“I think they’re ready, Oscar.”
Pursing his lips, he nodded once more and lifted the pan to transfer the contents to the skillet with the eggs. “Then I just fold it over?”
“That’s it.”
“What about the cheese? You put cheese on yours.”
“Well, you can put it on the inside or the outside. You can even do both.”
This was apparently the wrong thing to say, because the agitation returned, accompanied by a soft grunt of what Demitrius took to be frustration. Oscar did well with direct orders. When faced with making even a simple decision, he seemed to fall into a panic. “Do you like cheese?”
“Yes. I love cheese!”
Ah, there was that smile Demitrius had been waiting for. “Okay, then smother it in cheese. Hell, fill the whole skillet with it.”
The sweetest laughter echoed around the kitchen as Oscar emptied the bag of shredded cheese into the pan. The laughter cut off abruptly when he tried to move his finished omelet to the plate and accidently broke it into several pieces. “Crap! I told you I couldn’t do this.”
“Relax, Oscar.” Rising from his seat, Demitrius forked a bit of the mixture and held it to the man’s lips. “Maybe it’s not very pretty, but that doesn’t change the way it tastes.”
Oscar looked skeptical, but after a short hesitation, he opened his mouth and allowed Demitrius to feed him. The way his lips wrapped around the tines was probably not as erotic as Demitrius found it, but that didn’t stop him from being completely mesmerized.
“Oh, that is good.”
“See?” Coughing to clear the huskiness from his voice, Demitrius placed the utensil back on the plate and took a hasty step in retreat. “Uh, you should probably eat before it gets cold.”
“I’m not really hungry. You have it. You didn’t eat very much.” Taking the plate to the table, Oscar sat it down in front of an empty chair and indicated that Demitrius should sit. “Can I ask you a question?”
“You just did, but I guess you could ask another.”
Oscar waited until they were both seated before he spoke again. “Why won’t you take off your sunglasses?”
Shoveling a huge bite of eggs into his mouth, Demitrius chewed slowly while he thought over how to answer. The question didn’t bother him. He was used to people poking their noses into his business. Oscar was different, though. His opinion mattered, and for the first time in years, Demitrius was a little nervous as to the reaction he’d receive.
Oscar folded his hands on the tabletop in front of him and smiled shyly. “Does it have anything to do with why you always look away when you smile? Or duck your head when you eat?”
The guy was extremely astute, and it unnerved Demitrius a little that Oscar had picked up on the subtle behaviors. People in general didn’t pay much attention to him other than to gawk at his larger-than-average size. That, he could handle. This thing Oscar was doing was completely alien, and it made it hard for him not to fidget under the scrutiny.
“Don’t be scared,” he blurted, which would naturally ensure that was exactly what Oscar did.
Surprising him once again, Oscar just smiled and leaned forward over the table. “I’m not scared. Nervous, anxious, and maybe even a little jealous, but I’m definitely not scared.”
“Jealous?” Demitrius tipped his head to the side and frowned. “Why on earth would you be jealous?”
The shyness returned, and Oscar’s cheeks tinted pink again. “Because you’re mine.”
Chapter Three
Demitrius Accola was his, all his, and he didn’t have to share with anyone. It had taken a little while to figure out why the man made him so jumpy, but then his instincts took over, and Oscar understood perfectly.
“Your mate?”
Couldn’t Demitrius feel the buzzing between them? Good grief, the feeling had practically slapped Oscar in the face the minute he’d set eyes on the shifter. Of course, he hadn’t realized what it meant at the time, but he’d known right away that he’d do anything to belong to the man. The jealousy that rose up inside him when the twins had expressed an eagerness to get up close and personal with their new bodyguard was unfamiliar, and he probably hadn’t handled it well.
“I think so. I’ve never had a mate before, so I don’t really know. I feel something, like I want to crawl up in your lap and rub all over you so you’ll smell like me.”
