“But you’d be with a girl too? I mean—”
“Yeah, I don’t mind being with girls. I guess it makes me bisexual, maybe. I’m not really sure since I do like men better, though. Why do you look so surprised?”
“I don’t think you ever told me about this. I certainly didn’t notice you going out with anyone.”
Neriah’s grin widened. “You thought I was a virgin until now?”
“It’s not like I thought of you having sex, Ner. You’re my brother. I guess you’re not a sexual being to me.”
“Yeah, well, the same goes for you. I’d never really thought about you and guys—or girls—until I saw you in Ethan’s arms. I did know you were gay, though. I’d have had to be blind not to see how you ogled Jarah when you had the chance.”
Nuallan blushed and wondered if he could get away with running out of the kitchen and hiding under his bed. “I never ogled anyone.”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever you say. But hey, I ogled him too. That ass, man.”
Nuallan grimaced, but he couldn’t deny that yes, Jarah’s ass was a work of beauty. Not that he’d looked recently, but he still remembered it.
There was a growl and two heavy hands landed onto Nuallan’s shoulders. “Whose ass are you talking about?” Ethan asked. “It better be mine.”
Nuallan’s cheeks were so hot he was sure Ethan could feel it. “Umm.”
Neriah scoffed. “You’re not the only one with a bitable ass in here, Ethan.”
“Maybe not, but Nuallan shouldn’t look at anyone else but me.”
“Yeah? So, what are you going to do, take his eyeballs out? He’s not blind. Why wouldn’t he want to look at the fine things in life? It’s not like he has to touch.”
Nuallan cringed, waiting for Ethan to snap and get angry, but instead, Ethan laughed. “You’re right. Why would either of us not be able to look at a fine ass?” His hold on Nuallan’s shoulders tightened a bit. “As long as it’s just looking.” He kissed the top of Nuallan’s hair.
Nuallan shivered and leaned back. He didn’t mind Ethan’s possessiveness. He was just as possessive. He just wasn’t as assertive about it. “Same goes for you,” he whispered.
“I don’t need to look at anyone but you, honey. I don’t want to look at anyone but you.”
Nuallan felt his smile widen, and he couldn’t have stopped it if he’d wanted to. Ethan’s warmth at his back, Ethan’s hands on his shoulders, it all helped to make him feel like he mattered, like he wasn’t alone anymore.
“Oh my God, you guys are so sweet,” Neriah said. He looked mildly disgusted, and it made Nuallan want to be even sweeter.
“Don’t worry, we won’t spoil your lunch. I’m taking Nuallan out.”
Nuallan blinked. “You are?”
“Yep. We’re going to town. I’m not ready to release you to the rest of the world just yet. We can stay in our happy bubble for a while longer. What do you think of a burger?”
“Sounds good.”
“Let’s go, then.”
Nuallan got up once Ethan released him. He looked at Neriah and choked up a bit. It was hard to believe they were both there, safe and on their way to be the happiest they’d been in a long time.
You deserve everything you’re getting, Neriah’s voice said in Nuallan’s mind.
Nuallan had to close his eyes. He’d cut Neriah off while he’d been in Gillham, letting him think he was dead. He’d heard Neriah talk to him, of course, but he’d never answered. It had been hard, and being able to have this connection with Neriah again made Nuallan almost as happy as being with Ethan did.
You’ll find your mate too.
Neriah wrinkled his nose. Maybe, but I’m not in a hurry. I want to build a life first. No offense, but I don’t want to build my life around a guy. It’s just not for me.
Nuallan frowned. You think that’s what I’m doing?
No, I think you built your life around me. You didn’t have a choice back then, but now you do. You need someone to take care of you just like you took care of me so you can finally breathe and rest. Ethan will make you happy and will be by your side until you manage to get your feet under you. You deserve a break, brother. No one deserves it more than you do after what happened over the past few months.
