Cats and Dragons

[Demeter]

Cameo kicked up a brow at the invite to Alaska. He glanced from Grae to the boarding pass he held. "Alaska? I guess we are going to have to get me some warmer clothing. I'm afraid nothing I own can handle Alaska. Come on, Grae, let's go raid my closet." Taking the dragons hand in his own, Cameo turned them on the path and headed for home.

While he tossed clothing into a small suitcase, Cameo made the call to the weekend supervisor. He explained that a family had been severely injured. Like Grae, he asked for any paperwork to be emailed to him. He also thanked his lucky stars that he'd kept her private life out of work. They didn't know that he didn't have a sister-in-law. Yet.

On the way to the airport, they stopped off at a store and loaded up on clothing suited for northern Alaska. After stuffing the new clothing into a second suitcase and hailing a cab to the airport, Cameo leaned against Grae. "So you know how bad your sister's injuries are and if she has a good doctor? Most of my patients may be past saving but I can help out if need be."

For most of the flight, Cameo focused on getting to know Grae as a method of distracting him. When the puddle jumper plane that made the last leg of the journey landed outside of Point Hope, the first words out of his mouth were holy shit. The second set of words was Christ! Too cold! before he clung to Grae. When Grae laughed at him, Cameo punched him in the arm. "I'm a jaguar, Grae. Alaska is not my native habitat. The amazon is."

***

Standing behind the fenced Tarmac, Rhea raised an eyebrow. She hadn't been able to talk Grae out of coming up but he hadn't said anything about bringing a friend along. The other eyebrow crawled up when Grae laughed at something the other man said and tugged him close for what looked like a very hot kiss. She wouldn't have been surprised if the snow melted around those two. She certainly hasn't expected this from Grae.

Her eyebrows remained raised until she was introduced to Cameo, who happened to be a feline and had only known Grea for a week. She glanced at the older dragon. "Didn't I ow you had it in you," she said while helping to stow luggage in her company car.

Rhea tapped her nails against the steering wheel while she waited for Grae to finish checking him and Cameo into the room she'd reserved for him at the towns modest hotel. She hadn't wanted Grae to come up to see his sister. Rhea was sure that serving would happen between Lilia and the Peytons. Lilia was more open the the females found in the holding but she hadn't wanted to be fixed him and had refused to listen to her that they were different.

She hadn't wanted Grae here because she'd always believed him to be just as stuffy as all the others but things were different now. Grae had shown up with a guy who was more than just a friend.

[Maira]

When all Cameo said in response to the invite to Alaska and the offering of a boarding pass was that he'd need warmer clothes, Grae stared in silent shock for a moment. Had it really been that easy? He fully expected to have to do some convincing and possibly even some begging or gentle bribery. But no, Cameo just dragged him out of the park and to his apartment to pack and handle his work situation.

They arrived to the airport in plenty of time, and then spent the entire 9 hour flight getting to know each other better. By the time they arrived, Grae was 100% certain he'd made the right choice in asking Cameo to come with him. Even if it meant completely shattering any ideas his family held about who he really was. The reason he had left Point Hope was that he had very little doubt that his parents would fall over dead if they knew their only son was likely never going to take a mate that he could produce children with. Not to mention, he was just tired of the way all the elders treated the younger generations who didn't fall in line with what they considered "traditional" Brood values.

When they finally deplaned in Point Hope, Grae didn't even zip up his coat. This was home and the cold didn't phase him at all. When Cameo exclaimed about the cold and the clung to him, Grae couldn't help but laugh and that earned him a quickl punch in the arm from the jaguar. Then, by way of apology, Grae lowered his voice so only Cameo could hear and said suggestively, "I know many ways of keeping you warm," then pulled him close for a very hot kiss.

After they separated, Grae directed Cameo towards the break in the fence to where friends and family were waiting to greet those arriving from far off destinations. The person standing on the other side of the fence waiting for them was Rhea, Lilia's best friend. At her words, Grae just smirked and answered quietly, "I left for a reason Rhea."

It didn't take long to get their luggage in the car and then back out of it at the hotel. After getting their room keys and seeing themselves to their room, Grae asked Cameo, "Do you want to stay here and warm up a bit while I go check on Lilia? Rhea said she's still pretty drugged up with pain killers so I doubt I'll be more than an hour and then we can head out for some dinner or something."

[Demeter]

Cameo shooed Grae out to go see his sister and reassure himself that all was okay. After he'd closed the door behind Grae, Cameo turned to survey the hotel room. There was only one bed and he imagined that there would be gossip flying by the end of the day. Shaking his head, Cameo turned and put his wits to putting the hotel room to rights. From the sounds it of, Grae was determined to stay until he was satisfied that his sister was well again. Which, Cameo thought, could be a few weeks. Once the clothing was stashed and the luggage stowed away, Cameo flopped onto the bed. He rolled around for a moment before wandering into the bathroom. He set out the toiletries before crawling into the shower. He stayed under the hot spray for several minutes.

