by M. A. Church
“Do you really have to wonder? I mean, seriously. You and Tyler are my world. Yes, I think what I feel for you may be considered love. Happy?”
Brier pulled Seth down to the other side of him. “Ecstatic.”
THE REST of the night, they spent in bed, finishing the mating process. By the time the sun rose, the three of them had fully consummated their bond.
Chapter Twenty-Five – Seth
A week later
SETH AND Tyler followed Brier to the center of the Circle of Stone where Dolf stood, the lights from the various trucks illuminating them. Remi, Janelle, and Heller stood at attention behind Dolf. Their mates waited outside the Circle.
Brier told him and Tyler there would be no elders present. From what Seth could gather, Dolf was busy cleaning house—meaning, the elders who were unhappy with the way Dolf ran his clowder had been strongly encouraged to leave.
Brier stopped and took Seth and Tyler’s hands. Then the first flash of light came. Then another. More happened after that, brief flashes that blinked crazily near them.
“You have been accepted within the Circle.” Dolf’s pleased laugh rolled across the enclosure. “It’s no surprise our goddess has accepted Seth and Tyler, just as I accepted the two of them. You belong with us now. The proof is blinking around you. Welcome. Now—”
The lights whirled together, and a mist rose from the ground. A pop sounded… and the lights were gone. In their place stood the goddess Bast.
Everyone, in the circle and out, hit their knees.
“Oh my—”
“By all that’s holy!”
“Is that…? No, that can’t be…!”
“Shit. Does my hair look okay?”
“Fucking hell, Heller, get a damn grip!”
“Are you nuts? Don’t cuss around a goddess. Have some class, brah.”
“Thank you, my children. Please, rise.”
There was a scramble of people getting to their feet.
“Kirk? Tal? Marshell? Sam? Lawson? Please, join us.” Bast tapped her finger against her lip. “I’m tempted to bring Carter and Aidric here, but Fenrir would probably bark at me. Drat. I should have asked. Ah well.”
There was a rush of bodies into the Circle.
Tyler’s eyes widened. “That’s the new friend, isn’t it? The one who introduced you to movies.”
Bast floated toward Seth and Tyler. She winked at Tyler, then held out her hand. “I’ll never tell. My sweet one, how are you?”
Tyler shook his head. “I’m great. I have two banging mates, and now I’m a full werecat. Would’ve been nice to have a heads-up on that one.”
There were several gasps around him.
Seth snorted. Only Tyler.
“I’m glad you’re here, though.” Tyler squeezed her hand.
“Of course I wouldn’t miss your joining ceremony. And the gift of becoming a full-blooded werecat was due to your selfless sacrifice. Besides, I wanted to be here—wanted to see this. Without you, things would have turned out very different. You saved our species. Your actions will help another make changes too.” Bast reached for Seth. Together they held hands. “You remembered. Thank you. I knew I could trust you.”
Seth bowed his head. “Always.”
“Brier? Step forward, please.”
Brier stumbled closer, and Bast placed Seth and Tyler’s hands into Brier’s. “Take care of them.”
Brier bowed his head too. “Always.”
“Now, let’s continue.” Bast stepped back and strolled to Janelle’s side. “My dear, where did you get that necklace?”
Janelle gulped.
Dolf cleared his throat several times before he spoke. “Be it known to all here our goddess welcomes Seth and Tyler into her heart, as do I.” Dolf waved at the rest of the group to move nearer.
Brier tugged Seth and Tyler down to their knees with him in front of Dolf.
“Now repeat after me: ‘I, Tyler Smith, mate to Brier Fendon, promise to be faithful to the Alpha Dolf Hoyer and never cause him nor the clowder harm. I will observe my homage to him completely against all persons in good faith and without deceit.’”
Tyler repeated what Dolf said.
Dolf continued, “Nor will I ever, with will or action, through word or deed, do anything that endangers the West Falls clowder or paranormals in general. Alpha Hoyer will hold to me as I shall deserve it. He will offer protection, guidance, and acceptance as the Alpha should. Upon that agreement, I submit myself to him and choose his will.”
Again Tyler repeated his words.
“So shall it be,” Dolf said. “Seth Galloway, repeat after me….”
Dolf led Seth through the ceremony, then finished with a final, “So shall it be.”
After Dolf accepted their oath, there was a flash of light, and Bast disappeared. The magic around them blinked out. The others helped Tyler and Seth rise and welcomed each of them to the clowder. Then everyone started talking about seeing the goddess Bast.
Seth stared up at the stars in the sky. Life was good.
LATER THAT night, Seth pounded Brier through the mattress, then did the same to Tyler… twice.
After they were done, Tyler collapsed facedown in the middle of the bed, gasping. “I… wow.” He rolled onto his back and stretched, pointing his toes, and yelped. “Oh. Oh! Cramp.” He arched his foot. “Wow. That was no fun at all.”
Seth chuckled, patting Tyler’s naked hip.
