The Angel Pack 10 - Home

by Walsh Maggie

  “No wonder I so big―and tired.” Noah laughed.

  “And hungry, especially for bacon,” Bastian teased and kissed Noah.

  “Mmm, bacon.”

  “How are you feeling, Noah?” Micah asked.

  “Tired. But I happy.”

  “How about we let you get some rest. Do you all need anything? Would you like us to stay and help with the babies?” Jesse offered.

  “How about you both head home, and Ry and I will stay and help. You have a house full of young ones trapped by the storm.”

  “What’s this?” Storm asked.

  Micah chuckled. “Evan’s boys are at the house. They came to drop off Sage to meet with Shelby, but the storm got bad, and Jesse insisted they stay and wait it out.”

  “But couldn’t you just open a portal or walk them through the wall, Jess?” Bastian asked.

  “Yeah.” Jesse smiled mischievously. “But it was more fun this way.”

  Bastian, Noah, and Storm looked at him in confusion.

  “As the boys were coming to us, Dad was going over to Evan’s to see if they needed any help with the storm,” Micah explained with a laugh.

  “Oh, so the matchmaking team of Jesse and Micah strikes again,” Bastian said.

  Jesse shrugged and smiled wide.

  * * * *

  “So what have you found?” Minos asked.

  “I was able to locate the witch’s power source. As you said, upon her death, her powers transferred to her offspring. I wasn’t able to pinpoint it to a specific person yet. I would need to be in close proximity,” the man explained.

  “I know she had a son, Matthew, and he is now a part of the Prime’s pack. He has been reunited with his father, the beta, Raith Angel. Malachi already informed me of all of this.”

  “Yes, my lord Minos, but if I can get close enough to him, then I may be able to take those powers from him.”

  “What about the other witch? The beta’s mate? He is of the bloodline of one of the original six. His powers are sure to be more powerful than young Matthew’s.”

  “That is true, my lord, but the power signature I feel coming from Alison’s spirit is very strong. She may not have even been aware of it herself, but I believe she was also of the original six witch lines. Only her magic is more toward the dark side.”

  “Then I want them both. Bring me the light witch, the dark witch, and the doctor. Take as many Nephilim as you think you will need, but beware of the Heart. He is more powerful than either Malachi or I ever even imagined.”

  “I will go to the Angel pack territory and keep an eye on their activities. Once I know their routines, I will return for the Nephilim’s help.”

  “Take this,” Minos said and held out his hand. The man opened his palm, and Minos dropped a black stone into it. “Once you have the information you need and you have found the opportunity to grab them, I want you to seize the moment, not have to return for the Nephilim. When the time is right, hold this stone and cast the Nephilim spell I taught you. They will come right to you.”

  “Thank you, my lord. I will not let you down.”

  “I know you won’t, Dommiel,” Minos said with a smile and grabbed the demon’s chin, bringing their lips together in a claiming kiss.

  * * * *

  Evan sighed softly. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this comfortable and relaxed. He was nice and toasty-warm in his bed, and for some reason, it felt a thousand times better this morning than it ever had before. He stretched out his legs only to be stopped by another leg―a leg covered in muscles and hair. A naked leg that was pressed against his naked leg. His eyes flew open, and he realized he was wrapped in someone’s arms, and it felt so damn good, so right. Evan turned his head to look over his shoulder and saw his handsome mate sleeping behind him. Evan smiled at the sight of Raphael in slumber. He truly was a gorgeous man. If Evan played his cards right, the man would claim him, and Raphael would be all his.

  His gaze roamed over Raphael’s face. There was a slight stubble growth along his chin, which made him appear more rugged. He wanted to belong to this man. Evan wanted his mate, but he couldn’t let the man know about his past. It would break his heart when his mate rejected him and walked away. Evan turned away as his eyes misted over. He didn’t want to think about the amount of pain his heart would be in if his mate rejected him.

