His new business as a security specialist gave him a chance to use a lot of skills he’d learned in the military and, to all accounts, was providing a good income already. Plus, he liked it.
His brother, whose tongue lolled out while he relaxed beside me, had gained his scars in defense of his pack. Honestly, I couldn’t see why one was different from the other in their zeal to protect those they cared about. Whether it was the larger picture of the country or the smaller of his pack, they understood about putting others first.
Just not one another.
We rested our muzzle on Samson’s back, enjoying the peace while it lasted. The sun’s rays slanted, with little daylight left before the darkness closed in again. I wanted to stay here forever, but Gigi would need dinner, and Tris might be brave enough to be there as well. Samson could be part of the slightly awkward but loving group if he chose. But I couldn’t make him do it.
Sobering but true. Did he understand? How could he not?
It was time to go home.
This time, I managed to drive home without crying the whole way. We’d had a good afternoon, and perhaps it would remind him of our bond. I had made it clear in the past he couldn’t take me from Tris. They were both my mates, and I loved them equally. But not separately. There would always be a place in my heart and home for him, but Tris and I…and apparently Gigi…had a life to live.
With that in mind, I dabbed away the tears on my cheeks, pasted on a smile, and strolled into my house. The smell of chicken frying and pie baking welcomed me, as did Tris’ hug and kiss.
Home indeed.
It could be so much worse.
Chapter Seven
“You can’t be serious.” I’d walked in on Gigi doing one of the oddest things I’d seen yet—which was saying something given my grandmother.
“What?” she snarked back, holding up the offending weapons, one in each hand.
“I can’t believe you’re doing that.”
She snorted and continued working the things back and forth with the chunky yarn. “It’s just knitting. Calm down before I start making your mate a dick warmer.”
Okay, more like Gigi. “What are you making?” I sat beside her, trying to soak up this moment of normal grandmotherliness, if that was even a thing.
“A blanket. It’s going to get cold this winter. I can feel it in my bones.”
I picked up what she’d done so far. It was a beautiful, thick off-white blanket and, from what I could tell, was almost done.
“Who is it for?” I asked, deciding whether I wanted tea or coffee. Tris wasn’t home from work yet. He was spending most of his off time here now.
“For you, silly. This is your mating gift. Made with love. Hopefully, it will help you two or you and the other one stay warm in bed and give me some grandbabies while I still have my mind.”
“I’m scared of you and those needles. Want some tea?”
“I’ve got my tea. And you shouldn’t be scared of me with these needles. Once upon a time, our ancestors carried swords.”
I stopped in my tracks, all thoughts of coffee, tea, and breathing long forgotten.
“What?” I whirled on her, confused and shocked.
“Don’t look at me like that. Don’t tell me you didn’t know we come from strong women.”
I sat on the couch, jostling both her and her project. “I knew we came from strong women. I mean, I knew you were strong.”
She put down the knitting needles and yarn and blew out a breath. “I wish your mother were here to tell you more. She left us too young.”
My mother and father had died just a few years ago, but it must’ve seemed young to Gigi.
“So, why didn’t you tell me? I mean, swords? How badass.”
She laughed, and the sound warmed my heart. “It is badass. Go make that cup of tea, and we can talk a little about it, but you’re not ready for the whole thing.”
“Okay.” I didn’t care about getting the whole story at once. I just hungered for a piece of it, not even knowing what she was talking about. I rushed into the kitchen and half-ass made a cup of tea, not bothering to stir the milk into the cup properly before returning, this time careful not to plop.
“Our ancestors were warriors—proud and strong females who protected our packs and our mates from harm.”
Somehow, the information seemed like it was being revealed from inside me instead of being new. Like it had been waiting, dormant inside my chest, to be uncovered.
“We did?”
She nodded and tapped her fingernail on my teacup, urging me to drink the fragrant chamomile brew. “We sure did. A long line of them.” She leaned forward to whisper, “And there were dragons, too.”
I gasped, but before I could absorb this, Tris came in carrying a duffel bag along with a cardboard box filled with personal items. “Hey, am I interrupting something?”
“Not at all, hot stuff. Get in here. Did you decide to move in? It’s about damned time.”
Tris’ face flamed. “Um, we hadn’t really talked about it, but I needed some stuff since I was here all the time.” He had hinted about renting out his house, but since he owned it, and I was renting from Wendi, we hadn’t really reached a solution.
For some reason, that fired Gigi up. She huffed out a breath and stuffed her yarn into her bag with a little more gusto than necessary. “What’s to talk about? You’re mates. You’ve clearly mated. What’s the damn deal, mister?”
A snort came out of me, and, while Gigi didn’t look my way, she reached out sideways and slapped my hand.
Tris was the target of her wrath today.
Poor guy.
“Well, sometimes she just wants to be alone, and I respect her wishes.” Tris puffed out his chest, as if proud of his retort.
