by Erin M. Leaf
“You are who you are,” Guy said, sliding his fingers through Theo’s again. Their rings touched, sparking another small energy surge.
Theo shivered, but the energy felt good.
“I can’t pretend to only love one part of you,” Guy was still talking. “You’re not my soulmate because you’re on the Council. You’re my soulmate because of who you are. You could be a garbage collector and you’d still be mine.” He sighed, shaking his head. “It took me a bit of work to wrap my head around it, but when I heard you were shot … Jesus. My heart nearly choked me.” He lifted Theo’s hand and kissed the inside of his wrist. “I’ve been such a stubborn idiot.”
Theo swallowed, hard. This is the man who wasn’t even sure he was bisexual a week ago? Guy had come a long way in a very short amount of time. “That’s the most romantic thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
“What, that I felt like passing out? Sure.” Guy laughed. “Just remember that when your father starts yelling at us, and I run the other direction. I don’t think he likes me much. He wouldn’t even shake my hand.”
“As if you would ever run from anything. Ha. Besides, you should count yourself lucky if he doesn’t like you.” Theo grimaced at the thought of touching his father. The last time he’d had any physical contact with the older man was when his father had literally thrown him out of the house. For an Empath, the pain from the altercation went far deeper than a few bruises. “Maybe we can fake my death and run away to Aruba.”
“Yeah, no. Funerals are no fun. I would know.”
Oh, good way to be an insensitive jerk, Theo thought, stricken. “Ah shit, I’m sorry—” he began, but Guy cut him off.
“No worries. It’s much better to live well, and get your satisfaction by displaying your happiness in your enemy’s face.” Guy stood up. “Looks like they’re here to wheel you off to your swanky new room.” He smirked. “Nothing but the best for the new, famous Council Head.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “Shut up.” He pushed the button to raise his bed as the nurse began to unhook some of the equipment. “Do I still need this IV?” he asked her.
Joy shook her head. “Nope. I’ll have it out in a sec.” She flashed him a smile. “Your healing is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen, you know.”
Theo smiled at her. “If I could gift the ability to others, I would, but it’s because of the soulmate bond.”
“Super rare,” she said, helping him lean forward so she could remove more of the leads stuck to him.
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“You know, Theo. I’m not against sneaking out the back door so we don’t have to deal with your family tonight,” Guy muttered, turning toward the door. He made a face as muffled shouting penetrated the quiet of the ICU.
Theo grimaced. He hadn’t heard that voice in years, but that didn’t mean he didn’t remember it. “That’s my father. What the hell does he think he’s going to do here? I haven’t seen him in ten years. I was twenty when he disowned me.” Theo said as he glanced around. His empathy was slowly growing stronger as his energy returned, and he could sense his father’s anger loud and clear. The only thing keeping him from panicking was Guy’s steady, calm presence.
“I’m pretty sure he thinks he’s going to gain some political influence with the Council, as you well know,” Guy said, staring at the door as if he could prevent it from opening through sheer force of will.
Theo sighed. “We’re definitely going out the back,” he told his nurse.
****
Fifteen minutes later, Theo was settled in a new bed, in a room with a view of the parking lot. There wasn’t much to see, because it was the middle of the night, and he was too exhausted to stand at the window and stare at the streetlights and the few cars still left in the lot. He wanted sleep, and Guy, and not necessarily in that order. He rubbed his chest, wishing the lingering soreness that still nagged at him would fade, but he knew it was way too soon. He was lucky to be alive and doing as well as he was, except he could still hear his father yelling at someone.
“Jesus, doesn’t the man ever give up?” he muttered, annoyed. The yelling was unpleasant, but the anger his father generated scraped against his empathy like salt in a wound.
“You’re going to have to confront him eventually,” Guy pointed out, staring at the door. They’d managed to dodge the older man when the orderlies had wheeled Theo up to his new room via the service elevator, but of course his father had found him again.
“I want to see Rose first,” Theo said, worried about his friend.
