or whatever damage his brain had sustained over the long period he’d been held. Maybe a combination of both, added to an already controlling character?
How Sando must have suffered. Lucan’s heart filled with regret. They had waited too long, had trusted a chain of command, a system of authority, but it had failed them. Not that they could do or say anything about that now, not with Palani dying.
“Sando, answer me!” his father called out, and Sando looked at Lucan in despair.
“I can’t…”
Lucan pulled him close. “You don’t have to. Maz will handle it. Let’s go.”
They walked out of the cottage without saying another word, Maz’s eyes assuring Lucan they were doing the right thing. His alpha had stepped up, and Lucan released that part of his worries. He’d focus on Sando now, on what his sweet kitten needed. “Let’s get you home. I’ll help you shower, and then you can get some sleep.”
“Shower?” Sando mumbled as they walked toward Maz’s alpha house, which had become Lucan’s home. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d slept in his own room.
“You smell a little, kitten. You need to freshen up.”
“Sorry… I’m so tired. All the time, Lucan. So tired. What’s wrong with me?”
Lucan’s hold on him tightened. “You’re exhausted, kitten. What you need is rest. Plenty of rest and healthy food and lots of love and cuddles.”
“I like cuddles…”
Lucan smiled. A tired Sando was still a sweet Sando. “I do too. Hence the shower, so we can cuddle. I’ll hold you until you fall asleep.”
Sando almost tripped, but Lucan’s strong grip on him prevented him from face planting. “I’ve had trouble sleeping. My head is too busy.”
“I know, kitten. But I promise you we’ll help you sleep.”
“Okay.”
All spark left Sando, and he didn’t speak another word when they got to Maz’s room. He allowed Lucan to take his clothes off, only helping when asked, like he wasn’t quite present in the moment. Lucan stripped down to his boxers and showered Sando, washing his hair twice, then scrubbing every inch of his body with shower gel until his skin was all reddish pink, and he smelled like Maz and Lucan. Sando let it all happen, obediently lifting an arm or a leg whenever Lucan requested it.
He toweled him dry, found a clean pair of underwear in the clothes he’d brought, and put them on. Sando drank the glass of water he handed him, and then Lucan gently pushed him down onto the bed. “Go sleep, kitten. I’ll hold you.”
He stretched out on his back, and within a second, Sando was wrapped around him like a vine, touching Lucan everywhere. What a difference with the first time, when he’d left as soon as he could. He’d been so starved for touch, and Lucan hadn’t even known it. With a soft sigh that spoke of pure contentment, Sando closed his eyes, and moments later, he was asleep.
Lucan cradled him, happy to simply lie there and have his mate in his arms, knowing that Maz would take care of Sando’s father. He still wasn’t sure what had caused the change in Maz, how he’d come to understand something had to give…and in the end, it had been Maz. He’d been the one to give in, to admit he’d been wrong, that he’d held back on his feelings, on his love.
Lucan understood his fears of getting hurt, maybe better than anyone else. Even now, with Sando safely in his arms, in his bed, Lucan worried what the future would hold. How would Sando feel about his decision when he woke up? Or tomorrow, a week from now? The ties that bound him to his father were strong, and the fact that he’d found the courage to stand up to him today didn’t mean he’d be able to keep that resolve.
But they’d be there for him, as much as Sando would allow them to, and maybe even then, they’d push harder than they had before. How could they not when the situation was so much worse than they had thought? He needed them, and they’d help him see that. They’d take care of him and keep him safe…and love him.
God, he loved him. The feeling that bloomed in his heart now that he had Sando back was so intense that it all but took his breath away. And not a sliver of doubt remained that they belonged together, the three of them. Now all he could do was hope that Sando would accept it as well…and