She sat at the table, pulling her knees up to her chest and watching me, grateful for the cup of steaming hot coffee I set before her. I dished out our plates even knowing I put too much on hers, and sat down next to her.
We dug in, and I was pleased with the moans of pleasure she gave over my meal. Who knew something as simple as providing a meal for her would please me so much? This whole mating thing was a heady experience.
After breakfast we showered quickly and dressed. I called Kyle to make sure he and Kelsey were home. I had taken to heart what Elise had said about telling him about the human faction watching us. I already knew there was nothing I would ever hide from my mate, so I did not expect him to keep this from his mate either. He invited us over for dinner. Looking at the clock, that was only an hour away. I didn't tell him we had just woken and had breakfast. As my friend, I knew he'd understand. As Elise's brother, I wasn't even going there.
We drove over to Kyle’s in companionable silence. Before we even knocked on the door, Kelsey rushed us on the porch. She hugged Elise and took a deep sniff.
“Totally called it,” she yelled back into the house. We followed in where she poked her mate in the chest. “You owe me. I win.”
“Seriously? That was fast.” Looking at his sister with disappointment, he shook his head. “One date was all it took? Must have been some date.”
I couldn't help it. I could not stop grinning and I even shook my head in hearty agreement until a sharp elbow connected with my ribcage.
“Do not encourage him,” she ordered.
“Yes, ma'am!” I said in my most American accent.
“So you've come to celebrate then?”
“Not exactly,” I told him. “Can we sit? I have some things that Elise and I feel you should know about.”
“This sounds serious.”
“It is,” she assured him.
We all sat down. “Is this something safe to talk about here?” Kyle asked hesitantly.
Elise and I looked at each other. “How many people would you expect to pass through here tonight?”
“Probably none.”
“Then we'll likely be okay. What we say here needs to stay here, Kyle. I was hesitant to even tell you, but Elise assured me it's the right thing to do.” She squeezed my hand and smiled encouragingly.
“Okay, I'm listening.”
“I'm not sure where to begin,” I said nervously, knowing he wasn't going to be happy that I had kept it from him initially.
“Start with the day I was kidnapped,” my mate advised, and I nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, sure look it. You know I went looking for Elise on my own after she went missing, and I found her in a cabin, drugged and chained to a bed by two Bulgarian brothers. What I didn't tell you, or anyone, until yesterday, was that in the woods, watching the cabin, were three humans. They're part of some human faction that monitors shifter activity around the world. They were tracking the Bulgati brothers after word of issues between the Bulgarians and Westins arose. They only observe. They aren't supposed to get involved in any way, but they broke their protocol and helped me rescue her.” I paused to let that sink in.
“You're serious? You showed yourself to humans?”
“Kyle, you aren't listening. They already knew about us. They told me about the Bulgatis. They brought tranqs to go in anyway if it came to it, knowing it was Elise the Bulgarians had captive. The humans, they knew her by name, Kyle. I was desperate to save her and they wanted to help. They made the anonymous call to the cops after I had her safely away.”
“Do you hear what you're telling me? Humans are aware of our kind? It doesn't make sense. If humans knew about us, they would hunt and kill us all. We've seen it happen throughout history.”
“I'm telling you, you're wrong about these guys.”
“I met two of them last night, Kyle. He's not lying. My wolf felt no aggression towards them or from them.”
“What?” he growled and my wolf started to cower. “You knowingly endangered my sister?”
“Enough,” Elise said, and I could feel her irritation rolling off her. It was hard to keep the smile off my face, feeling her emotions. It was such a new and awesome sensation. “I told him you would understand. I told him you would handle this okay. These guys, they weren't the boogeyman coming after us. If anything they are our allies. Kyle, they helped him save me. They promised to call if any odd activity with the Bulgarians surfaced. This could be the advantage we need if this war continues, but if you tell the Pack, or even the Pack Council, fear will set in. We don't need that right now.”
“Elise,” he started, raking a hand through his hair.
“Kyle,” Kelsey interrupted. “They're right. If there's movement with the Bulgarians and they alert Patrick to it, it could be the advanced warning we need. We're at war here. Why wouldn't we use every means possible, including the humans?”
“Kelsey, you don't seem as shocked to hear about the humans,” I observed.
“Patrick, I was raised in the human world. They don't scare me like they do others here, where their only exposure is occasional business meetings.”
“I'm not scared of humans, but hearing they know all about us is more than a little unnerving,” Elise confessed.
“I don't disagree with that, but if Dave is true to his word, he'll contact me with anything suspicious. So when I come to you with random knowledge that you would demand to know how I came by it, you'll know and won't need to question it.”
