Chapter Two #2
“As PIs?” Carter questioned, revealing that he looked Aaron up. Secrets be damned. Carter was more interested in the answers.
Aaron smirked briefly, although he didn’t call Carter out on his knowledge. “No, I’m the only one with a PI license. We worked for the council. The paranormal council. Bas and I retired, but Leo was still working with them when he came here. He just sent in his resignation.”
Carter opened his mouth as questions filled him. Aaron held up a hand.
“The paranormal council is supposed to protect our world. They govern our kind.”
“Makes sense,” Carter told him. “Supposed to?”
Amusement flashed in Aaron’s eyes. “They’re a bunch of assholes who care more about keeping secrets than really helping others. That’s what we plan to do here. Really help others. There are so many holes between what paranormals need and what they get.”
“That’s admirable,” Carter said carefully. It sounded good. Maybe a little too good.
Aaron snorted. “You sound real impressed.”
“Just gathering information,” Carter said. Considering. These guys spoke a good game. And admittedly they’d made the town into something important for the residents.
“Sure.” Aaron nodded.
“But back to how you guys ended up here?” That was what Carter was really interested in. More about Aaron.
“I was working as a PI while Leo was still working with the council. There’s a lot of paranormal history that I won’t get into right now since it will send us down even more rabbit holes. It’s a whole thing.”
Carter barked out a laugh. Sounded like it. Also, Carter didn’t like the way that Aaron’s eyes darkened when he spoke about the council. That was a question for another time.
“So, the important part of this story is that Leo didn’t know that Gavin, his brother, was alive. Thought he died a long time ago.”
“He thought his brother was dead?” Carter couldn’t imagine how horrible that would be. Hudson was Carter’s best friend, his only family, his everything.
“Yes. Leo, Bas, and I were raised by the council. In sort of a group home slash training center,” Aaron shared.
“Training for what?” And did that mean that Aaron wasn’t close to his own family?
Didn’t have a family? Shit! Carter had even more questions now.
Although he was enjoying the way that Aaron was telling the story.
Revealing more about himself. Since Carter was a natural observer, he could see the moments that Aaron liked remembering and the ones he didn’t.
Aaron paused in his explanation to sip at his beer. “To become soldiers for them.”
Carter did not like the sound of that. That sounded like some plot of a bad horror movie.
“Anyway,” Aaron drawled as his voice lightened. “Some little punk stole Leo’s RV.”
That caught Carter’s attention. As did the amusement. Carter didn’t know why Aaron thought that was funny.
“It took time, but I finally tracked down the RV, and that brought us here,” Aaron said. “Where we learned that Gavin was indeed alive and well and his mate was the little thief.”
“Wait!” Was Carter following this correctly? “Leo’s RV is stolen and you tracked it here. To where Leo’s long-lost brother was and it was his mate who took it?”
Aaron lifted his beer. “The fucking fates, man.”
“Fates,” Carter repeated. What the hell did that mean? He’d heard of fate, like someone saying in passing it must have been fate. Was that real? Did Carter even want to ask?
“Fates.” Aaron looked over at him. “The stories of how the mates in the area were found is crazy. Just…fate.”
There that word was again. The one that Hudson had repeated over and over when it came to him and Bastian.
Mates. Carter knew what mates meant in theory.
He read enough books and watched movies that it wasn’t hard to put together what Aaron was talking about.
That is, if Carter believed all of this.
Yet it was getting harder to deny, wasn’t it?
“Leo, of course, wanted to stay. He’d just found Gavin, so no one could blame him.
We called Bas, who drove up.” Aaron finished his beer before setting it on the table beside him.
“And that’s how the three of us ended up here.
Surrounded by a paranormal family that welcomed us with open arms. In a town that time has forgotten, but Axel and the others are intent on bringing back. ”
“I feel like you left so much out of that explanation,” Carter said.
“I’m sure you have other questions. That was just a quick summary of how we got here,” Aaron replied. “Everyone else is much more interesting.
“You said earlier that the others have been here longer. No one knows that…about what they are?” Carter asked. The others might be more interesting to Aaron but not Carter. Carter wanted to know everything about Aaron. And of course Bastian, as that man had claimed Carter’s brother.
“From what I understand, Axel and a few others were here before there was even a town. They’ve kept to themselves mostly, but over the last decade or so they’ve been starting businesses and helping the town grow.”
