by R. E. Butler
Cinder nudged Adam and he said, “Agreed.”
Rage texted Temple that they were heading to the alpha’s house and to stay put. During the ten-minute walk, her father talked to Rage and Vex about the club and the issues surrounding the church, and her mother slipped her arm over Angie’s shoulders and gave her a side hug. “I wish you’d told me about the dreams, but I understand why you didn’t.”
“You do?”
She chuckled. “You couldn’t know how Dad and I would react to this. You’re young, you probably worried I’d say you were misinterpreting them.”
“Yeah. I kind of liked having it to myself at first, but then it just weighed on me. I’m sorry I lied, though. You deserved better from me.”
“Well, we all lie to our parents at one time or another,” she said with a soft chuckle.
“Mom, really? You lied to Grammy and Grandpa?” Her mother was about as straight-laced as any female Angie had ever known. That she’d lied to her own mother and seemed to relish in it was baffling.
“Let’s just say that I knew your dad very well before we mated.”
“Ugh, gross, Mom, I didn’t need to know that.”
Lucy laughed. “But Grammy did tell me that following my heart and being happy meant she wouldn’t hold a grudge about the lie, so I’ll say the same to you.” She stopped walking and Angie stopped and turned to face her. Lucy moved Angie’s hair off her shoulder and touched the mating mark on one side of her neck. Angie was aware that everyone with them had stopped and was watching. “You’re mated and marked. You don’t smell like you did to me before, you’re a wolf still but also something else, which I suspect is what being a beloved mate does. No matter what transpired, you’re standing here in front of me – alive and well – and there’s really only one question that I want to know the answer to.”
Angie didn’t dare even breathe as she waited.
Eyes shining, her mother said, “Are you happy, daughter of mine?”
“All the way to the center of my being.”
“Then I’m happy for you and all is forgiven.” She glanced past Angie to Adam. “Mom has spoken.”
Brick let out a laugh which he tried to cover up with a chuckle. Adam growled, which shut Brick up immediately. Angie smiled. “I love you.”
“I love you all the way to the heart of the deepest woods on the brightest of full moons,” her mother promised, a sweet sentiment she’d told Angie since she was little.
Suddenly, whatever else was coming that night in the conversation with her brother, Angie felt like everything would be well. At least with her parents. She didn’t know what the future held, but the support of her mom and dad meant the world to her.
Heart a little bit lighter, shoulders not quite so bowed down with the weight of the world, she took her mates hands and walked with them into the alpha’s house. It was no longer home for her, and that was okay. Her life was different now, and no matter what transpired, Vex and Rage were with her one hundred percent, and that was all that she truly cared about.
Chapter 12
Vex had never felt such tension in his life as they walked with their beloved into the alpha’s home. He’d met Adam before during meet-and-greets with Mishka, but this meeting had an entirely different vibe. His brother was on Angie’s other side, and Vex could practically taste how on-edge he was. Of the two of them, Rage had a shorter fuse, but Vex wasn’t relaxing now, either. Adam was tense, hostile almost, and so were the wolves with him. Except for Angie’s parents who had been surprisingly accepting. It had been many centuries since his own parents had died, but he believed they would’ve accepted not only Vex and Rage becoming vampires, but also Angie as their beloved.
Adam stalked into the large house, his heavy footsteps echoing in the grand foyer. Ahead of them, Angie’s parents followed, and behind them only Brick came. The other wolves dispersed, some staying on the porch and some disappearing into the yard. The house smelled like fresh bread and roasted meat from a previous meal. It gave him pause, thinking that the family’s private floor never smelled like anything close to this. Vampires didn’t sit down to big meals and chat about their days. He couldn’t even recall the last time he’d sat at a table to drink SyBl, and certainly when he fed from a human he kept as much distance from them as he could so he didn’t invite any unwanted touching. He was planning to have their rooms renovated to create more of what she was accustomed to, but he wondered now how much she’d miss because they lived underground.
He was chagrined to realize that neither he nor Rage had asked her if she even wanted to live in their chambers.
Deciding he’d mention it to Rage later, he turned his attention back to the wolves as they sat in a formal living room. He and Rage sat on either side of Angie on a plush couch, and Adam, Cinder, and Angie’s parents sat on another couch with Brick standing behind it, arms still folded over his chest, and an unhappy look on his face.
“Tell us everything,” her mother said.
Angie nodded and started the story with the first dream. When she finished her story, skipping the sexy stuff but ensuring her family understood that she was indeed fully marked and mated, she smiled at her family.
Her father said, “Do vampires mate-dream?”
“Not that we’re aware of,” Vex said. “
“It’s not necessarily usual for wolves either,” her mother pointed out, “but when a mate-dream happens, it should be taken seriously.”
Adam’s eyes narrowed, but he remained silent.
Cinder cleared her throat. “When Alli and Arissa came to visit, I told everyone that I’d been aware of your dreams and had arranged for you to get to the club.”
“I’m sorry I put you in a position to keep a secret for me,” Angie said.
“Don’t give it another thought,” she said, waving her hand dismissively. “You found your truemates and that’s what counts.”
Adam snorted.
