by C. W. Gray
Sonny battled Flufflepuff to bury his face against his mate’s neck, enjoying Leo’s scent mixed with smells from his family’s auto shop. Motor oil shouldn’t smell so sexy.
“Did you get any rest today?” Leo asked, spinning him around. “You work so hard, sunshine. You deserve time off.”
Sonny smiled against Leo’s neck. “I had some fun today. You ready for dinner?”
Leo’s stomach growled. “That would be a yes.”
They sat and filled their plates.
“How was the shop today?” Sonny asked, then took a bite.
Leo shrugged. “Like usual. Coleen brought in a new client. The guy collects motorcycles and needs some work done on a few of them. Niels thinks he’s died and gone to heaven.” He chewed happily for a moment before swallowing. “Can I take Flufflepuff with me to work tomorrow?”
Sonny almost choked on his bite of garlic bread. “You want to take my familiar with you to work?”
Leo flushed and looked at the table. “I don’t have to. It was just an idea. I thought she might like hanging out in the front office.”
Sonny glared at his cat, then forced himself to be an adult. “She can go. She’ll probably have a lot of fun. I know she misses you during the day.” It doesn’t matter that she gets to meet your family before I do. Really.
Leo’s face brightened again. “Thanks. I’ll take good care of her. By the way, Gemma stopped me in the hall and told me you and Aaron got into a pillow fight today.”
Sonny gave Leo his best innocent look and fluttered his eyes. “I told you I had some fun today.”
Leo’s laughter filled the room. “At least you didn’t turn his head into a pecan pie.” His eyes heated. “Did you spell the spaghetti?”
Sonny wagged a finger at him. “You said I could spell dinner anytime. Reckless promise, wasn’t it?”
Leo stood and set Flufflepuff on her cat stand before lifting Sonny from his chair and swinging him into his arms. He headed for the bedroom. “Dinner will be here when we get back, sunshine.”
Moments later, Sonny braced himself on the bed as Leo pounded into him from behind. The feel of his mate filling him to the brink of pain always broke him into a thousand pieces. When Leo kissed the back of his neck and mumbled sweet nonsense words, the pieces reformed, stronger than ever.
The next morning, Sonny settled his head on his fist and watched the man stretched out beside him sleep. His mate was a sexy fucker, even if he stole most of the covers.
Leo’s chest rose and lowered as he breathed, and Sonny couldn’t resist threading his fingers through the bear shifter’s thick chest hair. His bear was a bear in more than one way.
Sonny snickered at his pun. I’m so punny.
Leo snuffled in his sleep, and Sonny felt a burst of happiness shoot through him. This was his mate—the one man that was his perfect soulmate. Fuck Aaron. I know Leo’s my mate.
He leaned over and buried his face against Leo’s neck, moving his naked body closer to the warmth of the big alpha. His ass was still a bit tender from the night before, but there were other ways to satisfy his hunger. If I can get my honey bear to wake up.
Sonny licked and nipped Leo’s neck while one hand strolled south to stroke Leo’s long, thick dick to life.
Leo moaned and his sleepy brown eyes opened. “Sonny?”
Sonny kissed him softly, then pushed the covers back. “Can I?”
Leo chuckled and raised his hands over his head. “Anytime, sunshine.”
Sonny trailed his lips down Leo’s furry chest, one hand kneading the muscles under the hair. He bit a nipple, then licked it before doing the same to the other one. He took his time pressing kisses to Leo’s soft stomach. His bear was a little self-conscious, but damn, did his belly look good on him.
When his mouth reached Leo’s dick, Sonny hummed in pleasure. His mate had enough girth that Sonny needed both hands to fully hold him. He sat up and started working his mate’s dick, licking his lips when he saw precum drip from the tip.
Sonny leaned down and swallowed the head, sucking gently, while he stroked the rest of Leo’s hard length. Steadily, he took more and more of Leo’s dick in his mouth, sucking hard as he went.
Leo’s big hands gently cupped Sonny’s head. He looked up, enjoying the sight of his alpha’s face flushed with arousal.
Sonny pressed his own dick against the bed, hips moving in rhythm with his strokes. Damn, my honey bear tastes so good. He worked Leo’s dick for a while, then moved onto his balls, sucking first one, then the other into his mouth.
