Chapter Twenty-One

EVERTON PULLED HIMSELF out of bed the next morning, drained and still sluggish. He hadn’t had a restful sleep. His brain twisted and turned with images of Cam, colliding and interspersed with scolding sneers from Franco.

His second in command had held his position for decades and often dropped hints and doled out varying perspectives he hadn’t considered. But every time Ev contemplated telling Cam about his need to be more than a roll in the hay, the imaginary conversations running through his head on how that would play out made his tummy roll and heave.

He couldn’t face Cam and bare his soul. And yet, he had to. Damn Franco.

After pulling on his sweats and glancing at his phone, discovering he’d awoken before seven in the morning, he resigned himself to making breakfast.

He whipped up some eggs, burnt some toast, remade the toast, and kept everything warm in the oven, waiting for the rest of the pack to crawl out of their dens. Serge emerged first from the basement he shared with Josip.

He scratched himself, yawned, then made his way over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup.

“You want some breakfast?” Ev asked.

“Yeah, sure, man.”

“So, we gotta talk about tomorrow night.”

“Yeah.” Serge’s voice softened, resigned to his fate.

“It’s a precaution. If Addas shows up causing issues, I don’t want you flipping out. I promise you, if I can’t guide you through this cycle, I will be here for the next one.”

“I know. Franco and I talked about the shed. It’s only twenty-four hours of complete insanity.” That statement gutted Ev. He never wanted any of his wolves to suffer, and here the kid had gone through an entire year and a half of full moon cycles chained like a dog to a cement wall. He’d failed as an alpha. “To be honest, afterward, I don’t remember too much. There’s a lingering sense of ‘what the fuck happened,’ but the twitchiness I get after being bound goes away in a couple of days.”

“Serge, you shouldn’t have had to go through anything more than a single cycle. I am so sorry. I will do everything I can to be there for you tomorrow night. And if Addas doesn’t show up, you’re golden. If he does, I want you tucked away and safe. Okay? This is about safety. And as long as you don’t make a first kill, I can wrangle you. You’ll be okay. But I owe you. You should never have had to wait this long.”

“It’s okay, boss.”

“I am not your boss.”

“Daddy?”

“I am also not your daddy.”

“Yes, you are,” Franco declared as he waltzed into the kitchen. “Oh, you made breakfast. About time. I’m tired of getting up early and fixing food for these ungrateful bastards.” He shovelled some eggs onto his plate and grabbed a piece of toast, then sat next to Serge, leaned over, and bumped shoulders with him. Ev was grateful he had Franco around. He played the role of big brother to every member of the pack.

Serge smiled. He picked up his plate and coffee and went into the living room. The TV came to life as voices rumbled from a gardening show.

“He’ll be okay.” Franco’s nonchalant answer came as he scooped a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

“I hope so.”

“So, you gonna call Cam today?”

“You’re right, you know. It’s the last conversation I want to have.”

“Because feelings are complicated and yucky.” Franco chuckled.

Everton growled, “Yes.”

“Trust me, you need to do this. You’ve been off since you’ve been home, and I don’t mean since you returned from the Ancestral Lands. Since the witches’ dungeon you’ve been angry and testy. I know that’s sort of to be expected after what you went through”—Franco held up his hand to stop Ev from chiming in—“but this is more than leftover trauma. Obviously, the two of you have connected on some level. He’s goo-goo for you. I promise. I know you’ll never believe me, but I see those lovey-dovey feelings when you look at each other.”

“He told you he’s goo-goo for me?”

“No. Don’t be absurd. I don’t think Cam is aware enough of his own feelings. The fae is clever, but he’s got some growing to do. He’s young. Don’t you remember what you were like at his age?”

“That’s exactly what scares me. I don’t want to put a bunch of emotional effort or energy into anyone who—”

“Everton Lilch, are you telling me, after your one hundred and twenty-some years on this rock, you’re still worried about laying your heart bare and potentially getting hurt?”

