by Toby Aden
Hearing those words, regardless of how reluctant they came out at first, a blinding smile spread across Will’s lips, and whooping, he threw his hands around Greg’s neck, squeezing and hugging the man hard in his excitement. He felt more than heard Greg’s soft scoff against his shoulder, but he didn’t care. He was going to get what he’d always wanted and be wooed like all his favorite romance books described, and he couldn’t wait.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Will said, plastering kisses all over the side of Gregory’s face to the amusement of his mate.
“All right, all right. Let’s not go overboard, and in any case, let’s start by getting out of this water before we turn to prunes.”
Pouting, Will let Greg pull his hands from round his neck, saying, “Spoilsport.”
The side of Gregory’s lips curved into a smile, and shaking his head, he stood up with Will in the tub, and then together, they climbed out of it then dried themselves off with a bath towel before padding into the room.
“Tonight. Let’s go on out first date tonight,” Will said, giddy with anticipation.
“Not tonight. I’m not done with you yet, and I’m in no mood to share you with others yet,” Greg protested.
Will shook his head. “Yes, tonight, and others aren’t invited. Just something cozy and intimate for the two of us to do. Then we can proceed with the ravishment,” Will said, wagging his eyebrow.
“But…”
“I need to plan what to wear tonight,” Will said, ignoring Greg’s protest as he went to Gregory’s wardrobe to pull out some of his mate’s clothes to wear for now. “I really need to unpack my things, but I have absolutely nothing to wear for tonight!” Will mumbled to himself, browsing through Gregory’s things. “Aha!” He found a cloth he liked and pulled it out, tossed the towel around his waist on the bed, and began pulling on clothes. “I need to go shopping. Mmm hmm, lots and lots of things to buy.”
Gregory stood watching his mate flit around the room, not settling in one place and mumbling to himself as he planned what he was about. A soft smile curved his lips, and he looked on, surprised but pleased. Walking behind his mate, Gregory slipped his hands around the gamma, pulling him closer to himself and nuzzling his neck.
“What are you doing?” Will asked breathlessly.
“Helping you work through your excess energy,” Gregory said, biting down on the mating mark he’d left on Will’s shoulder.
The move elicited a moan from Will, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head as waves of pleasure washed over him. “What are you doing to me?” Will asked in a moan, the shirt in his hand floating to the ground as he held on to Gregory’s arm for support.
“Driving you crazy,” Gregory said then turned Will in his arms and slanted his mouth over Will’s.
Chapter Four
It was hours later before Will finally surfaced from Greg’s room, leaving his snoring mate still in bed. As he stood outside the door to their room, he took a moment to orient himself to his unfamiliar surroundings, a wave of panic washing over him at the overwhelming feeling of being alone in a strange place. His hand found the doorknob behind him, and he had an overpowering urge to push open the door and rush back into the safety of his mate’s arm, especially since his brothers were not around to reassure him.
Squeezing his eyes tight, he counted from one to ten then backward until he was able to get his breath under control, his fist turning white at his side and the hand still on the doorknob squeezing it tightly. He forced himself to calm down, reciting over and over again in his mind that he was safe and should he need his mate, the man was just a thought away from rushing to his side. If he had to, he would shout to his mate through their mated bond and he had nothing to worry about.
He was safe here, in his mate’s home and with his mate’s family. Over and over again, he repeated this to himself until he got his breathing under control, and he dug deep within himself till he found his courage and safe place, and with a cheery smile, he went looking for his brothers.
Now that he was mated, and especially to the next-in-line Alpha, he didn’t have to worry about his overprotective brothers anymore, nor did he have to worry about their safety. Hopefully, they would now have a place to settle down instead of moving around constantly.
This thought, though, was not the reason for his happiness. That he’d found his mate and his mate was such a gorgeous specimen and considerate of his feelings was much more important to him. Gregory might be rough around the edges, but he’d soon tame the man and teach him to enjoy the finer things in life.
Now that the war was finally over between the vampire and werewolf species, there was a lot more to see and enjoy. He and his brothers also didn’t have to keep looking over their shoulders, wary of their next encounter or trying to determine whom to trust.
Shaking that line of thought away from his mind, Will continued on his way to find his brothers. His overprotective brothers would no doubt be worrying about him staying for a long time away from them. They were used to hovering and creating protective barriers around him, and he needed to check in with them before going about sprucing himself up for his date night.
He descended the stairs till he came upon the large open space. He walked through to the kitchen, following his sense of smell and the delicious aroma wafting toward him. He spied several foods in serving bowls, enough of it to feed an army, and a young woman and an older one preparing even more dishes as they conversed quietly between themselves.
“Good morning,” Will called cheerfully.
The young lady turned from the stove where she was preparing some kind of dish. She sniffed the air, and a frown marred her face before it faded away and she smiled up at him. “Afternoon. You must be Gregory’s mate.”
Will blushed. “I’m Will.”
“Welcome to the family, son,” the older woman said with a smile. “You may call me Meredith.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Meredith laughed, gesturing to the younger woman. “I like this one.”
