Chapter 34
Ending his call to Jackson, Sawyer looked at Glenn. “He’s gonna get back to me.”
“Fine…but what did he say when you told him about Henri?”
“Ah…well…at first, nothing but then just a ‘fuck’. I got the feeling he didn’t think it was good news.”
“No shit.” Glancing over his shoulder at Alex and Henri, Glenn was relieved to see they were smiling at each other. Turning back, he asked, “What worries me is Fionn’s a dragon and his mate’s a White Knight…sworn to protect him always. But can he stop Fionn from hurting our mate?”
“Why do you think Fionn would do anything to Alex?” asked Sawyer.
“Maybe because he killed his father?”
“Fuck off! That’s not true, Hunt would’ve told me.”
“Maybe he didn’t know…regardless of whether he knew or not, Fionn is responsible for his father’s death according to a confidential report at the High Council.
They ruled it justified since his father was trying to kill him…
and almost succeeded. If it wasn’t for your cousin, Logan, who rescued him, Fionn was a day away from dying, according to his fellow prisoner. ”
“Holy fuck!”
“Shh…keep your voice down.”
“He can’t hear us,” Sawyer muttered, frowning at the new information. “But the question I have is…when did you find this out…and how come you didn’t tell me before today?”
“It was before I knew Alex was my mate and way before I knew he was related to Fionn. When Dylon asked me to get you and Alex out of LA, I wanted to know why Alex was targeted by The Collector, so I had Riley see if there was anything on file. He didn’t find out anything about Alex but did find the report about Fionn.
The only reason he told me was it was highly unusual the High Council didn’t conduct a public inquiry into the matter. ”
“Any idea why not?” asked Sawyer.
“Nope…I asked Riley but there wasn’t anything else. After that, I just forgot about it since there wasn’t a connection to you or Alex,” Glenn said. “Getting back to Henri…Oracle must have known he was Alex’s grandfather, so why didn’t she tell him?”
“How the fuck would I know?” Sawyer asked, throwing his hands up in frustration. “Maybe she thought it was better he didn’t know. I’m more concerned about our mate finding out his brother killed their father.”
“Yeah…” Deep in thought, Glenn stared off in the distance, his mind busy trying to fit all the puzzle pieces together. “Oracle must have known that too, but…”
“Chose not to tell Alex.”
“Doesn’t make sense…”
Before Sawyer could reply, his phone rang. “Did you get hold of Hunt?”
“Yeah,” Jackson answered. “It’s a touchy situation…so we think it would be better if nothing is said…at least until Alex and Fionn meet and have a chance to get to know one another.”
“I figured that,” Sawyer muttered, already thinking of ways to approach his mate about it.
Taking the phone from Sawyer’s hand, Glenn asked Jackson, “Do you know Fionn killed my mate’s father?”
Sighing, Jackson said, “I knew…and according to Hunt, Fionn plans to tell Alex about it.”
“What did happen? And how come the Council didn’t hold an official inquiry into the circumstances of it?” asked Glenn.
“They did…just not publicly,” Jackson said. “Until recently, Fionn’s relatives were threats to his safety so it was decided to keep it confidential. I assume you were able to see the final report.”
“I have,” Glenn replied. “But there wasn’t much to it…just that it was justified.”
“It was…trust me,” Jackson replied, sensing Glenn’s interest in the matter hadn’t been satisfied. “Is it gonna be a problem?”
“I hope not. Without knowing exactly the circumstances surrounding the death of my mate’s father, I’m shooting in the dark here regarding any danger to Alex,” Glenn said.
“Alex will be quite safe,” Jackson assured him. “I know Alex’s life hasn’t been easy but neither has Fionn’s. They need each other.”
Grabbing his phone back, Sawyer said, “Thanks, Jackson…let Hunt know we’ll be there soon.”
“Will do,” Jackson replied. “Oh, and let me know how it goes.”
“Sure, bye.” Tucking his phone back into his pocket, Sawyer muttered, “Time to talk to our mate.”
~/~/~/~/~
Spying Kieran as he entered the grand salon in the chateau, Quin rushed over to him, waving his hands in excitement.
“Ki…Ki…oh my gods, wait until you see what I found in one of the closets. It’s absolutely breathtaking!
I never dreamt china like this existed…well, I knew it did because I saw it in a magazine…
but I never expected to ever see it with my own eyes or even touch it. ”
Grabbing Kieran’s hand, Quin pulled him through several rooms, chattering about his finds while poking around in all the cabinets and closets until they reached the dining room. Then, pushing open the double doors, he stood back, wanting his friend to get the full impact of the set table.
