Mihaja had no idea what Mal was talking about, but he looked at Elliott for confirmation that it was okay with him. Elliott nodded slowly, and Mihaja’s heart stuttered. He’d found his mate, and they were going to live together. His move to Gillham had definitely been the best idea he’d ever had.
Chapter Two
Zach opened the door and stepped to the side so Elliott and Mal could enter. Even though they’d already been to the house, Zach and Mihaja had agreed to go back and show it to Mal and Elliott.
It was one of the new ones, and it still smelled of fresh wood and paint. Elliott entered just after Mal. The front door opened on a small entrance. The stairs were right in front of it, a door beside it. Elliott peeked around the door and found a small bathroom.
Mal had disappeared somewhere, but Mihaja was there. Elliott had noticed Mihaja made sure not to get too close to him, and he was both grateful and angry about it. He loved the fact that Mihaja cared enough already, but he hated the fact that his mate had to keep his distance because Elliott might freak out if he didn’t.
Mihaja stood next to an open arch, and Elliott stepped closer to him to check the room behind it. His heart beat faster, but he held strong. There was only a couch, a coffee table, and a TV in the living room, but there was space for more furniture.
“Kameron gave me one of the pack’s credit cards to buy furniture. I was thinking about another couch, especially if the three of us are going to live together, and maybe a few armchairs,” Mihaja said.
Elliott nodded. “And a bookshelf between the windows?”
“That would be perfect. We can go see the furniture together, or buy it on the internet.”
Elliott walked around Mihaja to look through the arch on the other side of the entrance. This one opened on a kitchen-dining room combo. The kitchen was open, only a counter separating the two rooms, and there was a table and some chairs. There was a door next to the fridge, and when Elliott opened it, he saw it gave on a small clearing. The forest was just behind it, nothing separating them.
The closeness of the woods called to Elliott’s wolf, and he realized he didn’t even know what kind of shifter his mate was. “What are you?”
“You mean what kind of shifter?” Mihaja asked, a smile playing on his lips.
“Yes.”
“I’m a fossa shifter.”
“I... have no idea what animal that is.”
Mihaja laughed, the sound melodious and warm. Elliott leaned toward his mate, not even realizing it until Mihaja looked at him. Elliott retreated a bit, but not as much as before, even if his hands were damp in nervousness.
“A fossa looks like a big cat, I guess, but it’s not a cat.”
“And what is it?”
“The scientific name is Cryptoprocta ferox. It’s a carnivore related to mongooses.”
“That’s not really helpful.”
“I’ll show you if you want. It’ll be easier to understand.”
Elliott hadn’t run with other shifters—wolf or otherwise—since he’d come back. Not that he went to run often, but that was a long time to run alone, especially for a wolf. “I’d like that.” He’d never know if he didn’t try.
“Hey, Elliott, come up here! You have to choose your room!” Mal called from upstairs.
Mihaja smiled. “It looks like he already decided to move in.”
“Yeah.”
“Can I ask what he meant with the throuple comment before?”
“He lives with his best friend, Arlen, and Arlen’s lovers, Nick and Gentry.”
“I remember Nick. I didn’t know he had two lovers.”
Elliott looked at Mihaja, but he didn’t seem to have problems with that fact. “Yeah. Arlen was in the lab with me for a while, and he was stuck in his wolf form until Gentry found the implant that kept him that way. By then Gentry and Nick were already together, so when Nick found out Arlen was his mate, they stayed together, all three of them. No one wanted to renounce to the others.”
Mihaja cocked his head and frowned. “Why haven’t they mated?”
“I haven’t really spoken with them, since, you know. I can’t really get close to them without shitting my pants. From what Mal told me, Arlen and Nick didn’t want to exclude Gentry.”
“I’m still not sure why the three of them didn’t mate.”
Elliott frowned. “Because only Arlen and Nick are mates. Gentry’s mate died in a car accident.”
