“Come in,” Sami called out, turning to see Thaniel creep into the room. “Hey Thaniel,” Sami said sincerely happy to see the Were-leopard as Thaniel made his way to him.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on things like you asked me to,” Thaniel said, nodding at the monitors.
“Good. No incidents?”
Thaniel shook his head, his hair hiding most of his face.
Sami studied him. “How are you doing? Getting a little more used to things around here?”
Thaniel shrugged. “I guess. You? I mean, how are you?”
Sami smiled. “That’s good. I’m good, just tired and worried about Jax.”
“Yeah,” Thaniel said. Sami nodded.
“Okay, well, goodnight,” Thaniel said and turned to leave.
“’night Thaniel, thanks for taking care of things.”
With a nod, Thaniel drifted out of his room.
Sami had just pulled his shirt off and sat down on his bed when someone else knocked. A second later, Tierney walked in.
“Hey,” she said with a smile then stopped dead in her tracks. “Holy shit—Sami.” Eyes widening, she hurried over to him, eyeing the green scales covering his shoulders and arms. “I feel like such an idiot. You went through your Awakening.” She shook her head. “I mean, obviously, since you just landed outside, but I was so worried about you and Jax that it kinda didn’t register. Now it just hit me.”
“Ah, yeah,” he said as she sat down beside him and ran a hand over his arm, up his shoulder, and around to his back.
“So beautiful.” Eyes sparkling, she grinned up at him then ran her fingers through his hair. “Sweetie, even your hair is darker.” She hugged him then pulled back. “Sami. Why didn’t you tell me what was happening to you?” She gave him a light punch in the arm.
“I called Jax—” he said, but Tierney just hugged him again. “Oh gods, Sami, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
The guilt in her voice and eyes made him cringe. “I’m okay. Besides, it was a good thing you weren’t there,” he said, his eyes twinkling down at her.
Tierney frowned.
“Jax told me what to do,” he hinted.
Tierney’s eyes widened and her hand went to her mouth, “Jax—oh!” Understanding suddenly dawned on her, and she grinned once again. “Sami. You had sex with her? Oh—”
Sami knew from the sudden heat spreading across him that he was blushing.
“You did? Ha. Wow.”
He felt his face getting even redder as Tierney studied him. “You seem … happier.” Cocked her head at him, Sami felt like burrowing under a rock as she scrutinized him, seeing things he didn’t want her to see or notice. “You’re calmer, not—” She stopped speaking, but Sami knew what she was thinking. He wasn’t hurting like he had been before.
“I already like her but to have this effect on you, well, I think I really like her,” Tierney said as she ran her hand over the scales of his arm some more. Sami could almost see the thoughts going through her head and he wanted to deny them, but couldn’t. She was right.
“Yeah, me too. She’s really kind and sweet. She has this light inside her, it makes you feel good.” He finally admitted the truth to himself. “She reminds me a bit of you too, well, except she’s not controlling and demanding and bossy,” he said, teasing his best friend.
“I’m not bossy!” She shot him a false glare.
Now Sami grinned and in an attempt to use her voice, mimicked her. “Sit Sami. Eat Sami. No Sami. Later Sami. Inside Sami!” They both broke into a fit of laughter as he pegged her to a T.
“Fine, so maybe a little bossy. I missed you, Sami,” Tierney said and laid her head on his shoulder. “Was it very bad?” she asked, referring to his Awakening.
“It wasn’t easy, and you need to know something.”
Tierney looked up at him, sudden concern wrinkling her brow.
Sami swallowed. “Well, you aren’t going to believe this, but Goldy’s pregnant with my child.”
“What?” Tierney pulled away enough to frown up at him. “How is that even possible?”
“Honestly. I have no idea.”
“Holy angels, that’s freaking crazy! Well—” Tierney stared at him a moment longer then wrapped her arms back around him. “You’re going to be a daddy.” She smiled and squeezed him.
Sami swallowed, terrified at the thought. “I don’t know, what if I’m not a good dad, what if—”
“Sami, don’t go there. You’re not him.”
