Kev felt more confident than he had in a while as Fang left him at the VIP booth. Even though he had not resolved his anxiety over his inability to do anything productive, he now felt secure that Fang would not just cast him aside once some other man came around and caught his eye. Fang had sounded so hurt when he said that people in the past just dated him for prestige.
Horns had laughed about Fang scaring away potential suitors, and Kev had just accepted it. He himself had his own frustrations with Fang and could understand if past flames had fizzled. After being kissed on their second night together, he had really thought they would have taken at least one more step forward by now, but... Kev shook his head. They had taken steps forward together.
When Lanon had "convinced" Fang they needed to kiss, he hadn't known a single thing about Fang other than the fact that he was the boss of a... well, not a brothel. He hadn't even seen the massive city yet. He hadn't known that they were in a relatively normal world, like the one he came from, with a lot of the same rules, although... some of the rules here were definitely different and still a bit nebulous...
But now, he and Fang had talked. They had shared their secrets. They had helped each other. He had gotten a good look at the wolf, and despite his flaws, Kev still wanted to be with him. Even if he didn't own the club and just cleaned the bathrooms, the goofy pup underneath the alpha wolf was worth dragging into a few elevators now and then.
His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Fang's inner circle. The wolfman led the way, his stride confident, his dark suit impeccable. Behind him, Dale and Rex were already bickering, their voices a low, rumbling counterpoint. The horseman was gesturing emphatically, a muscle twitching in his jaw, while Rex sneered, his hands shoved in the pockets of his own sharp suit. Horns brought up the rear, ambling along with a lazy gait, a lit joint dangling from his lips, seemingly oblivious to the argument happening just in front of him.
"My love," Fang said, his voice cutting through the impending noise as he reached the booth. He held out his hand to Kev. "It is time for dinner."
Kev reached up and allowed Fang to lead him towards the exit, the cacophony of the main bar quickly fading into the classy, understated east wing.
"Relax," Kev squeezed Fang's hand. "Warlock seems to think we are already part of the family. All we have to do is sit down and have a nice meal."
"I am worried that the room..." Fang said quietly, looking at the dining room door ahead. "...is too... planty."
Kev snorted. "The plants and the big windows are the selling point. The conservatory was the right choice."
Fang nodded and pushed open the door.
The conservatory, under the soft glow of the hanging lanterns, was an oasis of calm, lush greenery. In the center of the long, white-clothed table sat Baphomet. The goat-man, still in his severe black suit and Roman collar, sat ramrod straight, his hands folded neatly on the table before him. His calm, almost scholarly demeanor was a stark contrast to the barely controlled chaos Kev associated with his presence. Warlock sat to his right, a picture of sleek, coiled energy, while the cobra-guard was seated to his left, looking dangerously bored, his bolo tie a garish splash of color. Bruno stood silently by the door, an immovable mountain of fur and muscle.
Fang made eye contact with the goat-man and strode confidently forward, sitting directly across from him. Kev nodded at Warlock as the otter held his palm up and wiggled his fingers in an unsettling wave. Horns sat on the other side of Fang, across from the Southern-charm-looking cobra.
Noticing the snake-man staring at his joint, Horns glanced around and held it forward. "Did you want some?"
Shaking his head, the cobra said, "Just 'mirin'... ain't seen no cuspidors 'round here..."
"Uhh..." Horns said.
Dale took a seat next to Horns and nodded towards the snake. "There are a few behind the bar. Just ask for one when you order your drink."
The cobra nodded, a flash of his long, sharp teeth. "Mighty obliged."
Rex and Talon glanced at each other, and then at Bruno standing at the door.
Noticing the standoff and wanting to avoid the chance of Rex sitting next to him during the dinner, Kev waved at Talon and pointed at the seat next to himself.
The movement caught Talon's eye, and he quickly took a large sidestep around Rex. "You didn't tell me about dinner last night, Mr. Kev," Talon said as he sat, trying to forget about leaving Rex to stand with Bruno at the door.
"How strange," Warlock said. "Mr. Kev, why is your guard sitting with you?"
"Why isn't yours?" Kev said with a grin.
Warlock cocked his head a bit before glancing over at Bruno. "Sitting can be uncomfortable for him."
Kev tried not to visibly gag.
Warlock laughed and said, "I guess it is not too strange. Your servants over there are sitting at the table too." He glanced down the table and waved. "Oh, are you here to take our drink order?"
Dale looked across the table. "But you don't drink. Said so just fifteen days ago, in the room across the hall," Dale grinned. "And that smell..." he sniffed at the air pointedly, "...not many people order cherry schnapps..."
