Bought

William Ellison looked up as the footsteps echoing in the hall stopped at his door, and a knock, a very quiet and respectful one, sounded. He sighed. Even the thick carpets couldn't make the house Sentinel silent. Well, he glanced at the clock, it had been a few hours since he'd shut himself in here. It was time for a break. He could hear Christopher's breathing, quiet, but not calm. Something was causing the Companion some degree of agitation.



"Yes?" The query did not convey his fatigue, it hid it behind years of practice. He took in a deep breath as the door eased open. It was indeed his Companion. He raised his brows, actually pleased to see Christopher. They had led very separate lives of late, William instituting the most important of the reforms he'd chosen and Christopher running the rest of Cascade. He had been doing an admirable job of it. William felt a wave of pride, of satisfaction.



"Your son is here." The deep, resonant voice told him, at odds with the elevated heart rate.



William pushed back from the desk. "Jim? Here? I thought..." Why wasn't Jim visiting Blair at the Guide House? He was sure his son would be there until Blair was released into his custody later this afternoon. Was something wrong? Had Blair been harmed? The babies? He stood, hurrying to the door as it opened wider to let a blond man into the room.



William stopped in his tracks. It was one of the last faces he expected to see in his office, in his house, despite recent overtures of reconciliation on his part.



"Steven." He murmured. "You were in Africa." The ruler of Cascade added helplessly.



"Dad." A tentative smile accompanied the greeting. He was looking well, tanned, slim, fit. His eyes a darker blue that his brother's, his hair far lighter, and longer, long enough to curl at the ends. Tipped in pale gold as if bleached by the sun. He looked healthy, very young, and strong.



William stared at his son, afraid he was dreaming this. Wishful thinking on his part. He had done so much to drive Steven away. Unwilling to even listen to his son's views where they differed from his own. Ordering the boy and then the man to stop such foolish prattlings. He'd been wrong. He'd said as much to him when they spoke last week. He'd apologized. But he'd never expected this. His son to be here.



"Steven, I didn't know you were coming! You said nothing." They stood, less than a yard apart, each man afraid to make the first move closer. Steven bit his lip, smiled again, and held out his hand. William seized it, held it in both of his own. Looked into the welcome gaze, both looking into each other's eyes as if memorizing the features once more. Grey and blue. Father and son.



William noted a stir behind his youngest son as someone else came into the room behind him. Reluctantly he released the young man's hand as they both turned to face the door. Christopher naturally knew what was coming, and William should have taken a clue from the way his Companion looked everywhere else, everywhere but into the face of the person who entered. Of course, Steven's Guide. Unveiled. Completely unveiled, and in a shirt, jacket and trousers, just as Steven was. A Guide without robes at all. Scandalous in many corners of the globe, including Cascade. But par for the course when it came to his younger son.



And it wasn't the Guide William expected, he knew he hadn't forgotten the other face, hadn't made it up. This wasn't the Guide Steven had been with when he'd left home. Not small, not feminine, rather tall and slender, wiry, athletic, only a few inches shorter than his very tall son. No this Guide was on the masculine side of androgynous, brown skinned, with luminous amber eyes set in a narrow, elfin face. A serious and boyishly handsome face.



Dark brown, unbelievably spiky hair, square jawed, ethnic, not American. Something screamed Continental, perhaps French, or Spanish. William wasn't certain. But the way the young Guide moved was not American. There was a limber sensuousness about him. Guides raised in America did not have that confidence. They were...more circumspect, more cautious in the way they dared to move. Drawing attention was not always a good thing.



Christopher's gaze was fixed resolutely on the floor. William, though, gaped. He was aware of a certain level of embarrassment, but he couldn't stop himself, couldn't tear his eyes away.



"This is not...not who I expected. I...I am afraid I don't know..." He could feel that this was a Guide. He also could feel the bond between his son and this one. Adding to that, the young man immediately took Steven's hand and moved to press up to him, until they were in contact all along their sides. The long lashed, innocent but knowing eyes met William's and he almost looked away himself, disconcerted.



"No. She died." There was a wealth of sadness in the words. A history William wanted to know, ached to know, regretted he didn't share. He could never get those years back. He had missed so much of this son's life, driving him away as he had.



"This is Dahl." Steven's tone went from hurting to affectionate. "He's been with me for almost a year." He looked, well...proud, and ecstatic, grinning as he glanced down those too few inches, pressed an unreserved kiss to the wildly irregular hairline.



William wondered for a panicked moment as the two shared an intimate, slightly shy smile, just how old the Guide was. He didn't look legal when he peered up through his lashes like a naughty child. William cut that thought off at the knees.



