At Year's End (The 12 Olympians)

by Gasq-Dion, Sandrine

  “But you don’t.”

  “No, and I never could, Elijah.”

  Elijah sprawled out on the bed and covered his face. Jaxon leaned over him and peeled one finger back.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I can’t believe I came like that. You must think I’m so stupid.”

  “Look at me, Elijah.”

  Elijah removed his hands and peered up at Jaxon.

  “I would never think that. Got it?”

  Elijah nodded.

  Jaxon rose from the bed and went to the bathroom. He grabbed a washcloth and wet it. Taking it back to Elijah, he cleaned him up. Once he was done, he threw the cloth in the bathroom and came back to bed. He pulled Elijah into his arms and held him tight.

  “Yes, Elijah. We were meant to be.”

  “So you’ll be mine forever?”

  Jaxon kissed Elijah tenderly. “Always.”

  ~Chapter Eleven~

  Elijah closed his eyes as the Seattle sun enveloped him. As much as he missed New Zealand, he was glad to be back. As they approached Skylar’s house, the door opened and Skylar flew out. Elijah smiled and was almost bowled over when his friend slammed into him.

  “You’re back!” he shouted.

  Elijah hugged Skylar back tightly. “I’m home.”

  Ryder ran out to them and got in on the hug. The hair on the back of Elijah’s neck stood on end as power seemed to emanate from the three of them. Ryder and Skylar seemed to feel it, too, as they backed up and shook their hands out.

  “Whoa.” Ryder shook his head clear.

  “Elijah!”

  Elijah turned to see Stone running at him. He readied himself for the impact of Stone’s now much bigger physique. Being a football player had definitely changed Stone’s body type.

  “I missed ya!” Stone hugged him tightly.

  “I missed you, too.” Elijah glanced over at Skylar and Ryder. With Stone also being one of the children of the gods, the power between the four of them was rising. Stone stiffened and backed up a little, wiping his forehead.

  “Wow, what was that?”

  “My animal magnetism?” Elijah offered. He heard a soft snort from behind him and looked over his shoulder at Jaxon. “Shup.”

  “Well? Come on inside!” Skylar almost shouted.

  Ryder, Stone and Skylar went back inside as Jaxon got their bags from the car. He shut the trunk and made his way up the walk. He stopped midway and looked up on the roof. Elijah turned to see what he was looking at and saw a raptor perched on the rain gutter.

  “Killian.” Jaxon nodded.

  “Killian?” Elijah’s brows furrowed. “Oh, you mean the shape shifter?”

  “You told him?!”

  Elijah looked back up at the roof and started. Killian was glaring at Jaxon.

  “Don’t get your panties in a twist there, lover boy,” Elijah drawled.

  Jaxon chuckled.

  “You are not going to tell Stone, are you?” Killian asked.

  “We’re going to let him in on who he is,” Jaxon answered.

  “Do not tell him who I am!” Killian almost shouted.

  “Why not?” Elijah frowned.

  “I cannot protect him if you do.”

  “Ah,” Elijah nodded. “You don’t like each other.”

  Killian snorted.

  “Uh huh.” Elijah grinned.

  Killian shifted back into a raptor and glared at them.

  “That is so cool.” Elijah sighed.

  Elijah took his suitcase from Jaxon and they trekked inside the house. Elijah went to his room to drop off his suitcase. He looked around the room with a smile. He had a home, and a boyfriend.

  Strong arms encircled his waist and Elijah leaned back against Jaxon.

  “Hey, “Jaxon said softly.

  “Hmm?”

  “Maybe Friday you can stay with me at my house?”

  Elijah turned in Jaxon’s arms and studied his face. “I’d love that.”

  They headed back downstairs where the group was sitting around the dining room table. Justice hugged Elijah and shot a look at his brother.

  “Everything go okay?”

  Jaxon nodded.

  Skylar coughed and clasped his hands together. The group took their seats and Skylar took Nate’s hand. He had adjusted well to their group, but Skylar had known he would. He fit in with them perfectly. As a child of the streets himself, Nate understood what they had all been through.

  Justice’s arm came around Skylar’s shoulder and he relaxed into the warmth of his mate.

