Night 1: Hu ocag ay cyxy- Cx
(We ariv in rome [hereafter] Rm)
The limo dropped the men off in darkness at the base of the villa, and the two men walked up the hill. The plane ride had been long, but they didn’t mind, as Byron was now an inductee of the Mile-High club, multiple times. The werewolf endurance was just as Gev had told him.
Byron took a look around him, and smiled. His father would be in his glory, stopping every few steps to look and label all the plants that grew along the path. Byron instead put his eyes forward, on Gev’s ass – but Gev turned around and saw what he was looking at. He held out his hand for Byron, who jogged up the few steps and took it. Gev kissed him gently. “Only the assistants are awake, I believe,” he said.
As he got closer, though, he slowed down, sniffing the air. Then he suddenly smiled. “More than the assistants,” he said. At the entrance to the villa grounds were two men, who nodded to Gev. Byron had seen them the last time he was here – guards of a sort – who said nothing, and merely stood there. He wondered if they were wolves too.
Gev walked past them to the village grounds itself. Standing outside along the steps were some people. Byron could pick out a few, and suprisingly enough, one was Tieron. He stood next to an older woman, with long white hair and a small, lithe body.
Gev went right up to her and kissed both her cheeks. “Mama,” he said, and Byron raised an eyebrow. This woman, though old, didn’t look over two centuries old. She looked in her 70’s, maybe early 80’s. Gev took Byron’s hand and guided him forward. “This is my Byron.”
Gev’s mother looked up at him, her eyes a gentle sky blue. “You are the man who has brought my son such happiness,” she said, and smiled. She kissed him on both cheeks. “I welcome you to our family.”
“Such as it is,” said Tiernon, winking at Byron. His mother gave him a look, and to Byron’s complete surprise, he backed down. “Sorry, ma-ma.”
“It is, such as it is,” said Gev’s mother. “You must be tired from your long plane ride, and it is late here.”
“I know,” Byron said. “I should get used to this time zone.”
“How is the pack?” Gev asked Tiernon, as they all walked inside.
“You’ll find out tomorrow,” Tiernon replied.
“I’d prefer to know today,” Gev pressed.
Tiernon sighed, “Let’s just say some people aren’t too happy with your choice of mate.”
“Luciano already explained it to me, and I’m sure he explained it to them, and they still don’t understand?”
His mother said, “Vicenzo, we can discuss politics tomorrow, after you have rested.”
Gev opened his mouth to say something else, and then closed it. “All right, mama.”
They parted ways after the foyer, Gev leading Byron down to a bedroom that overlooked the water. He threw open the windows to let the summer breeze into the room.
“She’s right, we should try and sleep.”
“I’m not tired,” Byron said. “But I might, as long as I’m in your arms.”
“Sempre,” Gev said, taking Byron into his arms. “Always.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Day 2: R ad rsowyrp.
(G(ev) is chalngd.)
Byron woke up when Gev got up. The sun was just beginning to rise. They probably had maybe five hours’ sleep, which was enough for Byron. Arachnos sometimes made people run on catnaps for weeks during certain operations. During the night, someone had brought up their bags, leaving them just inside the bedroom.
“Mind if I go for a run?” Byron asked, as he stood with Gev looking out the windows.
“Of course not, love. I have some work here to do with Tokyo, anyway.”
Byron kissed his temple. “Always work.”
Gev turned around and kissed Byron deeply. “Not always.”
Byron gasped. “You take my breath away every time you do that.”
So Gev kissed him again.
Byron found his Arachnos-issue running clothes and went for a jog along the perimeter of the villa. He picked his way down to the beach and ran along there, feeling like he was in a movie. Some of this he just couldn’t believe. He loved this man like nothing else in the world, and he would give up everything for him. But he knew that Gev wasn’t that type of man.
Byron thought about what was meant by Tiernon’s cryptic remark. Were there still some people who thought he wasn’t good enough for Gev? Somehow, some way, he had to prove to them that he was. He had to prove that he was a worthy mate. As Malcolm and Wulf both said, he needed to stand by his man, to ooze support and confidence. No looking down from a fight. No fear. And Gev was his own man. He had lived this long without Byron, and he wasn’t about to go weak on Byron now.
With this resolve, he headed back up to the villa. A butler – at least that’s what Byron thought of him as – stopped him. “Master Vicenzo is in the dining room and asked me to tell you to join him there as soon as you are ready.” Byron smiled – the man even had an English accent to his speech.
“Thanks, uh…”
“Ernesto.”
“Thanks, Ernesto. I’ll be there in less than ten.”
“Very good.”
Byron knew his way roughly around the villa and found his way to the dining room. There, Tiernon sat, along with his mother, and a few other people were there eating breakfast. Gev sat at the head, the chair to his right empty.
“Byron!” Gev said, getting up. The rest of the group stopped eating and looked up at him. Confidence, By, confidence…
Gev kissed Byron. Byron tasted ham or bacon on him. Gev turned him to the group. “This is my mate, Byron. Let me introduce you around the table…”
There were five people he didn’t know and got their names.
(Awaiting more information about the pack.)