Ten’s face scrunched up, even as he squeezed his eyes tighter. “He’s… proud of me.”
“Because you’re taking steps to find a friend, to be a normal boy. At least for a while. Now, what will happen when you turn eighteen?”
The images melted away, then were replaced by others. Ten, tall and thin, all smiles and warmth, holding A’kosh’s hand as energy swirled around them. A’kosh’s features morphed, becoming more humanlike, though not human. Still, he was so handsome as he gazed lovingly at Ten.
“What are you doing now?” Caden asked.
“We’re joining souls,” Ten whispered. “And I… love him. I know what it means to love someone. A’kosh is part of my heart.”
“He always will be. Even if the bond isn’t there right now, A’kosh is. You won’t ever lose him. Let him have this, at least for a little while. He wants to watch you grow up and be happy. That’s what will make him happy. Do you understand?”
The pictures faded as Ten blew out a breath and opened his eyes. There was still sadness there. “Yes, Poppa, I understand.”
Caden could tell Ten still didn’t like it, and he’d no doubt still be angry and hurt for a while, but Caden was sure that Ten would come through it stronger.
They all would.
As the day became night, A’kosh’s people brought out food and drink to celebrate Caden. The favorite, for Caden at least, had been succulent roots that were covered in a zesty sauce, and a thick mead like drink. He had to admit, he was quite tipsy when Quade came up from behind and kissed his neck.
“So proud of you, you know. You were willing to give up everything for us.”
“I love you guys,” Caden gushed, leaning heavily on Quade.
“We love you too. When we get home, I’m going to come up with a bunch of new positions for us to try.”
And with a tingle in his groin that wouldn’t stop, Caden made one final request of the tree.
Send us home.
Chapter 24
A week later found Caden and Quade together in bed. It was always like the first time, as far as Caden was concerned. He trembled as Quade pulled out of him and flipped him onto his back before collapsing beside him on their bed. The instant they’d appeared back at home, Quade had told Ten to go show A’kosh around Sanctuary. Quade gave him extra crystals so they could stop and have some ice cream.
“Okay,” Caden panted out. “Explain it to me again, this time using small words.”
“I think you like hearing it because it turns you on,” Quade said, the grin in his voice obvious.
“You were a fucking plant-wolf. What was that about?”
“That was me accepting your half soul, just like you did mine. It allowed me to breathe on that damned planet.” Quade slipped his hand into Caden’s. “Ten told me what I needed to do, and I trusted him with our lives.”
Caden sighed. “Do you think he’s going to forgive me?”
“He’s not upset. As much as he says otherwise, I think he enjoys being a kid. And now with A’kosh nearby? It settles something in Ten, because now he can see a future without using his powers. He knows A’kosh will always be there for him.”
Still, the shame burned in Caden. He’d taken Quade’s family from him. Hadn’t he? “I’m… sorry about everything.”
“Shut up. That wasn’t my brother. Well, not mine at any rate. A long time ago, maybe, but not now. Ten assures me that after he was assimilated by the tree, the demon’s lifeline was severed. There will be no more reincarnations for him. He’s gone, forever.”
Caden knew he should feel bad about that, but he didn’t. He couldn’t. After Quade told him about the demon sending the bikers, followed by the Bogran, and how he’d directed the skin-walker to murder Mrs. Conway, any sympathies evaporated like water on a hot sidewalk.
“So now what do we do?”
“Well,” Quade said, rising up and nestling his face in Caden’s neck, “I was thinking about you with your legs up over my shoulders as I plowed into you.”
“Be serious,” Caden admonished, even though he didn’t mean a word. They’d had the most amazing sex since they got home, and though Caden’s ass was sore, he wasn’t about to turn down another round.
“Fine, I’ll be serious. What now, you ask? Well, I talked with Dandrot. He’s designated an area for you to put in a park. Everything is set for Matt and Kieran to move in. We’ve sent some people to retrieve anything they might have left behind. Kieran squealed when he heard they were staying as our first fully human residents. Even though Ten swears he’s not a warrior, A’kosh has accepted a job with Peter, wanting to teach others how to fight. He also received a visit from Perkins, who got a visit from Ten. When Perkins learned the truth about why A’kosh attacked, he lost the anger he’d been holding on to. Especially when he found out that A’kosh had helped to save his life.”
“What about… us?”
“Us?” Quade covered Caden with his much larger body, and Caden wrapped his arms around Quade so he could hold him close. “I told Dandrot I no longer wanted to work for the company.”
“But you’re good at your job.”
“My job, as you call it, almost led me to kill an innocent. The guy who’d become the man I love. I can’t do it anymore. I said I had another job waiting for me, and I wanted to take it.”
“Oh? What will you be doing?”
“Well,” Quade purred as he ran a finger along Caden’s balls. “I happen to know about a park going in, and I thought I’d make a good worker.”
“But the park won’t take long. What will you do then?”
“Then?” He reached down and slipped a finger into Cade’s dripping hole. “I plan on showing you every day how much I love you. How I can’t bear to be away from you. And how much my family means to me.”
That all sounded amazing, but…. “You can’t.”
That made Quade cock his head. “What? Why not?” He nuzzled Caden’s neck, which made it hard to think.
“Because you’d be bored. You need things to do. Like reach out to others like me, get them to trust you so you can bring them back here to find a life.”
“Baby, they have people for that.”
A hand slid over Caden’s ass, and he moaned. “But Ten said you’re a… what was the phrase? Oh! You’re a Gren wolf now. We’re soul bonded, and you are in total control. You need to do this, because there are people like me out there who are scared and alone. They need you.”
“We’ll talk about it later, but for now, I have something else to occupy my mind.”
Caden shivered as one finger became two. If he wasn’t half souls with a lycan, Caden would need hours of rest to get it up again, but his body responded to Quade’s touch. He spread his legs wider, giving Quade better access.
“I love you too.”
Quade leaned back, grabbed Caden’s legs, and flipped him over before covering his body and sliding home once more. He leaned in and nuzzled Caden’s neck as the sounds of skin on skin filled the room again.