Page 21 of Adding Fuel To The Flames

CHAPTER 9

“You claimed him already? What the hell was the rush?” Dain asked angrily as he paced the floor in Rhys’ living room.

“I know you’re Rhys’ father, but keep your fucking nose out of our mating. What we choose to do or not do is between the three of us and no one else,” Day argued.

“Daytona,” Illan growled in warning.

Dain turned to face him, his eyes shone with anger. “How dare you speak to me that way? Do you know who I am?”

“Yeah, and it doesn’t impress me in the least. Your status as Regent means shit to me. The fact that you are my mate’s father holds more weight than that, but just barely considering how you have treated my baby his whole life,” Day yelled back.

Rhys sat on the sofa wrapped in Ethan’s loving embrace as the two of them watched his father and Day argue. As much as he wanted to stop Day and tell him he shouldn’t talk to Dain that way, he wouldn’t do it. Not only was Day his mate and he and Ethan would come first always in Rhys’ life from now on, but he actually took some joy out of seeing his father being called out on his shit.

“And for that alone you should show me respect,” Dain seethed, moving closer to Day.

Day was not intimidated and stood his ground as he puffed out his chest, his gaze glaring at Dain. “I show respect to those that deserve it. I respect that you are my mate’s father. I respect your position as Regent to King Destrain, but I do not respect the man actually standing before me. And I will not show you that respect until you have earned it. And so far, Sir, you suck at it.”

Illan stepped forward and gripped Day’s arm. “Day, that’s enough.”

“No. It’s not nearly enough,” Day growled and wrenched his arm free, his face twisted in anger as he glared at his father.

Dain was visibly flustered by Day’s words as his eyes went wide and he began to sputter. “H-how dare you?”

“We’re not getting anywhere with this, love,” Ethan said, interrupting them and Rhys loved his calm demeanor.

“I don’t need to get anywhere with him, Ethan. The only good thing I see that has come out of his decision to become a father is the fact that he had an amazing man as his son. The way he treats our mate and talks to him will stop now. I won’t stand for it,” Day demanded.

Rhys’ heart filled with more love for his dragon mate as he listened to Day defend him to his father. And in that moment, Rhys fell in love with Day. His insistence of not letting anyone treat him poorly made Rhys feel loved for the first time in his life. Yes, he knew his uncle and cousin loved him, but this was different. This was the love he had always craved.

“I agree, love?” Ethan started, but Dain cut him off as if Ethan hadn’t even spoken.

“The way I treat my son? I have only ever done everything to protect him. Everything I do, I do it for him,” Dain yelled back, his face turning red.

“How about showing him love and respect? How about not treating him like he doesn’t have a mind of his own? How about treating him like a man?” Day fought back.

“We need to calm down and talk about this ratio?” Ethan began again, but again Dain ignored him.

“I do treat him like a man! When he acts like it.”

Ethan released Rhys and stood up, then moved to stand in front of Dain, then raised his arm, cocked it back, and punched Dain right in the face. Rhys gasped as his eyes went wide.

“Ethan!” Justice cried and went to his son, gently touching his arm.

“Shut up,” Ethan seethed in Dain’s face. “You are so busy trying to defend yourself and your actions that you don’t listen to what anyone else has to say. And if you interrupt me one more time and don’t even acknowledge that I am speaking, I will kick you in the balls next.”

Rhys knew he shouldn’t be thinking of jumping Ethan’s bones in this serious moment, but he was so turned on all he wanted to do was jump on Ethan, strip him down, and let Ethan fuck him into the floor. And in that moment, he knew he was also in love with his other mate.

Ethan took a step away from Dain, but kept his angry gaze on him. “Now, as Day said, I don’t give a flying fuck if you are Rhys’ father, you will never speak to him disrespectfully again. He isour mateand that trumps your bond. That is if you even have one. We haven’t known you long, but so far what we have seen, the way you interact with Rhys, is deplorable. You don’t talk to him. You order him around and insist he do as you say, without argument. And if he does fight back, you ignore what he says. And for a parent to not listen to their child tell them about someone threatening them and not take it seriously is one of the worst things I have ever witnessed. For that alone you should lose your parent card. Now, whatever interaction or relationship Rhys wants to have with you is his choice. He is a grown man and can make his own decisions, but Day and I will not stand for you treating him like a child anymore. We will not sit by and allow you to talk to him, or take what he says, with disrespect,” Ethan said calmly, but forcefully.

“I have only ever had my son’s best interest at heart,” Dain replied evenly.

Rhys chuffed at that as he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. “When was that, father? When you showed me no love? Ever. My whole life.”

Dain turned to look at him his eyes opened wide in shock. “I have always shown you my love,” he insisted.

Rhys looked at him in disbelief and replied, “You are so full of shit. Never once did you just sit and cuddle with me, or come to my room to read to me or just talk to me about my day. You never played with me or made special moments for us like Uncle Clove and Uncle Destrain did with Twix. It was always the nannies who took care of me, or tucked me in at night, or came into my room to sooth me when I had a nightmare.”

“Do you think it was easy for me? Taking care of our people, being the Regent, and working on my experiments was a big responsibility and took its toll on me as well. But there are sacrifices we all need to make so our people could be safe.”