“Yes,” Thane practically growled. “He does.”
“Good.” October tossed a wink at his assistant and turned back to Torren. “What’s going on in Haven?”
“You know we found the coven from the mountains, and it was small like Zasha said, only nine members. Of course, we also found four hostages, slaves, victims, whatever you want to call them. Everyone has been quarantined until they can be evaluated.”
“There was a recent security breach,” Kieran expanded. “So now, every time someone new comes in, they have to be assessed before they can be placed.”
October pursed his lips and dipped his head in understanding. “Have you learned anything about the witches?” Everyone assumed this coven was working with the circle of witches who’d kidnapped Thane. October wasn’t denying the claim, but he also didn’t have much to base an opinion on, either.
The only proof they had was the ramblings of a deranged vampire. Axton had been one of his own, a member of his coven, and October had trusted him. It still infuriated him that he’d been so easily deceived. There was a lot of that going around. Kaito’s biological father was just more proof of that. Gods, was he really so gullible?
He tried to see the good in people and offer second chances. Unfortunately, he was beginning to see that it could easily be his downfall. This merciful side of him could destroy everything he’d built. Guilty until proven innocent seemed so cynical, though.
“There’s not any proof yet. The coven leader denies any wrongdoing, but obviously, the slaves they were holding prove otherwise. They’re vampires, so we can’t compel them. Honestly, I don’t know what to think, but there are still pieces that aren’t adding up.”
All eyes turned to Thane, the only person in the room to have even minor firsthand knowledge of the coven.
“I was there for nearly two years, and they fed from me often. Axton was the only person who ever talked about witches, though. Well, that I can remember. The first few months after I left Belgium are kind of a blur.”
“What does that leave us with?” Raith asked as he settled back into the cushions of the sofa and wound an arm around October’s shoulders in a casual embrace. “This coven is a bunch of assholes, but they might not be in cohorts with the circle we’re looking for?”
Torren grumbled under his breath for a bit, but held his hand out, palms up, and shrugged. “That sounds about right.”
“So, basically,” Kieran said, “we’re exactly where we started.”
“We helped save some innocent people,” Lynk offered.
“Yes, there is that.” October leaned into mate’s side and subtly brushed a hand along Raith’s thigh. “A win is a win, but in this instance, it doesn’t help much in the larger scheme of things.”
A loud crash sounded from the other end of the house. October started to jump to his feet, but he remained where he was when he noticed that no one else seemed bothered by the noise. Aslan pushed to his feet and yawned, stretching his arms over his head. “Okay, I need to get Wren in bed. He’s going to be a bear tomorrow as it is.”
“I’m sorry, Aslan.” October extracted himself from Raith’s side and stood as well. “Kaito sleeps during the day, so I didn’t even think about it.”
“Yeah, and I’ve kind of picked up the whole vampire schedule as well,” Raith added. “Sorry, man.”
Aslan just waved them away. “It’s fine. They’re having fun, and we don’t have anything pressing to do tomorrow. It won’t hurt anything if Wren sleeps in a little late.”
“I’ll grab Kaito and help Wren get ready for bed,” October offered.
“Oh, I knew I liked you.” Glancing over his shoulder, Aslan eyed Torren speculatively. “How long do you think you could keep him occupied?”
Raith chuckled, took October’s hand, and began leading him toward Wren’s bedroom. “I’ll get him tucked in. Go have fun.”
“Are there any secure rooms here?” October asked when they were out of earshot from the others.
“Just the basement, I’m afraid. That’s where Zasha’s been sleeping. It’s not the prettiest room in the house, and it’s also where the holding cells are. It’s safe, light-tight, and fairly comfortable, though.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about having Kaito around the prisoners, Raith.”
“Don’t worry. The cells are in the basement, but there’s also an infirmary that’s a completely separate room with half a dozen beds. Besides, we’ll be right there with him. Don’t worry so much.”
