Shadow Of A Mate

by SA Welsh

  Blinking, Kyle turned in the direction of the sound and saw Kane and Nikko were there, too. Nikko was standing between and a little behind Mam and Papa. Kane on the other hand was at the edge of the bed looking up at him with big eyes and a serious expression on his face.

  What was the question he’d been asked? Oh yeah. A quick glance at Jay confirmed what he was supposed to say. His mate was nodding adamantly.

  “Yes, I guess I am. Wow, two brothers. Hey, now we’ll be able to dress up as the Avengers for Halloween. I call Thor!” He shot his hand in the air and smiled. It was silly, but had the desired effect as everyone relaxed and started laughing at his antics.

  Nikko cocked his head and frowned. “What’s the Avengers?”

  Kane climbed onto the bed and kicked his feet as he giggled.

  Letting himself sink back onto the bed, he laughed, too. “I have got so much to show you, big brother. We’re going to need a massive amount of junk food, snacks and soda.” And they were going to shut themselves into the media room and gorge themselves on sitcoms, films and TV series until Nikko was thoroughly caught up with the modern world.

  Mam clucked her tongue. “Not until after the doctor gives Nikko the all clear to eat whatever he likes.”

  Kyle waited until Mam looked away before glancing at Nikko and rolling his eyes. His brother snorted and ducked behind Papa when Mam narrowed her eyes in suspicion at Kyle.

  Papa shrugged as if he didn’t know what they were laughing at, but Kyle saw the small twitch at the corner of his mouth.

  Putting his embarrassment and the lack of Avenger knowledge aside, everything was wonderful, as if everything with Katrianna hadn’t happened.

  It all seemed too good to be true. And Kyle was too realistic to believe in it.

  Sobering, he rolled to the side and grabbed a pair of jeans out of the dresser. He always kept a pair there in case he needed to dress quickly. He put them on under the sheet then got out of bed. “Can I talk to you please, Papa?”

  Once everyone had filed out of his suite, he and Papa headed outside and wandered to a small area where the trees were thick enough to hide them from anyone watching from the house, but not so thick that they were crowded.

  “Why are we out here, Kyle?”

  “I think you can guess,” he answered quietly. His heart pumped faster and his jaguar whined inside as he thought about what had to happen now. Two full alphas couldn’t share the same territory.

  His father’s eyes glowed with repressed alpha power and Kyle found his own rising in answer. His jaguar wanted to be top cat. So did Papa’s. This was one of the things they needed to sort out.

  Biting the bullet, Kyle banked his need to challenge his father and forced the words past his lips.

  “It was unusual before, me being here as an alpha in waiting. Now, I’m technically a mature alpha with power of my own it will be impossible. I can feel it growing again, but at a much more stable level. I don’t want other alphas to see Pack Valley as weak because you’re letting me stay,” he said, sharing his fears.

  “We knew before we forced your alphahood to manifest that the consequences would be harsh and complicated.” Papa stopped walking and Kyle came to a halt, too.

  “Yes, but neither of us actually expected it to work or for me to come back,” he said with a bitter laugh. He flinched as he heard himself. “Sorry.”

  Arthwr remained stoic, eyes glowing. “My jaguar needs to readdress the status quo here, son. Do you challenge me?”

  Kyle gulped and nodded. He knew they needed to do this. “Yes.”

  “Then shift,” Arthwr ordered.

  Letting his jaguar free, Kyle unleashed his alpha side. Since battling Katrianna, the power was a steady stream instead of an unstoppable river. It made him strong and not a crazed shadow of himself who couldn’t recognise his own friends.

  He shifted only a second slower than his father and as soon as his four paws hit the earth, the challenge became serious.

  If their beasts could come to some agreement then Kyle had a chance of remaining with the pack. His heart would break if he had to ask Jay to move with him after his mate had only just come to terms with having a family and a home.

  But there couldn’t be any holding back here otherwise their cats would know and the resentment would fester. Kyle really didn’t want to be alpha, not yet and he imagined not for a long time. He knew he had so much to learn and his betas did, too.

  Kyle gave himself over to his primal nature and let that control his actions. He faked left. The alpha jaguar saw it coming, smacked his flank and hissed, slashing his long tail side to side mockingly.

  Ego bruised from the hit, Kyle snarled and flicked his ears back.

  The fight was on.

  Prancing to the side, Kyle tried to swipe out and land a blow to his opponent’s head. The bigger jaguar swung around and countered with an almighty jab to his jaw that sent him stumbling to the side.

  He recovered and dug his back claws into the earth.

  Once he’d gathered himself, he launched and tackled the other alpha jaguar. They tumbled across the forest floor, fighting for position and Kyle couldn’t believe how difficult it was to gain any kind of upper hand.

  Every time he thought he had his rival on the ground, the jaguar would twist and force Kyle to the ground instead.

  It went on like this for a few more turns until Kyle chanced a manoeuvre that should have thrown the jaguar into the air and toppling off him. But his opponent blocked him and used his momentum to toss him up in the air. When he was airborne and vulnerable the bigger jaguar launched his attack, grasping his foreleg and dragging him back to dirt with incredibly strong jaws, teeth catching in his skin.

