Page 22 of Midnight Rain

Cormac held up the juice. “I hope I’m not bothering you.”

He had to walk a thin line between spending time with Austin and trying not to seem like he was stalking the guy. Right now, Austin might see any kind of extended attention as a bad thing.

Austin opened the door and waved Cormac in. “How did you know I was thirsty?”

“I have Jedi mind powers.” Cormac handed the bottle over. “I just guessed. Plus I wanted to make sure you were okay. It took a lot of courage to talk to your aunt. I’m proud of you for opening up to her…and me.”

Austin sat on the side of the bed, even though there was a comfortable chair in the room. He held on to the bottle, looking at the floor.

Cormac sat beside him. “What’s on your mind?”

“I just get overwhelmed sometimes.” He looked up at Cormac. “So much has happened to me lately. I haven’t had time to process one thing before something else comes along.”

“Can I show you something cool?” he asked.

His mate eyed him. “What?”

Getting up, Cormac opened the window. “Care to sit outside with me?”

Frowning, Austin walked over to the window and looked out. “You want me to sit on that roof?”

Cormac pulled back. “You’re probably tired and need your rest.”

Austin handed him the bottle and climbed out, and then he reached back in and snatched the bottle from Cormac’s hand.

With a smile, Cormac climbed out, joining his mate. It was the roof on the side of the house, not the same one Hayden used when he stargazed, so Cormac wasn’t concerned they would be interrupted.

Looking up, Austin sighed. “This is peaceful.”

“Sometimes I come out here at night. It makes me feel close to my mom and dad.” Cormac hadn’t meant to say that. He wasn’t sure he was ready to talk about them. Maybe he never would be, but Austin had trusted him with something important, so Cormac would try his best to share a part of himself.

“I’m sorry.” Austin looked at him. “How long ago?”

“A few months.” Cormac stared up at the sky, a burning lump in his throat.

Austin leaned his head against Cormac’s arm. “Do you want to talk about it?”

It was on the tip of Cormac’s tongue to say no because he wasn’t sure he could talk about them without choking up. He cleared his throat a couple times. “They went on vacation to Costa Rica. Hayden got the call that that they’d been murdered.”

Austin shot forward, his jaw slack as he stared at Cormac. He set his juice aside and turned, throwing his arms around Cormac and simply held him.

Cormac rested his chin on Austin’s head. “The sick fucks who did it removed my parents’ hands and feet like goddamn trophy kills.”

Preternatural normally returned to their animal state when they died, but not always. His parents had to have been in their cat forms when they were killed and then changed into humans after their death. The process was backwards, but not everything in life could be explained, and the mystery of why it happened that way would always remain with them.

If his parents had stayed in their cat forms, Hayden would have never gotten the call. His mom and dad would have just been two cheetahs killed in the wild.

“I’m at a loss for words,” Austin said as he remained against Cormac’s chest, his mate’s arms still around him. Until now, Cormac hadn’t known how badly he needed to be held.

“There’s no need for them.” His throat burned from fighting back tears. “I still can’t bring myself to go into their bedroom. Every time I try, I freeze up.”

It was so easy talking to Austin that Cormac found himself opening up like a dam that had ruptured.

“If I’m being honest with you, I still haven’t processed the loss.”

Austin moved around until his head was resting in Cormac’s lap. “How does anyone process such a horrific death? You said it’s only been a few months. That’s not nearly long enough for anyone to start trying to get past their loss.”

Cormac ran his fingers through Austin’s purple hair, lingering on the dark blue highlights. “I said earlier today that I would explain why I am the way I am.”

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