Wind Beneath His Wings

by Maggie Walsh

  “I wasn’t trying to fool you, Do… mom,” Pelt said, when Dolly gave him the evil eye as he tried to call her Dolly. Sut and the rest of them at the table snickered as they watched the exchange. “I didn’t know you were working today,” Pelt added.

  Dolly picked up Pelt’s plate that had an extra-large portion of roast beef with gravy on it and eyed him, then she gave the large Griffion a loving smile and said, “Pelt, honey, I’m sure you get a lot of protein in your life, that’s not served on a plate, being as hunky as you are, but how about some nice steamed broccoli and a salad, huh?” Everyone who sat within earshot all started laughing as Pelt turned bright red and looked down.

  Dolly then looked at the large man with Pelt, grabbing his plate saying, “I don’t know why you’re laughing, Wolf. Your health is just as important to me as my Pelt here.”

  The laughter in the room grew louder as Wolf seemed to deflate in the chair he sat in.

  Gods, Sut could kiss that woman for taking everyone’s focus off him, only now poor Pelt was having to pay the price. Sut would have to order a big meat sandwich from Blake over at The Cage and have it delivered to Pelt in secret later.

  CHAPTER 14

  Casimir stopped short as he walked towards Destrain’s office. The sounds coming from the room were unmistakable. Seeing the Griffion squad leader, Drake, and the pixie warrior, Borger, standing at the door guarding the king and the door with their lives, trying to pretend the sounds weren’t making them horny as hell, was just too good an opportunity for Cas to pass up. “Bet you two can’t wait to get off tonight.”

  “Ha. Ha. Very funny Cas. Thought you were on leave. What ya doing here?” Borger asked.

  “Destrain was nice enough to give me a couple of weeks off, but I don’t think I’ll need that long, so I thought I’d check in with the king to see about the schedule,” Casimir stated.

  The sound of things crashing to the floor and Tobias shouting, “Yes Dezzy just like that. You’re a God! Oh yeah, plow that ass, Clover. Show us who the real boss is.” Had Casimir feeling the urge to readjust his hard-as-nails cock.

  Looking at the two guards, Casimir could see a small sheen of sweat forming on Drake’s brow as Borger did his best not to squirm where he stood. Letting out a long breath, Cas asked, “Are they going to be a while still, or…”

  “Fuck! Fuck! Now Dezzy! Now Clover!” Tobias screamed.

  “Never mind, I think I got my answer,” Casimir scoffed. “Let me by guys.”

  Drake and Borger stepped to the side and allowed Casimir to knock on the door. Destrain shouted, “One moment.”

  It didn’t take long until the sound of the door unlocking for it to be opened sounded, and a flushed Clove was standing there saying, “Oh, Cas. Come on in.”

  Casimir damn near came in his pants from the smell of sex that filled the room. “Holy crap, open a window or something in here.”

  Destrain laughed as he cuddled a well debauched Tobias close on his lap. “What’s the matter, my dear friend? Jealous?”

  Casimir looked at the way Tobias cuddled into Destrain, and how Clove went to stand behind his mates, gently running his hand over Destrain’s shoulder and the other through Tobias’s hair.

  “Yes.” He answered truthfully.

  Casimir longed for a relationship with his mate such as Destrain, Clove and Tobias had. He knew it would take time after the pain he had caused Sutton, but maybe one day soon his mate would see how hard he had been working to be the mate… hell, to be the man Sutton deserved. He had known that for them to even have a chance of a future, it was Casimir who would need to change. He would need to force the fear he held in his heart aside and welcome others into his world.

  “Okay, mates, why don’t you two go do what you need, so I can speak with Casimir,” Destrain said, jarring Casimir from his thoughts.

  Tobias kissed Destrain, and then scooted from the king’s lap, taking Clove’s hand. “Thank you for that fantastic lunch break. Can’t wait for dinner,” Tobias said, with a lustful glance. Turning to leave with Clove, Tobias said, “It was good to see you, Casimir.”

  “You too, Tobias,” Casimir replied, with a small smile.

  Once they were gone, and the door closed, Destrain looked at Casimir, and asked, “So what brings you to my office? I would think you would be busy wooing your mate.”

  “I have been wooing my mate. However, I don’t think I’ll need the full two weeks and I’m back to report for duty,” Casimir stated.

  Destrain sat forward, looking confused. “Funny, I don’t scent your mate on you.”

  “Because, we haven’t mated yet, Des,” Casimir replied, rolling his eyes.

  Destrain’s brows rose. “Did you just roll your eyes at me?”

  Casimir laughed. “I guess I did. It’s something I must have picked up from young Benji.”

  “Benji?” Destrain asked. The name finally registered to the king and a wide smile formed on his lips. “You’ve been getting to know your sons, Cas. That’s wonderful.”

  Nodding, Casimir replied, “Yes it has been.”

  “Wow, I must say I’m surprised. I would love to shake the hand of the man, or woman, who finally knocked some sense into you. The Gods know I’ve been trying to get you to do this since we returned to this realm.”

