Page 219 of As The Shifter World Turns

“And I don’t care how we mate, just that we do.” I looked into Martin’s eyes. “Because I dragged my feet for too long, not wanting to commit, always thinking we’d do it at some point. But we’ve reached the point. Right now. Tonight. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.” I kissed Martin. “And you.” I placed a kiss on Toby’s head. “And you little poppet.” That was for Charlie.

“Give me your hand, Neil.” Martin turned my palm up and allowed his fox claws to appear. He scratched a jagged line on my palm, breaking the skin. A small trickle of blood pooled on my hand. I was marked and Martin retracted his claws.

“But you have to mark my dad, Neil,” Toby insisted.

It was a good thing I kept my nails long as many of my clients loved them, especially when I painted them. I marked Martin’s hand the same way as he’d done mine, though my nails weren’t as sharp as his claws. But they did the job. I broke the skin.

“That’s it,” Toby yelled. “You’re mated.”

We had a three-way hug. Well, technically four-way but Charlie only opened his eyes brieflybefore going back to sleep.

“Let's go home and have hot chocolate.”

“Which home? You don’t live with us, TD,” Toby pointed out. “TD means Third Dad in case you didn’t know.”

“What he said.” Martin agreed with our son. Our son, not his son.

Trust my older son to remember I had my own apartment, especially when it’d slipped my mind during the excitement. Now we were mated, I didn’t want to be apart from my family. “How about we all live together in your apartment until we can decide if that’s going to be our permanent home.”

“In that case, let’s go home,” my mate agreed.

“You have to tell everyone,” Toby insisted. “The Sunshine Manor family will want to know.”

“The morning will do,” Martin told him.

“Awww, Dad. That’s ages away.”

“Fine, we’ll drive past the manor, and if anyone’s lights are on, we’ll text them.”

Toby peered out the window as we drove to our… our former home. The manor had been my safe place for so long, I hoped I wouldn’t feel adrift at not sleeping there every night. My office was there in 2A and for the moment, I was still paying rent on 2B. Slowly, slowly. I’d get used to it.

“There’s a light on in Ivor and Ryder’s place,” Toby yelled.

“Lower your voice, sweetheart. We don’t want to wake up Charlie.” Though I suspected as he’d slept through all of tonight’s commotion, nothing was going to disturb him.

‘I’ll text Ryder,” Martin said. “What should I say?”

“We’re mated,” Toby suggested. “Though he might think you and he are mated. That wouldn't be good.”

Martin and I doubled up with laughter. “How about you write, ‘Neil and I are mated.’ Does that sound okay, Toby?” I asked.

He nodded, his eyes studying the light in the 1A living room. A second light was turned on. And my phone beeped. A light appeared in 3B. And another in Anthony’s apartment, 3A. Now Martin’s phone dinged.

“We’re out front,” Toby yelled as he lowered his window.

Ivor and Ryder, dressed in their pajamas, waved from their living room, Daire and Nate leaned out of 3B as did Anthony in 3A, while Archer sent a text of emojis.

“Now they know.”

96

THERE ARE NO WINNERS HERE…BUT THERE IS ICE CREAM

Martin

“Break a leg.”

Toby looked at me with death ray eyes.

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