It was later that night. Liam was curled up next to Beau, his head resting on his mate’s stomach. If he strained really hard, he could pick out a fast, rhythmic beat echoing in his ear. Of course, it was hard to tell exactly, thanks to the noises of Beau’s digestive system, but Liam was determined he was hearing his baby, their baby, for the very first time.

“I always wanted kids,” he said softly, loving how Beau was stroking his hair. “I never thought it’d be possible, seeing as how I’ve never been with a woman.”

“Not once?” Beau sighed. “I think the only reason I ignored the men around me was because there were so many women in our household. My father’s mates are both women and they both gave him a son each. Me and Noah. The house always seemed full of their friends.”

“Isn’t that a little weird?” Liam tilted his head so he could see his mate’s face, but not enough to dislodge Beau’s hand. “I mean, you’ve been alive for over a century, I guess your father is heaps older again. Isn’t it easy for your kind to have children?”

Beau’s fingers ruffled his hair with a grin. “Obviously, it’s fairly easy seeing as you probably impregnated me first pop.” His fingers went back to soothing again. “I’m not sure what the story is with my father. You know, after his stunt this afternoon, I wonder if our mothers are even true mates at all.”

“I know in same sex shifter couples only true mates can conceive and only then if one of them is non-furry. But the same rules don’t seem to apply to heterosexual couples.” Liam swung around so he and Beau were face to face. “Would it bother you if they weren’t mates? Your parents I mean. What made you even think of it?”

“Just trying to work out where my father’s attitude came from, babe. The more I think about it; all the women in the house, the way my father never seemed to show anything more than casual affection for my mothers. I think of how I feel being around you; that constant need to touch and just be with you. I never saw my father act like that with either of our mothers.”

“When you were yelling at your dad, you happened to mention he was old school. Maybe showing affection was frowned on when he was growing up.” Liam would admit to the same feelings Beau had, but he felt this wasn’t the time to mention it. He wriggled closer instead.

“I know my grandparents weren’t like my parents, but then we were barely allowed to see my grandfather after about the age of ten. I wonder now if my father was born a bigot and was doing his best to stop me and Noah from straying from his path, keeping us away from our grandparents for the same reason.”

“Or maybe,” Liam said, thinking back to Beau’s father’s ranting, “your father knew that a mating between a phoenix and one other could be broken because it happened to him. He was really sure that if he killed me, you’d recover and go on to have another two mates.”

“That doesn’t happen with a claimed mate,” Beau shook his head. “When we exchanged bites, a part of me now lives in your soul. You could be dead for weeks, your body completely demolished and provided I could find one speck of your existence, I could bring you back again. And I would,” he added fiercely.

Maybe an unclaimed one then? But Liam didn’t have a chance to mention it as Beau rolled over on top of him, hanging on tightly and burying his face in Liam’s neck. He expected Beau would become more emotional as the pregnancy went on, but it seems the confrontation with his father upset his mate more than he was saying. Liam wrapped one arm around his mate’s back and stroked his head with the other, breathing slowly and calmly all the while. It wasn’t until Beau’s arms loosened a little, he asked, “I don’t want to make you anymore upset, but do you know how your father found out where we were? That kind of freaked me out a bit, because I didn’t think anyone beyond Noah and Lucien knew where we were. Do you share a similar bond with family like you did when you came to find me?”

“No, we don’t share any kind of bond, thank goodness.” Beau was talking in his hair. He seemed to like his hair for some reason, and Liam wondered why he kept his so short. Like his father’s. “As for how he found us, Noah could have told him, but it’s unlikely. My father already knew I’d found both my mates and told Noah he was really angry at the time when he knew they were both male. That was before Noah mentioned anything about it.”

“And yet, he only expected to find me here.” Liam sat up, his mind racing over the events of the day. “He asked me where our other mate was and said he hoped the second mate didn’t have a dick. But if he knew both your mates were male….”

“That doesn’t make sense, unless,” Beau bit his bottom lip. “Think, babe. Did Theo say anything about how he traded his lion for a demon?”