  “We need to tell you all a few things,” Skylar began. “First off, let me begin by saying you’re not alone.”

  Nate eyed Skylar. “Meaning?”

  “Remember when I told you I was the son of Poseidon?”

  Nate nodded.

  “Well, let’s just say I’m not the only child of a god here at this table. Ryder and Elijah are as well.”

  Stone’s mouth dropped open. “W-what?”

  Skylar turned his attention to Nate and Stone and took a deep breath. “You two are also the sons of gods.”

  “Okayyy,” Nate drawled. “Which one am I?”

  “You’re the son of Dionysus,” Skylar explained. “And Stone is the child of Apollo.”

  “Well, that’s not something you hear every day.” Stone flopped back in his chair, looking dazed.

  “Come on, Stone!” Elijah bounced in his chair. “Didn’t you think it was weird you could heal animals?”

  Stone’s brows furrowed. “I don’t know, I didn’t think about it like that. I always thought maybe they weren’t as injured as I first thought.”

  Nate’s brows were pinched in concentration. “Wait, I’m the son of a god who represents wine?”

  Jaxon chuckled. “And ecstasy.”

  “Well that makes sense,” Nate chuckled.

  Stone’s eyes widened as he looked at Elijah. “Wait, does that mean…?”

  “Yep, I’m the son of hepatitis.”

  “Hephaestus,” Jaxon corrected.

  “Whatever.” Elijah waved his hand in the air.

  “And I’m the son of Zeus,” Ryder said proudly.

  “So, wait a minute,” Stone searched all their faces. “How many of us are there? Is Dasan one, too?”

  “Nope.”

  They all turned to see Dasan at the front door with his guardians, Hayden Cox and Jude Brooks.

  “I’m a werewolf,” Dasan finished.

  “A huh?” Nate cocked his head to the side.

  “A werewolf,” Elijah repeated it. “Just like Jaxon and Justice are.”

  “And us.” Hayden lifted his hand in the air. “Hi guys. Heard there was a meeting.”

  Nate banged his head on the table. “Okay, this is too weird.”

  “Tell me about it.” Elijah leaned into Jaxon for comfort.

  “Well, let me get dinner started and we can fill you guys in on everything.” Skylar stood and looked from Stone to Nate. “Welcome to our world.”

  After dinner, they all sat around in the living room. Caden and Kellan had come over as well.

  All in all, Stone and Nate had taken the news quite well.

  Elijah was nestled in Jaxon’s lap as they all laughed and joked about what it meant to be a child of the gods. Of course, the rogues had to be explained and Justice went into great detail about them. The boys had to know what they were facing.

  “But, we’re powerful, right?” Nate asked.

  “Together, yes. I think individually, we won’t know what your powers are until you’re forced to use them. Like Ryder did in the alley at Cuffs and Stuff.”

  “God! The look on that guy’s face when Skylar asked him if he wanted to find out what would happen if we both went at him!” Ryder laughed.

  “Make no mistake,” Jaxon cut in. “Carl is dangerous. You guys need to watch out for one another.”

  “We always have.” Skylar hugged Nate, whom he had known when each was forced to turn to hustling sex to
survive on the streets.

  Elijah yawned and snuggled into Jaxon’s neck. “I’m so tired.”

  “Jet lag.” Jaxon pulled Elijah up and put an arm around him. “Night, guys.”

  Jaxon came out of the shower and into Elijah’s room to find him completely sacked out. He smiled and climbed into the bed. Holding Elijah close, he breathed in the scent of the man who had caught his eye and captured his heart two years ago. If anything were to happen to Elijah, he wouldn’t survive it. He knew it as the day was long.

  “Night, Elijah,” Jaxon whispered.

  ~*~

  School was hard the first few days. Trying to get back into the groove of things was proving harder than Elijah thought it would be. His mind was constantly on Jaxon. He couldn’t concentrate for shit. The worst part was that he had reverted to acting like a twelve-year-old girl. He’d find himself doodling ‘Elijah Salvatore’ on his paperwork. Ryder chuckled and Elijah realized he’d done it again, but this time there was a heart around his and Jaxon’s names.

  “Aww,” Ryder whispered.

  “Shut up!” Elijah whispered back with a grin.

