Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
E zra
Ezra stayed in a daze as Xavier himself showed up to the house along with four human-looking men Alaric told him were wizards. The four took the two downed shifters, leaving Xavier to deal with Ezekiel and his mother.
Xavier knelt in an enviably elegant move, cocking his head as he stared at Ezra’s whimpering brother. Apparently, all his bones were broken. Crushed. Ezra couldn’t imagine the amount of pain he was in. It had to feel like being run over by a road roller.
But he also couldn’t believe that his own family had tried to have him killed. His own pain over that knowledge felt like it was hollowing out his stomach and chest. He had a hard time looking at his mother, a woman who’d gone along with the whole thing. Hell, it was probably her idea, too, just like the trafficking had been.
“None of these people deserve an ounce of your suffering.” Alaric wrapped his arms around Ezra, turning him back into that warm, comforting chest. Ezra, desperate for that comfort, took it completely.
“I know,” he whispered. “But it’s like when my father was killed. I’m still sad.”
“Of course you are. But you deserve better. Come with me outside while Xavier figures out what to do with Ezekiel.”
Xavier spoke as they turned to leave. “I apologize for not finding his involvement sooner and will look into just how they managed to mask his part in all this. It was a relatively new investigation, but I still should have found this out sooner.” The corner of his mouth crooked. “This is an interesting thing you did to him, Alaric. Even if he’d fallen over the railing, not every bone would have shattered like this. There’s no way to explain this away to the authorities.”
“He cut Ezra,” Alaric said, anger deepening his voice.
“Did you do that, you stupid man?” Xavier aimed the question at Ezekiel. “You got off lightly, then. Hurting a preternatural’s soulmate usually ends in death.”
Ezra whipped his head toward Alaric. “Your what now?”
“Xavier,” Alaric growled as he led Ezra toward the front door, then outside.
Ezra shivered when the cold air hit, but not much. He was still partially numb from everything. Especially the most recent shock. “I’m your what now?”
Of course Ezra had heard of soulmates but that wasn’t something he’d ever believed in. Two beings who were destined for each other. Two halves of a whole.
Alaric did that thing Ezra loved—framing his face with his hands and leaning in close. His warm breath brushed over Ezra’s lips. There was something so intimate about the gesture. Made Ezra feel…precious.
“I did not want to do this here, in this place of heartbreak, but maybe it’s fitting. Maybe it’ll give you a final, better memory.” He kissed Ezra softly. “You are my soulmate, Ezra. Being able to see through glamours is just the start. You were meant to bind with me, live with me all the days of my long life. If that’s what you want, of course.”
“Bind with you. Is it permanent?”
“Would you want it to be?”
Ezra gulped, staring hard up at Alaric. Fear gripped his heart. Could he tell the truth and put himself out there like that? Could he tell this beautiful supernatural man that he was head over heels in love with him?
Alaric removed his hands and took a step back. “It’s all happening too quickly, isn’t it? I’ve freaked you out.”
“No!”
He hadn’t meant to yell, but he didn’t want Alaric getting the wrong idea from his hesitation. He was just so fucking scared. But as he stood there, he realized Alaric deserved the truth of what he was feeling. All of it.
“I’m scared, okay?” His voice came out raspy and swallowed the lump in his throat. “Terrified, actually. You’re, well, you aren’t even human, and you have magic. How could you want to tie your very long life to mine? To someone like me? You see what I come from? Talk about your shitty gene pool.”
“Ezra, I’m in love with you. I was drawn to you even before you started revealing who you really are. Which is someone who feels things deeply and spent his entire life without anyone to show him how worthy he is of love. Every new glimpse of that heart you try to keep hidden drew me in more. I know you’re someone special, and I want you to be mine. If that’s what you want.” He paused and grinned. “And not everything about me is perfect. I am too quick to judge people, I absolutely hate to eat anything from the ocean, and I come with a huge, extremely nosy family who will be poking their matching large noses into our lives.”
“How big exactly?”
“Parents and eighteen siblings.”
“Holy shit. Eighteen? I can’t even imagine having that many.”
“Yes, and they are all nosy, with the exception of Bastian, who gives us all fits because he gets in trouble so much. But I will tell you this. They will all, even Bast, love you and fully accept you into the family, especially when they learn we’re actual soulmates. Because that’s rare, Ezra. But they will also see you . They will love you for who you are. Just as I do.”
Ezra’s eyes filled with tears he couldn’t help.
“Ezra?”
He lurched forward, throwing himself at Alaric who easily caught and held him. He buried his face in Alaric’s neck. “I love you, too.”
“Thank the gods,” Alaric breathed as he held Ezra tight.
“I need you to take me away from here. I want to shower this day away and then crawl into a bed with you so it will all go away.”
Alaric tightened his arms, making Ezra feel safe. “I want the same.”