Ignoring the water that was dripping into his eyes, Cameo muttered about the cold. "Come to Alaska he says. It will be fine, he says. Says he has ways to keep me warm. He better live up to his promises." cameo dried off and dressed in fresh clothing. Once his hair was dried and styled, he sat in a chair and waited for Grae to return.

While he waited, Cameo flipped through the book he'd picked up at the airport but he didn't concentrate on the words. Grae hadn't said it outright but Cameo had a feeling that his presence here, with Grae, was going to cause several heads to roll. He just hoped that his wasn't one of them.

When Grae returned, Cameo looked up. "Is your sister doing okay?" he asked.

[Maira]

His visit with Lilia had been interesting. Aside from her injuries and being pretty loopy on her pain meds she actually seemed just fine. Better than fine if her love-sick puppy eyes at the woman Isis were any indication. She even looked warmly at the male dragon, Bennet, which was more than a little odd for his sister. While she had never firmly declared that she didn't plan on taking a dragon mate, Grae had always gotten that impression. And here she was shacked up with a male dragon in his prime and they were both eyeing each other the same way. Grae was so confused.

He'd been visiting a little longer than he'd meant to when he got distracted by the whole possible love triangle thing because despite them calling each other brother and sister, Grae could see the hints of a more intimate relationship between Isis and Bennett. When he finally made it back to the hotel room, he found Cameo sprawled out on room's love seat reading. The first words out of the jaguar's mouth were asking after his sister and Grae couldn't help but smile at the other man's obvious concern.

As he shucked off his coat, and toed off his shoes, Grae answered Cameo's question. "Lilia will be just fine, she's in excellent hands. People I don't even know are taking better care of her than my parents and clan probably would have." There was a look of confusion on Cameo's face in response to that last statement, so Grae clarified for him, "The Brood typically don't hold with western medicine and that would mean no pain medication. And from what I saw of her, Lilia definitely needs that pain medication."

As he'd been explaining, Grae had been making his way across the small room. Now that he'd reached the loveseat and its occupant, he plucked the book from Cameo's hands and placed it face down on the nearby table to hold his place. Then, without warning he scooped the jaguar off the loveseat and headed for the bathroom, growling softly in the in the other man's ear, "Time to get you warm."

*****

When he'd spoken to Rhea, telling her his flight plans and such she'd asked if he wanted her to reserve a room at the local hotel, he'd answered yes. When he'd given her his answer he'd requested she make sure the room had a jacuzzi tub in it and the girl, pest though she may have been when they were younger, had pulled through for him. It wasn't nearly as large as his hot springs in his mountain home, but it seemed that his heat-loving cat enjoyed it all the same. Especially considering the company.

Their time spent in the tub was hot and steamy, and not just because of the temperature of the water, and by the time they were done with the 'bath' they needed a shower. Now that they were dried off and dressed, Grae was pretty sure they were both starving so he led them out of their room and down to the front desk where he asked the clerk if he knew if Lilia's restaurant was still open even with her being injured. The clerk had no idea, so he made a call to the restaurant and when he hung up he happily told Grae that it was.

Dinner was delicious, and rather quick, and mostly uneventful. Some of the staff recognized him, a couple locals and another clan member, so there was some minor catching up to do. The clan member was one of the younger males that Grae didn't know very well, but it was still good to see family. Only, by the way the young male was watching the way that Grae and Cameo interacted he had a sneaky feeling that news would get back to the Holding that not only was he in town, but that his "friend" was way more than that. That was not something he was looking forward to explaining.

Almost as soon as they got back to the hotel room, the phone in the room rang and Grae eyed it suspiciously for a moment before picking it up. "Hello?" he asked into the receiver.

"Graethyn'Toril, why on earth did you come to Point Hope without telling your family you were coming? We would have met you at the airport and brought you home!"

It was his mother. Seems the young male at the restaurant was more chatty than he'd let on. Fantastic. He knew that Lilia didn't want their parents to know about her injuries so instead of explaining his real reason for the visit to Alaska, he answered, "Well Mom, it was a last minute trip and was meant to be a surprise." Most of that answer was true, he hadnt' bought the tickets until earlier that very day and the surprise was that she found out at all...

That answer seemed to placate his mother and instead of scolding him, she quickly moved onto planning his visit out to the Holding. She was asking where he was staying and if he had a car or if they'd need to send somebody out to fetch him. Grae answered that he was staying at the local hotel and that if he needed a ride out he was sure that Rhea or Lilia could give him a ride. Again, his mother seemed pleased and she practically radiated joy that her wayward son had returned home.

