Chapter 20
CHAPTER 20
B rook was looking for the twins and Demi. His siblings should be finishing their lessons about now and he had no idea what Demi was up to. He walked outside and saw Demi talking with some of their new pack mates and went to join them.
“Hey, Brook,” Puff croaked out.
“Hi, everyone. Should you be talking, Puff?”
“No, he could be doing interpretative dance but he keeps forgetting,” Tudor joked.
The others laughed at that.
Puff huffed. “I’m going to the kitchen for my drink.” And with that, he walked away towards the pack house.
“We’ll go with him,” Atticus said.
“See you all later,” Mateo added as he and Atticus followed.
They watched them walk away and saw Forrest and Willow pass them. The twins looked around and smiled when they saw their brother and Demi and hurried over to them.
“How were lessons?” Alex asked them.
“Okay, I guess. Dask wanted to know how much we knew so he gave us some tests. The other children were supporting Nancy,” Willow said.
“Nancy, why?” Brook asked.
“Her parents died earlier,” Demi told him.
“Oh, the poor girl,” Brook said.
“Would you excuse us as we need to do some work. We told Blake we’d look after things for him.” Alex touched Tudor’s back and he stopped talking.
“No, go do what you need to,” Brook replied.
“Thanks, have fun.” Alex took Tudor’s hand and they walked away.
“So I was wondering something,” Brook started, gazing at the three of them.
“What?” Forrest prompted.
“Would you like to come and see my hoard? I’m curious to see it and Silver said he could take us.”
“Really?” Willow exclaimed. “Yes, totally, but Demi has to come as well.”
Brook looked at Demi. “I was hoping you’d come.”
Demi took his hand and smiled. “I would love to.”
“So how do we get there?” Forrest asked.
“Silver will take us. Hold hands,” Brook directed as he took Willow’s hand, while Forrest took Willow and Demi’s.
The next moment saw the four of them standing in a large cave, with torches lit here and there, giving off a soft glow. The cave was filled with piles of gold, silver, jewels, golden statues, and so much more.
“Wow,” The twins gasped while looking around.
Brook stared around him in shock.
This is just some of your hoard, Silver told him. There’s more hidden around the world.
You mean I have more of this? He waved his arm around.
So much more, plus it will be added to on birthdays and special occasions. This is my favourite hoard though.
I can imagine. If there is something specific here you want to see just tell me and I’ll find it for you. Brook said.
Will do, now have fun.
Brook felt Silver pull back and looked around. Demi was standing by Brook’s side, but the twins were looking at the piles and moving things around.
“Apparently, I have more hoards in other locations, but this one is Silver’s favourite hoard.”
The twins looked up. “You have more?” Willow asked in surprise.
“Apparently.”
“There’s letters for you on that golden table,” Demi pointed out.
Brook dropped Demi’s hand and walked to the table, picking the letters up and opening the first one.
“Hey look,” Forrest said. “This pile of gold and jewels is lit up.”
“It does that. When you read a note, if presents have been sent it shines so you can see what they sent you,” Demi told him.
“Who sent it?” Willow asked.
Brook looked down. “Puff. He said, ‘Congratulations on your bonding, I hope both you and Silver like your presents.’ That was so nice of him.”
“Who’s the other letter from?” Demi asked.
Brook opened the second letter, and looked around to see another pile glowing. “This is from Paris, also congratulating Silver and myself on our bonding. Wow.”
Brook put the letters down and looked at Demi. “This is all yours as well. If you find something you like, have it. If you ever need to use it, use it.”
Demi smiled at him and, taking Brook’s hand, tugged him closer. “Thank you, my wonderful mate, but this is yours.”
“Ours. Everything I have becomes half yours.” Brook stepped closer, so their chests were now touching. Brook loved the fact he was the same height as Demi, and leaning forward, pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.
Demi put his hand behind Brook’s neck and kissed him back, deepening the kiss, before remembering the twins were with them. He slowly tapered the kiss and pulled back.
“Get a room, you two,” Forrest grumbled in disgust.
Brook and Demi turned and grinned at him. “We will soon enough,” Brook said, before looking at his sister. “Have you found something you like, Willow?”
Willow nodded and Brook and Demi walked over to her. She was sat cross-legged on the floor, so they squatted down.
“What did you find?” Demi asked her.
