Chapter Twelve
Ben
Iwoke up in a tangle of limbs and smiled, then my cheeks heated when the previous evening’s events came back to me.
Things had changed, because Luca gave us the freedom to change them.
His unwavering respect and love for my relationship with Max was everything to me.
He’d told us our connection wasn’t a fetish to him, that it was sacred, and we believed him.
How could we not, when he looked at us like we were the best thing he’d ever seen and told us our happiness was the most important thing to him.
I was somehow in the middle, so when my bladder decided I had to get up, it was an ordeal to extricate myself from them.
I managed, though, and headed into the bathroom.
I brushed my teeth while I was there and stared at myself in the mirror, wondering about how I still looked exactly the same. Just maybe… more settled?
There wasn’t a separation of the wolf and the man in me, I was one and the same like all born werewolves, but when I closed my eyes and dug around my psyche, I felt better, somehow.
When I made my way out of the bathroom, I grinned at the sight on the bed. In my absence, Luca and Max had gravitated toward each other, and they were touching from head to toe while still asleep.
It was early still, so I quietly made myself a cup of coffee with the pod machine, and went to sit by the window where I could look down at New York City.
I’d thought I’d be more overwhelmed, but it wasn’t too bad. It was different and harsher on the senses than home, of course, but I could compartmentalize a lot. Now that I thought about it, I’d been a master of that since I was a child.
Taking care of Max had been my purpose for so long, that I’d put my own needs aside.
I didn’t feel bitter or resentful toward my brother.
We’d both been playing with the cards life had given us.
We’d been miserable and trying to escape in any way we could without going anywhere physically, right up until Brodie came to town.
Thinking about Brodie, I texted our Alpha and Rian to let them know we were still doing okay, and to make sure the surprise for tomorrow morning was still on.
I was about done with my first cup when Luca let out a soft snort and woke up.
That was how he did it most mornings. His breathing was incredibly shallow and slow when he slept, his body not needing oxygen during rest in the same way ours did, so he woke up with an inhale.
It was cute, after we’d gotten used to it.
He lifted his head, gaze searching for me, then smiled sleepily as he found me.
“Morning,” I whispered, and he blew me a kiss.
I watched as he began to move away from Max, who had turned into an octopus.
Eventually, he managed to get out of the bed and went to the bathroom. I got up and made myself another cup of coffee. I made it black so he could have a sip if he wanted to. Then I returned to my perch on the chair by the window.
Luca, wearing just his underwear like me, walked to me and curled up on my lap like a cat. His skin was cool against mine, but I’d gotten used to the sensation.
I held the cup at him, and he took a sip, then hummed happily and put his head on my shoulder. Eventually we ran out of coffee and I put the cup on the table nearby.
We sat like that for at least ten minutes, just watching the city below and soaking in the closeness.
Then he started to speak very quietly so Max wouldn’t wake up.
“I want to tell you together, but also separately.” He took my hand and pressed a kiss on the back of it. Then he moved so that he could look me in the eye. “I’m in love with you.”
I gasped, unable to help my reaction. I cupped his face and just looked at him. He was so beautiful and intelligent. He’d survived something horrible to get to this point, yet he still chose us? Chose me?
I didn’t have words, so I kissed him. He smiled against my lips, then opened up to deepen the kiss. It was ravenous, but not. Deep without being about sex. We were connecting.
When I pulled my head back, he chuckled quietly. “I take it it’s mutual?” He raised a brow at me.
I groaned and pressed my forehead against his. “So fucking cheesy,” I murmured, but I couldn’t help but smile. “I’m in love with you, too.”
We kissed once more, then continued to watch the city while Max slept.
My heart was so goddamn full.
I didn’t’t know how long we sat there, but then the little almost purring sound Max made in the morning when he first stretched his body sounded from the bed, and I smiled.
Luca chuckled. “Morning, sleepyhead.”
“Morning. You two look cozy,” Max said in his sleep-rough voice.
“Go get your morning started, I’ll make you a coffee,” I told him. Then I looked at Luca. “And you need to get dressed before you end up starting something.”
