by H. M. Wolfe
Sunk in one of the comfy office chairs, Thaddeus was smiling as he thought about how special that evening was going to be for him. Finally, Devin had come out of his shell enough to come to the mansion and meet all the family, although he hadn't accompanied the man. He'd preferred to show up later, and it was such enormous progress that Thaddeus intended to take advantage of. He also planned to introduce the younger man as his boyfriend formally.
From Devin, his thoughts wandered off to Ezra and the one who'd put his broken soul back together with their sweetness, patience, and understanding. Unlike his best friend Alasdair, Peyton was too vulnerable to protect their man. They couldn't give him their strength, but they gave Ezra much more: a reason to live. Someone to come back to and, above all, a son to continue his bloodline.
Through that early Christmas present, as they called little Christopher Benjamin, Peyton had made their fiancee immortal. Or at least they had prolonged the limits of his life way past the moment of his death. Just like Thaddeus himself, Ezra would live for as long as his bloodline continued, remembered by his son's descendants. That was the supreme victory over Alexander and his wicked schemes, and the only regret Thaddeus had was that the bastard hadn't lived long enough to realize that.
''Brother? Are you with us?'' Sebastian's amused voice made the older man start, bringing him back to reality.
''Sorry.'' Thaddeus smiled sheepishly, ''I was thinking about my children, and I wasn't paying attention to what you were saying.''
''I was asking if you wanted to join us downstairs and greet said, children. They are here. Ezra just parked their car. Ours also came, so I'm going to join my men and greet them.''
But Thaddeus couldn't wait for his brother to finish, running downstairs. ''Peyton, I've missed you so much! Sorry that I didn't visit you more often, but I've been caught up with other...things.'' the man cleared his throat, visibly embarrassed, as he hugged his son's fiancee.
''Papa,'' they sighed, burrowing into Thaddeus's broad chest, ''don't worry, we understand. Here, someone wants to say hello to his granddad.'' they took the basket with baby Christopher from Rayne's hands, giving it to Ezra's father.
''Hello, I'm here too, Mister Bloom. In case you hadn't noticed.'' his older son patted the man's shoulder. ''That cute, little, happy, and healthy boy you are cooing at is my son too. Not to mention that the beautiful person you were shamelessly hugging is my fiancee.''
''Come here, son.'' Thaddeus wrapped an arm around Ezra's shoulders, kissing his forehead. ''I've missed you all. How's work? Do it and fatherhood mix well? Do you need a hand? I'll be more than happy to lend you one. At least from time to time. And where's your brother?''
''OK, one question at a time.'' the younger man grinned widely. ''Work is great, fatherhood doesn't get in its way, and neither does the other way around because Peyton and I share responsibilities. Yes, it would be nice if you could come from time to time so that they can have a little more time for themselves. As for my brother, he's in the middle of his tribe, as usual.''
Indeed, as soon as he'd arrived, Justin was surrounded by his cousins and best friends. They were trying to lift his morale, which was buried six feet under because Marcus couldn't make it at this party. Tarann's presence helped a lot to divert the young Bloom's attention from the unpleasant surprise. His new cousin's soft voice was a balm on his aching heart.
''Hey guys! Did you hear the news?'' Brianna came running from the library, making the older kids turn in her direction. ''Something special is going to happen!''
''No, enlighten us, cousin.'' Justin dragged out the words. ''I'm in dire need of a distraction right now. I need something to make me forget.''
''Ardan's going to propose to Alasdair with style. He's going to do it according to an old Celtic ritual. Great-Uncle Alastair will open the library's door, so those who want to can assist in it.''
''And when is that?'' Justin asked, the boredom in his voice vanishing in a split second, his dark-blue eyes sparkling with interest.
''Right now! We can still get a good observation spot if we hurry a little.''
The view was awe-inspiring. Ardan was in the middle of the library, dressed in black pants and a black shirt. He was kneeling, with determination, strength, and love mixed on his face. Standing behind the man were his father and Dunstan, but also the two Bloom brothers, Sebastian and Thaddeus.
