by Toby Wise
Rhett’s literally been a breath of fresh air. Not that I’ll admit that to him, the brat.
As we come around the corner, I’m hit right in the chest with emotion. There are kids playing together on the ground, laughter sounds through the yard, and people are chatting, drinking, grilling. This is my family. It used to be just me and my sister, but then Ivory went and found her mate and left to travel the world, leaving just me. But now? Now I’m literally filled to the brim with family. Holy shit.
I’ve met everyone at least once already but I still have to go through everyone’s names in my head as we walk through the lawn. Sam, Isaiah’s mate; Mandy, Rhett’s adopted sister; Tony, and Cameron are all playing bags. The smack talk makes me smile because really, it wouldn’t be a party with this group without it.
“Come on, baby,” Isaiah yells from their place in the grass with the babies. “I know you know how to get it in the hole!”
Sam blushes bright red and he covers little Delilah’s ears. She continues sleeping where she’s strapped to his chest in a cloth baby carrier, oblivious to everything going on. “Isaiah,” he hisses. “Not in front of the babies!”
Isaiah giggles and the sound is like music, mixing with the chatter of everyone else around. It’s so carefree and lovely that it makes me smile even wider. “They don’t know what I mean, it’s fine!”
Rhett kisses my temple before walking over to the patio where Pops, Elwood, and Jace are manning the grill. Jace is Cameron’s mate and Charlie’s brother. They all greet Rhett with high fives and hugs, immediately pulling him into the story Jace is telling.
“Look at my meat!” Jace says proudly, making me snort in amusement.
“Don’t be showing people your meat, Jace! That’s mine and River’s!” Cameron calls across the yard.
“At least you know what to do with your meat,” Elwood says with a shrug.
“Stop with the meat jokes,” Mandy complains as I walk over to where they’re playing. “You’re all a bunch of children.”
Cameron scoffs at her. “Like you’re above this all. Just you wait, you’ll be finding your mate any day now and then you’ll be just like the rest of us.”
Mandy rolls her eyes before tossing a bag through the air towards the board in front of Cameron. It slides right into the hole and she winks at him in retaliation. Alexandria, Cameron’s little girl who’s currently strapped to his chest, waves her hands in the air. My eyes widen as purple magic seems to spark between her hands, making the bag come back out of the hole and land on the bottom of the board instead.
Sam, who’s next to Cameron, turns to him with his mouth open in shock. “Oh my gods! You can’t let her cheat for you like that!”
Cameron raises his hands. “It’s not my fault! She’s only five months! I have no control!”
Tony looks over at me with a little smile, amused to no end at the display. “How’s Master Eggsellent doing?”
I hike my backpack on my shoulder up a bit, just needing to feel the weight of it against my back. “They’re right as rain. Three more months or so and the brats will be here to assimilate with the others.”
“Are you-- Are you okay?”
I look over at my friend and give him a wide smile. “I don’t think I’ve ever been better.”
Tony nods slowly. “Happy looks good on you.”
To change the subject I ask, “how about you, Tony? Got someone in your sights?”
“Nah. Why have one when you can have them all?”
I roll my eyes as I tussle his hair only long enough for him to slap my hand away. “Right. Because you’re out there sowing your wild oats lately.”
“Don’t be disrespecting my oats!”
They all get back to their game and I wander over to Isaiah and Frankie. They’re sitting in the grass, watching the kids play. Gods, there’s so many of them. There’s Frankie and Elwood’s twins who are currently wrestling in their dragon forms. From the looks of things I think maybe Levi is winning? Or is that Lucian? In their dragon forms it’s still hard to tell them apart.
Jessica, Charlie and Dakota’s pup, sits in Isaiah’s lap, carefully braiding their hair. The look on her face is filled with determination as she carefully folds each blonde strand just right. She’s precious and my heart clenches, wondering if we’ve got a little girl inside our egg or if we’ll have boys.
