Home is Where the Heart Is (Cloverleah Pack Series Book 15)

by Lisa Oliver

“I didn’t want him dead,” Marius said hesitantly.

  “You wanted to kill him yourself, and you and your mate both believe in your darkest hearts your life will be better if Wesley was dead. I can see,” Cass pointed to his third eye. “That’s part of being a demon. I can see the secrets you hide beneath a fake veneer. Your darkest thoughts call to me like a siren. But what does it say about your mating, any of the matings in this pack, if you can’t speak the truth out loud? Kane feels guilty because he’s the alpha, but he only wants to make Raff happy by finding the missing red wolves. That’s why you agreed, isn’t it? That’s why the pack agreed to drag a demon into your mess – because of Raff, not Wes.”

  “I carry guilt too,” Diablo said, “but I still want Wes back. He’s been a friend of mine longer than with anyone else in this pack. I guaranteed him a safe place to live…”

  “Your guilt came from being too busy to notice the difference in the scent the golem carried while he lived here,” Cass interrupted. “I get that, I do, being so wrapped up in your life with your mate, you couldn’t be bothered to check on a friend. I don’t blame you for that; that’s what happens when you find a mate. But there was only two shifters in this entire pack, who genuinely wanted Wes found – the rest, all of you, either had an ulterior motive like finding Raff’s family, or you were worried about how having Wes here would impact your own mating.”

  Diablo tilted his head to one side. “Dean and Luke?”

  “Dean and Luke,” Cass confirmed. “Dean, as an omega has an innate ability to read the emotions of his pack, so he’s totally secure in his relationship with Matthew. He also genuinely cares about Wes as a person, rather than a source of information. As for Luke, he’s the only shifter in this pack with a soul so pure, and a trust in his mates so deep, he could walk with them into an all-male orgy and it would never cross his mind to worry about his mates straying from him. He’s a blessing, that man, and you could all learn a lot from him.”

  “You said shifters,” Kane said, and Cass noticed he didn’t deny what Cass had said. “We have a lot of different paranormals here.”

  “And most of them don’t care one way or the other. They don’t get the concept of pack like shifters do or understand the ties Wes might feel to you guys. Wesley being taken was sad, but not threatening now the dark ones are gone. Your vampire is worried about Josh, but only because he thinks Josh might doubt their mating. As for V,” Cass snorted. “V wanted Wes found, but only because he wants to prove the point to his mate and the rest of you that demons can be trusted.

  “Cathair,” Cass shot a sneer at the silent elf, “we all know what he thinks now, and as for the Fae, they don’t really care one way or the other. Faf wants to study wards and Aelfric isn’t sure what all the fuss is about. As for Nereus, your token demi-god, he’ll move heaven and earth to find Raff’s family for his little mate. I can’t get at a guy for wanting that, but not one single person here genuinely wanted to find Wes, to make sure he was all right, and because they cared about him, except Dean and Luke.”

  “Look,” Kane said, “you have to understand. We were going through a difficult time. No one knew where the next attack was coming from. We were living under lockdown, getting on each other’s nerves, running patrols until we were ragged. The bonds we have with our mates were all we had to hang onto. To shifters, finding a mate is like the holy grail and is always treasured as precious by the mate, and sacred by the rest of the pack. What Wes did…”

  “What the golem did!” Cass snapped back harshly. “That’s your problem right there. You keep using Wes’s name for an action he had nothing to do with. Cathair was drugged and seduced by a pile of clay and sticks. At that time, Wesley was in a cave, alone, in an unknown realm, no way of getting out and with only the dreams of his pack looking for him to keep him going. For fuck’s sake people, how strong are those fucking mating bonds of yours, if a pile of clay and sticks can threaten them? Think about that. All of you.” He threw a stink eye at Marius and Cathair, before disappearing in a swirl of smoke. Cass had a mate to get back to. He’d already been gone far too long.

  Chapter Eight

  Wes wasn’t sure how long he’d slept, only that he had. But then tears, and extreme outpourings of emotion could do that to anyone. In that half state between awake and asleep, Wes thought he heard a noise, and his first thought was that one of the babies were waking up. But then, as his brain kicked itself online, he realized it wasn’t a crying child that woke him, but someone singing – rather badly.

