28. Roan

Roan

I am not the only one who's been watching Theo with a careful eye over the past few days.

The first day, after an extended goodbye—which burned my ears when I had the misfortune of overhearing them in their room—Caelan had returned to the homestead while Tor stayed at the tavern.

Theo had insisted on spending the day in the garden, puttering about between the beds, threatening people with his trowel if they tried to get him to rest. Realising that Theo wasn't going to give up, Tor had joined him in the gardens. Not working, obviously. Instead he'd laid in the sun on a lounger he'd dug out from somewhere. Seff was already long gone by then; his dad had called him about something at work and he had to leave. He hadn't been happy about it, swearing up a storm and leaving a message for that Rafe guy. Not that it had mattered, since the guy is staying at the tavern for a bit.

Rather irritatingly, I still had to show my face in the tavern but still popped out every hour or two to check on Theo and Tor, just to reassure myself that he was still there and safe.

He'd been exhausted when we collapsed into my bed that night, snuggling under my arm and passing out before his head hit the pillow. I'd stayed awake most of the night worrying that he was repressing his feelings with work again. I tossed and turned, the knot of fear in my stomach ballooning until I finally fell into a fitful and unsatisfying sleep.

All my worrying was for nothing though. Yesterday morning he'd woken up and called Dr Brordieu first thing. Apparently, being kidnapped and held at knifepoint constitutes an emergency house call, so the doctor made the trip out to visit with Theo before lunch.

They'd talked for hours, choosing the privacy of the house, while I had kept myself busy annoying everyone behind the bar. It was mid afternoon, and Dr Brordieu was only just leaving when more visitors arrived, only much more inconvenient and unexpected.

The police .

I hadn't even considered the possibility of the police being called. After all, the beings and creatures of the Whisper Woods deal with their own. So long as we keep to ourselves and don't interfere with the rest of the land, the authorities don't bother us. So, unless there is a good reason, say… someone using their magic to pilfer the funds of some of the most influential and wealthy beings in the land, the police stay out of our matters.

It's safe to say we were all startled when two detectives from Twin Heads, one human and one a canine shifter, came knocking on the tavern doors. They had been tight-lipped at first, but then we had been, too, when they asked after Theo.

Eventually, after they realised they were getting nowhere, they relented and informed us they were investigating on behalf of the Loqueaur City P.D., who were investigating Darius for investment fraud and manipulation by magical means.

When they raided his apartment, they found Theo's name repeatedly amongst his belongings. With the evidence of Darius's and Theo's past relationship, Theo's estrangement from his father and subsequent disinheritance, it had seemed fishy that his father was then a victim.

Thankfully, we had at least two dozen witnesses to corroborate Theo's innocence and Darius's fate. Then Theo had pulled out the big guns, a phone he had hidden in his room with masses of unhinged texts he'd received from Darius.

I almost raged out when I saw it, sitting there in front of the detectives in the small staff quarters at the back of the tavern. Theo had placed his hand on my arm, telling me with his eyes to hold it together, and he'd explain later.

The detectives were leery of the entire situation, and if they hadn't been under pressure from up high, it would have definitely been written off as Whisper Woods business. But they were under orders, so they collected their statements and took Theo's phone as evidence.

He'd gladly surrendered it, almost relieved to have the thing gone from his possession. When they left, they'd heavily suggested that he not go too far in case they had any more questions.

My intuition was pretty certain that they wouldn't be back.

The visit from the police had left Theo shaky. Understandably so. He sent me back to work behind the bar, saying he needed to go work on the garden for a bit. I hated leaving him; the interview had shaken me too. But I knew he needed it. There was something about the dirt in that garden that soothed the pain inside him. So, I watched him go and went to visit the mages.

They were getting ready to leave over the next few days, Tarook making it clear that they needed to get Darius's book as far from Edith as possible, as soon as possible. I'd lounged around on the cushions and rugs in Alain's tent for as long as I could, sipping at their cherry liqueur and listening to them talk until Alesander waved me from the tent, telling me to go find Theo and quit pining.

The sun had begun to set over the tavern, and I found him standing at the edge of his garden, staring vacantly at the overabundant tomatoes dripping off his plants. Not wanting to startle him, I stomped a little harder on the gravel path to let him know that I was coming, but he still jumped a foot in the air when I came up behind him. As soon as he realised it was me, though, he'd melted into me, pressing his back to my front. It was all too easy to wrap my arms around him and lean in to inhale his delicious scent.

