by Julia Talbot
Dinner, which smelled so good it made him wonder if he was drooling. He might be, but no one seemed to mind. Carter was there, and Nathan had met his mate, Fallon.
The vampire smelled… fascinating. Like catnip and meat. Nathan would have been intimidated by him, but the way Carter made Fallon smile, he knew the man wasn’t mean at all.
Nathan watched Carter and Tom bait one another, and it was like watching tennis. Boing. Boing. Boing. Ed kept fluttering in and out, warming up this cider or that hot chocolate, giving them little snacks.
He didn’t like hot chocolate, but he liked whipped cream.
They all seemed happy to stay right there, and apparently the only other guests were eating in their cabins.
Tanner stuck his head out of the kitchen. “You guys want me to bring bowls out here?”
Carter hopped up, and Nathan thought he could see the kitty whiskers twitching. “I’ll help, boss.”
“Thanks. We’ll eat at the coffee table, huh? I want my recliner.”
They returned moments later with steaming bowls of yummy meat and sauce, with baskets of bread. Yes, please. Bread.
Tom took a piece and buttered it, then fed him, the bite warm and soft and yeasty.
Nathan moaned, then glanced around. “Sorry.”
“Nope. No apologizing for liking my food.” Tanner beamed at him.
“It’s amazing.”
“I baked the bread,” Carter pointed out with a wicked grin.
“Shut up,” Tanner said, making them all laugh.
Jami wandered in. “Dinner is delivered.”
“Then sit and have a glass with us.” Fallon waved Jami over.
Jami looked to Tanner, who nodded.
What a good bear.
“He is,” Tom muttered.
Nathan chuckled. “I’m so glad.” Tanner was a good friend to have, he thought, and he hoped the bear would forgive him his outburst earlier. He’d panicked.
“He will.”
Tanner mock glared at Tom.
“Sorry.” Tom winked, showing he really wasn’t. Not at all.
That made Tanner roll his eyes.
Ed perched on his other side, holding a bowl that was mostly corn goo and very little meat and sauce.
It seemed awkward at first, but then Nathan relaxed, hummed, and dug into his dinner. Feeding was communal, was supposed to be, at any rate.
They all fell silent while they munched, but Tom’s happy voice was in his head, singing a song about blackbirds.
He licked his fingers, humming deep in his chest. So yummy.
“Try the polenta, sweet. There’s plenty more bread.”
He chuckled, realizing he’d sucked down two pieces of bread already. “Sorry. Sorry. It’s all so good.”
“Nope. No apologizing.” That was Carter. “I’m tickled you like my bread.”
“I do. It’s like magic. The meat too. I like.” He licked his lips.
“Good.” Tanner beamed at him, so he thought they were okay. Made up.
He smiled, filling his belly, then offering his mate a bite.
Tom nipped it right off his fork, smiling at him, so pleased. Nathan felt it. He beamed over, a lovely heat filling him.
His mate was happy. That was the best feeling.
Nathan breathed, wallowing in it, wrapping himself in the feeling like armor. There was something safe here. Something so wonderful he was worried he would lose it.
He hadn’t remembered that he could lose it.
Tom put a warm hand over his, and he relaxed immediately. Nathan had been tensing up.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He nudged Tom’s arm, fingers curling around Tom’s fingers.
“Stop apologizing, love. Nothing is wrong to feel. I just thought I could help.”
“You did.” You do. Always.
“Good. Can I have more bread?” Tom asked.
Nathan tore off a bite of his and pressed it to Tom’s lips. Tom nipped it out of his hand, humming as he ate it.
“Oh, they are charming, aren’t they?” Fallon grinned at them, and the look wasn’t hungry, but curious.
“Fal’s a writer, Nathan.” Tanner grinned too, licking his spoon clean. “He watches. He’s good at it.”
“He’s writing romances now as well as horror.” Carter sounded so proud.
“Is that hard? To switch, I mean?” he asked.
“Not now, no. I mean, I’m a vampire. Horror comes easily. Carter taught me about love.” Fallon looked at Carter like he was the missing sun.
“Oh….” Oh, how lovely.
