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The ride to his home wasn’t that long, but Jake was sort of nervous. He was bringing Forrest to his home for the first time, and he wanted things to be perfect. Not that he’d have any trouble changing whatever he didn’t like—the house was pretty much still empty—but he was still nervous all the same.

The moment he pulled into the drive, he wanted to turn around and leave. His parents had finally decided to come around for some reason. Jake supposed now that he was divorcing Carol they figured it was time.

“Your parents, I take it?” He said that it was. “Well, how do you want to play this? That I’m recouping at your house? Or that you and I are old college friends and I’m hanging with you for a little while? I’m okay with that. We’re still figuring this out.”

“Would you mind? For now?” Forrest said it would be his pleasure to help out. “Thank you so much. I’m not sure what they’d do if they knew I was taking you here to have sex with you in every room of the house. Not that it’s any of their business, but I just don’t want to have to deal with them today.”

Forrest laughed. “You do know how to cut to the chase, don’t you? Why don’t you stand up to them, Jake? I know that you have it in you.” He said they scared him to death. “Yeah, I can understand that. But you think this is going to go badly, don’t you?”

“Yes. My mom is going to be all hurt and start crying, as she always has. I have no idea why, but she can play the martyr better than any woman that I know. My dad is going to keep telling me he told me so, or something like that. Yes, he did say not to marry Carol, but then he said that I had to. Like I was twelve or something. Then he didn’t come to the wedding, telling me that he wasn’t going to be a party to my mistakes.” Forrest said he should just not speak to them. “I’m not sure I can even do that. I would love to, but I’m not sure that I have that much in the way of balls.”

“Here’s what you do. Just think of what your grandma would say and then say that. She can cut to the end of a problem better than most attorneys I have had the unpleasant experience of working with.” He stared at Forrest. “Or not. I’m just saying, the man I see now is not the one that nearly raped me in the hospital yesterday.”

Grinning, Jake got out of the car. He didn’t feel like the man he’d been before that either. Jake was still a little backward on things, like the nurse telling him off when he suggested to her that she not try and tear Forrest’s head off when she was helping him dress. Or when the doctor had told him to hire a nurse for the man. Jake knew that Forrest was nearly healed and would be completely back to new as soon as he was able to shift. He was extremely protective of the man, and was willing to go to bat for him like he’d never wanted to do with Carol.

“Jake. We were wondering if you were ever going to get out and greet us. This is no way to treat guests.” It was on the tip of his tongue to tell his father that guests weren’t family, but didn’t. “Who is this you have here? We didn’t think you’d be entertaining so soon. No matter. I wish to talk to you about this divorce you think you’re going to get. I want you to call whoever you have contacted and tell them you’ve made a terrible mistake. You have, you know. Winslow men do not hide from their duties to their family. No matter how much of a disappointment you are to us.”

“Am I a disappointment to you, Father? I’ve always thought that, but really, I never understood why. Maybe you can explain that to me. And how, after all this time, you think you can order me around like I’m a child again.” He felt his confidence grow as he held Forrest upright and heard him laugh. “What you doing here, Father? I thought you said you’d never darken my doorway again.”

“I came to offer you our advice, and you will take it, Jake. I don’t think you’ve thought of the ramifications of what this will do to your family. You’ll need a steady hand in getting this cleared up now that you think to throw away your marriage like it was nothing but an old rag. I’m here to convince you to reconsider this nonsense. There will be talk, you know, and I don’t think that your reputation could withstand it.” Forrest stumbled a little and fell against his father. “Steady there. This is a new suit.”

“Father, he’s been injured, and you’re acting like your suit is more important than someone’s health.” His father pointed out how much the suit had cost. “I’m sure that you don’t mean that your suit is more important than my friend. As for the talk, I really don’t give a shit, not anymore. I’m divorcing Carol and there is nothing in this world that you can do to convince me otherwise.”

“What is wrong with you today, Jake? This show of temper is not at all the way I would like to see you behaving. You should be ashamed of yourself, talking to me like that. Carol needs you.” Jake wasn’t surprised by the change of subject, or that he was going to be the bad guy in this now that he’d questioned his father. He looked at Forrest as he got him to the couch, and laughed when he winked at him. “Jake, I should like a word with you, in private. You’ve got some explaining to do about this thing that you’re trying to do to Carol.”

