Chapter 31
Chapter
Thirty-One
It seemed as though Laila knew exactly where she was going. Really, I didn’t think I’d ever see Laila in the Archives, just simply from her aversion to school. Still, she knew the way to the back rooms by heart. I wasn’t fast enough, and the door slammed shut behind her.
Sighing, I leaned against the wall outside the door. I crossed my arms over my chest. Laila was going to answer my questions. Apparently, the boy’s safety came first, but my questions would come second.
I waited, stewing for a while before I heard voices behind the door.
Laila’s voice was sharp, but the voice that answered her was so soft that it actually broke my heart a little.
He seemed so small. My hands balled up, still feeling the lack of weight in his limp body.
The door opened and slammed shut. Laila turned and growled at me.
“What the fuck do you want?”
My brow furrowed. “Can the attitude, Laila. I haven’t seen you in years. This is how you’re going to treat me?”
“I will treat you as you deserve, Marcus. You’re lucky I don’t attack you.” Her eyes looked me up and down with disgust. “They warned me you might show your face around here and that I wasn’t allowed to claw your fucking eyes out. I’m still debating whether it’s worth it.”
Letting out a quick breath, I shook my head. “I came here looking for my dad…”
“He isn’t here.” She cut me off. “He’s back at the house. So leave.”
This time I growled, standing up straight, my arms falling to my sides. “Laila. Stop. I have questions.” My eyes glanced at the door behind her.
“Don’t. Don’t have questions. Don’t have eyes. You already don’t have a brain. Or a fucking heart. Or soul. You need to leave. You aren’t welcome here. Not here. Not anywhere.”
My jaw locked. “Is this about my mate?”
Laila let out a horrible cackle. “What the fuck do you know about mates, Marcus? You should go fuck yourself. Or better yet, go throw yourself off a cliff. Claw your own…”
“Lai.” The soft voice stopped her mid-sentence. “Stop.”
“But…”
The door opened, and he leaned against the door frame, his arms crossed over his chest. “Tea, please?”
She looked like she was going to argue or at least throw a stink about it.
Her eyes flickered to me more than once before she threw up her hands.
Storming down the hall, the boy chuckled and shook his head.
His eyes met mine, and I saw a sadness so deep it nearly choked me.
My mouth actually fell open a little, stunned.
“Sorry, she’s…a bit protective.”
“No kidding.” I tapped my toe on the floor, looking away from his gaze before I broke out in tears. “I really didn’t mean to scare you that badly. I’m sorry. Are you…okay?”
He nodded. “I am. Thank you for helping. The book and then the mess I made after.”
I flashed him a smile. “I was just…”
“Looking for Ty?”
Nodding, I took a breath to center myself. “Laila said he wasn’t here?”
“No, not today. I’m on duty today.”
My eyes widened as I looked him over again. He carried himself with an air of authority, but it was hard to take seriously with how tiny he was. There were deep dark circles under his eyes, and his complexion was getting close to being translucent. He was the definition of skin and bones.
“I’m sorry, you’re on duty? Are you a shifter? I didn’t smell you…”
His eyes fell for a moment before nodding. “I’m a wolf shifter. I’m Ty’s apprentice.”
Blinking a few times, I wrapped my head around that information.
Dad not only took an apprentice already, but a wolf shifter too?
Unless he was mated to a dragon, it didn’t make any sense.
I looked at his neck, but currently he was wearing a button-down shirt.
It didn’t fit him right. He could use an extra twenty pounds to actually fill it out.
Holding my hand out, I gave him a soft smile. “My name is Marcus Alford. I’m Tyson’s second eldest. Keith is my twin brother. It’s nice to meet you.”
For a long moment, I thought he would not shake my hand.
He started at it as if I were about to hurt him.
Then, slowly, he stood up from his lean.
As he slipped his hand into mine, I couldn’t help but marvel at how small, delicate, and soft it was.
The stinging feeling I had when I first touched him happened again, but this time it didn’t hurt.
It sent goosebumps up my arm. My hand twitched, holding him a little tighter.
