Keeping My Pack

by Lane Whitt

  I sense his approach even before I see him take a seat next to me out of the corner of my eye.

  “Your wolves have chosen a charming piece of land to call home.” He started.

  “Yes,” I reply shortly.

  “Look, my dear, I had no idea you felt so strongly against our family,” Maksim says resignedly.

  “It’s not like I’ve kept it a secret.”

  “Yes, but in my defense, you have chosen to ignore since my arrival here. I know you have a lot to deal with, but I had hoped that you would come around in your own time.” He confided. “This isn’t how I thought this would go.”

  I snort, me either. “You may have helped my family rescue me, but it came with conditions.”

  “Your release never had conditions, Kitten.” He says after some time.

  “It sure seems that way,” I tell him honestly.

  “I’ll admit that the second thought that went through my head after learning about you, is what this means for our pack.”

  I debate whether or not I want to know the answer to the question I’m about to ask, but I can’t help myself. “What was your first thought?”

  Maksim doesn’t answer straight away, finding the right words. “It was more a jumble of feelings than it was a thought. First was elation at having a granddaughter in the first place. Then, sadness at not having been able to be a proper grandfather. Anger, at whichever of my children kept you from me and raised you outside of the family. Disbelief, confusion, denial, you name it. Your wolves explained your previous situation. I still have mixed feelings about that.” He shakes his head.

  “I can see how I came as much of a shock to you as you did to me. I’ve made peace with my life, Maksim. I don’t forget the past or push it into some dark corner of my mind. It’s a part of me; it’s what made me. It was all part of a path that led me here, to my family.” I explain.

  He chuckles lightly. “You’re like your father in that, then. Mikel never dwelled on the past either; he used it as fuel for the future. When my wife and daughters died, it was me who leaned on him for emotional strength. He was an old soul even when was five.” He laughs heartily at some long ago memory playing in his head.

  “I don’t see you as the enemy,” I admit quietly. “I just wanted to come back to the guys; that’s all I wanted. I see you, Albert, and nearly everyone as a threat to my new family and I’m having a hard time with it. I don’t know how to be a Princess; I’m just a street kid.” I shrug.

  Maksim shifts to face me and I turn my head to look at him. “You may have been a street kid, but you’ve always been a Princess. I’ll never be able to express the amount of regret I’ll always have for not being able to help you, for not being there. The only upside I can give you is that you would have been raised under Marcus’ care. From what he did to you recently, I can’t imagine that would have been good. Though had I known of you, you can bet that I would have been fighting for you.”

  The conversation lapses back into silence, and I give myself a few minutes to imagine what it would have been like if I had been raised by Maksim. Would I have worn cute, ruffled dresses like other little girls? Would kids have played with me on the playground? Would I have had friends? I dismiss the questions as quickly as they came, deeming them useless. None of it matters, I ended up right where I wanted to be all along. With people to love and love me back.

  I sigh into the night. “Where do we go from here?” I ask tiredly. This day has been altogether overwhelming.

  “We can start by not being enemies. I want to help you; it’s what I’m here for. Our pack has been treated unjustly under Marcus’ reign of terror, and I want better for them. Actually, I want the best for them. For all of us.”

  I meet his eyes, so much like my own. “My wolves are the best. Anything that any of us don’t know, we’ll learn. There’s no personal agenda with any of us, we were happy living outside of any pack, until your pack came for us. I could tell them that I don’t want this, you know.”

  “And yet you haven’t. Dare I hope that you will embrace your heritage out of duty for the people of your pack?” He asks with hope-filled eyes.

  I nod my head slowly. “I will, but I have my own conditions. I’ll let you know what they are once I’ve discussed them with the guys. My guys have been my pack from the very beginning. I haven’t rejected my position outright, because of them. When uncle’s men came for me, they hurt them too. And I find that unacceptable. With us in charge, that will never happen again. If we happen to help others along the way, then that’s great. That will be our job. But my reasons are ultimately selfish, I want to keep my family safe.”

  “That’s a start,” Maksim smiles at me.

