Hard Truths all Around
What the hell do you think you’re doin’ Eric!
Aiden’s fist slam into Eric’s face in quick succession as his voice reverberated inside his cousin’s head.
You doona understand, you meddlin’ oaf!
Eric punched Aiden in the kidneys, gaining a brief reprieve that allowed him to roll his cousin and slip a choke hold and keep him at bay, “Don’t make me hurt you, Aiden. You have it all wrong. Let me explain.”
Being away from Lori seemed to help Eric’s clarity over the entire situation. He didn’t want to hurt his cousin considering the mess he’d made of everything else tonight. The last thing he needed was to do something that could not be undone to his best friend and last surviving family member.
As it was, Aiden didn’t require the use of his mouth and throat to be heard.
Explain to me what I doona understand about what I just saw in there, Eric? Attackin’ a defenseless woman, Lori no less. A fucking human! Have you gone mad? Any woman in the kingdom would gladly have you, but you force yourself on the one lass that doesna.
Aiden slipped Eric’s hold and elbowing him in the gut, resumed to punch some sense into his thick skull, cursing and calling him every detestable name he could spit out in rapid succession.
I didna force her you stupid fool!
“Doona lie to me!” Aiden yelled, rearing back for another punch.
Eric had had enough of being overly careful with his cousin. He shifted on his side, and brought his head up so Eric’s fist landed on the hard part of his skull, breaking three fingers in Aiden’s fist. He rose a little and bashed his head into his cousin’s nose. Aiden made a wet gurgling sound as he staggered off him but not before Eric managed to send him one final message.
She’s my mate you bloody shit!
His cousin’s hands froze in midair as he was bringing them up to staunch the flow of blood from his broken nose, “What did you say?” he asked, sounding slightly nasally.
“You heard me you jackass. She’s my mate. Now, will ya kindly stop slappin' me around like a jilted barmaid so I can explain?” he asked, kicking Aiden’s legs off him. Eric then began to do some quick damage control to assure his cousin that the situation was not what it appeared to be.
When he was done was a brief and slightly censored account of what happened, Aiden’s eyes narrowed as they studied him, “Truly, you were not attackin' the lass, then?”
“Nay, cousin. Not in the manner in which you think. We were kissin’ and things got…carried away.” Just the thought of what he and Lori had done caused Eric's skin to grow uncomfortably tight all over. He shifted a little to hide the worst of it from his cousin’s sharp eyes.
“Why was Lori’s gown torn?”
Eric took a few calming breaths before answering, “I was…impatient,” he finally admitted, “But I swear on my soul I didna do anything to Lori she didna want.” he left out the fact that he’d been sorely tempted to do a hell of a lot more than was proper, but he’d managed to keep both her honor and his soul intact.
“The lass was cryin’…” Aiden sighed, tilting his head back in an attempt to control the bloodflow, “That doesna exactly paint you in the best light, cousin.”
At least they were back to cousin again, “She doesna understand our ways, Aiden. I pushed her too hard…she was not ready.” There was no denying that Lori had no idea what it mean for an immortal to find his or her soul-mate. She didn’t understand the cost, or the gravity of the situation.
“How long have you known?”
“Since the first moment I looked into her eyes. She is the one, Aiden. Lori is my soul-mate.”
Aiden only shook his head, “This is not good, Eric.”
“Aye, I am aware,” Eric sighed.
“What are you goin' to do, then?” his cousin asked curiously.
Eric rose to his feet realizing it wouldn't be to anyone's benefit if they overheard any of their conversation before he was ready to make any formal announcement.
“Let’s discuss this in the study. I doona want anyone to overhear us.”
Aiden quickly shut his eyes and raised a hand in front of his face to ward off the unwanted sight, “Gods, Eric! Get some damn clothes on first, will ye? No one wants to see that fuckin' thing. No wonder you had that poor girl in tears!”
Eric laughed for the first time since coming into the kitchen in search of something to eat. He headed back towards his chambers to dress and meet Aiden in his study.
He didn’t think there would be much sleep left for him this night.
* * *
“Now that was a close call.” Desmond’s voice came from deep inside her darkened room.
Lori jumped, her body still full of sexual tension and adrenaline thanks to one overly sexed immortal warrior. When Aiden had appeared to make her mortification of the century complete, she’d taken the distraction to get herself off the floor and ran full out to the relative safety of her bedroom. Shutting the door quickly, she’d leaned her forehead against the solid wood, willing her heart rate to slow down. She hadn’t noticed anyone else in the room waiting for her.
“Just get out. Please. I can’t right now,” she whispered, refusing to look at the man who’d turned her entire life upside down.
"We have things to discuss, Lori," he replied, his voice hard and unyielding.
