Chapter Six
Life was good. There was a bounce in Seth’s steps, and he was whistling as he made his way to the kitchen.
He walked in, already smiling, only to find Thomas half collapsed on the kitchen table.
He looked up from his coffee cup, his eyes bleary as he glared at Seth.
“No one should be as cheery as you are at this time of the morning,” he complained.
“It’s almost ten AM,” Seth pointed out before taking a mug out of the cupboard to get coffee.
“That’s what I said.”
Seth shook his head. “I didn’t hear you come home last night. What were you up to?”
“None of your business.”
Seth was surprised. Thomas wasn’t one to hide things from anyone in their little family, least of all Seth, who was the only one who still lived with him.
He turned and leaned against the counter. “Thomas?”
Thomas grimaced. “It’s nothing.”
“It doesn’t sound like nothing. Are you in trouble?”
Thomas groaned. “You sound like Theo.”
“Well, we are brothers.”
“Keep asking me questions and I’ll ask you how things are going with Ryan,” Thomas threatened.
Seth beamed. “Thank you for asking. Things with Ryan are great.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.” Seth hesitated. “You’re really okay, though, right? Or do I have to worry?”
“I’m fine. I promise I’m not in trouble, just having fun with people.”
“People?”
Thomas glared and took a sip of coffee. Seth hurried to do the same, smiling into his cup while keeping an eye on Thomas.
He really wasn’t going to tell him anything, was he?
Seth was still slightly worried, but Thomas knew that he could come to any of them if he was in trouble.
Hopefully, he was just figuring things out.
Seth suspected he’d find out eventually.
“I’m going back to bed,” Thomas said as he clutched his coffee cup. “Do you have plans today?”
“I’m seeing Ryan.”
“Of course you are. At this point, wouldn’t it be easier if he moved in with us?”
Seth blinked. “You want him to move in with us?”
“I didn’t say I wanted him to, but he’s nice enough, and I know you like him.” Thomas wiggled his eyebrows. “Or maybe more than like him.”
“We’re not in elementary school, Thomas.”
“You’re an old man.”
“I’m only two years older than you.”
“That’s what I said. Look, if you want him to move in with us, it’s fine with me. I just need you two to be quiet when you have sex and not do it in parts of the house I use, too. I don’t want to have to wonder if you’ve ever had sex on the kitchen table.”
“Even if we had, we would’ve sanitized it.”
Thomas widened his eyes. “You know what? I really don’t want to know.”
“Relax. I was just kidding.”
“Something tells me you might not have been, but again, I’m fine not knowing. I just want you to be happy, Seth.”
“I am.”
“But you’d be even happier if Ryan moved in with us. The two of you are always together, and I can’t imagine he’s comfortable living with his parents. It would be like living with Chance and Theo.” Thomas shuddered. “You couldn’t pay me.”
Seth couldn’t say he hadn’t thought of Ryan moving in with him and Thomas.
He hadn’t said anything to either of them because he didn’t want Thomas to feel like he was taking over the house they shared, and he didn’t want to rush Ryan into something he might not be ready for.
With Thomas suggesting it, though, Seth might decide to take that step and talk to Ryan.
He was sure a lot of people would think it was too soon, but it wasn’t like they’d live alone. Thomas would be there.
The thought of living with Ryan made Seth smile.
Things between them were going much better than Seth had expected they could.
He could trust that Ryan wouldn’t hurt him intentionally.
Even when they bickered, they always ended the day apologizing to each other and talking things out.
Ryan knew about Seth’s past. They were both putting a lot of effort and energy into this relationship, and being with Ryan made Seth feel things he’d never felt before.
Ryan was now part of the small group of people Seth trusted with his life, and he couldn’t have been happier.
“Anyway, it was just a suggestion,” Thomas said as he got to his feet. “Ask him, don’t ask him, I don’t care.”
“I think I’ll ask him, actually.”
Thomas paused and smiled at Seth. “Yeah?”
“You’re right. We spend most of our days together. He’s a bit uncomfortable living with his parents, although he would never tell them that. I’m sure he’ll be happy to have another option.”
“And to live with you.”
“Probably, yeah.”
Thomas rolled his eyes. “That man loves you. He’ll be over the moon when you ask him. Just remember, no sex in the living room or the kitchen.” He paused and frowned. “Or the downstairs bathroom. I use that one, too.”
“I promise we won’t have sex anywhere you might sit.”