“Trying to do to Carol? I haven’t any idea what you mean.” He let out a long breath, then thought fuck it. His father wasn’t ever going to treat him any differently whether he was divorced or not. “Are you speaking of the divorce? That’s a done deal, Father. She had several abortions, did you know that? None of them were mine, but she had to get rid of the children so that there’d be no evidence of what she was doing. And one day a few weeks ago, I came home to an empty house. Not just that she was gone, but she took every piece of furniture, every picture off the wall, and even the food in the cabinets. Do you know why? Because I cut off her spending.”

“A woman needs a hobby. You shouldn’t have done that. Give her what she wants and perhaps you can get on with your lives together. I suggest that you reinstate her cards, or whatever you need to do, and let her come home.” He looked around the room, sparse to say the least, but Jake liked that they were his things. “This furniture in here? Is it someone’s castoffs? Have you no sense of taste? At least when your wife was here, you had a nice place to come visit.”

“How the hell would you know? You never once came here in all the time we’ve been married.” His mother started sobbing. “Now what?”

“Oh Jake, you’ve embarrassed me so much with this. Did you know that the woman who does my hair said that you had a servant tell Carol to get off your porch? The neighbors are more than likely thinking that we’ve raised you wrong. How could you do this to me?” Jake said nothing but looked at Forrest. At the slight shake of his head, Jake knew that this would be a terrible time to bring him up and just why he was there. “Jake, we want you to stop this nonsense right now. You and her, you might not have been suited, and we did tell you that, but you can’t do this to me. To your family. You have to listen to your father and make this right. We’re looking bad with what you’ve done.”

His father was nodding then, as if his mother had it all worked out. “That’s right. I will make a few calls, have this entire thing stopped as of this moment. There is no reason for you to make it public that you’ve made a terrible choice. And once this is completed, things back the way they should be, you’ll do just what is expected of you and life will go on.” Jake looked at the doorway when his father did. Grandma stood there with her back stiff. “Mother, you’re to stay out of this. This is no concern of yours. I don’t want to have to listen to your side of this right now.”

“It’s none of yours either, Jacob. Nor is it any of yours, Trina.” Grandma came into the room as she had thousands of times before, and sat on the couch next to Forrest. “I’m so glad to see that they released you, dear. How is your poor head? Did you fill out a police report?”

It was all it took to get his mother going again. “Police? Oh no, you can’t have the police here as well. Whatever will the people that live next to you think? Oh Jake, this is getting worse and worse all the time. Just call Carol up and tell her you’ve had a change of heart. And send this young man on his way; you don’t need any more scandal right now. The police will need to make a report, and there will be filings and such. Oh my, this is terrible, just terrible for us.”

“I don’t want any scandal either, but it appears that I’m going to get it. I’m perfectly content right now with the way things are. Carol is not coming back. I’m not going to give her any more access to my money, and I most certainly will not allow her to continue to ruin my life.” He looked around the room much as his father had. “I love this room. And the other furniture that I went and picked out on my own is more suited to me than anything that Carol had here. If you don’t care for it, then that’s fine. I didn’t invite you here, and don’t expect to in the future.”

“You need us here. We’re going to keep together on this as a family so that nothing else tarnishes our name. You’ve nearly ruined it with this stupidity already. Jake, you just aren’t smart enough to—”

Jake had had enough and stood up. “It’s time you left.” Jake watched his father’s face, the moment he realized what he’d said to him. “I don’t want nor did I ask for your counsel on my life. Get out of here. And don’t come back. This is my home, my life, and my mistakes. And as of this moment, I’m taking control of it again and doing things my way. Not yours. Not Carol’s, and certainly not the way the neighbors think I should. If they even had an opinion one way or the other.”

“We have things to discuss over this. You are not getting a divorce, Jake. I’ve told you that. It’s a tarnish on our good name. Damn it, you cannot mean to kick us out.” Jake said that was exactly what he was doing, and that he’d not asked them for help in the first place. “I will not tolerate you treating me this way. I am your father.”

“So you are. And that sobbing mess is my mother. But really, other than DNA, we have nothing in common. I’d very much like it if you were to go. And even if you don’t want to go, I can find someone to kick your asses out if it comes to that.” His mother started wailing at the top of her lungs. “Enough.”

