Side by Side: A Paranormal MMM Daddy/little Romance (Forest Edge Book 2)

by Alexis Woods

  A sinking pit of horror took root in Ryan’s stomach when Dylan mentioned the article. Fuck, no. If there was a picture of him out there, that meant Carl, his last terminated contract, could have seen it. The man had been beyond furious when Mr. Charles came for Ryan. He hadn’t wanted to give up his prize “boy toy.” There’d been threats of retribution made in his outrage, and Ryan had spent a lot of time looking over his shoulder. Whenever they went into town, he worried. He’d even thought he’d caught a glimpse of him a time or two but, ultimately, had brushed it aside as his imagination.

  “Ry? You okay? You went pale.” Dylan had hold of both of Ryan’s arms and was shaking him. “Should I get Alpha Eli or Jon?”

  Ryan shook his head. “I’m okay.” He drew back from Dylan’s grasp with an involuntary full body shudder.

  “You don’t look it. Are you sure you don’t want me to get one of your Daddies?”

  That forced a brittle laugh from Ryan. Words he never thought he’d hear his brother say. He patted Dylan’s thigh. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. I should probably call Mr. Charles later, though.”

  “Why?”

  “Remember, I mentioned bad contracts. I don’t want the worst one to come calling, you know?”

  “Shit.” Dylan’s head bowed for a moment before springing up. “Fuck no. Nobody needs toxic in their lives. I’m sorry you had that growing up. I wished I’d realized back then how bad things were between you and Dad. After I caught him and Mom arguing, I was done; couldn’t wait to get the hell out of the house. I made her show me everything, and then started planning on leaving right after graduation, just like you.”

  Ryan tugged Dylan into a fierce hug. “Love you, Dyl. Thank you for finding me. I hadn’t realized how much I missed you until I got to see you again. And I mean, really? You turned out smokin’. I’m so proud of you.” He used the segue to redirect their discussion away from himself. “Stand up and show me your outfit today.”

  Dylan ducked his head, his cheeks pinking, but he stood and smoothed the slim fit, baby blue button down he wore with the sleeves rolled to three-quarters length. He’d paired it with an ebony kilt, its design crossed with tiny blue diamonds, over opaque leggings. His black boots with a half-dozen silver buckles each came to mid-calf. Dylan’s eyes were outlined with kohl and topped with a sweep of pale blue on his lids.

  Ryan wolf-whistled. “Yup. Smokin’. I’m surprised Christian can keep his hands to himself.”

  Dylan retook his seat. “Not Brian, though.”

  With a shake of his head, Ryan chuckled. “Brian might be alpha in looks, but he’s too sweet. I have to defer to him when he’s here for appearances, but I can tell he hates it.” Ryan focused on his brother, wanting to make sure Dylan understood what he was about to say. “If I tell him I’m going outside, he’s fine with it, but if I ask him if I can, he gets flustered. It’s cute but telling.”

  Dylan’s facial expression went through a series of movements showing confusion and thoughtfulness before ending with recognition. “I’d noticed, but to be honest, I’m not sure how to deal with it.”

  Ryan blew out a quick breath. “It’s not about dealing with it, it’s about accepting he’s the way he is and acting accordingly. I didn’t think alphas could be submissive, but he is. I don’t get the same vibe from you.”

  “Hell, no.” Dylan smirked. “No submissive bones in this body.” They laughed and fist-bumped.

  “Yeah,” Ryan agreed, “I didn’t think so. We’re cut from the same cloth: willing to give up control but don’t necessarily need to. However, Brian is. That means he’ll look to you for direction as much as Christian, and since Christian’s work is demanding, you two will spend a lot more time together. You’ll be responsible to see to his needs when Christian’s not around.”

  Dylan nodded. “I understand. Is, uh, is Jon that way?” He glanced at the kitchen doorway as if he feared Jon would magically appear and demand recompense for the slight.

  Ryan spluttered. “Goddess, no. None of us are. Jon and I defer to Eli, but we all have strong personalities. I might have signed on as a little, but I only act like one when I want to appease Daddy Eli. Jon doesn’t care, but even he has his moments when he wants to be in charge, if you know what I mean.”

  Dylan stuck his tongue out, and Ryan chuckled as he stood. “Come on, I’ll give you the tour.”