Nuallan really was tired. He’d fought so much, first for his brother, then against Titus. When he’d been captured, he’d given up, and he was glad Alex had been there to save him. He wouldn’t have had what he had now if Alex hadn’t been there for him. Titus might have pushed Nuallan to do something terrible, something Nuallan would never have done on his own, but Nuallan couldn’t bring himself to be angry at the leader, not anymore. No matter how much of an asshole he’d been, Nuallan understood doing things to save others. Besides, Titus’ order to kill Kameron had brought Nuallan so many more good things than bad. He had his brother back, and he had a mate.
Life couldn’t be better than that.
* * * *
There was nothing better than walking down Gillham’s Main Street holding Nuallan’s hand after eating a nice lunch in the diner. Ethan wished he’d have found Nuallan sooner, but now they had all the time they wanted to be together, and to be happy.
“What do you want to do now?” he asked.
Nuallan peeked sideways at him. Ethan had noticed him do that a few times already, as if he couldn’t believe Ethan really was there, walking and holding hands with him. “Are you on vacation?”
Ethan blinked. He’d expected Nuallan to tell him he wanted to go home, or maybe that he’d like to see Ethan’s house, but of course Nuallan’s mind had gone to something else. “For today, yes. My assistant was happy to man the store. He thinks I should give him more responsibilities, so this is his chance to show me he can do it.”
“You own a store?”
“Yep. Flowers. I know it’s not really a manly choice, but I love plants, and flowers. They manage to put a smile on my face even when I feel down.”
“I like flowers too. Nix aren’t really plant fairies, but we still feel a strong connection.”
“I thought all fairies were related to nature. It’s what I know from human films and stuff anyway.”
“Nix are water fairies, so we need to be able to touch water often.”
Ethan blinked. He hadn’t thought about it. Well he hadn’t known what kind of fairy a Nix was. “Does it mean you need to, like, have a pool or something?”
“A bathtub is fine, or even a bucket we can stick our hands into if we don’t have an alternative.” Nuallan’s cheeks flushed. “I like bathing. I can stay in the tub for hours, especially in the summer.”
“I can’t wait to see that.”
Ethan loved making Nuallan blush. He wanted to see more of that red flush on his skin, but he let go for now. He’d see Nuallan in his bathtub eventually. “We can go see my shop if you want to.”
Nuallan’s smile was wide. “Really? So it’s open today, right? What kind of flowers do you have?”
“You’ll see soon enough. I don’t like to import much. I prefer using the greenhouses around Gillham, but they have more than enough choice.”
Nuallan nodded. “I like all flowers.”
They were almost to the shop when two men stepped in front of them. Ethan groaned. Hank. Ethan was ready to bet everything he owned he and Nuallan were about to have problems. Damn it.
He pushed Nuallan behind his back and stood in front of Hank and Trent. “We don’t want trouble, guys.”
Trent stood a few steps away, behind Hank. He didn’t look as angry as Hank, and Ethan wasn’t sure what Hank’s problem was. He probably didn’t have any, but it wouldn’t matter to him. As long as he could create problems, he was happy.
“Then you shouldn’t go around with one of those freaks,” Hank growled.
Ethan sighed. “This is my boyfriend. He’s new to the town, and he’s not a freak.”
“I saw him yesterday. In the town hall.”
“Of course you did. I was there too. The entire town was there.”
Nuallan’s ears were hidden under the thick woolen hat he was wearing, thank God. Ethan loved them, but they’d have made Hank angrier. It was cold enough to wear a hat, and Ethan was glad.
“He’s one of them.”
“He’s just my boyfriend.”
Hank snorted. “Because that’s better? This town is full of fags.”
Ethan narrowed his eyes, but he didn’t answer. Hank was obviously itching for a fight, and Ethan wouldn’t give it to him, especially not with Nuallan by his side.
“That’s your opinion. We’re just trying to go to my shop.”
“Your shop. That’s the flower shop, yeah? Pussy shop.”
Ethan really wanted to plant his fist in Hank’s face, but he restrained himself. Barely.
He was still holding Nuallan’s hand, and he tried to walk around Hank. He should have known Hank wouldn’t let them go so easily, not now that he’d decided to make them his targets.
