Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
While a good part of Christmas Day was spent in bed, with me teaching Skye all the wonderful, decadent secrets of modern holidays as lovers, a quiet longing bloomed in my chest as afternoon light faded to evening.
I unwrapped the gifts from my parents, a pang of guilt hitting me.
I’d been so consumed by Skye that I’d gotten them nothing in return.
I’d never brought anyone home before. Would they understand him? Would they even believe me? I didn’t even have clothes that would fit him.
But then I looked at the man beside me and felt a new strength settle within me. I wasn’t that scattered, uncertain kid anymore. I was Luca: shifter, personal assistant to a terrifying demigod, and the man who had loved a merman right out of a cursed painting.
I had resources, and it was time to call in reinforcements.
I reached for my phone, a plan solidifying in my mind.
Xavier answered on the first ring, as if he’d been expecting the call. “Luca.”
“I need a favor,” I said, my voice firm. “A big one. And I need you to bring Sylas and Keanan. And maybe some clothes.” I eyed Skye, who might fit in the kitsunes’ clothing. “I want to take you all to meet my parents.”
There was a pause on the other end, and I expected him to refuse, but he said, “We’ll be there in an hour. And we’ll bring dinner.” He paused. “And clothes.”
Xavier arrived exactly as promised, stepping into my apartment with his usual unflappable calm.
His gaze flicked to Skye, and for a moment I thought I’d have to explain, but Xavier’s smile told me he already knew.
He greeted Skye as if they were old acquaintances, ordered the twins to pick an outfit for him, then glanced back at me.
“You’ll want to add this one to the fated mate log,” he said. “With detail.”
True to his word, in exactly one hour, we pulled up in a sleek, black car to the curb outside my parents’ home. My sister’s car still sat in the drive, and my heart hammered as I clutched my art pad in one hand and Skye’s hand in the other.
Xavier emerged first, looking every inch the powerful CEO in a tailored winter coat.
He surveyed the neighborhood with an air of detached curiosity.
Sylas and Keanan followed, the twins a study in contrasting elegance, each carrying an armload of beautifully wrapped presents.
They looked less like dutiful guests and more like mischievous spirits pressed into service as Santa’s most fashionable elves.
And then there was Skye.
He stepped out of the car, dressed in a soft, charcoal sweater that made his eyes look like a storm-tossed sea and dark trousers that fit him like a dream.
He looked more like a fallen angel who’d decided to model for a winter catalogue than a merman rescued from a painting.
He moved with liquid grace, his gaze scanning the house with curiosity, though he held my hand tight.
My mother opened the door, gaping at the group of us as I walked her way, tugging Skye at my side.
“Hey, Mom,” I said. “I’d like you to meet everyone.”
My dad held the door behind her, his eyes wide. “Come in, come in. Let me help.” He offered to take gifts and trays of food. The twins took the gifts to the tree, adding them around the base, then returned to the car to unload the trays of food.
“This is my boyfriend, Skye,” I said, introducing them to my mate first. “And my boss, Xavier.”
Xavier took a step forward, offering a gloved hand to my stunned mother. “Pleasure, ma’am, sir.” He nodded at my father. “Luca wanted us to assure you he’s well cared for and very appreciated.”
Laura stood off in the corner looking like she’d bitten a lemon, but I knew at least half the presents were for her baby and a handful for her.
Xavier, true to form, charmed them all effortlessly. He discussed the stock market with my father, complimented my mother’s china, and even managed to get a grudging smile from Laura by inquiring about her due date with an air of genuine interest.
It was during dessert that Skye slipped a hand into his pocket. My parents, caught up in something Sylas was saying, didn’t notice as he drew out the fae queen’s jewel. It pulsed with a soft, malevolent light in the warm dining room.
He held it out to Xavier. “Will you see it returned?”
Xavier took the gem, his expression one of mild distaste, as if handling something unsavory. From an inner pocket of his jacket, he produced a small, ironwood box etched with runes.
“A message will be sent,” Xavier said, his voice cool.
He placed the jewel inside the box and closed the lid. There was no sound, but a faint tremor passed through the air. When he opened the box again, the jewel was gone, crushed into a fine, glittering dust.
“I will have this delivered to the Summer Court,” Xavier stated, closing the box with a definitive snap.
He pocketed the box, and the conversation seamlessly resumed as if he’d just commented on the weather.
The tension in Skye’s shoulders vanished, and he leaned into my side, a soft sigh escaping him.
Later, when the dishes were cleared and the house had quieted, I found myself at the dining table again, sketchbook open, pencil moving almost of its own accord, Skye leaning against me. My father nodded and smiled in my direction, and my mother set a hand lightly on my back.
It wasn’t perfection. Not yet. But as I sketched, I realized it was enough. My family saw me, and for the first time in a long time, I could be exactly who I was meant to be.