by J. D. Light
Dyer himself was incredibly fast. Again, not like that of some of the super heros you might see on the movies, but faster than any immortal––shifter or otherwise––that I'd ever seen.
He sighed, giving the screen a dry look. "One week. I can make it one week."
I smiled softly, even as my chest filled with happy excitement. "We've made it this long. We can definitely make it one more week."
"Have you decided whether or not you're staying permanently?"
I bit my lower lip. I'd pretty much decided that I couldn't live without him in my life, but I'd also realized lately that there was definitely something going on with my reactions to him, which complicated things a bit.
I didn't know if it was some kind of hormone spike––though, I wasn't reacting that way to anyone else lately––or what the hell was happening, but something was definitely changing. At least on my end.
I'd always known my best friend was one of the most beautiful humans in the world. His features were just so fucking striking, it was impossible not to notice what an absolutely stunning man he was, but lately, I seemed to notice more, and more than that, I was starting to think things when I noticed.
Like how soft his lips would feel if I ran my finger over them, or my own lips. His long, pale neck would look amazing with a little beard burn, splotching up the perfect skin there, and I would bet anything, his long, lean body would feel perfect fitted alongside mine.
"Uh, Hunt? Did you just moan? Is your stomach hurting or something?"
For fuck’s sake. Don't have a fucking orgasm while you're on video chat, idiot… unless he's into…
I cleared my throat. This was the problem. This was why I was worried about going back to Purdy and not entirely sure if I could stay permanently, even if I couldn't imagine not being where Dyer was.
I loved my leap, and I definitely loved my ridiculous family, but I knew I could live with once monthly visits and video calls for however long it was necessary. I'd been doing it for the last three years, but Dyer was a completely different story. I fucking missed him. I missed him so bad it hurt, and I was desperate for one of his hugs right now.
"No, Dy. I'm fine. I just miss you is all," I said honestly, making him smile.
"I miss you too, Hunt. One more week. Seven days."
"Six, actually."
"Even better."
"Dyer," I heard my father's voice in the background through the speakers, and watched my friend cringe. "Dyerdyerdyer!"
I laughed when he whimpered, letting his head fall back on his shoulders. "What is my dad doing there?"
Not that it was really unusual for Bennett Lane to visit Dyer. He was his honorable uncle, and just like Dyer's sister Harris, Dyer had been somewhat named after my dad, as his middle name had been my dad's last name before he'd mated my papa.
Dyer sighed, meeting my gaze dryly. "He's been driving me crazy. That's what. You couldn't have lied to him and said you were staying with him, just so he wouldn't act like I've stolen his only child."
"I'm not his only child," I grumbled, frowning hard. "He has Lexington and Drew."
"Lexington would probably actually kill him in his sleep if she had to stay with him for any period of time now that she is grown, and Drew actually pretends that he lives with your parents but stays away a lot, just so your dad doesn't cry."
"That's true. Lexington has… people issues, and Drew is too damn nice."
"Since you left, Lexington really only likes Harris and your papa occasionally. Mostly, they just growl at each other when they are in the same room, but it seems to work for them, and poor Drew."
"You'll call him every single day, but you won't call your own father?" Bennett Lane squawked as he walked into Dyer's room… with his arms full.
"I call you every day too, Dad. Why are you carrying Uncle Ridley?"
The redheaded man in my father's arms didn't look the least bit comfortable, and since he was taller than my dad by at least four inches, his feet were barely off the ground, but he still managed to cut an irritatedly dry look in the direction of the screen.
"You don't even miss me," Dad said, and I might have been more convinced of his pain if he didn't immediately look at my best friend and sigh, giving him a sappy look. "Damn, Dyer, I think you get prettier every day."
"I'm not pretty, I'm handsome," he said, sounding indignant and making my dad and me both laugh, because no doubt about it, Dyer was handsome, but he was also fucking pretty.