  He led Dylan around the house, pointing out its art and oddities and rambling on about how it had been a nightmare incorporating Jon’s belongings into their home. They stopped in front of a series of three pencil sketches framed and hanging on the wall outside his bedroom. Ryan admired the way they hung, telling their story. A boy and a fox, a boy and a coyote, and the final piece of the triptych: boy, fox and coyote.

  “Aww,” Dylan said. “These are great. You and your men. Who did them?”

  Ryan withheld his answer until Dylan turned to look at him. “I did.” Oh, he did so love to see the surprise on his brother’s face.

  “You did? Wow. I remember you used to like drawing, but, Ry, these are amazing.”

  Heat bloomed in Ryan’s cheeks. “Thanks. I love art, it’s why I saved my favorite room for last.” He waved for Dylan to follow him, and when they reached the playroom with its bright cheery door covered in paint-pressed handprints, he opened the door with a flourish.

  Dylan oohed and ahhed as he wandered the room. When he reached the pretend kitchen and nursery, he froze, pointing. “You kept him.”

  Ryan glanced at the object of Dylan’s attention. His teddy bear, Tanner, was wrapped in a swaddling blanket and tucked into a small cradle. He picked up Tanner and rocked him like a baby, cooing cutesy words like a proud daddy, then deposited him into Dylan’s arms.

  “I did. Tanner means a lot to me. You gave him to me.”

  “I remember. I still have Rhianna.”

  “That’s great. We had fun playing with them together. There are other littles I’m friends with here who also have teddies. We should plan a teddy bear picnic one day.”

  “Yes, please.” Dylan launched himself at Ryan. “I really, really missed you.”

  Ryan stroked Dylan’s hair as he consoled his little brother. So many times he’d wanted to call home, his heart needing to speak with the only one who meant something to him. How many times had he picked up the phone that first year? How many times had he dialed only to hang up before it rang through even once?

  Ryan assumed they would forget about him. Move on and never give him a single thought. It warmed his heart to learn his mother had kept tabs on him through the years. But why search him out and not contact him? Did she do so to protect him or herself or, Goddess forbid, Dylan? That was a scary thought, especially since Dylan obviously enjoyed persons of the male persuasion as much as he did.

  “You never told them you’re gay.” The accusation rolled off Ryan’s tongue faster than he could stop it.

  Dylan nodded. “I remembered what happened to you, and I hid that part of me as much as I could. I wore plain clothes to school and ‘dated’ a few friends that were girls. I saved special outfits and my makeup for ‘sleepovers.’ Dad never figured it out, but I think Mom knew.”

  Ryan gestured to the beanbag chairs in the playroom’s library nook. “Let’s sit.” They plopped onto the chairs, giggling as they sunk first, then wiggled to get comfortable.

  Dylan picked up a clipboard from beside the chair. “What’s this?” He showed Ryan the macabre scene Brian had created.

  Ryan winced. “Actually, Brian did that the day Christian brought you home. He wasn’t taking your arrival well.”

  “No shit,” Dylan mumbled, scanning over the deathly figures and weaponry. “I’m really glad he doesn’t hate me.”

  “Me, too. He’s kinda my best friend here, and it sucks I only get to see him on the weekends. Maybe, with you and him together, I’ll get to see my two best friends a lot more.”

  “How long have you been here?” Dylan asked, setting the clipboard aside, face down
.

  Ryan sighed. “When I couldn’t land a job last Fall, I went looking for work. I saw a business card for Scion House on a corkboard at the library. Mr. Charles seemed nice, and I figured ‘what the hell.’ I went to school to teach kids, to get down on their level, and in some regards reclaimed my own youth when I did so. I loved the training at Scion House, but like I said, had some horrible experiences with Daddies. Eli is my fourth and final. I signed on with him at the beginning of this past summer.”

  “That is so crazy. I missed you by mere days. I met Mr. Charles at Sly Fox at the end of July. I left right after graduation but took my time getting here. Dad never took us anywhere, and I wanted to explore along the way, discover myself as an adult for a few weeks before I came to find you.”

  Ryan reached across the divide and grasped Dylan’s hand. “Mr. Charles treated you well?”

