at him with the burning hatred f
illing him.
“Wh-what’s going on?”
Without a blink, Rafferty delighted in the strange mix of fear and confusion on his brother’s face, though he could not understand the cause.
“Why are your eyes fucking blue? How can you be alive without a dragon?”
At first, Rafferty thought it was another one of Sullivan’s cruel tricks or taunts, but as that filtered into his mind that was clouded with pain, he realized his inability to locate his beast was very real. However, Sullivan was right. It was impossible for a shifter to survive if their animal reached beyond the veil, so how had Rafferty managed the feat? Rafferty could tell the exact moment Sullivan got over his awe, and he wondered why he’d never noticed how empty his gaze was before he’d wound up chained in a cave.
“Honestly, I don’t give a fuck that your dragon’s gone. Although you haven’t healed for shit. It’s been four damn days. What fun is it to beat you like this?” Sullivan demanded. When Rafferty didn’t respond, his expression grew enraged. “Answer me, dammit. Why are you just sitting there? Beg me not to hurt you.”
“I will not, Your Grace.”
Biting back his scream, Rafferty sat stoically while Sullivan kicked him at least half a dozen times. When his brother was done, his breathing was heavy from the exertion. “You have two days to heal…dragon or no dragon.” Yanking off his backpack, he pulled out two thermoses. “There’s water and soup. Fucking eat.”
When Rafferty once again went silent, Sullivan threw both bottles at him, nailing him in the chest and the hip. The tears did not fall until his brother stomped out of the cave. Rafferty wasn’t sure if his dragon’s return was imminent and that was why he was still alive, but as far as he was concerned, it was beside the point. No matter what, he was going to find a way to get back to Aleksander. That thought in mind, Rafferty grabbed the container sitting close to him. It was filled with a thick broth with plenty of vegetables and chunks of beef.
It was cold and gummy, but Rafferty took great care to devour every ounce. His hunger had gone unnoticed until he finally got something into his belly after however long had passed since the nightmare started. When he was finished, he desperately wanted a nap, so he set it aside and promised himself when he woke he’d drink the water. Sliding to the floor, his lashes fell. Dreaming of the moment his lips first touched Aleksander’s, Rafferty promised himself yet again that he’d be at his side someday.
Chapter 19
One month later
“When’s he supposed to be here?” Noirin asked.
“Any minute now. Just like before, he’s refusing to allow anyone to help him. He has rented a car and is staying at a hotel,” Aleksander responded.
“I’m glad he agreed to come,” Kendrick said. “After everything that’s happened, I wasn’t sure if it would get weird with Court Kestle.”
Aleksander’s mouth settled into a grim line as Gavrael walked into the kitchen with his other half at his side. “He is here. I just opened the gate.”
“Thanks, Gavrael.”
“I just hope he can answer some of your questions,” Gedeon added; then the pair strode off so their guest wouldn’t have to deal with more than a handful of D’Vaires at his arrival.
There was a loud knock on the front door, and Aleksander didn’t argue as Brogan charged down the hall to answer it. A minute or so later, Brogan walked into the great room with Duke Kestledraconis at his side.
“We really appreciate you accepting our invitation,” Aleksander said, reaching out his hand.
Sullivan shook it and offered a smile. “Of course, Court Kestle is honored to be friends with High Court D’Vaire, Your Highness.”
“No need for royal address. Can we offer you anything to eat or drink?”
“We have raspberry lemonade,” Kendrick remarked. “Could I pour you a glass?”
“I’d love that, thank you.”
“Please have a seat,” Aleksander invited. Kendrick handed out glasses of his freshly made beverage. Taking a sip, Aleksander found it as delicious as everything else that Kendrick and Noirin made.
Once Sullivan was seated, he drank half of his in a single swallow.
“You must be thirsty,” Kendrick teased.
Sullivan laughed and the sound was strangely caustic to Aleksander, but perhaps he was simply sensing things through his haze of hurt and anger over the mate he’d received one text from in the last five weeks. “My father and I have started a new hobby of caving. We were at it this morning. Ran out of light. Can you imagine? Luckily, it was an area we’ve explored a lot, so we were able to find our way back out to grab the extras from the car. It was quite the adventure.”
“Is that how you got the scrapes on your hands?” Noirin asked.
Glancing down and flexing his fist, Sullivan appeared almost surprised to see the healing wounds on his knuckles. “I suppose I did. Strange, I had so much adrenaline at the time, I guess I didn’t feel them.”
“You’ll have to be careful in the future. I’ve heard exploring old caves and such can be dangerous,” Kendrick said.