A deep chuckle rumbled through Demitrius’s chest, and Oscar’s cock responded by perking right up and pressing hard against his zipper. The guy’s sheer size should have been enough to send Oscar screaming, but he kind of liked the idea of having a mate as big as Demitrius. Surely there wasn’t another place on earth that would be safer than by his side.
“I think you’re right, because I feel the same way. I want everyone to know you’re mine. I’d probably rip someone’s arm off if they tried to touch you right now.” Demitrius’s lips snapped together, and he breathed deeply through his nose before continuing. “I’m sorry, Oscar. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
He was anything but scared. What Demitrius described sounded more than okay in his book, especially since he wanted the same things. It was a very uncommon feeling for him to covet anything, but maybe just this one time he could allow himself to be selfish.
Sacrifice was the name of the game when he was trying to keep the people he loved safe. He’d given up a lot, even before they’d escaped from The Hive, and now it was his turn to have a little something to call his own. There wasn’t anything wrong with that.
So, why did he feel so rotten?
“You’re going to be guarding all of us, right?”
“Yes, sir.”
“You’ll keep my friends safe? You won’t let anything happen to them?”
“I’ll do my very best, Oscar. I can’t predict the future, and I won’t make a promise that I can’t keep. Whatever happens, though, I do promise to do everything in my power to make sure nothing happens to you or the people you care about.”
He really couldn’t ask for more than that, and he was impressed that Demitrius hadn’t tried to calm him with empty hope and meaningless vows. Oscar considered himself a realist, and realistically, he accepted the fact that bad shit was going to happen. No one defied The Hive and got away with it. Dodging them for as long as they had was, in itself, a miracle. They couldn’t hope to avoid discovery forever.
It would be easier for him to feel calm and safe if he could just see Demitrius’s eyes. So many emotions were expressed through the eyes, and it was much easier to tell if a person had honorable intentions or was just blowing smoke up his ass. “Will you please take off your sunglasses?”
“Uh, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
There was that nervous tic again. The minute Oscar had mentioned the shades, Demitrius’s head dipped, hiding most of his face from view. His long, black hair fell down past his shoulders, obscuring even more of his features, almost as though he was trying to burrow into himself.
“I’m not so delicate.” He’d seen a collection of amazing things during his life in The Hive. “I don’t startle easily.”
Demitrius didn’t appear convinced. Behind his sunglasses, his eyebrows rose skeptically, and a disbelieving smile quirked one side of his mouth upward. “You’ve already proven yourself to be very capable, but everyone has secrets, Oscar. Please, allow me to keep mine.”
While he understood the desire to keep some things hidden, Oscar didn’t feel that it applied in this situation. Demitrius was his mate, and mates shouldn’t have secrets between them. It wasn’t as though he expected the guy to spell out his life story right away. Whatever Demitrius was determined to keep from him seemed pretty major, though.
Perhaps if he started off slowly, he could work his way up to the bigger questions. “What type of shifter are you?” It was a fairly important question, but still, a relatively minor detail in the forward progression of their relationship.
“Feline,” Demitrius answered
in a clipped tone. He said nothing further, and Oscar couldn’t understand how the question had been offensive. His mate obviously didn’t want to talk about it, but that didn’t stop him from prodding.
“What kind of feline exactly?”
“You wouldn’t recognize the breed.”
Okay, now he was starting to get pissed. “I’m not stupid. Just because Cian found us in a cave doesn’t mean I was raised by wolves.” Sighing heavily, he rose from his chair and shook his head. “This isn’t working.”
“So, that’s it? Just because I won’t answer your questions, you’re leaving?” The sad part was that Demitrius didn’t sound as upset as he probably thought he did. He actually sounded a little hopeful.
“I’m not going to keep banging my head against a wall and wonder why I have a headache. When you’re ready to talk, you know where to find me.” With that parting statement, he exited the kitchen without a backward glance.
