Elias

by Catherine Lievens

  “I’m sorry,” Blake said, and everyone looked at him again. “I didn’t mean for you to find out like this. I didn’t mean for anyone to find out like this.” He looked at Eli as he said that, and Eli shrugged. What did it matter how he’d found out?

  “Umm, is something wrong?”

  Everyone turned to look at Jago and Jarrett. Eli sighed. “Guys, I think you’d better go home for now. We need to talk about some stuff.”

  Jarrett frowned, but walked to the door. He paused next to Eli and whispered, “Everything okay?”

  “I honestly don’t know.”

  “Call me.”

  “Yeah.”

  They waited until Jago and Jarrett were gone to move. Craig pointed toward the kitchen. “Come on. There’s coffee, and we can all talk.”

  Eli wanted to laugh when his father put himself between Eli and Blake. It was sweet, but there was little his dad could do about the fact that Eli and Blake were mates. Eli’s wolf was already whining to be close to Blake, and Eli wanted to give in, even though it still felt weird. He knew his dad would explode if he did, though, so he limited himself to waiting until Blake sat and sat next to him before his dad could say anything.

  His dad scowled at him but Craig was grinning. It was nice to know that at least one of them was on Eli’s side.

  Craig gave everyone coffee except for Eli. He grabbed a soda in the fridge instead, and Eli smiled at him. Craig shrugged and sat next to Thomas, and everyone was silent for a few seconds, but Eli couldn’t stand not knowing.

  “Did you leave because of me?” he asked Blake.

  Blake nodded. “I didn’t know you were my mate until I smelled you that day. It was... we were playing around.”

  Eli smiled at the memory. “I remember.” It had been just around the time he’d entered puberty, of course. Blake wouldn’t have been able to smell Eli before that.

  Blake nodded. “I panicked. I was there when you were born, and I considered you like a nephew. It made me feel sick, like it was wrong. I knew Thomas would kick me out of his and your life if he found out. I couldn’t let anyone find out, because God knows what Erskine would have done. So I left.”

  “You could have kept in touch,” Eli pointed out. He wasn’t angry with Blake. He knew what they both would’ve risked if it had come out while Erskine was still alpha, and he could understand why it had felt wrong. He’d been only twelve, after all.

  “I could have, but I’d have had to answer questions, and I didn’t want to lie. I didn’t realize everyone would think I was dead, and I’m sorry for that.” He glanced at Thomas and swallowed. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t think there was another way.”

  Eli’s dad raked a hand in his hair. “I just... Eli’s my baby boy, and you’re my best friend. It’s hard to put together, but Craig’s right. I know what it is like to find out your mate is someone unexpected.”

  Blake looked around the kitchen. “I thought I’d meet her today.”

  Eli snickered and looked at his dad. “Can I tell him? Please?”

  His dad finally cracked a smile. “Do you think he can take the shock?”

  “He’s not that old, Dad.”

  His dad scowled but nodded. Eli looked at Blake, who had a questioning expression, and pointed at Craig. “Blake, this is Craig. He’s Dad’s mate.”

  Blake’s gaze went from Craig to Thomas to Eli, then back again on Craig. “You’re serious?”

  “Like a heart attack,” Craig answered. He pulled the collar of his sweater down to expose the mating bite and Eli grimaced at the reminder that he’d actually seen his father and Craig naked.

  “But... when did you start liking men, Thomas?”

  “I always have. I just never told anyone.”

  “Not even Laura?”

  His dad grimaced. Eli knew his dad still felt guilty over what had happened, even though it wasn’t his fault.

  “Not even Laura. I didn’t think I’d find my mate, and even when I did, I tried to stay away from him.”

  His dad reached for Craig’s hand on the table and squeezed it. Eli looked at Blake, wondering how he was taking it. He didn’t look disgusted, of course. Just surprised.

  “It didn’t work,” Blake pointed out.

  “No, it didn’t,” his dad replied. “I tried, because I didn’t want to hurt Laura and the kids, but I caved in, in the end.”

  Craig snorted. “Not like you gave me a choice.”

