by J. R Fox
All the same, by the time he closed up shop for the day, he was consistently exhausted. He knew that the steady stream of customers would slow down eventually, and in the meantime they were putting away enough money to go and buy a farm for Branin to grow up on, but for the moment, he was just tired, and he looked forward to locking the door and going upstairs to his family.
Wolfric greeted him with a kiss when he came in, and started on putting something together to feed them. It was lucky Wolfric had learned how to cook while he’d been in the city guard, since Edhel had really never had to prepare a meal for himself in his life. He understood basically how cooking worked, but he didn’t really trust himself to feed a baby.
He picked Branin up from where he was exploring the floor and settled him on his chest, laying down on the bed he and Wolfric shared. The rooms above the shopfront downstairs were small and open, with no doors or walls between them, but that was, as far as Edhel was concerned, a feature. He was most at peace when he was close to his family.
“Long day?” Wolfric came to sit down beside him and stroked his hair.
“Very.” Edhel sighed happily and closed his eyes. “It’s worth it, though. No matter how loudly the university disowns me, people keep coming to me. I thought… I didn’t think I could make it without them, but here we are.”
“People can see you’re providing a good service, and so many of them want children of their own. I’m proud of everything you’re doing.”
“I didn’t imagine that so many people would jump at the chance to do this,” Edhel said. “I never thought of it before you asked. But it makes so many people so happy. I love seeing their new babies and the smiles on their faces and how happy they are.”
“Me too. I very much like having a miracle worker for a husband.” Wolfric leaned down to kiss Edhel softly. “You deserve every moment of your success.”
Edhel hummed in agreement. In truth, what he and Wolfric had done in the first place had been a terrible idea, going in blind to such a huge, life-changing thing, and they’d been lucky that it had worked at all and not killed or permanently injured one or both of them. Their stupidity had paid off in the shape of a beautiful child, though, and now in being able to bring that experience to others.
For Edhel, the courage to stop letting himself be pushed around by forces that didn’t have his best interests at heart were a nice bonus, too. As was getting to keep Wolfric, who he wouldn’t give up for anything.
The protective, possessive instincts he’d acquired due to the spell had never faded, but he thought now that they were just a part of his personality. None of his other patients reported a dramatic shift in the way they behaved as a result of the process. Edhel had just never known what it was like to be in love before, and been thrown by how quickly it’d happened.
“You should nap until supper. I’ll wake you when it’s time to eat.”
“I love it when you say such sweet things to me. Can I keep the baby?” Edhel opened his eyes to look at Wolfric.
“I don’t think he’d have it any other way.” Wolfric laughed. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Edhel murmured, already on his way to sleep.
The End
The Lafie Clan’s New Omega
MM Werewolf Romance
Chapter One
Dean liked the omega he was being shown from the first glimpse he got of him. He was taller than Dean had been expecting, and with a lot more fire in his eyes, even as he stood still and allowed himself to be poked and prodded as if he were a horse for sale. His people didn’t have the wealth Dean’s did, but they had far greater numbers, and that made them a threat—or valuable allies.
If this would mean peace, once and for all, Dean would have bonded to an actual horse. Gabriel, though, was beautiful, with the raven hair and bright green eyes that the purest line of his clan was famous for. He might have been an omega, but Dean wasn’t sure he’d want to test him out in a fight, either.
“Stop… doing that.” He waved his parents away, unable to articulate how degrading the poking and prodding seemed to him. He got it, they wanted a healthy mate for their child—but Gabriel was a werewolf. He’d be healthy, regardless. He spent most of his time outdoors, doing things with his hands and being useful. If anything, it was Dean who should be being poked around the middle, where he was softer than any of the O’Connor werewolves.
The Lafie clan had money, and that often led to weakness. They were incredibly lucky to live in a time where the kind of power it bought protected them, mostly, from outright murder.