Oscar had baggage of his own and more than a few trust issues. He was constantly looking over his shoulder and always expecting the worst, but he’d open up to Demitrius if the guy showed even the least bit of interest. For most of his life, he’d been prepped and trained for a Master, and therefore, no one had ever taught him about what it meant to have a true and fated mate.
It was ironic that he would find Demitrius now. Before coming to Haven, Oscar hadn’t even realized that such things as bonded pairs existed. Watching all of the happy couples within the coven was shocking at first, especially hearing them argue. When Braxton had chewed Xander up one side and down the other shortly after their arrival, Oscar had been paralyzed with fear.
The first rule of being a Desirable was to defer to his Master in all matters. The punishment for disobedience was severe, ensuring all Desirables strived for perfection. To hear Braxton speak in such a way to the alpha of their pack was disconcerting, but even more confusing was the way Xander had smiled at his mate before lifting him into his arms and kissing the breath out of him.
Keeton seemed to have some type of meltdown on a daily basis, and usually over the minutest problems. Braxton called him a drama queen, and though Oscar had needed to inquire as to the definition of the description, once Braxton explained it to him, he had to agree. Logan took it all in stride, though. Not once had he shouted, lifted a hand in anger, or really done anything more than huff and roll his eyes.
It all appeared to be the pack’s natural way of life. Oscar, on the other hand, was feeling sick to his stomach about storming out of the kitchen the way he had. The only thing that saved him from sprinting back and begging forgiveness was the fact that Demitrius had honestly seemed relieved that he was leaving.
Keeton and Braxton had made their mission in life to teach Oscar to stand up for himself and not allow everyone to walk all over him all the time. Oscar didn’t view himself as a doormat, but he could admit that he had some problems asserting himself when it came to authority figures. As alpha, if Xander told him to strip naked and stand in the middle of the front lawn, he’d do it without question.
“Oscar!”
Stopping in his tracks and spinning around, Oscar was so shocked to see Demitrius jogging toward him down the hallway that his mouth fell open and started flapping like a guppy. “What are you doing?”
“Wait.” Coming to a halt in front of him, Demitrius took both of his hands and lifted them to his mouth. It was kind of funny given their height difference, but the gesture was sweet nonetheless. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have just left like that.” Having a mate was unlike any feeling Oscar had ever encountered. He wanted to please Demitrius, not because it was required of him, but because he really and truly wanted to make the man happy. Being in his presence was exhilarating, and it made his heart pound hard and fast against his sternum.
“Look, we can do the whole blame game later. You were absolutely right, though.” Demitrius looked up and down the hall before returning his focus to Oscar. “Is there somewhere more private we can talk? I’ll tell you everything, but I don’t really want an audience for it.”
“We can go to my room.” Oscar’s belly fluttered a little at the idea of having the gorgeous shifter alone in his room, but he pushed away his anxiety, kept a firm hold on Demitrius’s hand, and led the way toward the staircase.
Neither of them spoke as they navigated the long and winding corridors to the west wing located on the first floor. Once inside his room, Oscar closed the door quietly and linked his fingers behind his back as he turned to face his mate. “Well, this is it.”
Easing down on the end of the bed, Demitrius held his hands up when Oscar started toward him. “Stay right there.” When Oscar did as asked, he nodded curtly, took a deep breath, and reached up to pinch the earpieces on his sunglasses. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“You can’t scare me. Whatever it is, I’m sure I’ve seen something even stranger.”
Demitrius mumbled something under his breath that Oscar couldn’t hear and removed his shades. His eyelids remained firmly closed, however, and it took a lot of self-control for Oscar not to laugh out loud. He knew this was a big deal for his mate, and he didn’t want to mock the trust Demitrius was offering, but the man was acting as though he was going to shoot laser beams from his eyes or something.
Shuffling across the carpeted floor, he was pleased to note that Demitrius didn’t try to stop him this time. Insinuating himself between the man’s massive thighs, Oscar fluttered his fingertips over the delicate skin below Demitrius’s eyes and smiled. “Open up.”
