Adding Fuel To The Flames [Eternal Flames Maddox 1]

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

"Get out! I'm serious, you two. Get the hell out of here and let me do my job!" Twix yelled as he chased Finn and Marco from his kitchen and into the dining area with a spatula, whacking whichever one he could on top of the head and shoulders.

Day snorted in laughter when Finn turned to his little mate, imploringly, "Baby, we just want you to rest. All that standing is going to make your ankles swell and your back hurt. We just want to help you."

Twix raised his spatula high in the air. "I am not even a full month pregnant, Finn. My ankles do not swell and my back is just fine. Now get out of here. I thought you were both scheduled to work today? Day, tell Finn to get out and go to the station!"

"I am so not getting into the middle of this one. Sorry, Twix, you are on your own," Day called out sipping his coffee with a smile.

The bell rang over the door and Ethan walked in. Day loved it when his mate entered a room. He was the sexiest man Day had ever laid eyes on and he considered himself to be the luckiest man on earth. Two years together and every day was better than the next since Day had been gifted with his man.

"Trixie, you know how much we love you and we just want to take some of the load off," Marco said with a pout.

Twix gave an impressive growl, raising his arm high, with spatula in hand. "If you two ever plan on tapping my ass again, I will give you to exactly the count of three to get out of here and get your asses to work. One..."

"Twix, you are not being reasonable," Finn argued.

"Two!" Twix growled.

Ethan's laugh sent shivers down Day's spine and wrapped around his balls. No one could make Day feel the things Ethan did. His laugh was like music, his smile like a ray of sunshine, and his love was like a balm to his soul.

"I suggest you two go, before he gets to three," Ethan replied as he made his way towards Day with that sexy stride that made Day's c**k go from limp and to the right, to hard and trying to break through his zipper.

The bell jingled as Ethan got to Day's table and his little man slid in right next to him, lips ready for some attention. Day didn't let his man down. He pressed Ethan’s lips against his own and in seconds they were checking each other's tonsils with their tongues.

"Okay you two, if you don't stop, I might have to sell tickets," Twix said as he sat down across from them.

Day reluctantly pulled away from his mate, and turned to Twix. "Whatever the price, it wouldn't be enough. We would put on one hell of a show."

Twix snorted, "Yeah, but you are a twosome. Now, selling tickets to my own with the threesome, now that would be a money maker."

Ethan giggled. "Yeah, well, you can have your threesome. Day is more than enough for me."

Twix laughed. "Thanks for coming. I need your help."

"Whatever you need, Twix, you only have to ask. However, why are you not asking Finn or Marco?" Day asked

Twix sighed. "Because they don't go to Maddox and you two do. Besides that, I know Ethan is not judgmental and will observe and ask questions before making a judgment, as will you, Day.

Please, I’m really worried about my cousin and I can't get my father or uncle to listen to me."

"Twix, you know we will do anything we can to help. Tell us what's going on," Day requested.

Twix sighed. "Look, I'm not blind to my cousin and the things he does. However, never in all the years he has been alive has he ever lied to me."

"Is this the guy that Jett and Zev talked about? Rhys?" Ethan asked.

Nodding, Twix replied, "Yeah. He's a bit different, but a really sweet man, Ethan."

Day was confused until he remembered what Zev and his dad had told him. "Rhys is the one that goes around kissing guys, isn't he?"

"Yes, but it's just part of who he is," Twix explained anxiously.

"What does that mean?" Ethan asked curiously.

Twix sat back, saying, "Rhys has been going around kissing people since he hit puberty. I've tried to explain that it isn't polite, but he doesn't want to listen."

Ethan shook his head. "Why does he do it? That behavior could really get him hurt."

Twix looked at Ethan as if he had lost his mind. "Why do you think? To find his mates. When we were little boys and our dads told us about mates and how pixies get theirs, Rhys became anxious to find his. Dain wasn't mated to the man that birthed Rhys. Dain said he would never mate, but wanted a child to carry on his line. He got someone to agree to be a surrogate and Rhys was born. The thing is, Dain isn't an easy man to be around sometimes and he was a busy man.

He is my father's Regent which makes him second in command. So, Rhys was often left with nannies. He would watch me and my fathers play and would always say how much he wanted

that in his life. Rhys wanted to see someone look at him the way my dads would look at each other. Rhys wanted to have a child that he and his mates would play ball with, go on picnics with. You know, do things together as a loving family."

"So, the moment he hit puberty, he started trying to find his mates?" Ethan asked curiously.

Nodding, Twix replied, "Yes, that's also why he looks the way he does."

"Yeah, the guys said they thought he was a female at first," Day replied sipping his coffee.

Nodding, Twix said, "He has always been dainty. And damn, men flock to him, straight or otherwise. Gay men know he's a man and straight men can pretend he's a woman. It's those in the closet types that have issue with him and lash out."

"So, what happened? Did he kiss someone and get his ass kicked?" Day asked.