“No, Tiern, I know nothing about being a good father.”
“Sweetie, you will be a wonderful father. You are kind, loving, and sweet. And you can be fierce and protective when you need to be as well. You will be perfect. Besides, Dad’s been a good role model for you, right?”
He appreciated her attempt to reassure him, and he almost believed her.
***
TIERNEY LEFT SAMI to finally get some sleep and headed back downstairs to the kitchen where she found Goldy helping Thaniel clean up the dishes. She watched the stunning golden-haired beauty for a moment. Sami was right, Goldy did have some kind of lightness to her. Tierney could almost feel the goodness, the kind and loving soul inside of her. Tierney knew the girl wasn’t Sami’s soul mate. Was it possible Dracones could have more than one? If not, could he be happy with Goldy? He seemed well on the way there or at least she hoped so, because she had a feeling this woman would be good for Sami.
“Couldn’t sleep?” she asked Goldy as she finally stepped into the kitchen. She glanced at Thaniel just as he lowered his eyes and continued to load the dishwasher.
Goldy looked up at her and grinned. “Yeah, I’m tired but not tired, if that makes sense?”
Tierney nodded.
“I really appreciate you letting us stay here,” Goldy said, a sad look filling her eyes.
Tierney smiled. “Of course, this is your home now.”
“Oh, ah, thanks.” Goldy raised her eyebrows as if surprised that her stay didn’t have to be temporary.
“I heard you’re pregnant,” Tierney said. Not one for subtlety, she caught Goldy off guard.
“Sami told you?” Goldy asked, her eyebrows shooting up again.
Tierney’s smile turned into a huge grin. “Well, I don’t know what happened between you and Sami but he seems a lot better, happier than when he left here and for that I thank you.” They’d been so worried about him after the Hellfire fiasco. Now, Tierney didn’t feel so concerned anymore.
“Oh. Well, I didn’t really do anything,” Goldy said, suddenly looking very self-conscious.
A shadow of sadness fell over Tierney briefly before she said, “Yeah, well, you didn’t see him before he left here, he—” She shook her head. “Never mind. Anyway, you obviously did something to change his mood, and I can’t thank you enough.”
“I kinda noticed,” Goldy said quietly and glanced at Thaniel before looking back at Tierney.
“Thaniel knows. He was here. We were all really scared for Sami,” Tierney said.
Goldy nodded. “Someone hurt him, didn’t they?”
Tierney slumped down on a stool. “Yeah, and if I ever see that woman, I will kick her feathered ass!” Goldy stared at her wide-eyed and Tierney shrugged. “She hurt my brother and I don’t stand for that shit.”
“Yeah, Sami told me you two were close,” Goldy said, obviously saving her question about the feathered comment for another time. Tierney knew she was curious.
Tierney smiled sadly. “Yeah, my dad raised him and Jax. They may not share my blood but I love them. They are my family, and now that Jax and I are mated—”
Goldy beamed at her. “That must be nice, to have your own mate. When did you realize that you loved him?”
Tierney gave her a smile and hoped the sadness of the past didn’t show too much. “I’ve always known,” she said, noticing Thaniel hunch his shoulders and turn away. She could feel the depths of his sadness and longing, a deep hollow ache inside of him. With a fro
wn, Tierney turned back to Goldy, who was staring at her wistfully.
“You did? What a relief that must be, to know there’s someone out there for you, and not always wondering if you’re ever going to find him,” Goldy said dreamily.
Tierney nodded. “I knew. But Jax, well, he took a while to accept it.” At Goldy’s surprised expression, she grinned. “Yeah, we only just mated. He has issues as well.”
Goldy nodded. “Yeah, don’t we all.”
Tierney heard her thinking about her mother and then her brother.
“Oh, by the way, I’m sorry about how Bastien acted earlier. He’s been through a lot,” Goldy remarked.
“You don’t need to apologize. The kid’s hurting and scared…hoping he’ll fit in, worried he won’t, and clinging to the only thing he knows—you.” Tierney glanced at Thaniel who was busy wiping the stove down and not looking at either of them.
