by Maggie Walsh
With each day, he gave himself a moment to think about the rest of the creatures of earth and say a prayer for them, but then he needed to get back to training. This was the end of the world, and their battle with Minos and Hades was coming, and he needed to be ready so that he could stand beside the others, whether Nikolai wanted him or not. It still freaked him the hell out to learn that he wasn’t human but was in fact a paranormal. The idea thrilled him though. He had always wanted to be a part of Nikolai’s world and to now know that he was filled him with a sense of belonging.
Every day Nobin would take him out into the yard and train him, and every day someone from this great big family would drop by and help. Sometimes more than one. The fae and Legion Warriors would come by when Nobin wanted him to use more of his…damaging powers, and then Shelby, Taylor, and Jesse would drop by to help with others. Crew showed him how to control his teleportation, and Christian gave a hand with telekinesis. Lexi, Raith, Xavier, and Xander showed him how to conjure and control all the elements, and Shay and Raffy helped him with the rest. With both of them being omegas of their breeds, he was able to learn a lot from them.
Through it all, Thad focused on what they were saying and doing, but many times his thoughts strayed to Nikolai. He wondered if his mate even knew what was going on with him, or if he even cared. Every day he found himself looking for Nikolai, hoping he would make an appearance, but he never did.
When Viktor came to see how he was progressing, Thad couldn’t hold it in anymore. He needed to know what was going on with his mate. “Why has Nikolai never come, Vik? Does he even know what’s going on?”
Viktor gave him a sad smile. “He knows, Thad. Even though he hasn’t come out here himself, I have given him a daily report on your progress.”
“But…he never asks? You just tell him?”
Vik smiled. “Both actually. Some days I tell him, and others he asks. Like today. He said he was watching from the window and saw you call on the rain, then were shocked when it poured on your head and nowhere else,” Vik said with a chuckle.
Thad turned a little red, and he smirked. “Yeah, that wasn’t my finest hour. But it did help me learn how to dry myself in under thirty seconds, so I’ll take it as a win.”
“Every success and every failure should be taken as a win, Thad. Because even failure teaches us something.”
“Very true. So, um…how is he? What has he been doing? I mean I know the world out there has completely fallen apart and you’re all probably very busy with that, Nikolai as well, but…is he okay?”
“Yes, Thaddeus. Nicco is fine. He has been working with Zane to try to locate a spell that will release his soul even though they don’t have the crystal any longer. Slade, our best tracker, has been unsuccessful in finding Melinda. With everything going on in the world, it has become impossible for him to track her, as well as too dangerous for him to be out there. So we’ve gone to plan B, and Zane is doing everything he can to figure this out.”
“So, should I take that as a win, too? That Nikolai is even trying to find something to regain that piece of his soul and hopefully what he feels for me? Or what he used to feel?” Thad asked hesitantly.
“I would definitely take that as a win, Thaddeus,” Vik said and placed a hand on Thad’s shoulder. “I know that he seems distant and cold, but now we know why, and he is trying to find a way. That’s a win in my book. What is going on inside him and causing his feelings for you to be blocked, he’s consciously fighting against it. That’s a good sign. Zane is a very smart and powerful witch. If he can’t figure out what to do, then I don’t think anyone can. Plus, he also has friends in very high places he can call upon for advice and guidance. Let’s keep the faith that Zane will find what we’re looking for.”
Thad gave Vik a sad smile. “I will. Now I guess I need to get back to this, so I’ll be ready to stand with you all, huh?”
* * * *
Another three days had passed, and still Thad hadn’t seen or heard from Nikolai, and it was starting to really hurt. Ever since he passed out and then woke up to find out he wasn’t who he thought he was, Nikolai hadn’t visited him. He had hoped his mate would have been worried about him at least enough to come and check on him once, maybe twice, but he never did.
Thad was now in the backyard trying to conjure up lightning but couldn’t get the hang of it. He sighed in frustration and dropped his hands.
