Accepting Caladon’s Scales

by Charlie Richards

  Smiling, Caladon rubbed his thumb over his collarbone for a few seconds, then asked, “I am guessing you are out in public?”

  It wasn’t a question, but Leroy nodded anyway. He grinned and motioned toward the faint liner around his eyes and vibrant green colored polish on his nails. “Kinda hard to miss, huh?” It occurred to Leroy that Caladon might not like it and he nibbled his lower lip. “Um, that okay? Do you not want people to know about—” He didn’t bother finishing, instead, waving a hand between them.

  Caladon chuckled and shook his head. “Not a concern. I just wanted to know if I am allowed to touch you while out in public. That is all.”

  Leroy grinned. “I’d like it if you felt free to touch me.” Then, he flushed lightly. “Well, within reason, anyway.” He winked. “I’m not much on hanky-panky in public.”

  “Fair enough,” Caladon replied, a chuckle rumbling through him. He returned Leroy’s wink and said, “No exhibitionism.”

  Laughing, Leroy slipped from the vehicle and shut the door. When he rounded to the front, he found Caladon waiting for him, and he really liked how the tall, slender male reached out and took his hand. It’d been a long time since he’d held hands, let alone done it in public. For some reason, it felt more intimate than the kiss they’d shared in Raymond’s office.

  Of course, remembering the kiss from earlier had a predictable reaction, and his cock thickened in his jeans.

  Caladon opened the restaurant’s door and held it open for him. When Leroy walked past him, Caladon leaned close and whispered, “Whatever you are thinking about, you had best knock it off or we will be running the risk of doing some of that exhibitionism you do not want.”

  Leroy shivered upon feeling Caladon’s warm breath on his neck. “Um.” Leroy peered over his shoulder at the shifter. Seeing the heat lighting Caladon’s dark eyes did little to help him gain control of his erection. In fact, it had the opposite effect. “You’re not helping,” he whispered, his cock thickening further.

  Chuckling, Caladon nipped his ear lightly before he straightened. “Then we both better behave,” he growled softly, then settled a hand on Leroy’s lower back to get him moving forward.

  Swallowing hard, Leroy returned his focus forward and moved the rest of the way into the restaurant. He couldn’t decide if his cheeks felt hot because of the arousal burning through his body or if he sported a blush from embarrassment.

  At least the hostess waiting behind the greeter’s stand appeared amused and not disgusted. That was one of the reasons he liked this diner so much. The place was owned and operated by an openly gay man. A big, brawny specimen of maleness, Wren Cleaver didn’t take any shit in his restaurant and Leroy had seen him toss out several customers for harassing waiters, male and female.

  “Your regular table is available, sweet nurse, if you want it,” the hostess stated.

  Leroy smiled at his longtime friend, Penelope Grath. “Perfect. Thanks.”

  Penelope grinned and held up a pair of menus. Leroy would probably get his usual, but he took both anyway. “Enjoy,” she called softly, waggling her brows before cutting a glance at Leroy’s date meaningfully.

  Chuckling, Leroy shook his head at her antics. Ever the optimist, the slightly plump blonde always pointed out cute guys and gave him her rating. Leroy wasn’t certain he wanted to hear what Penelope thought of Caladon. An odd surge of jealousy coursed through him at the idea of others checking his man out.

  At least his thoughts caused his erection to deflate, allowing him to move a bit easier in his jeans. Besides, Caladon wasn’t his man…at least, not yet. Hell, maybe the shifter would ditch him the second he ran into someone from Leroy’s family.

  Leroy eased down onto one of the bench seats, trying not to think about it.

  Caladon settled in the booth across from him. Resting his elbows on the table, his eyes narrowed as he leaned toward Leroy. “What exactly just popped into your head, cute man,” he asked curiously. Grimacing, he cocked his head and narrowed his eyes as he whispered, “Your scent changed.”

  Leroy scoffed as he settled the menus on the table, his hands folded on top of them. Trying to alleviate the seriousness Caladon portrayed, he teased, “I’m not going to be able to keep much from you, am I?”

  Shrugging, Caladon straightened. “Why would you need to?”

  “What if I’m hiding an anniversary present?” he quipped, saying the first thing that popped into his mind.

