He berated himself for feeling thrown away and used, when it had been his idea to take advantage of Judd’s willingness to help in the first place. If anything, he had used Judd, not the other way around.
But how could he not want more? When Judd always saw him. Judd always listened. That very morning, after the relationship (such as it was) conversation had been tabled and the sex smells showered away, Judd had asked if Colin wanted to go with him. Where? To the café to talk to Trick. Why? Because last night, Colin had mentioned a mere notion that Trick should look at pictures of Lexi Blanc’s team. Judd had taken him seriously. Judd thought Colin was smart and had something to give to the pack – had good ideas.
It took very little time for Colin to find and download images featuring Lexi and her entourage. Instalamb was particularly useful. Lexi was always so helpful with her hashtags: #mydaypeeps #mypethumans #humanpack and #foodislove featured prominently.
So while Judd was chatting with Kevin about preparations for escorting Lexi shopping later, Colin crept back upstairs and decided to try something brave.
He talked to Marvin.
Marvin did gay very well, and Colin thought while Judd was trying get him comfortable with one aspect of his identity, perhaps Marvin could help him with another.
It was Sunday, and with no active search and rescue cases, the merman was home, puttering about in the master bedroom. But his door was open, which was pack code for “come in and disturb me if you like.”
Still, Colin knocked on the jamb to be sure it was okay.
“Marvin? Alec?”
“It’s just me, Col. Alec’s chatting with Bryan over at his place. You need something, babes?”
“It was you I was looking for, actually.” Colin wandered into the room.
“Oh hooray! I love being wanted. How can I help?”
The master suite was one of the first things they’d remodeled after moving in. Because Alec was their Alpha and he worked so hard, and because, frankly Marvin liked things just so. If he was going to live on land, that land better restructure itself to his exacting, and sublimely spectacular, standards.
It was impressive. Marvin had a walk-in closet (for a man with a tail half the time, he was curiously obsessed with shoes). Marvin had a vanity with a very fuzzy pouf for sitting and all his fun creams and jewelry and makeup arranged just so (having scales just meant more specialty product). Marvin had big windows that looked out on the ocean. And the attached master bathroom boasted a truly huge slipper-shaped bathtub (so Marvin could salt the water and don tail if he wanted) and another window that looked back over the yard and open space up the hill. And Alec had his Marvin happy, which was really all that mattered to the Alpha in any given room – fancy master suite or not.
Marvin was at the vanity so Colin wandered over. Since that was what he wanted to ask about, anyway. “Whatcha doing, Alpha-mate?”
The merman looked up at him, smile sweet. “Planning the menu for next Saturday’s barbecue. Friday is full moon, as I’m sure you’re very well aware, so I know you boys will bring back a deer. I was thinking about trying a jerk sauce on it this time. Jerked venison? I could start a trend.”
“You’re planning a menu?”
“Yes, darling.”
“Marvin, it’s a potluck.”
“There’s no need to be pedantic about it.”
Colin shook his head and moved cautiously to lean against the edge of the vanity.
He felt privileged to be there, in his Alpha’s bedroom. The smell of comfort and care was all around him. The way it combined with Marvin’s scent of salty sea breezes was delightful. It made him wonder if his dad’s dumb saying about surf and turf was wrong. If maybe his dad had been wrong about a lot of things. And that made him brave enough to ask.
“Do you think you could…?” He lost all his bravery halfway through the sentence.
Marvin gave him the full force of blue-eyed attention. “I could what, sweetheart?”
The ocean was in his eyes, wide and welcoming.
“I thought maybe you could show me how to do my face? Just a bit?”
Marvin bounced up and launched himself at Colin, giving him a huge hug. He was all graceful wiry limbs and beachy smells and Colin loved it. Loved him. “Aw, babes, welcome to the magic place. Now, we start with primer, and then liner, and then the sparkles. Sit,