by Liv Rider
“Because it isn’t.” Aaron glared down at him. “Everyone knows, Shaun. Everyone back home knows you’re nothing but a no-good car thief, skipping town to avoid getting arrested.”
There were shocked mutters from the table, but he could hear Emily’s quiet ‘oh God, not this again.’
“You’re a thief,” Natalie added, “and you’re going to tell me what happened to my old car.”
“He is nothing of the sort!” his mother said firmly.
Shaun smiled. “I told the police everything I knew. I didn’t steal anything. You just thought I did, because several of my friends were found guilty and I’d made some mistakes.”
“Some mistakes?” Natalie spluttered. “Some mistakes?”
“Yes, mistakes. Some bigger than others,” he admitted. “We’ve all made mistakes in our lives, haven’t we?” He gave Raymond and Caroline significant looks too.
“We’re talking about your mistakes right now,” Natalie said. “So, talk.”
He met her determined gaze. “I just did. I admitted to mine. You should try doing the same.”
“Is this still about him being a car thief?” Mitchell’s father asked, raising his voice.
“The point is that he isn’t a car thief,” Mitchell told his father, who was eyeing Shaun suspiciously.
Shaun noticed other tables around them were taking notice too. But it didn’t fill him with dread like he thought it would.
“Stop dragging this out, Natalie,” his father told her.
“But you don’t understand,” she insisted. “He’s a criminal!”
“I had some criminal friends,” Shaun told her, although his father’s defense was heartening. “You just think ditching them and moving out of town to make a fresh start means I’m guilty.”
“Exactly! Why run away if you’re innocent?” Caroline pointed at him. “If you were innocent, you’d have stayed!”
Mitchell scoffed. “I can’t imagine why Shaun didn’t feel like sticking around.”
“Hang on,” Emily said, and people around the table fell silent. Even Shaun turned in his seat to look at her. “What was that you said, Natalie? That Shaun should tell us everything like you asked? What was that about?”
Shaun turned back to Natalie. She looked worried, but Aaron and Raymond just looked angry.
“We figured out he’d been lying!” Raymond told her.
“Yeah, about the bar and Chris,” Shaun reminded them.
Chris raised his hand. “I just want to point out that everything nice Shaun has said about me is one hundred percent the truth.”
Shaun stifled his laugh at that.
“Let me see if I understood this correctly,” Dale said. “You figured out he’d been lying about his job and his boyfriend, and I get being weirded out by that, because who the hell does that? But now you’re trying to push him into confessing a crime he didn’t commit? Why?”
“But he stole my car,” Natalie insisted, looking at Emily. “You have to realize that.”
More and more people from other tables were looking their way. It made Shaun nervous, yes, but he felt secure knowing that he wouldn’t see most of these people ever again and that his family had his back. Besides, the other wedding guests were paying more attention to Natalie than to him.
“I didn’t,” he said, watching her glare at him. “But nothing I ever do or say will convince you of that. If you don’t want to believe that I’ve changed, fine. If you want to live in the past, that’s your choice. People can change.”
“The truth will out,” Aaron told him, still looking down at him. “It always does.”
Shaun just shook his head, turning his back to them. Arguing with them was pointless.
“How dare you?” Mitchell’s voice was cold. He glared at Natalie. “How dare you do this to him? How dare you talk about the truth while you’ve done nothing but lie yourselves?”
Was Shaun imagining it, or had his pupils turned slitted again?
“He’s a criminal,” Aaron argued. “Don’t any of you care about that?”
“What I care about,” Mitchell continued, still with that cold anger in his voice, “is that Shaun admitted to making mistakes and has been doing his best not to make further mistakes. How dare you hound him all weekend? How dare you try to force him to confess something he didn’t even do? To make him lie?”
Natalie shook her head. “But he—”
“And how dare you do this during your friend’s wedding?” Mitchell asked, and yes, his pupils had turned slitted. He was brimming with anger.
All because of him. All for him.
