The trip was made in near silence, for Zero didn't want to push the already agitated Cain anymore then he already was. Zero just pushed their horses faster, trying to get them to their destination as fast as he could. Soon, but not soon enough for Cain, they may it to their destination. Cain jumped off the horse, making a mad dash for the door. He knocked on it frantically, praying that the Sorceress was not pulling another one of her tricks on him. Soon Alyssa opened the door with a smile. He greeted her with is current greeting, A kiss on the forehead and a quick rub of her rounding belly.
"Is Jeb here?" Alyssa looked at him, surprised.
"They didn't tell you they brought him here?!" She said, angrily.
"They eventually to me, but..." He couldn't finish. She nodded.
"He is in the guest room, working on homework, thank gods you're here, I'm terrible at math." Cain just smiled at that, before he pushed passed her, nodded at Marissa before heading in the back, seeing him on the desk, working on some problems.
"Aly, I need some help on this question." Jeb said, still focused on his assignment.
"I think we can work on that later." Cain said with a smile. Jeb turned to look at Cain with a big smile on his face.
"Dad! Where's Papa?"
"Putting up the horses." Cain said, moving over to pull Jeb from the desk, and gave him a big hug. When it was obvious that Cain was not letting go, Jeb started to squirm within his father's arms.
"Dad?" Jeb said. Cain pulled away, but still kept him within his arms. "Ah you can let go now." Jeb said, looking at his father, like he was weird or something. Cain smiled at him, before letting him go.
"What happen to your face, dad?" Jeb said, touching Cain's bandaged face.
"Nothing, it's just happen while working, but its fine. Everything is fine now that I'm here with you."
At that Zero entered the room, looking at the father son interaction with a smile. Jeb then noticed Zero's presents.
"Papa!" Jeb said. "I got something I've been wanting to show you. Alyssa told me to put it up but I'm sure she will let me show you two." Jeb said moving to the other side of the bed. He pulled out a toy car and a small box.
"That looks interesting." Zero said.
"It gets better." Jeb said, walking into the living room with it, wanting his parents to follow him. Cain noticed the annoyed look from Alyssa but she kept quiet as Jeb put the toy car on the ground. He started to mess with the small box, and then suddenly the small toy car went zipping around the room. Cain and Zero just watched it in amazement.
"Wow. That is pretty amazing." Cain said.
"Yeah, Auntie Az told me it runs on magic." At that the smile on both his father's faces faded.
"Auntie Az?" Zero said
"Yeah she told me to call her that." Jeb said, playing with his new toy.
"And she gave you this new toy after she picked you up from school today." Zero pressed. Jeb nodded.
"When did she pick you up?" Cain said.
"Right after lunch, we hung out, she gave me this new toy, and then she sent me here." Jeb explained, still focused on his new toy.
"Do you two hang out a lot?" Zero asked. Jeb just nodded. Zero turned to Cain, seeing the rage flash within those eyes.
"Jeb, I really like your new toy." Zero said quickly, "But I think you should go finish up your missed work, so you will not be behind the other students."
"OOOOOOKKKKK" Jeb drew out with a pout before picking up his new toy and going back into the guest bedroom. As soon as the door was closed Zero spoke.
"Wyatt, calm down."
"She has been taking him behind out back. She's using him against us." Zero just gave a quick look at the girls and they both nodded, going into their bedroom.
"I don't think it's that bad." Zero said.
"Not that bad! She's pulling him out of school to spend time with our son, while all the while.... You don't know the things she makes me do, Adrian, and if I tell Jeb to stay away from her, not accept any gifts from her, he's just going to resent me."
"Yes, I don't know the things she does to you, for one, you don't share them all with me, you just tell me enough to get me to stop bugging you about it." Zero said.
"You saw her, you see what she makes me do to her." Cain said.
"It wouldn't hurt for you to talk about it. Get it off your chest." Zero said softly.
"I just... can't." Cain said.
"I thought there was nothing that you would keep from me?"
"That's not fair. It's not that I don't want too, it's just....." Cain trailed off there.