“Fuck, Sonny!” Leo’s grip on his head tightened, then he was spurting between them. Sonny barely closed his eyes in time.
Leo panted as he grabbed the sheet, wiping at Sonny’s face. “I’m so sorry.”
Sonny stifled a giggle and rolled over. “Finish me?”
Leo’s eyes grew heavy, and he looked so pleased at the sight of Sonny’s hard dick. “With pleasure.”
It didn’t take long for Sonny to come, and Leo swallowed it all. Sonny patted his mate’s head. “Thank you, honey bear.”
Chapter 8
Leo kissed Sonny goodbye and tried not to smile when his witch glared at Flufflepuff. Leo knew Sonny was ready to take the next step in their relationship, but he was nervous his family would ruin the warm happiness Leo had found. Flufflepuff was a test.
He picked up his lunch and Flufflepuff’s carrier and leash. It had snowed each night for a week now, so it was too cold to walk Sonny’s familiar to the auto shop. He put her into her carrier and strapped her into the seat of his truck.
Rocchi’s Garage was a short distance away. He saw his parents’ car parked next to his sister Coleen’s. Those three were always the first to arrive. Then came Leo, Burkhart, Rosemarie, Thorwald, and finally, Niels.
Leo breathed deeply, then let it out in a rush. “Okay, Flufflepuff. This is the first test. I’m sorry I’m using you, but I need to make sure they’re ready for Sonny. They tease constantly, and I don’t want to upset my sunshine.”
Flufflepuff meowed pitifully from her carrier.
“Oh, I’ll let you out. Sorry, Fluff.” Leo opened the carrier and snuggled with the cat for a minute. Sonny might be jealous of his familiar, but he had made sure she was dressed nicely in her Hufflepuff cat sweater.
He grabbed the lunch Sonny had packed him and left his truck.
Coleen was already straightening up the waiting room and wiping down the front desk. She looked up when he came in. “Why do you have a cat with you?”
“This is Flufflepuff, and she’s going to be visiting us today,” Leo said, voice formal.
Coleen tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear and narrowed her eyes on him. His sisters were beautiful women with olive skin, black hair, and full figures. They were also as different as night and day. Coleen was a bit prissy and definitely a diva.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
Leo shrugged. “Flufflepuff is a good friend, and I want her to see where I work.”
“Okay,” Coleen said, drawing the word out. She looked over her shoulder and shouted. “Mom, Leo’s being weird.”
“Just ignore him, Coleen,” Leo’s mother, Katrin, yelled back. “I’m working on the books and don’t have time for your shit.”
Coleen grumbled but looked back at Leo. “Fine. The cat can stay up here with me, but if it gets annoying, I’m bringing it to the garage.”
Leo sniffed and hugged Flufflepuff. “You fail, Coleen. Flufflepuff is my friend and you’ve insulted her.”
Coleen rubbed her face. “And they call me the drama queen.”
“She’ll stay in the garage with me.” Leo turned on his heel and marched to the breakroom. He set Flufflepuff down and put his lunch in the fridge. He loved that damn spaghetti and hoped his siblings didn’t steal it. Italian food was a favorite in the Rocchi household. His dad’s grandparents were Italian and had passed down their love of food to each family member along with the Rocchi name.
/> “What do you have there?” Leo’s dad, Jesse, asked over his shoulder.
Leo jumped, then spun around. “Leave my lunch alone.”
“You’ve been bringing in quality food for a while now,” Jesse said, eying him suspiciously. “Where are you getting it from?”
Leo cleared his throat. “I’d like you to meet Flufflepuff. She’s a friend of mine and will be visiting today.”
Flufflepuff tilted her head and watched Jesse. “Meow.”
Jesse made a face. “Does it have fleas? I don’t want fleas in the garage, Leo. Do you think we’d attract the fleas when we’re shifted?”
Flufflepuff’s green eyes narrowed.
Leo picked her up and stroked her head. “You’ve failed, Father. Flufflepuff is my friend and you’ve been very rude. Does she look like she has fleas?”
“Father? Since when do you call me Father?” Jesse rolled his eyes and shouted over his shoulder. “Katrin, your son is being weird!”