By the time he hung up with her, Grae was exhausted. She'd always had that effect on him. He turned to Cameo and explained, "Well, it looks like I have to make an appearance out at the Holding sometime in the next couple days or that woman is bound to send out a search party."

[Demeter]

He honestly didn't get the whole family thing. After all, jaguars weren't bgig on the whole family thing. He didn't know his faither was and his mother had never felt inclined to tell him. If she even knew, that is. His mother had left Cedar Valley on the day of his high school graduation. They still talked, rarely, and Cameo knew that he had a younger sister as his mother had met up with a male jaguar a few weeks after leaving. He also knew that she'd settled in the hills of Tennesse witha woman of the magic user varity.

Grae, on the other hand, seemed to like the family deal. After all, he'd dropped everything and flown up to Alaska to make sure his sister was okay. And, as he watched Grae mutter at the phone, Cameo decided he would have to learn to like the family thing. He wanted Grae and Grae was somewhat involved with his family.

Cameo sat, cross-legged, on the bed after pulling his outdoor gear off and smiled at his dragon. After Grae dropped the phone and spoke about visiting his parents, Cameo pulled him down to the bed. He crawled into Grae's lap and snuggled up to him. "Want me to go with you? I'm not sure but I've got this idea that no one knows you'd rather sleep with me than a woman. My presence here would probably distract everyone from your sister's issues. Or. we could let your mother organize a search party. I could keep you here in bed and utterly ruin any plans she might have had."

[Maira]

For not the first time, Grae was very glad that he'd asked Cameo to come along on this impromptu trip. Much as he didn't want to deal with the drama of his mother, and the rest of the clan, finding out he was gay it might very well be the best possible way to distract her from Lilia's situation. Or situations really... Not only was the girl battered and broken physically but she was shacked up with a man -and- a woman and they all seemed more than a little interested in each other.

At Cameo's other suggestion, about keeping him in the hotel room in bed, Grae couldn't help the rumble of pleasure in his chest at that idea. "Much as I would love that second option Cameo I think that terrorizing my mother to that extent, because she -would- find us, is just cruel. No parent should have to see their child in bed with their lover." Then, with another rumble, Grae rolled them both back onto the bed until he had Cameo pinned beneath him and he growled out softly, "For tonight though, I'm all yours."

*****

The trip out to the Holding had been cold, for Cameo, and bumpy. The truck he borrowed from Bennett's shop had a broken heater and shoddy shocks. Luckily it also had a bench seat and that meant that Cameo was snuggled up practically on top of Grae and wrapped up in blankets. When they finally reached the entrance to the hidden home of Grae's clan, the dragon found the outer cave where the clan's vehicles remained, navigated the twisting tunnel, and finally parked in one of the few empty spots. As soon as the car was stopped he opened the door and warm air came flooding into the cab of the truck and he heard Cameo start to purr as he scrambled to get the blankets off him and out his door.

Once out of the truck himself, Grae chuckled and explained, "While the cold doesn't bother full grown dragons like myself, its really hard on the newly hatched so the entire Holding is heated utilizing the mountain's own fire. Not just hotsprings like at home. In fact, you are likely going to feel like you're in your jungle once we get into the Holding proper." The look of sheer pleasure in Cameo's eyes at the mention of heat had Grae chuckling again.

Walking over to the younger man, Grae put an arm around his shoulder and steered him towards the entrance to the Holding. He couldn't help but smile when Cameo slipped an arm around his waist. He just knew his mother was going to faint at the sight of her only son being so outright snuggly with another man. It was going to cause a huge ruckus, but it'd be totally worth it.

[Demeter]

The only that could have tempted Cameo out of his stack of blankets was heat. Not even the promise of Grae naked and covered with chocolate sauce would lure him out. The entire trip out to this holding of Grae’s had been spent buried up to his eyeballs in blankets that smelled vaguely like dog and grumbling. And then they were in a huge cave and it was warm. And humid. Like Florida-in-the-summer warm. The purring started before Cameo realized it. He struggled out of his blankets and just stood in the warmth. When Grae came over, Cameo wrapped himself around Grae. “Okay, I’m happy now. You can just plop me somewhere, visit with your family and pick me up on the way out.”

They were walking towards the entrance when a group of dragons hurried in. They were stopped short and Cameo looked up, bewildered, when Grae hissed. There was a quick mumble about how his Mom must have had someone watching for him and now his mother was heading straight for him. But she hurried on past them, shouting that Grae should just go on in and wait for her to get back from the village. She was just heading into town to fetch Lilia, who’d been in a horrible accident and needed tender loving care.

Cameo thought fast. Grae had told him a little about the living situation that Lilia was currently in. Hell, the town sheriff had barred them from entering the apartment for a visit that morning. She’d assured them that they didn’t want to go in there right then. Grae, of course, had barreled past when he heard someone shout. And he’d returned a few minutes later, blushing madly and muttering that Lilia was busy. Cameo could only guess what Grae had seen and recalled what he’d said about parents walking in on their children.

