by Nora Phoenix
No, frightened wasn't the right word. He hadn't been scared of Lidon when his eyes had changed color, becoming burning coals of ember. He'd been shocked for sure, but as much at the transformation as at the power those eyes held. It was the same power that hung heavy in the air here, not oppressive but rather liberating, calling out to his alpha, inviting him to take an ancient form it had never known before.
And then the truth was so clear to him it made him gasp. Of course. There was no other explanation, crazy as it might sound.
"Remember what Palani explained on his blog about how the gene was designed to bring the wolf shifters back?" he asked.
The kitchen grew quiet as both Gia and Felix stared at him. "I think it's working," Sean said. "I can't explain why, but it's wolf power I feel here. My alpha knows it too."
"You're saying Lidon can shift?" Gia whispered in awe.
"Did you know his grandfather was the last person alive to shift?" Sean asked. "I remember when I found out Lidon would be my partner in narcotics. My father blew a gasket, and I didn't understand what he had against him. He told me that Lidon's family bragged about being the last family who was able to shift, that their shifter genes had been stronger than anyone else's. I don't know if that's true, because Lidon certainly never talked about it, but my father and his family resented the hell out of Lidon for that reason."
Felix looked pensive. "Is it possible to be surprised by something and yet at the same time not?" he asked. "I would've never guessed this on my own, but now that you say it, it somehow makes perfect sense.”
“Then there’s the fact that Lidon has three mates. That’s not normal either, and I can’t explain it, but it almost feels magical to me,” Sean said.
"Enar mentioned that most relationships here on the ranch are poly relationships," Gia said. "It's not just Lidon and his mates, but apparently, there are a lot of threesomes here. It makes you wonder why."
There was an edge to his voice Sean couldn't quite place, but maybe it was because they were all trying to figure out what was going on, as much on the ranch as between the three of them. "Maybe we should take them up on their offer and go up to… What was it called again?"
"Jawon's House," Gia supplied.
"Let's see what we can find out," Sean said.
This was a serious operation, Felix noted as they made their way to Jawon’s House. They encountered several men working on building another cottage, all raising their hands in a friendly greeting as they spotted them. Two security guards were walking around, their eyes sharp and their guns clearly visible.
Farther out in the fields, two men were clearing a plot of land, it seemed, to expand the already impressive operation they were running. There were various animals, including chickens and pigs, and a massive vegetable plot that would’ve made Felix’s mom weep with pride. She’d always been good with her hands, whether it was knitting, sewing clothes, or growing vegetables in their back yard.
Inside the house, noise lead them to the kitchen, where a large group of men was gathered, consisting of various alphas, betas, and omegas, and even two babies. But even though he’d never met him, Felix instantly recognized Lidon Hayes, and not because he’d seen his picture a few times. The power that vibrated through the house, through the entire ranch, it originated from him. Felix had the strange urge to bow for him, which made no sense at all.
“Guys, we have visitors,” a beta said, and he immediately stepped up to them, his hand held out to Felix. “I’m Palani.”
Felix froze. He stood in front of Sean and Gia, so he was kind of first in their little procession, but that was just a coincidence, and shouldn’t Sean be greeted first as an alpha? It wasn’t till Sean nudged his shoulder that he accepted the handshake.
“I’m Felix,” he said.
“Thank you so much for what you did for Sean and Gia.”
“Oh. Erm, you’re welcome?” He wasn’t entirely sure why Palani would thank him for that, considering he didn’t know either of them.
Palani greeted Sean and Gia with equal friendliness, shaking both their hands. It was a complete lack of the usual protocol, and Felix found it both confusing and refreshing.
“There are too many people in the room right now to introduce, but let me mention the most important one. This is Lidon, our alpha.”
Our alpha. Not his alpha, as in Palani’s—which would’ve made sense since he was one of Lidon’s mates—but our alpha. What was that about?
