by AM Halford
“Yes. Security is in place, and the restaurant is under complete surveillance,” the lion answered. He was Nexus’s oldest and closest friend, even more so now that Lane was gone. Danyal was second-in-command, and in charge of all the security in Nexus’s life. He was also the one Nexus sent to pick up Roy and take him home this afternoon.
“Thank you.”
With that taken care of, Nexus grabbed his car keys and headed out of his luxury cabin. The three-story building was made entirely out of trees harvested from the Regulus estate, and had been the residence of all past Regulus. Surrounding cabins belonged to the members of the clan who supported the Regulus, and visiting clan officials, such as leaders of their own packs and covens.
Despite the natural beauty and grandeur of the estate, Nexus hadn’t had a true moment to enjoy the land since he’d taken the Regulus title. Maybe after being mated he’d get that chance to just breathe in the fresh air and absorb the splendor of the forest and mountains around him.
Nexus paused in front of his Land Rover and glanced at the Rolls Royce. No, that was probably a bit flashy for a first date, especially when he considered where Roy lived. Taking the Rolls Royce would just attract unwanted attention.
Firing up the SUV, Nexus waited for the engine to warm up a bit before putting it into gear and pulling out of the garage. Roy’s address was already programmed into his GPS, so he selected it and followed the directions right into the heart of the city. Here old buildings, in less than perfect repair, crowded in close. It wasn’t quite the slums, but it wasn’t that far from it either. A few buildings had been updated, hoping to increase the neighborhood’s value no doubt.
Roy’s building was thankfully one of the renovated ones. There were even automatically locking doors with buzzers for each of the residence. Finding Roy’s was simple. His name was written on the plaque. Pressing the white button, Nexus waited for an answer.
“Yes?” Despite the hours to calm down, his little human still sounded irritated.
“I’m here to pick you up.”
“And, who are you?” Feisty little kitten, Nexus would have to remember to give his mate a good spanking later for his behavior.
“You know exactly who I am, and unless you want me to break this door down, you’ll let me in,” Nexus warned.
“Pushy fucking pussy cat.” Roy no doubt intentionally let him hear that before a buzzing sound resonated and the door unlocked.
Nexus hid his amusement as he opened the door and headed for the stairs. There was an elevator, but an out-of-order sign was placed in front of it. Judging by the amount of dust, it had been sitting there for a while. Climbing to the fourth floor, he found Roy standing at the top of the stairs. His small human was dressed in simple black slacks and a black button-up dress shirt. From the look of it, he might have an undershirt beneath the dress shirt. His brown-black hair was brushed over in a stylish fashion that reflected several styles he’d seen in magazines lately.
Large brown eyes, a fairly small nose for his heritage, and perfectly kissable lips just finished off the adorable quality of his future mate. As for Roy’s body, all Nexus could tell with his clothes on was that Roy wasn’t fat. He looked fit, like someone who might do some exercises at home to stay in shape.
“You clean up nicely.” Nexus smiled.
“Thank you.” Roy shifted his feet, and his brown eyes drifted away from Nexus.
“Ready?” Nexus held out his hand for Roy.
“Yeah. I’ve already locked up.” Roy accepted the outstretched hand and allowed Nexus to guide him down the stairs and to his awaiting car. Reaching for the key in his pocket, Nexus unlocked the passenger door and opened it. “I’m not a girl.” Roy frowned.
Pulling Roy close, Nexus brought his hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “I’m well aware of that fact, Roy. You are my mate though, and I’ll spoil you however I choose to.”
Roy’s face scrunched up, but his eyes and the palest of blushes gave him away. Nexus was starting to form a picture of his mate’s reactions. Roy was reluctant, guarded even, but he wasn’t an entirely closed book. If anything, he was an open action novel waiting to fight back.
“Whatever.” Roy huffed and slid into the car.
Chuckling, Nexus closed the door and walked around the hood. As he circled over to the driver side door, he glanced up and down the street. He recognized two of the vehicles as his security escort, but there was a black motorcycle idling by the street corner that made him pause. Taking a deep breath, he drew the surrounding scents into his lungs. He couldn’t smell an unfamiliar supernatural in the area.