  Cass came back? Wes struggled to sit up, straining his ears. It is. It’s Cass, but why? Even as his mind posed the question, Wes knew the answer. Half wolf or not, Wes had been noticed by the Fates and given a gift more precious than gold. His wolf pushed forward, eager to see the demon, but Wes held him back, swamped with guilt over how he’d spoken to his mate the last time he saw him.

  I need to get over my shit, Wes told himself firmly. So, I don’t have a pack. Too bad. I’ve been pack-less before. Cass is worth far more than a bunch of paranormals taken in by a stinky golem. At least he came back, which is more than…

  Yeah, it was always that negative line of thinking that got Wes into trouble. A new vow, I’m going to make a new vow to start seeing the positive in everything. He couldn’t stretch that to include everyone. Wes had to be honest with himself. He was no Pollyanna and he didn’t expect he ever would be, but somewhere in his emotion-fueled sleep, Wes realized that having a mate, which had always been his ultimate dream, was the proof that somewhere at some time, he’d done something right.

  Which meant getting up. Wes looked down at his crumpled t-shirt and sweatpants and then shrugged. I won’t be wearing anything soon enough. Holding onto his new-found positivity, Wes slid off the bed, hurried across the room and down the hall, stopping dead when he came to the living room.

  Oh, my gods. Wes’s hands covered his mouth and his eyes watered. The room had been totally transformed. What had once been a messy space full of toys and discarded clothing was now… intimate. There were no other words to describe the sumptuous deep couch clad in bright red velvet, the candles flickering on a dozen ornate candelabras scattered around the room. The tv and game console was gone, replaced by a bar filled with every spirit known to man and stacked on the counter were brightly wrapped gifts in a pile so high they threatened to fall. Soft music was playing from speakers hung on each corner of the room, and the smell of roast beef filled the air.

  And in the middle of it all, was Cass, in his human form, wearing nothing but a pair of black leather pants that left nothing to the imagination and a smile as wide as Texas. “You’re awake, and just in time.”

  Wes stepped cautiously into the room. “What is all this? It’s amazing, what you’ve done to this place.”

  “One of the joys of being on my realm, sweetness.” Cass came over, taking his arm gently, and leading him to the couch. “My powers are a lot stronger here. This, my darling, is the start of a demon courtship, something reserved only for mates. Sit down. My mama said there is a very strict ritual we need to go through, before the claiming can be done.”

  “I don’t think I understand.” Wes sat, more because his knees had given out on him, than for any other reason. “How long have you been back? Did you take the children to Cloverleah? Are they all settled in okay? Were Kane and Shawn prepared to give them homes?”

  “Okay,” Cass huffed. “Mama was very pedantic on the whole ritual thing, but seeing as you’re worried about the kids, I’ll address that first. Then,” he held up a finger, “you have to promise to let me do my thing. I only get to do this once in a very long lifetime, and it’s important to me.”

  “I promise,” Wes said softly, looking at that tempting finger. “The children?”

  “You’d be so proud of that young bear; Frankie did an amazing job. Kane called the whole pack in, even those who didn’t want children, and Frankie, gods, you’ve got to love that kid. He told all our brood to shift and scent o
ut their new grownups. It was pandemonium, it really was. Little furry things running all over the place.” Cass laughed, a rich deep sound that tickled up Wes’s spine.

  “Anyhow, those little cheetahs? They all flew to your friend Diablo, rubbing against his and Griff’s legs, wanting to be picked up.”

  “He’s some king of the cats or something,” Wes said, nodding. “That’s understandable.”

  “Yeah, well, I was a bit worried about Carrie, especially when she didn’t want to shift. You know that pack has no non-predatory types, but Frankie took her by the hand and led her over to Dean and Matthew. You could tell they fell in love with her from first sight.”

  “Dean’s the omega, so it makes sense that Carrie would be safe with him, and Matthew is a huge softy.” Wes blinked rapidly. He was not going to cry and ruin all Cass’s hard work. “What about Zeke? I know he was stressed about meeting so many wolves.”