Okay, and a little for Emily.
“Excellent question.” Emily’s tone was even icier than Mitchell’s. “Natalie?”
Her face paled, and she looked at her husband. “I was—we thought—he did it! He had to be involved!”
“Even if he had been, which he wasn’t,” Emily told her, “why did you think doing this tonight was a good idea? Or even this weekend? I thought a Maid of Honor’s duty was to make sure the bride has a fantastic time at her own fucking wedding.”
“Emily,” his mother protested.
“It seems warranted,” his father said.
Natalie stared at her friend. “You’re taking his side?”
“What do you think?” Emily fumed. “Did you miss every single time I told you over the past few months to knock it off when you and Caroline were telling me not to invite my own brother? I thought you two would get over it, or at least ignore it for one weekend. For my wedding.”
Natalie and Caroline looked shell-shocked. “We were just trying to do what was right,” Caroline mumbled.
“You failed,” Mitchell told them.
Emily nodded at that. “Yes. I’m relieving you two of your duties as Maid of Honor and bridesmaid.”
“You can’t do that!” Natalie walked over to Emily, but stopped when Emily fixed her with a glare.
“I just have. Your help isn’t necessary anymore. You won’t be in the pictures we’re doing after dinner. Enjoy the party.” Emily took a sip of wine.
Natalie looked at her friends, who were just as shocked. “You can’t cut us out of the wedding after it already happened,” she argued weakly.
Shaun was staring at his sister with similar levels of surprise.
“You heard my wife. Sit down, shut up, and enjoy your dinner,” Dale told them. “Thank you for your help.”
Natalie opened her mouth to say something. Then, realizing how pointless it was, she sat down at the table without another word. Aaron, Caroline, and Raymond followed. Caroline gave Emily a pleading look, but Emily was ignoring her in favor of her plate.
There was silence around the table. Shaun wanted to say something to break it and make the awkwardness go away, but he’d already said enough. Besides, he was still reeling from what had just happened. He’d told the truth, and people had ended up defending him. Even Mitchell’s parents, who hardly even knew him, had been on his side.
It only made him feel like a bigger idiot for lying in the first place.
He was startled out of his thoughts by a hand on his arm.
“Can we have a word?” asked Mitchell, who had leaned over. “Outside?”
“Yes,” Shaun replied eagerly, his heart skipping a beat. “Please.”
16
Mitchell
He ignored the significant smirk Dale was giving him as he led Shaun outside. They passed the grill and the picnic tables to have some privacy. The little playground area looked safe.
Shaun had just told everyone the truth, so there was no reason why Mitchell couldn’t. He owed him that much.
Part of him insisted that Shaun had a lot going on and should get to enjoy the wedding.
Another part of him insisted they go and drop Natalie, Caroline, and their husbands in the lake from a great height.
“There’s something we should talk about,” he told Shaun, once they’d reached the swings.
Shaun smil
ed at him, dark eyes sparkling, then grabbed the lapels of Mitchell’s jacket to pull him in for a kiss.
Ours! His dragon cried out triumphantly.
He wrapped his arms around Shaun, glad he could hold his mate again.
Shaun’s arms went around his neck, keeping the two of them pressed together as Shaun deepened the kiss.
Desire bloomed inside of Mitchell, and he pulled away with some difficulty, one arm still wrapped around Shaun’s waist. “There, um, really is something we need to talk about.”
“I think I got a hunch.”
After their kiss in Shaun’s hotel room, he probably did. “It’s more than that.”
“Okay.” Shaun sounded curious. “What is it?”
He was struggling to think with his mate pressed so close. Shaun’s tempting scent sent Mitchell’s thoughts scattering. “It’s complicated.”
Shaun pulled back, looking worried. “Complicated how?”
Mitchell shook his head. There were so many feelings and thoughts swirling inside of him. He should’ve thought about this before dragging Shaun outside. “I don’t know. It’s been a confusing two days.”
