“I’m surprised you bother to visit him,” his father ground out through his teeth.
“I’ve visited him every year for twenty years,” Ash said quietly. He shouldn’t feel like that insecure, frightened child. His father no longer had a hold on him. Ash had every right to be angry. Angry for what they’d done to him. He could if he wanted to, but what was the point? It wouldn’t undo everything that had been done. It wouldn’t bring Arlo back. There was no doubt his father hated him as much now as he had then. Ash could see it in those piercing amber eyes. It was hypocritical of his father to loathe him for being a Therian, when the same “contamination” that ran through Ash’s veins was in his. The unstable mutation in his father had been incomplete, and unlike many Pre-First Gen Therians, his father couldn’t shift. It made it easy for him to deny being infected at all. The mutation had cost him an arm, but the rest of him remained very much Human. His father looked him over and sneered.
“Do you really think that by coming here, you’ll be absolved for what you did?”
“It wasn’t my fault,” Ash replied, doing his best to believe it. Twenty years, and the only changes in his father were the silver strands in his auburn hair and the wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. He was still large, strong, imposing. The resemblance between them was easy to see, and Ash hated it.
“Then why do you come every New Year’s Day to punish yourself for facing another year without your brother? That’s why you come here. Not to remember him or feel connected to him, but to punish yourself for letting him die.”
“That’s outrageous!” Cael turned to Ash, who couldn’t bring himself to deny his father’s words. “Ash?”
“You should have been with him that day. At least then I’d have the memory of two good boys and not of a dead son and the abomination his brother became.”
Cael gasped, his hold tight on Ash’s arm. “How could you be so callous to your own son?”
“He’s not my son,” Ash’s father spat out. “He’s an animal. A filthy beast that should be locked away in a zoo.”
Ash flinched at the words, berating himself for his cowardice. What good was all his ferocity when he couldn’t stand up to one man? Why did he continue to punish himself? Why did this one Human have the power to paralyze him? Cael stepped between Ash and his father, taking Ash aback. His sweet cheetah Therian bristled, his arm back behind him as if shielding Ash from his father’s onslaught.
“What happened to Arlo was tragic, but instead of being there for Ash, who was very much alive, you threw him away. You blamed him for Arlo’s death, but it wasn’t his fault. If he’d been there that day, he most likely would have been killed as well. He was just a child, for heaven’s sake! He needed you. You were supposed to protect him, not throw him away!”
“I don’t know who the hell you are, but you stay out of this you little Therian—”
“Hey,” Ash growled, his voice as fierce as his Therian roar, bringing his father to a standstill. “Say what you want to me, but you watch what you say to him. I won’t let you treat him the way you’ve treated me. All these years I blamed myself for Arlo’s death. I told myself I’d failed him. That I’d failed you. But the truth is, you failed me. Your job was to love me. To keep me safe. Instead you called Animal Control to take me away. Your own son! In your eyes, I was as dead as Arlo. I’m very much alive, and I’ve been blessed with a new family. One who loves me no matter how fucked-up and miserable I may be. I have great friends and the love of a man who proves that I’m not the monster you made me out to be.” Ash slipped his arms around Cael and held him close.
“
Thanks to Cael, I’ve learned that everything I believed about myself was wrong. I deserve to be loved and live a full, happy life. I’m an agent for the THIRDS, and what I do matters. I protect my city, both Therians and Humans, and fight so that one day assholes like you are the minority, and your bigoted, hateful, ignorant voice will fade away. Most importantly, I’ve grown up to be a good, decent man who is nothing like you.”
His father blustered and huffed, opening his mouth to rebut, but no coherent words escaped. His faced turned crimson, his nostrils flaring before he turned away, snapping at his wife, “Come along, Vivian.”
“One minute.”
“Vivian, now,” his father fumed.
She clasped her hands together. “Please, Richard. Just one minute.”
“Fine. I’ll be in the car. If you’re not there in five minutes, you can take a cab.”
Ash stood stunned, watching his father stalk off through the grass until he’d disappeared. He turned to his mother, his voice quiet. “How can you let him talk to you like that?”
“Look at you. Look how big you are,” she said, smiling warmly.
The back of Ash’s eyes stung. He remembered that smile, remembered when she’d squeeze him tight and kiss the top of his head. They’d bake together in the kitchen, and Arlo would end up eating most of the chocolate chips meant to go in the dough. His mom was as pretty now as she had been then. Her hair was silver, and her blue eyes didn’t sparkle the way he remembered, but she was still elegant and beautiful.
Tears welled in her eyes, and Ash wanted to go to her, but she was already taking a step away from him.
“And so handsome.” She composed herself and smiled again. “I caught you on the news a few months ago. You looked so dashing in your uniform.” Her gaze moved to Cael. “Is this your boyfriend?”
Ash beamed proudly. “Yes. Mom, this is Cael Maddock. Cael, this is my mother, Vivian Keeler.”
Cael gave her a nod. “Ma’am.”
“You look so sweet together.” She took Cael’s hand in hers. “Look after him. He’s a good boy. He deserves to be happy.”
“Mom…?”
She stepped up to him and patted his arm, her hand lingering on his own gloved one before she pulled away. “I’m sorry. I have to go. It was wonderful to see you. Be safe.”