He nodded against her shoulder and yawned widely.
“Well, let’s get you into bed.”
Gray helped her get his son settled. They tucked him in, and both kissed his forehead. Garon scrunched up his nose. “I’m too old for night-night love.”
She scoffed at him and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “You’re never too old for that.”
Garon didn’t argue and gave her a small smile as his eyes began to drift shut. “Dad?” he whispered.
“Yeah?”
“He’s one of us now.”
Gray knew he meant Simon, and had a brief moment of panic that somehow he’d turned Simon into a wolf. But that wasn’t possible. He could feel Simon now, though, just like any other member of his pack. Simon was one of them in a way he hadn’t been before.
Aunt Maggie met Gray’s eyes over the bed, and he could see the tears in them. “I’ll stay with him. Should we settle the mage in the guest room?”
Gray’s instincts were to put Simon in the extra twin bed in Garon’s room, just to keep them together where he could watch over them both. Garon needed rest, though, already drifting off to sleep.
“That’s fine. I’ll stay with Simon. You let me know if there’s any problem, anything at all.”
“I will, Alpha. I’ll watch over him like my own.”
Cade still knelt on the floor next to Simon. He stared at him like he had horns growing out of his head.
“Cade?”
“I can sense him. How is that possible?”
“I don’t know. I’m hoping he’ll be able to explain it when he wakes. I want you to stand guard downstairs.”
Cade nodded and left the room with one last questioning glance back at Simon. Gray carefully lifted Simon in his arms and took him into the guest room. He pulled the yellow floral bedspread his mother had purchased for the room back with an awkward tug and wished for a moment he’d taken the time to redecorate. Then he realized howridiculous he was being. Simon wouldn’t care what the bedspread looked like. Gray lowered him to the cool sheets, startled when he felt a touch to his face. Simon was awake, staring at him with a dazed and tired expression. He brushed his fingers over Gray’s jaw.
“It’s soft. I thought it would be prickly.”
“No, just a little prickly.” Gray couldn’t help but grin. Simon was clearly exhausted. Gray was sure he’d never be so forward otherwise.
“Hmm,” Simon mumbled, “I never thought I’d like facial hair, but I do now.”
“I’m glad,” Gray replied. “I never thought I’d like a mage, but I do now.”
Simon’s eyes drifted up to meet Gray’s, a sudden heat in them. “I’m glad, too.” The heat shifted to terror as his memories came into focus. “Oh God, Garon. Is he okay?”
Gray ran his fingers over Simon’s smooth cheek to calm him. “He’s fine. You saved him.”
Simon let out a slow breath. “I didn’t know what I was doing, but I tried. What about the other kids?”
“They’re fine. No trouble at all with them.”
“Good. I need to check them, too. Just to be sure.”
“You can, later. You need to rest now.”
Simon placed his hand over Gray’s where it rested on his face. “Will you stay with me?”
Their eyes locked, and Gray nodded. Simon moved over, and Gray stretched out beside him. He reached down and pulled the covers up over them. Simon slowly rolled to his side and wrapped his arm across Gray’s chest.
“Is this okay?” he whispered.
