by Jill Haven
“Let me guess. You’re an hour away.” I scowled. So much for spending time in bed with Beau.
“Forty-five minutes, actually.” Ten paused. “Get out of bed, lover boy.”
I hung up on him, mentally sending him a middle finger in return. Setting my phone down, I looked down at Beau who was lying on his back and looking at me with bleary, sleepy eyes. “Go back to sleep,” I murmured, giving him a quick kiss. My morning wood was aching, and I wanted nothing more than to have him help me take care of it, but that would have to wait.
“You sure?” Beau managed, his voice gravelly with sleep.
“Yes.” I stroked a lock of his hair off his forehead. “I’ll be back soon.”
“Mmkay,” Beau hummed, his eyes drifting shut. I stood and watched him for a couple of minutes until I was certain he was asleep again, then dragged my butt out of bed. Showering quickly, I changed into casual clothes and started in the living room downstairs, checking wiring. It was my job to determine where the elements of the security system would end up, where was safest to store the more delicate electronics.
The kitchen and living room were easy, which led me upstairs to his grandfather’s study. I opened the door slowly, wrinkling my nose against the smell of a room not often opened. It was like this room was sacred to Beau, which made sense. It was the last main memory of his grandparents.
I moved to the internet router that was still hooked up, checking the strength of the Wi-Fi connection, when a floorboard shifted under my foot and I almost landed on my face.
“Holy—” I swore a lot more, but it was in my head so I didn’t risk waking Beau. Dragons were graceful. We didn’t do undignified things like land flat on our faces—Except I nearly had.
At least Beau hadn’t been there to see it. He never would have let me forget it. Peeling the rug away on top, I sat on it so it couldn’t curl back and looked at the problem floorboard. One side had poked up a half-inch, the other side depressed the same amount. It was like a seesaw, except I couldn’t see where it was centered.
Unable to resist, I worked gently at the floorboard and then its neighbor until both were sitting on the floor next to me and I could see a box tucked in the depths. The hole wasn’t very big, just enough to store a ream of paper, maybe more. Whoever had done it wanted it to be very easily accessible.
Carefully picking up the box, I set it on the desk, then turned the floorboards so they were more difficult to trip on. I needed to go get Beau, and the last thing I wanted him to do was hurt himself. It was his grandfather’s office, his house. Anything I found, he deserved to see it.
Heading down the hall, my heart thumped with each step. What was in that box? What sorts of secrets had his grandparents been hiding? Had Beau known it was there? I doubted that last one. Beau was guarded, yes, but if it had anything to do with dragons, he would have told us. Or at least me.
I opened the door to my bedroom, surprised to see Beau still dead to the world. I wished I could let him rest some more, because if he was still sleeping, he probably needed it. But we were on a deadline. I went around to his side of the bed, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. “Wake up.”
That, apparently, was the wrong thing to do, because Beau screeched and smacked out, landing a hit on my face. He’d caught me too off guard to stop him.
I stumbled, stunned.
“Shit, shit, shit,” Beau hissed, immediately scrambling up and holding my face between his hands. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you, I thought…”
“You thought someone was grabbing you,” I finished for him. In retrospect, it was my dumb mistake. I should have expected him to be jumpy, especially after the recent kidnapping attempt. “My mistake.”
Beau gave me a stubborn look, like he was going to fight me, so I decided to distract him in a more pleasant way.
He melted back into the bed when I kissed him, and I closed my eyes as my stomach clenched in pleasure. My dragon purred in the back of my mind, telling me to screw the box and wiring and get in bed to stay wrapped around my mate for eternity.
I dragged my attention to my task before I could get quite that lost. Beau’s pout was adorable enough I had to kiss it. “I found something you need to see,” I said, trying not to be unhappy that our peaceful little bubble had burst, reality seeping in. Would it hurt to have more than a handful of hours of peace and quiet?
Beau frowned at me. “What do you mean?”