Warlock clapped his hands and looked genuinely impressed. "You caught me!" He giggled. "I was not lying. I do not drink during work. But this is just a relaxing dinner with my new friend." He finished, glancing at Kev.
"Now," Fang said, his voice a low command that silenced the chatter. "It is time for introductions."
Fang sat forward, his elbows on the table, his amber eyes locked onto Baphomet. His brow was furrowed, his expression one of intense, serious scrutiny, a predator assessing his equal. The Don, in contrast, leaned back slightly in his captain's chair, his posture relaxed, almost casual. A faint, knowing smile played on his lips, and his dark eyes, calm and ancient, held a quiet, judging weight, like a scholar evaluating a particularly interesting thesis.
"I would like you to meet my family," Fang gestured to either side of himself. "This, of course, is not all of them, since we have customers to serve."
"First, this is my... partner, Kev." Fang put his hand on Kev's shoulder, the weight of it both possessive and validating.
A wave of pure, unadulterated relief washed over Kev, so potent it almost made him dizzy. He was no longer the assistant. No longer the lucky charm. No longer the pet. He was a partner. And the declaration had been made in front of their new business associate. He was elated.
"He has been instrumental in pushing this deal to the finish line," Fang continued, his voice resonating with a pride that made Kev's heart swell. "And he has very... unconventional ideas."
Kev only half-listened to the other introductions as he half bathed in the afterglow and half watched Warlock looking at him with some intense expression that Kev couldn't tell was delight or ravenous hunger. Perhaps it could also be the look one has when they sit on something too hot... but Kev doubted that. He really still needed to work on understanding beastman facial expressions.
After Fang's introductions were completed, he looked back at the gangster goat.
The bell on the Don's neck twinkled slightly as he stood. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Fang, and your family," he said, his gaze slowly taking in the faces of the individuals across from himself. "This is my son, Warlock. He, as you know, takes care of my correspondence in the city."
The otter flashed a grin.
Next, the goat-man gestured ever so subtly towards the Southern-flare snake. "This is my personal guard, Sterling."
The cobra nodded. "Howdy, ya'll."
"And, I am Father Baphomet," the goat said simply, "but you may call me Mr. Baphomet, or... since we will be family soon... just Father." He sat down once more. "There are two more who I've invited, but they are quite busy and will be here as soon as they are able."
Fang glanced back at Rex, who just nodded. It seemed that this information had already been passed along to the security team.
"That is quite the change," Fang said, turning back to the priestly Mafioso. "I thought we had a deal."
Baphomet looked the slightest bit confused.
"When did we join your organization?" Fang growled. "We were just supposed to be a preferred venue. We'd give you membership rates, and you would provide us access to your legal and accounting."
"My son, that is all we wanted to offer you," Baphomet said with a loud laugh, "until you left such a good impression on Warlock."
"Yes, very impressive!" Warlock said cheerfully. "I thought you might have lost your mind after that fiasco in the park all those years back, but you're sharp, you're dominant, and you're just our type."
"What," Fang growled, "do you mean?"
"You hire all species," Baphomet said. His deep, smooth voice had a practiced cadence, like he was preaching. "We in the International Beastmen Mafia can not abide those who cannot see past someone's hide... Take Sterling here. He has been my personal guard for years. If I ever hear someone say that reptiles are 'slow when it's cold,' I just let him deal with it however he pleases."
"And I do," the cobra chuckled, his forked tongue flicking out.
"Mr. Fang," the holy huckster said, his rectangular pupils landing on the wolf, "I am so impressed with you, because we are the same. And that is why I am allowing you to become my son."
Fang was silent, and Kev watched the realization wash over the wolf, the subtle twitch of his ears, the slight flare of his nostrils. This was definitely not what Fang had expected, and it wasn't what Kev expected either. He didn't think the Mafia would be so genuinely impressed that Fang didn't discriminate against other species... wasn't that just... normal?
Baphomet gestured to Talon. "How long has this avian been working for you, Fang? You must trust him to bring him to this dinner." He then gestured to Rex. "After all, you have the undefeated tiger in your corner."
"Talon is actually a newer hire," Fang said slowly, still trying to wrap his head around the offer to be adopted. "He is my partner's guard."
Kev heard Fang call him "partner" instead of "assistant" again and couldn't help but smile. He rubbed Fang's leg under the table and quickly added, "Talon here is very vigilant. He stopped a robbery when we visited the opera."
Baphomet turned to Warlock. "Was that one of ours?"
"Hard to say unless we got a description," Warlock shrugged.