Second Chances (Eternal Flames Maddox Book 8)

by Maggie Walsh

  Tobias scratched at the grate, trying to push it out but it was no used, the damn thing was screwed on just like the one he escaped through earlier.

  “Did you hear that?” a voice asked and suddenly the room became still.

  Tobias looked around the room and saw all the men sitting still, tilting their heads and listening, but there was nothing. That’s when Tobias realized that it was probably him they had heard. So he lifted his front paws and began to scratch at the grate again.

  Illan stood and pointed toward him. “There, it’s coming from in there.”

  “What the hell? Do we have rats in the council building now?” Nick asked. Tobias was happy to see the bear there. He knew Nick from working with him and the guys from the other Maddox Fire House at certain times, and he really liked the Battalion Chief.

  “Here, let me,” another man who Tobias had never seen before said, then raised his hands and a blast of energy shot from them and hit the grate. It pulled away from Tobias’s face and the wall, leaving him exposed in the hole.

  “Nice job, Suneth,” another man from beside the one he called Suneth said, then wrapped his muscular, tattooed arm around the man.

  “A ferret? How the hell did a ferret get in there?” Pascal asked as he moved closer and stood just under the opening. “Do you need help, little guy? Can you jump, and I’ll catch you?”

  Pascal held out his hands and Tobias thought it was a great idea. He moved to the edge and pushed off with his hind legs, jumping toward Pascal. He landed right in his friend’s hands and Pascal pulled him close to his body, but Tobias needed to get down so he could shift. He squirmed against Pascal as he chittered at him, hoping his friend would understand.

  Pascal smiled at him, then leaned over and gently released him on the floor. “Is that what you want?”

  “Maybe we shouldn’t let him go, Pas. I don’t know if it’s a good idea to have a rodent running all over the council building,” Mayor Justice said, and Tobias chuckled.

  A rodent? As if. He thought and rolled his eyes. Tobias allowed the shift to take over and in seconds he was standing on two feet again, stark-naked, and looking around at a room full of shocked faces.

  “Well, there’s something you don’t see every day,” the large tattooed man said.

  The one he called Suneth chuckled and nudged the bigger man in the side as he smiled. “You’re mated to a shifter and in a room full of them, yet you're still surprised when one of us shifts?”

  “No, not surprised, but that shit still gets me every time.”

  “You. How did you get out of the cell?” Tobias turned at Destrain’s angry voice.

  He looked shyly at the man and shrugged a shoulder. “I shifted and slipped through the bars, then opened the vent and climbed in.”

  “So not only is he interfering with my mating, he is also an escape artist and trying to get away before he can be punished. Guards!” Destrain yelled, and suddenly the two large doors at the other end of the room burst open and two really large men the size of trucks came through.

  “No, wait!” Pascal yelled and jumped in front of Tobias. “This is the man you said is trying to come between you and Clove?”

  Destrain stared at him with rage in his eyes and nodded at Pascal.

  “But that can’t be. This is Tobias and he would never do something like that. He is one of the sweetest people I have ever met,” Pascal protested in his honor and Tobias was touched. Not many people had ever stood up for him.

  “I agree with Pascal,” Nick said and also stood. “There must be a misunderstanding here. I can vouch for Tobias myself, and so would Wyndingo if you called him. Hell, any one of my guys would. Tobias is too sweet to do something like that.”

  “I saw him kissing my mate with my own eyes!” Destrain hissed through clenched teeth.

  Tobias clasped his hands together in front of his groin as he looked down at the floor, then whispered, “He’s right, I did.” Then he quickly looked up and continued as people began arguing. “But there was a good reason!”

  Everyone quieted down and looked back at him. Illan stepped forward and said very gently, “Is there ever a good reason to kiss someone else’s mate? I don’t think so, Tobias.”

  “You would if that person was also your mate,” Clove’s voice sounded from the door and everyone turned to look his way.

  “Not this again. I can’t believe you would stand up for this…this…man and not your own mate,” Destrain growled.