A minute ticked by without Nexus moving to get into the SUV, and he could see Roy looking over the seat to see what had caught Nexus’s attention. “Everything okay?” Roy asked.
Just as Nexus opened his mouth to tell his human to lock the doors and stay in the vehicle, a woman came rushing out of one of the buildings, perfume wafting after her, and jumped onto the back of the bike.
“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Nexus opened the door and climbed into his seat.
“Kind of on guard, aren’t you?” Roy looked out the side mirror. Nexus could smell trace amounts of fear coming from his mate.
“You have nothing to worry about.” Nexus ran his fingers down Roy’s cheek, making him jump slightly. “I would never allow any harm to come to you.”
With a swift nod, Roy leaned away from Nexus’s touch. “Let’s just go to dinner, okay?”
Agreeing, Nexus started the Range Rover and they were off. He had the whole night planned, and he wasn’t going to let his mate’s bristly exterior put him off making the night enjoyable. He might not have the customary time to court and woo his mate, but he did have tonight, and he was going to use it to his full advantage.
Chapter Four
Nexus parked the SUV, but didn’t turn the engine off. Two valets stepped up. With a quick signal from Nexus though, the one that would’ve opened Roy’s door backed off. Nexus got out of the vehicle, walked around the hood, and opened Roy’s door for him. Taking his mate’s hand, he helped him out of the vehicle and guided him toward the double, silver doors.
“Hello, and welcome to Luscious. Whose name is the reservation under?” the maître d asked with a polite smile.
“Nexus Nahuel.”
The man glanced at the screen in front of him, and his grin got bigger, as it usually did when people noticed his reservations. The private room wasn’t cheap, and it certainly wasn’t easy to reserve on such short notice. Thankfully this was a clansman’s restaurant. The maître d was a normal human though.
“Right this way, sirs.”
Taking Roy’s hand, Nexus guided him after the man. As they walked he noticed Roy glancing in every direction, his mouth slightly ajar as he took everything in. Yeah, Nexus guessed maybe it was a bit lavish. From the crown molding and crystal chandeliers to the marble pillars and dark exotic hardwood floors, the establishment did speak of wealth and class.
The private room they were shown added to the image even more. With custom artwork and a fully screened-in area with low lighting, it set the tone for a romantic, personal date. It was the exact atmosphere Nexus wanted. He wanted Roy to understand what kind of life, and luxuries, he’d be getting by becoming his mate. Nexus understood that winning Roy over this way was shallow, but money talked in most cases.
“Do you have a preferred drink?” Nexus asked Roy as the hostess came in with a drink menu.
“Reds.” Roy glanced at the menu.
“Me too.” Nexus ordered one of the more expensive bottles, hoping Roy wouldn’t notice until it arrived. Yes, he was trying to impress him, but it was probably better he didn’t know exactly how much some things cost so as not to make him too uncomfortable. “So, you asked for this date. What exactly did you wish to garner from it?”
“Oh, I don’t know.” Roy shrugged, a frown marring his handsome face. “Perhaps who I’m supposed to be marrying? Or, how about what you like and d
islike? There’s always the possibility of knowing if you’re allergic to anything? You know, stupid stuff like that. Things people who are getting hitched already know about each other.”
“Feisty, feisty.” Nexus couldn’t contain his amusement. He enjoyed seeing this sarcastic, no-holds-barred approach from his mate. Considering he was Regulus, he was so used to people talking politely and bowing to him. It was nice to have someone around that was willing to stare him directly in the eyes and tell him to fuck off. Well, besides his friends Danyal and Tyreese.
“Well, I’m not allergic to anything,” Nexus started off. “I don’t particularly like turkey, though I love chicken. I have no true favorite color, though I’m becoming partial to brown, with flecks of gold and green.”
Roy frowned at that before he blushed, his eyes darting to look at the table.
“I’m a fan of opera and most classical music, but I also enjoy blues and jazz. I’m eighty-seven years old.”