  As right and wonderful as this felt, he couldn’t allow Raphael to get any closer to him. Then memories from the day before crossed his mind. Raphael had come out in the middle of the storm to check on him and his boys. He brought them supplies so that they would be okay. Then there was the kiss. The kiss to end all kisses. Evan knew all men were now ruined for him after just one kiss from his mate, but it wasn’t just any kiss. It was a curl-your-toes, howl-at-the-moon, roll-over-and-expose-your-belly type of kiss. It consumed him and took his breath away. He never wanted it to stop. He held onto Raphael like a lifeline and prayed they could stay in that moment for eternity, and his mate’s taste, oh gods, his mate’s taste was like no other. Even with the hint of stew and hot sauce, Raphael’s own taste was still the dominant deliciousness that made his head spin.

  He had to stop thinking like that. Evan had to let Raphael go and find someone that deserved him. The visions from last night assaulted him―him and Raphael laughing and joking as they moved the couch to face the fireplace, and then them cuddling by the fire as Raphael wrapped his arm around Evan and held him close. Evan had never felt so content in his life as he did in that moment. He had been relaxed and felt truly safe for the first time since he came out to his parents. He had fallen asleep in his mate’s arms, and for the first time in over two hundred years, he’d slept soundly and without nightmares waking him in the middle of the night.

  When he woke, he didn’t want to move. It had been the best night’s sleep in more than two hundred years, as well. He had stared out the window and watched as the sun began to lighten the sky, just listening to his mate’s even breathing. It was the best morning of his life, and that scared the hell out of him.

  The realization that he was already falling in love with Raphael sent him into a panic attack, and he needed to get away from him. He needed to escape, but he couldn’t. The storm had already dropped a shit ton of snow, and it was still coming down. Evan went to the kitchen as he tried to calm his breathing. He was hyperventilating, and he didn’t want to wake his mate.

  He ran out the back door in only the clothes he wore and no shoes, and let the frigid air wash over him. His lungs burned from the sudden cold, and he began to shake, but it did the trick. His breathing returned to normal, and the panic subsided. Evan turned and went back into the mudroom and put on his winter gear, grabbed the snow shovel they kept there, and went out to clear some of the snow. The work would help him clear his mind, as well, and maybe he could come up with a way to keep his mate without having to share his past.

  As he worked, he knew there was no way he would get what he wanted. He would have to share everything with Raphael and see what happened. He hoped his mate wouldn’t look at him like the monster he was, and that somehow he would still want Evan, but he knew it was only a pipe dream. There was no way his mate would want him. It looked like the only way he could get his mate to stop coming around, so that he could get on with mending his broken heart, was to just get it over with and confess all his sins.

  This was probably the perfect opportunity, too. The boys were all gone, they were all alone, and Raphael couldn’t run from him, or he from Raphael.

  He needed to get up and put some clothes on. There was no way he could have this conversation with both of them naked. Speaking of which, how did he get naked? Had they had sex? Evan focused his mind on all the areas of his body, and nothing told him that he’d had had sex with Raphael. So how did he get in his room and undressed, and what was Raphael doing in his bed, just as naked?

  “You’re thinking too loud, mate,” Raphael said in a raspy voice from behind Evan, and tightened his arm
s around him.

  “I killed my parents, some humans, and my lover,” Evan blurted out in a rush, and Raphael stiffened behind him.

  Chapter 7

  What is wrong with me? How could I just blurt it out like that? Evan admonished himself as he let the hot water cascade over him. After his outburst, Raphael had sat up and told him that he thought it was time they talked and that they got everything out in the open. Raphael climbed out of his bed, retrieved his clothes, and dressed. Evan noticed that the light was on and realized that the heat and hot water were now working, as well. Trying to delay the inevitable and get his thoughts straight, he said he needed a shower and raced out of the room, and into the bathroom.

