by Cree Storm
Turning away in shame, Dain rasped, "I had to stop the treasonous pixies before they succeeded in their plan. With Aracus and Casimir's help, we were able in infiltrate their location. It wasn't hard to locate Garlin. He and his men had attacked a small family's home that was tucked away from the rest of us. Marclin had problems being around large groups of people ever since we had been held captive. So, when we had gone to the new realm, he asked to build a bit away from the rest of us. It was him, his mate, and their two children. One boy was your age, Rhys. They killed them all. I killed your seed father, Rhys."
"What!" Rhys yelled out in shock.
“Tell him all of it, Dain," Destrain said in a warning tone.
Rhys sat up straighter, asking, "Tell me what? What's the rest? You killed my seed father. What else could there be to tell?"
"Your seed father was the one behind all the accidents. His goal was to kill you and your birth father as well as myself, Clove, and Desdain," the king said forcefully.
Dain didn't say anything so Destrain stepped closer to Rhys. "Garlin said there could be no heirs to the throne left, and that included you. Dain's men captured your seed father. He told Dain then and there that no matter what happened to him, his people would not stop until everyone in the royal family was dead. That included you, Rhys. "
"What?" Rhys gasped.
"I couldn't believe what he said. I mean okay, kill me, but you, Rhys, you were his son. His child. I couldn't believe he was willing to kill you to get to the throne. I would die before I let anything happen to you, Rhys," Dain whispered.
Day's disgust came through in his tone. "Did you ask him how he could do that? How he could want his own son dead?"
Dain nodded. "Garlin told me that the plan, from the very beginning, was supposed to be simple. He was to get close to the king and then take us all out."
"That's why he hooked up with you to start with, isn't it?" Ethan asked quietly.
Dain choked on a sob, "He said nowhere in the plan was their supposed to be a kid."
"What did you do?" Rhys asked tearfully.
Straightening his shoulders, Dain looked Rhys in the eyes, saying, "I cut off his head."
Destrain, hissed, "Damn it, Dain! Tell him the fucking rest! Don't just make it sound like an execution and that's it."
Dain snorted, "But it was. He and the others wanted my son dead and I did what I had to do."
"You gave up everything to keep Rhys safe and he needs to know this," Destrain insisted.
Rhys stood up and walked to Dain. "Please, tell me."
Looking up at the ceiling, Dain softly said, "I knew what Garlin told me was the truth. I knew that as long as you were alive they were coming for you and I couldn't be with you twenty-four hours a day. I had duties to our people and not even my son's safety could take center stage to our shimmer. Too many other lives were on the line. So, you had to die."
Rhys gaped but didn't say anything.
Ethan could see the struggle Dain was having as he remembered that time. Ethan saw the raw pain, and hurt he had gone through, not just for the loss of a man he loved betraying him, but also for something else. When Dain started to speak again, his voice sounded hoarse as well as gravely. "I came up with a plan. If the people trying to kill the royal family thought you were dead, then you would be safe."
"Oh, by the Gods!" Rhys gasped.
Swallowing hard, Dain continued, "I took Marclin's son and I laid him next to Garlin. Lit them on fire and then staged your kidnapping."
"Was that when you sent me away to Uncle Destrain and Uncle Clove's? They had Desdain and I in one section of the house for days," Rhys asked.
Nodding, Dain replied, "I had to be the grieving father when I found my son and ex-lover dead. Then we had to make sure that no one could find out you weren't dead. So, I made sure you were kept out of everyone's view. Aracus and Casimir were brought in as your nannies. We thought things were going well, until whispers about a young boy playing with the king’s son, and whose child he was, started. Then there was talk about the traitors possibly starting to work with the fairies and the elves. That's when we knew, you couldn't go to your uncles’ place as often and when you did it had to be in secret. You could not be seen by our shimmer, not with your uncles and Desdain, and definitely not with me."
Dain turned away, saying, "I would watch you playing with your nannies."