“You’re telling me!” Shaun rested his head against Mitchell’s shoulder. “Are you sure it’s only been two days?”
Mitchell gave in to the urge to pull Shaun back in for a reassuring hug. He buried his nose in Shaun’s curls, inhaling his scent and feeling peace settle inside of him. His mate was where he belonged. He ran his hand up and down Shaun’s back, while Shaun’s hands had slipped under his jacket to wrap around his waist.
Shaun let out another sigh, and Mitchell felt the tension leave his back as Shaun relaxed against him.
It was so good to have Shaun’s body against his own. It felt amazing. Right. And it would feel so much better if he moved his head so he could kiss Shaun again….
No. Not yet. Not until he had told Shaun why it felt so right. He moved so he could look Shaun in the eye. “It must’ve been two confusing days for you too.”
Shaun laughed. “Definitely.” He looked so much happier now. “Weirdest wedding I’ve ever been to. Thanks so much for helping me. You didn’t need to do that.”
“I did.” He couldn’t imagine not helping Shaun.
Shaun ducked his head, looking embarrassed. “You didn’t. You wanted to, because you hated all the lying and the tension, and you like helping people and, um, you like me, even though you barely know me.”
He could explain to Shaun that it was more complicated than hating lies and valuing honesty. He could explain that his parents had drilled it into him from an early age that as a dragon shifter, it was his duty to look out for those who couldn’t look out for themselves. But that wouldn’t be the actual answer.
He steeled his nerves. “You’re right. I barely know you. But that doesn’t matter.” Shaun had just found out yesterday that shifters even existed. Sure, he’d learned about fated mates, but there was knowing that existed, and knowing your fated mate was standing right in front of you. Not telling him would be the easy, cowardly way out. “The thing is, I knew everything I needed to know the moment I looked into your eyes.”
Shaun blinked at him. “What?”
“We’re fated mates.” Mitchell held his breath while Shaun stared at him. His dark eyes were impossible to read, but Mitchell thought—hoped there was some joy in there.
“We’re what?” Shaun managed. “Fated… you mean like Dale and Emily? What they explained last night?”
Mitchell nodded, his stomach churning nervously. His arms felt heavy around Shaun. “Yes.”
Shaun stepped back, slipping out of his grip. He ran his hands down his face. “No. Wait. You knew that we’re soul mates ever since we met?”
“Yes.” His mate being frustrated hadn’t been his preferred response, but at least Shaun was still here.
Shaun lowered his hands to stare at him. “Why didn’t you tell me last night?”
“Why didn’t you tell me Chris wasn’t your boyfriend?” This wasn’t going the way he’d hoped. They were arguing when they could be kissing.
Shaun let out a huff, folding his arms. “Good point,” he admitted eventually. “But why didn’t you tell me earlier?”
“In the hotel room? You had plenty on your mind already.”
Shaun remained quiet for a long moment. “We’re idiots,” he said eventually, shaking his head. “Chris is going to laugh so hard.”
Mitchell smiled with relief. “Most likely.”
“I guess that’s why we’re meant to be together, then. We’re both idiots.”
“We are.” He thought about last night. “Dale said earlier I was an idiot for not telling you last night.”
“And Emily kept insisting that I—” Shaun’s eyes narrowed suddenly.
Mitchell was certain they were both having the same realization. “They knew. They both knew. About us.”
Shaun let out a laugh. “That’s why she wanted me to tell you.”
“I wondered why they kept forgetting you had a boyfriend.” Mitchell shook his head, laughing.
“Well, they weren’t the only ones.” Shaun smiled at him.
Mitchell wondered if that would ever not make his heart skip a beat. “We really are idiots.” He held out his hand, smiling when Shaun took it. He twined their fingers together, warmth and happiness settling inside his chest.
Shaun glanced up at him, then tugged on his hand to pull him close for another kiss. Shaun’s mouth was firm against his own, and his other hand was on Mitchell’s shoulder as he deepened the kiss. Mitchell couldn’t help a shudder as he pressed closer. He wanted more.
