Chapter 18
Before Qylar’s question was barely out of his mouth, Kenji’s mind was made up. His biological father hadn’t spent a single second in Kenji’s life. He was simply a sperm donor.
Even if it meant getting more answers, no way was he going face-to-face with that man.
“No,” Kenji said quickly. “I don’t give a shit about that bastard.”
Qylar closed his eyes, a wince coming.
Kenji sat up on an elbow. “What’s with that reaction?”
Qylar’s eyes opened, and he eyed Kenji. “I just hate hearing pain in your voice.”
Kenji’s anger faded some in the light of Qylar’s love.
“Finding who he was wouldn’t be so bad, I guess.
I’d like to have a name instead of the blank space that’s always been there.
Learning a bit about my history would be nice, too, I guess.
You talk about all of these kingdoms, so which one is mine?
Is that something we can find out? Is there a Nefyrian version of Ancestry dot com? ”
“There is, actually.”
“I’ve always been too terrified to give a spit sample here on Earth. I figured I’d be snatched in the night and locked up if I did.”
“Smart thinking. That might’ve actually happened.
Good thing you shifted young and knew not to.
” Qylar ran his thumb over Kenji’s lower lip.
“When I took your blood sample, I ran it through the system, looking for any potential match, assuming you might like that information. It came up empty, I’m afraid. ”
“So, I’ll never know,” Kenji said, disappointment swelling.
“Not necessarily. All royal lines are tracked, but for regular citizens, it’s voluntary to submit their data to the Genomic Library.
Not everyone’s genetics are in the system, but more are added all the time.
And then there are the underwater kingdoms. I don’t even know if they have a way to collect and store that kind of information to provide the library.
I doubt they could be coaxed to come up and give a sample, either. ”
“I didn’t realize there were underwater kingdoms.”
“There aren’t many. Most are ancient territories with citizens who refuse to live in human form.
They rarely leave the water, if ever. There’s one kingdom not too terribly far from Cryss’s homeland and we would occasionally see a couple of fishmongers who’d come sell their catches at the market every few weeks.
Not sure why they needed money when they lived off the seas, but what do I know?
Their skin was… off. When I was young, I was told it was because they’d spent so much time in the water and rarely used their human side.
It was pale and bloated, similar to how the remains of a human body found submerged for some time looks.
They didn’t look like us at all. Even their eyes were funny.
Bloated and gray. Young children would sometimes cry at the sight of them. ”
Kenji frowned, sitting up straight.
“What’s wrong?” Qylar asked.
“You just reminded me of something my mother once told me. She said my father had weird skin. Not bloated like you described.” He shook his head, searching for the rest of the memory.
“Like his skin was a little too big for his body and sort of sagged in places is what I think she said.” Kenji turned to Qylar. “Does that mean anything to you?”
Qylar shook his head. “No. But if you’d like to deepen the search, there are some folks I could reach out to for help.”
“I don’t want to meet him. Just to reiterate.”
“Completely understood,” Qylar said.
“But I would like to know where I came from. If that’s possible, I’d like help trying.”
Qylar smiled. “We can return to the ship tomorrow and I’ll send some messages to get the ball rolling. I can’t promise answers, but I’ll do whatever I can to find them.”
“Thank you,” Kenji said, leaning forward for a hug.
“You’re very welcome.”
Qylar held him tight for a few seconds before drawing away. He cupped Kenji’s cheek and smiled. Those smiles made Kenji’s heart speed up every time he saw them. Qylar stole a kiss and glanced outside. His brow soon furrowed.
Kenji looked over his shoulder and saw dark storm clouds far in the distance.
Qylar sighed. “I’m going to go unload the truck before it ends up under a foot of snow.”
“Do you really think it’ll snow?” Kenji asked, smiling broadly.
“They’re calling for it tomorrow morning.” Qylar sat up on the side of the bed and looked outside again. “Unless those clouds are rolling in super slow, I’d say it’s coming tonight.”
“Good. I’ve been unimpressed with the lack of it driving here. I want to see snow.”
“You haven’t really seen it before, have you?”
Kenji scoffed. “I grew up in San Francisco, so what do you think?”
In the thirty-two years he’d lived in the Bay Area, he’d seen a few freak flurries, but zero accumulation. The closest he’d ever gotten was art, television, and movies.
