“I wanted to make something nice for you, to show my love! Geez, one little mistake…” Barion grumbled.
“It’s the thought that counts, little brother. Definitely. And I’m sure Father will never forget your show of filial appreciation.”
“No, I won’t, Barion. That memory is something unique and you have given it to me.” Alerion sounded almost sweet. Only the telltale twinkle in Dre’s and his father’s eyes told Sammy that they weren’t serious. Barion huffed.
“Tell me at least you’re on my side, Sammy. I obviously can’t count on these two.”
Sammy regarded Barion for a long moment. He felt the eyes of Dre and Alerion on him, waiting for his reaction. “I’m sorry, Barion. Until I know the full story, I can’t make an informed decision. You’ll have to tell me first.”
Barion’s eyes widened. “Forget it! You’re as bad as them. I’m going to look for a new family.”
They had reached the dining room with the stag and the green cushions. An assembly of Italian appetizers was spread out on the table and made Sammy’s mouth water.
“Can you do that after we have dinner? This looks great!”
“You’re a perfect fit for this family.” Barion brushed past him to pull out a chair for Sammy, retaining an indignant expression. Sammy grinned and sat down.
“Thank you, Barion. And I didn’t mean it, you know? You’re great, and if you want, I can ask Mavis and Maribel to give you some cooking lessons.”
Barion pretended to think about this offer. “You know, I’ll pass on the cooking lessons, but could I perhaps come to your next book club meeting?”
A snort from Dre prevented Sammy from answering. “You barely read. Why would you want to go to a book club meeting?”
Barion flipped off his brother. “I happen to be an awesome reader. I just don’t advertise. Plus, seeing you two so happy together had made me realize that I have to get out more. Humans can be tedious, as we all know. Your friends are all paranormals. That should make it easier for me to start with the whole getting-to-know-people thing.”
“I understand your reasoning. I really do.” Sammy patted Barion’s hand. “I’m just not sure if this is a good idea. My friends weren’t too happy about me hooking up with Dre.” When he saw the devastated look on Barion’s face, Sammy relented. “Of course you can come. I’ll tell them as soon as we’re home. Our next meeting is this Wednesday and we’re reading Wolfgang Hohlbein, The Witcher of Salem, and the Cthulhu Cycle by H. P. Lovecraft.”
“I’m going to read them! Or at least the summary on Wikipedia. Thank you, Sammy!” Barion pressed a kiss on Sammy’s cheek before quickly dancing out of reach of Dre’s claws.
“Hands off my mate!”
They spent the rest of the evening eating and chatting happily. Alerion was even nicer than Dre had told him, and when he started telling childhood stories about his sons, Sammy had to laugh so hard that his ribs began to hurt. They parted with the promise to meet again soon, this time at Alerion’s home in Switzerland where he would treat Sammy to a traditional Switzer cheese fondue, complete with white bread and schnapps.
Back in Sammy’s apartment, they undressed and slipped under the covers after a quick stop at the bathroom.
“Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” Dre pulled Sammy’s back against his broad chest, massaging his upper thigh with his big hands. Sammy couldn’t suppress a groan. Being touched by Dre was as good as touching him, and he was already addicted to both sensations. Having a true mate definitely was bliss.
“No, it was fun. I like your father.” Sammy hesitated. “I didn’t want to ask while we were at Barion’s, since I do remember that this is a sore topic, but is there a reason your oldest brother wasn’t there?”
Sammy felt Dre tensing up behind him before he sighed deeply. “You’re right. This is a difficult topic for me, and for dad and Barion as well. Quirion has always been—different. He’s very bookish, but not in a fun, nerdy way like you and me. More in a ‘once he gets caught, he doesn’t look up’ way. It’s very hard to get him out of his home, and while he is happy I found my mate, that’s still no reason for him to abandon his studies. Don’t take it personally. We have stopped doing that centuries ago. It’s just the way he is.”
“I’m sorry. It must be hard not being able to connect with your brother.”
“It was, in the beginning. I’ve made my peace with it. The way I see it, Quirion is a constant in my life, something that never changes, that always waits for me in the same place, which is good at least for me. And I think he’s happy, so why should I force my ideas of happiness on him, even when his way of living strikes me as odd, to put it mildly?”
“You’re a great brother. A great mate. I love you, Dre.”
“And I love you, Sammy. Now, are you up for some honeymoon sex? Because I’m ready to go.” To emphasize his words, Dre nudged Sammy with his huge cock. A whimper escaped Sammy. Strictly speaking, he was too tired for action. Strictly speaking. On second thought, he was more than willing to roll around with his mate.
Chapter Seventeen
“You think this is a good idea?” Now that the book club meeting was actually happening, Sammy seemed to have second thoughts on Barion joining them.
“No, it’s probably not. But we both love Barion, so we can’t tell him not to come and the others said it’s okay. We just have to take Mavis’ and Maribell’s baskets from them, in case they come armored again.” Dre wasn’t sure what to think of Barion’s sudden interest in meeting people, but when he came to the book club, at least Dre could keep an eye on him. If Barion got into trouble, Dre would be there to help—or stop—him. Unless he pissed off the witches. Then his little brother would be on his own. Dre loved Barion, but he wasn’t suicidal, not when he’d finally found his mate. He took Sammy’s hand. “Let’s just see what happens. We can’t change it now anyway.”
“I love your pragmatic view on the world.” Sammy started making the drinks for his friends while Dre put some left-over pastries on a plate. Today was Emilia’s turn to bring sweets. As Sammy had informed him, the vampire tended toward more exotic food, like Japanese mochi ice cream, wagashi and sata andagi. While Dre liked to try new things, he was a traditionalist when it came to his pastries, meaning he preferred cookies and pie and muffins over anything else. The plate with the pastries was his emergency ration.
A soft rustling at the tables let Dre turned around. Milo had already gone home. The kid had to study for another test, and the shop had been empty. Since he hadn’t heard the door chimes, Dre assumed his brother had arrived. “Barion.” He stopped short. It wasn’t his brother but Jon standing there, his hands folded in front of his body. “Oh, hi, Jon. I’m sorry. I forgot you come from downstairs. I was expecting my brother.”
Jon opened his mouth to say something but was cut short by Barion’s booming voice. “Did I hear my name?” Barion stepped forward from the section with the manga comics, his eyes gleaming happily.
“Yes. I mistook Jon for you. Jon, this is Barion, my younger brother. Don’t take anything he says seriously, and just in case he pisses you off, don’t forget that we have different mothers and I’m mated to your landlord. Barion, this is Jon. He’s a nice guy, so don’t bother him with your usual crap.”