“Don’t worry little brother, I’ve faced evil before, and I’m still here. I’ll see you later.”
The silence in the room after Artemus left was deafening. Sparky wasn’t sure if he should stay, or if he should just go and leave his mate alone. Charlie crossed his arms and stared across the room as if the wall held the answers of the universe. “Sooo,” Sparky looked down at his reluctant mate, “How are you feeling?”
Charlie’s eyebrow rose, “Horny and hungry. How about you?”
The mechanic’s mouth fell open, “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”
“Why should I? It has been my experience that stating the truth is usually less tiring than trying to sugar coat it,” the shifter glanced down at the bulge in Sparky’s jeans, “If you want me to help you, I’d be more than happy to oblige.”
Sparky could feel the blush rising in his cheeks. If it weren’t for the fact that he could see the evidence of his mate’s arousal poking up under the sheet, he would have been mortified. But Charlie had a point; since they were mates, sex wouldn’t be part of the problem. The fact that the shifter in front of him pushed all his buttons, didn’t hurt either. “I don’t bottom, ever,” Sparky blurted out before he could stop himself.
A slow smile formed on his mate’s face. “Well, that shouldn’t be a problem since I have always preferred to be the catcher. Are you ready to throw the first pitch?”
For a moment, Sparky was tempted, but he’d learned what happened when he only used his little head when making a decision. The truth was, he didn’t just want a one-night stand. For the first time he wanted forever, and he suspected he could have it with the man in front of him. The problem was he didn’t think Charlie was on the same wavelength; and until he was, sex was off the table.
“I think we need to slow down and take the time to see where this is going before we do the horizontal Tango. Contrary to what many think around here, I don’t just jump into the sack because there’s a hot stud waiting in it,” Sparky huffed.
He watched as Charlie smirked, as he removed the sheet and slowly sat on the side of the bed. Before Sparky could object, the man stood and began to walk carefully toward the bathroom door. “Well then, this hot stud is going to take a long hot soak in the tub, and then I’ll cover myself with the clothes you’re going to find for me so I can go down and round up something to eat.” Charlie winked, “Unless, you would prefer I eat something else right now…”
Sparky sputtered, “Clothes, right—I’ll go find some for you, and I’ll see if I can’t find something for you to eat. I’m sure there are some leftovers I can bring up, or I can make something for you to eat,” the mechanic blushed at the look in his mate’s eyes, “food that is—food you can eat.”
He put his hands on his hips as he realized that once again his mate had avoided the very large elephant in the room. “And don’t think our conversation is over, big boy. If you want this,” Sparky palmed the bulge in his jeans, “then the price for the ride is an honest discussion about us.”
“Talk, talk, talk—you know what they say, talk is cheap. I’m a man of action,” Charlie responded, as he entered the bathroom and shut the door.
“Yeah, well you won’t be getting any ‘action’ buddy until we figure this out!” Sparky yelled through the door before he turned to leave. He looked up toward the heavens, “Seriously, what were you guys smoking? This has disaster written all over it.”
Charlie leaned against the door for a moment until he heard his mate leave. He had to admit, for the first time in a long time, he’d actually enjoyed interacting with someone. Sparky was an interesting mix of pure spunk; and yet there was a vulnerability that called out to him as well.
The problem, of course, was even though he was attracted to the man; there was no way he could ever mate with him. He would never put his mate into harm’s way; especially one that he felt was quickly becoming important to him.
The shifter walked slowly toward the tub and began to fill it. As he waited, he assessed his body. The wound on his leg seemed to have healed as well as his ribs. There was barely a twinge from those injuries. He glanced in the mirror and noticed the new scars that marred his chest and back. It wasn’t surprising since he hadn’t been able to shift in time to allow them to heal.
He should be upset, but the truth was he didn’t really care. He still felt tired and a little weak, but a good night sleep and some real food would solve that problem. All in all, he managed to survive his ordeal, at least physically.
Charlie slowly lowered himself into the tub. His brother had always teased him because he preferred a nice hot bath to a shower. But the water was one of the ways he relaxed, especially when things got too rough. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. As the negative feelings started to rise, he focused on the feeling of the water and his breathing. But the dark emotions and thoughts of those he’d been forced to read, were swirling too close to the surface.
It was times like this, that he really missed his amulet. The relic not only helped turn down the noise, but it also protected him from evil or negative thoughts by not only deflecting them but also by draining them from his mind. It acted like a pressure release valve on a boiler.
When his mind was filled with too much negativity, the amulet somehow allowed it to melt away. Sammy wearing the amulet when she was near him had helped. But until he was able to wear it again, he’d have to find another way to release the feelings that threatened to drown him.
Once again, he found himself wishing for the impossible. He never asked for this gift and would do anything to be relieved of it. Ever since he first started to hear voices when he turned sixteen, his life had been controlled by his gift. His coven turned their backs on him. He had to be home schooled to make sure he didn’t contaminate the ‘pure’ magi, or worse, risk impregnating one of the young girls. As if that was ever going to happen; he knew he was gay before he hit puberty.
