At Year's End (The 12 Olympians) (22 page)

“Hello, Sabine.”

“Hello, Skylar. You look wonderful.”

“Thank you. You look beautiful as always.”

“Could you guys give us a second with Elijah?” Jaxon asked.

“Sure.” Skylar took Ryder’s hand and led him inside.

Elijah looked from Sabine to Jaxon. They both looked nervous for some reason. He sat down on the bench and studied them both.

“Why do you both look like that?” he asked.

Jaxon took the seat next to Elijah and smiled, patting his hand.

“James did s
ome digging on the human birth parents of all the Olympians. He’s going to tell them what they are one by one when they’re ready, but your case is different.” Jaxon took a deep breath and blurted it out. “It seems the Titans didn’t want the twelve Olympians to have their human birth parents.”

Elijah’s eyes widened. “They killed them all?”

“Yes, Elijah.” Jaxon nodded sadly. “Except for yours.”

“Mine?
Why not mine?”

“Because I never stayed in one place too long
,” Sabine answered.

Elijah’s mouth dropped open in surprise. Sabine gave him a wary smile.

“Yes, I am your mother, Elijah,” she said.

“You’re…my mom?” Elijah whispered.

“Yes and I am so sorry I gave you up. I didn’t know what else to do. Your father disappeared on me one day and I realized I was pregnant — ” Elijah flew into her and she held him tightly. “Not one day has gone by that I did not think of you, Elijah. I wondered if you were okay, if you were loved. Now I know that you were none of those things and it pains me to know you did not have a happy childhood.”

“But I am loved.” Elijah sniffled in Sabine’s shirt. “Jaxon loves me.”

“I have always loved you, Elijah.” Sabine closed her eyes and held her son. “No matter what comes now, I want to be part of your life.”

“You do?” Elijah pulled away and wiped at his eyes.
“But it’s dangerous. We’ll have to keep it a secret.”

“I don’t want to.” Sabine shook her head.

“You have to! I can’t lose another person in my life!” Elijah’s eyes began to water again and he choked back a sob.

“Okay, okay, I will come and see you whenever I can, all right?” Sabine soothed him. She wiped his tears and kissed his forehead. “I love you so much, Elijah. Now that I know you are okay, and Jaxon is taking care of you I will feel much better.”

“So I’m French?” Elijah grinned.

“Well, half French
and half Greek, on your father’s side.”

“Can you tell me about him?”

“Why don’t we go in?” Jaxon stood and opened the door for them. He palmed Elijah’s face as he stopped in front of him.

“I love you, Jaxon.”

“I love you too.”

Jaxon sat with Elijah and Sabine as they both talked a mile a minute. He could visibly see the love Sabine had for Elijah. It was sad to find out that none of the other human parents had survived. Jaxon surveyed the room. The party was winding down and it was getting late. He nudged Elijah and whispered in his ear.

“
It’s almost eleven.”

“It is?” Elijah checked his phone.

“I should go; I have an early flight in the morning.” Sabine pulled Elijah to her and held him tightly. “I love you, Elijah.”

“
I…want to say it back, but — ”

“It is all right, Elijah
; you do not know me. It will come in time,” Sabine assured him.

Elijah walked Sabine out
. Jaxon stood by his side as James opened the door for her. Her life was about to change drastically. Sabine would have a fulltime guard on her from that point on. Elijah pulled on his hand and Jaxon looked down at him.

“What is it?”

“I have to say goodbye to everyone.”

Jaxon nodded and they headed back inside. Elijah made the rounds and then stopped in
front of Caden and Kellan.

“I know who my father is now, but you two will always be
my dads.”

Jaxon had to smile as both men looked like they were about to cry. They both hugged
Elijah to them.

“It is my honor, Elijah
,” Caden choked out.

“Night.” Elijah waved at the room.

“Night.”

~*~

Jaxon fell into bed and stared up at the ceiling. Elijah snuggled into him and Jaxon kissed his forehead.

“Jaxon?”

“Yep.”

“Thank you, for waiting for me.”

“Always, Elijah. Always.”

~*~

The clear water of So
corro Island beckoned Elijah. When Caden had suggested they all go and work on their abilities, Elijah hadn’t realized they’d be in paradise — and they had arrived on the Salvatore yacht.

A yacht? Who owned a yacht these days?

“Apparently, we do.” Jaxon grinned standing next to him.

“You’re so snobby,” Elijah chuckled.

“I am not!” Jaxon laughed, picking Elijah up in his arms.

“Dude, just what am I supposed to do?” Nate looked down at his hands. “Fling them out or something? How does this work?”

Stone frowned at his own hands. “I don’t know. I’m a healer, so what is my power against the bad guys? I heal them? Doesn’t make much sense.”

“Look,” Jaxon regarded them all. “I’m sure you’ll figure it out, that’s what we’re here for, to help.”

“Hey! I got a little bolt to come out!” Ryder exclaimed.