  Clove moved closer as he spoke softly. “I am and it’s not just for anyone, Des, it’s because this beautiful young man is our mate.”

  “I can’t deal with this right now. I just can’t,” Destrain replied and turned away from Clove, taking a step toward Tobias. He reached out a hand to touch the pixie king to try to get his attention, but suddenly he felt this whooshing movement and was shocked beyond belief to find himself standing in one of the most beautiful gardens he had ever seen.

  “Wow, what is this place?” Tobias asked in awe.

  “How the hell…” Destrain said in surprise.

  “I reached out to you to try to talk to you and suddenly we’re here. I have no idea how.”

  Destrain’s jaw clenched and he said through tight lips. “I brought us here. Well, I intended to bring just me here, but I guess we can tag stowaway to your long line of crimes now.”

  Tobias’s stomach dropped as his heart filled with sadness. He should have known no one would want him. “I’m sorry I’ve caused you so much grief. I didn’t mean to. I knew it was too good to be true. Me, a lowly ferret who no one wants, not even the firehouse, thinking that I had been blessed and found his mates. I should have known it was someone's cruel joke on me. When I smelled Clove and everything inside me lit up like the Fourth of July, I was so happy. When he said that pixies only know their mates by a kiss, I didn’t even realize what I was doing, and I just kissed him. But of course, like everything else in my life, I messed up. I’m really sorry I caused you so much trouble, and you’ll never have to see me again,” Tobias said solemnly, with his head hung low, then he turned and started walking away.

  “Wait,” Destrain whispered.

  Tobias stopped but didn’t turn around. He couldn’t look at the man he knew was his mate and hear him say another hurtful word toward him. He just couldn’t look in Destrain’s face when he had rejected him.

  Destrain moved to stand before him, then Tobias saw a hand raise up and Destrain placed a finger under his chin, lifting his head until their gazes met. “This is the pixie realm, little sprite, and the only way out of here is if I take you myself. And right now, I don’t want to go back just yet. Before we do or say anything else, just…” Destrain cut himself off, then to Tobias’s surprise, the pixie king leaned in and kissed him.

  CHAPTER 6

  Destrain pulled back and looked at the dreamy-eyed man in front of him. He couldn’t believe it. This man he was so cruel to, really was his mate. “I’m sorry, Tobias.”

  Tobias’s eyes went from dreamy, to sad and despondent in seconds. He slowly backed up, whispering, “It’s okay. I’m used to being not wanted around. Just take me back to Maddox and I’ll go away. You won’t ever have to see me again. I know that you and Clove—”

  Destrain placed a finger over Tobias’s lips, stopping the man from speaking another word. Then moved that finger under the man’s chin and lifted until their eyes met once more. Destrain hoped Tobias could see his regret in the way Destrain had behaved, but he also knew he had to say the words. “Tobias, I am so sorry for the way I have treated you. I could give excuses to you, but that is all they would be.”

  “You could give it a shot and let me determine if they are excuses,” Tobias whispered as he gave Destrain a small smile.

  Destrain continued to look into his mate’s most unusual eyes. They were a beautiful shade of green with a light pink ring surrounding them. Damn, Destrain could stand here and stare into them for hours, but his mate was entitled to some answ
ers, no matter how pathetic they might be. “Come, let me take you to one of my favorite places in the palace.”

  Destrain led Tobias through the halls and up many stairs until he was walking into the atrium. The waterfall still flowed down the wall and amazingly enough the ivy, birds' nests, ferns, ficus, and other plants were still alive and flourishing.

  “Wow, this place is beautiful,” Tobias gasped in amazement.

  Destrain nodded, making his way to the bench overlooking the waterfall and pond beneath. “Thank you. I often come here when I have the urge to be alone. It brings me peace.”

  “I can see why,” Tobias said, sitting next to Destrain on the bench. He hissed slightly from the coolness of the granite against his nude flesh.

  Destrain must have realized his distress and waved a hand at him as he smiled. Suddenly, Tobias found himself fully dressed in a pair of night pants and a tee.

