"I have a duty to protect you. I will do that with every means at my disposal, even if you don't like it," Thomas told his first born.
I wondered if either of them would notice if I backed out of the room.
"You can't use mother's death as an excuse every time you screw up," Connor threw at him.
I pressed my lips together, my eyes landing on the floor. Low blow.
"This has nothing do with that," Thomas said through gritted teeth.
In another situation, I'd find Thomas's quickly deteriorating control fascinating—especially when it was due to the actions of someone besides myself.
"If you continue to throw her death in my face every time something happens that you don't like, we will never move forward," Thomas argued
That was my cue. I stepped back, holding up my hands. "This sounds like a family matter. Why don't I leave you to discuss? I'll come back later."
"Stop," Thomas said at the same time as Connor said, "You are family."
I halted, my shoulders bowing. So close.
Liam propped his head on one hand with an expression that said nice try.
Thomas took a breath, visibly reaching for his composure. "He's right. You're family."
Sort of. Except not really.
Not in the important ways.
As if reading the thought on my face, Thomas's expression softened. "The bond between sire and offspring is unbreakable. Wherever you walk in this world, however far from now, I will always be your sire. I will always care about your wellbeing."
It was a promise not only intended for me—but for Connor too.
I nodded. "I understand."
Surprise registered on Thomas's face. Before he could ruin the moment, I twirled my finger between him and Connor. "But this sounds like an old problem. I'm willing to stop fighting you on every front, but I refuse to be a bone you two use to score points against each other. I'm not a buffer and I'm not a mediator. Figure this out. I don't care what it takes. Then put it to bed."
Connor opened his mouth to speak.
I held up a hand, sending him a warning look before doing the same to Thomas. "Without me present."
Liam's smile was faint and held approval.
Thomas's expression was grave as he studied his first born. "Agreed."
Connor hesitated.
I didn't push. This was the type of thing you had to want to work. If he didn't, there was nothing I or Thomas could do.
Connor inclined his head. "Agreed."
I spun on my heel. "Great, now that that's settled, I'm going to get my shower. Blood and shadow remnants are surprisingly sticky."
*
I fiddled with my phone, studying the text I was about to send. With all the fun from last night, I didn’t have the chance to make my meeting with Travis and tonight wasn’t looking any more likely.
Unfortunately, this issue with the Scattered took precedence over any other problems—including the captain.
The words in the message hadn’t changed since the last time I’d looked. Simple and sweet, it read, “Got hung up. Will try again later tonight.”