Nuallan yelped and Ethan turned around to see Hank had grabbed Nuallan’s wrist and was pulling him closer. Ethan moved, placing himself between Nuallan and Hank again, his hands against Hank’s chest. “Leave him alone, Hank. He didn’t do anything to you.”
Hank sneered, but at least he let go of Nuallan’s’ wrist. “He didn’t do anything to me? They’re invading the town! You heard that guy yesterday. They’ve been living with us for years.”
“So? They deserve a place to live just as much as you do. What are they supposed to do, move away just because you and your little friends don’t like the idea of having them here?”
“They should die! They’re not normal. They’re not even human. They’re animals, and they should be treated like what they are.” Hank’s gaze slid to Nuallan. “What kind of animal is your boyfriend? A dog? Do you like fucking animals?”
Ethan stepped forward, his hands already balled up into fists. He jerked his arm backward to punch Hank in the nose, but Nuallan grabbed his arm, hanging onto it. “Don’t. I don’t care what he says, Ethan.”
Ethan took a deep breath, but it wasn’t enough to make the anger disappear. He wouldn’t be satisfied until he bloodied Hank. Ethan let his arm fall, though. He didn’t want to scare Nuallan, and he didn’t really want to fight. He just wanted to be left alone to live his life.
Ethan turned around and gently pushed Nuallan away. They needed to walk away, and they needed to do it now, before Ethan really pounded Hank into the ground.
Hank couldn’t let it go, though. “Oh, so he’s the one who put a leash on you, not the other way around. Are you an animal, Ethan? Or do you just like to be treated like one? Are you the one who takes it up the ass in the bedroom? Do you let your dog fuck you?”
Ethan twirled around again, but the next thing he knew, he was standing in front of Kameron’s house.
He blinked and looked around. Nuallan was next to him, a hand on his arm, his eyes wide.
“What happened?” Ethan asked.
Nuallan stepped away and let his hand fall to his side. “I’m sorry. I shimmered you back to pack territory. I know what that guy said was, well, horrible, but I didn’t want you to fight just because of that.”
“Hank’s an asshole and someone needs to put him back in his place.”
“Maybe, but it doesn’t have to be you. I don’t want you to fight, Ethan, not over me. Please.”
“It wasn’t over you, honey.”
Nuallan snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“Hank shouldn’t talk that way to anyone.”
“You’re right, but he’s an asshole. That’s what assholes do. They spout hurtful shit and take pleasure in seeing their victim’s reaction. What do you think he wanted from you, Ethan? Do you really think he expected anything but a fight?”
Ethan let his shoulders sag. Nuallan was right. Hank had wanted a fight. That was the only reason he’d said those things. It didn’t matter that he meant them, they’d obviously been said to get a rise out of Ethan. Why, Ethan wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter. The last thing he wanted was to spend the night in a cell for fighting on Main Street.
He nodded, and Nuallan relaxed. “How did you get us here anyway?” he asked.
Nuallan looked at his feet. “I can’t remember if I told you Nix can shimmer.”
“Ah, yeah. You did tell me. I just didn’t think it would be like that.”
Nuallan looked up again, a smile on his lips. “What did you think it would be like?”
“I don’t know. I thought I’d feel something, but I didn’t. One second I was standing in front of Hank, and the next I was here.”
“I thought it was better to leave. I probably shouldn’t have done it in front of Hank, though.”
Ethan sighed and wrapped his arm around Nuallan’s shoulders, pulling him close. “Probably not, but it’s better this way.”
“He’s probably already telling everyone in town that I can disappear. And you, too.”
Ethan shrugged. “Let him. Everyone knows about shifters now, and it won’t take long before the news leaks out to the rest of the country. What does it matter if they know you can shimmer? Besides, we have a date to finish.”
Nuallan’s smile was enough to make Ethan forget all about Hank and his insults.
“What did you have in mind?” Nuallan asked.
Ethan grinned. “Do you think everyone’s gone back to work now? We should have the house to ourselves for a little while.”
