“Yeah, Evra,” George said, slumping down on Thaniel’s bed.
“He looks so old. So I’m guessing we aren’t immortal then,” Thaniel said.
“Well, not really. We age, though very slowly and we do heal really fast,” George said.
Thaniel frowned. “But that guy seemed so old.”
George nodded. “That’s because he is old. He’s about six hundred years old.”
Thaniel’s eyes widened and George smiled.
“Yeah, exactly.”
Thaniel shook his head. “Well, I can see why she wouldn’t want to mate him, he looked—”
“Cruel?” George asked.
Thaniel nodded but didn’t say a word. He didn’t know how close everyone here was and didn’t want to insult anyone.
George sighed and stood up. “He’s an ass. He’s also had … I don’t know how many mates.”
Thaniel thought of something else. “Where is Elianna anyway? I didn’t see her in there.”
George glanced back at him on his way out the door. “Don’t know.”
Thaniel got the feeling he did know, but just didn’t want to say.
That night, Thaniel lay in bed facing the door once again, and when the sounds in the house indicated everyone had gone to sleep, he got up and made his way to the front door.
The same guards were still there. Don’t they ever sleep? He watched them for a second then turned and headed back to his room. Why are they really here? Why do they even care if I want to leave? I need to convince the Tomlee to let me go. …
Chapter Forty-Eight
No Pretenses
THANIEL WENT WITH GEORGE the next morning for breakfast once again. After Nightmeal the evening before, Thaniel was even more grateful that it was only the two of them here now.
“I heard the Tomlee is back. I told mother that you wanted to speak with him. She said she’d arrange it and let you know when you can see him,” George said.
Thaniel’s heart picked up in excitement. This was it, what he was waiting for. “Thank you,” he said as he finished his breakfast. The sooner he spoke with his father, the sooner he could get out of here. He still didn’t know where he was going to go, but at least on the streets he was in charge of himself.
***
Thaniel nervously followed George to his father's office a few hours later.
"I'll wait here for you," George said.
Thaniel swallowed. "Thank you."
“Thaniel,” the Tomlee said as he walked in. “You wanted to speak with me?”
Thaniel frowned and scanned the room, absently noting the lack of a window, before looking back at his father. “Y-yes. I would like to leave,” he said, and waited while his father walked around his desk to stop in front of him.
All the while, frigid blue eyes studied him. Finally, the Tomlee spoke. “No. You are a Were-leopard now. You belong to the clan,” he said dispassionately.
Thaniel sucked in a deep breath. No, this can’t be happening. “I didn’t ask for this, and let’s face it. You don’t want me here, so just let me go. I won’t bother anyone,” he added. Somehow, someway, he would make sure he didn’t hurt anyone.
“Thaniel—”
“No, don’t pretend. There’s no one else here but us. I know you don’t want me here and I don’t want to be here,” he said and watched as his father’s eyes narrowed on him.
“You’re right,” the Tomlee said. “I don’t want you here, never did. But now that you are a Were-leopard, I have no choice. Now, you are part of the clan, like it or not.”
“So, what I want doesn’t matter?” Thaniel asked for clarification.
The Tomlee sighed and shook his head. “No, not at all. This is your home now, you may as well get used to it,” he said, and walked back behind his desk.
Thaniel stared at the Tomlee with no idea of who he was. Were his memories so skewed that he imagined all the good times? Because surely this man was incapable of love or compassion.
Turning to leave, he’d only gone a couple of steps when the Tomlee called his name. “Thaniel.”
He looked back.
“The guards tell me you have gone to the front door each night. They will not continue to guard the doors, but I will tell you this. I have always known where you were and if you leave, I’ll just find you and bring you back.”
Filled with hatred toward this a stranger, Thaniel turned back to the door.
“Do you understand?” the Tomlee asked but he didn’t say a word. The fury burning inside of him was too strong. “Thaniel,” his father barked, and while he wanted to tell the Tomlee to go to hell, he had no doubt that would only cause him more grief.
“I understand,” he finally snapped without looking back, then he grabbed the door handle and wrenched the door open.
“Close the door behind you, son,” his father commanded, venom dripping from his tone.
But enough was enough. Thaniel walked into the hallway, leaving the door wide open behind him. George, who had been waiting, pushed away from the wall and hurried to catch up as he headed back to his room.
“I take it things didn’t go well?” he asked, but Thaniel just kept going. Back in his room, George stared at him as Thaniel lay down in his bed.
“Ah, are you all right?” George asked and again, Thaniel didn’t answer. He couldn’t. Once again, he was a prisoner, at someone else’s mercy and he hated it.
“So, I take it you aren’t up for cards then?”
Thaniel shook his head.
“Okay, well, I’ll let you rest and check on you later,” George said and when Thaniel didn’t say anything, he turned and left him alone.
