Chapter Sixteen
DELLAN STARED through the window. Beyond it was a single bed, surrounded by monitors and other medical paraphernalia. Doc stood next to it, talking quietly with another doctor.
Dellan didn’t need to hear what they were saying. Their expressions said it all, and Doc had already given his verdict half an hour ago.
Nothing had changed in those thirty minutes. No miraculous recovery, no sudden change in Alec’s condition.
What happened next was up to Dellan, except he couldn’t make a decision. He’d been a wreck ever since he walked into the clinic.
As for the room’s occupant, he was oblivious to the discussion.
He doesn’t even know who I am or that I’m here.
Horvan’s arm around Dellan was a welcome intrusion, as was Rael’s hand on his back.
“We heard what Doc told you,” Rael said in a low voice.
Dellan could still hear him. The words were burned into his brain.
“We can’t reverse it. And now the aging process seems to have speeded up, he’s in constant pain. The venom he secretes in his claws? It’s consuming him.” Doc had looked Dellan in the eye. “You have to be the one to decide.”
There lay his dilemma. He couldn’t bring himself to give the word.
Sobs racked his body, and he buried his face in Horvan’s chest. “I can’t. I just can’t.” Horvan’s solid frame muffled the words.
Horvan held him close.
“Let me ask you something. Why is this hitting you so hard? You never met Alec until yesterday. You know nothing about him. What is it about him that’s tearing you apart?”
Dellan peered up at him, letting his tears fall.
“He’s—he was —my son. I never got to know him.
I never even knew he existed. And now? I have to watch him die.
I have to sit there and be helpless. I can’t even hold his hand when he takes his last breath.
Hell, I never even got to see him take his first one. The fucking Gerans saw to that. ”
He sobbed again, only this time both his mates enfolded him in their arms, giving him all the warmth that had been sucked out of him since that stark conversation with Doc.
“What do I do? Help me decide.”
Horvan raised Dellan’s chin with his fingertips. “Love, you heard what Doc said. Alec can’t survive this. So the way I see it? You have two choices. You let Alec suffer until his body finally breaks down, or you help him go out peacefully, knowing love for the first time.”
Dellan gazed at the man in the bed. Yes, he resembled Dellan’s dad, but apart from that, he was a stranger.
I can let a stranger go. I can give him peace.
Dellan swallowed hard, then released Horvan. He opened the door and walked over to join Doc at Alec’s bedside. Dellan stroked Alec’s forehead.
“Okay, Doc. Take the pain away.”
He didn’t watch Doc’s ministrations. He kept his gaze focused on Alec’s face. He didn’t need to see—he knew the moment the drug took effect.
Alec let out a sigh, and he was gone.
Then Horvan and Rael were there, holding him, loving him, and he leaned into them. Dellan didn’t weep—he’d sobbed enough.
I couldn’t help you.
Rael kissed his forehead. But you can help the others.
Dellan stared at him. “Others?”
Horvan nodded. “Alec is the first child of yours that you know about. But there must be others. And not just your children—all the kids born to mothers who were forced into their wretched breeding program.”
“Kids that need your help too,” Rael added. “And their mothers and fathers.”
Dellan’s mind raced. He’d been so mired in what he’d lost, he’d never even considered other people.
Mothers who’d given birth, then had their child ripped away, never to hold them.
Fathers who’d been forced to mate, planting the literal fucking seeds to bring life to this world but never having a chance to be the father.
And worse, far worse than that, the fucking straw that broke the camel’s back, was the fact that almost none of these children had a chance to grow up knowing they were loved.
What they received from the households they were implanted into wasn’t love—it was indoctrination .
Shifters are better than humans.
Shifters are born to rule over humans.
Our feet belong on their necks.
First at home, then in school, a never-ending litany of superiority and entitlement.
And it was about time someone stopped it.
Dellan nodded slowly. “You’re right.”
He could make a difference to their lives.
All he had to do was work out how. And focusing on a new goal was better than dwelling on the past, on events he couldn’t change.
Dellan had a chance to change the future for a great many shifters.
CRANK TOUCHED Saul’s shoulder lightly. “Take a break. Get some air. You’ve been sitting there for three hours.” Not that he could talk. The only things to drag him away from Vic’s bedside had been the need for coffee and the subsequently greater need to pee.
“When he wakes up.”
Crank stroked Saul’s head. “Look at him. They’ve given him baths, he’s on a drip…. He’s a million times better than when we found him.” Vic’s skin was healing already.
It had to be a shifter thing.
“It is.” Saul managed a smile. “I always tease him about how quickly he heals.”
“It pisses you off, you mean,” came a murmur from the bed. “Your teeth marks never stay long enough for me to show them off.”
Crank beamed. “Hey, you’re awake.”
Vic chuckled, then gave a harsh dry cough. Saul picked up the cup of water and held the straw for Vic, who drained the cup. Crank quickly refilled it.
“I was trying to sleep, but with you two around? Even your thoughts are noisy.”
They each took a hand, careful of the tubes. “We were so scared.” What shocked Crank was the hoarse, broken sound of his own voice.
“That fucker Theron. He enjoyed it,” Vic rasped. “Psychologically torturing me was a kink for him. But please… tell me you didn’t kill him. I wanted to be the one to do that. ”
“We wanted to,” Saul replied. “We were ready to tear into our friends to get to him.”
“I’m glad you didn’t. I wouldn’t want him to have the satisfaction of knowing how close he came to breaking us.”