"Guards, Dain. Stop calling them nannies. They were his guards," Destrain said as he rolled his eyes.
Dain became angry, and shouted, "What the fuck does it matter, Des? Nannies or guards or what the fuck ever──The point is, it wasn't me! You and Clove got to dance in the fucking courtyard with your son. You got to play and laugh and go on picnics with Desdain! I had to watch mine grow, see his pain, and yes, even loneliness. You have no fucking clue how hard that was! Then you ordered me to replace Aracus and Casimir! The only people he had left in his life!"
Destrain rasped, "We had to──"
Dain turned to Destrain angrier than Ethan thought a man could be. "Your actions forced me to send my son to the fucking tomes! Didn't you have enough, Destrain? You had your mate, your child──You had it all!"
"We were attacked, Dain! Remember? I had to protect our people. Do you think that was an easy choice for me to make? I hated to take away Rhys' only friends, but our people needed them!" Destrain argued.
"The palace was attacked?" Rhys asked in confusion.
Destrain nodded. "Yes, Garlin's men had regrouped after his death. It took them time, but they planned and executed an attack. That's when we were informed that they knew you were alive and the fairies and elves were coming for you. They couldn't get to my son, but figured if they could take you they could use you as leverage against Dain and myself. If you died it would destroy the regent and weaken the crown's defenses."
"That's why you had me doing all that research on them and why you were so hard on me about my studies. You wanted me to be able to handle myself if I ever crossed paths with an elf or a fairy," Rhys stated with understanding.
Nodding, Dain replied, "One day I was out doing village patrol. I was looking around one of the hut areas when a man approached me and said that the enemy knew where my son was being held and that there was another attack being planned. We knew you were not safe in our realm at this point, so I got Dorstin to bring you to this one. I swear to all the Gods, son, I had no idea he was one of the treasonous bastards. When Desdain told us he had seen that bastard we went on the hunt and got the rest of the pricks. I rushed to find you and bring you home," Dain said.
"You were so angry," Rhys replied softly.
Dain shook his head. "Never at you, Rhys."
"What happened to Dorstin?" Day asked.
"When we got to him, we didn't know if Rhys was dead or alive. He begged us not to kill him. He said that I owed him because he was supposed to kill Rhys, but instead, he dropped him into the human realm. He said that because he didn't kill you I couldn't kill him. He was wrong. I killed the fucker," Dain said with a scoff.
"Rhys, there's something else I need to say," Dain said with a sigh.
"There's more?" Rhys asked in disbelief.
CHAPTER 11
Day watched as Dain licked his lips and then looked at Rhys, uncharacteristically nervous." When you came back from this realm, you had changed. I don't mean the way you dressed or did your hair and stuff. I'm talking internally. You were self-assured and internally strong. I thought it was because of all the lessons I had you doing when you were home, but then you started talking to Desdain. I heard you laughing about things Candy did with you. The fun you had together. I could hear the love you had for this woman. I got jealous. You had stopped loving me so long ago, but you loved this Candy. I'm so damn sorry, Rhys. She saved your life and all I could think about was how she got to hear you laugh and see you smile. She got to feel your love and ──"
Rhys hugged his father close, whispering, "Father, I never stopped loving you. I just nev
er knew how to reach you. All I ever wanted was your love and for you to be proud of me."
Dain hugged Rhys tight and close, rasping, "I have always loved you and I have damn sure always been proud of you."
Day cleared his throat, softly saying, "I'm going to go out and make sure Salem isn't skulking around out there."
"Day, wait!" Justice called out.
Day damn near roared in frustration. All he wanted was a little alone time. Seeing Rhys and Dain was bitter sweet. He was happy for his mate making amends with his father, but seeing them together and hearing Dain say he loved his son and was proud of him were words he had always dreamed of for himself. Scoffing to himself, Day new that day would never come for him.
Justice approached him, saying, "Illan, don't you think it's time you ended this feud with your son?"
"Right now, I need a few minutes alone," Day hissed.