  His dad scowled. “I thought we already went over that.”

  Craig waved at him with his free hand. “Yeah, yeah.” His gaze softened and Eli felt like a voyeur when Craig leaned toward his father and kissed him. “Don’t worry, I’m not angry at you, not anymore.”

  Eli looked away and his gaze locked with Blake’s. He didn’t know how to behave. Hell, he still didn’t know how he felt about his Uncle Blake being his mate, and maybe he should stop calling Blake Uncle Blake, because it made it sound yucky.

  Eli cleared his throat and smiled at the slight blush on his dad’s cheeks. It might be awkward to see Craig and his dad together, but Eli liked how happy they were together.

  “So you know how staying away from your mate feels,” Blake said.

  His dad grimaced. “Yeah, I do. Look, I can’t say I’m happy about this. It’s not because it’s you, although that’s kind of strange. I was just telling Eli that a twenty-three-year-old guy was too old for him and then you barge in, and I can’t say anything because you’re his mate, even though you’re forty-one.”

  “Kameron is eighty-seven,” Eli piped in, earning himself a glare from his father.

  “I know how old Kameron is, thank you very much. I’m just saying that Zach isn’t my son, and that Blake isn’t just another man who happens to be your mate. We’ve known each other for all our lives. He changed your diapers when you were a baby, for God’s sake!”

  “I’ll go away if you don’t want me close to Elias,” Blake intervened. “I stayed away for six years. I’m sure I can stay away for six more.”

  Eli huffed. “Hey, I’m right here, you know. I should be the one to decide that, not my dad. I’m eighteen.”

  Blake’s eyes were soft when he looked at Eli. “I know that. I also know that you’ve known me as an uncle for all your life, and I don’t want you to feel weird about this. I can give you time to get used to it. I’m sure I can ask Kameron to transfer me somewhere else.”

  Eli frowned. “What do you mean?”

  Blake splayed his hands on the table and looked down at them. It was all Eli needed to realize he wouldn’t like what his mate was about to say. “I wanted to wait longer before coming back, but I didn’t have a choice. I enrolled in the council’s enforcers’ force, and since I’m a wolf shifter, they sent me here to live on pack land, in the building Kameron prepared for us.”

  “So you didn’t come back for me.”

  Blake looked at Eli. “No, I didn’t.”

  * * * *

  Blake expected Elias to be angry, but instead he just shrugged. “Okay. But you’re staying, right? I know you just told Dad you’d leave if he wants you to, but I don’t want you to go, and what I want comes first in this.”

  “You want me to stay?”

  Elias tilted his head to the side. “Of course I want you to. You’re my mate.”

  “And you’re not angry with me because I left?”

  “I was twelve. What else could you have done?”

  “I could have stayed and explained. It’s not like my wolf would have wanted you... that way when you were twelve.” Blake shuddered and pushed that thought away.

  “But it would’ve been awkward for you, not to mention dangerous as fuck because of Erskine. I’m not angry because you kept the secret and left, Blake, but I will be if you leave again.”

  “I won’t.” Not now that Blake knew Elias wanted him to stay. He was ready to face all the awkwardness, the stares and the gossip to be with his mate “So what
do we do?” That was what he needed to know. Blake needed to know how to behave, if Elias wanted him to be an uncle or his mate.

  “We can date.”

  “Date?”

  Thomas groaned and shook his head, but Blake ignored him.

  Elias smiled. “Yeah, you know, we decide on a day, you come and pick me up, we go out, maybe make out a bit.”

  “Can you please not talk about making out in front of me?” Thomas pleaded.

  Elias laughed. “You should get used to this, Dad. Blake isn’t only your best friend now. He’s also your future son-in-law, and we’ll do a lot more than kissing sooner or later.”

  Thomas made a wounded sound and leaned against Craig. He buried his face against Craig’s neck and Blake could hear them talking, even though he couldn’t understand the words.

  He couldn’t deny that being Thomas’ son-in-law was more than a little weird, but he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way, because it meant he’d get Elias.

  “Aww, shit.”

