10. Dennis
Dennis
They left Ginevra’s house an hour later, no further along in negotiating Dennis’s purported mating, but at least Bjorn had reassured himself that his Gran was not at death’s door.
They were headed for the alpha’s house, to have whatever discussion Escalus thought was so important.
Frankly, Dennis wasn’t convinced he belonged at this discussion – he was just a guy - but Bjorn insisted, saying, “Where I go, my mate goes.”
It was a short walk from Gran’s house to Escalus’s home/office, and though Dennis had what felt like hundreds of questions for Bjorn, he had time for only one: “Can he make you stay?”
Bjorn shook his head. “No, but he can pressure me like crazy. And he knows I’m more likely to listen to him than to my parents.”
“Fuck.”
“Mmm,” Bjorn said with a nod as they mounted the steps in front of the alpha house. “We’ll get it over with and then head back to Gran’s for the night.”
The door was flung open before they could knock, a young man standing in the doorway grinning at them. He was short, perhaps five foot six, with cropped brown hair the same shade as Bjorn’s but with a lot more curl. “Bjorn!” he chirped, throwing his arms wide for a hug.
Dennis instinctively backed up a step from the assault, but Bjorn stepped into the hug happily. “Simon! What are you doing here?” he asked, giving the smaller man a squeeze that would probably have knocked the breath out of anyone who wasn’t a bear.
They separated after a second, Simon still smiling.
“I’m working office admin for Alpha these days.
The paperwork got out of hand, and he finally decided to let someone help.
” He spun on the spot and started walking deeper into the house.
Dennis wasn’t sure if they were supposed to follow, and apparently Bjorn wasn’t either, because he didn’t move either.
Simon looked over his shoulder at them. “Well? C’mon! ” And then he was walking again.
With a shrug, Bjorn followed Simon, and Dennis followed Bjorn.
The house wasn’t ostentatious, but it was obviously designed with comfort in mind, and for more than one person.
A huge sectional sat in a room off to their left; it looked big and deep enough to hold even someone Escalus’s size, plus his five closest friends.
To the right was a gleaming stainless steel kitchen, the appliances looking to be of industrial quality.
He spotted four ovens on two different walls before they were past that doorway.
“He’s remodeled,” Bjorn commented, looking around as they walked. He glanced back at Dennis. “This house used to look like it was a time capsule from the 70s. The previous alpha figured everything was good enough, and he was used to it, I think.”
Simon whirled and started walking backwards down the hallway so he could face them, somehow not tripping over anything or running into any walls.
“Your tithes have made a big difference, Bjorn. Huge. Suddenly we had enough money to modernize.” He smiled warmly.
“I’m happy you’re doing so well, my friend.
Oops.” He drew to a sudden halt. “Almost plowed right past the office!”
Bjorn pulled up short, and Dennis smacked into his back. Ow, his nose. Rubbing it, he stepped back to find Bjorn peering at him with concern. “You ok, mate?”
“Mate?” Simon squeaked, voice high enough to startle dogs. He looked from Bjorn to Dennis. “Oh my god!”
Shit. Bjorn just couldn’t seem to keep his mouth shut about their being mates. He was going to have Dennis common-law married to him before they left this damn den. He glared at his companion, trying to communicate Shut the fuck up.
Bjorn, catching his look, winced. “Um, it’s nothing official,” he told Simon uncertainly. “Dennis is…deciding.”
Well that made him sound awful. Dennis opened his mouth to protest – somehow – when a strong voice called from deeper into the room, “For fuck’s sake, get in here, and stop lurking in the damn hallway.”
“Sorry, Alpha!” Simon said, entering the room with Bjorn and Dennis on his heels. “But did you hear? Bjorn found his mate!”
“Mmm,” murmured Escalus, leaning back in a leather desk chair and studying them with his hands steepled. “But they’re still not claimed.”
Simon whipped around to face Bjorn, looking at him with a face full of curiosity. “Why not?”