“Well from the sounds of the storm that’s coming, you’ll see it very soon.” Qylar’s frown deepened. “You know, change of plans. I’m going to check the garage and see if there’s an empty bay in there. If it is, we can pull in and unload in the morning.”
“Yay,” Kenji said. He really wanted to investigate Aspen. They’d driven through a section that was all decorated for the holiday, and he wanted to see more.
“I brought a box Alex had already packed with staples like flour, sugar, and spices, but there’s not really anything we can eat in there. If there’s a chance we might get substantial snow tonight and can’t get out for a few days, we should probably get to a grocery store and stock up.”
“Oh shit,” Kenji said, jumping from the bed and bending for his briefs. “I hadn’t even thought about food.” He tugged them on. “I’m not used to being snowbound.”
“There’s a couple of grocers we passed on the way here. I should’ve stopped then—but I was too excited to show you the house,” Qylar said.
“The mansion,” Kenji corrected.
“Whatever. I don’t own it, so…”
Kenji shook his head, tugging on his shirt.
“Before we leave, we need to raid Alex’s closet and find you a sweater to layer over that. The temperature might drop before we get back and…”
Kenji lifted his gaze, curious why Qylar stopped talking.
“Give better… cover… for other things,” Qylar finally said, dragging his gaze from Kenji.
Kenji glanced down and back up to Qylar. “I think the shirt covers for the most part.”
“For the most part,” Qylar repeated. “Certain ways you turn it’s not covering so well.”
“Ah,” Kenji said. He got the last of his clothes on and found Qylar still working to get his last few things on. “Come on, slowpoke.”
After pulling his pickup into the garage and borrowing the keys to the Range Rover SUV inside it, they headed into town.
Qylar smiled as he peeked at Kenji from the corner of his eye.
They drove through the heart of Aspen, and Kenji was playing more of a tourist here than he had on an alien planet.
Maybe it was all of the Christmas decorations and lights.
Even he, a complete outsider, had come to believe there was something magical about the season.
That likely had more to do with Alex and the kids. Seeing Christmas through their eyes had given him a new perspective of it.
It was also his bottomless stomach. Holiday meals, snacks, and desserts, especially those through from November to January, were some of the best food he’d eaten on Earth.
He pulled in near one of the grocers, the one Cryss swore had the best food. “This place up here is a little bougie, but they’ve got a lot of premade or ready to cook stuff, which given my lack of cooking skill might save us from a few terrible meals.”
“I can cook a little,” Kenji said. “Not a lot, but a little.”
“Between the two of us, we just might survive.” He unhooked his belt and laughed. “I’ve never missed Cryss more than I do right now. His food more than him, of course, but don’t tell him that.”
Kenji chuckled.
They walked into the store and soon filled a cart to overloaded. Once paid for and packed into the back of the SUV, Qylar eyed the skies. So far, so good, but the sun was falling. “Want to pick up dinner to-go before we head back?”
“We just bought a truckload of food.”
“And by the time we put it away, we’re going to be tired,” Qylar said, grinning. “My gods, you’ve fucked me nonstop for days. Can you not let a man rest?”
“Are you actually complaining about the amount of sex you’re getting?”
“Hardly! I want take-out so I can properly rest and prepare myself for what you have in store for me tonight.”
Kenji chuckled. “I don’t know… sounds like the old man might need a night off.”
“Not me, but I worry about you,” Qylar said.
“I’ll tell you if and when I need a break,” Kenji said.
“You’d better. I won’t forgive you if you push too hard.” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Kenji’s lips. “It might not hurt to take tonight off, you know? I’m honestly concerned.”
“Alright,” Kenji muttered.
Qylar smiled. “Good.” He glanced around and noticed a Christmas tree lot just down the street. They’d need to get one. Some humans put them up weeks ahead, so did they really have to wait? “What sounds good?”
“We passed a pho place on the way in. How about that?”
“Pho it is.” Before he took off, he checked his phone to see how much longer before the storm hit. It had apparently went right on past them. There did look to be another band that was coming later in the night, just as predicted. “Want to go pick out a tree first?”
Kenji grinned, but then it faded. “But the storm. Shouldn’t we get back?”
“Looks like we missed that first band. Another’s coming, but we have some time.”
“No snow and no sex?”
“Delayed snow. Delayed sex.”
Kenji sighed. “Where are we going to put it, though? The back is loaded.”
“Roof rack.”
Kenji smiled. “Then let’s get a tree.”
