One Hundred & Twenty-seven

Izabella wasn’t surprised when Gavin was nowhere to be seen. So, she made her way down to where they were staying. It was like a side apartment for a mother-in-law or something, one she fully planned on keeping for them to return to any time. When she knocked on the door, he didn’t answer. As she cracked open the door, he was nowhere to be seen. She did enter, and even knocked on the spare room doors, but she didn’t think he would just ignore her either. Instead, she went to the main floor. If she wanted to be alone, she knew exactly where she would go.

Near the foyer, there was a large welcoming room full of plants. It was well heated, and like a little jungle. There were statues hidden through the plants, and a little river ran through the room. Off to the side, there was a rocking bench. When she’d first entered the house while waiting for everyone to return, she’d sat there, worrying over them. This is where Eudom had found her to tell her Bram had made it home.

As she walked through the room and looked over at the bench, there he sat. Already glaring in her direction. “So, he wasn’t willing to come down, huh?”

Izabella couldn’t help but smile. “He was going to, but I thought it maybe a friend would be better for now.”

“Is Bram okay?” He frowned, she could tell he felt bad, and at least a bit responsible. “And I am sorry for yelling at you.”

“Bram will be okay, he’s all cleaned up and comfy in bed again. And I understand.” She said, taking a seat next to him and laying her hand on his cold one. “I didn’t realize how much it bothered you. I wouldn’t have argued with you if I had… it sounds like you have a history that makes trust hard. I’m sorry.”

“I’m not going to talk about anymore, so don’t bother trying to trick it out of me.” Even as he said the words, he sandwiched her hand between his own. “Thanks for coming down. I do actually appreciate it.”

Leaning over, she put her head on his shoulder and sighed. “Why would I try to trick you into anything? It’s your story to tell or not. I understand not wanting to. Bram doesn’t like to tell me about his past, and I’m certain there are things I probably don’t want to know anyway. You’ll talk about it when you’re ready. Or not. Which is fine too.”

Turning, he rested his chin on the top of her head. “You must think I’m an ass.”

“I don’t think that, Gavin. I mean, our pasts make us who we are. I’ve lived a measly 20 years and have very little history compared to the rest of you. I can’t imagine what it would be like living for hundreds of years. That’s a lot of baggage to carry around. And I do understand the hesitation you have with them having been lovers in the past. I don’t have any history where I’ve been hurt before, and even I wonder if they miss each other. Especially when they get like that. I really don’t think they would do anything.” She said, looking up into his face. He seemed much calmer now.

Nodding, he looked out over the trees and flowers blooming through the foyer. “I agree. I don’t believe Bram would. He was honest about the two of them from the beginning, wasn’t he? Well, Tyler wasn’t. Though I had my suspicions. If Mihaela hadn’t blurted it out, I don’t think he ever would have confessed. As I learned that, Tyler had a choice. I was angry with him, and told him so, and left. Yet, he stayed with Bram. He’ll always chose Bram over me. It pisses me off. I’ve never been the one my lover couldn’t live without. It sucks that’s still true, even now. I found my damn mate and he’s more in love with someone else.”

“Gavin.” Izabella wrapped her arms around his shoulders, hugging him close. “You don’t honestly believe that?”

When he buried his face in her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her closer, she just waited. “I have no doubt. If it were my life or Bram’s, he’d save Bram.” She couldn’t say anything. His voice was so small, it broke her heart. “When I was turned, it was during a war in what’s known as Korea now. I was considered a beauty then. As a favorite concubine to the empress, I was taken by the Huns when they attacked. Their commander claimed me and turned me into this. I was his war concubine for a long time, and often forced to go out during the day to gather information for him. He passed me around between his men. I was the prize for a job well done. Or, I was sent to those he wanted killed in disguise. I was an object to be used by them for a very long time. When I wasn’t being used, I was left in a cold tent, bound and gagged by items like what Eudom protects against. Do you know what it’s like? To be an obedient dog that people want and fear? No one loves you. No one would have cared if I died. My next masters were no better. One was even far worse. Is it so terrible that I just, for once in my bane existence of a life, be the one?”

There were many times throughout his tale where Izabella couldn’t help but tighten her grip on him. She felt like a vice, holding on. No. She couldn’t imagine what that would be like. “It gets worse than being used as a prize?”