Twix pursed his lips. "He did get his ass kicked, but Rhys insists he never kissed the guy. He says he went to Aspen to enjoy an evening of dancing and this huge man tried to hook up with him. When he said no, the man started getting rough. The bouncer had to get involved and he took off, but the guy caught up to Rhys later and beat the s**t out of him."

"When did this happen?" Ethan asked in astonishment.

"It was ten days ago. Right after the Levi crap," Twix replied.

"Okay, I'm confused. What is it you want us to do?" Day asked.

Twix sat back and started biting his thumb nail."Rhys says he keeps seeing the guy. He's really scared, Day."

Day snorted, "I've seen what a pixie can do, Twix. Hell, Avery turned Levi into a worm and fed him to a f*****g bird. I'm sure that Rhys can take care of himself."

Shaking his head, Twix leaned forward. "That's the thing. Rhys says that he tried to use his powers when the guy attacked, but he couldn't."

"Are you saying that his attacker was a siphon?" Day asked in shock.

Sighing heavily, Twix replied, "I have no clue if he is or not. I can only tell you what Rhys told me."

"Wait, you said Rhys went to Aspen. If that's the case what the heck is the guy doing in Maddox?" Ethan asked.

Twix look became even more worried. "I don't know, Ethan. That's what Rhys and I can't figure out."

"Why didn't he tell his father, or your father, about this?" Ethan asked.

Twix pursed his lips. "He did, but they think this is from his own doing. Rhys has been warned time and time again about the kissing. When he got hurt, they only focus on the 'I told you so'

and not the situation he is describing."

"They don't believe him because he kisses everyone? That is insane," Ethan replied in astonishment.

Twix nodded, but then anxiously said, "Day, Ethan, I swear Rhys does not lie. Not ever. It's like a serious issue with him. Seriously, his blatant honesty has gotten him in trouble more than the kissing thing has. I just want you to talk to him. Listen to what he has to say. Look around for this guy. Please, I'm really worried about him. Rhys is like a little brother to me. It would kill me if anything were to happen to him and I didn't do everything in my power to help him."

Ethan immediately placed his hand on Twix’s whispering, "We're going to Maddox today and we'll go see him."

Day stood up and Twix jumped out of the booth to hug them. "Thanks, guys. I swear, free meals for a month!"

Day and Ethan laughed and headed towards the door, Twix called out, "Oh, and Day!"

Day turned back around. "Yeah?"

"Be nice to him. Rhys talks a good game, but he's very sweet and sensitive. He gets his feelings hurt really easily," Twix warned.

"Hey, I'm always nice!" Day yelled back.

Twix laughed softly, "You can be a bit intense. I'm just asking that you try and tone that down a bit."

* * * *

"Dad, just drop it, already," Rhys said for the hundredth time.

Dain followed Rhys into the wine cellar, still arguing, "One of these days someone is going to kill you, Rhys. I keep telling you that you cannot go around just kissing on people. Besides the fact that it's rude, it pisses people off."

This argument was always the same and, quite frankly, Rhys was tired of fighting about it. "Dad, I keep telling you, I didn't kiss that guy. He gave me the creeps. He is the one that grabbed me, not the other way around. I tried to get him to let me go, but he was damn near seven feet tall and built like a brick s**t house. When I slammed my knee into his balls, he got a bit testy, no pun intended."

Dain scoffed, "Yeah, whatever, just please be careful."

It hurt Rhys that his father didn't believe him, but he was used to it. For some reason his dad always took everyone elses’ side. The thing was, the guy that night really gave him the fucking

heebie-jeebies. Rhys wished he had never gone to that f*****g club, but he had been working so hard since coming from the other realm and he wanted to relax, take some time, and have a bit of fun. Dancing was always something Rhys loved to do. Besides it being relaxing, it often gave him a way to get out there and maybe find his mates. He figured Aspen had some real sexy ski instructors, and it would be a great place to go. Damn, he had f****d up on that choice. Instead of an enjoyable evening and some down time, he found himself being attacked by that behemoth of a man, and if the stalking s**t was any sign, brick s**t house had decided that Rhys was going to be his.

"Rhys, this place isn't like it used to be. You are going to get hurt or worse. You need to stop flaunting your s**t and making passes at people," Dain argued.

"I didn't make a pass at that f**k wad. He damn near killed me because I said no! I keep telling you, I didn’t like the bastard on sight, and I refused to dance with him. I refused to go with him to one of those private rooms. The fucktard grabbed me and started dragging me towards a room anyway. I kicked. I screamed. If it hadn't been for one of the bouncers, who in the hell knows what that prick would have done to me. While the bouncer was dealing with him I took off. I was going to open a portal to get my ass home, but somehow that son of a b***h got to me before I could do s**t," Rhys yelled.

"Enough, Rhys. I don't want to hear another word," Dain snarled.

Rhys felt like he did when he was a child. His nanny would break one of his father's vases, or someone would steal something from his room and it was Rhys that would get the blame. Not able to tolerate another second of shared space with the man who donated his sperm for his birth, Rhys turned and headed out of the cellar. Dain was yelling, "Rhys, I'm not through talking to you."