  “Eli, stop swearing,” Craig demanded.

  Elias stuck his tongue out at him. “I was just thinking that I need to call Zane, or see him. Maybe talking to him face to face would be better.”

  “Who’s Zane?” Blake asked.

  Elias bit on his lower lip. “I kind of had a date with him.”

  “He’s your boyfriend?” Of course Blake should’ve known someone as sweet and gorgeous as Elias wouldn’t be alone.

  “No. He’s just a guy I have—I had—a crush on. He asked me out earlier and I said yes, but now you’re here, so...”

  “You can still go out with him if you want to.” Blake’s heart broke a little as he said those words, but he couldn’t expect Elias to drop everything in his life just because Blake was there now.

  Elias frowned. “Are you nuts? I’m not going to go out with Zane when I know who my mate is.”

  “You could. You’re younger, like your dad said, and I don’t expect you to change your life for me. You should be able to go out with other guys, fall in love, break up with them.”

  “The only thing I want to break right now is your skull,” Elias said with a scowl. “Don’t be a self-sacrificing martyr, Blake. It doesn’t suit you.”

  “I just want this to go as well as it can. I don’t want you to have to change your life for me.”

  Elias snorted. “I think that changing my life is implied, since you’re my mate. And really, I might have a crush on Zane, but you’re my mate. Do you really think I’ll let you run away again? I’m not stupid.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, even if you don’t want me.”

  “Shut up, Blake.”

  Blake looked at Thomas. He wanted to be sure that his friend was okay with what was happening. Not that he’d stay away from Elias if Thomas wanted him to, because he didn’t think he could, but he hoped he wouldn’t lose his best friend over something he couldn’t help.

  Thomas was whispering with Craig—and damn, Blake still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Thomas was mated to a man. It wasn’t weirder than Blake being mated to Thomas’ son, but it was weird anyway.

  Elias pushed his chair away from the table and got up. Blake looked back at him and Elias winked, then indicated the kitchen door with his thumb. “Want to come with me?”

  That got Thomas’ attention. “Where are you going?”

  “My room.”

  “No.”

  Elias arched a brow. “I think me and Blake need a little alone time.” When Thomas groaned, Elias chuckled. “Not that kind of alone time, Dad. I just think we need to talk without you looking like you want to barf and die every time we say something. Although I want to point out that even if our alone time was naked, you couldn’t do much about it.”

  “Don’t tempt me, Eli,” Thomas growled.

  “What do you think you can do? Go tell Kameron?”

  “I’ll tell your mother.”

  Elias waved Thomas’s words away. “Go ahead. I’ll have to tell her anyway, and she can’t do anything more than you can about it.”

  “I could make Blake’s life hell,” Thomas pointed out.

  Blake tensed, but Craig slapped the back of Thomas’ head before anything happened. Thomas growled at his mate and rubbed his head.

  “What’d you do that for?”

  “Because you’re being an ass. I swear, it’s like this summer all over again. I thought you were done being an asshole.”

  “But it’s my son! And my best friend! Blake is older than me, for God’s sake!”

  “And like Elias pointed out earlier, you never had anything to say about Kameron being with Zach, yet Kameron is more than twice your age. Double standards, love?”

  “But Zach isn’t my son,” Thomas whined.

  Blake relaxed since it looked like Craig had everything under control and that he wasn’t about to be kicked out.

  “No, but you know how this is going to end up if you try to sabotage this. Elias might not be as assholish as you are, but he’s certainly just as stubborn. If you try to make him choose between you and Blake, he’ll choose Blake just because you want him to choose you. Do you really want to lose your son over something he can’t help? Over something they can’t help? You know how hard it was for you in the beginning, Thomas. Don’t you think Blake is just as torn as you were?”

  Thomas sighed heavily and looked at Elias, then at Blake. “Fine. I’m not saying I’m giving you my benediction, or whatever you need from me, but I won’t stop you two from seeing each other and from mating when you decide to do it.”

  Blake’s heart soared when he heard Thomas’ words. His best friend hadn’t said if you decide to mate, but when. Thomas thought it was a given they would, and Blake couldn’t have been happier.