Lidon greeted Sean first, and the relief on the cop’s face was easy to spot when Lidon gave him an affectionate hug. “It’s good to see you,” Lidon said. “I’m proud of you for doing the right thing.”
Sean looked flustered as he accepted the praise, then pushed Felix forward. “This is Felix Roland, who actually saved my ass by alerting me.”
Felix blushed as the big alpha offered his hand, and when he took it, his beta growled inside him in a way he’d never experienced before. “Thank you, Felix,” Lidon said. “We’re so glad you acted on your instincts and contacted Duer.”
“Is he here?” Felix asked, looking around the room, but Palani shook his head.
“He’s not feeling well today, so he’s in his room. Some other time, hopefully,” the beta said.
“This is our omega, Gia,” Sean said, and Felix marveled at the use of the word our again.
Gia didn’t mention it as he, too, greeted Lidon and exchanged pleasantries.
“How are you feeling?” Enar asked Gia. The doctor had walked up to them, and much to Felix’s surprise, Lidon had grabbed Enar’s hand and pulled him against him, holding him close. That was an affectionate gesture he hadn’t expected from the big alpha.
“I’m feeling really good,” Gia said, then added with a slight pause, “These two took good care of me.”
It shouldn’t make Felix proud to hear that, but it did, basic as it was to take pleasure in being complimented on your sexual performance.
“Glad to hear that,” Enar said with warmth.
“I thought you guys might be interested in a tour of the ranch?” Palani asked. “I’d be happy to show you around.”
Felix hesitated, then decided to take the plunge. “I’d love to, but can I ask a question first? What’s happening in this place?”
Palani and Lidon shared a look. “What do you mean?” Palani asked.
Felix looked at Sean, who stepped closer to him. “We feel the power here,” Sean said quietly. “We felt it as soon as we drove in.” He looked at Lidon. “It’s you, isn’t it? I recognize it because I’ve felt it before when I was with you, just never this strong and clear.”
Lidon smiled. “What else did you notice?” he asked cryptically, but Sean seemed to understand what he was referring to.
“Your eyes changed,” Sean said immediately. “That day your ranch was attacked, your eyes changed. It was like looking at…at a wolf.”
Lidon slapped a hand on Sean’s shoulder. “I always thought you were smart, newbie.”
Wait, did that mean…? What was Lidon saying?
“You’re…you’re a wolf?” Sean asked. “You can shift?”
Palani groaned loudly. “For fuck’s sake, don’t shift, Lidon. Everybody will be fucking like bunnies again all night if you do,” he said, much to Felix’s astonishment.
Chuckles went around the room, and nobody seemed to take offense at a beta calling out an alpha like that. And not just any alpha, but the leader of the whole ranch.
Lidon’s mouth pulled up in a smile. “Are you saying you’ve had enough of me, my sassy beta?”
Palani grinned. “Like that’s ever gonna happen. I’m just saying have mercy on all the unmated people in the pack. It’s not as easy for them to manage.”
Manage what? And what did he mean with pack? What the hell were they talking about? Felix didn’t follow any of it, but then again, his mind had pretty much stopped working at the words wolf and shifting. It couldn’t be, could it? Shifting was the stuff of legends, the thing
they only knew from stories. Hell, the last time anyone had shifted had been decades ago. No one knew why they’d lost the ability to shift, but it had happened. To think that it was coming back was just…crazy.
Lidon shot Palani a look that was a hell of a lot like a pout. “You’re no fun,” he said, affirming Felix’s interpretation of his face.
Palani merely smiled. “That’s why I’m your second-in-command. The voice of reason and all that.”
Lidon turned his attention back to Sean. “Apparently, I’m not allowed to shift, thanks to my beta here, but you’ll have to take my word for it.”
“You can shift,” Sean said, his eyes bulging.
“Yes,” Lidon said.
“Into a wolf.”
“Yes.”
“That’s…” Sean seemed to struggle for words.
“Insane?” Felix supplied. “Unbelievable and at the same time really, really cool?”
