“Yeah?”
“Umm, Dominic? Sorry to disturb you, but you had a phone appointment with Kameron and I can’t find you,” Nate said hesitant, and his Beta’s tone made him realize that he had been a little too snarly while answering.
“You think you could handle it? I know you have your own work load to do, but I would like to spend a little time with my mate right now.”
“Uh, sure. Wha—” There was suddenly a lot of noise and rustling, then Derick’s voice took Nate’s place.
“Your mate? You mean you convinced Ani to talk to you?”
Dominic chuckled as he watched Ani blush yet again and burry his face into his shoulder. It was sweet that his little mate was shy even after what they had just done, and while they were still buck naked, sweaty and dirty. “Not exactly. Let’s just say I should have a damn statue of Keenan made and placed in the middle of the entryway.”
“So, what happened? Did he tell you why he was avoiding you again?” Dominic wanted to groan, but it was actually Ani who did. Living in the mansion was hell on privacy, really. Even when something should remain secret—not that his mating Ani was a secret—everyone still knew about it after only a few hours, and it was always impossible to find out whose fault it was for spreading it around.
“Derick, do you really expect me to tell you that?” Because, come on, everyone knew he never talked about his private life. They would know even without him saying anything anyway.
“Hey, you can’t blame me for trying to get the juicy gossip!”
Dominic felt a hand tugging on his arm and looked down at his lover. God, Ani was so beautiful with his lips swollen by their kisses and the bite on his neck still red. It felt incredible to finally feel him in his arms.
I want to talk to Finn and Keenan. I have to thank them for kicking some sense into me.
Do you need to do that right now?
Damn, he could hear the sweet sound of Ani’s chuckle even in his mind, and it was enough for his cock to take notice that his very naked mate was still lying in his bed.
No, I can wait.
Good, because I’m taking the afternoon off. I plan to pass a lot of time in bed with you, showing you that you’re mine.
Dominic punctuated his words with a little growl and was rewarded with a giggle. Did every sound Ani made really have to send a spark of pleasure through him?
“Hey, boss, are you even listening to me? Was that Ani?” Derick was still talking but Dominic wasn’t paying attention, not in the least.
“I’ll call you back.”
“Hey, Dom—” The phone was already flying toward the floor as Dominic lunged at his mate.
They spend the best part of the afternoon loving on each other. Ani was still surprisingly shy, but it was endearing, really, and it gave Dominic a feeling of a job well done when he got Ani to get over his shyness and babble and mewl incoherently in the throes of passion. He wished they could have stayed like that forever, but...yeah, it wasn’t possible, as Ani’s stomach reminded them by growling.
They emerged in time for dinner and Dominic could see Ani fidgeting and biting his lower lip, clear signs that his little man was nervous. He wasn’t sure what the reason was, though, so he stopped before they got in the dining room and asked, “What’s wrong, baby?”
Ani looked at his hands and answered, but his voice was so low not even Dominic could hear what he had said. “Love, I can’t hear you.”
“They’re going to know that we, you know...” The little gesture he made with his hand made it clear he was talking about what had happened between them. Ani’s cheeks were blazing, the cherry red color visible even in the dim light of the mansion’s entrance.
Dominic chuckled. “Not unless you tell them.”
“But, the bite?”
“It’s not that visible, baby. With the shirt you have on I can barely see the far end of it.” Dominic pulled down the collar of Ani’s green shirt. “It’s still a little red, but I don’t think anyone will notice.” He placed a kiss on his mating bite, satisfied when Ani shivered with his touch. He was about to kiss his mate on the lips when twin squeals came from behind him, making both of them jump and effectively making Dominic half deaf.
He turned to see Jayden and one of the twins still squealing and bouncing on the balls of their feet, their eyes never leaving Ani’s neck.
“Ohmygodohmygod, Ani! You claimed him? He claimed you?” Jayden asked so fast that Dominic wasn’t sure he got the sentence right. By now Ani’s color was more purple than red, but he still nodded to his friend.
