by Brianna West
“It was as I feared,” Victor said sadly, his expression grim. “I haven’t seen a double bond cause such tremendous misfortune like this in some time, but it is clear that you somehow formed two separate, particularly strong mate bonds with both Conall and Aidan.”
“Sir?” I asked as Victor smiled affectionately and gestured for Aidan and I to sit.
Aidan took a seat beside me, his eyes finding mine before they returned to the angel standing before us. I already sensed how tense Aidan was with the one remark, and I didn’t blame the other Guardian. I was just as concerned with the gravity of Victor’s words.
Long, cascading, nearly white hair fell over Victor’s shoulders as he pondered how to explain what he meant while cradling his jaw. The smartly dressed angel was sporting his usual pristine three-piece suit, but somehow the man wore it as if it were the most casual sort of dress he could’ve chosen.
I admired the ease at which Victor presented himself, knowing that it was where I first found my own preference for a similar kind of dress. I preferred simple vests to suit jackets, but otherwise, much of my own choices were modeled after Victor’s.
“As you well know, there are many kinds of bonds, both naturally and magically formed. Vampires and beasts likes yourselves are prone to mates and, while rare, there has been cases where someone could have more than one mate over the span of a great many creatures.”
I watched the angel carefully, already deducing much of what he was saying. Mates were a natural part of our beast nature, much like how one beast would show either subservience or dominance when paired with another.
With vampires, it was similar in the way that they found their partners through natural bonds and mating, but vampires were prone to have several mates at one time; where beasts like ourselves could only have one once we’d claimed them. And when a mate was claimed, the bond couldn’t be broken aside for a few rare cases. Which is where I saw the conversation going as Victor regarded the two of us seriously.
“As I am sure you have gathered, a claimed mate very rarely enters into another bond. However, somehow, you entered into two. Although, from our conversation the previous day, it would seem the bond created between you and Conall was not intentional.”
“That’s correct,” I said confidently. “Due to an oversight, I unintentionally entered a bond with him. I hadn’t realized our…night could result in such a thing.”
Victor nodded curtly. “In most cases, it would not have. However, since you were a potential mate, the bond was created when he took your blood and shared the evening with you, in so many ways.”
If there was ever a time to bury my head in the sand, it was now.
I didn’t need to look over at the other Guardian beside me to know he wasn’t particularly happy with the route our conversation had taken, because Aidan’s anger was palpable when the growl rumbled through his chest. But he said nothing as Victor remained coolly astute in front of us, offering the two of us a kind smile.
“In cases such as these, the greater bond holds permanent claim over the other and, in your case, your bond with Aidan was formed not only through a mate claim, but a magical one as well.”
Surprised, I stared at him blatantly. “Two levels of bond?”
“Precisely,” Victor agreed. “Normally, a two-level bond would sever a single-level bond but, for some reason, it had not severed the bond from Conall’s end.”
“Can it be corrected?” Aidan asked politely, but his jaw was discernibly strained.
Victor sighed, his eyes expressing the sadness that he felt over the situation. “It would require some intense intervention, but it can be accomplished. At present, Conall is suffering from an escalated bloodlust, and has for years. For this reason, the Council and I feel it best to remove him temporarily from any position within the Guardians in order to assist with his recovery from both the escalating bloodlust and mate bond.”
My eyes dropped to the floor, the guilt swelling through my chest and burning into my throat. I felt Victor’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at him before he was calling out to me.
“This is in no way your doing,” the angel said gently, his eyes sympathetic when I finally lifted my gaze to his. “Conall had long suffered from his bloodlust, and it was only a matter of time before he lost control over it. He will recover with time.”
Aidan touched my slumped shoulders, smoothing small circles into the hardened muscles. “I might not forgive that bloody tosser for what he did, but even I can’t argue that the old man couldn’t help himself.”
Controlling the heat gripping my throat, I nodded shortly. I put aside the two-level bond for the moment in favor of dealing with the present issue at hand.