Uncle Ridley sighed again. "Stop laughing at my son, Bennett."
Dad turned his laughter on his friend, giving him a hard shake that made Uncle Ridley growl and smack the man in the back of the head before demanding to be put down, which was completely ignored.
Still laughing, my dad turned back to the camera, giving me his best pouty face. "When are you coming home?"
I glanced at Uncle Ridley who was rolling his eyes, and Dyer who looked like he was trying hard not to laugh, then back at my still-pouting father, shaking my head. "You already know when I'm coming home," I said patiently.
He knew that pout didn't work on me. Papa, Uncle Ridley and sometimes even Lexington might fall for it, but… Okay, sometimes it worked on me, but not about this.
"I don't mean back to Purdy. I mean back to your house. Where you belong."
"How many times do I have to tell you. I'm still scarred from all the scowl at me harder, Papabear shit I had to listen to growing up."
Dyer laughed, propping his elbow back on the desk. "You remember that time you went to school crying, because you thought something was wrong with your dad, because he was always yelling your papa's name at night, like he was hurting. It took me a long time to realize why my dads laughed for hours about that. It seemed so damn cruel."
I groaned out a chuckle. "I wish I still didn't understand."
"I scarred my children," my dad said on a sigh, before giving his best friend a shake. "I'm a good parent."
Uncle Ridley pursed his lips, trying to hide a smile. "You scarred my children too, but I think that makes you the creepy uncle."
Chapter Two
Where the hell is he? The plane had touched down nearly fifteen minutes ago, and I was about to lose my damn mind. He was here. He was finally back in Nebraska for an unknown length of time.
I could finally get one of those hugs I'd been wanting so fucking bad since the last one three months ago.
My dad glanced over at me, his gaze moving over my vibrating form before settling on my clenched fists as Uncle Bennett stood in front of and to the right of me, closest to the escalator that should bring my best friend to us.
I knew what he was doing, and if I wasn't so damn antsy, I would laugh at my dad's ridiculous best friend, but at the moment, I was ready to run straight up the back of him to get to my best friend first.
My dad's bright red head nodded once, and I watched his eyes widen in faux excitement as he grabbed the back of his friend's shirt, making the man glance over his shoulder at him in surprise. "Bennett, look! Let's go get some cotton candy."
Uncle Bennett's head swiveled in the direction of the vendor for a moment, his eyes lighting up for just a second before swiveling back to the escalator, once again narrowing on the moving steps. "Can't. I don't want to miss Hunt."
Dad gave another tug of his shirt, his voice still sounding excited. "You won't miss him. He's riding in the same car as us."
Again, Uncle Bennett's attention was snagged by the little cart set up just inside the exit, and he licked his lips before shaking his head. "I want first hug. I know Dyer's going to try to steal it, but it's mine."
He took another step forward, making me laugh. He knew I was faster than him—considerably faster, actually—and he was going to do anything he could to make sure he beat me to his son.
"But cotton candy," my secret weapon whined, making Uncle Bennett's head snap around to glare suspiciously at his friend.
Okay, Dad. Laying it on a bit thick.
He must have realized it at about the same time, because he blinked, letting go of Uncle Bennett's shirt and turning to move in the direction of the cart. "Aren't you supposed to be my personal bodyguard? I need you to walk me to that cart, so nobody steals me."
Uncle Bennett huffed out a small laugh, rolling his eyes. "You only use that when you're trying to manipulate me. Nobody wants to steal your ass anymore. You're yesterday's news."
I sucked my lips between my teeth to keep from laughing, and Dad gasped before narrowing his eyes. "I'm telling Flynn you said that."
"Tattle-tale," Bennett said, before sighing. "Fine. But I'm eating all the blue and leaving you with the yucky pink stuff."
He stomped off toward the vendor, and I leaned in quickly, knowing the noise of the crowd would drown out my words as I whispered to my dad. "He's been your friend for like a million years. He doesn't know pink is your favorite?"