“Aren’t you?”

“Sure, but that’s part of the game, dude. If you’re not willing to risk anything, then the relationship isn’t worth the effort. If you can’t be emotionally invested, how do you expect him to be? Come on, you should know this. Feelings are complicated. They’re tricky too. But if you don’t put yourself all out there, how can you ever expect him to do the same?”

“You’re right.” Ev placed both hands on the kitchen countertop, leaned forward while his head hung. He let out a long breath. “I hate this.”

“Uh-huh. But the sex will be stellar when you finally get some. I promise. Especially after you waited this long. Think of those horns.” Franco winked at Ev.

“Excuse me?”

“Relax. Cam told me everything. I cannot believe you held out on him for the entire summer. That’s just cruel to both of you.”

Ev had had enough of being emotionally pummelled. “Fine.”

“Fine. Then you’ll call him? I think you need to have this conversation today, figure out how you two are going to move forward, and get your head in the game for later when the big bad witchy-fae-alpha-werewolf comes knocking on our door. ’Cause I think we all know that’s happening, and it ain’t going to be a good thing. That boy needs your help.” Franco angled his head to the living room. “And all this in two days. You’re a busy man.”

“I hate you when you’re right.”

“Which is always.” Franco shrugged, got up, and joined Serge in the living room, leaving Everton alone with his thoughts.

He really had to do this.

He would call Cam after cleaning up from breakfast.

 

CAM, DEV, AND Tully had taken turns throughout the night getting some shut-eye, but always ensured one person remained awake.

No one trusted Byron, who had slept through the night. Sparks had as well. Cam detected an overwhelming tidal wave of concern from Tully and Dev. With Sparks not regaining consciousness from his entombment in the soul trap, they all wondered if the imprisonment would have lasting implications.

Byron had passed out, and as much as everyone in the room hated him, Cam had whispered to both Dev and Tully what he had sensed from the ex-high priest.

“It’s sad. He’s utterly drained, and he’s lost all hope but clings to the notion that finding Addas will make everything better. There’s this stinking undercurrent of rot which I can’t figure out, but the stain taints and clouds everything about him. Mainly, he’s lost without Addas.”

“I know what the rot is about. It’s his werewolf infection. The impending doom he thinks is a death sentence. If he follows in Addas’s footsteps, he’ll be fine. But if he believes Addas is some bizarre anomaly, the first to shift and survive…then who knows? Maybe he still thinks he’s gonna die. But I guarantee the rot is his incubating werewolf,” Dev mused.

“I don’t care what the problem is. He’s a total asshole for everything he’s done.” Tully shook his head.

“I understand, Tully. I do. Believe me, I feel the same way, and the last thing I want is to help him in any way. But I made a deal, and unlike him, I will stick to my word and complete my tasks with honour. There’s a small part of my brain saying I should feel bad for him, and logically I guess I kind of do, but in reality? I’d sooner see him dead.”

“He trapped us in a potentially lethal situation. I’d like nothing better than to do the same thing to him.” Tully, who usually retained a positive and optimistic attitude, brandished his anger and violence like a weapon.

“He is at his wit’s end. Tell me something, guys, if the roles were reversed, and you had only one option left in order to save each other, or Sparks, what would you do?” Cam tilted his head as he questioned them. Seeing both sides of the situation might have been distasteful, but he sympathized.

Tully fell silent for a moment. His head dropped, a sign he agreed.

“Oh, hey, guys, Sparks is waking up.” Cam’s wings fluttered.

“It’s about fucking time.” Tully flipped his phone over and checked the time. It was damn near eight in the morning. “Hey, buddy, you okay?” Tully put one of his meaty hands on Sparks’s shoulder and gently shook him.

“Oh Gods, what the hell happened?” Sparks grumbled as he rolled onto his side and pushed himself up. Propped on an elbow, Sparks didn’t last long in the position as his face paled and he slumped back into the couch again.

