by Liv Rider
Shaun smiled, relieved Chris was sticking to the plan, and glad he had someone on his side.
Caroline laughed at that. “You own a bar? I’m not surprised. You always liked a drink back home. Is that how the two of you met?”
Were they implying he was an alcoholic now? Shaun shook his head, annoyed by Caroline’s hypocrisy. She’d paid him several times to buy her beer for one of her parties. “What, like at a party at someone’s house?” He held her gaze. “Because yes, I remember those kinds of parties very well.”
Caroline’s cheeks flushed. “I’m sure you’re having lots of parties in your bar,” Natalie said. “While following all the laws and regulations.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” Shaun tried not to glare at her. He could feel all eyes around the table on him. The others had fallen silent. This wasn’t what he’d wanted at all.
“That’s news to me,” Natalie’s husband said.
“Speaking of the news,” Emily cut in, “has anyone checked the weather forecast for tomorrow? Has there been any change? It should stay dry.” Her smile was strained, and her voice wavered.
Dale took that as his cue to check his phone immediately. He read it out in detail, letting everyone know the forecast was still sunny. “Might be some clouds later in the afternoon, but nothing to worry about!”
Shaun kept his eyes on Natalie and smiled. It shouldn’t be this reassuring that his sister and future brother-in-law had his back, but it was.
It made the dessert course, which consisted of various bite-sized treats, all the sweeter. The small brownie was delicious, as was the tiny cheesecake. He really could have done without Mitchell audibly enjoying the last course right next to him. He wasn’t going to think about those quiet, satisfied moans in another context, nope.
Coffee was served once dessert was cleared away. Shaun only hoped that Mitchell wasn’t also into coffee.
By the time everyone finished their coffee, Emily and Dale asked everyone to join them for a drink in the room next door. She gave Shaun a significant look before nodding at one of the standing tables in the corner.
Shaun sighed, but joined her while everyone else slowly wandered over to the bar first. He’d been looking forward to a quiet evening in his hotel room to avoid Natalie and the others, and so he could get an early night before the big day. He hoped Chris wouldn’t mind that, but if his friend wanted to have a drink at the bar, well, Shaun wouldn’t begrudge him that.
Shaun told himself that not spending more time around Mitchell was another upside of his plan to head back to his room soon.
“Natalie and Caroline were totally out of line there,” Emily said, soft but furious. “What the hell were they thinking?”
“Probably that I’m still a car thief,” he replied. “Thanks for sticking up for me.”
“What else was I going to do?” She shook her head. “I’ve had to listen to them badmouth you for months now, as if they’re so perfect. Everyone knows Caroline got you to buy beer for her parties back in high school.”
“Sorry you had to deal with that.” If only he’d called her more often to ask….
Emily shrugged. “Whatever. It’s my wedding and I invite whoever I want to.”
“Have I ever told you how awesome it is to have you for a little sister?”
She beamed up at him. “Not often enough!”
He wrapped her in a hug. “It’s pretty awesome.”
“Thanks.” She hugged him back. “I’m glad you’re here, and not just so you can look after Rumple and Stiltskin.”
He let go of her. “Yes, about that. Just because it worked today doesn’t mean it’ll go well tomorrow. What if one of them runs off? With the rings?” He had been lucky today Mitchell had been there to grab Rumple before she wandered off.
Emily shook her head. “No way, they’re ring-bearers.” She grinned. “I can’t think of anyone I trust more. Or are you telling me you can’t handle looking after two adorable little cats? Especially with your boyfriend to help you?”
Well, how could he argue with that? “You’re devious, has anyone ever told you that?”
“Once or twice.”
“If I had RSVP’d sooner, would I still have to look after them?”
She was silent for a moment. “Maybe not, but to be honest, figuring out how to involve you in the wedding would’ve been difficult. It’s not like I could make you a bridesmaid like Dale did with Mitchell.”
“Not sure I would’ve looked good in one of those dresses either,” he replied, making her laugh.
