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Orion felt himself blushing all over again as he stared at the guy. “Out reaping?”
“It is my duty,” Izel said. “I wanted to check in on you and Duncan, though.”
Orion looked at the closed door. “Stuck my foot in my mouth at the breakfast table.”
Izel frowned. “How so?”
He took Orion’s hand and led him to Duncan’s bedroom, where Izel had Orion sit on the bed, just like he had with Santee. Once Izel closed the door, he sat next to Orion. “Tell me what happened.”
Orion looked up at his very tall mate. “Tell me about your life before you were a reaper. You said your dad killed you?” Fuck, Orion needed to learn subtlety. He hadn’t meant to blurt that out. “Sorry.”
Izel shook his head. “I brought the curiosity to you,” he admitted. “If I hadn’t said that, you wouldn’t want to know.”
“But you don’t have to tell me,” Orion said.
“I died the day before I turned twenty-one,” Izel said, his voice distant, as if he was reliving the memory as he talked. “My father didn’t want to give up his leadership. He would have done anything to maintain that power. He drugged me, tied me up, and dragged me to the center of our village.”
Orion took Izel’s hand in his, seeing how painful this was from the look in Izel’s eyes.
“Right before I died, Jaden appeared to me, striking a bargain.”
“Who’s Jaden?” Orion asked.
“Death himself.” Izel gave Orion a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I hadn’t known he was Death at the time. In fact, I didn’t give his presence much thought past the fact that he was going to give me a new life.”
“As a reaper,” Orion said.
Izel nodded.
“Did you have any other family?”
“Three brothers who adored me until they turned on me for our father,” Izel said. “My mother was slain by a rival tribe, and my father was never the same after that. You could even go so far as to say he went mad because of her death.”
Jeez. Although Orion’s dad had died when he was a kid, he couldn’t imagine his father raising a hand to him. Orion had had the nicest, sweetest, most caring father anyone could ask for, and to this day, he still missed his dad.
“I’m sorry he did that you.”
Izel looked at Orion. “Thank you. For two thousand years I didn’t mind my emotions becoming muted. It helped me do my job and forget about the pain I’d suffered through, but now…”
“Now, with two mates, you’re feeling things again,” Orion surmised.
Izel nodded. “I’m struggling to deal with these feelings.” He glanced at Orion. “I might not have been called away every single time I vanished.”
“You were running from us.” Orion couldn’t hate Izel for doing that. Hell, Orion had done the same thing. Sometimes it felt as though it was the answer when struggling with something.
“Not from you or Duncan,” Izel said. “From my emotions slowly returning and having to wade through them.”
“I get it.” Orion squeezed Izel’s hand. “I’ve been running from a lot lately.”
Izel smiled at him. “Like having two mates?”
Orion chuckled. “That’s one of the problems.” He smiled at Izel. “You know, I like us talking like this. You don’t seem so intimidating when you’re opening up.”
Izel kissed Orion’s forehead. “Never be intimidated by me, Orion. We’re mates, and I would sooner use my scythe on myself than harm you.”
“Can I see it?” Orion asked, his heart beating faster. “Your scythe?”
Izel shook his head. “One touch and it would be instant death for you.”
