He couldn’t imagine losing Yev even before they achieved a magical bond, but their love had become more overwhelming since the ritual. He loved feeling needed despite not being as capable as he used to be when he still had both hands.
On days when he wasn’t working at the sanctuary, he’d still accompany Yev to the forest. Sometimes as Ember, to brighten up his man’s day. Cooking was among the challenges he gladly took on. His repertoire was limited, but he loved being able to surprise Yev with something homemade at the end of a long day. But the fact that Yev’s favorite potato pancakes came from a packet would remain Radek’s sweet little secret. He did whip the sour cream himself though.
Yev stilled and spun around just as Radek noticed the faint rumble of engines. His stomach plummeted.
“They’re coming,” Yev said and grabbed Radek’s hand, leading him to the gate, which they’d left wide open.
“And this is okay?” Radek pointed out their joined hands with his heart in his throat. He’d only met Yev’s mom once since the whole ritual, and it had been awkward as fuck because he couldn’t forget the fact that they’d had sex in front of her, the witch and Yev’s dad!
The air became colder once they stepped away from the fire, and he sought the warmth of Yev’s body when they spotted several cars moving down the road across from the farm. The first was already taking the turn toward its goal.
“You’re my mate, remember? We should do anything werewolves can do with their female partners in public,” Yev said, though his voice remained very quiet, as if he were afraid to say it out loud.
It was hard to say how much of it relied on custom, and how much on Yev’s need to stick it to everyone who dismissed his sexuality, but Radek would go with whatever his man chose to do. Especially since Yev holding his hand made him all bubbly inside as if he were a teenager having his first beer.
The cars all stopped at the side of the driveway before spitting out a swarm of bodies that all congregated in the dark, as if they needed to wait for someone’s sign to enter Radek’s den of homosexual depravity.
At last though, the whole group started toward the open gate, and Yev pulled Radek with him, so they could greet the guests. Emil had put forward the idea of doing it the traditional way and welcoming the pack with bread and salt, as if this were a wedding, but Radek was positive Yev’s family would have seen it as mockery, and there was no point in provoking them when they showed good will and came over in the first place.
It would take baby steps, but Radek believed he could make the pack members warm up to him with enough pork and beer.
Until the cars had arrived, he’d half expected to find out that only the women of the pack had come, but no. Big, bulky men led the way, and as soon as they came closer to the lamps scattered around the fox sanctuary, Radek even recognized some of the faces from the confrontation two months ago. His heart rattled for all the wrong reasons, and despite being the host, he felt like a tiny fox facing a pack of hungry wolves that could turn against him at any moment.
Fortunately he had one predator at his side, squeezing his sweaty hand.
“Welcome, Father,” Yev said in Ukrainian and nodded as the older werewolf approached with a stern expression, noble despite wearing a casual outfit of jeans and a hoodie. “This is my mate, Radek,” he said, as was the custom during a formal introduction.
The silence that ensued following that statement had Radek choking on air. The werewolves and their mates went perfectly still, to the point where the wood breaking down in the fire was the most prominent sound, but the alpha exhaled and graced him with his attention.
“Welcome to the pack. May the Moon-Eyed God bless you and my son,” he said, meeting Radek’s gaze with eyes that were as bright as Yev’s.
Radek was sure he’d been sniffed.
He had to let go of Yev’s hand to extend his to Yev’s father, but despite the wariness still there, the pack alpha, and his… father-in-werewolf-law pulled Radek into a strong hug.
He definitely was as brawny as Yev and could have twisted Radek’s head off if he’d wanted to, but there was nothing menacing about the hug, so Radek relaxed, breathing in the scent of fur and tobacco that clung to Yev’s father.
“Thank you. All that is mine is now ours,” he recited what Yev had taught him was the thing to say for a mate invited into the pack, even if it didn’t actually mean Radek was about to give away the deeds to his house.