“You don’t have to tell me what happened, but I’ll listen.”
Quintus wrapped his arms around Scott’s waist and nodded. “I need to tell you what happened. I’ve been holding onto that for so long it’s haunting me in my dreams. The only time it doesn’t happen, is when I’m sleeping next to you.”
Stepping away, Scott walked them back over to the bed and sat them down. He pulled Quintus into his arms, kissing the side of his head. “You can tell me whenever you’re ready.”
“No, I need to get it out,” Quintus said looking at him. “I…gods…wait, can I still say gods if you’re a demigod or whatever?”
Scott cupped his cheeks and met his gaze. “Kitty, you can say any damn thing you want to. It won’t change how I feel about you. I meant it when I told you I loved you.”
“I love you, too,” Quintus told him, touching his cheeks. “I just don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t,” Scott answered. “We’re not just mates, Quintus. You are my fated mate. The fates who are much wiser than I picked you to be my equal. And those are three women I would never question or dare to go against.”
Tears streaked down Quintus’s face, and Scott wiped them away with his thumb.
“There are things about that night I’ve forgotten, but I remember my mom screaming and begging my father to stop. He was a mean drunk, who would have his good days and bad. But on his worst days, he’d beat the shit out ofMama. He kept a gun collection, because he liked to hunt. It’s funny, he could hardly find a job because of his drinking problem. But when we were hungry and didn’t have any food in the house, he made sure his gun collection was kept intact. When you thought his children would be his pride and joy—it was his guns. We were nothing to him.”
Quintus stood and went to walk away, but Scott stopped him and pulled him into his arms. “I want you here so I can hold you.”
“Okay.” Quintus rested his head on Scott’s chest. “He’d leave on hunting trips but never once brought any kills home. So, I can only assume he was hunting other things. But when he was gone, those were the happiest times in our lives. Mama would smile more. She’d sing to us, and the house felt lighter. Each time he left, I prayed he’d never come back. The second he’d come back home it was as if he’d sucked all of the joy from our lives. That night...he’d finally come home after he’d been gone for two weeks. Mama was eight months pregnant with Sareena at the time. Her screaming woke me up, and I went to see what was happening. I wish I hadn’t.”
Scott could only imagine what his mate had seen his father do to his mother and could tell there were things Quintus didn’t want to say, so he didn’t push it.
“His back was facing me. All I kept thinking was that I had to help my mom. I had to get him off her and save her. I saw his gun sitting beside his backpack and picked it up. I pointed it at them and then screamed for him to stop. My dad turned and looked at me. I remember he asked me what I was doing with his gun. But I couldn’t speak. I looked at my mother, and the frightened look on her face scared me...even more than the tears staining her cheeks. I looked back at my father when he took a step off the bed and towards me. I heard someone yell ‘don’t shoot,’ but it was already too late. My finger locked onto the trigger, and I went flying back, hitting the wall from the recoil. Before I blacked out, I saw my father dropping to his knees and falling forward. When I came to, my uncle was putting me in my mom’s car and telling me to take care of my family.”
They sat in silence for a while, Scott holding Quintus. “You are so fucking brave.”
Quintus scoffed and looked up at him. “For killing my father?”
“For protecting your family,” Scott corrected him. “You did what was right and just. If your father were alive right now, I would find him and kill him myself. I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that at such a young age.”
“Oh gods. I’ve been living with this guilt for so long, I’m not sure how to stop thinking about it, I kept thinking one day he’s going to show up and take his revenge. At one time, I thought he was alive because of all the dreams I’ve been having about him.”
“How long have you been having these dreams?”
“A few weeks—except when I’m with you.”
“Were you dreaming about him the night I found you on the couch sleeping?”
“I don’t know. Like I said, it was a weird dream. The one I had last night was just as weird.”
Scott sighed and kissed Quintus on the side of his head. “We’ll figure it out. I promise. You might be right, and it was your guilt eating away at you. But let me say this now. You have nothing to feel guilty for. You saved your family. Think of how happy your mom and sisters are now. I don’t think it’s the magic of Vale Valley—it has a lot to do with you. I see the way you care for your sisters and worry over your mom. You wanted to see them happy, because you are a good person, Quintus Wolfe.”
Quintus leaned up, kissed him, and then rest his head back on his chest. They sat comfortably in silence for a few minutes until Quintus spoke. “What does Alec look like?”
Scott looked down at Quintus, wondering why his mate was asking him that question. “Why?”
“I think I met him last night in my dreams.”
“What?” Scott asked, sitting up and staring at his mate.
* * *
Scott looked awayfrom Quintus and then got off the bed. He walked over to the dresser and opened it, searching for something. Taking out a photo album, he walked back over to the bed and sat down beside Quintus. Scott opened it and took out a picture, handing it to him.
"Did he look like this?"
Quintus looked down at the picture of a man with dark, curly hair touching his shoulders. He was smiling, and he could see the joy on the man's face. It was the same man he'd seen in his dreams the night before.