“And you will. I let her know your room number, and I bet that’s her,” Guy said walking across the room when someone knocked. He opened the door a crack, then reached out and yanked someone inside. “Quick, before his old man sees you.”
“He’s a right bastard.” Rose laughed, and then she spotted Theo. “Theo! Oh my God.” She rushed across the room. “You’re awake! That’s just crazy.”
Theo sat up to hug her. “Hey, I’m okay.” He winced as her arms gently settled around the bandages on his back, but he had to admit, he was astonished he wasn’t in more pain.
“You were almost dying, and that is not okay,” she said, sounded ragged. “You almost died!”
“But I didn’t die. I’m here, alive and kicking.” Theo leaned back, then brushed her short hair off her face. “You look like hell, Rose.”
She glared at him. “Someone shot you! Of course I look like hell. God.” She hugged him again.
“She’s the one who got you to the hospital, and fended off your father,” Guy added, sitting on the bed next to Theo. When Rose finally let go, he handed Theo a Styrofoam cup with a straw. “Ice water.”
“Oh, thank God,” Theo said, taking a long drink. The water felt like heaven on his parched throat. “How the hell did my father hear about me being shot, anyway? And where are Nick and Julio and John? At least one of them should be here.”
Rose sighed. “Someone leaked the information about Brechek resigning to the press. Nick pushed you to the ground the moment you were shot, but he was too late. Julio was missing for a while, and while you were in surgery, Nick went off to find the shooter.” She shook her head. “I’ve never seen him so furious. He was really worried about you, Theo. He didn’t take your being shot at very well.”
I’m not surprised. Theo nodded. Nick was more than just his bodyguard. They’d become good friends, too. When Nick had first been assigned to him, he’d asked Theo out as a joke. Theo had turned him down, sensing Nick wasn’t really looking for a boyfriend. The man was carrying around some significant emotional burden, and Theo had no idea what it was, but Nick was too controlled to let his personal feelings interfere with his duties. Theo had hoped that maybe Rose and Nick would get together, but his empathy had soon dispelled that notion. Nick might be bisexual, but he lived too much in the moment to have a relationship.
“What happened to Julio and John?” Guy asked Rose.
Rose grimaced. “Nick discovered Julio unconscious in the security office of the Council building.” She rubbed her face, smearing her mascara. “It’s a fucking mess, Theo. Julio is going to be fine, by the way. The doctors want him to rest for a day or so, to make sure he doesn’t have a concussion.”
“And John?” Theo had the sinking sensation that his suspicions regarding that particular bodyguard were about to be proven correct. He should’ve had the man investigated more deeply, instead of just letting Brechek get his way. Theo could never get a good read on John, because even his strong empathy failed sometimes. He’d learned that hard lesson years ago, when he’d failed to understand that his father’s arrogance and homophobia were bone deep, not just a misinformed opinion.
“John is still missing. No sign of the shooter, either,” Rose said, sounding worried. “That’s why no one is here on your door.”
“Hmm.” Theo had a bad feeling about the shooter. John had always resisted his attempts at conversation. Maybe he’s an Empath? I’ve heard that Em
paths can shield their emotions from each other, he mused, but then another, more chilling theory slipped into his mind. Or he could be a sociopath. Humans born with no moral conscience and the right kind of mental training could slip right past an Empath, even one as experienced as Theo. “John is the shooter,” he said aloud, going with his gut instinct. Empaths are rare. Sociopaths, not so much.
“What?” Rose stared at him. “You have no proof for that.”
Theo pursed his lips. “I’ve never been able to read him. It’s like he doesn’t register on my Empathy.”
“But what possible motive could he have?” Rose asked.
“Some people just hate us,” Guy murmured.
Theo nodded. “Those of us with Craft power are rare, and a lot of people want us dead, or want to be us. That dichotomy sometimes turns sour.” He rubbed his chin, grimacing at the coating of grit on his skin. He needed a shower, bad. “And I’m gay. And the new Head of the Craft Council, or I will be. It’s like a triple whammy of everything bad.”
