Page 15 of Castaway Heat

Back home… finally

S hiloh exited the private plane and used his hand to shield his eyes from the sun’s glare.

He heard everyone before he saw them. Cheers went up around them before Ronin took his hand and helped him down the steps.

The second he reached out to the cold, metal stair rail, a shiver raced up his spine.

After eighty degrees plus temps for over half a year, the frigid, winter day in Willowhaven, with snow and ice all around, was both a welcome sight and too damned cold at the same time.

Somewhat luckily, the plane had had to stop twice for refueling on the way home.

The second stop had been at LAX, and there had been cold-weather clothing waiting for them as they’d refueled on the tarmac, thanks to Ronin’s papa.

Just before they’d landed, they’d gotten dressed.

Tugging on sweaters and cords had been almost surreal after months of wearing practically nothing.

Shiloh pulled the heavy woolen coat tighter around him as he descended the stairs behind Ronin, the wind gusty.

Before he could barely get off the stairs, Riley rushed over and grabbed him, spinning him around.

They both had tears in their eyes, clinging close.

Next came Sage and Eirin who circled him, too.

He’d already learned they were alive and well when they’d been checked over at a hospital in American Samoa.

They’d all shared a very spotty FaceTime before they’d flown out, but the lag and sound had been so off, they’d finally given up.

It would be better to see one another in real life.

Shiloh clasped Eirin and Sage tight. “I was so worried the two of you hadn’t gotten out of there.”

“The alphas we were dancing with all night helped make sure we got out safe. Super cute Aussies,” Sage said.

“They’re coming here to visit us this summer,” Eirin whispered, grinning.

“The only thing that kept me sane all this time,” Sage said.

“Was that I knew you’d been with Ronin, and he’d protect you.

I’ve been telling people you two weren’t dead but off fucking on some deserted island.

” He waved toward Shiloh’s belly, which was mostly hidden behind the long wool coat.

“And clearly, I was right, but did you really have to go and get pregnant, too? That’s going to make our vacations a lot harder now. ”

“It’s hard to take heat meds or use condoms when you’re on a deserted island with no convenience stores or pharmacies,” Shiloh said.

“True,” Sage said. “I guess I can let it slide… this time.”

Once they’d hugged it out again, Sage laid an arm over his shoulders, grinning wickedly.

“So my cousin, hmm? Seven months alone with that big boy. I’m sure there wasn’t much to do on that island but fuck day and night.

” Sage lifted his hands and made a huge circle the size of a donut. “Is your hole totally wrecked now?”

“Sage!” Riley said, scoffing and laughing at the same time.

Shiloh eyed Eirin, who only shook his head, at a loss.

“Come on,” Sage said. “I’ve seen my cousin in a pair of swim trunks plenty of times. Our poor, inexperienced Shiloh had to take on that anaconda.” Sage eyed Shiloh. “You guys think I’m being glib, but I’m not. I’m serious.” He paused, focusing on Shiloh. “Are you okay down there?”

Shiloh searched Sage’s face a few seconds and realized his friend actually seemed concerned for his sexual health. Concern or not, he wasn’t about to start sharing the intimate details of Ronin’s size with a family member.

“I’m fine,” Shiloh replied, his face warming. It was the only part of him that was warm, though. “Can we maybe have this reunion somewhere warmer? I’m freezing.”

“You’ve been baking on a Fijian island for months and you hate the heat,” Riley said. “I figured you’d be happy for some cold.”

“I am… and I’m not,” Shiloh said. He craned his neck around and saw Ronin with his parents, both of them smiling brightly with a hand each on his arm, looking as if they had to touch him to know he was really there. “I think I actually got used to it and now I can’t handle cold.”

Ronin’s gaze flipped to his. He smiled softly at Shiloh.

Shiloh’s chest tightened, the love he had for his alpha growing every day.

Sage whipped Shiloh’s long jacket open and peeked at the baby bump hidden behind it. “So you’re like pregnant, pregnant. He must’ve knocked you up straight out of the gate. Although we saw how he was looking at you before the accident so maybe all that eyefucking did it.”

Of course Sage said all of that as Ronin and his parents neared. Shiloh’s face and ears warmed even more.

Shiloh eyed the Drakes and couldn’t help but be worried about their reaction to him and Ronin being together.

They’d spent months thinking they’d lost a son, only to unexpectedly get a son-in-law and a grandchild-on-the-way when they’d finally gotten him back.

