“I would love that,” I rasped into his ear before nipping it teasingly. He spun around and kissed me. It was a heated kiss, much like when we mated and we quickly found ourselves turned on and needing release again. I swallowed his moans as I took his dick in hand and started stroking him.He lowered his own hand down to tease my cockhead and began jerking me in the same movements. Our tongues made love as we each gave the other pleasure. It was the best shower I’d ever taken.
I came, moaning in pleasure. He came shortly after, groaning my name as his cum hit the tiles.
“Hungry?” I panted, and then we both started laughing.
“They’ll be here in ten,” I informed Derek. I’d just messaged the rulers and asked if they could do the memory thing with Derek today. After our shower, we’d eaten and found ourselves unable to think about anything else. I could feel his emotions and worry and he could in turn feel mine. We simply had to get some answers as soon as possible.
He sat down next to me on the couch, his cup of tea in hand as he offered me my cup. “And they were okay with doing it? They aren’t too tired?”
I shook my head. “They sounded more relieved to get some answers. Remember they still don’t know if your father has done something illegal or not. It sounds like it, with him having been in your world and everything. But they don’t know who he is until they search your memories.”
“And with my core being magically broken, they think he’s the one to blame,” he finished for me.
“Exactly. And I have to agree with them. You having nightmares and an absent mother doesn’t really help your father’s case either.”
He sighed. “No, I guess you’re right. I just have to admit that once I learned the others were my half siblings, I kind of hoped we would all share this amazing dad, you know? I never had a good relationship with my mom. This could be my chance to finally have that.” I hated that I couldn’t give him that one wish, but I had to look at the facts, and so far, his father wasn’t looking too good.
“I know you long for family, but hopefully you’ll like mine.” I could feel how happy that made him, and he knew he didn’t even need to answer me with words then. His blinding smile was enough of an answer, along with his overwhelming happiness.
The rulers arrived shortly after, not bothering with knocking as they trailed inside and joined us in the living room. Trise was the first one to congratulate us on fully mating, causing the others to follow her lead. We just smiled and tried to fight the fear of what they would find.
“Now,” Trise said, pleasantries over with. “We need you to lay down on the couch. Nolen will hold your hand to help calm you if,or when, we get some unpleasant memories to surface.”
I grimaced and so did Derek. Neither of us were looking forward to that part, but I felt his determination as it matched my own and helped him lay on the couch.
“We’ll start from the beginning and work our way up,” Henriette explained. “I don’t believe we’ll search for too many years. That reminds me, this might take some time, I would advise for you both to relieve yourself before we start.”
So, we did just that, making sure we could remain in place as they worked without interrupting them.
“Ready?” Trise asked once Derek was back on the couch and I sat on the floor next to his head.
“Ready,” Derek said, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze before he closed his eyes and got comfortable.
Derek was asleep a few seconds later, one of the rulers had helped ease him into it faster so they could work. They all stood around the couch and touched some part of him, and then they simply closed their eyes and got to work.
I had never seen anyone check memories before, so I had no idea what was happening, I could only feel Derek’s emotions and guess as time went on. Sometimes he felt happy, then sad, then confused. I was confused, too. It seemed to never end. Then suddenly, the fear began, then disappeared, then it hit full force and I almost choked from the force of it. Pain, so much pain.
Derek flew up from the couch, mid scream.
Chapter Fifteen
Derek
I had been happy. That was the first thing I realized as memories came flooding back to me. I hadn’t only forgotten the bad, I’d forgotten the good, too. But the good quickly faded and then the darkness came. My father.Hewas the darkness. The way he’d screamed at me, used his magic on me. He wanted me to show my magic. HeknewI had magic. Many things were blurry as I recalled the forgotten trauma, but it was clear he’d used painful magic on me, trying to get my magic to surface. Memory after memory came to me, and then,hewas there. A boy. A true copy of younger me. Crying in pain in front of me, his small hand holding onto mine as he was forced away from me.
“No,” I wailed. “No, no, no.”
I had a brother. I had a twin. And they took him.
I was dragged down into Nolen’s lap as he hugged me and cooed into my ear, saying all sorts of wonderfully nice things, but all I could see was the brown eyes of my twin.
“Forgive us,” Trise sobbed, and then everything got dark.
Chapter Sixteen
Aiden
Crying in my car was nothing new, it was survival. My dads didn’t deserve to know how broken I truly was inside. When I was a child, they’d seen me in the foster home and decided I was the one needing the most love. But after years of me having nightmares and constantly crying, I could tell I was slowly ruining their happy lives. Of course, they’d never told me that, or showed me how much my brokenness affected them. So, when I turned sixteen, I decided to pretend I no longer suffered from my nightmares, that I was somehow cured, and now I was the son they’d dreamed about having.
