I was going to make Dimitri take me to them until I screwed myself over with my family’s truth serum, he thought. He didn’t voice it though. Instead he simply smiled and returned the hug she was giving him. Jesus H. Christ, she really enjoyed bear hugs, didn’t she?
“Presley is resting well now, and Lorcan probably won’t be too far behind. Would you like to have something to eat? I’m fixing Dimitri a plate right now, but it would be no issue to make something for you, Dear.”
“I would love something to eat,” Rutley replied as he pushed himself up from the couch.
––––––-
Arnold was relieved to have his niece back. The night had taken a strange turn in events, but he would forever be grateful to having supernatural hearing that allowed him to pick up on another ursithrope’s cry of distress. No sooner than the sound touched their ears, he and Richard Bamey had been out the door without a second’s hesitation. It was a damn miracle that they were able to pick up on so many scents at once, too. It was odd…..
Everything happens for a reason, he reminded himself as he gazed at Presley’s sleeping form. She’d only been back for an hour, but already Arnold was planning out ways to keep her indoors for the rest of her life. He would never let her out of his sight again.
His green eyes watched as Presley’s chest rose and fell with steady breaths, his ears listening intently to the calm beating of her heart; she had his heart within her own, and she didn’t even know it. Presley was more like a daughter for him than a niece. The past five days had been pure torture for him. Had anything so agonizing ever happened to him?
His mind wandered back to Meredith McClintock then. She was the only woman he’d ever really loved, and his love for her had cost him everything. He’d been so stupid to think they had a future together, and not a day passed by when he didn’t feel regret for how things played out. They’d gotten married despite his father’s warning, and when Arnold found out they were expecting a child…..well, he was on top of the world.
He learned the hard way that Urseth intended for their bloodline to remain pure, and it came at the price of Meredith and their unborn child dying because of his selfishness. It wasn’t fair.
He lifted his hand to wipe at his eyes, blinking a few times while trying to regain his composure. With Caroline leaving them behind so many years ago, Presley was all he had left. She was his family. She was his girl, and he’d be damned if he let anything happen to her ever again.
“I’m glad you’re home, baby,” he whispered, reaching out to touch her hand gently. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect, but I promise I won’t let him near you again. Rest easy.”
He pushed himself up from her bedside, heading for the door before he turned to gaze at her a final time. “I love you,” he added, and then opened the door.
He was surprised to see Lorcan Bamey standing there, and he quirked a brow in curiosity. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
Lorcan lifted his eyes to meet Arnold’s before he shrugged. “The key word is shouldn’t, huh?” He asked as his eyes wandered over Arnold’s shoulder to peer into the room. “How is she?”
“Sleepin’,” Arnold replied with a small frown. “Which is what you should be doing. You need to get some rest.”
“I’ll rest when I’m dead,” Lorcan stated as he took a step forward. He only stopped when he realized Arnold wasn’t moving. His lips anchored downwards as he met his gaze again.
“I want to know what your intentions with my niece are.”
Lorcan gave him an expression that said ‘are you serious right now?’ and yes, Arnold was very serious. Mrs. Bamey had mentioned that there might be a possible coupling between them in the near future, and while Arnold had promised he would be completely okay with it as long as his niece was returned safely; he was now beginning to question that promise.
Sure, Lorcan was a good kid and he’d grown into a fine young man; but it was Presley they were talking about. His girl. Arnold had a lot of conflicting feelings about the situation, and he wasn’t overly fond of anybody ‘coupling’ with her.
Tim hurt her, he thought as he tilted his head to the side. If I ever have a chance to meet that little son of a…..
“I love her,” Lorcan proclaimed, pulling Arnold out of his thoughts. “And she loves me, Mr. Goult. I may not be everything you expected for her, and I may not have an impressive job like Liam had, but I will take care of her. I’ll protect her and make her happy. I know I am capable of that. I can give her a comfortable life.”
Arnold crossed his arms over his chest, staring as Lorcan sternly as he pursed his lips together in thought.