Rhys took the stairs faster, but Dain just wouldn't take the hint. "Rhys, I said I wasn't through talking to you."

"But I am finished talking to you," Rhys hissed, rushing up the stairs as fast as he could.

The construction on the club was almost finished, but there was still a lot of pounding and saw sounds all around him. However, he would rather hear the sounds of construction, then listen to another word exit his father's mouth.

Dain grabbed Rhys' arm. "Son, listen to me. I understand that things got out of hand, but you can't go around leading men on and expecting a different result."

That was just it! Rhys felt his anger building and knew there was no way to stop it from happening. He pulled at his arm, but his father refused to let him go. Through gritted teeth, Rhys snarled, "Let me the f**k go. I didn't lead that man on. I didn't do anything! For the love of all the Gods, I said no! That man attacked me, father. He used some kind of power on me that made mine utterly useless."

Rhys saw that damn look cross his father's face and knew the man didn't believe a word Rhys had to say. Fury like nothing he ever felt before came over him. "Go away, father."

Dain sighed and shook his head. "Maybe if you didn't dress like you do or wear your hair like a girl, or even put all that makeup on, men wouldn't constantly come at you like a wanton. Maybe if you...."

"Oh, by the f*****g Gods, are you serious?" Rhys shouted, stopping all construction around him and not caring. "I like how I look. There is nothing wrong with how I look, or what I wear, or do to my hair and eyes. It does not give anyone the right to touch me if I don't want to be touched. I said no and that should have been the end of it. This fucker did not take no for an answer!"

Rhys turned to leave when all his anger turned to sadness. Dropping his hands down in front of him, Rhys stared at his empty hands. Turning around, Rhys asked in a tear-filled voice, "Why did you ever want a child?"

Dain looked taken aback by the question. "What the hell kind of question is that?"

Shrugging Rhys replied, "Just answer it. Why did you ever want a child? You were never around. You and I never really did anything together unless it was for royal business."

"Rhys, I have loved you since the moment you were conceived, and we did a lot of things together. It just seems you can never remember those times. I just don't want you hurt. You mean the world to me,” Dain argued.

Shaking his head, Rhys wiped a tear as it slid down his cheek. "I don't believe you. Actions speak louder than words, father. All I ever wanted was someone to love me for me. I knew if I could find my mates my life would finally be happy and perfect. I always knew that they would love me no matter what. My mates would care if someone tried to harm me, and they wouldn't blame me for everything that ever went wrong in their life."

Dain squeezed Rhys' arm gently. "Rhys, I do love you. It's just..."

Rhys felt sadder by the second, shaking his head, saying, "See, that's just it, Dad. With unconditional love, there isn't any 'It's just' starting a sentence."

Rhys turned to leave and saw two of the most handsome men he had ever set eyes on in his life.

The one had short dark hair and stood damn near seven feet tall and he held a much smaller man that was even shorter than Rhys' own five foot five, but he had the most beautiful long dark hair that Rhys knew would tickle his chest in the best of ways.

Sauntering over to them, Rhys sounded even more sensual than he ever could remember. "Please say there is some way I can help you."

"For the love of...Rhys, that is Day and his mate Ethan!" Dain hissed.

Rhys felt his heart beating faster and his palms start to sweat. Ethan stepped forward holding out his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you, Rhys. My mate and I have heard some very interesting things about you."

Rhys could listen to this man talk all day and night. The sound was more lyrical than some of the best music Rhys had ever heard.

Day stepped forward and his voice brought chills of desire racing from the tips of his toes straight to his balls. "Hello, Rhys. Ethan and I came to talk with you."

"What are you here to talk to my son about?" Dain asked in confusion.

Rhys watched Day shake his head in annoyance. "Dain, I liked you from the moment I met you.

However, right now I am really not sure how I feel."

"Day, let's just talk with Rhys, okay?" Ethan replied.

Day's features hardened. "I don't know if I can do that, Ethan. Right now, my dragon wants nothing more than to come out and beat the s**t out of him."

"And my phoenix wants to toast him like a marshmallow, but we promised Twix we would help his cousin and that is exactly what we are going to do," Ethan stated.

Rhys wanted to curl up with a hot cup of cocoa and listen to Ethan speak and just stare at Day.

Damn, these men were sexy.

"What the hell did I do to piss you off? And I can't believe Twix asked you guys to come here. I can take care of my own son," Dain snapped.

Day snorted, "You can now, can you? So, tell me, did Rhys tell you that his attacker has been following him since he came out of the hospital?"

"He mentioned it and I have doubled his guards since then," Dain replied.

Rhys' eyes widened in shock. "When in the hell did you do that? I haven't noticed anyone."

Dain sighed, "I did it the day after the attack when you told me you saw the man outside the club. I didn't tell you because it would only give you something else to be pissed at me about."

"Well, then I have a couple of questions. How did the guy know where Rhys lives? And if you did put guards on Rhys, then why is the man described to Twix at the coffee shop across from the club watching this place now?" Day replied drolly.