  I smile back. Maybe this won’t be so hard after all. We talk at length, asking questions of one another while skirting around the fact that we’re related. Albert has taught me about pack laws and procedure, but I ask Maksim to tell me what it’s really like to be a part of the pack. What the daily life of an Ivaskov is like. I’m disappointed with much of what he tells me. Especially how the pack does not live in the pack house, but in camps and trailers around the property. It wasn’t always that way, but that was one of uncle’s first orders as Alpha. He wanted the grand house to himself.

  I tell him how I would like to change certain things, how I would like to offer sanctuary to other changed wolves, and the benefits of doing so. Maksim doesn’t agree to some of my suggestions, but it doesn’t matter. By the end of the conversation, the dew has settled around us, and Albert has been brought over to take notes on things that could be done immediately before I’ve even gone there.

  As the conversation dies down, Remy clears his throat behind us. I know they’ve listened to every word, but they kept their distance and let us work through it. “Why don’t we head back inside? Tristan and Kitten can take their meal in the living room and pick out a movie for us to watch, while the rest of us eat in the kitchen and clear up.”

  “Sounds good, Remy,” I smile shyly at him, a tad embarrassed over my earlier fit and keeping them from their dinner.

  Moments later, I find myself seated in the red living room, facing Tristan as he sits next to me, a plate of warmed up food in hand. “I’m sorry I ruined your dinner, Tris. It smelled splendid when we came in earlier; it still does actually.”

  “It’s no biggie, Sweetie. You and Maksim were bound to have it out eventually, and I’m just happy that we’re past it now.” He says as he holds up a bite of turkey covered in gravy for me.

  We forgo conversation as he feeds both himself and me. His food is a yummy as always, each bite a savory combination of sweet, greasy, and salty, as every Thanksgiving dinner should be.

  When I’ve had enough, I sit back and pat my tummy, thankful for this amazing boy who goes above and beyond to take care of me. “So you’ve been speaking to Maksim then?” I ask out of curiosity.

  “Yeah, him and Albert both, we all have. I understood where your anger stems from, and I don’t disagree with you, but that’s between you guys. We knew which path you’d take, if only because we knew you’d see it as an opportunity to help others. It’s kind of your thing.” Tristan winks before popping the last bite of gravy smothered biscuit into his mouth. It’s hard not to stare at his luscious lips as he chews.

  When he starts to get up to take the plate to the kitchen, I place my hand on his arm, stopping him. “Wait, can we just…have a few moments to ourselves?” I ask, biting my lip.

  Tristan smiles his magnificent Tristan smile and sets the dish aside on the coffee table. “I thought you’d never ask.” He responds playfully.

  I spend the next half hour or so wrapped up in Tristan’s arms, cuddling and Kissing. Oh, the kissing. Kissing my sweet boy is like floating on a river of chocolate, marshmallow pillow included. His lips are plumped nicely, adding a luxurious quality to each peck and nibble. I really like to nibble on that bottom lip.

  He pulls away reluctantly, brushing his thumb over my now swollen l
ips. “The guys are getting restless; I can hear them. They’re going to bring in their desserts, pie, and whatnot, but would you like me to make us some popcorn?”

  “I’d rather keep kissing you, but I’ll settle for popcorn,” I tell with a smile.

  He laughs, giving me one last parting kiss before leaving the room. A minute or two later, the rest of the guys filter into the room. Ash sits next to me, and I giggle at his dessert.

  “What?” He asks defensively through a mouthful.

  “Nothing.” I giggle some more. When Tristan said the others were bringing treats in, I didn’t expect Ash to bring in an entire pumpkin pie with at least half a carton of vanilla ice cream on top.

  Finn takes over finding a movie for us to watch before taking a seat next to me. Jace brings in a few throw blankets for those who want them, and he decides to tuck the softest one around me before sitting at feet so we can share it. I reach my hand out and play with his golden hair, scratching at his scalp with my fingernails, he seems to like that.

  “Huh, I suppose you might be right Albert,” Maksim says curiously from across the room.

  “About what?” I ask.