“My name is Colton. Colton…Fisher.”
My eyes widened. “Fisher? As in the Fisher Betas?”
He nodded, his eyes cast down. “Yeah. Though you would be hard-pressed to get them to admit I was part of the family.” The smile he flashed me wasn’t in humor, only trying to mask the pain behind it.
“I wear crystals to hide my scent. There are more than a few people who…would try to kidnap or kill me. Which is why Lai is so protective.”
“Got it. Sorry again. I didn’t realize…” I let go of his hand I’d been holding for too long. “I didn’t realize it would be an issue.”
“It’s fine. Really.” His hands clasped together in front of him.
I found myself staring at him despite it probably appearing rude, but I couldn’t understand him.
There was something about him. Colton was beautiful, not just his eyes, but there was something ethereal about him.
My heart hammered in my chest. I wanted to reach out and touch him.
It was such an overwhelming feeling that my fingers were twitching.
Colton caught me staring and shifted his gaze away quickly. “Is there…something I can help you with?”
“No. I was here for my dad, not the Archives. Though don’t let him be too much on you. I’m sure it’s hard to learn regular Draconic, let alone Ancient Draconic.” I tried to keep my voice light, but it seemed to just make him flinch.
“I am actually already fluent in Ancient Draconic. Ty helped me a little to fill in the gaps. I…am a history buff, I guess you could say. I like history, so this was a fantastic offer.”
I couldn’t understand why anyone would want to learn Ancient Draconic. Somehow Dad had found someone even nerdier than him. His father, my grandfather, had forced my dad to learn Ancient Draconic, and he nearly forced the rest of us to learn as well.
Dad was the last of his children, and he had him later in his life. So by the time Dad had us, Grandfather was already too old and passed away when I was eleven. While I knew some, I didn’t pay much attention to the language.
“Well, I guess there are all kinds out there.” I smiled, but he didn’t smile back.
Laila growled from down the hall. “What the fuck are you still doing here?”
“Lai, please. Mar can be here.” Colton’s voice was much lighter when speaking to Laila.
What I didn’t miss was how he said my nickname and how he said it. It was as if he knew me. Not as Ty’s son either. He also never said it was nice to meet me. My eyes narrowed for a moment as I looked at the two of them interaction.
“Sorry, but she’s awake. I think my making tea woke her.”
Colton nodded to her. His eyes glanced back at me, pain and sadness reflected in them.
As though I had caused it. He took the tea from her and turned away from us.
He didn’t even say goodbye. I watched his back as he retreated down the hall and disappeared into a door.
Laila filled my vision, her hands on her hips.
“Leave, Marcus.”
My jaw locked for a moment. “Did you make up with Peter?”
“None of your business. Maybe if you actually gave a shit about the family…”
I growled at her. “You can shut the hell up, Laila Alford. They were the one who destroyed that bridge first. They decided it was not okay for me to have my fated. You think I would stick around for that?”
“You’re fated? Is that what you’re calling that she-bitch?”
My hand shot out, trying to grab her by the throat.
Except that Laila was faster, knocking my hand away.
She disappeared from my sight before her hand touched the side of my head.
The next thing I felt was the side of my face slamming into the rock wall of the hallway.
Her eyes were bright as her dragon stepped forward.
“You don’t get to be angry, Marcus. You’ve broken your fated mate, destroying what the fates and the gods gifted you.
You go along blindly, without questioning anything.
Your decisions don’t just have consequences for you.
So leave, before I put you down and have Tyson shovel your broken body off the floor. ”
Laila stepped back, and I turned to swipe at her, but she was already gone.
Her retreating figure was already heading down the hall and into the door I thought I had seen Colton go into.
I stared down the hall, my chest heaving with anger.
My hand rubbed my face, coming back and feeling blood. Turning, I stormed out of the Archives.
My frustration boiled over with Laila. I needed to speak with my dad. I needed to know both what the hell Laila’s problem was and who Colton was. After undressing and grabbing my bag, I shifted with a burst of anger.
