The Real You Read online

  “What the fuck is going on?” Princess Telarah yelled.

  Mitch along with everyone else stared at the Princess. Who would have thought someone so demure would have the mouth of a sailor? Daven was the first to start laughing, and soon everyone else followed suit. Mitch knelt on the floor and tried to assess the damage. He found himself staring into the most electric-blue eyes he’d ever seen. Orion was almost identical to Remi’s frozen form, all except for the eyes. Orion and Vance both had the same color blue.

  “Are you okay?” Mitch asked. It seemed that lately it was all anyone was asking.

  “I’m fine. I hope I didn’t damage the guild master by teleporting us here. I didn’t have any other choice. Did Yael and Levi make it back?” When Mitch shook his head, pain lanced Orion’s features “They were waiting for us. They had the guild master knocked out and tied to a chair when we got there. Yael and Levi fought them while I freed the guild master.”

  Before anyone could say anything, another savage pop set the alarms screaming again as a battered and bloody Yael and Levi stood facing them all. Blessed silence fell when Daven switched off the alarm once more.

  “Thank fuck you’re back.” Yael dropped to the floor beside Orion and laid his forehead on the man’s chest. “I was so fucking worried you wouldn’t get out.”

  “Yael is Orion’s mate, ” Remi clarified for Mitch.

  Princess Telarah strode forward and started handing out orders. At least someone among them still had all their faculties and, in a weird way, Mitch now understood what Daven meant when he said Telarah liked to run everyone’s lives.

  “Got to love family.” Mitch smirked.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I’ve found the answer,” Vance declared as he barreled into their room at the ass crack of dawn. He didn’t even give them time to wake up. He simply pulled Mitch to his feet. At least Vance had the decency to wrap a robe around his shoulders prior dragging him down through the house and into the lab Vance had set up in the clan den.

  What surprised Mitch the most was that he saw an already thawed Remi lying on the table. The whole clan was there, as were everyone else non-demon. “What’s going on, Vance?”

  “I’m about to perform a calling of the souls, but for your essence instead. It needs everyone present.”

  The excited look on the demon’s face made Mitch a little wary. When Vance explained further, he wasn’t sure he wanted to go through with it.

  “I’ll give you a death potion. You won’t really be dead, of course, but very close to it. Then I want you to climb up on the table and lie on top of Remi. I need you to line your hearts up as closely as possible, then all of us will touch you and Remi, and each one of us has to call for your essence. Demon for demon and everyone else for you. If this works, Remi’s heart will begin to beat in time with yours. Even though you will be separated bodily, a part of your essences will still be intertwined, linking life force to life force.”

  “Are you sure this will work?” Claudius asked as he wrapped his arms around Mitch’s waist.

  Vance shrugged. “We’ll find out for sure once Remi’s heart starts beating.” When Mitch glared at Vance, he snapped, “What? At least we’re taking a chance and not waiting for you to cark it so Remi can have your body.”

  “What happens to Mitch if this doesn’t work?” Isiah asked, stepping closer to him and Claudius.

  “Nothing. He’ll probably sleep for a couple of days regardless, but he’ll be no worse for wear,” Vance answered.

  “You don’t have to do this, love,” Remi whispered.

  Mitch sighed. “Yes, I do. It’s not fair to you, or me. Vance is right. We have to at least try. I love you enough to try and free you.”

  “And I love you. I will show you how much my mates all mean to me, just as soon as we get this done. If I’m not mistaken, we’ll know within ten minutes if this is going to work,” Remi explained.

  “And if it doesn’t? ”

  “Then we’ll find another way,” Remi spoke with certainty.

  Holding out his hand, Mitch said, “Give me the potion and let’s get this show on the road.”

  “So you’re willing to do this?” Orion stepped forward.

  Mitch nodded. “It’s the only way to bring Remi fully back. As much as I love sharing my body, I want to be able to make love to my mate, and it’s hard to do that when we’re one and the same.” After giving both Claudius and Isiah a kiss of epic proportions, he once again held out his hand and took the glass vial from Vance. Downing it in one gulp, he was surprised by the sweet taste. “You know this isn’t half—”

  “What the hell happened?” Isiah demanded as he hauled Mitch into his arms before his mate hit the floor.