Artemus had whisked him away in the dead of the night to stay with some of his mother’s people who lived apart from any known pack or coven. They weren’t his family, and though they gave him shelter, they hadn’t been much on providing any other type of support. In fact, they probably celebrated when they had finally left.
He had joined another coven but that lasted less than a month. For years, he had been bounced from place to place, never staying long; especially if someone in power found out about his gift. He had been thinking about becoming a hermit and take a chance that his wolf could withstand the loneliness.
Then his brother had contacted him and encouraged him to join the Windy River Pack. For the first time in his life, he felt like he had found a home. But somehow, Alpha Clifton found him, and his nightmare started once again.
Now, to make matters worse, he found his mate. The gods must really hate him to bring someone he knew he could eventually love into his life. He should just leave, but the question was, where would he go? There was no place where he would be able to escape from those who sought him for their own ends. He also suspected leaving his Amator would be impossible. Even now his wolf howled at the thought.
Tears began to flow as Charlie dropped his head into his hands. There was so much evil in the world, and his own situation was so hopeless. No matter what he did, it would never get better. He tried to reign in his emotions, but the harder he tried, the more he sobbed.
The voices in his head began to fight, the old and the new, until he felt like his very soul was being ripped apart. There was only one way his pain would end, only one way he could protect the brother he loved, and the mate he was beginning to love. Maybe it was time for him to get off the ride, permanently.
Chapter 9
Sparky had gone back to his room and grabbed a pair of sweatpants, and one of his bigger T-shirts. The pants might be too short for Charlie as the man was at least a good six inches taller than him, but at least they would cover the important parts.
Currently, Sparky was more muscular than his ma
te, but he was pretty sure with enough food and a little exercise, he would bulk up again. He stopped back at the room his mate was staying in and left the clothes on the bed. For a moment, he thought about checking on him, but Charlie had made it clear he wanted to be alone.
The mechanic walked back downstairs to the kitchen and was surprised to see Artemus sitting at the table eating a sandwich. “I see your brother isn’t the only one who is hungry at this late hour,” Sparky remarked.
“And I thought you two would at least be doing a little bump and grind by now. What happened?” Artemus watched as the mechanic shrugged and began to pull things from the fridge to make some sandwiches. For a moment, there was silence as Sparky completed his task. The truth was, he really didn’t know how to answer the magi.
“Let me guess, my brother pushed you away,” Artemus continued before he took the last bite of his own sandwich. “Look, Sparky, you need to realize my brother can sometimes be a little…”
“Stubborn, direct, a complete jackass?” Sparky finished the sentence. He turned and leaned against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. “Sex is not the problem, believe me. I just want more this time.”
Artemus nodded, “That’s understandable, and I agree you both need to talk, but you need to remember, Charlie is not Winston. We spoke of this before. Your ex-partner was a sick bastard who abused the powers the gods bestowed upon him. What he did to you was on him, and him alone.”
Sparky snorted, “Should I find a couch so we can continue our session, doctor?”
“You know I never use those old clichés, my friend. I’m still here for you if you need me, and I do have some insights into both of you,” Artemus said calmly.
The mechanic shrugged. “You never did tell me how a mighty warrior, who stood by his father’s side to protect the last omega and his guardian, became a modern-day Sigmund Freud.”
The magi chuckled as he sat back in his chair. He gazed at Sparky for a moment, before he too shrugged, “Times changed. After the war ended, my focus changed from protecting the omega, to protecting my little brother. I not only had to keep him safe physically but because of his gift, I also had to help him learn to cope with the side effects.”
“What do you mean?”
A soft sigh escaped the magi’s lips. For a moment, Sparky didn’t think he would speak, but he was surprised when the man continued. “Since you are his mate, you need to learn how to help him when the dark emotions and thoughts become too much for him. I told you that when he hears others thoughts or sees in their mind, he absorbs these images and emotions.”
Artemus paused and picked up the half-full glass of water that sat in front of him, “It’s like this glass. If you keep pouring water into it and don’t have a way to empty it, it will eventually overflow. The same thing happens to my little brother.”
Sparky glanced toward the stairs before he looked back at his friend. “What happens to him?” The worry and sadness that appeared in the magi’s eyes made Sparky’s stomach clench.
“He becomes deeply depressed,” Artemus said sadly. “When he was younger, he would sometimes become violent, and other times he would simply lock himself into his room. He refused to even get out of bed some days. So, I decided the only way I could help him, was to learn. After I made sure he would be safe for a few years, I attended a human college and got my degree in psychiatry.”
“He’s been immersed in dark thoughts for months…” Sparky said softly. His concern began to rise as he realized leaving his mate alone right now was probably a bad idea. He quickly finished placing the food on a tray. He paused for a moment, and asked the question he hoped Artemus could answer, “What can I do to help him?”
◆◆◆
Sparky stood outside the bathroom door. His concern grew as he heard the heart-wrenching sobs echo in the room beyond the door. For a moment, he wondered if he should get Artemus in here, but discounted it. His mate needed him, and he would have to figure out how to handle it.
Somehow, he doubted he had time to go to college and get a degree like Artemus had done. Besides, in a few hours, Artemus would be gone and wouldn’t be able to help his brother. No, it was time for him to man up and face the problem head-on.
