Spirit Wolves - 23. Chapter 23

Having a lot of work to do was an understatement. Sebastian’s first priority was getting Elijah and the pups taken care of. He alerted Donovan to their impending arrival.

A thin layer of freshly fallen snow crunched under their tires as they pulled into the driveway. Sebastian cut the engine and the six of them sat for a moment, relishing the silence that surrounded them.

With a heavy sigh, Sebastian opened the door and stepped out. The others followed him into the house.

Donovan was in the kitchen and pointed at the fresh pot of coffee.

‘Fuck, I need this!’ Sebastian thought as he grabbed a mug and poured the revitalizing nectar into it. The first sip hit his taste buds in an explosion of liquid energy.

Once he was caffeinated, he called Nat Chusi. He couldn’t do this on his own and she would be instrumental in planning the next steps. She knew Alberts and Belland better than he did. Nat picked up on the first ring and he relayed everything that had happened, including the fact that Alberts and Belland were still out there somewhere.

“I’m not surprised,” she told him and Reilly. “Harold has always been rather, um, untrustworthy, shall we say? He bullied his way to the top rank in the Council. I truly regret my complacency in looking the other way when he basically strong-armed his way to the top. It was easier to ignore him than it was to deal with him. I absolutely regret that decision now.”

“You can’t change the past Nat, but going forward you can make sure it doesn’t happen again. I still have faith in you and your ability to keep the Council running until I figure out what the hell I’m going to do. Any ideas on where they may have gone?” Sebastian asked.

“Yes, but you’re not going to like it.”

Sebastian took in a deep breath, already anticipating what she was going to suggest. He had mulled it over himself, and likely come to the same conclusion, he just needed confirmation. He looked over at Reilly, who had gone a little pale as the realization sank in.

“They’re most likely holed up at Nichols’ place, but you already knew that, didn’t you?”

Bam.

Sebastian saw the exact second reality hit Reilly in the face like a line drive straight off the bat, with no time to duck. His wolf clawed inside his chest as he watched Reilly struggle to get air into his lungs. It pained him to do so, but he had to turn away or he’d never be able to concentrate on the conversation.

“Yep, I kinda figured as much. How long do you think they’ll stick around?” Sebastian wanted to know.

“You probably have two days, tops. Harold is always one step ahead, so I’m sure he has his next move planned out. The thing you have on your side is the fact that he hates to lose, so the blow you just dealt him? Well, he’s going to stew over it for a day or so before he calms down enough to put whatever his next moves are into action,” Nat assured them.

“That’s good to know. Even if it just buys us a few extra hours, him being pissed off sounds like a good thing. Thanks for the information. I promise I’ll update you whenever I can.”

“Better yet, update me in person in a few hours. I’m in Chicago and I’ve got the plane on standby. Andy, Roberto and Simon are here too and we’ll be there as soon as we can.”

Sebastian managed a small smile, the first one that had crossed his face in at least a couple of days. His instinct told him that Nat Chusi could be trusted, and having her and the other council members on their side would definitely benefit them in the long run.

Sebastian ended the call and turned back to Reilly. Kellan had come up behind him and wrapped his arms around his best friend's shoulders and Reilly leaned into the reassuring touch. Sebastian’s wolf chuffed his approval at seeing the supportive instinct of a Lambda for his Kappa.

As soon as Reilly realized that Sebastian’s attention was focused solely on him, he stepped out of Kellan’s comforting hold and slid into Sebastian’s protective, but possessive embrace.

“You don’t have to go,” Sebastian whispered.

“Yes, I do. You and I both know it.”

Sebastian held Reilly tight for another minute before letting him go. “Okay then, let’s go figure this out.”

He led the way into the kitchen where there was still plenty of food, which was currently being devoured by some of the young shifters. Donovan was in the living room area which was now a makeshift exam area. The pups that were still human had been thoroughly looked over. Overall they were a bit dehydrated and weak from lack of exercise and two still showed physical signs of repeated trauma that hadn’t fully healed, including Vann. The ones that had been in wolf form when found were still able to shift back to humans and had done so once they weren’t scared to death.

It was the five that were stuck in the hybrid form that Donovan was most concerned about. Without knowing exactly what was used on them, it would be a long time before they could work on a cure. After they were fed, they got the pups settled into the three bedrooms to sleep. They certainly needed it.

Donovan gave Elijah a thorough exam. Physically he was fine. Mentally, he was shaken up, but assured the doctor and Sebastian that he would be okay.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do much more to help,” Elijah apologized.

