by Noah Harris
Dylan still had his doubts in the back of his mind when it came to Blake. Did he really like Blake, or was he just a victim of circumstance? Was he only drawn to Blake because Blake liked him and was kind to him? Was it only a physical attraction he felt? Was he staying with him because it was easy? Was he staying with him because he was pregnant? The questions were still there, but they were slowly being stifled and smothered out by a newly found confidence gained from spending more time with Blake of his own accord and not because their jobs demanded it.
He decided that it didn’t matter if he was a victim of circumstance. Wasn’t everyone in a relationship? Everything could be considered a coincidence. Alex wouldn’t have ended up with Ben if he hadn’t accidentally spilled coffee on him at work. Circumstance dictated their lives. And what did it matter if his feelings grew because Blake was kind to him? Plenty of relationships started off that way. Blake was kind, Blake cared about him, and most importantly, Blake made him happy. His body reacted strongly to Blake’s, and he craved the man’s company. He made him comfortable and content. Not for the first time, Dylan had to convince himself to just let himself be happy and accept Blake. Opening himself up to a relationship was difficult, but he was getting there.
He still hadn’t told Blake about his pregnancy. That was a whole different can of worms. He still wasn’t even sure he wanted the baby. The thought of it still terrified him, and most of the time he tried not to think about it. Thinking about it made it real, and he wasn’t sure he was ready for that. But he was still occasionally reminded of it. When he saw his sister’s belly. Whenever families and kids were mentioned, and whenever Blake lovingly wrapped him up in his arms and his hands happened to fall on his stomach. He usually reacted strangely, pulling away from Blake and closing himself off. He knew Blake knew something was wrong, but he didn’t think the man had any idea what it could be.
The morning of the wedding was hectic. They woke up early and rushed around the house, trying to get dressed and make sure nothing was forgotten. They were one of the first ones to arrive at the venue, and it was like stepping into more chaos. People were rushing around, trying to finish setting everything up and making sure last minute preparations were ready. Aunt Margery immediately put them to work. She wanted everything perfect by the time the rest of the pack started to arrive.
It was an outdoor wedding, with a refurbished barn that was open on most sides and filled with tables for the reception. They finished setting up the chairs and decorating the area by the time the pack started to arrive. They came in waves, parking at the distant parking lot and walking across the field to where the wedding was to be held. Blake and his family arrived. He winked at Dylan as he sauntered past, tux bag thrown over his shoulder. He disappeared into the room where all of Ben’s groomsmen were getting ready.
Dylan was standing with his mother and sister, greeting guests, when Aunt Margery came bustling up to them. She was wringing her hands and in obvious distress.
“This is terrible! Absolutely terrible!” She muttered, glancing over her shoulder at the guests.
“What’s wrong, dear? Calm down, everything is going smoothly.” His mom said, putting her hands on her sister’s arms.
“Everything except for Alex! He’s locked himself in his room and won’t speak to any of his groomsmen or me! He won’t come out, and the wedding is scheduled to start soon!”
Dylan and Cynthia exchanged looks, and he sighed. “I’ll try to speak with him.”
She brightened immediately. “Oh, Dylan, would you? He’s always looked up to you, you know. Maybe he’ll speak with you!”
Dylan trudged up to the building where the rooms were and climbed the stairs. He found the room where the word “Bride” had a sign taped over it that read “Alex.” Some of Alex’s groomsmen were hovering around the door. Most of them were his friends, but a couple of them were cousins, like Ean. Dylan made eye contact with his brother and jerked his head toward the stairs. Ean got the hint and started to usher the others out of the hallway and down the stairs toward the main room. When they were gone, Dylan knocked on the door.
“Alex?”
There was a pause. “Dylan?”
“Yeah, can I come in?”
“I don’t want to talk to anyone!”
“Your mom isn’t here, and all your groomsmen are downstairs.”
The door cracked open, and Alex gazed out through the small slit. “It’s just you?”
“Just me. Now open up.”
