Roan gripped his thighs tight, hidden by the table cloth. His silly wolf was so damn happy to see their mate he wanted to come out and greet the man personally. He wanted to rub his scent all over Mace and then growl at anyone who came near. After Mace’s behavior the last time they were together, Roan didn’t blame his other half, but they were in a restaurant and Roan pinched himself, trying to get his wolf to behave.
“Are you okay? Is this place all right?” Mace seemed concerned and Roan forced a smile, as he took a quick look around. It was a lovely restaurant – small, quiet, intimate. They were seated in a booth, partially shielded from everyone else and from the smells coming from the kitchen, it would seem the food was going to be tasty as well. It was just the type of place Kalel told him he should expect for an important date and Roan took note of the décor and the people so he could share them with his friend later.
“It’s lovely, honestly,” Roan said, when Mace seemed to be waiting for an answer. “I’ve never been to a place like this before. And you,” he added. “I should have mentioned you look so handsome this evening.”
“I wanted to look my best. Not easy with these features, I know,” Mace said, his eyes gleaming, “but I didn’t want you to be embarrassed about being seen out with me.”
“I’m proud to be seen with you,” Roan said hotly. Personally, he thought Mace looked amazing, wonderful, rugged, strong, handsome, lickable…no, no, no. Must not think things like that, Roan thought as he shifted in his seat. He found himself staring at Mace’s lips and forced his eyes higher before he did something stupid like launch himself across the table so he could have a taste.
Fortunately, the waiter arriving gave Roan time to get himself under control. There were times when he wished the human race did know about shifters. Then they’d understand why he was fidgeting, trying to keep his wolf under wraps and his cock in a comfortable position. Mates weren’t meant to be apart, and he and Mace had been more apart than together. He had needs that went far beyond a meal and a handshake. Damn it. He hoped Mace ate quickly.
“It’s okay,” Mace said when they’d ordered their meal and the waiter left. He was leaning across the table; his voice so low Roan could barely hear him. “I feel it too. I want to kiss you, strip you bare and fuck you right here on this table. But please. There’re some things I have to say. Some things I want to give you. That’s why I wanted to take you out for a meal first.”
“You still want me?” That surprised Roan, especially after what he’d seen at the precinct.
“More than you’ll ever know,” Mace said. “That behavior the other day, that wasn’t me. Well, it was me, but it’s not who I wanted to be. It’s who I’ve always been, but…fuck, I’m mucking this up and the entrees aren’t even here yet.”
Roan looked at his mate closely. Mace was aroused, he could smell it, but there was something else going on. Mace was nervous about something, and somehow that made Roan feel better. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Mace. Shane did explain. If anyone should apologize, then it should be me for getting upset. I realize you have an image to maintain at work. I should never have gone there.”
“No. You don’t have anything to be sorry about, and you should be able to come and visit me at work anytime you need to. Damn it, I was the one who wanted you to help with our case, and then I acted like an idiot and hurt you in the process.” Mace scowled at him, keeping his voice low. “I wanted you to claim me. I told you to bite me and I wanted to claim your ass, so don’t go trying to make things easier on me. I was a fucking idiot. In my defense I’ve never known how to fend off women. They seem to like me because of my bad-boy image, or some other shit; but none of them want to get to know me or look after me like you do. It took me a while and I’m sorry for that; but when I realized how important those qualities were in another person, and that you gave them to me freely without being asked; I decided to make some serious changes to my behavior because I hate the thought of hurting you.”
“Haven’t you ever had anyone care about you before? Parents, family, lovers?”
Mace shook his head. “I grew up in a series of foster homes. Apparently my mother was a druggie and after I was born, she left me in the hospital. I was named after the only thing she carried on her – a can of Mace. I ran away at fifteen and signed up on a fishing boat. I saved my money and as soon as I could I joined the police academy. As for lovers; I don’t seem to have any problem getting them into bed, but with my long hours, and, well…I don’t know what it is, but no one has ever stuck around for long. I’ve lived a hard life, I’m not going to deny it, but that doesn’t excuse my behavior with you.”
“It’s already forgiven,” Roan said, his heart aching at the thought of Mace growing up alone. Okay, his background wasn’t any better, but in a way Roan felt closer to Mace than he ever had before. Neither one of them had been cherished or cared for, so they were going to find their way together. What was clear was that his mate needed someone to look after him, and that was something Roan had plenty of experience in.
The waiter brought over their appetizers. Mace had done the ordering, and Roan found himself with mixed plate. “I wasn’t sure what you’d like, and although meat is a safe choice, I thought you might like to try something different. Don’t worry if you don’t like it, I’ve ordered a rare steak for your main course.” Roan smiled at the effort Mace had gone to – over everything really. Booking a table, trying to find something new for him to try, and backing it up with a steak. It was clever thinking. Even ordering for him was a sweet thing to do because Roan had never been in a restaurant before.
