He then turned his focus back to his brother and said, “I need to go. We’ll finish this conversation later.” He didn’t wait for his twin’s response before hanging up and throwing his mobile on the bedside table. “Come here, sweet.” He waved Dom over.
“Uh-oh. Why do I feel something is wrong?” Dominic came closer and sat on the bed, taking Jim’s hand in his.
“Because you’re a very intelligent and perceptive man?”
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” Dom laughed before sobering quickly. “What is wrong, baby? Is it something with Tim? Do we need to go back?”
“Um, no, not exactly.” Jim closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them, he noticed a deep frown on Dominic’s forehead. He smoothed the frown lines with his forefinger and smiled sadly at the man. “Your cousin visited.”
“Huh? Joel?”
“Yep. Apparently he popped in unannounced and caught Tim unaware. Timiny had his headphones in and didn’t hear him approaching.”
“I feel it didn’t go over well.”
“That depends on how you define well.”
“I define it as Joel not noticing anything different about you twin brother maybe except how pretty he is.” Dominic seemed to have his answer prepared.
“Then no, it didn’t go over well.”
“Fuck!” Dominic sighed and rested his forehead on Jim’s thigh. He lay like that for a long moment, breathing deeply, while Jim played with Dom’s hair. “Okay,” the big man finally mumbled “tell me everything.” So Jim did. Dominic was quiet for a long moment after.
“Let’s go downstairs,” he finally said. “I only came to get you for lunch. It was almost ready. We better hurry or they’ll eat everything.”
“And what about Tim and Joel?” Jim braved the question. Dominic looked at him with tired eyes.
“I’m too wiped out to worry about my cousin and your brother right now. You said Tim insisted Joel reacted well, right?”
“That’s what he said.” Jim nodded.
“Good, then they can deal with it on their own. Right now I’m more worried about my wolf going crazy killer on me, the sadistic god tempting me to strangle him, and my father hiding from me that his mother was an alpha she-wolf. All I want to do now is eat lunch, do whatever Eric makes me do after that, and come to bed with you. I want to just lie down and cuddle with you. I want to stop worrying for a second about all this paranormal bullshit and just enjoy spending time with my mate!” The longer he spoke, the angrier he sounded, and his eyes took on the yellowish hue Jim saw last night.
“Okay,” Jim said carefully as he slowly approached the man, who started pacing. “It’s all right, Dom. I’m here with you. Everything is okay.” He came really close when Dominic suddenly spun and grabbed him. Jim didn’t even think to resist. He went willingly when Dom clutched him tightly to himself and started nuzzling his cheek, the side of his neck and his hair.
“You smell so nice,” Dominic said in a growly voice that Jim had started associating with the man’s wolf. “You smell like home, like mine,” he added in the same voice.
“I am yours, sweet. Yours and no one else’s.”
“Mine!” Dominic insisted, inhaling deeply the scent of Jim’s skin.
“Yes, yours.”
“My mate, mine.” The growly voice seemed tired and a bit childish now.
“That’s right,” Jim said in a soothing tone. “I’m yours, Dom. You need to come back to me. I’m yours and I need you.”
“Mate needs?” There was a question in the growly voice.
“Yes, I need my Dominic. My human Dominic.”
“Human?” The voice seemed puzzled and Dominic pushed a bit away, looking at Jim with a question in the yellow eyes of a wolf.
“Yes, I need human Dominic to help me now. You can go to rest and come later, okay?” Jim had no idea what he was doing, but it seemed to be working. The wolf started to give way to Dom’s human side. He growled one more “Later” and relented. Dominic closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them, he seemed disoriented.
“What happened?” he asked, looking at Jim with the same puzzlement the wolf was showing before.
“You let your wolf out for a moment, sweet.”
“I what?” Dominic seemed horrified. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“Nope.” Jim laughed a small, watery laugh. “The wolf seemed to think I was your mate.”
“Really?” Dominic smiled, surprising Jiminy.
“Yes, really. Why are you so happy?”
