Page 38 of Adding Fuel To The Flames

CHAPTER 16

There had been no sign of Manny or a green man. Angelo and Morgan were going ballistic, and Day couldn’t blame them. Having a child disappear, or taken, was one of the most horrifying things that could happen in one's life. While trying to help, Day started thinking of his own child and how the babe would be part pixie, which meant they would have to remain vigilant for their child’s whole life because of the threat the fairies posed.

“Day, babe, are you okay?” Ethan asked from beside him and Day felt his mate’s gentle touch on his leg.

Day turned to look at Ethan and gave him a smile when he saw the worried look on Ethan’s face. He placed his hand over Ethan’s and gave it a small squeeze. “I’m okay, baby.”

“Then why have we just been sitting here in your truck for the past fifteen minutes while you stare off into nothing, instead of going inside to see our mate? What is it, my love?”

“We’re going to be fathers, Ethan. I never thought that was possible for us unless we adopted like Angelo and Morgan. But now we are going to have a child. One of our own. It’s not that I don’t want the baby, because I do. I want it more than anything. A child that is made of the love I share with my mates. Besides having you and Rhys and both your love, I couldn’t think of anything better in life. I just never thought that I would be a father because I always knew I was gay. And now with Manny missing, and seeing the pain and worry in Angelo and Morgan, I was thinking about how I was going to keep our baby safe. With not only the fairies and elves out there trying to get their hands on a pixie, but others may also, when they learn how powerful a pixie is. I need to keep you, Rhys, and our baby safe, Ethan. There is no way I would survive if I were to lose any of you,” Day said in desperation.

Day could see the tears that brimmed in Ethan’s eyes as his mate stared at him with a look so full of love and devotion, that it tugged on Day’s heart. Ethan climbed over the console between them and straddled his lap, then Ethan took his face into his hands and looked deeply into his eyes. “I love you more than words can say, Daytona. I thank the Gods every day for bringing you into my life, and I couldn’t survive without you either. Then the Gods blessed me again by giving us Rhys, and I love him just as deeply and fiercely as I love you. Now the Gods have found it in their hearts to bless me again by making it possible for me to have a child. A child with the two men I love most in this world. As scared as I am about that and for all the reasons you mentioned, I just can’t believe the Gods would shower me with such blessings only to rip them away from me. You won’t be doing this alone, Day. It’s the three of us against the world now and me, you, and Rhys will do whatever is needed to ensure our child’s safety. And you need to remember, this child has a lot of uncles who will kill anyone to protect him or her. And three extremely powerful grandpas. As well as a pixie king as an uncle.”

His wonderful mate was right. He wasn’t alone in this and Day took great comfort from that knowledge. He slid his hands up Ethan’s thighs and onto his hips. “You’re right, baby. We’re not alone. We have a large family here to back us up. Which only makes me feel even guiltier for leaving while everyone is still looking for Manny.”

“We’ve been doing everything we could, Day, but with everything going on in both Crystal and Maddox right now we need to get some rest when we can, so that we can keep going. Besides, with all this Salem crap and now this on top of it, when was the last time either of us slept? Three days? We both need some sleep, love, if we are going to be any good in helping. The others have it covered for now. Once we rest and get some food, make sure our pregnant mate is okay and well taken care of, then we can go back so some of the others can go rest.”

Day knew he had a goofy smile on his face but didn’t care. His mate was so damn smart, and could always calm him and make him see reason. There was no one on the planet luckier than he was to have Ethan and Rhys as his. Day leaned forward and gave Ethan a soft, tender kiss. “Thank you, baby. I needed that little pep talk. Now, what do you say we go inside and check on our beautiful mate? Maybe you can give him that blowjob you promised while I fuck you into the mattress,” Day said mischievously as he wiggled his eyebrows.

“Ooh, I like the way you think,” Ethan purred and kissed Day quickly. He grabbed the handle for the door and opened it, then climbed off Day’s lap and stepped out onto the curb.

Day pulled the keys from the ignition and followed Ethan out, closing the door. As he hit the fob to engage the locks, a wave of fear raced through him, and his breath caught in his throat. “What if I’m not a good father, Ethan? What if I’m like my father when it comes to our child?” Day asked, his voice cracking with emotion.

Ethan placed a hand on Day’s shoulder and pulled, encouraging Day to turn and face him. Reluctantly he turned, but wouldn’t meet Ethan’s gaze. The fear in him was very real, and only caused shame to engulf him.

“In a lot of ways, you are already like your father, Daytona, but not in that way,” Ethan said with conviction as he placed a finger under Day’s chin, forcing him to raise his head and meet Ethan’s gaze. “You are strong and fierce. Extremely protective of those you love, and will stop at nothing to ensure their safety. You are kind and giving, understanding and compassionate. All attributes you share with Illan. But unlike Illan, you, Daytona Sutherlan, lived with Illan as your father and you are well aware of the things he did while raising you and how it affected you. I highly doubt…no, I am absolutely sure you will not do that to our child. Because of what you have experienced you will not do to our child what has been done to you. Plus, you will have me and Rhys there to slap you upside your head and reel you in,” Ethan said teasingly, causing Day to chuckle lightly.

