Chapter 4 #2
Ronan spread his hands before him. “We were attacked one night.” His smile fell away as memories of the night flashed through his head.
The pain hadn’t dulled nearly as much as he would have expected, but then, Aiden had been his everything.
The sun and moon. The heart in his chest, keeping him alive and fighting when the world tried to wear him down.
He’d been trying to talk Aiden into running away with him.
He’d had no desire to be king, but it was more than that.
He hadn’t wanted a life that would take him farther and farther away from Aiden.
His beautiful Aiden with the golden eyes had captured his heart slowly with every smile, every act of thoughtfulness, and every worried look when Ronan took a risk he shouldn’t.
When he finally admitted his feelings for Aiden, he’d already been in love with him for two years.
Two stupid years of waiting and fearing that Aiden would push him away with disgust and hatred.
He should have known better. Aiden would have never treated him like that.
If he’d only acted sooner, maybe they could have escaped.
Maybe they could have had a life together.
Maybe things could have been so different.
Fuck, I should have kissed him that night.
Ronan didn’t have a lot of regrets in life.
He’d been good about staying true to himself, living his life on his terms as much as he could.
But Aiden had always been the one exception to that rule.
Their world couldn’t accept two men falling in love and building a life together.
He’d let their prejudice pull him from what mattered most.
Talking to Aiden that night had been his attempt to rectify that mistake. A desperate attempt to grab at something that had always terrified him. He never got the chance to kiss him.
“We were separated, attacked by a group of vampires. I was turned. The rest of the people traveling with us were killed. I never saw what happened to Aiden, but I’d always assumed that he’d been killed with them.
” Ronan closed his eyes against the old swell of pain and helplessness.
The feeling that he’d failed his most beloved friend.
Shoving a hand through his messy hair, Ronan tamped down those old emotions.
He might not have been able to save Aiden or the rest of the men traveling with him, but Aiden had been turned as well.
He’d survived in a way and gone on to do many great things with his life. They still had a chance…maybe.
If not, then it was enough to know that Aiden was alive and happy.
It would have to be enough.
“Do you plan to kill him?” Winter demanded coldly.
Ronan took a breath to deny it, but he never got the chance, thanks to a loud scoffing noise came from Bel.
“Honestly, Winter. How do you expect him to answer that?”
“I would never hurt Aiden,” Ronan stated firmly. He turned his narrowed gaze on Winter, letting the Variks see his determination and conviction. “You’re right to be worried about the European Ministry, but I don’t give a damn about their desires when it comes to Aiden and his safety.”
“You would turn on the European Ministry?” Rafe asked with a growing smirk.
“In a heartbeat,” Ronan answered without hesitation.
“I know it doesn’t recommend me in terms of loyalty, but Aiden is my number-one priority.
I failed to make him that when we were human, and I paid the price of losing him for so long.
I won’t make that mistake again. Circumstances have changed, and I refuse to let anything come between us. ”
Winter huffed softly. “And what if circumstances change again?”
“I can’t imagine anything happening that would convince me not to put Aiden’s welfare first.” He stopped as a new thought entered his mind and he smiled. “No, there’s one. If Aiden asked me to put the lives of his sons before his own. Then…maybe.”
Wyatt chuckled. “That would be a very Aiden-like request.”
Bel shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably. “Were you…were you and Aiden…” His voice drifted off with the question unfinished, but Ronan could guess as to what was on his mind. So could his brothers.
“Oh, sweet Bel, really now? Did you think Aiden had no life prior to finding Mother?” Rafe teased.
“I didn’t think about it until now!” Bel snapped at him with a flopping of his hands. “And it never occurred to me that he might be bi,” he added, finishing on a whisper.
Winter fell into Fox, laughing, and the witch even snickered.
“He has four sons who are quite clearly gay, and he has never once batted an eye at it,” Winter said.
“I just thought he was worldly,” Bel finished softly. Wyatt returned to Bel’s side, pulling his mate into a hug with a tender smile on his lips.
“Yes, worldly,” Rafe murmured and turned those bright blue eyes on Ronan. “So? Were you and Aiden fucking like cute little bunnies before your lives were ripped apart?”