Alex stepped aside to let Dylan in. He closed the door behind him. His cousin went to one of the couches and sat down with a sigh. His shoulders hunched, and he let his arms dangle between his legs. He looked dejected. He was already wearing his tux and looked ready to go.
Dylan sat down on the coffee table, leaning forward to rest his forearms on his knees. “Alright, what’s up?”
Alex looked up at him through his lashes, then away at the floor. “It’s nothing …”
“It’s obviously something.”
“It’s just … what if … what if I’m making the wrong decision?”
Dylan sighed. He had been afraid it would be something like this. “Why would you be making the wrong decision?”
Alex shifted uncomfortably. “I dunno, but like … what if it doesn’t work out?”
“If it’s worked out this long, why wouldn’t it continue to work out?”
“I don’t know, but like you two dated for years and it didn’t work out … we’ve only been together for one.”
Dylan sighed. “We were young, and we didn’t fit as well as we wanted to believe. And just because we didn’t work out doesn’t mean you won’t. He asked you to marry him, didn’t he?”
“Yes …” He mumbled.
“That right there is proof enough that he likes you. Ben isn’t the kind of guy who would get married just because. He’d have to be sure about it first.”
Alex glanced up at Dylan through his lashes. He looked a little hopeful, but he still didn’t look convinced.
Dylan sighed, leaning back and running his hand through his hair. “Look, do you like him?”
Alex blinked. “Yes, of course.”
“Are you happy with him?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want to be with him?”
“Well … yes, I do.”
“Then you should just let yourself be happy. There’s no point in ruining a good possible future for the small possibility that it might not work. The future is never a hundred percent, so you gotta do what makes you happy in the present.” As he spoke, Dylan felt a strange fluttering in his chest, and Blake’s image came to mind. He clenched a fist, trying to get his rapid heartbeat to calm down. Now wasn’t the time.
Alex didn’t notice his inner struggle. He was looking down at his hands. “You’re right.” He whispered. He clenched his fists and shook his head. When he looked up, he was grinning, and his eyes were bright. “You’re right!” He lurched forward off the couch and wrapped Dylan up in a hug. “Thanks, Dylan.”
“Anytime.” He said, awkwardly patting his cousin’s back. “Now will you please come out of this room before Aunt Margery has a heart attack?”
Alex giggled. “Yeah, could you go get her for me?”
When he told his aunt that Alex was ready, she embraced him tightly and kissed his cheeks, singing praises at him before she hurried off to attend to her son. Dylan found his way to the seat Cynthia had saved for him on Alex’s side. Not long after he had sat down, the wedding ceremony began.
Dylan wasn’t sure what to expect from himself emotionally when it came time to watch the wedding. But he was pleasantly surprised with himself. He watched Alex and Ben with a sort of detached indifference. He was happy for his cousin, and just hoped that Ben would treat him right. But after his acknowledgment of the couple, Dylan found his eyes resting on Blake. He looked fantastic in his suit as he stood by his brother. He stood relaxed, with a straight back and a serene smile on his lips. He caug
ht Dylan’s eye several times, and his smile would widen a fraction.
The reception was a huge event, which was to be expected with several hundred werewolves in attendance. The large refurbished barn was the center of it, but tables and dance areas sprawled out from it, decorated in strung up lights and flowers. The food was good, and he was willing to bet the wine was too, but he didn’t have any of it. When his parents asked, he gave them the same excuse he had been giving people: he wasn’t in the habit of drinking because he didn’t drink while on duty. They seemed to take that as a reasonable excuse, but Cynthia eyed him with a knowing smile. Dylan ate with his family, and Blake ate with his, but after the meal, they met up and were nearly inseparable.
Blake dragged Dylan out to dance, despite his protests that he couldn’t. And despite his pouting, he had fun. They played a few games that were scattered around and talked to several groups of people. They took pictures and dodged family members and ate cake. Blake gave a riveting speech about his brother that brought half the audience to tears. It was just the right amounts of touching, amusing, and sincere. Blake thrived in moments like these when he could use his words to charm and captivate people. And even though Dylan knew half of what he said was false, even he found himself moved by the speech.