“What happened? You changed your mind? How did it go? Was it good? Wha—” The two men were talking a mile a minute and Dominic’s head was starting to hurt. He was glad Ani had friends who cared and were happy for him, but he could have gone without all the noise they were making. He had to stop them.
“Jayden, Darin, please, stop.” He couldn’t actually tell which twin was who, but since Shad was still in the infirmary, it had to be Darin, or at least he had thought so, until the guy shook his head.
“I’m Shad.”
Dominic frowned. Last time he had checked the man wasn’t feeling well enough to get up, or at least Jared wasn’t allowing it. “I’m fine, I’m fine. Jared told me I could come down for dinner. He should have told you.”
Well, since Dominic had been holed up in his room all afternoon, not even answering his phone, it made sense that Jared hadn’t managed to tell him. He added that bit of information to his never-ending mental list of things to do. “Well, I’m glad to see you up. I’ll talk with Jared, but I’d like to ask you not to talk about our claiming. We want to keep it private for a little while.”
The small men nodded in earnest, their heads synchronized. It was a little creepy the way they seemed to move together without even communicating.
Even after they’d agreed, they neared Ani and stared whispering to him, their heads close but their voices loud enough that Dominic could hear them perfectly as they asked for details. Yeah, this was going to remain a secret for about five seconds.
Chapter Four
Ani was feeling naughty. By that he didn’t mean he was thinking about doing some kinky stuff in the bedroom, no. He would be too shy to even think about that...or maybe not. He had that fantasy of Dominic doing—okay, now was not the time to think about that.
In his case it meant that instead of asking someone from the pride to come with him to the coffee shop like he should have, he had shimmered in the woods near the town and had walked the rest of the way.
Yeah, he knew that his ears were pointed, but it was still cold enough to justify the wool hat he had used to hide them. He also knew that as the Alpha mate he shouldn’t go around alone, but he needed a little time to himself immersed in nature.
The last weeks had been...both the happiest of his life and in a way the worst ones. Before, he could go around on his own and no one really noticed him in the mansion apart from his closest friends, but now that everyone knew they had mated, it was different. Sure, most of the people still treated him exactly like before. The whack on the back of his head that Keenan had given him earlier because he had stolen the last muffin right under his nose was enough proof of that. Some of them though treated him with more deference than before, and it made him feel like he was cheating them.
The time he spent with Dominic was amazing. He had moved into the lion’s suite, so they lived together. Dominic was affectionate and sweet, he always made sure Ani had everything he wanted, and they had talked a lot of about everything, from what Ani wanted to do in next in the future to what was Dominic’s favorite color—dark blue. Everything should have been perfect, but there was one major glitch in that, even if he knew he was being ungrateful.
It was just that he had become visible, and he didn’t like that. He had spent most of his eighteen years hiding as well as he could, so suddenly becoming the center of attention wasn’t something he liked. He felt
as if his face was stuck with a permanent blush on it and a fake smile on his lips.
What was worse was that Dominic was obsessed with Ani’s safety. He didn’t understand how it could have become an issue only now that they were mated, but it was a big one. Ani had been his mate for months, even if they hadn’t claimed each other, so why did it make a difference? Dominic had explained that now everyone would know he was the Alpha mate, and his enemies might try to use Ani to get to the pride and Dominic, but he honestly didn’t think so. He wasn’t that important.
Still, Dominic had ordered him to always have two bodyguards with him when he went out. Yeah, they might have been people he knew and liked, but he didn’t like the fact that he was never alone. At least they stayed short of coming with him to the bathroom.
So he had snuck out. It was very easy to do, since he was a Nix and he could shimmer, and he knew Dominic would be busy for hours. They didn’t really spend a lot of time together, not after the first days after their mating, and while Ani understood what Dominic was doing was for his and the pride’s safety, sometimes he wished his mate could have a little more free time to spend with him. He still felt guilty as hell thinking that, though, and he would never ask Dominic to actually do it. He knew very well that a true Alpha mate would never ask for something like that.