“No. You did everything you were supposed to. Getting kidnapped and brought to the mine was the exact confirmation we needed. I’m proud of you.” Sebastian praised the young man. “Are you up to talking about what happened?”

“Sure, but have you heard from Wayne and Sandi? I’m worried about them.”

“As far as I know, they’re still at Nichols’ place. Wayne contacted me and let me know that they were okay, but are being watched by Reilly’s brothers. Try not to worry, Wayne can take care of Sandi and himself. We’re going to get them out of there, I promise.”

Elijah nodded, even though his eyes reflected his concern.

“I was surprised when things happened so fast.”

“What happened after you were taken?” Sebastian asked.

“I’m not really sure. They drugged me, and I’m not sure how long I was out. When I came to, I was locked in a basement. A couple of hours went by, I think, before Derek came. He hauled me up the stairs. That's when I figured out I was in Nichol’s house. Nichols was in his office and Derek shoved me in. Nichols told me I could shift back to my real appearance. He somehow knew I was a shapeshifter. I don’t know how he figured it out. I knew I never lost my disguised appearance. I was still in that form when I came to.”

“It was Caleb,” Sebastian said grimly. “He must have told Nichols about you. We saw him with Alberts and Belland going into the mine.”

“Caleb?!” Elijah cried, disbelieving their terrible news.

Sebastian nodded.

“Well that fucking snorts icicles.”

Sebastian let out a bark of laughter at Elijah’s analogy. The rest of the group didn’t hide their amusement either. It was a welcome, brief reprieve from the seriousness of the situation.

The laughter died down and Elijah continued. “You know, I thought at one point I heard Caleb, but they kept me sedated most of the time, so I thought it was just a dream. After I refused to talk to Nichols, Derek dragged me back to the basement. They didn’t beat me, but Reilly’s brother wasn’t exactly gentle either. The next thing I knew, I was in that room at the mine. I could hear all the kids. Most of the time we were alone, but every once in a while someone would come to take one of the kids somewhere, usually for a couple of hours. I tried my best to reassure them that help was on the way. I was so goddamn relieved when you guys barged in. I couldn't bring myself to shift into a small creature and leave those kids in that situation.”

“Well, we’re pretty goddamn relieved you’re okay. You did the right thing,” Sebastian replied.

Reilly yawned, setting off a chain reaction among the others.

Sebastian ordered the rest of them to sleep while they could. All of them except Sebastian and Reilly shifted into their wolves, curling up on the blankets and comforters that had been laid out. Not long after, the room hushed with the soft sound of sleeping wolves.

It wasn’t a surprise when Vann padded out quietly and curled up next to Reilly on the couch, drawing comfort in his scent and warmth. Sebastian stretched out on a recliner, his long legs hanging off of the end. He got up and shifted the chair so that instead of dangling over the edge, his feet rested on Reilly's lap. His mate took his blanket and tucked Sebastian’s legs in as best he could.

They managed to get a few hours of sleep before the sound of tires crunching the hardened snow woke them.

Connie Porter had driven Milo’s parents through the night, arriving in the pre-dawn hours, to be reunited with their son. Michael and Lynn cried tears of relief, joy, and horror when they saw their son. Milo’s transformation had rendered his head as a wolf and left his body human, except for the thick fur that covered him and the long, sweeping tail that swayed involuntarily at the sight of his parents. They promised him they would not stop looking for a cure for him.

The other four hybrid pups were in conditions similar to Milo, with varying degrees of fur coverage. One of them had paws instead of hands and feet, leaving him unable to grasp or hold onto things. Each of them were unable to articulate words, only barks, growls, whines and howls. It made it hard to communicate, but not impossible.

The new arrivals quieted down so they wouldn’t wake the others and Sebastian set about making more coffee. The sky went from pitch black to slate gray before melting into the soft hues of sunrise.

Nat Chusi and the other council members arrived shortly after the sun peeked out above the horizon. After greeting their guests and making introductions, Reilly and Kellan, with help from Ben and Zev, started breakfast.

The low hum of voices eventually roused all but a few of the young pups. At that age they could sleep through an all out battle. It was the smell of bacon, however, that had them rolling out of bed and shuffling into the living room, rubbing their eyes sleepily.

Sebastian watched carefully as their guests saw the pups for the first time. Anger, horror, and disbelief raged across all four of the council member’s faces.

