by Ezra Dawn
Brant rolls his eyes and says, “Aithusa, these two Neanderthals are my brothers Boyd and Brayden.”
“Nice to meet both of you.”
The bigger of the two wraps his arm around my shoulders and turns me away from everyone. He peeks over his shoulder to make sure no one is listening before he whispers, “Are you really a Dom?”
“Yes.”
“So, is my brother your submissive then?”
The gleam in his eyes tells me that he’s searching for something he can hold over my mate for years to come. As if I’d let that happen. Smirking I say, “He’s not my submissive, no. He’s my mate. What we do in the privacy of our home is no one’s business but ours. Now, if you’re asking because you’re interested in exploring the lifestyle that’s a different matter.”
His expression turns curious as he says, “What if I was? Would you teach me?”
I shake my head. “I can’t touch another person that isn’t Brant sexually without being physically ill so I’m not sure if I could, but I can send you to someone who can. I am aware you have a job to do here as a contractor, so I doubt you could take off for a few years. However, the Dom I’m thinking about is probably looking for a change of pace right about now, so he might be willing to come here to train you. I’ll give him a call and let you know.”
He nods and says, “Thank you.”
Before he can step away I say, “If you really plan to do this and a full time D/S relationship is what you’re looking for you might want to build yourself your own dungeon, so you’ll have a private place to play.”
“I’ll do that, thank you.”
I wink at him and say, “Make sure it’s fully stocked.”
He blushes and walks away.
Rachel shouts, “You boys come and eat before it gets cold!”
Turning around, I make my way towards the table and sit beside my mate. Rachel hands out plates of food to everyone before sitting down herself. As we begin eating, conversation flows freely, and I can’t help feeling warm for the first time in thirty years. I’ve finally come home.
Later that night, after everyone has gone home and it’s just Brant and I in bed, my mind begins to wander. As if sensing the change Brant raises up on an elbow and says, “So, what did you think of my mom?”
Smiling I say, “I liked her. She’s a lovely woman.”
He bites his lip, looking like he wants to ask something but is unsure of how to say it. “What is it?”
He sighs and says, “So, there’s no hard feelings about what happened with her and my dad?”
I shake my head. “I never blamed her for that. She was just the woman he chose over me and I couldn’t fault her for that. I might still be pissed at Clay, but your mother doesn’t deserve my anger.”
“Good, I’m glad. I don’t want there to be any tension between you two. I’d like for everyone to be able to get along so hearing you say that is a relief. What about your family?”
“I plan to visit them tomorrow. Hopefully, they won’t be too angry with me. Although, knowing my mother she’s liable to slap me and then hug me for what I’ve put her through. Since I left, I’ve called regularly but never came to visit and because I moved around so much by the time they’d been able to plan something for visiting me I was already on my way to another town or city. Eventually, they stopped planning all together.”
Brant kisses my lips and says, “I hope she doesn’t slap you. My wolf wouldn’t like that.”
I stare at him wide-eyed. “You want to meet them?”
“Of course, I do. You’re my mate. We’ll go first thing in the morning. I’ll call a pack meeting for lunch time and introduce you to everyone then we’ll come back here and christen our dungeon. How does that sound?”
“Sounds like a plan. Although, I kind of like the idea of christening the dungeon first.”
Brant laughs and says, “If we do that, I’ll be in too much of a pleasure coma to do anything else but stay in bed all day. No, we’ll do introductions first. Anticipation is half the fun my sweet.”
He kisses me one more time before turning over and settling into sleep. I wait until his breathing evens out before letting my mind wander once more.
Why won’t you let him claim us snookums?
Don’t go there right now wolfie.
No don’t avoid it snookums, answer me. You’ve claimed him in the ways of wolf and demon. All that’s left is for him to claim us. Why won’t you let him?
I’m afraid to.
Ahh, I see, You’re afraid he won’t treasure our submission like we treasure his.
I’m afraid he’ll throw it back in our face like Clay did.
Snookums, he’s not Clay. Clay was an asshole of the highest order. He didn’t want us. Offering us a pity fuck was rubbing salt in the wound. Brant isn’t that cruel.
Are you sure?
Of course, I’m sure. He loves us.
He hasn’t said anything.
He doesn’t need to. Can’t you feel it? I can see it. It’s in the way he looks at us. The way his smile lights up a room when we’re around. He radiates with love for us. If you’d let him claim us, you’d feel it through the mind link we’d have.
Okay.
Okay what?
Okay, I’ll let him claim us.
When?
Tomorrow.
If you don’t I’ll take over and make sure it happens.
It’ll happen wolfie, trust me.
It’d better or I’ll kick your ass.
You can’t kick my ass, we’re the same person, you’d be kicking your own ass.
Shut up, I can try.
Smiling, I close my eyes and curl around Brant, pulling him close and nuzzling his neck. With a plan in mind for tomorrow, I manage to drift off into a dreamless sleep.
Gods, my mate is distracting. His scent has been driving me crazy all morning. I don’t know why but ever since we showered together this morning he’s been putting off subtle hints of arousal. He’s had me half hard because of it. Meeting his family while semi-aroused was not on my list of things to do today but oh well, it can’t be helped. Aithusa’s scent is too damn intoxicating to ignore. I’d like to take the edge off but there isn’t time. Thinking about disgusting things to get myself under control, I lead Aithusa to his parents’ front door and knock.