The moment had been perfect, the night air held the remnants of the warmth of the day, despite the chill beginning to settle in. The birds sang their night time lullabies, and the trees whispered with the breeze. The tavern had always been my home, but with Theo here, it was like the last remaining pieces of the puzzle had fallen into place.

I kissed the spot behind his ear, smiling when he sighed happily, rubbing my arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry." I almost missed the soft whisper of his apology. He turned in my arms, forcing me to lean back so I could look him in the eye. "I don't mean to keep things to myself. It wasn't like I was hiding everything that happened with Darius…. I was embarrassed. Ashamed. And then, with the messages, it was just too much. I didn't want to deal with it. Not when I was finally feeling happy again. Happier than I'd ever been. I guess I felt like if I didn't talk about it, it wouldn't be real, and I wouldn't have to deal with it. I was already dealing with too much and—"

I pressed my lips to his, taking advantage of his soft whimper to sweep my tongue into his mouth, eliciting more of those delicious sounds. His eyes had been half-closed and dreamy when I pulled back. My hands came up to cup his jaw, to trace those perfect golden freckles with my thumbs.

"Theo, I understand, it's fine." The confused look on his face had me huffing a laugh and diving in for another kiss. When his arms had wrapped around my neck, my hands had naturally found their way to his ass, kneading the softness there for a moment before I grasped him tight and lifted him. His legs wrapped around me eagerly.

"Take me home, Roan." His frantic words, harsh whispers against my neck where he'd bitten and kissed his way around my throat, spurred me on, and I'd quickly got us back to my house. It had been an unspoken agreement that we weren't returning to his room in the tavern.

Once safely inside and away from prying eyes, we stripped as quick as our shaking hands had allowed. We hadn't even made it to the bed; instead Theo had shoved me onto the uncomfortable couch and slipped between my thighs. He'd sucked my cock like he was worshipping me, reverent and needy. I'd been more than happy to return the favour, and the way he'd cried my name when he'd come down my throat would be forever embedded in my spirit.

Despite being boneless, we finally managed to make it to my bed where we collapsed, entwined in one another.

"Are you sure this is it, Roan? That you love me?" He'd whispered the words half-asleep while I stroked his hair. His voice was fractured with insecurity.

"I think I've loved you from the very first moment I saw you. I have always known you were meant to be mine."

In the dark of the night, it had been near impossible to see his face. But I knew his face well enough now to know how his eyes would have shone with that vulnerability he only ever shares with me. How the slope of his eyebrows would have been drawn tight in a worried frown. How he would have sunk his tooth into his lush pink lip to chew at it. My hand had stroked his back, his hip, his ass, mapping the hills and valleys of his body, delighting in the soft sighs of pleasure he gave me.

"Even if this is it? What if something happens and I can't handle it and I hide again? What if I can never be as strong as you? As steady?" His body had grown rigid with his increasing anxiety. "What if I get kidnapped again ?"

His hands had been tense balls against my chest, so I caught them up, bringing them to my lips to kiss and massage the taut knuckles.

"I hope this is it. Because this is it for me. You are it for me. And I promise to show you that every single day for the rest of our lives. That's what this is. If something happens and you can't handle it, you don't have to do it alone. I'll be right here to help you. And if you need to cocoon, I'll build you the nest and care for you until you're ready. We will be strong together. And in the unlikely event that you get kidnapped for a third time, I will find you. But I have every faith in your ability to save yourself, just like you did before. You are more capable than you know, and I have every faith in you."

"You really are the best boyfriend, you know." His voice was thick, and when I kissed him, just a gentle brush of our lips once, and then twice, I'd tasted the salt of his tears. The feral beast in me, my berserker instincts, twisted at the taste of them.

" Boyfriend ." I tested the word on my tongue, it felt sharp, unpleasant. "I'm not sure how I feel about that label." Theo tried to pull back, but I was quicker, snapping my arm around his waist, securing him in place. "How about mate instead?" His sharp intake of breath tickled my skin.

"Really?" The doubt in his question was worse than boyfriend .

"What, you don't want to be mates?"

