Chapter 10

I love you...

Brandon woke up one week exactly from attack on the Clan Lands.

I love you Brandon...

No matter how he tried to drown it out, those words just kept trilling across his heart and mind.

The events of the meeting with Hovel and all of the harm that had been done was still quite fresh in Brandon’s mind.

He wouldn’t complain, not when so much had befallen Glen and Mantilo, Lander, Nate and Walter and worst of all Ezekiel. Ezekiel who was falling in love with him.

After Ezekiel had said those three words....Brandon had cracked up and went AWOL.

He had all but went stealth ninja in every attempt to avoid coming face to face with the Guardian.

Brandon closed his eyes as he felt the ghost caress of Ezekiel’s lips on his skin. He shivered, rubbed a hand across his face and sighed. It was disconcerting to be enamored with Ezekiel the way that he had allowed himself to become.

Not only was it impossible for them to work, but it was so unfair. Brandon was a confused dangerous mess. While Ezekiel was the exact opposite. He was too much. Too handsome, too strong, to sexy, to perfect.

Why!?

Brandon wanted to shout.

Why did we have to meet like this?

Ignoring the ache in his heart that refused to flee Brandon slowly got dressed in a simple pair black khakis and a loose blue cotton shirt. He slipped on his boots and headed out of the door to his new bedroom

Brandon had already realized that he had woken up much earlier than he normally ever did.

So he was surprised to realize that almost everyone else in the house was awake as well. Each of the doors that would normally have been closed at this early hour were wide open and the room’s occupants were all missing. The only room that still had a closed door was Ezekiels and that made sense since Ezekiel was on patrol miles away from the Mansion.

Walter and Nates rooms were empty and Brandon had a strange feeling that if he went up two floors past the servant’s floor that Mantilo and Glen would also be absent from their room. But where had they gone?

Unfortunately this mystery was never answered.

Brandon walked silently across the thick brown carpet in the hall until he came to the stairs. He descended them to the first floor and nearly lost his footing on the final step when Walters’s voice floated through the quiet home. “Brandon, I think we need to talk.”

Brandon clocked on to the graceful, but powerful stilithouse of Ezekiels older Brother standing in the foyer.

***

“No! I’m not talking about this with you Walter!” Brandon found himself nearly shouting in embarrassment a few minutes later.

Walter had cornered him in the hallway, and without much preamble the large and mostly stoic brother had carted Brandon into the living room....and then point blank with a straight face he had asked a serious question.

“Brandon....Ezekiel is in a bad place. He says he confessed his love to you...and you did not give him an answer. It is cruel to leave him in this state...so tell why you’re letting him suffer?” Walter had said all of this with a strait dead face, and a hollow voice...as if he weren’t speaking about something completely private and personal.

The absurdity of the moment....and the fact that they were effectively alone in the room together had Brandon biting his head off in shock and annoyance. “What the hell?” Brandon gripped at the Eldest Guardian. “Walter, all due respect. But this has nothing to do with you! Why would Ezekiel bring you into this!?”

Walter hissed, dry and low. “Brandon I am his big brother and his future Clan Head....I have been Ezekiel’s confidant for a long time. A pillar. ” The large man rumbled glancing away. “Does it really seem so strange to you that Ezekiel would come to me for advice? Romantic or otherwise?”

Feeling the need to concede to the calm strength in Walters gaze Brandon shook his head and sighed. “No I guess not.” Brandon gave grudgingly. Then he put his arms over his chest and asked him. “But why are you asking me so directly? Did Ezekiel ask you to do this? Are you planning to go back to him with my answers or something?”

Walter put up a large palm, the movement easily silencing Brandon and the stream of questions he was barking at the man, before the large Guardian dropped his hand and replied evenly.

“I am not here in any fashion or urging of Ezekiel. I am not going to report back to Ezekiel what you tell me. I am here simply because I am worried for my sibling...and for a man that is a friend of my family. You. Now....tell me why have you been avoiding him, because he knows you’ve been avoiding him like the plague.”

A serious and private part of Brandon rebelled at that moment. He did not want to discuss what was going on with him and Ezekiel. He didn’t want to put a voice to the tumultuous emotions swirling in his head every time he thought of Ezekiel. Brandon didn’t want to acknowledge the pain and joy that had risen when he had heard Ezekiel proclaim those three beautiful words. And yet....still they echoed in Brandon’s heart. Defiant of his privacy....proclaiming his hopeless infatuation and joy.

I love you. I love you Brandon.

And just like that Brandon realized that as Ezekiel had sought out council from his elder brother....perhaps Brandon needed to do the same. Walter was the only brother out of them all that Brandon knew and understood the least.

Brandon wondered if this fact was what suddenly made the large Guardian appeal to him.

But regardless of why....oddly enough Walter did appeal to him. There was something about the Elder Guardian. Something powerful....but also something terribly sad. Something broken and dangerous.

To Brandon It felt like the two of them were reflections of some dark cosmic joke.

Brandon closed his eyes and let out a long weary breath, then Brandon turned walked across the room and plopped down into one of the chairs positioned across from another high-backed wooden chair next coffee table holding a few partially melted candles.