Charlotte, Isaiah and Sam’s firstborn stumbles a little as she walks over to Frankie who’s waiting with open arms. Gods, I wish Gideon was here to see this. We tried for so long to have a baby. And now, being surrounded by all these babies brings me more joy than I know how to express. He would love it here, playing with them in his bear skin, letting them crawl all over him. Fuck. My sight grows blurry for a moment before I’m taking a deep breath and pushing them away.
I pat the top of Frankie’s head before heading over to my mate. I put my arm around his waist and lean against him, needing his silent strength for a moment.
“Quite a mix, huh?” Pops murmurs, looking at me with a knowing smile. “Dakota calls us his puzzle masterpiece. Call me simple but I just call us family.”
“Yeah,” I whisper back. “I like that.”
“I’m gonna check on Dad and River,” Rhett says. He dips down, kissing my cheek, making sure to rub his lips against my beard just a little bit before he goes.
“I’ll join you,” I say, but Elwood’s hand on my arm stops me. “I’ll meet you in there,” I tell him instead, pausing to see what Elwood wants.
We’ve gotten to know each other a bit, which is good, because he’s technically my brother in law. But we haven’t really just sat and chatted one on one. I know they’re close, way closer than Ivory and I. I’m almost jealous, but then I remember how Ivory is out there living her best life and I don’t mind that we’re not as close. It doesn’t mean we love each other any less.
“What’s up?”
Elwood’s eyes are the same as Rhett’s, a pretty brown color that holds my attention, but behind a pair of glasses. He looks at me, his face drawn with seriousness, so unlike his twin. “You’re good for him,” Elwood says softly, the tips of his lips tugging up. “He was worried, before you. His head was always buzzing.” Elwood pauses before adding, “that buzzing seems to be less. He smiles more, but not that bullshit fake smile. Real smiles.”
“Oh,” I breathe, not knowing what else to say.
“Thanks for helping my brother be himself again.”
I clear my throat. “If it helps, he uh, he does the same for me.” Elwood gives me a nod, signaling the end of our heart to heart and I immediately head into the house.
I take a moment to breathe. This isn’t new information. I know Rhett is happy, can see it in the way he holds himself, how he’s more confident, how he’s more relaxed. But hearing it from his person is another thing entirely.
There’s a lightness to my steps as I enter the kitchen, finding three men arguing about something cupcake related.
“Funfetti,” Dakota, also known as Dad, says, his eyes filled with steel.
River leans forward. “Chocolate is the superior flavor.”
“Fight, fight, fight,” Rhett chants, a wide smile across his lips. Such a little shit. Gods, I love him.
“Alright, alright,” I say, coming into the room fully. “Why not half of them with funfetti frosting and the other with chocolate. That way everyone gets what they like?”
Dad shakes his head. “Fine. I admit defeat.” He gives me a wink before turning to Rhett. “I’m going to tell you to do something but I’m a little worried because history says you’re going to try doing the complete opposite because you’re a shit.”
Rhett tilts his head. “Give me some more credit. I’ll at least consider it.”
River snorts but Dad just continues. “Hold on to that one,” he says, nodding towards me. “He has a way about him. He keeps us all in line. Especially you.”
I watch as Rhett’s face turns a pretty pink and I smirk. It’s been too
long since I’ve kept Rhett in line.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Rhett murmurs, covering his face with his hand. “Let’s get back to the problem at hand, huh? And if you never mention anything about lines and being kept and all that jazz, I’ll think about keeping Wyn around for a really, really long time.” And yeah, I really like the sound of that.
Chapter Twelve
Rhett
It’s been months. Months since Wyn and I have ‘played’ or ‘scened’ or whatever the hell it’s called. It’s been too long since he’s taken charge and made the buzzing in my head calm down. I’m not sure what the holdup is. It’s obvious I’m into it. It’s obvious he’s into it. I’m down, he’s down and it’s officially time to clown around. With that thought I let out a long internal groan as I try to focus on what I’m cooking. What is wrong with me?
“What’s with the face?”
I give Wyn a shrug, unable to really articulate properly how I’m feeling. Could I just act out until he puts me in my place? Could I call him Idris in hopes that he understands what I’m aiming for? Am I making this more complicated than it needs to be? Yes, probably that last one.