He felt hot all over, and the noises Shaun had made when Mitchell kissed his neck were still playing in his head. He wanted to hear Shaun make those noises again. Desire pulsed inside of him, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed a kiss this much. Mitchell wrapped his hand around the back of Shaun’s neck, stroking with his thumb, and heard Shaun make an odd whimpering noise as they kissed. He held Shaun’s hand tightly, resisting the urge to let go and wrap it around Shaun’s waist or let it wander down his body.
He wouldn’t rush Shaun. He’d let him set the pace. Shaun wanted him. Mitchell didn’t need his enhanced senses to know that. But he’d only just learned the truth, and surely he would need time to process that.
But then Shaun let go of his hand to slide his own underneath Mitchell’s jacket, the touch burning through the fabric of his shirt.
Mitchell pressed closer, his free hand resting on Shaun’s waist. He’d heard how powerful the bond between fated mates was, but he hadn’t expected the need surging through him. If kissing was this good, what would sex be like? His cock was hardening already. He let his hand roam down Shaun’s back, down to the ass he’d been trying not to look at too much all weekend.
Shaun’s hips jerked forward when Mitchell squeezed, which made Mitchell pull back in embarrassment. He had to get a hold of himself. He moved his hand to Shaun’s lower back again. “Sorry. I was… this is very…”
“Yeah.” Shaun was breathing fast as he licked his lips. “Me too.”
Mitchell took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to calm down. They were outside, and not that far away from the party. “We can’t stay out here.”
Shaun nodded, moving back a little. “What do we do? I mean, do we go back to the party? Are we supposed to tell anyone? There’s still a bunch of people in there who think I’m with Chris….”
Mitchell took Shaun’s hand to give it a reassuring squeeze. He was glad everything was out in the open between the two of them. He was so relieved, like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. Yes, we should tell people, but we don’t have to go in there and make a big announcement. There’s no need to rush anything.”
Whatever Shaun wanted tonight was what they’d do. He hoped he hadn’t gone too fast with his explanation and overwhelmed his mate.
Shaun smil
ed at that. “I don’t think Emily and Dale will be happy if we stole their thunder like that. I guess we could… no, never mind.”
“What?” He noticed the slight hunch in Shaun’s shoulders. “We could what?”
Shaun scuffed his feet across the ground. “It’s silly. I was thinking about last night. About Dale flying off with Emily. But we probably shouldn’t—”
“You want to go flying?” Mitchell asked, while his dragon was bursting with eagerness to show off. “Because we can definitely go flying.”
We will please our mate! We will do anything he desires! His dragon urged him. Impress him with our speed!
“We can?” Shaun glanced around. “It’s still light out….”
“The sun is setting.” It wasn’t as dark as he’d like, but if he stuck close to the treetops it would be all right.
“The pictures!” Shaun gasped. “You’re supposed to take more pictures with Emily and Dale. You’re a groomsman.”
Trust Shaun to think of his sister even now. Mitchell was torn between being there for Dale and being there for Shaun. “I just found out that you can relieve people from their duties.” He grabbed his phone, planning to text Dale and ask him how important it was he was in those photos.
There was already a text waiting for him from his brother. You two are probably busy and ABOUT TIME. Not expecting you back for the pics but we are about to get dessert started. There’s wedding cake!
Where Mitchell had felt torn between Dale and Shaun, his dragon felt torn between cake and Shaun.
Why not both? His dragon suggested and Mitchell was not thinking of eating cake off of his mate.
“What?” Shaun leaned closer.
Mitchell showed him the message. “There’s wedding cake.” He smiled when Shaun made an excited noise at that.
“I mean, not that I don’t want to go for a flight, but I’ve hardly had anything to eat yet.” Shaun looked up at him. “And if you don’t have to be in the pictures….”
By the time they got back, they had already missed the happy couple cutting the wedding cake. Mitchell wondered if Shaun also felt like what they’d just done was written all over their faces.