“I don’t think we understand each other.”
Elliott snorted. “Yeah, I can see that.”
“It’s just that throuples, like you call them, aren’t rare in my country. There are a few in my tribe, and they’re all mated with each other.”
“Like, each member is mated to the other two?”
“Exactly.”
“But... how is that possible? We only have one fated mate.”
Mihaja shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“Maybe it’s something only fossa do.”
“No. My aunt Aina is mated to a male fossa, but the other member in their family is a female lemur.”
Elliott leaned against the wall, his mind spinning with the information. “So you’re saying anyone could mate with anyone?” That wasn’t right. It didn’t feel right. Why would they have fated mates, their perfect other half, if they could mate with anyone?
“Not with anyone, no.”
“But Gentry and Arlen aren’t mates. How can they mate?”
Mihaja gestured toward the table. Elliott nodded and sat in one of the chairs, Mihaja in front of him.
“My culture doesn’t have problems with polyamory relationships. We also don’t have rituals or ceremonies for mating. When we find our mates, we just move in with them. The mating itself is a private affair, so the only way to know if someone is mated is to check their necks for the bite. In my aunt’s case, she has two, one for each side of her neck.”
“Okay.”
“We don’t usually talk about our relationships. My aunt was already living with her male mate, Hery, when the third member of their mating bond moved in with them.”
“A bit like Nick and Gentry, but was your aunt mated with your uncle?”
“Yes, she was.”
“So your uncle is her true mate.”
“Maybe, but I am sure she’s also mated to Tahiry, and that Hery is too.”
Elliott sighed in frustration. “Okay, they bit each other, but are they really mated? Do they all share the mate bond?”
“I honestly don’t know. Like I said, these things are private, so we don’t talk about it. If you want my opinion, I think they do.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve seen them around each other. One day, my aunt got hurt. It wasn’t anything bad, but her mates weren’t in the village. My uncle was hunting, and my aunt Tahiry was at the market. She was the first one to come back, and she went straight for our house. My aunt Aina was there because my mother was tending her wound. We don’t have phones, so Aunt Tahiry couldn’t have known Aunt Aina was wounded any other way.”
“Except if she felt it through their bond.” Elliott was flabbergasted. The sacredness of the mate bond was something he’d been taught since he was a kid, and he’d never heard of adding a third mate to the bond. It was something no one would consider.
“Yes, except in that case.”
“So do they only have to bite each other?”
“I think so. It’s not something we’re taught. We act on instinct in regards to mates, so my guess is that when my aunt Tahiry moved in with Aina and Hery, they claimed each other, and that was that.”
“And nothing bad happened.”
“Why should something bad happen? They love each other, all three of them.”
Elliott rose from his chair and pushed it backward. “We need to talk to Nick, Gentry, and Arlen.”
Mihaja looked surprised, but he nodded and got up. “Of course.”
“Do you think you could find out more about it? Maybe call home?”
“I can’t. They don’t have phones, remember?”
“How do you hear from them, then?”
“I don’t, not very often anyway. Every month or two my parents go to a nearby village. The leader of that village has a phone, and he lets them use it to call me.”
“Lets them?”
“They have to pay, of course, but I made sure they had plenty of things to barter with before I left.”
“I’m sorry.”
Mihaja shrugged, but Elliott could see the sadness in his eyes. “It is what it is. I could have stayed there, but after the time I spent here, I just couldn’t. I had to make a choice, and I did. I love my family, and I know they’ll never want to move here with me, even if I had the means to have them do it. Maybe some of my cousins will, or even my brothers or sisters, but I don’t know for sure. I can only hope.”
Mal was in the entrance, his hands on his hips, Zach by his side. “I called you, you know. What were you doing with your mate that you didn’t answer?”
Zach snickered. Elliott shook his head. “We were talking, and we need to find Gentry Nick, and Arlen. Right now.”
Zach frowned. “Why? Is something wrong?”