***
THE TOMLEE SEETHED as Thaniel walked away from him. He reached for his cell and began to press in the number he needed, then stopped. With a snarl, he dropped the phone onto his desk and glared at Noella’s number. A moment later he drew in a deep breath and picked his phone back up. He went in to his contacts and deleted the incriminating number. It wouldn’t do to have her in his phone, not after he’d recently ended her life. For a brief moment he wondered if maybe he’d been a little hasty getting rid of the whore. Then he thought of how whiny she’d gotten and how she wouldn’t stop pestering him to be brought into the clan, to make her Queenlee. It never occurred to him that his compulsion over her could possibly have anything to do with it.
While Noella had been an erotic mix of leopard, tiger, and alley cat, her lack of being purebred prevented him from bringing her into the clan. No, his only option had been to get rid of her. Still, he had an itch that needed scratching and quickly left the house, knowing just where to go to take the edge off.
***
JAX'S MIND WAS ON OTHER THINGS as he nudged the door to Zander’s office open, stepped inside and gently kicked it closed behind him.
“Did anyone see you?” Tierney asked.
Lost in thought, Jax didn’t respond until he saw her and Goldy both looking at him. “What?” he asked.
Tierney gave him a little smile. “I asked if anyone saw you,” she said as he set the extra-large cardboard box on the floor.
Jax shook his head. “No, I came in from the garage.”
“Good,” Tierney said as she opened the box and peeked inside. “Is this it?”
“No, there’s more in the car.” He absently noted all the gifts Tierney and Goldy had already wrapped.
“Oh, and Sami will be landing in just a couple hours,” Tierney added with a smile as she wrapped another gift. Beside her, Goldy was taping up the gift she was working on and didn’t say a word.
“You heard from him?” Jax asked, filled with relief.
Tierney nodded. “Yeah, just now.” She grinned and Jax nodded as they felt each other’s relief.
“Good, about time he got home,” he said gruffly, knowing Tierney was aware of how worried he’d been for his brother.
Goldy shot them a little smile and Jax knew she must be wondering if Sami would be alone or if he’d have
Hellfire with him. He’d have asked Tierney but didn’t want to in front of Goldy.
“What about the stuff for the wolves? When will that be here?” he asked instead, changing the subject.
Tierney looked up at him. “They said they’d deliver tomorrow.” She paused and unrolled some more paper. “Maybe we can unload it all in the barn for the time being?”
Jax thought about it and nodded. “That would be good. We can have the truck back right up into the barn, that way the wolves won’t see and it will be a surprise.”
“Yeah, I just hope I don’t offend anyone with this surprise,” Tierney said and Jax shook his head. “I’m sure they’ll be thrilled.”
Still skeptical, Tierney bit her lip, making him suddenly hard. He wished he could just take her upstairs for the rest of the day, but there was too much to do. He needed to get the walk-in freezer sorted out. “Okay, the beef will be delivered later this evening,” he said instead, while Tierney gazed at him knowingly.
“Beef?” Goldy asked curiously.
“Yeah, we always order our beef around this time. One usually lasts us the year, but I went ahead and ordered three, though I imagine I might be ordering more soon,” he explained while Goldy frowned at him.
“Why so much now?”
Jax shrugged. “I want to be able to feed the wolves since they are helping to guard the place. That way, they don’t have to roam to find dinner.”
“Oh. I hadn’t thought of it, but that makes sense,” Goldy said then she and Tierney went back to wrapping gifts.
***
TIERNEY PACED UP and down in the dark, just outside the door as they waited for Sami to drive up. “I feel so sad.”
“Yeah, me too,” Jax said.
Sami had contacted them both just a little while ago and told them what had happened to Hellfire and Brimstone’s sister, along with how Zander’s old friend Drakayeh, the guardian of the portals, had died.
“How am I going to tell Dad that his old friend is dead?” Tierney asked, looking up at Jax.
Jax just shook his head.
Tierney sighed. “And what the hell are the Ilyium doing staking out Hellfire and Brimstone’s home? They haven’t even been living there.”
“Yeah, no idea.” Jax cocked his head as if listening to something, then he grinned. “I hear Sami’s truck.”
They both turned and watched the rise of the driveway while Tierney snuggled up against Jax as he wrapped an arm around her waist. A moment later, the truck crested the rise and rolled to a stop in front of them.
Then Sami was out and hurrying over to them. Tierney smiled and pulled him into a hug. “You’re home. I’m so glad you made it back okay,” she said, relief that one of her family members was now back where he belonged.
“Yeah, I missed you too,” Sami said.
Tierney reluctantly let him go and Jax pulled him into a hug as well.
“Glad you are home safe, bro,” Jax said, slapping Sami on the back. Then they watched Brimstone as he helped his twin sister, a sleepy Hellfire, from the truck.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Escape
THANIEL’S GUT CHURNED at the thought of going to Nightmeal again when George showed up with a tray of food.
“I figured you wouldn’t be up to eating with everyone,” he said and while Thaniel was grateful, he wasn’t in the least bit hungry. George set the tray down and seeing Thaniel’s lack of interest, pulled a deck of cards from his pocket. “Wanna play?”
“Sure,” Thaniel said and they played until George left him to go to bed.
***
Although exhausted from lack of sleep, Thaniel lay in bed wide awake, alone with his thoughts as he listened to the clock in the hallway tick.
