by JF Jenkins
"Yeah sounds good." As far as he knew, they hadn't planned that far ahead with their big date. She'd like being with all of her friends.
"Don't suppose you wanna hang sometime." Alex paused, and Darien blinked a number of times. "What? I need a guy to hang out with. You need a friend period. It kind of makes sense."
"You have a lot of friends you could be spending time with." Darien pointed out.
"Female friends, yeah. I'm kind of tired of swimming in estrogen. Guy friends, those are harder to come by."
"Maybe if you didn't hit on their girlfriends, they'd wanna spend more time with you," Darien mumbled under his breath. Thankfully, Alex didn't catch it, or if he had, he wasn't reacting negatively. Louder, he said, "It'd be cool to try one of these days. I'm not sure when I'm going to have time. Things at home are complicated. There's a lot to do." And he wished he could elaborate more on it to Alex. Being able to talk to someone who wasn't a member of his family, who didn't understand all of the inner workings of the dragons, and honor, and duty, would be a breath of fresh air. He wouldn't feel quite as selfish when discussing his frustrations. But he could never spill the secret, and he doubted Alex would want to hear about it anyway. The guy probably didn't want to get that deep.
Alex frowned. "Oh."
"Oh?" Darien raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds like an excuse."
"It's not, but I can't explain it so you'll get it. That's why it's complicated."
"Maybe someday I'll be let in on this big mystery then. Tai said something similar to me," Alex said.
"Maybe." Doubtful.
Alex's eyes narrowed slightly. "Maybe. I'm going to class, but we can exchange schedules sometime because I'm not letting this drop."
"Sure thing." Darien watched him leave, unsure of what to think. Pretty sure he's not talking about hanging out. He'd need to be extra careful now.
Chapter Forty-Eight
The Inero
Gwen watched Jason as she tried to read her book. He distracted her. All day he worked on some kind of house project or paced. Nothing would settle him. She put the book down, unable to take it anymore. "Are you okay?"
"Fine, but I'm thinking."
"About Oliver?"
Jason nodded. "My dad."
"Are you sure he's telling the truth?" Gwen thought the story they'd been told the other night at dinner was a plausible one. Truthfully, she did believe it, but it also seemed a bit convenient as well. Oliver didn't give her the impression of having a bad heart. She didn't get negative vibes from him like she did many of the other men Jason called kin.
"There's no real way to be sure outside of confronting my father about it. Or unless there's some kind of record on file somewhere. A birth certificate? Do you think?" Jason glanced over his shoulder at her, and she shrugged.
"If you're looking for some kind of proof, then I would agree. There is bound to be something. Maybe a test of some kind as well. I don't think you're the one who needs the proof though." She reached her hands out for him to take, silently asking him to join her on the couch.
He did so with a heavy sigh and soon his face rested in the curve of her neck. "No, I'm not. My brother is blinded by 'Father'. He'll need hard evidence, but if I can convince him of the truth.... Do you have any idea what that could do? How things would change? It'd be a miracle. We need to go back home first."
"I'm happy for you. I know you love Lynx, but I'm glad you can have a real family with people who won't use you." She stroked the hair behind his ears, smiling.
"He's not all bad," Jason murmured against her skin. He began to plant small kisses along her neck that made her giggle from the tickling. She tilted her face so she could see him better and when their eyes met he smirked. "You like that huh?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe as in yes." He kissed her skin again. This time it was slower, and more sensual. She couldn't help but let out a quiet moan. His smirk widened, and the loving gaze in his eyes changed. The once thoughtful and innocent sparkle inside of them faded to something dark and dull. His pupils changed from their usual chocolate brown to black.
The affection he tried to give her as he continued to kiss her became rougher, almost as if he were desperate. It was a turn off. She pushed him away, trying to be gentle and playful about it so as not to bruise his ego.
"Maybe as in, not right now but another time." She let out a quiet, forced, laugh.
"But I love you. Don't you love me?" The tone in his voice was sly, slimy, and manipulative. Never before had he spoken to her in this way before.
Gwen glared at him. "What's gotten into you?"
He grabbed her by the wrists and forced her to lie down underneath him. "Nothing, and I'm tired of getting into nothing, being denied. What's the big deal? If you love me, there shouldn't be any problems."
When she looked up into his face, she didn't see Jason, the man she did love and care for. All she saw was the shell of his body and a monster living inside of him. The black eyes staring her body up and down were nothing but cold and uncaring. With one swift kick, her foot landed in the middle of his chest and knocked him off of the couch. She shook her head, looking at him with tears in her eyes. Jason held his head in pain and rocked himself up onto his knees.
"Get out," he yelled. At first, she thought he was talking to her. As she stood to leave the room, not wanting to be by him right now anyway, his hand shot out to grab hers. This time when she stared into his eyes, she saw him again. Jason. And there was nothing but fear in his wide eyes.
"Don't leave me," he whispered.
Gwen touched his face ever so gently, almost afraid to in case whatever switch had gone off in him earlier happened again. Her anger faded into confusion, and then pity. He really was possessed. There was no more denying it. His theory had been correct.
