by Cree Storm
Wade’s eyes became hard, cold, and deadly. Rory swallowed from the frightening look and was suddenly afraid for his mate. Wade broke their gaze and slowly turned his head toward Ozcog. Rory saw Wade’s jaw clench tight and the cords in his neck bulge and flex. “I am perfectly aware of shifter law when it comes to mates and matings. Wanting to have a private conversation with my brother has nothing to do with you or your mating or interfering with it. It is only because of my love for Suneth and for Rory, as well as my respect for you and Snake, that you are not flat on your ass right now for even assuming I was trying to get in the way of your mating. Now, show me some respect and let me talk to my brother…alone,” Wade ground out the last word.
Ozcog stared at Wade for a moment then gave a sharp nod. “Fine, but Snake and I will be right outside. And if you hurt our mate in any way, and I mean any way, even mentally or emotionally, I won’t care that you are mated to my king or that you are my mate's brother, I will come in here and rip you to pieces,” Ozcog threatened in an equally calm but deadly voice.
“And I’ll help him hide the body. And you know I know how to do that where no one will ever find it,” Snake said, then pulled on Ozcog’s arm.
Once the big men were done puffing up their chests and comparing dick sizes, everyone left the room except for him and Wade. Rory watched his mates leave, being the last two out. Snake turned back and gave him an encouraging smile as he grabbed the doorknob and pulled the door closed behind him.
The second they were alone, Rory looked down at the floor as his nerves began to take over. He knew the moment had arrived for him to come clean with Wade, but he really didn’t want to. The little boy in him that still looked up to his big brother like a superhero. He didn’t want Wade to be disappointed in him, or in this case, disgusted with him for not being a man and protecting himself. For not standing up to Trey and fighting back. For not keeping himself safe. For the love of all that’s holy, he had been a full-grown man when Trey…
“Oomph.” All the air rushed out of Rory’s lungs in the blink of an eye before he realized why, and what was happening. Wade now held him in a tight hug and he could actually feel Wade’s heart beating fast.
He felt the warmth of Wade’s breath against his ear as Wade began to speak. “I’m sorry, little brother. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there when this happened to you. I’m sorry I didn’t protect you. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you through this.”
Rory’s heart clenched in his chest from not only Wade’s words, but from how tortured those words came out. Rory could hear the tears in Wade’s voice and even feel his brother shaking a little, but he knew it wasn’t from anger. He didn’t know how he knew exactly, but he just knew it was from pain and grief. Even a bit of shame and guilt. But Wade had nothing to be ashamed of or to feel guilty about.
Rory raised his arms and hugged Wade back as he said, “You couldn’t have done anything, Wade. You weren’t even there. You were off on the other side of the world protecting our country. You were sacrificing your safety, your life, for all of us. I have always been so proud of you for that.”
Wade released his hold and stepped back but kept his hands on Rory’s shoulders as he looked into his eyes with his moisture-filled ones. That damn near broke Rory and he couldn’t stop his own eyes from filling. To see his tough, strong brother with tears in his eyes didn’t sit well with him and actually scared Rory a bit. He felt his own body begin to shake and his bottom lip tremble. He bit the lip to make it stop and held his breath, waiting to hear what Wade would say.
“If I had been home, then maybe this wouldn’t have happened. If only―”
Rory cut him off. “No. Don’t you dare. What you did by going off and joining the service was completely selfless and honorable. It was brave, and you have nothing to be sorry for. And even if you were here, that doesn’t mean it never would have happened. It was my own stupidity, Wade. I wasn’t a kid anymore and should have known better. And I was away at college, so even if you didn’t go join and were still here at home, you wouldn’t have been there that night anyway. This is all on me. Well, not really, but it took all these years and Donny to have me start really seeing that.”
“It happened that long ago, and I am now only hearing about it?” Wade asked in horror.
