Connection Lost
Dominic
Leaning back from my desk, I released a heavy sigh. Paperwork—I hated paperwork—I loathed it. It was my own personal ninth circle of hell. And what’s worse, over these past weeks, I’ve been neglecting it.
A muffled cry echoed in my office, and I turned my gaze to my sleeping du?a and smiled. Lucas had his fist in the air and his face buried in the pillow. It appeared he was having another battle in his dreams.
I had to admit, as cute as he was, Lucas was a fighter, at least in his sleep. I had the bruises on my back to prove it. I drew the short straw in sleeping in the middle, as Talon absolutely refused to sleep next to Lucas. Luckily, with my demon nature, his kicks and punches weren’t all that bad.
“Master Dominic,” Steven, my once preferred sub, interrupted my thoughts.
Steven was wearing his tight leather shorts and nothing else. The outfit usually turned me on, but the thought of doing anything with the cute twink did nothing for me.
I sighed and said, “Yes.” With all the annoyance I could muster. I didn’t need this bullshit. I already had to deal with two fighting subs and another Dom that had gone too far. And on top of that I was in paperwork hell. I didn’t need to deal with Steven.
“It’s been a while since we last did a scene,” he said, shifting nervously on his bare feet.
“And we won’t be doing anything anytime soon. I’m exclusive with someone else,” I replied bluntly. I always found being blunt and straight to the point was the best option.
Steven scowled and glanced at Lucas’s sleeping body. “For that? I’m way better than he could ever—”
“He said it’s over. Get that through your damn head.”
Talon’s growl caused me to stand to my feet. Watching my other du?a enter the room, I could tell something was off. His face was flush, and his eyes were hard—he was angry.
“What’s going on?” Lucas mumbled, still groggy. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, slowly sitting up.
“This person is trying to sleep with our man,” Talon spat out, his voice thick with contempt.
Lucas snapped to alertness, his sleepiness instantly replaced by a fierce protectiveness. “Like hell he is,” he snarled, leaping from the couch.
“Easy, tiger,” I intervened, catching Lucas before he could launch himself at Steven. Despite his prey animal nature, Lucas could be fiercely protective. He was definitely my tiger.
Turning my attention to Steven, I made my intentions clear. “Steven. There is nothing more between us. Go find one of the other masters in the club. Leave. Now.”
Steven mumbled something under his breath, a begrudging acknowledgment, before quickly turning on his heel and hurrying out of the room, his departure marked by a tense silence that lingered after the door closed behind him.
“You should’ve fired that little slut,” Talon bit out, his teeth clenched.
“Whoa, what happened?” I asked.
Something was definitely off with my lion mate. The anger in his tone permeated the room. Even Lucas cocked his head to stare at Talon.
“That was the same little whore that was sucking your cock when I first met you. He should be banned,” Talon growled.
“He what?” Lucas exclaimed, his surprise turning swiftly to indignation as he glared at me.
“That was before we bonded, and I honestly wasn’t expecting you to walk into my club back then. I never thought I’d meet my du?a,” I quickly explained, stepping closer to Talon. “Now, what is going on? Are you trying to start a fight on purpose? Why are you so angry? You’re seething. I can feel it, and it can’t just be about Steven.”
Talon let out a heavy sigh and slumped onto the couch, the fight draining out of him. “I’m sorry. I’m just picking a fight for no good reason. It’s not about the twink,” he admitted, running his hands through his hair.
Lucas hurried to Talon’s side while I crouched in front of him, resting my hands gently on his knees. “Come on, cuddles, what’s really going on?” I coaxed, introducing the new nickname to lighten the mood.
“Cuddles?” Talon echoed his tone, a mix of amusement and incredulity.
“You’re my lion, but you’re also my big kitty who loves cuddles,” I explained with a smirk.
“I’m a lion,” Talon insisted, though his irritation seemed to melt a bit.
“But still a cat,” Lucas chimed in, a small grin playing on his lips.
Laughter broke out among us, easing the tension further. I took advantage of the lighter moment to press for more details. “Talk to us, Talon. What’s really bothering you?” I asked softly, encouraging him to open up.
“My father went to see King Edward,” Talon revealed quietly.
“Is the king trying to force you to reconcile? If so, I can have Brian talk to him,” Lucas offered.
Talon shook his head. “No, he’s not intervening beyond speaking with me, but,” he paused, taking a deep breath, “my mom is sick—very sick.”
Fuck. Guess the storm wasn’t over, and we had more shit to deal with. I placed a hand on Talon’s back, offering comfort. “Are you sure? Could your dad be lying just to draw you back?”
