Into The Light
Page 1
INTO THE LIGHT
DRAGONS’ HOUSE
BOOK 2
Trigger Warnings
This book contains explicit sexual content, male on male sexual interactions, male pregnancy. Also mentions of rape and endangering of the physical integrity (scientific experiments).
Copyright © 2019 by H.M. Wolfe and E.L. Nelson
No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owners. This book is a work of fiction. All names, places, characters, and events are fictitious or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead or actual events is purely coincidental.
Cover art by EL Nelson
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
EPILOGUE
To mom, the most important person in my life, who was with me through thick and thin, loving and encouraging me all the way.
To my co-author, teammate and consigliere Earlene, whose wisdom, advice, brilliant ideas and constant support kept me going even when I felt like giving up, and to my dear cousin Michaela, whose honest criticism helped me in more than one ways.
To my team of dedicated betas, the best in the whole world: Amanda, Patricia, Nicole, Lyne and Emma, you girls were amazing.
To my friend L.N, who kept me entertained, you are one of the greatest.
Last, but not least, I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart to my dear nephew Flavius, my own personal Gabriel Bloom, who took upon himself the house chores, so I could have more time for writing. All of you are the most special, loving, warm, selfless people I know and I love you for that.
To Huanita for continuing to see me as a supportive help.
You give me a reason to get up in the mornings.
To Huanita’s mom, thanks Mom for supporting me even from across the world.
To my daughter Ashley, who, after coming out to her about reading and writing m/m books, said
“Yay, My mom likes butt sex!”
CAST OF CHARACTERS
DANIEL BLOOM - age 26-27, husband of Tarquin Ballard, the biological father of Gabriel. Adoptive father of Lochlin and Emery. Brother of Hayden. Biological son of Sebastian. Adoptive son of Joraan. Cousin of Liam, Willard, Edgar, Elizabeth, Ezra, Martin Cornelius, and Armina. Great-Nephew of Alastair. Eugene's best friend.
TARQUIN BALLARD - age 22-23, husband of Daniel Bloom. The biological father of Emery and Lochlin. Adoptive father of Gabriel. Liam's best friend.
CESARE-EUGENIO BRENTANO-FENELLI, aka EUGENE BOORMANN - age 30-31, son of Claudio Brentano and Rosa Brentano-Fenelli. Nephew of Giuseppe Fenelli. Daniel's best friend.
ALASTAIR STARK - age 60-61, uncle of Fabian, Benjamin and Sebastian Bloom. Great-Uncle of Daniel, Hayden, Martin Cornelius, Armina and Ezra Bloom, and of Liam, Willard, Edgar, and Elizabeth Stark.
LIAM STARK - age 22-23, twin brother of Willard. Cousin of Edgar and Elizabeth Stark and Daniel, Hayden, Martin Cornelius, Armina and Ezra Bloom. Great-nephew of Alastair. Tarquin's best friend.
ELIZABETH STARK - age 22-23, cousin of Liam, Willard, and Edgar Stark, and Daniel, Hayden, Martin Cornelius, Armina and Ezra Bloom. Great-Niece of Alastair Stark. Christine Malone's best friend.
MARTIN CORNELIUS BLOOM - age 23, son of Fabian and Adele Bloom. Brother of Armina Bloom. Cousin of Liam, Willard, Edgar, and Elizabeth Stark, and Daniel, Hayden and Ezra Bloom. Great-Nephew of Alastair Stark.
DARIEN SANDRIGHAM - age 19-20, best friends with Elizabeth and Liam Stark.
ELLIOTT SPELLMANN - age 22-23, Christine's roommate. Mallory Ashburn's best friend.
MALLORY ASHBURN - age 28-29, Elliott's co-worker and best friend. Christine's fake boyfriend.
CHRISTINE MALONE - age 22-23, Elliott's roommate and best friend. Mallory's fake girlfriend. Best friends with Elizabeth Stark.
LEON STANLEY - age 30-31, protector of Alasdair and Ezra.
JORAAN VAN SLOOT - age 45-46, husband of Sebastian Bloom. Adoptive father of Daniel. Good friends with Vincent Grant.
VINCENT GRANT - age 49-50, in love with Sebastian Bloom and Joraan Van Sloot. Protector of Hayden and Arnett.
HAYDEN BLOOM - age 16, brother of Daniel. Biological son of Sebastian Bloom. Vincent Grant's protegee. Tarquin's brother-in-law. Uncle of Gabriel. Adoptive uncle of Emery and Lochlin. Cousin of Martin Cornelius, Armina and Ezra Bloom, and Liam, Willard, Edgar, and Elizabeth Stark. Best friends with Arnett.
ARNETT FINLEY - age 16-17, Vincent Grant's protegee. Best friends with Hayden.
CHAPTER 1
”Elliott Spellmann, where do you think you are going? Get inside right now!” the girl shouted.