“How was I supposed to tell you, Wade? You were off being a hero, protecting our country and putting your life on the line. The last thing you needed was to be worried about me back home and having your mind preoccupied. You know how dangerous that is when you’re balls deep in a war and the enemy is all around. I couldn’t endanger you like that. And not only you, but your men.”
Wade’s grip on his shoulder tightened but didn’t hurt. As much as Ozcog was afraid Wade may harm him somehow, Rory never doubted for one second that Wade would hurt him. He knew Wade would rather die than to hurt anyone he loved.
Wade released a deep sigh, then turned away and ran his hands through his hair. “How, Rory? How did this happen?” Wade swung back around to face him as he dropped his hands and Rory saw the anger in Wade’s eyes and the clenching of his fists. He knew this look. This was deadly Wade. The Wade that went into some of the scariest places on earth and took no prisoners. This was the Wade that made men tremble. But Rory knew this was not directed at him, but at whoever did this to him.
“It’s a long story and…” Rory swallowed hard as the memories came back, as well as the fear and the shame. He cleared his throat and walked to his desk, then sat down, his back to Wade. He knew he had to tell him, but he couldn’t look at his brother when he did.
Hesitantly at first, Rory began to tell Wade about that night. As he went on, everything spilled out. He didn’t go into graphic detail of what Trey had done to him, but Rory left little out. It seemed that once he began to confess to Wade what happened, he couldn’t stop. He even went on to tell him about the days and weeks after. About the hell his life had become while he lived in silent torture.
Then he talked about the decision to change his major to computers and get the hell away from that college as soon as possible. He told Wade about the groups he had set up and everything right up until his conversation with Donny earlier and how that made him feel now, and how he was afraid he could never be a true mate to Snake and Ozcog, even though he wanted to. That something inside him that he didn’t understand had him not only wanting both men, but craving them, and how it scared the fuck out of him to be with them but scared him just as much to not be.
Once he was done, Rory felt drained. More exhausted than he had ever felt before in his life. And shocked. Even though he had talked to other victims in groups, he had never opened up to anyone like he just did. Even with Donny and Angelo last night, and the little he did with his mates, he still kept part of himself and the shame, fear, and agony back. Until now. He wasn’t sure why, but he thought it had something to do with the fact that Wade was like a father-figure to him.
Like when he was young and got his ass beat or fell and got hurt. He always tried to act brave, but the minute he saw his mother or his father, the bravery ran and the tears began. He never understood why that was but was always grateful his parents never looked down at him for it and only gave him love and comfort, as well as their acceptance. Maybe that’s what he needed now, and he knew only one person that could give him what he truly needed. Maybe it was just the thing he needed since that night, but knew he didn’t have that, so he locked a lot of it away.
Strong arms wrapped around him from behind and crossed over his chest, holding him tight. Then he felt gentle lips kiss the top of his head, and Rory lost it. All the pain, the sorrow, the shame, and the fear, came out in one big wave of emotion and Rory crumbled in his brother’s arms.
Wade just stood there holding him, allowing him to get everything out without interruption or saying a word. Once the tears slowed and Rory felt control returning, he opened his eyes and saw the clock on the wall, shocked to see that he had cried in his brother’s arms for over an
hour, yet Wade never moved or said a word, only gave him comfort.
Another few minutes passed as Rory allowed himself to stay where he was and the tears and shaking stopped. Once they did, he felt Wade kiss the top of his head again, then one arm disappeared and returned with a box of tissues. Rory chuckled lightly as he accepted the box, then pulled a few out. Wade reached in and grabbed a few too, and Rory smiled. Wade released him, and he felt him move away. Just as Rory cleared his nose, he heard Wade do the same behind him. Yes, his big brother was a fierce, big badass, but he had the biggest heart of anyone Rory knew.
Once they both got control of themselves, Rory slowly turned around to find Wade still standing close by. Their gazes met and suddenly Rory felt awkward and shy. Something like disappointment flashed across Wade’s eyes and Rory looked down.