The O’Connors could have taken them all out in one night if they wanted to. The consequences of doing that were the only thing stopping them, as far as Dean knew.
Dean’s parents backed off, his mother winking at him as she went past. She liked this omega, which, despite her method of determining that, was all the information Dean needed. He stepped forward to stand in front of the other man, and felt an immediate sense of calm.
This was going to be his mate, for life, and everything about him was perfect. “Hi,” he said, and then paused, at a loss for words. “I’m Dean.”
“I know,” Gabriel said wryly. “You’re a hard man to miss.”
Dean laughed nervously. “Yeah, well. I guess you know why we’re here, too, so tell me this: are you up for it? Because I am, and I want us both on the same page.”
“This will protect my family.” Gabriel sighed. “I’m sorry if that’s not as romantic as you’d like it to be, but there it is. I’m happy to do this because it’ll protect what’s most important to me, and you don’t seem to be the actual embodiment of evil.”
“I’m not that bad.” Dean grinned. Gabriel beckoned him closer, so Dean leaned in obligingly. He didn’t want to be like his father, demanding the complete, unilateral obedience of everyone beneath him in rank. Gabriel was, rightly, his equal. There could be no alpha without an omega.
“You’d better hope not, because if you touch me in anger or outside of my consent a single time, you won’t see the next morning. We are not like you, and I am not a delicate flower.”
Dean nodded seriously, and then smiled again. “That’s exactly why I like you already. You look like you could tear my throat out without even shifting, and like no one would believe you’d done it.”
“Are you going to call me angelic? Because I’ve heard that before.” Gabriel raised an eyebrow.
Dean laughed. “I wouldn’t dream of it, but you’ve got the whole righteous fury thing going on.” He waved at Gabriel’s whole person to indicate what he meant.
“Now that part is true.” Gabriel smiled wryly. “Pay my family and I’m all yours.”
“But the dowry goes to you,” Dean said, confused. “It’s kinda meant to take the sting out of having to deal with me.”
“If you give it to me, it’ll only go straight to my family. Might as well cut out the middle man.” Gabriel shrugged.
“You really do love them, huh?” Dean nodded to the lower-ranked wolves behind him, indicating that they could hand over the dowry now. He was grateful that the final say in the matter was his. He wanted to have made this decision for himself, lest he resent Gabriel in years to come for having been forced on him.
Not that he thought it was likely. He’d already formed a fledgling crush on the other man, and bonding was bound to make it grow.
“I love them more than anything. Family is… everything. Especially to us.”
Dean smiled again. “I hope you’ll feel the same way about me someday. And the rest of my family about yours.”
“That is the general idea.” Gabriel looked up, and for the first time, smiled at Dean. As far as Dean was concerned, the smile was worth every penny they were handing over right now. “I could have done a lot worse, from what I’m seeing so far. I hope you’ll understand that I’m not used to dealing with people, and I’d need time to adjust to anyone. My… coolness, I suppose, isn’t about you.”
“I think
I have enough weird nervous warmth for both of us, and I think we’ll both be happier when we’re not being watched by every relation we have.” Dean glanced around at the O’Connors, all of them eyeing him as though he wasn’t quite good enough for their favorite son, but that he’d do for the sake of peace.
“Maybe.” Gabriel stuffed his hands in his coat pockets, no longer standing to attention as he had been when he’d been under inspection. He suddenly seemed that much more human. “If you’re ready to get going…”
“Of course. Follow me,” Dean held his arm out to guide Gabriel, not game to actually touch him, and moved toward his own car.
“You do have good taste in cars,” Gabriel said as he ran his fingertips over the American Beauty red of the Challenger’s beautifully restored paintwork. “The level of detail here tells me you are capable of loving something.”
Dean held the passenger door open for Gabriel and let him settle before going around to the other side.
“If you’re into cars, we’re gonna have a lot of fun together.”