He didn’t know Lilia but he knew that being here would be worse if the female dragon unlocking a jeep actually got ahold of her. He grabbed Grae, spun him around and, after apologizing, shouted for Grae’s mother before planting a kiss on his dragon that would have melted an iceberg.

[Maira]

Grae was sure his mother was on a collision course to smack him upside the head for risking rumors in the Holding that he was being affectionate with another man and was prepared to dance out of her way at the first sign of her swinging hand. Only it never came. It was almost like she hadn't even noticed Cameo as she bolted past them yelling something about Lilia being hurt and needing her mother. At mention of his sister, Grae's cheeks took on a rosy tint as he remembered just what he'd walked in on when he went to check on her himself earlier that morning. Talk about tender loving care...

Shaking his head, Grae watched helplessly as his mother fumbled with the keys of her jeep as she tried to unlock it. Before she could get the door open and before he knew what was happening, Cameo was apologizing to Grae, shouting at Grae's mother, and laying a kiss on Grae that literally made him go weak in the knees. When he was finally released from the jaguar's embrace, Grae nearly stumbled. If Cameo hadn't reached out to support him, Grae very well may have fallen on his ass. His vision was a bit blurry but he tried to focus a questioning look on his lover until he heard shouts from the other dragons that had been walking out with his mother. Turning to look at the others, Grae watched as two of them ran over to where it seemed that Grae's mother had fainted dead away.

With a slight snicker, Grae leaned into to Cameo and whispered, "Well now you did it!"

It took a few moments for the other dragons to wake the older woman but once they did, she wasted no time in charging up to Grae where he was still leaning against Cameo and smacked him hard across the cheek. "Graethyn'Toril!" she practically yelled, "How dare you embarass me like that, allowing that -man-, that -feline-, to act in such a way toward you!"

Then in a harder, quieter tone, she snarled at Cameo, "If you would kindly take your grabby paws off my son I would be forever greatful."

Turning her attention back to the now gawking Grae, his mother casually told him, "Have your pet wait in the car, we can have somebody bring him food and water while you visit." With no more consideration than that for the situation, she then turned on her heel and headed back into the tunnel that lead to the Holding proper.

The shock induced silence that had Grae in its hold didn't last for long. Before his mother had taken two steps away from them he was growling with rage at the insults she had just levelled at Cameo. Never before in his life had Grae spoken to his mother in anything but a respectful tone, because of this he was just as shocked as she was when he yelled at his mother's back, "Eirasky’ravi! I am your son, and this man is with me as my guest! He is -not- a pet and will not be treated as such." When she stopped in her tracks and turned slowly to face her son, his voice mimicked hers earlier and dropped into a quiet snarl as he threatened, "If you ever speak to, or about, Cameo in such a manner again you will need to breed yourself another son because you will no longer be my mother."

The look of shock that was registering on his mother's face made Grae smile darkly. He'd probably be wracked with guilt for talking to her like that later, but for now Grae was quite pleased that he had made his point so strongly. Not waiting for her to say anything or react in any other way, Grae took Cameo's hand in his and led him into the Holding.

[Demeter]

Since there would something inheriently childish about sticking his tounge out at Grae's mother, Cameo kept his face forward. Once they'd gone around a bend and where out of sight of the others, he tugged Grae into a small side tunnel. "I'm sorry about that, Graethyn, but I think your sister would have been in worse shape if that woman had gotten to her. I hope you don't mind what I did but honestly, they would have found out sooner or later. Our hotel room does only have one bed and neither one of us are exactly subtle."

He shifted closer to Grae. "And although I always have been very able to defend myself, I really enjoyed you stepping up for me. It's very nice to have someone do that for me," he paused and peered around when he heard approaching voices. He shuffled them farther back into the shadows. "I would show you just how much I apperciate someone defending me but I don't think we need your mother exploding just yet."

Once the voices were well past the side tunnel, the two left and Cameo took Grae's hand in his. "Now, showing me this holding of yours and the jungle-like heat you promised. I still can't feel my toes, Grae. I don't like it when I can't feel my toes. It means other parts of me are probably cold as well."

[Maira]

Knowing it probably irked his mother to know end that she had apparently lost a battle of wills with her son, and then had lost him physically when he and Cameo seemingly disappeared from the tunnel in front of them, Grae lingered in the little side tunnel as long as Cameo kept talking to him. When the feline mentioned being cold however, Grae knew it was time to move on and he gently squeezed the other man's hand and led him from the side tunnel back into the main one.