Stunned at the sight, it took Kieran a moment before he could speak. “Q…you definitely have missed your calling.” Walking slowly around the table, he marveled at the delicate wine glasses and the hand-painted dishes. His friend was right…it was…“Perfecto, Q! Absolutely perfecto!”
“You think so?” asked Quin, trying to hide his self-doubt but not totally successful at it. He hated that weakness, the second-guessing about his abilities, that was still part of him, despite his family’s efforts to assure him he was genuinely talented.
Slowly turning around, Kieran waved his hand at the table, exclaiming, “A thousand times yes, Q. Look at what you did…everything is elegant yet warm and inviting…how you managed to do it is a gift…truly a gift. It’s just what’s needed to put Alex and Fionn at ease.
Thank you.” Then, remembering his latest news, he smiled mischievously at Quin.
“Guess what? Oracle wants you to design a couple of dresses for her.”
Quin’s jaw dropped. Staring at his friend, it took him a few moments before his mouth started to work properly. “No way! Me? Oh my gods! Dresses? You did say dresses, right? As in more than one?”
“Of course, you! Who else do I know who is such a fabulous designer? Don’t answer that because I will tell you…no one, Q! And I’m not the only one who thinks so…Oracle does too.”
Sinking slowly down on the nearest chair, Quin sat there, staring at Kieran in disbelief.
Ever since he could remember, his dream of becoming a designer was the little spark of hope that kept him going when there was only darkness in his life.
No one knew, not even his parents or brothers, because he feared the light would be snuffed if they were to ridicule him for having such a far-fetched dream—so he kept it buried deep within him.
But somehow, Kieran discovered his secret and not only urged him to pursue it, but also brought him his first client. An Oracle…no less!
The enormity of what just happened hit Quin like a wrecking ball, knocking down the perfectly constructed, though fragile, wall he’d built around him.
His security was crumbling, exposing him now to a scary world.
It had taken him years to recover after what happened that night.
Now he’d be desperately trying to find his footing all over again.
That’s what happens when I start thinking I’m okay.
Seeing his friend’s inner turmoil mirrored on his face, Kieran knelt down in front of him, linking their hands together and flooding him with love. “Hey, Quin…look at me, honey.”
Hesitating for a moment, Quin reminded himself of the long way he’d come so far, before finally looking at his friend.
Smiling softly, Kieran murmured, “There you are…one of the strongest and most talented people I know.”
Shaking his head slightly, Quin replied quietly, “I don’t feel that way.”
“But you are,” Kieran reiterated. “Surviving a sexual assault when you’re barely out of childhood takes enormous mental willpower and strength, not only to survive, but to thrive. Look at how far you’ve come, honey. That’s something to be proud of…something worth celebrating.”
“No it’s not, because it was my fault it happened,” Quin whispered. “He told me I deserved it because…”
“It wasn’t, Quin,” Kieran said, emphatically. “He was lying, honey…trying to make you feel you’d done something wrong when he was the one who did.”
“But I…”
“No, honey…you were only eleven…nothing you could have done at that age gave him the right.”
“He said I was begging for it because I was wearing eyeliner…that I did it to entice him…”
Rising, Kieran pulled Quin to his feet, wrapping his arms around him.
After placing his hands flat against his friend’s back, he began drawing out the guilt tormenting his friend, replacing it with love.
Kieran’s heart broke at the depth of Quin’s shame that smoldered within him, a burden way too heavy for such a beautiful and loving person to carry.
Burying his face against Kieran’s neck, Quin hugged his friend back, refusing to let go.
It had happened long ago, but the pain and shame from the attack never lessened; growing until there were times, he was sure, it would overwhelm him.
Even the death of the rapist wolf by his father’s jaws failed to erase the shame he felt, but now, somehow, he felt lighter, the memory of the attack fading along with the guilt he carried.
And for the first time since the night had blackened his life, the darkness inside him dissipated. Quin was free.
~/~/~/~/~
“How…” Alex began, as he quickly looked down at his belly, wondering how his grandfather knew. Thankfully, it was still flat and he breathed a sigh of relief.
“So Fionn doesn’t know,” Henri said, quietly.
“I don’t think so…but I intend to tell him,” Alex murmured. “Who told you?”
“Just my nose,” Henri replied, smiling. “Which one of your mates is the father?”
“Glenn,” Alex said.
“Ahh, the tiger.”