Wade stepped closer and squatted down before him, then sniffled. Rory lifted his head and met Wade’s gaze again. “Don’t hide away from me, Rory, please. Not after what we just shared. You have nothing, and I mean nothing, to be ashamed of. Not for anything that happened that night, or for anything you have felt since, and most definitely not about what just happened here in this room. It takes a very strong and brave person to open up like you just did and allow all the pain out. You may not believe this, little brother, but you are the strongest person I know. Yes, I may be big and muscular, look like I belong in a biker gang, and I have some of the best combat training in the world, but that doesn’t make me as strong as you. To go through what you did and to survive, to go on and not let it destroy you, and to do it alone and to keep fighting all these years, now that’s incomparable strength.
“That animal, that monster, who did this to you should be the one who is ashamed, and also the one who lives in fear and regret, but not you. You are an amazing man, my brother, and I have always been proud of you, but never more than I am right now. That took immense strength to let all that out. Especially to someone you were afraid would think less of you. Never, Rory. I would never think less of you for any of that. The only thing that may disappoint me about all of this is if you allow that pig, that dead man walking, to take one more thing from you, or one more day. You deserve everything good in your life, little brother. You deserve to love and to receive love. And I can see that if you allow yourself to accept it, you will have that with Snake and Oz. I know how much Snake cares for you and I can see it in Oz from how protective he is of you already. Having a mate, not just a boyfriend or life partner, is so much more. It is the best thing that has happened to me, mating my Suneth, and I know the depth of the bond between mates, as well as the immense love that mates share, and I am so thrilled that you will have that connection too. You can ask Suneth. I always tell him how I pray that you have a mate out there somewhere so that you can have what we have. And Fate answered by giving you two. For which I will be forever grateful.”
Wade squeezed his knee as he gave Rory an encouraging smile, then stood and said, “Now, wherever this Trey is, I hope he felt the fear of god rush through him just now warning him that he needed to run as fast and as far as he could, because if he ever comes across my path, he will be sorry for ever even looking in your direction. So, let’s call everyone back in here and take a look at those surveillance tapes from Maddox and Crystal and see if we can find this sick bastard. Then we’ll try to contact Flyer.”
CHAPTER 11
He had been so nervous as he and the others stood out in the auto shop and waited for Wade and Rory. Snake knew his commander would never harm Rory in any way, but Wade was an imposing figure. Very intense. And sometimes that intensity came out in the wrong way and people misunderstood it. Snake hoped that as his brother, that Rory was more aware of all of that than anyone else, and if Wade did say something in the wrong way, that it wouldn’t hurt his man.
That last thought brought a smile to his lips and a lightness to his heart. His man. Rory, the one he had been crushing on for the past few years, was actually truly his man. Then there was Ozcog. Damn, what a lucky bastard he was to have these two incredible males as his men. Both were sweet and kind, caring and compassionate, thoughtful and hot as hell. Oz was big, strong, and fierce, and Rory was brilliant, sexy, and sweet. What else could a man ask for in the one or ones he planned on giving his heart to and spending his life with?
After almost two hours, Wade came out to get them all and when they entered the war room, they found Rory quickly tapping away on the computer keyboard like he always did, his fingers flying over the keys in an almost blur with accurate precision. It was very impressive.
He and Oz had moved closer and Rory instantly stopped, then looked over his shoulder at them. He could see that Rory’s eyes were red and puffy and knew it was from crying, but Rory gave them a stunning smile and Snake knew in that moment that everything was alright.
After that, everyone in the room got on board with going through all the surveillance tapes from Maddox and Crystal. They had spent the next hour on it before Rory switched over and contacted Flyer. He was still en route to his destination and would call when he was close. Rory immediately jumped back on the Maddox cameras on a live feed, searching the streets to see if they could get a glimpse of the bastard.
It was three in the morning before Wade sent everyone home to get some rest. Suneth showed up around midnight to help and stayed with Wade as the two waited to hear back from Flyer.