“I found a box under the floorboards of your grandfather’s office.” I slid the covers back so he could stand, but instead Beau lay there, staring at me like I was suddenly speaking Greek.
“You what?” he boggled.
I repeated my words, still holding the covers and waiting patiently. Apparently realizing I wasn’t going to give him more than that, he dragged his (cute) butt out of bed and ducked into the bathroom to take care of the normal morning things. By the time he came back out, I was standing by the doorframe, my eyes crawling along his body appreciatively. He truly was stellar, all lithe muscle and warm eyes. That was, when his eyes weren’t guarded or clouded with suspicion.
“Let’s go,” Beau said, although he didn’t sound entirely convinced. Maybe he just wasn’t awake. I was certainly fine if he didn’t wake up enough to put a shirt on for a while.
He followed me into his grandfather’s office where the box sat on the desk. “Do you recognize it?” I asked, urging him gently until he was sitting in the leather chair in front of the desk.
Beau shook his head. “I’ve never seen it before.” He reached his hands out and touched the edge of the box carefully, like it might explode. “Did you open it?”
“No.” I leaned in and kissed the side of his head, the affection coming easily because it was him. “It’s yours, so you get to do it.”
Beau bit his bottom lip and nodded, then carefully opened the box. Inside was a plain folder and photos of an older man who had Beau’s pretty amber eyes. If I had to bet, he was a relative of sorts.
Opening the folder, Beau inhaled sharply. I hovered over his shoulder and read what I could. There was a name and profile, information on the man on the photos. Another picture was stapled to the front. Before I could get a good look at the pictures, Beau flipped the page, revealing a handful of handwritten letters. They were all addressed to ‘Beauregard’.
Beau let out a startled laugh, although there was more than a hint of sadness to it. “Dad was the only one who called me that.”
“That’s your full name, then?”
“Yeah.” Beau inhaled shakily, then held the letter up so we could both read it. Warmth ran through my veins that he was sharing it with me, that he wasn’t going to hide from me this time. But the contents of the letter chilled me again. One by one, Beau went through the box.
The letters were an explanation and an apology, Beau’s father saying that he had never wanted to leave him behind but that it was safer for Beau to not be with the clan. That it was safer for a divine omega to be guarded and isolated, because even then, people were trying to hunt them down to take advantage of them.
Well, that confirmed some things. The people after Beau definitely knew what he was.
The later letters had different details, about how no one outside the clan knew about Beau and that was the way it needed to stay to keep him safe. His dad knew that one day Beau would find out the truth, and that he hoped Beau would forgive him.
The last easily accessible letter forbade Beau from looking for his father. How it wasn’t safe, that his dad loved him, that to have the best chance at a good life, Beau needed to keep to himself.
Absently I rubbed the pain in my chest, although whether it was my own or Beau’s heartache, I wasn’t sure. I had never known my parents, given they were dead, so I wasn’t certain how Beau was feeling. I could only imagine what it would have been like to find out that while you thought you were abandoned, it was really to keep you safe.
Underneath all the letters was a pile of envelope
s, all with Beau’s full name on them. He opened the first one, stopping and staring at it in surprise when it became obvious it was a birthday card. There weren’t dates on them, but in the top corner, there was a number. The more he opened, the clearer it became that Beau’s father had sent one for every birthday since he’d left.
Beau’s sadness was palpable and I knew it wasn’t something I could humor away. Instead I wrapped an arm around his shoulders and held him, trying to impart some of my strength. It wasn’t enjoyable, feeling helpless. Knowing that someone you cared for was suffering and there wasn’t anything you could do about it.
“Why didn’t they give me these?” Beau stared at the cards, his usually calm voice unusually breathy. “Why did I not know about them?”
There was an envelope at the bottom of the box, half-hidden under one of the flaps, so I picked it up. I didn’t recognize the name. Lewis?