A true Alpha mate also wouldn’t ditch his bodyguards just to go and buy a chai latte in town, and he hoped Denver and Joshua wouldn’t get in trouble for not noticing his absence. He just needed to be alone for a while, and he missed nature. Sure, he could go to the pond near the mansion or the woods, but the problem was always the same—he was never alone.
So now he was walking on the dirt road that lead to the mansion, soaking in the sounds and scents of nature and sipping on his latte. He had shimmered from the town to the beginning of their private road, and he knew he wouldn’t meet anyone he didn’t know there. It was private for a reason.
Except that there was someone there. Someone he didn’t know.
A man was walking on the side of the road, a big bag slung on his shoulder. He was walking fast, and Ani wouldn’t have been able to keep up with him if he hadn’t shimmered every few feet. He was being careful to do it behind the trees, but there wasn’t a reason to be so wary, except that maybe all those talks on his safety had made him paranoid.
The man was big, so Ani knew that if he wanted to he could hurt him. He had to reach six foot four or five, and his lean figure was the one of a swimmer. Even under the jacket Ani could tell that his shoulders were broad and powerful and his waist slim. He wore a worn pair of light blue jeans and a dark jacket. The man’s short blond hair was styled in a short crest, but that was about all he could see.
The man didn’t seem dangerous, but Ani still hesitated. He didn’t even know if he was a shifter or something else. He sure didn’t look like a Nix—they tended to be shorter, and he didn’t have the pointed ears, so Ani didn’t think the man could shimmer. He could, though, and he would do it if he turned out to be dangerous, but he wanted to try and talk to him.
“Umm, excuse me?” he asked, keeping a safe distance between them.
The man twirled around and his bag fell on the ground. “Shit, you scared me!”
“Oh, sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
The man waved his hand and picked up his luggage. “It’s okay, don’t worry. It’s just that I didn’t hear you walking behind me, and usually I have a very good hearing.”
“So, umm, what are you doing here?” Ani knew it might seem strange to keep all that space between them, but the guy didn’t seem to mind.
“I’m looking for someone, actually. I was told he lives in the house at the end of the road.”
“Oh? Who are you looking for?” Now he could see the man’s eyes were a warm light brown. He had high cheekbones and a straight nose, and his chest was as big as it had looked from behind. He also had two small silver loops in the lobe of his left hear.
“Dominic Nash. You know him?” The way the man tilted his head to the side was cute, and he looked vaguely familiar now that Ani could see him better.
“Umm, yes, I know him. He does live at the mansion.”
“Oh, good. I wasn’t sure I had the address right, so I’m relieved. I’m Delevan.” Delevan raised his hand and Ani knew he had to get closer if he didn’t want the man to think he was weird. He really didn’t look dangerous, and Ani oddly felt that he could trust him, so he stepped ahead and shook Delevan’s hand.
“I’m Ani.” He quickly stepped to the side. He might trust the man, but he couldn’t be sure. He nervously pulled on his hat, making sure his ears were covered. “I’m going back home, so I’ll walk with you, okay?”
“Oh, you live in the house too?” Delevan’s eyes were curious as he looked at Ani, and it made him nervous. He wasn’t sure how much he could say, since he didn’t know if the guy was human or a shifter or whatever else he could be. He decided to just nod, hoping it would be enough, but it obviously wasn’t.
“So, you know the man? Dominic?”
“Yeah.”
“What kind of man is he?” Delevan seemed genuinely interested, so Ani decide to tell him some things, just, not much.
“He’s a great guy. He’s nice and he takes care of others, he’s serious but he also likes to have fun, he’s fair and—”
Delevan laughed. “Okay, okay, I get it. You really like him.”