“It’s okay, Eakul, you’ll get it. You have already far exceeded my expectations. Usually no one picks things up as fast as you have. But then again, most of our siblings thought they were humans living in a human world. You already had the advantage of knowing about the paranormals. Maybe that has something to do with it.”
Thad shrugged. “Maybe it has something to do with that dome? Is it possible it’s blocking the energy flow?”
“That’s a good question, and it may just have some effect on your powers, but I honestly don’t think so. There is so much power in the dome itself from the fae, that you should be able to draw on that,” Nobin replied.
“I’ll take your word for it. I really couldn’t say. All I know is as you’ve been teaching me, it just feels right. Once you show me, it’s like I always knew how to do it, but had forgotten, and now I remember. Except for this damn lightning.”
“It’s not easy for anyone to gather up that kind of energy from the Universe and concentrate it to one place. It takes great focus. Let’s clear your mind and try again, okay?”
Thad nodded and turned as he raised his hands. Just then he saw Nikolai step out of the house with some drop-dead gorgeous guy, and the two were laughing. Nikolai placed a hand on the other man’s arm as he threw his head back and laughed, and then the other man moved closer and hugged his mate.
Rage and jealousy like he had never felt before consumed him, and Thad thrust out his hands. Suddenly a clap of thunder vibrated through the yard, and a bolt of lightning snapped down from the sky and struck the ground in the two hundred feet that separated him from his mate. Nikolai and the other man jumped apart in shock and fear, and Thad smirked. Good. Fear me, asshole, because if you touch my mate one more damn time, I’ll set your ass on fire next, Thad thought.
The look in Nikolai’s eyes hardened, and Thad could see the anger in them as Nikolai turned in his direction and stalked over.
“Seems like anger and jealousy work wonders for your powers as well, little brother,” Nobin said from the corner of his mouth.
Nikolai stopped two feet from him, and their gazes locked. He could see his mate’s jaw clenching and unclenching. “Have you lost your damn mind? Someone could have gotten killed,” Nikolai reprimanded.
“Well, excuse me. Hello, new to this magic and powers and shit. I am out here working my tail off to learn about these powers and how to control them. You know, training? So if you don’t want to get caught in the crossfire, maybe you and your hot boy toy over there shouldn’t have come outside,” Thad argued, his own anger growing.
Nikolai’s brows rose, and his eyes filled with confusion. “My boy toy? What are you talking about?”
Thad pointed to the hot man in the black suit still standing by the house watching them. “Him. You won’t give me, your mate, the time of day, or even check on me to see if I’m all right, or how my training is going, but you have the nerve to bring your lover out here and throw it in my face!”
“Hold on a minute. My lover?” Nikolai turned his head and looked over his shoulder, then back to Thad. His voice dropped an octave and was cold again as he continued, “That is Tempest. Our guest from New Orleans who just lost most of his fucking coven, his home, and his city. He is a very good friend to Dante and Micah, and I was trying to cheer him up.”
“By sticking your tongue down his throat and rubbing your body all over him?” Thad yelled. The words were out before he even filtered them, but he didn’t care. His heart was hurting seeing his mate giving someone else attention when he got nothing.
Nikolai smirked
at him, and Thad just wanted to slap the look off his face. “You sound like you’re jealous,” Nikolai said in a low, sexy voice that had Thad’s cock springing to life.
Thad’s eyes opened wide, as he threw his hands out to the sides and replied, “Well, duh. Of course, I’m jealous, you asshole. You’re my mate, and you’re over there hugging on someone else, but don’t give me the time of day.”
Nikolai took a step closer, their bodies within inches of one another, and Thad’s body responded. His cock filled and pressed painfully against the zipper of his jeans, his heart began to race, and he was having trouble catching his breath.