"For goodness sake, that woman!" the blond, curly-haired young man groaned mentally, rolling his eyes. "What is it, Christine?" he answered in a bored voice, going back into the house.
”What’s happening to you, sweet boy? Here, you forgot it again, third times this week, and it’s only Thursday!” This time, the girl spoke in a gentle, concern-filled voice. Examining Elliott’s face, she handed him the coat she was holding. ”You don’t look very well, dear!”
”Why thank you, Christine, you are a sweetheart, as always,” the young man tried to sound ironic, but the wide grin on his face gave him up.
”Listen, don’t play cool with me, OK? I may be a bitch, but it’s for your own good. Since you aren't recovered after that pneumonia, and you leave without your coat?! If you don't take care of yourself, at least let me do it.”
"Thanks, Christine, bye Christine, I am going to be late for work. Love you, too!" Elliott shouted, waving to the girl while he was walking backward.
”Don’t fool around like that, be... Too late!” She watched in horror when the blond bumped into a random pedestrian, tripping and falling on his back.
The impact with the ground wasn’t very hard, and luckily Elliott was in one piece, except for a scratch on his left elbow. The blond let out a sigh of relief and was about to get back on his feet when he froze on the spot. Two pretty large hands were starting to touch him all over, making his skin crawl.
Elliott knew what was coming. He’d experienced it too many times to forget it. Closing his eyes, the blond prepared his body and waited for the blows to land on it again and again. To his great shock, the man didn’t raise his hand to him. He didn’t even start to yell or curse. However, that didn’t stop Elliott from reacting in the only way he knew: by staying still, holding his breath, hoping the man would not notice him. But the blond ran out of luck that day.
”Hey, kid, are you all right? Look, I am very sorry, I should have paid more attention, but...” the well-built man started to talk, only to be abruptly interrupted by Christine. She was heading to the two of them at ligh
t speed, getting ready to defend Elliott tooth and claw.
”Go on your way, big guy, you’ve caused too many problems already. Get lost before I go mad!” Judging by the look on her face, the young woman was earnest about the get mad part, but the man in front of her didn’t look intimidated at all.
”Look, missy, I didn’t do anything wrong, I was just asking the kid if he was all right.” The man had a strange voice, a mix of authority and gentleness.
”Stop touching Elliott, moron, can’t you see he is terrified of you?” Christine fumed, her patience running thinner by the second.
The man looked at her, a pained expression in his light blue eyes. Running a hand through his thick, light-brown hair, the stranger stepped back, his attitude changed. The girl ran to help the blond get back on his feet, but couldn’t stop to feel sorry for the man who stood on the sidewalk, staring ahead of him.
”I’m all right, Christine, see? He didn’t harm me, he didn’t even try to” Elliott’s voice calmed down his friend.
”Yes, honey, I am sorry for overreacting, but I thought... Did you get hurt?” The girl’s voice was filled with concern, and so was her expression.
”No, I am not hurt at all, not even a scratch” the blond lifted his head, offering his friend an assuring smile. The next moment, however, he lost stability and, if it weren’t for the man who ran and caught him, Elliott would have fallen again.
”Thank you, big guy” Christine sighed in relief, giving the stranger a much friendlier look. ”And you,” she turned to her friend, ”get back into the house. No work today, not when you are so dizzy...again.”
”But...” the blond raised his head, trying to protest, with no success whatsoever, as the girl managed to snatch his phone and speed dialed the number from the law firm where the young man worked.
”Hello, Christine Malone speaking, I’m calling on behalf of Elliott Spellmann. He can’t make it today because he is not well. Yes, a terrible headache and dizziness. Yes, I see, he will go to the hospital this time, I will take care of it personally. OK, thank you very much, I will let him know. Thank you for understanding and have a good day!”
All the time Christine talked on the phone, the stranger couldn’t take his eyes off of Elliott. He examined every inch of the blond’s face, making him lower his head. ”It’s impossible, yet the resemblance is remarkable," he thought to himself. Careful not to scare the young man away, he got closer and closer.
”Your friend Christine is a lady you can’t mess with, and she is also hellbent on protecting you. So I suggest doing as she said and get in the house. Judging by how pale you are, you’re most likely to get dizzy again. You could use me as support to get safely into the house. How about that?”
Elliott looked at the man talking to him, seriously considering rejecting his proposition, but his body decided otherwise. A new wave of dizziness made the blond lean on the light-brown haired guy, who protectively wrapped an arm over his shoulders. After only a few steps, the stranger noticed that Elliott’s legs were ready to give out again, so he took the blond in his arms bridal style, carrying him into the house.
”What do you think you are doing? Put him down this very second!” Christine yelled, her face red from anger.
