“We could do without a demon, of course, but I don’t think it would be fair. We offer every species a seat, even if not all of them accept. I think it’s the only way we can open up without exposing ourselves to the humans. I’m actually kind of curious about how you manage to keep yourselves isolated and survive.”
“We work with humans, at least in part. The weaker a demon is, the fewer markings he has on his skin. If they add a hat to it or some particular hair styles, they can pass for a normal human and do business with them. We even have some demon and human couples, although those also usually involve weaker demons. It’s not... well seen to have a powerful one lower himself that way.”
“Do you mind if I ask you what your family is going to think of your mating with Duncan?” Dominic’s voice was gentle, as if he already knew how painful it was for Noah to talk about that.
“They won’t take it well, at all. Not only is Duncan a male, but he’s also a shifter and clearly not a leader.” Noah looked at Duncan. “Sorry.”
Duncan shrugged. “Don’t worry. You’re right, I’m not a leader, and I don’t want to be one.”
Noah gave him a small smile and turned back to face Dominic. “I’ll do what I can to find someone amenable to talk to you. I’m sure there has to be someone, I just don’t know who.”
“That’s all I ask for now, and if you can’t find anyone there’s always you.”
Noah shook his head. “Oh, no. No offense, but I don’t want that seat. It wouldn’t do any good anyway if I don’t have the rest of my people behind me.”
Dominic rose from his armchair and walked to the desk. He took a business card from the holder that sat on the desk and handed it to Noah. “You can call me any time you want, for anything you need. Duncan might not be an official member of my pride, but his brother is, so we consider him family.”
Noah looked at the card. “So it makes me family too?”
Duncan grinned. “Exactly.”
Chapter Five
Noah peeked around the wall to check no one was there and hurried to the door. He really shouldn’t have been going out during the day, but he missed Duncan.
That made him smile. They’d been on several dates over the past few weeks, but nothing more than hugs, kisses and some hand-holding had happened. Not that Noah didn’t want more to happen, but he was still wary about how he would break the news to his parents. He’d tried to ask his father about shifters, just to see how he might react to the council, and it hadn’t gone well. It could have been worse, but it could have been better, too.
“Going out?”
Noah froze. Damn it, he’d been only a few feet away from the front door! “Yes, Mother. I’m going out.”
“You’ve been going out an awful lot of times lately, Noah.”
Noah turned to face his mother. She looked perfect, just like always. Beige dress shirt, black gown, heels and a row of pearls. It made Noah want to run away, because he could so easily imagine his hypothetical future wife dressing the same way. “I can’t very well spend my entire day pouring over old books, Mother. I do need to have a social life.”
“We could have a small party if you want. I could invite some of the girls on the list your father gave you, that way you could get to know them and choose more easily.”
“Mother...” Noah sighed. He knew he should just shut up and nod, but he couldn’t, not anymore. “What if I don’t want to marry any of those girls?”
“Well, I’m sure I can find other ones if you don’t think you can like any of those. It won’t be easy, but it can be done.”
“No, I meant, what if I don’t want to get married to any girl?”
Noah’s mother frowned. “What do you mean? You know you have to get married and father an heir, and soon.”
Noah bit his lower lip. He knew he shouldn’t do this, not now and maybe ever, but he’d had enough of following his parents’ rules. The weeks spent in Duncan’s company, with the pack and pride members had strengthened Noah’s decision to tell his parents the truth, and not only because of Duncan.
Sure, the man had played a big part in it, because Noah would never be free to be with him if he didn’t. But most of all, Noah wanted to build his own life, not one dictated by someone else. The first step to that new life was to talk to his parents and tell them he wouldn’t get married, at least not with a woman.
“I won’t.”
“Noah, I don’t understand.”
“I’m gay, Mother.”
Noah waited for the explosion, but when nothing came he looked up. His mother was staring at him, one hand on her chest, the other still along her side.
She shook herself. “Well, I don’t see why it should be a problem.”
“What? Mother, I can’t marry a woman when I like men.” Noah didn’t add he liked one man in particular. He would give his mother time to digest the first shock before giving her a second one.
“Of course you can. You just have to keep that... part of yourself well hidden. Your wife won’t notice anything and your reputation will be safe.”
It wasn’t going like Noah had thought it would. “Mother, I won’t get married. I can’t.”
“And why not? You know you have to. You need to have children.”
“That doesn’t mean I have to get married to have one. I could adopt.”
“Don’t be silly. Now, I’m sure I can try to find you some more... masculine women, but it might take a bit more time—”
“Mother! I’m telling you I won’t get married to a woman, no matter how masculine she is! A woman just doesn’t have the right body parts for me to get it up!”
Noah knew the shock in his mother’s eyes was due to the language he’d just used, but at least it looked like it had done the job. She’d stopped talking about marriage—well, she’d stopped talking period. “Mother?”
“Noah, I won’t allow such language in my house.”
“I’m sorry, but you weren’t listening.”