Gigi was quiet for three-point-three seconds, a personal record. “Well, if she wants some alone time, you can go outside and rake. That’s what my men used to do. Our yard was spotless and leaf-free all the damn time, even in the fall. You find yourself an outside hobby, but no more of this living somewhere else. You’re mates, and let me tell you, life passes you by. One day you’re together, and the next you’re alone and missing the other two people who made you whole.
My heart broke as her tirade went from tearing Tris a new asshole to missing her mates. She was so resilient and brave. It wasn’t often she showed this side of her heart, and it absolutely tore me to pieces.
“Gigi,” I whispered and scooted next to her. She threw her arms around me, letting out a sob, shredding my heart again.
“You come on over, too.” “She stopped sobbing long enough to issue the command. “This is a family group hug, and you’re family now.”
He dropped what he was holding and rushed toward us and, in the most awkward way ever, knelt on the floor and wrapped us both into his strong embrace.
I melted into him, heart and body.
Being kind to my grandmother—the ticket to my soul.
“Damn, boy, even your armpits smell good.” That broke the bubble of sweetness. We both pulled back and laughed. “I mean, what is it? Lavender?”
He blushed and nodded. “It’s cedar and lavender deodorant. Something like that.”
“Nothing like a male who smells good. Why don’t you go get the rest of your stuff and forget this living across the street bullshit.”
Tris’ eyes met mine, and we had some unspoken conversation. She wasn’t wrong. We had been playing house long enough. He was my mate. He and I belonged together. But we had some issues with where to live even.
But we did want to be together as much as possible.
“I’ll go get some more of my stuff, then.” He broke away from us, but not before kissing my forehead. “See you in just a few minutes.”
Gig and I watched him leave, and she giggled as he shut the door. “Take note, Christie. Sometimes, you have to tell these males what they need.”
Chapter Eight
Despite Gigi’s encouragement, which I private
ly thought of as nagging, we hadn’t yet reached a decision about who would live where. Tris owned his home, so if we were going to live together, it seemed as if it would be the better location. However, his home was a little smaller than mine, and there would be three of us.
Gigi didn’t have plans to leave anytime soon, and I hoped it would be never. I’d missed her so much!
Samson didn’t enter into this equation at all. He would need to live on the pack lands, and he already had a big house. So…anyway. As long as Samson could not get his act together, however, that was irrelevant. And things were pretty happy at my house at the moment.
I somehow made it through another couple of weeks of classes, finished whatever was required in terms of papers and assignments, passed the pop and announced quizzes, and arrived on time for the Friday afternoon pack run. My wolf and I were ready to let our fur down and pound the ground with our paws.
Everything would’ve been perfect…if I hadn’t left Tris at home watching a movie. He wasn’t welcome to the party, and I didn’t know how much longer I could ride this line. My life was split down the middle.
Gigi, while not a member of the pack, was more than welcome, something Samson had made clear when he stopped by one day while I was at school. I didn’t know what else they’d said to one another, but when I arrived home, Gigi was uncharacteristically silent beyond sharing that one bit of helpful info. When I asked her if she was coming tonight, she’d just given a tight shake of her head and proceeded to make popcorn for her and Tris.
I’d wavered, considering staying with them, but as a member, not attending one of these events would be tantamount to defiance of the alpha’s orders. And while I was ready to bite his head off every time I saw him—or rip his clothes off—I wasn’t ready to defy official dictates. Yet. So much of my life was entwined with the pack.
Getting out of the car in the parking area, I hesitated, though. If Samson and Tris couldn’t get past their issues, would I have to quit the pack? Not that it was so easy. I’d have to go before the high council, but being mated to someone who’d been banished would make their permission almost guaranteed.
I almost climbed back in, but my wolf whined. She wasn’t ready to give up on our other mate, and she’d been desperate to run free for a while. With the kidnappings fresh in memory, and those behind it still out there, the last time I’d gone running on my own had been chancy. I wasn’t sure why Samson hadn’t said anything about it at the time. Dared I hope he was so glad to have been with me he didn’t want to spoil it?
Who knew? I couldn’t read his mind. And from his building grumpiness, I didn’t want to.
The evening was cooling quickly as the sun slipped over the horizon, but the crackling and scent of fire traveled to me from the gathering area, promising warmth and s’mores. Grilling meats made my mouth water, and light chatter and laughter reminded me pack was more than Samson. It was certainly more than just about me and my problems. I had friends here, dear friends, and others who, though I didn’t know them well, would have my back in any situation. Many I’d fought with over the past year, standing back-to-back with swords in hand. Or with claws and teeth. Others I’d prepared food with for various events. Some I’d known for most of my life. If I were to leave, I’d be shredding connections that would leave me raw and bleeding.
I’d been caught up in my thoughts as I moved from my car toward the gathering, so deep in thought, when Wendi ran up and stopped in front of me, I bumped right into her. Her cheeks were flushed, her smile so big, I couldn’t keep from hugging her. Not that there was any reason I shouldn’t.
“Christie, you’re here!”