“And this has nothing to do with the fact your parents and Pierce Carroll had high hopes of their children coupling in the future?”
Lorcan rolled his eyes. “With all due respect, Mr. Goult, what I feel for Presley has nothing to do with anyone else’s influence. I’ve known her since the day she was born and I have loved her since the first time she smiled at me. What I feel in my heart has no regards for what other people wanted. She is what I want and I’m pretty damn sure I’m what she wants, too,” he exhaled lightly before nodding. “So if you’re dropping a hint that I need to receive your blessing before pursuing her…..then I’m asking for it, Sir.”
Arnold lifted his hand to scratch his chin, studying Lorcan for a moment before he shook his head. “Son, I don’t reckon you ever needed my blessing to be with my niece. You abided by the laws of Urseth and waited for her to show interest, which I’m assuming has already happened. I just want you to know,” he narrowed his eyes. “If you hurt her, I own a shotgun and a shovel. I’ll put you where they will never find you. Got it?”
Lorcan grinned, nodding his head eagerly as he thrust his hand forward to shake Arnold’s. “I got it.”
–––––––-
It was a moment in time that Dimitri didn’t want to forget, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure he wanted to deal with the emotions he was inflicting upon himself by accepting Mrs. Bamey’s offer to let him sleep in Liam’s bedroom. Upon entering the small enclosed space, he was okay; but the longer he stood there, gazing at the pictures and memories that belonged to his late boyfriend, it suddenly became the hardest damn thing he’d ever endured.
He swallowed the agonizing lump of emotions gathering in his throat, forcing them back into his chest as he turned his gaze from one item to another. A framed picture of Liam with his mother rested on the dresser. He couldn’t have been more than eight or nine. Mrs. Bamey had her arms wrapped around him, smiling wide for the camera as her first born pressed a kiss against her cheek.
The next photograph was taped against the mirror. It was of Liam and Lorcan on a hot summer day, dressed in their ridiculously bright swimming trunks while having fun in the pool. They were flexing their nonexistent muscles as they cheesed it up for the camera. They seemed much younger in that picture, but it was easy to tell who was who.
Trophies and medals were placed neatly beside one another on the back of the dresser. Liam had won first place in the science fair in 1999. That made a lot of sense actually; Liam was incredibly smart. Dimitri had been drawn to his intelligence from day one. He bit his lower lip, smiling gently as his hazel gaze dropped to another trophy. Most Valuable Player, KHS Baseball Team, 2003.
He felt a sense of pride as he gazed at his boyfriend’s awards, wishing they could’ve shared this moment together. If only Liam could be by his side, explaining every memory and exciting play in detail.
Then his eyes settled on a picture of Liam with another male in their baseball uniforms. Liam had his arm wrapped around the boy’s shoulders, giving a thumbs up to the photographer as he smiled. Dimitri swallowed hard, leaning in to get a closer look.
He knew that face.
“Liam had a shot at the major leagues.”
He didn’t even have to look up to know who was talking. He sensed Rutley’s presence even before he entered the room.
“He was the
best damn baseball player I ever met and he really could’ve made it, I think.”
Dimitri lifted his head then, turning to gaze at Rutley. The other male rested his eyes on the photograph Dimitri had been gazing at, and the look on his face was exactly how Dimitri felt at the moment; sad.
Rutley stepped closer, stopping only a few inches away from Dimitri as he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. He sighed, lowering his head.
“We played ball all throughout middle school and high school. Lorcan was into the track and field gig, but we knew where the real fun was,” he managed a small grin, lifting his eyes to meet Dimitri’s gaze. “There are a lot of memories on this dresser.”
Dimitri licked his lips, unsure of what he was supposed to say now. He’d accused Rutley of lying. He’d said that Liam had never mentioned the other male before, but truth be told, he had.
Liam’s fingertips traced over Dimitri’s as he smiled, turning his head to gaze at him. “Have I ever told you about the time me and Chip experimented with cherry bombs? God that was a mess.”