“Damn it, I can’t help that Leo is weird. He’s family, so deal with it,” Katrin yelled back. “I’m working on the books. Leave me alone.”
Leo shook his head, giving his dad a disappointed look. “I expected better from you.” He left the breakroom and went to his station. It was the farthest from the office. “I’m sorry, Fluff. I knew Coleen and Mom might be difficult, but I really thought Dad would at least say hi to you.”
He set the cat on top of one of his work tables, and Flufflepuff yawned and settled down for a nap.
Burkhart came in shortly after.
“Burk, this is Flufflepuff. She’s my friend and visiting for the day.” Leo waved to Flufflepuff.
Burkhart blinked at the sleeping cat. “Uh, hi?”
Leo smiled wide. “You pass, Burk. I always knew you were my favorite sibling.”
Thorwald yawned as he walked past. “Who’s the cat?”
“Flufflepuff,” Leo said, scratching her head. “She’s my friend.”
“Whatever.” Thorwald shrugged and went to his station.
“You fail, Thor,” Leo said, curling his lip. “You’re dead to me.”
Rosemarie stopped at his station. “Wow. That’s harsh.”
“Rosemarie.” Leo nodded at his sister. “This is Flufflepuff, a dear friend of mine.”
She reached out and let Fluff sniff her fingers before petting Sonny’s familiar. “Sweet cat. Does your apartment building let you have pets?”
Leo leaned over and kissed her forehead. “You pass, Rose. You’re my favorite sibling.”
“Hey,” Burkhart said, looking up from arranging his tools. “I thought I was.”
Leo opened his garage door and the first car pulled in for an oil change. “You both are. I can have two favorites.”
Rosemarie laughed and went to her station.
Leo was halfway through the first job when Niels ran in, tugging on his coveralls. “Neils! This is my friend, Flufflepuff.”
Niels gave him a bewildered look. “What? Are you high?” He looked at Flufflepuff. “Wait, is that cat wearing a sweater? Am I high?”
“You failed.” Leo shook his head sadly. “You’re dead to me. Go away.”
Niels shrugged and ran to his station. “You’re so weird.”
Leo finished the oil change, then took a second to pet Flufflepuff. “I’m sorry my family has treated you so poorly. You’re a good cat and a good familiar. You deserve better.”
“She’s a familiar?” Burkhart asked behind him. “Who’s her witch?”
Leo jumped, startled. “What are you talking about? There’s a customer waiting on you, Burk. We don’t have time for this.”
Burkhart eyed him suspiciously. “You are acting weird.”
Thorwald walked by singing a Bette Midler song at the top of his lungs, earbuds in. Leo gave Burkhart a flat look. “I’m the weird one?”
Several oil changes and three tire rotations later, Leo wiped his hands on a rag and picked up Flufflepuff. “Lunch time, Fluff. I packed some treats so you won’t feel out of place.”
Rocchi’s Garage always closed from one to two so that everyone could eat lunch together. Time for test number two.
He walked into the breakroom and froze when all of his siblings turned to glare at him. “What?”
“What the hell was in that spaghetti, Leo?” Coleen asked, hands propped on her ample hips.
Leo shrugged. “Stuff that goes in spaghetti.”
“Dad ate it, then started kissing Mom,” Niels said, slightly green. “I mean like real deep kisses. I heard things and now I’m traumatized.”
“Dad ate my spaghetti?” Leo frowned, shoulders slumping. He’d been looking forward to his lunch.
“They’re having sex in the office,” Thorwald said, appalled. “We all know it. They know that we know, but they don’t care. What the fuck was in that spaghetti?”
“What makes you think it had to be the spaghetti?” Leo said, texting an order to the pizza place around the corner. He was hungry, damn it.
“He ate your lunch, then a second later we could practically see the hearts in his eyes. He went right for Mom,” Rosemarie said, shuddering. “She giggled, Leo. Giggled.”
“It’s nothing to worry about,” Leo said, face flushing. “Just a little spell to set the mood.”
Burkhart watched Flufflepuff in consideration. “Hmm, so you bring a spelled lunch to work along with a witch’s familiar, who also happens to be your friend.”