  While Leroy had hoped his words would take Caladon’s attention away from his scent and from having to share his ridiculous thoughts, he hadn’t anticipated the instant heat that lit Caladon’s eyes or the soft growl he emitted.

  Seeing the man’s obvious, unbridled desire, Leroy’s brows shot up as his blood flowed southward, again. He shifted as he tried to figure out how to respond to that. Except, what he wanted to do and what he could do were two completely different things. Leroy wanted to drag Caladon to the bathroom to take a few minutes to relieve the pressure. Unfortunately, that was bad for several reasons, possibly getting them kicked out of the restaurant only being one of them.

  Leroy suddenly regretted his insistence in waiting until Gloria was located and Caladon was once again proved single. Still, it didn’t change the fact that he knew it was the right thing to do. He’d watched his oldest sister accept her husband’s lies about how sorry he was for cheating and how he’d never do it again…over and over.

  “I like that you are already thinking of us and anniversary presents,” Caladon softly rumbled, settling his right hand over Leroy’s. “I look forward to many years together, Leroy.”

  Sighing, Leroy uncurled his hands and clamped Caladon’s between his own. Rubbing his fingertips over the shifter’s knuckles, he stared at the differences in their dark and light skin. After a few seconds, he looked up at Caladon and smiled.

  “Let’s get through the beginning before we start thinking about the middle,” Leroy murmured.

  A shadow fell across the table, and Leroy looked over to find Tim grinning down at him. “Hey, Leroy,” the waiter greeted. “You and your friend want coffee? Or something else?”

  Leroy straightened and released Caladon’s hand. “Hi, Tim. No coffee for me. How about some raspberry lemonade.” He’d had a long day at work, then at the manor. If the idea of spending a meal with Caladon hadn’t been so appealing, he’d be home and going to bed right about now. Staying up much later, since the promise of sex was off the table, just wasn’t going to happen.

  “Is the coffee good here?”

  Since Caladon looked at him, Leroy knew the man wasn’t asking the waiter. Besides, what was Tim going to say? That their coffee sucked? Leroy smiled. “Their regular is good, but decaf sucks,” he warned.

  Caladon chuckled. “Got it.” He looked up at Tim. “Regular coffee, then.”

  Tim nodded. “Have you had a chance to decide on your meal or do you need more time?” he asked with a smile, glancing toward the unopened menus meaningfully.

  Leroy grinned. “Sorry, Tim. We were a bit distracted.”

  “Sure you were,” Tim teased, smirking.

  “Just give us a minute,” Leroy responded with a roll of his eyes. He slid a menu toward Caladon.

  Tim chuckled. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

  True to his word, Tim was only gone a minute before he returned with their beverages.

  After Tim again moved off, Caladon picked up his menu. Leroy was about to do the same when movement over Caladon’s shoulder caught his attention. His eyes widened a bit as he realized who strode toward him. It was Sarina Wilde, his sister and the middle sibling. Having two older sisters really sucked sometimes, but never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d see one on his first date with Caladon.

  “Are you all right?” Caladon asked. “You just went a bit pale.”

  Licking his lips, Leroy pulled his attention away from Sarina. He forced a nod. “Yeah, uh, I—”

/>   “Hey, Leroy,” Sarina greeted, stopping beside his table. “Candice told me she spotted you here. How come you weren’t at Sunday supper?”

  Chapter Five

  Caladon just managed to keep from narrowing his eyes. He didn’t like how all the joy left Leroy’s face when the woman walked up to the table.

  Who the hell is this human that she causes such a reaction in my mate?

  “Sorry, Sarina,” Leroy replied to her question. “I had to work.”

  The woman, Sarina, crossed her arms over her chest. “Not according to Paul.”

  Leroy shook his head. “I wasn’t working at the hospital,” Leroy explained. “I volunteer at a, uh, local clinic. They needed me there.”

  “Well, you better not miss this week or mom’s gonna send dad after you,” Sarina warned.

  Well, that answered that question. It seemed this was one of Leroy’s siblings.

  Frowning, Leroy stated dryly, “By the way, Sarina, this is Caladon Wykert.” Leroy waved vacantly at the woman. “Cal, this is one of my sisters, Sarina Wilde.”

