His Secret Love Child (Book One of the LOVE CHILD series)

Chapter Twenty-four "UNBREAKABLE"

Back at Hawkthrone Mansion............

Above picture of the twins Blake and Blair

Cameron woke up still wrapped tightly in Rafe's arms. He smiled, since they had mated, Rafe never allowed him to wake up alone. Cameron carefully eased his way out of Rafe's arms, grimacing and wincing at the aches and pains in his body. He made his way to the bathroom, showering was absolutely necessary before leaving the room if he wanted to prevent a confrontation between Rafe and Hunter. He thanked God that Rafe had still made him use the special liquids to shower, in order to mask his scent, so he always had a ready supply.

Standing under the shower Cameron allowed the hot water to pour down on him, somewhat relieving his aches and pains. He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he didn't hear Rafe enter the bathroom. Rafe quietly opened the shower door and slipped in behind Cameron, closing it after him.

He placed his arms around Cameron's waist and pulled him into his chest, Cameron jumped startled, barely managing not to scream like a little girl. Rafe nuzzled into his neck he and whispered, "Good morning, babe." Cameron mock growled at him, "Why do you insist on trying to give me a heart attack?" Rafe chuckled humorously, because your reactions are so entertaining.

Rafe sniffed Cameron's hair and growled low in his throat. "Why are you showering with this?" he asked through gritted teeth. Cameron sighed heavily, he had been hoping to finish his shower and get out of the room before Rafe woke in order to avoid just this kind of argument. "Rafe, you know what will happen if I go downstairs smelling of sex and your scent all over me. Both you and Hunter will be at each others' throats again. I can't have that happening again." Cameron looked pleadingly into Rafe's eyes, willing him to understand.

Rafe said nothing, he reached for Cameron's hand and took the vial from him. Rafe poured some in the palm of his hand, placed the vial back on the shelf in the shower and started washing Cameron, never breaking eye contact. Cameron slowly released the breath that he had been holding. Another potential disaster avoided.

...........................

A little while later Cameron was down stairs in the play room with Liam when Thorne walked in. "Hey. I thought I'd find you guys here." Liam's head swung round at the sound of his uncle's voice. "Where's dad? Is he with you?" Liam's voice was hopeful.

Rafe raised a quizzical brow as his eyes met Cameron's over Liam's head. Cameron shook his head at Thorne's silent question. He too was surprised at Hunter's sudden absence and change in routine. Hunter always spent the morning with Liam in the playroom. "No buddy. Your dad isn't with me. But I'm sure he'll be here soon." Thorne reassured him, crouching down beside him. Liam's face fell. "Hey cheer up. I do have a surprise for you though." Liam immediately brightened up. Smiling at Thorne, "What is it?"

"Your dad sent for your brother and sister. Would you like to meet them now?" Thorne's voice was filled with excitement. Liam's eyes lit up, "They're really here?" He whisper yelled. "Yes. Your dad thought you might like them to be here for your first shift. You know the full moon is just three days away. So shall I bring them in?"

Liam nodded his head vigorously, filled with excitement at finally meeting his siblings. Hunter had told him all about them and shown him their pictures. Thorne got up and went to open the door. In walked a boy and a girl, Blake and Blair. Liam knew them already from their pictures. His smile widened as he layed eyes on them for the first time.

All three kids stared at each other. The twins were solemn. Under advice from his father Hunter had sent for them early from school. They weren't due to come home until Christmas break. They had been dreading coming home to their mother and the poisonous air that always permeated the place with her around. Bethany had no instinct to love and care for them. To Bethany the twins were just a means to an end. When Thorne told them that she wasn't at the mansion anymore and that she wasn't coming back, both kids had brightened somewhat. But the inherent fear of Bethany remained with them.

Liam's smile slipped and his face fell the longer the twins just stood there and stared at him without responding to his smile. Finally Blake opened his mouth and said in a questioning tone "Uncle Thorne said that you're our big brother?" Liam nodded his head hesitantly, suddenly unsure of himself. "I'm Liam. You're Blake and Blair."