“Saps. All of you.” Tanner sighed dramatically.
“We are. You love it. I know you buy my books.” Fallon looked completely unfazed.
“I do, since you stopped giving them to me.” Tanner glared, but Nathan thought it was fake.
“I needed to make sure you were seriously interested in reading them, bear.”
“Uh-huh. Cheapskate.”
“That’s right!” Fallon looked fondly at Carter, then Ed and finally Jami. “You keep hiring all these people.”
Ed cawed, the sound short and sharp.
Jami snorted. “At least Glenda lives offsite.”
“Did she ever hook up with that guy—the gargoyle?”
Nathan blinked at Tom. “Who falls for a gargoyle?”
“A gorgon. You have to meet Glenda, but don’t look her in the eye. She won’t be offended.”
“A gorgon.” Wow. That was… wow.
“Yeah. I was so seriously impressed.” Jami chuckled.
Tom grinned at him. “She makes amazing towel art.”
“Oh my gosh! Can I have towel art tomorrow?” Was that selfish? Nathan knew he couldn’t pay for anything.
“I’ll ask her. She has been careful not to startle you. She’s good about that.” Be at ease, mate. Breathe. You’re not in trouble.
“Oh.” He ducked his head, eating more bread. Good. I don’t want to upset.
Tom nosed his temple, the touch a comfort.
He made a happy noise, one that became even happier when Carter popped up. “Dessert?”
He sniffed hard, his nostrils flaring.
“Peanut butter pie!” Ed flapped his hands.
“Oh….” Nathan’s eyes crossed.
“Definitely dessert,” Tom murmured.
Nathan nodded hard. “Please. Definitely please.”
“I’ll get it,” Jami said, rising.
“I’ll help.” Ed hopped up. “Give me plates.”
“Do I need to help?” He blinked up from where he was cuddled into Tom.
“Nope. We got it.” Jami gave them all a smile. “Be right back.”
He stayed where he was, warm and happy, full—both of food and Tom’s song. This was what it meant to have friends.
Pack. Pack. Pack.
That’s right, Tom sang to him.
He beamed. His pack. Oh, he liked that idea very much. He’d had a pack once. A family—a sire, a dam, brothers and sisters.
He tilted his head, the images flittering in his mind. Where were they? Who had taken him?
“Nathan?” Tom nuzzled his temple. “Where are you?”
“I had siblings. I have no idea where they are.” He frowned, rubbing his temple.
“Oh. Love.” Tom squeezed him. “I’m sorry.”
“You don’t remember them?” Carter asked. “Did you remember before?”
“I just thought of them. I—can’t remember what happened. Why don’t I know?”
“Amnesia is a crazy thing, Nathan. You can’t force it.” Fallon spoke like he knew.
He looked at Fallon, feeling sad if his new friend had experienced this terrible pain.
Fallon nodded, his expression sympathetic. “It happens to us, vampires I mean, more often than not as we get older.”
“Are you scared too, when you try to remember?”
“I was. There was a fire….” Fallon’s face twisted, and Carter took his hand. “I recovered. I swear,
it’s painful now but not terrifying. I remember.”
“I’m sorry.” He shook his head, suddenly ashamed of himself.
“Why?” Fallon leaned forward, elbows on his knees. “It takes time. It’s scary.”
“It is. It’s a wall. I feel stupid.”
“Never.” That was his mate, kissing his neck.
He blinked, nice and slow, his thoughts derailed. His panic dissipated, and he could smell peanut butter and whipped cream.
“Better, right? Smells so good.” Tom whispered in his ear. “We can focus on this.”
“It smells almost as good as you.”
He felt Tom’s happy shock, the warm surprise. It was true, so he didn’t even have to pretend he was joking. Nathan loved how Tom smelled.
“Thank you, mate.”
He rumbled happily. Tom eased the ache inside him, filled the space left from losing his pack. When he glanced up, Fallon and Tanner and Carter were all smiling gently at them.
“Enjoy it,” Tanner said. “It’s good to have your mate close.”
“It is.” He sensed a little sorrow from Tanner, but who was he to remark on it. He would just eat his—
“Pie!” Ed appeared, Jami following close behind.
