18. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

I zzy waited in the truck at Gavin and Easton's house. As soon as Ulises opened the door, he could tell right away something was wrong. Ulises always seemed to smile even when he was upset or in pain. He never showed anyone what was really going on in his pretty head, especially Izzy. So when he frowned and his eyebrows drew together, Izzy knew something was bothering Ulises and whatever it was Ulises thought it was a big deal.

The second Ulises got inside Izzy forgot about everything but the way he smelled. It was faint but still there.

Izzy growled. His dragon came to the surface.

He got out of his truck and made his way around to the passenger’s side.

Ulises was shocked when Izzy wrenched the door open and wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling him out of the truck. He stiffened when Izzy growled again and then whimpered. "Wh-What's wrong? What did-did I do?"

Izzy sniffed at Ulises. His shirt and his neck. And then his lips. He held Ulises’s hand to his nose. Beyond the smell of soap, shampoo, and the laundry detergent was the faint smell of bergamot. Izzy wanted more of it. He held Ulises’s hand to his nose and closed his eyes.

Izzy's mistake was not acknowledging the fear when Ulises asked him a question the first time. By the time Izzy got around to acknowledging it, the emotion changed to something else.

Ulises sighed, shaking his head. He'd come to some sort of conclusion. That much was obvious, but it wasn't one he liked. He knew what was going on before Izzy did.

His shoulders sagged.

"I went on a date last night. Despite my shower this morning, his scent is still on me."

All Izzy knew was jealousy, but he wasn't sure who he was jealous of. The date or Ulises. Izzy tried to draw Ulises into his arms, but Ulises sidestepped him.

"Mine." Izzy growled and flashed his fangs at Ulises. He had to force himself not to touch Ulises again.

It didn't seem possible, but Ulises shoulders sagged a bit more. "I know. It's fine." Ulises kicked at the dirt. "It's all just fucking fine."

Ulises’ chin wobbled and he turned, getting back into the truck. He must have thought Izzy had been referring to the date. And maybe Izzy was. But he might have been talking about Ulises too. It was all confusing.

Izzy hesitated. He wanted to haul Ulises out of the truck and hold him while he cried. But he didn't know if it was a good idea.

In the end he got behind the wheel but sat in the driveway listening to Ulises sniffle.

Ulises wiped his eyes. It took him a few minutes, but he calmed down enough to speak, although it wasn't more than a whisper. "Your mate's name is Todd. He's Seryn's new chef."

Izzy took a deep breath in an attempt at calming his nerves. Ulises, giving a name to the issue, set him off again. "Todd."

"Yeah. He's nice. Just…he needs a Daddy, but he doesn't know he needs one. He's never had one before. So maybe bring him into the lifestyle slowly." Ulises wouldn't look at him. He just stared out of the window, even though they weren't moving yet.

Izzy put the truck into gear and backed out of the driveway. "So he's a boy?"

"Submissive is the word he used."

"If that's the case, why did you go out with him?"

"I actually met him through a dating app. He said he didn't read my profile in its entirety. He didn't read the part where it said what I was looking for."

Izzy knew what Ulises meant. The app showed what sort of partner each person was searching for. Ulises had put himself out there with full honesty. He hadn't misled Todd. Izzy should know. He'd studied Ulises’ profile as though it were research. "That's a hell of a coincidence. Him being the new chef."

"Yeah. Well, don't worry. We sort of figured out we weren't entirely compatible. Not only that but it's a big mansion. It's easy to avoid him." Ulises sighed again. "No need for the jealousy."

Izzy didn't know what to say. His mind reeled with the knowledge he'd found his mate. "Is there anything wrong with…"

Ulises shook his head. "Perfectly healthy as far as I could tell."

"I didn't mean—"

"Yes, you did." The sassy boy who’d given Izzy hell was nowhere to be seen. When he contradicted Izzy, it was with resignation.

They didn't speak for the rest of the drive to Seryn's house. As soon as he parked at the garage entrance, Ulises hightailed it out of the vehicle.

Izzy cursed and shut off the engine. When he got out, Ulises was already making his way around the house to the back door, clearly not wanting to use the garage entrance because the garage led into the kitchen, which was probably where Todd was.

"Ulises," Izzy called after him but he darted inside the glass doors where the pool was. "Damn it."

Izzy went inside too but stopped when he saw Seryn and Mitchell sitting on the couch. They were still in their pajamas.

Ulises disappeared around the corner.

Seryn smiled in the way that was scary. "Why are you here?"

"I dropped Ulises off for work."

"I mean, why are you here ?" Seryn pointed to the living room floor.

"I chased Ulises inside your house." Izzy held up his hand when Seryn started to comment. "Before you kill me you need to know the finer details."

"I do just fine without the particulars."

Mitchell chuckled. "He's joking. He won't really kill you."

Seryn sighed. "I really will if you don't fix the problem."

Izzy decided to talk to his mate first. He'd deal with Ulises later, when he could figure out what the hell he wanted. "Just so you know, I'll be around way more. Your new chef is my mate."

Seryn swore. "If you make it my problem, I'll fix the issue and it won't be in a way you'll want."

