Chapter Twelve

CHAPTER TWELVE

LUCA

Something’s wrong with my mate.

I was across town, emptying a safety deposit box in the Quartier des Banques , when I felt a sharp pang of distress through our stellar collision bond.

Of fear.

I’d assumed it would be safe to briefly leave him alone. The note Wolfgang had left on my desk implied my adopted son had only been passing through with Simon on their way to Paris. Plus, it was barely dawn, and Erich had looked far too peaceful in my bed to wake.

He looked like mine.

My surroundings blurred as I disassembled my cells and raced along familiar vibrations toward home, mentally berating myself for every misstep along the way. Erich had been half asleep when I star hopped us to Geneva, so I hadn’t bothered explaining that plans were in motion to pack up my borrowed life as a supe councilman and fulfill my true purpose instead .

As his muse.

I’d already purchased a 3-bedroom apartment with a balcony overlooking Volkspark Friedrichshain, strategically within walking distance to both the twins’ gallery and Benediktion. A late night email had also been sent before we left the Alps, but I hadn’t expected that meeting to occur until after we were settled in Berlin.

I should have known better than to underestimate someone as notorious as her.

Supes were nothing if not opportunists. If word had gotten out that I was planning to leave my highly coveted position, some might feel the easiest way to claim my spot on the council would be to dispose of me completely.

There wasn’t a supe on Earth who could kill me—not unless they were actually a Stellarian in supe’s clothing—but I now had a weak spot in the form of a helpless normie.

A normie I’d left unprotected.

How could I be so careless?!

The first thing I saw when I arrived in my kitchen was my mate, blessedly unharmed but pointedly standing with the marble island between him and the intruder.

Wolfgang.

It was Wolfgang and Simon to be exact, and while the Suarez clan leader barely spared me a glance—his deadly focus was too fixed on Erich for that—his ‘Mafia Queen’ immediately responded to my appearance.

“Oh! There’s the man of the hour. I do hope the explanation for this unexpected cameo,” Simon carelessly gestured at Erich, making me tense, “is riveting, because I am displeased at being torn from my beauty sleep. One would think we were morning people or something… ”

He dramatically shuddered before returning his attention to Wolfgang’s glare with great interest, as if my mate being in danger was simply some light entertainment for his early morning.

No one better lay a hand on what’s mine.

To his credit, Erich’s expression was calm as he brought the Captain Masculine is My Hero coffee mug Xander had jokingly sent me to his lips. Unfortunately, I noticed how white his knuckles were around the mug’s handle, betraying his nerves.

Fuck.

As expected, Wolfgang also noticed, and when his cold gaze landed on the glaringly obvious bite mark on Erich’s neck, his expression turned calculating.

“Did you enjoy your time in the Alps, Sensei?” he asked, his tone as controlled as ever, even with the vicious bite he bestowed upon my nickname.

Ouch.

“I did,” I replied, moving closer to Erich in case I needed to shield him. “We did.”

“Mon chou!” Simon exclaimed before slapping Wolfgang’s bicep excitedly. “Can you believe Baby Hulk was right? Luca and Erich have been conducting a scandalous affair beneath our noses!”

What?!

Wolfgang did not seem as thrilled as his ‘tiny tyrant.’ If anything, his dark gaze turned darker. “Indeed. How long has this been going on?”

It wasn’t clear which one of us he was addressing—and I could sense Erich starting to panic—so I moved my mate behind me with my tendrils before facing the threat .

My first-born son.

“Ohhh… and he knows you’re a Stellarian?” Simon was practically bouncing on his toes, the manic smile stretching across his face reminding me of the cartoon Joker from the superhero show the twins loved to watch as children.

Oh, no…

“How. Long?” Wolfgang gritted out, clearly addressing me now.

This does not look good.

To my surprise, Erich stepped out from behind me to face The Hand of Death. “I’ve felt a pull toward Luca since meeting him at your wedding, but this week was the first time I was brave enough to ask him to spend time with me outside of a sanctioned Suarez gathering.”

