Welcome to Wednesday Briefs! It's flash fiction, so this story will be presented in 1000(ish)-word chapters. I hope you enjoy it, and check out the many other flashers, whose links are below. You can also check out the Wednesday Briefs Blog for more info and to sign up for email notifications.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading!
THE BOYS OF BELSMEADE
Chapter Eighteen
"Shh!" a voice hissed. "Don't wake them up."
"Oh shut up, Chia." I recognized Blanca's voice. "This is too good. We gotta tell them."
Someone shook my shoulder. "Eliot. Hey, Eliot. Psst."
I sat up with a start and my forehead smacked into something hard. "Ow!" cried Blanca. "That hurt!"
"Blanca," Aramis growled. "What on earth are you doing in here?"
She flung herself onto the bed between Aramis and me and lay her head back on my pillow. Lucia sat on the edge of the bed, and put her hands up to get our attention. "You are never going to believe it."
"The fact that you're insane?" Aramis said. "Yes, I definitely believe that."
"Shut up," she said. "It's important! Epp has found his mate."
"Whoop-dee-doo," Aramis droned.
"But you have to hear who it is!" Lucia whined, shaking her brother by the shoulders.
Aramis pushed her off and sat up. "Fine. I give. Who'd Epp shackle himself to?"
Blanca grinned evilly. "Blake Becker."
I said nothing. Aramis said nothing. A bird chirped. Time passed. Finally Lucia verified the fantastic claim. "It's true! Go ask mami. Everyone's kinda freakin' out."
"Wait a minute," Aramis snapped. "How the hell did this happen? I thought Blake was always hot for me."
"What?" I cried, hopping out of bed. Immediately, I regretted this decision, since I was buck naked. The girls whooped with laughter and Aramis tossed me a pillow to cover myself with. I held it in front of me while he ushered his giggling sisters out the door.
He locked the door and turned to me, holding a hand out to defend himself. "I know you're probably pissed, but all I meant was that I assumed Blake wanted me. He'd always acted strangely around me, but now that I think about it, he was even weirder whenever the whole family was around. He must have been picking up on Epp's scent."
I bit my lip and looked at my mate. "So, you don't want Blake?"
Aramis shook his head and sighed. "Baby, I will never want anyone but you. I've never wanted Blake, even before I knew you existed. He's a douche, and now that douche is gonna be family, and Epp's father-in-law is the devil. This just got so much shittier than it already was. Come on. We'd better get cleaned up and dressed before mom comes looking for us. It's almost time for dinner anyway."
"Oh shut up, Chia." I recognized Blanca's voice. "This is too good. We gotta tell them."
Someone shook my shoulder. "Eliot. Hey, Eliot. Psst."
I sat up with a start and my forehead smacked into something hard. "Ow!" cried Blanca. "That hurt!"
"Blanca," Aramis growled. "What on earth are you doing in here?"
She flung herself onto the bed between Aramis and me and lay her head back on my pillow. Lucia sat on the edge of the bed, and put her hands up to get our attention. "You are never going to believe it."
"The fact that you're insane?" Aramis said. "Yes, I definitely believe that."
"Shut up," she said. "It's important! Epp has found his mate."
"Whoop-dee-doo," Aramis droned.
"But you have to hear who it is!" Lucia whined, shaking her brother by the shoulders.
Aramis pushed her off and sat up. "Fine. I give. Who'd Epp shackle himself to?"
Blanca grinned evilly. "Blake Becker."
I said nothing. Aramis said nothing. A bird chirped. Time passed. Finally Lucia verified the fantastic claim. "It's true! Go ask mami. Everyone's kinda freakin' out."
"Wait a minute," Aramis snapped. "How the hell did this happen? I thought Blake was always hot for me."
"What?" I cried, hopping out of bed. Immediately, I regretted this decision, since I was buck naked. The girls whooped with laughter and Aramis tossed me a pillow to cover myself with. I held it in front of me while he ushered his giggling sisters out the door.
He locked the door and turned to me, holding a hand out to defend himself. "I know you're probably pissed, but all I meant was that I assumed Blake wanted me. He'd always acted strangely around me, but now that I think about it, he was even weirder whenever the whole family was around. He must have been picking up on Epp's scent."
I bit my lip and looked at my mate. "So, you don't want Blake?"
Aramis shook his head and sighed. "Baby, I will never want anyone but you. I've never wanted Blake, even before I knew you existed. He's a douche, and now that douche is gonna be family, and Epp's father-in-law is the devil. This just got so much shittier than it already was. Come on. We'd better get cleaned up and dressed before mom comes looking for us. It's almost time for dinner anyway."
********************
The feeling in the main house was tense, but everyone was trying to behave as normally as possible. Aurelia smiled widely when Aramis and I walked into the kitchen. "Oh, my boys. How are you?"
"Fine, mami," Aramis said, kissing his mom's forehead. "Fascinated by the latest gossip. Where's Epp?"
"In the living room with his mate," she replied with a raised eyebrow.
"You let Blake go?" I asked.
Aurelia shrugged. "It's not like he's going anywhere now. And I'm warning you now. You boys all better figure out how to get along with each other."
"After what he did?" Aramis said through clenched teeth. His mother didn't reply verbally, but her steely glare was enough of an inducement to agree to whatever she said. If she had looked at me that way and told me to stand in front of a subway train, I would have.