The Drakes knew Shiloh, but that didn’t mean they’d want someone like him paired with their son.

He was from the wrong side of the tracks, not the country club set.

While they seemed like nice people when he’d been a teenager, the class division in Willowhaven could be wide.

“Dad, Papa… I believe you remember Shiloh Anderson?”

Shiloh held his breath, worried how they’d react.

Both of them smiled with tears in their eyes before dragging Shiloh closer and hugging him, too. Shiloh breathed a sigh of relief and leaned into their embrace.

Ronin’s papa wiped a tear from his eye when they pulled back. “Not only did I get my son back, but my son’s whole family. You don’t know how excited we are for you two to be home.”

Sage opened Shiloh’s jacket a bit. “Not two. Three.”

“Thank you, Mr. Drake,” Shiloh replied, ignoring Sage.

“We’re family now. You can call me Charlie,” Ronin’s papa said to Shiloh. “And your father-in-law is Preston.” He looked over his shoulder at his husband. “Isn’t that right, Preston?”

“Absolutely,” Preston Drake said.

Shiloh smiled. “Okay. Charlie and Preston.”

Ronin’s father beamed at Shiloh. “I’m glad Ronin wasn’t alone out there—not that I’d wish being shipwrecked on anyone , but at least you had one another. And you made it back home to us safe and sound.”

Shiloh smiled, grateful both of Ronin’s parents appeared to be accepting of their relationship. “Thank you.”

“Neither of you said hello to the baby,” Sage said, whipping open Shiloh’s coat again.

He shivered, pulling it closed against the cold air.

“Sage, don’t freeze the poor boy,” Charlie said, wrapping an arm around Shiloh and rubbing his back. “I plan on checking out my grandson’s progress once it’s warm enough for the coat to come off.”

“Thank you for sending warm clothes for us,” Shiloh murmured to Charlie. “In all the chaos, I hadn’t even thought about it.”

“Going from a tropical climate to this one was going to be a big change. I didn’t want either of you walking out in t-shirts and shorts—and go into shock.” Charlie pulled on the seams a bit. “Sage did a great job on the sizes. A little big, but not too bad.”

Shiloh ran his hand over his belly. “I think I needed it a little big to cover up the extra bits of me.”

Charlie grinned, his eyes twinkling. “Oh yes, we must keep him warm.”

“You know it’s a boy?” Riley asked, head popping up.

“No,” Shiloh replied. “Ronin kept calling it a he, too—but I have a feeling this is a little girl.”

“Awww,” Riley and Eirin said together.

Sage eyed Ronin. “At least there’s no doubt about the paternity of the little rugrat when they were on a deserted island alone together.”

Ronin sighed, one brow rising. “Sage.”

“Just saying,” Sage muttered, an odd look coming over his face. “No child should have a parent deny them. You won’t have to do that.”

Shiloh got the feeling there was more to the story behind that comment, but he wasn’t going to bring it up surrounded by others.

It did make him suddenly realize he hadn’t seen his own parents, though.

He glanced around the tarmac. “Has anyone talked to my papa and dad? They knew we were flying in this afternoon, right? Cell service has been spotty the whole way here.”

Sad expressions caused Shiloh to hold his breath. Had something happened while they were gone?

“They both said they had to work, and they’d see you later. When they got off,” Sage said. “I told them that was bullshit. They should be here, Shy.”

Shiloh shrugged, used to his workaholic, emotionally unavailable parents not being there for him. It wasn’t the first time, and it wouldn’t be the last. That didn’t make it sting less though. “If they had to work, they had to work.”

“Why don’t we take this back to our house,” Ronin’s father said, smiling at Shiloh. “Dinner’s being prepared, we can light a nice fire to warm up Ronin’s omega, and there are a few more family members waiting to welcome you both home, too.” He eyed Shiloh’s friends. “You’re all invited, of course.”

“That sounds lovely,” Shiloh said. He eyed his friends, who all nodded.

“Well, we’re going on ahead to ensure everything’s ready,” Charlie said.

He kissed Shiloh’s cheek. “We can chat more soon.” He rubbed Shiloh’s back one last time before crossing to his alpha.

Once his arm was linked with his mate’s, Charlie turned to Ronin.

“We weren’t sure where you’d want to go when you first got back, so we came prepared.

There’s an SUV and driver waiting for you and Shiloh.

Get him inside where it’s warm before he freezes to death. ”

“Yes, please,” Shiloh said, his teeth starting to chatter.