Shaking his head, Justice replied, "The time for running needs to end now, Day, and I'm talking about you both. Just talk to him. Ethan and I had our fair share of issues, but talking it out, listening to both sides, really helped us." Turning to Illan, Justice replied, "I see the pain in your eyes when Day goes on the attack, just like I hear the pain in his voice when he's attacking. "
Avery stood and went to Day, saying, "I know what it's like to feel as if you don't measure up in your parents’ eyes, Day. That no matter what you do, it just isn't enough."
Day snorted, "Or how everyone around you matters more than the child you helped create."
Avery nodded. "And how you put their wants ahead of your own."
Day nodded. "At first you think, it's no big deal. You can do something about it later, but then it happens again and again, until you lose yourself and become so bitter and angry you can barely breathe. Yet that person still doesn't recognize or appreciate what you sacrificed to make them happy and maybe throw you a crumb."
"Talk to him, Day. Don't yell, just talk," Avery said quietly.
Day swallowed hard past the lump in his throat. It took him a few moments but finally he looked at his mates and could get the words out. "I wanted to be an architect. I applied to some of the best schools and got accepted into Harvard."
"Holy hell!" Ethan gasped.
Day snorted, "Yeah, I was really excited. I went to my dad waving that paper around and he said, That's nice. You start at the fire academy next Monday. We argued, and my father said he would not sanction me to join another pack or clutch in Massachusetts. He said that our clutch needed me. Our clutch had taken a huge hit in the war and if I left others would want to follow and I would be bringing danger to everyone. All my life I wanted to build things and I was fucking good at the smaller projects I had done, but now I'm told that for the good of the clutch I have to stay. So, I did."
"Your pack did need you, Daytona, and you know that," Illan argued.
Day looked at his father. "I gave up my dreams because you wanted me in the fire department."
"But I thought you loved being a fireman?" Justice asked in confusion.
Turning to Justice, Day replied, "I do, but the choice should have been mine, not his! The great Illan, maker of all choices for people's lives. Like when he went to my boyfriend and paid him off so he would go away because he insisted I marry some woman of his choice and have babies to preserve the dragon race!"
Justice turned to Illan in shock. "You did what?"
Illan ground his teeth and turned away, not saying anything. Which pissed Day off even more. "I wasn't allowed to join football in school, because I could hurt someone. I wasn't allowed to go on the high school trips because it wasn't safe to be away from the clutch. Every time I wanted something, you refused me and always used the fact that I'm a dragon. The problem is, Dad, I started hating my dragon."
"Son!" Illan gasped.
"When I moved to Crystal I didn't even shift for a year! I didn't want to be a dragon. I wanted nothing to do with him or you! Every time you called I ignored it. Every time my dragon begged to be set free, I ignored it. It took me a long time to forgive both of you, and I did for the most part. The thing is, there are times...there are times..." Day couldn't finish because of the tears clogging his throat that he didn't even know were falling.
Illan stepped forward, rasping, "There are times that the anger and hate come forward and you don't know what to do with it. It's easier to lash out. I know, Day. I screwed up. I allowed my fear to get in my way. To get in your way, but I've been trying since I arrived in Crystal."
"Fear? What fear could you possibly have?" Day asked in disbelief.
Illan looked away, whispering, "I couldn't lose you, too. I lost your mother because I wasn't there to help her. She died because I was not there to protect her. I refused to allow that to happen to you too, Daytona. You were all I had left. Football was out, because it would bring too much attention to your strength and the humans would notice. How was I supposed to let you go off to California or Washington or Paris? If one of our enemies got to you...then you wanted to go off to Massachusetts! I did everything I could to keep you close to me in case you needed me and I lost you anyway."
Turning back to Day, Illan rasped, "But I never, and I do mean never, paid that asshole off to break up with you. I caught him cheating on you in town. I told him he had to the end of the night to tell you what happened or I would. When you came to me saying that you guys were done and maybe you weren't meant to be with men, I figured I could help with this."