They reached Wren’s bedroom, and found the door slightly ajar. Raith started to walk in, but October held him back by his elbow. Putting a finger to his lips, he eased the door open just a bit more so that they could see inside.
Wren and Kaito were huddled under a floating blanket, courtesy of Torren’s magic, while they worked together, erecting an entire city from Legos. It wasn’t what they were doing that had caught October’s attention, though. It was what they were saying.
“Do you think theyheard that?”
Wren glanced up and shrugged. “We just dropped the Lego box.”
Kaito didn’t look convinced, though. “Yeah, but they didn’t even yell.”
“Why would they yell?”
“I dunno,” Kaito whispered. “My daddy used to yell when I made noise.”
Wren bobbed his little head and scrunched his brow. “Before I got my new daddies, I had another daddy. He yelled a lot, too.”
Easing around the construction site, Kaito knelt beside his new friend and spoke so softly that October had to strain to hear him. “My daddy died. Am I supposed to be sad?”
“I don’t know.” To his credit, Wren appeared to be thinking very hard about it. “Did you like your daddy? I wasn’t sad when my sperm donor died, and Daddy says that’s okay.”
“What’s a sperm donor?”
October bit down on his tongue until he tasted blood to keep from laughing. He could only guess where the pixie had heard that particular phrase before.
“I don’t know,” Wren admitted. “That’s what Uncle Kieran calls my first dad.”
They were quiet for a moment, and then Kaito hung his head so that his dark hair fell around his face, obstructing it from view. “My daddy was mean. He said I’m a bom…bomin…” His eyebrows drew together, and he huffed in agitation. “Bom…in…a…shun. And that’s why I had to live in the dark room by myself.”
October’s heart was shattering inside his chest, but Raith was stiff as a board beside him. His breathing was coming in irregular grunts, and October could hear his heart racing. The lights in the hallway began to flicker, slowly at first, and then faster and faster. A breeze swept down the corridor, picking up in speed and intensity until it was swirling around them in a violent storm.
“Raith!” He shook his mate, trying to snap him out of whatever trance he was in. “Raith, look at me.”
The bedroom door flew open, and both boys stood inside the entryway with wide, rounded eyes. “Raith?” Kaito asked uncertainly, stepping forward to tug on the witch’s pant leg.
“Wren, go get your Uncle Lynk.”
Darting past them, Wren ran toward the living room, yelling Lynk’s name as he went. October had no clue how anyone could miss what was happening, and he seriously doubted it was isolated to that particular area of the house. Maybe the other residents just hadn’t put two and two together yet. Either way, he needed help, and he needed it quickly.
Shattering glass echoed down the hall as the light bulbs exploded. A rumble like rolling thunder vibrated the walls and the floor beneath their feet. Raith was completely lost, staring straight ahead, and seemingly unaware of the destruction happening around him.
“Kaito, get back into the room, baby.”
“What’s wrong with Raith?”
“He’s going to be fine, but I need you to back up, okay?”
Normally so quick to please, Kaito shook his head this time, and came even closer until he could wrap his arms around Raith’s l
eg. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “Please don’t be mad, Raith.”
The wind died immediately, the remaining lights ceased to flicker, and all the strange happenings dwindled to a halt. Falling to his knees, Raith pulled Kaito into his arms and hugged him fiercely. “You are not an abomination, Kaito. You are absolutely perfect, and you never, ever have to be sad that your dad died if you don’t want to. Got it?”
The other men in the house stood at the end of the hallway with Wren, looking on with a mixture of concern and pity. October didn’t take his eyes away from Raith, but he waved a hand behind him, letting them know that everything was okay now.
“I didn’t mean to drop the box,” Kaito whispered, still stuck on what he thought he’d done wrong to anger Raith.
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m not worried about the box.” Raith eased the boy away and held his sweet face gently in bothhands. “You are very, very special, and I want you to always remember that. No one is ever going to hurt you again. I promise.”