  Something flew by his face and he swatted at it.

  Concentrating on his paper again, Elijah eyed the Spanish assignment. Something flew by his nose this time and Elijah looked up. A fly was buzzing him. He frowned. Weren’t flies dead during the winter? Was this uber-fly? It landed on his desk and Elijah grabbed his sheet to smack it. His mouth dropped open as the fly seemed to stand on its back legs and cross its arms. It almost seemed to be glaring at him.

  “Killian?” he whispered softly.

  The fly threw its front legs in the air as if to say ‘finally!’ and hopped closer. Elijah bent his head as close as he could get, and put his paper up so no one could see him conversing with an insect.

  “What?”

  The fly seemed to be pointing toward the front of the room.

  “Stone?”

  The fly pointed again with its front legs.

  “What? I don’t do charades,” he hissed.

  Elijah was startled by his teacher’s voice as she rose from her chair.

  “Okay, class! I want you all to go to the library and find a book in Spanish. We’re going to read a chapter out of each book.”

  Elijah grabbed his backpack and looked over his shoulder. Ashton was right behind him, and he didn’t look well at all. Stone made his way to the back of the class with Ryder.

  “Hey, Ashton?” Elijah knelt next to him. “Are you okay?”

  “Don’t feel so good,” Ashton moaned.

  Killian was now buzzing his face and Elijah stood up. The class was gone, but his teacher still stood at the front. A slight breeze whipped through the room and that’s when Elijah noticed the window was cracked open. He whirled to look for Killian but he was gone.

  “Um, Mrs. L? I think Ashton might need to go to the nurse.” Elijah turned to see Mrs. Lopez walk to the classroom door and lock it.

  “Oh, I don’t think that will be necessary. You see, I gave him something at lunch. Quite powerful, actually.”

  “What do you mean you gave him something?” Elijah pulled Stone and Ryder toward himself. He tried to lift Ashton, but the kid weighed twice as much as he did. “Come on, Ashton! We’re in trouble!”

  “Yes, you really are, son of Hephaestus,” Mrs. Lopez grinned.

  Elijah’s eyes widened and he tried again to pull Ashton up. Ryder and Stone tried as well. The seriousness of their situation was dawning on them. He pulled Ryder and Stone close to him and they formed a circle around Ashton’s desk.

  Mrs. Lopez tapped her fingernails on the door and right before his eyes, they elongated into long claws.

  “Petey wants you alive, but you know I never was good at directions and demands.”

  “What did you do with Mrs. L?” Elijah asked.

  “What we do with all of them,” she grinned.

  “Which one are you? Dopey or Asshole?” Ryder drawled.

  “I’m going with seriously stupid.” Stone narrowed his eyes.

  “So am I.”

  Stone whipped around to see the Killian guy standing in the back of the class.

  “I’m prepared to take you on.” Mrs. Lopez began walking toward them.

  “I’m not alone,” Killian grinned.

  The window shattered as a werewolf jumped through it, landing on Mrs. Lopez. It snarled in her face and snapped its jaws.

  “Do not kill her, Dane.” Killian began walking toward the front of the room. “We need to take her in — or him, whichever sex it is.”

  “Dane?” Ryder whispered. The werewolf was massive. Ryder’s eyes widened as he recognized the coat color.

  Killian lifted the rogue off the floor and glared at it. “Where is the teacher?”

  “Oh, relax! I didn’t kill her; she’s just drugged.”

  “What is the meaning of this?!” Killian roared.

  “Petey’s proving a point. We can get to them anywhere at any time, and if we can’t recruit them…” the rogue grinned.

  Elijah whipped around to Ashton, who seemed very pale. “What did you give him?”

  “A slow acting poison; Petey wanted to see if it worked.”

  “If it worked?” Elijah shouted.

  “Dane, go take care of the child.” Killian walked to the windows and glanced back over his shoulder. “We have more guards around the school, you are safe.”

  “Who’s got a pocket knife?”

  Stone turned to see a very naked man crouched down by Ashton. He wordlessly pulled one from his pocket and handed it over. Dane cut Ashton’s hand, then his own and dripped his blood into the open wound. Seconds later, Dane was back in wolf form.