“No, you’re the one who’s not listening. We raised you in comfort and money. You owe us to follow our rules, and if you don’t...”
“If I don’t?”
“Your father won’t stand for this. He won’t stand you to be dragging our name in the dirt.”
“Mother, it’s not like I killed someone or started dealing drugs. I’m still me. I’ve always known I was gay, it doesn’t change who I am.”
“I don’t care about that. What I care about is that you’re disrespecting us by not listening to us. We want what’s best for you, Noah. We raised you, we know what’s best for you.”
“Mother...”
“We don’t even have to tell your father, and I can choose the best candidate for the wedding. I’m sure you’ll learn to love her, just like I learned to love your father.”
This was getting Noah nowhere. His mother wasn’t listening to him, and she was behaving as if being gay was just a small glitch in the picture of Noah’s future, that he could forget all about it and marry a woman. He’d known it wouldn’t be easy, but he’d expected fights and yelling, not dismissal of who he was.
Noah turned around and headed for the door.
“Noah! What are you doing?”
“I’m going out.”
“You can’t, we have to discuss this.”
“I think we’ve already discussed more than enough. You decided to conveniently push the fact that I’m gay to the side and ignore it, but I can’t do that. It’s who I am, and it won’t change.”
“Noah!”
“Goodbye, Mother. I’ll see you after I come back from the date I have with my boyfriend.”
Noah closed the door behind him and strode to the garage. He didn’t think his mother would follow him and scream—she was too dignified to do that. It wouldn’t be proper, just like being gay wasn’t. He’d had enough of being proper, though, and now he’d made the decision to live his life like he wanted. He just had to convince
his father it was a good idea, but he wasn’t deluding himself. The talk with his mother would look easy next to the one he would have with his father.
He briefly wondered if his mother was already telling his father what Noah had told her or if she’d left his anger to him. At the moment he didn’t care much. He felt betrayed by someone who should’ve placed his happiness first, but was placing what others thought first instead, as if Noah didn’t really matter. And maybe he didn’t.
He was only now realizing that, even if he should have a long time ago. Noah didn’t know if it made things easier or harder for him, and he didn’t want to think about it anymore.
Once in the garage he got in the car he’d chosen and drove away as fast as he could without going over the limit. He wanted to get to Duncan and the pack, where he knew people accepted him for himself and he didn’t have to hide behind a proper shell.
A tear slid down his cheek and he angrily wiped it away. His mother didn’t deserve his tears, not after what she’d just told him. He had better things to do than cry, like finding a house and a way to sustain himself with his art or with any other job. He wasn’t picky, couldn’t be picky at the moment, especially since he couldn’t exactly go work with humans. He’d have to stay within the pack’s confines, if they’d even accept him, since he wasn’t mated with Duncan yet.
The tears didn’t want to stop and Noah stopped trying to keep them in. He cried for the loss of his family and for his uncertain future and was surprised to realize how much better it made him feel. He hoped that once the edge of the pain he felt was gone, he could start working on the rest of his life.
Most of all, he wanted Duncan. They’d been seeing each other and regularly talking over the phone for weeks, and Noah was getting impatient. He knew Duncan was keeping his distance to avoid pushing Noah in a direction he didn’t want to take, but now Noah had decided what he wanted, so there was nothing standing between them anymore. It was time to get his man.
* * * *
Duncan put the last touch to the wall and took a few steps backward to check how it had come out. He wasn’t exactly used to painting walls, but he thought he’d done a good job, considering. Sure, a bit of paint had ended up on the door too, but it would be easily cleaned. Or at least he hoped so.
He threw the brush back on the lid of the paint can, satisfied that at least that room was finished. Now he just had to make the kitchen, living room, bathroom and the other bedroom livable and he would be set to move in.
Maybe he should have chosen Stan’s house. It sure would have been less work, but Duncan couldn’t bring himself to live there, not after seeing what Zach had been through. He’d been lucky there was another free house, even if it had been free for a reason.
The house was a dump. It wasn’t only dusty and dirty, no. It looked like the last time someone had lived there had been in the fifties, and it probably was. Duncan had to renovate the entire house, including updating the electrical part of it. At least the pipes were still good to go. He knew he couldn’t do it on his own, but he also knew he’d have most of the pack behind him to help.
He was slowly making progress, and he’d fallen in love with the large veranda at the back of the house. He didn’t know who had built it, but it clearly was a later addition, probably built around the time the house was abandoned. It was mostly finished, but it was a work in progress still, and Duncan was going to finish it. It would be a perfect place for Noah to paint, if he ever decided to choose Duncan over his parents.
Duncan felt like a shit thinking that, but he knew it would come to that. From what Noah had told him, Duncan didn’t think they would accept him in their son’s life, even if Noah still harbored hope they would. That was why Duncan had kept a careful distance between them until now. He didn’t want Noah to be hurt even more than he was already going to be when he finally made a decision.
“Duncan?”