”And let him fall to the ground? I don’t think so,” the man replied in a calm voice. ”Look, missy, you may say this is not my business, and you would probably be right, but your friend here has a serious health issue. I could recommend some very good neurologists and brain surgeons who could...”
”You are right, it is not your business,” Elliott suddenly said, plopping down on a chair in the kitchen. ”Thank you for being so nice to me, but we’ll take it from here. Now, if you don’t mind, I would like you to leave.”
The man nodded. ”I know the way, so no need to show me out. Have a nice day, both of you” he said, slightly bowing his head.
Later that day, after coming home from classes, Christine checked on Elliott, who was sound asleep. The girl sighed, relieved because it wouldn’t have been a surprise for her to find the bed empty. It was not the first time the blond went to work behind her back, after initially calling in sick at her insistence.
While she got busy cooking a light dinner, the girl couldn’t stop wondering what was wrong with her friend and why he stubbornly refused to go to a hospital, although it was clear that he was sicker by the day. Even if he couldn’t work, Christine thought, he could afford the costs of medical treatment, surgery included.
The girl had lived under the same roof with Elliott for about two years, but the blond was very much a mystery to her. All she knew about his past was that, when he was twelve, his entire family fell victim to a gang that had invaded their home. Elliott was the only survivor. That was possible only because the perpetrators took the kid and sold him into slavery. He had spent two harrowing years in a forced labor colony.
When the two of them met, Christine was at the end of her rope, unemployed and virtually homeless, as she preferred to live in run-down motels or on the streets rather than with her crazy, dysfunctional mess of a family.
All those morons of half-siblings and step-siblings who weren’t capable of graduating high school ridiculed and mocked Christine for wanting to become a law student. Then she met Elliott, who had graduated Harvard with flying colors at the incredible age of eighteen and came to New York, where he worked for one of the most significant law firms in the entire country.
Ever since the beginning, the young man had generously shared everything he owned with the less fortunate girl. His house, money, books and everything else became Christine’s, also. All Elliott asked in return was to be left alone, not be bugged with questions about his past. Although the girl was dying of curiosity to find out more about her mysterious roommate, she respected his wishes.
Gradually, Christine started to notice that Elliott was very uncomfortable around large men and sometimes their presence even terrified him. The blond also spent countless hours working and studying, so he barely managed to sleep two or three hours a night.
The first time he got dizzy, about six months after Christine moved in with him, the girl strictly limited his working at home and his studying program. Surprisingly enough, he accepted all her conditions. After a while, the situation repeated and she found out that the blond had lied to her. To gain extra time for study and work, he left home one or two hours earlier.
When Christine asked him to explain his behavior, Elliott reminded her about the agreement they had. The young woman didn’t insist anymore, but she became even more protective of him. Although she didn’t doubt the negative impact the traumatic events of his childhood had on the blond’s capacity to express his feelings, the young woman suspected that it was much more than that.
The beep of her phone made Christine flinch because she wasn’t expecting any calls. As she checked her phone, a broad smile suddenly brightened her face because she recognized the caller’s ID. It was Mallory Ashburn, Elliott’s co-worker at Weldon, Somerset & Associates, and the only friend the blond had beside her.
”Hello, boyfriend!” Christine smirked, entirely convinced that the man on the other end of the line would sense it.
”Hello, girlfriend” the reply came in a slightly tense voice. ”You are smirking again, am I right?”
”As always, my precious boyfriend. Did you call to ask about Elliott? Because I turned his phone off, so he wouldn’t be disturbed.”
”I thought you would, that is why I called you” the man’s voice became tense again. ”How is he?”
”For now, he is sleeping, and I don’t intend to wake him up any time soon. Fortunately, everything else is normal. I mean no high fever or anything like the last time.”
”That’s great!” Mallory sighed, a heavy weight lifting from his chest. ”That kid works too much, he needs to get a lot more sleep," he said worriedly.
”Look who’s talking, the king of sleepless nights! You too need much more sleep, if you ask me” Ch
ristine replied, her voice also worried. ”At this pace, the two of you will kick the bucket in less than a year” she added.
After a brief moment of silence, Mallory spoke, his voice resigned. ”We are not in the same situation, girlfriend. Elliott is just a kid, while I am anything but a kid. He inherited a lot of money, while I am the sole breadwinner in my family. Speaking of, I have to go. My mother wants to speak to me. Take care of yourself, my sweet Christine!”
Putting the phone back on the counter, the girl felt her chest constricting in pain for the man she had just finished talking to. Mallory was gay, a deep in the closet one. The only people who knew about his sexual preferences were her and Elliott, the blond being in pretty much the same situation.
The big difference between the two young men was the family situation. The Ashburns, Mallory’s parents, were a couple of bigoted parasites who lived exclusively out of their elder son’s pocket. The poor guy worked day and night to pay the mortgage for the mansion-sized house they lived in, for his siblings’ fancy private schools, for their expensive cars and designer clothes.