I gave her another squeeze and stepped back. “Of course. Our leader demands our presence. Where else would I be?”
“Snarky much?” Her smile faded but only a little. How her mates still hadn’t figured out her secret when she broadcast so much joy I’d never know. “I’m sure Samson will come around. Otherwise, everything good?”
“Oh yeah. Tris and Gigi are watching a movie and eating popcorn, and here I am to run with the pack.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I get it. I have four mates, and though we all get along really well, we aren’t perfect, and when anyone is in a little spat with anyone else, it ripples through all of us. That’s why we try hard not to argue over anything except the most important things.”
“And it works?”
“Well, as it turned out, most of our tiffs were over stupid things. The big stuff, we sit down and discuss like adults. So…yes, more often than not, it works.”
I sighed as we turned toward the fire. “I’m so glad you and your mates have it together. Sometimes, I think I should just move away with Tris and Gigi and start fresh.”
“Good evening, Christie.” Oh crap. How much had Samson heard? Shifter hearing was fantastic.
“Samson.” I gave him a bob of the head and turned to walk away with Wendi.
“Would you mind waiting a moment?”
“Sure, as the alpha, you have the right to ask any pack member to remain in any location.” I glared at him. “You are the boss.”
“That’s not what this is about—”
“Uh.” We both jerked toward the sound of Wendi’s voice. “I think I hear one or more of my mate’s calling. Nice seeing you both.” She left so quickly, we didn’t have time to respond. One or more of her mates?
“She isn’t good at lying, is she?” Samson said.
“Nope, she’s open and honest and about the best friend anyone could have. Is that what you wanted to talk about?” Because really, I didn’t have the strength.
“No. I wanted to say it was nice running with you the other day. And ask if you would run with me tonight.”
I considered. “Are you telling me as my alpha?”
“No, of course not.” He moved in until he was standing so close his breath disturbed a few strands of my hair. “It’s a request.”
“I should say no. It would be the smart thing because I can’t stand how things are right now, but my wolf would probably chew a hole in me to get out. She is no smarter than I am.”
I studied his expression. Jaw clenched, lips tight, and hope in his eyes. Dammit, didn’t he realize he held the key to all of this? If he would just stop trying to please his dead daddy, we could be happy? But I’d already told him this, and repeating it would serve nothing until he came to the realization himself. But for tonight, I couldn’t dim his hope. Maybe if he spent more time with me, he’d get there.
“Let’s run.” I smiled at him. “After we eat some of that food. I haven’t eaten since lunch.”
His alpha instinct kicked right in. “You can’t go that long without at least a snack. Come on! I’ll get you a plate.”
Chapter Nine
I let go of the anger I’d carried with me all night long at the fact Tris, my mate, a part of me and my life forever, couldn’t attend the pack meeting and dinner because of Samson and his stubbornness.
One look from Samson and my heart melted, with it the anger.
He sat with me while I ate, talking and joking like we ’hadn’t been fighting an invisible battle all along. Like I didn’t want to reach out to him over and over and just hold his hand or let him touch me.
Gods, I would do anything for this man to touch me.
We ran for hours, and my wolf insisted I let go of any frustration toward him. He was, after all, one of my mates. No matter how much he butted against it. No matter how much he threw up a wall anytime I was near.
After a long run, we lay in the forest, alone except for the darkness and the howling sound of the wind through the branches of the trees all around us.
Samson’s muzzle lay on my belly, and my wolf turned to goo with the weight of him. If Samson the human acted like Samson the wolf did all the time, we wouldn’t have any trouble whatsoever.
In fact, I was sure we would be mated already and living the life we were meant to.
On the cusp of sleep, I watch
ed Samson’s ears perk up. He didn’t move any other part of his body, but those ears were picking up something loud and clear.
Out of nowhere, he jumped up and got on all fours, nudging me with his nose to get up. The last thing I wanted to do was leave this peaceful, sweet bubble with him, the bubble where he acted like he loved me, needed me.
Like I was his mate.
“What is it?” I asked, after rolling over and shifting back for the convenience of talking to him. Again, if we were mated, speaking as wolves wouldn’t be a problem.
Asshole.
Okay, maybe I was still a little angry after all.
He took my cue and shifted as well. I couldn’t help but take in his form, so much like Tris, yet, so many differences. They seemed like night and day to me, but to everyone else, it was hard to tell them apart.
“Something is happening. Do you hear it? I hear my pack.”
As an alpha, he would be able to hear more. His animal was especially attuned to the others since his pack was his top priority.
“I…” I closed my eyes to focus and could, in the distance, hear something. Something alarming. “Who is screaming?”
“It’s crying.” Samson took my hand. He stood there for a moment, his deep eyes drinking me in as I had done to him just moments ago. His breaths fanned over my face, and I took each one inside me, hoping it might tame my need for him just a little—take the edge off my raw desire to pin him to the nearest flat surface and make him mine.
Tether: A Shifter of Consequence Tale (Shifters of Consequence Book 6) Page 3
