Chapter 8

8

A s Rush walked into the coffee shop, he saw people entering the mayor's office. He recognized Cyan and Teal, so knew there was a meeting taking place. Joining the line, he waited until it was his turn to order. Sky appeared distracted, so Rush asked, "Are you okay?"

She glanced at him, nodded, then stared outside. "Usual?"

"Please. Are things happening now?"

"I don't know. For once, my stupid brothers are staying quiet. Even Sapphire can't get anything out of them, and one of my brothers normally tells her something." Sapphire was another Dubois. Rush actually liked how all their names were shades of blue. "Raydon's not said anything?"

"No. I saw him last night, but we haven't talked this morning."

"You should mate." Sky tapped the side of her head. "Makes communicating much easier."

"He's taking it slow with me. I've only ever been with the twin's mom, so I have next to zero experience." He actually wasn't ashamed about that. He knew Sax had been with several men, but just because they were brothers, it didn't mean they had the same attitude toward sex. Maybe more of his parents had rubbed off on him than he'd wanted, but he didn't want to sleep around. He'd wanted to wait, but his parents had wanted grandchildren. At least Raydon understood.

"We go at our own pace. Don't let anyone force you into doing something you don't want to. You know that better than some people around here. But you do have two gorgeous children."

"I do."

"Rush!" Rush turned to see Alex sitting at a table with Marco and Darrell. Seeing Darrell Crocker sitting there actually surprised him, but life carried on even when you didn't want it to.

"I'll bring your drink over when it's ready." Rush paid Sky and headed to the table, sitting next to Alex in the only empty seat available. He didn't know Marco or Darrell as well as he did Alex, but when they had met both had been nice.

"How are you?" he asked Darrell. Darrell winced, and Rush figured maybe he'd been asked that question a lot. "Sorry for asking."

"No, it's fine. I get that people want to ask, but when everyone asks… We're better, I guess. It hurts, but we need to keep working. We have contracts to fulfil, and yeah customers understand. I'm glad Mintu's here to help out."

"I like Mintu. He has an unconventional relationship."

"Mates who don't want to mate." Marco shook his head. "Never heard of that."

"It suits them, and they both seem happy." Mintu was Manu's brother and had moved to Morefield Village with his construction company. They worked alongside Crocker Construction, completing necessary building projects in both Salutem and Morefield. As more shifters had moved into the two places, more homes and buildings for businesses had been needed. "I've seen them together. You would think they were mated by the way they behave."

"Whatever makes them happy." A plate appeared on the table with cookies on it along with Rush's coffee. "Thanks, Sky."

"I am the best sister-in-law you have, Alex."

Alex grinned. "I won't tell Sapphire you said that."

Sky snorted. "She'd agree. Now eat them up while I stand over there, watching what they're up to."

Rush chuckled and picked up a cookie, biting into it. Chocolate chip and still warm from the oven. "This is good."

"Blaze made them. He's the sheriff's mate. He's a chef and is helping Sam and Robin. I think they might make him a partner or something." Marco shrugged.

"I don't think I've met him yet."

"There goes the sheriff now. Looks like a full council meeting." Darrell bit into a cookie and chewed. "Jake will be in soon."

"He's going as well?"

"Indy asked him to attend. Jake sees more than most because he's out at different construction sites and traveling between them. He helps out security as well." Darrell sighed softly. "He's working harder now. I think it helps to take his mind of Kris, but I'm worried he's working too hard."

"We all handle grief in different ways," Rush murmured.

"We do. I'm keeping an eye on him."

"If you need anything, let us know." Marco placed his hand on Darrell's shoulder. "We're here for you."

"Thanks. All we need is time. It'll get easier with time."

"I wish I knew what was being said." Alex sat back in his chair, his eyes on the building across the street. "Cy is being all silent, and he usually lets me know if something important is happening."

"I think it's the president thing." Rush bit the side of his lip. "Raydon said they were all waiting now for that to happen."

"Yeah. None of us are shifters, so we're not affected directly, but we're mated to one, so we are involved. Not sure what the demons are going to do."

"I don't know. We haven't talked about it." Rush rubbed his chest as it tightened. They hadn't even mated, and Raydon might disappear. Would he leave if things here became too difficult to handle? Would demons reveal themselves or stay hidden? They didn't live here, but in some place that Rush had no idea about. And he wasn't sure if he even wanted to know. Life here was hard enough without considering other places. "I don't understand how it all works. The demon world. Is it a world or some dimension or something?"

"I try not to think about it. Hurts my head." Marco stretched back. "What we're dealing with here is enough for me without adding demon realms into it."

A chair scraped next to them, and Tyler, Teal's mate, sat at the head of the table. He quickly signed, Alex responding. Rush had seen Tyler in passing but had said nothing more than hello. He didn't know how to sign, and he felt awkward because of it.