“So, what happens to the team now?”
Victor’s all-knowing stare focused on me, the angel’s kindness coming through in every part of his expression. “I will speak with Logan, but I feel it best to bring Laura and Aidan onto Nyla’s team. I think I can confidently assume that you and Aidan would not wish to be separated?”
His laughing eyes made me unintentionally smile, the abrupt laughter from Aidan making our smiles widen. The were-bear Guardian got to his feet, putting his hand out and taking Victor’s when the angel offered his own hand in return.
“Sir, I can’t express enough how thankful I am,” Aidan started, peering down at me, “I’d be bloody chuffed to be on your team. Logan be damned.”
Victor chuckled lightly as I shook my head, completely put out. I’d almost believed the good, professional Guardian vibe that Aidan had put across when he started. But the massive Guardian was a lost cause, even around Victor. Not that I could pretend it didn’t make him the slightest bit adorable for how freely he cursed despite whoever he was talking to.
“I will tell him you said so. I imagine you and Carl would like to return to your evening, so I will leave you to it. I will contact you in the morning with your instructions and have Logan enlighten Laura on what transpired here this evening.”
Aidan nodded as the angel disappeared after one last smile. The silence expanded in the moments afterwards, and I found that I was unnaturally on edge. The entire evening had been life-altering, and I wasn’t quite sure how to proceed. Not only had I broken a team apart merely by being there, but now there wasn’t any ability to deny what Aidan and I shared.
“Well…” the other Guardian started, looking over at me, “That wasn’t exactly what I’d planned for the evening.”
Baited, I asked, “What did you have planned?”
“A little snogging. Maybe a little stripping and touching if I was especially charming,” Aidan teased, the violent rage from before no longer in his caramel eyes.
I couldn’t help chuckling at his confidence, glad that his joke had eased the tension. “Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
“Oi,” Aidan growled, sneaking closer and pushing me down onto the bed, “Don’t play coy, Cheeky Tiger.” He inhaled my scent with a wide grin. “Especially when you smell like that.”
Smirking, I took hold of his strong face with both of my hands and dragged him down into a firm kiss before licking his cheek with one, long swipe. Pulling away, I offered him a cheeky grin. Aidan’s wide eyes were reward enough as the were-bear Guardian hovered over me, frozen and astounded for several seconds. But he managed to recover, his eyes narrowing with a playful glint igniting inside of them.
“You little—”
I encircled his neck and pulled him down before he could finish, kissing him harder than the last time and relishing in the momentary pleasure of his mouth. It was a thankful distraction from everything weighing on my heart.
Chapter Twenty-Two
We were instructed early the next morning to return to California as soon as we were able. Aidan had taken it upon himself to sleep in the room with me, much like he had the night before, and he’d kept me tucked in close to his side all night without touching me more than he should. I couldn’t say whether or not I�
��d wanted him to do anything more, but after everything that had transpired with Conall and the heat, I was grateful that Aidan didn’t push me to do anything I wasn’t willing to do.
After a long, non-stop flight from Ireland to California, I appreciated the scent of fresh air when we finally reached our destination. Bernie was waiting for us, and I just barely dodged him as he clamored forward with the intent to maul me with another one of his obnoxiously long embraces.
“Brother! You look…” His eyes trailed over my appearance, sniffing the air around me once before peering over at Aidan skeptically. “—different.”
My brother never let on to how perceptive he truly was, but I knew it was likely that I smelt and looked different to him now that I was claimed by Aidan.
The idiot was in another ridiculous shirt and pair of denims. The black shirt paired with white writing made it impossible to ignore what was written, but reading it made my IQ drop several points. The ‘Take This Bull by His Horn’ shirt, which featured a single arrow towards the crotch, was just another reason why sharing the same face and bloodline as this idiot brother of mine took a serious toll on my overall patience when dealing with him.