  “But.”

  Elias huffed. “Of course there’s a but.”

  Thomas puffed his chest out. “I might not be able to keep you two apart, and I’m not sure I want to, but there are some rules I expect you to follow.”

  “I’m eighteen, Dad.”

  “Yeah, you are, but the last time I checked you still lived here, so I get to make rules. One, no sex under my roof.” He narrowed his eyes at Blake. “And I mean it. Eli’s a hormonal teenager, but you’re not, so if you want to get frisky, you need to go to your place or wherever. As long as Eli isn’t arrested for having sex in a public area, I don’t care and I don’t want to know. Two, I can’t be sure of this, but I think Eli’s a virgin, so, well, take good care of him. You know what I mean.”

  “Daaad!”

  Blake wanted to die. Really, he wanted the floor to swallow him right at this moment, and the fact that Craig was snickering didn’t help. Blake couldn’t believe a guy younger than him by two years was giving him the talk. “I’m not going to jump him.”

  “Maybe not now, but it will happen sooner rather than later, so be careful and use lube.”

  Elias made a strangled sound and Blake grimaced. “I know how sex works, Thomas.”

  “Even with guys?”

  “Even with guys.”

  Thomas nodded. “Great. Three—”

  “God, there’s a three,” Elias moaned.

  “Yes. So, three. While Eli still lives here, I want him home by ten on weekdays and no later than midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.”

  “Daaad!”

  “Four, he’s still in high school. No one there can find out about you, because it’d cause problems, so Blake, you can’t go pick him up or be seen with him in town.”

  “Why not?” Elias protested. “He can be my uncle. It’s not like I’ll see any of the people there after I graduate. Besides, Blake doesn’t look like he’s forty-one, Dad.”

  “He still looks older than you.”

  “Of course he does, but who cares. Do I have to tell you how old I am again? I’m not a kid anymore.”

  Thomas sighed. “Fine. I’ll let go of four. But I swear that if your g
rades slip, I’ll become harder on both of you. Five—”

  Everyone in the room but Thomas groaned. He ignored them.

  “Five, I want to talk to you, Blake, and not only about Eli.” Thomas’ gaze softened. “I haven’t seen you for six years.”

  “Great!” Elias exclaimed. He grabbed Blake’s wrist and pulled him up from his chair. “Why don’t you write everything you want to talk about down, Dad? That way you won’t forget.”

  He dragged Blake into the hallway and Thomas yelled, “You still have to tell your mother, and I want to be there when you do!” just before Elias pulled Blake inside a room and closed the door behind them.

  * * * *

  Eli leaned back against his door and looked at Blake. He wasn’t much different from when Eli had last seen him six years earlier, but it felt as different as it could be.

  Blake had left as Eli’s uncle, and had come back as his mate. Weird. At least his dad wasn’t against them being together.

  Blake shuffled and looked everywhere but at Eli, so Eli decided to take control of the situation. Someone had to, after all.

  He went to his bed, thankful Craig had insisted he make it that morning, and slumped on top of the comforter. He toed his slippers off and sat in the middle of the bed, then patted the empty space by his side.

  Blake looked at him like he might bite, and Eli patted again. “Come on.”

  Blake looked at the door. “I don’t know...”

  “We’re not going to have sex.”

  Blake blushed. Eli had never seen anything more endearing, and he wanted to cuddle his mate. He might even do it, if Blake sat beside him. “Come on, sit.”

  Blake still looked hesitant as he took his shoes and his jacket off, then climbed on the mattress. Eli used the short time it took him to examine him a bit better.

  Blake was taller than him, but then that wasn’t hard. Eli barely topped five foot ten. Eli was also slighter than Blake, less bulky, which made sense since, Blake was an enforcer while Eli didn’t even play sports. Blake’s brown hair was short enough that he didn’t have to worry about it looking bad if he didn’t brush it. He had a beard, nothing too bushy, and Eli wanted to bury his fingers in it and find out if it was soft or coarse.