“I’m more of a motorbike man, but I can appreciate something like this.” Gabriel ran his fingertips over the glossy walnut of the dashboard. “Even if you don’t believe in original features.”
“There’s nothing that can’t be improved.” Dean shrugged. “We’ve got plenty of room for a bike or six, if that’s what’ll make you happy.”
Gabriel snorted. “I can only ride one at a time. But if I’m going to be kept barefoot and pregnant, I’d appreciate a project.”
“Hey,” Dean turned to him. “I want you as a mate, okay? Not a weird fifties housewife. An equal. And I’d love a family and stuff, but that doesn’t have to be right away or anything.”
Gabriel looked at Dean as though he was an idiot. “You’ve… your people don’t do soulbonding ceremonies, do you?”
“Not really, but I understand it’s a big deal. A clan alpha has to be soulbonded to an omega in good standing to maintain their position, or it’s open season.”
“I have literally no doubt you were conceived the same day your parents were bonded. We’re both young and in good health. Unless you want to lock yourself in a different room once we’ve been bonded, I will fall pregnant within a day.”
“And you’re… you’re ready for that?” Dean swallowed. He hadn’t realized fatherhood was already on the horizon.
“I made this agreement, didn’t I?” Gabriel shrugged. “One thing I have always wanted is a baby. You’re an excellent prospect for a father, and you’ll have no choice but to be loyal to your children. You can protect them. That’s more or less what I’m here for.”
“Huh.” Dean took a moment to process that information, and then grinned. “So I’m gonna be a dad.”
“Yes. Are you ready for that?”
“I think I am,” Dean said slowly. “I think I’d really like that.”
“Good. Then we’re on the same page.” Gabriel rolled the window down a crack and sniffed at the air. “I’m going to miss these woods.”
“They’re fifteen minutes from the house. You should still be able to smell them from there. And you can spend every day out here, if you want.”
Gabriel laughed softly. “You still have no idea how bonding works, but you’re about to find out.”
That sounded ominous to Dean, but his parents had always seemed fine to him. Perhaps there were things he didn’t know, but that was half the fun in life—rushing headlong into the unknown.
***
“Hey.”
Gabriel jumped at the sound of Dean's voice, barely stopping himself from snarling at him. He’d need to get used to being in close-quarters with his new mate, and soon. In this house full of strange smells and suburban noises, it was hard to get used to anything. He missed the quiet of the woods already, and it’d only been a few days.
“Sorry, I gotta learn not to sneak up on you.” Dean smiled sheepishly. For a man of his size, he was surprisingly stealthy. Gabriel didn’t even think he was doing it on purpose—being light of foot seemed to come naturally to Dean.
He was a strange man, to say the least, but he seemed harmless enough. Harmless enough to anyone who wasn’t trying to harm him, anyway. Gabriel had no doubt that he could tear the head off just about any opponent, if sufficiently motivated.
“Was there something you wanted?” Gabriel fidgeted with the tie he’d been trying on. Dean’s family wanted a formal affair for the bonding ceremony, and Gabriel didn’t object, exactly, he’d just never worn a suit in his entire life. He had no idea how to tie a tie, and the internet was only being so helpful.
“Lemme do that for you?” Dean strode over to him, his posture open. Gabriel hesitated, not wanting to show weakness, but he really couldn’t figure the tie out by himself. His mother had tried to impress upon him that sometimes, he’d need to ask for help, and there was no shame in taking it when it was freely offered.
Until today, it hadn’t ever come up in his adult life.
“What kind of knot are we going for, here?” Dean asked as he took the two ends of the tie in his hands. They were nearly of a height, with only a couple of inches between them, but Dean was much broader and stockier than Gabriel. His fingers looked enormous and unwieldy, wrapped around Gabriel’s tie.
“Any would be an improvement,” Gabriel admitted. “The internet has only been so helpful.”