  As he stepped under the spray, he heard Raphael pass by in the hallway, making his way downstairs. That was half an hour ago. He couldn’t keep hiding. He needed to face his mate and get this over with. Evan turned off the water and grabbed a towel. He stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around his waist. He brushed his hair and teeth, and then looked at himself in the mirror. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The time had come and he needed to face the music, even if the Alpha Prime exiled him. He only hoped that Micah would let the boys stay and take them under his wing.

  Evan went to his bedroom, put on clean clothes, and then made his way back downstairs. As he reached the bottom step, he looked toward the living room and found that the couch had been returned to its original place, and Raphael was sitting on it, drinking from a steaming cup of something. There was also another cup on the coffee table, as well as a platter of cut-up fruit, crackers, and cheese.

  “Seeing as we missed breakfast and it’s approaching lunch, I figured a snack was in order. Come and join me, mate,” Raphael said calmly and turned to look at him.

  Evan saw no anger or hate in his eyes, only the same calm glow that had always been present in his mate’s eyes. Evan walked into the room and sat on the couch at the other end from Raphael. He took the cup from the table, brought it to his lips, and sipped the hot goodness of the coffee within. Evan smiled inside, realizing that Raphael had made his coffee perfectly. The man had remembered how he liked it. He lowered the cup to his lap and looked down at it.

  “My parents were the best parents in the world. I loved them more than anything, and I still miss them every day.”

  Evan began to tell his tale of how his parents had protected him and his secret, of how his alpha found out, and of the events that followed. Raphael never interrupted him, listening to every word Evan said, never taking his eyes off Evan. When Evan got to the part when he knew his father was dead, he broke down in tears. He hunched over and began shaking.

  Raphael placed his cup on the table and moved to Evan’s side. He lifted him up and placed Evan on his lap, then held him tight as he whispered calming words in his ear. Evan cuddled into his embrace and absorbed the comfort. After Evan’s tears slowed he raised his head and looked at Raphael. His face was wet from his tears.

  “Why are you being so nice to me?” Evan sniffled as he shook.

  “Why wouldn’t I be nice to you?” Raphael asked in confusion as he continued running his hand up Evan’s back in comfort.

  “I just told you that I killed my parents. You should hate me.”

  “I could never hate you, mate, and what you told me was how wonderful your parents were. How much they adored you and loved you. They gave their lives to protect you. Your alpha killed your parents, not you. You fought and did everything you could to deny the claims and hide your true self to protect not only yourself, but them, as well.”

  “But it is me, because of what I am, that put them in danger. It is because of me that the alpha tortured and killed them. Their murders are on my hands. My hands are stained with the blood of my parents.”

  “Oh, sweetheart, that’s not true,” Raphael said gently as he pulled Evan back against his chest and held him tight. “As a parent of a gay son from back in those days, I can tell you that it wasn’t your fault. We think that times are bad now for homosexuals, but it is nothing compared to what it was like back then. I was fortunate enough that I was the alpha and that I could protect my son from those that thought he should be killed for who he was. I didn’t want to send my sons away. It broke my heart that I had no other choice but to send Micah and Raith away to keep them safe, as well as Gabriel and Castiel. It was because of my love for them that I had to do it, though.

  “And from what you have told me about your parents, they were doing the same thing. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had already been contemplating sending you away to keep you safe. Your parents loved you and did what they had to do to protect you. It’s what parents do for their child. It’s what all parents should do. I know there are a lot of parents in this world that turn ugly and turn on their children when they admit to their sexuality. Personally, I don’t understand those parents. I can’t fathom throwing my child away for being who they are.

  “Let me ask you something, sweetheart. How do you feel about all your boys?”

  Evan pulled his head up and looked into Raphael’s eyes. “I love all these boys like they were my own.”

  “And what would you do for them?”

  “I would do anything for them. They need someone to show them that they are worth something. That they matter, and that someone cares about them and what happens to them. They need someone who can make them feel safe and give them a home. Someone who will love them unconditionally.”

