Chapter Six #2
“How did it go?” Rowan asked as Thomas came closer.
Thomas shrugged, but his smile widened. “I think it went well. I won’t know for sure until I get the results, but I answered everything. I didn’t leave anything blank.”
“That’s great!” Rowan wanted to pull Thomas into a hug and kiss him, but they were in a public parking lot, and he wasn’t sure how Thomas would feel about that. Instead, he squeezed Thomas’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”
Thomas’s cheeks flushed again, and he ducked his head. “Don’t be proud yet. I might have failed.”
“You didn’t fail,” Rowan said. He was sure of that. “But even if you did, I’d still be proud of you for trying. Now, how about that celebratory breakfast?”
Unfortunately for them, they had to keep it short because they were expected at the sanctuary.
It was a small miracle that Shane had allowed both of them to clock in late today, and Rowan didn’t want to push their luck.
He and Thomas would have plenty of time to talk about the future soon, and he wasn’t in a rush.
He just wanted to spend time with Thomas.
They drove separately to the sanctuary after breakfast. It wasn’t far, and Rowan used the time to think about how lucky he was. He’d left his pack looking for a different life, and he’d found it. He’d found Thomas.
As they pulled into the sanctuary’s parking lot, Rowan noticed something odd. A man was standing near the edge of the property, partially hidden by trees, holding up his phone. It looked like he was taking pictures of the sanctuary grounds.
Rowan frowned. That was weird. People didn’t usually take pictures of the sanctuary unless they were visitors, and visitors parked in the lot and came inside. This man was lurking outside, obviously trying to stay hidden.
As Rowan climbed out of his car, he got a better look at the man and swore under his breath. Jimmy. The weird guy who’d been coming around asking about that pigeon and who might or might not be interested in Thomas.
Thomas had noticed him, too. He was standing by his car, staring at Jimmy with a confused expression.
“Is that who I think it is?” he asked.
“Jimmy,” Rowan confirmed.
“What’s he doing?”
“Taking pictures, apparently.”
Thomas looked concerned. “That’s not normal, is it?”
“Definitely not.” Rowan felt uneasy. Something about this felt wrong. Jimmy wasn’t just some guy with a crush on Thomas. There was something else going on. There had to be.
As they watched, Jimmy seemed to notice them. He quickly lowered his phone and hurried away, disappearing into the trees that bordered the property instead of heading toward the parking lot for his car.
“That was definitely weird,” Thomas said. “I should tell Chance.”
Rowan was relieved. “He should know about this. I don’t like the idea of Jimmy hanging around here when you’re working.”
Thomas smiled at him. “I’ll be fine, but yeah, I’ll definitely mention it. Chance takes pack security pretty seriously.”
They headed inside after Thomas made a quick call to his alpha, and as they walked, Rowan found himself curious about Thomas’s family.
Thomas had mentioned them before, but always in passing.
Rowan wanted to know more about the people who’d made Thomas into who he was and who’d protected him when he most needed it.
“So, you mentioned Seth, as well as Theo and Chance,” Rowan said as they headed to the break room. “Tell me more about your family. You’ve said you all lived on the street together?” Rowan wasn’t sure Thomas would want to talk about that, but if he did, Rowan would be happy to listen.
Thomas nodded. “Yeah. Most of us aren’t related by blood, but we’re family anyway. We found each other when we needed it most.”
Rowan’s heart hurt. Thomas was only nineteen. The thought of him living on the street, struggling to survive, made Rowan want to go back in time and protect him from all of it. He couldn’t do that, but thankfully, he wasn’t the only one protecting Thomas.
“Seth is Theo’s brother, and Theo was the unofficial alpha of our small pack,” Thomas continued. “They’re both polar bear shifters. Seth’s boyfriend Ryan is a mage. Theo and Chance fell in love after we moved to Mayport.”
“That must have been complicated,” Rowan said.
Thomas laughed. “You have no idea. But it worked out. Then there’s Dustin, a dragon shifter, and Carrie and Wade, okapi shifters. We’ve got a few others, too. It’s a messy and wonderful family.”
“It sounds amazing,” Rowan said honestly. His own family was small and traditional. The idea of a chosen family was beautiful, and Rowan couldn’t help but wonder if he’d have that, too.
