He and Ronan walked in silence the rest of the way up to the house and parted ways with a quick hug. Emory pocketed his phone and gave Cameron one of his boardroom-winning smiles. He’d been doing that a lot lately, every time they talked about his cousin or visiting his family.
Cameron’s octopus squirmed, and Cameron couldn’t mask his grimace. Emory dumbed down the intensity, instead smiling one of his more private smiles for Cameron.
That did the trick. Cameron’s octopus melted into the floor, and Cameron took Emory’s hand in his.
Emory’s driver had offered to drive them up to the house, but Emory had needed a little more time to finish his call, so they’d opted to walk from the entrance gate up to the mansion.His driver had gone on ahead, and as Emory led Cameron into the entry hall, he didn’t see any of their luggage. Maybe it had already been brought up to their room?
What a strange thought. If Cameron arrived at his parents’ house and didn’t bring his things up to his room, they would stay there the entire trip. Or, more likely, Shay would go through them, take out all his softest tops and snuggliest sweaters, and wear them instead of her own clothes for the rest of the trip.
Not that this had happened before.
Of course not.
A pair of butlers emerged from a hallway to their right. “You’re just in time for dinner, sirs. May we take your coats?”
Cameron’s insides roiled, unsure of how he felt about being lumped into a “sirs” category, but also unwilling to make a scene about it. Instead, he found himself clinging to his light jacket, like maybe if he didn’t hand it over, he and his octopus could still make a break for it. He could run all the way back to his lonely apartment…or more likely, his fated mate’s apartment, whose family he was attempting to impress this week…by not being a problem and clinging to his jacket in the entry hall.
Cameron ripped his jacket off but got a hold of himself enough to fold it neatly in half before handing it to one of the butlers. Emory peered down at him with blatant concern in his eyes. Cameron’s octopus was scuttling back and forth, just as unsettled as Cameron was.
Either unaware or choosing to ignore Cameron’s discomfort, the butlers parted to let Emory and Cameron through. They made their way into a kitchen that looked like it belonged in a five-star restaurant, and then into an ornately decorated dining hall.
Cameron’s octopus shrank back at the opulence, but thankfully, Emory continued walking into the next room, which was much smaller and felt more like a breakfast nook. Amoderately sized round table was set for three with a steaming pot of stew, fresh bread, and several bottles of wine placed in the center. Emory’s mother was sitting at the table, looking like she was posing for another painting like the one in Emory’s office.
“Son,” his mother said in a voice that resonated through Cameron in a different way than Emory’s did. It felt like listening to a politician or news anchor speak. It made Cameron want to hang on her every word.
Emory and his mother met in the middle of the room in a surprisingly aggressive hug. She was nowhere near as muscular as Emory, but her shoulders looked solid, and her upper body was sturdy.
Oh gods, Cameron was so much smaller than Emory and even smaller than his mother. Was she going to hug him and think he was a feeble little waif, unworthy of being with her son?
“Cameron,” Emory’s mother said as she turned to face him.
Cameron, of course, panicked. Instead of taking her offered hand, he threw himself at her, awkwardly wrapping his arms around her in a hug. She let out a surprised huff but then, ever so slowly, placed her arms around him. Her lion energy settled on his skin, like stepping outside into a sweltering heat. It was almost stifling in its potency, but also a little cozy. This must be what it was like to be mated to a powerful alpha lion shifter. It changed and enhanced even an omega’s energy.
“On first impressions alone, I can see why my boy likes you so much. As shocking as it may seem, his father was a hugger, too,” Emory’s mother said, her tone softer but just as powerful as before.
When she released him from their impromptu hug, Cameron tried to step back, but she held him steady with two firm hands on his shoulders.
“Let me look at you. Emory says you are just as hopeless with work/life balance as he is. Are you eating enough? Do youneed me to order food service for you as well? Honestly, you two should just move in together. Maybe between the two of you, you can manage to feed yourselves,” she said, eyeing Cameron up and down.
Cameron blanched, and Emory choked on a laugh. They hadn’t officially discussed living together yet, but Cameron was beginning to think it was only a matter of time. In the past month, he’d spent more days in Emory’s building, either in his apartment or Christopher’s, than in his own apartment.
First things first, they needed to survive this week. Then maybe they could start planning for the future.
“Emory has been taking very good care of me. We eat very well, and…” He tried to maintain eye contact, but it was disconcerting, staring into pools of brown so like his fated mate’s. “I’m happier than I think I’ve ever been,” Cameron finished, his eyes firmly on the floor.
“Eyes up, dear. The aunts will eat you alive if you don’t show a bit of confidence.”
Cameron jerked his head up, and his cheeks heated. He bit the inside of his cheek to keep his eyes from stinging as shame washed over him. He was usually better at this, but meeting Emory’s family was throwing him off his game. If this was a work event or even a formal social gathering, he’d be able to pull out the charm. He sort of wanted Emory’s family to approve of the real him, though, not the show he put on.
Emory’s mother was still staring intently at him. Her gaze wasn’t unkind; if anything, it was a little curious. He tried to bring his inner socialite to the surface, but instead, all he could think about was how it wasn’t just eye color Emory and his mother shared. It was as if their eyes shone from within, providing a small window into their inner power and strength. It made Cameron’s chest feel warm, and his octopus shook out histentacles. He began to bob back and forth happily, feeling truly safe for the first time that day.
“Ahh, there it is. I can finally feel your energy…and what an energy it is. So playful and light. I figured there must be brightness in you for you to be fated mates with an alpha lion shifter. If you let that brightness show this week, I think you will do just fine.”
It felt like that first date with Emory, where he’d almost been in a trance, staring into piercing, all-seeing eyes. With a final squeeze of his shoulders, Emory’s mother released him, and he took a stumbling step back to Emory’s side.
“It is wonderful to finally meet you, Cameron,” his mother said as she took her seat at the table.
Emory put a steadying hand on Cameron’s back, and he leaned into it. “You too, Mrs. Rexford,” Cameron said.