“No. Edward confirmed he seemed genuinely distraught. And as bad as my dad is, he wouldn’t go as far as saying my mom was dying just to get me back,” Talon replied.
“What are you going to do?” Lucas asked, his voice tinged with concern.
“I don’t know yet,” Talon admitted.
Standing up, I felt a resolve settle over me. “Come on, I’ll flash us to your parent’s house,” I offered, extending my hand.
“But what about my dad and sister?” Talon’s voice wavered slightly.
“Lucas and I will handle them if they try anything,” I assured him.
“That’s right. We’ve got your back,” Lucas added, his tone firm.
Talon bit his lip, a look of uncertainty crossing his face as he weighed his options. I crouched in front of him, meeting his gaze directly. “Talon, this is about your mom. I saw how she looked at you at that dinner. I saw her tears. She’s made mistakes—sure, a lot of mistakes,” I amended, noting Talon’s expression, “but she loves you. I don’t want you to live with the regret of not seeing her one last time—I know you would.”
After a moment of silence, Talon nodded slowly and stood, taking my hand. Lucas joined in, placing his hand in mine, too. Closing my eyes, I focused on the familiar setting of Talon’s family home. In an instant, we were standing in the dark foyer of their house.
“Talon, you’re here,” Talon’s dad announced, his tone cautious as he greeted us at the door.
“I’m not here for you. I’m here to see my mother,” Talon replied, his voice steady but cold.
“Talon, come on, don’t be an asshole,” Tessa chided, stepping around her father.
I positioned myself in front of Talon and fixed a firm glare on both of them. “He’s not here for either of you. Stand down, or you’re going to make me angry,” I warned, ready to release my demon nature.
Before they could respond, a frail voice called from the living room, “Seb, let Talon come see me.”
Talon’s father closed his eyes and sighed heavily, stepping aside to let us pass. Talon moved swiftly, brushing past them without a second glance, and headed into the living room.
The sight that greeted us was sobering. The room had been rearranged to accommodate a medical bed in the center, with curtains drawn tightly shut. Talon rushed to his mother’s side and took her hand. The woman lying in the bed bore little resemblance to the vibrant figure we had encountered just a few weeks ago. Now, she appeared frail and diminished, her vitality seemingly sapped away.
“Mom, what’s going on?” Talon’s voice cracked as he spoke.
His mother exhaled a labored breath. “Baby boy, I wanted to tell you at dinner. I wanted to tell all of you, but your father…” She paused, gathering her strength. “I was so angry he invited those people here. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for everything. I’m sorry for not standing up to him, for not supporting you, for not being the mother you deserved.”
“It’s okay, Mom,” Talon replied, tears streaming down his face. “We just need to get you better.”
“It’s not okay, my sweet boy. I was scared, scared of losing a man that I loved, even though he never truly loved me.”
“Mira,” Talon’s father tried to interject.
“It’s true, Seb. You never loved me, not really. You always loved Graham, Vivian and I both saw. But we were fools, both loving men who never loved us. She was thrilled to get you two apart while I…I destroyed my relationship with my son.”
“And I allowed my daughter to be infected the same way,” She reached out to Tessa, who quickly took her hand. “I know you cared for Mark.”
“What, Mom, I didn’t,” Tessa weakly protested.
“You did. You loved someone who wanted someone else. I allowed you to fester hatred for your brother. I wasn’t a good example to you. I’m sorry.”
“Mom, I…” Tessa leaned her head on the bed, holding her mom’s hand, and silently cried.
Talon’s mom looked up at him again. “I was so happy when you found your mates. That was my greatest joy.” She glanced at Lucas and then at me, her gaze filled with gratitude. “Take care of my son. I can see how much you love him already. Please, take care of him.”
“We will, I promise,” I assured her firmly.
She smiled faintly. “Maybe in my next life, fate will be kinder to me and give me a fated mate.”
“Mom, don’t talk like you’re dead already. We’ll get you help,” Talon implored.
She shook her head slowly, a sad acceptance in her eyes. “My sweet boy, I…” Her breaths became shallow. “I love you… I love you both,” she whispered before her eyes fluttered closed.
“Mom?” Talon’s voice broke as he shook her gently. “Mom… mom,” he repeated, desperation coloring his tone, but it was clear. She was gone.
Talon sucked in a sharp sob and rose to his feet. I placed a supportive hand on his arm, offering him a steady anchor. He glanced at me, his eyes briefly acknowledging my support, before turning to face his father with a hardened expression.
“I will never forgive you,” Talon said, his voice steely. “The last tie binding me to you is gone. Stay out of my life.”