  Destrain sat quietly for a few moments taking in the ambiance of the room, then softly spoke, “I want to explain. You deserve an explanation, but I don’t know where to start."

  “My mom used to say the beginning always helps,” Tobias said, with a smile.

  Destrain gave a soft laugh. “That’s true, it is.”

  Thinking a moment, Destrain finally said, “I’ll never forget the day I met Clove for the first time. I was a cocky bastard back then, knowing I was king made me the shit of our shimmer. No one would dare talk back or deny me. My father held a grand ball every year, before we were taken prisoner. No pixie was denied entrance to the palace. It was our first year free from Fallon and Dain had talked me into having the ball. I decided not to take a date, because it would limit my ability to be with others if I chose.”

  “Be with others?” Tobias asked in confusion.

  Destrain turned and raised a brow. Tobias gasped, “Oh.”

  “I won’t lie to you, Tobias. I was a very promiscuous young man. It was nothing for me to have three or more lovers in a day. Hell, sometimes I would have them three at a time. I’m not proud of that fact, but it is a fact, and being free seemed to have made me even more of a philanderer than I was before being king,” Destrain stated.

  “Holy crap!” Tobias said in awe.

  Destrain gently squeezed Tobias’s hand, saying, “Just remember, it was a very long time ago.”

  Tobias nodded, but didn’t say anything.

  “Anyway, I was dressed in full royal attire. I was late, because I had just finished fucking my guard, and I walked into the ball room without thought nor care. Dain was talking to another man I didn’t remember seeing before. He called me over and as I got closer, I noticed a younger man there as well. He was almost as tall as my own six feet, and instead of white long hair like my own, his was black and just past his ass. I wanted nothing more than to sink my cock right in. The man rang all my bells, then he looked at me and time stopped. His silver eyes seemed to see right through me. Damned if I wasn’t a goner. Dain introduced me to the older man, but I couldn’t think, let alone pay attention and then Dain introduced me to Clove. I sauntered over to him, like I had done to others so many times before and took his hand, lightly kissed it and said, it will be my pleasure to get to know you very well. And that was when I realized he was my mate.”

  “Oh my,” Tobias rasped.

  Destrain snorted, saying, “Clove pulled his hand back before I could say anything. I knew he knew from that kiss we were mates, but instead of announcing our status to each other, he said, not even if you were a God himself. Then he turned from me, softly saying, you reek of sex. Next time, maybe you should clean up before bringing yourself out in public.”

  “Oh no!” Tobias gasped.

  Nodding, Destrain said, “I did everything I could think of to get Clove to give me a chance, but the man wanted nothing to do with me. I was so despondent and after three months of trying and continuously being refused, I sank into a deep depression and refused to come out of my room or eat. Dain was beside himself with worry and tried over and over again to get me to tell him what was wrong. I was humiliated and couldn’t confide in him. After three months passed and I was nothing but skin and bones, Dain said enough was enough, and ordered me to tell him what was going on. I figured my life was almost over, what was one more bit of humiliation? So, I told him everything. Two days later, there was a soft knock on my door. I didn’t even say to enter when the door opened, and Clove walked in carrying a tray. His nose wrinkled in disgust. He set the tray down, went back the way he had come, opened the door and ordered two of my guards to ready a bath. He then came to me, sat me up and said, First, you eat and then you bathe. I would have you bathe first, but I would be afraid that you would die of starvation before the water was ready.”

  “He cared,” Tobias whispered.

  Nodding, Destrain said, “He would come into my room every morning, making sure I ate and bathed. He never spoke about us being mates and if I tried to bring it up, he would change the subject. Weeks went by and he would take me outside for walks. I would watch him help people with things like bringing in groceries, rake leaves from their yards, and stuff. He would play with the children and turn into one himself when he saw an animal. Every moment I was with him, I fell more and more in love.”

  Tobias tears from his eyes, sniffling. “That is so sweet.”

