Patience Page 18

  “So,” Chad began, drawing Jamie’s attention. “I didn’t just want us to get fresh air. There’s something I’d like to talk about, and I couldn’t think of a better place than along the river in Paris.”

  Jamie blinked and raised his eyebrows. “Oh?”

  Chad nodded. “I realized on the flight over that we’ve done a lot of talking about mates, the bond, and your wolf. But we’ve neglected a part of us—of you—that’s, I think, just as important.”

  Jamie frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Your human side. I know you trust your wolf—and you should—but even if you do, that doesn’t mean your human side doesn’t still need… things.” He made a face. “That wasn’t very clear.” They crossed a street and moved up to the railing overlooking the water. He pointed and Jamie’s jaw dropped.

  “Is that…. Notre Dame?”

  Chad nodded. “Yeah. I saw it on the map. Even if we don’t go do much, I thought we should walk the few blocks and at least see it from a distance.”

  “That’s cool. I didn’t realize we’d be this close.” He looked back down the road, but he couldn’t see the train station. “We must have gone farther than I thought.”

  “Eh, not too far. I’m not sure Paris counts blocks quite like we do, but I doubt we went more than half a mile.” He took a breath, looking toward the cathedral in the distance. “Do you want to get closer?”

  Jamie shrugged. “Sure.” They continued across the bridge and turned right on the other side of the water, walking until they were right across from Notre Dame. “It’s huge,” Jamie murmured.

  “Yeah, I never quite got the need to build such huge things in the name of religion. Then again, there are probably huge temples to Jupiter and Diana, aren’t there?”

  Jamie frowned. “I don’t know. I’d imagine, but then again, back when those were built, it was all about size.”

  Chad laughed. “So, size mattered?”

  Jamie grinned. “Probably. I mean, if all those statues are accurate in size?”

  Chad snorted. “Yeah, poor guys.”

  “Anyway….” Jamie shook his head. “What were you trying to say?”

  Chad sighed. “Have you ever thought about… getting married?”

  Jamie blinked at him, heart pounding. “Getting married?”

  Chad nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I know you’ve always wanted your mate. But have you ever thought of doing the human thing too?”

  Jamie stared unseeingly at Notre Dame across the way. The idea of marrying Chad hadn’t really occurred to him, but it certainly sounded good. He looked up at his mate. “I… I hadn’t thought of it, but… I’m not opposed.”

  Chad beamed. He cleared his throat and turned to face Jamie, taking both hands in his. “I don’t have a ring or anything, but…. Will you marry me?”

  Jamie’s mouth dropped open. “You’re… you’re asking me now?”

  “Yes.” Chad nodded, face completely serious. “Be my human husband as well as my destined mate, Jamie. Marry me.”

  Jamie struggled to breathe, his heart downright hammering now. “But… what if I can’t bite you? What if—”

  Chad shook his head. “That doesn’t matter. In fact, that’s kind of the point. I’ll still love you. I’ll still want you. The me that has nothing to do with the bond wants you, Jamie. The human wants the human, is going to want the human, regardless of the mate bond.”

  Jamie blinked and dropped his gaze to their clasped hands, noticing Chad’s hands were shaking slightly. It calmed him a little to see that, to know Chad wanted it enough to worry about his answer. He could feel Chad’s worry, that was true, but it was a little hard to distinguish from his own anxiety, so seeing it really brought that home to him. The pounding in his heart eased, and he looked up at his mate’s face, smiling. “Yes.”

  “Yes!” Chad shouted, picking Jamie up and swinging him around.

  Jamie laughed. “Put me down!”

  Chad did, but didn’t let go of him, instead kissing him, a long, full thing that filled Jamie with warmth. When they broke apart, Chad was beaming. “You’ve made me very happy. How about we pick out rings in Rome before we go home?”

  “That could be expensive,” Jamie pointed out.

  “Yes,” Chad agreed. “But I’d think if there’s one expensive thing we’d want—aside from, you know, guns and cars—” Chad grinned and Jamie laughed. “—I’d think it would be our wedding rings.”

  Jamie shook his head. “You’re amazing.”

  “I love you,” Chad said simply.