Nat Chusi looked absolutely livid. “So help me, if it’s the last thing I ever do, I will see Harold and Oswald die for what they’ve done. I give you my word Sebastian, they will pay for this with their lives,” she vowed.

“Then we’re on the same page,” Sebastian agreed.

Nat nodded towards the other room. “Is there somewhere we can talk? I don’t think these youngsters should have to overhear what we need to discuss.”

But there really wasn’t anywhere in the house that was private so Sebastian suggested they take a ride to the mine facility and talk on the way.

After breakfast, she and the other council members; Roberto, Andy and Simon, loaded into the big SUV along with Sebastian, Reilly, Kellan, and Hunter. It was a tight fit, but they managed to squeeze everyone in. Ben and Zev stayed behind, knowing they would be filled in later.

As soon as they were down the driveway and on the main road, Nat asked, “Sebastian, are you going to confront Harold and Oswald?”

“Yes, I’m planning on driving up there later this morning. I’m pretty sure they’re not going to be surprised when we show up.”

“No, they won’t be. Who are you taking with you?” she asked, wanting to know.

“If they agree, it will be my mate, Hunter, Kellan, Ben and Zev.”

“That’s suicidal!” Roberto declared from the back.

Sebastian grinned knowingly. “Not when you have an ace up your sleeve.”

“What ace?” asked Simon.

“It’s probably better to show you, but it will have to wait until we get back to the house when Ben and Zev are with us,” Sebastian replied, cryptically.

“Well okay then, so tell us more about the current situation at the mine facility. What can we expect?” Andrew Faulkner asked.

Sebastian filled them in on the details he had skipped over in their earlier conversation. The drive wasn’t very long, but he managed to give them a clear picture of what to expect.

After they arrived, Sebastian checked in with his team and showed the council members the lab facilities and the bottom sub-level before taking them to the common area and dorms where they were holding the captured shifters.

“Have the medical and research staff been questioned yet?” Roberto Mata, the bear shifter growled.

“Nothing beyond finding out who’s who and what their primary role is,” Sebastian told them.

A look passed between the council members. Nat turned to Sebastian.

“Why don’t you allow us to take care of this part of the investigation? I’m sure we can uncover exactly what was going on here.”

Sebastian looked at Reilly, who nodded subtly. They both understood the method of investigation that was inferred.

“I’ll let my pack know to assist as necessary.”

“Thank you,” Nat said. “We’ll start after you and your crew leave for Nichols’ place. We need to know what you’re planning and how we can help.”

The ride back to the house was quiet. For now things at the mine facility were under control. There would be a lot to do in the upcoming days and even weeks. Nat had assured Sebastian that she would send a team of experts in shifter biology and physiology to the site so they could comb through the records and try to figure out how to reverse whatever had been done to the hybrid pups, if it was possible at all.

Sebastian already had members of his security company sorting through the computers onsite to find whatever information they could. It was going to be a long and tedious process.

Arriving back at the house, Sebastian called out to Ben and Zev, who quickly joined them.

“What do you know about the legend of the Senary Sentinels?” Sebastian asked Nat and the others.

Andrew Faulkner looked at him questioningly. “That’s a very old legend. Everyone hears the stories when they’re growing up, even us non-wolves.”

Simon tilted his head and studied him. “Why do you ask?”

Before answering, Sebastian posed another question. “Have any of you ever seen a painting that was done many centuries ago depicting the Sentinels?”

They all shook their heads negatively.

Sebastian pulled out his phone and showed them the painting that Ben had found in Silas’ basement.

“It’s a beautiful painting, but how does it tie into what’s going on now?” Nat asked.

Sebastian handed Nat his phone. “Take a really good look at those wolves.”

As she and the others were scrutinizing the picture on the screen, Sebastian and his mini-pack stripped down in a flash and bones cracked quickly, sounding like popcorn at the height of popping.

All four council members gasped at the sight of the six wolves from the picture standing proudly in front of them.

“Holy. Fucking. Shit,” Roberto swore as he stared.

“Harold and Oswald are going to piss themselves,” Nat commented, looking both incredulous and amused.

Sebastian shifted back first, the others right behind him. After getting dressed, Sebastian looked at the council members. “Any questions?”

“A fuck ton of them, but they can wait. I think you guys need to get going as soon as possible. Harold is expecting you to show up, but not this quickly. The element of surprise, coupled with those wolves will give you an advantage. But be careful. He’s not going down without a fight. If you can bring him in alive, I promise you justice will be served,” Nat assured him.