His yearning for someone to love him was an inconsolable ache thrumming through her. He thinks he’ll never find his mate. Feeling bad that she was eavesdropping on Thaniel’s emotions, she strengthened her shields against his emotions and tried to come to terms with her more complicated feelings regarding him.
After the Ilyium took her father and they found Thaniel, her dragon instincts were triggered to the extreme. She cared deeply for Thaniel and was now very protective of him. But he was still learning about them, and how to trust. Right now, she had enough on her plate, especially with Jax MIA. She couldn’t handle Thaniel’s emotions too, though she did plan to talk with him later that evening. They’d all tried to reassure him that this was his home, and that they wanted him here, but the idea that anyone would want him was very hard for him to accept.
Tierney understood all too well. When they were trying to get the chains off him while in the basement of the Were-wolves lair, Tierney had accidentally brushed his neck with her hand. Normally, touching someone and seeing memories was her dad, Zander’s area of expertise. But that day, a slideshow of sad and painful moments in Thaniel’s life had swamped her mind, and heart. He’d experienced a life of abuse at the hand of his mother with no love from anyone.
***
GOLDY DREW IN A BREATH at the love in Tierney’s eyes as she watched Thaniel, and talked about Sami and Jax. It warmed Goldy’s heart. She’d been worried that Sami’s family wouldn’t like or accept her, but now, well, she certainly understood Sami and Jax’s love and loyalty for the woman.
“Thank you,” Goldy said. “Unfortunately, Bastien doesn’t even know me. My mother sent him away thirteen years ago, when he was only one, to live with his dad. She was terrified of him being targeted as well. She thought that because he was half-human, that he’d fit in better.”
Tierney raised an eyebrow. “Fit in better?”
“Yeah, you know, in the human world?” Goldy sighed. “But today, I found out she was wrong.”
“Yeah, I picked up on that. Poor kid has no shields. He needs to be taught how to build some mental defenses. Right now, as it stands, I can hear everything he thinks and feels. He needs to be able to protect himself from anyone wishing him harm,” Tierney said.
“Wow.” Goldy stared at her. “Sami told me you were an empath, but…wow. Ah, can you help teach him to build some defenses?”
Tierney nodded. “I will certainly try…and if I can’t, I’m sure Kyrian can. He’s the leader and King of the Okami wolves. You may have spotted them outside?”
Goldy nodded. “Well, I saw shadows moving about and I could smell them, but that was all. Sami told me about the wolves,” she said unable to prevent her nervous energy from coming through in her voice. “I’ve never seen a real wolf up close.”
“Well, you will,” Tierney said and smiled. “Don’t worry, they won’t hurt you.”
***
TIERNEY SMILED AT THANIEL after Goldy left to go to bed. “Come on, leave the rest,” she said, nodding at the few dishes left to clean up.
Thaniel’s blue eyes peered at her from behind his long pale hair. He swallowed and lowered his eyes. “You said, before…ah, that you couldn’t read my mind.” He peered up at her again.
Tierney nodded. “I did.” She remembered telling him that when they were at the Liberty Lake Ilyium compound. Now she wondered where he was going with this.
Sudden relief shone in his eyes and he gave a slight nod. “Is that still true?”
Tierney gave him a little smile, starting to understand. “It is. You have very strong shields.”
Thaniel nodded and took a deep-relieved breath and lowered his eyes again. Tierney walked up to him. They were the same height, but she usually felt taller since he always had his shoulders hunched, and head and eyes lowered.
“Thaniel,” she said quietly when she was standing in front of him. She waited until blue eyes met hers. “I can’t read your thoughts, but I also told you that I do feel your emotions sometimes and—”
Panic lit his eyes. She saw the pulse in his neck begin to race so she reached out to touch his arm. “It’s all right. I just want you to know when I talk about loving my family that you are part of my family too.” Disbelief turned the blue in his eyes darker making her want to pull him into her arms but Thaniel, as if aware of her intention, moved away. Tierney swallowed, her heart aching that she couldn’t show him the affection he needed.