“I’m deciding!” Dennis snapped, sick of people talking about him as if he weren’t there. “I’ve known him for like three days; you can’t expect me to marry the guy just because he sprouts fur around me.”
Escalus chucked deeply. “Sit, gentlemen. Simon, thank you.”
Simon nodded and, shooting Dennis another curious look, exited the room, pulling the door shut behind him. Despite Simon’s avid, and somewhat uncomfortable, curiosity, Dennis felt like a comforting buffer had just been removed from between them and the alpha.
Bjorn lowered himself into one of the two chairs in front of Escalus’s desk, so Dennis mirrored his movement, sinking into the other.
He crossed his legs, suddenly unsure what to do with all his body parts under the alpha’s stare.
They sat there in silence for what had to be at least a minute before Bjorn finally blurted, “So, you wanted to see me?”
Escalus raised his steepled fingers to his lips, tapping them thoughtfully. “I did,” he finally said evenly. “We have some…business.”
Bjorn frowned. “I already pay my tithe, on time, every year. I’m not involved in any other den business.”
“Hm, yes.” The fingers tapped again. “Would you like to be?”
Bjorn blinked. “Uh…no? Besides, I’m hardly someone you’d want to talk to about business. If you want an illustration, I’m your guy, but accounts and taxes and stuff? Nope, not me.”
“Your father would like to retire.” Escalus sat back in his chair and raised his eyebrows. “He’d like you to take over the business interests he’s been handling.”
Oh, hell no. He wasn’t letting Bjorn get sucked into his father’s bullshit. “Absolutely not,” Dennis couldn’t help himself from cutting in, and then he startled at the sound of his own voice. Bjorn and Escalus were staring at him.
“I beg your pardon?” Escalus said politely, though there was an edge of growl in his voice.
Dennis swallowed, then steeled himself. “Bjorn doesn’t want to get involved with his parents.”
Escalus raised a brow. “Well, we’re offering the chance to take over, not work with.”
Bjorn shook his head, looking confused. “Alpha, you know me. I’m an artist. Why would you want me handling any of your business? I’d be no use.”
A purse of the alpha’s lips was the only sign of emotion. “Your father has been…very insistent. I thought perhaps you’d gained some expertise in your time away.”
“No,” Bjorn said, evidently bewildered by the prospect. “Like I said, I draw. I have an accountant who handles my money. I can just about manage to pay my bills online without screwing it up; that’s the best I can say about my business sense.”
Escalus studied him silently for a long moment. “I see.” His formal demeanor dissolved then, and he passed a hand down his face. “Well, shit.”
“Is something…wrong?” Bjorn ventured. “Why can’t you just assign the work to someone else in the den?”
The alpha sighed. “I can, but we’re…not doing well on the business front. I was hoping to bring in some relatively fresh blood who might look at things differently.”
Bjorn blinked. “But Simon said you’d recently been able to afford to remodel the alpha house. He said my tithes were really helping.”
“We were, and they are,” Escalus acknowledged. “But we can’t run entirely on those. What happens if your income drops? We’ve been trying to diversify over the past decade, but every business we start seems to flounder within a year.”
“What have you tried?” asked Dennis, unable to restrain his curiosity.
Escalus cast him a look, but started ticking off on his fingers: “A campground. We had some of our artisans try to start a collective to sell at the farmer’s market.
Day trading.” Bjorn and Dennis both winced at that, and the alpha sighed.
“That one was Ronald’s idea. We owned a souvenir shop a few towns over for a while.
We have a cafe in town now, but it’s been losing money steadily and will probably have to close soon. ”
Bjorn looked at Dennis and Dennis could almost read his mind: You know about this stuff. Help him? Dennis didn’t want to help him. Dennis wanted to inform him that he was shit out of luck and pull his mate out of this shitty den with his shitty parents and his needy alpha.
Instead, he swallowed his ire and opened his mouth. “I own a pub that does pretty well back home. I could…take a look at your operation and offer some advice.”