Thomas squinted, then shrugged. “I’m sure there’s a loophole somewhere in there, but it’s too early for me to find it. Have fun with your boyfriend.”
Seth’s chest puffed up. He had a boyfriend. He, Seth, had managed to get over his mistrust of people and to allow himself to be happy.
He was. He was the happiest he could ever remember being. Of course, that wasn’t hard considering he’d left his home when he was twelve. As hard as Theo had tried, there hadn’t been many ways for him to make Seth happy while they were living on the streets.
But they weren’t anymore. They had a home, partners, and they were safe. No matter what happened in the future, that was never going to change.
Seth was whistling again as he made his way out of the house. He glanced up at Thomas’s window, but the curtains were pulled, and the house was silent. He’d really gone back to sleep.
Good for him.
Now that Seth had decided he’d ask Ryan to move in, he had to find a way to do it.
Should he make it romantic? Would Ryan even care about that kind of thing?
He wasn’t the kind of person who wanted flowers and chocolates.
He was more than happy tumbling on the forest ground and playing around with Seth in his polar bear form.
It didn’t have to be romantic. It had to be them, and that was something they were both good at.
Still, maybe Seth could make it a little special.
He might have to ask Madeleine what Ryan would like, though. She knew him better than Seth did.
Seth was planning to change that.
He looked up when he heard someone approaching.
A woman was coming toward him, looking down at the phone in her hand.
She tripped on a root, and he lunged forward, grabbing her to help her stay on her feet.
She looked up with a smile, only for that smile to drop when she saw Seth.
She shook off his hand and stepped back, and Seth let go.
“Don’t touch me,” she said.
“I’m sorry. I thought I was doing a good thing by helping you. Next time, I’ll let you face-plant.”
“I don’t like you.”
Seth didn’t know this woman at all. “I don’t like you, either,” he said anyway. It was the truth. Considering how she was talking to him, he really didn’t like her.
“You’re ruining our pack.”
Seth rolled his eyes. “Sure I am. Look, if you have something against me, you should talk to my brother-in-law. You know, the alpha.”
Seth grinned at the expression on the woman’s face. He didn’t think she was going to talk to Chance.
He stepped to the side and started to walk away. He wasn’t in the mood to fight with anyone. He couldn’t be bothered, especially when Ryan was waiting for him.
Something whizzed by his ear and exploded against a tree.
He jumped and turned, thinking the woman had somehow attacked him.
It wasn’t her, though. She’d fallen and was on her ass, scrambling away from the two figures coming toward her.
One of the men—one of the mages—raised his hand, and purple light started glowing from his palm.
No, it wasn’t the woman who’d attacked Seth. It was two mages who had somehow managed to get into pack territory.
* * * *
RYAN TAPPED HIS FOOT and glanced out the window. He was getting impatient, but he told himself not to be an asshole. It was the first time Seth was late. He’d apologize when he got there, and they’d drive to town like they’d planned.
“You’re annoying me with that foot,” Madeleine said.
She turned away from the sink and crossed her arms over her chest. Her hands were still damp from rinsing the dishes. They really needed a new dishwasher.
“I’m not doing anything,” Ryan answered, glancing out the window again.
“He’s not going to come in through the back door. If you want to stare out the window, you should go to the living room.”
Ryan grimaced. “Mom’s there with Alyssa.”
“Well, you should annoy them instead of me.”
“It’s just weird because he’s never been late.”
“Ryan, it happens to everyone. Hell, I can’t remember the last time I wasn’t late for something.”
“That’s because you have Alyssa. Seth doesn’t have a child.”
“No, but he has a family and friends. He lives with one of them, doesn’t he?”
“Thomas.”
“Well, maybe something happened with Thomas.”
“Seth would’ve called me.”
“Maybe Seth hasn’t had the opportunity to call you yet, or maybe he’s on his way here already.”
Ryan couldn’t help it—he glanced out the window again. Madeleine sighed and turned back to the sink, clearly done with him. Ryan was worried, though.
He didn’t have the same trust issues as Seth, but this wasn’t like Seth. Even if he was running late, why hadn’t he called, or at least texted? At the same time, Ryan didn’t want to start freaking out too badly. They were in pack territory. They were safe.
Madeleine was probably right. Seth loved his family, so if something had popped up with Thomas or any of the others, it would’ve been easy for him to focus on them and forget that he was supposed to meet Ryan. Ryan didn’t like it, but he’d do the same if Madeleine or Alyssa needed him.
He would just text Seth to warn him first.