Page 37 of Tentacles for Christmas

“Lead the way,” I gestured, knowing I would also be insisting they change into the motorcycle jacket I got them.

We fed Cam’s fish and grabbed the picnic food—which was in an actual basket Cam had to hold onto because it didn’t fit in my saddle bags along with the blanket— and they directed me to drive up Wolf Creek Road. I wanted to ask why we were headed towards Pack land, but I didn’t think Cam even knew where the King property lines were. And they wouldn’t be able to hear me over the engine.

When we got to the end of the road, I stopped the bike and Cam hopped off. They set the basket down and pulled out their phone, holding up a map with a pin marking the spot I knew well.

“Do you know how to get here?”

“I do. I went often when I was younger.”

“Perfect,” Cam grinned and picked the basket up again. “Your turn to lead the way.”

Taking their hand in mine and the bundle of blankets in the other, I loved the casual feeling of connection. I worked to not let them go as we followed a well-worn trail to the pond where I’d shifted on purpose for the first time.

“This is part of the King pack land. We all feel free to shift here,” I explained, and helped Cam step over a thick root. “I like that I can share it with you.”

“I like it, too,” Cam grinned up at me and I felt my heart stutter in my chest.

If I’d been shifted, I was sure all three of my hearts would have stopped at the sight of Cam’s beautiful face smiling at me. Everything about them felt like the missing puzzle piece in my life. I couldn’t deny it any longer, I was in love.

We stepped around a thick old oak and Cam gasped at the sight. Seeing it through Cam’s eyes was like experiencing the beauty all over again.

Past the small clearing, Wolf Creek Falls was at the back of a dark pond. The foothills rose steeply behind it with pine trees that were still dense despite the time of year. The creek started beside the clearing, never very deep unless it was raining or snow was melting, and the falls were barely a trickle. Despite most of the trees being bare, the moss and hanging greenery around the falls still made it pretty.

“Wow, this is beautiful,” Cam commented, letting my hand go to set the picnic basket down and look around the area.

“You’re beautiful,” I told them, only having eyes for the person I didn’t want to ever be away from.

“I’m supposed to be romancing you for your birthday.” Cam blushed and pecked my lips before stealing the blanket. They laid it out and took a seat, patting the spot beside them.

“So I can’t compliment you on my birthday?” I asked, sitting sideways so Cam was between my spread legs. “Because you have to know I’m completely…enamored of you?”

The words‘in love with you’almost slipped out, but I didn’t know if Cam was there, yet.

“I didn’t say that. I like your compliments,” Cam insisted, tucking themself under my arm and squirming until they straddled my lap. “I’m completely enamored of you, too.”

Taking Cam’s head in my hands, I slammed our mouths together, needing to be closer. I wanted to live inside of them and never leave. Licking into their mouth, Cam moaned and thrust their hips, feeling my erection. We ate at one another’s lips, ignoring the food Cam prepared in favor of devouring each other.

“My mate,” a deep voice came out of me before I realized what I said.

Cam pulled back to look at me, their lips red and swollen from our kisses, with beard burn around their mouth. Their pupils were dark with lust, but their furrowed brow made me realize how confused I made them.

“Did you just call memate, like a friend?”

One option was to lie, pretend I’d said something else and not scare them. Though I had no clue what I might have said instead. But I was too honest for that, and I wanted them to know.

“No, mate as in partner for life,” I explained, rubbing their arms because I couldn’t stand the thought of letting Cam go. “It’s a shifter term.”

“You want to be mated to me for life?” Cam asked, but I couldn’t tell how they felt about the idea.

“Only if you want that too,” I rushed to assure them, though that was a fib. I knew I would want Cam for the rest of my life. They wereitfor me.

“I might want that,” Cam told me, running a hand along my beard and caressing my cheek with one thumb. I could sense they had more to say and waited. “I’m the only person you’ve ever wanted, what if…”

“What if I said I was in love with you? That I’m an octopus shifter, and an octopus mates for life,” I told them as if that was reason enough.

“Are you in love with me?” Cam asked, their voice barely above a whisper as they looked down instead of at me.

Grabbing their wrist, I turned their hand over and kissed their palm until Cam met my eyes. “Cameron Bass, you are the love of my life. I have never wanted anyone until you, and I never want anyone else as long as I live. I want you as my mate, my partner, my spouse. However you’ll have me.”