Page 19 of Dancing Moonbeam

Jaytee felt all eyes on them.

Raidh gazed into Jaytee’s eyes, blew out a breath, and nodded. He rewarded his mate with a quick peck on the lips. That did not count as their first kiss either.

Then he turned to face the others in the room. “Raidh’s dad is a complete dickhead. They’ve been at odds for a millennium because my mate refuses to embrace dark magic. When he cast that spell, they caught a glimpse of each other, and Galamir threatened to find Raidh and eliminate his own son, wipe him from history.”

It was clear his mate was in grave danger, and Jaytee’s anger burned fiercely.

“For not using magic?” Jax furrowed his brow. “That’s insane.”

“A thousand years?” Damon’s jaw dropped. “Just how old are you? Damn, I was flirting with someone old enough to be…” He frowned like he was straining his brain cells trying to do the math, to calculate the age gap. “Well, if we were human, you’d be like a forty-times great-grandpa.”

Raidh’s gaze flickered toward him, and Jaytee could feel the weight of Moonbeam’s stare as if it were a physical touch.

“So glad you’re focusing on my mate’s safety,” Jaytee growled.

“No, I didn’t mean—” Damon raised his hands in surrender before sighing. “I should just stop talking since I keep putting my foot in my mouth around Raidh.”

Kalen studied Raidh for a long moment before asking, “Do you think he meant it, or was he just angry with you?”

“Galamir Shadowlace doesn’t make empty threats,” Raidh replied, shooting a glare at Damon. “And as a forty times great-grandpa, I guarantee he’s dead serious.”

Jaytee smirked when Damon lowered his head and focused on his food. He really was a good guy, but sometimes he let his wolf instincts take over, acting impulsively instead of thinking things through.

Regardless, he was inching closer and closer to an ass-kicking.

“Now, tell me exactly what we’re dealing with here, son,” Kalen said to Raidh, leaning forward with his elbows on the table and his hands clasped together.

Jaytee’s dad was in full serious mode now. Kalen wasn’t the only one curious about Galamir’s powers. If Raidh was over a thousand years old, then his father was even older and had plenty of time to perfect his dark skills.

A pained expression crossed Raidh’s face before he answered. “Arrogance,” he said bitterly. “A complete disregard for anyone who isn’t Unseelie.” He lowered his gaze to his plate. “And a deep-seated hatred for me.”

“Like I said, a complete dickhead,” Jaytee grumbled.

Kalen nodded sympathetically. “I’m sorry he’s treated you that way, hon. But can you tell me about his powers?”

Raidh lifted his head to meet Kalen’s gaze. “My father was not the great teacher he pretended to be,” he confessed, and his voice was tinged with a hint of bitterness. “As I grew older, I realized he relied more on teaching than actually showing me how to cast a spell.” He gave a humorless laugh. “My best friend, Elvine, has a penchant for snooping, and she told me that my father practices in secret because he struggles with herbalism and proper inflections while casting spells.”

“And yet, he still expected perfection from you, holding you to impossible standards?” Jaytee clenched his jaw in disgust. He despised charlatans like Raidh’s father.

Yet, Raidh endured endless lessons and harsh criticism while being called a disappointment and useless by the very man who lacked true talent. Jaytee couldn’t even begin to imagine how difficult it must have been for his mate.

If he was in Raidh’s shoes, he would have exposed his father’s incompetence without hesitation after being treated so cruelly by the one person who should have loved and supported him unconditionally.

He looked over at his own dad sitting at the head of the table, thinking of the decades of sacrifice and devotion and feeling grateful for the warmth radiating from him.

Jaytee cherished having such a loving and caring father figure in his life.

“That sums up my father perfectly. For him, appearances are everything.” Raidh took a bite of his pizza, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing and continuing. “I still need to get to the café so I can contact Elvine. Since Galamir knows we’re close, she could be in danger.”

“All four of us will ride together after we finish eating,” Kalen declared, his voice firm and protective. “Until the threat has passed, you’re stuck with us, Raidh.”

“I go on permanent vacation and get lucky enough to end up with a pack of wolves. That beats a lousy T-shirt.” Raidh’s laughter echoed through the room. The sound was ethereal, filled with magic and enchantment.

All four men grinned at the infectious sound.

* * * *

By the time they left the house, darkness had fallen. Raidh might not be a fan of motorcycles, but he was a huge fan of holding on tightly to Jaytee.

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