His voice had been strong and loud. So much so that his mother stopped wailing and stared at him with fat tears rolling down her cheeks, and his father looked as if he’d hit him in the back of the head. It was invigorating as well as empowering. Then he looked over at his grandma.

She started clapping her hands. Forrest laughed. It might have been comical, what with his parents standing there looking at him as if they hadn’t a clue who he was. Jake felt.... Well, he felt like he could take on the world and come out the winner.

His father seemed to have shaken off his stupor and looked ready to do battle again. “You’ll regret this. As soon as your business starts to suffer, you’ll regret this. See if I’m not right.” Jake said nothing, knowing that on a level that his father didn’t know yet, he might well fail. “I’m not going to step in this time and help you out.”

“When did you ever, Father? When was it you might have dirtied your hands for me?” His father said he didn’t care for his tone. “Well, I don’t care for the way you’re treating me either. As I have said to you, several times now, I’d very much like for you to leave.”

His father turned to Grandma. “This is all your doing. You never did have a bit of sense of decorum when it came to being a Winslow.” Grandma stood up and looked at her only son. “Just look at you. Standing there as if none of it bothers you. What would your husband say to all this?”

“My husband? You mean your father? And just to clarify things, I was a Winslow long before you were. So was your father. And my James would be right proud, I think.” His father said thank you. “Not of you, dolt, but Jake. It’s about time he stood up to you. I don’t know if you’re aware of this or not, but you’re a bully. Plain and simple, you’re a mean bully. And I think it’s about time that Jake did leave the tramp. Carol is nothing more than a money grubbing bitch that should have been put in her place about the time you should have been. How something as cold and heartless as you came from us is beyond me. The only redeeming thing is that I have Jake to console my old soul.”

“Mother, you’ll not talk to me this way either. I’m a man of worth, not some sniveling boy you can talk into doing whatever you want.” She asked him if he meant Jake. “Yes. You’ve been talking in his ear since he was old enough to walk. I should have put a stop to it then. But I thought…well, I had hoped that you’d not be around as much.”

“You mean you thought I’d die and leave you to your life?” Jake’s father nodded, then looked at Jake. Grandma laughed, long and hard. That brought his attention back to his mother. “I have news for you, Jacob, I’m going to be around a lot longer than you can imagine. I’ve been having fun with a certain vampire, who assures me that should I want, he can make me live forever. And you know what? I might just do it. Just to torment you.”

His father and mother left after that. No more words were spoken, not if you didn’t count his mother lamenting about how she wouldn’t be able to show her face again. How her country club would cancel their membership. Even going so far as to say that they might have to move to another city, or even state, to get the stain of this off them.