“Yeah.”
“Well, I’m glad he seems to be a good guy.”
“What...why do you want to see him?”
Delevan turned his head toward Ani and Ani looked at him. “He’s my father.”
* * * *
“I don’t know, Alpha Nash. I mean, sure, we want to help, but we’re foxes. We’re not big enough to actually be able to help in a fight.”
Dominic pinched the bridge of his nose, thankful they were on the phone and that the Alpha of the fox skulk couldn’t see him. “We can use all the help you can give us. If you don’t think you can fight, we could use help once the shifters are rescued. They need safe places to heal.”
“Of course, but—” Dominic tuned the man out. He already knew the man was going to go on protesting.
Sure, the Alphas were happy to have a way to know there were dangers around them and that they would have help if they needed it, but when time came for action, they all had other things to do. Not one of them wanted to risk their skulk or whatever to help shifters that weren’t of their species, and it was about the dumbest thing he had ever heard. His pride had rescued humans, wolves, a weasel and other types of shifters who would have died if they hadn’t stepped in. Why didn’t anyone understand that?
“—and I’m sure that—” Dominic looked up when he felt the air move, and sure enough Ani appeared in front of his desk. He was about to greet his mate with a wave, but he saw right away that something was wrong. Ani’s face was blank, too blank, but Dominic could see the emotions warring in his mate’s eyes. He wasn’t sure what they were, but was going to find out right now.
“I’m sorry, Alpha Terrell, but I have to hang up. An emergency has come up. I’ll call you back later.”
“But I—”
Dominic hung up without even listening to the fox’s protests. He was up and around his desk in only a few seconds time, but when he tried to pull Ani in his arm the man stiffened and took a step back. He frowned. He didn’t think he had done anything to make his mate angry. Hell, they were having a hard time even seeing each other with all the work he was doing to keep the network up and running and the other project. He was working so hard so that he could take a week off just to be with his mate.
Maybe that was the problem. He hadn’t told Ani he was doing this to have time to take a vacation, so maybe his mate thought he was losing interest. “Baby, I know we don’t spend much time together, but—”
“There someone at the door for you.” Ani’s voice was flat and cold, and Dominic did
n’t like it. He wanted the joyous and shy tones he usually heard, the ones that made his heart beat faster.
“Baby? What’s wrong?”
“You have to go talk to Delevan.”
“Who is Delevan, baby?” He wasn’t expecting anyone, and he really couldn’t remember if he knew someone with that name.
Ani’s gaze snapped to his, and now he could identify the hurt and betrayal in them. What the fuck had he done? “Apparently, he’s your son.”
Ani didn’t wait for Dominic to come out of his shock, he just shimmered away, but Dominic still had enough time to see that his mate was crying. The tears had started flowing right before he had disappeared, and Dominic knew he had to be crying his eyes out by now. He wanted to go after Ani, but first he knew it would be better to give him a little time far from him, and he had to go take care of the man who said he was his son. It wasn’t possible. Dominic didn’t have kids, never had and never would.
Which meant he had to take care of the guy, maybe beat him up a little for upsetting Ani before sending him back from where he came from.
He stormed out of his office just as Casey was about to knock on his door. The cheetah’s eyes were wide as he took in Dominic anger and he took a step back. Damn, Dominic had to keep control. It wasn’t Casey’s fault, and he didn’t want anyone to be afraid of him, except for the man who was claiming to be his son.
“Uh, there’s a man at the door. Ani let him in but he popped away before we could ask him who it was. He just said he was going to come and tell you.”
Dominic nodded and tried to keep the growl that was rising in his throat inside. “He told me.” Damn, his voice was gruff. “I’m going to take care of it, but please do me a favor and see if you can find Ani. He’s pretty upset right now and I don’t want him to be alone, as much as he wants to. Tell him I’ll be right back and that what that man told him can’t be true.”
Ani [Whitedell Pride: 7] Page 6