Saul let go of Vic’s hand to run his fingers through Vic’s hair. “Hey, you,” he said softly.
Vic smiled. “Can’t get rid of me that easily.” He glanced at his room. “Where am I?”
“In a clinic north of Manchester. Aelryn had you brought here. He said it was the least he could do after everything you did for him.”
Crank recognized that soft gleam in Vic’s eyes. It usually spelled trouble. “And what just crossed your mind?”
Vic casually rolled one shoulder. “Nothing. It’s… well, I’ve heard there are some great BDSM bars in Manchester. Maybe we can check a few out while we’re here.”
Saul snorted. “I might’ve guessed. I should never have taken you to that club in San Francisco. It’s given you ideas.”
Vic grinned. “Yeah, but really good ideas.”
“Well, you can forget it. You’re confined to the bed until the doctors give you the all clear.” Crank ran his fingers through Vic’s hair. “But we can come back, if you want.”
“No, I just want to go home.” Vic’s sigh came from someplace deep. “That mission to meet the leaders seems like a century ago. So where did I end up?”
“Lancashire, in the UK.” Crank grinned. “And do we have news for you. Since you’ve been gone, mates have been crawling out of the woodwork.”
“Oh?”
Saul glared at Crank. “He needs to rest.”
Vic scowled. “No, I need to catch up. What have I missed?”
“Sleep. You’ve missed sleep. Now shut up,” Saul insisted.
He smirked. “I swear, it’s like you two don’t know me at all.”
Crank settled in the chair next to Vic’s bed and filled him in about Jake and Doc, and Eve, Hashtag, and Roadkill, loving Vic’s comical expression of surprise, especially when Saul revealed Eve was capable of wiping the floor with both her mates, probably at the same time.
When Crank told him about Fielding’s death, he went quiet for a moment .
“Is it wrong that I’m glad he’s dead? After the way he had Saul tortured?”
Crank squeezed Vic’s hand. “I’d be worried if you showed any sign of grief. The guy was a fucking—”
“Whatever he was, it was thanks to Jake’s interrogation, and his and Seth’s gifts, that we discovered where you were,” Saul interjected. “Not to mention what Theron was hiding.”
Vic stilled. “Would that have anything to do with artifacts?”
Crank nodded. “Jake and Seth have gone with them to Rome with that archivist.”
“Orsini?” He smiled. “This is great news.” Then he yawned.
“And we’ve talked too much. Saul’s right. You need sleep.” Crank caressed Vic’s cheek. “What are you looking forward to most about getting home?”
Vic smiled. “Going for a swim in the lake. Preferably with you two.” He closed his eyes. “And having a batch of Mrs. Landon’s oatmeal raisin cookies all to myself,” he murmured.
Seconds later, he was fast asleep.
“ Now will you take a break?” Crank demanded.
Saul stood. “Yes.” He gave Crank an inquiring glance. “You think Brits can make decent pizza?”
Crank laughed. “Anyone can make decent pizza. Let’s google it, though. Just to be sure. I’ve seen what these people eat for breakfast, and I worry about what might end up as a topping.” He cast a last glance at Vic as they left the room.
It’s going to be okay.
VALMER DIDN’T spare the awesome surroundings of Leighton Hall a second glance.
He only had eyes for Rudy.
He caught Rudy’s scent the moment he crossed the threshold, and sure enough, there was his mate, waiting for him with open arms.
Valmer didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Rudy and swung him around, unable to restrain the joyous laughter that tumbled from his lips. Rudy locked his arms around Valmer’s neck and his legs around Valmer’s waist, their mouths fused in kiss after kiss .
“Oh my God, you’re really here,” Rudy murmured between kisses.
“Me? I’m the proverbial bad penny. I keep turning up,” Valmer teased, before claiming Rudy’s lips in another passionate kiss. “Fuck, you smell good. You taste good too.”
A cough behind him reined in Valmer’s exuberance, and he lowered Rudy to his feet. Aelryn stood by the door, smiling, his eyes bright.
“That was a pleasant sight at the end of this day.” He came forward.
“We have a few days here before we leave for the US. Enjoy the hall—and each other’s company, of course.
Richard’s cook is amazing. I promise you will not go hungry within these walls.
The gardens are beautiful.” Aelryn gave a short bow. “And now I’ll leave you alone.”
“Aelryn,” Valmer blurted. “Thank you. For rescuing me. And for sparing Rudy.”
Aelryn’s face glowed. “I too have mates. I’d like to think someone else in my position would have done the same thing.” And with that he left the hall.
“They’ve given us a beautiful room,” Rudy told him. “A few days R and R is exactly what you need.”
“What I need is to call my parents.” Valmer grabbed Rudy’s hand. “Thank you for thinking of them. I was going out of my mind worrying about them—and you.”
Rudy flushed. “They were startled to learn we were mates, but they soon adjusted to the idea.” He bit his lip. “I’m sorry, but they asked me where you were and what had happened to you, so… I told them. They know it was the Gerans behind it.”
“Did they believe you?” Valmer imagined his father would be difficult to convince.
Rudy frowned. “I thought they were going to give me a hard time at first, but no, they accepted what I told them.” He smiled. “Word is getting out. People are starting to learn what the Gerans have been doing in secret.”
Valmer huffed. “Whatever’s gotten out, I suspect that is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a lot more to come.”
And when it’s finally out there, I’m going to do my damnedest to make sure every shifter on the planet learns the truth.