Page 7

CHAPTER 7

ZEKE

Today is the day. I'm going to introduce Rylan to my dad as my mate.

I wake up feeling invigorated at the thought. It's one thing to claim him for myself. Sharing him with my family is another. I can't wait to see how dad reacts to him.

He's been having more bad days than good lately. Sometimes it's only flashes of moments where he recognizes me. Then, in an instant, it's gone, and he thinks I'm his brother Tracy again.

"You're really going to do it?" Oz asks when he arrives to watch dad for the day.

I nod. "Yep. It's time. I've been with Rylan for two weeks now and there's no signs of us stopping. Plus, I kind of want to move him in here. It feels soon, but..."

"Hey, you don't have to justify it to me. I've seen mates meet on the street and move in the next day. It's not all that odd given our biology. The longer you're apart, the harder it is for you to get stuff done. Right?"

"You're right." I wonder for a moment if it was like that for him and Johnathan's father. He never talks about that time in his life, and since it was while he was away from Shelter Falls for school we have no way of knowing who he was.

"Damn right, I'm right. And don't you forget it." He winks at me as he moves past me to go make breakfast.

I take a chance at peeking in on dad before I leave. He's usually up by now, which has me a tad bit worried.

"Dad? You ok in here?"

Through the crack in his door, I can see the light is on. Pushing it open a little further, I'm surprised to see him sitting in bed. His gaze faces the wall where pictures are hanging up. Some are memories he recalls with ease and others are things he sometimes has to question more than once for them to make sense. I keep patient through it all because I know none of it is his fault. The changes in his mind aren't something he can control.

When he turns to me, I see tears tracking down his cheeks. "She's gone, isn't she?"

It's only then I notice the photo frame in his hand. It's a family photo from when I was five or six. Dad, Mom, and I are all standing in front of the world’s largest rubber band ball. Mom always thought random things like that were cool, so we'd take a couple of weeks off in the summer to drive around to find as many oddities as we could. We'd take pictures, then reminisce over them weeks later.

She died when I was in high school, and it nearly tore my dad apart. Some days he remembers her alive and well. But others, days like today, he struggles with the memory. It's as fresh for him as the day we lost her. I hate it. More than anything I want to take his pain away, so he doesn't ever have to feel it again.

"I'm sorry, dad," is all I can say as I approach the bed to hug him. He accepts my hold with open arms.

Together we remember the woman she was and the impact she had on us. We didn't get her for long enough, but I'm thankful for every second. She wouldn't have handled dad losing his memory well. It would have hurt them both if he'd forgotten her time and time again.

When his tears have dried up, he turns to me with a weak smile and says, "Don't let me keep you, Zeke. I know you've got a lot more to do than sit around with a sad old man all day."

"Hey, now! I quite enjoy spending time with that old man - sad or happy." Oz stands in the doorway, his hands on his hips.

Dad chuckles. "Good to see you're just as feisty as ever Osvaldo. Is that bacon I smell?"

"Sure is. If you two are better now, then we can all go eat. And don't tell me you don't have time now, Zeke. I already called Jasmine to tell her you'd need an extra couple of hours to come in." His gaze tells me he also told Rylan, which is good since I'd gotten so caught up in dad's pain that I didn't think to text him I'd be late.

"Let's get going then. It's not every day I get to eat with two of my favorite men." Dad pushes me away so he can climb from the bed.

I laugh as I follow Oz from the door. "It holds less meaning when you tell the others the same thing, dad. You love to play favorites, but you really have four. Don't lie."

"Who said I was lying? I simply said two of my favorites, not that it was limited to you jokers." He sticks his tongue out as me once we reach the kitchen. Oz outdid himself, as usual. There's food piled high and my stomach grumbles in response.

"Dig in. It's going to be a busy day."

I do as he says, then wonder if now is the best time to bring Rylan around or not. With dad mourning his own mate, would seeing mine only make things worse?

* * *

At the office, my mood barely brightens. I'm swarmed with thoughts of how it would go if I invited Rylan to have dinner with us. Will he judge the situation? Will he be a trigger for dad? There's so much unknown that I feel like planning in this state is foolish.

And yet, I know if I don't just get it over with, I run the risk of it being an issue later on. I'm already falling in love with my mate. He bewitched me from day one. Every second I gain in his presence is a gift that I cherish. I want more of them. Really, I want them all.

I want to wake up with him, to go to work with him, and to return home with him.

"Are you ok?" Rylan asks me when I drag him to my office for lunch. Ezra kept giving me strange looks each time I passed by their department. I know how weird it is for me to hover, but the pacing helped me think and now I feel like I know the best course of action.

"I am and I'm not. I need to talk to you about something. Please keep an open mind and listen to the end. Can you do that for me?" I plead.

