Ethan might be happy at the thought of being Nuallan’s soul mate, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to bond just yet. He needed some time to digest everything that had happened today first, and to think of how it would change his life.
Nuallan sighed. “Right.” He slid down Ethan’s body, and it was almost enough for Ethan to grab him again. He wanted to, but he’d been the one to want to slow things down. He still thought it was the right thing to do, no matter how much his dick disagreed.
“Do you want to continue talking here, or would you rather go somewhere else?” Ethan already knew the answer to that, but he had to ask. It helped distracting him from Nuallan’s body, still so close to him, enough that he could drag Nuallan back into his arms with just a move.
“I want to stay. I need to.”
“Of course.” Ethan leaned forward and kissed Nuallan’s cheek. Nuallan seemed surprised, and he raised his hand to touch the skin Ethan had kissed. He skimmed his fingertip over it, and he smiled.
Maybe they’d be all right after all.
Ethan smiled back and gestured toward the couch. “Do you want to sit again?”
Nuallan shook his head. “I’m too antsy to sit down, but you can.”
Ethan did. Nuallan started walking around the room again, and it didn’t escape Ethan’s notice that Nuallan watched the door every so often. He wanted to distract Nuallan, and the best way to do that was to take his mind back to their mating. Surely it was a big enough thing that Nuallan would stop thinking about his brother for a few minutes.
“So, how does mating work exactly?”
Nuallan stopped and looked at Ethan. “I’m a Nix, so I just have to put my hand over your skin. We both have to want it, or it doesn’t work, but if we do you’ll feel warmth on the spot I’ll touch, and maybe a bit of pain.”
“Pain?”
Nuallan shrugged and started walking again. “I’ve never bonded, obviously, so I don’t know how much pain, but from what I was told, it’s nothing either of us won’t be able to stand. And once the pain is gone, we’ll have each other’s initials on our skin.”
Ethan frowned. “Like a tattoo?”
“Yeah, exactly like that. It’s usually a few shades darker than the rest of your skin.”
That didn’t sound too bad. “And that’s it?”
“Yep. We don’t have to drink blood, not like shifters have to.”
“Drink blood?” That sounded more like vampires than shifters. Ethan was glad he didn’t have to do that. He would have if it had been needed, but not with enthusiasm.
“That’s how they bond. I’m glad you’re not a shifter.”
Ethan grinned. “Me too. So, what else should we talk about?”
“Umm, I guess that since we’re talking about bonding and everything, we should probably talk about actually doing it. Is it something you might want? How soon? And if you do, where are we going to live? Are you from Gillham? Do you have a house here?”
“Those are a lot of questions.”
“Yeah, well, we don’t know each other. You know more about me than I do about you for now, and none of the stuff you know is good. Uh. I probably should tell you more about me then. Wouldn’t want you to have a bad opinion of me.”
Nuallan was babbling, and it was cute. Ethan didn’t like the fact that Nuallan thought he didn’t like him, though. “Let’s just act as if I haven’t heard anything that’s been said earlier, okay? Come on, tell me about you. I know your name, and that you have a brother, but that’s it.”
Nuallan looked at Ethan, his head cocked. He was adorable. “What do you want to know?”
“Everything. Anything you’re ready to give me.”
Nuallan sighed and his shoulders sagged. “There’s nothing much to say. I’m twenty-six. My brother is nineteen. Twenty now, actually. Our parents died when I was nineteen, and I’ve been taking care of Neriah since then. I’m not sure I did a good job, but I did my best.”
Ethan nodded. Some of Nuallan’s behavior made more sense now. He’d been left in charge of a thirteen-year-old teenager when he was little more than that himself. “When did you last see your brother?”
“Almost two months ago. Titus came one night. Neriah hadn’t come home yet, and Titus said he wouldn’t unless I obeyed his orders. I’d been able to wiggle my way out of it for a while, but once he’d taken Neriah—I had to obey. I don’t know why he thought sending me was a good idea, but then our tribe had always been a peaceful one, at least until Titus became the leader. He hasn’t been for long, you know. His father died almost a year ago, and he was the leader until then.”
