30. Slade

30

SLADE

Q uin tastes of salt and man. The flavor of his pleasure remains on my tongue after he rolls out of bed and tells me he has to get back to the bread dough. I stay in his bed for a few minutes, reliving every moment: the weight of his cock in my mouth, the scent of his pubic hair, the tension in his face when he came.

And then he left me in his room, as if I belonged here. The pillows smell like him, and the mattress is wonderfully soft. I want to sleep here with him tonight instead of going back to Jake’s house. Now that I’ve let myself claim him, I don’t want to pretend that we aren’t mates anymore.

I clean myself up in his bathroom and wander out into the living room. Pictures of Quin and Chime are everywhere. Some are from when she was younger. She was such a cute toddler. It’s bittersweet to see those pictures of her. I wish I could have been there when she was that young. I’ll never get those years back.

The front door opens. Chime scampers inside and an older woman follows behind her. The woman has just as many earrings and bangles as Quin’s omega mom. She has the same big brown eyes and smile lines, too.

“Ah, there you are. I’m Emerald, Quin’s Aunt.”

I hold out my hand to her. “I’m Slade.”

She ignores my hand and brings me in for a hug. “It is wonderful to finally meet you.”

Grizzlies are big on hugs, but our hugs are more forceful. Emerald’s embrace is gentle, but firm. I like it.

While I’m making a list of things I want in my life, I decide hugs should to be on it.

Chime holds up a piece of paper with two stick figures on it. One has long, scribbly hair and a pink dress. The other figure takes up half the page and has an enormous head with bulgy eyeballs and a big pink blob coming out of its hand.

“Look! It’s you and me,” she says.

My heart suddenly feels too big for my chest. “You drew me?”

“Yes. I was showing show Auntie Emerald how big you are. Look, it’s the thing you said was a cake.” She points to the pink blob.

I can’t help but laugh. “That’s accurate.”

“Quin mentioned that you might be up for a bit of babysitting,” Emerald says. “He and I have some shopping to do this afternoon while he does his deliveries. We’ll probably be gone for four or five hours. Is that okay?”

Four or five hours alone with Chime. That seems impossible. Surely, the world won’t just drop such a beautiful gift in my lap. I try to keep my emotions in check. “Yes.”

Emerald gives me a knowing smile. “Good. Maybe you could show him the animals, Chime.”

Her face lights up. “Sadie just had kitties! You can help us name them!” She grabs my hand and starts tugging me across the room.

“She’ll need to eat lunch in about an hour. There’s peanut butter and jelly in the pantry. There should be some fresh bread around here somewhere, too. If you can’t find any, feel free to grab some from the bakery. Quin likes her to eat an apple or carrots with her sandwich. You’re welcome to eat with her too, of course.”

The idea of sitting down with Chime for lunch, just the two of us, fills me with warmth. This is how my life will be now: intimate moments with Quin, hanging out with Chime, good food. It still doesn’t seem real.

“Thank you,” I say.

Aunt Emerald gives Chime a quick hug. “You be good for Slade. Don’t get out any of the belligerent animals while I’m gone. We gotta ease him in slowly.”

“Belligerent means rude. Because they have trauma,” Chime explains.

Aunt Emerald and I smile at each other. God, Chime is so cute.

“When I get back, I’d like to show you around the place,” Aunt Emerald says. “Quin was telling me that you have a knack for fixing things, and I got a list a mile long of stuff that needs fixing. I figured you and I could sit down and decide on a fair price.”

“You don’t have to pay me for that,” I insist.

She waves my comment away. “Nonsense. I’d pay someone else to do it eventually. I might as well pay you instead.”

“I can do it for free.”

She places her hand on my shoulder and looks me in the eye. “Raccoon shifters take care of their own. It’s our way. You’re about to receive a lot of help, and you better get comfortable with accepting it, because Quin will be hurt if you refuse.”

I almost tell her that I’m not a raccoon shifter, but then I remember raccoon shifters never bond to each other. I guess that makes their mates a part of their community, regardless of what kind of shifter they are.

“Thank you for explaining that to me,” I say.

I do need help right now, and if Quin wants me to accept it, then I will.

“Have fun, you two.” She turns to Chime. “Don’t let the goats out of their pen, okay?”

Chime sighs. “Okay.”

Aunt Emerald leaves through the front door and Chime tugs me forward out into the hot afternoon. I see Quin carrying a pallet of bread to his delivery van. He smiles up at me, then glances at where Chime is holding my hand. The way he beams with happiness makes joy surge through me too.

That’s when I decide I’ll do whatever I need to in order to stay here with Quin. If that means negotiating room and board on Aunt Emerald’s couch while we acclimate Chime to our new relationship, so be it.

My home is here with my family.