Real Love

by Sophie Martin

  “What has you smiling?” his lover asked. Luc couldn’t help but beam at him a bit more.

  “You’ve been officially adopted by my parents, and you’re already their favourite. They just both warned me not to take advantage of you.”

  “They what?” Jack was clearly stunned. Lucas couldn’t help but laugh at that.

  “They love you and are very protective of you. I think they’d disown me if I ever hurt you,” he explained. Lucas was glad. “It’s perfect. I absolutely adore that.” Jack didn’t look convinced, but when Lucas kissed him, he returned it.

  “Eww, Dad, that’s gross. Keep to behind the closed doors, will you?” Brian’s voice interrupted the sweet moment.

  “I think they’re sweet and romantic kissing like that,” Ruby countered.

  “No, they’re not. They’re our dads. Parents kissing is not romantic. It’s gross and embarrassing,” Brian insisted stubbornly.

  “How about grandparents?” Luc’s dad asked loudly as he pulled his wife to him and kissed her soundly with a back dip to emphasise it.

  “Eww, double gross!” But Brian was laughing now and shaking his head. Teenagers. Lucas had to remember this moment and take his revenge when Brian started dating. Strange stillness of his lover caught Luc’s attention and he peered at Jack. Jack’s eyes were huge as he stared at the kids, now loading into the car.

  “What is it?” Luc asked.

  “Brian, he…” Jack swallowed before finishing. “He said ‘dads.’ He called me his dad as well.” Lucas smiled at that.

  “So he did. But why does that surprise you? You had to expect it, right? You’re marrying their dad, so you’ll be their father as well.” Lucas thought it was obvious. Jack’s eyes shone with unshed tears.

  “Well, yes,” he said haltingly, wiping a few escaped tears discreetly. “But I didn’t think they’d accept it so quickly, so readily. I thought it was gonna take time.” Lucas snorted.

  “How much more time would they need? Jack, love, we’ve been dancing around each other from the moment I met you again after all these years. The kids clearly saw where it was going even before you came to accept it. They had time to get used to the thought. And I think it helps that you’re a paranormal and turned me into one as well. It helps them feel more a part of the pack, I think.” He smiled at Jack who gave him a huge grin in return.

  “I wasn’t complaining,” he said. “I was just surprised. Now let’s go say goodbye to your parents and get on the road.”

  “That sounds like a brilliant idea!” Luc took Jack’s hand and pulled him towards the car. The quicker they got home, the more time they would have to relax before Jack was forced to go back to Jason’s. They planned for Jack to move in with them next weekend, and had already hired a small van. Luc had a feeling it was going to be a long week with them being separated like they were. He couldn’t wait to have Jack next to him, sleeping in the same bed, having breakfast with him, watching movies, and doing all those menial domestic chores together. It sounded like bliss.

  Epilogue

  After helping Jack move, the alpha and his mates organized a barbecue as a joint celebration of Jack and Luc’s mating as well as Lucas officially joining the pack. All the pack members were invited giving Luc an opportunity to get to know them. Jack was happy to see that his mate was getting along with everyone and enjoying himself. Toby approached him, beer in hand, and smiled at Jack.

  “It’s good to see everyone having fun.” The alpha’s mate seemed relaxed as he tipped his head to where Luc was chatting with Dominic’s grandparents. Strangely enough Lucas was fascinated by the werewolf couple. Jack did have to admit that Louisa, as a strong alpha wolf, had a presence that could be enticing to other shifters, but he doubted that was the reason for Luc’s fascination. He seemed just as entranced with the alpha-mate who did not exude any shifter power. Jack decided to just leave it be. The wolf-shifter couple were allies after all. There was no harm in Luc getting friendly with them.

  “Yeah, it’s nice to catch up with everyone. Oh, by the way, where is Doug? Isn’t he coming?”

  “He is, but he has been delayed. He called me and said he’ll be about an hour late.”

