by Noah Harris
“I got it,” Mikael grunted, giving a final heave and getting the box up and over the lip of the hatch of the truck, giving it another shove to push it closer to the front of the bed. “The hell did you even put in that damn thing, bricks?”
“It’s for your mom, Mikael.”
“What, she needs bricks?”
Dean rolled his eyes, setting the smaller box he was carrying beside the truck rather than in the truck itself. They had spent a solid 15 minutes debating how to consolidate everything that they were bringing with them back to The Grove. Since Apollo’s return the night before with a summons from Samuel, they’d been rushing to secure everything they would need. What they had needed, however, had been the source of their current debate.
Most of it was extra food that they wouldn’t need, for even with Apollo accompanying them, there was plenty of stored food for them to go through. Money might be a bit tight, but they certainly wouldn’t starve. The rest was various supplies that Mikael had thought would be helpful with whatever repairs or building that might still need to be done, and ironically, had not contained any bricks or stones whatsoever.
“With you and Samuel around, she has more than enough hard surfaces to break things over,” Dean told Mikael dryly, which only earned him another scowl. It was about as close to bickering as they got, both of them understanding that the other was half serious, and half joking. It was the one way they knew how to deal with each other’s stubbornness, though Dean would say that Mikael was far more stubborn than he was. Dean just happened to be more fiery on occasion, and sometimes that won out.
“You’re so witty,” Mikael huffed, bending to pick up the box Dean had just set down and maneuvering it into whatever position he had created for maximum packing space. Dean didn’t bother to reply, as he was enjoying the view of Mikael’s arm muscles bunching up as he shoved boxes around just out of Dean’s view. It didn’t help his distraction that Mikael’s coat and shirt had ridden up as he stretched, giving Dean a clear view of his taut stomach.
“Quit ogling,” Mikael’s muffled voice came from the truck, already sounding amused. Dean looked away as innocently as possible. Mikael had become more aware of Dean’s presence and his gaze ever since that night in front of the fireplace. In his own way, Dean had also been more aware of Mikael. Mostly it was just wanting to touch the man more than he had before, which was already often enough. Though every now and then, he could tell by the dull pulse of pain in his shoulder, that Mikael was watching him intently.
Mikael slid out from the truck and craned his neck to see past Dean, “That all of it?”
Dean frowned, about to answer, when Apollo’s soft voice rose up behind him. “This is the last of the stuff you two had set out.”
Yelping in undignified surprise, Dean whirled around to glare at Apollo, “How the hell… How long have you been there?”
Apollo squinted at him, “Less than a minute.”
“How did you get out of the house and across a layer of snow without me hearing anything?”
Come to think of it, Apollo could slip past his notice much too easily at times. He’d somehow managed to come back into the house the night the Williams had visited without Dean even noticing a shift in air pressure from the front door opening. He could have missed his entrance from being distracted while talking to Mrs. Williams, but he had no idea how the quiet man had stealthily walked out the front door and across the noisy layer of snow and ice just now. It was that very real quiet that made his voice all the more startling when he did decide to talk. Apollo didn’t have a loud voice, but it always seemed so much louder than it should be when he did speak up.
“Getting a taste of your own medicine?”
Dean turned to Mikael, frowning at his smirk, “That is not the same thing at all.”
“Uh huh…” Mikael took the box out of Apollo’s hands and walked back to the truck. “…because you don’t creep up on me all the time.”
Deciding to ignore Mikael, Dean turned to Apollo, “You going to ride with Mikael and me? Or are you going to go running back on all fours?”
Apollo raised one shoulder slowly and let it drop. “I enjoyed the run there and back, so I’ll do it again. That, and I’m sure they would prefer a warning of you coming so they can prepare.”
“Prepare? They’ve never had to prepare before, at least not that I’m aware of.”
Apollo’s eyes slipped to Dean’s right shoulder as he spoke, “Perhaps, but I’m sure they would prefer to be forewarned this time. I’m sure Mother would like a chance to prepare things ahead of time, and if I don’t give her that chance, she’ll have my hide.”
Dean flushed a little as he realized that Apollo was talking about the healing bite on his shoulder, a mark to show that he and Mikael had finally taken that permanent step, binding them to one another. The bond was still evolving, even he knew that. From what he could gather from the few notes in the books that Matalina had given him, it probably wouldn’t show its full effect until after it had healed completely. Each bite was different however, so neither of them knew what to expect beyond the vaguely phrased section in one journal that read: ‘and both will know a closeness that transcends the banal intimacy, bound through spirit as well as heart.’ Even Dean’s ability to sort out mumbo jumbo couldn’t make sense of that.
“You make it sound like it’s… bad, or something.”
Apollo chuckled softly, “No, far from it. Mother and Katarina will be thrilled, and Mother will want to arrange some sort of special welcome for you both, I’m sure. A fair chunk of The Grove will show up for the greeting, and begin clamoring for a celebration. A true mating only comes once in awhile, and it’s regarded as a reason to celebrate. Father will… well.”
“Be his normal self?”
