Ascension - Book Eight - Man x Man

Chapter 67

I find myself oddly infatuated, satisfied for the first time since my curse with this wolf. Surprisingly, my wolf is quiet as well. 

Returning back to the house, our clothes are in a state of disrepair that some find questionable. Verando's mess of drying curls, his various healing bite marks that unfortunately didn't heal as quickly as I'd hoped, it would appear my saliva wasn't as potent as his. 

It would make sense, given that I was a half-breed, turned not born. 

Verando sets the pack of meat on the counter as Helen eagerly appears. "Hungry?"

"Starved." she mouths, trying to keep her tone down given the offense Tyler's mother held at our dislike of her cooking. I found it fine, if not salty, but the prudish lycans seemed to be unable to get past the freshly stocked kitchen of live game outside. "I can't believe you went without me- woah." 

Pausing, she looks him up and down, wrinkling her nose. "You smell like a brothel."

"What's a brothel?" Darrius asks, earning a sigh from Verando. 

"Thanks, Helen."

Taking one of the slabs from the pack, she opts to take a bite, much to all of our distaste. "What?"

"It's from feral lands, Helen, truly do you not consider what it carries?"

Shrugging one shoulder, she shows her age. "All I care about is that it tastes/so/ good." Taking another bite, she hums in appreciation. 

Verando turns his attention to Darrius. "A brothel is where people like your uncle Tiberius go to hide their shame."

Wide-eyed, I snag the boy from the vile male and kiss his cheek. "Don't listen to your Daddy. He's out of his damned mind." Narrowing my eyes at him, I take the boy to the table and sniff my collar. I need a shower before I'm fit for any public display. 

"Tata, you stink... Like a brothel!" He giggles and Verando scoffs against his glass of water, nearly losing it. 

Legardo appears, followed by Tiberius who inhales with a happy grin. "Ah, my two favorite people. Partaking in the lord's displeasure I see. My my my." 

"Nice of you to join us," Verando grumbles, the Siren had disappeared almost upon arrival. 

"'Darling'," He quotes with a teasing tone. "I'm a very busy demi god. I just got to explain to Oden himself why all of hell is breaking loose upon Earth. Do you know when the last time I was drug into Valhalla was? Hmm? About... 3000 damn years ago." His tone turns sour and Verando shrugs out of the golden glower. "When I was pulled out Aphrodite's damned loins, it was. So perhaps show me some grace, maybe a quick lay if you're handing out satisfaction. You did kill my minion, after all."

Legardo rolls his eyes heavily, "He's been like this the entire trip."

"Uncle Gary!!" Darrius says excitedly, hopping up from the table to run to him, jumping up into his arms. While, technically, Legardo was his brother in some sense, calling him an uncle was less difficult to explain. "I flew! All by myself!"

"Oh I'm totally aware." He wrinkles his nose, giving the boy a firm squeeze. "We were so worried about you, Dare."

"Dare?" I raise a brow.

"It's what Xaivy calls me!" He giggles. "Down! Down!" Slipping out of his arms, he rushes off to find his younger brother who seems to be entertaining Tyler's mother in the living area. 

Eyeing us, Legardo crosses his arms over his chest as the last of the humans leaves the kitchen to let Helen eat her raw meat in peace. Pascal slips in past them, running a hand through her hair, exhausted. "You're going to have to start paying me more." She scowls at Verando. "Magic wrangling is bleeding me dry, I can't pull it off of him as fast as he can dish it out."