Page 11

Chapter Eleven

Y ael waited for Eryn to stop being angry. Anger was his go to emotion when he was terrified. Yael had learned to let Eryn stew for a bit, so he could come to the place where he recognized his own fear as the truth.

The problem was, Yael didn't know when that would be, and he didn't think they needed to be separated. So, Yael drove past the road to the school and headed toward Gavin's house.

The choice to take Eryn out of school wasn't so much an impulse as it was an instinct. Yael's protective mode had kicked in and it told him to keep his cub close.

"What are you doing? I don't need a day off school. I have a test today." Eryn huffed, but it didn't take him long to hold out his hand.

Yael took it, driving with one hand.

He parked in Gavin's driveway and shut off the engine. They stayed in the car.

"What did the letter say?" Eryn's voice shook as he spoke.

"Andre wants money." Yael hadn't made a habit of giving Andre money. Not since the early years when his fear of Andre overrode common sense, and he hadn't realized Andre couldn't get to him from behind bars.

Eryn frowned. "Has he contacted us before?"

"The letter was the first time. I put the letter in the shredder at work, but I forgot to get rid of the envelope." Somehow the envelope made it back in the pile of mail Yael wanted to keep, which was just a couple of fliers selling windows. The one in the kitchen had a crack in it. "I wouldn't have worried you unnecessarily."

"I'm glad I know. You don't have to go through it alone." Eryn was still so young. Way too young to worry about his convict older brother coming after him.

"He's not getting out, Eryn. He can't get to us."

"If he can't, then why is he contacting us now? It's been what…eleven years, or something like that, since he's sent letters or tried to call." Eryn shook his head. "Something has either changed or it's about to."

Yael had that feeling too, but he would not let anything derail him. "We know nothing more than him wanting money and there's no way for me to find out without inviting Andre into our lives, which I won't do."

"No one in Wingspan knows about him, right? You haven't told anyone?" Eryn pointed to his chest.

They shared the same deadbeat, abusive father with Andre but had different mothers. With thirty years separating Andre from Yael in age, everyone forgot Hanson Joseph had another son. Especially since Andre had driven semi-trucks across the country by then.

"No one knows." And he wanted to keep it that way. The last thing he needed was small town gossip when people found out who his older brother was. As far as everyone knew, he was a dragon shifter with a drunk criminal for a father. They didn't know a thing about his father's first child. He needed it to stay that way.

"Okay. So, we keep it quiet still, no matter what, right?"

"That's the plan."

"I don't want the people at school finding out my older brother is Andre Joseph, the serial killer."

"Do you want to go to school? You get a free day today if you want one."

"Nah. I'll go to school. It'll be hell trying to get the coach to let me play if I don't and I don't want to make up that test. I'd have to go in early on Monday." Eryn made a face at the mere thought of an even earlier start.

Yael chuckled and turned the engine over. "I bet it broke you having to get up fifteen minutes earlier than normal."

"No. What broke my brain was seeing my brother's naked mate in the bathroom this morning. You could have warned me he was spending the night."

Yael could have, except it had just sort of happened. They hadn't planned it. But what was more important was Eryn's previous comment.

Yael growled, fighting the urge to threaten Eryn over seeing his mate. "You're right. We need a bigger house." Not that he could afford one, but two bathrooms was a great idea, especially if Eryn was going to walk in on Simon again. No one needed to see Simon's naked body but him. That wasn't the typical shifter response to nakedness, but it's the one Yael had regarding his mate.

Eryn raised his eyebrows. "I didn't look on purpose."

"I know. I'm just possessive of him. It's a mate thing. You'll understand when you get older and find your mate." Yael turned into the school parking lot.

"You've never let someone spend the night before." Eryn didn't make it sound as though he was judging. He sounded curious.

"Simon won't hurt you." Yael knew that with certainty. Simon's criminal activities didn't matter when it came to his and Eryn's safety.

"I never thought he would." Eryn sounded incredulous until something dawned on him. "Wait. That's why you never brought other men around. Because you were protecting me. From them."

"I was protecting you from the potential of harm. Not actual harm. I stopped dating even before the judge awarded me custody. I couldn't take the chance of someone hurting you." Their dad's behavior was bad enough. With the dragonshine and drugs everywhere, and the theft with an armed weapon while Eryn was in a car seat outside was the last straw. It wasn't just Yael who lost his mind over it, but the judge during sentencing as well.

Eryn had been safe after that day. Yael made sure of it and Dad was dead. Prison wasn't great for a dragon shifter. Especially one run by the shifter council. Or they were calling themselves the paranormal council these days, but it was the shifter council back then.

Andre was in that same jail. Yael wasn't sure how they kept him from shifting and flying out.

"There are a lot of ways someone can hurt you. Even dragging you into their criminal activities. I would never let that happen." Yael got out of the car and waited for Eryn.

Eryn hugged him. "You’re a good parent."

Yael smiled. "I've loved being your dad."

"You'll tell me if Andre contacts us again, right?" Eryn stopped Yael with a hand on his arm. "You don't have to deal with him alone."

"I promise." Yael would like nothing more than to shield Eryn from anything involving Andre, but Eryn was a part of the process now. He found the envelope. There wasn't any turning back or leaving him out. Eryn wouldn't have it any other way. And besides, Yael wasn't alone. They could figure out how to deal with it together.