Virgil [Marius Brothers 8] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove) (10 page)

“Someone else might be able to repeat what you said but they won’t know the answers to any additional questions that might be asked,” Barnabas explained with a tight smile. “We need you to do it, Virgil. I’m sorry. Time is of the essence and lives are at stake. I hate to ask this of you but your people need you.”

“Fine, okay,” Virgil mumbled, his good mood gone just like that.

“We’ll be right there with you,” Mareo assured him as they stood and we hugged him together. “Then we can have some time to ourselves while they discuss their options. Yes?”

“I’d like that.” I smiled as Virgil’s cheeks heated up, obviously understanding that we wanted him to claim us. “And then maybe you’d like to see the house?”

“Whatever you’d like, our mate,” I agreed, giving him a loud kiss. He snickered and rolled his eyes at my antics. That’s what I’d been going for. We quickly collected his tablet and some sandwiches for the drive since our mate
still
hadn’t gotten a chance to eat.

Virgil wanted to take his own car so we could come and go as we wanted, but Mareo asked if the wolf Alpha he was related to could join us. We needed him for a personal matter which is why he had put the call in to the Queen.

“Caven, Gabriel, could you guys ride with us?” Virgil called out as his family was getting into several different cars. “I’m sure you can catch a ride back with someone later because we’re going to leave right away but I want to talk with you guys.”

“Yeah, sure,” the man who looked just like our mate agreed. That had to be Gabriel. Mareo told me to drive so that Virgil could eat and he’d hop in the back of the SUV to talk to the Alpha.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” I asked quietly. “I don’t want Virgil to worry we still have feelings for Jordy. He’s got so much going on and we need to put our mate first.”

“I know, but Jordy’s our friend. Whatever is going on in his pack, we can’t just leave him there and not help. We promised. Virgil’s a good man and will understand.”

I nodded. It was the right thing to do. I just didn’t want to upset Virgil, especially after he’d just forgiven us. I got in the driver’s seat as Mareo got in the one behind me, glancing in the rearview mirror when I heard him groan.

“And of course you heard all that because you’re an Alpha wolf,” my mate mumbled once we were all in and seat belts on. “We can explain.”

“All I heard is you’re trying to do right by your friend while taking Virgil’s feelings into consideration,” Caven said gently as I started up the car. I glanced at Virgil who had turned in his seat and was watching what was going on like a tennis match that confused him. Shit. “Which is good because I adore Virgil and would be really pissed if you still had feelings for another man.”

“It’s not like that,” I blurted out as I glanced at our mate. “As you were involved with someone but ended it before we met, we were too. Except we ended it when we found you. But it wasn’t serious. Not on either side. But we like him. He’s our friend and he needs our help.”

“I’m not mad,” Virgil chuckled before biting his sandwich. I pulled out of the parking spot in the massive garage and followed the caravan of vehicles. At least I didn’t need directions to where we were going. “You’ve had sex before me? Oh no, alert the media! I get it. It’s all good. I’m not going to shun the wolves I was sleeping with because I found you guys. All that matters now is how we feel about each other and that no one else is on our hearts.”

“No, only you and Mareo, I swear,” I assured him and sighed in relief.

“Virgil, you were sleeping with members of my pack?” Caven asked with big eyes. “How did I not know this?”

“Because I asked them not to tell since I didn’t know how to process what I wanted suddenly and they were good friends and never told. It’s not the Alpha’s business to know who’s sleeping with whom, Caven.”

“Right, no, sorry, I know that, it’s just, I didn’t see that coming,” the little Alpha rambled. “Well, I’m glad they were loyal and good to you. Yeah, good, okay.”

“So our friend, Jordy, asked us if we could talk to the wolf Alpha in this coven when he found out we’d discovered our mate and he was from here,” Mareo hedged. “We didn’t know this because we would have helped sooner or given him sanctuary, but he’s having problems with his pack. He wants out but his Alpha won’t let him leave and none of the packs around him will go against his Alpha.”

