by Macy Blake
He tried not to think about what would happen when Nick found parents for her. When it wasn't him carrying her on his shoulders anymore.
"You're breaking my heart," Nick grumbled. "Cut it out already."
"What?"
"Like I don't know? Are we back to me being an idiot again?"
"Order up!"
Walt's yell from the window didn't even distract Nick from his glare. He stared Jedrek down, forcing him to hold his gaze. "I think I'm the idiot."
"That's what I've been saying. No one will believe me. Here's the thing. I know what you want. I know you wanna keep her, but Jed, if we do that, we gotta do it right. I don't know shit about kids, and they're a lot of work. I mean, I was talking to Sam about all the things I've gotta keep up with as their alpha. He made me a spreadsheet. With tabs. And links. I'm more scared of that spreadsheet than I am of the goddess herself."
"Yeah, I know." It broke his heart to admit it, but he didn't know anything about kids anyway, and his life was too crazy to even think about bringing a kid into it. It was dumb. He'd just be her favorite uncle or something, just like he did with Sam and Vaughn's kids, like he did with Sophie.
A sudden sharp pain on his ass startled him out of his thoughts. His mate had pinched him. Hard. "Ow. What the fuck, Nick?"
"One, go get my nachos for me. I'm fading away to nothing, here. Two. We're keeping Robin. Shut up. No one can love her more than you do. Like I'm letting her go to some idiot when she can have the best dad on the planet. Okay, second best. No third. I mean, I love you, Jed, you know I do, but dude, Sam and Vaughn are impressive."
"I'll take third place to them."
"I figured. But we're gonna have to learn to cook."
Nick's stomach chose that moment to rumble and he stared down at it. Jedrek pushed him aside and toward the empty booth at the back. He went to the window and lifted the plate of nachos. Walt stuck his head around the corner and glared. "What's that face?"
"I'm gonna be a dad."
Jedrek grinned, ignoring the clatter as Walt dropped something in the kitchen. He took the plate to the booth and slid in beside Nick. "I'm gonna get Vaughn to give me lessons, or whatever. And I'll read the spreadsheet. We can do this."
"Yeah." Nick leaned against him and scooped up one of the overloaded chips. "I can't wait to tell Sawyer and Mikey they're going to be uncles."
Jedrek grinned and looked around the bar. His pack hadn't changed, only grown. And even though there were still uncertain times ahead. Even though they didn't know what was coming or from what direction, Jedrek didn't care. He'd found what he needed in the eye of this storm, and he'd give anyone hell who tried to take it from him.
Nothing Gained
Chosen One Book Four
Copyright © 2019 by Macy Blake
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Cover and symbols designed by A.J. Corza, www.seeingstatic.com
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Proofreading by Jill Wexler, LesCourt Author Services
Formatting by Leslie Copeland, LesCourt Author Services
www.lescourtauthorservices.com
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All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Sawyer
“Morning, Viv,” Sawyer said as he walked into the kitchen. He’d slept late, a lot later than he wanted, but he still had time to attempt his latest idea for coaxing the stranger out of the woods. His guardians weren’t exactly thrilled with his multiple attempts, especially the ones he involved them in. His staff wasn’t either. But Sawyer knew to the very core of his being that he needed to do something to break the ice.
In the hustle and bustle after the attack that had left both Sawyer and his brother, Mikey, seriously injured, Sawyer hadn’t really stopped to think about the golden-eyed creature who’d intervened and saved him. He’d been focused on what he’d learned both during and after the attack instead. Mainly, the fact that he was a god. Well, part god? Demi god? God-lite? He honestly wasn’t sure. No one could answer his questions. Apparently, there were rules. Sawyer really hated rules.
“Sawyer,” Viv said as she smiled and moved to the fridge. “I have your smoothie ready and waiting. I thought you were going to sleep all day.”
“Don’t think I didn’t try,” Sawyer said with a grin. “Um, Viv. I need a favor.”
“Of course, hon. What can I do?”
Sawyer bit his lip and laid the piece of paper he had clutched in his hand on the counter. “Will you let me cook something?”
His chef immediately scowled. “What?”
“It’s just… Okay, I know the kitchen is your domain and you’ve made it abundantly clear that you don’t like anyone in here messing around, but I had an idea about how to get through to Yellow Eyes. See, if he’s hanging around out there, then he’s gotta be hungry, right? I mean, what is he eating?”
“We’ve been through this, Sawyer. I took food out there to him. So did Cecil. So did Henry, and Loch, and—”
“But I didn’t.”
Her scowl deepened. “And how does that change anything? You say he’s still out there, but none of the guards have caught a glimpse of your mystery man. And the food we left out there didn’t get touched.”
Sawyer sighed. “Yeah, I know. But I want to try. Please, Viv? I mean, I don’t want to make you mad at me, but I think I should at least try. I’m running out of ideas, you know?”
“Fine.”
He let out another sigh. “Thanks. I found a recipe online for homemade Hamburger Helper. I used to love that. But homemade is better, right? I didn’t want to make something out of a box. And the recipe says it’s easy. What do you think?”