  Vance frowned. “It usually doesn’t work that fast.”

  “Okay. Pick him up, get the robe off him and lay him on top of Remi. There can’t be anything between their chests,” Orion ordered. “This should start to show some signs of working within ten minutes or so.”

  Isiah was amazed how well Mitch looked lying on top of another man. He was even more surprised that he wasn’t jealous of the fact, though that could be because he knew the larger man also belonged to him and Claudius. Deep down, he hoped if this worked their relationship didn’t change, and if perchance it did, then he prayed it was for the better. He was a little put out that everyone else also got to touch his and Claudius’ mates.

  His trepidation spiraled out of control as the minutes ticked by, first coming to, then passing, the ten-minute mark. The silence was overwhelming. Without thinking, he leaned over his lovers and prayed to anyone who was listening to bring his mates back to him. He soon realized Claudius had joined him. They pushed the others out the way as they ran their hands over every inch of their mates that they could.

  “No!” Isiah cried out as even Mitch’s heartbeat stuttered then stilled. This wasn’t supposed to happen. His mates weren’t supposed to die. His tears fell freely. He hardly even noticed everyone touching them to offer comfort. Pain unlike anything he’d ever felt before tore at him over his loss. Numbness and despair filled his mind. How could he go on for the others when he wanted to curl up and die right alongside Mitch?

  “Daddy, Remi’s eyes are open. Is he all better now?” Teale asked, running his fingertips over his father’s face.

  “Remi?” Isiah asked cautiously. He and Claudius gave them room.

  A feral snarl left his mate’s mouth, and he rolled on the table, pinning Mitch beneath him. In one fluid movement, Remi straddled Mitch’s body as he brought his fist down on Mitch’s chest in a rapid tattoo.

  “You will not die on me. You will wake up now,” Remi commanded with one last, sharp punch to Mitch’s chest right above his heart.

  Horror lanced through Isiah when Mitch’s body arced like it had been struck by lightning. Remi held Mitch tightly to his chest until the convulsions racking Mitch’s body eased. When Mitch was still, Remi lay him back on the table then turned to glare at his brother. “You gave him too much.”

  As the man held out his arms to them, Isiah dragged Claudius into Remi’s embrace. Fear rattled through Isiah until Remi spoke and eased their minds.

  “His heart beats again. He needs to rest, but he will be fine. Our mate hasn’t left us yet, my loves.”

  Small hands tugging at their clothes reminded Isiah that Teale, Rissa and Bran were waiting for their cuddles too. Looking down at their upturned faces, he smiled. “Kids, come and meet Daddy Remi.”

  As they cuddled as a family unit, someone was thoughtful enough to hand Remi some clothes and also a sheet to cover Mitch’s nudity. Their family was safe and still all together. Now that they knew Mitch wasn’t going to die, Isiah found he could breathe a little easier.

  “As sad as I am to say this—our troubles are far from over,” Remi said as he held his family close. He knew beyond a doubt the paranormal world ruled by the guild wasn’t going to allow them to slide by. They would be coming for them. It wasn’t a
question of if but when.

  Remi was ever grateful Thali had the foresight to hook his vitals into the freezer network before she sent him into cryogenic stasis. It was the only reason his body was still so in shape. With each cycle, the freezer kept his body going by shocks to the muscles to stop atrophy setting in. It also kept his body fed with nutrients to stop it from wasting away. It was probably also how she procured his seed to create the triplets. For that, he loved her dearly. He knew he would cherish every day he had with the children. He would never let them forget the woman she was and the sacrifice she had made for them to be able to live.

  “We should take Mitch back to our room. He’ll feel better if he wakes up in our bed,” Claudius said. He brushed the hair off of Mitch’s damp forehead.