Chapter Seven
Nuallan relaxed against Ethan’s side and sighed. He wasn’t really listening to the conversation between Ethan, Andy, and Nick, and he wasn’t watching the movie playing on the TV either. He was just... basking in the sensation of being with Ethan, of being home.
They’d just moved into the house Nuallan and Neriah had chosen. It wasn’t big, but they didn’t need big. Nuallan and Ethan would be sharing a room, obviously, and Neriah would have his own room. It was big enough that his mate could move in when he found her—or him. Nuallan still had a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact that his brother was far more experienced than he’d thought when it came to sex. He’d never noticed, and he blamed himself for it. Not that having experience when it came to sex was bad, but he’d thought he was shielding Neriah, that he was protecting him, and he’d never even noticed Neriah going out with friends and having sex.
Nuallan obviously hadn’t been a great guardian, but Neriah didn’t need him to be, not anymore. Neriah had been very clear when they’d moved into their new house. He expected Nuallan to act like his brother, not like his father. It was hard, because Nuallan had been acting like Neriah’s brother-father for years now, but he was trying. It was kind of freeing when he managed not to think about what his brother was doing. It didn’t mean he didn’t worry, but it was easier to focus on his own life and on Ethan.
Ethan had been fantastic through everything, and Nuallan couldn’t believe they’d been together for only a little over two weeks. It felt like forever, like they’d known each other for years. He supposed it was the bond between mates, or maybe it was just their personalities. They really were perfect for each other.
Ethan balanced Nuallan’s overprotective and over worrying personality well. He was the only one who managed to get Nuallan out of his funks when he started to think about the past again. It happened every now and then, and Nuallan always had a hard time not thinking about what he’d done, what he could have lost if he’d succeeded in killing himself—or Kameron.
Nuallan had been steering clear of both Titus and Jarah and the rest of the tribe. He knew the only person who had blame in the situation he’d been forced into was Titus, but he couldn’t bring himself to face anyone, not yet. He couldn’t bear the thought of seeing pity or disgust in the face of people he’s known his whole life. It wasn’t like he was close to any of them anyway.
Besides, he had too much to do to try
to become friends with people he’d never wanted to be close to in the first place. Ethan had gone back to work after the day they’d mated, and Nuallan had gone with him. He’d never had to take care of plants or flowers, but he was doing his best to learn. He didn’t know how to do anything anyway, apart from caring for his brother. The only job he’d had in the tribe had been taking care of the vegetables and harvesting them, and that was a far cry from making bouquets.
Ethan said he had an eye for beauty, though, and no one had yet complained about Nuallan’s admittedly sometimes lopsided bouquets. He hoped things would continue to go so well, because he liked working with Ethan at the shop. He even liked Ethan’s assistant, Geoffrey.
Geoffrey was everything Nuallan wasn’t—he was loud, always laughing about something, always talking. He dressed as colorful as the flowers in the shop were, but the colors never clashed. It was intimidating to be around someone so self-assured, but Nuallan found Geoffrey was easy to get along with.
Geoffrey was fascinated by Nuallan’s ears and by the fact that he wasn’t human. Nuallan had thought it might be a problem in the beginning, but the only thing Geoffrey had had to say about it was that Nuallan’s ears were cute and that he wished he was able to shimmer because he’d be on vacation on a beach somewhere if he were. Nuallan didn’t miss the way Geoffrey looked at his ears when they were uncovered, but he didn’t mind.
The big revelation, or coming out as some called it, had been a success. Most of the town people had accepted the pack and its members easily. They’d known a lot of them for years, and they didn’t have problems with them. Not everyone was that way, of course. Hank was the loudest when it came to disparaging the pack, but not a lot of people listened to him. He was a pain in the ass to a lot of people, and they were used to him spouting off against one thing or another.
It made Nuallan uneasy, though. It had been too easy, and no matter what Ethan said, Nuallan wasn’t convinced everything would go on like this. He could feel it. He knew problems were coming their way. He just wished he knew what those problems were and how to solve them. He didn’t want to lose his new life, not yet, and not ever.
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