Page 35 of Fated Mates and How to Seduce Them (Fated Mates #4)

One Year Later

Ian stepped out of the car and into the new Second Sun building.

It had taken a year to find a better location, get building permits, and construct it, but the group home had moved in to the apartment-style building last week.

They were still in the process of unpacking, but he doubted the boxes would last more than a few days.

The kids were gung-ho about tackling boxes, acting like a well-oiled machine.

Mary had kept her parents’ home, and it was now a communal home for teens who had aged out of the system—a clever use of the place, and it allowed her to keep it a little longer.

The new building had apartments at the very top for anyone who worked there, but it had a more modern build, all blocky and straight lines, with a dormitory feel, each room holding two full-sized beds.

This building could hold up to a hundred children, which meant they had to hire more staff, but that was fine.

Children having a safe environment to live in was the key point to this whole project.

It felt good walking into a newly constructed building, with everything freshly painted, clean, and in good working order. Frankly, it was an utter miracle compared to last year’s living-on-a-prayer situation.

He got waves and smiles as he came in, which he returned, but he went straight to Emma’s new office first.

The woman who’d raised him looked frazzled in the best sense as she transferred files from boxes to filing cabinets.

Her new office was twice the size of her old one, with all the storage she needed for the children’s records.

It also had a large desk and comfortable chair meant for those long hours of paperwork.

“Ian, you came just in time,” she said with relief. “Please help me get the rest of these file boxes off the floor. My back can’t take it.”

“I’ve got it,” he assured her, waving her to the chair. “Sit for a minute.”

“I won’t argue.” Emma flopped down. “I’m glad you’re here for another reason. I wanted to ask. Is it really, really all right? The scholarships, I mean.”

Upon joining the family, Mom and Dad had given Ian all the same rights and responsibilities as any of the other sons.

Despite not having married into the family officially yet, he was very much a son, and his new parents-in-law let him know it.

One of the things he’d been given charge of was this group home—with a very, very healthy budget.

“I promise you, it’s fine,” he assured her again.

“Between my budget and André’s, we’ve more than got this covered.

I can cover all the schooling fees. André’s got the maintenance and upkeep on this place, plus the hospital bills.

If we ever tap out, Mom assured me I just need to tell her.

She’ll feed more money into the budget.”

“She’s the sweetest woman. I’m so glad she’s fond of you.” Emma lifted his hand to look at his ring. “André wasn’t joking about this, either, I see.”

The gold band had been put on Ian’s hand last week when André proposed.

A way to announce their intent to marry and—in André’s own words—“you need a ring to keep the flies off.” Which, granted, had an element of truth to it.

The same week they’d become engaged, he’d also reported to the VSB his nature and submitted the right paperwork to designate André as his mate.

The look on the VSB agent’s face had been pure shock for a moment—then a frustrated sort of greed, like a prize had somehow escaped him. Ian had been warned the VSB got a matchmaking bonus for mates, so he knew what the expression had meant and had been quite smug thwarting it.

Ian wanted no one else but André.

Fortunately, the VSB seemed to be respecting his wishes, or at least, they didn’t dare cross the Castor family to try and contest it. Ian, for one, was relieved. He had quite enough on his plate as it was.

“We are officially engaged,” Ian confirmed with a smile.

“André’s smug about it, isn’t he?”

“Oh, so much. I can barely live with the man.” Shaking his head, he went back to putting files into the cabinets.

“A few other things happened last week. Dad sat me down and talked me through a new job. He wants to employ me to manage all the charities. Apparently it’s too much work for him to juggle on top of being a liaison, and Mom agreed to feeling overwhelmed as well, so they’re designating me as the family’s charity manager. ”

“Oh, Ian, you’d be so good at that!”

Ian wasn’t so sure about this confidence—it was on a whole different level than anything he’d done before—but he’d certainly try. “I told them I’d do it. I liked the idea of using my degree this way, frankly, and helping them at the same time.”

“And, um, your mate status?”

After the engagement, he’d chosen to tell the two women who had basically raised him the truth. They’d been stunned, of course, but also very happy for him.

“Filed and sorted, no trouble,” he told her. “André is officially mine, and there’s nothing the VSB can do about it, so all we need to worry about now is a wedding.”

“Knock knock~” André sang as he waltzed through the door. “Ah, there’s my handsome fiancé.”

Ian just shook his head. Still insufferable, this one. “You’re never going to tire of saying that, are you?”

“I’ll stop saying it when I can replace ‘fiancé’ with ‘husband,’” André said. He came in close enough to smack a kiss against Ian’s forehead. “I am here to help with things. Emma, where do I start?”

“Kids’ playroom,” Emma requested with praying hands. “All of the electronic equipment is beyond Mary and me, and we can’t figure out how to set it up.”

“I’m on it. I’ve already ordered lunch to be delivered today, so you don’t have to worry about cooking.” André kissed Ian’s cheek before darting off again.

Who was more excited about the playroom, André or the kids? It was hard to tell.

He could hear from the hallway as André called, “Ava! Come help me set things up in the playroom.”

“Okay!” Ava shouted, the now eleven-year-old sounding delighted.

It was going to be a fight later to drag André out of there. Ian could see it now.

Putting another handful of files into the filing cabinet, Ian couldn’t help but muse on life.

A year and a half ago, he’d focused solely on getting his degree and becoming stable enough to support himself before his inheritance ran out.

Not once did he even imagine he’d have a committed partner before he graduated.

To be honest, Ian still didn’t quite get what had drawn André so strongly to him.

What had made him try, over and over again, to win Ian’s trust?

Any true playboy would have tired of the chase a few days in, but André had only grown more determined.

He’d never flirted or taken a second look at other people. No. His eyes had been entirely for Ian.

Maybe he didn’t need to understand it. The best things in life often defied explanation. All he needed to do was be thankful for it.

Emma asked him in a knowing tone, “You’re happy. Aren’t you, Ian?”

Smiling at her, Ian said, “André loves me. When André loves someone, there’s no possibility of anything else but happiness.

Growing up, I never believed in fairy tales and happily ever afters.

I’d thought they were never meant for someone like me.

But you know, after meeting him, I do now.

Isn’t it strange to suddenly believe as an adult? ”

“No,” Emma said, looking misty-eyed for some reason. “It means you’re loved that much.”

Yes, so he was. For all that André overwhelmed him at times, Ian adored him even more for it.

He looked forward to loving this man for the rest of their lives.