His father just glared at him and his grandma. Jake might have thought it was funny, but he hated stress and it was making his belly turn in all sorts of directions, none of them good. And as soon as the door was closed on their visit, Jake ran to his bathroom to be sick.

~~~

“He’s never done that before.” Forrest looked over at Jenna when she spoke. “Not once has he ever stood up to anyone, and especially not his own parents. I think you might be good for him. It certainly made me feel wonderful to see him do that. He’s needed it for a long while now.”

“I’m pretty sure right about now, he’s thinking I’m the worst thing that has ever happened to him.” Jenna laughed and said she doubted that. “I do believe that his dad is worse than mine. My dad was very vocal about how he was going to disown me once I came out, but his dad, I’m betting when or if Jake ever tells him about us, he’s going to come here with a shotgun.”

“Oh no, not Jacob. He’d never get his own hands dirty when it came down to it. He’d hire someone to off you.” Forrest was so shocked that it took him several minutes to realize that she was kidding. Or at least he hoped so. “Besides, he’d be too worried about how that might tarnish his good name to have someone in his family killed. The repercussions would be hard to get over. You know, Forrest, I never realized until this very moment that I raised an asshole.”

Forrest laughed, he just couldn’t help himself. Jenna was a rare treat in this world and he loved her very much. He asked her about the vampire and if she was going to live forever.

“Not that I’m aware of. But I should make you aware of something that we’ve done for you. Quincey, he works for me, has for a number of years. Anyway, he has spoken to Thomas regarding you.” He asked her what she meant. “Thomas has been warned, you might say. Quincey told him to back off from what he’s been doing. Not that I think he will. It’s been my experience that fools and idiots never change their colors, don’t you think? Anyway, did you know that you aren’t the first person that Thomas has done this too? Nor, do I think, you will be the last. But the bartender at the place where you met Thomas, he’s been told either straighten up or die. Simple as that.”

“Quincey Anderson?” Jenna nodded. “Oh my, you do have some pretty powerful friends, don’t you? And you didn’t have to have him step in on my account, Jenna. I’m sure that Thomas will back off when he realizes that I’m not going to take his shit.”

“Do you think? I don’t. Quincey said that Thomas believes that he’s killed you. I’m pretty sure that you know it was him that shot you. His plan was to kill you, then move into your home.” Forrest leaned back on the sofa and tried to wrap his mind around that. “Quincey said that the man is a fool, and he will gladly take him out for you. I have it on good authority that not only will Thomas continue on as he has in the past, but that he’ll not leave here as he’d been warned to do. The man is a fool.”

“Yes, he is at that. And I figured he shot at me, but not that he intended to kill me. Why does he think that was the plan?” Jenna told him that he’d had a little taste of the man, then raped his small mind. “Christ. Remind me never to piss you off.”

“Deal.” She stood up and he started to as well. “Don’t do that. I know that you’re not hurt, not too badly anyway, but there is no reason for us to play this game any longer, Forrest. I think we’re friends enough that we can skip the ceremony, don’t you? Also, if you wouldn’t mind, I would like to consider you family now. Jake is for the most part my only relative that I love and care for, and as his mate, I think of you as my grandson as well. What do you think?”

“Yes, I’d like that very much. And no, I’m not hurt too badly. Mostly it’s just a little pain, but if I can shift, I’ll be as good as new.” She nodded. “Jenna, what about his parents? How do you think they’re going to react to finding out that we’re lovers?”

She started to answer him, but paused when Jake appeared in the doorway. He was pale and a little sweaty looking as he made his way to the chair, but otherwise fine as he leaned back and closed his eyes. Forrest felt his cat move along his skin, the need to protect him was so profound, and he was surprised by that. Jake looked at him then.

“I felt that.” Forrest nodded. “Will he, I don’t know, shift now? I’m not sure just how all that works. I’m pretty sure that the crap I read on the Internet is just that, crap. You’ll have to explain a few things to me.”

“I’d be glad to. And no, he’s not going to take me. He only does that when there is danger that he feels that I can’t handle. But he is pretty antsy about getting me healed up. Danger could come to us at any time, and he wants things just right.” Jake nodded and Forrest had to smile. “Are you afraid of him?”

“No. I haven’t any idea why, but no, I’m not afraid of either of you.” Forrest nodded, then Jenna cleared her throat. “Grandma, I’m sorry that you had to witness that with Dad. He’s usually so discreet when he tells me what a failure I am.”

“He’s an ass.” Jake nodded and Forrest laughed. “I had no idea that he’d become such a snob either. To hear him tell it, he’s the first and only Winslow ever born. What an idiot. And that wife of his.... Jake, I just don’t know how you stayed there for the first eighteen years of your life. I surely don’t. I certainly didn’t raise him that way. To think that he wants you to live with that monster. And after all the information I sent him about her too. You’d think that your happiness would be much more important to him than what a few of their so called friends care about.” Grandma shivered, and Forrest thought he could have easily gone out and killed the man for her.

