Chapter Seventeen

“I DON’T WANT TO GO home,” I said as I packed my bag for the afternoon flight I was supposed to board.

Cristian chuckled and slapped my ass. “Stop whining. We’re too old to run away from home.”

I growled and pushed the top of the bag down, holding it with my knee while I zipped it up. “I hate leaving you. I hoped we’d have more time.”

“Fine.” I turned to see him typing on his laptop. He was sitting in a chair in front of his bed, laptop propped on his knees.

“Fine? Just like that?”

More clicking and typing, a few silent moments, and then his face broke into a huge smile. “Just like that. I booked a ticket, I’m coming with you.”

I walked to the chair, took the laptop and threw it on the bed. I straddled him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “You spoil me too much.”

He half-shrugged and pecked my lips. “I spoil myself too. We’ll deal with living apart later. Right now, I’m coming with you.”

“You’d better start packing then.”

Cristian reached for my throat and ran his fingers over my bite mark. “Do you think they’ll object?”

“A bit late for that.”

He tilted his head, looking intently at me. “I am serious. How bad will this be for your tribe? For your father?”

I took a deep breath and held it in for a few seconds. I released it and repeated the process a few times. “You know, I don’t care. Worst case, they disown me and I can come back with you.”

“Won’t that make you miserable?”

I leaned forward and kissed his nose. “Being with you could never make me miserable. Besides, I don’t think it will be such a big deal. They have more serious problems to deal with.”

Cristian nodded but didn’t seem convinced. I kissed his forehead, hoping it would smooth out his frown. “Whatever it is, we’ll deal with it together, right?”

Cristian pulled me closer. “Of course we will. I just don’t want you to lose your family over me.”

“Other than my father, the rest of my family is adopted. Shiki and Dimitri won’t disown me over this, so it will be fine.”

At first, I thought I was putting up a brave front. I wasn’t. I didn’t for one second believe my father would reject me over this. And if he did, then what he’d said at our meeting with Batbayar and Dimitri had been a lie, he was a hypocrite, and he had no genuine love for me. So he could go to hell.

***

“Oh, good, you’re finally here,” Vicki said, half-turned in her chair. She’d been in my father’s office when I’d entered.

I blinked a few times, unsure of what I was seeing. The Dacian alpha in my father’s office felt surreal enough that I thought about pinching myself. Instead, I took a few more steps inside to make room for Cristian to join me.

Vicks stood and went straight to Cristian, giving him a hug and kissing his cheek. As she released him, she zeroed in on his neck. She stared at the mark for what seemed like forever, then turned to my father.

“I am so sorry, Chinggis, seems like all our planning has been for nothing.”

Father had seen the same mark Vicks had been mesmerized by. He pushed his chair back, his face void of any expression. He took long steps around it and came to face me. My confidence of earlier when I’d spoken to Cristian about his reaction was gone. Deep down, I was like every other son craving his father’s approval.

Father turned my head to the side. I flinched despite his gentle touch, but didn’t fight him. He looked at the mark, visible on my neck for anyone to notice and know.

I had another mating mark, but that was on my left side, down my ribs somewhere where my arm could hide it. Naran and I had mated against our parents’ advice. They’d wanted us to wait to be legal adults, so we’d done it in secret.

Father crushed me in a hug that pushed the air out of my lungs. I was frozen at first, not knowing how to react. I hugged him back, as that was the only logical reaction to his behavior.

“Congratulations, my son,” he said, pushing me back but still holding my shoulders. “I am delighted you found happiness once more. I feared it would never happen and a life of solitude was the last thing I wished for you.”

“Thank you.” My voice was muffled with emotion and I wasn’t sure my mind had caught up with what was happening.

Chinggis went to Cristian and hugged him with the same strength he’d used on me. Cristian looked at me over my father’s shoulder and when our eyes met, it all seemed right. I was happy, my father hadn’t opposed, nothing else mattered.

“I came to see your father to sort out what to do with you two,” Vicks said when we’d all sat around my father’s desk. “We got carried away and we were in the middle of planning your mating ceremony when you arrived.” She sighed, touching the back of her hand to her forehead. “Ah, the disappointment.”

Cristian groaned and kicked her chair’s leg. “Stop being so dramatic. I’ll let you throw us a mating party.”

Vicks grinned and licked her lips. “That’s a good beta.”

Cristian huffed and shook his head. He turned to face me and mouthed “sorry.”

“Back to more important business,” Chinggis said, clearing his throat. “We were discussing your future and your living arrangements.”

“Living arrangements?” I frowned and looked between my father and Vicks, not sure what they were getting at.

“We were coordinating our calendars,” Vicks said. “We’re trying to make sure both tribes are covered and you get to live together. You might have to travel between Bucharest and Ulaanbaatar every couple of months though.”

“Did you think to ask us if we wanted to move in together right away?”

Vicks’ eyes widened and she stared at Cristian like he was mad. “You don’t want to live together?”

For a second, fear gripped me. What if he regretted it? What if he didn’t want to live here, not ever for a few months?

Cristian sighed, cradling his forehead in his hands. “We haven’t even talked about it, Vicks. Of course we want to be together.”

She slapped Cristian’s knee and made faces at him. “Then what are you complaining about? We’re already sorting it out.”

“Father, Vicks, that’s nice of you. We’ll let you settle this and go spend some time on our own.”

Everyone seemed relieved when I suggested Cristian and me getting out of there. Everyone but Vicks, she seemed quite pleased with annoying Cristian and running everyone’s lives.

“Thanks for saving me in there,” Cristian said as we were walking to my cabin.

“Don’t mention it. She seems very fond of you. Like a doting mother.”

Cristian snorted out a laughter. “Wouldn’t be so weird if she wasn’t much younger than me. We are close now, despite a rocky start.”

I took his hand in mine and walked him inside. “I’m happy, you know? I don’t care where we are if I’m with you. I can follow your lead in Bucharest, and you can follow mine here.”

Cristian stopped, our linked hands forcing me to follow. I turned to face him and he stepped closer, kissing my lips. “I am happy too. Everything else is…nothing but minor details we’ll deal with when we have to.”

We moved at the same time, finding our way into a tight embrace. It felt right, being so close to him. Like I had found a home in someone. I’d watched others pair off, I’d watched Shiki with Blake, and despite the slight envy, I’d never truly considered it for myself.

I’d had this once, why would I presume to be so entitled to get it twice. I had been so convinced it was impossible to meet someone who matched me so perfectly, I’d given up without trying. I’d told myself I didn’t need someone to share my life with. Now, as Cristian held me close, whispering dirty promises in my ear, I knew I’d been wrong.

“I love you,” I said. “I’m glad you didn’t let me screw this up.”

He smiled and ran his hand through my hair, gripping when he’d reach my nape and squeezing until it stung. He kept me in place as his lips parted mine, enjoying my mouth as he pleased. “I’ll make sure to remind you why you don’t want to try that again every fucking day and night.” His words sounded more like a growl than anything, but his eyes were warm, his touch morphing from powerful to soothing.

“I’ll hold you to that promise. Want to start showing me now?” I nodded to my—our, it was ours now—bedroom and grinned.

Cristian turned me around and walked me to the bedroom. “You’re wearing too many clothes for this conversation.”

 

THE END