He gasped, his hand flying to his chest. “I would never!” His mischievous expression betrayed him, and I pushed him off my lap and escaped to the mini bar to make Max’s coffee before Luca could grab me.
A while later, Max sat on the couch while Luca and I both got dressed for the day.
“So we’ll go to Nonna’s first. Is there anything else you want to do while here?” Luca asked as he pulled on a T-shirt.
“Not really,” I replied. “I’ve been trying to think about it, but I don’t feel like doing any of the touristy stuff.”
Max nodded. “Me neither. Maybe we can get food somewhere small and cozy tonight, but that’s about it.”
Luca hummed thoughtfully, then smiled. “Well, if you guys like Nonna, she’ll be happy to spend as much time with us as she can, I’m sure.”
Max ducked his head a little, then quietly asked, “And you’re sure she’ll be okay that we’re wolves and there’s two of us. And we’re brothers?”
Luca finished putting on his jeans and walked over to sit next to him. “She’ll be perfectly fine. She’s the most open minded person in my whole family.” He glanced at me, and I walked into the bathroom to give them a bit of privacy.
I still heard them, and smiled as I looked out of the windows by the tub.
“Want to know why I’m so sure she’ll be okay with you guys?” Luca asked, then kissed Max.
“Why?”
“Because she’ll be happy that I’ve found someone to love.”
My brother gasped. “W-What?”
“I’m in love with you, Max.”
There was a choked up sound, and then Max’s words were muffled, probably against Luca’s lips.
A tear rolled down my cheek and I wiped it away.
I felt like I could burst. If I’d thought knowing that I was loved was a lot, hearing Luca say it to Max, too, was…
it was everything. Max deserved someone good and kind, and while our Luca had very few hints of the Luca whose music we’d listened to endlessly in the past, I also kind of loved the idea of Max getting to be with his idol, because how often did that happen to people?
There were no illusions about who Luca was, of course. He was just a man. A man who loved both of us and wanted to see us happy.
I wiped my face again and walked back to them.
Luca beamed at me and held out his hand, while Max wiped at his own face, chuckling wetly. The happiness in his eyes bowled me over, and I stepped to the couch, then went to my knees in front of them.
“How is this kind of feeling possible?” I managed to say, as I wrapped my arms around them both and pressed my face into Luca’s stomach.
“I don’t know,” Max replied in a helpless tone. “I really don’t.”
“I love you both,” Luca said, just like he’d told me he wanted to. “I didn’t expect you, but I’m so glad I have you now.” Then he leaned in to kiss me and cupped my face with his free hand, the other was holding onto Max’s. “I can’t wait for my Nonna to meet you two.”
It took time to get to the Newark neighborhood Luca was from, and by the time we got to his Nonna’s house, my palms were sweating and Max looked pale.
“My parents live three blocks that way,” he told us as we walked up the steps to the front door.
The brownstone seemed to be turn-of-the-century. It stood in the corner of the lot, and the small front yard—if you could call it that—had flowerbeds on three different levels. It was clear the house had been kept well. Many others around it hadn’t been.
Luca rang the doorbell, squeezed my hand, then Max’s. “She’ll love you.”
The door opened to show… not what I’d expected, somehow.
“Luca!” The tall woman with stylish gray hair exclaimed, then pulled him into her arms.
He spoke to her in Italian, and by his own admission, I knew he didn’t know very much, so it must’ve been terms of endearment and such.
She smooched his cheeks and looked at him, her eyes filling with tears. “Oh, cuore mio. You look so good!”
He smiled, then turned his head to glance at us. “Can we come inside, Nonna?”
It was as if she noticed us the first time, even though she’d known we’d be arriving with Luca.
“Yes, of course. I’m sorry.” She stepped back to let us in and then held her hand out to me first. “It’s so nice to meet you both. I’m Stefania, this one’s nonna.” She nudged her head toward Luca who was taking his jacket off.
I shook her hand. “I’m Ben. It’s an honor to meet someone who Luca thinks so highly of.”