  Jamie’s smile made his cheeks hurt. “I love you too.”

  “Now, aren’t you glad we took this walk?” Chad asked.

  Jamie laughed.

  NEARLY TWENTY-FOUR hours later, as they were pulling into Roma Termini, Jamie was still having trouble believing he was now engaged to Chad. The first thing he’d done was text Finley, who’d immediately called, shouting over the phone. Jamie grinned at Finley’s million questions until he finally got his best friend to understand Chad had just asked.

  They’d foregone watching movies at the train station after they’d found food and gotten back to make use of the Internet access and try to find more on Quincy. They hadn’t succeeded—much to both their frustration—but they’d also brainstormed some other options and had a decent list by the time they had to go.

  Their little compartment on the train from Paris to Milan had a long bench-type seat that folded down into a single bunk, with another above them. It also had a tiny sink, two bottles of water, a power outlet, and not a lot else. They didn’t need a lot, though. They were able to set up the laptop to watch a couple of movies together, then managed to settle in on the same narrow bunk.

  After, of course, making use of the privacy and strengthening their bond again.

  Very little of Milan registered. They’d gotten off the Thellō from Paris, and less than an hour later, had boarded the Trenitalia Frecciarossa high-speed train to Rome. That was where they’d discovered the Italians, while great for coffee, weren’t much for breakfast. The only options seemed to be different varieties of breads with some kind of filling. Not much for a wolf to go on, but Jamie ate two and figured he could make up for it in Rome.

  As they finally got off the train in Rome, Jamie took a deep breath. He’d slept—better than he had since they left Pittsburgh, thanks to more or less sleeping on Chad—but he was still exhausted. He had a feeling he’d sleep for two days straight when they got home.

  When they’d made their way off the arrival platform, Jamie almost wept when he saw the McDonald’s. “Are you going to judge me if we came all the way to Rome and I wanted McDonald’s?”

  Chad laughed but shook his head. “I totally understand. Something familiar would not be a bad thing.”

  A short while later, Jamie moaned. “It is almost unholy how good this Big Mac tastes.”

  Chad grinned. “Yup, mine too.” As if to demonstrate, he took another bite.

  Jamie nearly inhaled his and ended up buying a second one. “Don’t get me wrong,” he finally said when he felt slightly more… well, maybe not human, but normal. “I love trying new stuff. And I do want to eat traditional Italian.”

  “No, I get it,” Chad assured him. “After the crazy travel we’ve just done?”

  Jamie nodded. “Yeah. I am so looking forward to a hot shower. I’m hoping that and some coffee will give me the energy I need.”

  “If not, we’ll nap. It’s not like we absolutely must solve this tonight.”

  Jamie frowned. “I know. I just… I want to. Soon.”

  Chad leaned forward and kissed his temple. “I know, baby. And we will. But resting isn’t going to take that much time and might mean we don’t miss something important.”

  “I know, I know. You’re right. Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Now, let’s go find our last train.”

  That turned out to be easy, and just over an hour later, they were greeting a short, olive
-skinned, black-haired female wolf—in human form, of course. She held a sign that said “Ryan/Sutton” and waved when they stepped up. “Good afternoon, welcome to Italy. I am Giada.” Her accent was thick, but she was still very understandable.

  Jamie was relieved. He had no idea how he would talk to them if they all spoke in Italian. “Hello. I’m Jamie, and this is my mate Chad.” He pointed with his thumb.

  “It is lovely to meet you. How was your travel?”

  “Long,” Jamie said, then blushed. “Sorry. We left home two days ago, and London yesterday morning.”

  “That is quite a trip. Why did you not fly into Roma?”

  “Two more hours I didn’t want to put him through,” Chad said before Jamie could answer.

  “Do you not have the flying… eh… remedy in your pack?” she asked as she led them to a little red four-door Fiat.

  “Remedy?” Jamie asked, blinking.

  She nodded. “There is remedy… herbs and such we can give you to fly home. It is not so bad then. First, though, let’s get you to the villa so you can rest.”

  They loaded the suitcases into the car—one fit in the tiny trunk, the other on the seat next to Chad in the back. Chad nudged Jamie into the passenger seat up front, and then they were on their way.