"No!" He'd launched himself, landing hard on my chest and shoving me back, pinning me, drawing a hard grunt from me when his knee landed on my hip. He quickly scrambled all the way over, leaning over me, his hands cupping my face, holding tight to my beard as if I were ever going to try to escape him. "I mean, no, I don't not want to be mates. No. Was that right? Fuck. Ask me again. Ask me properly."

My smile ached on my face, my heart too large in my chest. I hoped he is always as ridiculous as he was at this moment.

"Theo Hivercouer, will you be my mate?"

He squealed. Excited and eager like a puppy, wiggling his hips where he was straddled across me, he squealed .

"Yes! Gods, yes!"

Then he'd crushed his lips to mine, collapsing into me. I'd felt the emotion feeding into me, the full power of his love flowing into my spirit completely unrestrained, lighting up every part of my being. I'd been unable to hold the reins on my own magic in that moment, letting it loose to wrap around us like a thousand tendrils of light.

As we moved together, the kiss deepening, his tongue stroking mine, tasting each other, I'd felt the buzz in his body begin. As our kiss turned to touches, and the touches led to more, with Theo riding me in a slow, sensual rhythm, I'd opened my eyes to watch him, eyes closed, head thrown back in ecstasy.

When he'd finally come, coating me in his release, he'd been aglow, a halo of golden light blooming from his pores, melding perfectly with the soft, blue shimmer of my own magic to light up the room. Sated, complete, we'd finally collapsed into blissful sleep.

But that was last night, and now I had to find him.

We'd woken late, and as much as it hurt to leave him, I needed to get some work done. So far, all I'd managed to do at the tavern was faff about and get in everyone's way. I'd taken enough advantage of Mauvy's understanding and good nature, not to mention Woodsy taking care of the bar at the drop of a hat.

After seemingly a hundred goodby kisses, I'd made my way to the tavern and got to work. Secretly, I'd been hoping that Theo would come and keep me company at the bar, especially since I was doing the book work, and it was the dullest, most tedious thing on the planet. By the time lunch had passed without a visit, I'd finally accepted that he wasn't going to show, and I set aside my disappointment to catch up with the regulars who'd stopped in for a gossip and a beer.

It's not until much, much later that afternoon, while I am pouring drinks for the minotaur herd who'd just arrived, including Ricky, the big guy Theo had fronted up to, that I find out what is going on.

"What's with the moving truck?" Davis, a minotaur with cream coloured fur, deadly ivory-coloured horns, and a big barrel chest with an absurd amount of muscles on display, asks curiously. I slide him his drink, a spicy fruit cocktail he is partial to.

"What moving truck?" I wipe down the bench and nod to a group of fae over in a wall booth waving their empty bottle of rose wine in the air.

"Big truck, out back, at Inigo's old place? We couldn't see if they were bringing stuff in or taking things out. There is a heap of people there." Ricky leans on the bar, making it creak from his weight.

I have no idea what he's talking about. But it is pretty likely that Seldon knows what's up as he slinks behind me at the bar, shooting death glares at the minotaurs, who it seems are running their mouths.

"What's going on, Seldon?" I rap my knuckles on the bar, trying to not let my nerves get the better of me, my mind rapidly spinning a bunch of wild conclusions. It's not like Theo would just up and leave, right? Or, even more unlikely, my parents would just decide to move into the house out of nowhere? He couldn't be getting taken again ?

No. That's insane.

Seldon's eyes dart from me to the kitchen door to the minotaurs to the door of the tavern, for the Gods' sake, and finally back to nothing. When he paints that smile on his face, the one he uses whenever he swears he didn't just hook up with a customer in the staff rooms—despite all evidence to the contrary—and fiddles with the beaded tassels on his shirt, I know not to believe a word that comes out of his mouth.

"It's nothing." Thankfully, my employee can read me and my bullshit face perfectly because he rushes on, "Just, let it go. It's a surprise, okay?" I grunt and give him my shoulder, turning to scrub at the bar, anything to keep my hands busy.

I last fifteen minutes before the curiosity and anxiety gets the better of me. Literally throwing in the towel, I wave down Seldon.

"Man the bar, I'm going to go see what's going on." He scrambles after me, begging me to wait, but I shake him off and stomp my way out of the tavern.

