Page 22 of The Jorogumo (The Sanctuary #2)

Haruto

As we walked to the Dining Room for dinner, my eyes kept sliding back to Liam. Or rather, the very prominent hickeys I'd left around his neck like a damned collar.

I didn't usually talk about sex with my friends, mostly because before Liam, I hadn't really had many positive experiences. Talking about it had just made me uncomfortable, so I'd chosen not to. My friends had also figured it out, and so they never brought it up either, at least not where it concerned me. (I'd heard one too many stories about Silas and Touya's escapades at this point because Silas could not keep his mouth shut.)

But this was different. Liam was different. He was my mate, and I wanted everyone to know he belonged to me. It was possessive, and maybe even a bit unhealthy, but the way Liam had grinned at his reflection as he got dressed told me he didn't mind, and his was the only opinion that mattered to me.

We walked into the Dining Room, and I felt like all eyes were on us, even though they weren't.

Liam and I walked up to the counter, taking empty plates and ignoring the eyes at our backs.

It seemed to be the Lakes area's turn tonight, and I smiled as Ea and Nu, two nixie siblings who were the known troublemakers of the Sanctuary, dished up our food. They were twins, with the same blue-tinged dark skin and white blond hair, though Ea's hung down to their collarbone, while Nu's was in a short, swept-back style. Their eyes were deep blue, and glowed when they were in the water.

"Hello, new human!" Ea greeted, their voice deeper than their brother's.

"Hi! My name is Liam. I don't think we've met yet," Liam said, holding his hand out. Ea eyed it curiously before reaching out to give it a pat, making me bite back a smile.

"I'm Ea and this is my brother. Nu. We're nixies," they said, and Liam gave him a blank look. "Water spirits. We take a water-based form when we're in water."

Understanding lit up Liam's eyes, and he nodded quickly. "It's nice to meet you. If I'm not being rude, I'd love to see your other form sometime."

Ea blinked, then smiled widely. That was all I needed to know Liam had been accepted by those two. And why wouldn't he be? My mate was the sweetest man ever, and it was clear to anyone who talked to him.

"Of course. Come by Lakes anytime. We're usually upstream in the river."

Liam nodded, and we made our way to our usual table as his excitement practically clouded around him .

"Hey, everyone!" he greeted as he settled into a chair, and I took the empty space beside him.

"Hey, Liam. Welcome to the family! You're one of us now," Keoni said with a wide grin, making me smile. I loved how he made every new resident feel welcome, and I was glad he was my friend.

"Thank you. I'm really glad to be here." His eyes flicked to me, and I smiled, which made him blush. Damn, why was he so adorable?

Khush, who'd been intensely focused on his meal until now, looked up, and promptly dropped his fork, making it clatter into his plate. His eyes were on Liam, and wide as saucers.

"Holy fuck," he mumbled. "What did you do to him, Haruto?"

As if that was what they'd been waiting for, the others turned their gazes on us too, ranging from curiosity to amusement.

"Mind your own business," I said with a roll of my eyes, making Khush snort.

"Well, if you wanted that, you shouldn't have marked him up where we can see. It's like you don't know us at all."

Liam's cheeks were bright red by this point, and I was just about to tell the others to shut up so they'd stop making him uncomfortable when I sensed it. He was turned on.

My eyes met Liam's, and I raised a brow at him, which just made his blush darken. Apparently, my mate was kinkier than I'd thought.

Khush and Silas teased us for a bit more, but their hunger soon pulled their focus back to their meals, and we shared a nice dinner as things went back to normal. Dustin told us about feeling the baby move, and I smiled at the way Khush watched him as he spoke, his face alight with pride and love. I was so happy for my friends, and I couldn't wait to welcome a new member to our little family.

It was the Forest's turn to do the dishes, so our conversations continued as we moved into the kitchen, washing everything up as I told them about the dragon bartender—with my excitement over asking Liam to move in, I'd forgotten all about it. Zamir was especially curious about the place, wanting to know if there were other supes around since "It's been a long damned time since I hooked up with someone, and y'all have been making me feel a tad envious," and I hoped he'd find someone there, if not forever then at least for a while.

As a shtriga, Zamir didn't do well with humans. The ones who lived here were 'safe' because they were mated to supes, but humans were supposed to be Zamir's primary food source—he ate life force, and according to him, humans had the most potent ones because of how short their lifespan was—and while he abstained, that didn't mean he was never tempted. Taking a human to bed was just asking for trouble.

Once all the dishes were done and the kitchen was sparkling, we returned to the Forest, everyone quickly escaping to their homes as Liam and I did the same.

Our home. I loved how that sounded.

Changing into sleep clothes—I insisted Liam wear his usual old t-shirt and shorts outfit when he tried to wear sweatpants instead—we climbed under Liam's soft blanket, his fluffy pillows cradling our heads as we moved closer to each other. I liked using his things, loved how they smelled like him. I wondered if they'd start smelling like both of us soon. I couldn't wait to check .