Instead, she smiled at him reassuringly. “You’ve been very busy, cooking all the time and keeping everything clean, but you do know that you don’t have to do all this, right? Whether you cook, or clean up or not, this is your home—for good. No one is going to kick you out, okay?” She waited for him to acknowledge what she said.
It took a moment, but finally he gave a tiny nod. Tierney smiled. “Okay, so c’mon, everything looks pretty clean in here. Let’s try to get some sleep.”
Thaniel looked up at her in disbelief again and she chuckled. “Right, you know I won’t be able to sleep with Jax missing.” She nodded and then said. “Well, I need to try so, keep me company again tonight then?”
Chapter Fifteen
Family
TIERNEY WAS HELPING THANIEL make breakfast the next morning when Sami walked in. “Have you heard from Jax yet?” he asked.
Tierney took a breath and set her coffee mug down before shaking her head. “No. I can feel that he’s okay through our bond, but he’s blocking me. I’m going to kill him for doing this to me again.” She sniffed. Dammit! How could he put me through this again? If she’d just go through her Awakening, then she could fly out and find him. Although, she still wouldn’t be able to leave. They had too many enemies after them and too many people here at home to protect.
Sami pulled her into his arms. “He’ll be fine. He’s likely just dealing with stuff that he doesn’t want you to feel.”
“Fuck, Sami. He promised not to disappear on me again. I’m dying not knowing if he’s okay,” she said as tears began to trickle down her face. After a moment, she wiped them away angrily and stepped out of Sami’s arms. “I need to get the eggs started.”
Turning around, she opened the fridge and stared, not really seeing its contents.
“After I eat, I’m going to head out and find him,” Sami said behind her.
Tierney nodded and wiped more tears from her face. Please be okay. She silently prayed.
***
SAMI LANDED NEAR an old run-down building in the middle of a forest a couple hours from their home. The nearest house was about three miles away. Anger thrummed through him. He’d spent this day and all the previous day searching for his brother. As he walked around the building looking for a door, he found Jax sitting on some cement steps waiting for him.
“About time you got here.”
“Well, if you hadn’t been blocking me, I’d have been here yesterday, or even the night before. What the hell?” Sami asked as he got closer. He and Tierney had both been going crazy with worry. Sami had done his best to track Jax via his soul stones to no avail. Thankfully an hour ago Jax contacted Sami and to
ld him where he was.
“Sami, sit,” Jax said quietly, letting Sami know all was not well.
“What’s going on? Why did you shut us out, you had no right.” Sami stopped in front of Jax, his fury growing stronger at seeing his brother sitting there so calmly. How dare he worry them like that?
Jax looked up at him and Sami narrowed his eyes on his brother. The knuckles on both of Jax’s hands were raw and bloody. A bad feeling shivered through Sami. “Is it done?” he asked.
Jax shook his head. “No, Sami. I need to talk to you.”
Sami was tired, and after all the fear and worry for Jax, he finally snapped. The thought that his father still lived, sent rage and a thirst for vengeance rocketing through him. He stepped past Jax and yanked the door open.
“Sami!”
He didn’t listen to Jax as he hurried into the gutted building and looked around. In the middle of the large trashed space was a steel beam that ran from the floor to the ceiling. In front of it sat a chair, with an over turned crate a few feet away. Sami stepped up to the beam and noticed the pieces of rope scattered on the ground.
“Where is he?” he growled at his brother, staring at the beam where Jax had clearly held Marcius hostage.
“I had to—” Jax began.
“No.” Sami’s heart was thundering in his chest. This couldn’t be. Jax couldn’t have let the bastard go. Pain and rage thundered inside of him making his whole-body tremble. “No,” he shouted again. “You didn’t. Why? Why did you let him go?” Black spots began to form behind his eyes and his power started to rise. He felt like he could no longer breathe. Just knowing that Marcius still lived to do the hellish things he did to people sent Sami to his knees. Why couldn’t he have stayed dead when I killed him? Gods! The familiar guilt and pain made him sway as he grabbed at the knife in his sheath. He couldn’t get it out. Damnit!
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