My stomach is in knots as I make my way down the path, muttering curses under my breath. There is a hive of activity around the house, a moving truck, too. I can see Seff there, talking to two big guys who are unloading things from the big truck parked far too close to the flowerbed Theo replanted just last week. If they aren't careful they'll damage the flowers he enticed into blooming.

I spot Caelan and Tor making their way out of the house, Caelan carrying his tool bag, Tor a ladder slung over his shoulder. They carry their loads over to Caelan's truck, dumping them in the back, but turn right back around, ladened down with what looks like pot plants and boxes.

Whatever scenario I'd conjured up in my stressed and anxious mind, I hadn't expected this. I still can't see Theo, but a small spark of hope lights in my chest, chasing away the dark thoughts. Is he moving in? When the two unknown guys enter the truck and come out with that damned peacock bed, I have my answer.

Theo's furniture is being delivered.

My feet crunch on the path, my pace getting quicker the closer I get. Caelan spots me first on his way back out to collect more things from his truck. He nods in greeting.

"He's over there," he calls out, reading my intentions perfectly.

I skid a little in the gravel with my abrupt turn, changing course for my house. The door slams when I open it—it's been all this time, and I still haven't bought a stopper for the damned thing.

"You're not meant to be here yet!" Theo screeches in way of a greeting.

I've caught him red handed, my clothes on their hangers clutched in his hands, my meagre personal possessions stacked up haphazardly. I lean on the door frame, arms folded across my chest, ankles crossed casually.

"Whatcha got there?" I chuckle, and he blushes bright red from the tips of his pointy ears all the way down to his chest under his shirt.

"It was meant to be a surprise." He sounds petulant, and I almost feel guilty for laughing. Almost. I push myself off the door frame and assess the room, straightening one of the books stacked on the coffee table.

My photos, their frames wrapped in old tissue paper, are laid out next to the tower of books. When I reach Theo, I pull him into my arms, giving him a squeezing hug, bending to kiss the crown of his head.

"I'm sorry." My words are muffled in his copper curls. He mustn't be too mad that I've ruined his fun because he hugs me back with one arm, squishing his cheek into my chest, the hangers on my clothes digging into my chest.

"The delivery guys called and Mauvy let me know they were coming and then I remembered all the sheets and curtains and stuff we bought the other day. One thing led to the other and we were going to get it all done and surprise you."

"And you were moving all my stuff in too?" His cheek rubs against me when he nods, and my heart thuds a little harder.

"How about I help? We'll get it done quicker that way." It takes him a moment to consider whether or not to send me back and surprise me anyway, but in the end he agrees.

"Sure thing, Boss Daddy."

***

It takes us a surprisingly short amount of time to get everything set up and packed away. That could be because I came in halfway through when all the heavy lifting was done, leaving us with just hanging the curtains and putting away clothes and unboxing all the kitchen things.

Watching Theo fill the bookshelves with his old books, the same bookshelves that held my family's belongings for centuries, feels so inexplicably right.

He's exactly where he belongs . The thought flitters through my mind watching him boss us all around.

Everyone pitches in for the final touches and, by the time the dark falls, we are officially moved in. Mauvy brings us dinner on her break, joining us for a picnic in the sun room. Tor and Caelan went on a small shopping spree as a housewarming gift, and the room is once again filled with ferns and house plants, along with the mountains of cushions, pillows, and blankets Theo bought in Twin Heads.

We're laid out around the large coffee table, currently covered in Mauvy's homemade pizza, laughing over Tor's latest adventures in learning on the homestead.

"I still think we should get the heissenfreur cows." Tor demands from where he is laid out, leaning against Caelan's reclined body. This is obviously a well-worn argument because Caelan's head falls back in weary exasperation.

"We are not getting cows,Tor. Do you know how much work they are?" Tor waves his hand away with all the care of someone who would not be responsible for said work.

"But they are adorable!" He's met with a round of agreement, because he's not wrong there—heissenfreurs are a rare breed of miniature cows with long, shaggy fur. With their big eyes, they do look adorable, but I think this is one fight Tor is not going to win.

"Yes! You should do that! Get the cows!" Edith exclaims with far too much enthusiasm and a mouth full of pizza, elbowing Mauvy as she claps excitedly.

"No, you are far too excited about them, Edith. Absolutely no cows." Caelan points in Edith's direction with absolutely no malice in his voice. She just laughs manically, while Tor boos loudly.