Toward the end of the evening, the newly married couple were escorted to their car, and everyone cheered as they drove off. Once they were gone, the party continued. They had rented the venue for the entire night, and he had no doubt that some of the pack would be partying until dawn.
Once the couple was gone and his obligations had been fulfilled, Blake wasted no time pulling Dylan off to the side. He pulled him out of sight of others and kissed him soundly. “There’s something I want to show you.” He whispered against Dylan’s lips. Taking him by the hand, he pulled Dylan toward the woods.
They walked for nearly an hour. Blake held Dylan’s hand, pulling him along as they hurried through the woods at a quickened pace, hopping over fallen debris and dodging low branches. They walked in comfortable silence. The music and noise from the reception took a while to fade away fully, and when it did, they were left in the blissful sounds of the night. The sky was clear, and the moon had only recently started waning, lightening the night. It cast shadows throughout the woods. It was peaceful and calm, and a welcome difference from the busy party they had just left. They had been talking all evening, and it was refreshing to be in silence.
But after an hour of walking, Dylan spoke up. “It would have been quicker to use our wolf forms.” He pointed out.
Blake glanced behind him, not bothering to pause in his stride. In the stray strands of moonlight, he saw Blake flash a smirk. “And miss out on seeing you in a tux? I don’t think so.”
Dylan snorted and rolled his eyes. “Where are we going?”
“We’re almost there.” They walked for several more minutes. Dylan didn’t recognize where they were until they stepped out into a small clearing with a massive tree at its center. “Here we are,” Blake said, stopping in the small clearing. He grinned up at his tree house, which was barely visible at night. “Come on.”
He guided Dylan over to the climbing trees and started up them. Even in the dark, he barely faltered and didn’t slow down. He climbed the trees and up to his tree house with no difficulty. When it was Dylan’s turn, he paused, and Blake pulled out his phone, using the flashlight feature to guide Dylan’s way. When he reached the tree, and they climbed up to the tree house, he could already see the improvements.
The tree house had been cleaned up and no longer smelled of dirt and dust. A more durable wood had replaced the rotten wooden planks and painted with a waterproof stain. The waterproof curtains had been replaced with new ones. A rope ladder was hung from the tree house’s small porch to help the rest of the climb up to it. The inside had been cleaned out as well. A welcome mat that read “go away” was in front of the door. An outdoor rug was laid across most of the inside floor. The old furniture had been removed, and in its place was a couple of small metal shelves and a small dresser. Three outdoor folding chairs were folded up and standing in the corner. There was a cooler against one wall, filled with different kinds of soda and water bottles, and a plastic tub next to it, filled with various kinds of snacks and candy. The drawers were filled with a variety of comic books, board games, card games, and puzzle brain teasers. Anything to entertain oneself besides electronics. In one corner was a small safe. Dylan asked what was in it, but Blake only smiled and winked, holding a finger to his lips, and said that was between him and the next kids who used this tree house. He said he was going to put the combination on the map that would lead some kids here.
The map itself was rolled up and placed in an old looking glass bottle. He hadn’t put it anywhere yet. He didn’t want the fate of his hide-out to be in just anyone’s hands. He would choose its successor and subtly put the bottle somewhere where they would find it. Dylan thought it was a great idea.
Overall, the tree house seemed a lot sturdier and definitely a lot cleaner. They climbed out of it and back down the trees. Blake stood on the edges of the clearing, putting an arm around Dylan’s shoulder and pulling him close. Dylan leaned into his side, his arms wrapping around Blake’s waist. They both gazed up at the tree.
“You did an amazing job,” Dylan whispered, almost afraid to break the silence.
He felt the way Blake’s chest puffed out. “Thank you. It’s everything I wanted it to be. I just wish I could see the look on the kid’s face when they find it.”