The woman by her laughed then nodded. “I’m Annalise. Gregory’s one and only sister.”
“Nice to meet you,” Will said, and just then, his stomach gave a loud gurgle, drawing the attention of both woman and a laugh from them. Will blushed again, laughing along with them before shrugging and saying, “I don’t remember the last time I ate.”
“Well, don’t hesitate, boy. Have something to abate your hunger. Lunch will be ready soon enough,” Meredith said as she waved for him to pick a steak to hold him over.
Not waiting to be told twice, Will moved forward and picked up one rarely done steak, tearing a sizable piece to chew, and popped it into his mouth before silently gesturing if he could have a drink from the fridge. Will watched Annalise as she walked over to the built-in fridge and pulled out a jug of orange juice before pouring some in a glass and handing it over to him.
He accepted the drink with his empty hand and chugged the juice down, sighing at the feel of the substance washing down his throat before nodding toward the women. “Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it, kiddo. Long as you treat Master Gregory well, me and you will get along just fine,” Meredith said before returning to her work.
“What she said,” Annalise chirped in with a shrug of her delicate shoulders.
Nodding, Will popped the rest of the meat into his mouth, licking his fingers before chewing, and nodded his approval at the burst of flavor on his tongue. “This is so good.”
Meredith laughed, shaking her head. “Have another one, Will. I’m sure there’ll still be enough to go around later.”
“Thanks,” Will said then reached for another steak. “Do you know where my brothers are? I came with them yesterday to talk with the Alpha before I realized Gregory was my mate.”
Annalise nodded. “They were given rooms to stay when we realized they’re now literally part of the family. I’m sure they’ll be down later for the midday meal.”
“Thank you. I didn’t know what to think when I couldn’t find them. It’s always been me and my brothers against the world for so long. It felt strange being in a place without them around me,” Will explained, trying to shrug and downplay it, though, in actuality, when he hadn’t found his brothers, he’d experience a moment of fear until he reminded himself that he was in his mate’s home and was relatively safe here.
“You have nothing to worry about now, Will. You’re a part of our family, and we protect our family,” Annalise said, seeming to sense his early distress.
“Thank you.”
“No thanks necessary, kiddo. I’ve been with the Santiago family since I was young, so I know just how well they care for family, and they are good people. I’m sure you’ll come to realize that yourself later on,” Meredith said before turning to dish out another kind of food into the serving bowl. She walked the short distance to the long, large dining table in the middle of the kitchen to set the bowl among the other dishes already served before turning back to the stoves.
“I talked Gregory into going on our first date tonight.”
“Date? Gregory doesn’t do those…” Annalise said, snorting in surprise. She had never known her brother to have a romantic bone in his body. When she saw the serious look in Will’s eyes, she shook her head and smiled slowly. “Wow. You really did, huh?”
Will smiled, nodding his head and bouncing on his feet in excitement. “I so did. I’m getting the full fairy-tale romance experience. I can’t wait. I want to go shopping before tonight. I need a makeover.” Will nodded. “Mmm-hmm. New beginning, new makeover,” Will mumbled, grinning widely as his thoughts drifted to modeling new clothes for his mate and having the man peel them off his body later.
“You’re really excited about that, huh?” Annalise asked with a small smile as she poured herself a coffee and moved to the table to sit with Will.
“The date?” Will asked with his brow furrowed before nodding his head. “Yeah, I am.”
“Not that. Well, that, too, I guess, but I meant the makeover and shopping.”
“Well, yes. I don’t want to have anything holding me back or reminding me too much of the past you know. I want to express myself so new thing, new life, and so on,” Will explained without divulging too much, though he was sure Annalise had an inkling that his past hadn’t been all that great if he didn’t want too many reminders of it.
“I don’t mind going along with you. I need to pick up some things in town also,” Annalise said.
“I’d really love that.”
“Love what?” a voice asked from behind Will.
The familiar voice drifted over to Will’s ears, and turning around, he spotted his eldest brother, Gavin, behind him, and a smile split his lips as he threw himself at the man. The rumble of a chuckle met his excitement, and the sound vibrated beneath his ears against Gavin’s chest, but the impact of his body only sent the man stumbling a little.
“Easy there, short stuff,” Gavin said, still chuckling at Will’s enthusiasm.
Will pulled back and glanced up at his brother with a frown on his face. “I’m not short. You’re just uselessly long.”
Laughter drifted over to them, and turning to peek around Gavin’s wide body, Will spotted Kelly and Jason, his other two brothers chuckling at his comment as they walked into the kitchen-dining room.
“Keep telling yourself that, kiddo,” Kelly, his second oldest brother, said, ruffling his hair as he passed them.
Will pouted then stepped away from Gavin and walked back to his seat. “You’re just jealous ’cause I’ve got all the gorgeous genes in the family.”
Jason snorted out a laugh, his eyes twinkling. “Really now? Didn’t know beauty was in the eye of the owner instead of the beholder.”
“Shut up, Jace,” Will said, poking his tongue out at his annoying brothers.
The brothers laughed, and even Annalise could not stop her lips from twitching in amusement at the banter between the brothers.