  “Yeah, he’s the best. Besides, I didn’t need the money like you did. I didn’t have to take any side jobs like some of the other littles, but I earned my keep around Scion House, helping with the cooking, cleaning, and paperwork filing.”

  Dylan nibbled on his lower lip. “Hey, I wanted to ask you a question.”

  “Sure. Go ahead.”

  “That guy, Jack, who came to tell Alpha Eli about the attack…”

  “Yeah, what about him?” Ryan asked.

  “I’ve seen him before at Scion House.”

  Ryan pulled away. “Jack? At Scion House? Really?”

  “Yeah, at least, I’m pretty sure it was him. He came to the littles training room and played with us one day.”

  “Jack?” Ryan narrowed his gaze. “You’re certain? Because I have to tell you I didn’t get that vibe off him at all, but” —he held up a hand to stall his brother— “who am I to say what he is or isn’t. I’ve only ever seen him with his housemate and boss, Kev, in their role as security here in the community.”

  “I could be wrong, Ry. It was almost a month ago when he came by to visit and play. Anyway, I just wanted to know if you knew because security seems like such an odd profession for a little.”

  Ryan tapped his fingertips together. “Now that you mention it, I have to agree. Everyone I’ve ever met who identifies or has trained as a little has been engaged in a non-lethal profession. I wonder if I should tell Eli?” he mused.

  Dylan lunged and grabbed his forearm. “Please don’t. If you didn’t know, then he’s obviously hiding that side of himself for some reason, and I’d feel so bad if it came out because of me.”

  “You’re right.” Ryan patted Dylan. “I promise I won’t say anything. Now, let’s change the subject to something fun. Wanna fingerpaint?”

  Chapter 15

  Brian

  Brian sat in his car and stared out the window at Alpha Eli’s house. The yard was the same neatly trimmed status as always. The same shrubs lined the same stone walkway, the same comfortable rocking chairs waited empty on the same wooden front porch.

  What waited inside— No, Brian corrected himself. It was who waited inside that was different. Dylan. Christian’s new boy. A boy he shared with Brian. Today had been the first time he’d been out of the house and had time to think without a shadow lurking over his shoulder. Confused didn’t even come close to how Brian felt.

  It had taken Dylan’s meddling to get Christian to see Brian in a “more than a housemate” light. Brian finally got his wish, plus a little extra. He scoffed at his sad pun. He liked Dylan, thankfully, but his planned future hadn’t included a blond twink with a penchant for feminine clothing and makeup. Brian liked girls, but he didn’t like them. Dylan, however, rocked a miniskirt unlike anyone he’d ever seen.

  Just that morning, before he had left for work, Dylan had joined him in the kitchen in a soft pair of pale pink lounge pants and a sparkling “Shh… Still Seeping” tee. Adorably mussed, sans makeup, and one hundred percent beautiful, he’d taken Brian’s breath away. He’d doubted there could be space in his heart for more than his crush, but he’d been wrong. Again.

  Brian lowered his forehead to the steering wheel. He berated himself for not one hundred-thousand percent embracing this: not one gorgeous man, but two. The devil on his left shoulder whispered Dylan was stealing his man, but the rattle of the hamster wheel in Brian’s head often drowned the imp out. Meanwhile, the angel on his right threw rainbow confetti into the air while dancing a jig of joy.

  What the fuck? Brian leaned back in the driver’s seat, dragging his fingers down his face, contorting his skin demonically. Come on, brain. They want you. Accept it and move on.

  If only his heart believed it.

  The front door opened, and Jon stepped onto the porch. He moved to the railing, squinted in Brian’s direction for a moment, then sat in one of the rocking chairs. Brian unbuckled and got out of the car. Jon waved for him to come sit.

  Brian balked. What could Jon want to talk to him about? Since he was one of Ryan’s daddies, did he have Uncle rights to Dylan? Would he attempt to lecture Brian on how to be a good Daddy?

  Whoa there, squirrel-brain! Shut up.

  “Hey, Brian, how was work?”

  Brian peered at Jon, his brain firing chaotically on all cylinders. Were there ulterior motives at play? Jon had always been cordial, but never friendly towards him. Not like Ryan.

  “Okay, I guess.”

