17. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

T hey sat around the kitchen table. Everyone except for Daruss, who served drinks to Jude and Raylee before getting everyone something. Daruss took his time doing all of it, as if he were gearing up for the conversation.

What Daruss didn't know was Seryn's connection to Mitchell. All he knew was they had touched each other a lot. Since Seryn wasn't one for touching, Daruss had his suspicions. But he didn't know for sure. He could have thought they were just fucking. Knowing they were mates would become a factor for Daruss.

"Seryn, do you want soda? Ronin's been experimenting. He made a nonalcoholic berry thing you'll love." Daruss called from the kitchen.

"I'll try it at the club, boss. Water's fine." Ronin's hooch was legendary. Everyone at the club loved it. Getting into other things besides Dragonshine came as a surprise.

Mitchell raised his eyebrows.

"Burke."

"Water's good. Thanks."

"What about your friends?"

"They're more friends of Seryn's," Mitchell explained.

Evan shook his head. "A soda sounds good."

Daruss finished serving everyone and went to sit, but Seryn caught his arm as he passed. That stoic expression was one Seryn had seen a lot of. He was used to it. "What is it, Seryn?"

"Mitchell is my mate. You need to know because it will change things."

Daruss nodded, his jaw muscles ticking. He glanced at Mitchell, who kept a hand on Seryn's thigh under the table. "Are you intending to bond?"

Before Seryn could answer, Mitchell said, "Yes. As soon as we get some time alone."

Mitchell's grin showed he knew he had two up on Daruss. One being Jude's brother. The other was mating with Seryn.

From Daruss's growly sigh, it seemed he knew it too.

Daruss sat next to where Raylee sat on Jude's lap. He put an arm around Jude's shoulders and then kissed his cheek. "Do you think you can be quiet while I have a talk with your brother?"

Jude took a long time to answer, but he finally said, "I trust you, Daddy."

Daruss's expression softened for Jude and Raylee in a way Seryn hadn't ever seen on Daruss before. "Good boy." When Daruss addressed Raylee, he cupped Raylee's cheek. "You can't talk for Jude. Got it?"

Jude cursed under his breath, which made Mitchell chuckle.

"Okay, Daddy." Raylee turned on Jude's lap. "Sorry, Jude."

"That's okay, pretty." Jude kissed him and, for a moment, they lost themselves in each other, providing Daruss with the opening he needed.

Daruss's expression hardened when he met Mitchell's gaze. "You nearly got your brother killed and for that, I won't make it easy for you."

Mitchell stiffened, but just nodded. "I made a mistake working with Terrell. I knew the arms job was too big, but the money would have set us up for a while."

Jude and Raylee stopped kissing to watch Daruss wearily.

"Jude explained it to me." The lack of basic needs like shelter and food made anyone desperate. Seryn understood why Mitchell made the choice he made, but he wondered if Daruss did. "I wanted to hear you admit it."

Mitchell's expression hardened. It was the first time Seryn had seen him angry. "I know I fucked up."

"Some people wouldn't admit it." Daruss held up a hand when Jude tried to speak, but Daruss didn't take his gaze off Mitchell. "Don't interfere."

Jude scowled at Daruss. "Mitchell would never hurt me, Daruss."

Daruss turned to Jude and leaned forward, getting inches from his face. "I won't allow anyone to get away with hurting you ever again."

"But he didn't. Terrell did." Jude didn't back down, which came as a surprise. Everyone backed down from Daruss, if they were smart. Seryn didn't know Jude well, but he knew he had common sense. It seemed Daruss didn't scare him the way he scared other people.

Raylee's eyes were huge. "I think we need to have this conversation in private."

Daruss actually smiled at Raylee. "This isn't a cause for punishment, Angel."

Raylee sighed. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure." Daruss seemed to speak to Raylee in a way he only reserved for him and Jude. He wasn't angry or even upset. Seryn wasn't used to seeing such a soft side of Daruss. It made him uneasy.