I plate the eggs onto a slice of toast, just the way Wyn likes them before turning and sliding it in front of him. Nerves are making me feel like I wanna jump out of my skin. Or hell, maybe just toss myself out the window all together. I shake my hands out at my sides before turning my neck back and forth, listening to the way it cracks.
“Sit with me,” Wyn says, nodding at the seat across from him. My heart picks up speed and my belly quivers.
“No,” I whisper softly, my voice almost breaking with how nervous I am. “No. I don’t think I will.”
Wyn tilts his head slightly as he looks up at me. “Rhett. Come sit with me.”
I shake my head, leaning against the kitchen counter. Wyn raises his brow, a silent show of dominance. My dick twitches at the look, but I ignore that in favor of staring right back. After another moment he lets out a sigh before digging into his eggs and toast. I feel the wind leave my sails. That’s not exactly the reaction I was secretly hoping for. But I can work with this.
“You know,” I start, finding a little bit of courage now that I’m in the moment, now that I’m finding my footing. I can be a brat, I can demand attention. I can fucking do this. “Sometimes I like being a naughty boy. Sometimes I’m real bad.”
Wyn doesn’t even flinch. He just continues to eat his eggs, his eyes never leaving the table. Completely and utterly ignored. Yet somehow, that makes a burn start in the pit of my belly. This becomes a little game between the two of us. How far can I go before he finally looks up? What will it take for him to stop ignoring me?
“Bad boys deserve consequences, don’t you think?” My hand shakes as I find a glass on the counter. Slowly. Oh so fucking slowly, I slide it down the counter. Nerves kiss my belly as I push it over the edge. It shatters with a loud crack and my eyes dart over to Wyn, gauging his reaction.
There’s a tick to his jaw as it clenches and a light pinkness peeks out from past his beard. I’ve angered him. But he’s still not reacting. Time to step things up a bit.
“Oh no,” I murmur, batting my lashes at him. “Look at this mess I’ve made. Wasn’t this your favorite glass, Idris?”
The sound of my mate’s intake of breath is audible through the kitchen and I pause, waiting, watching. There’s an excitement in my chest, making me feel lighter than I have in weeks. This is actually fun pushing his buttons, pushing him to the edge and waiting for him to react. I’m finding that I love this, getting to be Everett for a little while.
The nerves I was feeling earlier have slowly morphed into excitement and playfulness. I turn around, finding a stack of plates. One by one, I toss them onto the floor. After each one, I look up at Wyn. When he doesn’t react I toss another one.
“Everett,” a stern, hard voice calls out, making me pause. When I look up, I find Idris looking up at me from the table, Wyn now long gone. I smirk at him, looking at him with wide innocent eyes. “Stop that right now.”
“I don’t know if I will,” I say back, turning towards the giant clear vase in the corner of the kitchen. I carefully run my finger over the brim of it. It’s filled with red and purple marbles, one of many of Wyn’s marble displays. “It seems you don’t mind if I’m naughty.”
“Oh, I mind,” Idris says carefully. “You’ve already earned quite the punishment. You do not want to add to it.”
“Hmm,” I hum, tapping my chin. “I think I might,” I tell him before tipping the vase over, watching as it shatters, marbles spilling everywhere. Idris’ eyes widen, his entire body locking up. Silence rings through the house, the only sound that can be heard is the sound of all of his marbles rolling across the ground.
It’s not until the last marble falls silent that Idris stands. The sound of his chair flying back is enough to startle me and my stomach sinks. Fuck. I’ve gone too far. And now I’m about to be punished for the first time and I instinctively know it’s not going to be the sexy spanking I was hoping for.
“You fucking brat,” Idris hisses, his cheeks hot and red, his eyes wild. “You want a firm hand? Well, you’re about to find out what exactly that means, Everett, and I’m not sure you’re gonna like it.”
