"I didn't start them," Farren protested.

"But you know about them," Dean said. "Don't you."

Farren wished he could deny it, but he wouldn't lie to Dan. "Maybe it would be better if I go?"

"No, you need to come share what you know." Dan squeezed Farren's arm. "Please, for me."

79.

Chapter Eight.

For a long heart-aching minute, Dan thought Farren would deny him. Farren's sad expression twisted Dan up inside.

"Okay, for you." Farren kissed Dan's forehead. "Let me get dressed."

Dan stood and motioned his brothers away. He followed them out of the bedroom.

"Let's give him a minute."

"Hey, we'll get this straightened out." Dean squeezed Dan's shoulder. "Farren's a good guy and we'll get to the bottom of this."

"Maybe in time for me to go back to the party and pick up a sexy wolf." Devin grinned.

Dan had left the party when Farren didn't pick up his calls. He'd been relieved to find his lover sleeping. Without his brothers here, he probably would've crawled between the covers with Farren and called it a day.

"Stay focused, Dan. Don't let a pair of puppy eyes sway you from your course. We need to find out what's going on," Dean said.

Dan sighed. "Yeah, I know. I just don't want to ruin this. I really like him, Dean. I think he's the one for me."

Devin groaned. "Why does everyone want to settle down? You're young, Dan. You have years before you need to find your forever guy. It's not like college is your last chance.

You don't exactly have one foot in the senior home."

"I know." Dan ran his fingers through his hair. "But I don't want to dump him and ruin the rest of my life either. He's the one Dean. I know you don't understand it, but he's it for me."

Palming his eyes, Dan brushed away his tears. Without Farren, there'd be a gaping hole where his heart used to be.

"Hey, what are you two doing?" Farren wrapped a protective arm around Dan then kissed Dan's cheek. "You upset him."

Heat poured off Farren. Dan kissed him hard, hoping to distract his lover from incinerating his siblings. "Come with me, babe. We'll go see Jay."

80.

Dan couldn't lose sight of their goal. He had to get Farren to Jay.

Farren pressed his forehead to Dan's. "I really like you, Dan, but I'm bad news. I have a lot of baggage following me around."

He could almost hear the words Farren wished to say. He quickly intercepted. "Forget it. I'm not letting you dump me. Let's go."

Grabbing Farren's arm, he dragged his lover out of the building. The pack's limo waited by the kerb.

"You were that sure of me?" Farren asked.

Dean laughed. "Dan thought that much of his persuasive skills."

Dan scowled at his brother. If this wasn't the first time he'd seen his brother smile in months he would've smacked him in the back of the head. "I was hopeful."

He hustled Farren into the limo before Farren could come up with a reason to avoid him.

"I don't know if you should hold out much hope," Farren said. "I'm kind of a mess.

You might come to wish I'd left you."

Dan snuggled closer to Farren until they sat thigh to thigh. He couldn't imagine anything so bad he'd dump Farren. He scooted away as a horrible thought insinuated itself into his head. "You aren't cheating on me, are you?"

Farren's mouth dropped open. It took him one heart-stopping moment before he replied. "Why do you keep going there? I wouldn't cheat on you."

"Oh, good." Dan relaxed back against the seat, ignoring his brothers' mocking expressions. He'd kick them later. It was too closed inside the limo to get power behind his kick.

Dan kept his attention on Farren. He had the strangest sensation if he turned away, his lover would vanish. Maybe he'd read too many fairy tales about genies.

"Can you disappear in a puff of smoke?" Devin asked.

Dan snorted. He shouldn't have been surprised, he and his brothers had grown up on the same stories.

"No." Farren narrowed his eyes at Devin.

Farren didn't elaborate on what he could do, instead he turned his attention out the window, his jaw tight. Dan ached to wrap himself around Farren but he doubted Farren *

81.

wanted cuddles from him. Hopefully he hadn't ruined the best thing that had ever happened to him by magical prejudice.