Carter nodded. From the way the residents talked, old pictures, just living in the town, Carter knew the changes were more recent.
“And Axel is like the… leader? You called him an Alpha.” Carter knew the man.
He was someone that demanded attention and respect.
He was also very nice. Not what Carter pictured leading a family of paranormals.
“He’s an alpha, if that is what you’re asking. He’s just not the alpha,” Aaron responded. “There are several alphas in the family. This is the strongest group of paranormal that I’ve ever been around. Hell! I’m pretty damn certain they’re stronger than most of the council members.”
“That…” Carter swallowed uncomfortably. “Isn’t an issue?”
“Maybe.” Aaron smiled. “Axel collects people. Paranormal or human. It’s like what he does.
The council has never messed with him, although they must be aware.
I know when Anton’s father tried to take him during his ceremony with Rainier and River, the council stepped in and arrested him.
I’m just not sure if that was because of Rainier or because Anton is Axel’s brother. ”
Carter merely blinked for several seconds as all that information slowly pierced his brain.
Damn, he might need something stronger than a beer at this point.
“Rainier?” He asked the first question that came to mind.
Carter had met River around town. Along with Anton, who seemed to enjoy hanging out at the bookstore.
“King of the fae. Big deal. Adores his two mates,” Aaron supplied.
“O…okay.” A freaking king? That seemed crazy. Was Carter crazy?
“It’s a lot to take in,” Aaron told him. “This is why I was worried in the office earlier. I remember hearing about how Hudson was told. It’s easy to get overwhelmed.”
Had his brother heard all this? Knew the stories? Hudson had only been with Bastian a couple of days
“There’s no wrong or right way about learning about this new…world,” Aaron offered.
“Thanks.” Carter wasn’t so sure. He felt like he’d been missing something big his entire life. And Axel. What is he?”
Aaron smirked. “Would you believe me if I said he was a dragon?”
Carter laughed. That would fit in right with a fae king. Except someone had mentioned a dragon earlier. Wait!
“He’s a dragon. He literally shifts into a giant mystical flying creature. Anton as well, although they’re different colors.”
“Why not? Of course he’s a dragon.” Carter finished his beer and set it beside Aaron’s. At this point Carter was just going to roll with what Aaron told him. His easy acceptance hiding the drive to panic.
Aaron just looked at him.
Carter waited.
And waited.
“What?” Carter finally asked.
“You seem oddly unaffected,” Aaron pointed out.
“Just trying to keep my shit together,” Carter admitted.
Aaron hummed. Carter was doing a damn good job at keeping his shit together. Better than most men in his position. “Mind blown?”
“A little bit. Yeah.”
“Dragon, vampire, hellhound alpha, shifters, gargoyle, mage, fae, demons, and human. If your mind can come up with a paranormal species, then it’s a pretty good bet that someone in the family can claim that title. Or at least we are good friends with them,” Aaron said.
Carter’s mind whirled. He’d been thinking shifters. Like wolves and of course Bas was a pretty damn cute cat, and, okay, Carter had wondered about vampires. But all the rest? Fucking wow.
“These guys will do everything they can to keep their family safe as well everyone in the community. This is their home. They will protect it. And they will love and protect Hudson as well.”
Carter sat there, thinking about everything that Aaron told him.
And it was a lot. Almost too much. Yet Carter could tell that Aaron believed the words that he said.
Back in Boston, Carter had been a good detective.
He’d spent years training and studying. It was rare that Carter didn’t know the minute that a suspect lied to him. Aaron wasn’t lying.
“The family wants you to come out when you’re ready. They love hosting family dinners,” Aaron said.
“That doesn’t sound like the mafia or a cult or something,” Carter joked. The rumors around town? Yeah, Carter had a feeling he knew where they came from. Just overhearing some of this would be odd.
Aaron shrugged. “Welcome to the chaos.”
“Great, thanks. And I will come meet the family.” Now he was saying it! Carter just didn’t know when, but he would. For Hudson’s benefit, if nothing else.
Leaning forward in his chair, Aaron nodded. “I know you need more time to think. That you are going to have so many more questions. I knew from the start that you wouldn’t accept this news as easily as Hudson had.”
“Hudson.” Carter sighed. He was doing this for his brother. And maybe a little bit because he needed to know the truth for himself as well.