“It’ll be served no matter what,” he promised in return.

It didn’t take long to get ready. Jack wanted to go, but Sebastian put his foot down. Kellan whispered a quiet ‘thank you’ to his Alpha.

Vann clung to Reilly as they got ready to leave.

Reilly comforted the shook up youngster. “Hey buddy, it’s going to be okay. The people who did this to you? We’re going to make sure they can never do anything like it ever again,” He had been through a lot, especially after finding out that Caleb, his Alpha, had betrayed the pack. It was a devastating blow to the young kid.

They got on the road just after noon. One of the things that worried all of them was not knowing what had happened to Wayne and Sandi. There had been no more communication from either of them and all they could do at this point was hope that they were still alive.

The drive would normally take a little less than an hour, but light flurries were enough to slow them down to a safe driving speed, extending the trip to just over an hour.

As they got closer, Reilly picked out familiar landmarks that he had grown up with. He gave Sebastian directions the last couple of miles, right up to the entrance to the compound. There had been no gates when Reilly was growing up. Jack told them they were installed about five or six years ago.

The main gate stood open, the first sign that they were expected. Sebastian slowed down and scanned the area as best he could. They kept their eyes and ears open for signs of an ambush.

“That’s the house,” Reilly said, pointing to the two story structure he had grown up in.

It wasn’t until Sebastian parked and they exited the truck, that the front door opened. Derek, Reilly’s oldest brother came out first, Danny and Dylan right behind him. All three sneered when they caught sight of their younger sibling.

Sebastian and Reilly stood together. Hunter and Kellan flanked their right and Zev and Ben flanked their left.

“Well looky here, the prodigal son has returned. And he’s brought friends. What’s the matter, Runt? Too scared to come visit your family all by your itty bitty lonesome?” Derek taunted.

Reilly ignored him, more concerned about the way Sebastian tensed up.

“Fuck you, Shithead. I’m surprised you haven’t killed yourself or one of your idiot brothers with your stupidity yet. The goddamn lifeguard at the gene pool must’ve been on break when your sperm cell snuck in,” Kellan jeered.

Derek looked ready to pounce when another voice chimed in.

“Now boys, is that any way to welcome your brother back? Hello Reilly. It’s been a long time. You're looking, hmmmm, well,” Peter Nichols commented sarcastically.

“No thanks to you. You look a little surprised that I’m not hobbling about on permanently damaged knees, Father,” Reilly spat out.

Sebastian tensed, his wolf at the ready.

Two more figures appeared behind Nichols. Alberts and Belland stepped out and neither one looked pleased to see them.

“Oh my, the Supreme Alpha Commander himself has come to save the day. All prepared for a fight I see. A little word of advice? Don’t ever leave your backs unprotected.” Alberts nodded and a moment later, all hell broke loose.

Wolves charged out from the woods behind them. They barely had time to shift before all six of the wolves were battling for their lives. They were outnumbered two to one, but what the other side didn’t realize was that Sebastian and his pack had their connection to draw on.

They didn’t realize when it actually started, but in the midst of utter chaos, the six Sentinels sensed what each other was doing and planning. Methodically they struck down the attacking wolves, one by one, instinctively covering each other's backs with little effort.

In the midst of the commotion, there was a loud crash. Two wolves came flying out of a window on the shed next to the house, glass flying everywhere. It was Wayne and Sandi, both jumped right in and to defend their pack-mates.

When most of the attacking wolves had been either killed, submitted or slunk off in cowardly retreat, Sebastian turned his, and by default, everyone else’s attention, to the house where the brothers, Reilly’s father, Alberts and Belland had retreated.

In a blink, the black and white streak of fur leaped onto the porch and ran into the house, following the scent of its prey. Sebastian’s wolf was in all out hunt mode, determined to catch what it was after.

There were more wolves inside, they attacked in a defensive manner, but were no match for the Sentinels, who were hell bent on stopping the ones they perceived as the bad guys. Fur flew in all directions as Hunter, Kellan, Zev and Ben attacked and protected their Alpha and his Kappa with sharp claws and gnashing teeth.

Reilly was attacked by two brown wolves, recognizing them as Dylan and Danny. Everything they had done to him came rushing back, a wave of phantom agony crashing over him. For a split second it brought him to his knees, but just as quickly as it started, it was replaced by a wave of determination. The wave came from the other Sentinels, all of whom had sensed his momentary distress.