“Oh, I don’t know. Purple’s your color!” She let out a deep sigh. “I will be so glad when this is all over. I didn’t know planning a wedding was this exhausting, especially with last-minute additions to the guest list.”
“That was a month ago!”
Emily’s glare told him that that was very much last-minute when it came to weddings. “You’re lucky I was counting on you. You better be on time tomorrow morning to pick up Rumple and Stiltskin from our hotel room. Nine AM sharp.”
It took Shaun a moment to switch gears. “Wait, at nine? You guys aren’t getting married until two in the afternoon.”
“Exactly. We only have five hours to get ready, and that includes pictures. We’re on a tight schedule here, Shaun.”
He got a sinking feeling when she mentioned pictures. “I’m guessing you don’t want Rumple and Stiltskin to be in their pet carrier for the photos?”
“Of course not.” She smiled. “That would be ridiculous.”
He snorted. “I think we’re beyond that already. But is that all I need to know?”
“There is one more thing. Can you meet Dale and me down in the foyer in about thirty minutes?”
Shaun frowned. Emily’s cheerful tone was gone, and she looked nervous. “Sure. About what?”
Emily bit her lip. “We’ll tell you later. But it’s important.”
“Something important you can’t tell me about now?” Now he felt worried.
“Not on my own, no. Look, just be down in the foyer at half past, okay?” she asked, then darted off to join her fiancé and his parents at one of the other standing tables.
Shaun frowned and decided he’d spend that half an hour up in his hotel room. It was better than risking another run-in with Natalie or Caroline down here.
6
Mitchell
He didn’t want the rehearsal dinner to end, and yet every moment he sat next to Shaun without talking to him or touching him the way he wanted was agony. The worst part was that Chris seemed to be a friendly guy. He defended Shaun every time Natalie, Caroline, or one of their husbands made a passive-aggressive remark. You didn’t need to be a dragon shifter to notice the way Shaun tensed up, or the fake smiles on the bridesmaids’ faces, or the sneering undertone when they asked about Shaun’s job.
There was more to this than what he knew. Mitchell was itching with the need to find out. The way the bridesmaids and their husbands were enjoying themselves as they made Shaun miserable had Mitchell convinced his mate was innocent.
Then again, Shaun had been evasive even when someone asked him about his bar or Chris.
His dragon had been uncomfortable too with the tension at the dinner table, but its approach to the issue was very practical.
They are hurting our mate, his dragon insisted. We should pick them all up and drop them into the lake from a great height.
We don’t know what’s going on. Besides, Shaun hadn’t asked for help and he had Chris to support him.
We should drop him into the lake too.
His dragon had a one-track mind, and it was a tempting thought.
And then he’d learned that his mate had been right under his nose this entire time.
There are many people in our territory! his dragon grumbled.
If only they’d met sooner. They could have been here, together, the way they were meant to be. He tried hard not to feel bitter about how close he’d been to Shaun all this time.
After dinner, he drifted over to the bar where his and Emily’s parents were talking over coffee. As much as he wanted to help his mate, he reminded himself that it wasn’t his business. At least his mate had a supportive boyfriend.
We should be the one supporting him! his dragon hissed.
Mitchell ignored the anger flaring up inside of him. His mate didn’t know about Mitchell’s inner turmoil and had enough on his mind already.
He ordered tea at the bar, intending to join his parents and Emily’s before heading up to his own hotel room. He needed some time and space to himself. His room was spacious enough to allow for some yoga, and focusing on the movement, the poses, and his breath should help to clear his head before getting some sleep. There was nothing he could do about the situation with Shaun, so there was no point in thinking about it or wishing things were different.
His dragon was restless inside him, wanting nothing more than to find Shaun. It took all of Mitchell’s willpower to stay at the bar.
His mother joined him to order a coffee. “That was an interesting dinner, wasn’t it?”
He nodded. As a dragon shifter, she was as sensitive to the underlying tension as he was. “I hope it goes better tomorrow. Maybe having more people around will help.” He desperately hoped that would be true for Shaun’s sake. Yes, there’d be more people from Millersburg, but there would be more people from Dale’s side to balance things out.
