“No, which is why I’d appreciate it if you’d quit knocking before I report you to the manager,” the woman grunted at them and promptly slammed the door.
“If another head pops out and starts giving me shit, I’m using it as a soccer ball,” Arlo grumbled beneath his breath.
Unless the stranger was in the shower, he wasn’t in the room. Hell, as small as the rooms were with those thin walls, even in the shower, it would have been impossible to miss the echo of Arlo's knocks. The guy just wasn’t there.
Willing to concede defeat, at least for now, Arlo was about to suggest popping into Little Paws Haven for a little playtime when a high, cautious voice cut into his thoughts.
“Excuse me, can I help you?” There was a nervous cough. “That’s my room.”
Turning, Arlo spotted a far less drenched version of the man he’d met on the road. Without the rain drowning out his scent, he could tell the man was their mate after one deep inhale. Judging by the way Taggart shifted closer to Arlo until they were hip to hip, his mind racing, he’d picked up on it too. Arlo couldn’t tell if he was excited or anxious now that he was faced with the reality.
“Oh, it’s you, isn’t it, the man from the roadside, you’re the one who changed my tire,” the stranger said, eyes brightening, even as he stayed exactly where he was.
Couldn’t he smell why they were there, or was he too far away for their scent to hit him? The wind was at his back, not theirs, which put him at a disadvantage, though it wasn’t playing to their favor either. Not when he was a skittish little thing that looked like he was about to run away at the slightest provocation.
“Thank you again,” the stranger continued. “Is there anything I can help you with? Did you accidentally drop something in my trunk when you were helping reload it? I’m sorry, I didn’t see anything out of the ordinary when I brought my things in, and I made sure nothing was left in the vehicle when I checked it earlier. I was just about to return it to the rental car place.”
“No, nothing like that,” Arlo said. “Why we’re here is simple.”
“We think you’re our mate,” Taggart blurted before Arlo could, then shrugged when Arlo glanced over at him. “Sorry, Daddy, you were taking too long.”
“Uh-huh,” Arlo said, shaking his head at his mate for announcing something that could put up a barrier and not just the mating part, but him being a ‘Daddy’ too. “But yeah, what he said. We think you’re our mate.”
Taggart
Any and all doubt he had about what it would mean to have a third fled at the sight of the little bird. Taggart didn’t think he was wrong, the scent he was picking up said the tiny guy was a bird. Taggart just couldn’t stand how uncomfortable the little guy looked and how ready he appeared to fly off. So Taggart, not one to keep his thoughts to himself, blurted out they were mates.
That was okay, however, announcing Arlo was his Daddy, the guy looked like Taggart had hit him with a bolt of lightning. He sagged against Arlo feeling terrible to have maybe fuckedthings up. One look at the twinkly looking guy, and Taggart was instantly smitten. He wanted to tuck him under his arm and get in a cuddle pile he’d never gotten an invitation to join because he was too big.
He could see it now. Was he too big and put the little guy off, who hadn’t moved or responded to Taggart’s declaration? “I’m sorry, my mouth works without my brain catching up, and I didn’t mean to say Daddy like that, but he is my Daddy, and not a real Daddy, only he is my real Daddy—”
“What Taggart is trying to explain,”—Arlo tugged Taggart close and pressed his chin to the top of his head—“we are involved in the kink community and Taggart is ‘a Little’ or you may understand the term ‘a boy’ and I’m his Daddy.”
“Yes, that.” Taggart breathed a sigh of relief that faltered at the wide-eyed look on the pretty face. “Don’t fly away, please. I’m nice, I swear, I know I’m big, but my meerkat isn’t.” He went on wheedling, “I can shift if you wanna see how adorable I can be. What’s your name?”
“I’m Soren. And you’re pretty adorable as you are,” he murmured softly, his hands fluttering at his sides. “Both of you,” he added on, his pale cheeks going a delicate pink. “I don’t have anything to offer though, I’ve no job, no place to live—”
“Me, me, me. I earn plenty of money and have a house big enough for us all.” Taggart gave Arlo a begging look, wanting back up, needing it. Now that he’d scented the little bird, he wanted him as much as Arlo. He could see them all squished in his bed, him in the middle, Arlo spooning him and Taggart spooning their bird. His head was full of it. “Don’t I, Daddy?”
Arlo ran a hand down his hot cheek, his gaze shifting to the other man. “Do you think you might be interested in getting to know your mates, Soren?”
They both held their collective breath as Soren gave them a searching look. “I can cook real good, and look after a home. Idid that for my family before,” he hiccupped, his eyes glazing, “before I… lost them.”
Taggart was more attuned to things than folks believed, and he got what ‘lost them’ meant and his heart shuddered.
Without a thought, he bounded over to Soren and scooped him up to cuddle him. The size difference was more obvious up close, but Soren didn’t seem to care, and he hooked his legs around Taggart’s waist, making him feel a little dizzy from the knock-on effect of how wonderful Soren smelled. It was a combination of warm summer air and grass, Taggart couldn’t resist and stuck his nose into Soren’s hair.
Arlo’s beefy arms wrapped around them both, and Taggart melted against him, his imagination not half as good as the feeling of being held and holding Soren in his arms. “We can be your family if you let us,” Taggart whispered, unleashing all his hope. The uncertainty of having a third long gone and now replaced with the worry Soren might decide he didn’t want them.
Chapter Five
Soren
He was being held. For the first time in months, someone was hugging him, and not just one someone, two someone’s. Both smelled of the sky and home wrapped into one. Cuddling in their embrace, he breathed in their scents until the last of his twitchiness faded and he was able to focus on the question the rhino—and now he was sure he was a rhino—had asked.
“I want to know you,” Soren said. “I was scared I wasn’t going to be able to find a job or a place to stay when this was the one place where I thought I’d be safe.”
“You’re safe now,” Taggart whispered.
