"So you'll pick up for your Mumma but not me?"
Darcy seemed startled for a moment. Kand-Lei, who was still leaning against him heard the strong, commanding, woman's voice coming from the phone.
"Hi Mum. Sorry, I had my phone on silent, only just saw your calls."
The woman, Darcy's mother, snorted. "Aiyah, this son of ours is too good at lying." Distant laughter was caught by the microphone which made Darcy smile.
"Is Mumma there too?"
"Yes my darling boy, you are on speaker phone. When are you coming home?"
Darcy flinched, his smile faltering. "Soon Mumma."
The more commanding voice interrupted. "When is soon? You'd better come home before this alpha loses interest in you."
"I'm not marrying him." Was the immediate answer, containing more venom than he intended.
Kand-Lei flinched and wrapped his arms around Darcy's arm.
Darcy tried to control his tone, reigning in his sudden anger.
"Tsk. You either marry him or you marry Anya-"
"Mother! I'm not marrying anyone but who I want to."
Kand-Lei who still had his hands wrapped around Darcy's arm flinched again, his grip tightening slightly. He pressed his lips together, head lowering slightly.
Darcy immediately turned to him, "Hey, what's wrong?" His stomach twisted painfully at the expression on Kand-Lei's face. "Did I scare you? I'm sorry, here-"
The phone slipped from his hand as Kand-Lei suddenly turned into his chest, burying his face as a slight tremble ran through his shoulders.
Annoyed noises faintly came from the phone on the ground as Darcy held Kand-Lei close, trying his best to soothe him with his sunny, tomato scent.
When Kand-Lei's grip loosened slightly he picked up the phone again.
Before he could say anything Kand-Lei rumbled, "Tell them I said hi."
The other end of the line went silent. Then, "Is there someone with you right now?" The voice sounded strained, part hopeful, part annoyed. Darcy normally went off the grid alone, he had never ended up in the company of another person during one of his escapes.
Kand-Lei, who had a naturally deep and commanding voice had made them think that he was with an alpha.
"Yes." Was the stilted reply.
"Who is it? Have you been hanging around random dangero-"
"He's not random!" Darcy hissed, "He's my fate-" He stopped himself suddenly.
"Your..." His Mum started.
"Fated mate." Was the whisper that sealed his fate.
"Nothing. Look I'm really busy right now. See you later!"
"Darcy Bai Qin Lezhira! You had better bring this man hom-"
Darcy ended the call. He stared at the black screen for a moment before it lit up with countless notifications. They were from both his parents and also from friends, some even from vague acquaintances. News travels fast. Too fast.
He knew too many people in the city, one of them would see him with Kand-Lei eventually and hiding out in the hotel room all day was not a solution.
He glanced at the man in his arms, still half buried in his chest. "You started a forest fire."
Kand-Lei tilted his head a little, "You don't look too displeased."
Darcy kissed his forehead. "We would have visited my parents sooner or later, you just sped things up." He glanced at his phone. "How about tomorrow morning? Either that or tomorrow afternoon, they won't wait longer than that."
Kand-Lei rubbed his nose, which was red from the cold, against Darcy's collarbone. "Mm, morning's fine."
They kept walking, following the scent wafting from some restaurant.
After eating, they decided to walk back to the hotel.
It was a slow journey, although the distance was not too great. Their arms were linked, it being too cold to hold hands in the open. Neither had brought a jacket because they hadn't planned to leave the restaurant, so they endured the biting air together. Hands shoved deep into whatever pockets they could find, hovering as close to one another as they could while still walking comfortably.
The two didn't feel any need to hurry despite the cold, it was oddly fun in a way.
They both took warm baths when they got back to the hotel.
...
Standing in front of the intricate wrought iron gates, Kand-Lei was struck by the grandeur of the mansion before him.
If he thought the outside was opulent, with its meticulously maintained gardens, high walls, and delicately carved facade, he was in for another surprise when he saw the inside.
He gripped Darcy's hand tighter, his heart suddenly deciding it wanted to escape from his chest. He chewed on his lip as he hesitated at the threshold.
One step further and he would enter Darcy's world officially.
One step further and he would be on his way to meet his mate's parents.
One step further and there would be no more stepping back.
Darcy noticed this hesitation and turned to face him. He gently swept back the hair that had fallen into Kand-Lei's eyes.
Darcy had styled his hair today, it was pulled back in a half up-do that was braided at the end, catching the light in a way that distracted Kand-Lei from his thoughts.
He looked into the inky depths of Darcy's eyes, the eyes that seemed to hold countless secrets as well as freely pouring out every emotion he had.
As he stared into those endlessly captivating eyes, a soft, sunny, earthy, scent gently wrapped around him.
"Don't worry. It'll be fine. We'll be fine. My parents might need some time to process but they will understand."
Kand-Lei nodded, steeling himself. He was not a timid person, no need to be intimidated by a house. It's just a big house. This resolution lasted all the way up to the front door, when Darcy pushed it open and he saw the ostentatious entrance hall he had to clench his teeth so that his jaw didn't drop.
There was rich and then there was this.
Insanity.
He had counted three chandeliers and four staircases before he realised that Darcy was tugging on his hand.
"Mm?"
"Follow A-Zhou." He gestured to a polite looking middle-aged man who was wearing what Kand-Lei assumed to be the uniform of the house. "He will show you to my room, I'll talk with my parents a little and then bring them up ok?"
Just before he left he once again brushed the hair off of Kand-Lei's forehead and then placed a little kiss there. "Just ask A-Zhou if you need anything ok, I will really only be a few minutes."
He went to leave again, glancing back every few steps. Suddenly he turned and muttered, "Maybe I should see you to my room first and then-"
Kand-Lei, half amused, half exasperated by this display, turned Darcy back around. "Go. Quickly. The sooner you're gone, the sooner you come back."
Darcy nodded at this logic, only throwing back one final glance at he paused at the door to the drawing room. Kand-Lei was already halfway up the stairs.
"Now the real challenge begins, how to tell my parents that Kand-Lei is not the alpha they are expecting."