Chapter Six
P eter tried to sit up, but Minho’s naked body got in the way. Pushing him off, Peter pointed to the door. “Outside, now, Rex.”
“You’re naked in bed with a man?” Rex almost squeaked the words out. “Since when have you been gay? Was Mom some beard?”
Minho sat up, not bothering to cover his body. “Bisexual.”
“Do I look like I’m talking to you?” Rex glared at Minho, then looked back at Peter. “At least you have good taste.”
Peter, still pointing at the bedroom door, ground out, “Outside, now, Rex. Do as you’re told.”
“Eww Dad, cover up.”
“I can be naked in my own bedroom, Rex. If you weren’t in here you wouldn’t be seeing it, would you, so leave now. I’ll deal with you when I’m dressed.”
Rex left, mumbling under his breath. Peter grabbed his jeans and shoved his legs in them, hopping as he pulled them up and fastened them. Noticing Minho not moving or getting dressed, Peter narrowed his eyes at him. “Minho. Why are you doing very little moving right now?”
Minho grinned. “I like Rex. He’s funny.”
Peter took several calming breaths. “Get your clothes on and help me deal with Rex. In case you forgot, we’re mated now, so as step-dad you get to be involved.”
Minho blinked. “Huh? Oh yeah. Damn. So soon. I thought I would have at least a day before I had to do the parenting side of things.”
Peter grunted. “Welcome to my world, Daddy.”
“No. Please don’t say that.”
“Why not?”
“Daddy kink?”
Peter scratched his cheek. “Um, what’s that?”
Minho laughed. “I love that you don’t know what it is. It’s when two people come together and one person is the adult, say, the daddy, and the other is the little. A boy or baby, and needs to be looked after.”
“Please repeat that to me. One pretends to be a dad and the other pretends to be a baby?”
“We can look it up later.” Minho stood and stretched and Peter stopped pulling his T-shirt on so he could admire Minho’s body. Strong calves and thighs that led up to a narrow waist and a penis Peter knew felt good inside. Ripped abs that made him want to cover up and defined pecs he hadn’t touched or tasted nearly enough. No hair either, which was very different from his own wiry chest hair. Minho strutted over with a grin on his face. “Like what you see?”
“You know I do.”
“Still surprised that you could find a man attractive?”
Peter furrowed his brow, and pursed his lips. “Maybe at first, yeah, but not now. I can feel you.” He placed a hand on his chest and then pointed to his head. “I can feel your emotions. I know what you say about us is true. Maybe it isn’t so hard to be with a man, you, because we’re meant to be together.”
Minho kissed his cheek and grabbed his jeans. Bending over meant Peter could see Minho’s ass and the remnants of what they’d done. “Rex is waiting. I can hear him talking.”
Peter tilted his head, trying to hear what Minho could but picked up nothing. “Your hearing is amazing.”
“Yours will improve too.”
“Will some of the gray disappear as well?” Pulling a T-shirt on, Peter was surprised to see Minho frowning at him. “What?”
“I love you the way you are. I don’t want you to change.”
“Maybe a little less gray.” Peter walked past Minho to go downstairs but Minho stopped him.
“I don’t say the words to make you feel better. I say them because I mean them. Even if you were old and gray and using a cane I would still want you. I would still love you.”
Peter opened his mouth then slowly closed it. “Minho,” he murmured.
“I’ve spent years knowing you were my mate. Years watching you grow and mature into the man you are now. Years watching you and Diane raise a family. You’ve only had hours of knowing I exist. My feelings are going to be stronger than yours. Give it time and you’ll understand.” Minho released Peter and finished dressing. “Someone said I had to step-dad, here. Rex is waiting for us.”
“I’m not looking forward to this.” Peter chuckled but there was no humor. No, he wasn’t looking forward to this conversation at all. Walking past Minho, he jogged down the stairs and found Rex pacing in the kitchen. “Rex.”
“How long has this been going on?”
“First, I’m still your father, so you’ll speak to me with respect. Second, it’s new.”
Rex’s eyes moved past Peter and narrowed as they stared at something, or more accurately, someone behind him. “Who are you?”
“Minho.”
“Where are you from?”
“Jesus,” Peter whispered, rubbing his forehead.
“I’m Asian and it’s nice to meet you.”
“Huh. Yeah. Bet it is.” Rex looked Minho up and down, sniffed, then asked, “When did you start sucking dick, Dad?”
Peter stormed over to Rex and pointed at him. “Don’t you speak to me like that. We raised you better than that.”
“You and Mom? The woman you forgot as soon as he came along, or is he the latest one?”
Maybe I should flash my fangs at him?
Peter spun around on the spot, his mouthing gaping open. “What?”
“He didn’t say anything.”
Spinning back, he shook his hand at Rex. “Manners,” he snapped.
Minho snorted, then coughed. Peter looked upwards and silently counted to ten. “Minho is someone I have recently met.” Looking back at Rex, he added, “It’s new, and even though it is none of your business, he is the first person I have been interested in since your mom passed.”
“Yeah, right.”
“He’s telling the truth.”
Rex glared at Minho. “And how the fuck would you know?”
“Don’t swear at him,” Peter snapped before inhaling and slowly releasing it. “You will speak to Minho with respect. He is going to be around for some time.”
“What’s wrong with your neck?” Rex moved to the side, trying to see it. Peter raised his hand, feeling the twin pinpricks from where Minho had bitten him. “Did he bite you?”
“I must have been bitten by a mosquito or something.”