Izzy waved in acknowledgement as he left the room, knowing he'd fuck it up. The situation was one big clusterfuck. Topping it all off was the fact that he didn't want to be in a relationship with anyone, yet he’d pursued Ulises through that stupid dating app as though he did.

Multiple scents assaulted him at the same time. Cinnamon and bread made him feel warm inside. The bergamot overrode all other scents in the room.

Izzy took in the pretty blond man standing at the kitchen island before he took in the dark-haired one sitting on the stool sipping coffee. Neither of them saw him so he observed them for a moment. His dragon protested, roaring in his mind. His dragon wanted to take him somewhere private so they could bond.

Todd rolled his eyes. "Evan, I'm only asking because it's not something I noticed about myself before. At least not to the extent of being in a certain lifestyle anyway."

"Daddy kink. Right. Well, it's been a while, but I can kind of see it, actually." Evan smiled behind his cup of coffee.

Todd sighed and cursed under his breath. "I really like him."

"Sorry, man." Evan set the cup on the counter. "If it makes you feel better, I've seen him around the house, and he seems really nice. Very cute. But he gives off Bottom vibes. So the sex would be awkward."

"That doesn’t make me feel better at all, actually." Todd rolled his eyes.

The conversation was making Izzy feral. Or maybe that was being so close to his mate and not touching him.

Izzy walked further into the room, making his presence known.

Todd sucked in a breath when he saw Izzy. He gave Izzy a very slow twice-over, licking his lips while he did.

Izzy closed the distance between them. He darted his gaze to the other guy, Evan, who made him mad with jealousy for very irrational reasons. "Get out."

Evan scowled and stood but didn't leave the room. "Who the fuck are you?"

Izzy growled and let his hands shift into claws. He wrapped an arm around Todd and lifted him off his feet. "Hang on, sweetheart."

Todd wrapped his arms around Izzy's neck without a word. He sighed as if he'd been waiting to be close to Izzy his whole life. The tension left his body.

Izzy smiled. He probably looked like a maniac with his fangs on display. "Hello, beautiful."

Todd smiled even as his cheeks turned pink. "Hi."

"I won't hurt you. Just want you to know that." Izzy darted his gaze to Evan, growling. "Him, I will hurt if he doesn't leave this room in the next five fucking seconds."

"Bye, Evan."

Evan sighed. "Are you sure about this guy?"

Todd nodded. "I think he's my mate."

Izzy still had a hold of Todd when he started around the counter.

Evan cursed and ran out of the room.

As soon as they were alone, Izzy put Todd on the counter, so they were eye-level with each other. "I don't like him."

"He's my ex."

"That explains why." He'd never been jealous of anyone before Ulises and Todd. Surely that was a sign of something. Izzy was afraid to unpack why though.

"Who and what are you?"

"I'm Isaac Graham. Everyone calls me Izzy. And I'm a dragon shifter."

"Todd Harmen. I'm human." Todd seemed confused. "It's weird but I feel completely comfortable with you. After only five minutes."

"It's because we're mates. You feel the connection." Izzy leaned in, sniffing Todd's neck. His scent was intoxicating.

"Do you know about Fated mates?"

"Like Seryn and Mitchell?"

"Exactly like that, sweetheart."

"I know a little. Like how Seryn bites Mitchell when he needs blood." Todd shuddered and touched his neck.

Izzy moved his hand and growled when he saw the scars. "Who did that to you?"

"A vampire. He's in prison now." A vampire in the human prison system would live a miserable life. He was as good as dead if Seryn was the one who’d put him there and Izzy had a good idea who it was. He already knew the story about how Mitchell and Seryn had taken out the biggest fighting empire in the entire country.

Izzy kissed the scars. If he could make the scars disappear with his kiss he would. "You're never going to have to experience anything like that again."

Todd hugged Izzy. "You'll bite me, though. Right?"

"It'll feel good. And it doesn’t have to happen right now." Nor should it happen anytime soon. Not until Izzy figured out his feelings about finding Todd and those he had for Ulises. "We have some things to talk about first."

"Like how I can't fuck things up for myself again." Todd rest his forehead on Izzy's chest.

So Izzy wasn't the only one who had to unpack something. "And about how the guy you were talking about with the ex-boyfriend…" Izzy nearly choked on his own jealousy when he said the last word. "…Is someone I have feelings for."

Todd met his gaze. "Ulises? You and Ulises…"

"Yes. Ulises. Me and Ulises? Not so much anymore. You're not the only one who has a knack for fucking things up."

Todd blew out a breath on a chuckled. "Oh my god. We are a mess already. We just met."

Izzy chuckled. "Just wait. It gets better."

"How?"

"I'm in a biker gang. And when I say gang, I mean it. I do shit I don't really want to tell you about."

"Like Seryn."

"Sort of like Seryn."

"I can handle that." And then Todd sucked in a breath. "Wait. Maybe I can't. You're Seryn's family, right?"

"We consider each other that, yeah."

Todd cursed. "First Ulises and now you. I really am going to mess it up."

Todd seemed genuinely distraught. And for reasons Izzy couldn't even begin to know.