My mate nods quickly, his eyes wide with confusion. "Yes, Alpha. I can do that."

I sit in my desk chair, then pull him down to my lap. Once we're both settled I explain everything to him.

"Since I was in high school it's just been me and my dad. My mother passed away, leaving us kind of floating around without knowing what to do. Dad focused on the company, while I went to school to prepare to take over one day. I was working in the various departments around here when I started noticing dad would forget something important. It started as little things like where his keys were. But then it grew. Now, there are some days where he has no clue who I am or what year it is. His Timer's Disease is progressing rapidly enough I have to have Oz stay with him during the day."

Rylan's eyes fill with tears. "I'm so sorry you've both had to go through this. It must be terrifying."

I nod as I pull him closer. He's a comfort to me, even as I discuss the horrible parts.

"The disease will one day steal it all. He'll have to be told his own name and where he is. That is, of course, if he lives that long. The statistics don't look all that good, but there are treatments on the horizon. We'll have to wait to see if any of them work."

Even as I say it, I can hear the doubt in my own voice. The things I've seen to help with TD usually cause problems of their own. None of it would be easy.

"I hope they find it and your dad can be around for many, many memory filled years to come."

"Thank you, Omega. That means a lot to me. I'm sure you're wondering why I brought this up." He nods, so I continue. "I'm mentioning it today because I'd like to invite you to dinner at my place tonight. Dad would stick around this time, which would give you a chance to see him in action. I'd also like you to consider moving in with me if tonight goes as well as I hope."

He shakes his head as he grips my shoulders. "Tonight, could go good or bad and I'd still choose to stay with you. I want to be yours all the time, Alpha. Besides, the one time I met your dad, he was a blast. I can only imagine what he does when his memory changes, but I can assure you that first meeting will hold true no matter what."

I kiss him then, my heart so full from his understanding. Fate knew I needed someone like Rylan to support me. I've never felt so blessed as I do with him in my lap telling me he wants forever with me.

"Let's get back to work then. The sooner we're done, the sooner we can get home." He hops off my lap at the news, then kisses me quickly before rushing from my office.

* * *

We manage to finish the workday a little earlier than planned. Rylan was so eager to come see dad that he motivated the office to wrap up projects quickly. Everyone agreed once we finished the day, and with my promise to pay for the full shift, they headed out early for us to close up. The streets of Shelter Falls will be busy tonight since they gained an extra two hours of freedom.

"Here we are," I tell him once we're parked and heading to the door.

I slide the key in the lock, then let us inside. It's quiet for a moment before a loud roar tears through the space. Rylan giggles since the sound is clearly human. When we turn the corner, we find the living room is a disaster of blankets and toys. It looks like someone made a fort, but it's seen better days.

"What in the world is going on here?" I call out since I can't see anyone else in the room.

Like some kind of choreographed comedy sketch, Osvaldo, Johnathan, and my dad all pop out from the back of the fort. Their eyes widen as they take us in, then they stand to their full height.

"Oh, umm..." Johnathan starts.

"We were just," Dad continues.

Osvaldo, always in dad-mode, simply shakes his head. "You're home early. We were just finishing up our game of Safari, then we were going to put it all to rights. Sorry, Zeke."

I laugh at them while I slip off my suit jacket. "Sorry? For what? This looks like fun. You in, Rylan?"

My mate laughs as he leaves his bag by the door too. "I want to play. How does it work?"

We crawl under the makeshift fort to find the other three waiting patiently for us. They smile and begin to tell us the point of the game. Before I know it there's more roaring and giggles going on than ever before. It's a memory I intend to keep and lock away forever. And I know that even if I lose them one day, I'll have the feeling for now.

The future is uncertain. That much I do know. It's living in the present that keeps us going. It reminds us how precious life can be and why we should be thankful for every second with those we love.

During a particularly cozy moment where Rylan and I find ourselves hiding in the same spot, I take the initiative to live in the moment. I lean forward so only he can hear me, and I whisper, "I love you Rylan Mack."

My Omega gasps. The sound echoes through the room, drawing the attention of Johnathan, the current predator of the game. I laugh at how my confession might mean my doom in this silly game. Still, I wouldn't change a thing. He needs to know and waiting would only make it worse.

"I love you too, Zeke Medina."

He leans forward to kiss me. The second our lips press together, I forget the game completely. I get lost in Rylan and only Rylan.

"Ew, Dad! They're kissing. I can't win if they'd doing all that."

Oz and Dad both burst into laughter, the game concluded now that their hiding spots are revealed. Rylan laughs too, breaking our kiss as he takes in the scene around us. I can honestly say there's no place I'd rather be. Even if we lost the game, we won at love. That's what really matters.