“What’s really bothering you?” Angie demanded. Her shoulders tensed and her wolf grumbled softly. Vex squeezed her hand a little more firmly, wondering if she would launch herself at her brother. He didn’t think that would go over very well.
“Very. Many. Things.” Adam said.
“So spill it already,” Angie said. “You’re being super rude to my mates.”
“I’m rude? I didn’t disappear for a night, nearly get killed on the highway, and then show up claiming I was mated to two males who aren’t of our kind.”
“Is it that there are two of them or that they’re vampires?” Angie demanded.
“It’s the lying,” Adam said.
“Let it go! I didn’t tell you because – news flash, big brother – it wasn’t about you! It’s about me and my future. I think you’re forgetting that I’m an adult.”
“Then behave like one.”
“All right,” her father said, raising his hands. “This is devolving quickly.”
Adam stood and rolled his neck. “When you were growing up, you talked about finding a wolf and having cubs, being part of the pack for the rest of your life. You can’t even have kids! You’ve thrown away your future for males who aren’t even alive anymore.”
Vex didn’t have to look at his brother to know he was two seconds away from defending their mate, so he stood first and said, “We’re very much alive. It’s been a while since I heard that anti-vampire propaganda spewed from anyone’s mouth but one of the church members, so forgive me if I’m a little surprised that you carry those prejudices. Whether you accept us as Angie’s mates or not doesn’t change the situation one iota. She is ours and we’re hers forever. She’s immortal, tied to Rage and me through our beloved bond.”
He waited a moment and allowed that to sink in. He saw the fire die down in Adam’s eyes, and once he felt like the information had been absorbed, he continued.
“It’s true we can’t give Angie cubs. If it were possible, we’d give her as many as she wished. But what we can give her is all the happiness and love t
hat we can. If that’s not enough for you, Alpha, then that’s your issue to deal with.”
Angie and Rage stood, their trio unshakable by the small-minded male and the pack members who didn’t like them.
“I need time to think,” Adam said.
“Am I going to be allowed to join the pack on the full moon?” Angie asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll call a pack meeting. When a decision has been reached, I’ll let you know.”
Her parents joined them, and so did Cinder.
“If you can’t come to the celebration,” her mother said, “we’ll come to you. You shouldn’t be alone on the full moon. It’s important for wolves to be with their own kind, even if it’s only for a few hours.”
“It’s not like there’s a forest in the city,” she said. “But I appreciate the thought. It would be nice if I could come here to be with my family, but I won’t step foot in pack territory if Vex and Rage aren’t welcome.”
Adam nodded stiffly and turned, leaving the room with Brick on his heels.
Cinder watched him leave and then shook her head. “A lot of pack members already know what happened to you and who you’ve mated. There are wolves who don’t trust vampires for personal reasons and they appear to be the most vocal. I did glance at the history for the pack and unfortunately if Adam chooses to allow you and your mates to come to the full moon celebration and there’s enough dissension in the pack, someone could call for a challenge and he would have to fight for his right to rule. It could get... bloody.”
Angie sighed. “I don’t want that. I never expected finding my happily ever after would cause such a ruckus.”
Her mother smiled. “It’s okay, honey. It’ll work out one way or another. If you must leave the pack, we’ll make sure that you’re not alone on the full moon.”
“Thanks.”
“Now, I think you probably want to pack up some clothes?” her mother asked, eyeing her outfit.
“Yeah. I borrowed these from Arissa.” She smiled at Vex. “I’ll be back.”
Reluctantly, Vex let go of her hand and watched her leave with her mother and Cinder.
Her father gestured to the couch and said, “Let’s chat, gentlemen.”
Vex had never in his entire life felt nervous to talk to another male, but speaking to his beloved’s father, when his tone had suddenly changed from supportive and kind to serious, made him wary. He wanted her family to like them and support them. He just hoped he didn’t muck up anything.
“I’m sorry about Adam,” Craig said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. “He’s alpha for a reason. The position comes with a lot of responsibility. He must balance the pack’s best interests with what he wants to do. Cinder has helped smooth out the rougher parts of his personality. She supports your relationship, and so do Lucy and I.”
“Do you think Angie will be allowed to stay in the pack?” Vex asked.
“I don’t know.” He looked thoughtful. “It both matters and doesn’t matter. If Adam exiles Angie from the pack, her mother and I will ensure that she’s still able to have that camaraderie with a pack, even if it is just her parents.”
“Why can’t we be her pack?” Rage asked.
It was a question that had been banging around in Vex’s skull as well.
“You don’t shift. Wolves are social creatures in our shifts. More than just the act of coming together on the full moon and shifting, we hunt together. Mated couples, family groups, unmated males and females – we’re all part of the pack and that means something to our wolves. She could shift for a while with you two and be fine, but eventually her wolf would grow unhappy. I grew up with a male who chose a human female as his mate. At the time, our pack was exclusive of all but wolves, so he left and lived with her. But shifting on his own took its toll, and his wolf was so despondent that eventually he was unable to shift at all. His mate couldn’t stand to see him separated from his beast, and she left him and told him to go back to his people. He was never the same after that, a shell of a male.”