I can feel Theo laughing against me, snuggled up tight like he should be, picking at a pizza slice. Seff is by his feet, laughing as well. The night, our laughter, is a reprieve we've all needed after the stress of everything that's happened.

"You lot are all impossible," Caelan grumbles, shoving more pizza into his mouth.

The conversation changes course to one of Edith's rambling stories from the Woods, but I'm only half listening, distracted by the way Theo is drawing patterns on my arm.

"And, then !" Wine sloshes precariously as Edith gestures wildly. "They had the audacity to accuse me of stealing their sacred emerald!" I've obviously missed something, by the way Tor rolls his eyes and throws a small pillow in Edith's direction.

"Edith, you did steal their sacred emerald." Theo and I snort at the same time, and he tilts his face up to smile at me, wrinkling his upturned nose at me. I drop a quick kiss to his head and squeeze my arm around him. Edith scoffs indignantly at Tor's retort, glaring in his direction.

"Well, yes . But I needed it and I—" Whatever insane reason she was going to use to defend herself is cut off by the harsh sound of a phone vibrating on the glass topped side table.

Seff reaches out and picks it up, eyes lighting up at whatever is on the screen. He quickly reads whatever message is on the screen before launching himself to his feet, sending the trays of half-finished food flying in his rush.

"Fuck, sorry!" He tries to help Seldon tidy the mess but only makes it worse, so he gives up, patting himself down to make sure he has everything.

"Look guys, sorry to dine and dash, but I gotta run. Love you, enjoy your new home, and congrats and all that. Don't touch the paint in the downstairs toilet, it's wet." He shouts the warning down the hallway, not even letting us say goodbye before he's out the door.

"That was a guy right?" Caelan asks the room at large when we hear the slam of the front door.

"Oh, one hundred-percent, that was a guy." Seldon sighs, snuggling back into the cushions.

"Not just any guy. It has to be that Rafe right? You saw them the other day? The way Seff was basically panting all over himself—"

"You should have seen them at Slash!" Seldon cuts Tor off excitedly, sitting up to gossip more effectively. Edith is the only one not into it, groaning loudly and cutting the moment off.

"I love you lot, but if you could all go a week without some life-changing drama, that would be amazing." She pins us all with a glare but then ruins it by smiling affectionately. "Right, so I'm done with people for the night. I'll see you all when I see you." She kisses us all goodbye in turn and leaves by the back door to make her way through the garden to the Woods that lead to the Falls.

After her white hair disappears into the black, Mauvy leaves, too, taking Seldon with her. Caelan and Tor are the last to leave, Tor lingering at our door, giving his brother one last hug.

"Tor, I will see you in the morning. Go away," Theo teases his brother, but I can see him give one last extra tight squeeze before he pushes him away.

"Fine! Good night. Enjoy your new home, baby brother." Theo slams the door shut on them but only after flipping the bird. I can hear their laughter through the door as we flip the lock. Coming in behind him before he can turn, I crowd Theo against the door until he is trapped against the wood. His breath catches when I drag my nose along the sensitive skin of his neck, breathing in his scent.

"Want to go to bed?" I whisper against his ear, grinding my half-hard erection into his back, cursing our height difference.

"Please," Theo whimpers, nodding against the door, pushing back against me. He yelps when I pick him up, throwing him over my shoulder, laughing and cursing at me. That is until I smack his ass with a firm swat, and the yelp turns to a moan. So, I do it again.

Taking the stairs two at a time, I finally reach our room. His hideous bed is there, and I guess it's my bed now, all made up with too many pillows. I throw him onto the mattress, and he bounces twice before he sprawls out reclined on his elbows.

"You gonna join me in our bed?" His thighs part with a complete lack of subtlety, and he eyes me like a juicy peach, his tongue darting out to trace that full lower lip.

I crawl over him, covering his body with mine. Unable to resist, I lean down to bite that lip he's taunting me with, rejoicing at his hiss of pleasure.

"Only every night, forever and ever." I promise. Theo's eyes flick between mine, his lips hooking up into a coy smile.

"You promise?"

"I promise." I can feel the power of the promise, a magical oath rippling through the air, threading us together. We seal the promise with a kiss. Our future, entwined together as one.

It sounds perfect to me.