Stagger: Obsidian Mechanics, #4

By S L Davies

Sierra had just finished a long field trip in Egypt with her P.hD. students and was looking forward to getting home and back to normalcy. Her nephew, Atlas, was due to have his baby any day and she couldn't wait to lavish the little one with love.

 

Stagger and Helios had been joined at the hip since they were twelve years old and they first learned they were becoming step brothers. Where a lot of blended families struggled, Stagger and Helios got along like a house on fire. There wasn't anything they wouldn't do for each other. They never realized that their relationship came with an even deeper meaning. They were fated. 

 

This is a Reverse Harem with MM scenes. Subjects and language suited to 18+

• Language: English
• Publisher: S L Davies
• Release date: Jan 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215298954

S L Davies

S L Davies is an Australian Author living in Country, Victoria. She is inspired by the world around her. 

Book preview

Prologue

Stagger

(12 years old)

Stagger, honey, are you home? Mama called as she came into the house. I flipped the television off. I was bored stupid, it was the summer holidays, and all my friends were on vacation or had to spend time with their parents.

My Mama worked two jobs, and being a single parent wasn’t easy, so she did what she had to keep a roof over our heads. I hated that she had to work that hard, and I vowed that as soon as I was old enough to work, I’d get a job and help Mama so she could slow down.

I’m in the living room Mama, I called back.

Mama came around the corner with a bright smile on her face. She would always smile for me no matter how hard of a day she had. I don’t think I remember a day she got mad at me.

Hey baby, I need to talk to you about something, Mama said as she sat on the couch beside me.

I frowned and cocked my head to the side. Is everything alright? Worry started to creep into my belly. I didn’t know my Papa; he’d left when Mama found out she was pregnant with me. They weren’t mated, so he found it easy to walk away and never look back. Some days I was okay with it; I had everything I needed. But then, on other days, I was angry at him for rejecting my Mama and me.

Yes, everything is fine. It’s just that something has happened, and I need to share it with you.

Mama, you’re scaring me, I admitted as tears burned in my eyes.

Oh, Stagger, I’m sorry honey, that isn’t what I mean to do, Mama said before inhaling deeply. I have met someone. A lovely man. His name is Larkin. He is a polar bear shifter and a single dad. He has a twelve-year-old son named Helios. Anyway, he is my fated mate, Stagger.

My eyes widened before a wide smile wrapped across my lips. I always wondered how it would feel the day that Mama found her fated mate. I asked if I would feel jealous or angry about the prospect. But there were no negative feelings in my belly. I was excited.

Mama, I gasped. A large smile filled my face as I wrapped my arms around her neck.

Mama chuckled. Does this mean you are okay with it?

Yes, Mama, of course, I am. When do I get to meet him and his son?

Well, Larkin wanted to speak to Helios before they came over. He wasn’t sure that Helios would take the news very well.

I frowned. Really?

Mama sighed and nodded her head. His Mama passed away only a few years ago, and he has really struggled with her loss.

Was Larkin and Helios’s Mama mated?

Mama shook her head. No, but when she got pregnant with Helios, Larkin wanted to be a present father, so they remained together. But sadly, she got cancer when Helios was a baby and died a few years ago.

I sighed. I hated that he’d lost his Mama; I couldn’t imagine what it had been like.

What will happen about living and stuff? I asked.

Well, that is something that I wanted to talk to you about. Larkin owns his own home, and I think it would probably help Helios if we were to move in there rather than trying to move him away from the memories of his Mama.

I nodded my head. I didn’t have anything holding me to the house we currently lived in. It was just a house. It didn’t keep memories there that really mattered. All my memories surrounded my Mama, and I still had her.

Do you think Helios will want us to live with them?

Mama sighed and shrugged her shoulders. I don’t know. I’m expecting that he will be a bit angry and he won’t like that his Dad has another woman. I don’t want to replace his Mama, and I would like to try and express that to him, but he is a kid, and you know when you are angry that sometimes you don’t want to see things from other perspectives.

I nodded my head. I understand, I said as the doorbell rang.

Mama stood and went to the door. I hung over the back of the couch to see who it was.

Larkin, did everything go alright? Mama asked.

Larkin winced and twisted his lips. Kind of. I promised that I would bring Helios over to introduce the two of you to him.

Lovely, come on in; Stagger is in the living room; we can chat there.

Larkin stepped into the living room; behind him was a boy that looked sad. His big blue eyes were watery. His blonde hair hung down over his forehead and cupped his face. He glanced up at me where I was hanging off the back of the couch and frowned.

Stagger, this is Larkin, and this must be Helios, Mama introduced.

Hi, I said with a bright smile.

It’s lovely to meet you, Stagger. Your Mama has told me a lot about you, Larkin said.

Come in and sit down; I’ll grab us some drinks. Do you want a soda, Helios?

Helios glanced up at Mama and quickly glanced over at his Papa. Larkin nodded his head