“I bet your Christmas dinners are fun. It seems like wolf shifters are living up to the virality factor Fenrir used to speak about – apparently,” Titus added. “I’ve never met him, incidentally.”
Apollo shook his head. He had met Fenrir many moons ago, but he’d never been to a Christmas dinner. “Fenrir’s also mated now, but his mate is a cat shifter, and Hades’ mate is a squirrel shifter.”
That made Titus look up. “The Lord of the Underworld mated a squirrel?”
“I’m fairly sure Consort Ali is a squirrel…or was it a chipmunk? No, I’m fairly sure he’s a squirrel. Anyway, Uncle Hades is very happy with his shifter mate – it’s what he’s always wanted. However, I’m simply making the point that shouldwewant children in our future,” Apollo stressed thatwedeliberately, “especially given how long our future will be, it is somethingthat’s possible, so it’s something we can discuss if and when we get to that point.”
“I’m glad we got that cleared up then, thank you,” Titus said after a moment. He had finished the last of his steak and pushed his plate away. “I know we’ve still got a lot to learn about each other, so I’m sure children aren’t something we want to jump into having right away. Incidentally, you probably think that I’m quite self-centered, and perhaps you’ve gotten the idea that I don’t think a lot about what other people think. But I did notice you didn’t say anything about whether you were interested in having children or not.”
“That’s because I haven’t thought about it yet,” Apollo said simply. “You already know I had children millennia ago. But you and I have only just met – it’s day one of our forever. I imagine our most important focus right now is the claiming process. Then there’s the fact that I’m not sure what the rest of our days are going to look like in the immediate future. You have your business. I prefer to do other things. Bringing a child into the mix, where one of us is pregnant and male, usually requires that the family live in seclusion for a while, at least. Godly children can be quite a handful as well. Why do you think so many of my kin live in Montana – it’s quiet there.”
“Okay, well, I’m not that keen on moving to Montana right now,” Titus said, “so we might have to think of something else when we’re testing out that mattress of yours. Come on, we’ll put in another couple of hours in the truck and then…”
“And then I’ll take you home with me,” Apollo said. “God style!” He wiggled his eyebrows as he chuckled. “We can see what happens from there. What do you think?”
“We could leave the truck where it’s parked now,” Titus said. Leaning back in his chair and rubbing his belly. “But I’ve justhad a huge steak, so let’s go and do a couple of hours in the truck first, and then we’ll see what happens from there.”
Still maintaining that control of yours.Apollo grinned as he nodded.
Chapter Twelve
“What the hell is this place?”
“Welcome to my home,” Apollo said, doing a twirl in the reception area. “Do you like it?”
Like was an understatement. Titus was absolutely stunned. When Apollo said that he would translocate them to his home, Titus was expecting a house - a regular house, with four walls, a ceiling, some windows, and probably some tasteful decor. Titus never imagined Apollo living somewhere small or messy.
But what they had translocated to wasn’t a house as such. At least it didn’t look like it. Titus did a slow 360 in a sumptuous reception room. White was a definite theme. There was billowy soft material draped from the ceiling, with more drapes of the same white cascading down the walls. Tall white pillars were in all four corners, reaching up to the ceiling which had to be twenty or thirty feet high. Musical instruments were displayed on glass shelves that appeared to float against the walls, and soft acoustic music came from nowhere, although that was probably a case of hidden speakers.
If that wasn’t mind-boggling enough, Titus was still coming to terms with his first translocation. His wolf was still dizzy. “Where are we?”
“We’re back in Buffalo,” Apollo said. “I moved into this house about a year and a half ago, when my sister said she wanted my help with her new business venture.”
“There is no way this is a house in Buffalo.”
Apollo, who had been making his way up the stairs, turned and leaned on the banister. “The front door’s right there if you want to take a look outside,” he said, pointing to a large wooden slab in the wall. “It’s not locked.”
It freaking should be.Titus knew he shouldn’t be tempted to go anywhere near the door. His unclaimed mate was heading upstairs – the implication being there were bedrooms up there, beds, bathrooms – but Titus’s mind could not comprehend the room he’d appeared in. It was like appearing in a movie set, yet it was as real and as solid as Titus’s own house.
Opening the door, which moved surprisingly easily given how big and heavy it was, Titus stepped outside, going about five feet from the house and staring back at it. It looked like a regular house – well, mansion would be a better term.
Three stories high. White stucco walls with blue window frames and shutters. There was a parking area in front of the house, paths leading around it, and even though it was dark, Titus could make out details of a very large yard. A rich looking house, one that signified quiet wealth, but a house, nonetheless.
I can’t believe it.Titus went back inside, taking care to close the large door slowly. “How? Why? Why did you do all this?” He waved his arm, indicating the interior, which looked so different from how the house appeared outside.
“Why shouldn’t I? It’s not like anyone comes into this house – you’re the first visitor I’ve had.” Something on Titus’s face must’ve shown he didn’t think it was enough of an explanation, so Apollo continued.
“I’m one of the twelve Olympians, so I don’t have my own domain. I don’t see any harm in creating my own domain, if you want to call it that – my little bubble where I can live in privacy, comfort, and peace here on Earth. I like it, but if you’re not a fan of the décor, then let me know, and I can change it.
“But, speaking of change” - Apollo straightened and stretched out his arms - “I’m not used to sitting in a similar position for hours at a time.”
He shook his arms out, but as he did it, Apollo’s shirt, his pants, his boots, and even the belt buckle disappeared. Apollo was now covered in a sheer robe of the same white as the walls.
“Oh, that is so much better,” he said, tossing his hair back over his shoulders. “I find modern fashions can be so restrictive at times.” He went up four more steps and then called over his shoulder, “Are you coming? I’m going to have a shower,” before continuing up the stairs.
Leaving Titus standing open-mouthed at the bottom of those stairs, mesmerized by the flashes of skin he could see as Apollo moved.It’s like a damn dream,but of course it wasn’t a dream.My mate’s an ancient god. Why would I think any of this is unusual?
He’d pulled off the I-90 at Bristol when the urge to claim Apollo got more than he could control. The truck was safe, but when Titus started searching for accommodation, Apollo told him not to bother. He’d laughed. Titus remembered that laugh.