In two imposing, sculptured chairs, stern expressions on their faces, Alastair, Mallory, and Tyler were examining Ardan. He started to speak in a low, respectful voice, the words having a strange, but pleasant resonance.
''I am Ardan from the MacNamara clan, and I am here today to ask for Alasdair's hand in marriage from you, his closest relatives. I love him with all my heart, mind, and soul, and I want him as my companion for the rest of our earthly life. I will not mistreat, belittle, offend, punish, or cheat on him.''
''Who speaks for you?'' Alastair asked in a voice that sounded stern only after great effort.
''I am the father of this man.'' Godfrey took a step ahead. ''And I can say that he is a good, dutiful son. One who respects his elders and protects the weak and helpless. He is not disobedient, nor has he any vices.''
''I am the cousin of this man, Ardan.'' Dunstan solemnly spoke. ''And I can say he is a good, supportive friend. A wise man who weighs all arguments before making a decision. He is also a loving uncle to my two children, whom he loves and treats as his own.''
''I am Sebastian, from the Bloom clan. I am Alasdair's uncle, and I can say that my nephew's eyes spark with life and happiness every time they meet Ardan's gaze. The man has a gentle hand that has never touched our boy with the intent of hurting him.''
''I am Thaddeus, from the Bloom clan. I can confirm everything my brother has said. There is no better man than this one for your grandson and my nephew. With him, our Alasdair will be protected, cherished, loved, and taken care of. Forever.''
''I have listened to you all, and now it is time to listen to the boy,'' Alastair spoke again, in a much gentler voice. ''Do you wish to leave your father for this man?" he turned to a slightly nervous Alasdair.
''Yes, I do.'' the young man finally managed to articulate. ''I love him, and I can not imagine my life without his presence in it.''
''Very good. Go, kneel next to him and ask him for your dowry.''
Alasdair obeyed. Ardan then pulled a small box from his pocket. ''This ring,'' he began as he opened the box, ''is made with iron, for a durable marriage, with silver, for good health, and with gold, for richness. Do you accept it?''
''Yes! I do.'' the redhead looked into the beautiful turquoise eyes and losing himself in the intensity of his lover's stare. ''Do you accept this humble gift from me?'' he pulled a ring out of his jeans pocket, sliding it onto Ardan's finger.
''Yes, I do.'' the man smiled, raising his hand. ''It is magnificent. Thank you so much, my love.''
Alasdair smiled inwardly, remembering the circumstances that had led to him buying that ring. He was with Brianna, Royal, Gaheris, Willem Van der Meerwe, Avery, and Kellin, when the girl saw it in the window of an elegant, little antique shop. It was made of three thin bands, one each of silver, gold, and platinum. It also had a small lapis-lazuli stone encased in the very center.
Brianna had shown the ring to her cousin, mentioning that the color of the stone would match that of Ardan's eyes. He had agreed wholeheartedly, so he bought it. However, the redhead hadn't found the right opportunity to present it to Ardan. Until that moment. Alasdair rose to his feet, helping his man to stand. For a second, they just looked at each other, losing themselves in one another's eyes. Their eyes were the mirrors of their souls.
Then the two of them kissed in front of everyone, sealing the pact they'd just made before their parents and closest relatives. The redhead surrendered completely to Ardan, the man he'd feared so much almost four years earlier, but whom he'd come to love and trust more and more, with each day that passed.
The older man held Alasdair in his
arms. Close to his heart that was beating only for his Spitfire and Lorcan. Ardan felt that from the age of seventeen to twenty-seven, he'd wandered without a destination. That was until he'd met the feisty, reliable, intelligent, loyal, stubborn, generous redhead. From that moment on, his soul was at home.
''Wow! That was a hell of a kiss!'' Liam exclaimed, his eyes shining. ''Let me congratulate you both, guys.'' He hugged Ardan, then Alasdair. ''I wish you a long, happy life together.''