  “The area here is originally where Romulus and Remus were thought to be born. This is also where our kind started. Did you know that it was here?” Giada asked.

  Jamie shook his head. “No. The pack I was in when I was young didn’t teach much of that. We were taught faith, of course—Diana and Mars, Jupiter, Mercury, you know.”

  She nodded.

  “And the simple form of our beginnings. And they taught us about the American history of wolves.”

  “You haven’t told me that,” Chad put in from the back.

  Jamie looked over his shoulder. “Remind me and we’ll talk on the way back.”

  Chad smiled and nodded. “Good.”

  Jamie turned his attention back to Giada. “Anyway, but the teachers we had thought our more recent history was more important.”

  Giada shook her head. “I think it is all important. Do you know the creation story?”

  Jamie nodded. “Yes. Well, I know the basics, anyway.”

  “There is a tapestry in the hall outside the temple that shows the story. You should show your human mate.”

  “Chad,” Chad muttered from the back.

  “I am sorry,” Giada said. “I am bad with names. I am only reminded you are human by your smell.”

  Jamie saw Chad blush. “Sorry. It’s—”

  “A bit of a sore spot and that’s my fault,” Jamie finished. He reached back, and Chad took his hand.

  “So, you are destined, then?”

  Jamie nodded. “Yeah. And here to research human mates. We don’t know much about it in the US. Our library had very little about them.”

  “That seems odd. We have much. I am sure you will find what you need. Our library is more extensive than the Vatican’s.”

  Jamie’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”

  She nodded. “We have been collecting texts and writings since Romulus became Quirinus.”

  “Quirinus?” Chad asked.

  Jamie turned around. “Romulus was deified after his death. His name was changed to Quirinus.”

  “Oh. Huh. That’s cool.”

  Giada chuckled. “Anyway, the main villa is up on the mountain, overlooking the lake. The library is stored in the tunnels under the villa, in the mountain. Much of our area is populated by wolves. Many of the humans are aware of who we are. However, only wolves and their mates are allowed in the library and temples. Do you believe in our gods?” Giada asked, glancing over her shoulder.

  Chad nodded. “It’s kind of hard not to when you’ve got proof in front of you, isn’t it?”

  She laughed. “That is a good way of looking at it.” She fell silent as she made several turns in quick succession, then followed a twisting road on the side of the mountain. “It is quiet at the villa currently. Magnus is not here at the moment, and there are not many visitors. So you should not be disturbed.”

  She turned from the main tree-lined road—Jamie hadn’t seen much, in fact, because the roads had been lined with trees—to a smaller private drive. The paved road curved and wove through still more trees until it opened into a wide, open cobblestone courtyard that took Jamie’s breath away. A huge round fountain filled the center. Carved marble wolf pups played in the bottom, and a regal-looking adult sat above them, head up as if howling. The water came out of the adult’s mouth to shower the playing pups.

  Several buildings stood around the courtyard, and between each Jamie could see others beyond. The irregular brown stone looked quite old, and Jamie realized it probably was. Tiled roofs, stone columns, and vines crawling up the walls completed the picture.

  Giada pulled up in front of a double wood-and-iron door, then shut off the car.

  They climbed out, and Jamie had to take a moment to simply stare at the beauty.

  “Should I assume when we build our own house, you’ll want something Italian in style?” Chad asked in Jamie’s ear.

  Jamie chuckled. “It’s gorgeous.”

  “That it is.”

  After they retrieved their suitcases, Giada led them through the wooden doors into a long, cool hallway. Sand-colored walls and dark wood exposed beams carried the style inside. Doors lined either side of the hallway and Giada led them to the last on the left. “This will be your room,” she said, pushing the door open.

  They stepped in and Jamie stared. Exposed-beam ceilings continued into the room and topped mottled peach walls. Deep-set wooden windows opened into another small courtyard, but beyond Jamie could see just a glimpse of the lake in the distance. Immediately inside the door, a plush sofa and love seat surrounded a coffee table, facing a dark wood armoire. Past the seating area, columns and arches divided the room, and a little farther, a huge iron bed draped with wispy curtains filled the rest of the space. A wooden desk that was very likely original sat in a corner, with an incongruently modern telephone next to a lamp that looked old, though the cord coming out of the side put lie to that.