“Morning, gorgeous,” Kelly said, leaning down to kiss Annalise on the lips, and Will’s eyes bugged wide open in surprise.
“You found your mate?” Will asked in shock and excitement.
Kelly smiled indulgently, his eyes soft as he swung his arms around Annalise’s shoulder and stared down at his mate. “Yeah. We met last night. Isn’t she just gorgeous?” he said, kissing her on the nose before turning to his family.
Will squealed, happy for his brother and unable to contain his excitement, bounded over to the mated couple and pulled them both into a hug together.
“Congratulations! I can’t believe you’re my brother’s mate,” Will said then leaned back to regard the both of them. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier?”
Annalise blushed then shrugged. “Just wanted to get to know you better first and your intentions toward my brother of course.”
“We’re mated. Of course I’m happy, and I wouldn’t hurt Greg for anything in the world.” Eyes dancing with merriment. “I guess this is the part where I say if you hurt my brother, I’ll kill you,” he said in a serious voice.
Pulling his mate closer to his chest, Kelly said, “Easy there, spitfire.”
Will didn’t budge, though, until Annalise nodded, and then he turned and smiled up at Kelly. “I’m happy for you, brother.”
“And I you, Will.”
Will nodded then went back to his seat at the table with Gavin and Jason flanking him on either side of the chair. The two patted him on the back, smiles firmly on their faces, and he could see just how much having the two of them mated eased his other brother. They appeared more relaxed than he’d ever known them to be, and he was glad for that.
The mated couple sat across from them at the table, and it was not long before the rest of the betas, enforcers, Gregory, and Alpha Steven came striding into the dining room. Gregory moved straight toward Will, leaning down to give him a kiss and taking up the space on Will’s right soon after Jason moved over for him.
Gavin and Will’s brothers all stood up when the Alpha rounded the large table until he reached the head. They all waited for the man to take his seat at the head of the table before finally settling back in along with the betas, enforcers, and Gregory. The table was bustling with food and filled with all the men who’d gathered around for the midday lunch.
“Alpha Steven, I want to thank you once more on behalf of my brothers and I for accepting us into your pack,” Gavin said, addressing the man respectfully once they broke bread and began eating.
Alpha Steven waved the sentiment away. “No need. After all, two of your brothers are mated to my children. I consider us a family already.”
Gavin inclined his head. “Thank you, Alpha. We would all be more than happy to swear our allegiance to you, especially now that we can rest assured knowing Will will be well taken care of.”
Jason nodded. “Gavin is right, sir. Will is our topmost priority. With him being a gamma and all, we worry for him.”
“You have my word that I will allow no harm to come to my mate,” Gregory said, reaching for Will’s hand and giving it a squeeze.
“Then it’s settled. We would be pleased to welcome you into the pack,” Alpha Steven said with a nod of his acceptance.
“Thank you, sire,” Kelly said. “You have my word also with regards to Annalise. I will protect her with my life.”
“That is all any father could hope for,” Alpha Steven said, staring at his daughter, both pleased that she had found her mate and sad to know that, soon, she would have to leave the house to forge a life for her own growing family.
Chapter Five
Whilst they rode in the car to town, Annalise explained to Will how the town worked, feeding him as much information as his curiosity could handle.
“It’s tradition. The Alpha always eats the midday meal with the betas and enforcers, as a way to encourage closeness.”
She went further to explain that though the Alpha and betas, as well as enforcers,
always met daily for the noon meal, their pack was not run like a traditional pack. Other than when the pack members requested an audience, the only time the entire town came together as one was for their weekly runs and barbecue hosted at the Alpha’s compound.
The monthly contributions by each pack member and businesses were directed to the only bank in town. They were a close-knit pack but just big enough that the Alpha was not all up in their business. They all had and led their separate lives, free to make their own decisions. With Gregory at the forefront, their pack made more connections with their neighbors both far and wide, as well as the vampires, ensuring that their town progressed. Even though Gregory was not yet the official Alpha, it had been years since Alpha Steven left the proximity of town in order to trade or bring in new ideas for their pack.
While the war had been waged, Gregory had swiftly and deftly ensured that they did not suffer much loss and made more connections with other packs while Alpha Steven had been at the forefront of the war. Gregory had kept their town self-sufficient, bringing in more business, but it hadn’t been until the war was over that more potentials had been reached. There was no one in the pack who did not know just how much he’d done for their pack.
“Wow. He’s really done a lot for the pack,” Will said, referring to his mate.
“Yeah. Gregory’s not one to sit around, you know. He was forever traveling to different packs, offering his help during the war and bridging trade for us all. It wasn’t until later this year that he finally stayed home for more than a month at a time,” Annalise said. “I’m glad he’s mated now though.”
“Why?”
“The pack needs him. I know he’s always away for the sake of the pack, but now, he’ll be here to help them on hand and it’ll cut back on his traveling. Being pack Alpha is not easy and especially for Gregory. I’m glad that now, he’ll have someone to take care of him.”
“I will. You know. We’ll take care of each other.”
