Page 21 of The Eternal Choice

I wave my hand. “Sure, go. I’ve already talked to Timmy and he’s heading for the tunnels now to flush ’em out.”

“What?” Nario snaps. “Flush them out? What are you talking about?” He glares at Ernestino. “You’re really handing over your balls and letting a chick guide you around by the cock, eh? You’re truly following in father’s footsteps.”

Nario whirls around and stomps in the direction of the door. He swings it open and throws over his shoulder, “Let’s hope for all our sake you’ll be done fucking up soon.”

The door falls shut behind him and I feel the need to ask, “Was that last part a threat?”

“He’s always been an asshole,” Leandro assures me. “Maybe Ernestino thinks otherwise ’cause he’s older than him and has known him since they were kids.”

I bounce my gaze between the oldest and youngest brother. “What happened to your parents? Why is Nario so damn angry and saying you’re following in your father’s footsteps?”

Ernestino releases a deep breath and stalks around the desk to let himself drop into his chair. “Cleo was one of the last children born in our clan. Our mother died in childbirth. We are immortal, but as you now know there are exceptions under extreme circumstances where beheading isn’t the only cause of death.”

I frown and without thinking I blurt, “Your mother involuntarily hit the explode button because her body was out of options?”

Both brothers wince and it’s Ernestino who nods. Placing a hand on my stomach, I comfort myself with the thought of not having a button like that ’cause giving birth is freaking scary as hell as it is.

“Let’s hear the rest of it. Nario is too angry and disrespectful about every aspect of his life and throws the past in your face at every turn. Why does he think you’ll end up like your father when you said I’m your partner in life and love?” Now I’m wincing with throwing out the L-word. Clearing my throat I wave my hand. “Love is not the right way to put it, but you get the point.”

Leandro shifts on his feet. “I’m going to check with Ivano and get back to you about the tunnels.”

He walks past me, and I reach out to touch his arm. “I wasn’t kidding when I mentioned flushing out the tunnels to Nario. Timmy is an associate of my father who has the ability to compel water. He can make it appear out of thin air and let it vanish just as fast. It might be an option to quickly, and without casualties, flush out the tunnels so we can block them.”

Leandro throws a glance at Ernestino who says, “Talk to Ivano about this plan and reach out to her father if he agrees. This way we have minimal casualties and a chance to end their plan before they can get it into motion.”

Ernestino waits for Leandro to leave to say something, but I beat him to the punch when I state, “They might have put things into motion already.”

“Why? Because we captured one of them and they think we know about their plan?” he wonders.

“That, or Nario is working with them.” My words make Ernestino’s eyes narrow.

“No,” he grunts. “He might hate me and want my job, but betrayal? Never.”

Wandering over to the chair across from his desk, I sit down and keep my mouth shut.

Seconds tick by while my mate is pacing back and forth in the confidence of his office while he’s silently fuming. I get it, it’s a lot to deal with and I basically accused his brother of mutiny. Which I think is at hand here. It’s easy to jump to this conclusion, me being an outsider, and hard to see and comprehend for the two brothers.

Hell, I might be wrong, but if I’m right? Shit is going to hit the fan harder than the havoc that’s going on right now.

Ernestino ultimately stalks to his desk and places his hands on it to lean in and glare at me. “Our father never got over the death of our mother. Even after a few decades when Cleo became an adult, our father still didn’t want anyone else. Except, he was forced to accept an arranged marriage for the sake of the clan. Marshgloom gave a list of options, and our father picked the woman with the same name as our mother. The marriage was a part of an exchange program, one similar to what I was trying to set up again before I met you.” He steps back and sinks down in his chair when he adds, “The woman killed him before their wedding night.”

Realization sets in and I whisper, “Your father was the clan leader who was killed by Marshgloom? And how the hell does a woman get the jump on a clan leader? Well, I could take you down, but I’ve been training all my life and have a chunk of skills no one knows about. Wait. Was it a setup? Is it why you guys are at war ever since?”

“It’s complicated.” The words sound as if he hasn’t slept in years.

I guess in a way the burden he carries and the many tasks of being clan leader, along with the continuous struggle with his brother does wear a guy out, even if he’s a supernatural. Again, I wait him out. It’s hard as fuck not to ask questions and push for answers. On the other hand, personal mixed with business can twist into something ugly real damn fast and I don’t want our relationship to suffer from it.

Ernestino rubs his temples. “Our father was stabbed with a knife to the heart. The knife was coated in the blood of the woman he had sex with…the woman from the arranged marriage. Though, she must have been mated with her fated mate before our father bedded her. It’s the only possibility for him to die due to a knife in the heart. She would have had a window of opportunity when the betrayal is revealed, causing his dragon part to freeze in shock, leaving him vulnerable.”

I have to blink a few times to process his words. “Are you saying you guys can be killed if there’s infidelity concerning a mated person?”

Jeez, if a self-destruct button wasn’t enough, they add a freeze button of opportunity to end a cheater? Talk about a complicated species, no wonder they are nearly extinct.

“Yes.” He gives me a fierce look. “We are brought up to respect a unique bond when you manage to find your mate. It’s in our blood to be loyal and spend an eternity together. If that trust is broken there is no foundation, and the bond literally turns toxic.”

All I’ve got in return is, “Huh.”

I’m still discovering secrets of dragons. There isn’t much information in books and because they have been close to extinction details like this aren’t common knowledge. To thinkI’m mated to someone who can be killed with a knife to the heart if he cheats is…damn, talk about karma.

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