“Eric said something about you being my mate, but I wasn’t sure if he wasn’t fucking with me. But if the wolf thinks that we are mated, then it has to mean something, right?” He looked quite pleased with the idea.
“Well, yeah. Shifters usually know their prospective mates. But why does it make you so happy?”
“Because we don’t need to wait god knows how long. We only need to wait till I’m in control of my wolf, and then we can mate.”
“Is that so?” Jim tried to sound stern but failed miserably.
“Yep. You were made for me. My human side knew it almost from the beginning, but I was worried the wolf would hurt you. You said pixies didn’t have strong magic and needed the strongest mate they could find. So what about an alpha wolf? Does it sound okay?”
“It most definitely does.” Jim couldn’t stop his shit-eating grin if he tried.
“Let’s go for lunch then, babe, so that I can get control of my wolf as soon as possible. I don’t want to wait longer than absolutely necessary to make you mine.”
Chapter Thirteen
They finished their lunch and were almost done cleaning when a knock sounded on the front door.
“I’ll get it,” said Jason, standing up. Jack and Toby continued tidying after the meal while the other men tried to pretend they weren’t interested in what was happening at the door. Soon, the voices from the hallway sounded closer and Dominic noticed with the corner of his mind that Eric stood up and positioned himself in the corner near the entrance, so that he wouldn’t be the first person the guests noticed.
A beautiful woman entered the kitchen, with a man looking to be the same age close behind her. Jason was the one closing the procession. The woman, who could only be Jay’s mother, rushed Toby with a big smile brightening her face. She hugged the young man tightly before going to Tyler and doing the same.
“How are my favorite son-in-laws-to-be?” she asked.
“Very well, thank you,” Tyler answered. “You son is taking very good care of us.”
“He better be!” she said, whirling in place to shake her finger at Jason. Before she could do it however she finally noticed Eric. An expression of shock entered her face and she froze.
“Er…” she started, but the man interrupted, approaching her quickly and, taking both her hands in his, squeezing them gently.
“It is me, Ellie. It is good to see you. You’re even more beautiful than the last time I saw you.”
“How…” she whispered, but Eric had already turned to her fiancé, Roman.
“And you must be Roman. I’m Eric Phane, Jason’s old friend. I popped in unannounced and I’m very glad to be able to meet you. Elise is a very special woman. She deserves a good man like you to take care of her.”
“Um, thanks?” Roman was clearly surprised by the whole scene and his statement came out more like a question. Their short conversation gave Elise time to get herself together and shake off her shock.
“Well, Eric,” she said in a much calmer voice, and Dominic had a feeling she put more pressure on his name than necessary, “I haven’t seen you in years. I heard you were tied up with something, couldn’t come to visit at all.” Her gaze was searching, as if she wanted to learn the truth even though they were obviously talking in riddles.
“That’s true.” He nodded. “But the situation changed. I’m needed here now, so I’ll be hanging out with Jason more once again. We’ll see a lot of each other in the nearest future
.”
“I haven’t yet decided if I want you around,” Jason grumbled, shooting Eric an unfriendly glance.
Eric narrowed his eyes at him and a sudden look of shock entered Jason’s face, just to be replaced by a neutral expression once again.
“Don’t be like that, Jay-Jay.” Eric’s laugh sounded slightly forced. “You know I didn’t have a choice in leaving. It wasn’t entirely my fault.”
“Yeah, that’s true, babe,” Elise interrupted putting her hand on Jason’s shoulder. “Your fa… friend”—she corrected her slipup—“is not to blame. You know how life can be. We sometimes have to do what we have to do.” She squeezed her son’s shoulder harder and Jay relented.
“Fine,” he said, “but it doesn’t mean I forgive you. We’re not suddenly becoming best friends again. I’ll give you a chance but that’s it.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything else.” Eric beamed at him and turned back to Elise. “Now, why don’t you introduce me to your wonderful fiancé properly and tell me all about your wedding plans?”