William averted his gaze. He'd missed so much in his son's life. His son had lost a Guide, one of the most traumatic events a Sentinel could face, and William hadn't been there to help him through it. He opened his mouth to tell Steven how much he regretted their estrangement, when yet another person entered the room.



A man, a Sentinel, with curly brown hair, dancing brown eyes, and muscles popping out all over him. He was slightly shorter than the Guide, but twice as wide. His dark brown skin gleamed, setting off the blazing white of his smile. William immediately wanted to put his desk between himself and the man. There was something a little too aggressive, too unpredictable about the Sentinel.



"Dad, this is my Companion, Clemente Andrei Hernandez." Steven said, with another blinding, pleased smile. He held his free hand out to the man.



Clemente beamed, took Steven's hand, and dragged Steven and his Guide across the intervening inches. William was taken aback as his hand was grasped, squeezed within an inch of breaking, then went rigid with shock as he was pulled into a bear hug. The shorter man pounded his back enthusiastically. His one free arm a vice around William's shoulders. Strong, very strong, the shorter man's arm's and chest were hard as a rock.



"Call me Andy. Good ta meet'cha." There was some sort of soft accent in the background, as well as the tones of the east coast, maybe New York, but hidden. Latin? Perhaps. The name Andrei was what? Russian?



William was happy to have Christopher step closer to him. Happy for the large presence of his own Companion. Happy to have...Andy release him. Steven's Companion radiated bonhomie, a cheerful exuberance, at odds with the usual formality William expected and received. It wasn't a common habit, another man's Companion getting so close. William couldn't recall if he'd ever hugged Jim's Companion. Perhaps when he'd first learned they were bonded? His memory failed to supply the answer. Maybe not.



And William knew for certain he'd never seen Jim, Rafe and Blair holding hands like this. He'd be surprised if he had seen any bond group do it so openly. Trust Steven to open his eyes that much further, not to let things settle too comfortably.



William extricated himself with as much grace as he could, wincing, feeling off balance, waving to the collection of chairs at the far end of his office. The other Sentinel seemed not to notice, he also seemed the least like a submissive Companion of any Sentinel William had ever met. Which, when it came to his younger son, was what he should have expected.



Andrei looped an arm around the waist of Dahl, hugged him, as possessive an act as any Alpha Sentinel displayed. Dahl relaxed into the embrace. William could literally feel the heat coming off of Christopher as he flushed red to his roots, shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably. Nothing overt, nothing sexual. But Christopher wasn't used to being touched, or to seeing others touch. He was celibate. He was virginal. And aside from the gentle contact, the reserved affection of William Ellison, he had experienced no closeness, no physical intimacy in his adult life.



Another problem. William resolved to address it soon. If he was wrong to keep touch from his Guide, he was without a doubt equally wrong to keep it to a minimum with his Companion. And sex? Could he have sex with such a masculine person as his Companion? When his tastes went so far to the other end of the spectrum. To the feminine? What was the alternative? He certainly wasn't going to give him up. They were a team. He relied on Christopher, couldn't imagine his life without him. Yet, Christopher, naked, in bed...William's mind shied away from the visual that provoked.



Very carefully William reached out and wrapped his fingers around the wide wrist of his towering Companion, and held on through the surprised reaction, a startled jerk that almost took the wrist out of his grasp. Christopher's pulse raced under William's fingertips.



"Sir?" Christopher's voice conveyed his total confusion, searching for answers. William squeezed his wrist gently, he hoped reassuringly. As any good companion, Christopher surrendered to his Senior's choice. But he also didn't move back or out of the way enough to let Steven or his group move nearer to William. William knew Christopher didn't like the other Companion touching him. That he would dare had caught them both by surprise. Now they knew better.



"Why are you here? Can I offer you a drink? Something to eat?" William ventured, stepping further back to gesture again at the over-stuffed chairs grouped together at the far end of his personal office. He had more formal leather upholstered ones in his main audience room, but he liked these. For all their somber colors, muted browns, greens and black, they were very comfortable. "Not to say that I am not happy to see you after this long. But you never said you were coming this way."



Steven let his hand come to rest on his father's arm as they moved towards the seating. William was aware of Christopher stiffening again. Christopher, who's wrist he still held, who he refused to let go of no matter how years, decades of propriety urged him to do so.