  “I’ll never know what changed Clove’s mind about me, but I will always be grateful for the day he agreed to be mine. My life was never better. By all that’s holy, I didn’t know it was possible to love someone so much, but I did. Then we had Desdain. He was the most beautiful baby any parent could ask for and so much like his birth father. The day Desdain disappeared was like a knife to my soul and Clove was beside himself. I did everything I could to bring our son home. I had just gotten a lead on where our son was when Clove became ill.”

  Destrain choked up and couldn’t speak for a moment. Tears ran down his cheeks as he rasped, “The day Clove passed, I felt as if my very soul was ripped from my chest. There was a time I knew I was going to die right along with him, but Rhys reminded me of the promise I had made to Clove. I had a son who needed to be found and people who counted on me for their very lives. It took everything I had to get out of that bed and re-enter the world once more.”

  “Oh, Destrain, that’s so sad. I didn’t know that pixies could get sick like that,” Tobias said sniffling once more.

  Sighing, Destrain replied, “We can’t, but later we discovered Dain’s mate had poisoned Clove in the hope that his death would cause my own.”

  Tobias’s eyes went wide. “That’s horrible! I hope he paid a heavy price.”

  Nodding, Destrain replied, “Dain killed him.”

  Destrain sat, not saying anything as he listened to the calming flow of the waterfall. When he felt he could speak again, Destrain continued, “I made it my life’s mission to find our son, like I had promised Clove I would. That’s when I met Candace. I was alone, she was alone, one thing led to another, but I can never regret what happened, because that is the day Avery was conceived. I had no idea I had another son in the human realm. By the time I found out, Candace was already gone, and he was all grown up.”

  “That’s understandable, but it can’t be easy for Clover to see the result of you being with another,” Tobias replied.

  Sighing and bringing his head back to look up at the high ceiling, Destrain said, “I know, but Clove was in the gardens and I was so alone. I felt so dead inside, all the time. I just wanted to feel something, even if it was only for a while. I won’t lie, I did feel guilty, but like I said, I can’t regret it, because I will never regret Avery being a part of my life.”

  Tobias snorted, “Illan and Justice are probably even more thrilled than you are.”

  Destrain turned, smiling. “That is also true.”

  Slowly Destrain’s smile slipped, and he whispered, “I prayed to the Gods more times than I can remember for them to bring my Clove back to me, Tobias. I prayed, bargained, and even got angry when he didn�
��t appear. Yet, that day I saved Jensen and the Gods gifted me with my Clove, I was so happy, yet—”

  “Yet what?” Tobias asked softly.

  “Yet, I still felt alone. Here I am staring at the very man I would have given everything I am and will be to have back, and he was presented to me and I still felt alone. Then Clove refused to look at me or spend time with me.” Destrain turned to Tobias, anxiously saying, “We haven’t even made love since he’s been back. We don’t share a room. We only yell at each other or talk at each other. What is our problem? How many people would give up everything just to have a loved one back in their lives and here I am gifted with mine for eternity and we can’t even look at each other? Gods! Clove acts as if we were never mated, nor does he wish to be my mate.”

  Destrain dropped his head down as the tears fell. Seconds later he felt a soft hand slipping into his own, and Tobias’s head rested on his shoulder as he whispered, “That’s not true, Destrain. Clover loves you very much. He just has some things going on that he’s trying to work through.”

  Destrain drew in a sharp breath, and gritted his teeth, hissing, “Mates are supposed to be able to work things out together. Mates are supposed to be able to tell each other anything. He stays in his room and refuses to talk to me. Hell, the man won’t even look at me. I know he has things to work through, but damn it, so do I.”

  “Can I ask you something?” Tobias softly questioned.

  “Of course,” Destrain replied.

  Tobias didn’t move from where he was as he quietly asked, “Why did you feel alone even with Clover back? Is it the something you want to talk to him about?”

  Destrain didn’t want to answer. He had never told a soul what had been going on within himself since the return of Clove.

  Destrain could feel Tobias looking at him intently, and then he said the one thing Destrain couldn’t argue with. “We are mates, too, Destrain. I’m here to listen and maybe I can help. I want to at least try. Heck, Mom always said that when something you are carrying within is so heavy, it’s easier if two people hold it.”