He’d come alone, which was a blessing in disguise, because Bernie had a real knack for running his mouth at the most inappropriate times. But knowing Bernie as well as I did, I was sure he’d find a way to make up for the deficit. Like speaking of private matters in a crowded room, much like the one we were currently standing in. Or flirting openly with Aidan at some point and giving the were-bear Guardian no other choice but to brutally punish him in front of the general population.
“Oh, happy day!” the idiot shouted in a shrill, girlish tenor. Bernie beamed a broad smile as he wrapped Aidan in a tight hug and squeezed with all his might.
Called it.
The were-bear Guardian wasn’t accustomed to my brother’s overly flamboyant nature and merely stood awkwardly in the embrace for as long as Bernie held onto him. Sadly for Aidan, he couldn’t exactly assault Bernie in a primarily human-populated room. Though, I’d cover for him if he found himself reacting on instinct and brutalizing the idiot with the appropriate discipline.
Lord knows I wanted to.
“Welcome to the family,” Bernie squealed affectionately, his words carrying a double meaning. He finally released the stiff Guardian and instead gripped Aidan’s shoulders with a penetrating stare and ear-to-ear grin. “And thank you for taking care of my sometimes mean but always caring surly brother!”
I smacked Bernie hard across the head. “Are you itching for a fight, Bernard?”
Amber eyes alit with their usual mischief, Bernie shook his head as if he couldn’t understand what I meant. He knew, of course. The little bastard always knew.
Aidan watched the two of us for a moment before he eased an arm around my shoulders, the heavy weight of it causing me to momentarily falter. I was caught off guard by the sudden, incredibly public touch of Aidan’s body and the intense musk he was exuding. He smelt strongly of self-assured dominance, which paired with subtle notes of a similar musk he projected when he felt particularly protective. With his body widened, his stance strong and clearly commanding, it was painfully obvious that Aidan was posturing.
Though, I couldn’t really figure out why he felt the need to when it was only Bernie who was there. I’d never been prone to pointless male dominance, so I was quite literally out of my element trying to understand Aidan’s reason for challenging Bernie at all. Unfortunately, in all the confusion, I inadvertently tensed and lost hold of my cool indifference as heat quickly flushed into my cheeks.
“I’ll take good care of him, yeah?”
Bernie’s playful expression faded, the serious glint in his eyes something most people never knew existed without intimately knowing him. And even then, Bernie rarely showed that side of himself. Being his brother meant I knew all of the sides to his personality, rarely by choice.
Bernie’s carefully manufactured façade fooled most, but there were moments when even he couldn’t retain the happy, idiot glee he preferred to project to the general public. Deep down, Bernie was as jaded as they came. As jaded, if not more so, as I was.
He was largely skeptical of close relationships because our past had been torn to shreds by our father’s choices. In a long series of unfortunate events, Bernie was made to feel responsible for the loss of many lives, including our father’s. Until he met Nyla, I worried he’d never let anyone else in. Thankfully, I was seeing a new side of him every day the two were together, and even though he maintained a skeptical eye, there was a clear desire to hope that love and happiness were just around the corner.
Since Bernie had been made privy to my deepest secrets, whether or not I wanted him to be, he knew that my eyes had always followed other men rather than women, and that my heart had been broken to pieces when Lucas started his courtship with our good friend and companion, Izzy. Now, it was probably evident to him that, in the time I’d spent in Ireland, my broken heart had somehow mended.
Which led to our current predicament.
Bernie’s stance had widened in answered challenge, his chest lifting and his muscles tensing. It was an odd thing to watch when it was the very same body and face as my own. Like I’d been the one challenging Aidan. But it was clear that Bernie identified the bond as well as Aidan’s claim of dominance and was challenging it in his own unique way. Because, in spite of it all, we were still twins and we looked out for one another. He might be a damned idiot, but Bernie was more prone towards giving into his beast than I was. Pointless male posturing and silent dominance challenges were a natural part of the beast.