Nikolai leaned in and said softly, “First of all, I was not sticking my tongue down his throat, or rubbing my body all over his, or shoving anything in your face. I told Tempest a funny story to cheer him up, and after he laughed, he gave me a hug to thank me for taking his mind off what was going on, even for a few minutes. And as far as your jealousy is concern―”
Yeah, so, his mate never got to finish that sentence, or word. Nikolai’s intoxicating scent of wintergreen wrapped around his head, and Thad stopped thinking clearly. All he was hearing was a bunch of wah wah sounds, and his gaze focused on those soft pink lips of Nikolai’s, and Thad just had to have a taste. So he leaned in, grabbed the back of Nikolai’s neck, and drew him in, and then kissed him full on the lips.
Nikolai tensed up for a few moments, and just as Thad was about to give up and pull away, Nikolai did something that both thrilled him and shocked him. His mate began to kiss him back, thrusting his tongue deep inside Thad’s mouth, devouring him. Nikolai placed his hands on Thad’s hips, gripping him, and pulled them close, but then just as quickly Nikolai released him and stepped back.
His face was twisted in pain, and his eyes were hard. Thad’s heart fell, right along with his cock. It was as if someone had thrown a hundred gallons of frigid cold water on them.
“I can’t…I can’t do this,” Nikolai said through clenched teeth, then abruptly turned, and walked away.
Thad watched him go, until he disappeared into the house, with the other man, Tempest, following. Thad raised his hand to his lips, still feeling the tingling and heat of Nikolai’s lips against his. He licked his lips, still tasting his mate.
“Well, that went well,” Nobin said from beside him.
Thad turned his head to look at his brother and raised a brow. “Really?”
“Yes, of course. Think about it. Only yesterday he couldn’t be around you, and now he kissed you back. Before whatever that spell does to him pulled him back, he let himself go in your embrace. That should tell you something.”
“Oh yeah? Like what?” Thad asked.
Nobin gave him a big smile. “That even though he has a powerful spell on him that makes his heart indifferent to you, he can still feel the pull to you. And if that hot kiss was any indication, I would say he wanted you just as much as you want him. Stay positive, Eakul.”
“And what if the spell is never broken? You saw the pain in his eyes and on his face. That spell, mixed with me being near him, is only causing him pain. Pain that I don’t want him to have to go through. Maybe I shouldn’t be here? Maybe I need to go away so that he can get back to his life?”
“And where exactly would you go with the world falling apart and now being buried under a few feet of ash?”
“Shit, I keep forgetting that. How the hell can I forget what’s going on out there? I look up there every day and see the ash above us, but…” Thad sighed heavily. “Should I even be training? What’s really the point? All those people out there are suffering and dying, and we’re in here just going about our lives.”
“That’s not exactly true, Eakul. Everyone here is training as well, just not here. All the others are working very hard on their powers, as well as trying to come up with a plan to stop this evil force that comes for them. Do your part, Eakul, and train. That’s all you can do right now. What would be the alternative, to just give up and lie around crying about the end of days? That will surely mean defeat.”
“You’re right, but I still can’t help but feel like maybe I shouldn’t be here with Nikolai. That maybe I should take myself out of his space because being here is causing him too much pain.”
Nobin turned to fully face him. “Is that something like that saying, if you love something, set it free, and if it comes back to you, it’s yours?”
“Something like that, I guess,” Thad replied with a shrug.
“Horseshit,” Nobin said emphatically. “If you love someone, you let them know. But in this case with you and Nicco, he did set you free and you did come back to him.”
“True, but he didn’t come back to me.”
“He didn’t leave, you did, so you’re the one who needed to come back. And not for nothing, but he didn’t come back to you because of that damn spell. I bet if that were gone, Nikolai would have run right to you, wrapped you in his arms, and never let you go,” Nobin said with conviction.
Thad gave him a smile. “That sounds like it would have been wonderful, but just a fairy tale.”
“And you don’t think those fairy tales came from real life? Boy, I still have so much to teach you. You’ve heard the one about the beautiful princess named Snow White right? She was found by these seven elves―”
“Dwarves,” Thad cut him off.