“What?” Roy gaped. He swept his gaze over Nexus in a quick, appraising way. “You don’t look it.”
“Thank you.” Nexus smiled. “And I’ve been Regulus for fifty years. Now, it’s your turn. Tell me about yourself.”
Roy sighed, shrugged, and sat back in his chair. “I’m twenty-one, just graduated from culinary school, and I like the color gold.” He blushed as he admitted the last part. So, his mate also liked his eyes. Cute. “I’m a fan of swimming, and I love eighties glam rock. Favorite food would have to be my mom’s enchiladas, but I can’t stand liver or heart.”
“Those are some of the best parts.” Nexus smirked as Roy made a gagging noise. “What about allergies? Are you allergic to anything?”
Roy nodded and looked down at his hands. “Cats.”
“Seriously?”
Roy laughed, his entire body shaking as he tried to keep his voice down. “No.”
“Feisty kitten,” Nexus growled.
Roy just stuck his tongue out at him. God, the man must not know how fucking delicious he looked doing that. The temptation just seeing that small pink appendage created inside of Nexus had his cock hardening at record speeds.
“I am allergic to peanuts,” Roy said, seriousness seeping into his voice. “It makes life a bit difficult.”
Nexus made a quick note to have everything with peanuts in it removed from his house immediately! He was suddenly very happy for this little moment of sharing. Thanks to it, he learned something incredibly important for the health of his mate. He also made a note to inform his housekeepers to keep all peanut products out of the house. He did not want Roy coming into contact with it even by mistake.
“Now, why don’t you tell me why you were at Cupid’s looking for a mate?” Roy leveled him with an even stare. “Was it only because of this issue with your family? Is that the only reason you want to have someone in your life?”
“No.” Nexus shook his head. Before he could explain further, the hostess returned with their wine choice and poured them their first glass. Nexus instructed her to leave the bottle, which she happily did. Once she was gone, he took a sip of the dark liquid, and just let the flavor sit on his tongue for a moment. “Being a shifter isn’t exactly rosy. We can’t have children unless we mate with a human normally, and even then the requirements are very specific. Our females can give birth, but that’s extremely rare. More so female births are just as rare, and when they are born they have a low fertility rate. Not to mention childbirth is particularly hard on our females.
“Because of this, almost all shifters resign themselves to a life without young. For those that do manage to find a mate, it’s a blessing. Thanks to Cupid, it has become easier to find our match, but there’s still a long wait. I first put my name with Cupid ten years ago,” Nexus admitted.
“Wow.” Roy whistled low.
Nexus just nodded. “I was content with waiting, positive he’d find someone for me, but a month ago my sister and our uncles came forward with their demands. I was to take a mate within a month, which ends Friday, or face one of them in combat for the clan. I had no choice but to press Cupid after that.”
* * * *
Roy felt his heart go out to the man sitting across from him. He’d been waiting patiently for ten years for someone to come along and be at his side, only for things to go awry in the last moments.
“And now?” Roy asked, squeezing his hands into fists above his knees beneath the table. “Now that you know who he picked for you, how do you feel about this entire thing?”
The genuine smile that greeted his question was not the response Roy had been expecting. “Well, from what I’ve seen and know, I’m absolutely delighted by Cupid’s choice. You are amazing.”
“Oh, well.” Roy fumbled to find something to follow that up with. To cover, he grabbed his glass and took a judicious drink. “We don’t seem to have much in common, but according to my grandma, it’s the differences that make a couple work.”
Nexus reached over the table and grasped Roy’s hand. Pulling it gently, he brought Roy’s fingers to his lips and kissed them. “I hope she’s right, because I’m not letting you go.”
Good God in heaven! This guy was pulling out all the stops, wasn’t he? First the classy, expensive restaurant and now this? Maybe he should tell Nexus he didn’t have to try so hard? Roy was already going to marry him. He didn’t need to be so fucking charming.
Thankfully the waiter arrived to take their order. Roy had been so caught up in their conversation he hadn’t even looked at the menu yet!