“Pie!” Tom actually bounced.
He laughed at all of them, even Carter, who wasn’t big on sweets, he’d noticed. Peanut butter had nice salt, though.
Carter had a sliver, barely a bit, but Tom took a huge piece for them to share. Jami appeared with a can of Reddi-Whip.
“More cream?” Jami asked.
“God, yes.” Tom held up their plate. “Please.”
I love this side of you. Nathan caught some cream on his finger and fed it to Tom.
Tom’s eyes lit up. Do you?
I do. You use your senses and take such joy.
Nathan could see Tom’s pleasure. More than that, he could feel it when Tom licked his finger clean.
He beamed, and he didn’t feel bad at all, because Fallon was feeding Carter in tiny, easy bites, and Tanner and Ed were wolfing down pie.
Tom fed him, keeping him close, holding him like he was precious. Maybe he was to Tom. How lovely was that, to be loved. To be wanted.
Is it always like this? he wondered.
Leaning, Tom chuckled. “I have no idea. I’ve never been in love before.”
“Never? Not even once?”
“No.” Tom smiled into his eyes. I’ve been with men, but I’ve never been in love. I know that now.
Nathan melted, like goo. Just dissolved. This was his lover. His mate. Absolute love filled all of him.
“I love new matings. They’re so… cute.” Fallon’s smile was a little like a shark’s.
“I know!” Jami bared his fangs. “It makes me want to bite and bite.”
“You guys are awful,” Ed said. “I think it’s adorable.”
“My Tom isn’t awful, birdbrain.”
“No, I meant Mr. Fallon and Jami!” Ed waved his fork in the air.
“Oh!” He laughed, reaching out to squeeze Ed’s hand.
Ed winked at him, long lashes flashing. “I’m totally a birdbrain.”
“You’re my friend.” Nathan had no doubt of that.
“I am.” Ed nodded, head bobbing. “Come play anytime.”
“I will.” He twined his fingers with Tom’s.
“Are you ready to go back to the cabin, love?” Tom kissed his knuckles.
Please. Please, I need… us. Quiet. Peace.
“Thank you so much for supper. And dessert. I think Nathan and I will head back to the cabin. We’re going to snuggle.”
“Have fun. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow!” Ed crowed.
“We’ll play tomorrow,” Nathan agreed as Tom tugged him out of the room.
They stumbled to the cabin through the snow, both of them laughing, playing as they ran. The slippers he wore didn’t give a lot of traction, but he wasn’t afraid to fall. Nothing could hurt worse than— Falling on snow wasn’t bad at all.
He scooped up a handful of snow and tossed it at Tom, playing.
“Oh! Gonna get you.” Tom grabbed a double handful to throw back.
He ducked, swatting the snowball out of the air. He still had pretty good reflexes. Better than Tom’s, though Tom sent a barrage of snowballs pretty fast.
His laugh rang out, seeming to fill the icy night air like a bell.
The snow landed short of his body because he skittered away. Only one of them hit him, and he hooted.
“So fast, mate! So fast.” Tom applauded for him, cheered.
“I am.” He ducked and lunged, sending them both to the ground. The snow puffed up around them in a cloud, and they both laughed.
“Oh, that’s cold!” Tom rolled away, rising to his knees.
“It is! It’s snow.” He chuckled and stood before helping Tom up.
“Thanks.” Tom lifted him and twirled him around. “Snow! There’s no snow where I come from.”
“No snow?” He couldn’t imagine.
“Not very often, anyway. More than down in Austin, but it never stayed. I couldn’t believe how much they get here. It scared me a little at first.”
“Oh, I only know snow. I’m a mountain baby.”
“Is that how you ended up here?” Tom kissed his neck before letting him slide back to his feet. They twined fingers again, heading to the cabin.
“I ran away.”
“Did you? What did you run from, sweet?” Tom squeezed his hand, right there with him.
“I can’t. I don’t remember. I know I had to.”
“I’m glad you did. Someone was hurting you.”
He nodded, but his mind skittered around the idea. Nathan couldn’t remember, and he didn’t want to. He reached up with his free hand to touch his neck. No, no remembering.