We went into the living room and found Epp sitting on the couch with his arm around Blake. Immediately, Epp hopped up, crouched in front of his soon-to-be mate and growled fiercely at us.
"Oh, sit down and put your bitch claws away," Aramis said. He pulled me into a chair with him and added, "It's all good. I got my mate and you got yours. And we forgive yours for being a royal douche."
"Aramis!" His father walked into the room and glared at his sons. "This ends now."
Aramis groaned. "Didn't I just say it's done? I'm serious. If anything, Blake helped me get Eliot sooner, so thanks, or whatever."
Blake was perplexed. "Uh, you're welcome?"
Mr. Ambrogi smiled and turned to me. "Eliot, there is someone to see you in my study. Come with me, please."
I stood on shaking legs and followed him. He opened the door across the hall and I saw my father sitting in a leather chair in front of the fire.
"Dad!" I cried, and ran to him. He stood up just before I crashed into him and braced himself for the impact. I threw my arms around him and buried my face in his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Dad. I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't mean to hurt you. Honest! Are you okay?"
After he steadied himself, he squeezed back and kissed the top of my head. "I'm fine, Eliot. I'm fine. Well, not fine, really. I mean… are you… okay?"
I let him go and noticed Aramis behind me. I took him by the hand and said to my father, "I'm okay. And this is Aramis. My… mate."
"Mate," dad repeated. "As in… blood?"
Aramis and I both nodded and Aristes came to my rescue. "The boys have ritually mated, yes. Because of this, I think it best to have Eliot transfer to Belsmeade to finish his school year."
"What? No!" I clenched my fists. "I'm sorry, Mr. Ambrogi, but I don't want that. I have one semester to go, and I want to keep everything as normal as possible. Please, sir."
He didn't seem convinced. "And what happens if you lose your temper, Eliot? Or if you get thirsty? It could be very dangerous."
I put on my best pout and said, "Please?"
Mr. Ambrogi sighed. "My God, you're better at pouting than Blanca. Fine. As you wish. You can stay at that high school of yours. But at the first hint of trouble, you will have to transfer. And you must tell no one—and I do mean no one—of what has happened."
I smiled. "I promise, I won't, but, uh…" Turning to my dad, I smiled sweetly. "Dad? Since Aramis and I are kinda, ya know, together, can he move in with us?"
"Fine, mami," Aramis said, kissing his mom's forehead. "Fascinated by the latest gossip. Where's Epp?"
"In the living room with his mate," she replied with a raised eyebrow.
"You let Blake go?" I asked.
Aurelia shrugged. "It's not like he's going anywhere now. And I'm warning you now. You boys all better figure out how to get along with each other."
"After what he did?" Aramis said through clenched teeth. His mother didn't reply verbally, but her steely glare was enough of an inducement to agree to whatever she said. If she had looked at me that way and told me to stand in front of a subway train, I would have.
We went into the living room and found Epp sitting on the couch with his arm around Blake. Immediately, Epp hopped up, crouched in front of his soon-to-be mate and growled fiercely at us.
"Oh, sit down and put your bitch claws away," Aramis said. He pulled me into a chair with him and added, "It's all good. I got my mate and you got yours. And we forgive yours for being a royal douche."
"Aramis!" His father walked into the room and glared at his sons. "This ends now."
Aramis groaned. "Didn't I just say it's done? I'm serious. If anything, Blake helped me get Eliot sooner, so thanks, or whatever."
Blake was perplexed. "Uh, you're welcome?"
Mr. Ambrogi smiled and turned to me. "Eliot, there is someone to see you in my study. Come with me, please."
I stood on shaking legs and followed him. He opened the door across the hall and I saw my father sitting in a leather chair in front of the fire.
"Dad!" I cried, and ran to him. He stood up just before I crashed into him and braced himself for the impact. I threw my arms around him and buried my face in his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Dad. I didn't know what I was doing. I didn't mean to hurt you. Honest! Are you okay?"
After he steadied himself, he squeezed back and kissed the top of my head. "I'm fine, Eliot. I'm fine. Well, not fine, really. I mean… are you… okay?"
I let him go and noticed Aramis behind me. I took him by the hand and said to my father, "I'm okay. And this is Aramis. My… mate."
"Mate," dad repeated. "As in… blood?"
Aramis and I both nodded and Aristes came to my rescue. "The boys have ritually mated, yes. Because of this, I think it best to have Eliot transfer to Belsmeade to finish his school year."
"What? No!" I clenched my fists. "I'm sorry, Mr. Ambrogi, but I don't want that. I have one semester to go, and I want to keep everything as normal as possible. Please, sir."
He didn't seem convinced. "And what happens if you lose your temper, Eliot? Or if you get thirsty? It could be very dangerous."
I put on my best pout and said, "Please?"
Mr. Ambrogi sighed. "My God, you're better at pouting than Blanca. Fine. As you wish. You can stay at that high school of yours. But at the first hint of trouble, you will have to transfer. And you must tell no one—and I do mean no one—of what has happened."
I smiled. "I promise, I won't, but, uh…" Turning to my dad, I smiled sweetly. "Dad? Since Aramis and I are kinda, ya know, together, can he move in with us?"
****************************************
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