Escalus’s eyes widened. “No shit?”
“I mean,” he hedged, “I’m no business guru.
But I handle my own business and have built it up from a one-man operation over time.
I don’t know how much help I can actually be, but…
” He eyed Bjorn. How honest to be? “If it will make Bjorn’s life easier, and allow us to leave without you fighting us when we’re ready, I’m willing to try. ”
Escalus shuffled some pens on his desktop, looking thoughtful.
“Your mother is really very insistent that we get you involved, Bjorn. She also wants me to appoint you to…something. Doesn’t seem picky about what.
” He picked up one of the pens and tapped it on the desk in a syncopated rhythm.
“I think your parents have grown very concerned about their legacy as they got older.”
Dennis was preparing to tell Escalus that he and Bjorn’s parents could fuck right off, but before he could get the words out, Bjorn spoke.
“Their legacy, maybe, but not their son specifically.” His voice sounded regretful but resigned.
“I’m not interested in coming back, Alpha.
I’m sorry you’re struggling, and I hope Dennis can help, but we’re going to be leaving here when Gran is better. ”
“Mmm.” Escalus turned to Dennis. “I understand your reservations. Both of you. But Dennis, we would very much appreciate your help with the cafe. Bjorn, you’re not a prisoner.
You’re free to go at any time. I do think you should try to settle matters with your parents before you leave, though.
Rowena's point-making is getting fucking excessive.”
Dennis could only imagine what kind of points Bjorn’s mother had been making. The woman was a bulldozer.
“I’ll try,” Bjorn said with a sigh. “No promises.”
“Understood.” Escalus was opening his mouth to say something else when there came a knock on the door and Simon popped his head into the office.
“Alpha, you have a conference call with the Council coming up in ten minutes.”
“Shit.” Escalus rubbed his forehead. “It could have been an email. It always could be an email.”
Simon offered him a wry look and a shrug. “As you’re always telling me, it’s part of the job.”
Escalus pushed to his feet and nodded at Simon. “Unfortunately. I’ll be there in five minutes.” Simon nodded and withdrew, and Escalus returned his attention to Dennis and Bjorn. “Dennis, will you be available tomorrow morning? I can have one of my Betas take you to the cafe to poke around.”
Dennis glanced at Bjorn, who nodded. “As long as Bjorn or Ginevra doesn’t need me, I’m free whenever,” he told the other man.
Escalus nodded again. “Ok. Be ready around eight.” He looked at Bjorn. “Thank you for being willing to share your mate. Which, by the way, we need to talk about. But not now, because of this stupid damn call. Maybe tomorrow.”
Bjorn didn’t look too happy about it, but he nodded. “Yes, Alpha.”
Escalus gestured them out of the room, then followed them out. Bjorn made to move toward the front door, but was stopped by the alpha’s hand on his shoulder. “Alpha?” he asked.
Escalus offered him a smile that was surprisingly warm for the irascible impression he’d left on Dennis. “It’s nice to see you again, Bjorn. Thank you.”
Bjorn just nodded silently and held his hand out to Dennis, who looked at it, stunned by the gesture, for a moment.
Should he take the offered hand and the comfort that would come with it, and possibly lead Bjorn on?
Or should he refuse and hurt Bjorn’s feelings but keep himself safely aloof?
To his credit, Bjorn didn’t pressure him; he just kept holding his hand out.
Finally, with a sigh that felt like it came from his soul, Dennis took Bjorn’s hand in his.
It was just because he was unsettled by this situation, he told himself.
Nobody could blame him for taking a little comfort.
Bjorn obviously ascribed a different value to the touch, because his face lit up and he tugged on Dennis’s hand, urging him toward the door. “Let’s run to the store to get some groceries for Gran, and then we can go back and settle into our room.”
Right. Because they were back in only-one-bed land. Dennis wanted to file a complaint with the universe, please.