My dad smirked, bouncing one eyebrow. "No because it makes him feel like he's won something when he gets to claim the blue. Now, go get your man."
I gasped, shushing him loudly as I glanced toward the escalator and then toward Uncle Bennett. "He's not my man."
Dad smirked, reaching up to cup the side of my face. "You two have always belonged to each other. From the very first moment you looked at each other. You're his Beebee."
I couldn't help but sigh happily at the nickname. Hunt still called me that on occasion, and it never failed to turn me to utter goo, but I couldn't let my dad think that it was more than it was.
Hunt was my best friend in the whole world, and even though I occasionally had those moments when I maybe looked a little too long at his amazing body or nuzzled against him a little longer than was platonically necessary, fighting my body's reaction the entire time, I refused to do more than take those small moments when I could get them because in the end, we both had the possibility of finding mates out there, and allowing myself to feel those kind of things for my best friend, and then possibly losing him to someone else was the type of torture only someone truly masochistic would put themselves through.
"We're not romantic," I said out of the side of my mouth, my eyes once again moving around the room to make sure I was still not being overheard as my dad followed after his friend, turning to walk backward. "Don't wink at me. We're not!" He smirked, wiggling his eyebrows and nearly ran over some lady with an animal carrier.
I took a very brief moment to wonder if she'd brought the thing to pick someone up, because she thought they might be missing the… tabby, or if she just hadn't wanted to leave the thing at home before shaking my head and waving my dad off.
"Go get your cotton candy. And thank you."
He gave me a soft smile and a nod before turning and jogging over to where Bennett was already ordering, and I anxiously faced the escalator again just as huge thighs came into my line of vision.
Before I even fully acknowledged the situation, my legs were moving. I could only hope when I took flight, landing hard against Hunt's chest, wrapping myself around him completely, that I hadn't accidentally exposed my speed since it was far too late to worry about something like that when I finally had my best friend in my arms.
"I can't believe you're finally here," I whispered against his neck, emotion clogging my throat and making my voice far too tight to actually speak.
He chuckled, but the sound was just as strained as my voice, and he nearly cracked my ribs with how tightly he held me.
Someone cleared their throat behind him, and he apologized, moving us out of the way of the escalator and toward the baggage claim area with me still wrapped completely around him and his arms still wrapped tight around me.
I wasn't sure how long we stood like that, but my body was starting to notice him in other ways than the ridiculous happiness coursing through me at finally being able to touch him, and I decided it was time to at least get my lower half off of him if I didn't want things to get awkward.
Unwinding my legs from around his body was enough of a hint for him to lower me to the ground, and I tilted my head back giving him my best smile, even as happy tears welled in my eyes.
"Holy shit," he whispered, his eyes looking just as misty as he cupped the sides of my face. "I've missed this smile so damn much."
I laughed, shaking my head. "You see my smile every day."
"Yeah, but it's even more dazzling in person."
"If you say…"
"You guys make such a beautiful couple," a forty-something lady said from beside us, tilting her head as she smiled sweetly.
I felt Hunt jerk in surprise, probably in the same way I did as I blinked over at her, licking my lips. "Oh––"
My explanation of our relationship was cut off completely as Bennett stepped up beside us, giving the woman a bright blue smile before shoving more cotton candy in his mouth and pointing a sticky finger back and forth between him and my dad. "We're their dads. We've been best friends for decades, and now our babies are going to get married."
He sounded so damn proud, I couldn't bring myself to shake my head the way both my dad and Hunt were doing.
"You really are an idiot sometimes," Dad grumbled in a way that only the three shifters standing close to him could hear.
It had been a long time since either of them could get away with claiming to be our dads around people who knew nothing about shifters.
"You're trying to tell me, you're his dad?" she asked, blinking back and forth between Hunt and Bennett, and I cringed. "That one actually looks like he might be older than you?"