Reilly planted his paws and whipped his body around to face his siblings. He growled fiercely and the brothers backed off, taken by surprise at the ferocity that Reilly showed. In that moment of hesitation, he leaped at Danny and clamped his strong jaws down on the back of his neck and shook his brother as hard as possible. Blood sprayed out from a long gash his sharp teeth tore in the skin. Danny yelped and went limp, signaling defeat. Dylan charged forward and, in less than two minutes, Reilly had him pinned to the floor, teeth sunk into his neck, millimeters away from his jugular. He, too, submitted to the stronger wolf.

Derek tried another approach. He attacked Kellan while Hunter was busy fighting off two determined wolves. Kellan and Derek were well matched, almost identical in size and weight. Derek had honed his fighting skills since Reilly had last seen him and Kellan was being put to the test. Both wolves were bleeding from the battle. They backed off and circled each other, looking for an opening.

Kellan pounced when Derek looked over as Reilly defeated Dylan. It was only a second, but enough time for Kellan to leap forward, snarling with teeth bared, latching onto Derek’s throat. There was a really gross, wet tearing sound as Kellan tore a massive chunk of flesh away from Derek’s body. The wolf dropped down and lay twitching, wet, gurgling sounds emanating from the open wound as air tried to figure out where it was supposed to go. The sounds tapered off. The air had nowhere to go, it’s normal route cut off by a gaping hole. Soon the sound stopped altogether.

Reilly, Kellan, Hunter, Ben and Zev stood panting, surveying the scene around them. Sebastian was nowhere to be seen, they had lost track of him during all of the fighting. They quickly set off to find their Alpha. Following their senses, they found him in the backyard where Alberts’ body was torn and shredded in a bloody heap. He was alive, barely, and in no shape to continue to fight. The fight had been brutal, Sebastian the victor.

Sebastian, panting with exertion, was squared off with Belland, a gray and brown timberwolf. Sebastian gave a curt bark, signaling that the slimy bastard was his to deal with. They circled each other, hackles bristled, low growls coming from both wolves. Sebastian was bigger, but Belland played dirty, biting at toes and tail, trying to distract Sebastian in any way possible. They clashed multiple times, each one drawing blood.

Just when Sebastian was gaining the upper hand, another wolf came running out from the woods and jumped onto Sebastian’s back, digging in its claws and teeth. It was Peter Nichols. Sebastian was momentarily stunned. Fresh blood dripped onto the soiled snow beneath him.

Before any of the other Sentinels could react, another wolf streaked out from the woods. The large gray wolf slammed into Nichols, knocking him off Sebastian. Snarling, biting, and clawing at whatever piece of flesh it could get at, the wolves battled fiercely.

Sebastian recovered quickly and resumed his fight with Belland. He held his own and was making headway, so no one interfered. The two separate fights were vicious, each in its own way.

Sebastian got one of Belland’s hind legs locked in his jaw. He bit down hard, until a loud ‘SNAP’ rang out. Belland howled, falling onto his side. Sebastian seized the opening, his razor sharp claws slashed the soft underbelly, from his nutsack to his throat. Blood soaked the ground as entrails spilled out. Death was swift.

It took a moment for everyone to realize that the wolf who had attacked Nichols was none other than Caleb. The burly gray wolf repeatedly slammed into Nichols from every side, the sound of impact like the steady beat of a drum.

It eventually wore Nichols down and, after being grabbed by the tail and slammed into the hard earth, Nichols rolled over in defeat. Caleb walked over, calmly lifted his leg and pissed on the asshole’s head.

Reilly ran over to Sebastian, nuzzling and licking his mate, needing the touch. Sebastian chuffed his approval before shifting, the worst of his injuries no longer bleeding. Jagged red welts still marred much of his flesh. The rest shifted back and Hunter and Kellan grabbed a bag of extra clothes from the SUV and handed them out.

Looking around, Sebastian assessed the damage. Fur and blood blazed a trail across the yard and into the house. Carnage was evident in the bodies strewn across the trampled snow-covered lawn. At least a dozen and a half of Nichol’s pack were dead.

Wayne and Sandi came running from the other side of the house. Wayne stopped short at the sight of Caleb. Seeing his Alpha must have agitated his wolf. Wayne stepped in front of Caleb and swung his fist around lightning fast, connecting with the man’s jaw with a loud ‘crack!’

Caleb reeled backwards, his ass landing on the hard earth. Rubbing his jaw, he slowly got to his feet. “I deserved that,” he stated.