“You were the one who told me he was friends with witches because of the wards around his house.” Liam pushed his mind to the one day he’d rather forget. “Theo said…” he closed his eyes, his pain and guilt an integral part of his memories of the other lion. “He said he met the demon through a friend of a friend. I assumed one of the witches he knew summoned one.” His eyes flew open and he searched Beau’s face. “How could your dad have known about Theo when you hadn’t even met him yet?”

“Because the night I met you, I rang Noah and told him to get all the information he could about Theo. Fuck.” Beau thumped his head into the mattress beside Liam’s head.

“Yes, but it was only a day later you went to see him. Not even twenty-four hours. Babe,” Liam cupped his mate’s face, “You’re not responsible for Theo’s choices. I honestly don’t believe your dad had anything to do with Theo being possessed. That was something Theo did on his own after his pride banished him. He probably had delusions of taking it over, if he hadn’t been so set on claiming Simon first.”

Beau’s chest heaved, and Liam knew his mate was trying to work out all or any connections between Theo and his own father. Liam was sure there wasn’t one to be found. Noah had done extensive research on Theo’s past life; Liam found that out when he met Beau’s brother. There just wasn’t enough time for his father to have done anything.

“You should be focusing on how to alert Noah that your phones and computers are probably compromised.” He pulled Beau’s head down to his shoulder again, soothing his mate as best he can. “Did Noah say why he left Arrowtown in such a hurry?”

Shaking his head, Beau looked up and seconds later their lips were touching, brushing together. The soft, lazy smooch didn’t last long as the tension in Beau’s back muscles increased. Bracing himself, Liam’s mouth was plundered as Beau took control. Liam relaxed into the passion. If it made his mate feel better, taking comfort and solace from being with him, he wasn’t silly enough to complain. His cock firmed up almost immediately and he groaned as Beau’s fingers tangled in his hair.

Skin, glorious skin. Beau always ran hotter than most and while Liam knew he should take the time to lovingly tease his mate, one of his hands had a mind of its own; running down Beau’s strong body and curving under the hip to find a damp length waiting for him. Beau growled into their kiss as he closed his hand around it, gently stroking, playing, and teasing there instead.

“Need.” Beau rummaged under the pillow, pulling out their battered tube of lube. Liam had spare tubes in his toilet bag, but he hoped he didn’t have to go and grab one of them. Annoyed with the sticky opening end, Beau tore the bottom of the tube off with his teeth. Thankfully there was a nice wodge of lube lurking around the seams. As Beau leaned up, Liam tried to roll onto his belly, but Beau pulled his back to his chest. “Like this,” he growled in Liam’s ear. “Once this baby grows, I’m not going to be able to see my cock, let alone use it.”

Baby. Wow. I’m going to be a dad. Not the thing I should be thinking about when…. “Aargh, that feels so good,” Liam moaned as Beau pushed his finger inside of him. He was still moaning when the eventual three fingers used were pulled out. The way Beau’s arm held him tight across his chest just did it for him, every time. Pushing forward against that arm, he pushed out his ass as best he could, and Beau’s cock was waiting for him. “Yeeeeees,” he groaned as Beau pushed his way inside of him. “Fuck, yes.”

This session was always going to be hard and fast. Threats to life will do that to mates, and even though Liam wished he was the one on top this time, he submitted to his mate’s powerful thrusts, pushing back with his own. When his own cock pleaded for friction, Beau’s hand was there, gripping him hard, his teeth firmly embedded in the nape of Liam’s neck. Wanted, needed, cherished, mate, and it was that last thought that had Liam’s cock unloading. Tightening his ass as he came, Liam felt Beau shudder and then freeze; the grip on his dick just shy of painful.

“Fuck, babe, didn’t mean to make you bleed,” Beau mumbled, and Liam felt a shiver run down his spine as Beau’s tongue ran over the back of his neck.

“Don’t care. Clean us up,” Liam mumbled. Hanging onto Beau’s arm like a favorite teddy bear, Liam fell asleep.