Jaxon eyed Justice sideways. He raised one brow and nodded to Nate. Justice nodded back and walked over to where Nate was trying to figure out how to make his powers work. Justice shifted and let out a snarl. Nate’s hair went up on end and he whipped his hands out in front of him. Jaxon started in surprise as Justice fell over on his side. He ran to his brother and knelt in the sand.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry!” Nate shouted. “What did I do?”

Skylar flew to his mate’s side and crouched down next to him. Justice seemed to be sleeping. Skylar raised his eyes to Nate.

“
I think you inebriated him,” he laughed.

“I what?”

“He’s drunk,” Jaxon chuckled.

“I made him drunk?” Nate asked in confusion.

“Well, that does help if the bad guys are falling down drunk,” Stone chuckled.

Skylar covered Justice with a towel and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at Jaxon, nodding to Stone.
Jaxon got the hint and wheeled around to Stone. Dropping his canines, he advanced on the younger man.

“Now wait a minute!” Stone backed up. “I don’t know what I can do!”

“Time to find out,” Jaxon snarled.

“Wait!” Stone closed his eyes as Jaxon leapt at him.

“Stone! Stop!” Elijah screamed.

“What?” Stone opened his eyes to see Jaxon on the sand
; his face had gone white and his cheeks had sunken in.

“Stop!” Elijah shouted, hovering over Jaxon. “You’re draining the life out of him!”
Elijah cradled Jaxon’s head as the color slowly returned to his face. “Jaxon?”

Jaxon moaned and sat up slowly. “Holy shit.”

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Stone covered his face with his hands and sobbed. “I don’t like this!”

Jaxon stood up on shaky legs and took Stone by his shoulders. “Hey! Look at me! I’m okay, Stone.
This was needed, okay?”

“I don’t want to hurt people!”

“They’re not people, Stone! They’re rogues and whatever else bad exists in this world — and they will not hesitate to kill you, do you understand?! To kill all of us!”

Stone nodded and Jaxon enveloped him in his arms.

“I know this goes against everything you believe in, but you have to protect yourself, Stone,” Jaxon soothed him.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Stone sniffled.

“I’m fine,” Jaxon assured him. “Just took a bit to get back on my feet.”

A loud moan caugh
t their attention and Justice sat up in human form.

“
Oh my God, my head!” Justice winced at the pain lashing at his temples.

“A hangover?” Nate tilted his head. “I get them wasted and then they
have a hangover?” Nate contemplated that information. He shrugged his shoulders. “Meh.”

“This was a lesson; you guys have got to figure out how to control your powers. It can’t always be when you’re scared. You have to be able to call on it whenever you
need to.” Jaxon faced the group. “Now, try again.”

They spent the rest of the day working on their abilities. Elijah found that he could actually produce two
phoenixes if he concentrated hard enough. Granted, they were small, but it was something.

He
stood on the bow of the boat watching the sunset paint the horizon with watercolors. A light flashed and then a figure stood next to him. Elijah looked sideways at a woman with long flowing hair.

“Gaea?”

“Yes. You are all coming together, just as it was meant to be.”

“
Is there, like, a handbook or something on how we are supposed to defend ourselves?”

“You are all demi-gods; your parents have tried to gather all their combined powers and instill them in all of you. Your powers will grow as you come together.”
Gaea studied Elijah closely. “You are all family. The fact that you all found each other means your bond is strong. You will need it. Your parents had to give you a new twist in your powers; this is the twenty-first century.”

“Stone drains life, Nate makes them drunk. I make
phoenixes. Anything else we should be aware of?”

Gaea smiled. “Your father is very proud of you.”

Elijah ducked his head. “He is?”

Gaea held Elijah’s face in her hands. “You are a strong soul, just
like the rest of them and you have a warrior at your side.”

“Will I ever see
my father?”

“One day. They are protecting Olympus. We know you are
all being attacked in an attempt to force them down from Olympus to protect you, which is why you were given your abilities. Do not think for one moment that they do not care. They
all
care.”

“Elijah?”

Elijah turned to see Jaxon standing behind them, mouth agape.

“Well, hello, Jaxon
,” Gaea smiled.

Jaxon knelt and bowed his head.

“Seems you are not so stupid after all,” Gaea chuckled. She turned to Elijah. “Love one another.”

With that, Gaea was gone. Jaxon sat down on the deck and held his head.

“You okay?” Elijah knelt down at his side.

“Yes, I feel a little woozy.”

“Well, come on, let’s get you to bed.”

~*~

Elijah snuggled into Jaxon’s chest. They were in one of the many bedrooms on the yacht. The rest of the guys had gone to bed after dinner. Elijah had let them in on Gaea’
s visit. To be in the presence of a goddess was something he’d never even thought about. Jaxon’s arms wrapped around him and Elijah forgot about everything except the man holding him.

“Jaxon?”

“Hmmm?”

“
You feeling better?”

Jaxon chuckled.

“Is that your way of asking me if I want to make love?”

“Maybe…”

Jaxon rolled Elijah onto his back and balanced on one hand above him.

“Oh yeah, I want to make love to you.”

Elijah pulled Jaxon down and kissed him.

“
Stop talking.”