  “Well, my dear, you have already claimed three mates, which is odd by itself, but Albert here was telling me that you might be mated with all eight of these wolves.”

  I blink at him a few times. “Well yeah,” I state slowly. Seemed fairly obvious to me.

  “You really think so?” Finn asks, intrigued.

  Albert nods his head quickly. “She’s shown no preference toward any of you, even after she mated with the others.”

  “And that proves something?” Logan chimes in. He takes a handful of popcorn from the bowl, dropping pieces as he brings the scoop to his mouth.

  Maksim sits back, stretching his legs out in front of him. “When I first met you, I had thought she was just your friend, someone you cared about. The big guy’s stuffed made me have doubts, though. Then, I thought maybe she was just Remington’s intended mate and his pack were feeling the loss their Alpha felt. Since I’ve been in this room, several of you have touched her affectionately, and not one of you has tried to rip the head off of one of the others. It has been that way ever since we recovered her. I assure you, if you were not mates, that would not be the case.”

  “Is this a normal thing for born wolves then? Having multiple mates?” Logan inquires. He’s now claimed the bowl entirely and every time he digs in for more popcorn, some spills over and lands on Remy. Remy frowns deeply at him before standing and huffing away to sit in a safer seat.

  Maksim makes a non-committal sound in his throat. “There’s no way to be sure if this situation has ever arisen, or if there are any other females capable of taking on more than one mate. I’ve never seen it myself, but it’s not an impossibility. However, due to our shortage of females and the competition for them, I can’t imagine anyone would be willing to share, even if she were destined more than one mate.”

  “So you’re saying that she won’t be forced to choose one of us as her mate, even for just the sake of naming an Alpha for the pack?” Finn questions, doubt filling his words.

  “I would say that the idea of having eight Alphas would be an issue, but you boys have done well for yourselves for this long, and have been managing your own affairs just fine. As long as that continues, I don’t foresee any complications within the pack.” Albert tells us, looking to Maksim for confirmation.

  “So all I have to do is bite the others, and they’re all mine? Forever? Jace didn’t even like me when we met, how is that possible?” I ask. From my understanding, mates are like soulmates, always searching for one another until they’re found.

  Maksim nods his head. “Mates can have different effects on each other depending on their dominance level. Some males might feel extremely protective over their mate if they’re more dominant, or have an instantaneous friendship-like feeling, a sense of belonging. Some mates tend to be empathic toward their mate, feeling their pain, pleasure, and happiness, something that draws them together from first sight. On rare occasions, mates with equal levels of dominance can feel threatened by one another and are argumentative at the beginning of their relationship, testing each other while still not able to pull away from one another completely. What seals the deal as mates is if the female allows the male to touch them and be close. Female wolves tend only to want the touch of their mate, even from birth, except for members of her family and other females.” Maksim explains.

  Tristan moves to Remy’s abandoned spot and steals some of Logan’s popcorn. “That would explain how someone as beautiful as Kitten remained untouched for long.” He says with a wink. His normally soothing voice is sultry and sends shivers all along my skin. Oh, how I love that voice of his.

  “Well that, and for a total shorty, she runs pretty fast.” Logan pipes up, elbowing Tristan and spilling popcorn all over him. Tristan only shakes his head at Logan and brushes away the fallen snack.

  Our attention turns back to the movie and after a while, Ash leans forward to place the empty pie pan on the table. “That was better than the last one you made. Thanks, man.” He says to Tristan before patting his tummy with a sigh.

  Logan snorts. “Did you get enough there, big guy? I’m surprised you didn’t lick the pan clean.”

  “Your point?” Ash challenges.

  Logan shrugs a slim shoulder. “Eh, just that your fat ass nearly killed me twice when you landed on me.” He finishes with an evil smile.

  I frown as I look Ash over carefully. Black as night hair to his shoulders, strong jaw, broad shoulders, arms that look like he could lift a mountain, his chest and stomach well defined even when sitting idly as he is. Even his thighs are massive mounds of corded muscle. “Ash isn’t fat,” I tell Logan when I’m finished with my assessment.

