Winter shrugged. “We’ve already got two werewolves. We definitely need a witch.”
“Even if that witch isn’t great at magic?”
“Even if that witch is only good with locks, as long as he’s my witch.”
“And knots!” Fox added with a laugh. “I’m good with knots now too.”
Winter started to kiss Fox but was stopped by the sound of a loud bang on a wall and an even louder moan of pleasure. Winter closed his eyes and shuddered. He did not want to know which brother was closest to him.
Fox snickered. “While I do like your family, how long do you think it will be until we can go home?”
The noises and his brother’s acrobatics were forgotten under the warmth that single question created. Home. Their home together.
“I should be able to get the windows and door fixed within a couple of nights, but I was thinking…”
Fox’s head popped up and he turned on his side so that they were facing each other. “Yeah? About what?”
“Zelda said that you’ll feel stronger and your powers will more quickly replenish themselves if we’re closer to nature. Being in the middle of the city isn’t great for you.”
His lover’s expression clouded, and he frowned. “I feel fine. Zelda is just being a worrywart. I’m happy to stay at the loft with you.”
“I know,” Winter said gently. He lifted one hand and pushed his fingers through Fox’s dark-red hair, brushing it back from his forehead. He was way overdue for a haircut, and there was some part of Winter that was absurdly happy that he even knew that. “But I was thinking…since Marcus doesn’t want me serving as spy as much anymore, we could move out of the city. There’s this large plot of land close to Bel’s new house. Kind of near the burbs but also not too far from the city. We could build a house there. We’d be close enough to Bel that you could hang out with Wyatt and River during the day since I’d be housebound. Lots of wooded land and—”
Winter didn’t get any further as Fox crushed their mouths together in an excited kiss that was a lot of teeth, thanks to their smiling. Fox peppered his face with a few more kisses before pulling away.
“Really? You’d move? We’d build a house together?”
“Yes, I want to build an entire life together.”
“And you don’t mind living near your brother in the middle of nowhere?”
Winter chuckled. “Bel is the most tolerable of all my brothers. Though you have to watch out with him wanting to use you as a guinea pig. You can’t fall for his ‘it’s for science’ bullshit.”
“I don’t care.” Fox snuggled close, his head resting on Winter’s shoulder and his arm wrapped around his waist. “As long as I get to keep you, I don’t care where we live or if your brother wants to use me for science experiments.”
Winter hugged him back, resting his cheek on the top of his head. “You’ll never have to live without me. You’re a Varik now.”
Winter smiled at the sound of Fox’s soft snoring. His witch had fought sleep for the better part of an hour as they talked about the house they would build, the garden Fox wanted to put in next spring, and how they would be close enough to meet some of the local wolf pack. Exhaustion finally won and Fox passed out, half-sprawled across Winter’s chest.
A little smirk formed on Winter’s lips as he carefully stretched his arm to grab his phone from where it was charging on the nightstand. Months ago, he’d sworn he would never fucking do this.
But with Fox’s warm, soft skin pressed to his, the sound of his breathing in his ear, Winter finally understood the why of it all.
Getting settled against Fox, he pulled up the camera app in selfie mode. It took more tries than he wanted to admit, but he finally got the picture he wanted. He stared at it for a moment. The bruises on Fox’s face hurt Winter’s soul, but they were also proof that Fox fought for him, fought for all the Variks. He couldn’t take that away from his lover.
But it was his own image that caught him off guard. His hair was a mess, but there was a brightness to his eyes he couldn’t ever remember seeing in the past. His pale skin was flushed, and the smile on his lips reflected a joy he felt all the way down to his soul. And it was all Fox’s doing.
Barely holding in a laugh, Winter attached the picture to a text that would go to a group for his brothers. He typed:
Finally took the advice of this shitty sleep service. Turns out it was right. Best way to start a day.
He held on to the phone and as he expected, only seconds passed before three dots appeared. Naturally, the first reply was from Rafe. He sent a picture of his golden Philippe resting his head on Rafe’s chest. His eyes were barely open and there was a sleepy, sated smile on his lips. Rafe, of course, looked like a devil with his dark hair and nearly glowing blue eyes.