Page 133 of The Dragon's Mate

“Yeah,” Bren said. “Do you mind if I takethe day -”

His cell phone buzzed, and he pulled it outof his pocket. It was Tyler and he said to Morales, “Sorry, I need one minute.”

He answered the phone. “Ty? Buddy, areyou -”

“Bren?” Tyler’s voice was clogged with tears.“Bren, can you come over? Dad’s really mad at me and he’s, like, freaking out.He won’t stop screaming and -”

Bren winced when he heard his father’s voice.“Get off the goddamn phone, Tyler! We are having a fucking discussion! Hang upthe phone now, you little shit! I swear to God, if you don’t -”

“Tyler, I’ll be right there,” Bren saidquickly. It was too late – the connection had been broken.

Bren jumped to his feet. “Captain, I need-”

“Go,” Morales said. “Take care of your brother.”

* * *

He could hear his father’s angry shouting inthe hallway outside of the apartment. Bren dug the key to his father’s place outof his pocket and unlocked the door, letting himself in and closing the door beforestalking to the kitchen.

Tyler, his face red and streaked withtears, was standing near the doorway as his father paced back and forth, slamminghis hand repeatedly on the marble-topped island.

Bren slipped his arm around Tyler’sshoulders, squeezing him tight. “It’s okay, buddy.”

“I’m sorry,” Tyler said. “I didn’t knowwhat else to do. Dad is losing it.’

“It’s okay,” he repeated.

“I cannot believe you would do this to me.You ungrateful, inconsiderate asshole!” His father hadn’t even noticed Bren’sarrival. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done? Do you?” He whirled to facethem. “My career is – oh look who fucking shows up. Myoldestungrateful,inconsiderate son. What do you have to say for yourself, Bren?”

“Calm down,” Bren said.

His father’s face went a new blood-pressure-spikingshade of red. “You did not just tell me to calm down.”

“I know you’re upset, but yelling at Tyler isn’t–”

“Shut up!” His father was nearly apoplecticwith rage. “You will shut up and listen to what I have to say for once in yourgoddamn life, Bren!”

“Fine,” Bren spat. “Say what you need tosay. Tyler, go to your room and pack a suitcase.”

“No!” his father shouted. “He stays righthere. You know, I expected this type of shit behaviour from you, Bren. You’vespent your entire life pushing back against me, defying every rule I ever gaveyou. I knew that bitch in your apartment was a shifter, the second I saw her.You’ll do anything to poke at me, to make me look like an idiot, and to getunder my skin. Even if it means you have to fuck a shifter.”

He laughed bitterly. “But getting agoddamn dragon to fuck you just to stick it to me? Brilliant, you asshole.”

“It has nothing to do with you,” Brensaid. “I don’t know how many ways I can say this – but I don’t think of you atall. None of the decisions I make in my life ever take you into consideration.”

“That’s pretty fucking obvious,” Robert said.

“You haven’t earned that consideration,” Brensaid.

“You don’t care about anyone but yourself,”his father said.

“You’re wrong,” Bren said. “I care aboutTyler and -”

His father’s gaze swung to Tyler the momentBren said his name. “You know, I might have expected this from Bren, he’s beena disappointment his entire life, but you?” Robert shook his head. “I haddreams for you, Tyler. Dreams that you fucking destroyed because you’re asselfish as your brother. It’s bad enough that the entire goddamn city knows myson is sticking his dick in another man’s asshole, but a shifter? You’veruined my career. Is that what you wanted? To destroy the one thing I loved?”

Fresh tears spilled down Tyler’s cheeks. “Dad,I’m sorry. I didn’t mean -”

“It’s too late for apologies,” his fathersaid. “You’re sick in the head, Tyler. You need help. What you’re doing isn’tnormal. Do you understand that?”

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