“Mihaja might have a way to make it possible for them to mate.”
* * * *
Mihaja didn’t understand why everyone seemed so excited to know about polyamory matings, but when he thought about it, he’d never met a throuple while he was in the States. He knew it wasn’t common there, but he’d never thought about it much. But now Mal was literally bouncing in front of him as they made their way back to Zach’s house, looking like someone had just offered him a million dollars. Zach was on his phone talking quickly and gesturing as he did so, excitement pouring from him.
Elliott walked at Mihaja’s side, far enough away that they didn’t touch. He was silent, but Mihaja had noticed him sneaking glances his way. “You can ask me whatever you want.”
Elliott blushed a bit. “Sorry.”
“No need to be.”
“I was just wondering if you expected us to find another mate.”
“Why are you asking that?”
“You said it was common in your country.”
“It is.”
“So? Do you expect us to?”
Mihaja took his time to think about it. He didn’t want to spook or anger Elliott with his answer. “Only if we both fall in love with that hypothetical third person.”
“Do you think it could happen?”
“I don’t know, Elliott. It’s true it is common back home, but it doesn’t mean everyone has two mates. My parents are only two, as are most of the other couples in my family. I wouldn’t panic if it happened, but I’m not going to go look for a third.”
Elliott nodded. “That makes sense.”
“And I would never force you to accept someone else in our mating. Everyone has to be happy, even in a polyamory relationship. Just ask Nick, Gentry, and Arlen.”
“Okay. I believe you.”
“Good.”
They walked out of the woods and Mihaja immediately noticed a man standing on the porch of Kameron’s house. He was looking toward them and bouncing his leg, but he didn’t move.
“Who’s that?” Mihaja asked.
“Gentry. He’s the pack’s psychologist, so he works in the house.”
They climbed the porch steps. Mal was already there, talking a mile a minute, and Gentry listened intently to him. Mal must have mentioned Mihaja, because Gentry’s gaze snapped to him. He turned toward Mihaja and Mihaja stopped in front of him. Gentry offered him his hand and Mihaja shook it.
“I’m not sure I understand what’s happening,” Gentry said.
Mihaja nodded. “I can imagine.”
“Can you explain? Please?”
“Why don’t we go inside and wait for Arlen and Nick?” Zach proposed, opening the door.
Everyone followed him inside. Mihaja made sure to check on Elliott. He wasn’t surprised to see Elliott wait until everyone was out of sight to slip in the house. He kept his distance, and Mihaja noticed the way he looked around and made sure everyone was in his sight.
Zach led them to the living room and left them there. Gentry sat down, his gaze still on Mihaja. Mal was talking again, but Mihaja kept his attention on Elliott. “Do you want to go?” he asked softly.
Elliott shook his head. “No. I want to hear this.”
“Can I sit by you?”
Elliott took a few moments to think about it, then slowly nodded. “I think so. Just... don’t make brusque movements or anything. Please.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“I know. I know you won’t hurt me, I know that here,” he said, brushing a finger to his heart. He raised his hand and pressed a finger on his temple. “But here, everything’s confused. It’s not that I want to keep you away, it’s just that I can’t help how I react to you, or to everyone else.”
“I understand that, Elliott. We just met, and I don’t expect you to fall into my arms right away, especially not with what I know about your past. I’ll give you all the time you need, but I’d like you to give me one thing in return.”
Elliott frowned. “What thing?”
“Talk to me. I won’t know how to behave around you if I don’t know what scares you, what makes you want to run away or hide. I want us to work, and I can’t do that if I don’t know you.”
Elliott pressed his lips together. “It’s not going to be easy.”
“I know, but nothing worth having ever is.”
Elliott stared a few seconds at Mihaja, then laughed. “God, that was cheesy.”
