Chapter Twenty-Six

Hollis

However Hollis had envisioned his day turning out, it wasn't being summoned by his parents after they'd received endless calls—his mother's words—since Taylin had declared they were mates to the world's press. He could feel their unspoken disappointment during the call he'd received, and he didn't blame her. He should have told them when he got home after his trip. Explained himself.

The problem with that was that he'd been unable to figure out himself how to refer to things between him and Taylin. He was the one to bite Taylin first… something that Taylin still hadn't rectified, even after he'd asked.

When did he have time? He's announced to the world we're his mate, what's wrong with that?

His animal was in his element, preening like a goddamn ballet dancer. He didn't care right now about whether they bore Taylin's mark, just that Taylin made such a bold move to the world's press. One Hollis remained conflicted about. He wanted everyone to know that they were mates. However, it didn't stop the worry about what it now meant after the press had made their feelings clear.

Priding himself on his professionalism, the implications and headlines, after today, would suggest to many that he'd slept with Taylin to gain a foot up in the business. The press was having a damn field day speculating nonsense. It wasn't about who was in charge of the company any longer. Taylin's forthright approach had made sure of that. They were more interested in how Hollis had ‘ wheedled his way into such a position of power' .

‘ Shagged his way to the top' . That headline really irked. Online, some of the more hateful comments were about Taylin mating with a shifter. A divergent, not seeing his place in the pecking order.

It was fucking exhausting and soul destroying when Taylin had clammed up after the meeting they'd held post the fall-out. They'd hardly closed the doors on the press before they'd started picking apart everything that had happened.

The press manager, Rubin, who for some reason hadn't been present, had dramatically tugged at his hair when he'd explained that Taylin should have first discussed what he was going to say. Their press pack, he reminded them, was done for a reason, and they should not have deviated from it.

It was a moot point. They'd all gotten blindsided by the questions. Hollis mainly. He hadn't been able to get his dry mouth working .

This had brought about another heated discussion in private. Hollis had listened while the brothers, who'd shown how united they really were, argued heatedly around who the snitch to the press was. They wanted answers to who in the company was aware of the recent changes to Hollis and Taylin's relationship and would be so stupid to sell the information.

They cast their suspicion firmly in the direction of the PAs, though Hollis had no such conviction. He had skim-read the group chat that had vibrated so vigorously just minutes after they'd shut the doors, and added to his conviction his team of men—he would swear on his life—would not sell a story to the press.

Monty's suggestion that it could have been a random person because of Hollis, was a real possibility. But convincing the Starling brothers of that hadn't been his biggest concern when they weren't in the mood to listen. They were angry and deep in the blaming game.

Several hours on, starving after only having the piece of cheesecake—which was utterly delicious—his day had gotten no better when he'd had to go to Taylin and ask him to come meet his parents. He hadn't looked over-joyed and the silence between them since they'd gotten into Hollis's car was tense enough for him to feel like an over-tightened guitar string.

They should discuss how to approach this meeting with his parents. Only there was a barrier there. Real or imaginary didn't matter, Hollis was sure it was there between them. Was it him creating it? Was Taylin causing it ?

Hollis wasn't rightly sure, or what it meant for them so early on in a new relationship.

Mates! You are mates!

Are you a broken record? Hollis snapped back and huffed out a breath at how the newness of this thing between them didn't prepare him for this. How could it when, in reality, they'd gotten naked and stayed that way for the five days at the hotel? Since returning—yesterday, how could it be only a day—they'd had little to no time to talk.

Whose fault is that?

Ready to start a fight with his animal because he really was in the mood for one, Taylin spoke and stopped him.

"Do you think they'll like me?"

Oh!

His pulse lept at the anxiousness he picked up. Was this the reason Taylin was quiet?

"Of course. Why wouldn't they?" He frowned, glancing at Taylin, his fingers clenching at the steering wheel at seeing doubt staring back at him. Returning his attention to the road, knowing their turning was coming up, he impressed upon Taylin what he knew about his parents. "My parents are nice people and are non-judgmental."

They were.

Possibly a little uptight, but nothing that would make him worry they wouldn't approve of his choice of mate.

Once, maybe twice, Hollis's parents had come to a work event, and he couldn't remember if he'd introduced them to Taylin. Had they somehow left Taylin with the impression they weren't accepting of divergents ?