She spun the paper around and skimmed the recipe. “I have all of this on hand. And yeah, I think it’s quick and easy. Is this the kind of stuff you want to eat?”
Sawyer reached over the counter and put his hand on hers. “No. I mean, I miss just being able to go out and grab a burger, you know? But I like that you let me try new things and you always figure out what I’ll like and not like. How do you do that?”
“It’s pretty easy. You’ll eat about anything. Except snails.”
Sawyer grinned. “True. Okay, let me do this then. And if it doesn’t work, then I’ll figure out another plan.”
Viv grabbed the paper and began pointing to various cabinets. Sawyer followed her points and gathered all the ingredients before setting to work. It only took about thirty minutes for him to have a big, heaping pot of beef and macaroni noodles in a cheesy tomato sauce. He and Viv both taste-tested the results. She made a face, as it clearly wasn’t up to her culinary standards, but Sawyer grinned around the piping hot mouthful.
“It’s good.”
“It’s not bad,” Viv countered.
Draco walked into the kitchen, his eyes bleary and only half open. “Where’d you go?” he grumbled.
“Right here.”
Draco grabbed him around the waist and tucked his face in Sawyer’s neck. “You didn’t tell me. I woke up and you were gone.”
Sawyer gave him a gentle squeeze. “Sorry, Drake. I slept for a long time, though. I needed to get up.”
Draco grunted. It had been his turn to keep watch the night before, so he hadn’t gone to bed until the early hours of the morning.
“You should go back to bed.”
“What’s that smell?” Draco asked, not so subtly ignoring Sawyer’s suggestion.
“I cooked,” Sawyer explained. “I was trying to make something like that goulash stuff Mama Thea used to make. Remember? It was kind of like Hamburger Helper?”
“Smells good,” Draco said. “But why did you cook? Viv cooks.”
Sawyer ran his hand over Draco’s wide back, loving how snuggly his mate was first thing in the morning. Although Draco was actually a cuddl
er at all hours, he was really cute when he was sleepy.
“I’m going to take it out to the woods.”
Draco stiffened.
“No,” Sawyer said sharply. “Don’t argue. I’ll be within the wards. It’s broad daylight. I have my guardians and what feels like about a thousand vampires to keep watch over me. I need to figure this out.”
“And feeding whatever is out there is your solution?”
“Yes.”
Draco grumbled but lifted his head. His deep amber eyes swirled with emotion. “Fine, but I’m going with you. You’re not going alone. And don’t argue with me, either. Not alone, Sawyer.”
“I’ll make a picnic,” Viv said cheerfully. She pulled a basket out of the pantry and began loading it up. Before Sawyer could come up with a decent argument, she’d finished filling the basket and shoved it toward him. She passed a blanket to Draco. “There. One romantic picnic in the woods to try to find the mystery man with yellow eyes at your service.”
Sawyer sighed and walked out the back door. Pearl barked a greeting, overjoyed to see him. She’d been out by the pool, probably lounging in a sunny spot while waiting on Saeward, another of Sawyer’s mates, to show her the attention he constantly showered upon her. Sawyer couldn’t help but grin as he greeted her as she demanded, putting the basket down and rubbing her ears and scratching her back. When he finished, she plastered herself against his side and followed him toward the edge of the yard.
“Are you sure about this?” Draco asked.
“Yes.”
They stepped into the woods and by the time they were a dozen feet in, everything seemed quieter, somehow. The blaring noon sun softened, too, and it was at least ten degrees cooler in the shade. Draco kept walking, looking around as they went.
Sawyer looked as well, even though he knew they wouldn’t catch a glimpse of Yellow Eyes until he was good and ready to be seen. But even though Sawyer couldn’t see him, he could feel him. It didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense anymore.
“Here,” Sawyer said.
Draco glanced around and shrugged. He found a relatively flat spot under a big oak tree and spread out the blanket. Sawyer sat down and rested his back against the wide trunk. Draco looked around once more, then lay down with his head on Sawyer’s leg and let out a yawn.
“Sleepy,” he grumbled.
“So sleep.”
Draco huffed. Pearl curled up against Draco’s stomach and he began to pet her softly. It wasn’t long before they both fell asleep, leaving Sawyer with his basket of food and his own thoughts.
“So, this is kind of weird, but I feel like I should introduce myself,” Sawyer said quietly. Neither Draco or Pearl moved. “My name is Sawyer Smith. I’m the Chosen One. But you know that already, don’t you?”
He wasn’t expecting an answer, and he didn’t get one. He laid his hand gently on Draco’s head and stared at his sleeping dragon for a long moment. It was so easy talking to Draco. He could just say whatever was in his head and get it out. Usually he’d figure out whatever was going on once he just put the words out there. Problem was, you had to have someone you really trusted with your words to do that. Yellow Eyes didn’t qualify.
Sawyer took a breath and thought about what he’d say to Draco. Then he just stopping worrying about it, concentrated on Draco’s soft hair beneath his palm, and started talking.