Dimitri grinned, nudging his nose against Liam’s cheek before shaking his head. “No, you haven’t told me that one before,” he said softly, pressing a kiss to his lover’s jawline. It was the best way to spend a relaxing afternoon in this little lazy town. Lying on the bankside with Liam in his arms was the most incredible feeling in the world. “But I want to hear it.”
“Okay, well,” Liam chuckled. “Chip somehow managed to get his hands on a few and we decided to try them out on Nana Hettie’s mailbox…..”
Dimitri understood now. His brows furrowed as he stared at the male, watching as Rutley fidgeted nervously with a loose thread on his shirt. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, occasionally glancing up at Dimitri before dropping his gaze again.
“Why did he call you Chip?” Dimitri asked quietly.
Rutley’s head lifted upon hearing the question, and there was a sparkle of acknowledgement in his blue hues as his mouth fell open. Was he surprised that Dimitri knew about his nickname? Was he confused? Maybe. Dimitri felt a little confused, too.
“Uh,” Rutley blinked. “That’s a really funny story, actually,” he laughed nervously. “It’s short for Chipmunk.”
Dimitri quirked a brow.
“It’s because my middle name is Alvin,” Rutley admitted. “Everyone always made that association whether I wanted them to or not. Alvin the chipmunk, Chipmunk, and then eventually it just got shortened down to Chip.”
“Oh,” Dimitri nodded slowly. Well, that did make sense, now didn’t it? He smiled a little, reaching out to pick up the picture of Liam with Mrs. Bamey. Memories were all any of them had now.
“I miss him,” Dimitri said after another moment. “You know, when we decided that we wanted to be exclusive as a couple……I told him that it would be too dangerous. I didn’t want him to get hurt.”
He felt the sting of tears assaulting his sinuses and he immediately blinked back the moisture attempting to gather. As much as his heart was hurting, he couldn’t cry in front of a damn werewolf hunter. He couldn’t let Rutley see the soft side of him-at all.
He was Liam’s best friend, his mind argued. He can’t be that bad of a person if Liam trusted him.
“I miss him, too, you know?” Rutley offered, reaching out to rest a hand against Dimitri’s shoulder. “I still can’t believe he’s gone.”
“Well believe it,” Dimitri suddenly snapped as he glared at him, pulling away from his grasp. “Breslin made sure of that.”
He immediately regretted his overreaction as he saw the look on Rutley’s face. The male seemed stunned, and there was definitely some sort of devastation causing the frown on his lips. Dimitri sighed.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered, shaking his head. “I didn’t mean to snap at you, Rutley. I think I’m just tired.”
Tired or not, he was still blinking away the tears that needed to fall. The tears that always surfaced when he thought about Liam; the tears that managed to escape from time to time, but they never gushed like a waterfall as he knew they needed to. He couldn’t let himself do that. He couldn’t accept Liam’s death just yet.
“Yeah,” Rutley whispered. “I’m tired, too.”
They stood there for a solid five minutes. Neither of them spoke as they gazed at the picture of Liam with his mother. Time became nonexistent as they remembered the kind, compassionate male staring back at them. A man they would never get to see again. One had loved him, and the other one had been in love with him.
“I guess I’ll let you go to bed now,” Rutley whispered suddenly. His voice was cracking with emotion and he had to clear his throat in an effort to regain his composure. “Goodnight.”
Dimitri’s eyes watched the male’s retreating back, and there was a part of him that wanted to ask him to stay…..but that was wrong. He had no right to ask Liam’s best friend to stay and comfort him. He did not deserve that comfort. He was responsible for Liam’s death and he deserved every ounce of pain that came his way. It was unforgivable.
“Goodnight,” Dimitri called after him.
Twelve
As everyone else settled in for the night, Lorcan found it difficult to fall asleep. He tossed and turned, and punched his pillow in frustration as he tried to make himself tired. It just wasn’t happening.