  “Mhm.” Jack murmured his acknowledgement. He looked around. Jason and Tyler were cuddling on a bench, near the table with all the food, most other pack members crowded around them. Dominic and Joel were looking after the barbecue, making sure the fire didn’t get out of control but burned steadily. Luc had the visiting wolf-shifters cornered and peppered them with questions. They didn’t seem to mind and looked quite relaxed. The kids and Morton sat off to one side experimenting with some spells. It was such a pleasant, domestic scene. It was hard to imagine that a pack of paranormals was gathered in this garden, the same ones that had fought in magical battles and dismantled a trafficking operation. “Huh,” Jack said as he noticed someone missing. “Where’s our resident owlcat?”

  “Ah, Ross and his brother are off visiting their parents. They sent their regrets.” Toby took a sip of his beer, unconcerned. Jack mentally shrugged it off. Their pack might not be that big, but it was still difficult to organize this many people on short notice. They were bound to have someone who had had plans already.

  “What about Eric?” he asked. The god was wholly unpredictable, so Jack wasn’t surprised he wasn’t here per se… Still, the man liked to insert himself in the pack’s business and he did love a party. Toby grimaced and Jack lifted his eyebrows in question.

  “He went to pick his friends up from the airport.” Jack waited. This was going to be good judging by Toby’s expression. “They’re two paranormal creatures from Poland. They’re meant to help me figure out what I am.”

  “Oh?” Jack was curious now. “What kind of paranormal creatures?” Toby only shook his head and sighed.

  “Eric wouldn’t say. He was cagey and giggly about it as well. I’m not sure I want to know now, to be honest. That grin of his spelled nothing but trouble. I’m double guessing asking for his help altogether.”

  “Eh.” Jack waved his hand dismissively. “It’s just Eric.” He didn’t see the need to add anything else. He thought that summed it up pretty well. It was just Eric. You had to meet him to truly understand. Toby’s face turned thunderous for a moment, and then he sighed and shook his head.

  “Yeah,” he only said. Then he visibly shuddered and tried to change the subject. “So how are you settling in with the Cartwrights?” Despite the move not happening officially until today, Jack had spent all the previous week at Lucas’s place. Living out of a duffel bag wasn’t difficult for him. He’d done it in the past.

  “It’s actually better than I expected. You know, I thought there would be like a getting used to each other period of awkwardness. But no, it’s all working pretty well. The kids accepted me there easily enough, and Lucas is elated to have me near. I’m not naive enough to think there will be no problems in the future, but it’s already easier than I expected so I’ll count my blessings.”

  “It’s good to hear and I’m incredibly happy for you. I do have to admit, though, we’ll all miss you. We got so used to having you here it will be a bit weird without you.” Toby sounded very sincere. Jack was touched. He came to think of the men he lived with as his family and he would miss them as well. Still he wasn’t moving far, and they would be in the same town so they would still be seeing each other often.

  “I know what you mean.” He smiled at the alpha’s mate. “I feel the same. All this week I kept expecting Ty to barge in on me in the kitchen. It was odd to realise he wasn’t there.”

  “Right?” Toby giggled. “That mate of mine is larger than life. He takes a lot of space, figuratively and literally.” Jack nodded with a grin. Just then Morton approached them, Jason, Tyler, and Luc in tow. Jack’s levity faded at the witch’s serious expression. “What’s going on, Jay-Jay?” Toby asked. The alpha grimaced before answering.

  “Apparently we have an uninvited guest.” He tipped his head for Mo
rton to explain. The witch fidgeted as he did.

  “A spell named ‘a calling card’ has been activated in proximity. It is used by witches visiting another paranormal’s territory to announce themselves.”

  “And it has you all so nervous, why?” Toby asked, calmly sipping his beer.

  “It has a familiar energy signature,” Morton explained.

  “Apparently my sister-in-law came to visit,” Luc said without inflection. Jack could tell his mate wasn’t sure what to make of it.

  “What’s the plan?” Jack asked, keeping calm. If the witch was announcing herself, odds were she was not here to cause trouble.

