A couple of weeks later, Chance stood outside the mayor’s home waiting for someone to open the door.

He pulled up the collar on his coat shielding himself from the cold and the flurries landing on his cheek. He was about to ring the doorbell again when it opened, and his arms were filled with an excited lover who he hadn’t seen in two days.

Chance had to hold on tight to the warming bag in his hand, so that he wouldn’t drop it. Chance growled lustfully the second their mouth touched. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed his boy.

“I missed you,” Grayson whispered against his lips.

“Two nights is too long for us to be apart.”

“Oh, for blessed sake, you two act as if you haven’t seen each other in years and not days.”

Chance and Grayson turned their heads, pressing their cheeks pressed together. Rosemary and the rest of the Vale family members were standing there looking at them. Well scowling at him in LaMarkus’ case.

“Do you two plan on letting the cold air in by standing out there?” LaMarkus asked then walked back to where he was before Chance showed up.

“Don’t mind him,” Katarina said pulling him and Grayson into the house. “He’s just upset he can’t threaten to do bodily harm if you hurt his baby boy.”

“Who says?” LaMarkus yelled from the other room.

He’d been to the mayor’s mansion before, and even with the opulence of it, he’d always felt at home.

“Ignore him,” Grayson whispered as he took Chance’s coat, hanging it on the hook.

Chance had always found it a bit odd that with such big place Rosemary only had Philomena, who was the maid that kept the house immaculate.

“I’m so glad you came,” Grayson told him.

“Did you think I wouldn’t?” His boy shrugged and looked away. Chance noticed that since they made love, Grayson had been pushing him away a little, when in essence, they should be growing closer. “I…”

“What did you bring?” Grayson asked, cutting him from anything he was about to say.

Okay, that’s new. Something is defiantly wrong.

“I brought a bottle of scotch for your dad, and two bottles of wine for your mom and grandmother,” Chance said slowly. Watching his boy’s reaction, he noticed something different was happening between them since their time at the lake. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t figure it out, all he remembered was the sweet orgasm they both experienced.

“Trying to get my dad drunk so that he’ll stop growling at you?” Grayson asked smiling.

“It was a thought, but not the reason why I brought it,” Chance told him.

“Well, I think it will mellow him some,” Grayson complimented. “He still likes you. He’s just having a difficult time handling a few things.”

“So, he knows I haven’t claimed you, yet?”

Grayson stared at him with sad eyes as if he’d said something wrong. “Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll get you something to drink,” Grayson said finally.

Okay, what the hell is he keeping from me?

He walked out of the room before Chance could stop him. Leaving him with no choice Chance walked over to where LaMarkus, Cordell, and Jafaris were sitting and watching the game. Chance nodded at Jafaris whose eyes seemed to bore right through him. Okay, what’s his problem? Since meeting the man, they’d never said a mean word to each other. Chance looked at LaMarkus who was glaring at him and mentally shook his head.

The man’s acting as if I’ve deflowered his son. Get over it, he’s mine now, and I’m not giving him up.

“Okay out with it,” Chance said to LaMarkus as he sat in the available chair. Your growls don’t scare me.

“Out with what?” LaMarkus asked looking at him.

Cordell cleared his throat, either praying he didn’t want to be there for the conversation or couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next.

“Fine, let me start. I have no plans on hurting Grayson, in the short time we’ve been together he’s become very important to me.”

“So, you plan on claiming him soon then?” LaMarkus asked raising a brow.

“Dad, that’s enough we’ve already talked about this, and you promised to behave. Chance was good enough to bring you an expensive bottle of scotch.” Grayson said coming to stand by his chair handing him a longneck.

“But…” LaMarkus started.

“Look,” he sighed. “Chance and I will be fine, and I’ve told you there’s nothing for you to worry about. Besides, this is not the time to discuss things. Do you want me to tell mom you’re badgering Chance? I think her threat of you sleeping on the couch is still an option.”

LaMarkus’ eyes widened. “You wouldn’t?” Chance looked at his lover who didn’t seem as if he was bluffing. “Fine, whatever,” he said to Grayson then looked at Chance. “Stick to your words and don’t hurt my son. You do, and you will see exactly what a wolf can do.”

