Chapter 7 #2
“Was still cuddled up in Leo’s arms when I slipped out of bed this morning,” I explained.
“Leo thought we were life-sized stuffed animals when he first saw us on the bed and apparently intended to leave us there so he could sleep with us. He booped me on the snoot and everything, so of course, I woke up and booped back. Poor guy is already pale, so there is no descriptor for how he looked when what little color he had drained from his face.”
Dad chuckled at that. “I still can’t get over the way a pair of snow leopards wound up with a mate named Leo. How perfect is that? When the Goddess delivers, she truly delivers, son; you make sure you leave an offering out as soon as you get the chance.”
“We will. Mav’s been polishing his new snowball cookies. As soon as he nails a batch, we will place some at the edge of the woods in thanks for the absolute best blessing either of us could have ever imagined.”
“You just make sure that the two of you take the time to explain and include your mate in that blessing and anything else you get up to,” Dad, ever the voice of reason and wisdom, reminded me.
“With the closeness that already exists between the two of you, you’ll want to take great pains to ensure that you forge the same sort of relationship with Leo so he knows that he’s just as loved and desired. ”
“Leo is amazing. He’s an artist, and we’ve already discovered that he loves many of the same movies as we do,” I explained.
“He’s an outdoors guy too; he brought a pair of snowshoes up with him so he could head into the woods and take photos.
He draws both cartoons and realistic nature pieces, and he’s a total animal lover.
He told us that capturing pictures of the critters in the woods was his favorite part of going hiking.
He was kind of bummed when he found out that being our mate didn’t mean he was going to turn furry and have a snow leopard form of his own. ”
“Then, son, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. He’s not going to wake up and take off.
Especially not if he’s curled up in bed using Maverick as his personal stuffed animal.
You just remember what I said about making sure he knows just how important mates are in a shifter’s life, and everything will turn out the way that it’s meant to.
When you’re ready to bring him home, you let me know and we’ll get everything put together for a presentation party to introduce him to the rest of the family, and if you need more time away, take it.
Your customers will be there when you return, and you know that they’ll all be thrilled to learn that you and Mav have found your fated mate and have started a new chapter in your lives with him. ”
“Thanks, Dad. I think I just needed to hear you tell me that I was getting all spun out with what-ifs and that everything would be okay when they woke up. In fact, I think I hear a bit of stirring in the kitchen.”
“The get your ass in there and say good morning to your mates and give them each a big hug from me. I’ll apologize to Maverick in person when you guys get back home.
I know I’ve hurt his feelings a time or two over the years, and he deserves to hear from me just how happy I am to finally be able to welcome him to the family.
If you can glean any sort of lesson from my mistakes, it’s to trust your cubs and back them when they are as passionate about something as you’ve always been when insisting that Maverick was yours.
He’s always been a sweet and loving soul.
I was genuinely disappointed when your bondmark’s to one another didn’t appear when you reached maturity. I’ll be sure to let him know that too.”
“I know he’ll appreciate hearing it.”
“Alright kiddo, get moving; I’ve got some lobsters to see to. If I can get enough of them, there will be lobster rolls on the menu this afternoon.”
“Ohhh, you just solved the issue of lunch this afternoon. I have claws and tails on ice that I picked up before we left town yesterday. I hate that they aren’t fresh enough to still be crawling around, but they will be the perfect fare for a picnic, along with those lemon cheesecake bites you dropped off for us. ”
“There you go. If you need anything, don’t hesitate to reach out the way you did this morning, and I’ll help in any way I know how.”
“I know, Dad and I appreciate it.” I replied. “That’s why I called you first.”
“Now that truly makes me happy to hear. Love you, son. You take care of yourself and those mates of yours. See you when you get home.”
“See you then. I love you too. Now go snag those lobsters.”
“You best believe it.”
He ended the call, chuckling, as I stepped into the kitchen to see Leo and Mav, hair sleep-tousled, as they hovered around the coffee pots like vultures, pleading for it to hurry the fuck up and brew.
No running, no screaming, no buyer's remorse, just two extremely beautiful, bare-chested men in sleep pants desperate for coffee, and I was the lucky son of a bitch mated to them both.