Elise’s face brightened momentarily at the mention of her wedding and she grabbed Roman’s hand, pulling him with her to the living room, ordering Jason at the same time to make some drinks.
Dominic wasn’t sure if he should follow the woman, and Jiminy seemed equally unsure, but Toby resolved the matter, grabbing Jimmy’s hand and telling him excitedly, “Oh, you two must come with me. Elise will be delighted to meet you. She wanted to know more about mine and Tyler’s lives, and when we told her about you and your brother, she was very curious. She said she’d like to meet you both one day. She will be happy to do it now, and meeting your boyfriend will be even better.” He tipped his head at Dom.
“Um, what exactly did you tell her?” Jiminy sounded suddenly reluctant and Dom noticed a tiny flutter on his back. He took a step closer, putting his hand on the small of Jiminy’s back. Jim turned his head to smile at him thankfully, but then returned his gaze to Toby, listening to the man’s answer.
“Oh, nothing like that.” Toby had to be a mind-reader as he lowered his voice and looked around as if someone might be spying on them. “We had no idea she knew about the paranormal world, so we made sure to not tell her anything that could sound suspicious. She only knows you’re Tyler’s best friend and that you and Timmy moved closer recently. She heard about your online business as well. She was delighted when she saw your page. Jason and we were thinking about buying a wedding gift from you. She was truly enchanted by your hand-made woven basket-chairs. We thought of maybe presenting her with a set, for the new life with Roman, you know?”
“Yeah, that should be doable” Jim visibly relaxed. “If the wedding isn’t too close in time, we could make it our priority and the set should be soon ready.”
“Great!” Toby clapped his hands and almost jumped in place like an excited little puppy, his eyes glowing with delight. “Now let’s go and introduce the two of you. I’m sure Elise will love you both,” he said pulling Jimmy after him and Dominic had no choice but to follow.
* * * *
The visit went better than could be expected, considering Tyler and Jason’s lingering animosity toward Eric. Dominic did get to meet Elise, and she indeed seemed pleased to meet him and Jiminy. Dominic thought Elise to be a lovely woman. Much less strict than his own mother, she was young of soul and it was obvious. Even though usually reluctant to meet new people Dominic felt great in her company. He was really unhappy to see her go, for more than one reason.
He so, wasn’t looking forward to training with Eric again that day. He was really shaken and wiped out after the first session, and he wasn’t so sure it was truly helping. After the way he lost it when Jim told him about Timiny and Joel, he thought that maybe bringing his wolf closer to the surface like Eric suggested wasn’t the right way to go about it. But what did he know? He was the student, not the teacher, and he supposed the strange god had to know what he was talking about.
Before she left, Elise took Eric to the back garden for a serious conversation. She did it under the pretense of giving her son and fiancé more time to bond. She came back much calmer and clearly reassured. When Jason later asked Eric what they were talking about, the god simply smiled mysteriously and said it was between Jay’s mother and him. Of course, Jason was fuming, but he could do nothing about him.
After that, Eric pulled him once again to the garden for another training session and Dominic discovered that having his wolf close to the surface might not have been such a good idea after all. They had barely started and Dominic was feeling his wolf coming forward, when suddenly Tyler stuck his head through the back door, wanting to ask them something. That was when all went to hell.
* * * *
Dominic was trying to bring his wolf as close to the surface as possible, doing the exercises Eric had shown him. It was over half an hour of them and Dom was pretty tired. It involved concentration, and although he dismissed it at first as some hippie crap, he was soon proved wrong. Trying to become one with nature, trying to blend with his surroundings, if only mentally, did manage to bring his wolf closer and in turn, gave Dominic chance to become accustomed to it.
Eric said he had to get used to his wolf and let the animal get used to his human side. It was supposed to create a foundation on which trust could be built, giving him better control of his wolf. Until those silly exercises, Dominic only felt the creature in moments of annoyance, lust or anger. And apparently it wasn’t good. He should learn more about the animal while it was mellow, in a good mood. The whole purpose of this hippie-shaman stuff was to give him opportunity to do just that. It was working, too.