  “That was a surprising pairing,” Cass said. “He was already shifted when we arrived, and with all the noise and commotion going on, no one really paid much attention to where he was wondering to. But he had a goal in mind, he must have done. It probably took him a good twenty minutes, but when Frankie checked on him, he was sitting on Anton’s chest with no intention of moving and the big guy seemed quite taken with him.”

  “Anton?” Wes was surprised, but then Zeke couldn’t hope for a more protective parent. Anton was very quiet, but he was an ex-soldier and knew more ways of killing a person than anyone else Wes knew. “I’m glad Zeke’s found his safe person. I was hoping Luke would take baby Em, he’s always wanted a little girl and he’s been amazing with Ollie.”

  “Well, it seemed that little Ollie had the same idea, because it was him sniffing at Em curled up in a blanket on the couch that got Luke’s attention and yep, it was love at first sight. Luke scooped her up and headed on out of the house, babbling on something about a princess room, and his mates just followed behind like two zombies, unsure what had happened.”

  Wes laughed. Kurt and Tobias were good guys, but when Luke got an idea into his head nothing would shake it.

  “The thing is, the kids are all safe,” Cass said gently. “I thought Frankie was going to choose Kane and Shawn as his parents, but he surprised me there too.”

  “Who did he go with?” Wes would have thought Luke, Kurt and Tobias to be honest, but that was only because Frankie was a bear too.

  “I think he was eyeing up Josh and Vadim, but then we both overheard Josh telling Kane that he and Vadim had already been looking for a surrogate, so they didn’t think it was fair to take one of the wolf pups. So, Frankie chose Adair and Vassago, which will be interesting, don’t you think?”

  “I’m not sure they wanted kids either.” Wes smiled as he thought of his old ‘boss’. “I’m sure Frankie will keep them on their toes. So did all four of the wolf pups go to Kane and Shawn?”

  “Only two of them. Thomas and his mate Ivan took the other two smaller ones, Tommy and Terry.” Cass enfolded Wes’s hand with his own much bigger ones. “So, you see, I granted your boon; the children are all safe and Kane and Shawn gave me their word that the children will never be moved away or split up from the pack. Something to do with them all being really rare because they can shift so young or some such shit. But they are all safe. I couldn’t give you the second part of what you wanted, me leaving you, because I knew you were perfect for me the moment I saw you that first time. So, I went to my mama, and explained the situation, and she was the one who told me how to do all this.”

  Wes looked down at their joined hands. “This is all pretty amazing, and you’ve more than proven yourself to me. I’m really glad the little ones are safe at last and with people that will love them.” He refused to mention visiting them or anything else. Knowing they were safe was enough for now. It was time to focus on Cass. “Tell me, demon of mine, how does someone like you court his mate? Isn’t a claiming just sex and a bite like it is for wolves?”

  “Normally, yes.” Cass seemed pleased by the interest. “However, our meeting was anything but ordinary, and while sex is a h-u-g-e part of our mating drive, my mama was quick to point out, there’s a lot more that goes on behind a successful pairing. Sex is easy – forming a bond is the hard part.”

  Wes eyed his mate’s neck. Not that hard for me. But he nodded for Cass to continue.

  “A demon must prove himself worthy of a mate. In this case, because you’re a wolf shifter…”

  “Only half wolf, half human,” Wes reminded him.

  “You shift, don’t you? That makes you a wolf shifter. So, because you’re a wolf shifter, I needed to prove to you I could hunt for you, care for you when you’re struggling, and keep you safe at all times.”

  Wes wondered what Cass would have to do for the human side of his genetics, but he had to admit his mate’s words gave him a warm glow. “You’ve already proven you can care for me when I’m struggling. You spent two and a half days helping me with the kiddies.”

  “Agreed,” Cass nodded, “and for the record, mama was pretty amazed about that too. Hmm, we might have to steer clear of her for a while. After she heard our story, she got this idea we’d make good babysitters and if you think the little ones here were bad, you should see what demon babies can do.”