  “Go to the headmaster,” Killian instructed. “We will find the teacher. In the meantime, tell the headmaster a tree broke the window.”

  “What tree?” Elijah frowned.

  Two seconds later, a tree branch came through the window.

  “That one.” Killian pointed.

  “Um, Killian? Thank you.” Stone tried to smile.

  “It is my job.” Killian threw the rogue out the window, and then hopped out after it.

  Stone growled in frustration. “Damn! Why can’t that man just say you’re welcome, or no problem?!”

  “Because he’s Killian?” Elijah offered.

  A loud moan came from Ashton and Elijah helped him to stand. “Are you okay?”

  “What happened?” Ashton blinked.

  “Low sugar levels?” Ryder shrugged his shoulders. “You seemed kind of out of it.”

  “Was there a wolf in here?” Ashton looked around the room slowly.

  “A wolf? Oh wow, you need some soda or candy.” Elijah gripped Ashton’s bicep. “Come on, we’ll take you with us to the headmaster, then to the library. Maybe we can hit the vending machine on the way there.”

  ~*~

  A roar shook his bedroom window and Elijah cringed. Jaxon wasn’t taking the news about the attack at school well. In fact, he was losing it at a rapid rate. Elijah stood in front of Jaxon and grabbed his biceps.

  “Calm down!”

  “Are you kidding me?” Jaxon’s eyes were incredulous.

  “No, I’m not kidding you. Look, I’m okay and so are Stone and Ryder. It all worked out. Killian and Dane were there — ”

  “They weren’t the only ones; Hayden was there, too.”

  “So, see? It’s all good.” Elijah cupped Jaxon’s face. “I’m okay.”

  “You have to be.” Jaxon pulled Elijah into his arms. “I don’t like this. What if something had happened to you?”

  “I would have sicced my phoenix on them,” Elijah chuckled in Jaxon’s embrace.

  “Because that wouldn’t scare anyone,” Jaxon laughed.

  Elijah looked up at Jaxon with a grin. “So, are you okay?”

  “I could use a kiss,” Jaxon grinned.

  “That’s all?” Elijah waggled his eyebrows.

  “No, I want more, bu
t I can wait.”

  “How about on Friday when I come over we can get a little nekkid.” Elijah’s hand trailed down Jaxon’s chest to his dick. He squeezed it softly. “How does that sound?”

  Jaxon groaned as the heat from Elijah’s hand seared his jeans. God, but he wanted him right then. He nodded instead, and kept his libido in check.

  “That sounds good.”

  “Good. I’m going to shower and then we can watch a few more episodes of your favorite show.” Elijah snickered and began walking, then turned back with a frown. “Where was Mrs. Lopez? Was she really okay?”

  “Yes, she was. She was at home with a massive migraine and had called in to the school this morning to tell them she’d be late. The rogue took her place.”

  “So she’s oblivious to today’s activities?”

  Jaxon nodded. “Yep.”

  “Good,” Elijah sighed. “I really like her.”

  “We’re doing homework on Ashton right now. There has to be a reason they chose him.”

  “Well, he’s definitely mellowed,” Elijah sighed. He’d been let in on what had happened at the school with Carl. He hated that he couldn’t remember everything, but bits and pieces would come back. James Jacobs was working on a way to stop whatever Carl and his assholes were doing to control him. Elijah realized he’d walked away from Jaxon without kissing him. He walked back across the room and wrapped his arms around him.

  “Kiss me.”

  Jaxon leaned in and kissed Elijah’s lips softly. A low moan entered his mouth and he pulled Elijah into him, holding him close. Jaxon touched Elijah’s cheek softly, cupping his jaw and deepening the kiss. They broke from it after what seemed like hours later, both panting.

  “Is it hot in here?” Elijah gasped.

  “Yep.”

  “Cold shower?”

  “Yep.”

  After kissing and fondling in the shower, Elijah dropped into bed clean and sated. Jaxon’s body was warm against his and they snuggled. If anyone had asked him two years ago if he ever thought he’d be cuddling in bed with Jaxon Salvatore, he would have died laughing. His friends would probably die laughing at him anyway for doodling ‘Elijah Salvatore’ in his notebook. Jaxon’s body shook and Elijah peeked over his shoulder.