Reconciliation by Lisa Oliver
Chapter Eight
Seth had translocated with Ra a million times, but he’d never done it holding onto anyone else, and never thanks to a demon. As his body reformed, he felt disorientated, not least because he didn’t have a clue where they were. First things first. “Luka, are you all right? You didn’t get hit?”
“No. I’m fine.” Luka’s voice sounded shaky. “Not sure I’m a fan of this translocating business. Just give me a minute.”
I’m not letting you go, if that’s what you’re thinking. Seth tightened his hold on Luka’s waist, keeping a watchful eye on the demon who was reuniting with Wes. As soon as the wolf and demon had disengaged tongues from each other’s mouths he asked gruffly, “Where are we? What is this place? We’re still on earth, I know that much but I’m not familiar with this residence.”
“Zeus told me you were in trouble, and I sent a message for Cas to bring you here. You’re in the new home I share with my mates.”
By the winds across the desert sands how I have longed to hear that voice again. Seth turned, eagerly seeking the familiar visage of his father. But his mood immediately soured – Ra was accompanied by his vampire and his wolf who was eyeing Luka with interest.
“Father, I…”
“I am so disappointed in you, Seth.” Ra’s voice was soft and calm, but it felt like a whip across Seth’s back. “I sent you to earth for good reason. You needed to learn concepts such as humility and respect for others and instead I hear of you consorting with gangs, stealing and…”
Seth dropped his head and as he did his eyes noticed something very different about his father – the very prominent bulge around his middle. His eyes snapped back up and before he could censor himself, Seth yelled, “By the Fates, you’re having a child? How the hell did that happen?”
“Yes, I am with child,” Ra said with his ever-present calm which was now becoming annoying. “I like to think his or her’s existence was a group effort.” He patted the hand of his wolf who was resting it on his shoulder. “Regardless, you were brought here so I could discuss your behavior. You endangered another being through your antics,” he nodded in Luka’s direction, “and almost exposed our secrets to mortals answering a disturbance call in a residential neighborhood. I seriously don’t know what to do with you, Seth. Do I have to send you to my library under the sands with Thoth? Are you so misguided you will only learn your lessons spending time in the underworld?”
Seth was stunned speechless. He couldn’t stop watching the large bulge under Ra’s ribs – how it distorted his slender frame and made him appear top heavy and ungainly. The thought that Ra chose to have a child… There was so much he wanted to say, but the words were stuck in his throat.
“Excuse me, are you Ra, Seth’s father?” Luka’s voice jolted him from his thoughts.
“I am, pup, and I see you’re a very special wolf. I am glad Cas and Wes were able to save you from any serious harm.”
“Cas didn’t save me, and I haven’t met Wes before now,” Luka said firmly. “Seth saved me and because he saved my life, I want you to give him his powers back. In fact, I demand it.”
“Pup, you might be special,” Ra’s wolf growled, “but you’re forgetting who you’re speaking to. Mind your manners.”
Seth curled his lip, but Luka put his hand on Seth’s arm. “I know who I’m talking to,” Luka said losing none of the firmness in his tone, “that’s why I checked who he was first. But I’m sure you’re aware, alpha, a mate trumps familial relationships every time, giving me the right to speak.”
“It does indeed,” the wolf replied. Seth had never learned his name and didn’t care to, especially now. “However, there are no marks of claiming on you so…”
“Seth is unlikely to ever claim me, and I blame you, Ra, for that.”
You blame father for my actions? Luka was proving to be a continual surprise and it appeared Ra thought so too.
“My dear young wolf,” Ra said, talking as though Luka was a child, “Seth has acted out for more years than you can count. He constantly tries to overturn my rulings and he attacked my mates on two occasions. He needs to accept the consequences of his actions.”
And I’m standing right here, Seth cried out in his head, but he didn’t know what Luka was doing, that lump was still blocking his throat, and so he stayed quiet.
“Why was my mate acting out as you call it?” Luka’s hand was warm on Seth’s arm.
“I swear, young wolf, I have no idea.”
“You didn’t think to ask him?”
“Seth has some misguided idea about matings and matings with shifters in particular.” Ra was now using his ‘I’m explaining slowly because you’re stupid’ voice. “I have no idea why but that doesn’t excuse his attacking my wolf.”
“You never asked him, did you? In all the countless centuries you’ve all been together, you never freaking asked him. How could you be so blind?” Luka shook his head. “You stand there in all your godliness, flanked by bristling mates, clearly carrying a child you didn’t think to inform your own son, Seth, you were having. That’s his half sibling in there. No, you berated him, never giving him a chance to speak and not only that but you humiliated him in front of others as though Seth is a wayward child instead of your favored family. I’ve barely known Seth five minutes and even I can tell he’s a man who’s been badly hurt – grievously hurt, probably eons ago, and probably by a shifter – and you knew nothing about it, did you?”
“Seth, is this true?” Ra sounded shocked and Seth looked up, met his eyes, yet stayed silent.
“You don’t get to talk to him now, oh no,” Luka moved to stand in front of him which was ridiculous in a way because he was a good foot shorter than Seth. But the action caressed Seth’s soul. “You had your chance. You’ve had those same eons I mentioned to find out who hurt your son, but you never cared. Seth’s acting out, his hatred and distrust of shifters – they were all a cry for help, and you were too blind to see it.”
“You can’t know that, young wolf,” the vampire spoke up for the first time.
“I can and I do.” Luka turned to the wolf. “Seth doesn’t understand about mates, alpha. He doesn’t understand. His father, your mate, never took the time to explain the depths of what a mating bond would mean. Someone, probably one of our kind, cruelly broke this god’s trust when it came to shifters, destroyed his heart and left him broken, and your mate instead of reaching out with compassion and love, banished his own son to earth to learn humility and respect. Don’t you get it? All my mate learned out of all of this was how easily he could be discarded and ignored. No one has sought to ask what grievous hurt fuels Seth’s anger, because no one has cared until me.”
The two of them, Luka and Ra’s wolf mate held each other’s gaze for a long minute. Seth could hardly breathe. Then the other wolf nodded. “Seth getting his powers back won’t change his lack of desire to claim you, young wolf. You said he rejected you when you claimed it was Ra’s fault for him doing so. But Seth having his powers doesn’t change anything for you. Can you cope with the rejection? Can your wolf?”
“That’s not your problem, alpha.” Luka turned slightly to address Ra. “Seth saved my life after I’d been abducted. He shielded me and let me run to safety when he could’ve left me bleeding. He deserves his powers back. No man of his caliber and sense of honor should be forced into a situation where he has to manufacture a gun in an attempt to protect me, and rely on a demon, no matter how friendly, to transport him. He doesn’t need to learn humility when you’re so ready to strip him of his pride. He needs to be cared for, listened to, and loved. I will give him what you failed to provide, whether he claims me or not,” he added with a quick look at the alpha.
“Seth,” Ra said quietly, “I had no idea…”
“You have other things to worry about,” Luka interrupted curtly. “From the way that babe of yours is sitting, you’ll be giving birth within a day. You will need to call your midwife or whoever it is you use to handle these matters. In the meantime, Seth and I need to go home and for that he needs his powers, so if you don’t mind…”
“We will talk.” Seth felt the weight of Ra’s magic restoring his own. “We will talk soon but in the meantime your banishment is lifted and you’re free to roam at will.”
Seth didn’t need telling twice. Wrapping his powers around him, and still holding Luka in his arms, Seth gave up their particles to the wind and left Ra’s cozy home with his mates and a child Seth hadn’t realized Ra wanted.