Ronin placed a hand on Shiloh’s lower back and urged him forward. “Let’s go.”

Shiloh slipped into the back of the waiting vehicle, unaccustomed to being driven around, especially after the last few months. He slid to the center to allow Ronin to get in. Riley, Eirin, and Sage clambered into the back row.

Sage lightly punched Ronin on the arm. “Strong swimmers there, cuz. Congrats.”

Ronin shook his head and eyed Shiloh. “Do you think we can just go back to the island now?”

“The hell you say,” Riley snapped, frowning and placing a protective hand on Shiloh shoulder. “You’re not taking my bestie anywhere for a good, long time.”

“Ah,” Ronin said, eyeing Riley. “The infamous best friend.” He offered a hand as the driver pulled away from the tarmac. “A pleasure to meet you, Riley.”

Riley sized Ronin up for a moment before shaking that hand. “You’d best take care of him. Or else. And just remember that he was mine before he was yours.”

Ronin’s gaze flicked to Shiloh’s for a brief second before going back to Riley’s.

“Not like that,” Riley said, cringing. “Get your mind out of the gutter. We’ve been best friends since the first grade. You might think you know him after spending all that time alone together, but you will never know him better than I do. Never.”

“Noted,” Ronin murmured. He leaned in a bit closer and whispered. “But I do know him in the Biblical sense, so maybe we’re even?”

Riley sighed, narrowing his eyes—while fighting a smile. “We’ll see how I feel about you by the end of the night. Then I’ll decide if I’ll allow your assertion of us being even or not.”

Ronin chuckled. “I’ve got my work cut out for me, don’t I?”

“As if that wasn’t abundantly clear already,” Riley said, lifting a brow, his eyes glittering with mirth. “You don’t just have to keep him happy, but you have to keep me happy.”

“Wouldn’t taking care of the first automatically take care of the second?” Ronin asked. “If he’s happy… you’re happy?”

“You would think that, but no. Shiloh will be happy with the bare minimum. I won’t,” Riley said. “Over and above, Ronin. That’s how you take care of Shiloh.”

Ronin turned to Eirin. “So you’re the easy friend, I assume?” He offered a hand. “You’re already my favorite, just so you know.”

Eirin chuckled. “We’ve met, remember? On the ship.”

“Oh, right,” Ronin said, wincing.

“He had fuck-me eyes for Shiloh. He barely noticed our presence,” Sage said to Eirin. His gaze flipped to Ronin’s. “You are going to do the right thing? Right?”

“Check his finger,” Ronin told Sage. “I already put a ring on it.”

Sage lifted Shiloh’s hand and gasped. “Ronin, you outdid yourself. Is that Cartier or Tiffany’s?”

“Don’t worry. I plan on replacing it with the real thing very soon.” Ronin replied, a smug smile tugging at the corners of his lips. “That’s all I had to work with on the island.”

Shiloh eyed his ring made of vine. “I don’t know… I kind of like the ring I have.” He looked up at Ronin, their eyes locking on one another. Shiloh struggled to catch his breath, his heart fluttering madly in his chest. “The one my alpha made especially for me.”

“Always say yes to gold and diamonds,” Sage said under his breath. “Have I taught you nothing?”

“I have to agree with Sage on this one,” Eirin told Shiloh, grinning. “Save the green ring in a safe place but take the sturdier gold one to wear every day.”

Shiloh sighed. “It is starting to fray a bit. I suppose something a little stronger for daily wear would be smarter.” He looked at Ronin. “No diamonds though. A simple gold band is all I need.”

Both Riley and Sage shook their heads, glaring at Ronin.

“Over and above,” Riley repeated.

“Will you guys give it a rest? We just got back from our ordeal—where I will note he went over and above every single day to ensure we had what we needed to survive.” Shiloh threaded his fingers through Ronin’s.

“After seven months of solitude…” he waved a hand in their direction.

“This is a bit overwhelming. Even for me.”

“It’s okay,” Ronin said. “They love you and want what’s best for you. Loudly, sure, but they’re excited you’re home.” He caressed Shiloh’s cheek and smiled. “They’re your family, too.” Ronin glanced in the backseat and back to Shiloh. “We all have to put up with weird in-laws.”

“If I’m family to both of you, does that make your relationship incestuous?” Sage asked.

All four of them turned and barked, “Sage!”

“Jeez, none of you can take a joke,” Sage muttered.