He, Oz, Donny, and Rory all climbed back into Rory’s SUV, but this time his mate gave no argument over who drove and without a word tossed Snake his keys, then climbed in the back seat and fell asleep just moments after he pulled away. During the twenty-minute ride back to Rory’s house, Rory slid away from the window when Snake took a turn, and Ozcog caught him, then pulled Rory closer and cuddled him in his big, strong arms.
Snake watched them a few times in the rearview and smiled from the soft smile that graced Oz’s lips, as if he was completely content. And Rory looked just as comfortable as he snuggled into Oz’s embrace. His gaze met Ozcog’s a few times, a knowing look passing between them. A silent understanding that whatever happened between Rory and Wade, was exactly what their mate needed and maybe now their relationship could move forward.
Once back at Rory’s, Donny excused himself and went to the guest room to get some sleep. Ozcog carried Rory off to his room after making sure Juddan was still around, as Snake made his rounds around the house, making sure everything was locked up tight.
When he was done, he wandered down the hall to Rory’s room to see what was keeping Oz and found him sitting on the edge of the bed just staring at a sleeping Rory. “He didn’t sleep too well last night. He must be exhausted,” Snake said softly as he walked into the room and stopped by Ozcog’s side.
Oz reached out a hand and brushed a strand of hair from Rory’s brow, the motion so gentle it surprised Snake. This huge, intense gargoyle who could kill in an instant, could also be so tender. Snake found himself falling for the big lug the more time they spent together.
“After the emotional rollercoaster he’s been through lately, then the one I am sure he went through with his brother, it’s no wonder he’s so tired. I don’t know what happened between them, but whatever it was seems to have helped our little mate, as well as drain him,” Oz said.
Snake placed a hand on Oz’s shoulder as he replied, “I’m sure it wasn’t anything bad. Wade may be a hard-ass and used to people doing what he commands, but when it comes to Rory, or anyone he loves for that matter, Wade’s a big softy. I knew he wouldn’t hurt Rory in any way.”
Oz sighed heavily. “I know that too and I feel like an ass to have even implied it, but…”
“But,” Snake cut him off and finished his thought. “When it comes to your mate, or mates, all rational thought and bets are off. You protect first and ask questions later. I totally understand that, and so does Wade. That’s the reason you’re still breathing,” Snake finished with a light chuckle. His mate may be a gargoyle and deadly, but Wade, even being just a hu
man, was pretty deadly himself and would not let Oz’s paranormal status stop him from making the man hurt or disappear for good if he stepped out of line with Rory, or with Suneth.
Oz chuckled, then in one fluid motion he stood and faced him, placing his hands on Snake’s hips. “And what about you, mate? Now that our other mate is fine and taken care of, what can I do for you?”
Snake took a step closer, pressing their bodies together. He could feel the hardness of Ozcog’s cock against his hip and damn near whimpered from the size of it. His hole clenched thinking of taking that monster inside him. He had never particularly liked being a bottom, but he did do it on occasion. Very rare occasion, because mostly he never found anyone who could fulfill him or fill him. But he was sure Ozcog would check off that box with no problem. He ran a hand up Oz’s arm to his shoulder, then rested his hand there as he licked his lips. “I’m happy our Rory is finally getting the rest he needs and is beginning to heal. I can feel it, but in the meantime, I would love to get to know you, my other mate, a little more. How about we head into the kitchen for a cup of coffee, a snack, and talk before we hit the sheets?”
“I would love to skip everything you said except hit the sheets, but you’re right, we need some time to get to know each other more, so I will take you up on that coffee, food, and conversation,” Oz replied, then leaned in and captured Snake’s lips in a hungry kiss.
Damn, he wanted to throw what he said out the window too and just get to the good stuff, like dancing with this man between the sheets, but was it fair to Rory for them to do that when he wasn’t ready to join them?
“Shit, that’s hot,” Rory whispered, pulling their attention to him as they broke the kiss.
“You’re awake, mate. I’m sorry we woke you. Why don’t you go back to sleep? You could really use the rest,” Ozcog said as he dropped one hand from Snake’s hip but kept the other where it was.