“Did he tell you why he’s in trouble or what was the reason he wanted to leave?” Caven asked after a moment of thought.

“No, he wouldn’t tell us. He said wolf business is supposed to stay in the pack but I bet he’d tell you,” I answered. “I can tell you that Jordy’s a nice guy. Caleb can attest to that as well. He’s sweet, loyal, kind, shy, and just a good person.”

“If I didn’t know you liked me so much I might start to get jealous now,” Virgil mumbled quietly as he stared at his sandwich.

“I have a lot more adjectives that I feel about you, my mate,” I said, letting my voice get husky as I took his free hand. “I will gladly list them for you later when you’re drinking from me.”

“I’ll hold you to that.” I gave him a wink before focusing back on the road.

“Yeah, I don’t know the answer to that either,” Mareo said, getting back to Caven’s question. “He just said he always seems to be in trouble no matter what he does.” There was a pause and I glanced in the mirror to see him staring at Caven funny.

“What do you see? The eyes?” I asked, meeting his gaze when it snapped to mine. “Yeah, I thought that odd too.”

“That’s what it is!” Mareo exclaimed as he tapped my arm as if showing me he was grateful for the answer. “I couldn’t put my finger on it but you’re right. He’s got Jordy’s eyes. I thought it was contacts Jordy wore or something.”

“Wait, back up,” Caven said firmly. “This wolf has purple eyes like mine?”

“Yeah, is that a big deal? We’ve never seen a wolf with them before,” Mareo said.

“Yeah, it’s a really big deal and I’m worried I might know what his pack’s doing to him,” Caven growled as he pulled out his phone. “Does he have any siblings?”

“I don’t know,” I answered. Shit. What had we walked into now?

“Get him on the phone and find out,” Caven ordered. “Also how fast he wants out of there. I’m calling Elder Dawson and letting him know there’s a Kappa who wants out of their pack. He’s more than welcome to join mine and tell him we’ve got Kappas here so he won’t be alone or mistreated.”

“Right, okay, sure, thanks,” Mareo rambled. I glanced at Virgil and he gave me a smile. I wasn’t sure what was going on but I knew that wasn’t a happy smile. It was more an
I’ll fill you in later and it’s going to be okay
gesture. Crap.

* * * *

Mareo

“Hey, Jordy, can you talk?” I asked quietly as I turned towards the window of the vehicle.

“Yeah, um, sure, but not freely,” he mumbled and then I heard a sniffle. “Someone heard what I asked of you and I got in trouble. I’m not allowed to leave the Alpha house and my Alpha resigned my position for me. Thanks for trying though and it was nice knowing—”

“This isn’t over, Jordy,” I growled. “The Alpha here in America knows one of your elders. He has purple eyes like you and says there’s Kappas in the pack so if you want to come here he can get you out and you’ll be treated well here. Alpha Caven wants to know if you have siblings?”

“No, it’s just me,” he whispered. “Can he really help me?”

“I trust him, Jordy.” I leaned over and waited for Caven to pause in his conversation. “No siblings. Alpha found out he was trying to leave the pack and now he’s confined to the Alpha house and the bastard resigned from Jordy’s job for him.”

“Fuck that. Tell Jordy to pack what he can and be ready. We’re going to get him help and get him out of there,” Caven growled.

“I heard, thank you, Mareo. Thank Foma and thank the Alpha. I just want to be safe,” Jordy whispered sadly.

“Why didn’t you tell us this was going on?”

“And what would you have done? Come in and tried to rescue me? Pissed off a bunch of wolves and potentially ruined the fae’s alliance with the wolves in the area?”

“No, I would have called my Queen and
she
would have done it,” I chuckled, smiling fondly. I really did love that woman as did all of her people. “She cares not for the typical politics and games. We are all just people to her and if someone needs help and their own kind are not there for them then it’s our responsibility as those who can help
to
help if asked.”

“That’s nice. I wish more people were like that.”

“I get the feeling the coven here is like that,” I assured him.

“We are,” the few in the car from this coven agreed.