“Seriously, dad!” Grayson yelled.

“It’s fine,” Chance said calming Grayson down. He looked at LaMarkus. “I won’t, Grayson means more to me than you know.” Chance responded.

“Are you satisfied?” Grayson asked his father.

“For now,” LaMarkus answered. “Make sure you tell your mother I behaved, a little.”

And that was the end of the conversation about whether Chance cared about Grayson. Later they all sat down to a wonderful family dinner filled with laughter that had Chance wishing he had that kind family connection all along. He hadn’t spoken to or heard from his parents in a very long time. Maybe it was time he and his father forgave each other. After all, he’d made something of himself, something he was proud of.

“Where do you want this box?” Chance asked Grayson.

It was a couple of nights before Grayson would open his center, and he was nervous, honestly. He’d been at it all day setting up counters and the massage rooms and making sure that all of the equipment worked properly. He’d sent his small staff home hours ago, before Chance showed up and had been helping him out. Well, when they weren’t kissing and groping each other every moment they got.

The box Chance had in his hand was filled with Christmas decorations he’d gotten for the center only. “They go next to the tree.” He’d had ornament gifts made that he wanted to give to his new employees as a start of a new tradition.

“Speaking of trees, when do you want to go tree shopping for our place?”

Grayson stopped what he was doing to look up at Chance, trying to hold back his excitement at the older man’s question because he’d gotten stuck on one part. “I like the sound of that,” he said.

“What?” Chance asked walking around the counter and pulling Grayson into his arms.

“Our place.” He wrapped his arms around Chance’s neck. He hadn’t officially moved in yet. He’d been so busy with his clients and the center he hadn’t had a chance to move his stuff into Chance’s apartment.

“It is ours after all, once you formally move in, but it’s no longer a home without you.”

Those three little words were on the tip of his tongue, but Grayson held himself back from saying them. Grayson studied Chance’s handsome face realizing that the man hadn’t aged much since he’d first seen the man years ago. He reached up and brushed a sliver lock from Chance’s face then trailed his finger over the softness of his beard.

“What are you thinking about?” Chance whispered. His thumb lightly rubbing over Grayson’s bottom lip.

“I was thinking that I can wait for you to take me home and remind me that I belong to you.”

He sucked Chance’s finger between his lips, watching his lover’s eyes glaze over with arousal.

“You’re playing with fire, boy.”

Grayson sucked Chance’s finger further into his mouth and rubbed his erection against his lover’s leg.

“Maybe you want to get burned?”

Chance removed his finger from Grayson’s mouth and gripped the back of his neck, their lips met in the middle, and their kiss grew heated. Grayson reached between them and unbuttoned Chance’s shirt, pushing it off his shoulders. Chance backed him up to the counter and went to undo his pants. Chance was about to reach in when Grayson heard someone clearing their throat behind them.

Grayson slowly opened his eyes then widened them when he saw his family standing at the open door. Chance, on the other hand, hadn’t realized they were there and moved his lips along Grayson’s cheeks down to the crux of his neck. Before his lover could do anything more scandalous, Grayson got his attention.

“Chance, we have company.”

“Whoever it is tell them to go away, we’re busy,” Chance whispered in his neck.

“I think you found yourself a beast of a man, grandson.”

At hearing his grandmother’s voice, Chance froze and slowly raised his head, looking over his shoulders and cursing under his breath at seeing Grayson’s family standing behind them.

“Yes, I must agree,” Katarina his mother pipped in happily. “Not to worry, dear mate, you’re still my number one beast.” She patted LaMarkus on his chest.

“Oh, for fuck sake, you people are embarrassing,” Monique added as she walked into the room.

She was starting to show, and Grayson couldn’t stop touching her baby bump, much to her annoyance. Being a mix of werewolf and mermaid, she would have a shorter time than a human’s nine months of pregnancy. He couldn’t wait to meet his niece or nephew in a few weeks. The chances of her having twins was not off the table. Shifters were prone to having more in a litter or fingerlings.