“And don’t think our little spitfire of a mate won’t do just that to you if you get overprotective. Like you, Rhys knows what that can do to a child,” Ethan added.

Day leaned down and placed his forehead against Ethan’s, closed his eyes, and just breathed deeply, taking comfort from his mate’s scent.

“Ethan is absolutely right, son,” Illan said from next to them.

Day pulled back and he and Ethan both turned to face Illan. He stood only a few feet away, with Justice and Avery standing beside him, each holding one of his hands. Day could see the guilt and shame in his father’s eyes. Illan took another step forward.

“I never meant to cause you such pain and grief. I thought I was doing what was best for us as a family and for the dragons as a whole. I loved your mother deeply, Daytona, and when we lost her, I was so overwhelmed with my own loss that I failed to see how much you were hurting. I was so twisted up with the loss of my wife, that I didn’t stop to think that you had lost your mother. Then I was so scared that I was going to lose you, too. You were all I had left, Day, and I needed to keep you safe. I needed to protect you. But I did everything wrong. I forced you to stay by using guilt and doing everything I could to control you. I knew it was wrong when I did it, but my head and heart battled daily over it. My heart always won. Just the thought of you going off to college and not being near made me feel as if I was losing you, too, and I just couldn’t deal with it.”

Illan released his mate’s hands and took the last few steps to Day, closing the distance between them. As Day kept his gaze on his father, he felt Ethan squeeze his hand before he released it, and stepped back.

“I truly am sorry, son, and I hope that someday you can forgive me, but I needed to you to know that it was never my intent to harm you, or affect you so deeply that you would question your own worth as a father. I know you will make an amazing father, Daytona. And the reason I know this is because you were always an amazing son, and are now an amazing man. You are much better than I ever was and I know you will continue to be. I would really like it if we can move forward and find a way past this so that our family can go on growing and being happy. You and the other boys have brought so much to my life and now you all have mates of your own and two of you are expecting. This is a time of celebration for our family. A time to bury the past and move on. I promise you that I will do whatever it takes to bring us back together again like we once were so long ago.”

Day kept his gaze on Illan’s eyes and face the whole time he spoke and Day knew, without one doubt, that everything his father was saying was true, and in a way, that thought had shocked him. Illan was finally owning up to everything he had done, and was willing to do whatever Day said, to make amends and have that loving family back. But this time it would be greater because of what Illan said about their family growing. Each of these wonderful men that have come into their lives only enriching them. He believed in Illan and his words. He believed in the shame and guilt he saw, and knew what he had to do. He had to let go of all the bad memories and feelings and allow Illan back into his heart. He had never stopped loving his father, but he had protected himself from being hurt again from this powerful man by closing himself off and using the anger to deal with Illan. But he couldn’t do it anymore. It was too exhausting and didn’t make anything better. He needed to make things better for everyone involved. Especially for Ethan, Rhys, Avery, Justice, and their new baby.

Day reached out a hand toward Illan and Illan looked at it, hope filling his eyes. Illan reached out and clasped Day’s hand with his own. “I forgive you, Dad. Let’s just move on and begin again, from here,” Day offered.

A relieved smile formed across Illan’s face. Their hands were still clasped and Illan pulled Day forward, wrapping his arms around Day, and hugging him. Day was a little shocked at first, because this was the first time his father had hugged him since before his mother died. But he quickly covered up his shock and returned the hug. It felt good to have his father back. The father he remembered from his childhood. The one who actually talked to him, not growled and demanded.

After a few minutes, they pulled back from the embrace and both smiled at each other. Illan took a step back and was immediately wrapped in both his mates’ arms again, just as Day was by Ethan, as his phoenix mate stood beside him with happy tears in his eyes.

* * * *

Rhys stood by the window and smiled as he watched his two wonderful mates just sitting out at the curb in Day’s truck. He could tell that Day was lost in thought, but then Ethan pulled him out of it. He watched as the two talked for a few minutes and he could see the stress and worry on Day’s face. But then seeing Ethan climb into Day’s lap made Rhys smile again. Others may feel insecure about the sight, seeing as Day and Ethan had already been mates for a few years before Rhys had come into their lives, but he wasn’t. He could feel the immense love his mates had for him every time they looked at him or touched him. Them sharing a private moment didn’t mean they didn’t want him, and Rhys was sure that in their long life together they would each have private moments.

“Are they still just sitting out there?” Casimir asked as he came to stand next to Rhys.

“Yup,” Rhys answered.

“I have to admit, my brother raised a wonderful man in Daytona,” Casimir stated.