In the Eyes of Crazy(14)

Mutegi nodded, wrapped his arm around his human, and followed.

Land chose a seat on the couch nearest the fire. Payson settled next to him, pulling one leg under him so he could turn and face his mate. The solid presence of his alpha standing behind him gave Payson courage.

He cupped his hands around both of Land’s and looked into his human’s eyes. Payson tried to formulate what he wanted to say, but it was hard. He preferred action and kept getting lost in the beautiful blue of Land’s eyes. He’d mounted his lover from behind last time, and the desire to fuck Land face to face surged through him. He wanted to know how dark that blue became when Payson drove Land out of his mind with passion.

“Payson, we are here to explain shifters and mating,” Mutegi reminded him gently, breaking into his lust-infused thoughts.

Sucking in a breath, Payson nodded. “Right. Sorry. Mating. Uh.” He frowned. “I said you’re my mate and you wanted to know what that means.” Payson cocked his head and sifted through his scattered mind. Maybe his mate needed background to understand. “Most shifters need a pack or pride or family, a place they feel accepted, so their animal side feels safe and happy. For their human side, to make them feel happy, they search for a soul mate who completes them and makes them feel at peace.”

Payson eyed his mate, wondering if he was following. When no questions were forthcoming, he continued. “Fate grants each shifter one soul mate. I don’t know how she decides,” he mused.

He opened his mouth to give his opinion on how he thought Fate decided, but Mutegi cleared his throat and said, “Many shifters go their entire life without finding that special someone, Land. If we do find them, we devote our lives to pleasing that person.” Mutegi gave Ben a fond smile. “We want our mate happy, in and out of bed.”

Returning his focus to Land, Mutegi added, “Turning into an animal is an advantage, because it gives us increased strength and senses, allowing us to take better care of our mate.”

“So, you don’t actually choose your mate. Someone else does?” Land asked, frowning.

Payson didn’t like that look on his lover. He wished he knew how to explain it better.

“Think of it more like…a really good matchmaking service,” Ben interjected. “Someone takes your likes and dislikes, what you’re looking for in a partner, and finds that person for you.” Mutegi’s mate gave Land an encouraging smile. “Then add in the fact that there’s no chance of cheating and your lover always wants you safe, happy, and well cared for, plus the sex really is phenomenal,” he tacked on, giving his own lover a lascivious wink.

Mutegi snorted. “Behave,” he muttered, kissing Ben’s cheek.

“Where’s the fun in that,” Ben teased right back.

Payson wondered if he and Land would ever get to that point, being easy with each other and their relationship. Alone, last night, it had been that way. Yes, Land had been nervous, but that was due to being a virgin. By the end of the night, Land had been relaxed and satiated. Payson wanted that again.

Land slowly nodded. “I’m assuming there will be drawbacks?” he asked warily.

“If you have a lot of family, yeah,” Ben answered honestly. “Shifters live for several hundred years, and once you mate with Payson your aging will slow to match his. You’ll outlive family and friends.”

Payson liked how Ben didn’t make it sound like an option not to.

“The only family I have is my sister,” Land admitted. “My parents died a couple of years ago.”

“I’m sorry,” Payson murmured, because he knew he should. “My parents sold me to scientists who did experiments on me.”

“What?” Land gasped, his eyes growing wide.

Payson went over what he’d said. Right, most people, human or shifter, didn’t quite have a history like that. He shrugged. “It’s not like I can change it. I’ve moved on.”

“But they sold you?” Land asked, clearly outraged.

Sighing, Payson thought maybe he should have kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want pity from his mate. Needing to move, Payson leaped to his feet and started pacing. He leveled a glare at the lush carpet under his feet. “My dad was a great guy. Showered me with love, so I know what love is,” he muttered. “He died when I was seven. My mom remarried. At first, he was pretty ambiguous about me. As long as I stayed out of the way, he didn’t care that mom had a kid ’cause she had money. But then I shifted for the first time…” His voice trailed off, his feet stopped moving, and he cocked his head as memories assaulted him.