“You guys could have knocked, you know.” Chance said stepping away from him and fixed his shirt.

“We did,” his grandmother said to him. “You two were too busy to hear us.”

“Anyway, what are you guys doing here?” Grayson asked.

“We’re here to help you get ready for the grand opening,” Cordell answered for the group.

“Oh,” was all Grayson could say. He should have known they would have been there for him.

“Okay, where do you want us?” Rosemary asked, turning as she looked around his center. There were still a few boxes that needed to be opened and items to be put on display. “By the looks of it, you both hardly got anything done. Well, let’s go.”

“Wait, you’re going to help us dressed like that?” Chance asked her.

“What the hell is wrong with what I’m wearing?” she asked looking down at her jeans, black cashmere pullover sweater, and red bottom heels then back Chance waiting for his answer.

“Well, it’s just…”

“Let it go, man,” his dad said to Chance who seemed lost for words and Grayson could only giggle at his lover’s confusion. Rosemary Vale was very stylish and chic with everything she did and wore. He’d never seen her once without make-up or earrings and always wore heels whether she was in a bathrobe or jeans.

“Whatever,” he mumbled then pointed to her shoes. “Just don’t hurt yourself in those things,”

Nothing else was said as they got busy working and within hours, they had things put together, leaving him and Chance alone again to finish up the last of the Christmas decorations. Grayson was standing on the ladder hanging the last ornament on the tree, he was leaning a bit too far and lost his footing. Before he could hit the ground, Chance was there to catch him in his strong arms.

“You need to be careful, baby,” he said sitting him down on the counter and stepping in between his legs, cupping his cheeks. “Are you okay? Did you hurt anything?”

Grayson stared up on Chance’s face and wondered if his grandmother was right, that he should tell Chance that the man had claimed him.

“How long do you plan on keeping it a secret, Gray?”

“I’m not sure telling Chance that his desires won over and in the heat of the moment he claimed me without realizing it, nana.” Grayson sighed. “He’s human, and he doesn’t think as we shifters do. Sure, he lives in Vale and understands what little he knows about mates and all. But he’s still skeptical of a couple of things.”

“True, humans find it hard to believe that there are more things in the world than them. But he is your mate, and you shouldn’t keep things from him. Your mating bond is growing stronger each day, keeping something this important can break that bond.” She said disapprovingly. “All you, young people and your assumptions. Fine. Since you won’t tell him that he claimed you, how about the fact that you told him you loved him? I can tell he loves you, too.”

“I do love him, and I’m sure he cares for me deeply. I’m certain he didn’t in the state he was in. But if I bring it up the fact that I told him that I loved, I’m scared that he’ll feel obligated to say it back. I tried pushing him away, but I want and need his so much it hurts.”

“I could have told you that wouldn’t have worked. Mates that are destined to be together cannot breathe without each other. And Chance doesn’t seem like a man who doesn’t say what he means, Gray. Grandson, I say this with love, put your big boy panties on and confront your feelings for the man you love. Tell him what he’s done and what he’s done is a good thing for the both of you. Right now, you’re basing all of this on your fear, buck up, kid, and tell your man how you feel.”

She might be right, and Chance would go along with everything. But he also didn’t want his lover to feel obligated to say it back or claim him.

“Gods this is the first time I wish he was a shifter, it would make things so much easier.”

“That can be fixed as well.”

“Chance would never go for that. He’s like grandpa in that way. He’d rather remain human than be turned into a wolf or any other shifter for that matter.”

She walked over to him and pulled him into a hug. “And I hope you’ll never lose him the way I lost your granddad. I regret going by his wishes and not changing him. But I also didn’t want him to hate me.”

“Grandpa died a hero, and I’m sure he would have forgiven you.”

“Maybe, but it doesn’t make me miss him any less.”

Grayson pulled Chance to him resting his head on his lover’s chest. For some reason, the last of his grandmother’s words hit him harder than it should have.

“Hey, are you, all right?” Chance whispered.

Grayson nodded, unable to speak. I wish you could promise to stay with me forever.