  “Our old bed, you mean, because you were right earlier when you said we’ll need a bigger bed.” Letting go of his children, Remi then carefully picked up Mitch and carried him up to their bedroom. Once there, he gently lay him in the middle of the bed. “Until we get a new bed, I’ll have to sleep elsewhere.” Remi frowned, not liking that idea at all.

  “I don’t want you to sleep somewhere else,” Isiah pouted. “As mates, we need to stay together. Mitch will be pissed if he wakes up and you’re not here with us. So we’d better come up with another plan.”

  “How about we have a California king bed delivered? There has to be someone who will deliver it today for the right amount of money.” He grinned.

  Claudius jumped up. “I’ll get Murtagh to make some calls. That man is a genius when it comes to procuring the things we need.” Claudius left the room, calling to Murtagh as he went.

  The three children ran along behind him.

  Isiah turned his attention back to Remi. “Do you promise everything is going to stay the same? Now you’re both separate beings, will we still all be together?”

  “I promised you nothing would change. I intend to keep that promise. As far as I’m concerned, our relationship is exactly the same, except that we have an extra body in the bed at nighttime. Or should that be daytime, seeing as you’re nocturnal by nature?”

  “That’s not that going to be a problem, is it?” Isiah asked quietly.

  “Not really, being demon myself, we have a tendency to live in the night as well,” Remi admitted. “You will see. We adapt easily to whatever life throws our way.”

  Opening his arms, he waited for Isiah to crawl onto his lap. He knew his mate needed the reassurance that their life wasn’t going to start falling apart. With everything he’d learned about his mates thus far, he knew they had been treated wrongly for most of their lives. Firstly, by their day warden, then the guild had turned their backs on them until they finally registered Claudius and Isiah were the prophesized ones. Only when Mitch entered their lives did things start looking up. Right from their very first meeting, Remi had sworn he’d do everything to protect his mates from anyone who was out to get them.

  “Isiah, I need you to believe in this relationship. I think together we are stronger. And we were brought together for a reason.” He kissed the top of Isiah’s head. “We will figure this all out.”

  “I don’t want to die, I don’t want any of you to die either,” Isiah murmured as he pressed his face into Remi’s chest. “Why can’t they leave us alone? I don’t want to be the one everyone looks at to change the world. I only want to be part of our relationship, but that’s never going to happen.”

  “Right there with you, baby. If I have my way, once all this crap is over and done with, we’ll have nothing but time for each other, and our children.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  They both turned at the mumbled words behind them. Mitch was lying there with his eyes open. Remi’s heart eased considerably now that he could see his mate was going to be all right. He would never be able to repay Mitch for the gift he had given him. Remi winced. He hadn’t meant to harm him.

  “Good to see you’re finally awake,” Remi said.

  “How long have I been out, and why do I feel like shit? I feel like I’ve been run over by a Mack truck, then it backed up and ran over me a second time,” Mitch joked.

  Remi frowned. “That’s because you died on the table, and I had to take drastic measures to bring you back to us.”

  Mitch’s eyes widened.

  “I wasn’t about to let you go,” Remi stated. “We need you as part of our lives.”

  “Thank you. I’m glad you’re alive too,” Mitch said as his eyes fluttered closed.

  Isiah slid from his lap and went to place a kiss on Mitch’s lips. The room radiated with both love and relief, now that they knew for certain Mitch was on the road to recovery. “Claude is going to be pissed that he missed this moment.”

  “No he won’t, he’s off shoring up our new sleeping arrangements. By the time he gets back, Mitch will likely be fully awake. Then we can reaffirm how much we mean to each other.” Remi reached out and caressed Mitch’s cheek. “And I really need to reaffirm what you all mean to me.”

  “Hopefully by then, our children are well and truly asleep, because if not, we could scar them for life.”

  Remi chuckled. “At least they’ll grow up seeing what it’s like to be in a relationship where all the partners love each other.”

  “Is it weird for you that you were dead when you impregnated your friend? I’m not saying anything against the children, but they are almost six years old, and we are only now getting to bond with them.”