And that made even more sense. Ethan didn’t know anything about shifters, Nix, or the wars they seem to be fighting, but it had seemed weird to him to send someone who didn’t know what he was doing to kill such a powerful guy as Kameron. “There wasn’t anyone who could have done it instead of you? A guard, someone like that?”
Nuallan shrugged and licked his lips. “I guess there was, but Titus probably needed everyone to make sure the tribe was safe. He’d also sent most of the guards to that shifter so he could use them in his fights.” Nuallan snorted. “Didn’t do him much good, but hey, he should have expected it when he accepted to ally himself with Titus.”
The situation sounded more fucked up with every word Ethan heard about it. He got up and strode toward Nuallan. His own life hadn’t been easy, but Nuallan’s had been even worse. At least Ethan’s father had died when he’d been an adult already, and his mother was still alive. She might not like Ethan’s life choices, but they had a civil relationship most of the time.
Nuallan had been just a kid. Ethan knew that plenty of people had kids and got married when they were little more than eighteen, but that wasn’t the same thing. It hadn’t been Nuallan’s decision, and he’d lost his parents, his entire world. Ethan didn’t have to ask to know Nuallan and Neriah didn’t have any other family. They’d obviously been alone since their parents’ death.
Nuallan hunched his shoulders as if trying to hide, but Ethan wrapped his arms around him. He couldn’t change the past, but he could do his best to give Nuallan a better future.
A door banged open and Nuallan went rigid in Ethan’s arms. Ethan turned his head to look at the living room door. He didn’t let Nuallan go, not even when Alex strode in, his arm wrapped around a young man’s shoulders.
Alex froze when he saw Nuallan and Ethan, and the man next to him stopped walking. He looked up, and damn, he and Nuallan could have been twins. They had the same green eyes, the same long blond hair. Their faces had the same shape, their lips the same curve.
Neriah looked like a younger version of Nuallan. An angry one, now that he’d noticed his brother was in the room.
Chapter Four
Nuallan was afraid to look. He couldn’t be sure who’d entered the living room, but he had a good idea. Neriah had been reaching out to him over the past half hour, and he’d stopped just now. He was in the living room with Nuallan, and he was pissed. Nuallan didn’t need to look at him or to hear him in his head to know that. He could feel it.
Ethan didn’t let go, and Nuallan was glad. At least even if Neriah pushed him away, he wouldn’t be alone.
“What the fuck happened?” Neriah snapped, and Nuallan cringed.
He raised his head and finally looked at his brother. Neriah looked good. Titus didn’t seem to have treated him badly. Nuallan could be wrong, of course. Maybe whatever Titus had done wasn’t visible. Maybe Neriah had scars on his body, scars that were covered by his clothes.
Nuallan grabbed one of his own wrists with his other hand. The scars he’d inflicted on himself hurt sometimes. He knew it was all in his head, because Clea and Sei had healed him completely except for the scars, but he couldn’t help the sensation. It always happened when he was uncomfortable, so it was probably related to that. It made him want to run, even though he hadn’t seen his brother in weeks.
“Hey,” was all he could say
.
He knew it was the wrong thing when Neriah’s eyes narrowed to angry slits and he stomped toward Nuallan. Nuallan’s eyes widened when Ethan pushed him behind his back and placed himself in front of Nuallan. He was trying to protect Nuallan, and it was sweet.
Nuallan pressed his palms against Ethan’s back. “It’s all right.”
Ethan shook his head. “He’s angry. I don’t want him to hurt you.”
Neriah scoffed. “Hurt him? I won’t hurt him. He’s my brother. Of course, you might consider kicking his ass so hard he can taste my shoe in the back of his throat hurting him, but I’ll make sure he’s still alive after I’m done.”
Ethan’s shoulders tensed. Nuallan sighed. Neriah had always had a way with words, and he’d had his ass kicked more than once because of that when he was younger. Nuallan hoped he wouldn’t have to separate his brother and his mate.
“He really won’t hurt me,” Nuallan insisted. “He never has.”
“I’ve never been this angry at you, either.”
“You’re not helping.”