''OK, what did I miss?'' The younger redhead smiled widely when he heard the raspy, warm voice of Leon. He was the man who, for almost two years, was like a brother to him. ''You really asked for the Spitfire's hand in marriage, didn't you?''
''Yes, he did, and dad agreed. Grandfather, too.'' Alasdair beamed. ''What took you guys so long to get here? Darien called me and told me you left ages ago.''
''Yes, but Miss Willa messaged us a last-minute list of ingredients. Plus, we stopped and picked a fella up from the side of the road and gave him a ride after trying to fix his car for almost half an hour.''
''Congrats! That was the proposal of the century.'' Ezra headed to the couple, Peyton appearing a moment later. ''I'm so happy for you, cousin,'' he whispered into Alasdair's ear. ''And so grateful that you insisted on me getting out of my shell and meeting the most wonderful person on Earth. Whom I proposed to, an hour after our son was born.''
''Wow! That's great news!'' Ardan hugged the two with brotherly affection.
''Yeah. We thought about throwing a small party. Friends and family only. Sometime after New Years, when baby Christopher was a month old.'' Peyton smiled dreamily, as every time their son came into discussion.
''How about tomorrow?'' Thaddeus appeared next to the two pairs out of the blue, startling them. ''I'm talking about a Christmas wedding, vows exchanged and everything.''
''But Father, that's impossible.'' Ezra protested, ''We don't have anything ready. No flowers, invitations, a priest or a judge who can pronounce us spouses...I appreciate your good intentions, but...''
''Everything is taken care of, son, and by that, I mean every little detail. You remember the wedding bands you and Peyton saw and liked so much? We bought them for you and did the same with your outfits for the big day. It was your Great-Uncle's idea to organize your wedding ceremony and reception here. Along with a lot of help from Aristarh, Miss Nicky, and the amazing ladies of the clan.''
Ezra looked at his father, unable to speak. He had tears of love and gratitude, filling his eyes. He hugged the man tight, pouring all his filial affection into that gesture. Ever since Thaddeus had come back into the young man's life, he'd never ceased to show his support. He gave him the best advice, encouraged him to persevere in his career, and to pursue his love for Peyton.
Even before Alastair formally recognized the man as his nephew Benjamin, welcoming him again into the family, Ezra felt his warmth and affection accompanying him everywhere. It was Thaddeus who showed him how much he was valued. He was also the one who helped the young man build himself up again.
''Thank you, father. I have no words to express what I'm feeling right now.'' Ezra finally managed to push down the lump in his throat. ''The generosity you and my uncles show us is overwhelming.''
''Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Papa Thaddeus.'' Peyton also spoke in their usual soft voice.
''Oh, hush, young ones.'' the older man waved a hand, trying to hide his emotion. ''Seeing your love and its perfect little fruit is the greatest reward for all of us.'' he smiled paternally.
''Look! Devin's here!'' Justin exclaimed, pointing in the man's direction. ''When did you arrive, man? You missed the best moment of the evening. Ardan proposed to Alasdair!''
''He did? Wow, that must have been a sight to behold. The big bad Supreme Dragon, kneeling in front of the Spitfire.''
''Speaking of.'' Thaddeus winked. ''Let me officially introduce you to my boyfriend, Devin.''
''Really? I don't believe the two of you are boyfriends.' Peyton said in a defying voice, so uncharacteristic of them. ''You have to prove it.''
''And how should I do that?'' the man asked, his eyes wide in surprise.
''By kissing him in front of everyone!'' they grinned mischievously.
''That's an easy one.''
L
owering his head, Thaddeus lightly brushed his lips over Devin's mouth, enjoying the soft, silky texture. Ever so gently, the man used his tongue to get access into the sensual mouth, waiting to be explored. The older, more experienced Thaddeus won tongue against tongue, the short, intense battle for domination.
For a moment, Devin lay limp against his lover's chest, his heart thumping against the ribcage, but the fire of passion took control over him. The younger man's response was fierce, drinking Thaddeus dry. He continued pouring sweetness into his mouth but also unbounded desire into the kiss, abandoning himself entirely to the pleasure. Finally, his lessons and patience had paid off, the dark-blue eyed man thought, his heart filled with happiness.