“Dwarves? What the hell is a dwarf? There is no such creature.” Nobin threw an arm over Thad’s shoulder and turned them away from the house and started walking back out into the open field. “Snowy ran off, away from her evil witch stepmother. The woman was downright certifiable. Anyway, Snowy ran away and got lost in the woods. She was found by a clan of elves who took her in, and they all fell in love with her. Snowy fell in love with them too, and the eight of them lived happily ever after.”
Thad stopped and looked at Nobin as if he were insane.
“What?” Nobin asked.
“So you’re telling me that Snow White and the seven dw…elves is a true story, and she shacked up with the elves, not the prince, and is now in an eight-way ménage relationship?”
Nobin smiled wickedly. “Yup. And she and her men are so perfect together. But they couldn’t very well tell kids that Snow White liked having seven cocks to please her, jeez,” Nobin said, then laughed. “Could you imagine the nightmares those kids would have? Me, on the other hand, I love whenever I get an invite to lunch and get a peek at the orgy. I always seem to walk in on one.”
“You know Snow White?” Thad asked.
“Hell yes. She’s a genie. Come on and let’s practice some more while I tell you about Cinderella and her wife, Marion.” Thad chuckled as he shook his head and let Nobin lead him back to the clearing.
Chapter Nine
Everyone quietly sat around the den in their own thoughts. The threat of the battle with Hades grew closer, hanging heavy in the air. With the horsemen ripping the world apart and hundreds of millions already dead, Micah knew it was only a matter of time, a few days maybe, and their time to stand would come.
“Just sitting around here doing nothing but thinking of what may come isn’t good for us. We need to stop this,” Jesse whispered in Micah’s ear.
“I agree, baby. This doomsday atmosphere that has settled over the house needs to stop, or we’ve lost already. We need to find a way to light a fire under everyone.”
Taylor leaned into the pair, making eye contact with them both. Micah and Jesse moved closer, the three now putting their heads together, almost touching as Taylor said in a low voice, “I have what I think is a fabulous idea. I think it will loosen everyone up, lift their spirits, and remind them of what we’ll be fighting for. And may also give Thad and Nicco that push in the right direction toward a reunion.”
“That’s great, Tay. That’s exactly what we all need,” Jesse said softly in excitement.
Taylor raised a brow as a smirk came to his lips. “Does that mean that no matter what my idea is, you two will stand behind it and make th
e others participate?”
The happy expression on Jesse’s face fell. “It depends on what it is, Tay. If you want everyone to, say, jump out of a plane, then forget it.”
Taylor chuckled lightly. “You have all these mad skills that can kill someone with just a thought, and you’re still afraid of planes?”
“No,” Jesse huffed, and then looked down shyly. “Maybe,” he mumbled. “It’s a moot point now anyway with what’s happening out there.”
Micah looked at him with a raised brow. “You’re afraid of planes, baby? How did I not know this?”
“I’m not afraid of planes,” Jesse defended.
“No, he’s afraid of jumping out of planes. Which I must say I am in total agreement on. Why the hell should I jump out of a perfectly good airplane? But that’s not what I have in mind. What I do have in mind can be just as frightening to some people, but it won’t kill you. Okay, embarrassment may make you hide for a while, but it won’t kill you.”
Micah chuckled as he shook his head. “So, what is this plan of yours, Tay? As Jesse said, it depends on what it is, but if it’s a good plan, then I will stand by you.”
Taylor smiled wide as he looked between them and then happily replied, “Karaoke, baby.”
* * * *
A chorus of mumbles and grumbles came from around them as everyone entered the club through a portal, but there were a few happy squeals and laughter as well. “Everyone find a seat or something, while I go turn on all the lights and the music. Taylor, Sage, Shelby, would you mind giving me a hand?” Jesse said, before he kissed Micah on the cheek, then turned and headed through the door at the side of the stage with the others following.