“I’m not trying to. Come out of hiding so I can kick your ass, Nu.”
Alex snorted. “Nu? So, you let him call you that but I can’t?”
“I’m his brother. I can call him whatever I want. And I could also kick his ass if that guy moved.”
Nuallan knew Neriah wouldn’t just let it go. He pushed away from Ethan, ignoring the way Ethan tried to keep him behind his back, and went to stand in front of Neriah. Neriah looked at him with narrowed eyes, and Nuallan knew the punch was coming before it actually hit him.
Then his arms were full of his brother, and he hugged him tightly, burying his face into Neriah’s hair. “God, I missed you.”
“I missed you too, asshole.” Neriah pushed away, and he was still angry. He was also crying, and Nuallan cupped his cheek, drying the tears with his thumb.
“I’m sorry.”
Neriah snorted wetly. “I sure hope you are. I thought you were dead, Nu. Why didn’t you answer? Why didn’t you give me a sign, something?”
“I thought Titus would hurt you if he found out I was still alive and that I hadn’t managed to kill Kameron.”
Neriah stared at Nuallan like he was stupid. “Seriously? That’s why you hid the fact you were all right? That’s why you didn’t answer me when I tried to contact you? How would Titus have known? It’s not like he could have peeked into our conversation even if he’d wanted to.”
“I thought you’d have done or said something that would have given me away.”
Neriah looked like he wanted to hit Nuallan again, and Nuallan wouldn’t have minded much. He knew he deserved it.
“Oh my God, you’re really an idiot. You’ve known Titus most of your life, Nu. Has he ever hurt someone?”
“He told me he’d torture you and kill you in front of me if I didn’t obey, or if I didn’t manage to kill Kameron Rhett. I tried, but you know I suck at this kind of thing. I—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you in even more danger.”
Neriah shook his head. “You didn’t, idiot. Titus was bluffing.”
Nuallan blinked. “What do you mean?”
“He’d never have hurt me.”
“But...”
Neriah sighed and stepped away, leaving Nuallan feeling confused and lost in the middle of the living room. “I know what he told you, and I told him he was an idiot. He thought he was doing the right thing.”
“I...” What was Nuallan supposed to say to that? Neriah was apparently Titus’ friend, or something like that, while Nuallan had thought Titus was torturing his little brother. Everything he’d done since leaving the tribe that night had been done for nothing. Everything, even when he’d tried to slit his wrists. When he’d managed to do just that and had almost died. He would have if Clea and Dallas hadn’t managed to save him, if they hadn’t been there.
Nuallan was angry. He didn’t know what the fuck had happened, or what was going on, but he’d been scared for his brother. He’d tried to kill himself to save Neriah, and it had been for nothing. He could have died, would have never met Ethan...
Nuallan left the living room. He ignored Neriah’s calls for him, ignored his voice in his head. He wasn’t even sure where he was going, but he froze when he stepped into the entrance.
Kameron was there, along with the men who’d left with him, and Jarah and Titus. Titus was a lot thinner than Nuallan remembered, and he took a step forward when he saw Nuallan. “I’m sorry I had to threaten your brother, but I needed you to come here. Tom wouldn’t have believed me if you hadn’t really tried to kill Kameron. He would have exterminated the tribe, including you and your brother.”
Nuallan balled his hand into a fist and punched Titus as hard as he could. Titus’ head snapped back and people started yelling, but Nuallan jumped onto the tribe leader and continued punching him. That asshole had made him believe he’d kill Neriah if Nuallan didn’t do what he wanted, if Nuallan didn’t become a killer. What would have happened if Nuallan had succeeded? If Quinn hadn’t been there to stop him?
Nuallan had never been trained to kill or even to fight, but he wasn’t stupid, at least not completely. He’d shimmered into Kameron’s house in the middle of the night, knowing he’d find the alpha asleep. He’d managed to hit Iggy upside the head and to knock him out before making his way upstairs. He’d stood by Kameron’s bed, watching Kameron and Zach sleep in each other’s arms.
He’d raised his knife, the knife Titus had given him when he’d ordered him to kill Kameron. He’d even started to move it, had almost stabbed Kameron, when Quinn had bowled him down from behind.
