Authors: Scarlet Hyacinth
Tags: #Romance
Youngsville, Vermont was a good place to stop for a breather. Perhaps it would also give them the chance to begin a new life. Stranger things had happened, and out of the blue, Graham actually felt optimism bubble inside him. Yes, they could do this. And even if it didn’t work out, things would still be all right, because he and Caelyn would be together. Always.
* * * *
A few weeks later
“Here’s your bill, Sir.” Caelyn offered his best professional smile as he slid the piece of paper to the customer sitting at the table. “I hope you enjoyed your visit at The Greasy Spoon.”
“I certainly did.” The man chuckled and offered Caelyn five ten dollar bills. It covered the man’s order twofold. “Keep the change.”
“How do you always get the biggest tips?” Caroline asked as the customer exited the restaurant. She pouted at him, mock-glaring. “I don’t get it. You have to tell me your secret.”
“It’s no secret. It’s because he’s prettier and nicer than you,” Beth called out. “Now come here and get this order.”
“Hold your horses, Aunt Beth,” she grumbled. “Coming.”
Caelyn snickered as he watched her go. He liked working at The Spoon. No matter how many times Caroline teased him, she wasn’t actually jealous of him. From that first moment she had met with them on the freeway, she’d become one of his dearest friends.
Truth be told, he’d never in his life imagined that he’d one day end up working as a waiter for the small mom-and-pop restaurant in this tiny, human town. Stranger still, this simple life made him happier than he’d ever been in the luxurious home he’d once shared with his family. He did miss them at times, and he hoped that Sari would manage to get word to him regarding their well-being, but that melancholy aside, it truly seemed his life was perfect.
Smiling, Caelyn made his way to the cash register and secured the sum the generous tourist had paid. He tucked two of the bills into his apron, already making plans as to how he’d use them. If he earned more, he might manage to buy something nice from the grocery store tonight, maybe a bottle of wine he and Graham could share. It wouldn’t be a 1977 Pinot Noir, but from Graham’s lips, it would taste like ambrosia.
He was snapped out of his romantic musings when the bell over the door of the diner rang, announcing the arrival of another customer. Excitement exploded through Caelyn, and not because he anticipated another huge tip.
The man who had changed his life stalked into the diner, seemingly filling the entire place with his sheer presence. Graham might have stopped being the leader of his pack, but he was still all Alpha. The way he moved remained as predatory as ever, and when he looked at Caelyn, Caelyn’s knees always went weak.
Now was no different. Caelyn’s body instantly responded to Graham’s presence, his dick stiffening as he remembered he had this wonderful man in his bed every night. And every morning, and afternoon, too, if they could muster the time. In fact, it was far too easy for Caelyn to remember how good Graham had felt inside him just a few hours ago. He could still feel Graham’s prick within him as the werewolf fucked him over and over. Jenarra above, it had been so good.
“Hi,” he said breathlessly, wanting to leap into Graham’s arms and only keeping himself from doing so because of all the other customers present. “I thought you were working overtime at Bill’s.”
“Not tonight, angel,” Graham replied as he leaned against the counter. “It’s a special day, after all.” He brushed his thumb over Caelyn’s lower lip, making him whimper slightly. “But you know that, right?”
Caelyn nodded. A month back, Graham had claimed him, binding their lives for all time. It had been the first step they’d taken, and in spite of everything, also one of the most beautiful moments of Caelyn’s life. How could he possibly forget their anniversary?
“Of course I do,” he replied, licking his lips. “Did you take time off?”
“Yep.” Graham grinned. “I wanted us to do something together today.”
Caelyn released a heavy sigh. “I’m sorry. It didn’t occur to me.”
He truly should have thought of it, given how special this day was for them, but he hadn’t known his mate’s plans and hadn’t wanted to assume. “So now what?” he asked morosely.
As if in answer to his question, the restaurant door opened yet again, and Raleigh burst inside. “What are you doing still here?” he asked without preamble.
Caelyn released an unintelligent noise. “Huh?”
