Having Nix’s family there for Christmas meant more to Evan than he could ever say.
Maybe next year Lithis will be able to make it as well. Evan would love to combine Nix’s family with his own. Lithis had been invited but he’d already made plans to travel overseas for the holiday to spend the holiday with an old friend.
Lithis, who had no problem with invading Evan’s space and sticking his nose where it didn’t belong, had been very secretive with the details of his trip.
If Evan had more time, he would have pushed his cousin. Truthfully, Nix had kept Evan distracted with the long list of everything that had needed to be sent ahead of time.
For the short Christmas break, Evan was used to just taking a carry-on home to spend the holidays. That was not possible with his boy. Nix had started to send boxes right after Thanksgiving when, over a video call, his family had agreed to join them at the cabin that year.
Evan really should have put his foot down.
They didn’t need a tree in every single room in the house.
It was hard to tell Nix no when it was something that Nix was fixated on. Especially when Nix was determined to make the holiday special for him. After learning that Evan usually spent Christmas alone, Nix had sworn that this would be the best Christmas ever. His boy’s words.
And it had already been something that Evan would never forget.
From taking Nix up the mountain to see Eirwen to spending time with Aries and Vin, Evan was part of a family again. Once Gem and Nix’s parents arrived, it would be more like the old days. Back when his coven had thrived.
Evan wasn’t going to live in the past any longer. Nix was his future. The boy was too lively to be held back. It was time for Evan to live again.
Chapter Four
Vin
The house was quiet as Vin made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen. He loved early mornings where he could prepare Aries’s schedule for the day. It didn’t matter if it was a game day, practice, or a rare day off, Vin always had a plan. It helped ease the constant anxiety he carried.
Upon waking, Vin always had to check that Aries was still asleep by his side and everything that had happened the last few months wasn’t some fevered dreams or a concussed episode.
All the years that he’d played professional hockey, Vin had received a lot of injuries. It wouldn’t be a shock to learn that he’d made up Aries as some fucked-up way for his brain to deal with an injury. Or to help with the absolute loneliness that had stalked him.
Yet, every morning Aries was there in bed, sleeping against Vin’s chest.
Vin started the coffee machine before gazing out the window above the sink. More snow had fallen. As a vampire, Vin didn’t really feel the weather; a trick that came in handy playing hockey, but he knew that his boy would be freezing.
His boy.
Aries was real and not some figment of his imagination.
Vin nearly turned and went back up the stairs to check on Aries once again. It was getting ridiculous with how possessive Vin was becoming over his boy. Vin didn’t like Aries to ever beout of sight. Part of his vampire nature, yes, but there was more to it.
In the past, stories of his kind had been shared; romantic tales passed from generation to generation. Beloved. It was something out of a book. Or a modern movie. The word was said in a hushed tone, but itwassaid. Vin had never witnessed a vampire meeting and claiming his beloved. Not that it mattered. In his heart, he knew that was what Aries was to him.
He gripped the edge of the counter when his knees went weak as the implications hit him. If Vin registered Aries as his beloved, they could never be separated. The government considered registering a beloved the same as a marriage.
Was it too soon?
They weren’t even officially living together.
Vin planned to remedy that and ask to move into Aries’s apartment with him as soon as they got home. Vin had only waited to bring it up because Aries had been stressed about the holiday with his family and considering what to share about their relationship.
He’d considered moving Aries in with him, but they already spent all their time at Aries’s apartment. Truthfully, it felt like a fresh start for Vin. His existence, including the apartment, was the old Vin. The sad and depressed Vin before Aries had come bouncing into his life.
Living with Aries was all Vin cared about. Making it official. He didn’t give a damn where that happened. Aries had worked hard in making his apartment a warm and safe space for them both. It just made more sense to move his stuff in with his boy.
The coffee machine beeped, catching his attention. Vin turned as Evan shuffled into the kitchen.
His old friend looked barely awake as he made his way to the coffee machine. Evan frowned at the full carafe before lifting his face.