“In the first bedroom!” Duncan hoped Craig was there to help him paint, because everyone else seemed to have other things to do that morning.
Duncan wiped his hands on the towel stuck in his belt and headed toward the entrance. His eyebrows rose when he saw Craig leaning over Noah and talking softly to him while rubbing circles on his back.
Craig’s head snapped up when he heard Duncan and he nearly jumped away from Noah. “Sorry. I was just comforting him.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Craig chuckled. “Yeah, well, since the last time I comforted someone Thomas flipped out...”
“I won’t.”
Duncan walked to Noah and frowned when he saw his mate’s eyes were a little red. He was worrying his lower lip and wringing his fingers together. “Noah? What’s wrong, hon?”
Craig clapped Duncan’s shoulder and waved at him, then walked to the door. He ruffled Noah’s unbound hair a bit, earning himself a smile, then disappeared out of the door. Duncan got closer to Noah and opened his arms to him. He felt elated when Noah didn’t even question it. He just stepped into Duncan’s arms and wrapped his arms around Duncan’s waist. He pressed his face into the crook of Duncan’s neck and Duncan felt him inhale deeply before his body relaxed a bit.
Duncan held Noah close and waited for him to feel better and to talk to him. It took a little while, but he finally moved his face away and kissed Duncan’s cheek. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For comforting me without trying to find out what happened.”
“I still want to know why you’re so sad, but it can wait, if you want.”
“Yes, for a bit, if that’s okay.”
Duncan nodded and kissed the top of Noah’s head. Noah moved away and looked around. “Where are we?”
“In what will hopefully be my new house.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I still have a lot of work to do, but I think I can make it livable. Sooner or later anyway.”
“Can I see around?”
“Sure, just don’t touch anything or you’ll end up as dirty as I am.”
Noah gave him a sly glance. “I can think of better ways to get dirty.”
Duncan gaped and watched Noah as he sauntered away, his previous mood seemingly over. Duncan wasn’t blind, though, and he saw the shadow of pain in his mate’s eyes. Still, if Noah wanted to act as if nothing was wrong for a little while, Duncan would let him. The time to talk about what was bothering him would come soon enough.
He hurried after his mate and found him peeking in the kitchen. “I don’t think you should go in there for now.”
“I wasn’t even thinking about it. What is that smell?”
“I think some rats died in there somewhere.”
Noah grimaced. “And you’re going to redo this house on your own? That’s going to take a while.”
“No, I’ll have the pack’s help, don’t worry.”
“I don’t see any of them.”
“They were all busy today, but yesterday Thomas and his son helped me clean up one of the bedrooms after his brother changed the wires and stuff, and I’ve been painting the walls today.”
“Wires?”
“I have to update some things, like the wires and most of the kitchen. We’re almost done with the electrical stuff.”
Noah looked in the kitchen again and Duncan knew what the man was seeing. Some parts of the walls were gutted open and spilling wires, the half-rotten linoleum floor was covered in dirt and plaster, and the cupboards were missing some of the doors. It didn’t look promising.
“Is the rest of the house this bad?”
“The bathroom isn’t far behind, but the bedrooms and the veranda are better. I managed to clean them up almost entirely, even if I still have to repaint the veranda’s wooden parts.”
“You’re still living over at Kameron’s house?”
“Yeah. I’ll stay there until at least the kitchen is done, I think.”
“Or you could completely finish the bedro
om you’ve been working on and move in it. It’s not like you have to walk for miles to reach the alpha’s house anyway.”
“I don’t know. It wouldn’t be easy without a bathroom.”
“Does anyone in the pack own a construction company?”
“No.”
“What about the pride?”
“Ward and Bryce own one, but I can’t afford to hire them, even if they offer me a discount.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah.” Duncan stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I’m lucky I have the pack’s help already.”
He didn’t like where the conversation was going. He knew he had a lot less money than Noah and his parents. There was no way he could support the same high standard of living his mate had right now if Noah choose him, and it worried Duncan. What if Noah decided he preferred to keep that rather than come live a simple life in the woods in the middle of nowhere? There was no way Duncan could compete with that.
A soft hand on his cheek yanked Duncan away from his thoughts. “What are you thinking about?”
Duncan smiled at his mate. “Nothing important.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“I’ll tell you if you tell me what happened to you this morning.”
Noah smiled and kissed Duncan’s cheek. “Deal. Is there a place where we can sit down here, or do we have to get back to the alpha’s house?”
“I think it would be better if we go back. It’s lunch time anyway.”
“Fine with me.”
Noah took Duncan’s hand and pulled him along as he walked to the front door. They left it open when they left. Duncan hoped it would help to get the house rid of the smells, both the mold and dirt one and the paint one.
It was a ten minute walk through the forest, and Noah kept their hands linked for the entire walk. The passage of both Duncan and some other pack members had started to create a path, but Duncan would have to enlarge it and keep it clean if he wanted it to survive against the forest.
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