“Let’s go for a classic double windsor.” Dean began weaving the two ends together, and though Gabriel tried to follow what he was doing, he soon got dizzy watching. He looked up at Dean’s face again, studying the lines of his brow, furrowed in concentration.
There was no question that Dean was a handsome man; eminently masculine, fair of face, broad-shouldered and heavy-set. He was the picture of what an alpha should be, and reminded Gabriel of his own late father, or at least what few memories he had of him.
“There.” Dean patted Gabriel’s chest lightly and stepped back to let him turn and look in the mirror. “You clean up nice.”
“Your mother thinks I need a haircut.” Gabriel tucked an errant lock of hair behind his ear, as if to prove her point for her.
“I’ll tell her to lay off,” Dean promised, moving to stand behind Gabriel. They made a striking pair, Gabriel was forced to admit. Dean’s skin was a shade or two darker than his, his hair fair and sun-kissed, his eyes a warm brown. Gabriel was pale and bright-eyed, with a mop of unruly black hair, the marker of his family line.
“We look good together,” Dean said, as if reading his thoughts. “Anyway, I’ve got something to show you, but you might wanna take the monkey suit off first.”
Gabriel glanced at his perfectly-tied tie in dismay. He could never replicate the knot.
“Just loosen it and pull it over your head. You can re-tighten it a couple of times, as long as you’re careful, before the knot starts to look weird.”
“I bet you say that to all the pretty omegas,” Gabriel smirked. He was pleased with himself when Dean looked momentarily taken aback.
Dean cleared his throat. “I am a total virgin really hoping instinct is good enough to go on, actually.”
Gabriel blinked at him for a few moments. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.” Dean nodded.
“Wow. I mean, no judgement, obviously. I’ve never had an alpha because of the whole near-hundred-percent chance of pregnancy thing, but, uh, I’m not…” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Not a total innocent, shall we say?”
Dean’s eyes lit up. “Are you telling me you’re no angel?”
Gabriel glared at him, but not seriously. “I’m gonna change out of these clothes, and you can either watch, or wait outside,” he said with a sudden surge of confidence. He wasn’t exactly nervous or afraid of Dean, but he liked feeling like he had the upper hand in one or two areas. Regardless of Dean’s continued insistence that they were, in his mind, equals, that was a designation he’d chosen to give to Gabriel, and one Gabriel was aware could be revoked at any moment.
Material advantages made him more comfortable, and this was a good one to have.
“I’ll wait outside. It’s probably bad luck to see you naked before we bond.” Dean disappeared from the room at record speed, almost too fast to see.
Following Dean’s instructions about the tie, Gabriel undressed and then joined him outside, back in his jeans and faded t-shirt. He got the impression that Dean liked him more when he was dressed down, which was good, because he wasn’t about to start dressing like a silver-service waiter every day.
“So what're you showing me?” Gabriel asked, falling into step with Dean.
“You'll see. It's just in the garage. Call it a wedding present.”
Gabriel only had limited time to wonder about whatever Dean was about to show him before he was standing in front of a huge shipping crate in the garage. As he stared at it, wondering what it might be, Dean handed him a crowbar.
“Open it.” He nodded to the crate. “It's all yours.”
Gabriel took the crowbar from him, shrugged, and then moved to lever the top off the crate. Once it was open and he looked inside, Gabriel gasped in shock.
“Wow,” he pronounced slowly. “This is…”
“I mean, I know it's in terrible condition, but you said you wanted a project. I doubt it even runs, but I've seen them restored nice, and I've got all the equipment here.” Dean threw his arms wide to indicate the workspace that the garage contained.
Gabriel stared down into the box containing a 1914 Indian motorcycle—a bike which, even in rough condition, was worth a year's wages for him, at least.
“I don't know what to say. Thank you, obviously, but…”
“I'd like to think this would help you understand how welcome—how wanted you are here. I've been shuffling around this place by myself for years. I'm so grateful to have someone to share this ridiculous life with. I want you to know that.”