Quickly glancing through the contents, he felt his head spin. It was all in like French or something. Sure, he knew some Spanish thanks to his grandparents, but he wasn’t exactly bilingual. He certainly didn’t know what anything in front of him said.
Another look showed the description in English. Sending up a quick prayer of thanks to whoever was watching over him, Roy focused on the descriptions of the items and ordered what sounded good. From what he could tell it was a pasta dish. Apparently, this place believed in full course treatment, because he needed to pick both a soup and a salad type. He also ordered his dessert, something he wasn’t used to doing until after eating his primary meal.
Once he was done tripping over himself and presenting himself as an obvious newbie to this kind of place, Nexus ordered. Unlike Roy, Nexus’s order was smooth and delivered with absolute certainty. The waiter bowed, and was gone with a professional upturning of the corners of his mouth after asking if he could pour them more wine. Nexus refused the offer.
“Is it obvious I’m new to this?” Roy swished the wine in his glass, looking at his reflection in the red drink.
“Don’t worry about it.” Nexus’s voice was gentle, soothing. “It’ll come to you.”
Yeah, Roy was sure in time it would. Right now though, he felt like a fish trying to fly. He just wasn’t equipped to perform such a task.
The meal passed with little more than a few more probing questions from each of them. Roy wanted to know what Nexus thought of Christmas, or winter holidays in general. He was delighted to know the supernatural world did in fact have something similar, though they called it Yule. Nexus asked Roy about his preference in vacation locations, of which Roy answered camping. What could he say, he was a simple kind of guy.
As Nexus was paying the bill, Roy fiddled with his shirt sleeve. He was honestly enjoying this date and wasn’t ready for the night to end. “Um.” Roy looked up to Nexus, who paused in handing the billfold to the waiter.
“Yes?”
Roy bit his bottom lip and looked back down to his lap. He took a deep breath and met Nexus’s eyes directly. “How about going to the mall?”
“The mall?” Nexus asked.
Roy nodded.
Nexus handed the billfold to the waiter and stood. “Sure, if that’s what you want to do. Just let me tell our security that there’s been a change in plans.”
“Huh? What security?” Nexus looked around the room. He hadn’t known others were around.
>
“Danyal,” Nexus called, and a second later a large man was walking into the room. His dark skin and black hair were in direct contrast to his golden eyes. “Roy, this is Danyal, my best friend and second-in-command. He’s also in charge of our security.”
“Uh, hi?”
Danyal nodded, a half-smile appearing. It was an expression that never quite reached his eyes. Roy wanted to take a step back from the man. “Hello,” he greeted him formerly, and coldly. When he looked to Nexus, his eyes softened. “What do you need, Regulus?”
“Roy wishes to go to the mall,” Nexus said, rising from his seat and moving to Roy’s side. “So, we’ll be going there instead of the theatre.”
“You had other plans?” Roy gasped. “I’m sorry. We can do that.”
“No.” Nexus shook his head. “I get tickets for all the performances. It won’t be unusual for me not to show. I’d much rather do something you want. Besides, I haven’t been to a mall for years.”
“For good reason.” Danyal frowned. “There are too many people. I can’t guarantee your safety in a place like that.”
“We’ll be fine.” Nexus sighed. He pulled Roy close and winked down to him. “Now, let’s go.”
Roy felt his tongue weigh heavy in his mouth as he allowed Nexus to lead him out of the restaurant and to his awaiting car. A glance over his shoulder showed him five people dressed similarly to Danyal following them. Danyal was standing directly behind them, an irritated look plain in his eyes. He wouldn’t even glance in Roy’s direction.
What was his problem? Was going to the mall really that bad?
The drive to the mall was quiet except for the directions provided by Roy. Nexus parked them in the underground parking lot, and again opened his door for him. Roy was really going to have to do something about that. Still, for now it was nice.
They took an elevator up to the mall’s main floor, and Roy instantly went to the directory map. “Okay, so how about we just window shop?” Roy suggested. “We can learn about each other by which stores we gravitate toward and what interests us.”