Mihaja smiled. He’d managed to make his mate laugh, and it felt good. Elliott looked younger when he laughed, and Mihaja wanted him to be that happy all the time. Elliot was right, he was cheesy, and he’d known Elliott only for a few hours. He didn’t want to imagine how he’d be in five or ten years. “Maybe, but I really believe it.”
Elliott’s smile definitely was worth all the cheesiness in the world. He slowly extended his hand toward Mihaja, the meaning of it clear. Mihaja took it, taking care of not squeezing too hard, and gently pulled as he went to the couch. Gentry and Mal had sat on two of the three couches, leaving one empty for Elliott, and Mihaja sat on one end of it. Elliott settled on the other end, their clasped hands in the middle of it. Then it was a waiting game.
Zach reappeared with drinks and put them on the coffee table. The atmosphere in the room was tense, and Gentry looked like he was ready to jump on Mihaja and shake him until he spilled all his secrets. Not that Mihaja had many of those, but still.
Once everyone had a drink, the silence became heavy. Gentry cleared his throat and everyone looked at him. “So, Mihaja. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around.”
“I just came back. I lived in Gillham for a few weeks last June, after I was rescued from a lab by Craig.”
“Ah, so you’re one of the rare shifters.”
Mihaja tilted his head. “We’re famous?”
“Somewhat. Not all of you left, and it doesn’t happen often to see an elephant shrew or a fennec fox in this country.”
“Jago and Kir.”
“Yes,”
“They’re still here, then?”
“Yes, and a few others. Reed is here and is mated now, as is Jago. Kir, Kanan, Dallas, Rieley, Gabriel, and Charina are also still here.”
Mihaja hadn’t really been friends with any of them—it was terrible to make friends with someone when you didn’t know how long they’d stay alive—but they’d had to live in close quarters, so he knew them pretty well. It was nice to know they were well and he’d be able to see them again.
A door slammed somewhere in the house and hurried steps came toward the living room. A dark-haired man stumbled in the room, frantically looking around until he spotted Gentry. “Gen! What’s happening? Ca
n we really mate?”
So that was Arlen. Mihaja watched as he hurried to Gentry’s side and Gentry pulled him onto the couch next to him. He tried not to be obvious as he watched them hold hands and talk in a low voice. It was obvious they loved each other, even though they weren’t fated mates.
Mihaja shook his head. Sometimes he really didn’t understand Americans. Why were they so surprised that more than two people could mate? Hadn’t they tried it?
“Nick should be here in a few minutes. He’s working today, so he had to leave work.”
Mihaja nodded at Gentry. “I’m not in a hurry.”
“We are,” Gentry said with a smile.
“True, but I’m not going anywhere.” Mihaja’s gaze slid to Elliott as he said it, and he saw Gentry notice.
“I wanted to ask about that, if it’s okay with you.”
Mihaja sent Elliot a questioning look.
Elliott smiled and said, “Yeah, we’re mates. We just found out earlier.”
Gentry nodded. “And how are you dealing with that?”
Of course. Gentry was the pack’s psychologist, so Elliott was probably his patient. He had to know what had happened to Elliott, and he was clearly worried how finding his mate would affect Elliott.
“I’m fine. Mostly angry with myself, to be honest.”
“It’ll take time, but I’d like to speak to both of you, both together and privately. If it’s all right with you, of course?”
“Yeah, it’s fine. He knows. I told him. Well, I told him part of it. I haven’t had time for more yet.”
The door slammed open again and Mihaja would have bet everything he owned that Nick had arrived.
* * * *
Nick barreled into the living room, his focus jumping to Arlen and Gentry. “What happened?”
“Sit down, Nick,” Gentry told him, scooting closer to the corner of the couch, and leaving the space between him and Arlen for Nick. It wasn’t the first time Elliott saw him do something like that, and he knew that even if the fact that they all loved each other was obvious, Gentry still felt like Arlen and Nick had more right to each other than he did. It made Elliott sad, and he was glad Mihaja might have a way to help them.
Elliott Page 3