"Just what, Wyatt?" Cain was quiet for a moment.
"Please, don't. Not here, I just want to leave all that behind, while I'm here, I just want to forget it right now and have a good time, with my family." Cain pleaded. Zero just gave him a frustrated look.
"Fine! If you don't want to talk to me..." Zero said in a huff before walking to the door.
"Where are you going?" Cain asked.
"Somewhere to clear my head," Zero said before leaving.
---
Several hours later
Everyone had gone to sleep a few hours ago, but Cain insisted on staying up to wait for Zero. He sat at the kitchen table, knowing that if he sat on the couch be might fall asleep and miss if Zero came back. If he came back at all. So he sat there, waiting, sipping on the water he got himself. And thought.
Cain was a little hurt at Zero leaving. They may have been mad at each other before, but he had never left like this. Maybe it was the situation, not wanting to have their family business in front of Alyssa but still, Cain had never seen him that angry at him before. It wasn't in what he said, or even in his body language. It was in his eyes, he had only seen that look once before. The night Lucas took Jeb. It shocked Cain. He hadn't realized how upset Zero was over all this. Didn't he understand he was just trying to protect him.
Cain heard someone try the handle of the door, cautiously. He turned his attention to the door, saw it open quietly, and Zero walk in. Cain took one look at Zero and knew where he been all night. It shouldn't have surprised him at all. The man always did run to that bottle.
Cain slipped from his chair and Zero watched him. He went to the cabinet for a glass, pouring another glass of water before setting it in front of the open chair in front of Cain, before sitting back down. It was an open invitation, and he was hoping that Zero would take him up on it. After a few moments of looking at the glass, Zero started to walk towards the table, sitting in front of Cain. They sat there, in silence, neither one wanting to speak. It was finally Zero who broke the silence.
"You didn't have to wait up for me."
"No. I didn't. Doesn't mean I was not going too anyway. So I see where you've been all night." Cain said, a little bitterness in his voice. Zero just shook his head.
"I didn't mean for that to happen, I was walking around, mad as hell, I thought it might calm me down."
"Yeah, you couldn't help yourself." Cain seethed out.
"Yeah like you couldn't help yourself with the Sorceress," Zero said but as soon as it was out of his mouth, he knew it was mistake. He watched the hurt wash over Cain's face. "Shit, Wyatt, I'm sorry." At that Cain just glared.
"You have no idea what I've been through."
"Your right I don't. Why don't you tell me, please? So I can understand, so I can help you. Please, love. I feel like I'm losing you over this and that hurts more than anything." Zero said.
"Just drink up your water." Cain said as he got up from the table. At that Zero's anger just got the better of him. He threw the glass within his hand against the kitchen wall before turning to Cain.
"Damn it, Wyatt, talk to me. You promised no secrets and no lies," Zero yelled.
"Shhh! You're going to wake everyone up." Cain said softly.
"Then let me wake them up. If it gets you to fucking talk to me, I will wake up this whole fucking neighborhood." Zero said.
"Fine! You want me to talk, you want me to tell you about how she threaten to keep kidnapping Jeb If I didn't screw her just right, that if I didn't please her, that if I denied her, how she was going to rape me, rape you. How every time she pushed me into hurting her, pushing my limits, how I felt like the rapist. And how much I enjoyed beating the crap out of her, being violent to her, leaving all those bruises and all she did was smile and ask for more. It was sick, and I'm sick for enjoying it."
Zero just stared at him, not sure what to say after that outburst. He wanted to know, and now he did. He saw Cain sway slightly, exhaustion kicking in and Zero was at his side, pulling him to the couch, to sit. Zero just held Cain against his chest. Zero started to stroke Cain's hair as Cain started to say words of love, pleads of forgiveness as well as asking him what was wrong with him. Zero just sat there, confirming his love, but had no other answers for the man. He was telling him it was going to be Ok, but even that, he wasn't sure if it was true. He was worried, and even a little scared of what she was pushing him to be.