“Do you—”
“That’s my grandfather,” Beau cut me off, his voice wide with wonder. “That’s his name.” He opened the piece of paper with trembling hands, unfolding it gently and laying it in front of us.
Lewis,
I’m trusting you with Beauregard, and with this knowledge. I want you to keep all of this and give it to him when you decide he’s ready. If trouble beckons, hide it. Don’t let it fall into enemy hands.
~Harland
There were more notes on the following pages, about how the Silver Dragon clan was dying, about how they were looking for their last hope. My heart skipped a beat. I knew the Blood Dragons were having trouble with mortality rates, and I vaguely remembered Carlisle saying something about the other eastern clans, but to know it went that far? We were all in trouble.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Beau muttered, frowning at a piece of paper.
“What doesn’t?” I would answer any question he had.
“Dad says he didn’t want them using me to keep their race alive. Why me? I’m a man.” Beau sounded genuinely puzzled.
…Okay, I would answer any question he had. All of them except for that. I struggled to come up with a plausible excuse. “Maybe they want you to sire children?” I suggested. I was relying on the fact he didn’t know much about the history of dragons or omegas.
Beau set the piece of paper down, turning to look at me. “I guess,” he said, although he sounded doubtful.
I left him to his thoughts, trying to sort mine out. The discovery of the box cleared a lot up. Beau hadn’t been cast out, or banished, he’d been sent away in an attempt to protect him, by the father who knew how desperate his clan was. A pang of sympathy flooded me, that instinctive urge to solve all of his problems and make them better. Too bad it wasn’t realistic.
At the bottom of the letter was a handwritten note, again addressed to Beau.
Beauregard,
I’m sorry. I love you.
Harland
Beau stared at nothing with wide eyes, starting to tremble in my grip. “Stand up,” I urged, ignoring my own shaking. I needed to contact Carlisle, I needed to let him know what I’d found out, but more importantly, I needed to take care of Beau.
“What?” The word sounded numb, and Beau didn’t move.
Carefully I manhandled him out of the office chair until I was sitting, then pulled him into my lap, wrapping my arms around him. He was tall, but he was leaner than I was and he fit perfectly against my chest. After a moment of hesitation, he leaned forward, tucking his face into the crook of my neck.
I crooned to him, stroking a hand up and down his back, my mind working a mile a minute. My already long to-do list had gotten even longer.
For once, I set my worry aside, wrapping my arms around Beau and letting myself draw comfort from him in the same way he drew comfort from me. Whatever it was, I would keep him safe. No matter what it took.
13
Beau
I sat on the couch in the living room, my eyes still too wide, disbelieving, the last letter of my father’s still clutched to my chest. Ace was pacing back and forth in front of me, the sound of his footsteps reassuring to the panic that had me in its grip. I felt like my lungs were being crushed, like my ribcage was collapsing. I knew I wasn’t actually dying, but my body was screaming out that something was going to happen, and no one was going to like it.
The sound of the door opening was like a gunshot and I almost jumped off the couch, my breath catching to the point that I struggled to take another breath.
“Carlisle, one second,” Ace said to the person he was talking to on the other side of the phone, immediately sitting down next to me, taking my hand in his and twining our fingers together. I tried to resist leaning into him, but it was impossible, instinct and whatever fear was propelling me urging me to climb into his lap, where I’d be safe.
My hands shook like I was withdrawing from a drug, my teeth starting to clatter like I was freezing cold and too hot at the same time. It was like my body was shutting down, like whatever was happening, I would only survive it if I disappeared.
Dimly, in the background, I heard Ace’s voice telling whoever Carlisle was about what we had found in my grandfather’s office. Someone touched my shoulder and I immediately shrank away from it, because I knew from the feeling that it wasn’t Ace, and Ace was my safe place. The touch immediately stopped, Ace tightening his grip on my hand he held in reassurance, and I closed my eyes, leaning into him.
With my eyes closed, it was easier to focus on the words, especially when Ace was speaking.