The twins looked at each other for a long moment, as if having a private conversation. They turned back to Liam and as if just noticing Cameron for the first time Blair blurted out somewhat rudely, "Who are you?"

Thorne tried to intervene at this point, but before he could say anything, Cameron responded "I'm Cameron. Liam's father." The twins scrunched up their noses, "How's that possible? You're a guy." This from Blake who couldn't fathom the idea.

"I gave birth to Liam. I am mated to Hunter, your father." Cameron's mind was racing as he observed the sadness, anger and fear that seemed to be buried so deep within the two kids before him. He couldn't understand the kind of person Bethany was that she would so twist her children's life. He knew a little about how Bethany would both verbally and physically abuse the twins whenever Hunter wasn't around.

Thorne had told him of how she would practically ignore them. Bethany would only pay any kind of positive attention to them whenever Hunter or anyone else was around, pretending to be the perfect wife and mother. Always playing to her audience, especially when it suited her best interest. The twins had never told Hunter about the things she did and said to them whenever she was alone with them. She would always threaten to hurt them worst if they said anything.

Hunter had only found out about it after returning suddenly from one of his many trips in his search for Cameron and walked into the playroom to see the kids cowering before her, their arms wrapped around each other while she stood over them yelling.

Hunter had snapped. He knew that she had no affection for them, barely even touching them willingly, always brushing them aside. But this, this he hadn't expected. Anger exploded in his chest and he slapped her so hard she fell to the floor. He didn't say anything to her. He had just picked the kids up and speed walked out of the playroom. That was when he took the decision to place them in boarding school, to get them away from her.

The twins slowly walked over to Cameron and Liam after being urged by a gentle push in the back from Thorne. They continued to eye each other, like a Mexican stand off. Cameron finally broke the silence, "Why don't we adults leave you three to get to know each other better?" Liam looked up at him with an expression that said "Are you crazy?"

Cameron just ignored him however and smiling still, patted Liam's shoulder in reassurance. "I'm sure you three will get along fine in no time. Right Thorne." Cameron looked to Thorne for back up and he didn't disappoint. "Oh yes. Cameron and I will be back with lunch."

The two adults walked out of the playroom leaving the three wary children alone. The three of them stared at the retreating backs of Cameron and Thorne and watched as the door clicked closed behind them. They were locked in. Blair and Blake slowly turned back to face Liam, they eyed him, "Soooo....you're our brother. Wanna tell us what’s wrong with you? You look sick."

Liam after thinking about it for a moment shrugged his shoulders and decided to tell them everything. He figured that if he told them all about himself, maybe they would intern let their guards down enough to talk to him too and tell him about themselves.

His strategy proved to be correct.

Thorne and Cameron joined by Rafe listened as Hunter's children bonded by sharing the stories of their lives. They shared everything. The ups, the downs, the joys and the sorrows, but most importantly they shared the horrors. Anger and rage boiled within both Cameron and Rafe as they listened to the twins recounting of what living with Bethany had been like for them. They feared one day that she would come for them and they would be taken from Hunter. That was always her biggest threat against them, separating them from their father.

The twins envied Liam as they listened to him talk about Cameron and Rafe, his two dads, with nothing but absolute love and trust. Liam told them that he always knew that Rafe wasn't his true father long before he got sick and Cameron finally told him about Hunter, but that didn't stop him from loving Rafe unconditionally. Liam told how he would see not just Hunter's human form in his dreams at night, but also Ares, Hunter's wolf as well.

The three of them spent what seemed like hours talking. It was as if they all felt like they could finally unburden themselves without fear of recriminations. Even though Liam had Rafe and Cameron, he had never felt like he could really express his worries and fears to them, after all they were adults and it was their job to tell him that everything would be fine, even if it wasn't.

The twins on the other hand had just never had anybody to talk to, just each other. As much as Hunter loved them and they knew that he did, he too had somewhat neglected them in his never ending quest to find Cameron and his son.

But the three of them were finally together. In the playroom an unbreakable bond was beginning to form between Hunter's three children and woe be unto anyone that tried to separate them.