  Caladon opened his mouth to say the acceptable greeting platitudes. Except, Sarina barely spared him a glance before returning her focus to Leroy and asking, “Why would you volunteer? Don’t you get enough hours as a nurse?”

  Leroy’s face flushed and he frowned. “I enjoy helping people,” he stated. Then, his eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched. He held up his hand, obviously stalling any response from the woman. “Look. I’m working Sunday, so I won’t be there again. I will, however, give mom a call and let her know in advance. Now, if you’re done being rude to my date,” he finished, waving toward Caladon again, “I’d like you to leave.”

  “Your date?” This time, Sarina actually took a moment to eye Caladon.

  Caladon just managed to keep his body relaxed as he met her gaze squarely. He lifted one eyebrow in silent challenge. Sarina’s eyes narrowed and a corner of her lip curled just a bit. She returned her focus to Leroy.

  “You’ve got to be kidding.”

  “Who I date is not your concern, Sarina, but I will ask you to keep a civil tongue in your head,” Leroy snapped. “Feel free to leave anytime now.”

  Sarina’s eyes widened as her jaw gaped like a fish for several seconds. Finally, her mouth snapped closed and she glared first at Caladon then at Leroy. She stepped closer to Leroy and leaned over him. “What the hell are you doing, Roy?” she hissed. “He’s a negro. Is this some kind of rebellion or something? Being a fag isn’t enough now?”

  If Caladon hadn’t been a shifter, he figured he wouldn’t have heard Sarina’s words, which was probably her intention. Damn, no wonder Leroy had warned him about his family.

  Leroy’s jaw clenched, a muscle ticking along the tense flesh, and his face flushed. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. Caladon debated the best way to help his mate. Should he call attention to Sarina’s bigotedness, prove he’d heard her? Or should he allow Leroy to call the shots?

  While Caladon struggled to decide, Leroy found his tongue. He glared at his sister. “No, I am not rebelling,” he growled, his tone low but not at all hushed. “I’m trying to enjoy a meal with a kind, handsome, thoughtful man whom I like very much, and you’re ruining it. Now, go away.”

  Sarina gasped and jerked backward as if slapped. “Wha! Leroy!”

  Ignoring her, Leroy returned his attention to Caladon. Offering him a forced smile, Leroy rested his elbows on the table and leaned toward him. “So, that was my sister, Sarina. She’s the younger of the two. I’m sorry about the racial slurs, but I did warn you.” He grimaced and shrugged. “I am sorry, though. I thought we’d have a little peace here.”

  Caladon followed Leroy’s lead and ignored the still gaping woman. He reached across the table and cupped both of Leroy’s hands in his own. “I care only about what you think, and I am flattered you would consider me handsome and kind.” He winked. “Thoughtful is good, too, right?”

  Leroy chuckled, still sounding a bit uneasy, but at least he was holding his gaze. “Yeah, I think so.”

  Out of the corner of his vision, Caladon noticed that Sarina left, huffing loudly as she went. He decided addressing the elephant in the room would be best. Lifting Leroy’s hands, he brought them to his lips and kissed the knuckles of each hand. “It is so very easy to see that you do not share their views. Do not think I hold their opinions or words against you,” he assured.

  Flushing again, obviously still embarrassed, Leroy nodded. “Thanks,” he whispered.

  Caladon smiled, kissed his mate’s fingers once more, then released him. “So,” he said, picking up his menu. “What is good here?”

  Just like that, the tension seemed to flow off of Leroy’s shoulders. His smile became more relaxed and genuine. The lines around Leroy’s mouth and brows eased and he reached over to point at a couple of items.

  Caladon reveled in his mate’s mostly relaxed voice as he listened to and nodded over Leroy’s recommendations. After a few minutes, Tim reappeared, looking somewhat nervous. “Is everything okay here?” He glanced toward the front where Sarina had disappeared. “Have you decided?”

  Leroy sighed. “Yeah, I’ve decided I need a family that isn’t full of bigoted assholes,” he muttered. Grimacing as he glanced from Caladon to Tim, he amended, “The turkey club, Tim. With the garlic mashed potatoes.”

  Looking relieved, Tim nodded emphatically. “You got it.” He turned and grinned at Caladon. “And you, sir?”