The walk wasn't long and as they kept going, the temperature grew noticeably warmer. Before even reaching the main cavern both Grae and Cameo were stripping out of their winter coats and a few layers of clothes. When they finally did reach the main cavern, their arms heaped with what they had taken off, Grae watched the other man for his reaction. The cavern was surprisingly bright, a large dragon-sized opening running half the length of the cavern let in the midday sunlight but while the opening was permeable to dragons and whatever they might be carrying, it was spelled to keep in the sauna-like warmth and the colder wetter elements out. While the amount of light found inside the deep mountain cavern was surprising in and of itself what was really breathtaking was the hundreds of holes in the walls of the cavern, each of them surrounded by carved facades much like those of in the ancient city of Petra but on a dragon-sized scale.

At the widening of Cameo's eyes and the dropping of his jaw, Grae couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Pretty impressive huh? Shall I show you my den? We'll have to fly up to it as only breeding families have the lower dens for their littles that can't yet fly."

[Demeter]

The farther into the tunnel they went, the warmer it got and Cameo found himself stripping out of his winter gear. With feeling returning to his fingers and toes, Cameo looked around the cavern. "Not bad," he said, "not bad at all."

Looking up, Cameo turned in a circle to admire the while the holding. When Grae offered to show him his den, Cameo smiled. "I'd like that. There's no way for us wingless folk to get into the dens? Is flying or riding really the only way up?" he asked. Cameo reached out and put a hand against the wall in front of him. "I bet if I shifted, I could climb up but I won't do that on my first visit."

While he waited for Grae to shift, Cameo glanced around, on the look out for his dragon's mother. There were people stopping to look at him and Cameo got the feeling that there weren't very many same-sex couples at this place. He had no doubt that news about his jaw-dropping smooching of Grae in the middle of the garage-cavern was already making the rounds. Along with the fact that Grae had been just as involved as him. Once Grae was in his dragon form, Cameo scrambled up. Riding a dragon was still fairly new to him to he lacked grace in mounting the white dragon in front him; he'd only down it once before. Once they were airborne for the short flight, Cameo took the chance to study the holding from above.

Once they went through one of the carved facades and landed, Cameo slid down and gave Grae's shoulder a stroke. While the other man was shifting and dressing, Cameo stepped up the entryway and, one hand braced against the wall, leaned over and looked down. "Yeah, I could so climb that, no problem."

The den was arranged much like the one in their mountains and once he'd taken a spin around the place, Cameo grabbed a blanket and yanked Grae down to the comfy couch stashed in a corner. Wrapped in blanket and around Grae, Came nuzzled him. "We won't be disturbed here, will we?," he asked while peering towards the front of the den. "I take it your mother is one of the reasons you left? Is another reason you left because certain desires and choices wouldn't be welcome here?"

[Maira]

When Cameo asked if there weren't a way up for wingless folk, Grae shrugged and answered matter-of-factly, "The dens weren't really designed with non-Brood in mind. We very rarely have visitors that are unable to fly, and when the Holding was first discovered and carved out, wingless visitors were even less likely as it was forbidden to bring non-brood here. Luckily things have relaxed a lot over the years, though you can't tell that from my mother and her outdated opinions."

Having only had Cameo fly on his back once, and not having had anybody else do it prior, Grae still found the feel of somebody riding him in dragon form strange and it caused his flight to be altered just enough to be awkward. But, it was the fastest and easiest way to get to his den so he hurried to shift and then they were off. He did one circle around the perimeter of the open area and then alit onto his ledge where he let Cameo dismount.

Once inside he resumed his human form and let Cameo look around. When the feline finally found his way back to where Grae was puttering around the living area dusting things, the dragon was dragged out of his thoughts about the run-in with his mother and onto the couch for some snuggles. When Cameo nuzzled him and then asked if they'd be disturbed, Grae grimaced. At Cameo's next words, the older man laughed and confirmed, "My mother is definitely a huge part of the reason why I don't come here often anymore. As for the other, a lot of the dragons my mother's age or older are set in the old ways, where no matter what you would take a mate and you would have a big family, and your own desires be damned. Of course, even a lot of us younger folks are more open-minded or who have alternate preferences from the "norm" will still take mates just because our instincts will drive us to it eventually anyway. However, if we aren't around our own kind, those instincts are more easily suppressed and that is the other part of why I left. I didn't want to be forced by my own animal instincts into a life-long relationship I won't be fulfilled in before I find somebody that I -can- be happy with."

Not for the first time, Grae cursed his luck at having such a closed-minded mother. It made his life that much harder. He really loved his home Holding, and would love to actually be a part of the life here again, but because of how Sky felt about him and "his kind", it was impossible to see himself putting himself through her derision on a daily basis. This visit was going to be awful enough, anything more permanent would be cruel punishment.

And, as if just thinking about her was enough to summon her, Grae felt the in-rushing of air and caught the scent of his mother as she landed on his ledge. With a frustrated sigh, Grae quietly grumbled, "Speak of the devil."