It was a question he'd never have considered in this context until he'd seen what they'd written in the tabloids. He was so distracted trying to think about anything his parents could have said to give that sort of impression that at the next turn, it didn't register why there were so many additional cars parked near his home.

"Oh fuck," Taylin ground out, jabbing at the windscreen. "Is that the weasel from today? Why can't we catch a damn break?" he said morosely, sinking down in his seat, pointlessly attempting to hide.

"Looks like." One sweeping glance at all the haphazardly parked cars and Hollis moaned. "Most of these cars don't belong to the neighbors' houses."

Hollis eased his foot off the accelerator, understanding there was no place to reverse and get out of there. They were going to have to run the gauntlet and he wasn't sure how he felt about that after what they'd gotten subjected to already.

"What do you want to do?"

Taylin's question took a second to sink in. Hollis became determined he would not run as he pulled past the cars to get to the driveway. "We go and introduce you to my parents, have dinner with them, and then go back to my place and do some of the things they printed so as not to make them all out to be liars!"

A rumble of laughter coming from Taylin released some of his worry, and Hollis grinned cheekily after parking behind his parents' SUV.

A flurry of people jumped out of vehicles and cameras got brandished about like weapons outside the windows, making Hollis's smile slip away.

"I should have used my car as a bowling ball and knocked some of these assholes over," he complained, giving thoughts to reversing over toes when his eyes danced with white spots from the flashes.

Taylin's laughter grew louder. "As tempted as I am to say yes, I much prefer there be no bars between us, love."

"I suppose—" Hollis blinked several times at the camera flashes and to check he was seeing correctly.

"Get out of here, this is private property," Hollis heard shouted from the man charging down the driveway wielding a broom at the people obstructing him from exiting the car.

All alpha, Hollis's dad was a good foot taller than Hollis, who took after his mom. He easily had people moving and jumping to avoid being walloped by the broom head.

"If you don't want a broom handle up your ass, I'd move quicker than that," he threatened, and caused Hollis to chuckle at the bizarreness of the situation.

His dad hated violence of any kind. He was a pacifist.

"Ready?"

"I'm not sure," Taylin replied warily, his attention on the man standing guard at the rear of Hollis's car.

"It's all show, he's a pacifist."

"Are you sure?" Taylin's brows arched as he reached for the door handle when Hollis nodded. "Then I don't suppose we can keep sitting here all night just to prove it. "

Out of the car, Taylin waited for Hollis. Holding a grocery sack in one hand, he offered the other to his mate, despite the flashing cameras and questions being fired at them around Hollis's dad.

"I won't tell you again," Hollis's dad growled. "If you step on my land, you'll be needing surgery to remove this stick from places it wasn't meant for."

Hollis swallowed his giggles, hustling Taylin up the drive to the open door where his mother was waiting. She smiled and looked completely unconcerned by what was happening on her front lawn. Herbs and spices scented the air as they stepped inside.

Hollis had barely taken two steps inside before his mom was hugging him awkwardly, while trying to clap Taylin on the back in a soothing manner.

"Those horrible people. They haven't given us a minute's peace. And the things they've said about you both! Why, I could… do exactly what Hubert is threatening!"

It was impossible to keep the squeak inside when Hollis choked on his own spit at the tiny woman dressed in floral print using a broom handle in such a way. He'd never heard his mom threaten violence in his entire life. "Mom," he muttered, both horrified and a little proud she'd defend them both.

A second later, Dad was right behind them. "Move inside, boys." He nudged them down the hallway and closed the door with a snap. "We don't need those… those pigs taking pictures and shouting their filth at you both. "

His dad didn't swear, but Hollis sensed today was a narrow escape by the definite hesitation and the way he'd looked at Mom before he'd finished speaking.

There was a moment's pause, as if no one could decide what to say next.

Hollis took charge and squeezed Taylin's hand before letting go. He walked to his dad when he placed the broom down. "Dad,"—Hollis looked at his mom who remained by Taylin—"Mom, I'd like to introduce you to Taylin Starling, my chosen mate."

His mom sniffed, and she reached into her skirt pocket to pull out a handkerchief to dab at her glistening eyes. "It's so lovely to meet you, Taylin. Let's go into the kitchen. I've made dinner."