"Seriously, Illan? You thought because he and his boyfriend broke up he would want to switch to women? What part of your son is gay is it you didn't understand?" Rhys asked in awe.
Illan pursed his lips. "He said he wanted to give up on men. How in the hell was I supposed to know it was just words from a grieving man? I thought I was helping! Instead, I pushed my son right out of my life. When I found out he was looking for a firehouse to call home, I made some calls and got a friend of mine to get him on in Crystal. It was far enough away from me but close enough that I could be there if any trouble fell his way. It wasn't what I may have wanted, but it is what my son felt was going to make him happy, and believe it or not, that is all I have ever wanted for Day."
"So, you watched him from afar?" Ethan asked.
Nodding, Illan replied, "I knew I screwed up. I knew he hated me and I hoped that maybe one day he would forgive me and want to be my son again."
"Dad, I don't hate you and I will always be your son, but you make things hard. You never listen to anyone's side, you do what you want and always have to be the one in charge. Even when it's not your place. Like here, Maddox is Destrain's domain, not yours. Yet you want to take over and bully your way into things. Destrain is the king of the pixies and you and Justice said that anything that happens here, is under his orders. So why are you here?" Day asked in frustration.
Illan turned away, but not before Day saw the hurt in his eyes. "Dad, wait. I'm sorry."
Shaking his head, Illan whispered, "There is nothing to be sorry for. You're right. Maddox is Destrain's place to run. I just wanted to help my son and his mates with a man I know is beyond evil. He's a Power Siphon, Day. This man has raped, murdered, and who knows what else, for centuries."
"Oh, by the Gods!" Rhys and Ethan said at the same time.
Illan sighed, and rubbed his face with his hands. "When Salem came to me requesting to join our clutch, I was hesitant. But then I met Zev. He was so thin and I knew he needed a family. So, against my better judgment, I allowed them to join. Salem wasn't around much, so I figured that maybe I could help. So, I introduced him to Daytona and Finn. Then Zev started coming around when they weren't around. I helped him work out and did some fighter training with him."
Illan sat down, sighed, "One day he showed up and he wasn't moving around so well. I slapped him on the back, asking what was wrong and he dropped to his knees. When I got him to remove his shirt, Zev was filled with bruises and had a broken collar bone. I asked him what happened, but he refused to tell me. I kne
w it had to have something to do with his father, but it wasn't until you guys were in the firehouse and his father started coming around that I figured shit out. One day, Zev came to me and told me some things. I went looking for Salem everywhere. I was planning to banish him from our clutch, but he and his wife had disappeared. That's when I brought Zev into our home and he told me everything. Salem is beyond dangerous. The man is a lunatic."
Dain stepped forward. "What do you mean that Salem is a power siphon?"
"It means he can pull any powers that a shifter may have from them and render them useless," Illan explained.
"Are we talking forever here, or is this a temporary thing?" Day asked.
"It lasts about an hour. However, in that time you are no more effective than a human," Illan replied.
Dain hissed, "So you're saying that if we try and take him down he might strip us of our powers and kill us where we stand?"
Illan nodded, but Rhys shook his head. "That's not exactly true."
Ethan went to his mate asking, "What do you mean?"
"When my father had me doing all those studies on elves and fairies, there were also books on the dragons and the phoenix. You know that the Dragons all receive their gifts every one hundred years. What you may not know is that a clutch can take those powers and reassign them to another dragon. Well, unless you forcibly take them, then they either go to another dragon or into the air," Rhys stated.
Illan stood up quickly as everyone looked at Rhys in shock. Rhys looked at Illan, saying, "According to the books I read, this ability was designed because dragons can live thousands of years. The idea was that as you age, you pass on a gift to one of the weaker members of your clutch or someone not gifted yet. It allows for the clutch to become strong and therefore harder to kill. As the clutch grows, so does your strength. You were never meant to have ten to twenty powers to try and control. So, if your people can come together, then you can strip him of his powers."