The eyes that were similar to my own only told half the story of what he felt. Bernie’s overall smell had changed to a confused mix of concern and wariness, but there were hints of excitement and happiness intermixed with it. He was discerning how deeply our connection ran and whether or not it was mutual by carefully watching the interaction and smelling the air. Because I could feel his emotions running through me, tickling the senses, I offered him a pointed smile. I knew when it was essential to intervene, and this was one of those times.
It’s mutual, so stop it with the third degree, would ya?
It’d been a while since I’d spoken telepathically with my brother, and it felt odd to hear his answering ‘yee-haw’ in my head. I rolled my eyes, sure that some sort of lame line was going to follow his telepathic exclamation. And I wasn’t disappointed when Bernie, smiling broadly and giggling cutely, said with a pointed gesture at Aidan, “Does that care extend to very close family members, you sexy man you?”
“What’s this bloody twit on about?” Aidan whispered to me, fully aware that Bernie’s acute hearing meant he’d hear it all. “I’m afraid you might need to have this one committed.”
“He’s so prickly,” Bernie cooed, his clasped hands pressed into the side of his face as if he were the besotted woman in a silver-screened romance. “I like my men with a little bite. Come here and give Bernie some love, you tall tree of a man.”
Women around us had gathered, their soft giggles and whispered conversation a welcomed distraction to the idiot on display. I couldn’t say I was terribly upset that Bernie had run away with his mouth again, because it was actually quite entertaining to see Aidan well out of his depth when dealing with my brother.
The clear confusion on the massive Guardian’s face was evidence enough of how little he was following. When Bernie attempted to embrace Aidan once more, the other Guardian swiftly knocked my carbon copy to the floor with one sound, downward smack to the head.
In an honest moment of awe, I was utterly turned on by the grace at which Aidan beat down my idiot brother. It was a rather indecent few seconds of an intense desire to reward Aidan for the beautiful smackdown.
“Ouchie!” Bernie exclaimed, rubbing his injury with a true masochist’s smile. “I thought what we had was special. I mean, you called me that one time.”
Aidan sighed
deeply, crossing his heavily muscled arms against his broad chest, his stance substantially widened already. “I don’t know what the bloody hell you’re on about, but the only reason I rang you was to get to Carl.”
Shy by the sudden turn in the conversation, I eyed my brother warily, hoping my eyes would pass the message that I wanted him to cease and desist for the sake of my sanity and overworked heart. Bernie merely smiled, clearly not put off by either one of us. It was naïve to think he would be. I knew the damned idiot better.
“You brute! You used me! You’ve been aiming for my brother this entire time, haven’t you?”
Aidan’s impassive face twitched to life, his lips lifting slightly as his devilish caramel eyes glanced my direction. “And if I were?”
“Care to have double the fun…double the pleasure?” Bernie joked, giggling when Aidan’s playful grin dropped, his forehead drawing down with distaste. “Too bad my little woman would have the beat on me if I tried to join you two.”
Nyla would surely deliver swift justice if she knew what Bernie had said and done in a packed room of unsuspecting humans. I was very tempted to snitch, considering I liked her much, much more than the idiot. It put a wide smile on my face with the prospects of turning him over to her the moment we arrived, and it grew more and more tempting by the second.
Bernie’s eyes widened, clearly depicting what I meant to do. “That’s just plain mean, Carl.”
Smug, I leered at Bernie with all the promised threat of letting Nyla know the second I had a chance. “Better watch your step, dear idiot brother of mine. One more mistake and Nyla gets all the little details.”
Bernie back down for the first time since he’d arrived, tail tucked between his legs. It was a beautiful sight, and I was very grateful that he’d finally met someone who could effectively tame him.
But my thoughts were quickly straying to how easily my bond with Aidan had been made public to so many without the two of us having had any sort of meaningful conversation about what a two-level bond meant and how we felt in regards to it. I wasn’t completely oblivious to Aidan’s feelings. I knew with some degree of certainty that he felt similarly to myself, but that was to be expected in a two-level bond.