“Father has always been one to make sure that we kept up appearances. I think that is the only reason that he let me go to college to become a lawyer. Because it was a good job with status.” Jake turned to Forrest as he continued talking to his grandma. “I don’t think he’s going to be very happy about a lot of things in the future where I’m concerned. Especially when it comes out about Forrest and me.”

“Sadly, no he will not. But I’d not let it worry you overly much. You’re my grandson, and that’s all you should think about. All I care about is that you’re going to be happy.” She made her way to the door and Forrest wanted to call her back. If she left then he’d be alone with Jake, and that made him a little nervous. “I should be going now. Oh, before I forget, you have a housekeeper now. She starts tomorrow. Her name is Mary. She’s a wolf, so don’t let her eat your father if he should come back and piss her off. Mary is going to keep an eye on the two of you. I don’t want anyone shooting my two favorite boys.”

Neither of them moved when the door closed. Forrest didn’t have any idea what he was supposed to do now. He’d not been alone like this with Jake since he’d met him. And even in the hospital, there had been staff just on the other side of the door.

“We could order in.” Forrest nodded. “You have to say something. I can’t stand the thought of what you might be thinking right now.”

“I’m thinking I’m terrified out of my mind.” Jake nodded. “I’d very much like to shift. I have a pounding headache, and that’ll take care of any of the last of the pains I have as well.”

“All right.” When he stood up, so did Forrest. “I’m assuming that you’ll need to be outside to make it easier on you. Like I said before, I don’t know how any of this works.”

“I have to be naked.” Jake just stood there. “I’ll go out on the deck and strip down. Then you can either wait in here or out there. I just want to run for a bit. I have a lot of nervous energy.”

“I’d like to watch you, if you don’t mind.” Forrest said he didn’t as he made his way to the deck. “Does it hurt? I mean, like a lot of pain?”

“None, as a matter of fact. I just let the cat consume me and it’s fine. It does hurt when he has to do it quickly, like from man to cat in a matter of seconds. But that only happens when, as I said before, he feels that he can handle something better than I can. If you watch me do it now, you’ll see that it’s not as quick as some of the books make it out to be.” Jake followed him out and Forrest could only stare. “Christ, this is all yours?”

The yard was massive, and well maintained. He looked at the beautiful trees that lined a garden like area at the very back of the property, to the pool that looked so inviting that he wanted to swim despite the fact that it was cold out. A pool house as well as another smaller version of the main house sat in the back too. It was nestled deep in the woods like a faerie grove, with plants and trees surrounding it.

“Yes. It’s beautiful, isn’t it? Carol never appreciated this part of the house and land. When I first got out of college, back when my grandda was still alive, he said that a man who had a nice degree like I had deserved a good home. He never cared for Carol, but he loved me. When she was looking for an address, the only thing that mattered to her, Grandda was finding me a home. One that I could grow old in. And land. He told me once that there wasn’t anyone out making more of that, so I should have as much as I could put my hands on.” Forrest asked him how much he owned. “There is just under four hundred acres here. When he bought this for me there was less than fifty. I have been buying up what I could surrounding this place. I also own a few thousand acres out west, and a couple of homes in Europe. Like I said, no one is making any more, so I wanted to keep as much as I could for myself.”

“Christ, Jake. That’s wonderful. And your grandfather must be laughing his ass off about now. But I’m assuming that Carol hasn’t any idea how much you’re really worth.” He said that it never came up. “You sly devil, you. How did I not know you were so smart?”

“People underestimate me because I’m so quiet. My father included. He has it in his head that I’m struggling. But in fact, if I never worked another day in my life, I’d still have more than he ever will.” Forrest laughed. “My grandma and I, we own a lot of other things too. We formed this partnership about the time I married Carol. Everything we have is in this corporation. And since Carol signed a pre-nup when we were engaged, she can’t touch any of it, not even if I pass away before her.”

“How much are you worth? And so you know, I come from money too. My mother’s parents left me a nice nest egg, as they called it. This was, of course, before anyone knew I was gay. But I’ve been able to invest wisely and to get a nice return on some stocks that I have.” Jake told him how much he was worth. Forrest could only stare. “Are you fucking me? Forty billion? As in billions?”

“Yes. I told you, I’ve done well.” He was embarrassed. Jake’s face was red and getting hotter as they stood there. He could almost smell it. “You should shift now. I’d very much like to see your cat. Please?”

He was stalling. Forrest wanted to ask him what firms he invested in. How much of a return did he have, and if he would help him. Forrest’s money, all three million of it, seemed like a drop in the bucket alongside of Jake’s. But he was right, it was well past time for him to show him his other half.

Taking off his shirt, he opted to leave his pants on. They were the kind that would tear away if he didn’t remove them, and he thought for now it might be easier to shift with them on. Forrest wasn’t sure why, but he thought that if he were naked right now, here on the deck where no one could see them, that he’d never shift. He wanted his mate right now.