  “You guess,” Jon chuckled. “Got a lot on your mind, huh, what with two men and all?”

  “Something like that,” Brian replied with a glare. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

  “True,” Jon conceded, glancing towards the street. “I just thought you might need an impartial ear. It was an adjustment for me, too, when Eli brought Ryan home.”

  Oh.

  Brian had forgotten. Eli and Jon had been an established couple, but Eli wanted a little to care for. They’d broken up over it. By the time Jon had a change of heart and wanted to reconcile, Eli had already contracted with Ryan. It had taken a while for the three of them to merge into the concrete throuple they were now.

  He sank into the empty chair beside Jon. “Was it hard for you? Ryan coming in between you, I mean.”

  “Yes, very. I knew Eli contracting with a little would change our dynamic, and frankly, it scared me. What if this kid stole Eli’s love, and I became the proverbial third wheel? Where would that leave me but brokenhearted and alone.”

  Brian nodded thoughtfully. “I’m scared, too. I’ve wanted Christian for a long time... What if I lose my place with him—with them—after I’ve only just gotten my chance?” He shuddered, imagining the consequences and future despair he’d suffer. He’d have to move, find a new place to live, a new job. He wouldn’t be able to stay here, seeing the two of them together without him.

  “I understand, but you’re lucky in several aspects. The three of you are coming together separately. None of you already had a romantic entanglement like Alpha Eli and I. Then there’s the fact that neither you nor Christian have to deal with Ryan’s insecurities. Dylan seems very secure in who he is and what he wants.”

  “Yeah,” Brian responded wistfully. So not him, but he loved that about his lithe monkey-crane. Dylan was unapologetically Dylan. He wore what he wanted, said what was on his mind, grabbed life with both hands, and sometimes Brian, too. How many stolen kisses had they shared over the last twenty-four hours? He stared down at his lap, embarrassed about the blush warming his face.

  Jon sucked in a quick breath. “You like that about him?”

  Brian gave a timid nod, unable to meet Jon’s gaze. “He’s so…Dylan. He knows what he wants and goes after it. Not like me.” Brian’s wealth lay in the multitude of his own insecurities, and he hated that about himself.

  Jon leaned closer and gripped Brian’s wrist. “And that’s—”

  “Hey!” Dylan’s shout from the doorway cut into their conversation.

  Brian spun to look at him, surprised by Dylan’s rigid posture and death glare at Jon. Jon’s hand slipped from Brian’s arm as he st
ood and approached Dylan. Brian’s jaw dropped when he heard Jon mutter a quiet apology before he stepped back inside the house.

  Leaning back in his chair, Brian appraised Dylan, whose chest heaved and lips pressed into a thin line of displeasure. Dylan’s pissed? Why? Because he’d been speaking with Jon? That made no sense to him.

  Dylan’s stony expression softened the longer Brian stared at him. His shoulders lost their tension, lowering as he relaxed his stance. Brian hadn’t seen Dylan since breakfast when he’d still been wearing his pajamas. Today’s ensemble piqued his arousal. A cute boy in femme clothing, kick ass boots, and recently glossed lips he wanted to kiss.

  A hint of a smile graced Dylan’s mouth right before he said, “Hi. Did you have a good day at work?”

  Brian wrinkled his nose. “Eh, it was okay. Rachael called me out a couple of times.” He’d been at fault, having lost his concentration and screwing up several orders.

  “What?” Fire burned in Dylan’s gaze as he advanced. “Who? Why?”

  Brian shrugged. “She’s the assistant manager at Sly Fox, and I deserved it. I had a lot on my mind.”

  Dylan climbed aboard Brian’s lap. He squirmed to get comfortable, putting pressure on hardening areas of Brian’s body, ramping up Brian’s arousal another notch. Brian wished he had the audacity to haul Dylan to his car, toss the adorable crane into the backseat, and hightail it home. There’d be no chance of saying goodbye.

  “Comfortable?” Brian cautiously teased, circling his arms around Dylan’s waist. It was moments like these when he couldn’t figure out their dynamic. Dylan was acting like Christian’s little, and it didn’t sit well with him. He’d much rather have Dylan telling him what to do. The less thinking, the better.

  “Very.” He tucked his head under Brian’s chin. “Rock me?”