Sky, still in dragon form, entered her son's den and sent for him, **Where are you Graethyn, we need to talk.**

In a sour mood, Grae answered her, **I have company, we can talk later.**

The rumbling growl from the entry chamber informed Grae that his mother wasn't happy at being told to basically go away and he smirked at Cameo before hauling him into his lap. **Unless you want to find out just how close Cameo and I are, I'd suggest you come back later.** That said, he proceeded to ignore the draconic grumblings from the other room and pulled Cameo in for a kiss. He didn't want to deal with his mother, didn't want to think about her, and if nothing else would get her to leave then damnit he'd do what he had to. Plus, what he seemingly -had- to do to achieve those ends was enjoyable for both him and Cameo so why not indulge.

Only when he heard a gasp from the entry to the living area did Grae realize that his mother had ignored his warnings and had entered anyway. "Gr-G-Graethyn?" she stuttered out in surprise when she saw her son being pinned to his couch by a younger feline male. He found her shock amusing and let the kissing dragon on for another couple moments before he finally broke it off long enough to ask gruffly, "What Sky?"

She recovered her composure rather quickly and blurted out her questions, "Why are you kissing that man? You know you can't take him as a mate. First off he isn't even Brood, and second he's not a woman so how is that ever going to work? You know your body will force your hand so why trifle with something so abnormal? Are you doing it just to spite me? To snub the Elders of our clan? Why Graethyn? Surely you don't think this is going to last, he's only a phase that you need to get over so you can find yourself a proper mate."

Grae, who had finally turned his attention from his lover to his mother answered simply, "He makes me happy, Mom. What does the rest of it matter if I can't be happy? No woman I've ever been involved with has ever made me happy, not romantically or physically anyway. I can be friends with women, I can be like their brother or their cousin, but I can't be anything more than that with them because its just not how I'm wired. Find me a woman who won't mind me loving somebody other than them, that somebody being a man, and then maybe I'll take a mate. Until then, please keep your nose out of my personal life because its just that: personal."

Having said his peace, Grae turned his attention away from his mother again and asked Cameo, "Shall we go check out the bedroom? If you liked my other bed, you're gonna love the one I have here."

[Demeter]

When he was hauled into Grae's lap and kissed, Cameo didn't argue. He even wiggled around a bit so that he had Grae pinned to the couch. When they were interrupted by Grae's mother, Cameo twisted around and sneered at the woman. At her words, Cameo lightly snarled. He was many things but abnormal just wasn't one of them.

At Grae's words, Cameo smiled and turned his face into the dragon's neck. When Grae asked if he wanted to check out the bedroom, he grinned. "I'd love to check out the bed here. The other one was just a little to hard on my back," he said before untangling himself from the blanket, couch and Grae. He glanced over his shoulder at Sky and smirked at her. "One last thing before we adjourn to tour the bedroom. Sky, haven't you ever heard of a committed threesome?"

On her choked gasping, Cameo laughed and followed Grae into the bedroom. "Boy, I'd love to introduce her to my mother. She'd have plenty of things to say to her. How are you doing? Do you want to leave? Or do you want to resume what we were getting up to out in the living room? I could tell you were interested in more then just spiting your mother."

Cameo snuggled up to Grae, wrapping his arms around the man's waist. "You are not abnormal, Grae, and I have no interest in just being a phase. I want to know you. All of you." he said quietly. He'd only known the man for a little more then a week but he was very interested in knowing Grae longer.

[Maira]

The smile that flashed onto Grae's face at Cameo's words about his bed was downright mischievous. If Grae couldn't get his point across to his mother in the standard way of trying to explain that he was gay, then apparently Cameo was taking it upon himself to shock her to death. Or at least shock her enough that she'd leave him them alone. When his mother choked over the comment about a committed threesome, Grae laughed darkly as she scampered out of his den. He couldn't see her leave, but he had a feeling that she'd leapt off the ledge before even being fully shifted.

Once she was gone, and Cameo snuggled up close to him, Grae smiled soflty as the other man spoke. "Depending on what line a Brood is from, I am to many considered abnormal. Mother happens to be from one of those lines and she's having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that I'm gay. She knew before I left, when she found out she was actually the one to suggest I leave to 'get it out of my system'. As for you not being a phase, I totally agree. I want you around for as long as you want to be." He kissed the younger man's neck and then Grae led them both deeper into the den to his bedroom where they energetically tried out his bed.

*****

The trip to the Holding had been great after that awkward exchange with his mother in his livingroom. She had left them alone for the rest of their time there. It was only when they got back to Point Hope and checked in on Lilia that they discovered why. She had gone into town to check on her daughter and the two women had nearly come to blows when Sky found out that Lilia was interested in becoming Ben's mate and taking Isis as her bond partner.