  While the waiter smiled, the wary concern in Tim’s eyes was easily discernible. Not wanting the human to think he judged him by the people they allowed to walk through the door, Caladon glanced down and read one of the choices Leroy had recommended. “I will try your meatloaf sandwich with green beans and the mashed potatoes and gravy.”

  Tim grinned, the look no longer forced. “Good choice, sir. Love the mashed and gravy myself. There’s no gravy better,” he boasted. He took a step toward the kitchens. “I’ll get those orders placed and be back in a jiffy with some refills,” he said, looking at their nearly empty glasses.

  Caladon nodded, noting Leroy’s grateful smile. He couldn’t remember drinking his coffee, but it must have been a knee-jerk reaction to holding his tongue. Put something else in my mouth so I do not say what I want to about the bitch at the table.

  True to his word, Tim returned swiftly with their drinks. When he moved off to another table, Caladon smiled at his mate. “So, will you please tell me about yourself? Why did you decide to become a nurse?”

  Obviously appreciating the subject change, Leroy returned his smile. “Because of Saul.”

  Caladon tried not to feel jealous as he responded, “I suppose there is a story there?”

  “There definitely is,” Leroy replied. His smile softened, revealing laugh lines around his warm chocolate eyes. “When I was thirteen, I was riding with Don McCartney and his parents, carpooling home from a soccer game. A drunk driver ran a stop sign and sideswiped the car.”

  Leroy picked up his lemonade and took a deep gulp. After setting it back down, he continued. “I hit my head pretty good and blacked out,” he admitted. “When I came to, a young man had the door open and was talking to me. He said his name was Saul and he kept me stable until the paramedics came. As it happened, there was a number of glass shards from the shattered window embedded in me. He distracted me from the pain in my leg and back.

  “I found out later that he was a nurse who’d been driving home from work. He saw the accident and stopped to help,” Leroy explained. “He visited me in the hospital and we became friends. He inspired me to go into medicine.” The smile turned sad as he wrapped his hands around his glass and stared at it. “If it weren’t for him, I’m sure I would have died in that accident.”

  Caladon’s heart tightened in his throat upon the idea of nearly losing his mate before he had even met him. Needing to touch the man, he reached out and cupped his own hands around Leroy’s wh
ere he still clutched his glass. He slid his thumbs over Leroy’s smooth skin, taking comfort in the knowledge that Leroy was there with him, alive and well.

  “Where is Saul now?” Caladon asked quietly. “I feel the urge to thank him for saving your life.”

  Leroy met his gaze and shook his head. “He died of a brain tumor three years ago,” he explained softly. “When I heard he was sick, I flew out to see him one last time,” Leroy told him.

  “I am sorry,” Caladon immediately murmured, able to see how much the man meant to Leroy.

  “It took him quick,” Leroy said, his smile sad. “Small blessing.”

  Caladon gently pulled Leroy’s hands from the drink and folded them between his own. “I am still sorry you hurt from the loss of your friend,” he stated. He squeezed Leroy’s hands, then shifted his grip so his thumbs rubbed over the inside of Leroy’s wrists, feeling the human’s pulse. “I also feel very blessed that you had a chance to know him. You make an excellent nurse.”

  Leroy met his gaze and the sadness slipped from his expression. “You don’t really know that. I’ve never actually treated you.” He cleared his throat, looking suddenly uncomfortable. “I’ve, uh, actually been avoiding you,” he admitted, blushing.

  His brows shooting up, Caladon straightened. “You have?” That admission hurt a bit, but after meeting the sister, and figuring she wasn’t even as bad as the parents, he tried to understand.

  Nodding, Leroy bowed his head and peered at him through his lashes. “I spotted you in the cafeteria once and nearly swallowed my tongue,” he whispered. “God, I became so hard it hurt.” His face flushed, his cheeks pinking. “I didn’t know we were mates, and since my family is—” He paused and shrugged. “Well, you met Sarina.”

  “Well, now you know,” Caladon said. “And there is nothing that will drive me away from you.” He smiled. “I hope you will come to accept that soon,” he added, winking.

  The return of Tim with their meals interrupted their conversation and both men focused on eating. They chatted intermittently about Leroy growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina, and how long it took him to recover from his injuries.