“Just take your time. Byron’s not up yet.” Dev sat on the floor next to the couch.

“How long have I been out? Last I remember is hitting the floor.”

“All night. We were worried. I think we all needed some rest.” Tully stretched out as he spoke. Bones snapped into place as he reached for the ceiling.

“Okay, eww,” Cam chimed in after hearing the bones pop. The crackle reminded him too much of Everton. Cam had managed a few hours of rest, but after having consumed so much coffee the day before, his sleep had been fitful and disjointed. Residual caffeine coursed through his veins even now, making him jittery.

Sparks hoisted himself up again. This time, he managed to maintain a sitting position.

“Gods, I feel weird. Someone gonna fill me in?” Sparks’s face conveyed an obvious confused state.

“We’re gonna help Byron.”

“Say what?” Sparks furrowed his brows.

“Yeah, man, I don’t like it either.” Tully glanced toward Sparks.

“Okay, look, here’s the thing.” Dev’s eyes narrowed as he spoke methodically. “I get here, and Byron has you two trapped in a thick amber light and tells me you’ll slowly suffocate to death if I don’t agree to help him find Addas. What was I supposed to do? Two of the most important men in my life are being held hostage by the one person we all hate.” Dev threw his hands out to the side.

“Ahem.” Cam cleared his throat and threw a nasty look toward Dev. “Two of the most important?”

“Sorry, two out of three,” Dev corrected.

“You did what you thought best, but now we gotta track down Addas?” Sparks glared at Dev. “You do remember how big he is, yes?”

“And a bloodlust-crazed, alpha werewolf!” Cam added. He perused a collection of stones, crystals, and gems Byron had accumulated and laid out in a glass cabinet.

“Like, is that even safe?” Sparks questioned. I’m not sure I signed up for this.

“Yeah, safe? Probably not, but what choice do we have? And none of us signed up for this shit. We find Addas, and then we leave. I’m so done with all of this. I want to wash my hands of him.” Dev jerked his head over his shoulder to indicate where Byron lay asleep in a chair. “We’ll start our own group, and I’m going to forget he was ever part of my life. I think concentrating on you two for a while would be nice. I’d want this to become…okay.” Dev chewed the inside of his cheeks.

Sparks glanced at him with concern. “Are you having second thoughts about this?” His finger made a quick triangle between him, Dev, and Tully.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say so.”

“Then I’m out. I’m not coming in the middle—”

“Stop.” Dev threw his hand up, palm out toward Sparks. “Look, this triad didn’t exactly happen organically. A God appeared and the next thing we know, ‘Do you take your husband’ got tossed around. That’s bound to throw anyone off. All of this is happening way too fast. I want some time and breathing room to figure this all out. I need to get my head right about this. None of my issues are because of either of you.”

“Oh God, I’m glad you said it. Me too!” Tully stared at the floor. “I know we’ll get there, and if the God put us together, He’s going to keep us together for His own purposes. I’d like to enjoy the ride instead of fighting my feelings all the way. Whaddya guys say?” Tully peeked up from behind arched eyebrows.

Cam pretended to be engrossed in the crystal collection but was captivated by the guys’ conversation. The teensiest smirk formed on his face. The situation surpassed weird, and he would have never seen Dev in the middle of a conversation like this. Was he jealous? One hundred percent. But Dev was his brother from another mother, and after growing up together and sharing their hopes and dreams, Cam wanted nothing but the best for him.

“This isn’t the time or space for this conversation. Maybe we can circle back later, but I want us to try. I mean, Cernunnos himself has basically tied us together, right? So, when we get this finished with Byron, I’m gonna need a long nap. After that, we can discuss how we move forward. Deal?” Dev laid down the law.

Cam was so proud.

“Deal.” Tully puffed his chest out, displaying his pride too.