“First, I don’t think your father would be comfortable with you asking about his sex life,” Ronan replied, holding up one finger.
“Yes, well, there are many things he doesn’t like us talking about, but it doesn’t stop us. Besides, he’s not here, and we have you outnumbered. Spill it.”
Ronan chuckled. Dear God, Aiden had his hands full with these sons of his.
But the laughter faded quickly, and he shook his head.
“No. Aiden and I were never lovers. I—” He started to say more, but it wasn’t right.
He needed to say these things to Aiden first, not his sons.
“Our time as humans was too short, and I have too many regrets when it comes to Aiden, but I want to believe I’ve been given a second chance now.
I may never get what I truly want, but I would be happy to at least be given the chance to try. ”
Dear God, he wanted to try. He’d give everything that he had, everything that he was to have a second chance with Aiden.
He looked at each one of the men gathered around him, and he could only feel happiness at the fact that Aiden was so well loved and protected in his new life. While he didn’t want them to come between him and Aiden, he couldn’t begrudge their attempts to keep Aiden safe.
“I mean it when I say that I just want to talk to him. I want to learn about him again. Give him the chance to decide whether he wishes to include me in his life. If he never wants to see me again, so be it. But I want the choice to be his. Not the European Ministry’s or some other vampire trying to keep us apart. ”
“Oh dear,” Bel mumbled.
“Rafe?” Philippe said, nudging his lover.
“This was so much easier when we were planning to simply kill him,” Rafe grumbled.
“Who says we’re not?” Winter corrected.
“Hey!” Fox shoved at Winter’s shoulder. “You gave me a chance when everyone was convinced I was going to destroy your entire family.”
“You’re cuter than he is.” Winter’s smile turned sly. “And you let me tie you up.”
“Focus, please,” Wyatt sighed.
“Oh God, please,” Rafe moaned.
“The point is,” Fox drew out, pausing long enough to glare at Rafe, “that Aiden is an adult and he should be given the chance to at least talk to him. Let him decide if Ronan is trustworthy or if we should string him up in the noonday sun.”
Rafe smiled. “Nicely done, little witch. I was expecting a statement like that out of the wolf.”
Wyatt shrugged. “He beat me to it, but he’s right.”
“Does this mean you’ll help me?” Ronan asked, causing several of his guests to chuckle.
“It means we’re not going to kill you…yet,” Winter said.
Ronan nodded. He could accept that.
As a group, the men surrounding him straightened and headed for the door. Winter grinned wickedly at him as he continued, “We’ll be watching.”
Ronan snorted. “I never doubted that for a second.”
To his surprise, Bel tossed a white business card onto the bed. Ronan picked it up to find a handwritten phone number.
“What’s this?”
Bel smiled a little. “Aiden’s personal cell number. Texting is a good way to begin talking.”
Ronan nodded, any words of thanks stuck in his throat.
He’d gotten an official number for Aiden from the Ministry, but he had a feeling that all contact with Aiden was being filtered through Marcus.
Now he had a private link to Aiden. It was a starting place that didn’t include lurking outside of his home, waiting for him to leave.
Or worse, trying to get through the barrier that was his family.
When he was alone in his room, Ronan sat back against the headboard again, staring at the card in his hand. Part of him wanted to snatch up his phone and send a text now, but what? And was it a good idea? Was it too late for them?
Aiden had established a new life, a new family. He had more things to worry about than someone from his distant past.
And was Ronan bringing more danger into his life beyond just threats from the European Ministry?
But Aiden was an adult. He had a right to choose who he associated with. Ronan’s only concerns should be keeping Aiden safe from the rest of the envoy and convincing his old friend that he was the same trustworthy man he’d once known.
He needed to convince Aiden that he was still in love with him.
Centuries had not dulled it or tarnished it.
The love Ronan had for Aiden shone just as bright as it had that night in the woods.
His dream of holding Aiden, of building a life with him, lived in his heart, and he wanted to try.
Even if it meant taking on a few changes… like four very interesting sons.
And as frightening as it might seem, Ronan needed to know if Aiden could possibly still love him after all this time.