Chapter 11
Kirion
Iraised my bandaged hand into the air, staring at it. My first injury in captive luxury.
It had been my own fault. We had been talking about me having no rights, no future, and Tane asking if he should send me back to Rohan. I couldn’t go back. It would be awful. Rejected and sold again would be an even worse fate. What if whoever bid this time wasn’t as nice as Tane? Or as handsome?
The fact that Tane had considered returning me to the wolves terrified me.
Maybe I had no real future by the definition most people thought of it, but I could make things work here.
I hadn’t been here long enough to really fit in, but already I had freedom to roam the house, an unlimited credit card and the promise of safety from others. Including Malin.
He told me several times now that he hadn’t bought me for himself, but after I hurt myself, he’d rushed over to me in real concern.
Later, he’d helped me, half drunk on some really fine Scotch, to a warm couch before a fire and covered me with a blanket.
These weren’t the actions of a man who wanted to send me back home.
When he’d come to my door later in the afternoon, I’d been on my computer looking up everything I could find about the man.
Articles. Bios on various platforms. Photos of him at different ages.
Those led me to websites of some of his businesses.
I even found information about his wedding.
He’d married quite young. His mate was older.
A rare dragon omega. Malin had been born, or rather, hatched within the first year of their marriage.
As Tane stood at my door asking if I was all right and if I needed anything, the strangest feeling came over me. Head to toe, my skin warmed as I breathed in his garden scent. My lungs filled with it. My mind spun, my thoughts muffled.
Did I need anything? he’d asked. I didn’t know. I couldn’t think. His dark gaze pulled me in and I had to look away from him. I almost fell over. Right into him. He didn’t seem to notice as he kept talking.
Finally, I forced myself to get a grip on reality. I answered his questions. I asked him if he was all right. That was when I heard him say something about being at dinner at seven.
Why did he want to eat another meal with me? Why did he want to share so much of his home with me? He hadn’t bought me for himself.
He kept saying I could live there and still be on my own even if I couldn’t ever drive or get a job or be in public since I didn’t have a real I.D. for dragon country.
I sat before my computer now, staring at a photo of Tane when he was about to turn thirty and had just lost his mate.
It was taken at a business function without his knowledge.
Why he was out in public during his grief period, I didn’t know.
Maybe he wanted the distraction. His wealth showed that he worked hard.
Some articles I’d read said he was a self-made success so his wealth wasn’t generational like Rohan’s.
Touching my fingertip to the screen over his image, I wondered what he’d gone through.
Inside him, he had a broken bond. Some described that sensation like a fire blistering deep inside, at least in the first months of a bondmate’s death, the pain subsiding only under heavy medication, or alcohol.
Or complete distraction. Had he thrown himself into his work?
It seemed obvious. Plus, the garden. That was his safe space.
He’d seemed proud he’d made it all himself while had yet to brag about his work and his wealth.
Odd. My father could not stop bragging about his own wealth.
Showing it off. When I’d grown up I’d realized he was a terrible pack leader but people followed him because of the money.
They believed if he had millions, he knew what he was doing and was the best man to uphold pack law. Or make new pack laws.
I sighed and leaned my forehead on my good hand.
I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening thinking about everything I’d learned. I couldn’t get Tane out of my thoughts.
When I went downstairs and passed the second landing, the door to Malin’s room was open. I heard him loudly talking and realized he was on a chat.
“…probably gonna use his omega wiles on my dad. Such a mutt. Hopefully Dad’s smart enough not to fall for it. He’s too old anyway. He doesn’t want more kids. He just wants to be left alone.”
Another voice chimed in. “I can’t believe he bought the mutt for you.”
“Maybe he’s losing his mind. I don’t really care. As long as my trust is intact, I don’t need him. The house is a base, that’s all it is anymore.”
Malin’s voice dripped with scorn.
I hurried to the landing but my footfalls must have been louder than I intended. Malin suddenly shot out of his room and strode toward me.