“I hope it doesn’t escalate. We should watch that.”
“I wonder what it’s all about.” Had his mother heard more about it from Dale?
“Me too.” She glanced over at the standing table where Mitchell’s father was chatting to Emily’s parents, who were both smiling and nodding. “Let’s join them.” She picked up the coffee placed in front of her.
Mitchell was about to pick up his tea when Dale and Emily joined him, one on each side.
“If we can borrow him for a moment!” Dale grabbed Mitchell’s arm and steered him away, ignoring his mother’s worried frown. “There’s one last thing I need you to help me with tonight.”
“Right now?” Why was Dale so anxious?
“We have to do it before the sun has set,” Emily said, walking along on Mitchell’s other side.
He was being herded to the entrance hall. “Do what?”
Dale and Emily exchanged a look. “We still need to tell Shaun shifters exist,” she whispered.
Mitchell stopped, ignoring Dale’s impatient tugging. “And you want to tell him now?”
“Well, I haven’t gotten round to it,” Emily told him. “It’s not something you can explain over the phone, and we’ve both been very busy, and Shaun lives so far away, and his shifts never work out with mine, and—”
“We wanted to do it in person,” Dale replied, while Emily caught her breath. “And before the wedding. There’s a path around the lake. If you follow it for long enough, there is a bit you can’t see from the Inn. It’ll be fine.”
“My bridesmaids don’t need to know. Not tonight, anyway. But Shaun does.” She grabbed her phone. “He should be here in about ten minutes.”
Mitchell’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of seeing his mate again. “But what do you need me for?” He needed to clear his head, not spend more time with Shaun and want things he couldn’t have.
“Two dragons are more convincing than one,” Dale said.
Emily smiled. “He’s just worried.” She took Dale’s hand. “I told you, Shaun will think you’re as awesome as I do.”
“Hopefully not exactly as awesome,” Dale joked, but his smile was nervous. “Besides, as a groomsman you’re supposed to support me.”
How could he refuse his brother’s request for help? And he definitely wanted to shift in front of his mate.
His dragon was already preening. We will wow our mate with our strength, our beauty, our magnificence.
But spending more time with Shaun, especially without Chris there, was risky. He’d already been tempted to take Shaun’s hand during dinner to comfort him. It would be even worse if Chris wasn’t there to be a very solid reminder that Shaun wasn’t single.
We could change that, his dragon insisted. Once he has seen how beautiful we are, he will choose us over his human boyfriend. He’s our fated mate.
Mitchell wasn’t used to his dragon being so possessive or single-minded. “I’d love to help, but I think it’s for the best if I don’t.” His dragon was restless and Shaun wasn’t even here yet. “It’s a private moment. I wouldn’t want to intrude.”
“You what?” Dale’s eyes were wide with surprise. “I’m inviting you! You’re my brother, so I want you there.”
“I think having both of you there will help,” Emily added, looking from Dale to Mitchell. Her eyes, so like Shaun’s, were imploring. “It will be a lot to take in for him, and I think it’s best if Dale isn’t the only one who can answer his questions. There’s so much I still don’t know either.”
Mitchell was glad Emily had given him an out. “Exactly, it will be overwhelming if we both shift right in front of him. One dragon is enough to deal with, never mind two.”
“You wouldn’t have to shift. You could just explain things while Dale shifted.”
Dale let out an impatient huff. “Honestly, you’ve been acting strange all day. What’s going on with you? I thought you were fine with me marrying a non-shifter.”
“Of course I’m fine with that!” He hated how worried Emily looked. “You two are fated mates. You’d be a great couple even if you weren’t.”
“Then what is it? Do you have a problem with telling Shaun tonight?” Dale asked. “Because I don’t want to wait until after the wedding.”
This was going all wrong. “And I understand that,” Mitchell replied. “I just don’t—”
“Or do you have a problem with my brother?” Emily demanded, all worry gone. “What did Natalie tell you?”
