Scooting back
on the bed Jettermane pulled at the sheet to cover himself. He was horrified
that he could sense the pain that was rocketing through Blayze’s body. It felt
like he could feel the anguish and dread filling his own heart. It wasn’t
something he actually wanted to feel… he was so used to being locked away by
himself that this interaction was starting to scare the hell out of him. Life
wasn’t meant to be this way.
Grabbing his
head he moaned as flashes of a past he couldn’t quiet remember assaulted his
mind. He needed to filter them out and the best way was to focus on just one.
The one that called out to him the most was him standing in front of an open
window looking out over a beautiful countryside.
**~*~**
In the vision
he could feel that he was a mixture of nervousness and strangely excitement and
relief all at the same time. He was beautifully dressed in cream trousers, with
green braiding and beading. His body trembled with what was about to take
place. His father had explained to him that today his life was going to change
forever. He had an audience with the Ruling Monarch. His insides quivered he
had never met a king before.
He knew his
father was doing this to get his debt to the Hundan negated. The patriarch of
the Hundan coven had tricked his father and was claiming Jettermane as payment
for monies still owed. It wasn’t his father’s fault – yet something deep inside
him worried and wondered why they wanted him and not one of his siblings.
Walking over to
look at his reflection in the mirror he sighed, he could guess why his looks
closely resembled that of a young female. His sister Vaselle had often joked
that they had been gifted the wrong bodies at birth. His vision blurred – he missed
his sister so much. It had been a sad day the night lord had come to claim her.
Her death was unexpected and hit the family hard. Her death was the cause for
the debt he now found himself in.
Staring into
the mirror he gazed at his long red hair, it hung straight as a sheet of glass
and fell just below his arse. His mother had told him he was blessed to have
hair the colour of blood. His eyes were as green as the leaves of the ormoran
tree – so dark yet with flashes of gold. He was the only member of his family
to possess both strange looks. His mouth looked almost stolen. He had heard others
describe them as lovers lips – just made for kissing. His mother had told him
that when he found and mated with the person he was meant to his eyes would
bleed out so that they would resemble the rest of their race – it was the only
way to truly know you had found your mate. Reaching out he touched the surface
of the mirror and wondered if his eyes would ever lose their colour.
A knock at the
door brought him back to the reason why he was here. A tall man entered the
room and bowed toward him. “The king will see you now.”
Taking a deep, Jettermane
nodded and followed him out of the room and along the hall that would take him
to the throne room. He had been shown the proper way to greet the king without
causing offence. He kept his eyes averted to the floor as protocol demanded. The
noise around him let him know there were others in the hall with them. He could
hear Greer Clandyke demanding that he be handed over for payment owed.
Jettermane flinched
away as Greer reached out and grabbed his upper arm. He couldn’t keep the cry
of pain from falling from his lips as Greer squeezed his arm tight.
“I did not give
you permission to lay your hands upon this young man’s body. You will release
him and step away.”
“His father
promised me that he would be my payment – I will not allow him to renege on
what he has already agreed upon.”
Listening he
heard the king asked his father his version. His father’s voice was filled with
grief as he spoke. “Greer is my wife’s brother. the arrangement was made
between them not me. I would never have agreed to give away my son. Jettermane
is too precious for what you want to use him for. It isn’t right.” Jettermane felt
the tears spill from his eyes at his father’s heartfelt words.
The king’s
voice was cold and aimed at his father. “Why would you wife give her child
away?”
“Because Jettermane
is not my son, she didn’t want him in the house anymore as a constant reminder
of her infidelities. She holds Jettermane responsible for her own mistakes.”
“And what do
you think about this?” Jettermane couldn’t lift his head - he didn’t want to
see the disdain in the king’s eyes. It was bad enough he had to hear that he
wasn’t his father’s son. But he didn’t think he could handle seeing pity from
either man.
His father
sighed, “Jettermane is my son – I love him as if he were my blood. I do not
want this fate for him. He does not deserve this – he is meant for more.”
“Yes, he is meant
for more.”
Jettermane
heard booted feet on the floor and knew they were headed in his direction. He shuddered
as black boots came into his downcast line of vision. Crying silently he could
see his tears falling on the leather. His skin tingled as fingers were gently
placed beneath his chin, and his face was lifted so that the king’s gaze could
lock with his own. His heart pounded as the king searched his face for something.
He wondered if he was finding what he was looking for.
The king’s
fingers ran up his face until his palm was cupping his cheek. Jettermane couldn’t
stop himself from leaning into the touch for some reason the king’s touch
calmed him. He knew if the king kept touching he would be safe forever. Closing
his eyes he whimpered as the king brought his other hand to cup his face.
“Do you know
who I am?”
Jettermane nodded.
“The King.”
“Do you know
what I am?”