“Hey, easy. No scratching.” Tom took his hand and led him to their cabin. “No worries.”
“It does itch, but not nearly as bad as it did.” He was learning not to scratch it in his sleep too, man or wolf. Sleeping as a man was odd, but fun with Tom.
“One day you’ll forget them, I swear.”
He didn’t think so, but he’d take Tom’s word.
“Inside.” When they got in the cabin, a fire was going, and someone had brought down a box of clothes.
“Maybe that was what Ed was doing before supper.” Tom looked amused.
“Oh, that’s so…. Why are they all being so nice to me?”
“Because it’s easy to be nice to you. And they’re good men. And woman. You really will like Glenda.” Tom kissed the tip of his nose.
“Are you sure?” He went to stand by the fire. “It’s hard… to remember. To not remember.”
“Sure of what? That you’ll like Glenda?” Tom crossed his eyes.
“I don’t know. I’m just babbling.” Hold me?
Of course. Tom reached out and snagged him, pulling him into those long, strong arms. I’m right here, love. Right here. Tom danced him around in a slow circle, the song between them strong.
Oh.
He melted, letting himself relax and trust a minute. This was magic, this embrace.
Tom hummed a little tune, making him laugh and dance along, but it was slow, the tempo never going past a slow dance. Their bodies rubbed and brushed, and his new clothes felt so soft, if a little damp.
“Relax, hmm? We’re safe here. We can breathe and let your memories come back as they need to.”
“Okay.” Promise? He didn’t want to ask out loud, to seem so insecure, but he was.
Tom nodded, pulling back just enough to stare into his eyes. “Yes. I promise.”
“Thank you.” He leaned forward and took a soft, gentle kiss.
Tom gave it back eagerly, not pressing him, but opening up and letting him in. So sweet, and so… peanut buttery. He laughed. Tom did love that pie.
Yes. Yes, mate. I like the pie. You’re sweeter.
Flattery will get you naked time.
Wil
l it? Tom began to work at the fastenings on his new clothes, those fingers so nimble and clever.
“Yes, mate. It will.” No question.
“Then let me count the ways I love you….” Tom laughed, pulling him down in front of the fire.
“One. Two….”
Chapter Eight
TOM woke up in front of an icy cold fireplace, his feet hanging off the rug. All four of them. Cold. Cold! Had they closed the door? Clearly they’d fallen asleep in front of the fire and wolfed out to stay warm.
Dude! That was the first time Tom could ever remember changing spontaneously, with no pain, to adapt to a situation!
Oh. Go him!
He jerked, legs kicking out, paws slamming right into Nathan, who rolled up in a rush, barking in surprise.
Love! I shifted. I did it. In the night without waking up. He went to Nathan, licking his muzzle. Sorry I kicked you.
Nathan blinked, head shaking as he tried to wake up. You did it. Are you okay? You’re lovely.
I did. We did. It’s cold! He could smell something now. Something yummy. In the kitchen.
How had they slept so hard that no one woke them? How had that happened?
They had been… well, vigorous. So Ed or Tanner could have come in the back. It was a little scary, though.
There was a note on the counter when he led Nathan to the kitchen. Oddly enough, he couldn’t read it as a wolf.
Nathan hopped up and pulled the plate of food down—oh. Sausage. Eggs. More sausage. Nathan nosed over a pile of sausage for him.
He lapped up the food, then munched happily. Good! Good food. Yummy. He wagged, looking for eggs too. Nathan gave him some, nose cold against his for a moment.
Such a good mate, offering him the best bits. Offering him the choice parts.
Nathan bowed to him, then started snapping up bits for himself.
He snuffled around once they were done; then they both licked the plate. Tom was glad the plate was plastic; they didn’t need glass in their pads.
They rubbed against each other after breakfast, sharing scent. He thought Nathan the wolf’s wounds looked so much better. Poor mate.
Nathan groomed his muzzle. Not poor. Lucky.
That was right, wasn’t it? Nathan had escaped. He was too much a man not to wonder, not to be curious, though. He wanted to know what had happened, and his life’s work now was helping other shifters. It was just in his blood.
