Gray pulled Simon against him and slid his hands down Simon’s back and over his ass. “I bet I can think of something you want, some way to convince you.”
“Uh-huh. Sure. You just keep thinking that.”
They leaned together and shared a brief kiss before Garon called out from the kitchen. “Dad, I finished the burgers.”
“Okay. I’ll be back in a minute, and we’ll get them on the grill.”
“Hurry, Dad! I’m starving!”
Gray and Simon both laughed as Gray opened the door and they stepped out onto the front porch. Dusk gave the trees lengthy shadows, and night was fast approaching. Gray reached back inside and flipped the switch for the front porch light just as Liam’s SUV pulled to a stop in front of the house.
There was palpable tension in the air as the pair got out of the vehicle. Liam barely glanced at Gray, only looking at him long enough to give him a quick nod before he went around back to the deck. Cormac glanced around the compound as he made his way up to the porch. “Lovely,” he said, giving Gray a small smile.
“Thank you. It’s been in our pack for several generations.”
“I take it I am the first vampire to be welcome at the property?”
Gray shrugged a bit. “Sorry the guards weren’t more welcoming. I’m sure you understand their tension right now.”
“I do. I appreciate the invitation.” Cormac looked over at Simon, who was watching the exchange silently.
“Hello, Simon.”
Simon held out his hand, and Cormac shook it. Their hands remained joined for a long moment, then Cormac stepped closer and gave Simon a quick hug. “I can feel your anxiety, Simon. It’s rolling off you in waves.”
“Yeah,” Simon replied. “I have a lot on my mind.”
Gray ran his hand down Simon’s back. “Will you be okay if I go start the burgers?”
“Yeah. I’ll be fine.”
“Okay. I’ll just be around back if you need me. You guys can talk a bit.”
As Gray walked away, Simon took the opportunity to study Cormac. He didn’t know how far apart they were generation-wise or how old Cormac really was, but he wanted to see some small bit of himself in his ancestor.
Ancestor.It was odd to think of him that way. Cormac didn’t seem old, didn’t appear much over thirty. He really didn’t even much look like a vampire, or at least what Simon thought a vampire should look like. The ones on television and in the movies always seemed to be wearing leather and flowing capes. Cormac wore dark jeans and a white button-down shirt. Nothing fancy or flashy and no “creature of the night” vibe.
Simon thought maybe they should at least look alike or something, but their looks weren’t similar either. Where Simon’s hair was dark brown and straight, Cormac’s was much lighter and had a bit of curl to it. Cormac was shorter than Simon, but maybe their noses were sort of the same. At least it was something.
An old swing hung at one end of the porch, and Simon led Cormac to it. They sat down, and Simon set it in gentle motion with one foot. Now that he had Cormac here, Simon didn’t have any idea what to say.
Fortunately, Cormac broke the ice. “It was very thoughtful of Gray to invite me. Especially considering the circumstances.”
“Yeah. He doesn’t want the pack to freak out over every Other they come across, you know?”
“Understandable.”
“And I think he knew I wanted to get to know you better.”
“I would like that, Simon. It’s been difficult staying away these past years, but I needed to respect your grandfather’s wishes. He loved you very much.”
Simon nodded. “He was the only one, you know? The one who understood and could help me get through things. It really sucked that I only had him for a few years after we found out I would be a mage.”
“Yes, it did. It was a great loss. He was an amazing man.”
“Did you ever think about turning him? I mean, you could have, couldn’t you?”
Cormac shook his head. “It wasn’t what he wanted. He’d known for years that he had a heart defect and that his time would be limited. I offered several times, but he was wise and knew it wasn’t his path.”