Vex had envisioned taking Angie out to some secluded woods and hunting with her on the full moon. It had been something he’d dreamed about since he’d first realized she was a wolf. But he couldn’t abide her wolf becoming so detached from her pack that she couldn’t shift. He glanced at Rage whose brow was furrowed in thought.
“Mishka owns properties all over Northern Ohio, some are quite remote, and there are a few that are heavily wooded. We can make arrangements to meet there on the full moon so Angie can hunt with you and Lucy,” Vex said.
“If it comes to that,” Craig said. “Adam may decide to allow Angie to join us for the full moon.”
“You don’t believe he will,” Rage said. A statement. Not a question.
Craig shrugged. “I have no idea what my son is thinking right now. Either way, Angie is our daughter and because you’re mated to her, that means you’re our sons and part of our family. He should accept that, because it’s the truth.”
Vex felt an unfamiliar feeling wash over him. Family. Not the created family like Mishka’s inner circle. Those people were very important to him and his brother. But this was a real and honest feeling of family, of belonging. For so many centuries, he and Rage had been a family to themselves alone. Alone together, in one of those odd ways that was both inclusive and exclusive. Angie had become their immediate family, but her parents’ acceptance of him and his brother – despite how strange the circumstances had to be for them – was family on a whole new level.
“You’re... our parents, kind of,” Vex said. Realization dawning on him.
Craig barked out a laugh. “Not kind of, we are. In-laws at any rate. But wolves don’t really think of mated members of the family as in-laws. Cinder is my daughter as much as Angie is, because she mated Adam. You’re our sons because you mated our daughter. And in this family, we fight for each other.”
Rage pressed his fist to his heart and Vex knew immediately what his brother was going to say, and he mimicked the motion. “We vow to protect Angie and our family with every fiber of our being from now until the end of time.”
Craig nodded, admiration shining in his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was thick. “You are fine males indeed. I’m thankful Angie found you.”
“We’re the ones who are thankful,” Vex said.
“And lucky,” Rage added.
Angie appeared a few moments later with her mother and Cinder, everyone carrying several bags. Vex jumped up and took the rolling suitcase from Angie and kissed her cheek.
“All packed, sweetheart?”
“Yep.” She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Sadness tinged the depths, making his heart crack.
Her parents walked with them to the edge of the territory where the SUVs waited.
“We’ll be in touch about the full moon,” Craig said, giving Angie a hug.
“Thanks for everything,” Angie said.
Lucy hugged Vex and Rage. “Take care of our daughter.”
“On our lives,” Rage said.
They shook hands with Craig, and he said, “See you soon.”
He and Rage loaded up her things in the back of the SUV, and then they helped her inside.
“Home?” Temple asked as he shifted into gear.
“Yeah, please. Thank you,” Angie said.
Her sorrow was palpable, but she didn’t shed a tear until they were down in their chamber an hour later. They held her as she cried wordlessly, their connection as beloveds magnifying their own emotions. There were a lot of things about the future that Vex was certain of – that they’d have a long and happy life, that she was the center of their world, and that she’d find a place for herself in the coven. But what they didn’t know right now was what the next few days would bring as the full moon reached its zenith in the night sky.
“We’ll get through this together, sweetheart,” he promised. “Whatever comes, the three of us are a family now, and nothing on earth can change that.”
> Chapter 13
It didn’t take Angie long to get into the swing of being up all night and asleep during the day. By the day of the full moon, she considered herself an official night owl, with two sexy males as her mates. This day, however, she’d been unable to rest well, and was up several hours before sunset. Her mates were sleeping next to her, waking frequently but falling back asleep at her urging. There was no reason, she’d explained, for them to all be tired. Her wolf was causing her insomnia that day, both joyful and worried. It was the first time in her life that she wasn’t sure where she would be for the full moon. It was an odd and frustrating limbo.
Her phone buzzed and she reached over Vex and lifted it from the nightstand. Her mother had sent her a text asking her to call as soon as possible.
She slipped from the bed and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door and turning on the light. She pressed the button to connect the call to her mother and waited as it buzzed.
“Hi, honey,” her mom said.
“What’s going on?”
“Adam’s called a pack meeting in fifteen minutes. He’s decided to allow you to hunt with the pack tonight.”
“Really? That’s great!”
“Hold on,” she said. “He’s going to have some specific instructions for the three of you, such as your mates can’t leave the area of the bonfire and venture into the woods with you.”
“What?”
“Adam’s worry is that when the pack shifts, if your mates are out in the woods and there’s a hunt, that the wolves will consider the vampires predators who are fighting for the same resources and attack.”
“He could order them not to, you know,” Angie pointed out.
“I know, honey, but you know when we’re in our shifts we’re more animal instinct than human. It’s just how it is. It’s for their safety, and the safety of the pack members.”
Angie let out a sigh. “I understand, I guess.”
“Your father and I have heard some scuttle from the pack rumor mill, and there are a few families who are planning to protest. I don’t think it will come to a challenge against Adam, he’s one of the most revered alphas the pack has ever had. But Adam’s aware of the issues and wants me to convey to you and your mates that if it comes down to the pack or you and your mates, he will choose the pack.”