She held up a pretty necklace. It had a round emerald green gem in the middle with what looked like golden rods with starbursts at the end and diamonds in the middle. “Can I have this, Brook?” she asked, looking at him and stroking the emerald.
“Of course you can.” He took it out of her hands and put it on her. It looked stunning, like it had been made for her. “Silver just told me there’s a bracelet to go with it as well.”
“There is?” she asked in excitement.
Brook nodded and picked up a long box covered in precious gems and then opened it. Inside was an exact replica of the necklace, but in bracelet form, and he showed it to Willow.
Her face lit up with a large smile. “I can really have both?”
Brook nodded. “You can.”
She threw herself into her older brother’s arms. “Thank you, Brook. I promise to take care of them.”
“I know you will.” He dropped a kiss on her head and then turned to glance at Forrest, who had just come to join them, holding two golden items.
“Can I have these?” he asked, showing his brother. In one hand was a statue of a silver dragon with two wolpertingers on either side of it. In his other was a golden statue of a man who looked a lot like Demi. “It’s us,” Forrest said.
Willow looked at the statues and the group. “It really is. The four of us.”
“It is and, yes, you can.” Brook smiled.
Forrest grinned and hugged his brother. “Thank you.” He moved to Demi’s side. “Look, Demi, this one looks exactly like you.”
“It really does. That was a clever find.” Demi smiled at him and put an arm around his shoulders.
Willow suddenly laughed. “Could you imagine the look on our parent’s faces if they had seen all this?”
“You would have nothing left by the end of the day,” Forrest added.
Brook leaned into Demi. “That’s true,” he said quietly and then suddenly smiled. “Right you two, do you have everything you want, or do you want to take more?”
“Nope, I have this necklace and bracelet. Just think, you never have to buy me a present again – I like sparkling jewellery.” Willow laughed.
“The same with me. Not the jewellery, but anything you want me to have from here I will happily accept,” Forrest said. “We’ll be the easiest people to gift for.”
“That you will. I’m going to ask Demi to send you back to the pack house now. I want time alone here with Demi.”
Forrest and Willow hugged them both. “See you when you both get back.”
And with that Demi sent them home. He grinned at Brook. “You want to spend alone time with me?”
Brook nodded. “I really do. Is there anything in here you want?”
“Only you,” Demi whispered, stepping closer.
“It’s crazy, I know, but if we can find a comfy spot, will you mate with me in here?” Brook felt a blush riding up his neck and over his cheeks.
Demi smiled and touched his red cheek. “So handsome. And yes, my darling. How about I magic up a bed?”
“Perfect,” Brook agreed, leaning in to kiss Demi.
Demi wrapped his arms around Brook and poured all the love he had for his mate into that kiss. He couldn’t believe that he had a mate. Finally, after an eternity, he had Brook, Willow, and Forrest.
Brook was ecstatic. He thought his heart would break the day he was kicked out of his home. Not at the thought of missing his parents, but the fact he would miss his siblings. He couldn’t not check on them but knew one day that they would be lost to him when they pledged to the pack. But to know they were going to run away and find him, to live with him, was touching and scary.
It had also never crossed his mind that he would have a mate. Being human, he thought he would be alone forever. But now here he was, a dragon shifter kissing the man fate thought would be perfect for him. The fact that man was an actual real-life god was mind-blowing.
Slowly they tapered the kiss. Pulling back Brook said, “Are you sure you want to mate with me? I mean, you’re a god and I’m only just a dragon.”
Demi nodded. “I prayed to the Fates for a mate but thought that would never happen. I never expected to meet anyone who wouldn’t turn away running and screaming when they found out who and what I was. But you, my darling Brook, you didn’t run away from me. You’ve never once looked at me with fear or disgust.”
“Why would I? Demi, you’re amazing, why would I turn from you? If anything, I will always run to you, plus if you need any more reassurance, I love you, Deimos, God of Fear.”
“Just as I love you, my wonderful Brook.” He stared into Brook’s eyes. “I love you as well, Silver.”
Brook felt happiness flood through him. Tell our Demi, I love him as well.
Brook smiled. “Silver loves you as well.”
Demi raised his hand and a comfortable-looking four-poster bed appeared off to one side. “Shall we take this to bed?”
Brook nodded. “Yes, come and make us one.”