Page 148 of Forbidden Moon
Both men crouched low, and RJ placed a bouquet on the grave as Jonah began to speak.
“Hello, Lottie. I’m Jonah Blair. Well, it’s Wilson now because a few days ago I married your son. I want you to know how much I love and respect Rascal. You raised a wonderful man and deserve a lot of praise. Don’t worry about your boy, because I’m going to take care of him. He’ll never be alone, and I’ll do my best to keep him happy, just the way you wanted. Rest easy now, Ma, wherever you are.”
RJ wept quietly, tears dripping off his face into the green grass below. Jonah leaned his head against his mate’s shoulder, quietly lending the grieving man his support. Cleansing moments passed until RJ’s grief was in abeyance. Wiping his face, he stood up, recited a prayer Jonah did not know and addressed his mother.
“I came back to see you like I said I would. Gladstone is beautiful, and the job is great. I finally got to see some real wolves. Even better, I have one of my own, and he won’t mind if I tell you. Jonah is everything I wanted and so much more. I think about you all the time and wonder how things might have been if... I miss you every day. Love you, Ma.”
RJ kissed the tips of two fingers and touched the top of the tombstone. He turned away, hand resting on Jonah’s lower back as they left the cemetery in a cloud of Omega scent. By the time they reached the car, RJ’s shoulders had relaxed, and he leaned over to kiss Jonah’s cheek.
“It’s like fresh-baked bread and honey.”
Jonah didn’t understand.
“What is?”
“Your scent. The one you use to comfort people. I’vefeltit before but didn’t notice the special aroma of it until now. Thank you.”
“Anything for you. I’m curious what your Ma might have said if we’d told her I was a shifter.”
RJ paused to think while they got in the car and underway, chuckling softly.
“I can picture it. First, she’d have demanded you prove it. Then she’d say, “This world is full of surprises!” and hug you. She would never have told anyone either. If my Ma gave her word, you could bank on it.”
“You come by it honestly, then.”
RJ nodded.
“I learned from the best.”
####
THE TRIP BACK HOMEtook another week, but only because the pair made numerous stops along the way. After crossing the Mackinac Bridge into St. Ignace, they drove through the Sault Ste Marie State Forest on their way to Jonah’s home pack in Newberry. RJ met a slew of new people, all politely curious about the human-shifter couple. His newly sensitive nose picked up more information than he could process, and he consulted often with his mate over the meaning of various scents.
They spent two days with Jonah’s family, eating, talking, and laughing together. RJ received a tour of the country club and packlands and became the favored story-reading uncle to Meredith and Drew’s four children. Both he and Jonah also enjoyed spoiling Connor and Avary’s little ones, both born in June. RJ wasn’t used to having a ready-made family, but they welcomed him openly and took advantage of the proximity to pepper him with questions about his life and background.
With reluctant farewells and promises to visit often, the honeymooners got back on the road to visit parks, waterfalls, and other sites of interest across the upper peninsula. To Jonah’s delight, RJ’s other senses began showing signs of change as they traveled. At first, his mate found the changes to his vision disorienting. It quickly morphed into amazement as RJ pointed out details he’d never been able to see before. Born with enhanced senses, Jonah couldn’t fully relate to the enormous difference between human and shifter eyesight—something he’d always taken for granted.
The first sign of RJ’s sensitive hearing came at a small diner where they’d stopped for breakfast. Human whispers about the mixed-race gay couple were supposed to be private, but RJ heard them all anyway. Some were nice comments about the handsome duo, while others were nasty, small-minded, and racist.
One conversation, in particular, caught their attention, coming from a nearby table with two twenty-something white women. Their attempts to be quiet and discreet were for naught.
“Yum! It should be against the law for gay men to be so gorgeous. I can’t decide which one I like better.”
“Depends on what you want them for. You know what they say about the size of Black guys’ dicks.”
They dissolved into crass giggles before resuming their meal, one eye on the man-candy just a few feet away. Jonah fumed at their insulting behavior while RJ took it in stride. He’d heard much worse over the years and conspired with Jonah to have the last laugh. Once breakfast was over, they got up to leave with RJ walking funny. Jonah stopped next to the women’s table to ask him a question.
“You all right, babe?”
RJ winced.
“I told you you’re too big. More lube next time!”
Both ladies gaped, forks frozen in mid-air as they watched the handsome pair walk away. At the door, RJ turned and waved goodbye as they continued to stare. They laughed all the way to the car and headed for the nearest pharmacy to pick up earplugs, giving RJ the option to reduce some of the noise until he learned to block it out. Jonah encouraged him as they jumped back on the highway.
“I’m glad this all happened now instead of while you were at work. By the time we get home, you’ll be used to it, and it won’t seem so overwhelming. You’ll have to ignore some of what your senses pick up, or people will begin to wonder. Even on packlands, you’ll learn not to pay attention to things. At least there, we all share the same advantages.”
A few miles further on, RJ’s curiosity got the better of him.