“Yeah, all of that and then some,” Sean said.
The whole room was listening in on their conversation, with some chuckles here and there. Felix couldn’t wrap his mind around it. Shifters. Wolves. What the ever-loving fuck?
“Are you the only one?” he asked, curious now.
“No. Multiple pack members can shift,” Palani answered for Lidon.
Pack. It clicked in Felix’s brain. “You’re a pack,” he said slowly. “With you as alpha wolf.”
Lidon nodded.
“That explains so much,” Felix said, and it did. Like why he’d had the urge to obey Lidon and bow for him. Though, wouldn’t that effect be limited to pack members only? “I’ll take that tour now, thank you,” he told Palani, who grinned.
“Follow me,” the beta—and apparently also the beta of the pack—said.
Pack. This ranch was a freaking wolf pack. Holy mother of all.
8
Gia hadn’t said much during the conversation, too overwhelmed by all the new faces and the new information. His mind had trouble comprehending what he had just learned, and at the same time, it felt so right. His omega confirmed it, being at peace and yearning to submit to the pack alpha.
He followed Palani and Sean and Felix, a bit insecure in that large group of people until Sean took his hand and sent him a reassuring smile. Everyone nodded at him in a friendly gesture, and god, there were so many faces, so many people.
Palani led them into the hallway, and right when he opened his mouth to say something, the door next to them opened and an older alpha came in, fused at the mouth with an omega who was clearly pregnant. He wasn’t due anytime soon, Gia estimated, but his baby bump was visible under his shirt. The alpha, who hadn’t spotted them yet, unceremoniously shoved his hand down the back of the omega’s pants, and he didn’t stop until Palani cleared his throat.
“We have company, Grayson,” the beta said, and Gia had to bite back a laugh at the way he rolled his eyes.
The alpha sent them a sheepish smile, removing his hand. “Oops. Sorry. We were…”
“I’m pretty sure we all knew what you were doing,” Palani said. “But can you please continue somewhere private?”
The omega blushed prettily, and Gia smiled at him. He looked radiant, all glowing and happy. That had to be quite the age gap between them, Gia guessed.
The door opened again, and someone else came stumbling in. “Wait for me, Daddy!” a beta called out, coming to a screeching halt when he spotted their little group.
Daddy? That beta was the alpha’s son? Then he caught the heated look the alpha shot him, and it clicked. That kind of Daddy. Okay, then.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Can you guys pretend to be normal for an hour so we don’t scare off our guests here?” Palani said, clearly frustrated.
Gia bit back another laugh, because he thought it was hilarious.
“Like you’re so normal yourself with your three mates,” the beta who had just stormed in bit back at Palani.
“Lars! Do you need another reminder about showing respect to the pack beta? Because I’d be happy to spank your bare ass right here and now,” his alpha growled, and boy, he was not fooling around.
“No, Daddy. Sorry, Daddy,” The beta—Lars—said, sounding remorseful. No wonder, with a punishment like that looming over him. “Sorry, Palani,” he added, and Palani merely sighed.
“Let’s continue the tour and hope everyone else can keep it in their pants,” he muttered.
“Fat chance, in this house,” a beta who walked by joked. He looked enough like Palani that Gia guessed him to be his brother. “There’s a reason why we warn newcomers about the live porn shows.”
This was said with such a big grin that Gia realized he was only half kidding. Palani let out another sigh. “My brother Kean, everyone,” he said. “And sadly, he’s somewhat right. If you’re prudish about sex, the main house is not the place to be.”
“Jawon’s House,” his brother corrected him, his voice suddenly soft and all the cheer and teasing gone.
“Jawon’s House,” Palani repeated, and something passed between the brothers that made Gia sense the sadness.
Palani reached out for his brother and kissed him on his head, a gesture that made Gia tear up for some reason. He wasn’t sure who or what Jawon had been that the house had been named after, but the pain was clearly still fresh.