“Were you fucking eavesdropping on me, mutt?”
I grabbed the banister and turned away from him. “I was just going downstairs.” I kept my voice low and even.
“Yeah, right. You were spying on me. You don't even know the trouble you're in, do you?”
I'd dealt with bullies before. But I was out of my element. This was Tane's house. This was dragon country. “I’m in trouble?”
“I'll tell my dad you're sneaking around. He's not going to keep you, you know. You're just a mistake. He has these little emotional episodes sometimes and does irrational stuff. That's what you are. Irrational stuff.”
Bullies were themselves irrational. They made-up facts in their minds to back up their behaviors. They made light of serious situations and always spoke as if they were the better man.
Boarding school. It was a good teacher both academically and socially. The wolves saw me as a princeling, but after a while I was just another boy at the schools. I’d seen it all.
“If you think I'm doing something wrong you certainly should tell your father,” I said.
“Are you trying to tell me what to do? Stupid mutt.”
“I would never do that.” Remain calm, I told myself. It drove them crazy, the bullies, the assholes. If I let myself become angry or argue they would laugh. They would amplify the situation. It would get out of hand for me, not them, because they always saw themselves as being in charge.
All Malin could do was mimic back my words.
“I would never do that. Wanna know a secret? I know everything about you. I looked you up. You’re some sort of royalty or so you think.
You're used to telling people what to do.
You probably did it all your life. You're a sneak and probably a thief or worse.
Just because my dad can't see it doesn't mean it isn't true.”
“Okay then. That's fine that you think you know all that.”
“Think? Are you calling me a liar?”
“Never.” Stay calm.
“Well, I'm calling you one. And you can bet my dad will hear about all of it.”
“Yes, okay.”
I turned away from him and took two steps down before he rushed toward the landing. His lips formed a snarl. He was fast, alpha strong.
I quickened my pace, almost stumbling when I got to the bottom of the stairs and realized only then that he hadn't actually chased me. He stood at the top of the incline, a rigid smile on his face. As he turned away from me, he spoke.
“You better run, mutt.”
I lifted my head and slowly, calmly walked past the big living room and toward the dining room. But inside, I was anything but calm. My heart raced. I could only take shallow breaths.
Tane was already in the dining room when I arrived. He had a Scotch in one hand. He raised the glass.
“Kirion. Right on time. How's the hand?”
I looked down, forgetting for a moment that my right hand was completely bandaged. “It's fine. I barely feel it.”
“You look a little flushed. Are you sure you're not running a fever?”
“I don't feel sick.” That was a partial lie. My encounter with Malin made me feel sick, but what could I say about that?
“Good. We'll check the hand later and make sure there's no infection starting.”
I hadn't been so well taken care of since being in the charge of a childhood manny.
Tane frowned. “Were you running just now?”
“No. I just ran into Malin when I crossed the second floor.”
Tane sighed. “That boy.” He shook his head. “He's leaving again tonight. As usual. Which will be better for the entire household, I'm sad to say. Sad for him, not us.”
Immediately, my entire body relaxed. I was finally able to take a deep breath.
It wasn't that Malin scared me, it was just that he was very good at saying upsetting things and making the atmosphere toxic.
I hadn't been here very long, but long enough to know that when it was just me and Tane things were actually peaceful.
In a short time, I’d grown to like Tane. I would even say he was my type if by chance he was interested in omegas. Or me. Still, I liked the way he seemed to care about me. About my feelings. About the stupid cut on my hand. I hadn't felt that in a long time.
“Let's sit, shall we? Would you like a drink?”
“I think I had enough to drink today.”
“That's fair enough. It did put you right to sleep. But in all fairness you had two and a half full glasses. And my best Scotch is very strong. Maybe some wine?”
I nodded, knowing full well I would only have a few sips. Malin still wasn't gone and I needed to keep my wits about me.
As usual, the food was amazing. Tane’s personality was completely the opposite of his son’s. They didn't even look alike.