Tyler purred. “That feels good, but I’m sexed out.” He blinked lazily. “But I got to say… us, together? It just keeps getting better.”
“I may be walking funny tomorrow.” Brier groaned. He sprawled on his back next to Tyler. “But yes, I agree. It does.”
“Holy shit, I can’t move.” Seth lay on the other side of Tyler, panting. “And here I thought I was in good shape.” He yawned. “I used muscles I’ve never used before, I think.” He yawned again. “Doing both of you twice may even be too much for me. Holy crap, I’m tired.”
“No stamina.” Brier laughed. Or tried to. “Seth?”
Seth snored. Loudly.
Tyler snickered. “That didn’t take long. Good night, mate.”
Brier stretched. “Good night, mate. Kiss Seth for me, will you?”
“Sure thing!”
Tyler fell asleep, and Brier wasn’t long after him. An hour later, Brier’s cell phone rang. Cussing, Brier swiped it off the nightstand, almost dropped it, then punched buttons frantically to get it to stop ringing before it woke his exhausted mates. “Huh? What? I mean, hello?”
“Brier?”
“Dolf? Hey, yeah, it’s me. Sorry.” Brier glanced at Seth and Tyler. Good. There was no movement. “What’s up? What time is it?”
“Three. I’m sorry to bother you, but we have a problem.”
“What? What’s the problem? Please tell me you don’t need me. We just went to bed, and I’m um, tired.”
Dolf didn’t laugh. “I can imagine, and I hate to interrupt, but this can’t wait. Marshell phoned from the jail. It seems Elder Conrad had a heart attack and passed away at some point this morning.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“I’m afraid not. He checked the body, and there are no signs of foul play he can see. I’ve sent Remi over to also have a look and backup Marshell, if he should need it. I’m on my way there too. Marshell said it looks like the elder passed in his sleep.”
“Fuck. The bastard didn’t deserve to go peacefully. I mean, he shot Tyler. He fucking killed Tyler. The very idea that he got off so easily makes me sick to my stomach.”
“I never said his passing was peaceful.”
“What do you mean?”
“Marshell says the elder face is frozen in terror, so much so that even Marshell found it… disturbing.”
“Wait. Are you thinking someone murdered Elder Conrad?”
“I don’t know. I honestly don’t see how anybody could have gotten into the jail cell undetected. There are cameras, for crying out loud.”<
br />
“Was Marshell there?”
“Of course. If there’s a prisoner there, Marshell is there. That’s his job now. He says he was monitoring the cameras but also streaming a movie on his phone. He left long enough to go to the bathroom. When he came back, he had this nagging feeling and went to check on Elder Conrad. Marshell said he knew right away something was wrong because… well, he said blood in a living body smells delicious. Not so much in a dead body.”
Brier shuddered. “That was way more information than I needed.”
“Me too.” Dolf paused. “Brier, I’m going to ask you this only once, and then I’m never bringing it up again. Where is Seth?”
Brier glanced across Tyler, then climbed out of bed, walked into the bathroom, and gently shut the door. “He’s here. In bed with me and Tyler.”
“And has he been there all night?”
“I’m not sure I like what you’re insinuating. Just because he can use the shadows to travel doesn’t mean—”
“He had a motive.”
“Hell, so did I.”
“Maybe, but you don’t have the means. Seth, on the other hand, can not only travel by the shadows, he can also manipulate them to do his bidding. Answer the question, Brier.”
“Dammit. He just got through pounding both me and Tyler through the mattress. Twice. Hell, he fell asleep almost immediately. I was talking to him, and boom! He was snoring, he was out so fast. Yes, he’s been here all night. We went to bed an hour ago. Trust me when I say he was worn out. We all were. Still are, in fact.”
“Okay. Well, go back to bed. I hated to disturb you on your time off to celebrate your mating, but I needed to ask.”
“I understand. Is he a suspect?”
“I’m not sure a crime was even committed, to tell you the truth, so no. I’ll let you know what, if anything, we find out after the autopsy. I’m having a paranormal doctor brought in for this. Anyhow, I’ll see you in a few days. Good night.”
“Good night.” Brier slipped out of the bathroom and crawled into bed. Before he pulled the covers over him, he glanced at Seth, who was still sound asleep. Annoyed that Dolf could think Seth had something to do with Elder Conrad’s death, he turned onto his side and went back to sleep.
Seth never moved.
But he opened his eyes.
And smiled.
Epilogue
LIGHTS BLINKED and swirled, twisting together faster and faster. A mist rose from the ground. There was a loud pop, and the lights and mist vanished. A cute little bistro table suddenly appeared in the Circle of Stone, with a monstrous lion lazing close by, tail flicking aimlessly.
Bast, in human form, sat, drinking a cup of tea. Crossing her legs, she smoothed a wrinkle from the pale pink skirt of her hideously expensive power suit. Long, multicolored hair in the shade of every werecat draped over her shoulder.