Palani showed them around the ranch, explaining about their goal to be self-supporting in as many areas as possible. They were making great progress there, Gia thought as he took in the animals, the vegetable garden, and the many crops. It was a like a dream come true for organic farming, and his hands almost itched with the desire to cook some of the beautiful produce.
But Palani also told them about the security, necessary because of previous attacks on the ranch. His voice was tight as he mentioned they’d lost a pack member—Lidon’s cousin Jawon. None of them asked for details, but Sean took Gia’s hand again and then reached out for Felix as well.
Gia’s omega calmed as he was linked to both his men, making him realize all over again that he had not told them about the fated mates thing. Time was running out on that, he knew, as Enar had warned him they’d soon find out themselves. He needed to talk to them before that happened, because this was not something they should discover on their own.
Palani led them to a quiet place near a pool, which looked just as clean and well maintained as everything else. “What do you think of this place?” he asked.
“Is this where you make the timeshare offer?” Felix joked, and it broke the tension as they all laughed.
Palani grinned as well. “Kind of. Look, there’s a lot more than what I’ve shown you, but you’ve seen the basics. Yes, we do run a pack here, which means Lidon is our alpha and I’m second-in-command.”
Gia heard Sean take a breath as if he wanted to say something, but when nothing came, he looked sideways. The cop’s face was pensive as he studied Palani.
“You’re wondering why I have that position,” Palani said, but it sounded factual.
“It’s none of my business,” Sean said.
“But you’re wondering,” Palani pressed.
“Well, yeah. It’s unusual.”
Palani nodded. “It is, but it was Lidon’s choice. He chose me because I’m damn good at what I do. In this pack, we don’t put much stock in what society tells us about traditional role patterns and all that. We look at your talents and your heart. We have an omega who leads scientific research into the gene, a beta who’s becoming our vet, an alpha who prefers to be under the leadership of an omega on our construction crew, and yes, a beta second-in-command. That’s how we roll in the Hayes pack.”
Gia let that sink in. It was the single most revolutionary thing he’d ever heard. An omega doing scientific research? A beta leading a pack? What kind of sorcery was that?
For the first time, he spoke up, encouraged by Palani’s words that he wouldn’t get upset with him, an omega, for saying something. “Are you inviting us to stay?” he asked, then worried immedi
ately that he’d been too direct. “Because as much as Felix was joking about the timeshare thing, it kind of sounds like you’re giving us a sales pitch, and I just wanted to make sure.”
Palani’s face showed nothing but friendliness. “Yes, we would love for you to stay on the ranch, all three of you.”
“But…but you don’t even know us,” Gia protested. “Sean, maybe, but you’ve never even met me or Felix.”
“True, but we’ve gotten really good at following our instincts. Plus, in full disclosure, I did do a little background check on all three of you, just to make sure.”
Gia shook his head, trying to take it all in. “It’s a lot all at once.”
“I understand. So I’m gonna leave you three to discuss it, and you can get back to me at any time. Take a day, a week, it’s all good. You’re welcome to stay in the cottage as long as you want.”
Palani left them by the pool, and Gia watched him until he was out of sight, then turned his attention to Sean and Felix. It wasn’t raining anymore, like the day they’d arrived, and instead, a careful sunshine peeked from between the clouds, making the pool look extra blue.
“This place is amazing,” Felix sighed.
“You fit right in,” Sean remarked. “They would take you seriously here as a beta.”
“Hmm,” Felix said, not exactly embracing Sean’s statement. “I have a job in the city.”
Sean lifted an eyebrow. “Really? I know you called in sick, or rather, texted your boss, but that was three days ago. You don’t think they’ve fired you by now?”
Felix paled a little, and Gia felt sorry for him. “They might’ve held your job for you,” he said.
Felix let out a deep sigh. “No, he’s right. And even if they did, I hated that place. I never wanted to be a union lawyer anyway, especially for the police.”