"Teal told Tyler the meeting is about to start. They were waiting for the sheriff." Alex signed to Tyler and spoke at the same time. "Anything about the senator and president?"

Tyler looked out of the window, then narrowed his eyes. ‘He won't talk now,' Tyler signed, which Alex repeated.

"What's the point of being mated when they won't tell us shit?" Darrell crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not impressed at all. I need to know if I have to buy extra ammo."

Rush stared open mouthed at Darrell. "Ammo?"

"We don't live in Salutem. We live on the outskirts, so if shit hits the fan, we'll be first in line. So will many of the farms. Has Teal been speaking to them?" Darrell signed to Tyler, who nodded and signed back.

"He has, and they're all prepared." Darrell shook his head, a dark look on his face. "Those fuckers need to be gotten rid of."

"This could be the one thing that does it for us."

"Yeah, but at what cost?" Darrell unfolded his arms and leaned on the table. "We'll still need our security measures in place, because some humans are fucking stupid. This could simply be a trade. One shitty situation for another." He sat back and did a damn good job of a growl. "I'm being pessimistic, I know, but one of us has to look at the dark side of this."

"I think they'll look at the pros and cons before they decide if they'll go ahead or not." Alex sipped his coffee. "They could meet the president and decide not to go ahead. It depends on what the president decides." Alex blinked. "Imagine saying that. Even a year ago it was inconceivable that we'd be in this position and now…" He licked his lips. "Now, this could be potentially over." Alex shook his head. "I think I've gotten so used to living like this that I don't know how to not live like this."

"We all feel like that." Sky came over and stood next to Tyler, her hand on his shoulder as they smiled at each other. "It feels like we're stepping into the unknown, and in a way, we are. We'll be telling the world we exist, but maybe, we can go back to some normalcy. Like how my parents lived before all this began." Smiling, she squeezed Tyler's shoulder. "I noticed Eli had Manu with him today."

"He can only cope with one of them at a time." Rush grinned. "Just before I moved here, Preston and Manu had this huge fight during one of their meetings and a minute later, they're ripping the clothes off each other. Eli had to shove them into another room and ignore the sounds."

"Seriously, how are they mates?" Sky shook her head. "The makeup sex must be phenomenal."

"And on a regular basis," Rush snorted. "And I mean regular as in probably daily. They're so alike but won't admit it, and I think they like it too."

"Probably gets them off." Marco went to take a drink and realized his cup was empty.

"Give it here. Anyone else need a refill?" Rush shook his head and watched Sky take Marco's cup and leave the table.

"I think they enjoy riling each other up. Eli once told Alvin about seeing both of them naked in public arguing, then Manu attacked Preston, and they fucked against the door. He kicked their things to one side and left."

"I need to be over there when they start. I could record them." Marco waggled his eyebrows.

"Like you go without." Alex pointed a finger at him. "Who almost got caught giving his mate a blowjob?"

"Let's not go into that right now. I'd had a drink, and Clarke was there. I was being a good mate."

Alex and Darrell laughed. Tyler pursed his lips and stared at the table. Marco tapped Tyler's shoulder and signed as he spoke, "I know you want to laugh." Tyler grinned and nodded. Sighing, Marco shook his head. "It was good blowjob too."

Even Rush laughed at that, then he felt his cheeks heat up as he remembered what he and Raydon had done. Alex touched his cheek. "What have you been up to?"

"I don't think I was very good, but he seemed to like it."

"First time?" Rush nodded. "Keep practicing." Alex grinned. "Trust me, he'll like that."

"I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, but when he…" Rush slammed his mouth shut, his eyes widening.

"Oh, hello. Did your mate do something you really liked?" Marco leaned on the table and whispered, "Did his tongue go somewhere shocking, and you really liked it?" Rush felt his cheeks heat up even more, but he nodded. Marco continued to whisper, "I love that so much. It's almost as good as sex."

Rush nodded again. "I've never had done to me before. It was…really good."

Tyler signed quickly, then placed his hand on Rush's. "He said Teal was his first, too, so he understands."

"He was?" Tyler nodded, then smiled softly.

"Teal can be a dick, but he loves his mate. I hear his love all the time." Alex winked at Tyler, who threw a packet of sugar at him, then pointed. "I have no problems admitting I love my mate, too, and show him on a regular basis."

"I like how this conversation has changed." Sky place Marco's cup in front of him. "Don't let them tease you, Rush. All good things come in time." Her lips twitched on ‘come', and she spun and walked away quickly.

"She's as bad as the rest of them. I think the Dubois parents need a medal after raising those six, especially the twins." Alex glanced out of the window, then sighed. "The silence is getting to me. He has his walls up, so I can't disturb him."

"We'll know soon enough. I think we'll all know soon enough." Darrell exhaled heavily and looked outside.

Rush swallowed and stared outside as well. Things were changing. Life as they knew it could be heading down a new and scary path.