She slipped her arm through Taylin's, giving him no option but to follow as she waved the hand holding the handkerchief about. "I hope you like chicken casserole, it's one of Hollis's favorites because I add pineapple. I hope you like pineapple. Fruit is one thing that Hollis will always eat." She sighed in such a way they couldn't miss her disappointment. "Vegetables, he was never very fond of."

"Mom," Hollis groaned, about to give chase when his dad laid a hand on his arm.

"Let her be." He smiled softly at hearing Mom continuing to fire questions at Taylin, not giving him any chance to answer.

"She's excited." He gave Hollis a look he knew well. A lecture was coming. "We both are. Why didn't you tell us, son? We love you and have we not always trusted you to make the right choices for you?"

The internal sigh was all his animal. They both hated to disappoint their family. "It's a little complicated and very, very new, Dad. I would have spoken to you both… once I got my head straight."

Frown lines appeared as his dad's eyes narrowed. "Why did you need to get your head straight?" He lowered his voice, ensuring it didn't carry, but the concern was there.

"I bit Taylin only last weekend, and he hasn't bitten me back. We haven't really had any time to talk about what we both want next…" Hollis trailed off at his dad's wide-eyed alarm.

"Son… did you bite Taylin during your heat?"

Hollis had to work to hold his dad's gaze and not sag. "Yes… but it's not like that Dad. I've had feelings for Taylin for a long time… I just hadn't acted on them because of…"

"Work and you feared upsetting your structured life," Dad said, knowing Hollis all too well.

There was no point in denying it or explaining himself, his parents knew him. "He was—is my boss."

"And? If you love someone and they love you back, those things become unimportant." He ran a hand over Hollis's hair gently. "They shouldn't count, son. I blame myself for you being a little too work focused because I wanted you to succeed in a job you were passionate about."

"No, Dad, this isn't your fault. I got stuck in my head and couldn't figure out how to get out. Then Taylin presented me with an opportunity and, well… things happened . "

A rosy color spread over the bridge of Dad's nose. "You love him, though?"

Back was the concern and, unsure this was the time or place to have this conversation, Hollis darted a look over his shoulder, listening out to hear Mom still peppering Taylin with questions.

When he looked back at Dad, he sucked in a deep breath and said in a rush, "Yes. I'd never have bitten him otherwise."

Relief came first before a smile appeared and Dad reached for him, giving him a bear hug. "Then you'll figure the rest out. I know my son. You'll work to find the answers."

He kissed the top of his head and Hollis burrowed his face into the warm scented sweater, inhaling and letting the familiarity remove the anxiety that had hounded him at disappointing the two most important people in his life.

"Hubert. Hollis. Where are you? I'm ready to plate up."

Hollis stayed put for another moment, appreciating just how lucky he was, then let go to step back. "Something I haven't said enough. I'm lucky to have you both. I love you, Dad."

His dad's smile stretched wider. "We are the blessed ones, son." His gaze traveled to where the voices were coming from. "Now we're doubly blessed. But let's not push your mom to call on us again. We don't want to go without dessert."

Hollis didn't laugh at the reality of her doing just that and swung around so fast his suit jacket whipped out like a cape before he scurried to the kitchen .

"Dessert could always get you to move faster!" Dad said through his laughter, hustling behind him.

"And what's wrong with that," Hollis said as they entered the kitchen to find Taylin minus his jacket with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows looking sexy, holding two full plates of steaming food.

Expecting panic, what he found was a relaxed man who looked right at home in Mom's kitchen. Hollis's heart felt like it rolled in his chest as Taylin strolled to him and kissed him. A gentle brush of lips that was barely more than a fleeting touch, yet it resonated deeply with how he was staring at him. "Which seat is yours?"

Were his glasses steaming up? Had his brain melted into goo? All good questions when he stared at Taylin cluelessly.

"Oh… look at that…" Back were the sniffing sounds coming from the direction of Mom, and it flicked a switch of alarm in Hollis's brain at how gooey she might get, dumping him back into reality with a big splash.

"Leave the boys alone, Miriam."

Hollis took the plates from Taylin, who remained looking relaxed with a glint of amusement in his gaze.

"Now Hubert, it's not every day our son brings home his mate. I'm allowed to get a little weepy. Just think, next there'll be grandchildren to spoil."

Hollis lost all color, his fingers cramping with how tight he held onto the plates when the impact of Mom's words brought with it a blinding reality of what he'd failed to do.

Holy fuck!

Holy fuck!

Holyyyyy fuck!