I hear the sound of running and someone shouting, “Lily Ann Erendale you stop chasing your brothers and sister through the house right now!! Take it outside!”
The door opens revealing a tall man with dark hair and red eyes. Aithusa’s father. He tilts his head to the side showing submission and says, “Alpha, what brings you to my home? I hope this isn’t an official visit. My family hasn’t done anything to warrant it.”
I smile and say, “Not an official visit no. More of a personal one.”
It takes a moment, but he finally realizes I’m not alone. His eyebrows practically touch his hairline with how shocked he is. “Aithusa my son, is that you?”
Aithusa nods and says, “Yeah, dad. It’s me.”
Suddenly, Aithusa is pulled from me as his dad wraps him in a bone crushing hug. “It’s so good to see you! It’s been so long. Come inside, I’m sure you’re dying to meet your nieces and nephews.”
Aithusa’s dad walks back into the house taking Aithusa with him. I follow behind them as Aithusa is introduced to his nieces and nephews and reacquainted with his family. Once all the hugging and crying is out of the way, the kids go outside, and the adults take seats in the living room. Aithusa picks a couch to sit on and I take the spot next to him.
His mom is the first to speak, “So, Aithusa, I’m curious as to why you’ve suddenly decided to come home. Not that I’m not happy you’re here because I am, it’s just that I distinctly remember you saying something about coming home when hell froze over.”
Aithusa laughs and says, “Well mom, I met my fated mate.”
She tilts her head to the side and looks at him in confusion. “I thought Clay
Poshmire was your fated mate.”
“He was, but he’s dead now. The bond passed to his oldest son, Brant. He’s the reason I’ve come home.”
Aithusa takes my hand and smiles at me. I can’t resist pressing a kiss to his forehead. Draycar, Aithusa’s dad says, “So, Alpha, when you said your visit was personal this is what you meant.”
I nod and say, “It is. Aithusa and I have claimed each other. There will be a pack meeting today at noon where I will introduce him as the Alpha Mate. I hope you all will attend.”
Draycar nods furiously. “Of course, we’ll be there. It’s not every day one of your children becomes Alpha Mate.”
I smile and say, “Good, I look forward to seeing all of you there. Now, I know you’re all anxious to catch up with my mate so I’m going to leave him in your capable hands while I meet with my Beta and send the word out about the pack meeting.”
Aithusa looks at me wide-eyed. “You’re leaving me here?”
I lean forward and kiss his lips. “It’s only until the pack meeting. Just for a few hours. I know you want to spend time with your family, get to know your nieces and nephews.”
He strokes my cheek and says, “You know me so well. Alright then, I’ll stay here but if you need me for anything you call.”
“I promise I will.”
I kiss him one more time, then stand to leave. “I’ll see you at the meeting.”
He nods and says, “See you then.”
Turning to his family I say, “It was lovely to meet all of you. Please take care of my mate for me.”
Draycar says, “He’s in good hands. You go take care of your business Alpha and we’ll see you at the meeting.”
Nodding I turn and leave calling out a goodbye over my shoulder as I exit the house.
I quickly make my way to the pack house where my office is. I don’t live there of course but it is where I run the pack from. Mostly, it houses the unmated enforcers and shifters who don’t have houses of their own on pack land yet. The house I live in is something of a tradition. Each alpha has a house built for the next alpha and their future family. My dad died before he could put the finishing touches on it.
Stepping through the doors of the pack house, I make my way to my Beta’s office. The man was my father’s beta but only for the last ten years. He took over for his father when the man died, and I kept him as my own beta when I took over. He’s been taking care of things as Alpha Proctor while I’ve been gone. Thank god, our pack is a peaceful one because if he’d lost any challenges in my absence it would’ve been the same as my losing one and I wouldn’t have a position to come back to.
I take a seat across from him as he growls frustratingly at someone on the phone. “For the last time, I will not allow my daughter or any other child from this pack to go gallivanting in another pack’s territory without an escort. I don’t care if it is for a damn field trip. They will be accompanied by a group of enforcers or they won’t go at all. If you have a problem with it take it up with the alpha.”
He slams the phone down on the cradle and turns to face me. With a smile he says, “Hello Alpha, welcome back. I trust your mission was a success.”
“It was, how have things been?”
“Things have been relatively calm around here save for a few who think they can run roughshod over me and get me to bend to their will since I’m not the alpha. They find out very quickly that’s not the case.”
“I take it the person on the phone just now was one of those people.”
“It was, but it’s taken care of now. How did your trip go?”
“It was very productive. I need you to call a pack meeting for noon today, so I can introduce the Alpha Mate to everyone.”
My beta’s eyes almost pop out of his head. “Alpha Mate?”
I grin, “Yes, I met my fated mate in the form of the man I was sent to look for. I’d like to get all the introductions out of the way as soon as possible so that he can settle in to his new life here without being bombarded by people. I want him happy.”
My beta smiles and says, “You love him.”