I gulp, my eyes tracking his every moment. With sure steps, Idris walks to the closet in our kitchen, carefully taking out a dust pan and hand broom. Then he grabs the garbage, dragging it over to where I stand. I just barely keep myself from flinching when he throws the pan and broom onto the floor, the sound of them hitting the ground deafening.
“Hands and knees,” he tells me and I drop down immediately. This is not at all what I had in mind, yet, I’m powerless to do anything but what he tells me. That insistent buzzing is slowly receding and I sigh in relief despite the way my body tenses as it waits for Idris’ next order. “Start cleaning up your mess.”
I’m left all alone as he walks out of the kitchen with a sigh. I hang my head, letting out a shaky breath before beginning my work at cleaning my mess. Shame hits me full force in the chest. I upset my mate by being an asshole. It was all fun and games until I went after something he cared about. I crossed a line and now I’ll face my consequences.
When Idris steps back into the kitchen, I already have a large amount of the mess picked up. He squats down to my eye level and I look up at him. He touches my chin so gently it almost makes me flinch. I don’t feel like I deserve such tenderness, yet it’s not my decision to make. I will take what Idris gives.
“I want you to pick up my marbles,” he says, his voice calm and soothing. “And as you drop each marble in, I want you to say one thing you like about yourself.”
“What?”
Idris’ eyes narrow. “Did I ask for you to speak?” I shake my head. “Be a good boy and finish your task so I can finally give you that spanking you so desperately wanted.”
I bite my bottom lip as I nod my head. I get back to cleaning. I make a pile of the marbles, not wanting to put them in the jar just yet. I can’t believe he’s making me say something nice about myself. This seems so stupid. And besides, what the hell am I supposed to say? It’s not guarded knowledge that I’m not my own biggest fan. I’ve fucked up too much in my life for that. And now I’m expected to just come up with a bunch of traits I like?
When all the glass is picked up, I turn my eyes back to the marbles, glaring at them. If looks could kill these things would be vanquished. But they remain, silently taunting me.
I pick up the first round fucker between my finger and thumb, turning it around in my fingers before dropping it in. “I have nice eyes.” I grit my teeth as I drop another. “I have a nice voice.”
“Wonderful job,” Idris says from his seat at the table. He doesn’t even look at me, just gives me a hum of approval, letting me know to keep going.
“I’m a good uncle.”
“You are, Everett. The kids all adore you.”
I swallow around t
he lump in my throat, trying to keep it together. Between the punishment, thinking of my best qualities, and Idris’ praise, I feel overwhelmed. My chest is tight and my breathing becomes labored.
“I’m protective of those I love.” Another marble. “I have nice hair.” Another marble. “I have a huge family who all love me and I love them.” Another marble clinks at the bottom. “I’m smart.”
“You’re doing so well,” Idris tells me and that’s when I notice my vision is blurry as silent tears fall down my cheeks. I feel unworthy of this praise, yet I’m compelled to keep going, compelled to do as Idris tells me. He says I’m worthy, he says I’m loved, he says I’m good and in this moment I can do nothing but believe him.
As I drop the final marble into the jar, I place my hands on my thighs, my head down towards the ground. With my eyes squeezed shut, the words pour out of me. “Her name was Trish.” There’s silence but I know Idris is listening. Once the confession begins, I can’t pull it back, can’t stop it from rushing out. “I loved her. But she betrayed me.” I lick my lips as my hands grip my thighs. “She killed my parents, she tried to kill Elwood and me.” I’m babbling and probably make zero sense but I can’t stop the words from flying out of my mouth. “She was using a poisoned knife which hit Elwood’s face before I could stop her. Idris, it was all my fault.”
“No,” he tells me but I just shake my head.
“I should have known better. I should have been smarter. I should have--”
Idris is suddenly there, pulling my face up between his palms. He kneels before me, his eyes searching mine. “What did you just learn, Everett? You are smart. You are kind. You are strong. You are beautiful. You’re a good uncle. You’re a good listener. You are protective of those you love.” Hearing it all over again hits me straight in the heart. My eyes continue to overflow just as my emotions overflow.
“Do you--” my voice breaks but I try again. “Do you really believe all that?”