“That’s absurd. So what if you’re an Empath? Or gay? What the hell?” Rose said fiercely. “You’re the best guy I know. The people who don’t like it are just assholes. Ugh. Men!” She glanced at Guy, then shrugged. “Sorry, but it’s true. Most men are assholes.”
Guy smiled briefly. “I’m not arguing with you.”
“Rose had a shitty boyfriend in college,” Theo said.
“And in high school, and when we lived in the city, and when we first moved to Silverleaf,” Rose said, ticking numbers off on her fingers. She stood up and started pacing. “I know what I know.”
Theo rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, you hate all men. Everyone knows this, Rose.”
Rose snorted, but her eyes gleamed. Their familiar banter calmed Theo down, until another knock sounded at the door. Rose sat down on the loveseat near the window, obviously wanting to stay out of the line of fire.
“God, I hope that’s not my father.” Theo leaned his head back against the bed as Guy went to check the door. He could feel his father’s rage through the walls, and he wasn’t in the mood to deal with it right now. I’ll never be in the mood to deal with him, he thought wearily, even as he knew he’d have to eventually.
“Hey.” Guy held open the door, then quickly closed it after a young man entered.
Theo stared. The guy looked just like Guy, only with blue eyes. “You must be Jonathan.”
The man nodded. “And you must be Theo.” He strode forward and held out his hand.
Theo shook with him, pleased that he felt strong enough to sit up. He’d looked forward to his first meeting with Guy’s son, but not like this. A tiny frisson of energy shot through him, as he let go. “You’re a Healer, right?”
Jonathan smiled. “A vet, actually, but yeah.” He shook out his hand. “You feel a little like my father, with some added zing of energy. Interesting.”
Theo glanced at Guy. Does Jonathan know about our bonding?
Guy nodded. “Jonathan was the one who encouraged me to go on a date with you.” He laughed and ran his fingers through his hair. His ring flashed in the low lighting. “I don’t think he expected us to bond, though.”
“Holy shit, is that a soulmate ring?” Jonathan reached out and grabbed his father’s hand. “It is. You did it. Good.” He smiled widely. “Damn. You’re all grown up now, Dad.”
Guy flushed. “Shut up.” He turned to Theo. “See what I have to put up with?”
Jonathan grinned at his father, then looked at Theo. “I bet the ring helped with your healing.”
Theo’s eyebrows rose. He’s smart, not that I’d expect anything less from Guy’s son. “How did you know? The surgeon speculated about bonding and energy transfer, but said that they don’t really have any data.”
“People doctors are so finicky.” Jonathan made a disparaging sound in the back of his throat. “I’m a veterinarian, and we’ve known about the healing boost some forms of energy give people for a long time. A lot of folks feel sick when their pets are sick, and as a Healer, I’ve sensed that connection firsthand. Obviously, it’s not the same as the bond between soulmates, but it helps, nonetheless.” He sat down on the loveseat under the window, next to Rose. “Human doctors don’t want to make any statements without proven data, but I know what I’ve seen.” He glanced at his father, then at Rose. “And sensed.”
Theo tilted his head. From what he sensed, Jonathan liked Rose, a lot, and she returned his interest. “Jonathan, this is my assistant and best friend, Rose Tremaine.” He gave his assistant a smile. “Rose, this is Jonathan Keaton, Guy’s son.”
“Hello,” Rose said, shyly holding out her hand.
Theo stared. He’d never seen her do anything so hesitantly before.
Jonathan shook it, and then he blinked. “Oh.”
The surge of emotion rushing back and forth between Rose and Jonathan hit Theo like a freight train. “Whoa,” he murmured. It drowned out the faint bursts of his father’s anger simmering down the hallway from his room.
“What is it?” Guy frowned. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Theo smirked. “Your son just met his soulmate,” he said softly.
Guy’s eyes widened. “Are you sure?”
“Completely.” Theo took Guy’s hand and shared a bit of the emotion he sensed with his lover. “Notice how they haven’t let go of each other yet? I don’t think they have any idea yet what’s happening.”
