over at her. "No big deal. But no matter what mood I'm in, you need to know I'm right with you in this."
Her eyes closed in relief. "I am grateful for that. And for what Payne did."
"As well as Blaylock," he muttered. "Don't forget him."
How fucking ironic. The guy had stabbed him in the chest, but also given him a new heart.
"I'm sorry?" she said.
"Blaylock went to Payne. It was his idea."
"In truth?" Layla whispered. "He did that?"
"Yup. Stand-up guy. Blaylock's a real gentlemale."
"Why are you calling him that?"
"It's his name, isn't it." He patted her arm and got to his feet, picking up his gear. "I'm going out for the night. As always, I have my phone with me, and you call if you need anything."
The Chosen frowned. "But Beth said you were off rotation."
Great. So he really was a topic of conversation. "I'm going out." As she looked like she was about to argue, he leaned down and put a chaste kiss on her forehead, hoping to reassure her. "Don't worry about me, 'kay?"
He left before she could marshal another attack on his boundaries. Out in the hall, he closed the door and -
He stopped dead. "Tohr. Ah, what's doing?"
The brother was leaning against Wrath's doorway like he'd been waiting. "I thought you and I talked about the schedule last night."
"We did."
"So what's up with all the weapons?"
Qhuinn rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm not staying in this house until dawn traps me in for a grand total of twenty-four hours straight. Not going to happen."
"No one said you had to hang here. What I am telling you, brother-to-brother, is that you will not be out in the field with us tonight."
"Oh, come on - "
"Go see a fucking movie if you want. Hit a CVS, but remember to take your car keys in with you this time. Go to a late-night mall and give Santa your list, I don't care. But you're not fighting - and before you keep arguing, this is a rule for all of us. You're not special. You're not the only one not going out in the field. Clear?"
Qhuinn muttered under his breath, but when the Brother extended his palm, he clapped his own against it and nodded.
As Tohr took off, jogging down the grand staircase, Qhuinn wanted to go on a cursing spree: a whole evening to himself. Yay.
Nothing like having a date night with a depressive.
Hell, maybe what he should do is go up to the movie theater, throw on some hormone-replacement-therapy patches, and cheer himself up by watching The Sound of Music and painting his toenails.
Maybe Steel Magnolias...Like Water for Coconuts.
Or was that Chocolate, he wondered.
Then again, maybe he could just shoot himself in the head.
Either would work.
Blay's family's safe house was out in the countryside, surrounded by snow-covered fields that undulated gently to forested boundaries. Made of cream-colored river stone, the manor wasn't grand, but rather cozy, with low-beamed ceilings, plenty of fireplaces that were always lit in the cold weather, and a state-of-the-art kitchen that was the only modern thing on the property.
In which his mom cooked positive ambrosia.
As he and his father emerged from the study, his mother looked over from her eight-burner stove. Her eyes were wide and worried as she stirred the cheese she was melting in a copper double boiler.
Not wanting to make a big deal out of the huge deal that had just gone down in that book-lined room, Blay flashed a discreet thumbs-up at her and took a seat at the rough oak table in the alcove.
His mother put her hand over her mouth and closed her lids, still stirring even as the emotions welled.
"Hey, hey," his father said as he came up to his shellan. "Shhhhh..."
Turning her to him, he wrapped his arms around his mate and held her close. Even as she kept up with that stirring.
"It's okay." He kissed her head. "Hey, it's all right."
His father's stare drifted over, and Blay had to blink repeatedly as their eyes met. Then he had to shield his watery eyes.
"People! For the Virgin Scribe's sake!" The older male sniffled himself. "My beautiful, healthy, smart, priceless son is gay - this is nothing to mourn!"
Someone started laughing. Blay joined in.
"It's not like somebody died." His father tilted his mother's chin up and smiled into her face. "Right?"
"I'm just so glad it's out and everyone's together," his mother said.
The male recoiled as if any other outcome was unfathomable to him. "Our family is strong