Beau had never been so thankful that his bird could sense his mate’s emotions. He’d been on his way back to the house when he caught sight of his father’s car coming down the road. Landing at the back of the house, Beau grabbed a pair of pants and padded quietly to the front of the house, just in time to see Liam throw his father’s driver against the door frame. Secretly proud of what his mate was capable of, he stayed out of sight, listening. Liam had been angry rather than scared and Beau wasn’t going to interfere unless he had to.
And now he had to. Stepping out onto the steps, he rested his hand on Liam’s bare shoulder. “This man is my fated mate – a union blessed by the Fate’s themselves. You threatened him and tried to buy him off.”
“Ferris males don’t mate with other men. How on earth are you going to have sons of your own with him?”
Beau leaned on his mate’s broad shoulders, taking a long sniff of his sun-kissed hair. “Surrogacy is always an option,” he said slowly, “or, of course, I could always carry them myself, can’t I, Father? I guess you forgot to mention that when you were telling me about mates as well.”
“You can get pregnant?” Liam’s head turned to his, his eyes filled with wonder and while Beau wanted to bask in his mate’s pleasure, he couldn’t relax until the threat from his father had passed.
“I am pregnant, babe.” Beau’s smile was genuine as he nodded at his mate. “Noah confirmed it was possible after talking to our grandfather. It’s the reason why our kind never care about the gender of our mates, something else Father forgot to mention.”
His father’s face paled and he slumped back against the car. “This can’t be happening. No. No. A doctor, we need a doctor. Fast. There’s got to be a way to get that blemish out of you. We’ll be a fucking laughing stock. No. He and you…you let him…NO, I WON’T ALLOW THIS.”
The air crackled. Beau tensed as his father shifted. His father’s phoenix was smaller than his, but he was also older with far more fighting experience than Beau was used to. But before he even had time to react, Liam was there, in his face, slapping the phoenix around like he was a puppy.
“You do not get to decide to kill my cub, do you hear me, feather-brain? You do not get to come here, ruin a perfectly good holiday and impose your brand of hatred and bigotry on our mating. Are you listening to me, bird? Oh no, don’t fly away, you coward. I’ll clip your wings and turn you into an ostrich.”
“Liam!” Beau hurriedly undid his pants. “He’s got magic. He’ll hurt you.”
“He already tried, didn’t you, bird-fuck.” Liam had one hand clasped around the phoenix’s beak and the other one holding a wing. “Throwing fire at me, like it would make me disappear into a cloud of dust. Newsflash, bird brain, that’s already been done. Died and brought back to life by your son, because we’re MATES! What have you got to say for yourself now?”
Beau was someone slow to anger; he’d always believed, because of his power, that it showed far more strength to control himself than to simply lash out at anyone who threatened him. But flames leapt from his skin as he stalked to where his father was flapping uselessly with his other wing, trying to get out of Liam’s grasp.
“You threw a fireball at him?” He couldn’t stop the growl if he tried and maybe his father finally realized the shit he was in, because he stopped struggling and just glared.
“I stopped living your plans for me the day me and Noah left home. I started and run my own businesses with no help from you. I made my own money and any success I have is because of my hard work, not our family name.” Beau’s pokes to his father’s feathered chest punctuated every sentence. “I understand that you’re old school and my father, but the moment you threatened my mate and unborn child you became dead to me.”
He stood back, his hand resting firmly on Liam’s shoulder. “Let him go, babe. I never want to see, scent or even hear about you again, old man. I’ll notify the mothers when our baby is born, but I don’t want anything to do with you. Are we clear?”
Beau’s father managed a muffled squawk. Beau knew this wouldn’t be the last run in he had with his father; he’d got his stubbornness from the old man after all. But for now, he watched as his father flew off with a loud cry and a streak of flames leaving Beau with an armful of naked Liam.
“We’re having a baby?” Liam’s eyes were so bright, his grin so wide, Beau had no doubts his mate was happy with the news. “How did you…I didn’t think it was possible, which I should’ve thought that it was, but I didn’t and just wow…how long have you known?”
Beau’s cheeks flushed. “I guessed the day we arrived, when I wasn’t feeling so well. I remembered reading some vague reference to it, gods, over a hundred years ago, I guess. I texted Noah, asking him to check it out. But my phoenix confirmed it when we were flying. You don’t mind, it happening so soon? We’ve barely been together two weeks.”
“Isn’t this the part where I’m meant to be running around in my lion form, roaring all over the place, letting the world know how virile I am?” Liam’s laughter was infectious, and Beau was easily caught up in it. Then he caught wind of a groan over the sound of their laughter, and pulled Liam to one side. He’d almost forgotten about the driver.
“What are we going to do about him? Do you want me to zap his ass for trying to punch you out?”
Liam shook his head as the man watched them warily. The guy was probably the same age as Liam, and was attractive if you were into tall, buff, military men. He clearly didn’t realize Liam was a shifter, although he had to know he worked for one. “You’ve got to give him ten points for trying to get a thump in,” he said stepping back from Beau with a grin. The air shimmered and Liam’s lion form took center stage. The acrid scent of urine hit the air.
“What’s your name?” Beau asked as Liam rubbed his cheeks against Beau’s thigh.
“Collins, sir.” Italian was Beau’s first guess although with that surname it was hard to tell.
“Been working for my father long, have you Collins?”
“Three months.” Collin’s eyes flickered to the car, and then the house.
“My father decided to fly home,” Beau said casually as if it was no big deal. “Did he tell you why he decided to bring heavies to my holiday home?”
“I just drive. He doesn’t tell me anything.”
Liam shook his head, then lazily flicked out a claw and picked at one of his long fangs.
“Shifters have great noses when it comes to scenting emotions or lies,” Beau confided. “Try again.”
“Your father’s been tracking you. He’s pissed you’re a fag.” Collins looked over at Liam who yawned showing off all his pearly white teeth. Snapping his eyes back to Beau, he continued. “He spent the plane trip here ranting and raving about the purity of his family line. How no smelly fur-ball was going to call himself a Ferris.”
“Hmm.” His father knew more than Beau suspected, which means either his electronics were compromised, or Noah had shared more than anticipated. Option A seemed the more likely although Beau had a sudden urge to talk to his brother. His father’s comments about breaking their mating meant Liam would be in danger until their third mate made themselves known.
“I suggest you take the car, unless you want to run back to town,” he said out loud. “Because you threatened my mate, it’ll be an instant death sentence if I see you again. Understood?”
“Sir, yes, Sir.” Collins cautiously got to his feet, watching Liam’s every move. Liam crouched down, his tail flicking, his eyes following Collin’s every move. Beau wanted to laugh, but that would undermine the staunch persona he was trying to hold onto. But as Collins reached the driver’s door, Liam pounced, a deep rumbling stemming from his chest as his claws ripped down the back of Collins’ shirt and pants. Collins shrieked, scrabbling frantically for the door handle, his rags flapping about as he dived into the car and locked the doors.
Engine started, the car spun in the soft sand as Collins tried to turn the car around. The back wheels kept spinning and Beau couldn’t hold his laughter in any longer. The sight of Collins’ frantic face as he threw the car into reverse and then forward again was too much and by the time the car finally disappeared down the road half covered in sand, Beau was leaning on Liam’s shoulders, tears pouring down his face.
“We make a good team, babe,” he gasped as Liam rubbed his face up and down Beau’s chest. The quiet chuffs were a good sign Liam agreed.