Creed

“No. It was justifiable. Lord Aveoth arrived with Kelzeb. It’s fine.”

“We saved our baby brother’s ass.” Pest chuckled. “He owes us now. I’m hungry. Is your mate a good cook? A nice meal will make us even.”

Creed let her go and growled at his brother. “My mate isn’t cooking for you, but I will.”

“You haven’t formally introduced us but it’s not necessary.” Glacier winked at her. “You’re Angel. It’s nice to meet you.”

Pest leaned back in his chair to appraise her with his eyes. “You’re smaller than I expected, but it’s not a shock that our baby brother ended up with a human. We heard about you last night from the dickhead. He was ranting and raging about it.”

Glacier snorted. “The dickhead, otherwise known as our father.” He turned to watch Creed move around the kitchen. “We tried like hell to talk him out of pulling his bullshit this morning, but he wouldn’t listen. Big shocker, right? We’re just the idiots our mother birthed.”

“Big mistakes, and his precious Gargoyle sperm wasted,” Pest muttered. “Every one of us.”

“He would have killed us in our cradles if he’d only known how weak and disappointing we’d turn out to be,” Glacier added. “Man, I’m not going to miss him. Did you really think we’d be ass-hurt over you taking him out, Creed? Come on. The only reason we hadn’t challenged the bastard ourselves was because Mom made us swear to let him keep breathing.”

Angel blinked back tears. It broke her heart to hear what they were saying and imagining growing up with Kado as a father. She’d had two amazing parents that Creed had given her. He’d rescued her from that very kind of upbringing.

“You didn’t show up at court.” Creed paused at the open fridge. “I hoped that meant you weren’t on his side.” He took out wrapped meat and carried it to the counter.

“We didn’t go because we pla

“Which Lord Aveoth probably did,” Glacier added. “He’s smart, and he had to know what a shit our father was. Only a moron would trust the council. Plus, his new mate is half human and half VampLycan. No way would our lord hand over any woman to be a breeder to any of them after the stunt they pulled when he made the a

Creed fried the meat in a pan while Angel studied the two brothers. Glacier caught her staring at him and smiled.

“I look a lot like your mate, don’t I?”

She nodded. “It’s a little eerie, actually. Your eyes are different, though. I’ve never seen anything like them.”

“Don’t get him started.” Pest chuckled. “He’ll tell you all about how we got stuck with our names.”

“I’m interested in hearing that,” she admitted.

Glacier gri

“I got stuck with Tempest because it means violent windstorm. Want to guess what hit when she was in labor with me, and lasted for days? It was so bad she could hear it in her bedroom.” He sighed. “She couldn’t pick something cool like Storm. Nope. Tempest.”

“He also howled a lot,” Glacier teased. “Loudest damn infant ever. Maybe she mistook him for a girl with all that crying he did.”

Pest growled and made a fist. “Want me to punch your arm again?”

Creed put food on two plates and set them on the counter in front of his brothers. “Eat and stop fighting.”

“Just meat? No side dishes?” Pest scowled. “That’s a shitty thank you. I killed someone and don’t even rate mashed potatoes?”

“I wasn’t expecting company.” Creed crossed his arms. “Take it or leave it.”

“Silverware would be nice.” Pest arched an eyebrow.

Creed spun away to get them.

“You brothers talk so differently. Why?” Angel had noticed.

“Our baby brother was raised with scouts, then sent to the barren zone for a lot of years where there was no one to talk to, and he’s not exactly got a shit-ton of friends.” Glacier grimaced. “Dickhead made sure he was a loner. Creed was stuck playing the enslaved son while the rest of us got the hell out of dodge.”

“That being here—or should we say, away from our father.” Pest snorted. “So, baby bro there is way more formal than we are and kind of a stick in the mud. We’re hoping you loosen him up a bit.”

It made sense to her. “What about Creed’s name? How did your mother pick it?” Angel was curious.

It was Glacier who answered. “Mom was going through religious books, reading all about different ones while she was pregnant with him. The dickhead was making her life a living hell at the time because he was furious with her for getting pregnant when he hadn’t given her permission to do so. She gave our baby brother that name because she had faith that he’d grow up to be a good man despite her mate, and live by his own set of rules. Or something along those lines.”

Pest nodded. “I wanted her to name him Faith so I wasn’t the only one stuck with a girly name. I got voted down.”

Glacier winked at Creed. “Neb and I said no. You’re welcome. Creed was the best name of the ones Mom considered. It’s very masculine too.”

“Dick,” Pest muttered. “Where were you when I was born?”

“Learning how to fly and imagining all the ways I could torment you when you were older, Tempest.”

Creed offered them knives, forks, and napkins. “Here. Don’t stab each other.”

Angel gri

Creed came to her side and wrapped his arm around her. “Don’t say that. They might want to visit us often since we’re stuck here for six months.”

Pest nodded. “Next time make side dishes. A cake or pie would be sweet, too. Do you cook, Angel?”

“I do. My mom taught me.”

“Finally, someone in this family can. I’m so coming over every time I come to the cliffs.” Glacier winked.

“He does that a lot,” Creed murmured. “We think something is wrong with his left eyelid with the way he twitches it so often. He thinks it’s cute. That’s why he’s still single. Totally clueless.”

Pest laughed. “That, and his eyes freak the fuck out of the Lycan packs. Tell them what they called you at the last guardian gig you did.”

Glacier took another bite and growled low.

“I might be dubbed Pest but it beats the hell out of Ghost Eyes. He also got compared to a Siberian husky. Ever seen the ones with blue eyes? One Lycan asked if he was a shifter from that dog breed.”

Angel fought a laugh. Creed didn’t bother to hide his amusement and his body shook.

“I hate you,” Glacier sighed. “Really. This is why none of us see each other often and ask to be sent on assignments away from the cliffs. Who needs enemies when I have brothers?”