“I’ve been trying to figure out why you’re hiding out here. I mean, we know you’re here. As if all my previous attempts to talk to you or give you food and stuff weren’t obvious enough. But we have a nice house, and even though all of my guardians are fierce, they wouldn’t hurt you. Well, unless you were trying to hurt us. But you know that, too. Don’t you? You know a lot, I think.”
Draco gave a huffing snore and Sawyer began to gently rub his hair.
“Anyway, there’s room for you when you’re ready. I just wanted to make sure to tell you. Officially. You’re welcome to come inside. Goddess, this is awkward, but I really do want to talk to you so, I hope you don’t think I’m too weird or stupid or whatever. Loch would give me one of his disappointed looks for saying that. He’s one of my guardians. The fae. You can’t miss him. He’s the one with blue hair. He doesn’t like it when I say stuff like that about myself. I’ve been working on it.”
Sawyer glanced toward the house, remembering the attack. He shivered. “I’ve been thinking about you since that night. Trying to figure out exactly what I saw. It was all such a blur. All I really remember were your eyes. And I know you have claws because I remember what you did to my… to him.”
Thinking of that night made Sawyer’s breath catch. He’d never been so close to dying, and he’d come close more than once since his journey in the supernatural world began. But he’d felt his body giving up that night, had felt the breath leaving his lungs and his heart slowing down.
“So you saved me, but then you ran away again. And the only reason I can think of is that you don’t like me very much. You know you’re one of my guardians. I can feel it, you know? Well, you may not know that part actually. But I can feel it. I’m pretty sure you do, too. I mean, why else are you here? Anyway, it confused me at first when he said I had seven guardians. Because I only had six. Except you were there, too, watching over me. So either you don’t like me, or you don’t think I’m up for the job.”
Sawyer couldn’t blame him. He wasn’t sure he was up for the job. He didn’t know how he’d gotten to this point, either. Nothing made sense. All he knew was that he was the son of the Mother Goddess, he had three goddess sisters who were in charge of the supernatural world, and that he’d been attacked by another sibling. He didn’t want to call the guy his brother. No, he had two of those, and even though they weren’t his brothers by blood, they were the only people who deserved the title. Especially considering the consequences of what the other guy did that night.
Mikey still hadn’t recovered from the attack, but he’d been there, by Sawyer’s side when he needed him most. And he’d almost paid for his bravery with his life. His other brother, Nick, had revealed his big secret to Sawyer as well in the aftermath of the attack. Who knew that all the Smith brothers were somehow connected to this crazy other world that existed right under their noses? Mama Thea had. And Sawyer had unanswered questions about his foster mother as well. Those were problems for another day, though.
“At first, I was sure you were like the others and didn’t think a human could do it. I mean, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing with this whole me having no powers thing. But now… I don’t know. I guess I do have powers? Or I used to? That part is still a blur. I must have, right? That sort of comes with the whole son of a goddess package, right? You probably know that, too. Anyway, even though it’s weird that I’m sitting here pouring my heart out to you, I felt like it was important. Because I also realized that if you didn’t think I could do this as a human, you’d have let him kill me. But you didn’t. So I’m thinking you just don’t like me very much and even though you’re a guardian and have to be around me to do your sacred duty or whatever, you don’t like me or want to be around me.”
He heard movement in the trees, the softest sound, but one made intentionally. He’d never heard Yellow Eyes make a sound before. He wanted Sawyer to know he was there, that he was listening. Progress.
“And you know, you probably have a reason. Or maybe I’m just reading the situation wrong? I’m not perfect. I have no doubt you’ve at least figured that much out already. Just watching for as long as you have been has to have shown you some things.”
Sawyer gasped and looked up, his eyes wide. “I just realized what we’ve been doing in the hot tub and holy crap I should not be so embarrassed about this right now but sweet Goddess in the sky please tell me you haven’t seen all of that?”
Another soft sound.
“I’m going to take that as a no. I think you must be a pretty honorable guy. I mean, if you’re a guardian, that seems to come with the territory. So I’m going to
go with the fact that you just… went somewhere else when we were…um, taking advantage of the hot tub. Or I guess I should say being taken advantage of in the hot tub. Sheesh. When am I ever going to get over being embarrassed by all this? I have eight mates. I need to learn to deal with it. No one sees my mates naked, though. Silly human qualm or not, that’s a rule. I mean, I don’t really get mad if it gets broken or anything, but still, we’re for each other and even though it sounds ridiculous, I don’t like sharing.”
Sawyer forced himself to calm down, to take one of those deep cleansing breaths Andvari was constantly reminding him to take. His vampire mate helped him stay grounded, to not lose control of his emotions. If only he could control his growling stomach, which chose that moment to remind him that he hadn’t eaten anything in nearly twelve hours. It was just the distraction he needed to get back on track.
“Oh, I brought you something to eat. I, um, made it myself. I had this idea that maybe if it came directly from me, you’d consider accepting it? You probably don’t know what the others’ intentions were, right? I mean, why should you trust food that they just randomly left out here for you. Seems very Hansel and Gretel to me, and we both know that didn’t end well for them. Not in the original fairy tale. Have you ever read those? They’re gruesome.”