“It is,” Thomas said softly. “They saved me. Without them, I don’t know where I’d be.”
Rowan reached out and squeezed Thomas’s hand. “I’m glad they were there for you. And I hope I’ll meet them someday.”
Thomas’s smile was soft. “I’d like that. Actually, once I tell them about the GED, I was thinking I could tell them about you, too, if that’s okay.”
“More than okay,” Rowan said, his heart feeling too big for his chest. “I’d be honored.”
They went to work since it was getting late, but Rowan couldn’t stop thinking about what Thomas had shared. Thomas had been through so much in his short life, yet he was kind, determined, and full of hope.
Rowan had left his pack looking for freedom and a chance to live life on his own terms. He’d found that and so much more. He’d found Thomas, and hopefully, Thomas’s family, and the possibility of building his forever in Mayport.
And if Jimmy or anyone else tried to threaten that, Rowan would do whatever it took to protect it and Thomas.
* * * *
THOMAS AND ROWAN WERE leaving work when Rowan once again surprised Thomas.
“Are you doing anything tonight?” he asked.
Thomas shrugged. “I’ll probably stay home, like always. Why? You have plans?”
Rowan’s smile told Thomas everything he needed to know even before Rowan opened his mouth. “Well, since you don’t have plans, I thought we should make some.”
Thomas stopped next to his car and turned to face Rowan. “I’m listening.”
He’d felt lighter this past week than he’d remembered feeling in a long time.
He was hopefully done with his GED, and studying for it had taken over his life for long enough that it felt a little weird not hiding in the diner and opening his books.
He’d been staying there late almost every evening, which was why Seth had been worried, but now, Thomas didn’t have to do that anymore.
He was going to have to tell Seth why he’d now be getting home at a normal hour, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to do it before he got his GED results.
The thought of having an evening with Rowan was nice, though. They’d been spending a lot of time together lately, but most of it was at work or studying. Now that Thomas was free of that, he was eager to spend some time with his boyfriend rather than his tutor.
He still couldn’t believe that was what he and Rowan were, but he loved it.
He’d watched his siblings meet their partners and fall in love, and he’d yearned for the same, even though he knew that he was young and had plenty of time for it to happen.
When Rowan had first walked into the sanctuary, Thomas had been wary of him.
He couldn’t have known what would grow between them, and he was eager to find out where it went.
It looked like he might get an answer sooner rather than later.
Rowan leaned closer. “How about you go home, take a shower, and get ready? I’ll pick you up in, say, an hour and a half. Is that enough time for you?”
“Are you going to tell me what you have in mind?” Thomas was curious and wanted to be prepared.
“I thought we could go with a classic and go watch a movie.”
“So jeans and a t-shirt will be fine?”
“More than fine.” Rowan’s grin was a little cheeky. “Wear something comfortable.”
“I will. I’ll also send you my address. It’s in pack territory.”
“Do you have to contact anyone for an authorization to enter it?”
“Not really. People are free to come and go. Chance keeps an eye on things, but it’s open.”
Rowan nodded. “Perfect. See you soon, then.” He hesitated for a second before leaning closer and kissing Thomas on the cheek.
Thomas’s heart reacted as if Rowan had just proposed to him or something, which was a little nuts.
This was Thomas’s first real relationship, though.
It was the first time he’d allowed himself to relax like this with anyone.
It made sense that his body reacted the way it was.
His hands were shaking slightly when he slid into his car and grabbed the steering wheel. He had to take a few deep breaths to be sure he could drive, but when he looked over at Rowan, Rowan winked at him, making it worse again.
Thomas rolled his eyes at himself. This was getting ridiculous.
He didn’t want to make a fool of himself, though, so he quickly left the parking lot, ignoring his racing heart and focusing on what would happen tonight.
He was a little nervous, but he knew that Rowan wouldn’t care if he was.
The evening would be perfect, no matter what happened between them, but Thomas had a good idea of what he wanted to happen.
*
HE MANAGED TO DRIVE home without hitting anything or driving his car off the road. He was pretty proud of himself as he exited the car, grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. Now, he just had to take a shower, put on some clothes, and wait.