  Casimir sighed. “It was something Sutton and I spoke about when he was trapped in the mine.” Thinking about those terrifying days had Casimir looking off and doing his best to not think about what could have happened to his precious mate had he not been able to get to that safe room.

  “Cas?” Destrain whispered.

  Turning back to his best friend, Casimir let out a deep breath, saying, “Sutton said that you can either exist in life, or you can live it. I hadn’t even realized I had stopped living so long ago. I was breathing and I was moving, I even did my job, but I did nothing more. I shut everyone out around me… even you for the most part. We are close and I love you like a brother, but I never fully let you in, Destrain. The same goes for Aracas. Oh, I acted like I was all good, but inside… inside I was empty… dead.”

  “You don’t think we knew this, Casimir? Anyone that took a moment to look in your eyes could see the void within your soul. We tried to make things easier for you, but…”

  “I wouldn’t let you all the way in,” Casimir whispered.

  Nodding, Destrain said, “I can see there is a bit of life in there. So, your time off has been doing you well.”

  Smiling, Casimir quickly said, “Yes. I took my sons fishing and I had dinner with Illan and his mates a few times. I also have been spending time with Sutton, but I’m also trying to respect his request for space. I bring him breakfast in the mornings and we’ve gone out on a date. We’re supposed to go out again, and I have something big my sons and their brother are helping me plan. I can only hope it will prove to Sutton that I really have changed. I just need to know if I can have the schedule, so I can get back to work.”

  Shaking his head, Destrain said, “You are not coming back to work until you are mated, Cas, and even then I expect you to take a couple of weeks to just enjoy your mating.”

  “What? I can’t stay away from…”

  “We will be fine. Casimir. You have not taken a day off since we went to the pixie realm during the Shuite War. I would say you have a shit ton of personal time accumulated, and even if you didn’t, I want to see you happy and as you said… alive again. That can only happen when you have won Sutton over and completed your bond,” Destrain stated firmly.

  Casimir looked at his longtime friend knowing he was right. Sighing heavily, Cas said, “Thank you, Destrain. I have something really special planned for my mate tonight. I just hope it works.” A thought struck Cas just then, “Maybe you, and Illan can be of some help to me as well.”

  “Whatever you need, you know I will help any way I can,” Destrain quickly replied.

  Leaning forward Cas smiled, saying, “Well it’s about tonight…”

  * * * *
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  Sitting back Sutton patted his belly. “That really hit the spot.”

  “I think I’m going to have to go for a romp in the forest to help get rid of some of those calories,” Gage said, with a laugh.

  Dallas snorted, “Yeah, more like a romp with someone in the bathroom of the club.”

  Shrugging, Gage replied, “Whatever works.”

  Sutton laughed with the others, watching as Dolly approached the table with Pelt and his friend and removed their dishes. He couldn’t hold back his smile when Dolly left and a small man peeked around the room as if making sure the coast was clear, then made a mad dash for Wolf, handed him two wrapped burgers as he turned a cute shade of pink, then ran back the way he came.

  The sound of his phone pinging had Sutton pulling it out. Would you like to go out for a night of fun?

  Would love to.

  Sutton’s phone pinged once more. Looking at it Sutton smiled. Great. I’ll pick you up at six. Wear something sexy. I want everyone to see how lucky I am to have you on my arm.

  “From the look on Sutton’s face, I bet that’s from Casimir,” Baxter said, with a smile.

  Dallas looked at his mate, asking, “And how would you know that look?”

  “Because I see it every time you message Miles and me,” Baxter said, with a bright smile.

  “What’s the fucker want now? Quick bathroom fuck later?” Gage grumbled.

  “What is it with you, Gage? I’m willing to give Cas a chance. Why can’t you be a bit supportive instead of talking so nasty about my mate?” Sutton asked, feeling truly confused.

  Gage was normally a happy-go-lucky guy. Yet lately he seemed to be so pessimistic and for lack of a better word, angry.

  Sitting back and taking a large sip of his drink, Gage shrugged, muttering, “Besides losing another friend to the mate world, I don’t like the fact that he hurt you like he did. You’re like a brother to me. Seeing you in so much pain and not being able to do anything to help… it sucked on so many levels, and just makes me want to kick your mate in the balls.”

  Sutton grasped his friend’s hand. “First off, you haven’t lost any of us. Mate or not, you are still my friend. Secondly, Cas had a lot of past shit he never really dealt with, and he did what he did not purposefully trying to hurt me, or anyone else, and right now he’s doing everything he can to make up for it.”

  Sutton stopped talking, thinking about what he just said. Casimir really didn’t mean to hurt him, but still… he did. Sutton still felt his heart twinge thinking about how he had felt, all this time having their relationship kept in the dark. However, Sutton knew Casimir’s reasoning was odd, yet he also knew Cas truly felt the fear of losing Sutton if he acknowledged their mating to the world. Needing someone’s help in this, Sutton asked, “Do you guys believe that someone can be a magnet for bad luck?”