"I won't," she promised.
Chapter Forty-Nine
The Oceina
Tai stood in front of the television, blocking Darien's view of the screen completely. He sat up and raised both of his eyebrows as though he were surprised. Good. That was exactly how she wanted him to feel. She walked towards him and offered her hands for him to take.
"You need to get up and stop rotting your brain on that thing. You need a better way to let your mind rest. Something like happy thoughts."
"I do have happy thoughts," he said softly.
"Not as often as you used to. And I want to change that."
"All right, I'm all ears."
She opened and closed her fingers, trying to urge him to take her hands. He finally did and she pulled him up from the couch with a quiet grunt.
The feeling of his hands around hers had her feeling warm all over. The nerves she had been feeling earlier were fading. All day she had been in angst over what he would think of this idea. It was nothing more than a last attempt at finding some way to relax him. Nothing else she tried had worked. Hopefully this would be the one that did. She led him out of their master bedroom and into one of the many empty rooms that was connected to their suite. On the floor were several catalogs, paint swatches, and doodles she had put in her notebook during school. Doodles of things he liked, of her and him, of cute baby animals.
"What is this?" he asked and looked down at everything spread across the off-white carpeting.
"This," She waved a hand over all of the things on the floor, "is hopefully going to become your happy place. Or office. Either works. You need both right now. I know you don't like doing your work in the bedroom, and you don't want to use your father's old office." She paused and he nodded at her, his head moving slowly. "And maybe we could work on putting together a place for Ethan too...."
His eyes moved from the floor to her, and they widened a little with surprise. "You want to do that? For real?"
"He's going to need a place to sleep."
"I know, but I didn't think you'd be interested in it. You're not exactly tickled about motherhood, and haven't shown a lot of interest yet. I'm just a little surpri
sed," he said quietly.
Tai let out a soft sigh, and grabbed his hands to squeeze them. "It's still not what I would prefer, but it's growing on me. I'm glad we're bonding, him and I, because it makes me want to meet him. I don't think I'm going to be a good mother, but I can at least try my best right? And I know that it would make you happy. You hate being unproductive these days. It kills me to see you feel so guilty for resting and relaxing. I thought maybe a project would help you relax, but relieve some of that."
He chuckled and shook his head. "You've got me down to a T."
"I've been paying attention even if you think I don't notice."
Darien spun in a circle, taking in all of the room. "This would be better for an office because it wouldn't be as distracting for me."
"It's smaller, but if that's what you'd like."
"It's also further away from the bedroom. I'd like to keep Ethan close."
She nodded, and tugged on his hand so he could sit on the floor with her. "I can decorate it however you want. I know you don't have the time to do it all yourself. A project would be good for me too. Nesting. I read somewhere that was a normal part of pregnancy."
"Ashley cleaned the whole house during hers," he said. "I didn't do my own laundry for three months. She insisted. The only time she was ever nice to me actually."
How sad. Tai frowned briefly before putting another smile on her face. "And most importantly, it's something we can do together sometimes too. You won't have to feel bad for lying around, and maybe it'll stop you from feeling so restless at night. Burn some energy."
Too bad we can't in other ways. He gave her a weak smile. She wanted to point out that he wasn't the only one who was frustrated. But she was also so tired. "You're a genius. Did you know that?"
Tai took the compliment, smiling and letting him kiss her cheek. Not a genius, desperate. Hopefully things would get easier.
Chapter Fifty
The Inero
Gwen squeezed the life out of Jason's hand as they walked to the grand Inero Castle. He regretted telling his father that they would stay inside for their visit home. Not only did he not know how long this visit would last, but he was once more reminded of just how much he hated the castle. They should have gone back to their house even if it was now empty of most of their things. Hopefully they would only be there for a few weeks, and then they could go back to the island.
As usual, upon entering the castle, they were greeted by the bustle of everyone who lived inside. There was hardly ever a time when something wasn't happening within the walls. Someone was always awake, someone was always moving, and so getting in unnoticed was hard to do especially for him.
"Jason, you've returned!" One of his many half-brothers waved.
A stepmother gave him a hug, "I've missed you. Stop by? We can catch up?"
And it continued like this all the way to their suite. It used to be his old bedroom. True to his word, Lynx had kept it for him just as he remembered leaving it. Gwen shook as she stepped inside and she closed her eyes.
"I hate it here," she whispered.
"I know," he said. "I promised my brother I would be here for when Kat delivered the egg. Once that's done, we can go until it's time for hatching. This is my nephew...er...niece. I'm not sure what it's going to be, and that's another reason we need to be here. Don't worry, I won't force you to go to the pool. For all I care, you can stay holed up in here or the library, wherever you're comfortable."
She nodded and sat on the bed then laughed, which was the last thing he expected her to do. "This is a familiar scene."
He raised an eyebrow, confused, and then shook his head once the realization hit him. "This is where we first spoke. At least this time, we're coming for more pleasant reasons?"
"Meeting you was a pleasant experience, and a good enough reason for me."
"You weren't too happy that night, if I remember correctly."