“What are you?” Rex moved closer to Minho, then his eyes widened. “I know where I’ve seen you before. You’re on that website. That ‘vampires are real’ or something one. My friend at high school is a huge fan of yours.”
Peter sighed, dropped his head and closed his eyes. Putting his hands on his hips, he found himself counting to ten again. “Minho. This one’s for you.”
“I am indeed on that website.”
“Are you a vampire?”
Peter opened his eyes and turned just as Minho grinned and nodded. “Why, yes, I am.”
“Minho!” Peter snapped.
“Holy shit!” Rex shouted. “Lemme see ‘em.”
Minho opened his mouth as Peter stormed over and grabbed Rex’s arm. “You can’t ask that.”
“Awesome.” Rex went to touch one, but Minho moved his head out of reach.
“They’re sensitive.”
“You bit my dad with them. Did you drink his blood? Is he going to be a vampire like you? Oh! Does Sammy know? I need to call and tell him. And my friend! She’s gonna shit herself—”
Peter grabbed the phone as soon as Rex had it in his hand. “No one knows. No one is to find out about Minho or vampires.”
Rex’s shoulders sagged. “Why?” he whined.
“Do you hear about us on the news? Are we in any papers?”
“National Enquirer might have done something on you?” Rex leaned closer, trying to peer into Minho’s mouth. “Why don’t you bite your own lips?”
Peter slumped in a chair and let his body droop. “Rex. Please sit at the table so we can talk, and stop trying to see Minho’s fangs.”
Rex sat and practically bounced on his chair. “You guys had sex. Did he bite you while you two were doing it?”
Peter wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole. This was not how he planned this conversation going. It didn’t help that Minho was enjoying himself. Why are you amused by this?
Is this what having children is like? I should have some of my own.
You want some of your own? You can’t make me pregnant, can you? Horrified. That’s how he felt. He’d watched Diane do it twice, and he thanked whoever was out there that it wasn’t him because he would never have done it a second time.
Minho burst out laughing. “No! Why do you think that?”
“Because he has a bite mark on his neck, don’t you, Dad?”
Minho glanced between them, then grinned. “I was talking to your dad.”
“He didn’t say anything. I did.” Rex peered at him. “Are you okay?”
“I think your dad might be struggling with this, so I’ll tell you. I am a vampire and Peter is my mate. That means he is the only person for me. I bit him during sex because that deepens our bond. When that happens, we can talk to each other telepathically.”
“Wow,” Rex breathed the word out.
“No one can know about this. No one. I can’t have my kind living in fear.”
“Well, duh. Humans can be right fucking idiots.”
“Rex!” Peter snapped. “Stop swearing.” Peter rubbed the sides of his head. “Can I wake up now?”
“I like your son.”
“Eh, I’m hard to resist. Can you eat food like us? Drink like us? What about sunlight? Are you allergic to it and crosses? What about those?”
“I need a drink.” Peter stood and went into the kitchen, grabbing a beer from the fridge. He opened it and drank half of it before pulling it away from his lips.
“We’re ordering pizza. Meat feast. Should we get two large to share?” Minho asked.
Peter stared at Minho. “We ate earlier. How can you be hungry?”
“Fast metabolism, and we did have some exercise earlier.”
“Exercise? Is that what you’re calling it? So when you both say you’re going to exercise, that’s code for sex?”
Minho grinned, his cheeks puffing out. “I like him.”
“I’m so happy. It fills me with joy.”
“We could be hurling abuse at each other instead.”
Peter opened his mouth then closed it. “You’re right. Pizza it is.”
Minho pulled him into his arms and kissed him. “We’re going to be fine. He’s handling it well. Better, considering the circumstances.”
“What? Seeing us naked in bed together, clearly having had or about to have sex?”
“Both?” Minho kissed Peter again and stopped when they both heard gagging sounds. “Get used to this, Rex. I intend to kiss your dad a lot. I’ve waited a long time for him.”
“How come?”
Do you want him to know?
You’re asking me now after telling him?
I could lie to him but that isn’t something I like to do.
“Minho told you how we’re mates. It turns out Minho knew years ago and did nothing.” Peter stepped out of the circle of Minho’s arms. “He saw me with your mom, so stayed away.”
“Is this mate thing like swans? They mate for life.”
“In a way, yes. I knew Peter was mine, but he was married to Diane, so I stayed away.”
“What about another mate?” Rex leaned against the counter. “Do you get another one?”
“We only get one. Peter is my only mate.”
“So you did nothing when you knew he was your mate because he was married to Mom? That’s kinda… wow. That’s…” Rex appeared lost for words. “You might never have been with Dad.”
“All that mattered was his happiness, and he was happy with all of you.”
“Mom kept us happy.” Rex whispered the words, his head dropping.
“I’m sorry.”
Rex shrugged. “I’ve ordered the pizza.” He pushed away from the counter and left the kitchen. Peter went to follow but Minho caught his arm and shook his head.
Peter pulled free and shot Minho a hard look. “He’s my son.”
“All I was going to say was give him a minute, then go to him. I didn’t mean to overstep my boundaries.”
Peter closed his eyes and turned away, running his hand through his hair. Blowing out his breath, he apologized. “I didn’t mean that how it sounded.”
“He is your son, Peter, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be part of the family too. Give it time.”
Peter nodded. He knew all about time. How time healed all wounds. How time gave people a new chance at happiness. Smiling at Minho, he held his hand out and Minho took it.