✔️Playing Heroes [a BoyxBoy novel]

Chapter Twenty-Three [Explicit]

A/N: Hello everyone! I know that the authors' notes at the beginning of chapters are really annoying, but this is really the only way I can reach most of you. But, I have got some good questions for the Q&A video I'm planning to do, so if you have any questions you'd want to be answered in the video, ask away. Anyway, I think there are only four to five chapters left of this book, so I just want to thank every single last one of you guys. You have made me so... humbled and just appreciative, you have no idea. Thank you for your support and remember, feedback is my motivator <3

Enjoy this chapter and tell me your thoughts~

Chapter Twenty-Three

Nick

Kadmos was exactly where the staff member had told me he'd be, in the conference room, apparently still trying to find me. But, I was too enraged to give a shit. He didn't care about me, that was one thing Ashton was right about. He cared for nothing but his own personal gain. But, then again, of course, he would, he was thousands of years old. What was some mortal boy to him, even if that boy was his own son?

I pushed open the glass door, not caring whether or not the glass broke, and stormed right up to his chair. His eyes were tired and his hair was messier and longer than I had remembered. He was sitting way too close to Evrain and they both seemed to be having a heated discussion. Once Kadmos noticed that I was in the room -I mean how couldn't he have noticed, with that grand entrance that I made- he shot up from his seat, and so did Evrain. His once pale green eyes lightened with relief and even seemed to shimmer with tears. A slow smile started to form on his face, but I couldn't help but wonder how much of that facade was fake. Was just for show.

Liar, I thought.

"Nick-"

"Liar!" I yelled as I grabbed the collar of his thin cotton shirt and drew my hand back to strike him across the face. "You lied to me! You fucker!" My arm drew back for another blow, but Aiden's large hand wrapped warmly around my closed fist.

"Nick," Aiden whispered, hugging my struggling self to his chest. "That's enough."

"Aiden-" I tried to push away from his chest, tears blurring my vision. "Aiden, let me go. He lied to me. He lied to my mom. This is all his fault. He knew I was going to be like this." I turned to face Kadmos, who was wiping the blood from his lip. Evrain was pale at his side, the poor kid looking unsure of himself. "You knew, didn't you?" I asked him evenly, trying to tame the wildfire threatening to burst from me. "You knew what my mother was and you knew what I'd become."

Kadmos was silent.

"Didn't you?!"

"Kadmos?" Evrain asked, eyeing the man next to him. "What did you do?"

When Kadmos remained silent, Evrain took a step back from him, and again, uncertainty was clear in his eyes and in his actions. "Kadmos?" He reached for Kadmos' hand, but he refused to look anyone in the eyes.

"It was too late when I found out."

"Bullshit," I spat at him. "The only reason you slept with my mother was to make me, the ultimate weapon in your plans to destroy Kronos. You never loved my mother-"

"I did love your mother," Kadmos snapped. "I loved her more than anything else, but once I tried to explain to her about what she was, she called me crazy and refused to let me look after you and her. I kept to her wishes because I thought it would be safer if you never knew about your powers. If you grew up outside of this screwed up world. But, when Kronos found out about your powers and even went as far as to harm your mother, I knew I had to reach out for you. Don't you understand boy? Everything I have done was because I loved you and your mother."