Chapter 73 - past demons 3

Both Cade and Ash turned to her at the same time, both sporting different expressions.

"What are you talking about?" Cade asked with a frown.

Ash was also speaking at the same time, "If you know what's good for you, you'll keep a lid on it," He said tautly, his dislike for the fake maid skyrocketing.

Cade turned to his partner, "Your full name is Ashton?" He asked with a snicker.

Ash's tense shoulders eased at this, "Don't start," He cautioned but his tone was wry.

"Andra," Cade addressed the maid who was just staring back and forth at them, "I didn't even know Ashton was rich-"

"Are you always going to say my full name with a snicker?" Ash asked dryly, already tired of the gag but not really.

"No promises," Cade smoothly replied before focusing on Andra again. "And clearly, you're choosing not to see the truth for your own sake but I agreed to be betrothed to Aviel because I loved him and not because of his money or social standing." He said in a single breath, his shoulders sagging slightly when it was all out. "So please stay away from me, you have an uncanny resemblance to him and I'm scared of ghosts." He tagged on, a small sad smile on his face following his words, one that only Ash caught.

Before Andra could say anything else, Cade turned around and walked away.

Ash made sure to shoot her a juicy glare before following after Cade only for the other's words to slowly sink in. "Wait, what?" He exclaimed, hurrying up to catch up with Cade.

"You left Faun all by himself?" Cade asked with a loud look of disapproval, already hot-footing it to the kitchen.

"Wait!" Ash said in a louder voice, holding onto Cade's arm. "The hybrid is back in his room, he said he wasn't feeling well and that we shouldn't bother him." He explained in a rush, "Now tell me who the hell that was!"

Cade stopped in his tracks and glanced down at where Ash touched him, "Or maybe we should start with your identity, who the hell are you?"

Ash immediately shrunk away, conspicuously looking away, "That's not important now."

Cade walked up to him, closing the distance between them. "Oh it is, it's been four years and you didn't even tell me your full name."

"I don't know your last name either-"

"It's Farrel and you already knew that, so fess up." He countered, backing the dark-haired werewolf into the wall.

The hallway they were in was strangely empty for the time of the day but fortunately, Andra hadn't followed them.

"My grandfather might be a member of the court of elders, and I might have come from an old werewolf family…" He muttered, staring at his boots.

Cade stepped back in surprise, "Why are you working for Declan then?"

"We might have been childhood friends." He answered with a wince.

"Holy fucking shit," Cade cursed, "And when were you going to tell me this?"

"When were you going to tell me you were married?" Ash countered.

"That… that's not the same thing." 

"I don't see the difference," Ash said huffily.

Cade studied his dark-haired partner and then looked away, "Don't tell me you're upset, you're the one leading a double life."

"I am? Really Cade?"

A duo of maids hurried past at that moment, making Cade snatch up the other's wrist and pull him along.

"A dead fiance isn't the same as a completely hidden identity," Cade said in a quieter tone as he marched them over to the quarters they shared.

"But I didn't hide my identity, I told you I was Ash- fuck." He cursed when Cade harshly yanked him into their shared living room and slammed the door behind him.

They both fell silent in the quiet space that held all their memories over the years, words failing them both.

"Sorry I wasn't honest, I didn't want you to see me any differently." Ash grumbled, "Plus, I cut my family off, we had different opinions of what truly mattered."

Cade let go of his hand, "Was the dispute over them naming you Ashton?" He quipped with a snicker.

This time Ash didn't let it slide, he tackled Cade to the soft carpeting over the wooden floors, straddling him while pretending to strangle him. "You're looking like you don't need your voice box anymore."

Cade's eyes were closed, sporting the widest smile Ash had ever seen on his face. "Andra is Aviel's twin sister, and she wasn't completely wrong," He started quietly, throwing a hand over his face while Ash kept straddling him, getting comfortable even.

Ash took his hands from Cade's neck, feeling the air get heavy all of a sudden. He stayed quiet and listened to what Cade had to say.

"As much as I loved him, I also needed his money," He admitted with a bitter laugh, "My mom was dying on her sick bed and his parents wouldn't help out unless I agreed to marry their terminally ill son-" Cade's voice box seemed to fail him at this point, his throat swallowing sporadically.

Ash wanted to say something but he held it in, knowing that Cade needed to say this.

"Their plan was to make me their heir in his stead because they were doubly disappointed in him, it was all sorts of messed up. Aviel was fine with it too but I couldn't do it, I ran off, only to hear that he died a couple of days after that. His parents cut all ties with me but then his twin sister started her chase after me."

"It was shortly after that I accidentally saved the Prince and got appointed to be his personal bodyguard, and met you…" Cade sucked in a deep breath. "Declan gave me more than enough money for my mom but she died anyway, she was happy so I don't feel bad." He finally concluded his story, taking his hand away from his face only to flinch when he saw how close Ash was to him.

"What the fuck, Ash?"

"I thought you were crying," Ash said, brown eyes blinking unrepentantly.

Cade looked up at the ceiling with a grin, "You're so fucking stupid, never change."

Ash's response was to bounce off Cade's stomach, making the other gag and curl up in pain.

"And you're fucking heavy, get off."