She could feel his fingers digging into her skin, it was starting to get painful. “Yeah. It does. I was rescued by a female vampire a few hundred years later. For a while, I was again, just a loyal puppy sitting at her feet. But at least she didn’t share. I thought I could be happy with her. She lied to me for years. Told me that she loved me. Pretended to care. I was lulled into a false sense of hope. That was the worst. When she betrayed me and sold me like a thing, I was devastated. I vowed to never be like that again. To never give myself over to hope.” He went quiet. She could feel him pulling away from her, and she let him. A little. His cheeks were flush, his eyes moist, lips pressed in a long thin line.

When he tried to pull his hands away from her, she refused to let him. “Gavin, please.” When her eyes met his hazel ones, he looked like he was going to burst. There was so much emotion there, she wasn’t sure what to do with it. “Please, don’t ever give up on hope. It will not be like that again. I swear.”

His features got hard as he looked down at her, “How can you possibly promise me that?”

“Because, I care about you. I love you, Gavin. You complete this family. Do think I’ll ever let anything interrupt that? You may not be by mate, but I’ll be damned if I ever let anything hurt my family like that. Not willingly. I know Eudom feels the same. We wouldn’t be here without you. You make us what we are. You’re not replaceable. You’re not an object. You are my friend. My children look at you like an uncle. We trust you and need you. There’s nothing else for it. You’re one of us now. Whether you like it or not.” She flinched as his hands squeezed hers.

Biting his lower lip, his eyes were everywhere but on her. Izabella knew that meant he was outside of his comfort zone. “I’ve heard all this before.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that someone would say something this big to you, and not mean it. But I swear, Gavin, you are one of us.” She couldn’t help but throw her arms around his shoulders again, pulling him close. “You don’t have to believe me now. I’ll prove it. I swear I will. Bram and Tyler have each other. You’re just going to have to be my Tyler. And I want to be your Bram. Let them get jelly over us.”

“Jelly?” He laughed. A heartfelt real laugh.

“You know what I mean. Don’t pretend like you don’t.” Her hands went up to his face, cupping it and pulling him down until their foreheads hit. “I won’t let you go unless you ask me to.”

Gavin’s arms tightened around her again. “Do you really mean that?” His voice was paper thin, and she knew he was letting some of that vulnerability out.

“I swear it, Gavin. I won’t let you go.”

“This is why Eudom loves you so much.” They held each other for a while. This time the silence was comforting. Healing. “This is why Bram would die for you.”

Izabella suddenly felt uncomfortable, “I love Eudom too. But I wouldn’t like Bram dying for me. I couldn’t cope if I lost him first.”

Gavin chuckled softly, “I’m pretty sure that’s why Eudom tried so hard to save him. For crying out loud, Izabella, you’ll have the world following you if you keep this up.”

“I don’t need, or want, the world to follow me. I want it to let me live peacefully with those closest to me.” She pat his leg, standing. “I do need to get back upstairs and see how Bram’s doing. I think he’s starting to feel ill.” She held her hand out to him, “Want to come with me? You can walk right in the room and see that they’re not doing anything. They won’t even know we’re coming if we’re quiet.” She winked at him.

Smiling and shaking his head, he took her hand and followed her. He didn’t bust through the door like she suggested though. Instead, he knocked. Tyler was sitting at the top of the bed, running a wet washcloth over Bram’s temple. He turned, looking nervously at them. “Wow, he’s not looking well at all.”

“We can’t all look as good as you all the time.” Bram half laughed, but grabbed at his side when he did.

Isabella bustled around him, pulling the blankets down enough to show the bandages on his side. “If yours is this bad, maybe we should see if Tom will go to Bran Castle with us. Your dad’s probably in a lot of pain too.”

“Fuck him.” Bram growled.

“Alright, we’ll let you baby him. Come on Tyler, it’s time to go.” Gavin said, holding his hand out.

Tyler looked at it a moment, before looking back at Bram. “Hey, it’s time for me to go. If you need anything, just let me know. You too Izzy.” Leaning over, he kissed her cheek and then Bram’s temple before sliding off the bed.

Gavin hugged her from behind, “Thank you, Izabella. You’re amazing.”

“Thank you. We can do this.” She laughed, kissing his cheek as he released her. Bram’s eyes narrowed immediately, and Tyler stared with his mouth agape. “Gavin and I are going to interact more. It’ll definitely be good for me, and I hope it will be good for him. But, I’m going to need a friend. Eudom too.” She turned, smiling up as she took his hands in hers.

When Bram reciprocated the smile, she knew she’d won.