“I’m picking up your shift,” Raleigh said. “Go and enjoy yourself, Lini. It isn’t every day that you and Graham celebrate the first anniversary of becoming partners.”
At Raleigh’s words, a small pang of guilt struck Caelyn. Sometimes, Caelyn really wished he could tell his new friends the truth, but it wouldn’t be safe. Pushing aside the foolish desire, he smiled at Raleigh. “Thanks. Are you sure you can take over? Aren’t you busy tonight?”
Raleigh shook his head. “Nah. I’m done with the work I had for uni. Besides, what are friends for?”
Caelyn took off his apron and placed it in a nearby drawer. Grinning, he went to Raleigh and hugged him tightly. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
Raleigh embraced him back, snickering. “You’d better be careful with all the PDAs, Lini. Graham is glaring.”
In some ways, Raleigh reminded Caelyn a lot of Sari. They had very different lives, with Sari living isolated, almost imprisoned, in the Ivenian palace, and Raleigh enjoying a simple life, yet one full of freedom. But for some reason, Caelyn saw the same loneliness in both of them. It might have had something to do with Raleigh’s past. Either way, Caelyn hoped Raleigh and Sari would one day manage to find their other halves.
There was nothing he could do about it now. Instead, he broke away from his new friend, but he did so while laughing. “Don’t worry about it,” he replied to Raleigh’s teasing statement regarding Graham. “He’s all bark, and no bite.”
Behind him, Graham snorted.
“Uh-huh,”
he said through their bond
. “Sure I am.”
“Well, it’s true, where Raleigh is concerned at least,”
Caelyn answered. He knew that his mate was a very dangerous man, and it kind of aroused him. But as much as it frustrated Caelyn, the humans had to be kept from the truth.
Oblivious to Caelyn’s thoughts, Raleigh added, “Come on, get. I can handle things here.”
Thanking Raleigh once again, Caelyn took his mate’s hand and left The Greasy Spoon. As they exited the building, he threw a glance toward Graham and arched a brow at his lover. “How exactly did you manage to keep all this from me?”
Graham chuckled. “I did have the hardest time doing so, but I wanted to prepare a little surprise for you. I hope you don’t mind.”
“As long as you don’t make a habit out of hiding things from me,” Caelyn answered. In truth, Graham’s decision to keep his plans from him didn’t bother him. A true mate bond wasn’t based on sharing each and every notion of their minds. What mattered in it was trust, the same trust that had guided Caelyn into accepting the mate bond and throwing everything else to the wind.
A wave of love swept over Caelyn from his mate. It felt as soothing as the pleasant spring breeze toying with Caelyn’s hair. Obviously, Graham had overheard Caelyn’s thoughts.
“I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve everything you’ve given me, angel,
” the werewolf said,
“but I’ll do my best to show you how much I appreciate it.”
Caelyn allowed himself to wrap his arm around Graham’s waist and lean against his mate’s shoulder. Gay couples weren’t always well received by humans, so he and Graham tried to avoid displaying their love for each other in public, but sometimes Caelyn couldn’t help it. Fortunately, the humans in this little town were strikingly accepting. Of course, there was the occasional bigoted comment, but compared to the prejudice of the shifter castes, it was nothing.
Graham guided him to their car and unlocked it. “Where are we going?” Caelyn inquired as he obediently slid inside. In the small town, most everything was within walking distance, so they rarely used the car anymore.
“Shh,” Graham said, taking the driver’s seat. “Don’t spoil the surprise.”
He was trying not to think about the destination, but Caelyn still saw Graham’s plan. A picnic, just for the two of them, to enjoy the beautiful spring weather. Both of them liked nature a great deal, and Graham had found a perfect spot in the outskirts of the town.
Graham released a small groan and stabbed the key in the ignition. “It seems I just can’t win.”
“You’re trying too hard.” Caelyn kissed Graham’s cheek and buckled his seat belt. “You don’t have to impress me with your organizational abilities. I already know you’re an amazing man.”