  Remy groans. “Do me a favor and never look at Ash like that when I’m in the room again, Kitten.” He says as he adjusts himself to a more comfortable position.

  Ash throws a massive arm around my shoulders, and I lean into his chest, cuddling into him.

  “Don’t worry, Babygirl, he’s just jealous of all this muscle.” And as if to prove a point, he tightens his whole body, flexing those said muscles. I shiver in delight.

  Logan snorts and tilts his chin up. “Uh, no Fatty McFatpants, you can keep your gladiator physic, and I’ll stick with my classically charming, model-like good looks, thanks.”

  I roll my eyes as those two continue their good-natured teasing and take in the sight of the three good looking guys sitting across from me. Remy, Reed, and Kellan continue to watch the movie playing, and I try not to sigh at their handsomeness.

  Sadly, Reed looks my way and catches me staring, cutting off my perusal of them. I look away quickly, trying not to let on that I’ve been staring at them all for a while now, but a quick glance at Reed lets me know I wasn’t quick enough. If his slightly smug and satisfied smile is anything to go by.

  “Want to know something cool, Kitten?” He asks.

  I pretend that my face isn’t on fire and nod my head, meeting his multi-colored eyes. I may be slightly embarrassed, but I’m not ashamed. It’s not my fault they are so fun to look at, they should try to be less beautiful if they don’t want people to stare.

  “Finn here actually knows how to fly those beasts.” Reed continues as he prods the man in question with an elbow to the ribs. Finn’s handful of popcorn goes flying onto Remy, who shoots Finn a glare.

  “W-what?” Finn looks between Reed and me.

  “You really know how to fly airplanes?” I ask him.

  “Oh. Yeah. I spent some time as a fighter pilot in WWII and flew commercially for a while after that. Now I just fly smaller aircraft for fun every now again.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal.

  I can practically feel my eyes popping out of my head. “Wow, Finn! Really? That’s so cool.” I bounce slightly in excitement and Ash gives a squeeze to make me stay put.

  Finn’s cheeks blush slightly,
and he smiles at me, holding out his box of popcorn in offering.

  Before I can accept or decline, Reed’s hands shoot out as he exclaims, “Duuuuude! Did you see that? That chick is really a robot. Totally makes sense now.” Sending the container flying with most of the popcorn landing on Remy. Remy glares deeply at Finn before standing and moving away to sit at the end of the couch by himself. He eyes Albert, the closest person to him now and looks approvingly at his popcorn free hands.

  I giggle uncontrollably at Finn’s lost expression. He looks over at me and gives me a ‘did you see all that’ look. I nod my head in answer, and he shakes his head, smiling at me and sitting back in his seat, seeming defeated by his crazy family members. I snuggle back into Ash, my head laying on his chest, and drift in and out of sleep as the movie plays on.

  Ash insisted on taking me to bed while the rest of the guys smoked imported cigars or something, a gift Maksim had brought for the guys. My eyelids have been fighting to stay open for about a half hour now. Ash led me to his room and sat me on the bed and now I watch him as he removes my socks.

  “Would you like a shower, or a bath, Babygirl?” He questions, looking up at me as he rubs his rough hand over my toes.

  “Bath,” I reply sleepily.

  “Wait here then.” He instructs before striding to the bathroom.

  Moments later he returns, grasping my hand within his huge one. Ash has already started the bathwater running, and he even added bubbles.

  “Come, Little One, I will wash you, if you’ll let me” Ash’s deep voice rumbles out as he guides me to the steaming room.

  My lids try to close on their own, without my permission, and my sleepy brain barely registers what he’s doing as he strips my clothes from me. I’m lifted by my hips and placed in soothing warm water. I bend my knees and lay my head on top of them, opening my eyes to see Ash kneeling beside the tub, his blackish eyes smoldering at me. He gently pushes my hair off my back, his fingers lightly brushing across my skin. I watch as he wets a washcloth in the water and lathers some body wash on it. His free hand cups some water and drizzles it over my skin and he washes my back in gentle circles; his eyes focused on his task. While he watches me, I look at him.