“My sperm donor was a bad man.”
October coughed to cover up his snort, and he saw Kieran wince out of the corner of his eye. It was an appropriate term for the bastard who’d siredtheir sweet little vampire, however. October didn’t know who the boy’s mother had been, but he hoped she hadn’t been as awful as his own.
“I don’t want to go back to the dark place,” Kaito continued. “Can I stay with you, Raith? Please? I promise I’ll be so good.”
Crouching down beside the two people he cared about most in the world, October wrapped one arm around Raith’s back and settled his other hand on Kaito’s shoulder. “Is that what you want? Do you want to stay with us?”
Kaito’s eyes went huge, and he bobbed his head eagerly. “Yes! Can I?Really?” He jumped forward and flung his arms around October’s neck, giving him a big, smacking kiss on the cheek.
“Yes, baby. Really. I’d really like for you to be part of our family.”
“And Raith?”
Raith chuckled and came closer to join in their hug. “Absolutely.”
“Yay!” Wren squealed as he came barreling toward them. Grabbing Kaito, he pulled him around in a circle as the two boys laughed and danced. “You get to have two daddies, too!”
Kaito stopped abruptly and turned to look back to October and Raith. “Daddies?”
“If you want,” October answered slowly.
“We can be brothers!” Wren added eagerly.
“Cousins,” Raith corrected. “Kaito would be your cousin.”
“We can be cousins!”
“It’s up to you, Kaito.” October held his hand out, waiting to see if Kaito would take it. “It’s okay to say no. No one will be mad at you.” He wasn’t even sure if the child understood what they were asking him or if he knew what was going on. How did he explain something like this to someone so young?
“Yes!” Kaito practically screamed as he launched himself at them again.
“Okay,” Torren called from behind them, though his voice sounded a little thick as though he was struggling with emotions. “If Raith isfinished destroying the house, it’s time for little boys to be in bed.”
“But it’s still dark,” Kaito protested.
“C’mon, love.” October stood and lifted Kaito into his arms. “You can play with Wren tomorrow. You’ve had a big, exciting day.”
“Do you have your dream dust?” Raith asked when he was finished apologizing for the scare he’d given everyone.
“Dream dust?”
Raith shrugged. “I’ll tell you about it later, but he needs it to sleep. I’m pretty sure I packed it in his bag.”
An uneasy feeling settledinto October’s gut. “Raith, what does this ‘dream dust’ look like?”
“It’s kind of glittery and…” Raith trailed off, and his mouth fell open. “No.”
“Let me guess, glittery and gold.”
Chapter Fourteen
“Shit, I didn’t think. Why the hell would he have gold dust?” Raith felt like the world’s biggest jackass. “It was with all of Kaito’s things that Gideon brought with him. I just don’t get it.”
“Don’t you?” October settled onto the sofa beside him with a sigh. “After all the things we’ve heard about Tanaka, does it really surprise you that he was poisoning his son?”
No, it didn’t, and Raith could feel the fury boiling inside him again. The earlier episode had scared the shit out of him, though, and he beat back the magic ruthlessly when it tried to take control of him once more. “Why isn’t he sick all the time?”
“My guess is that he’s more werewolf than vampire. The gold doesn’t make him sick, but it does make him weak. Gold doesn’t bother me much unless I ingest it. I get weak and tired, maybe a headache,but nothing major.”
“And have you been feeling more tired lately?”
“Yes, but I thought it was just from stress.”
Raith thought back to that first time October had fallen ill. “It
started the night we brought Kaito home.” October nodded in agreement. “Yes, it makes sense when I think back on it. Gideon wasn’t feeling the best that night, either, and he’s the only other person who had close contact with Kaito.”
“I’m still not getting it.” He was neither a vampire nor a werewolf, and he was ashamed to admit that he knew little about either species.
