The next morning by ten thirty Chris and Dima were lounging in the spacious living room after finishing their breakfast and washing the dishes.

The couple was on their phones, scrolling through social media feeds and texting, sitting at different ends of the couch – Chris lying flat on his back with his feet propped up on Dima's lap. The action - when took place - was eyed by Dima. Chris had watched him with one eyebrow raised and Dima let up but not without an eye-roll. For two people who were polar opposites and had come from two different worlds, had different beliefs and belonged to different species, they did quite the talking with their eyes. The way they understood each other from a mere eyebrow lift was a mesmerizing view.

Eyes.
They speak.
Yes, they do speak.
It's like they never stop speaking.
It's just a matter of whether you want to listen or not.

And the couple listened.

We often wonder about miracles, Chris and Dima being mates was one.

Another miracle was the person Dima was texting; Raine was a piece of work, a bundle of positive energy.

Dima: Do not be late.

Raine: I will be on time, babycakes.

Dima: Stop calling me that! That's not even a proper word. Just be here on time.

Raine: Ok, darling! See you at dinner. :x :x

Dismissing his antics, Dima addressed Chris - "Listen, Mom and-"

Burp.

Chris had to bite the pillow he held to his chest to stop himself from laughing.

"You love your food way too much. Don't you, Dima?" Chris could not hold back and was guffawing by the end.

"Shut up!" Dima exclaimed annoyedly, even though his cheeks were tinted red. "As I was saying, Mom and Dad have cut the visit one day short, so they are coming back today evening."

"You could have taken the direct approach, my dear Dima. Something along the lines - Chris, pack your bags and show your derrière outside before they arrive."

"Bags? Bags? There are no bags, and do you know why? Because you have been raiding my wardrobe for two days. Anyway, you don't have to go immediately. You can leave after having dinner with us. I asked." Dima added the last sentence knowing Chris well.

"Ooh! Meeting the parents."

Dima ignored his comment and continued speaking - "Raine is joining as well. Maven couldn't since he is out of town."

"Hmm...I wanted to talk to your dad anyway."

His parents took seven long hours to arrive. Dima greeted them with hugs while Chris performed the usual, formal handshake. Dima instructed his parents to first go and freshen up while he set up the dining table as he had already prepared the food. By the time it was all done, Raine had graced the Putin household with his presence.

The table was full of delicious food - as proclaimed by Chris - chatter and business talk, much to Sonja's displeasure. However, her displeasure was not completely due to the conversation, but also because a werewolf was sharing a meal with them. Even more disappointing was that she could not pierce her fangs in his neck.

Dima was aware of his mother's mood, he could see it on her sour face and fidgeting body.

On the other hand, Lance was engrossed in the conversation. Dima put his two cents in too, much to his father's delight. "In this time of technology, if we do not make the most of it, then we'd be fools. We all have increased security, but they can still con us by posing; posing is the easiest and most used method when entering somewhere unnoticed. I propose we create a shared database where we will put names and photographs of every person involved in our security."

"That is a good idea. It will help us get relieved of one burden."

The conversation continued further. Amidst that conversation, an unusual occurrence distracted Dima – Raine's silence. He turned towards Raine who was sitting a seat away, to the right of Chris to ask him why he was quiet but his voice betrayed him. There was Raine, whose left hand was on Chris' right thigh. The hand was moving slowly, giving that muscular thigh slow rubs and Chris was just sitting there, talking like nothing was happening.

Dima was seething at the scene. The voices on the dinner table tuned out. When he could not take it anymore, he erupted. "Enough!" The loud sound of his hands meeting the table resulted in the conversation to cease. The look on his mother's face held enough rage to warn him of the oncoming scolding, so he stormed off to his room.

The restlessness stopped him from sitting down and taking a deep breath, so he paced. He paced and he paced until five minutes later when there was a knock on his bedroom door. Stopping for a second, he looked at the door and started pacing again without permitting the person outside to enter. Yes, he wanted to be petty.

The door opened and then shut with a soft thud. "Leaving without finishing would have been rude, so I stuffed all the food in my mouth and had to swallow it at the speed of light. I didn't even chew the food 32 times like the health-conscious person I am. You know I looked like a pufferfish back there."

"Get out."

"No."

"Get out."

"What did I do now?"

"You...you were...Raine was, he was... touching you."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't act innocent. I saw him giving your thigh soft fucking rubs."

Chris stopped Dima's pacing by standing in his way. "Were you perhaps jealous?" He interrogated with a sly smile.

"I wasn't. You roam around me all day and night like an eager puppy, what do I have to worry about?"

"Then why are you?"

"I just didn't like it."

"So cute."

Before Dima could retort, Chris was kissing him softly. A cough interrupted their moment. They jumped apart, Dima in fear and Chris in surprise.

"Not that I wanted to disturb you both, but why wasn't I aware of this jiggery-pokery?"

"You fucking traitor!" Dima yelled at Raine.

"I could not be a traitor if I did not know. And Chris sweetie, he was definitely jealous." Dima merely huffed and stood there with a frustrated expression. "Okay, stop it. You are such an idiot. I knew, alright? I mean I speculated and I needed to confirm. Don't make that face. I mean how could I not know? You were giving him bedroom eyes throughout the dinner."

"I was not!"

"You were!" Raine grinned like a cat who got the canary, enjoying the sight of red on his friend's face.

"I do not think so."

"And why is that?"

"Because I am not a weak bottom."

"Oh, my naive child! Who even said that only weak bottoms give bedroom eyes?"

"Whatever."

"Hey, what's with that 'whatever'? I am none of those two things either, weak or a bottom," Chris piped in.

The statement drowned the room in silence, raising tension. Sensing the vibes, Raine made a poor excuse of Sonja calling his name and left.  No words were exchanged between them until Chris left. They could not stop glaring and giving each other stink eyes.

The understanding between them was then overpowered by fear, fatigue and sheer panic. Dima was scared of taking that final step because somewhere deep inside his mind, the hate he harboured towards werewolves was not extinguished completely. Panic settled in as that realization occurred. He wanted to ignore that part desperately. Also, he was scared because he had to let go of everything he was taught as a child.

Chris did not attempt to make amends this time because he was scared as well, scared that Dima would always push him away. He was afraid that eventually Dima would push him so far that he would not be able to come back, that he would not want to be back. He was also a little tired because the other half of the half-truth he told Dima was weighing him down.

Chris was moving towards his home and into the forest with these thoughts swamping his mind, unaware that his mate was following close behind, unaware that danger was following them both, lurking in the darkness.