  Chuckling at the idea of baby demons, who Wes thought would be kinda cute, he asked, “I’m not sure there’s a lot you can hunt here. Where did the beef I can smell come from? Surely you didn’t find a cow in the Underworld.”

  “I went to the butchers.” With a flourish, Cass pulled a knife out of thin air. “Hunting can take many forms and I was in a hurry. Face it, avoiding other shoppers with their mean elbows and rampant shopping trolleys is a unique form of danger all in itself.”

  Cass pulled the cover off a large tray resting on the coffee table. Wes’s eyes widened at the sight of a huge roast, a host of perfectly roasted root vegetables arranged around it, and even a small jug of gravy. “Wow. That looks and smells wonderful.” His stomach reminded him he hadn’t eaten for at least twenty-four hours. “Is there something we have to do before we eat?”

  “You must allow me to feed you.” Cass expertly sliced into the roast. Wes watched as he inspected each piece of cut meat. Finally, he pulled out a couple of pieces, and then holding one in the tip of his thumb and first finger, he held it up to Wes’s lips.

  “For as you nourish my heart, so I pledge I can feed your body,” Cass said gravely.

  Wes was caught by how the conversation went from light, and almost bantering, to something deadly serious. Cass’s demon eyes glowed in his human face, and in that moment, Wes knew what it was to be cherished for the very first time. He opened his mouth to accept the offering.

  Chapter Nine

  Meanwhile, back in Cloverleah.

  “Settle down,” Kane ordered, banging his knife against his plate. Everyone in the pack were talking among themselves and it was hard to make himself heard. “I said, settle down.”

  “Kane, I’m not sure why we have to have this meeting now,” Griff grumbled. “Sure, the dinner is nice and all that, but hey, me and D wanted to spend some time with the little ones before bed. At this rate, they’ll be asleep on the floor before we get the chance. And how come Luke and Dean were excused if this was a full pack meeting?”

  There was a chorus of “yeah” and “why” around the table. Kane glared them into silence and then Shawn spoke up.

  “Kane didn’t order this meeting, I did, in my position as shifter guardian. The reason for Dean and Luke’s absence is because they are best suited for looking after the children, and they were the only two not negatively impacted by the golem’s attack on Cathair and Marius’ mating.”

  “Hey, now, come on,” Adair said crossly. “As head of your security, of course I’m going to be concerned about a bloody golem, and then dragging a demon into the mix…”

  “The demon known as Castor gave this whole pack a gift this afternoon, a gift sent by Wesley,
” Shawn said firmly. “You would do well to remember that.”

  The men around the table went quiet and there were a few red faces among the pack. “I didn’t realize the members of this pack were damaged,” Shawn continued in a quieter tone. “But after Kane told me about the accusations Castor made against this pack, all of which were well-founded, I spent time communing with the Fates. They are very disappointed in us all.”

  “We won’t lose our mates, will we?” Troy asked, clutching at Anton’s arm. “I can’t lose Anton, not after all we went through before we finally worked things out. And now we’ve got Zeke – he’s going to need both parents.”

  “The Fates don’t break up matings, and it’s that type of thinking they’re disappointed about and rightly so,” Shawn said. “No other pack in paranormal history is completely made up of true mates except this one. In this pack, we hold leading figures in virtually every paranormal type, and because of that, we have a huge influence on the rest of the paranormal world by sheer example alone. And yet, we are in danger of losing all that we hold dear, because we can’t get past the actions of, what was it, Cass called it, babe?”

  “A pile of clay and sticks.” Kane took his mate’s hand. “I don’t want to admit it, but Castor was right. I should have guessed as much myself after the last meeting we had, determining we needed a demon to search for Wesley. It’s not as though many of us were that enthused about it.

  “All of us, in our own way, felt threatened by the actions of a wretched golem, because we’re all mated. There’s also the guilt from many of us, that we didn’t notice the difference in the golem’s scent from the true Wesley – because we couldn’t be bothered to notice – and still, some of us had our own agendas about wanting Wes found that had nothing to do with making sure he was going to be okay. I am just as guilty of that as the rest of us, but that’s not how a good pack operates. A solid pack looks after all its members, regardless of who they are.”