Taking off, I made a straight line for home. The moment I was over the house, I dove and shifted, landing hard on the ground with two feet. I pulled on my pants as I walked up the steps of the porch.
It was odd stepping into the house after so long. My anger fizzled a bit as I took in the familiar sight and scent. Shutting the door behind me, I walked into the house and stopped in the archway to the kitchen.
“Well, if it isn’t my long-lost brother.” Beau snorted, her eyes glowing with the same anger that was reflected in Laila’s.
“Marcus!” Mom dropped what she had in her hands, coming around to the hallway. “You’re home…”
Rubbing my face, I stepped in and wrapped my arms around her. “Hey, Mom.”
“Oh, sweetheart.” She buried her face in my chest. “I’m so glad to see you. We were so worried.”
“I’m okay. I’m sorry I didn’t come by earlier. It’s just…been a lot.”
Beau snorted from behind her. “Yeah, a lot of eating.”
My eyes narrowed at her. “Excuse me for being on vacation. My mate happens to like me like this.”
“That I know.” Her words were quiet as she chuckled.
Mom cleared her throat. “What brings you here? Are you going to stay for a bit?”
I shook my head. “I actually wanted to speak with Dad. I didn’t mean to interrupt you guys. I was going to try to surprise you by coming on your birthday.”
“Consider me surprised and elated.” She smiled brightly. “I’m so happy you are here. Is…Ebony here too?” She struggled through Ebony’s name, but she was trying at least.
“She is. We planned on coming together. I at least wanted to see how everyone was feeling about her. I don’t want to just walk her into a dragon’s lair when you guys were going to tear her apart.”
Mom looked back at Beau. I looked at my sister as well, but her eyes were staring at her phone. She kept her lips sealed, and I narrowed my eyes.
“Beau…”
“Marcus?” Dad stepped into the kitchen, surprise written on his face. “You’re early. Are you okay?”
His fingers touched my cheek, and I flinched. Mom took my head in her hands as she inspected the scrape on my face from Laila.
“I went to the Archives to find you. I thought you might be there. Instead, I ran into Laila and your new apprentice?”
Dad’s eyes widened before his face turned serious. “Was it Colton or Laila…?”
I blinked at him. “Dad, are you serious right now? That little wolf couldn’t hurt a fly by hitting it with his full force.” My disgust slipped out. “Do you think it’s okay? The state he’s in? He’s supposed to be a wolf shifter. He looks as if he is dying.”
The air was sucked out of the room. Mom looked away and walked over to Beau, rubbing her back before going back to what she was doing at the sink. Dad rubbed his forehead before leaning against the counter.
“Colton…is dealing with a lot right now. There is a real possibility he may die with how things are progressing.”
“Why the hell is he at the Archives and not in a hospital?”
Mom turned, giving me a sad smile. “Because there is nothing a hospital can do, dear. It’s his mate that’s causing him pain. Colt’s an Omega and his mate…”
“Abandoned him.” Beau growled out, slamming her hands on the counter. “Abandoned him and doesn’t give a rat’s ass about him.”
“Beau.” Mom used her tone when she was scolding one of us.
She shook her head. “I can’t do this. I’m glad Lai got to him first. I might have killed him.”
Throwing open the side door, Beau slammed it behind her. I blinked, confused about how this had suddenly turned on me. Dad was shaking his head.
“Sorry. Everyone get’s riled up when it comes to Colt. He’s as much of a son to me as you are. It’s hard to watch. Everyone is dealing with it in their own way. Beau and Laila are angry. I’m sorry she took it out on you.”
“It’s fine.” I rubbed my face, feeling the tenderness. “I just didn’t understand what was going on. To be fair, I lashed out first. She insulted my mate, and I tried to grab her. Next thing I knew, my face was getting slammed into the wall.”
Dad let out an exasperated sigh. “I’ll talk to her. Though I’m sure Colt could get through to her. He’s probably already torn her down for doing that.”
Walking over to the fridge, Mom opened the door. “Are you hungry, sweetheart? Can I get you anything?”