  His adversary pinned him with one massive paw and knocked the air from his lungs.

  Shit. Kyle knew Papa was strong, but this was like going up against the Hulk.

  He rolled and bucked, trying to dislodge the other male. Nothing he did had any effect. All he was doing was wearing himself out.

  Realising that he was nowhere near strong enough to take his father in the fight, his body went limp. Papa’s teeth sank into his neck and Kyle relaxed at the dominant touch. He didn’t want to be in charge or be strong. He only wanted his mate and family safe.

  Relief so strong that he whimpered flooded him and he dared to hope that he could stay here.

  Papa shifted back to human, kneeling next to him and began running hands over him. “Are you okay? Kyle, shift so I can see the damage.”

  Changing back, he fell into his father’s arms. “I’m fine. I’m okay, just so relieved, Papa. I was so scared.”

  “Oh, son.” Papa held him tightly as Kyle let out shuddery breaths and let himself release the stress he’d been under since Nikko had come home. For one reason or another he’d had to be strong, be alpha. Now he could just be him and let his Papa comfort him.

  “I am so proud of you. You’re a good man, but you’ve shown that you might grow into a great one.” Papa hugged him tight and Kyle truly relaxed for the first time in ages.

  They stayed like that until shouting came from near the house.

  “Kyle. Kyle! Lorrie’s here,” Mack shouted and ran toward them.

  Kyle looked up, deferring to his father as to what to do.

  Pleased, Arthwr nodded. “We’re over here, Mack.”

  “Papa?” Kyle felt the need to make sure they’d settled things.

  “It’s okay. Go see the wisewoman. We’ll make it work, son.” Arthwr offered him a hand and Kyle took it, letting Papa pull him to his feet.

  Standing, he hesitated. He felt like a little boy again, uncertain whether he was doing the right or wrong thing. “Papa?”

  Papa put a hand around the back of his neck to yank him into a hug. “I promise it will be okay. We’ll figure it out as we go. Besides, we may both be alphas, but our mates are the ones in charge anyway. We just do what they tell us.”

  Kyle couldn’t argue that. “You’re right.” />
  “Remember that,” Papa told him with a laugh and pushed him in the direction of where Mack had shouted from.

  When he, Jay and Lorrie got to Logan’s room after meeting Lorrie in the hall, he gestured to the chairs scattered about the place and offered Lorrie a seat. She looked like she needed it. She took the chair closest to the bed where Logan lay.

  Jay was the first one to speak. “My grandmother gave me a message for you.”

  Jay got settled on the chair and Kyle didn’t bother resisting the urge to pull him close and dip his head down into Jay’s neck.

  Instantly the scent of his mate filled his nose and Kyle gave the bare skin a lick. His jaguar was still feeling particularly possessive. He was damn lucky that Jay didn’t seem to mind.

  Holding her breath, Lorrie sat forward in a rush, clearly eager to hear from Leanna. “What did she say?”

  “Well it was more of a message for both of you,” Jay amended, looking between Kyle and Lorrie. “She said that you had done more than you knew and to thank you—” Jay turned to Lorrie “—and to tell you that she is finally with her Hathor again.”

  Lorrie reacted as if Jay had struck her and Kyle feared for a second that whatever the message was, was not a good one. Then the older woman smiled and laughed even as tears overflowed from her eyes. “That is a miracle. A wondrous thing, indeed.”

  She laughed and cried until she was exhausted and Kyle noticed little things that he hadn’t before when he’d greeted her.

  “Are you okay, Lorrie?” Kyle didn’t want to be rude, but she looked nothing like how she had when they’d seen her in the Moonlight Mountain pack. She appeared frail and her age was showing while her skin had a translucent quality to it. There were a few more lines around her eyes and mouth where she had had flawless skin before.

  “Much of my strength is gone. Temporarily. I used a lot of it fighting my way through Katrianna’s wards. I will be fine in a few days. Think of it like running a marathon after not sleeping for a week then sparring with Captain America at the finish line. That would probably come close to how I feel right now,” she said with a smirk and a sparkle in her eye.

  “So who is Hathor?”

  Lorrie hesitated and Kyle tensed. What was she going to tell them?

  “When I entered the young wolf’s mind, I felt something familiar. I was able to connect with him because he has magic in his blood, but there was a signature to it that I hadn’t seen for a long, long time.” She paused again, taking a deep breath and rubbing her fingers together as if she was cold.

  Kyle got up to grab a blanket off the back of the sofa and threw it over her legs.

  Fingering the soft fabric, she smiled warmly at him. “You’re both such sweet boys.”

  Jay cuddled back into his side when he returned. “I know that whatever you’re about to tell us isn’t good from how often you’ve put it off. Last time I saw you, you couldn’t wait to blurt things out.”

  Kyle looked down in shock at Jay’s dry tone, but relaxed when he saw Jay winking at Lorrie and grinning.