Liam

Moving in with Haruto was the best decision I made. Sure, I woke up every morning just a little late since he was so comfy to cuddle, and I had to rush to get to work on time, but there were a whole lot of perks too.

I only had to cook once or twice a week when it was the Forest's turn to make breakfast or dinner—I was usually at the shop for lunch, so I got to skip that—and same with the dishes. We split laundry, and the headmaster's magic kept our home clean all the time.

I spent most of my free time with Haruto, but I'd also been getting to know the other Sanctuary residents. I'd grown especially close to Shade, who was surprisingly cheerful and friendly.

I'd gotten to know the nixie twins better too, and Jacinta seemed less scary with every passing day. There were a lot of people I still hadn't met, some because they were wary of—or dangerous to—humans, others because I just hadn't found the time.

I planned to get to know as many of them as I could, though, because they were Haruto's family, and I wanted them to be mine as well.

Checking my phone, I sighed. It was thirty minutes to lunch, and I was growing impatient. How was it that I spent every free moment I could with Haruto and I still wanted more? I felt restless when he wasn't around.

I scanned the comic I'd been reading to pass the time, flicking to the next page as my phone started buzzing.

Mom flashed on the screen, and I took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly, bracing myself as I accepted the call .

"Hey, Mom. How are you?"

"I'm fine, dear. How are you? Still running the shop?" I gritted my teeth, telling myself I'd just imagined the condescending edge to her voice.

"Well, actually, I'm planning to buy it," I said, knowing how she would react. Maybe that was why I'd said it, to throw her off balance.

My relationship with my parents was strained at best, and sometimes, I wished I could just break it off, cut them out of my life completely. But I was their only child, and the responsibility I felt wouldn't let me.

"What? Why would you do that, Liam? I thought you were looking for a better job. You can't possibly afford it."

I couldn't, not on my own, but I had a wonderful mate who was just as obsessed with comics—and me—and he had no problem paying for half of it. Not that I was going to tell her that.

"I like my job, Mom. I've never wanted to change it. You did. And don't worry about the money."

"You're my son. Of course I'll worry. You're all the way on the other side of the country"—it was as far as I could get from them without needing a visa—"and all alone. How can I not worry?"

"I'm not alone, Mom," I said with a sigh, rubbing my face with a palm. "I'm seeing someone. We moved in together."

"Oh! What's her name?"

And there was the other reason why we'd never be close. I'd explained to my parents multiple times that while I liked women, I also liked men, and people in between. I was pansexual, and as long as our personalities gelled, I didn't think much about what was in their pants until we were in bed and taking them off .

"His name is Haruto. He's a wonderful man, and I love him."

My mom was silent for a long moment, and I glanced up to check the clock above the front door, only to smile as I saw Haruto walk in through the door.

He grinned at me, then hung the lunch sign at the door, locking it securely. He eyed my phone curiously, and I remembered I was still on a call.

"Mom?" I asked, and she sighed deeply, as if we'd been in some sort of contest to see who could stay quiet the longest. "Haruto's here, so I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"He's...there?"

"Yeah, it's my break, and he brought me lunch," I said, a smile curving my lips as I met his eyes. He winked at me, and I followed him to the back office as my mom grumbled something I didn't catch.

"Did you say something?"

"I was saying that if you wanted someone to bring you lunch, you could've dated a woman just as easily. Why would you pick a man? Why make things harder for yourself?"

I snorted. "Harder for me or for you? I love Haruto because he's amazing and he understands me like no one else, like my own parents clearly never have, and not because he's a man. I'm tired of telling you the same thing again and again. Please don't call me until you're ready to accept me, all of me, instead of only the parts that suit you."

I ended the call, throwing my phone onto the couch and wishing I could slam it into the wall instead. She did this every single fucking time.

Strong arms circled my waist, and I slumped into Haruto, tucking my face into the crook of his neck as I clung to him. Fuck, he was so strong and steady. Dependable. I hadn't realized that was what I needed until I met him, and now I couldn't imagine living without him. Would I even be able to survive without him anymore?

"I love you, sweetheart, and you're perfect exactly as you are."

I hadn't realized I needed to hear something like that until he said it, and the words washed over me like a balm, soothing the sting of my mother's words, of her expectations.

"Thank you," I murmured against his skin, clinging to him, and for a few minutes, he just stood there, letting me draw support from him as he rubbed my back.

"Come on," he said after a few minutes, pulling back despite my protests. "Your food is getting cold, and you need to eat. We can cuddle after."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Yeah, I didn't need people in my life who cared more about looking good than my happiness. As long as I had Haruto and my new friends at the Sanctuary—and Diego—they were all the family I needed.