“You have to keep him protected.” I didn’t recognize this voice, but it was loud and metallic, like it was from the speaker. “The more protection, the better.”
“I know.” Ace’s voice was deeper, like he had a mouthful of gravel. “Want to spend any more time stating the obvious, Carlisle?”
“We have a security system here,” Ten put in, his arms crossed over his chest.
“Bring him here,” the man—Carlisle—said. “If they’ve gone after him twice already, he needs more protection. They’re not going to give up easily.”
Alarm tried to swallow me, which was impressive because I already felt like I was drowning. All I could do was clutch onto Ace harder.
“I can’t leave.” The words were soft, but Ace heard them because he stiffened underneath me. “This is my home, my job. I have people and animals here that depend on me.” My words felt disconnected, like they were coming from far away, but they apparently were understandable.
“We can hire someone to take over for a while,” Ace suggested, turning to face me. Some of the panic that was suffocating me faded when his blue eyes locked onto mine, when he brought our combined hands up so he could kiss the back of my hand. “Until we know you’re safe.”
When I didn’t look convinced, Ace’s eyes clouded, fear transmitting to me through the connection we shared. I swallowed thickly, unable to speak. He was afraid for me? I mattered that much?
“Please,” Ace said quietly, and I became dimly aware that we were still on speakerphone. Ten had moved further toward the kitchen, presumably to give us some privacy. “Beau, I can’t let anything happen to you. We don’t have to be gone long. You can come back when we know who and what we’re dealing with and how to solve it.”
I wasn’t sure where the phone went, but Ace’s other hand came up to cup my face, his worried gaze drilling into me. He looked genuinely terrified, like me staying here was the worst outcome he could imagine.
Unable to speak, I nodded, giving in. If it worried Ace that much, I would go.
Ace’s whole body crumpled in relief and he wrapped me in a tight hug, pulling back only long enough to give me a short, sweet kiss and to whisper ‘thank you’ in my ear.
“Get things settled and get here as quickly as you can,” Carlisle ordered. The call bleeped to an end, silence settling over the room like a weighted blanket. Ace was still wrapped around me, his head on my shoulder, and the feel of him against me was a comfort. I still hurt, I was still terrified,
but the voice in my head was quieter because of him.
“I’ll start looking for flights,” Ten said quietly.
“Thanks,” Ace said, or I thought he did, anyway. He didn’t move from where he was, keeping me safe, warm, and secure. “Beau?”
“Yeah?” My voice cracked, giving away more than I would have liked, but I didn’t have much control over it at the moment. My whole world was spinning, trying to fall apart. Nothing made sense, and every time I got an answer, it led to more questions. What had my father been talking about? What had my grandfather known but not told me? Why were dragons so determined to take me?
“How are you feeling?” Ace pulled back enough that he could see my face, worry showing in his eyes. “You’re shaking like a leaf.”
I wanted to laugh, but I didn’t have the energy for it. Instead I managed a shrug. Or I thought I did, because with how hard I was shaking, I wasn’t certain it got across.
“I’ll keep you safe,” Ace vowed, pulling me onto his lap and into the shelter of his arms. I fit against him perfectly, snuggling against his broad chest. I didn’t want to admit it out loud, but right now, in the moment, I could believe his words. “I’ll help you find answers to all the questions you have.”
The soft kisses he pressed to the side of my head, the top of my head, wherever he could reach, were reassuring, although I was somewhat embarrassed that I needed them. “Okay,” I said quietly, because that was the best I could do. I wished I had enough energy to return his comfort, to give him even a bit of what he was giving me, because I knew from his expression and his body language that he was as worried as I was. But I couldn’t. All the energy I had was focused on getting me through the next few hours.
“Devin, I need to talk to you.” I was shirking my work and I knew it, but that was just going to get worse.
My second-in-command looked at me, concern written all over his face. “You look terrible.”