Huffing as though he was completely exasperated with the entire process, Demitrius opened his eyes with excruciating slowness. The eerie glow was the first thing Oscar noticed, but after only a second, he found it beautiful rather than frightening. His vertical pupils were fully dilated, but the part that really caught Oscar’s attention was the lack of white around the burnt-orange irises.
Okay, so he hadn’t actually seen that before, but it still wasn’t shocking enough to send him screaming from the room. Demitrius’s eyes were actually very pretty once he got over the surprise of seeing cat eyes staring back at him from a human face. “They’re stunning. Why would you hide all the time?”
Demitrius snorted rather rudely and shoved his sunglasses back on his face. “Don’t patronize me, Oscar. I know what I look like, and I wouldn’t use ‘stunning’ to describe my appearance.”
“Well, it’s a good thing that I have you around to tell me what I think. I would hate to make decisions on my own.” That was partly true in a way. Oscar still had the damndest time even deciding on what color of socks to wear. Still, his sarcasm button was fully engaged, and he didn’t appreciate Demitrius’s snotty attitude.
“Are you always so mouthy?”
Stepping back to put distance between them, Oscar squared his shoulders and steeled his courage. “Not usually, no. Braxton says that I need to speak up for myself and let people know when they do something I don’t like. It’s not easy, but I’m starting to see that he’s right.”
His face was probably six different shades of red, and he could feel the heat emanating from his cheeks, but he pressed on anyway. “I can understand that life hasn’t been easy for you simply because of the way you look. It’s my experience that most people don’t take the time to look beneath the surface. I was not patronizing you, however. Please don’t treat me like a child who doesn’t know his own mind.”
His heart was pounding up in his throat by the time he finished speaking, making his voice a little wobbly. His stomach twisted painfully, and his palms were drenched with sweat. The short monologue had been polite, but that didn’t make it any easier to know that he had said such things to a superior.
Anyone other than another Desirable was considered a superior according the teachings of The Hive. After ten years of living that way, it was going to take longer than a couple of weeks to reprogram. The first step had been escaping—the ultimate act of
rebellion. Hopefully, everything else would come with time.
“You’re going to shake right out of your clothes.” Demitrius reached toward him, and Oscar reacted on instinct by flinching away and throwing his arms up to cover his face.
Again, it was standard protocol. Any act of defiance was dealt with swiftly and brutally. Since a Desirable’s face was the first thing potential Masters saw, they were taught to always protect their heads when receiving punishment. Failure to do so landed them in the isolation block, and bad things happened to Desirables in that dark part of The Hive.
Demitrius didn’t strike him, though. Instead, his hand landed gently on Oscar’s elbow, and he tugged, encouraging rather than demanding. “It’s my job to protect you, and not just because I’m your guard. Now, come here.”
Sitting in Demitrius’s lap and being surrounded by big, powerful arms was another new experience for him, and one he hoped to repeat frequently. A quiet voice inside his head told him that his mate would never do anything to bring harm to him, and Oscar suddenly felt ashamed of his earlier reaction. “I’m sorry.”
“You spend a lot of time being sorry, and there’s no need for it. Someday when you’re ready, you’ll tell me about it. For right now, let’s just agree that we’re both going to make mistakes.”
His gentle giant was being incredibly sweet, and Oscar could get used to the treatment with very little effort. “Would you like to go for a walk and see the sunrise?” It was one of the things on his very simplistic bucket list, and he’d like nothing better than to share it with his newfound mate.
“I would love to go for a walk with you.”
Smooth lips brushed over his forehead in a chaste kiss that sent tingles right down to Oscar’s toes. Maybe if he played his cards right, he could get a real kiss before they returned to the mansion. “Lead the way.”
“I have a better idea.” Urging him to his feet, Demitrius rose from the bed as well and took Oscar’s much smaller hand in his huge paw. “How about we walk together?”
Let the Rain Come Down [The Moonlight Breed 6] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) Page 3