“Charlie, I brought some food and clothes for you to wear. Can I come in and help you out of the tub?” Sparky listened as his mate tried to quiet himself, but he could tell he wasn’t having much luck. He tried the handle and was relieved to discover it was unlocked.
The last thing he wanted to do was to break down the door. The racket would be sure to rouse the others who were sleeping close by, and he was confident that his mate would not want to deal with more people right now. In fact, he was pretty sure it would make him worse, with the high emotions that were sure to be present.
The worried shifter took a deep breath to calm himself before he walked into the room. The sight in front of him broke his heart. Charlie was huddled in the tub, his knees drawn up and his head buried in his arms. Even though the sound had stopped, he could still see the man’s shoulders moving up and down while he continued to cry silently. It was hard to believe that the man who had embarrassed him earlier about having sex, could be so broken in such a short time.
The first order of business was to get his mate out of the tub and into some warm clothes. Sparky grabbed a towel and walked toward the tub. He reached in and pulled the plug, “What the hell! The water is ice cold. I know I turned you down earlier, but I didn’t mean for you to try to freeze your bits and pieces off. Now come on, help me get you up and back to bed,” Sparky paused, “to eat and then sleep only.”
Charlie raised his head and glared at Sparky, “Just leave me alone.”
“Sorry, no can do. Both the Doc and your brother put me in charge of taking care of you. Besides, what kind of mate would I be if I let you turn into a prune? I gotta say, it’s not an attractive look on you.” He didn’t wait for his mate to agree, as he bent down and pulled the man to his feet.
Charlie swayed dangerously. “Shit, hold on, I’ve got you,” Sparky ground out. He placed the towel around his mate’s hips and tied it to keep it from falling off. Without another word, he placed his arms under his mate’s legs and lifted him from the tub bridal style.
Sparky drew in a quick breath when Charlie didn’t argue but simply let his head fall onto his shoulder. He could feel him bury his nose into his neck as his mate took in deep breaths of his scent.
His mate’s tears wet his cheek as he turned and headed for the bed. For a moment, he thought about getting Charlie dressed, but when he started to put him down, the man hugged him tighter. “Okay, no clothes. How about we just get you into bed?”
He pulled the towel from around his mate’s waist and quickly dried him off as best as he could. Charlie’s eyes remained closed while he continued to inhale. Sparky knew that the scent of your true mate was known to have a calming effect. If it helped his mate feel better, he might just consider bottling it.
“There you go. I brought you some sandwiches, and also heated up a little of the broth the cook left for you. I wasn’t sure what you wanted to drink, so I brought up some orange juice and a cup of coffee.”
Sparky helped his mate sit back against the headboard before he pulled the covers up. He’d have to find out who had thought to change the bedding while Charlie had been in the bath and thank them.
“Thanks,” Charlie said softly as he sighed and closed his eyes.
“I know you’re tired, but do you think you could at least eat a little?” Sparky grinned mischievously, “or I could get you more of the Doc’s special tea.” The glare his mate managed to give him made his heart lighter. He’d rather see Charlie fighting him than to be sobbing, or even worse.
“You know, even in that shit-hole I was held in, they didn’t serve me anything that tasted as foul,” Charlie said wryly.
Sparky just shrugged as he placed the tray on the reluctant shifter’s lap. “Well, the sooner you eat and gain your st
rength, the sooner you’ll be spared from any more of Doc’s healing teas.” He sat back and watched as his mate slowly took a bite of the sandwich as if he was afraid something was hidden inside. The mechanic chuckled, “Do you want me to taste it first?”
The comment earned him another glare, “You will have to sleep sometime.” Charlie raised an eyebrow and waited. When no response was made, he began to eat in earnest. It was hard to believe this was the same man who had been sobbing just a short time before. Artemus had mentioned rapid mood swings were a sign that his little brother was teetering on the edge. The problem was, what could Sparky do to help?
“Don’t worry, I’m not going to go off the deep end,” Charlie paused and looked toward the bathroom door, “at least not yet.” His mate pushed the tray aside. At least he’d eaten some of the food, but Sparky was going to have to make sure he ate more. The man was nothing but skin and bones from his ordeal. But for now, at least he had something in his stomach.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Sparky asked. He picked up the tray and moved it to the dresser in the room. He wasn’t sure if he should sit on the bed or the chair. He wondered if maybe he should have Alpha Grant install a couch in this room.
The picture of him sitting in the chair, while Charlie lay on a couch spilling his guts made him chuckle. Hell, they both needed to be on the sofa with all of the baggage they carried. Freud could write a whole new book just on how screwed up two individuals could become. However, for this conversation, Sparky decided sitting on the bed might give his mate the wrong impression; especially when he saw the slight bulge beneath the covers.
“You’ve been talking to Artie,” Charlie stated.
Sparky saw no reason to lie to his mate, “Yes, he was in the kitchen when I prepared your dinner.” The mechanic leaned forward in the chair, “I’m not going to lie to you, Charlie, I don’t have a freakin’ clue on how to help, but maybe together we can find a way.”
Battle for a Mates Heart Page 9