"No, but it's turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It is one of the best things that ever happened to me." She smiled and lay down on the bed, stretching out. "For the time being I will resume my wifely duties of doing absolutely nothing besides looking beautiful, and you can attend to your brother."
Jason walked over and kissed her lips, slowly. "I'll try not to be long."
Chapter Fifty-One
The Inero
If Matt wasn't in his room, he was usually busy visiting Father. Not where Jason was hoping to see his brother for the first time again in over two months. He wasn't ready to see Lynx yet. He didn't know what to say or how to pretend everything was fine. And he was a horrible liar. Anyone who knew him would be able to see right through him and know something was wrong. Which is why it was a good thing when he happened to run into his brother in the hallway.
For a moment, all Matt did was stare at him, as if he didn't believe Jason was really there. Then the two hugged which was not an affection Jason was expecting, least of all in the castle where everyone could see.
"Miss me?" Jason said with a quiet laugh.
"I'm glad you're here. Yes."
"You say that like you didn't think I'd actually come. It is the beginning of the week, right?"
"I know. I didn't forget." His brother pulled away and went back to the usual emotionless stone face he wore for the world to see. Jason got the feeling there was something more Matt wanted to say, but for whatever reason he was holding back. Was it because they were in public? Or was something else happening that he didn't know about?
Jason waved for his brother to start walking again. "If you have somewhere to be, don't let me keep you. I just wanted to make sure you knew I was here."
"I'm actually on my way out of a meeting, so it's good timing. I have some time before I should go and check on Kat. She's so close to being due, and I don't think she'll realize she's in labor right away. Just in case. You know?"
"I do," Jason said with a nod.
Matt gave his brother a side-glance. "Things are still complicated? Although you do smell a little different. Half of the man musk, and half of your normal smell." He let out a quiet sigh, and Jason couldn't help but wonder if it was one of relief.
"Yes, it's a process. I know what I need to do." Evict my unwanted guest. After what happened the other night with Gwen, he saw just how dangerous this demon could be. It had been hard to push back, to fight. His stomach turned in sickening knots at the idea of hurting Gwen. That would not be happening. He'd die first.
"Good," Matt said. "I've been trying to explain that to Father. He's been asking about you, and about how things are going. He thought it strange that you still haven't been with her even though that was why you had left."
"It is strange, I guess."
"Why didn't you come home sooner?"
"I told you before, she likes it up there. It makes her happy. She's not a city girl. And okay, part of me was embarrassed too." Which was part of the truth at first. He didn't want to come home without consummating. "We still have six months according to the marriage laws. And with how we feel about each other, I'm sure I could petition for an extension too. I won't let anyone take her away from me. I know Father understands how love works. He's been in love. He knows what it's like to do anything for a woman. You do too."
"Yes. Be careful."
"Why do I need to be careful?" He raised an eyebrow.
Matt shook his head and put his arm around Jason. "Just make sure you stay for a while? For my sanity? I know she likes it out there, but a few months. Until hatch day even. It would make things right with Father."
Like I care about that? Jason had to fight the urge to roll his eyes, and he made sure his brother did not get that thought. "I didn't realize things weren't right with him."
"Like I said, he doesn't understand. You two should talk. He'd like that. It'd reassure him. You know how he is sometimes. He gets passionate about his plans, and he needs to be reminded who is on his side." If Jason didn't know better, he was positive Matt was giving him a pointed look. Anoth
er side-glance, but this time the two locked eyes when he did it. Then he continued, "Please think about it."
Jason forced a smile on his face. "Of course I'll see him and talk with him. I'm honored he wants to spend time with me. I know that he doesn't have much of it." It was the first time he was able to tell a lie to his brother and have it come out sounding believable. The jitters he usually felt inside of his stomach were gone, and Matt was giving him a genuine smile. Not rolling his eyes, or lecturing him about how he shouldn't be sarcastic when it came to their father.
"I'll make sure he gets the message. Come with me, and tell me more about the island. What makes it so magical?"
Jason gave a small smirk which wasn't what he wanted to do. The demon was rising again. The demon was the one who had lied for him.
You're welcome.
Chapter Fifty-Two
The Oceina
Classes were proving to once again be a great distraction from life for Tai. Ever since Darien told her about the Inero's plans to attack, she'd been on edge. Once again, he was pulled away from her often. About the only thing keeping them excited was the dance coming up that weekend. After that was three more days of classes, and then there would be a nice break from school.
Only two more classes to get through, and then I can go home. She was feeling exhausted already. Her next class was physical education, and for once she was actually looking forward to it. All for the simple reason of it being the swimming unit. If one thing perked her up and had her feeling better, it was water. The idea of getting into a bathing suit didn't appeal much to her though. Almost all of the other girls in class put on cute bikinis and two pieces. Tai had a tankini, and she made sure it covered her well. Even then, she felt like a blimp with her wider hips and bigger thighs. Probably only she noticed it, but the fact that she did was more than enough to make her self-conscious.. At least Alex wasn't in the class with her. That would have made it a nightmare.