“Discuss what exactly?" she asked, turning around to face him. "How all of this is your fucking fault.”
"Wrong, princess. I didn’t do anything you didn’t ask for,” he replied, purposefully using the same reasoning Eric had only a moment before downstairs.
“I didn’t ask for this,” she replied indignant.
Des rose from one of the rocking chairs, coming to stand in front of her as he spoke, “Sure you did. You just don’t want to believe it. Think that archway would’ve brought you here if you hadn’t really wanted to come?”
“I didn’t even know this place existed,” she argued.
“No, but I told you what the archway could do, remember?”
“I thought it was a freaking artifact; a historical construct from thousands of years ago on display at the museum!”
Des glared at her, not buying her bullshit story for a second. “Yeah, a historical construct ancient people thought could unite them with the one soul in the entire universe meant for them. You wanted to believe it. You walked through the archway and wished to find your soul-mate and that’s exactly what happened.”
“Why couldn’t you just have left me alone?” she asked, her voice resonating with the complete and utter defeat she felt at the moment. Why did all the men around her keep insisting they knew what she wanted, as if she didn’t know perfectly well? She knew what she wanted and it wasn’t being stuck nowhere even close to home, with people she didn’t know, forced to love a man who wasn’t even human.
“Why are you so insistent on fooling yourself, Lori? Are your delusions so worth it?” Desmond asked now.
Not really caring to talk to him any further, she made her way to the bed, jerking off her torn nightgown. She didn’t bother getting a new one as she crawled under the covers of the bed, pulling them all the way up to her chin. When she was entirely covered, she turned to lie on her side, wrapping herself up in a makeshift cocoon.
Des stood there, a look as close to anger as she’d ever seen it crossing his face, “You’re fucking unbelievable, you know that Lori? You have a shot at something most people would kill for, and you just shit all over it like it’s nothing.”
Closing her eyes, Lori did her best to ignore him. He wouldn’t understand. No one would.
“Understand what exactly? That you had immature, selfish parents who left you when being parents got too hard? Or the fact that you had an awesome brother who loved you, took care of you then left you too?”
“He didn’t leave me.” Her voice was ice.
Des didn’t give a rat’s ass at this point. He was going to get through to her stubborn, ridiculous brain if it killed him.
“Sure he did. Joined the service once you were old enough to take care of yourself, then had the nerve to die on you over there,” he sneered.
Lori sat up quickly, “He didn’t die on me over there. He sacrificed his life to save others!” she yelled.
“Yeah, eight others to be exact!” Des hollered back raising his right hand, fingers splayed out, “Five of which went home to their families, three of which had boys, each boy named after your brother: Patrick Michael Davis, Andrew Michael Webber, and Stephen Michael Stuart; three boys that would have never existed if it weren’t for your brother! And here you are, using his memory like some kind of shield against anyone else on the planet foolish enough to love you.”
“Shut up! You don’t know anything!” she cried, lying back down and pulling the covers over her head like she used to when she was young even though it no longer filled her with any real comfort.
Desmond leaned over her, pulling the covers back and down. She was through hiding.
“I know everything. I know the last hateful words you said to Michael the week before he died. I also know you didn’t mean any of it but were too pigheaded to apologize and tell him you were sorry. He told you he loved you and you threw it back in his face because you were a stupid, selfish brat.”
“I…I…” Lori began choking on her own sobs. Large, wracking sobs threatened to tear her apart and drown her in her own endless sorrow.
Desmond sighed, his rage dissipating almost instantly. He was only filled with a sense of purpose as he sat on the edge of her bed but didn’t touch her.
“He knew, Lori. He knew that you were angry with him, but only because you loved him.”
“I-I t-told him…” she couldn’t even get the words past her throat.
“He knew you didn’t really hate him. You were just hurt and scared. He knew you were tough enough to handle it.”
“He was supposed to come back to me,” she managed around her tears.
“I know, but he didn’t. He made a decision that saved the lives of others instead. He was a good, honorable and compassionate man; strong enough for the both of you. Why do you think Eric scares the shit out of you? He’s cut from the same cloth, only Eric is a lot tougher to kill. He’s not gonna die on you, Lori. Can’t you see that? He loves you and doesn’t question it for a second. But Eric can only love you as far as you let him. You have a decision to make, and you have some time to make it, so don’t be stupid.”
Desmond rose from the bed and looked down at her, “Those men your brother saved pay back his sacrifice everyday by getting up and living their lives as best they can, loving their family and trying to do something worthwhile. When are you going to get up and start doing the same?”
“I picked up the pieces…I’m living,” Lori whispered so low she could barely hear the words herself.
“No, Lori. This isn’t living and you know it. You weren’t the one who died, so stop fucking acting like it.”
Then he disappeared from her bedside almost as if he’d never been there at all.