He was startled when a few hours later, George stuck his head back into the room. It was still pitch black out so Thaniel knew it wasn’t morning yet. He sat up straight at the sight of his brother. “What’s going on?”
“Have you slept at all?” George asked, instead of answering him. Thaniel shook his head.
George shook his head and then sat down in the doorway and leaned against the wall. “I’m not tired anymore, so you go to sleep. No one will bother you.”
Thaniel stared at his brother. “I’m fine—” he started to say when George waved him off.
“Just get some sleep.”
Thaniel blinked, not sure what to think when George narrowed his gaze on him.
“I’m serious. I get a few hours of sleep and I’m good. If I’m not sitting here, I’ll be sitting somewhere else, so don’t worry about anyone coming in here, just get some sleep.”
Thaniel opened his mouth to question him, but George was already focused on the phone in his hand, playing a game of some sort.
Thaniel watched George for a moment, but when his brother didn’t get up and leave, he lay back down. Although he felt safer than he had all day, it was still hard to relax with the anger that still seethed inside of him.
Finally, George turned and studied him. “Did your mom really do that to you?” he asked, indicating Thaniel’s face.
Thaniel nodded.
“Was it an accident?” George asked quietly.
Thaniel frowned. He really didn’t want to think about it, never mind talk about it, but …
“If you don’t want to tell me, you don’t have to,” George said, and Thaniel sighed inwardly. He seemed to genuinely care, and not asking so he could tease or hurt Thaniel, like the kids in the foster homes always did.
Thaniel lowered his eyes. “It was no accident. My mom, she would scream at me, or hit me, then she’d tell me she was sorry and tell me to come to her so she could hug me. After the first couple times when she’d grab me and then push me away, I no longer fell for her tricks. So—”
He swallowed as he thought about all the times she’d hit, kicked, and pushed him away. He glanced over at George who was waiting for him to continue, pretty sure his brother had never had to worry about being hit. “So, when she called me over this one time, I refused to go. I knew it was a trick. But that only pissed her off and she demanded that I come to her. I couldn’t refuse. She had a horrible temper. I went to her. She slapped me for my insolence, and then shoved me hard. I fell back, tripped, and hit the wooden coffee table. It ripped my face open.” He started to tremble as he thought about what his mother did next.
“That’s awful. You don’t have to say anymore,” George whispered.
Thaniel shrugged. What did it matter if he told him or not. “When it didn’t stop bleeding, my mom took her curling iron to my face,” he said, and George turned white.
“Oh god, that is—” George swallowed hard and Thaniel could see tears in his eyes. “Why the hell would she do that?”
“She said—” Thaniel gulped. “She said she was cauterizing it,” he said, suddenly nauseated as he remembered the weeks following. How badly his face had hurt, how he couldn’t open his mouth without ending up in tears.
Didn’t think it would be so hard to tell that story. …
Quickly, he jumped up and leaped over George’s legs and into the hallway. Then he ran to the bathroom and emptied his stomach.
“I’m so sorry, Thaniel,” George said when he walked back into his room a few minutes later.
Without looking at his brother, Thaniel lay back down and tried to forget. “It’s fine. It’s not your fault,” he said, though now he wished he’d kept quiet about it.
Then he turned and faced the wall, letting his eyes slide shut. He let his thoughts wander to Tierney and Jax. He wondered what they were doing and hoped they weren’t too angry with him.
He curled up and pretended he was back in Tierney’s bed with the both of them. He didn’t think he’d sleep, even with George guarding the door, but soon he was drifting on dreams that were both wishes and memories.
He woke with a start to find someone shaking him. “Thaniel,” he heard George whisper his name and suddenly he was wide awake. The early morning sun was streami
ng in the window. Panic set in and he quickly sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
“What?” he asked, heart pounding in fear as he stared wildly around the room.
“Whoa, it’s okay, bro, didn’t mean to scare you,” George said, but he appeared nervous.
“What’s wrong?” Thaniel asked, staring at his brother.
“I told you, nothing’s wrong. You want to get out of here, right?” he asked.
Thaniel nodded, but his heart was still racing, and judging by how George glanced fearfully over his shoulder at the door before turning back to Thaniel. “All right then. I’ve arranged a ride for you, but you gotta go now, before everyone wakes up.”
“I still don’t understand why anyone cares if I stay here or not,” Thaniel said, frowning.
George shook his head. “It’s clan rules. You are a Were-leopard—therefore you belong to the clan.”
Thaniel didn’t understand any of these Weres wanting to claim him. Not the leopards or the wolves.
“C’mon. We gotta go, get you out of here,” George said.
“But, the Tomlee, he said—” Thaniel started to object. As badly as he wanted out of this place, he really didn’t want his brother getting into trouble.
“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” George said, but Thaniel knew he would. Still, he followed his brother down the hall to the front door.
When George opened the door and ushered Thaniel out, Thaniel’s stared, shocked at the shiny old black car sitting in the driveway.
“Hey, Kitty,” Jax said stepping forward with a tight smile.
Thaniel couldn’t believe his eyes. Stunned, he turned to look at George. “No, I can’t.” He couldn’t face Tierney after what he’d done.
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