Apollo said nothing, the only indication of his agreement was the small smile that remained on his face for a brief instant after Dean had spoken. He then nodded to the both of them and loped off back to the house. For a moment, Dean wondered why he simply didn’t change there, then realized he’d probably like the opportunity to strip in privacy. Then he remembered that werewolves weren’t exactly the shy types and snorted when it hit him that the quiet man had probably gone to say goodbye to Jax.
“What are you laughing about?”
Dean turned toward Mikael with a smirk, “Just thinking about how many family members of yours I’ve seen naked.”
Confused, Mikael cocked his head and apparently decided against asking where that came from. Shaking his head, he went back to covering the truck bed. Evidently his own packing job had passed his inspection and now needed to be protected from the elements. Dean seriously hoped it was less cold in The Grove, or he was going to end up wishing that he’d packed arctic gear rather than typical winter things.
As both he and Mikael had expected, Apollo’s news when he’d returned had been a summons from Samuel, telling them that it was time for them to return to The Grove. Dean had seriously been hoping that Samuel would wait until the weather warmed before calling them. Yet, it didn’t really surprise him that they were being summoned when everything was bitter and frozen.
“This had better be because there’s something going on and he’s not just checking on our progress,” Dean grumped, as Mikael slammed the back hatch closed.
“It is kind of his prerogative to look in on a pack member’s progress. Especially when that member is someone new for us all to deal with, and in a vulnerable position.”
“And he couldn’t just ask Apollo, or send some other messenger to take our message to him?”
At that, Mikael grinned at him. “Because you drive him crazy.”
“So what you’re saying is, this could just be your dad being petty to annoy me.”
“You going to tell me you wouldn’t take the opportunity to piss him off if given the chance?”
Dean barely hesitated as he opened the door to the truck, knowing almost instantly that it was true. Both he and Samuel were men who wer
e used to having things their own way for the most part, and they weren’t fond of being kept from it. Yet, they could also both be called responsible and intelligent men, mature and trustworthy. It wouldn’t stop them one bit from messing with the other one, though, if they thought it would work. Dean would never admit it to Mikael, but Dean and Samuel were alike in many ways except that Mikael had never gone through a phase where he was afraid of Dean. Mikael may have been afraid of what Dean represented, sure, but not of who he was and what he could do.
Dean had never been so glad for Mikael’s huge truck as he was on the drive to The Grove. Both of the Williams had looked at them like they’d lost their minds when Dean had asked for them to look after the place. Not because they wouldn’t do it, but because Dean was positive Mrs. Williams would be on her husband’s heels every time he came over to make sure that the house was in good condition. Really, they thought it was crazy that they would bother dealing with roads that were most likely unplowed and dangerous. Mikael had assured them that the paths back into the woods would have less snowfall, but they’d still looked convinced that they would hear about the two men having to be dug out of a snow drift somewhere.
There was definitely some sliding on the slicker roads, but overall, the truck proved to be an investment worth having. Mikael’s prediction about the forest roads having less snow proved to be accurate when they finally reached the main path leading to The Grove. There was still plenty of snow to worry about, and Dean’s own car would have ended up in a ditch or stuck in a snow bank as the Williams had obviously feared. The truck however, pushed through the snow at a steady pace and not once threatened to get stuck, though it did make the trip longer than usual.
Their approach to The Grove was marked by the snow on the road disappearing. Someone had been out here clearing the path, and Dean guessed it was recent. He wondered how recent it had been, considering the difficulty of shoveling a few snowfalls' worth. Apollo would have beaten them here for sure, even with the snow all over the place. A wolf, able to run straight to The Grove, would have made it here before them, especially with how slow the journey had been, even in the truck.
“You think they shoveled this after Apollo showed up and told them we were coming?” Dean asked, peering out the front window.
“Probably. Generally during the winters we don’t bother to clear even this much off of the roads. We always try to have all the supplies we need to get through the winter. Since there’s not a whole lot of work for me when everything is frozen, I usually just come back to The Grove until things start to defrost. So other than the scouts, who go out on foot, there isn’t much need to have the roads open.”
“So, this would be your mom’s doing then?”
“If I were to point the finger at anyone, it would be her. I think she’s more excited about this whole thing than we are.”
Dean looked at Mikael with a knowing smirk, “I don’t know about that.”
Mikael only turned briefly to look at Dean out of the corner of his eye, but that was enough to send a faint flutter through Dean’s core. The slow, knowing smirk at the corner of Mikael’s mouth didn’t help matters much, and Dean shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Why did they always have to flirt and start something every time they neared The Grove? The settlement would have been notified of a vehicle driving up, so everyone would be expecting them, and it was too late to park at the side of the road to have a bit of fun. That, and they were probably being escorted without knowing it. Despite Dean’s various kinks, he wasn’t too keen on being watched having sex with Mikael by a few perving werewolves.