Grae wasn't surprised by the news of the trio's intentions, or her mother's determination to stop the upcoming mating at all costs. That she resorted to sending eligible males to try and get into Ben and Isis's home to force a mating with Lilia was absurd however and when Ben asked for help keeping them away, Grae was more than happy to oblige.

When Ben left to go south for a few days to find Lilia a new vehicle, Grae was a bit surprised. He'd asked the man what he could be thinking to be leaving at such a crucial time (what with the unwanted suitors trying to steal Lilia) and the answer he had gotten had made Grae blush. He really hadn't wanted to know details of the trio's sex life, but apparently Ben trusted him enough to tell him exactly what he and Isis were planning for his sister. All he knew was that by weeks end his sister was likely going to be pregnant and that meant he was finally going to be an uncle. That made him strangely happy.

The trip to Alaska was turning out to be longer than he had anticipated, and he hoped that Cameo wasn't gettin antsy to go back south. He knew he couldn't stay much longer but he had a feeling that whatever trip he made back home wasn't going to be very long and was likely going to be only to quit his job and hire movers to pack up his house. His sister and her soon-to-be mate and bond partner were going to need all the support they could get, his mother likely wasn't going to forgive her daughter for a good long time and in turn would make her life miserable.

One night before Ben returned, while camped out in the office of the shop, Grae asked Cameo, "So you said you want to get to know me, does that include moving to Alaska? I have a nagging feeling that my mother is going to make Lilia, Isis, and Ben's lives a living hell for a while and I really feel like I should be here to help fend off the idiot woman and the other dragons she sends to wreak havoc." Nervous, Grae waited to see what Cameo's answer would be.

[Demeter]

Cameo considered his options. He wanted to be near Grae but it was Alaska. It was utterly and completely cold but Grae did a pretty damned good of keeping him warm. And he was having a pretty good time annoying Grae's mother. She'd stopped by earlier that day but Grae, being well aware of what his sister was getting up to with the Succubus who lived upstairs, had kept her from getting up those stairs. When Sky had said that Grae was being a pain in her ass, Cameo had innocently said, in his most whining voice "But Sky, I love it when Grae is being a pain in his ass and how was that a bad thing?"

Sky had left after that.

Cameo turned in his seat to give Grae a look. "I suppose you realize that you'd have a full time job keeping me warm," he grinned at Grae, "You suppose Chastity MacKenna needs help in her clinic?"

Cameo pushed out his chair and sat on Grae's lap. "I meant what I said, Grae, I want to know you. I can't do that if I'm in Cedar Valley and you here in Point Hope."

[Maira]

The last month had been hectic. With his emergency trip to Alaska to make sure his sister was okay after a car crash, followed by his return trip to Cedar Valley to tie up loose ends before making a semi-permanent move back up to Point Hope, he felt like he had been constantly busy. The movers had left with his and Cameo's things a week ago and they had been staying in Grae's den in the mountain outside of town while both of them finished up their last week of work. Tomorrow was the day they would start the long drive north themselves and despite the fact that Grae's car would have saved them money on gas, Cameo's jeep was a lot better for the drive so the car had gotten loaded onto a trailer behind the moving truck.

Grae had just finished putting all but the last few things in the Jeep when he heard something rustle behind him. Judging by the smell and the near silence of the approaching creature, Grae knew it to be his jaguar lover coming back from his evening run and he greeted him softly, "How was your run? We should be ready to go whenever we feel like heading out tomorrow. All we need to pack is our suitcases and the cooler of food." He shut the back hatch of the jeep and turned to watch as Cameo shifted from cat to man and he couldn't help but smile appreciatively at the sight of the naked man now standing before him.

[Demeter]

Cameo, bundled up against the elements, stood at the railing of the Alaska ferry and watched as they passed land. He and Grae had decided to take the ferry into Alaska as a way of completing the first leg of the journey. It allowed them to rest up for their plan of shift driving the rest of the way to their new home in Point Hope. The moving truck full of their stuff was on it's way but the movers were taking the long way around.

They had done a lot of work by phone. He had a contract with the City of Point Hope to provide medical services in tandem with Doc MacKenna (taking some of the pressure of serving 24/7 from the woman) and serving as the area's coroner. Grae had a job with the school board. And they even had a place to live. In a surprise move, the town's sheriff had announced she was moving in with Doc MacKenna, freeing up her apartment for the two men to take.

Cameo looked over his shoulder as Grae came up behind him. He smiled at the dragon and leaned back against him when Grae wrapped his arms around him. "Worried that I'd jump overboard?" The dragon had made his worries that Cameo would come to senses and bolt back for the main land. "Told you before, Grae, I'm not going anywhere but you will have a full time job keeping me warm."

Cameo turned in Grae's arms. "But we do have something to talk about. I've learned a lot about dragons in the last few weeks. Eventually, no matter if you love me or not, your body will demand that you produce little copies of yourself. I see how the arguments with your mother wear on you, Graethyn, so we need to find a way to make everyone happy.

