“I’m sending you the feeds to the human’s cottage. I’m going for a jog. I’ll be back in about forty minutes.”

“Good deal,” the male announced. “We’re ready on this end.”

He bent and typed in the commands. Kat sat on the couch, watching the news. She was oblivious of the hell he felt. He switched the feeds over and slammed the laptop closed. He needed to run and expend his energy.

Chapter Six

Darkness approached his current residence and stopped running. His nose flared and he growled as he faced the male who stepped out from behind a tree near the patio doors. He shouldn’t have been surprised to find Fury waiting for him.

“I told you that I don’t want to talk.”

Fury shrugged. “I told you that I’m worried about you.”

“Stop.”

Fury took a step forward. “Family can be a pain in the ass.”

“We aren’t family.”

Anger flashed on the male’s features. “I’m tired of waiting around for you to heal enough to deal with what the tests revealed. We are family. Maybe it doesn’t bother you to refuse to acknowledge me but I’d like you to be part of my life. We’re the only blood ties we each have. No one else matched my DNA test.”

“Only the human part.”

“I’m canine and you’re feline. Big deal.” Fury came a little closer. “I see a resemblance. We both ended up with dark hair and brown eyes. We have the same chin too. We got those traits from our humans. Do you ever wonder who they were? I do.”

“No. I never consider it. The records were destroyed so we’ll never know.”

“Have you ever thought about putting your DNA out there to see if we can find a human match and possibly find other relatives? They have adoption registries that might help us find close relations.”

The concept horrified Darkness. “No!”

“I have. These are things family should talk about. We could have fully human siblings.”

“Don’t do it.” Darkness advanced until they were a foot apart. “They are nothing like us. The connection died the moment the humans were paid by Mercile.”

Fury frowned. “I’m talking about the children those humans could have created. Not the parents who made that choice.”

“I want no part of it.”

“That’s the problem. You want no part of anything.”

Darkness leashed his temper. “Stop taking it personally.”

“How can I not? I know I can’t replace the full-blooded siblings you lost. I’m not trying to. I just want to be closer to you.”

“No.” He unfurled his fists.

“Did they look like us? They were my brothers too. Tell me something personal about them.”

Pain stabbed at Darkness’ chest. “Stop.”

“Did they have our hair color? Our eye color?”

“STOP!” He hadn’t meant to shove the male but Fury stumbled back, assuring him that’s exactly what he’d done.

Fury rubbed his chest and snarled.

Darkness lifted his hands, not willing to fight. “Sorry. I don’t want to discuss this.”

“Too damn bad.” Fury took a menacing step forward. “Do I have to beat it out of you?”

“You don’t want to do this.”

“Are you going to kill me?” Fury kicked off his shoes. “You hold everything inside. Stop blaming yourself for something out of your control. I know you somehow blame yourself for their deaths but it’s just survivor’s guilt.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Then make me. Tell me everything that happened when they took you away from Mercile. Why do you blame yourself for the deaths of our brothers? Why are you such an ass**le by refusing to accept our bond? Talk to me because I’m tired of waiting. I deserve answers.”

“It’s better if you don’t know all the details,” he admitted.

“I never took you for a coward.”

That infuriated him. “I’m not.”

“Then tell me more about them,” Fury snarled. “Talk to me, damn it.”

“I’m going inside.” He tried to walk around the male but Fury grabbed his arm.

“This isn’t over. I’m not leaving until I have answers.”

He glanced down at the fisted hand gripping his forearm. He held the male’s furious gaze. “I won’t fight you.”

Fury released him. Darkness relaxed. He understood the male’s frustration and wasn’t even surprised by it. Fury had tried repeatedly to get him to talk. He just didn’t want to share the details. It would hurt the male, the last thing he wanted.

“Some things are better left unknown.” It was the best advice he could give.

“That’s bullshit. You’re going to tell me everything that happened when you were taken from Mercile and exactly how our brothers died. All I know are the barest basics. They died there and you were the only one to survive. There was a human female there who helped train you but she betrayed you. I want the information you won’t share.”

He faced Fury. “It’s not a good story.”

“I don’t care.”

“It’s best you never met them. You didn’t get to know them the way I did so you can’t ever know the loss I feel. That’s a good thing. Be grateful for it.”

“That’s it,” Fury snarled. “You think I don’t care? They were family. Share the burden and get it off your chest so you can accept me as your brother. This thing is like a wall between us and I want it torn down.”