“Maybe,” Graham said as they drove off, “but I want you to have anything you desire.”
He was incurable. No matter how much he gave to Caelyn, it never seemed to be enough. Caelyn decided that, for once, he’d allow Graham to spoil him. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to think about anything else that wasn’t Graham and what his mate might have in store for him. A movie. He’d seen the trailer for an upcoming paranormal film, and it had made him burst into laughter at how close, and yet how far, it had been from the truth.
“Do you know that a lot of those movies are controlled and sponsored by the draechen?” Graham asked.
“Really?” Caelyn perked up. He’d thought he’d known his world, but every day, he learned more and more. “How so?”
Graham nodded, still keeping his gaze on the road, but his focus somehow remaining on Caelyn. “At one point, the upper castes decided that the best way to prevent humans from learning about us was to flood the entertainment market with various versions of our reality. That way, when someone says they saw a shifter or a magic user, no one will believe him.”
“That’s actually a good idea,” Caelyn admitted reluctantly.
“It was Prince Shtamakarein’s,” Graham said. “Even the lower castes grudgingly admire him for that.”
Of course it had been Karein’s plan. Caelyn wondered now how they’d managed to escape the man to begin with.
“You know, I’ve actually been thinking about that,” Graham said. “He was acting strangely that day, when I left. I think he actually let me get away.”
This was the first time Graham had mentioned this. In fact, Caelyn suspected Graham had actively tried to push aside those unpleasant recollections. But now, in Graham’s memories, Caelyn saw flashes of what had happened during the escape from the draechen base. He had to admit it scared him a little, but it also puzzled him. “Why do you think he did that?”
“I wondered if he meant to trail me to you, or perhaps to the rest of my pack,” Graham replied. “But it just doesn’t match my image of him. He just seemed to resent me so much that I don’t see him allowing me to escape.”
“Maybe he’s planning to avenge his honor,” Caelyn reasoned. “By rights, I’m the one he hates.”
For all they knew, Karein fully intended to allow them to live their life happily for a while, then to snatch it away from them. A shiver coursed through Caelyn at the thought. If anyone was capable of doing that, it was Karein.
A hand landed on Caelyn’s shoulder, squeezing gently. “I’m sorry. I never should have mentioned him. I’m really making a mess of things. Just… Don’t think about it. I know it sounds like a poor policy, but if we stress over what the draechen do, we’ll never get to enjoy our happiness.”
Caelyn hid a smile. Graham might have said that, but Caelyn knew for a fact that, every day, Graham checked for any sign that the draechen might have found them. They still had plenty of money from the stash Raul had given them, which they kept in case they’d have to leave Youngsville unexpectedly. It was why they only ever spent the money they earned from their respective jobs. So far, they seemed safe, but it was likely that Graham and Caelyn would soon be forced to abandon their new friends and tenuously stable life.
But Graham had a point in that they couldn’t live their lives forever looking over their shoulder. Caelyn trusted that Graham would protect him, and he’d take whatever came in stride.
He’d have wanted to say that out loud, but he never got the chance as his lover stopped the car. During the conversation, they had apparently reached their destination.
“We have to walk from here, I’m afraid,” Graham said, pointing to a smaller dirt road.
“That’s fine with me,” Caelyn answered. “So it looks like I certainly got distracted from your surprise.”
“Next time we decide that’s a good idea, think about something boring,” Graham said as they left the car.
“Something boring?” Caelyn repeated inquiringly. “Like what?”
“Strippers,” Graham blurted out, “and bad food.”
There was so much wrong with that statement that Caelyn didn’t even know how to counter it. “Strippers aren’t boring” he finally argued.
“Of course they are,” Graham answered slyly. “They’re not you.”
Caelyn’s face flamed at the suggestiveness in his mate’s tone. “I could be a stripper,” he shot back. “What would you say then?”
“Depends.” Graham hummed thoughtfully as he opened the trunk and retrieved the picnic basket from inside. “If you intended to show that lovely body to anyone else… Well, of course I wouldn’t be very happy about it.”