My wolf growled softly as I glanced in the rear-view mirror. I glared directly at Antonio on my back seat. “You two fucking reek!” They smelled so badly of the sated it was suffocating.
Ezra even had his window rolled down for the fresh air.
Antonio had the courtesy to blush. “Sorry, Lil.”
Cahal merely grunted, grabbing my attention. “I’m not sorry. That was long overdue.”
Antonio instantly amended, “Precious, I didn’t mean that I’m sorry it happened.”
Precious…fucking hell.
Cahal’s smile was private as he gazed at Antonio. “I know, honey.”
Honey…Jesus Christ.
They stared intimately into one another’s eyes. They weren’t sitting directly next to each other as Elder Merrick and Elder Jacobs drove directly behind us, their headlights shining through the back windshield. But they were holding hands, their joined fingers resting on top of Isa’s legs where she slept between them in her back-facing car seat. And…they stank so badly.
“Good God, quit looking at each other like that!” I grumbled, waggling a finger back between the seats. My wolf growled again. “There will be no funny business happening while we’re in this car.”
This time, it was Ezra who grunted — in complete agreement.
“I mean,” I continued, completely exasperated, “did you two have to spend the entire damn day doingthat?”
Antonio gave a satisfied grin as he altered his attention to me, staring into the rear-view mirror. “Yes, we did. Precious was right. It was a long time coming.” He paused a moment when I scowled. “No pun intended.”
My brows eventually puckered. “How long?”
Antonio’s expression was patient on mine. “Cahal and I were together long ago. Until I became mated.” His lips thinned and his gaze altered, lingering on Cahal. “We were in love. It’s not a period of our lives we wish to rehash. It wasn’t…pleasant…when it ended.”
I rolled my shoulders, glancing backward and quickly appraising Cahal while Ezra stayed mute and appeared to be sniffing the air. Cahal was now staring out his dark window, his expression so damn blank that is was telling enough. I swiftly turned my attention to the road, and I nodded once in the silence. “Fair enough. I won’t ask any more questions.”
“Thank you,” Antonio murmured quietly.
Ezra broke his stillness, abruptly turning to stare back at his dad. “I am going to ask.”
Cahal slowly turned his gaze to his son. “I loved your mother.”
Ezra grunted. “Andhim?”
A simple word. “Yes.”
Ezra’s Vampire gently growled. “The entire damn time?”
“Yes.” He was quiet for a moment. Then he sighed, his words just as soft as he said, “Antonio is the love of my life, son. He always has been. He always will be.Heis my soul mate.”
Instant. Unforgiving. “Did Mom know?”
“No.” And…there was no apology given.
Just as fast. “Did you treat her any poorer because ofhim?”
“Never. She was my mate. I loved her. You know that.”
Ezra stared for a long moment, his nostrils flared. The silence was so heavy that I rolled down my own window for the rushing night air. Ezra continued eyeing his father before his attention, ever so gradually, swiveled to Antonio. His Vampire began hissing in slow ticks. “Do you feel the same way about my dad?”
Antonio answered coolly, “Yes. He ismine.” He even glowed the smallest bit, lighting the Hummer with a subtle frigid radiance. “I’ve had to wait much longer for him without love.”
“If you hurt him—”