  “Cheeky. You’ve been picking up bad habits from your Grandmother. All the stories she told you are lies. The trouble we got into together was nearly always her fault,” Lorrie asserted with a sniff.

  “The paternal signature in Logan’s blood was similar to someone I knew.” Lorrie paused to take a breath before forging ahead. “Logan’s father was your grandmother’s mate. He was stolen away from her when your mother was young, only about ten or so. It seems Katrianna wanted him to create a powerful mix between shifter and witch blood. So she spelled him away from Leanna and forced him to have a child with her. But she underestimated the mate bond as it eroded the spell placed on him. Your grandfather—Hathor—knew he would never be free of Katrianna and the throbbing pain of betraying his mate fuelled his determination. He burned the house down with both of them in it.”

  Jay sat forward, taking Kyle with him since his mate was hugging his arm tightly to his chest. “What about Logan?”

  Closing her eyes briefly, Lorrie managed to look younger again. When she opened them there was a glint of something dangerous. “Hathor was the one that named him and had planned to send Logan to your grandmother. Leanna would never have turned away a pup and he knew she was my best friend and that my son was a wolf. Logan would be loved and well cared for.”

  Resignation and pity settled in his gut and he clutched Jay to him. “That’s not what happened though, is it?”

  Tears glistened in Lorrie’s eyes as she looked over at Logan and stroked his dark fur. “No. Katrianna survived the fire, she had blood crystals with stolen power in them hidden in the house. She tracked down Leanna, knowing that is where Logan would be. Your grandmother was broken deep inside by Hathor’s death, but she was a good mother to Marion and had accepted Logan as her own, too. It had only been two days, but Leanna already loved Logan. When she had a vision of Katrianna coming for the pup she hid Marion and Logan away and faced the witch on her own.”

  “Oh no,” Jay exclaimed, sinking into Kyle. They could both see where this was going.

  Lorrie continued smoothing Logan, patting his head gently. “Yes. Weak from Hathor’s death, Leanna was defeated, but Katrianna still couldn’t find the children. Until... Logan was only a pup you see—barely six months old—but he knew something was wrong and wriggled free of the safe place Leanna had put him. He ran all the way home in puppy form. Only to find his beloved new mother dead on the floor. He howled at her side, whining and nudging her with his little nose. Then the bitch that birthed him snatched him away. My coven and pack arrived too late. Katrianna left no trail for us to follow. We only found Marion. A week later, my coven and I used a scrying bowl to see what happened that night.”

  Kyle’s heart bled for his friend and pack mate. He didn’t know whether Logan even remembered any of this, but it was heart-breaking to hear how much everyone had lost.

  “That’s terrible.” Jay uncurled from the chair and moved over to Lorrie, folding her into a hug.

  “I know it doesn’t ease the pain or make anything right, but Logan is here now. He got away from Katrianna on his own, made a place for himself in this pack and unknowingly forged a friendship with his nephew. Despite everything Katrianna did, she didn’t win,” Kyle said forcefully, hoping they could see the silver lining.

  Ending the hug with Lorrie, Jay looked over at him and wrinkled his nose. “I already have an uncle and he’s kind of an ass sometimes even if he did let you beat him up. I’m not sure if I want another one.”

  Rolling his eyes, Kyle reached out and took Jay’s hand, tugging him into his lap while Lorrie laughed at them. “He didn’t let me beat him up. Okay, how about a big brother. I think Logan would be okay with that.”

  “That sounds good. I always wanted a brother. Will he teach me to drive, do you think?” Jay sounded surprisingly calm about all this, but then his mate had just spent a great deal of time talking to his dead mother and grandmother while an evil witch drained his life force so he imagined that helped put things in perspective.

  Long lost brothers seemed to be popping up all over the place.

  Then he realised what Jay had asked him and winced at the thought of Jay driving. He didn’t have the best track record with cars. He still remembered what happened with his parents’ car when they were twelve.

  “I saw that, Ky. You were as much to blame for crashing Papa’s car into the fence as I was,” Jay argued sternly, quickly looking around as if Papa and Mam would appear at any moment and yell at them.

  “Hey, I wasn’t the one in the driver’s seat.” Kyle held up his hands.

  Jay gaped at him in shock and jabbed him in the side. “I can’t believe you just threw me under the bus when we swore never to speak of it again.”

  “That was before you threatened me with the thought of you driving again,” Kyle tossed back, smiling and loving every minute of the teasing. He’d thought that he’d never have this again.

  Abo
ut the Author

  There really is nothing better than a good book and a big mug of tea on a rainy day, which is often needed when considering the wet weather in Wales. She is rarely found without a book of some description on her person and a notebook, she can always be seen scribbling and doodling while lost in thought about sometimes random nonsense or day dreaming about alternate worlds of fiction. Real life may not be much fun but the imagination allows infinite possibilities to be explored and lots of naughty fun too if you’re up to the challenge. So in the words of a crazy scientist—I reject your reality and submit one of my own. Happy reading.