Zero knew that something had to be done, and done soon. She was breaking his soul apart, piece by piece. It had to stop, before he lost the man he loved to her forever. It wasn't long before Cain fell asleep, his head lying on Zero's legs. But Zero, he couldn't sleep. He just sat up, lost in thought, listening to the steadying rhythm of Cain's breathing. But about an hour before the first sun rose, exhaustion took hold, and the only thing left on his mind, was revenge.
Zero soon felt a hand on his shoulder, which caused him to wake from his sleep. He could tell just from the way he felt that he hadn't been asleep for long. The first thing he noticed was how sore he was, for attempting to sleep sitting up like he was. The next thing he noticed was that Cain was still asleep, head resting on his legs. He blinked in confusion at first, not sure who woke him. Then he turned to see Alyssa standing there, dressed, coat in hand.
"Get up, I'm taking you out for breakfast, hun." she whispered before pulling on the coat, walking to the door. Zero just looked at her as she motioned for him to follow. He gently lifted Cain's head so he could slip out, and followed her out the door.
"How are they going to know where we are?" Zero said, once they were out the door.
"I left a note, saying I kidnapped you, and took you to breakfast," she said with a smile. They walked to a close by family owned restaurant in silence. They gave there order, or in Alyssa's case, half the menu before they started to talk.
"Isn't it still a little early for you to be eating that much, or are you having a litter and forgot to tell me about it." Zero said with a smile. Alyssa just gave him a glare.
"I'm sorry, I just couldn't decide, this baby of yours likes a little bit of everything. Besides, whatever I don't eat I'm sure the boys will."
"I'm sure they will. So how have you and the baby been doing?"
"We are both fine. I'm more worried about the father of that baby at the moment."
"What do you mean?" He said, trying to play innocent.
"Don't bullshit me Adrian, I heard you two last night. And don't get me wrong hun, this is your spawn growing in my belly, but if what I heard last night has been happening a lot, I might have second thoughts of handing it over once it makes it's big entrance into this world."
"Alyssa, you know us, we don't fight all the time. Wyatt has just been under a lot of stress lately. He wasn't sharing it, and I got mad. He finally told me last night what has been going on though."
"Yes I know, pretty loudly I might add." Zero's eyes went wide at that.
"You heard?"
"Every word." Then Zero's eyes went wider
"OH god, I hope Jeb didn't hear that."
"He's a deep sleeper, besides, I think if he did wake up, he wouldn't have just listened, he would have investigated. He's an inquisitive boy like that. I almost came out after what I heard."
"And he's been keeping most of that from me, for about two months now. I knew that something was going on, and I accepted it, for the fact that you can never say no to her, for that might be the last thing you do. But still, I didn't think it was that bad, that it was effecting him that much. He's been hiding that from me. He said it was to protect us, but I just felt he couldn't trust me with the truth, and that hurt more than anything."
"Hun, that's a lot to take in. If what she was doing to him is true, then I can see why he hid it. It's a common thing when people are raped." Zero was shocked at that.
"Wyatt wasn't raped."
"Really? That's what it sounds like to me. She's using him, for her own pleasure, and he's only agreeing to it for fear of his life and the life of his family. That sounds really consensual to me." Zero just looked at her, surprised. "So what are you planning to do?" Zero just shook his head at that.
"I don't know. We can't leave, she'll just come for us. If he denies her, she'll just make it worse on all of us. She will take away our leave again. We will not be able to visit you."
"I think Wyatt's safety is more important than visiting us, hun." Zero just sighed.
"She has her claws to deep in him, I'm not sure she will ever let him go." He let out a humorless chuckle. "I even thought last night of walking in to her room, and shooting her before she has a chance to stop me." It was now Alyssa's turned to be shocked.
"Adrian! Have you ever thought of just talking to her, telling her what she's doing? I mean she should understand she's human after all."
"Sometimes I wonder about that."
"All you can do is try, Adrian. He needs your help. Even if he's convinced himself he doesn't," she said softly.
"I know I'm just not sure what I can do for him."
"It will come to you," She said with a smile as food arrived.