"You need to find a mate; someone just like you. What do you think of Rhea as a mate?"

[Maira]

Grae was indeed worried that Cameo would eventually realize that living with him was a crazy move, but he was trying to take the jaguar at his word that he wasn't going to bolt. He was still processing those thoughts when Cameo changed subject and when the feline suggested that he would need a dragon mate, Grae started to object. He would find a way to ignore his body, he didn't want a dragon mate. And then Cameo suggested taking Rhea as his mate and poor Grae nearly choked. "Y-you can't be s-serious?!" he stammered out as he pushed himself out from Cameo.

He stared in shock at the younger man and waited for his heart to stop pounding before he asked, "You are serious aren't you?" At the look on Cameo's face, Grae turned from him for a moment before turning back and telling him what he'd wanted to say before, "I don't want a dragon mate, Cameo. I want you, not some female dragon that will likely make my life a living hell through no fault of her own. I'm not sure I even want children, Cameo, so if I can find a way to ignore my body I'm sure going to try." Then, frustrated and a little bewildered at the idea, he asked, "And what makes you think that Rhea would want me as a mate anyhow? She's as disinterested in men as I am in women? Not to mention I'm her best friend's older brother. I think even she would find that relationship a bit strange and strained before any babies arrived."

[Demeter]

Cameo couldn't help it. He laughed at the look on Grae's face. He looked so shocked at the question he'd asked. Then again, it was a bit of a shocking question. What man in his right mind would tell his lover that he needed to, basically, take a wife. 

Cameo took and step forward and took Grae's hand in his. "And I want you. More then anyone I've ever known before. I don't like the idea of you putting your body through the stresses that Bennet put his through. I also don't like the idea of dealing with some bitchy female who would think she had special or privileges." He twined their fingers together. "Look at what Bennett has done. He's found a way to satisfy the need to take a mate while making sure his wife is happy. I don't know much about the Brood, even though I am learning more each day, but I get the feeling that Lilia is a rare and special woman to have done what she is doing.

"Grae, what is to stop your mother from sending fertile females to you once she learns that you are back in Alaska permanently? All it would take is one female, desperate for a mate, any mate, and our lives would be a living hell.

"I know from talking with Chastity that Rhea's mom is a whole lot cooler than yours but Rhea is in the same situation as us. I'm going to be blunt here. You are a male dragon who likes to fuck me in the ass. I enjoy this and couldn't be happier. Rhea is a female dragon who has a major thing for other ladies boobs and she likes it that way. What do the two of you have in common? You're both dragons that happen to be gay but at some point your bodies are going to start demanding babies.

"All Chastity and myself are asking is that you think about this. Making it a mating of convience and Rhea can have a good time with Mr. Turkey Baster when it's time." 

Cameo stood on his toes and kissed Grae on the cheek. "Think about it, my love, for us."

[Maira]

Grae had been quiet for most of the rest of the trip to Point Hope, at least about the whole taking a mate issue. It was truly the last thing he wanted to think about when he was making a nice long drive with just his lover, their suitcases an a cooler full of food. Life was going to be hectic enough when they got to Point Hope and he had just wanted to be able to relax on this drive. Unfortunately, the thought of his mother practically throwing fertile females at him kept popping into the forefront of his mind at the most inconvenient moments and the day before they arrived at their new home, Grae pulled the Jeep over for no apparent reason and turned to stare at Cameo intently.

Finally, after a moment of just staring at the jaguar, Grae blurted, "Dragon matings won't take without a "flight" of some sort. This means I'll either have to chase Rhea in dragon or Brood form or take a romp in a bed with her. If you can tolerate the idea of me mating with her in the natural sense then I will talk to her about this hair-brained scheme you and Chastity have come up with."

While he waited for Cameo's answer, Grae turned his gaze out the driver-side window and did his best to ignore the images his very dragon-sex-deprived brain was showing him of a mating flight in dragon form. He hadn't had nearly the amount of time to suffer a demanding body as Bennett had, but periodically he had still felt the mating urges and since Cameo had brought it up at the beginning of their trip, Grae's drive was higher than ever before. He was terrified of getting to Point Hope and a fertile female wandering across his path because he would have a hell of a time telling himself no.

Before Cameo had answered his first info dump, Grae blurted out the next thing that came to mind, "If I mate with Rhea and we conceive a child, it will be expected of us to also make the mating bond in a ceremony at the Holding. If I take Rhea as a mate before I have a bonded partner, any that I want to take later will have to be taken by both Rhea and myself." Here, Grae paused and looked back at Cameo and asked, "If you're willing, I'd like to make you my bonded partner before we even talk with Rhea. I want it clear to everybody that you are mine and that I am yours. Any mating bond that happens will then have no claim on you."