  “And where did you learn that from?”

  “My paren―” Evan cut off his words once he realized what Raphael was getting at.

  “Exactly. You have followed in your parents’ footsteps. You have taken the best of them and have honored them by doing what you know they would have done, what they did for you. They died trying to protect you. It was a horrible way for them to be taken from you, and I can’t even imagine the pain you suffered having to watch what that bastard did to the two people you loved most, but it wasn’t your fault.

  “If your parents were here today, I know what they would tell you. They would let you know how much they loved you and how proud they are of you. They would tell you that they don’t blame you for any of it and that they would do it all again as long as you were safe. As long as you were allowed to grow and have a life of your own. I know that all they wanted was for you to be happy. I know this because I am a parent, and that’s what I wish for my sons, and I think your parents’ hearts would break if they knew you had spent all these years being weighed down by this guilt, especially for something you didn’t do.”

  “I hear you, but I still feel like it was my fault. If only I had stood firmer against those betas and that whore. If only I hadn’t gone with her to begin with, then my parents may still be here.”

  “You had no control over the events of that day, or any day for that matter. You did the best you could as the situations arose. From what you told me, you tried to protest and give them plausible explanations. Maybe they had suspicions already and sent that woman to you. You said you were shocked to find the betas there. I think it is a good possibility they were there to catch you doing something. They just may not have known what. Or maybe they did and were trying to prove it to your alpha.”

  Evan looked at him in wide-eyed confusion. “Do you really think that was a possibility?”

  “Yes, I do. I have seen a lot in my days. I have seen the evil that people and shifters do to each other, but whether that was the case or not, none of it was your fault, Evan, and your parents wouldn’t want you to think so either. They wouldn’t want you to torture yourself for even a minute over it. Let their love heal you, mate. Let their memory lead you as you have been doing. Honor them by being who you are and doing what you believe is the right thing to do. Honor them by forgiving yourself and seeing the truth.”

  Evan stared into Raphael’s eyes for a few more moments before he looked down and cuddled up against Raphael’s strong chest, letting his mate’s words sink in. />
  “So how were you able to escape?” Raphael asked softly.

  “It was the beautiful lady. She helped me,” Evan answered absently.

  Raphael pulled away slightly and lifted Evan’s face to his. Once their eyes met, he asked, “The beautiful lady?”

  Evan nodded. “Yes. As I knelt there, chained to the floor, staring at my parents’ lifeless bodies, the alpha cleared the room. He told me that they would be back for me shortly. They all left, and I heard them lock the door. I knelt there sobbing, telling my parents how sorry I was, when suddenly I heard the voice of an angel. I looked up and there before me, standing a few feet away, was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. She had hair the color of spun gold, and it seemed to glow. It cascaded down her back, almost reaching the floor.

  “Her eyes were so blue, like the blue in an iceberg, and they held great wisdom. She looked at me with compassion. There was softness in her gaze that made me feel safe. She had an aura about her that made me feel like she was very powerful. She wore a long white robe with a golden sash around the waist, and a ring of green leaves sat on her head. Her face was so stunningly beautiful, almost angelic, and I knew I wasn’t worthy enough to look upon her beauty.”

  Evan stared off in front of him as he remembered that day. “When she spoke, it sounded like beautiful music. It affected me so strongly that I couldn’t hold back the tears. I wasn’t even aware of what she said because I was so taken by her. She gave me a soft smile, and then she told me that I had to fight. I had to get out of there and live. That I had an important part in the future and I needed to play my part. She stepped closer and placed her hand on my head. Suddenly the agony in my body was gone. The pain in my heart was still there, but my body didn’t hurt. I looked down and saw that all my wounds were gone, and there was no trace of the blood that had only moments ago covered my skin. Then I noticed my wrists were no longer shackled. I looked up to ask her how, but she was gone.”