"Dad, how could I miss this? My father is finally listening to the sort of arguments I've been pounding his ears with for years. Finally making the kind of changes I begged him to consider, to just think about...how could I not be here to support you through this? It isn't going to be easy." Steven settled his Guide in the middle of the couch, his Companion next to him, where they fussed over each other. Steven stood facing his father, Christopher towering over them both. "Dad, this is the most incredible time of my life. I'm here for you. I'm not leaving again."



William felt tears prickle in eyes. His son was home. To stay. He smoothed a hand down the younger man's shirt. "I am glad. I've missed you. I was wrong. I know that now."



"And where is this incredible person who convinced you where I failed to? I want to meet him." Steven said, his smile once more lighting the room.



"Blair. You want to meet Blair. Jim's Guide." William said. "That is going to take some time. But, as soon as it is possible. I do want you two to meet."



Steven frowned. "What's wrong? Has something happened to him? Is it Jim? Is he against me meeting his Guide?"



William shook his head. Of course Jim had always been more conservative than Steven, but never as conservative as his father. Still, it didn't surprise him that Steven might think Jim wasn't happy to have them meet, his beautiful Guide and his beautiful, beach boy blond brother. Jim had always thought Steven was the more attractive of the two, when they were younger it had been a problem. But Jim and Steven were adults now. Surely it wouldn't be an issue still?



"No, it isn't that. There have been many attempts, some overt, some under the table to convince me to reconsider. To return to the positions I've held in the past. Jim has been the subject of harassment. His Guide, Blair, was reported to the Protectorate as a victim of abuse." William explained as he sat, Christopher placing himself in a chair between him and his son's Companion and Guide. His jaw was set. William was actually a little flattered to note the display of jealousy.



"Abuse?" Steven was incredulous. "Jim would never abuse a Guide." He stated it as a fact, a natural law. And he was right. His older brother, Jim Ellison, heir to Cascade, former Special Forces soldier, police detective, and political conservative, would never harm a Guide. The idea was ludicrous. Anyone who knew Jim Ellison, really knew him would know that. "I heard he has a Companion?"



"Brian Rafe." Andrei said, directing the statement towards the two Sentinels he'd just met, his eyes dancing with bright curiosity. "A detective. Just like your brother, Jim." He smiled, William was momentarily startled all over again that the Companion had spoken up without checking for leave. Then he reminded himself, this was his son's, his very liberal son's, Companion. He should expect it.



He cleared his throat. And told them all the tale.



@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@



The Vet wiped his hands on his pants.



None of this was happening the way it was supposed to. He had called in to the Protectorate, just as had been decided. He'd been assured he would be anonymous. His backers had promised they would protect him. They had promised him immunity. Given him assurances, and now, it was all falling apart.



Now it was turning into a disaster. He wiped his damp palms again. Nothing was going right. His petition for ownership of the Guide was supposed to have been approved quickly, pushed through all hush-hush, signed, filed before anyone noticed. Then with the ownership in his hands, it would have been twice as hard for Ellison to contest it. Ownership was everything when it came to Guides.



Only it hadn't happened. He wasn't the proud and soon to be wealthy owner of a fertile Guide. Blair hadn't been bred, wasn't pregnant again. A whole week had gone by, he'd not been put to a single stud, and now the news was worse than any the Vet feared he would hear. The Guide was being returned to Ellison. It should have been impossible.



To make things that much worse, the pups would be repatriated along with their mother. So he was getting exactly nothing out of this.



Well, no, it was a lot worse than nothing. Ellison was looking for the anonymous reporter. And the Protectorate, far from keeping him confidential, was apparently not standing in the heir's way.



If he didn't do something soon, he was going to die. James Ellison was not a reasonable man. He was arrogant, violent, and stubborn. And stupid. Unable to see the gold mine he had in his breeding Guide. Worst of all he was tenacious. He was going to find out who had ratted on him. And he was going to take revenge. A bloody revenge if he kept true to form.



There was only one thing the Vet could do. He had to roll over on the group of men who had backed him, put him up to this. They had failed to take care of him, so it was only right he give them up to protect his own skin. He would negotiate a settlement, get a guarantee of safety, and then spill it all. Name names.



Maybe he could hope to get one of the pups in the bargain. The names he had to hand out were big ones. One of the Guide's pups would be worth it. Make it all worthwhile. The pup might even be more fertile than the mother. Wild breeds often were. In sixteen years he could begin breeding the Guide. At a rate of one litter a year he could hope to get maybe fifteen litters of up to three pups a litter before the Guide wore out. He would be a millionaire. There was nothing he wouldn't be able to afford. He'd retire in luxury.



All on the back of just one fertile Guide.