"Will you tell me what's going on in that head of yours? Please, sweetheart."

Todd met Izzy's gaze. "I don't think this will work out."

Todd tried to get off the counter, but Izzy boxed him in.

"Tell me what the problem is. Now." As soon as Izzy gave the command, Todd sucked in a breath.

Izzy thought it meant he would refuse to tell him, but Todd blinked at him and then spilled his guts. "This is the best job I've ever had. I can't mess it up. Seryn said no chaos and no offense, but you are chaos walking. I didn't need to learn more about you to know that."

Izzy didn't take offense. He'd done a damn fine job creating chaos. None of which he regretted except hurting Ulises. But he understood what Todd was saying.

He hummed in agreement. "Seryn isn't someone to mess with. But there's a lot of room between something and nothing."

"Meaning?" Todd's frown was just about the cutest thing Izzy had ever seen. He still didn't like Todd being unhappy.

Izzy needed to fix it and fast before Todd came to a concrete decision to reject him. All Izzy thought about was what he could say to make Todd happy. With that in mind he said the first thing that came to mind. "You're my boy. Ulises could be too if I didn't fuck that up for good."

" I sort of messed up with him."

"I can be a good Daddy. I can commit to a relationship," he said it more to himself as a pep talk than to Todd.

"Um…" Todd's frown deepened. "How many relationships have you been in?"

Izzy didn't want to answer. He knew it wouldn’t be what Todd wanted to hear. "It doesn't matter. What matters is that I can commit. I can do this."

"Why does it feel like you're revving yourself up for the game of your life?"

Because he was. Well, it wasn't a game. It was real. But Todd was his mate. That was forever. And he wasn't sick. "You're not sick, like Ulises, right?"

Todd scowled. "I'm not sure how or why Ulises is sick but I never had anything but the flu. But if I did get something serious, would it matter?"

Izzy wanted to say it wouldn't. He wanted to say he could handle it if Todd died. Or if Ulises did but he couldn't. He'd never gotten past his sister death. He couldn't get past his mates or Ulises. He knew it. "It would crush me."

As soon as the words left his mouth the sincerity of them entered his heart and he knew then, he was already in too deep. Even if he never had a relationship with Ulises, if something happened to him, Izzy might as well be dead too. And he might not know Todd that well, but they were Fated mates. It was enough for Izzy to feel the same about him too.

Izzy took a step back and ran his hand through his hair. "Shit." Shit. Shit. Shit. And a Fucking hell, for good measure. "Fuuuucccck!"

The yell got the attention of Seryn and Mitchell. And probably everyone else in the house, but it was Seryn and Mitchell who came running into the room.

Todd sighed and didn't move from where he sat on the island.

"What the fuck, Izzy? It's nine o'clock in the fucking morning." Mitchell scowled and kept Seryn tucked under his arm.

"Well don't mind me. I'm just having a fucking crisis here." He needed somewhere to put his emotions. He either wanted to beat the shit out of someone or fuck. And since he probably would never fuck anyone ever again since he was losing his mind over the thought of having a relationship. It would likely push Todd away just like he'd already done with Ulises.

Ulisis entered the room. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he clutched a wad of tissues.

Todd's back was to Ulises, so he didn't see him. "Are you afraid of loving someone and them dying? Like maybe you already love Ulises and you're afraid of him dying."

Ulises sucked in a breath. "That's not true. And anyway, he's your mate, I won't come between you."

"Shit." Todd hopped off the island. He eyed Seryn as he passed them to get to Ulises. "I'm sorry. Please don't fire me. Or kill me. Or whatever. I don’t mean to cause problems. They just sort of happen to me. I can fix it with Ulises right now if you let me."

Izzy had known from the first moment he'd seen Ulises again after breaking it off that it wasn't over between them. The reason he knew it was because the tears made his chest hurt. He wanted to take Ulises into his arms and hold him but he didn't have the right. Not after hurting him.

Mitchell snorted. "No one is going to fire you. Or kill you."

Todd stopped. "But Seryn said—"

"No one will. And why is that, boy?"

Seryn sighed. "Because Daddy said so."

"And…"

"Because it's wrong to kill family, with a few exceptions."

"Do any of those exceptions apply to Todd?"

"No." Izzy had never seen Seryn roll his eyes before but he did at Mitchell. And then he met Todd's gaze. "What are you making for breakfast?"

"Biscuits and gravy. And cinnamon rolls for later. They're for you." Todd directed that last part toward Ulises. And then he turned to meet Izzy's gaze. "You like them too, right?"

"It's a favorite." Izzy smiled, trying to show his appreciation. But his mind was splintering into two camps. One made him want to run as fast and as far away as possible. And the other knew he had two boys to take care of.

Todd nodded. And then closed the distance to Ulises. "Will you stay for breakfast? Let me make something for you."

Ulises shook his head. "I had breakfast at Easton and Gavin's house. I better get back to work."

Todd called after Ulises, but it didn't do any good.

Still, it was seeing them together, for a brief moment, that made Izzy realize he wasn't going anywhere. It didn’t’ matter that Ulises was sick or that Todd had a knack for finding trouble Or that Izzy feared losing them.