Let the Rain Come Down [The Moonlight Breed 6] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) by Gabrielle Evans (tools of titans ebook .txt) 📕

It really was underhanded, but there were still things Demitrius was keeping from him. Though he hid it well and never spoke of it, there was something sad and almost broken about the man.

Oscar wasn’t deluded, however. He was self-aware enough to realize that he had just as much emotional baggage as his mate. Maybe that was why fate had led them to one another. Separately, they were fragmented, but maybe together they could finally be whole. Unless he knew what was wrong, he couldn’t repair the damage.

Keeton grew very somber, an expression so foreign to his visage that Oscar almost recalled his question. “Red. There’s a lot of anger there.”

Anger wouldn’t put the look on Keeton’s face like that. There had to be something more. “What else?”

“Gray. Dark, depressing gray. I don’t think I have ever seen that much sadness in one person before.” Huffing dramatically, he crossed his arms over his chest and wouldn’t look Oscar in the eyes. “I’m not saying he’s perfect, but under all that, well, whatever that is, he’s a good guy.”

“I knew that.” As far as Oscar was concerned, Demitrius was perfect. His heart was pure, and he was one of the most selfless people Oscar had ever met.

He didn’t know where the anger was coming from, because Demitrius always seemed so sweet and mellow around him. The sadness, however, he had detected, and it broke his heart. More than anything, he wanted to take away that shroud of gray and bring his lover back into the sunlight where he belonged.

“Don’t go doodling your names inside little hearts just yet,” Keeton warned, pointing a finger in Oscar’s face. “Did you completely miss the whole anger and sadness part? This guy is like…I don’t know. Damaged.” His hand flopped back and forth on his wrist as he waved it around the room. “Being mated to that man isn’t going to be all glittered-coated butt plugs and shavings of chocolate confetti.”

There was a heartbeat of silence before Braxton groaned and the rest of the room erupted into unrestrained laughter. It wasn’t the first time something like that had come out of Keeton’s mouth, and Oscar highly doubted it would be the last. It did prompt another question, though.

“Do you seriously own a glittery butt plug?”

“In three different colors,” Keeton answered without skipping a beat. “So, are we going to do these makeovers or what?”

During his years in The Hive, he hadn’t been allowed a stitch of clothing—not even a damn loincloth. Things were different now, and though he seldom asked for anything, Oscar had found that he absolutely adored colors. Painting his fingernails didn’t make him feel feminine, but it did make him happy. A little lip gloss never hurt anyone, either. So what if his clothes sometimes didn’t match? The more colors he wore and the brighter they were, the happier he felt.

Luckily, Keeton had an affinity for such things as well, so no one had ever batted a lash at the things he liked. He’d been trying to keep things very casual with Demitrius, however, and now, he honestly didn’t know what to do. How would his mate react to the things Oscar found appealing?

“Be yourself,” Keeton said as though he’d been reading his mind. “I learned that the hard way, so believe me when I say it. He’s gotta like you for you, not for who you pretend to be.”

“What if he doesn’t, though? I mean, what if he doesn’t like the normal me?”

So far, he hadn’t hidden much from Demitrius, and the guy had yet to complain. This was a bit different, though. Demitrius Accola was the epitome of masculinity, and Oscar was more than a little nervous about what the man would have to say if he showed up with eyeliner and nail polish.

“Then tell him to fuck off,” Zavion answered with a shrug. “Demitrius is freakin’ cool. Plus, he kind of adores you. I don’t think he’d care if you showed up with a clown nose. If he does, though, well, what do you want an asshole like that for, anyway?”

Oscar didn’t think it was quite that cut and dry, but he supposed the guy had a point. He couldn’t spend his entire life being what he thought Demitrius wanted. The topic had never come up in their conversations, so he really didn’t know how the guy would react. It was a bit shitty of him to play the whole thing out and decide how it would end without even letting his mate in on the fact that there was an issue.

“Okay, let’s do it.”

An hour later, Oscar was dressed in a pair of jeans so tight, he was pretty sure his balls were going to suffer permanent damage. The skintight shirt he wore was a gorgeous pastel green, but it was made of such thin material that it was see-through, clearly showing off his erect nipples.

Keeton had insisted on giving him a facial, buffing his skin until it practically glowed. His wild curls had been trimmed, styled, and now had streaks of copper mixed with the auburn locks. Some mascara, a bit of eyeliner, a smidge of lip gloss, and a full manicure—complete with neon green nail polish—finished off his new look, and Oscar couldn’t have been more pleased with what he saw in the mirror.

“Wow, you’re fucking hot,” Zuriel exclaimed as he bounced on his toes. “Me next!”

“You are definitely in good hands.” Turning to Keeton, Oscar pulled the guy into a crushing hug and planted a smacking kiss on his cheek. “Thank you.”

“You’re going to knock his socks off, Oscar.” Keeton smirked as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “I want full details.”

“Awesome. Wish me luck!”

“Whoa, hold up, Oscar.” Braxton placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him when he started walking toward the door. “Where are you going?”

“To see Demitrius. That was kind of the point of all of this.” He held his hands out to the side and twirled