“Canines, what the hell are you talking abouth? Ow, thun of a bitch,” Jordan yelled.Oh gods, did I get turned into a werewolf?!“Duncan, don’t tell me you turned me into a werewolf or whatever the hell you are without my permission.”
“Jordan Masako Sutton, you will watch your mouth or I will wash it out with soap!” Jordan’s eyes widened and he looked up to see his mom standing at the foot of the bed.
“Mom, what the f…heck are you doing here?” He was confused, why was his mom there when all he did was get drunk?
She didn’t answer him. Instead, she turned to Blayze and Duncan. “I need some time alone with Jordan, do you mind?”
“No, not at all,” Blayze answered. “I need to get back to the hospital, anyway,” he told her then looked back at Jordan. “I’m glad you’re awake.” He patted Jordan on his hand, only that time, he didn’t flinch or experience any kind of pain. Then he was gone.
Hospital? Wait, I’m not in the hospital? Where the hell am I? What the hell is going on?
“I have a few things to do as well,” Duncan said. He got up and cupped Jordan’s cheeks lifting his face to meet his. Duncan’s hands were warm and welcoming on Jordan’s skin. He wanted Duncan to touch, stay, and comfort him more, he felt as if they had been apart too long.Could this be part of the mating thing? I have so many questions.“It’s good to see those sparkling ruby eyes of yours again.” Jordan smiled.“Do me a favor.” Jordan nodded, not sure what he was agreeing to, but he just wanted to have Duncan continue to touch him. He would agree to anything. “Listen to what she has to say and see things from her side before you blow up and cut her out of your life. She has a good reason for doing what she did.”
“What are you talking about?” He looked from his mom to Duncan, he was thoroughly confused. Was he sick or something? “You’re starting to scare—” Before he could finish his question, Duncan pressed their lips together. Jordan moaned, and Duncan groaned as he swiped his tongue along Jordan’s lips. He lifted his arms and wrapped them around Duncan’s neck, bringing them closer together somehow. His body was on fire, and it seemed that only Duncan had what he needed to silence the inferno roaring inside of him. He wanted more of Duncan’s touch and his kisses.
Slowly, Duncan separated their lips, but did not let go of him. They stared at each other and Jordan couldn’t fathom why he was angry in the first place. He felt so calm and cherished, just from Duncan’s touch. His worry was also slowly seeping away. Who could be angry at the sweet and handsome man? “Remember what I told you,” Duncan whispered.
“I will. Promise me you will come back to me and kiss me like that.”
“That’s a promise I can definitely keep. You and I have unfinished business.”
Jordan smiled when Duncan kissed him once more, then pulled back and got off the bed. Jordan watched as the man he cared about walked over to his mother who was still standing at the foot of the bed. He squeezed her shoulder, and she gently touched his hand before Duncan walked out the door. Maybe he overreacted about the whole lykosian thing, it looked as if his mother and Duncan had gotten along while he was sleeping for three days.
Fuck, three days! How is that even possible?
Everyone must have been going out of their minds with worry. But there was nothing different about the man he was attracted to. Duncan’s presence still had a way of positively affecting him.Maybe I should give in to my feelings and stop questioning everything.Seeming to be satisfied with his rational thinking, Jordan stared at his mom who appeared nervous.
She took a deep breath and started fussing with the blankets. “Are you cold? Hungry? Do you want anything to eat?”
She was definitely nervous about something. “Mom,” he said trying to get her attention, but she ignored him. “Mom!” He grabbed onto her wrist, stopping her from fixing the blankets. “What’s wrong? Why are you here, anyway?”He could see tears well in the corner of her eyes. “Mom, you’re scaring me, what’s wrong?”
She cupped his cheeks the same way that Duncan did not too long ago. Her thumbs rubbing his cheeks. “I love you so much,” she told him.
“I love you, too.” He smiled, touching the hands on his cheeks. “Now talk to me.”
“I’m so sorry, we are so sorry, Jordy. We wanted to tell you everything before you found your sodalis amans, but—”
“Mom, you know what that word means? How? What’s going on?”
“I do,” she answered. “However, we have a different term for it. Every sect does. We refer to our mate as sýntrofos, which means the mate taken from my soul or soulmate.”
Jordan felt as if his world was being turned upsidedown. “When you say we, what do you mean by that?”
“We as the nyxians,” she answered plainly, as if discussing a recipe. “If you remember those fairy tales I used to read to you as a child, you used to love the ones about faes andwerewolves. I encouraged what you thought were fantasies because I knew it was true.”
“I…I…” Jordan didn’t know what to say. Is she trying to tell me they aren’t all fairy tales?He was completely speechless. First Duncan and now his mom.
“Oh, Jordy, I’m so sorry. There were many times I wanted to tell you—”
“Tell me! Gods, Mom, how many times have you told me secrets have a way of coming out and I shouldn’t keep things from you?”
“I know, but…” She looked away from him and Jordan could see shame and regret written all over her face. There was more she wanted to say, but Jordan wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear it. Then he remembered Duncan’s words.
“You called me Jordy,” he said to her, and she turned to look at him. “You only call me Jordy when you have bad news.” He spoke slowly because he did not want to bite his tongue again. “We don’t have a dog anymore, so it can’t be that. And I know how to take care of a fish now, so you don’t have to flush my goldfish down the toilet. Wait!” he said. “Please don’t tell me something is wrong with Dad. Is he alright?” Jordan was starting to fear that something was wrong with his dad.
She stopped him. “Your father is fine,” she told him, then looked away as more tears streaked down her cheeks. “Oh gods, I hope you don’t hate us for what we had to do.”
He reached out and turned her face towards him and wiped the tears that slipped down her cheeks with his thumbs. “I wish I could say that I’m not angry finding out that you and dad have been keeping this big a secret from me. But I could never hate you both.” He smiled, it wasn’t forced, and that seemed to help a bit. “Now, why don’t you tell me what’s wrong and why you’re here.”