  “I see a lot of their mother in them. She was my best friend, and I will be indebted to her forever for the gift she has given me,” Remi admitted.

  Remi knew from now on he was going to be grateful for every day he was given to share with his new family.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Isiah stood off to the side and watched his cousin. Gabriel seemed to be a contradiction. His words and actions didn’t quite mesh. The guy was like a train wreck waiting to happen. He was a little surprised when Gabriel smiled at him then walked in his direction. He still couldn’t get over his cousin’s sudden change of heart. He wanted to believe, but too many times Gabriel had shown his true colors. For some strange reason, Remi seemed to really like Gabriel and insisted he and Claudius needed to cut the guy some slack. Isiah had to admit that so far Gabriel was content to play nice.

  “How are your mates since they’ve separated? I hope they are well,” Gabriel asked by way of greeting.

  “They’re all fine.” Isiah studied the one person he’d considered true family. He alone was like the brother Isiah had always wanted and, in the end, the man had betrayed him in the worst way.

  Gabriel grinned at him. “Who would have ever thought Isiah Gillis would become a father.”

  “Who would have thought Gabriel Gillis would want to sleep under the same roof as his charges,” Isiah retorted.

  “Jesus, Isiah. Build a bridge and get over it. I’ve said I’m sorry. I was fucked up for a very long time. Recent events have made me see the light of day. I’m tired of being alone. I’m tired of hating you and Claude. It takes way too much energy to stay so angry all of the time.” Gabriel blew out a long breath. “Can’t we just start over?” Holding out his hand, he said, “Hi, my name is Gabriel Gillis, and I think we might be related.”

  Could it be as simple as a do-over? Not bloody likely. How was he supposed to forget all the times Gabriel had tried to kill him, as well as Claudius? “How can I forget all that you’ve done to us?”

  “I don’t know, but I hope you’re willing to try. Because I don’t want to go away again. I need to feel like I belong, even if that means I’m only here, like the demons, to guard your family. I’ll do whatever it takes for you not to send me away again,” Gabriel begged.

  For once, Isiah could see the honesty in his cousin’s eyes.

  “Fine. You can stay. I won’t make you leave, but if you try and harm any of my mates again, I will end your existence whether you’re my blood or not,” Isiah snarled.

  Sad
ness crept into Gabriel’s eyes. “You’ve changed, cousin. I miss the person you used to be.”

  “I’ve changed because of you.” Anger bubbled toward the surface of Isiah’s very essence. “You couldn’t let us be. You picked and picked until I was no longer the Isiah you knew. Now I’m stronger, and believe me, I’m more than willing to stop you from sending your bullshit my way.” He leaned closer. “The night you tried to kill Mitch was the straw that broke the camel’s back. After that, I hated you. Now, forgive me if I think it’s too soon to start playing happy families again.”

  Without another word, Isiah strode across the room, opened the glass doors, and stepped onto the balcony. Thankfully, he had it all to himself. He sat on the recliner and stared out into the darkness. It was bad enough that he was already pissed off because their new bed wasn’t being delivered for two days and they had to sleep in couples instead of the foursome that they were.

  Movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Isiah was pretty damn sure the person wasn’t supposed to be there. The way the shadowy figure seemed to be sneaking around the grounds seemed out of place. Night had only just fallen, so the sky still held enough light to see. Isiah rolled to his hands and knees and scooted back toward the door in the house. He needed help fast, because whoever was out there was planning on causing even more damage to their growing family.

  “What is it?” Gabriel asked.

  His cousin must have been following him to get to him so quickly.

  “Someone is sneaking around the grounds,” Isiah said as he got to his feet.

  Within seconds, the room all but emptied. Everyone scrambled to see what they were going to be up against. Isiah crossed the distance to a worried-looking Claudius and wrapped his arms around his lover. His mate’s heart was racing so fast that Isiah prayed it didn’t explode. Right then, a funny thought struck him. Pulling back enough to look Claudius in the eye, he asked, “Have you noticed people aren’t mixing us up anymore? Most of the time they call us by our right names.”