Brave, indeed.

Wolfgang had gone eerily still, so I quickly brought his attention back to me. “I also felt that pull, but I didn’t realize what was truly going on until the twins’ gallery opening.” I dared to glance down at my mate. “When he played my resonance.”

Erich smiled softly, causing me to momentarily forget the tense stand off we were involved in as he fearlessly gazed back at me. “Yes, because I’m your stellar collision.”

Mine.

A Stellarian was able to take over another’s body so seamlessly, it was as if their internal organs were our own, but never before had I been so aware of the heart beating in my chest—of how full it felt.

This is what I’ve been missing.

“Cabbage…?” Simon’s concerned voice had my focus snapping back to our opponents .

All humor was gone as the Mafia Queen placed his small hand on Wolfgang’s forearm and peered up at his husband with uncharacteristic alarm. I braced myself for an attack, debating how to best subdue my son without injuring him, but one look at his face had me immediately lowering my defenses.

“Why wouldn’t you tell me?” My heart shattered as Wolfgang’s voice cracked, the same way it had when he’d discovered what I was.

How much I’d been keeping from him.

Erich’s jaw was nearly on the floor, and I realized he’d probably never seen the fearsome Hand of Death look so emotionally affected by anything.

We all wear our masks.

“I-I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for certain Erich felt the same,” I stumbled over my words, hoping I wasn’t irreversibly destroying one of the most important relationships in my life. “After how deeply I hurt you with past secrets, the last thing I wanted was to unnecessarily upset?—”

“Not you,” Wolfgang snapped, effectively silencing me. “Why did you not tell me, Erich? I thought we… I thought we were…”

Friends.

My heart shattered once again, although it wasn’t the first time I’d ached for everything my first-born had endured. While Wolfgang genuinely cared for his siblings—a rarity in his world—he was still their leader and therefore had to maintain a certain level of untouchable authority.

Violentia was as close to him as a clan leader’s enforcer could be, and I’d noticed him and Zion forming a bond during our time on the island. But I also knew how deep Wolfgang’s loneliness ran—how even Simon’s unconditional love had only just begun to fill the bottomless pit his parents' abuse had left behind.

I’d never given much thought to Wolfgang’s decision to not only save Erich from his attackers but then to follow up with the injured normie at the hospital. He’d meticulously approached it as protecting his own interests—even going so far as to insist my mate sign a contract and join his clan—but now, I wondered if Wolfgang had ulterior motives the entire time.

Which is standard protocol for him.

“Krass!” Erich shocked me by barking a laugh. “I always knew you were a big softie for me, you fucking stinkstiefel. And here I thought you were about to drain me for sleeping with your father…”

Simon’s Cheshire grin had returned in full force, and I suddenly realized the promise of bloodshed hadn’t been the reason for his unhinged joy.

I believe the fearsome Iron Fist may be a softie as well.

Although, I’ll keep that one last secret to myself…

“Nonsense, Erich!” Simon crowed as Wolfgang rolled his eyes. “If the twins can do it, so can you.” He beamed at me before breezing past to help himself to some coffee. “And on that note, bravo for putting those unruly brats in their place, Luca. What I wouldn’t give to be able to mentally spank them myself sometimes…”

“Careful, Simon,” Wolfgang warned, although the only heat in his tone was the affectionate kind. “You know Dre is only offering his services out of a delayed sense of obligation—since he has his own clan to run now.”

The Suarez-Stellari .

I couldn’t help the sense of pride that swept over me at the thought of how far all my children had come and, of course, Wolfgang noticed my reaction.

“That’s what you wanted, isn’t it, Luca?” he quietly asked, taking a step toward me before stopping in his tracks. “For each of us to find our place in this world. To be happy.”