“That’s good to know,” Jordy giggled. “Thank them for me and I look forward to meeting them.”

“Will do.” I said good-bye and hung up just as Caven did. He sighed and looked at me with worried eyes.

“The Alpha there never told our council or elders that there was a Kappa born or transferred into the pack. He’s been hiding Jordy from everyone. I’m surprised he even let Jordy take the job at Caleb’s. Elder Dawson knows an elder in the area who’s going to handle it and get Jordy to sanctuary until the Queen can open a portal. She and Elder Dawson agree that they don’t want something
happening
in transit if we stick Jordy on a plane.”

“Thank you for agreeing to help and doing so this quickly,” I replied, letting my sincerity seep into my voice. “Jordy deserves a good life and to be happy. He’s been an asset to Caleb and knows how to work the system and all the rules well.”

“He might be a good Bevin to your Rylan, Caven,” Virgil suggested as he finished off his sandwich. “You were saying that you wanted an assistant to help you integrate the pack and handle the stuff you don’t have time for. I know you’re looking for Betas and enforcers like Tyler was, but it’s a start.”

“Yeah, that’s actually a great idea,” Caven agreed. He leaned forward and gave my mate a big kiss on the lips. “I love that you’ve started opening your mouth more. Anything else you’ve got for me? Can you go visit another part of the world and bring me back some badass wolves to be my Betas?”

“Actually, we might be able to help with that,” Foma hedged as I darted a glance to him in the rearview mirror. I nodded, letting him know I was okay with the idea. “You good with the French?”

“I don’t have a problem with French people. Don’t really know any either though. Why?” Caven raised an eyebrow and glanced between us.

“We spent a while outside Paris about a decade ago,” I explained.

Gabriel glanced between us, and seeing the chance to get to know his brother’s mates, he took it. “What were you guys doing there? Working?”

“Searching for our mate,” Foma answered honestly and smiled at Virgil. “We’ve been searching for six hundred years.”

“Wow. That’s romantic,” Caven whispered.

“I searched for you almost that long,” Gabriel growled.

“Yes, and I was totally worth it. But I get the feeling they traveled all over to search for their mate,” Caven replied.

“We did,” I admitted. “I met Foma before he was of age and we were mates. From that moment we took just about every available person on our plane to our bed in hopes to find our other mate. When we realized they weren’t there, we crossed into your world. Sure, we’ve gone back and looked—”

“And by
looked
you mean fucked them silly,” Virgil chuckled.

“I don’t know how you’re so cool with that and not a growling, jealous ogre,” Gabriel said with a tone of awe. “I still wig if I even hear that Caven was with someone.”

“I’ve been with people.” Virgil shrugged and I was proud of my mate’s sensibleness. “So have they. Doesn’t mean they’d rather be with anyone else but me. I look at it as they’ve had a
lot
of practice in perfecting all the moves that will bring me centuries of big, fat, dopey smiles.”

“I like it. Yes, we will go with that,” I agreed, reaching for his hand. He gave me a wink and I turned back to his brother and the Alpha. “We crossed onto this plane and have traveled all over. Every few years we’d go back and bring the Queen some of the rarest and hardest items to find that her procurers could not without great difficulty. That was our specialty. And she would pay us handsomely in gold and we’d go back on our travels to find our mate.”

“See, romantic,” Caven sighed. “Someday I want to hear all about the world. I can’t even imagine what you guys have seen.”

“For helping Jordy, I will make sure you even see the pictures we’ve taken over the years,” I chuckled.

“And my sketches,” Foma said quietly. I blinked in shock. My mate never let anyone but me see them. He met my gaze in the mirror again. “If Virgil can be brave enough to open himself up and be more honest about who he is, I can start too. These are our in-laws now and Caven’s shown to be a good person. He wouldn’t laugh or say I’m untalented.”

“Of course not,” I agreed, smiling at him, now proud of both my mates. “Especially because I’ve never seen a talent that even rivals yours. Maybe there is one Virgil would like to hang in his new house we’ll be living in?”