Truth in Legends [Part Three of the Thicker than Blood Series] Read Online Free Page B

living room and the angels followed.  I rounded the sofa and sat down.  Matt sat in the chair across from me and stared.  He spoke when I looked at him.
     
    “I'm sorry.  I wanted to tell you, but I was under strict orders.”
     
    “What does my blood contain, Matt?”
     
    Matt glanced at Alex and then back to me.  “There was a reason I told you to stay away from him.  I should have explained then but I was too angry with myself that he found you.”
     
    I looked at Alex and he shrugged.  “What's the reason?”
     
    “The blood that runs in your veins is that of...,” Matt started then paused to look at Alex.  “Ilona.”
     
    Alex sat down on the end of the sofa, his eyes as large as saucers.  “That's not... possible.”
     
    “Ilona's son, Peter.”  Matt responded.
     
    “He lived?”
     
    “Yes.”
     
    Alex stared off.  “That's why I am so inexplicably drawn to her.”
     
    I couldn't believe the coincidence, but it explained a lot.  Alex's deceased wife's son was a relative of mine.  That's why it took Alex smelling me to really notice me that night.  He could smell Ilona's blood in me.
     
    “That's why she tasted so...”
     
    Matt sighed.  “Azariah, please tell me you didn't drink of her.”
     
    Alex nodded slowly.  “I did.”
     
    Matt shook his head and crossed his arms.  “Marvelous.”
     
    Things were starting to clear up.  I understood Alex's strange behavior, why he couldn't resist me, and why Matt told me that he was leaving.
     
    “You have no idea how confused I was yesterday morning.  You... just vanished.  I thought I was going crazy when you were gone and your clothes... even your wallet were still there. ”
     
    “What?”  Alex, who was deep in thought came back to stare at us.  “Why were your clothes...”
     
    Oh shit.   I didn't think of what I'd be revealing when I said that.  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Alex looking from me to Matt.  He bowed his head and laughed.  “No way, archangels don't...” Alex said, looking at Matt.  When Matt looked to the floor, offering no response, Alex sucked in a breath and held it.  When he popped his neck, I knew more yelling was soon to come.  Me and my big mouth.
     
    “Jeremiel... did you... lay with her?”  Alex stood, standing at the edge of the coffee table with his fists clenched into tight balls, his knuckles white.  “Did you LAY with her?!”
     
    Matt stared at Alex, then looked at me.  I could see the wheels turning behind the archangel's eyes.  Butterflies swirled in a tornado deep in my stomach as I came to the realization that an archangel made love to me.  How was I supposed to know?  What had I done?  Please don't say yes, Matt.  Please don't say yes.
     
    When Matt looked back to Alex, his expression was calm.  “I have.”  Fuck.
     
    Immediately, Alex's eyes went black, he shimmered and his coal-black wings spread out behind him.  Rage coursed through ever muscle fiber as he breathed heavily.  Alex trembled with fury. If the Ottoman Empire faced him like this, I could understand how the legends started... he was terrifying.
     
    Matt stood, slowly revealing his wings as if to show he wasn't afraid of Alex's aggressive display.  “I've taken nothing that belonged to you.  If anything, you took from me.”
     
    “She is mine ,” Alex growled.  “You knew what was in her blood the moment you got down here.... and still...” Alex was fighting a losing battle to contain his rage.  “...and still you FUCKED her!”  His use of vulgarity was shocking, even in spite of his anger.
     
    “I did NO such thing!”  Matt roared.  “I love her!”
     
    I wasn't sure they were aware I was in the same room with them as they carried on.  Never did I have two men fight over me... but this was a fallen angel and an archangel.  It was surreal, to say the least.
     
    Alex jumped nearly ten feet, landing just a foot from Matt.  His eyes were narrowed to slits