Thorwald leaned forward, arms folded on the table. “We’ve scented the new man on you, Leo. We’ve just tried to be polite and not bug you about it. Are you dating a witch?”
Coleen’s eyes widened. “That’s it, isn’t it? You’re dating a witch. That’s wicked cool, bro.”
“I thought you wanted to settle down,” Niels said, looking confused. “Dillion was a douchebag, but you’ll find a nice omega bear one day.”
Leo almost bit his tongue off, but he managed not to strangle Niels. I’ve already found my nice omega mate. I don’t need a bear. I have my witch.
“Hey, there’s no harm in having a little fun before you settle down,” Thorwald said, laughing. “I’ve always wanted to date a vampire. I hear that when they drink from you during sex—”
Rosemarie covered his mouth. “No sex talk from you.”
Niels bit his lip. “It just seems like Leo really wants the whole settling down thing, so it’s not smart to date a witch while you wait for your fated mate to come along.”
Coleen looked thoughtful. “You have a point. Leo, you shouldn’t be playing the field. You’re not a manwhore like Thor. You’re sensitive and caring. Look, I know a couple of omegas that I think you’d like. I’ve been holding off on matchmaking because I thought you were still recovering from Dillion, but clearly you’re ready to get back out there.”
Leo settled Flufflepuff on his shoulder and grabbed her treats from his open lunch box. “You all fail, big time. I’m eating lunch with Flufflepuff in my truck.”
A few minutes later, his pizza was delivered and he had the truck nice and warm. He gave Flufflepuff some treats and took a bite of his first slice before he dialed a number on his phone.
“Hey, baby boy. How’s it going?” His grandma’s voice was a soothing balm on the nerves his siblings had irritated.
“Hey, Grandma.” Leo took another bite and swallowed. “I don’t think the family is ready to hear about Sonny. They can’t even consider that my mate could be a witch.”
“They’re a pack of knuckleheads, that’s for sure,” Janine said. “I love each and every one of you, but y’all can be dense. Now, did you actually tell them Sonny is your mate?”
Leo shared a look with Flufflepuff. “Uh, no. You know how they are. They’ll get all rowdy and opinionated. I don’t want him running away.”
“I can’t wait to meet this witch that has you all aflutter.” He could hear the smile in her voice. “You’ve invited him to come to the farm, right?”
“Not yet.” Leo sighe
d. “I wanted to see how things went today before I did it. Do you think everyone will behave?”
“If they don’t, I’ll roast them in the oven for dinner,” she said. Leo was a little worried she meant that. “Are you sure the best way to introduce him to your parents is at Christmas? You know your aunt, uncles, and cousins will be here too.”
“That’s why I think it will be best,” Leo said. “This way, Mom will be distracted with Aunt Tula and Dad will be going bear outside with the uncles.”
“Hmm, I’m not convinced, but I’m too excited to meet him to bother trying to talk you out of it.” Janine was quiet for a moment. “His family really won’t mind?”
“Nope,” Leo said. “I told you about his parents and grandparents. Normally, he’d go to the coast and spend winter solstice with Myrtle and her sister Hester.”
“What about that rabbit of his?” Janine asked.
Leo smiled. “Aaron and Gemma split the holidays between their parents’ homes.”
“Okay. I just don’t want nobody spending Christmas alone.”
“I love you, Grandma.”
“Love you too, sweetie. Eat your lunch and go give your family hell. Tell my son he better get in shape before I see him. I’m not afraid to whomp him.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He hung up and smiled at Flufflepuff. “Grandma and Grandpa are on our side, Fluff. If I can just ease everyone together without Sonny thinking we’re a bunch of maniacs, I’ll be good.”
Leo watched Sonny closely. His witch sat on his lap on the couch, bundled in a cozy blanket and Leo’s favorite hoodie. “So, what do you say?”
Sonny’s eyes were wide with hope. “You want me to go with you to your grandparents for the winter solstice?”
“Yeah. We do Christmas, but Grandma knows there’s a few things you’ll want to add to it. She’s looking forward to getting to know you.” Leo could have kicked himself when Sonny’s eyes watered.
“She really wants to meet me?”
“She sure does.” Leo cupped Sonny’s face and kissed him. “That’s her bracelet I gave you, you know. She sent it to me to give to you when I told her about you.”