Any other time Mitchell would have appreciated her protective streak towards Shaun. “I don’t have a problem with him! I really, really don’t have a problem with him.” He paused, wondering if he should tell them how much he did not have a problem. If he did, they would definitely understand why he wanted to avoid Shaun at the moment. And neither of them would let him go without an explanation. His brother could read his face like a book. “More like the opposite.”
Emily frowned, exchanging a confused look with Dale, but then Dale grinned as he realized what was going on. “Are you serious?” Dale’s grin threated to split his face. “Is he? Are you sure?”
“There’s no mistaking it, no.” He’d known it the second he’d looked into Shaun’s warm brown eyes.
“Then why do you sound like someone’s just canceled Christmas?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” How could he be happy when his mate was with another?
“It’s not, no.” Emily’s tone was decidedly icy. “Dale?”
“Ah! Sorry, darling. You know how we’re fated mates?”
“Yes. You said we were destined to be together forever five minutes into our first date, and then I almost walked out of the bar.”
Mitchell tried not to laugh at the look of embarrassment on Dale’s face. His brother hadn’t mentioned that part of their first date before.
Dale’s cheeks were red as he turned to Mitchell. “Take my advice, don’t say you two are fated mates before you’ve explained shifters. It gets pretty awkward.”
“Extremely awkward,” Emily confirmed, then frowned. “Wait, we were talking about Shaun.”
Dale nodded. “Exactly. Mitchell took one look at your brother and decided he was the one.”
“I did not decide anything,” Mitchell replied. “I just knew. I was as surprised as anyone.”
“Not as surprised as Shaun will be,” Emily said, smiling.
Dale grabbed Mitchell’s hand. “Congratulations.”
“Don’t you also live in Lewiston? That’s very convenient.”
Emily’s joyful reaction c
onfused Mitchell. “Yes. So does his boyfriend.” How could she have forgotten her own brother was already in a relationship?
She frowned again. “Oh! Right, Chris.” She gestured dismissively. “Never mind that. It’ll work out.”
“But is that why you don’t want to join us to tell him about shifters?” Dale asked. “You’re worried you’ll do something rash? Because of the impulses?”
“Impulses? Oh. Never mind.” Emily’s cheeks turned red as she looked away.
Mitchell really didn’t want to talk about his impulses regarding Shaun to his sister. Or anyone. “I think it’s for the best if I avoid him for now. It’s all very unexpected. I want to be by myself so I can get my head around it and figure something out.”
There is nothing to figure out. He is our mate, and we will be together from now on. His dragon’s feelings were very firm.
Dale scratched the back of his head. “It is a complicated situation, but I’m sure you won’t need to avoid him. Besides, do you really want someone else to explain shifters to your mate?”
“No.” He wanted to be the one to show Shaun dragon shifters existed and how wonderful it all was.
“Then you should join us! It’ll be fun. Just the four of us. It’ll give you two a chance to get to know each other better.” She beamed at him, and her hopeful smile was just as infectious and warm as Shaun’s, except hers didn’t make his insides melt.
“It’ll be a chance for you to tell him you’re fated mates,” Dale added. “Remember, tell him after we’ve explained about shifters.”
Their enthusiastic reaction made him frown. Why was Emily acting as if Chris didn’t even exist? “I don’t think this is a good idea. I need some time.” His dragon perked up, and that filled Mitchell with dread. When there were footsteps coming down the stairs, he didn’t need to look to see who it was.
“Sorry, I knew you said to be down here at half past, but Chris wanted to—oh, hello.” Shaun stopped at the bottom of the stairs, staring at Mitchell.
“Evening.” Mitchell’s mouth was dry and his heart raced in his chest. What had he been thinking, wanting to head back to his hotel room when he could spend time with his mate? Shaun had changed out of his button-down shirt and into a casual t-shirt, but he was still wearing the same black jeans and well-worn sneakers. He’d looked more at ease than he had all day, or at least, he had until he’d set eyes on Mitchell.