He was glad to be back home and completely alert to everything going on around him. Presley was safe, Dimitri was alive, and they were far away from that raving lunatic. He should’ve been happy, yet he wasn’t.
“Why the hell can’t I sleep?” He wondered aloud, closing his eyes and willing his body to shut down for some much needed rest. Maybe it was just because he was trying to sleep on the couch. Could anyone actually get a decent night’s rest on such furniture? He’d have better luck at sleeping on the floor.
Forget this. He got up from the couch, scratching the back of his head as he trudged down the hallway. He could hear various snores coming from every direction. He wasn’t surprised that it got so noisy when multiple ursithropes were sleeping under the same roof; especially when the majority of them were male.
After using the bathroom and splashing his face with water that was so cold it could rival the deepest depths of Alaska, he opened the door to exit the bathroom.
But then he stopped.
Her scent hit him with a vengeance and Lorcan damn near lost the use of his legs as his head turned in the direction of where she was sleeping. She was in his bedroom, of course, which was the only way he agreed to let anybody else have his bed for the night. If anyone was going to sleep in his room besides him, it had to be Presley or no deal.
Yet now that he thought about it, maybe letting her have his bed was a very bad thing. He was nearing the door before he realized it, and then he was closing the door carefully behind himself. It was pitch black, and all he could hear was the steady sound of her breathing.
Dear Urseth, what are you doing? He asked as his feet carried him towards the bed. Her scent was intoxicating, seeping into his veins and heading straight for his heart as he licked his lips. She’s asleep, you idiot. Don’t wake her up.
It felt right when they were this close to one another. Despite the fact they weren’t connected like his mother and father, Lorcan longed to be near to her all the time. He couldn’t help himself; Presley was the one for him, and his desire to be with her overpowered any common sense he had.
The soft creak of the mattress reached his ears as he seated himself beside her, his eyes scanning the darkness in an attempt to catch a glimpse of her beautiful face.
“Mm,” she sighed gently, shifting on the bed as she stretched her legs out beneath the blankets. “Mhm.”
He wondered what she was dreaming about, and he thanked the great Urseth above that she wasn’t having a nightmare. He could only imagine how vivid those would be once he did manage to slip out of consciousness; but for now, he was entirely content on just being by her side.
“Mhm,
” she repeated, releasing a harsh breath through her nostrils as her knee bumped his hip gently. He bit back the smile threatening to spread as he pressed his palm against the sheets, leaning down to listen to what she was mumbling.
“Baby,” she murmured, shifting again as her palm fell open near his fingers.
He couldn’t help but to brush his fingertips over the smooth skin of her wrist, feeling the static electricity that surged through him from the simple touch. It was amazing how she could take his breath away by simply existing.
Baby? Now he was even more intrigued with what her dreams consisted of. Was she dreaming of him? It was a flattering thought; he dreamed about her all the time.
Moving a little closer, Lorcan lifted his hand to touch her jawline, memorizing the warmth of her silken flesh as his lips parted. There was no denying that what he felt for her was the real deal; it always had been. He didn’t care about her because of the ways of the ursithropes. Perhaps, at one time, he’d been under the impression that that’s how it was supposed to happen, but deep down, he knew that Presley had been holding his heart for a very long time. She’d possessed it before he even understood what the coupling ceremony meant.
“Baby,” she repeated in a gentle sigh.
“I’m here,” Lorcan whispered, letting his lips touch lightly against her cheek as he pushed her hair away from her face. “I’m right here, Pretz.”
–––––––-
It took a few seconds before the fogginess of dreams cleared in her mind. She blinked slowly, trying to recall where she was. She knew she was safe, and she knew she was warm-but what stirred her from sleep in the first place?
Her bear knew it before she did, but it didn’t take Presley long to catch up. She smiled in the darkness of the bedroom, allowing Lorcan’s scent to invade her brain as her body hummed in pure delight. It was so weird, now that she thought about it. Never in her life had she experienced such a physical connection with anyone before. Perhaps it was an ursithrope thing, but Presley could definitely get used to feeling so happy.
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