  Dallas looked at his mates, then to Sutton. “I don’t think we understand what you’re asking.”

  “Do you think the universe causes bad things to happen more to some than others?” Sutton asked, trying to clarify his question without giving anything away about Casimir’s fears.

  Surprisingly, it was Miles who spoke up. “I don’t know if this is what you’re talking about, but I think that in order to recognize the good in your life, you have to have the bad.”

  “What do you mean?” Sutton asked.

  “Well, look at me. I was bullied most of my life, because I am a tone-deaf siren. My fathers were harassed, their home constantly being destroyed, all because I couldn’t sing as well as they did. Had those things not happened, I would never have found the courage to leave my home, and that means I would never have found my mates, or my daughter,” Miles explained.

  Dallas leaned in, whispering, “Love you, baby.” Then gently kissed his mate.

  Baxter did the same, then said, “And you are not tone deaf. Dallas, Laurie and I think you sing beautifully.”

  Sutton held back his laugh at what Baxter said, and from the looks on Gage, Nick and Ronan’s faces, while Jagger took a huge interest at that moment on what the girls were doing. It seemed as if the only ones that didn’t think their mate could break glass with Mile’s voice were his mates and his daughter. It was actually kind of sweet when you thought about it.

  Nick looked at Sutton, saying, “I have to agree with Miles. I don’t think that the universe, or the gods, set out to pick on someone. I think it’s all about balance.”

  Jagger nodded, saying, “Unless you’re talking about Karma, because in that case I believe it will bite you in the ass. Maybe not for whoever you harmed to see, but it will come back and bite you eventually.”

  “I think sometimes people choose to see the bad more than embrace the good that might have come from it,” Baxter softly said.

  Sutton looked at Baxter asking, “What do you mean?”

  “I have a friend named Betty who had taken care of people most of their lives, then ended up in the hospital with a heart attack,” Baxter was saying.

  Gage interrupted, asking, “Geez, Bax, how the hell do you find a silver fucking lining in having a heart attack and damn near dying?

  Baxter rolled his eyes. “If you would let me finish, you would understand.”

  “Sorry,” Gage said, contritely.

  “Anyway, my friend said she lay there in that hospital bed thinking about all she had been through in her life. A mom sick for as long as she could remember, and Betty was the only one there to take care of her. She gave up her childhood for her mom, but said it was worth it, because she and her mother became so close and created so many wonderful memories together as a result of that closeness. She got married, but he turned out to be a cheating fuck, but if not for him she wouldn’t have had her two kids. Anyway, she lay there thinking about how she had always wanted to be an author and never could, because she was so busy taking care of her mom, some other relatives, and then her children, as well as the fact that her job required her to be responsible for many other people’s lives on a daily basis. Never in all those years had she ever done anything for herself. She wanted to make a change, but she was scared. Then, when she went to go back to work, they fired her, because while she was in the hospital she was unable to take care of an audit.”

  “What fuckers,” Dallas muttered.

  Baxter nodded, then smiled. “Yes, but after she was fired, the unemployment people said she was wrongfully terminated, and while she was able to take some time for herself, she took some much needed time to rest and recuperate from her heart attack. This led to her going online and meeting the man that would steal her heart and begin to write her first book, and then her second. She’s now doing what she loves and living with the man of her dreams who treats her like a cherished woman.”

  “That’s great, but I still don’t get it,” Gage muttered.

  Baxter sighed. “Gage, some would have gone into a deep depression. Some would have felt cheated in life, because of all they had to give up for so many others to live their lives. Betty didn’t go in that direction. She found the good within the bad and is now a very happy author sharing her life with the man of her dreams.”

  “I bet that cheating husband had her not trusting people for a really long time. Even if she was happy with having kids as a result of that slug,” Gage stated, with a sneer.

  Nodding, Baxter replied, “That’s very true. She never even thought about getting married again. But, her hubby, well… he was a tenacious shit. He just kept chipping away until he crumbled that wall. I don’t think Betty knew what was happening until it was too late.”

  Nick nodded. “Sometimes our pasts can make our mating’s difficult. However, if you want that person in your life enough, you’re willing to forgive their mistakes and move forward.”

  Sutton listened to his friends and then asked, “So if bad things… really bad things seemed to keep happening, and that was all that person focused on, they might really believe the world was out to get them?”

  Nodding, Jagger
said, “I could see that. Its how superstitions come into play for people. You know, don’t walk under a ladder, don’t open an umbrella in the house, don’t cross a black cat’s path… all are supposed to be bad luck.”

  Gage laughed. “Maybe we can have Blake shift and just keep walking from one side of the street to the other.”

  Everyone laughed, but then Baxter said, “I know I freaked out when I was moving one of the dressers in one of my hotel rooms and I broke the mirror. I thought for sure I was screwed for the next seven years.”

  “I’ll screw you for the next seven hundred years,” Dallas murmured as he wiggled his brows.

  Baxter slapped Dallas on the chest. “Oh you, hush.”