"Okay, then I agree with Jude. I think Mitchell didn't do it on purpose. He made a bad choice, but that doesn't mean he hurt Jude on purpose." Raylee turned to Mitchell. "Why did you send Jude to the Dragon Skulls clubhouse?"

"They had a reputation for protecting people like Jude."

"'What does people like Jude mean, Mitchell?" Jude said Mitchell's name as if it were a curse word.

"I just meant people at risk or already victimized. You were supposed to lie low." Mitchell raised his eyebrows when Jude started arguing with him. Jude didn't even get two words out before Mitchell rolled right over him. "I'm not blaming it on you. I'm saying the Skulls was a good place to stash you until I could figure out what to do about the guns. I was a target. I still am. Just not Terrell's target anymore, obviously."

Jude sighed. "Fine. But it's not your fault either. It's Terrell's."

Mitchell shook his head and averted his gaze. "I'd done big jobs before. I thought I could handle it."

Daruss turned to Mitchell with a sigh. "I agree with you. That's why I'm giving you an opportunity to fix it."

Mitchell nodded. "All I need is a few days to regroup and come up with a plan to get the guns back."

Daruss held up a finger. "You have one week. And if you ever do anything to put Jude at risk again, I'll fucking kill you. Got it?"

Seryn patted Mitchell's hand where he rested it on Seryn's thigh before standing. He started around the table toward Daruss. He thought about showing Daruss mercy and killing him quickly.

Seryn smiled as he met Daruss's gaze. "You were a good Alpha to the Dragon Skulls."

Daruss's eyes widened, and then they turned reptilian. He grew fangs and his hands shifted, growing into sharp claws.

Jude stood, grabbing Raylee and pushing him into the corner of the room. He covered Raylee with his body.

Seryn was just getting ready to pull out a gun when Mitchell's deep, commanding voice penetrated through the haze of anger.

"Stop."

Seryn pulled his hand out of his pocket before freezing in place.

"Turn around."

Seryn turned to face Mitchell.

Mitchell crooked his finger and then patted his lap.

Seryn sat, putting an arm around Mitchell's shoulder and lay his head on his shoulder.

"Look at me, sweetheart."

Seryn met his gaze again. "He threatened you."

Mitchell cupped Seryn's cheek. "Don't give me that empty smile. Show me what you really feel."

Seryn sucked in a breath. No one had ever wanted that. Not ever. But Daddy wanted to know, so Seryn showed him. He conjured a dome around them before letting the emotion wash over him.

Daruss cursed. Not having seen Seryn's warlock side before, he was bound to be a little shocked.

He knew his eyes glowed, but he wasn't sure if they were red or blue. And his fangs dropped.

"Feel better?"

Seryn shook his head. "I don't like it."

"I know. But if you let yourself feel, then you'll realize that you can't kill Daruss."

"He threatened you." Why did Mitchell make Seryn repeat it?

"With good reason, sweetheart. The same reason you have for wanting to hurt him."

"You won't let me kill him." Seryn sighed, accepting the truth behind the words.

"He's my brother's mate. And for the first time in Jude's life, he's happy. Do you know how I can tell?" Mitchell rubbed his thumb over Seryn's cheek.

"How?"

"Because he looks at Daruss and Raylee the same way I look at you." Mitchell pulled Seryn close until their foreheads touched. "I want with you what Jude has with his mates."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely sure. More than sure." Mitchell smiled. "Your eyes are blue. That means you were a very good boy and worked through the emotions."

"We were talking about bonding." Seryn couldn't think about anything else.

Mitchell chuckled. "Does it get you all hot?"

"My cock is hard for you," Seryn admitted.

"We can still hear you." And Jude didn't like it. That much was very clear.

"I forgot to conjure the soundproofing." Seryn shrugged because he'd fuck right there on the kitchen chair with the others around him if Mitchell had commanded it. He wasn't shy.

The sooner they bonded, the easier it would be to keep Mitchell safe.

"Let's not talk, then." Mitchell cupped the back of Seryn's neck and pulled him closer.

"Oh god, Mitchell." Jude groaned.

Seryn chuckled, but his humor faded as his blood grew hot. He wanted more almost instantly.