  “We’re going to meet her in the house.” Jason’s face was showing bits of exasperation, but he wasn’t going into his demigod mode, thank all heavens. “She’s being polite and not breaking any rules. Quite the opposite really, she’s waiting on the outskirts of the territory from what Morton senses. Very by-the-book. A nice change from her simply barging in and trying to mess with my pack members.” Jason’s jaw clenched, showing he wasn’t as calm as he portrayed. Jack cleared his throat.

  “Well, technically she did not interfere with your pack members.” They all gave him blank looks. Jack sighed and explained. “She tried to spell Lucas, who at the time wasn’t part of our pack. She did not interfere with the kids or any other pack members. So technically she did not break any rules.”

  Jason’s nostrils flared, but he asked in a reasonably calm voice, “What about coming into the territory uninvited and throwing those magical barriers around?”

  “Again, technically, she does not need to announce herself if she’s not staying in the territory. The courtesy demands that she does so, but it’s not a law. And the magic she cast was not harmful to your pack members, so again, not against the rules.”

  “I see.” Jason’s voice was calm, but his eyes showed he was anything but. “So, she likes to skirt around the rules, bend them to her own purposes. I wonder why she is being so polite now, then?” It was clearly a rhetorical question and yet Jack decided to venture a guess.

  “If I were to speculate, I’d say she needs your help with something and so she’s trying not to step on your toes.” He voiced his thoughts in a calm tone as they all headed towards the house.

  “She’s on her way,” Morton said quietly. The kid was much too withdrawn and hesitant for Jack’s liking. He only ever spoke confidently when discussing magic. Jack worried about him. As if trying to prove Jack’s worries valid, Morton said in a very hesitant tone, “Um, Alpha, what you said about skirting rules and all that?” Morton waited for Jason’s nod of acknowledgement before he continued. “Well, I’d say it’s not just her.” Noticing lack of understanding in their faces, the kid visibly steeled himself and explained. “Witches in general are like that. They follow the rules to the letter, but they will take advantage of any little loophole. They’re worse than any lawyer in taking advantage of that.”

  “Ah, good to know, Morton.” Jason gave him a nod in thanks and the boy relaxed. Truly, Jack thought, someone should work with the witch on his self-esteem issues. Jack didn’t know his full story, but he had a feeling it involved a lot of abuse in his childhood.

  They sat mostly in silence, waiting for Linda’s arrival. When a knock finally sounded on the door, Tyler went to open it. He silently led the witch into the living room where they gathered. She took them all in with a glance, and her lips twitched in an almost smile. Jack watched her like a hawk, noticing all the nuances. The woman was dressed sharply in a grey business suit offsetting her rich brown skin. Sensible kitten-heel shoes and plain tights completed the professional look.

  “Alpha Thorne,” she said, extending her hand in a greeting. “I’m Linda Blue from the Witches Collective investigative division.” Jack’s jaw nearly dropped at that, and Morton’s breath hitched at the news. By the self-satisfied quirk to the corner of her mouth, Jack knew she liked that she’d surprised them. Well, damn, a surprise it was and a huge one. He decided to explain. He was the alpha’s advisor after all. Jason shook her hand and gestured for her to sit in one of the armchairs. Everyone else took positions around the alpha in a natural and not a choreographed way. It was an instinctual thing. Protect the alpha and his mates. Jack was glad to see how well it worked even with Lucas, new to being a shifter, and Morton who as a witch didn’t share the same instincts.

  “Alpha, witches in general are much better organized than other paranormals. They possess a governing body called Witches Collective. It has several divisions. The investigative one deals with magical crimes.”

  “I see,” Jason said in a cold voice, his eyes never leaving the visiting witch. “What can we help you with, Miss Blue?” The woman watched them openly with a calculating look. Jack wondered what she was seeing. As an investigator she was trained to notice things others would overlook. It must have become a habit as she visibly restrained herself from judging them and focused on the alpha.