I rapidly nodded, too overcome with emotion to care that tears were blurring my vision. “Yes, that’s correct. Your happiness is all I’ve ever wanted. This family is all I’ve ever wanted.”

Starting with you.

Wolfgang clenched and unclenched his gloved hands at his sides as he observed me silently for a moment. Then, he struck, reminding me that modern supes still retained the otherworldly speed they’d inherited from my kind.

I could only gasp as his arms wrapped around me, pulling me tightly against him so his heartbeat reverberated in my chest, syncing with mine.

“You deserve to be happy as well, Luca,” he whispered in my ear. “After all you’ve done for us—for me— how could I not want you to find your stellar collision?”

Tears were freely streaming down my face as I wrapped both arms and tendrils around him, enjoying my first hug with the no longer scared little boy who’d made me a father.

“Thank you, Wolfgang,” I shakily replied, beyond relieved that he approved of the relationship.

This is all I’ve ever wanted.

“And thank you for saving me, you big softie!” Erich chuckled from where he’d wisely stepped away from The Hand of Death. “It’s thanks to you that Luca and I could enjoy our scandalous affair in the first place. ”

Speaking of brats…

Simon cackled and began chattering with Erich about the latest family gossip—specifically, the ‘alien polycule’ anyone with basic knowledge of Stellarian resonance could have predicted—but I couldn’t bring myself to release my son and join in.

As foreign a concept as loving touch was to him, Wolfgang allowed me to draw out the hug, and the smile on his face when I finally pulled away erased my concern over his possible discomfort.

“No more secrets,” he mock-scolded, making me grimace.

“Well…” I shifted on my feet as I retracted my tendrils. “Then I should tell you now that I’m planning on putting in my notice with the council.”

Deep breaths, Luca.

“Oh, we know!” Simon called out from where he was now digging around in my fridge. “Mistress Sabine Noir-Rouge—the infamous Seisma —loyally informed us you’d offered to nominate her to take your place in exchange for her immediate availability.”

Sigh.

Wolfgang’s smile turned into a truly villainous smirk. “Do you honestly think anything happens in my clan without my knowledge? Well, besides my father sleeping with my?—”

“Best friend!” Erich called out, laughing when Wolfgang huffed. “If you think I’m not going to wear that badge with pride, you don’t know me at all, arshloch.”

Once again, I was too overcome to speak, as that was the first time Wolfgang had verbally confirmed what I always knew to be true .

Blood isn’t always thicker than murder.

Wolfgang interrupted my sentimental thoughts. “I already had Randal draw up a new contract for Noir-Rouge, whereby she agrees to hand over leadership of her clan to you, Luca, so we can maintain our foothold in Berlin.” He paused before adding, “Only if you’re interested, of course.”

Having someone so notoriously controlling offer me a choice in a deal that would benefit his clan was perhaps the greatest surprise yet. Unfortunately, assuming the laborious role of clan leader didn’t exactly fit with my future domestic plans.

But I know someone else who’d be perfect for the job.

“A counter-offer,” I responded in the clipped, business-like tone that seemed to make Erich release delicious pheromones. “You adjust the contract to name Andre as clan leader, and I’ll gladly assume the role of Berlin-based enforcer when the twins and Theo aren’t in town.”

It was Wolfgang’s turn to look proud, and I smiled when he extended a gloved hand for me to shake. “Deal. Here’s to happily ever afters for us all.”

“And world domination!” Simon added, raising his coffee mug in a toast and re-establishing his reputation as the most fearsome one of all.

The perfect mate for my first-born son.

“I like the sound of that.” Erich snuggled up to my side now that Wolfgang had moved away. “Well, more so the happily ever after part than world domination. I’d much rather focus on my music, if you don’t mind.”

“And I like the sound of that,” I replied, kissing him chastely and smiling against his lips as Wolfgang groaned at the display. “I’ll dutifully play my role as Suarez-Stellari enforcer, but my true calling is with you. ”

Until the stars return to dust.

My stellar collision.