Chapter 21: Chapter 20

Chris straightened, a false bravado he didn’t want to portray made his back ramrod straight. “I understand.” He surged ahead, partly wanting to put a distance he knew he’d never achieve… After all, Jaxson was a guard, and he a prince

An SUV pulled up and upon the passenger door opening to show Trey, Chris didn’t hesitate to open the back door and settle himself in the leather. He kept his gaze to the front, not wanting to see the looks, not wanting any questions. “I wish to go back to Royal Packland, my tour has finished,” he stated formally.

“Very well, My Prince,” Callum replied, slipping the car smoothly from the pavement.

The car stayed in a desolate silence. No one seemingly wishing to speak about what had happened. Chris had barely noticed that it was Jaxson in front of him and Trey was in the seat beside him. He’d gone numb. He felt it was the easiest way to deal with the rejection he knew he deserved.

It didn’t take too long of the uncomfortable, silent car ride until they were passing familiar scenery; scenery of home. The town under the protective loom of the castle brought a sense of safety back to Chris he’d been missing over the last month, he hadn’t even realised how truly calming his home town was.

Familiarity was a blanket, a cocoon of relief.

The relief was a short-lived affair as they bumped over cobbles and Chris realised that they were a little too close to the castle, to where he’d have to explain his actions.

He wasn’t ready for that.

When the car had stopped, Chris decided it better he get back to his room as fast as possible, which was exactly what he did. His wolf protested the movement away from his mate, he hadn’t perceived the rejection quite as much as Chris had.

Nevertheless, in under a minute he had flung himself onto his bed. He was safe in his room, it was one of the only places of true privacy he possessed.

He hid under the blankets much like a child hiding from a nightmare… he felt he was living a nightmare, not as bad as the one that he relived most of the time when he closed his eyes… this was all his own doing.

He knew it was his fault.

A few hours later, the door creaked open, so quietly he barely registered it, “Uncle Chris, why are you in bed?”

He sighed. “Just tired, Hunt.”

“See, told you he’d lie!” Victor’s voice piped up.

The bed depressed lightly on either side of him before he found two small heads on his chest.

“You sad, Uncle?” Victor asked.

“A little.” The pit of melancholy hadn’t shifted, he wasn’t sure it ever would.

“Why?” Hunter asked, the childish long drawn out word.

Chris wrapped his arms around the pair that had mere weeks between them in age. “Just grown-up stuff.”

“You can tell us, we keep great secrets! Don’t we, Vic?”

“You don’t have to tell us, Uncle. We missed you though.”

“Missed you too.” He squeezed them both. “My mate’s Jaxson,” he breathed, barely realising he’d spoken. He hadn’t exactly meant to.

“The guard that went with you? Superman?” Hunter asked.

“Oh! The one that can snap a tree in half?” Victor asked in slight awe. “He’s Wolverine, not Superman.”

“Who’s Wolverine?”

“You not seen that movie?” Victor sat up.

“No,” Hunter replied indignantly.

“Aww, ickle baby.”

It was Hunter’s turn to shoot upright. “Shut up! I’m older than you!”

“You’re such a baby though! Wolverine would terrify you, you’ll probably hide behind mummy the whole way through,” Victor teased.

“Would not!” Hunter retorted with indignation.

“If you were even allowed to watch it.”

“Like you are! I bet you snuck it in!”

“Alright, alright, enough,” Chris intervened, mildly amused how far the conversation had shifted.

He pulled the pair back down, avoiding the inevitable fight that would happen over him if he didn’t. “We can watch Wolverine, just don’t tell your parents.”

“Yay!” they both cried.

Chris shifted to his film collection, frowning seeing the film gone. “Victor… who did you get Wolverine from?”

“Err…”

Chris rolled his eyes. “You know you can borrow my films, just put them back. How about Logan… although… oh I don’t know, you’re too young.”

“We’re not, we’re not!” The pair jumped up and down.

“You’re not to copy the fighting, or the swearing,” he warned.

“Promise!”

“Your dads will kill me if they find out.”

“Cross our tails and hope to die!” Hunter started.

“Stick a claw in my eye!” Victor continued.

“Promise, promise, promise,” Hunter added.

“OK, sofa,” he directed, setting up the film.

The two boys promptly ripped the duvet from his bed and settled on the sofa, leaving a space for him in the middle, so once the film started, he climbed in, tugging the duvet up to the boys’ chins.

Halfway through the film, Hunter piped up, “Are you sad ’cause your mate has to work? I know mum gets sad when dad has to go away.”

Guilt clenched him. “I’m sorry your dad had to go away, buddy.”

“It’s OK, he was guarding you, that’s important. Mum said you’re the King’s brother so you need important people.”

“Your dad is very important. He’s home now though.”

“So are you. Wolverine Jaxson will be too!”

Chris could only twitch a small smile. The knowledge Jaxson would never ‘be home’ bubbled nausea in his stomach.

“She’s amazing,” Victor whispered next to them. His eyes glued to the girl tearing the bad guys limb from limb.

Chris chuckled, “You want a badass mate?”

“Yeah, just like yours.”

Chris sighed, leaning his cheek on Victor’s head, he hoped Victor didn’t have the same issue he had with his mate. A mate that didn’t want him.

He wished he didn’t want him from his behaviour.

But no… he didn’t want him because of who he was born into. Something he couldn’t change.

The boys fell asleep against him before the film finished, Victor had slipped under the duvet and was half laid over Chris’ lap, while Hunter’s head lolled on his arm. There was something comforting having the innocent reassurance of his nephews. Particularly as he felt so vulnerable. It was only a matter of time before Marc would call him to explain himself… explain the rumours. It was only a matter of time before everyone knew and he’d have a deal with the consequences.

He could try to just hide in his room forever.