''Wow! What a kiss, older brother! You surely possess some master-level skills!'' Sebastian fanned himself, grinning from one ear to the other.
''You are a pretty skilled kisser yourself, Master!'' Nicholas remarked, his pun making everyone laugh out loud.
''Look! There's mistletoe above you.'' Peyton pointed at the ceiling, making all the others lookup.
''That's strange,'' Mallory furrowed his brows. ''I could've sworn that wasn't here half an hour ago.''
''Well,'' Thaddeus winked, lightly touching Devin's ass, making him blush, ''if I were you, I would shove Uncle Alastair under that mistletoe and kiss the hell out of him.''
''And who said I wouldn't do that right away?'' the lawyer grinned mischievously. ''Husband of mine!? Please, come over here for a moment,'' he said, looking in the former Supreme Dragon's direction.
''Yes, my love. Here I am.'' the man came into the middle of the little group, taking Mallory into his arms. ''What is it?''
''Kiss me under the mistletoe, Alastair.'' the younger man passionately whispered, moving languidly inside his husband's embrace.
Nodding enthusiastically, the Stark patriarch took possession of his soulmate's mouth, exploring, tasting, conquering it with a combination of roughness and tenderness. While his lips and tongue were used to take control and dominate, the redhead used his hands for gentle touches and caresses, cupping the back of Mallory's neck and his face.
The two men were lost in each other, absorbed in their world. They were undressing one another with their eyes and shamelessly making love in front of all those who were still present in the library. Alastair left his husband breathless, only to revive him the next second with the ardent passion of his kiss.
''I'll be damn!'' Leon exclaimed his jaw, dropping to the floor. ''Colonel Stark, Sir! You really know how to do that!''
''Who do you think we all learned from?'' Liam flashed one of his irresistible grins. ''Actually, I learned from Elias.'' he continued, feeling his man's hand possessively planted on one of his ass cheeks.
''I'm sorry to barge in like this, sir.'' Seymour appeared from the main entrance. ''But we caught this guy wandering around the house. He said you gave him a ride.'' the man frowned, turning to Leon. ''And that he's here to see Miss Mattie. Landon and Carlin are bringing him right behind me.''
Indeed, the two appeared shortly after, flanking a very scared Henry. ''He said Mattie is in this house, but I couldn't find her, because the place is huge!''
''Can you cut vegetables without harming yourself in the process? Because the ladies are all in the kitchen and will appreciate any help they can get.''
''Why aren't you helping them, then?'' Henry looked to Landon, Carlin, and Leon. ''What are you good at, anyway?'' he gulped at his tenacity.
''Guarding the house, smartass.'' Seymour answered, amused by the guy's nerve. ''which I thought was obvious. Oh, if you go into the kitchen, take care, Ardan's in there, too.''
''Should that intimidate me?'' Henr
y innocently blinked. ''I've dealt with a lot of arrogant assholes in my life, and the only reason I let them win was that Mattie's job was on the line.''
''You have it in you, kid. Ardan's going to like you.'' Alastair shook his head, trying hard not to laugh. ''Now, someone, please escort this brave young gentleman to the kitchen so that he can meet my niece...and Ardan.''
Landon gestured to the intruder to follow him, and the two of them headed to the kitchen, where Donna Rosa, Willa, Nicky, Ariana, Maxine, Mattie, and Zoe herself were coordinating a small, disciplined army of helpers. The place was huge, a sweet aroma with hints of cinnamon, raisins, nutmeg, cookies, and citric fruits filling the air.
It sure smelled like Christmas, Henry thought, remembering the austerity of his childhood's winter holidays. His mother was always sternly proclaiming boys shouldn't give in to temptation. Of course, that was represented by cookies and tasty food, things a good Christian should refrain from, the woman preached on occasion. She always served him a minuscule portion of the usual dry, tasteless steak and nasty tasting porridge.