“I do with every fiber of my being. I just haven’t told him yet.”
“Well, let me be the first to congratulate you then. I wish you a long and happy life with your mate. Now, let’s see about spreading the word for the pack meeting.”
He picks up the phone and begins making calls.
For a brief moment, I feel fear as I watch my mate walk out the door, leaving me to deal with my family. I haven’t seen them in thirty years and while the welcome was warm, I still feel out of my element. I’m also trying very hard to hide my arousal. It was probably a bad idea to put the butt plug in this morning, but I wanted to make sure I was prepped for my mate by the time we did our scene together this afternoon. Actually, I’m sure it was a bad idea now that I’m sitting in my parents’ living room trying not to move too much so the plug doesn’t rub on my prostate every time I change posture.
My mother moves to the spot Brant vacated and puts an arm around me. “It’s good to have you home sweetheart. Now, tell us, what have you been up to these last thirty years. We’ve missed having you here. I know what happened was painful, but you could’ve tried to visit.”
I shake my head and say, “Visiting was not an option. Not while Clay was alive. If our paths had crossed, I’d have either had some kind of breakdown and ended up rogue or I would’ve let anger control me and killed him myself. You know, I never asked Brant for specifics about how he died. If it was a car accident, it must’ve been pretty bad.”
My mom nods. “It was. They say the other driver blew through the red light. Clay didn’t have time to stop. He crashed into the side of the truck. It was carrying a full tanker of diesel fuel. Whole thing went up in flames. There was nothing left. His family had to bury an empty casket.”
“Damn. That’s awful. I may have hated him for what he did but even I wouldn’t wish that kind of death on him.”
“It is what it is. Enough about Clay, tell us about you.”
“Well, as you know, I’ve spent the last thirty years going from place to place. However, I spent the last five in Atlanta.”
Her eyes widen, and she says, “So, you’ve stayed in one place for five years and didn’t tell us? We could’ve arranged a visit.”
I shrug and say, “I figured you’d given up on trying so I never asked. I’m not even sure why I stayed in Atlanta so long. Guess I just liked the people. For some reason, when I got to Atlanta, I didn’t want to move on. It was probably fate’s way of telling me I needed to let my mate catch up with me. I’m sorry I never visited or let you all visit me but I’m here now so maybe we can spend some more time together once I’m settled.”
She hugs me and says, “That sounds lovely sweetheart. How about a family dinner next week? You bring Brant and his family and we’ll all get together for a nice meal. That should give you some time to get settled and get used to being back here.”
“I think I could get Brant to agree to that. Next Sunday sound good?”
“Sounds perfect. We’ll have it then. Now, I’m sure there’s more you haven’t told us so let’s hear it. I want to know everything.”
Smiling, I begin to tell her and the rest of my family all about the places I’ve been and the people I’ve met over the last thirty years. Pretty soon, it’s time for us to leave for the pack meeting and as I leave my family’s house I can’t help feeling lighter than when I entered.
There’s a clearing on pack lands where meetings and such are held because the pack is so large. I find my mate standing to the side of a familiar platform and I can’t help but feel a sense of Déjà vu. It’s almost the exact same setting as the day I figured out Clay was my fated mate only this time the announcement being made is about me, not the future heir apparent. Although, I can’t help but hope one day in the future Brant and I will be making a similar announcement for our own child. I know he doesn’t want kids right away but I’m hoping we won’t wait
too long for it either.
I walk up to Brant and wait for him to finish his conversation with a man I assume is a pack member. When the man walks away, Brant turns to me and pulls me into a hug, pressing a kiss to my lips. He grins at me and says, “Hey, I missed you.”
I laugh and say, “I’ve only been away from you for a few hours.”
He nuzzles my neck and says, “A few hours too long.”
“It was your idea.”
“A very stupid idea. I don’t enjoy being away from you.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to stick to you until you’re positively sick of me.”
He strokes my cheek and says, “I could never be sick of you.”
“Aww that’s sweet. Shall we get this meeting over with? I do have plans for you.”
He practically purrs when he says, “Yes. Let’s get this over with. I’m looking forward to christening our dungeon.”
I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy about something in my entire life. Then again, I’ve never been about to introduce a mate to the pack before either. Still, it’s exciting. I take my mate’s hand and lead him onto the platform in front of the crowd. There’s murmurs and whispers so I call out, “Settle down everyone! Quiet! I have an announcement to make!”
When it’s quiet, I wait a moment before speaking again. “As you all know, I’ve spent the last year away from the pack because of something my father told me to do in his Last Will and Testament. I’ve finished that task and have returned, but I am not alone. This man at my side is Aithusa Erendale and from this point forward he is Alpha Mate.”
The crowd goes wild with excitement at the announcement and it fills me with joy that my mate is so well received among them. Guess my issuing that ultimatum when dad made me heir apparent actually worked. “Now, I want you all to know that if there are any problems you can come to me, my mate, or my beta. Other than that, that’s all the announcements I have for today. Meeting adjourned.”
My pack members come up to us one by one to introduce themselves to Aithusa. He gives each one the attention they deserve which tells me he’s going to be a terrific Alpha Mate.