“I know what you’re thinking…I can’t get pregnant because he’s not a fox, but…”
“Just like my son couldn’t get pregnant because Artur was a dragon, eh?”
“Yeah…something like that,” Alex muttered.
“Alex, it doesn’t matter to me how it happened, I’m just grateful it did because now I have a grandson who will be giving me a great-grandchild,” Henri said.
“And my cub will have an uncle and a grandpa!”
“Speaking of your cub’s uncle, we should get going,” Henri said. “Everyone will be wondering what’s taking so long.”
“No one will mind once I tell them about you being my grandfather.”
Before Henri could speak, Sawyer opened the door and reclaimed his seat. “Hey, sorry to break up this family reunion but we need to get going. According to Hunt, Fionn is a bit of a nervous nellie right now.”
Alex’s eyes widened. “Because of me?”
“Yeah, he’s been up since early morning,” Sawyer replied, glancing at Henri, “and has been waiting to meet you.”
“Then let’s go,” Alex said, grinning. “I want to meet him, too, and I can’t wait to introduce him to my grandfather.”
“Ah…about that,” Sawyer began, just as Glenn slid into the back seat beside Alex.
“Buttercup, that can wait until you and Fionn have a chance to talk,” Glenn said.
“No way, tiger mate,” Alex said, his voice betraying how upset he was. “If my brother has a problem with who my grandfather is, then it’s better for me to know right away.”
“Alex…” Henri murmured.
“Way to go, asshole,” Sawyer interrupted, glaring at Glenn. “What happened to ‘easing into it’?”
“Easing into what?” growled Alex.
“Asking me first if it would be all right if Fionn didn’t find out I was your grandfather right away,” Henri answered. “And I agree with them, Alex. It was exactly what I was going to suggest.”
“You were?” asked Alex, searching his grandfather’s face.
“I was…I am,” Henri replied. “You came to France to meet your brother, so do that. Talk to him and listen to what he has to say. As you told me…neither of you know anything about the other, so there’s a lot of history to get through. It’s important to both of you and especially to your cub.”
“But you’re my grandfather,” Alex said.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Henri replied, smiling at his grandson.
“Promise?” Alex’s fear of losing the last link to his omega father was clearly evident in his voice.
“Alex, I spent close to thirty years looking for my son. One might think those years were wasted because my son had been dead for most of them, but I can assure you they were not because they led me to you. And if I had to, I would gladly spend another thirty years if, in the end, I found you. Trust me, I’ll be waiting,” Henri said, lovingly.
“Go…get to know your brother and when the time is right, I’ll be right there, ready to greet your brother and welcome him into our family. ”
His eyes wet with tears, Alex hugged Henri. “I love you, Grandfather!”
“And I love you.”
~/~/~/~/~
Hunter sat on the sofa, watching Fionn furtively glance out the window from time to time as he paced around the room. No matter how hard his mate tried to hide it, he could feel Fionn’s anxiety flooding the room, leaking through their bond. “Pet, come sit down next to me.”
Stopping in his tracks, Fionn stared at his mate in surprise, totally having forgotten he was in the room. Shaking his head, he resumed. “I can’t.”
“Why not?”
Huffing in frustration, Fionn stopped again, glaring at Hunter. “Don’t tell me you aren’t worried, too, because I know better.”
“You’re right…but not for the reason you think,” Hunter said, softly. “My focus is on you. I think you’re placing too much pressure on yourself.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Because you’re afraid of what Alex will think when you tell him about your father. Now come here, pet,” Hunter said, sternly.
The tone of his mate’s voice compelled Fionn to comply. Slowly walking over to Hunter, he could already feel a comforting presence touching him, something he sorely needed. Finally, he reached Hunter and sat down, yelping in surprise when he found himself pulled onto his mate’s lap.
When Hunter’s arms wrapped around him, Fionn sighed blissfully as his mate’s scent covered him, instantly relieving some of his stress.
Sinking down against his mate’s chest, he closed his eyes, concentrating on the love he felt coming through their mind link.
It was just what he needed and he thanked the Fates again for giving him Hunter—someone who could remain calm, even when everything was going to hell.
“Breathe, pet,” Hunter crooned. “Everything will be fine.”
Doing as instructed, Fionn slowly inhaled and exhaled, picturing his fear and anxiety leaving him.
And in its place, his mate’s belief filled him, settling his mind and giving him hope his brother would forgive him.
So lost was he in dreams of the future, Fionn never heard the arrival of the car carrying Alex.