Too quickly they pulled up in front of the pack house. The building wasn't as brilliantly lit as when they'd left. The party was winding down. Even as they climbed the pack steps, more people were stumbling out the door.

He glanced over to see Devin pouting. He'd have to find a way to make it up to his brother. Devin had been looking forward to the pack party for months.

Jay met them in the entryway. A lurid teeth print marked the smooth skin of his neck.

Thomas stood beside him. The wolf shifter didn't like strangers around his mate, especially magic users. Dan suspected Thomas would always worry that the bond wasn't as strong on his mate's side since Jay wasn't a wolf.

"Farren, this is our friend Jaynell and his mate Thomas. Jay this is my boyfriend Farren." Dan hoped Farren still considered them dating. It would kill him if it turned out Farren decided to dump him after all.

Jay stepped forward to shake hands.

Thomas growled.

"Stop that. I need to get a feel for his magic." Jay flashed a glare at his mate before taking the remaining steps to shake Farren's hand.

When the two men touched, Dan had a brief impression of two titans of power clashing up against each other. Jay shivered before he released Dan's hand. Thomas stepped forward, growling protectively. Dan rushed over to Farren's side. He didn't try to stare down the wolf shifter, he wasn't an idiot, but he placed himself between Thomas and Dan.

"Are we done with our pissing match?" Farren arched a dark brow as he took in the aggression pouring off Thomas.

Jay laughed. "I think I'm going to like you. You have the most amazing aura."

Dan bit his lip to stop from asking. Although he could see auras when Jay held his hand, he'd yet to master the skill.

"Um, thanks, I guess."

"It's a compliment." Dan nudged Farren.

The wizard's keen eyes took in Farren. "I didn't know there were any fire djinn remaining. No offence."

82.

Farren flushed. "My family is one of the few with fire djinn blood. Most of us don't have much magic."

"But you're very powerful." Jay's eyes glowed. Dan knew Jay was examining Farren with his other sight. Jay could see more than most wizards. "In fact I've never seen such strong fire magic before."

Farren shifted restlessly beside Dan. Dan squeezed Farren's shoulder, trying to keep him calm. The temperature of the room rose the longer the conversation continued. The fire snake bracelet wiggled as if responding to the increase in magic.

"Hey, Farren, don't boil us okay?" Devin's forehead was beaded with sweat.

Dan silently agreed, but he'd bake in his jeans before he commented. The temperature dropped several degrees. A collective sigh went around the room.

"Thanks," Dan whispered.

Farren granted him a small smile, but Dan considered it a victory. At least Farren hadn't completely shut him out yet. Dan didn't know how he'd cope if Farren truly dumped him.

He needed Farren. The spark in his eyes, the small half-smile he offered when he wasn't ready to commit to a laugh, all of Farren's little quirks twisted Dan's heart until he knew it would never beat properly again without Farren by his side.

"Let's go up to the library and discuss what's been going on." Jay motioned towards the stairs.

Farren's muscles bunched beneath Dan's hand. "Easy, love, we're just going to talk."

Fear coated his throat. What if Jay found Farren unmanageable? He didn't know if he could watch Jay capture his lover.

"I won't be held." Farren's challenging gaze had Jay looking away.

"Understood. I just want to talk," Jay assured him.

Farren nodded and followed Jay's path up the stairs. For the first time, Dan saw the raw power beneath his shy boyfriend. Farren had been hiding his strength, no doubt banking it to keep from drawing the attention of the staff.

"Does it hurt?" Dan blurted out the question. not even certain why he'd asked.

"Does what hurt?" Farren paused on the third step to face Dan.

"Holding back all that power?"

"Yes." Farren's mouth tightened to a straight line. "Sometimes it's excruciating."

83.

Without another word he continued up the steps.

Dan's heart spun wildly in his chest. Could magic kill someone from the inside? A flash of something dangling from Farren's belt loop caught his attention.

He waited until they were all in the library before he asked the question hovering on his lips. "What's that?"

Farren followed his pointed finger and lifted the item. "My lamp. The djinn gave it to me to store my excess power."

"The djinn gave it to you?"