“Why, Caleb?” Wayne asked, tears of hurt welling in his eyes.

“It’s complicated, and I promise I’ll tell you. First, let’s get this mess straightened out.” He turned to Sebastian. “I’ll understand if you want to tie me up or lock me up somewhere.”

Sebastian pinned his gaze onto his former friend. “Are you going to make a run for it?”

“No.”

“Are you going to attack anyone?”

“No.”

“Then I’ll deal with you later,” he declared.

Sebastian pulled out his phone and called Donovan to let him know that they had defeated Nichol’s and his pack. They needed help securing the area. Donovan assured him there were still plenty of packmates who had stayed to help out. He’d send ten or twelve up there shortly.

After ending the call with Donovan, he called Nat Chusi to update her, then called Silas. Silas said he would send another group of shifters to help out first thing in the morning.

The remainder of Nichols’ pack were gathered up. It was mostly families, very few with knowledge of what had been going on right under their noses.

A soft spoken wolf identified himself as Justin Kiersey, the accountant for the pack. He offered to give them full access to whatever financial information and records they needed. Nichols had blackmailed him into handling the more nefarious side of the pack’s finances. If Justin refused, Nichols would have killed his mate and taken their son, Zander, away to be experimented on.

Sebastian thanked him and told him tomorrow would be soon enough. They gathered all of the wolves that had submitted, including Reilly’s two surviving brothers and secured them in one of the larger houses. When the reinforcements arrived, most of them were assigned guard duty. Alberts, who’s wolf managed to start the healing process, and Nichols, were confined to windowless rooms in the basement. They would be dealt with tomorrow when Nat and the other council members would arrive.

It took several hours to sort everything out. Nichols pack was smaller than Jack had thought. Several families had departed right after he’d fled with his own family. It was much easier to corral a couple dozen people instead of seventy or eighty. When the dust settled Sebastian looked for Reilly. He hadn’t seen his mate in a while and his wolf was getting antsy. He searched outside to no avail then headed into the house to look. He cleared the first floor room by room. Taking the stairs two at a time, Sebastian caught his mate’s scent and followed his nose to a door at the end of the hall.

Slowly opening it, Sebastian saw Reilly sitting on a twin bed, his back against the headboard, arms wrapped around his knees. His hands were clenched around something.

“Hey,” Sebastian said quietly, not wanting to startle Reilly who looked lost in thought.

Reilly looked up at him, confusion clouding his gaze for a brief moment before recognition kicked in.

“Hey yourself,” he replied. He scooted over and patted the space next to him.

Sebastian sat down and looked around. “Your old room?”

“Yeah. Nothing has changed, my clothes are still in the closet and drawers. Look, there’s my old school books, my last homework assignment waiting to be turned in. It’s weird. They just shut the door on my life and forgot about me.”

“They didn’t deserve you.”

“No, but I needed them. Back then. I needed a family. After Mom died, everything fell apart. I didn’t know what I did wrong. Why did my father start to hate me? I was just a kid. A fucking kid!”

Sebastian gathered Reilly in his arms and let his shirt get soaked with tears. Reilly was crying for all that he had lost. His mom, his childhood, his father and brothers and his pack. Sebastian held him until the sobs turned into hiccups and eventually tapered off.

“What’s this?” Sebastian lightly grasped Reilly’s hand, which was clenched onto something and turned it over, stroking his fingers until they opened, revealing a jagged piece of stone, the crystals catching the light from the lamp and making them sparkle.

“It’s a piece of quartz that my mom gave me not long before she died. She said it reminded her of me. When the sunlight hits it, the light bounces off all the crystals and it sort of glows. She used to tell me that I glowed when I was happy. I didn’t think I’d ever see it again.”

“She must have been an amazing woman. She raised an amazing son. I’m happy you have a piece of her again.”

Reilly nodded and snuggled into Sebastian. He let out a jaw cracking yawn and Sebastian followed suit.

“We need to get some sleep. Do you want to take one of the bedrooms or the couch downstairs?” Sebastian asked.

Reilly slid down a little on the mattress. “Can we just stay here? I don’t feel like moving.”

It was a tight fit, but Sebastian managed to squeeze his bulk mostly onto the bed. He spooned up against Reilly, pulling him as tight up against him as he could. His feet were dangling off the end, and his ass teetered precariously on the edge of the mattress, but eventually his eyes slid shut and he drifted off, the rhythmic sound of his lover’s soft snores lulling him into sleep, everything else could wait until tomorrow.