Chapter 33
“You don’t know?” Donal asked with raised eyebrows.
“No, I never do until Armand tells me afterward.” Sean sighed.
Armand picked Sean up and sat him on his lap. “Donal’s gift will seek out the homeless and abused in the packs so they can get help. That means no more emotionally abused children like Elena. As a reward for his persistence in trying to put Alexei first, the gods have healed his physical scars.”
It never dawned on Donal to look at his feet and the track marks on his arms. They were covered in healthy pink flesh. He started to cry. Alexei came over, picked him up, and carried him to one of the side chairs as he nuzzled his neck.
“I’m going to put you down, baby.” Donal heard Armand tell Sean and watched as Sean nodded.
“Let’s eat. While we eat, we will talk about the mating and wedding ceremony. Then we will all go home to bed. We’ll go shopping on Thursday,” Armand pronounced. 7
Alexei’s townhouse
Wednesday morning, 7 A.M.
The last of the limousines pulled away. Alexei pulled Donal closer as Donal yawned, shivering in the early morning chill.
“May I hold you while we sleep?” Alexei asked. He put his arm around Donal and guided him back inside the house. “We can’t make love until we get to Colorado. If I were to take you, I’d mark you and invalidate the mating.”
“I think I’d like to be held. Outside of the small touches the Mates gave me and your touches tonight, I haven’t been held in affection for a very long time. All the johns ever wanted was to hurt me and use my ass. Apuso always gave me to the ones that liked to hurt.” Donal sniffled and huddled closer to Alexei as if he were afraid to let go.
Alexei paused just outside the front door. “Why was that, little mouse?”
Donal stopped and turned toward Alexei. “Because I refused him in the beginning, and he was forced to rape me. I fought him every time. At first he had to hold me down to get the heroin in me. He kept increasing the dose. Finally, he had me so addicted that I let the johns do what they wanted, but I still fought Apuso, no matter how high I was. When I got too old to be sold as a virgin, he had me working the streets but always with the eyes of one of his thugs on me.”
“Is that how you met Julio, on the street?”
“Yes, he was my only friend. Apuso’s guards couldn’t stop me from talking to Julio since we worked the same corner. He used to buy me hot chocolate in the winter. I hated to take it from him because that meant he had less to put toward his goal, but I was always so hungry and so cold. I’m glad you’re helping him. He means a lot to me. I won’t have to stop seeing him, will I?”
“Of course not. Julio will always be welcome here.” Alexei gently squeezed Donal’s shoulder. “You will have to be careful of our secrets, but I know you will be and so does The Alpha.”
“You’re not as imperious as Armand…”
Alexei laughed. “I was one hundred times more imperious than Armand before the gulag. I didn’t like the way the Russian First was running the packs and it was an open secret that I was about to challenge him. Perhaps that’s why it took him so long to get me out of the gulag. I am no longer that person, my little mouse. I will follow Armand and the others gladly. I love America. She has given me you. Let’s go upstairs, you’re yawning. Katya will wake us at noon to eat. You must stuff yourself. You will burn a lot of energy during the mating.”
“Will it hurt, it always hurts so much.” Donal winced. He didn’t want to feel that kind of pain again.
“The gods have made you a virgin again. I have no experience with virgins, but I will make sure you are not hurt. I will call and ask Armand or Rémy what to do so that it won’t. I know they would have made sure not to harm Sean and Ian.” Alexei placed his finger under Donal’s chin and raised his face to look him in the eyes.
Alexei’s gaze held genuine affection. Donal swallowed hard against the tightness in his throat. “I love you, Alexei.”
“And I love you, little mouse.” Alexei caressed Donal’s cheek then escorted him through the door. “Let’s go to bed.”
* * * *
Donal was shy changing in front of Alexei, even with the bruising, track marks, and scars gone by the grace of the gods, he was still mostly skin and bone.