“It’s true,” Sullivan responded. “And they can produce awful smells too. But I do enjoy it.”
“Anything else new at Court Kestle?” Brogan asked, crossing his arms. While many members of the household had confessed to liking Rafferty, the moment his relationship with Aleksander had evaporated, there was a unanimous feeling of ire toward the would-be High King.
Sullivan’s mouth lifted in a half smile. “I suppose you all want news on Rafferty.”
“I assure you that’s not the only reason we invited you,” Aleksander assured him. “Like you, we value the relationship with Court Kestle. Although Kendrick lives here now, you guys are still his family. We don’t want things to be awkward or strained.”
“I feel as if I should apologize for my brother. While we wanted to build a friendship with D’Vaire the moment Kendrick arrived at your sanctuary, Rafferty was insistent that he be the one as the contact point. My father wasn’t thrilled with the idea. As you’ve learned, Rafferty isn’t always trustworthy and tends to bore of things as soon as the shine wears off, but King Kestle also likes to indulge his children. Rafferty did just as I feared. Once he had what he wanted, it was like a child whose toy is no longer new. He’s no longer interested in anything about D’Vaire. Rafferty’s back to doing whatever pleases him, and no matter how many times I beg him to text or call, he simply won’t hear of it. I assure you that we’re displeased with him, and it means the world to us that you’re not holding it against the entire Court Kestle.”
Aleksander’s jaw flexed with anger. His heart, his hopes, and his dreams were handed to Rafferty, and the man had simply walked away. Was everything he thought they were a complete lie? Did Rafferty tell him a single thing that had any truth, or was it a game to build his trust? Or was he wearing a mask as he dealt with his issues so no one at Court Kestle would suspect Aleksander was his mate?
It was impossible to know if Rafferty continued to refuse to speak to him. Although he’d thought they were close enough that Rafferty could confide in him, it hurt to know it might’ve been nothing but a farce. “You don’t need to apologize. He’s an adult and free to make his own choices. I appreciate your candor and want you to know that you’re always welcome here. I know you and Kendrick have quite a few plans for your trip, so I’ll let you two get started. Thanks for visiting, Sullivan.”
“My pleasure Aleksander, and feel free to text me whenever you want. And I’ll continue to try to get my brother to contact you.”
“Actually, there’s no need for that. I’d prefer it if Rafferty texted or called me because he values our friendship, not because he’s being talked into it. I appreciate the effort, but I think we should let it go,” Aleksander said, carrying his glass to the dishwasher and putting it on the top rack.
“Whatever you want. I just want to reiterate that I’m always happy to pass along messages.”
“Thanks so much, enjoy your
stay. I’ll see you guys at dinner,” Aleksander said and walked out of the room. Needing a moment to settle himself, he pushed away the ever-present anger at being dumped by his other half. In a million years he couldn’t imagine that the moment Rafferty had walked off his land that he’d simply decided to pretend they’d never met.
∞∞∞
“Stand the fuck back up,” Sullivan ordered. Rafferty had just slipped and was lying in a pile of his shit, blood, and piss. A bucket of cold water was flung over him, and he shivered as his palms scraped across the floor, looking for purchase so he could get up.
“It fucking smells horrid in here,” Charlton yelled, lifting yet another plastic tub.
A thick branch nailed Rafferty in the groin as he struggled to get to his feet. “Move faster, Paunchy,” Sullivan demanded.
“How is he still so fucking fat?” Charlton demanded.
Rafferty glared and used the wall at his back to brace himself as he got up on shaky legs. They’d taken to leaving him with plenty of food in the hopes of trying to speed up his healing. The jury was still out on whether it was effective, but Rafferty ate up every morsel, determined to keep whatever strength he had left. Without day or night, it was impossible to know how much time had passed since he’d first woken up in the cave, but he had the sinking suspicion he would be shocked to know the date.
Two additional buckets of icy water were thrown at him as they tried to get rid of the pervasive smell of Rafferty’s waste and some of the lesions on his body that had started to fester with infection. His dragon was long gone, and he was barely more than human. The constant dirt around him made it impossible to keep his wounds clean, and the torture he endured every couple of days meant he was in a constant state of poor health. His mind, however, was locked on a singular goal, and that was to find a way back to D’Vaire. To somehow escape, so he could find himself in Aleksander’s arms, where he belonged. It was only Aleksander that kept him going. Rafferty doubted he would still be alive were it not for the wonderful man that had stolen his heart.
Heart of the High King (D'Vaire, Book 19) Page 14