“I don’t think we’ll ever know for sure, but I think Tanaka was giving Kaito the dust to make him too weak to shift. Gold doesn’t have the same effect on werewolves, but it’s harder for a hybrid to shift anyway. When we’re exhausted or sick, it’s almost impossible.”
“I thought werewolves and shifters didn’t turn for the first time until puberty.”
“We don’t, but apparently, Tanaka wasn’t taking any chances. Since he kept the kid locked in the basement, there wasn’t much danger of poisoning himself.”
“I really hate that fucker.”
“I do as well, but it’s over now, draga.”
“So, being near Kaito and his things makes you weak. I probably get the dust all over me when I’m reading to him at night. So, when you bite me, you ingest it, and disaster ensues.”
“That’s a fairly accurate assessment. At least we know about it and can prevent it from happening again.” October leaned forward and pecked at his lips. “Are you sure he’s okay in the basement by himself?”
Raith was still reeling over the fact that he was now technically a father. He supposed he’d been all along, but it was official now, and he was feeling very warm and weightless. “He’s not alone, babe. Zasha and Thane are with him, and Wren finagled his way down there for asleepover. Our little man has plenty of company.”
“He’s ours.” October sounded as awed as Raith felt. “He’s really ours.”
“I think he always was.”
October smirked and shook his head. “No, but I think we were always his.”
Raith couldn’t argue with that, so he didn’t bother to try. Besides, sitting so close to his lover, feeling the heat pouring off him, and breathing in his intoxicating scent, was extremely distracting. “Well, it’s still an hour until the sun comes up. Everyone else is in bed.” He moved closer, crowding his mate’s personal space until October was sprawled back on the cushions. “What should we do until bedtime?”
“Raith, I really don’t think tha—” He cut himself off abruptly, and a gentle smile graced his lips. “I really don’t think that’s up to me. You’re still in charge, after all.”
There was a slight problem with that, though. Raith didn’t want to be in charge anymore. He’d lost control of his magic, started a storm inside the house, and shattered light bulbs—all within feet of the two most precious people in his life. Someone could have been injured. He could have inadvertently hurt Wren or Kaito. In his blind rage, he could have wiped out half the residence, including his mate, and not even have realized it until it was too late.
“I did it again, didn’t I?”
“W
hat is that, draga?” October petted the hair back from Raith’s brow and stared up at him with a look of comfort and understanding.
“I was rash and impulsive. I love that little boy, and the thought of him leaving tears my heart out, but I screwed up. He needs someone stable, someone like you. I can’t take care of him. Tober, I can’t even take care of myself.”
October didn’t immediately offer platitudes and tell him that he was talking nonsense. Rising from his prone position, he took both of Raith’s hands and brought them to his lips to whisper a soft kiss across the knuckles.
“I don’t think you have a choice, Raith. Kaito needs us, both of us, and he’s already attached himself to you.” He held his hand up to halt Raith’s argument. “However, I agree that we need to address the dark magic issue. It’s growing stronger, and I’m worried it will eventually take over.”
From everything he’d seen and heard over the centuries, that was exactly what would happen. The darkness would consume him until nothing good about him remained. “I should go. It’s not you, babe. It’s not Kaito. I just don’t trust myself around people anymore.”
He’d made a promise that when it became too much to bear, he’d disappear to somewhere far away where he couldn’t hurt the people he loved. There was so much he was going to miss, and his soul was crying out to bind with its other half.
“Now that would be rash and impulsive, my love. There is nothing going on here that we can’t figure out together. I had a little talk with Torren while you were getting Kaito to bed.”
Raith had been listening, but for some reason, his brain was stuck on “my love,” repeating it over and over like a skipping record. “What did you say?”
“I talked to Torren.”
“No, before that.”
“We can figure this out together?” October tilted his head to the side and his eyebrows drew together in a shallow V.
“No, no.” Raith moved closer again, grabbing his mate’s jaw in both hands and holding him immobile so he could stare right into his eyes. “What did you call me?”
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