  “Alpha Thorne, for the last year my team have been investigating a missing persons case. The trail led us to Alpha Whitmore.” Jack stopped himself from gasping when he heard his old alpha’s name. The witch ignored him and continued. “I went undercover to work for the alpha to try to discover his connections. I didn’t get as far as I wanted, and as of today any further progress I could have made was halted. Alpha Whitmore was killed in a drug deal gone bad.” Her professional countenance halted as a grimace of disgust flashed on her face. Still she checked herself and continued her explanation. “Unfortunately, what information I and my team managed to gather is not enough to help us find our missing witches.” She paused and took a deep breath. Jack didn’t like where this was all heading. Of course the missing people would be witches. The Collective wouldn’t get involved otherwise. The witches in general didn’t care for humans and kept as far from human society as possible. A few centuries of manic witch hunts and trials had something to do with that dislike. Jack forced himself to focus on Linda Blue once again.

  “Alpha Thorne, I am here to ask for your help in our investigation.” Jack could tell that it grated on the woman to ask for help from a non-witch. It wasn’t only humans that witches disliked. Other paranormals weren’t exactly bosom buddies with witches.

  “What kind of help?” Jason’s expression didn’t betray his thoughts.

  “Alpha, we believe the missing witches have been sacrificed to demons.” A soft intake of breath from Jack’s right told him of Morton’s distress. He was sure Linda had noticed it as well. Still, she didn’t lose eye contact with the alpha. “Two of your pack members, Alpha, are in a unique position to help us with this investigation. I request your permission to acquire their help.” Jason’s raised eyebrows showed nothing but mild surprise. If Jack didn’t know the alpha as well as he did, he wouldn’t suspect how agitated the man really was. But as it was, he could almost feel Jason’s anger.

  “Let me get this straight,” Jason said slowly in a calm, measured voice. “You expect me to order two of my pack members to drop everything, abandon their lives for however long it would take to help you with your investigation?” At the witch’s nod, Jason’s anger grew. Jack flinched. Electricity built in the air. Jack risked a quick glance at the alpha’s face and winced. Yep, there were little lightning bolts in the man’s eyes. “What kind of asshole do you take me for?” Despite Jason speaking quietly, his voice boomed with force. For the first time the female witch looked alarmed.

  “Isn’t that how a pack works though?” she asked. Jack guessed it was a fair question. If her only experience with packs came from Whitmore’s, then he could understand her assumption. Jack tried to think of something to prevent a disaster, but fortunately he needn’t have worried. Toby covered Jason’s hands with his own, gave a reassuring squeeze, and addressed the woman.

  “This isn’t how this pack works. Jason as an alpha is there for his members when they need help, advice, or protection. If he needs the pack members’ help, he will ask for it, not demand it
. He doesn’t just order people around.”

  “That’s actually how most traditional packs work.” Jack decided to pipe in. “At least the shifter ones. It’s a community, one that helps its members. It’s not some kind of military unit or whatever else you’re thinking. Packs were originally extended families with a matriarch or patriarch as its head.”

  “Oh.” The witch deflated. “So, does it mean you won’t help me?” Suddenly she looked a bit lost and very tired. Jason calmed down, and the charge in the air disappeared. He seemed to notice the woman’s exhaustion.

  “All I can do is give you permission to speak to my pack members and try to convince them yourself. I’m assuming the two people you need are Morton Foster and Douglass Briney?” At her nod he pointed at Morton. “Well, you can discuss it with Morton now. Douglass isn’t here yet, but we are expecting him soon and you’ll be able to speak to him then.” Jason got up, everybody except Morton following in his footsteps. “I’ll leave you here and will direct Douglass to you when he arrives. But Miss Blue?” When he got her attention, he gave her a threatening look. “Don’t try anything underhanded with my pack members. I’ve been tolerant of your incursions and tampering as ultimately they did no harm. However, if I catch you trying to interfere with my pack again, broken rules or not, I won’t let it go this time.” Lightning bolts shot through his eyes again, and the woman grimaced but nodded.