Someone grabbed Nuallan under the armpits and pulled him away. He fought, because he wanted to hit Titus again, to hurt him as much as he’d hurt Nuallan. “I’m going to kill you, asshole! I almost killed for you! I almost killed myself because of you!”
Nuallan was pulled against a hard chest, wrapped into warm arms. The man holding him kissed his head. “Shhh, Nuallan. Calm down. I need you to calm down and breathe, okay, honey? Do it for me.”
Nuallan didn’t think he’d have done it if it had been anyone else asking him, but he’d do it for Ethan. He’d do anything for Ethan, and for Neriah.
He swallowed and tried to breathe. Once he was calmer, he looked at Titus, who was sitting up, blood pouring from a cut on his forehead, one of his eyes already swelling. “I’m going to kill you. I’ve never managed to kill anyone, but you better sleep with one eye open, because I’m going to kill you.”
* * * *
Ethan kept his arms around Nuallan. He wasn’t afraid of him, but he might have been if Nuallan had been talking to him rather than to the man on the floor. Ethan would have never imagined the sweet man he’d kissed earlier could become so bloodthirsty. It was kind of scary.
“Nuallan, calm down,” Kameron said, and it was enough for Nuallan to sag against Ethan.
Ethan held him up and wondered what the fuck he’d been dropped into. He wanted Nuallan, but he sure could do without all the drama on the side. Still, he wasn’t going anywhere.
Kameron crouched next to the guy on the floor. “Are you all right?”
“I’ve been better,” the guy said in a muffled voice.
“Do you need to go to the infirmary, or are you well enough to wait for Dallas and Sei in my office? I think you, Nuallan, and Neriah need to talk.”
The guy held a hand up and Jarah hauled him to his feet. “As long as you’re there to keep me safe.”
Kameron chuckled. “I’d never leave you alone with Nuallan in my office. God only knowns what state I’d find it in after Nuallan is done with you.” Kameron looked at Nuallan, whose breathing was finally slowing. “You have a mean right hook, man.”
“I have a mean kick in the balls, too. I could show you if Titus came closer.”
Titus shook his head. “I think I’ll stay here.”
Ethan looked at the man who’d alm
ost caused him to lose Nuallan before he even got a chance to know him. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but it wasn’t the slight and small man who was standing in front of him. From the way Nuallan had talked about Titus, Ethan had expected a power-hungry man, one who’d do whatever it took to be in control. Instead, he seemed worried and scared.
Kameron gestured at the hallway. “My office is this way.”
Ethan didn’t let Nuallan go until Titus and Jarah were gone. Kameron waited with them, and when Ethan passed by him, he put a hand on Ethan’s shoulder. Ethan stopped, and since he was holding Nuallan’s hand, Nuallan stopped with him.
“How are you holding up?”
Ethan chuckled. “I’ll let you know when I find out.”
“You were at the town hall earlier.”
“Yeah. That’s where I found out about you guys, although I didn’t expect to find out I was Nuallan’s mate.” Ethan stuck his free hand out. “Ethan.”
“I know.” Kameron shook Ethan’s hand anyway. “Kameron.”
“Believe me, I know.”
Kameron’s gaze slid to Nuallan, and Ethan could see he was worried. “How are you?”
Nuallan shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know anything right now.”
Ethan understood that feeling more than he liked to. “I think we all need explanations and time to wrap our minds around them.”
Kameron nodded. “Go ahead to my office. I’ll be right there with Neriah.”
Ethan wasn’t sure putting Titus and Nuallan in the same room was a good idea, at least until Kameron came, but he let Nuallan lead him there. The fight seemed to have left Nuallan anyway. He looked tired now, as if he could sleep for a week, and Ethan fully shared that feeling too. Maybe they could sleep in the same bed.
Jarah stepped in front of Titus when Ethan and Nuallan came in, but Nuallan made a beeline for the couch by the wall on the other side of the room from the desk. He toed his shoes off and bundled himself up into a tight ball against the arm of the couch, tucking his feet under himself and wrapping his arms around his body.
Nuallan Page 6