The beast was near. Dominic could almost feel him sniffing, trying to learn his surroundings. Unfortunately, what he sniffed out was a certain tiger-shifter’s scent. Dominic opened his eyes and his vision was different somehow, distorted. Colors weren’t as bright, but everything was clearer, sharper.
He turned to the back door where the scent was coming from and saw it opening. Tyler’s head peaked through and he opened his mouth to say something, but instead he frowned and snapped his head to Dominic. His eyes flashed to orange and he lifted his lips in a snarl. Dominic felt a similar reaction in himself. It was as if his human side took the backseat, while the animal was in control. He thought distantly that the goal of his training was for the opposite to happen, but he could do nothing but watch. His wolf made them spring to their feet from the cross-legged position they were in and then crouch protectively, ready for a fight. Tyler apparently took it as a challenge, as he pushed the door wide open and stalked out. His gait changed, became more feline, and his big muscles bunched, ready to attack.
They were mere meters apart and Dom had no idea what would have happened if not for Eric’s intervention. The god stood up from where he was sitting under the tree, shook off his jeans from any grass that stuck to them, and stepped in in the exact moment when Dominic felt his beast was going to attack the annoying tiger.
“That’s enough,” he said calmly, but Dominic felt the power washing over him, freezing him in one spot. He couldn’t move a muscle, much less anything else. He looked at Eric, who came in his line of sight. The god’s eyes whitened to an almost iridescent white.
“You, I can understand.” The god addressed him, looking not really interested, flicking off some stubborn blade of grass stuck to his knee, “But you, Tyler?” I thought you were a grown man, not some kitten that doesn’t know how to behave. First of all, you shouldn’t be coming anywhere near me and Dominic when he’s training, and second, what were you thinking, reacting to his challenge like that? He can’t even understand his wolf, not to even mention controlling him. You should know better. You should control yourself better,” he said, putting pressure on the word control. Now, how should I punish you, huh? Should I change you into a fluffy kitten for a day?” Eric said, his smirk returning. “Or maybe something else, maybe a puppy?”
Dominic could see from where he was frozen that Tyler
was equal parts pissed and scared. Dom couldn’t blame him. Faced with such power, his wolf immediately retreated and was now cowering in the back of his mind. Eric’s gaze flicked back to him and Dominic would have flinched if he could.
“Now, that’s a shame, Dominic lost all the progress he’s made today. I think you do deserve punishment, kitty.”
“Don’t call him kitty!” Toby’s quivering voice said from the doorway. “Only I and Jason can call him that!”
“Well, hello there, Toby.” Eric’s smirk turned into an honest smile. “I was just telling Tyler how he ruined all the work Dominic did today.”
“Did you, Ty?” Toby put his hands on his hips and started tapping his foot impatiently. Eric must have released Tyler from the immobilizing spell, because the tiger turned to him with a pout.
“It wasn’t on purpose, I swear!”
“I don’t care. You were told not to disturb them during training. What were you thinking?”
“But Jimmy asked me to check how long it was taking…” The shifter actually whined.
“And you couldn’t have sent someone else to do it?” Toby’s eyes narrowed and Dominic had a sudden vision of the big cat spending this night on the sofa.
“But, sweetie…”
“No buts, Tyler Rhodes. You, mister, are in big trouble. You just wait until I tell Jay-Jay all about your stunt.”
“Oh, don’t be like that…” Dominic heard Ty whining as he followed the smaller man inside. That left the two of them alone again. Eric sighed and released Dom from his imprisonment. He was suddenly free to move once again. “I hate having my plans messed with,” Eric complained, before he turned to Dominic, his eyes still the eerie white they had turned when Tyler interrupted them. “Now you need to get back to the place we were in when the big lug interrupted us.”
“Would you really have turned him into a kitten?” Dominic couldn’t stop himself from asking, even his wolf stirring, curious and amused at the same time.
Reality Check Page 13