“I thought Rose had no Craft power,” Guy stated.
Theo lifted a shoulder. “Sometimes it can hide out in families. It’s possible that Rose’s energy was latent.” He looked at his friend, pleased. “It’s unusual, but entirely possible.”
Guy’s slow smile warmed Theo. “I wonder what her specialty will be.”
“She might not have one. Remember, eighty-five percent of Craft wielders aren’t strong enough to have a specialty,” Theo reminded him.
Guy nodded. “True.” He grinned outright. “But their children will be strong talents.”
“Children?” Jonathan glared at his father. “What are you talking about?”
Guy opened his mouth to respond, but then the door to the room burst open, and Theo’s father stormed inside. His mother lingered just outside, looking in.
Shit, Theo thought, taking in the anger and indignation twisting his father’s face into a mask that didn’t remotely resemble that of a loving parent. Well, here goes nothing. He sat up straighter. “Hello, Father. Long time, no see.”
Chapter Ten
Guy instinctively blocked Theo’s father from approaching the bed. I’ll play dumb, for now, he thought, smiling grimly when the older man’s anger turned on him. It’s better if he takes it out on me than on Theo right now. “What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be in here without permission.”
“Get out of my way,” the man snarled, hand outstretched as he tried to move past Guy.
I don’t think so. Guy blocked him again, using his larger muscle mass to keep the thinner, older man from advancing any further into the room. “Only relatives are allowed in here.” He glanced past the man and saw Theo’s mother standing just outside the doorway. Just beyond them, a nurse fought back two reporters with their phones held up high to record. Shit. Theo really does need his bodyguards.
“I am his family, you moron,” the old man said, shoving Guy again.
Guy didn’t move, and the old man couldn’t budge him. He narrowed his gaze. “I’m Theo’s soulmate, and I don’t know of any other family members of his.” Let the old bastard chew on that, Guy thought. He wouldn’t even shake my hand, earlier.
“I don’t know who you think you are, but you can rest assured, you will regret this,” Theo’s father said tightly.
Guy crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh? I don’t think I will.” He looked back at Theo. “Do you want me to let him by?” Please say no, he thought, even as he knew Theo wouldn’t. His soulmate would try to talk to the old man, even if he knew it was futil
e.
Theo sighed loudly. “Yeah, fine.” He rubbed his eyes. “Let the old bastard in. He can say his piece, and then go the hell back to where he came from.”
Theo’s father gasped, obviously outraged, judging from the glare he turned on Guy, but he let him by. He stepped back, hoping Theo’s mother would stay outside. She didn’t look like the nurturing type, and, given the look Theo gave her for a moment before turning his attention to his father, Guy didn’t want to let her anywhere near his lover. Where the hell are Theo’s bodyguards? Doesn’t the Council have more than three security men? he wondered, following the older Fraser to Theo’s bedside.
“I would have thought you’d be more welcoming, after your silence all this time,” Mr. Fraser said, arms crossed over his chest. He glared down at his son. “I have finally decided to forgive you for cutting off contact with your family and allow you to make amends.”
Theo stared up at his father, clearly incredulous. “You must be shitting me. You threw me out of the house, and disowned me.” Theo glanced at the doorway, taking in the recording devices, and then he smiled tightly. “I have nothing to say to you.”
“You’re obviously still weak from your accident.” Mr. Fraser glanced around, and then scowled when he found all the seats taken. “No matter. I’ll have you out of here and in a private facility by morning.”
Theo shook his head. “No, you won’t. You are not responsible for my care. My soulmate, Guy Keaton, is.” He reached out. Guy took his hand and let Theo draw him down until he was sitting on the bed.
There goes any possibility of remaining the anonymous spouse of the new Council Head, Guy thought, surprised he wasn’t more upset about it. He knew people recording this confrontation would have it on the internet in record time, and his full name was now out there.
Theo’s father’s expression soured even further. “You won’t have time for such unnatural hobbies, Theo. You know that your duties to the Council will come first.”