Jettermane’s
breath caught as he nodded again. “Mine – you smell like home.”
The king walked
slowly around Jettermane. His fingers trailing over Jettermane’s body. Lean in
close behind him the king whispered. “My name is Blayze Renegade Dunaidan the
fourteenth and I am your mate.”
**~*~**
Jettermane’s
body convulsed upon the bed and Blayze didn’t know what to do. He hit the
intercom screaming for them to bring Emilian back in. he needed the doctor to
help his husband.
“Move out of
the way,” Emilian pushed Blayze aside as he reached for Jettermane. “Jett, can
you hear me?”
Blayze’s mind
whirled with the confusion swirling in his husband’s head. He wasn’t sure what
was happening but he knew that it was scaring Jettermane, his body was fighting
itself. And as quick as it begun it stopped and Jettermane lay still on the bed
staring at the ceiling. His breathing was still rapid and his fingers moved incessantly.
“Jetter,
Can you hear me, my husband?” Blayze rubbed his fingertips over the back of Jettermane’s
hand. He breathed a little easier as Jettermane’s eyes focused on his. “Are you
okay?”
“I
remember meeting you. The first time I mean. When you saved me from Greer, and
I remembered what you refrained from telling me. I remembered my father telling
you that my mother is the one that gave me to Greer – that she didn’t want me
anymore because I wasn’t my father’s son.”
Blayze
nodded, “But your father never loved you any less. He always treated you as if
you were his true son. You were very important to him.”
“Blayze
nodded. “Did I love him?”
“Yes,
he was your world - you were very close to your father and your sister. Your
brother and your mother, not so much.”
“What
about my real father?”
“That
is a hard question to answer,” Blayze rubbed a hand across his eyes. “Masckel
Shatara is the one your mother claims is your true father. Masckel was a very close
friend of my fathers and is still a very nice man. Before we left Masckel made tentative
steps to get to know you, but you didn’t give him an answer.”
“What
does my father think of this?”
Blayze
smiled, “Arion lives with Masckel. They share a dwelling. Masckel took your
father in after your mother and brother left. They went to live with Greer and
the rest of the Clandyke coven. They are no longer welcome in our realm.”
“Good.”
Blayze curled his fingers around the small hand had slipped into his. “I want
to go home.”
“We
are, my love. We will reach home within the next cycle of the moon. When we get
there we will celebrate long and hard. We will show our coven and the planet
that we are not afraid of the Clandyke coven.”
“What
about the fact that I killed someone? How will our people react to that fact?
Won’t I have to face court?”
Blayze
thought how best to explain the next part of the tale. “Greer deserved what he
got, and the people know that you saved your half-brother’s life when Greer
tried to kidnap Bastian. You saved him and his friend.”
Jettermane
nodded and seemed to breathe easier. “When we get home can you ask my fathers
and brother to come to dinner? I think it is about time I got to know my
family.”
“Anything
for you, my love. I think your family will like that Idea very much.” Blayze squeezed
his hand.
Blayze
jumped as Emilian spoke beside them. He had completely forgotten the doctor was
even in the room. “Can I ask you a question?”
Blayze
nodded. “If I can answer you I will.” He sat on the side of the bed beside his
husband.
Emilian
blushed, “Um, first could you please put your pants back on. Your husband might
like seeing you naked, but for the rest of us –”
A
giggle burst free from Jettermane as Emilian tossed him his trousers. “Sorry
about that.” Once he had pulled his clothes back on he returned his attention
back toward the doctor. “What would you like to know?”
“I
want to know the real reason the Clandyke coven have taken Arie? I know what
you told us but I need to know what you never told us?”
“Honestly,
I don’t know. Jetter and I had already gone to the institute when he was taken
all I know is what Tangen has told me.”
“I
need to know.”
“Okay,
Tangen told me that after we had left and he was in charge…”
“Why
was he left in charge?” Emilian interrupted.
“Because
Tangen is my second in command. Tangen takes on my mantle if for any reason I
cannot be on the throne. I trust no one except for my husband as much as I
trust Tangen.”
“How
did we and up as a trio? Tangen told me that he and I were together for years
before Arie joined our family.”
Blayze
threw his head back and laughed. “That was the funniest day I can remember in a
long time. It was the day where I sat and listened to all requests and this
beautiful young man walks in and asks to be allowed to claim his mates. Jetter
stepped between us and point blankly told him if he was coming to steal his
husband than he had another thing coming.” He squeezed Jettermane’s leg. “You
were so tough.”
Jettermane
snorted, “Just get on with the story.”
“Anyway,
after Jetter’s territorial show, Arie just rolled his eyes and said ‘not him,
them’ and he points at you and Tangen and he just walks over to you both taking
a hand of each of you and you have been together ever since.”
Blayze
and Jettermane burst out laughing as Emilian’s mouth dropped open in shock.