~*~

Elijah threw the football to Skylar, who caught it and threw it to Ryder. He’d be starting college soon. Thanks to Caden and Kellan, Elijah was enrolled at the college with Skylar, Ryder, Dasan, Stone and Nate. He didn’t think he’d be joining the football team, but Skylar was and Ryder was considering it.
Caden had suggested the swim team for Ryder, but Ryder hadn’t conquered his fear of water yet. So, football it was. Stone had played in high school, so transitioning to the college team wasn’t a big deal. They’d have to try out, just like everyone else, but at the end of the day, Elijah knew they’d be on the team.

Family stuck together.

Watching the guys play, Elijah was impressed at how much they’d all bulked up. It seemed as if his absence had prompted the boys to work out their aggression in the gym.

Jaxon was planning on taking him back to New Zealand for his twentieth birthday. He’d kept in contact with his mother via email, Skype and tex
ts and they were getting closer.

He’d moved in with Jaxon two days after his memory had come back. He belonged with his mate.
Elijah fingered the pendant around his neck. Justice, Jesse and Jaxon all had the paw print side tattooed on their skin. He, Skylar and Noah all wore the wolf face-side up. The pendant was made to protect them; they had all been blessed with love. Elijah didn’t quite know how they worked, but he didn’t care. He had the man he’d wanted since he was sixteen, or seventeen, whatever.

“Hey guys!”

Elijah turned to find Stone walking up the sidewalk, holding a puppy.

“Stone? Where’d you get the dog?” Elijah asked.

“I found him on my walk — well he found me. I walked around the neighborhood and asked if anyone was missing a Siberian husky puppy, but no one came forward. I took him to the vet, too. No microchip.” Stone eyed Skylar. “Can I keep him?”

Skylar eyed the puppy. “He seems…calm? Aren’t puppies rambunctious and playful?” At his words, the puppy began wiggling in
Stone’s grip, licking his face. Skylar narrowed his eyes at the puppy. “Is he neutered?” At those words, the puppy’s head whirled around and low growl rumbled out.

Skylar smiled.

So, Killian had found a way to be in Stone’s life.

“Yes,” Elijah nodded slowly, figuring it out as well. “He should be neutered. We can’t have him marking the house.”

The puppy whined and licked Stone’s face.

“Hey guys, calm down. He’s going to be an inside dog and we have a gated yard. Maybe when he gets older I’ll consider it, but he’s just a puppy right now
,” Stone chuckled as the puppy’s tail wagged and he got a lick up the side of his face. “Can you hold him for a second? I have to get my wallet so I can get him a collar and leash.”

Skylar took Killian in his arms and scratched behind his ears. “Aren’t you just so cute and adorable?” Skylar crooned. As soon as Stone entered the house, the puppy fixed
Skylar with a warning look. Skylar laughed.

“Hello, Killian.”

“Aw, he’s so frickin’ cute!” Elijah chuckled.

“What should we name him?” Ryder laughed as Killian’s butt wiggled.

“How about Fluffy?” Skylar offered.

Killian growled and snapped at Skylar.

“Now, now,” Skylar waggled his finger at Killian. “No biting or you’ll be an outdoor dog.”

Stone came back out and Elijah smiled at him. The guy had no clue what he was dealing with.

“What are you going to name him?” Elijah asked.

Stone’s brows furrowed. “I don’t know
.”

“How about
Fluffy?” Elijah snickered.

“Or how about Killian?” Skylar offered.

“Why?” Stone’s nose twitched.

“That way when you look at this cute, fluffy little puppy named Killian, you won’t be so made at the
human one.”

“How about
Furball?” Elijah laughed.

“Nah, I like
Killian. What Skylar said actually made sense.” Stone took the puppy from Skylar and held it close.

“That’s cool
,” Elijah nodded.

“Okay, well I’m off! Have to go buy puppy stuff!”

Skylar bit his lip to keep from laughing as Killian stared at them over Stone’s shoulder.

“Oh, this is going to be so much fun
,” Skylar enthused.

“I almost wish I was still living here
,” Elijah cracked up.

“We’ll fuck with Killian for you.” Ryder set a hand on Elijah’s shoulder. “Besides, it’s not like we’ll never see you again. School starts soon and we have the club on the weekends.”

Nate pulled up in the driveway in Skylar’s car and got out. He looked them all over and tilted his head.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Oh, just wait for this one, Nate,” Skylar chuckled.

They all laughed.

That night, wrapped up in Jaxon’s arms, Elijah thought about his life. Things had changed. He’d be seeing a shrink in the next two weeks with Jaxon at his side. He had
incredible friends, a mom, he knew who his father was, and had two dads who loved him. Then he had his mate. Jaxon Salvatore was his, would always be his. Whatever came their way, they’d deal with it.

“Elijah?”

“Hmm?” Elijah’s eyelids drooped.

“Did you ever figure out which brother you liked most?” Jaxon whispered, kissing Elijah’s temple.

“The middle one,” Elijah said sleepily.

Jaxon smiled.

~
The End ~