She oohed and grinned, her expression having a hint of her grandson in it. “You’re a charmer, aren’t you?” Then she took Max’s hand. “And you must be Max. It’s so good to meet you.”
“Likewise, Ma’am,” Max blurted out, still uncomfortable with the situation.
“None of that. Call me Nonna, Or Stefania, if you must.” She patted Max’s cheek like he was five years old, then whirled around to Luca. “You didn’t tell me they were so handsome!”
Luca burst out laughing. “How about we sit down, Nonna, before you fluster them any more.”
She cackled, clearly delighted, and gestured toward the back of the house. “Let’s go into the kitchen. I have coffee and treats for your men.”
Max and I took our jackets off and left them on the hooks with Luca’s, then followed the two mischief makers. Max took my hand and squeezed. I smiled at him. He still looked nervous, but he was relaxing slowly.
The kitchen had clearly been renovated in recent years. I realized that what we’d seen of the three-story house, little as that was, seemed to be in great condition.
“Sit, sit,” she said, gesturing at the small kitchen table. “How do you boys take your coffee?”
“I can make it,” Luca said. “I know their preferences and if I don’t make myself a small cup, one of them will drink theirs black so I can have some.”
“Aww,” Stefania cooed. “Well, then. How do we feel about biscotti and lemon cookies? Because I have both.” She moved a plate of goodies to the table while Luca worked a coffee machine.
“Those smell amazing,” Max said, his expression almost begging her to like his words.
My brother was so damn sensitive and eager to please. I hated that it all came from never really being accepted by anyone before Brodie came back into our lives.
“Thank you, dear.” She took a seat across from us and let Luca wait on us all. “I like to batch bake cookies. I always have some at hand.”
“I appreciate the scent of the biscotti even though I can’t eat them anymore,” Luca said as he moved the coffee to the table. “And the strong, Italian coffee.” He smiled as he sat next to his grandma.
She leaned to his shoulder, and the love between them was palpable. Gods what I would’ve given to have an elder like that in my life at any point.
“So, you got very ill. Didn’t tell your poor nonna. Then you got yourself saved, and still didn’t tell your nonna the whole truth. All the while I was thinking that you were just sad about losing Will, but….” She picked up her coffee and raised an eyebrow at him.
“Should we be here for this conversation?” I asked, grinning as I picked up a cookie.
“You’ve chosen to hitch your wagon to him, so yes,” she replied, her eyes twinkling with humor. “Also, this Rian? He seems lovely. A good man. I would love to pick his brain about some European history sometime.”
“I will let him know. I’ll have him visit the next time he’s in New York,” Luca promised, and I knew Rian would come over without question.
“How have you been, tesoro?” she asked then, taking Luca’s hand.
He smiled, then looked at Max and me over the table. “I’ve been so good.”
“Good.” She kissed the back of his hand. “That’s all I want to hear.” She took a sip of her coffee, then added, “And that daughter of mine? Well she’s a bigot and a speciesist, and I do not tolerate that in this house. All I want is everyone to be alive and happy, and you’ve succeeded in that.”
“Thank you, Nonna.” A brief sadness at the mention of his mother flashed through Luca’s expression.
Max and I both reached for his hand at the same time. Instead of one of us pulling away, we joined our hands and held onto him for a moment.
Stefania wiped her cheek. “Mannaggia. I tried not to cry and now you’re being like… like this.” She gestured at our hands.
We chuckled together. I practically felt Max relaxing completely next to me. I tapped my shoe to his. He tapped mine back.
Luca, hearing the quiet sound, smiled and squeezed our fingers harder for a moment. Then he picked up his coffee and took a sip.
“Oh this is so gooood,” he groaned out the words. “I really need to get some to take home.”
Stefania made eye contact at me and raised her brows, then looked at Luca. “Home, huh?”
He smiled. “Yeah. I… yeah.”
“I’m so happy,” she whispered and squeezed him briefly.
“So, what can you tell us about baby Luca?” Max asked, and I knocked my shoe against his again.