Dylan smiled fondly. Blake seemed genuinely sad that he wouldn’t be able to share in the experience of passing on his hide-out. Still, he was very excited to do so. He knew he’d be making some kid’s life just a little bit better. He wasn’t sure if it was the wedding, or the peaceful silence, the recent happy days, or seeing Blake’s refurbished childhood hide-out, but something had put Dylan in a content and peaceful and tender mood. It might have even been his hormones, but either way, he leaned his head against Blake’s shoulders and cooed, “You’ll make a good dad.”
Blake chuckled. “I’ll take that as a compliment. But I see this more as a big brother sort of thing. No, when I have my own kids, they’re going to get a much better secret hide-out than this.”
He didn’t know what possessed him to say anything, but he knew he was going to. His eyes prickled with the threat of tears, and his arms tightened around Blake’s waist. “Blake …” He said softly, his voice choking up. He didn’t look up, but he felt the way Blake shifted, looking down at him. “I’m pregnant.”
There was a long silence, in which Dylan held his breath. He waited, and waited, but Blake didn’t say anything. Finally, he moved, shifting Dylan so that they faced each other, his hands on his shoulders. He stared at Dylan until he looked up, and then he searched his eyes. “You’re serious …?”
Dylan nodded. “My sister had me take a test. It was positive.”
“When?”
Dylan shrugged. He wanted to look away, but Blake wouldn’t let him. “When we were at the Shadow Pack.”
“You’re pregnant.”
Dylan nodded.
“With my … child?” He sounded stunned. His voice was quiet and wistful, with no real inflection to indicate how he felt about it. Then, slowly, a toothy grin broke out across his face. “We’re having a baby!” He bent down, wrapping his arms around Dylan’s waist. He picked him up and spun him around, despite Dylan’s shout of protest. Blake was laughing, nuzzling his face into Dylan’s chest as he spun him around.
When he set Dylan on his feet again, he wasted no time kissing him all over. His nose, his cheeks, his forehead, his chin, his jaw, and his lips. Dylan let him continue for a moment before pushing him away. “You’re not … upset?” He asked, raising an eyebrow and eyeing Blake cautiously.
The alpha was grinning. “Upset? Why would I be upset?”
“Because … we didn’t ask for this. We weren’t … we’re not prepared. We don’t know
how to have a baby.” He was frowning, his voice rising to a hysterical pitch in panic as his fears came to the surface.
Blake stopped him by kissing him firmly on the lips, and Dylan relaxed into him. He held him close, and Dylan melted into his arms. When Blake leaned back from their kiss, he looked down at Dylan, smiling softly as he raised an eyebrow. “Better?” Dylan nodded silently. Blake put a hand on the back of his head, rubbing his neck as Dylan buried his face in the curve of his shoulder. “We weren’t prepared, but that doesn’t mean we can’t handle it. We’re trained to deal with being unprepared, aren’t we?” Dylan could hear the fond smile in his voice. “And no matter what happens, I’ll be here for you. With you. We’ll handle this together.”
Dylan wrapped his arms around Blake’s waist. “I love you.” He whispered, and as he did, he knew it was true. It was the truth he wanted to deny. A truth that he didn’t want to admit to himself. But there it was, out in the open. He loved Blake. As twisted and complicated as their meeting and lives have been, Dylan had fallen in love with him.
Blake kissed him then, and in that kiss, Blake could feel the words: I love you, too. He felt the promise, the affection, and everything that Blake was. It felt like home. He didn’t know how life was going to be, or where it would take him, but it didn’t seem so terrifying if Blake was at his side.
He didn’t know what the future held, but he knew one thing was for certain: this child would have two loving fathers, one a soldier and one a spy.
Notes from author
Thank you so much for reading Wild Shores! I want you to join our MM Lovers Tribe! Every month I giveaway a free book to my email subscribers and get to interact on a personal level with MM lovers! If you’re the right one, join us ;) www.authornoah.com/join