“Any day now,” she muttered, admiring how her gem-encrusted wrist cuffs caught the moonlight. She snapped her fingers, and something resembling a birdbath appeared close by. She stood and walked to it, then glanced into the water, checking her makeup. Slanted electric blue eyes lined with kohl looked back at her.
She waved her hand over the water, and it bubbled. When it settled, she could see Dolf returning to his bed. Tal scooted over to make room. Then the scene wavered, and Jenelle and Sam appeared. Bast grinned at the desperate look on Sam’s face. Janelle was certainly putting that werecat through his paces. She ran her fingers through the water, and the images disappeared.
Thunder rolled across the sky, even though there weren’t any clouds. A bolt of pure white light struck the ground outside the Circle.
“About time.”
“Had a situation. There always seems to be a damn situation.” A tall, muscular man stood outside the stones. “May I enter, Goddess of the Werecats?” he asked in formal tones.
“Of course, God of the Wolves. Please, enter.”
Fenrir strode toward her, power in his every step. He was dressed in tight-fitting jeans, a sleeveless black T-shirt, and combat boots. Both arms were tattooed. His hair was long on top and shaved on the sides. It tended to flop in his face, which Fenrir claimed was sexy. He also sported a medium length beard.
“Hey, Bast.”
“Good evening, my friend. Join me?” Bast waved at the small table.
“I’d love to.” Fenrir pulled out her chair.
Bast settled herself and waited for Fenrir to take his seat, then snapped her fingers and a beer bottle appeared.
Fenrir reached for it. “Awesome. Thank you so much. It’s been a damn day.”
“Indeed.” Bast smirked.
“So…? How did it go? You’re not threatening to burn the world down, so things must have worked out.”
“The scorched-earth policy is never a good idea.”
“Right. This is me you’re talking to. I know your temper. So, was the threat neutralized?”
“Yes. Tyler did it. He fulfilled his destiny and has reaped the rewards. Change will continue. My children have struggled. There has been pain. But they have overcome and will continue to grow. I’m very pleased.”
“I watched what you’ve done over the past several years with the West Falls clowder. I’ve seen the trials and tribulations. Your children have grown. They’ve learned acceptance and how to look past appearances to see what’s inside a person. I have to say, I’m impressed with what you’ve done.”
Bast glowed with pleasure. “Speaking of learning acceptance, how is the mating between Aidric LeClair and Carter Lovelock going?”
“Quite well.” Fenrir grinned. “My Alpha werewolf and your beta werecat are making it work. As you know, that was my first step in bringing change to my children.”
“And?”
“I’ve decided to do more. You’re right. If we don’t grow, we stagnate. The humans have become so violent, so steeped in their racism. We can’t afford to do the same. Speciesism must end. So, after seeing the success you’ve had, I’m going to take a page from your book.”
“Oh?” Bast grinned.
Fenrir raised his beer and saluted Bast. “Damn straight. It’s time to move past preconceived ideas. My wolves better hold on tight, because I’m about to shake things up even more for the Dark Lake pack.”
Books by M.A. Church
Changeling Press
Bad Boys Club Box Set
Lust and Ice
Into the Darkness
Haunting the Night
Dreamspinner Press
Be My Alien
Be My Human
eXtasy Books
The Yellow Rope
Self-Published books
The Harvest series
The Harvest: Taken
The Harvest: Journey’s End
The Harvest: A Tah'Narian Christmas
The Harvest Young series
Bound by Fate
Destiny: A Prequel to Bound by Destiny
Bound by Destiny
The Deep Blue Sea series
Beneath the Surface
Riding the Ride
Make a Wish series
Nighttime Wishes
Nighttime Promises
Heart of a Jaguar series
Paws and Claws
Fur and Fangs
Leap of Faith series:
Shadows in the Night
To Touch the Sky
The Gods Series:
Priceless
Perfect
Pure
Fangs, Fur, and Felines series:
Trouble Comes in Threes
Behind the Eight Ball
It Takes Two to Tango
At Sixes and Sevens
The One and Only
Standalones
In Enemy Hands
Texting, Autocorrect, and a Prius
A Country Boy at Heart
Wrapped in Leather
Dragon’s Hoard
Faded Love
AUTHOR BIO
M.A. Church is a true Sou
thern belle who spent many years in the elementary education sector. Now she spends her days lost in fantasy worlds, arguing with hardheaded aliens on far-off planets, herding her numerous shifters, or trying to tempt her country boys away from their fishing poles. It’s a full-time job, but hey, someone’s gotta do it!
When not writing, she’s exploring the latest M/M novel to hit the market, cheering her beloved Steelers, or watching HGTV. That’s if she’s not on the back porch tending to the demanding wildlife around the pond in the backyard. The ducks are very outspoken. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and they have two children.
She is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Contact M.A.:
Blog: machurch00.blogspot.com
Twitter: @nomoretears00
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/machurch00/
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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/nomoretears00/
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141393.M_A_Church
Amazon: amazon.com/author/machurch
Email: [email protected]