“Okay. Nicely stated, Dev.” Sparks acquiesced. “You’re right, this isn’t the time and place, but I have reservations. I so do not want this to end up wrong. I like you guys too much.”

“Nothing’s gonna go wrong.” Tully’s lips twitched, and his ever-present optimistic grin returned.

“Now, we have to wait for this asshole to wake up.”

“I’ve been awake for the last ten minutes. Have you three come to resolutions on your complicated feelings? Are we all good? Or can we go?” Byron pulled himself up off the chair he sat on, turned, and glanced at the three men.

Dev pursed his lips as the muscles in his jaw clenched tight.

Sparks narrowed his eyes as he stared at Byron. “Aren’t you in a fucking hurry? Fine, let’s get this shit show over with,” he spit out, then hoisted himself off the couch.

 

FIVE MEN IN Tully’s Audi TT RS was a feat. Cam couldn’t help thinking about a clown car at the circus. Tully’s broad shoulders prohibited him from sitting in the back seat of the car; thankfully, seeing as it was his car, he drove. Both Sparks and Dev were slighter but were still full-grown men. Cam had always been stocky, and his transition to fae hadn’t changed his body frame, but at least his shorter stature helped him sit in the middle. Except for the horns on his head which poked the interior’s lining on the retractable roof. His prehensile tail and massive wings didn’t help much either. Byron, a couple of months ago, had been similar in size to Tully, but since his werewolf infection, he had grown larger—just as Addas had grown. The car, stuffed to capacity, crammed the occupants together, and no one wanted to exist that close to Byron.

Cam sat in the middle of the back seat, the least comfortable spot.

He had two sets of elbows digging into his ribs and he was forced to lean forward as his wings created a real space issue despite the fact he had them folded together and twisted to one side. He sat on his tail, crimping the appendage, which hurt like hell, and he’d been made to sit on the console, a spot not meant for a fifth person. The faster they all got out of the vehicle, the better.

Byron shifted as he dug in his pockets, which caused the tight quarters to be even more cramped.

Cam glanced over his shoulder at Byron and gave him a dirty look, but Byron’s eyes were closed, as he mumbled words over and over. So instead, Cam shifted his wings which thwapped Byron in the head.

Byron scowled at him.

Cam threw him a dirty look, then turned to face the front of the car.

Dev sat in the passenger seat, beside Tully.

“No, turn left here.”

“How do you know where to go?” Sparks leaned forward and asked Dev.

“I don’t know, exactly. A gut feeling. Think of a compass swinging toward true north. The needle points in the right direction. All I have to do is think about who, or what I’m trying to find,” Dev explained.

“Can someone roll down the window? It’s hot in here,” Cam begged. Dev glanced at his friend; concern plastered all over his face.

“Is the witch finding always accurate?” Sparks asked.

“No.”

“Great,” Byron retorted.

Dev turned his head to face Byron as he glared at the man.

“No one asked you. Actually, a thank you would probably be in order.”

Byron glared, narrowing his eyes.

“Seriously, someone needs to roll down the window. I think I’m gonna be sick.”

Tully slammed on the brakes.

“No one is throwing up in my car.” He slammed the vehicle into park. “Everyone out.”

Cam tore over Sparks to exit the car before he hurled into some bushes on the boulevard.

“Oh man, that’s nasty.” Sparks turned away.

“You okay?” Dev asked from behind Cam as he knelt in the bushes.

“Yeah.” Cam coughed the word out; then threw up again.

“Hey, guys, look.” Sparks pointed to the trunk of an elm tree on the edge of the boulevard.

“That’s a territory mark.” Byron ran his fingers over the gashes in the tree.

“Seems like we’re on the right trail at least.” Tully sneered at Byron.

Three hours later, and after visiting several of Edmonton’s southeastern and central neighbourhoods, finding various remnants of Addas’s wardrobe, and at least two dumpster bins marked with urine, they still hadn’t found Addas.