My eyes widened in amusement as I looked up at Hunt who grunted, rolling his eyes.
He really did look older than his own dad, though with his huge size and rugged features not unlike his papa's while Bennett had the boy-next-door face of perpetual youth.
Uncle Bennett paused, blinking at the lady before nodding. "I mean, I'm his dad's boy toy."
We all snorted out a laugh as the woman raised both eyebrows and nodded in a way that said she thought he was nuts before walking off.
"I knew you'd steal first hug," Bennett snapped when she was gone, pushing me out of his son's arms and wrapping the giant of a man in a big hug.
"Sorry, Uncle Benny," I said, batting my eyes at the man as he released Hunt and turned to look at Dad and me.
"Aw," he said, scrunching his shoulders and leaning his head to the side before rubbing a hand over my hair. "It's okay." When he moved away, I reached up trying to fix the mess on top of my head, and he shoved the bag of cotton candy at his friend and scooped my dad up and over his shoulder, making him grunt. "Hunt, grab your Beebee and come on. We still have a bit of a drive."
"Damn it, Bennett," Ridley grumbled, trying to wiggle free while Hunt chuckled, snagging his bag off of the baggage claim and turning to smirk at me.
My eyes widened when I saw the look on his face, and I stepped back, shaking my head. "No."
He shrugged, reaching out and grabbing my shirt before tugging me forward and bending to throw me over his shoulder. "You heard my dad."
I sighed, letting my body flop around ridiculously as he marched out the door, almost hoping someone took exception to two men being carried from the airport like mink stoles or something, but with all that security, not one damn person stopped them.
◆◆◆
I stopped right inside the doorway to the living room, frowning at the man who was bent over with his face practically buried in the cushions of the couch while he sniffed around, holding his delphinium necklace out behind him in order to keep it out of range of his sniffer.
"Are you seriously sniffing people's butt fumes off of my couch, right now?
He lifted his head, blinking at me for a long moment before looking back down. "I guess I kinda am. I just… I thought I smelled something yesterday when I was running around without my necklace, but then you came and sat by me, so then your necklace blocked it. I forgot about it until a little bit ago, so I decided I would try to figure it out. There isn't a lot
of it, but it smells really nice… and almost familiar. I just can't seem to get enough of it to know what the hell it is, and it's driving me crazy."
Shrugging I walked in and plopped down right next to him, definitely chasing away the scent, since my necklace had been designed to completely neutralize any scent within five to ten feet, and he sighed, giving me a dry look as he lifted his head.
"That was Drew. Everyone will be here any minute now," I grumbled, flopping back against the couch dramatically.
Drew was Hunt's younger brother. Big like Hunt, but incredibly shy. He'd also taken on the bear form from Thompsyn and was bigger than both Hunt and Thompsyn when shifted. He was actually less than a year younger than me, but everyone treated him like the baby of the group. It didn't really seem to bother him, but that might also be because Harper tended to baby him, and Drew was head over heels for the chosen.
"What?" Hunt demanded, turning to flop right beside me, making the couch dip, and me tip sideways. "But I wanted to spend my first day back with just you."
Me too. I wasn't ready to share him yet, even if it was with our idiot friends. The day before had been picking him up from the airport and getting the few boxes he'd had shipped already unpacked. Today had been about me going in for an impromptu session since one of the recently rescued chosen had decided she wanted to try working her way through a few of the programs, and she only trusted me to help her make those decisions, so I'd left not long after breakfast and only just made it home a few minutes before.
I had no doubt our friends would be descending on us any minute now and all I wanted was to melt further into the couch or maybe just lean against Hunt and not move for hours.
I sighed, tilting my head to let it fall on his shoulder. "I know, but Fields found out you were coming back yesterday, so he decided today would be the best time to throw a party."
"And Dad wants to have a cookout tomorrow," Hunt said on a groan, resting his temple against the top of my head. "When are you and I going to get to watch movies and just be us?"