Erik who had remained shocked by this avalanche of news, just like Alan by the way, said quickly : "Yes, yes we can eat now, you are right it must be ready."
He stood up hastily to check and Alan set the table in the meantime.
Once they were all served the tension eased and the conversation shifted back to more trivial matters.
The wine also helped to calm the spirits and they all had a pleasant evening.
When Axel saw that Kevin was starting to yawn he excused them to the others and they went back to their room.
Axel wanted Kevin to rest as much as possible before their travel tomorrow, just to go there to see Tony and come back with the giant bird, it would take them 4 hours, it was going to be an exciting but exhausting day.
Liam, after that Axel and Kevin went back to their room, decided to leave too and Ian chose to follow him.
He offered to take him home and to his surprise Ian agreed.
Along the way Liam was lost in his thoughts, he thought back to what Kevin had told him when they had been alone while the others were cleaning the kitchen.
Kevin had taken this opportunity to tell him not to put pressure on Ian as it was obvious he had feelings for him.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtHe had told him that like animals, humans who felt cornered fled, it was a sort of survival instinct, if he kept pressuring him he would lose him at the end.
He had also said something to him that still puzzled him, Kevin had told him that Ian had tensed up when he said that 'if one of you dies the other one will die instantly too', and he had suggested that he should try to find out why.
He had said that maybe Ian felt too weak comparing to him and he didn't want to be a burden, or that he didn't feel like worthly of his love.
What he found strange was that, he who had been next to Ian, hadn't noticed anything at all, but Kevin looked so sure … He still had this feeling that something was fishy about him, but whatever it was, Kevin was just trying to help him, he wouldn't forget that, no matter what he was hiding from him.
He then realized that Ian was lost in his thoughts too so he asked him curiously : "What are you thinking of ?"
Ian blushed and his heart raced, which only increased Liam's curiosity, he heard him whisper : "Everything you said about the mark of the Union was true, wasn't it ?"
Liam saw that they were almost at Ian's pavilion so he honestly said to him : "Everything I said is true, and I already drank your blood while we were making love, so whatever you choose to do, you will be always the only one for me."
Ian then said frustrated : "This is not how it should have been, we were drunk that night, and we clearly weren't in a relationship before ... So why me ? If you had been spending the night with someone else, would you have been binded with him instead ?"
Liam chuckled and said to him : "Why are you torturing you with this nonsense ? I told you already that everything I said tonight was true … The fact that a Legendary Wolf can only have one mate too.
Ian my feelings for you are real, and have been there since day one, ever since I found you inside that burning mansion while you were still unconscious."
Ian could sense that Liam was being sincere, and they were right in front of his pavilion, so he took his hand and led him inside, saying : "I need to confess something to you … Let's discuss in the living room."
Liam was eager to know what Ian would tell him, discussing, that was all he wanted … Was Ian finally going to open up to him ?
He led him into the living room and they sat side by side on the sofa, Ian turned to him and asked him : "What do you know about this accident ? Be honest with me."
Liam looked at him surprised and asked him to make sure they would talk about the same thing : "You mean the fire where I found you, right ?"
Ian just nodded, he seemed very nervous all of a sudden, Liam wanted to caress his cheek to reassure him but Ian grabbed his hand before he could touch him and he said again : "Please, tell me what you know and what you have guessed about this fire accident, I need to know."
Liam nodded and said : "Okay, I will tell you then ... I know you were the groom's son and that your mom worked in the kitchen at this mansion.
I know it was you who started this fire and I also know why you were able to use your fire element that night.
When I found you, the fire had made a shield all around you, I couldn't see you at first, each time I was trying to pass throught this fire shield, it was attaking me and burning me like hell.
After 5 minutes I finally scattered this fire shield and saw you for the first time.
You were unconscious and your top was ripped, there were hitting marks on your face but luckily, this bastard didn't look like he got what he wanted.
If you really want me to say it out loud, you were in the bedroom of the master of this mansion, in this kind of state, that could only mean one thing … He must have tried to rape you and the fear you felt that night allowed you to see the fire particles and start the fire."
Tears started to roll down Ian's cheeks when he said : "You knew … You knew I was a murderer, and you still put me under the protection of the Sun Sect, why ?"
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmLiam shook his head and kissed his hand that was still holding his : "When that happened you weren't even 16 yet, this man was a fucking bastard and don't think for one second that you are a murderer, it was self defense."
This time Ian let him dry his tears so he said : "Ian, listen to me, it was self defense ... And, the fact that you were able to use your fire element was a real miracle in itself, you stayed unconscious for a week after that.
You know very well that the use of the elements at an early age is very rare, and every time that happens it's due to emotions too strong to deal with, even if you had tried you couldn't have controlled anything, don't blame yourself for that, it wasn't your fault."
Ian finally threw himself into his arms and burst into tears, no matter what Liam told him it didn't change the fact that he had killed someone.
When Ian finally calmed down he told Liam what had happened that night he told him he had seen the fire particles all around him but didn't know what they were.
He came from an ordinary family, there had never been a mage or fighter in his family, so when he had seen all those red dots popping up all over the place, he had directed them at this man who was trying to rape him.
He confessed to him that if the body couldn't be discovered it was because it had been completely disintegrated, and after that he had passed out and waken up in the Sun Sect.
He also confessed to him that this was why he refused to use his fire element, after this accident he had been completely traumatized and had chosen to perfect himself in alchemy rather than creating spells.
They talked for a long time that night, and in the end Kevin had got it right, the fact of having developed a pyrophobia and not being able to use his element to fight or defend himself, made him feel completely useless, and he didn't want to be a burden for him.
Now that Liam knew where the problem was coming from, all he had to do was convince him that all of this didn't matter to him and that he had never been and will never be a burden for him.
He stayed with Ian that night, Ian was completely exhausted after finally revealing the truth about his past and he let him take care of him.
That suited Liam perfectly, the only thing he wanted was to take care of him for the rest of his life.
They went to bed together dressed and Ian woke up several times that night.
He knew that talking about his past would bring back those moments he had buried deep inside his memories to try to forget them, but each time Liam took him in his arms and he whispered sweet and comforting words that ended up calming him.