  “Wow,” Chad muttered.

  “Yeah,” Jamie agreed, pulling himself out of his stunned stare. He cleared his throat, blushing as he turned to Giada. “Thank you. Uh….”

  “The desk has the key to your room and a map of the villa, along with meal times, and extensions for help. Please, make yourself comfortable. You are welcome as long as you like. We ask that if you shift and run, you stay within the borders of the main streets, but otherwise, you are encouraged to be as comfortable as you can be.”

  “Thank you very much,” Jamie said, and Giada left.

  “Okay, uh… shower, I think. I feel disgusting,” Chad said, pulling their suitcases farther into the room.

  “Right. Then, uh, maybe make use of that bed.”

  Chad grinned and it looked entirely wolfish. “I like that idea.”

  Jamie laughed, crossed the room to the other doorway, and stepped into the bathroom. More tile, more marble. The same peach on the walls, a tub that looked big enough to hold three or four people, and a shower that almost qualified as a room on its own. Jamie couldn’t absorb much more than that, as his exhaustion was starting to kick his ass. He stripped without thinking too much about it, then turned to look for his mate. “Chad?”

  “Just getting our toiletries, baby,” Chad said, stepping into the room. “Hey, don’t start without me.”

  Jamie laughed. “Just getting naked.”

  “One of my favorite visions.”

  Jamie blushed and shook his head. “Hurry up. I’m barely upright as it is.”

  “Demanding pup,” Chad muttered.

  THREE HOURS later, Jamie was finally beginning to feel a bit more normal. They hadn’t made it out of the shower before Chad was inside him, but Jamie couldn’t complain. They’d needed that touch badly. Then the nap in a bed had help
ed them recharge. After making use of the little one-cup coffeemaker they found in their room, it was time to get to work.

  Once they’d consulted the map, they found the building labeled Library, grabbed their backpacks, and headed out.

  The entrance to the library turned out to be in the same building as the temple. When they stepped through the door, Jamie’s breath was once more taken away as he stared at the incredible wall-sized tapestry in front of him. The detail stunned him, and he wondered how long something like that took to do. He crossed the hall slowly, eyes fixed to the pictorial history of his kind.

  “What am I looking at here?” Chad asked from directly behind him.

  Jamie set his backpack down and walked to the left, pulling Chad along with him. He pointed to a woman in the upper-left corner. “That is Rhea Silvia, the human who gave birth to Romulus and Remus.” He moved his finger along. “Her father and his brother, who had her brothers killed so her dad didn’t have any heirs. Mars didn’t like that,” he said, pointing to another figure. “And got her pregnant. Well, Uncle got pissed and ordered her to abandon them on the banks of the river Tiber.”

  He moved along the tapestry as he described it. “Neptune carried the boys to safety, and Diana sent the wolf—Lupa—to feed them until their foster parents—here: Faustus and Acca Larentia—could get to them. Later, Mars showed up again, explaining everything. Romulus and Remus killed their great uncle and put their father back in power.”

  “Wow,” Chad said, reaching out but stopping just shy of the tapestry. “That’s amazing.”

  Jamie nodded. “There’s more, of course, but that’s the basics we’re all taught.”

  Chad shook his head. “You know, for all the gods are involved, it still sounds more believable than the human creation story?”

  Jamie chuckled. “Yeah, it does, doesn’t it? Come here,” he said, grabbing his backpack and tugging Chad along. He set the backpack at the doorway, then stepped inside. “Diana and Mars,” Jamie said, pointing to where the pair looked down at them from the end of the hall. He turned and motioned to either side. “Jupiter—God of the Sky. Mercury—travel, communication, and commerce. Neptune—sea and rivers. Apollo—sun and light. Ceres—earth and growing things. Vesta—hearth and home. And Bacchus, who you know.” At the base of each statue, there was a place for offerings. A small fountain bubbled in front of Neptune, and Vesta had a small fire burning in front of hers, but the rest had simple trays for whatever the wolf would offer.