Roan leaned over his plate slightly, and sniffed. There were a few fishy things in bowls he wasn’t sure he’d ever want to try, but he dug into a small bowl of what looked like spaghetti and mini meatballs smothered in cheese. Chili, garlic, rosemary and thyme mixed beautifully with the taste of ground beef and a stringy cheese. He could definitely eat more of that one.
“So, I haven’t just been sitting on my ass trying to get up the courage to come and see you again,” Mace said, as Roan tackled some long spaghetti strands. “I’ve been thinking about you, and more specifically how I can help you gain more independence in your life.”
The spaghetti fell back in a heap on the plate along with the fork. “You don’t want me to stay with you and look after you?”
“Shit. Yes. Of course I do.” Mace leaned over the table again. “I meant what I said the other night. My home is your home. My things are your things. But then I didn’t even think to leave you a freaking key so you can get in the home I told you we’d share. Look, I’ve got some stuff for you.” Mace put down his fork and pushed aside his plate and Roan’s. He pulled out some papers and an envelope from his inner jacket pocket and opened it up.
“Okay. Now don’t get offended, but Dimitri told me you don’t even have a birth certificate. I have a few contacts and…here, see for yourself.” Mace handed the sheaf of papers over to Roan, who took them with a trembling hand. It was one thing for Mace to know that Roan was basically a non-person, but for him to do something about it. Mace’s nerves were still evident in his scent, so whatever was in those papers was clearly important.
A birth certificate. Roan didn’t even know when his birthdate was, but the certificate said Roan Turner was born on May 9th.
“It’s my birthday too,” Mace said, with a faint flush on his cheeks. “I figured if you didn’t mind sharing it with me, then I wasn’t likely to forget the date. We can celebrate our birthdays together.”
Roan grinned and looked at the next piece. A deed for a house, made out in his and Mace’s name. Gordon. Roan shook his head. Up until that moment he hadn’t even known what Mace’s surname was. But there it was in black and white, Mace T. Gordon, right alongside his name. Mace had been serious about the house. Roan flicked through the sheets of paper. It was all there – bank account with his name on it and money in it too; a high school diploma and social security number. Roan opened the envelope not sure what he’d find. When he saw the contents, he felt his eyes fill with tears.
“I’m not sure if you can drive,” Mace said quietly, “but I got the license anyway. I can teach you and as soon as you feel comfortable driving by yourself, we’ll get you your own car. The credit card is tied to my account so use it for whatever you like. The keys are to the house and my car. Oh, and there’s one more thing.” Mace reached into another pocket and pulled out a phone.
“Here. It already has my number, and the pack members’ numbers on it. I’ve added you to my plan, so you can get plenty of use out of it without worrying about the cost. You’ve got unlimited calling and text and it also has about five gigs of data each month, so you can use the internet too. Waiting at the house is a laptop for your personal use, and I wrote down instructions on how to use it and every other gadget in the house, including the television.”
“Mace, this is too much. How am I ever going to pay you back?” Roan was stunned. He was holding the tools for his entire life in his hands. Mace had thought of everything. With this sort of paperwork, he could get a job; he could study for something; he could buy groceries, clothes, whatever he wanted. In his hands he was holding his freedom. The simple things in life that so many people took for granted and yet they were things he’d never, ever had. Roan looked up and Mace was looking a little sad. Pushing the papers to one side, he reached over, grabbing his mate’s hand.
“There’s nothing to pay back. All I want is for you to stay with me,” Mace said slowly, looking at their joined hands, “and I thought a lot about what you said, about you wanting to look after me. I want that, I really do. I’ve never had it before, and you have no idea how special that makes me feel. But if you ever feel you want to do something else – get a job, go to college. Whatever you want, I want you to know I’ll support you. I don’t make a huge amount of money, but I’ve saved a lot over the years. I got a good deal on the house, and the mortgage loan is paid off. The car’s paid off, and everything else I paid cash for. I can support us both comfortably….”
“Mace,” Roan had to interrupt his mate. It wasn’t something he was used to doing, but if ever a situation called for interruption, this was it. He was about to explode. “I’m staying. I swear to you, no matter what you do, I’ll never leave you. There’s nowhere else I want to be except with you. But please, can we get the rest of our meal to go?”
“Yeah. Shouldn’t be a problem. Why?”
“I really need for you to take me home so I can thank you properly, and believe me, you don’t want an audience for that.”
Mace’s face cleared and a huge grin lit his face. “Our house?”
“Our home,” Roan replied. “The faster the better.”