When they pulled closer to the clearing that marked the beginning of The Grove, Dean spotted the crowd of people waiting for them near the entrance. It wasn’t the coldest day they’d had lately, but it was still too cold for there to be that many people. Apollo had been right about those in the settlement wanting to greet them after the news he would have delivered. A wave of nerves washed through Dean as he realized he was going to be facing down Mikael’s pack, which was basically his pack now, with the knowledge that everyone knew what the two of them had been up to. Somehow, the knowledge that they were now mated made him more nervous than the fact that everyone knew they had been sleeping together.
“You okay?”
Dean blinked in surprise at Mikael, not realizing he was broadcasting his nervousness so blatantly. “Oh. Um, yeah, just kind of hit me is all. Kinda feels like we eloped in secret or something, and now we have to face your family and deal with the fallout.”
“Our.”
“Our?”
“Our family.”
The correction made Dean smile, a sense of warmth soothing the nerves. “Our family then.”
“And it’s not eloping, you goof. Mating is always a super private sort of thing, it’s not like getting married where you have everyone you know showing up to watch you make vows and all that.”
“I know, I just meant it feels a bit like that is all. You do realize if we continue living together for awhile, we’re going to have to deal with Mrs. Williams asking about getting married, right? Like, that’s totally legal now, and she’s going to start pushing.”
“She’s gonna be okay with you marrying me?”
“I dealt with it.”
“You... actually never mind, I’m not even going to ask, because I know how you two are. And do you want to get married?”
Dean thought about that for a moment, nodding after a pause, “Don’t see why not. I mean, we just bound ourselves together with that bite. We’re tied to one another spiritually now, might as well make it legal too. Wait, you guys have like… actual government identities and all that, right?”
Mikael laughed, “I even have a social security number. We’re all citizens of the country Dean, pay taxes and everything. I can get married… do I have to wear a tux?”
Now it was Dean’s turn to laugh, “I would have to invite the Williams’ to the wedding Mikael, do you think for one minute that Mrs. Williams would let us show up in jeans?”
“Yeah, but a tux? Ain’t no one in The Grove owns one of those, and you really don’t want us showing up in our ceremonial clothes.”
“Maybe we can compromise on a nice pair of pants and a button up then.”
Mikael slipped the truck into park among the piles of snow off to the side of the entrance, rather than pushing forward to where he normally parked. Dean glanced out the passenger window, wondering why they weren’t already being crowded by people as they had the last time. When he spotted Matalina’s slender form at the front of the crowd, he understood why they were behaving themselves. The woman was a darling, but Dean always sensed something utterly terrifying beneath it all.
When the door opened, he breathed deeply of the chill air. It wasn’t nearly as cold here as it had been back on the farm. The trees had provided a comfortable wall against the winds that howled across his own property, and he suspected that even without a layer of leaves, the many trees that grew all around provided a trap for the heat as well. It was by no means warm, but it was a far more tolerable cold than outside the protection of the forest.
He breathed deeply as he closed the door behind him, taking in the scent of the snowy forest. Immediately the residual nerves within him melted away, like walking into the greenhouse. There was something about this place now that hadn’t been there even the last time he’d visited. A drowsy sense of comfort seemed to radiate from The Grove, filling him with a peacefulness. Faintly, he could hear the sounds of the cairn, the same volume as when he had walked through the old woods, but from a more considerable distance away.
“Huh, that’s different,” he grunted, eyeing the patch of forest that would have lead him there.
“What’s up?” Mikael sidled up beside him, having crossed in front of the truck and followed Dean’s gaze.
“I can… hear the trees again, but from here.”
Chuckling, Mikael curled his arm around Dean’s shoulders and began walking forwar
d with him teasing, “My mate, the tree whisperer.”
Dean knew that Mikael was teasing him, but the press of his arm and being called his mate only served to distract him from the playful jab. A happy flush filled his face as they walked toward the anxious crowd. Matalina stood at the head of the assemblage, and Katarina stood almost directly behind her, grinning from ear to ear.
“My son,” Matalina said warmly as they approached, reaching forward to hug Mikael, catching him by surprise. The look on his face made Dean laugh and draw away from them so that they could have their moment which lasted about as long as it took Katarina to wrap her own arms around Dean and heft him up in a bear hug. Dean yelped with indignation at being picked up, trying to wriggle out of her grip so that he could hug her like a proper adult.
“Now I get to have two pain-in-the-ass brothers,” Katarina proclaimed with all the pride and joy of a new parent.
“Katarina! Put me down!”
“It’s how I show my love”, she protested.
“Your love is both embarrassing and a little painful.”
She dropped him with an unabashed laugh. “What’s the point of family if they don’t embarrass you once in awhile? It’s so quiet around here without you two stirring things up.”
Huffing, Dean brushed himself off, “We do not stir things up.”
“No, but interesting events do tend to follow you both around all the same.” Dean turned to Matalina’s voice just in time for the graceful woman’s arms to wrap around his shoulders and pull him into a hug. Dean grunted in surprise, giving Mikael his turn to laugh at the look on Dean’s face. It didn’t stop him from returning the hug, since this one was both a pleasant surprise and one that didn’t involve his feet leaving the ground in the process.
“Apollo wasn’t kidding, you guys really are excited,” Dean noted as he pulled back from the hug with a bewildered smile.