They exited and walked down the brightly lit, decorated street hand-in-hand.
Cryss was usually the one who picked out the tree each year.
Qylar was just the extra muscle to help get it on top of their vehicle.
He surveyed the available trees, unsure what he was even looking for.
Luckily, he overheard a man telling his older son exactly what to check to ensure they got a good tree and used that advice himself.
“How big do you want?” Kenji asked.
“Well, according to Cryss when he comes looking every season, it has to be rather large, considering the size of the living room. Too small and it’ll look tiny in that space.”
“Makes sense, I suppose. But that still doesn’t tell me too much. How many feet?”
Qylar scoffed. “No idea. When I see one that looks like the ones he usually buys, I’ll know.”
They toured the lot, but he didn’t see anything. Not until he made it all the way to the back. They had some monster trees there. “Now we’re talking.”
“Good lord,” Kenji said. “How are we getting that home?”
“We always manage.” With him and Cryss. He just might be asking for trouble doing it alone… but how hard could it be?”
After testing a couple of trees for falling needles and checking it over for brown spots, he decided on one. “What do you think?””
“It’s a tree,” Kenji replied.
Qylar leaned in and kissed him. “Captain Obvious?”
Kenji laughed, and Qylar fell in love with him a little bit more after seeing his smile that came along with it. They locked gazes for a moment, and his chest ached a bit.
“Can I help you fellas?”
Qylar turned to find one of the lot’s workers. “Yes. I’d like this tree here.”
“That’s a big one. Need it delivered?”
“Delivery? I wished you’d offered that in years past. My friend Cryss and I usually have to come together to get it on the roof.”
“We’ve always offered delivery.” The guy narrowed his eyes. “Actually, I think I remember you. Your friend a big guy like you with gray hair and a beard?”
“That’s him.”
The lot guy chuckled. “Yeah. I offer to deliver it every year, but he says taking it home is part of the tradition.”
Qylar rolled his eyes.
“I guess you shouldn’t break tradition,” Kenji said at his side, lifting a brow.
Qylar shook his head.
“I gotta kid who can help you get it loaded,” the lot guy said.
“With this, I think I need more than a kid.”
“Big kid,” the guy said. “Football player almost as big as you. Just slip him a fiver for the help, if you don’t mind. He’s not one of those rich kids and he’s trying to save up to buy his mom something nice for Christmas.”
“I can do that,” Qylar said.
Once the tree was purchased and wrapped, Qylar and John, the football player, hauled it on top of the Range Rover and got it all tied down.
Qylar eyed John—who’d been extremely helpful and polite.
Not the smooth kind of acting polite, but the genuine, earnest kind you felt down to your bones.
“I hear you’re getting your mom something nice for Christmas? ”
“She’s been wanting one of those fancy mixers for the longest time. She’s asked my dad for the past two years and got nothing, so if he won’t, I will. Hopefully.”
“Your mom do a lot for you?”
John grinned, his face lighting up. It reminded him of the way Zaadi and Ael looked at Alex and Cryss. “My mom’s pretty awesome. She does a lot for me and my brother.”
Qylar pulled out his wallet and handed John a couple of bills. “For your present fund.”
John’s eyes widened. He lifted his palms, pushing it away. “No, sir. That’s too much. I didn’t earn it.”
Qylar chuckled and placed the money in the front pocket of his heavy flannel shirt. “Buy your mom the mixer. She deserves it.”
John fought a smile. “Thank you. I appreciate it, but you really didn’t have to.”
“Yes I did.”
Qylar turned to get into the car and found Kenji staring at him.
“Why’d you do that?” Kenji asked.
Qylar shrugged. “He was a good kid. Anyone that lights up like that when asked about a parent usually is.”
“Yeah,” Kenji said. “That was really nice of you.”
“Nah,” Qylar said, opening Kenji’s door. “He earned it.”
Kenji grinned up at him before climbing inside.
Qylar got in and turned the SUV on. “Time for Pho.”
“How are we getting that tree into the house?”
Qylar chuckled. “We’ll figure that out later.”
“Just remember,” Kenji said. “You said you wanted to rest tonight. I don’t think this is that.”
Qylar eyed him. “Getting it down is a lot easier than getting it up.”
“If you say so.”
Fuck, he sure as hell hoped so. No way was he asking his pregnant mate to carry an enormous twenty-foot tree. Being able to use his tentacles would make life so much easier.