“That's it?” Kyle asked.
“That's it. Look, it was my impression that they've been watching us for a very long time, and I don't mean us specifically, I mean our kind, most likely back several generations at least.”
“Jesus, Pat, that's insane. You know that right? How is that even possible and we haven't been aware of them in any way?” Kyle began to pace around the room.
“How have we lived and survived all these generations and the humans not know we exist? Think about it.” I said.
“It's a lot to take in, but if you're confident they aren't a threat, then I don't see need to share this with anyone outside of the four of us. I mean no one. Are we clear?” The alpha in Kyle’s voice was evident.
I nodded along with Elise and Kelsey.
“That decided,” Kelsey said, “how about dinner? We're starving.” She rubbed her stomach to show us the “we” she was talking about. I chanced a look at Elise who just gave a short shrug. Yeah, neither of us were about to tell her overbearing brother that we had just finished breakfast before coming over.
“One more thing we need to discuss,” Kyle said. “When are we announcing to the pack about your mating? The sooner the challenge clock starts, the better. Trust me on that.”
“Easy for you to say, you had one month to endure. We have four,” Elise grumbled. I rubbed her back reassuringly. I had to believe we'd be fine and both come out triumphant. No other option existed in my mind.
“The next pack meeting isn't for another week and a half.”
“Yeah, but we can send out a notice and follow up with the formal stuff at the pack meeting. I'll start the clock as soon as you tell me to send it.”
“Today,” I told them. Elise's eyes were wide with shock.
“Today?” she shrieked.
“The sooner, the better. Let's get the countdown rolling.”
“We haven't even broken the news to my family yet. Look, it's Wednesday. We missed family dinner yesterday. Go ahead and type up the email, Kyle, and I'll tell Mom we're ‘rainchecking’ for tomorrow night to make it up to her, and we'll tell everyone then. You can send it out afterwards.”
I conceded. “Yeah, okay. That sounds good.”
“Okay, well, let's eat.” Kelsey led the way to their dining room.
Kyle slapped me on the back. “Congratulations, man, and welcome to the family. She looks happy and I'm really happy for the both of you.”
I nodded my thanks. To be accepted into the family was more tha
n I had hoped for taking a mate. It made me once again reconsider the idea of leaving.
Dinner with Kyle and Kelsey was nice. It felt good to be a part of their family, and at the end of the night, Kyle told Elise to take the next two days off. Two more entire days alone with my mate, and then two more through the weekend, was the best mating gift anyone could give us, and I planned to make the most of it.
In the car on the drive home, Elise sounded a little worried. “Kyle freaked out about the humans a little more than I expected,” she said.
“You were right, love. He needed to know. He's a good alpha. He'll do right by the information. You seemed a little more freaked out,” I said, using her choice words, “by our mating announcement. Are you okay?”
She nodded, “Yes. It's just all so, I dunno, real, I guess, talking about making the announcement.”
“Elise, this is the most real thing in my life. We're going to get through this. The next four months will fly by, just wait and see.” I said a quick prayer that I was right.
Elise
Chapter 25
When Kyle gave me two days off to spend with Patrick, I was thrilled. We needed that time to finish getting to know each other. I had been thinking intimately, but it turned out that he was really easy to just talk to and laugh with. Not that there wasn't plenty of time play around, too. I grinned and knew I was blushing just thinking about it.
I already knew I was falling in love with him, but those two days, alone with no other worries in the world, had solidified our bond, and my heart. I was ready to face the challenges, or anything else life might throw our way.
Mom and Dad had plans for Thursday night and had postponed us till Friday. That had worked out just fine for us, but now it was time to face my family.
“Come on, get up. You have to get dressed or we're going to be late,” Patrick scolded me as I lay sprawled out across our bed, watching him pull on a pair of snug fitting jeans and the shirt I had bought him for Christmas, admiring the strong muscles and trim waist that I now knew every inch of.
At some point over the last few days, I had already gone from thinking of the place as his and everything in it his, to ours. Mom and Lily had called to check on me a few times, and I just explained that I needed a little time alone with Patrick. They didn't ask too many questions or make me feel bad for it. I knew my brothers had serious bro-crushes on my man, but I thought my parents and sister liked him well enough, too. I didn't know that had really mattered to me. I mean, our entire lives we're taught that God picks your one true mate, and if you're lucky enough to find him then it's meant to be, but for them to genuinely like him, not just accept him because it was my destiny, meant a lot to me.
“Why must we? I think I could be perfectly happy never wearing clothes again.”
Patrick snorted on a laugh, “You wouldn't get any complaints from me, love, but I'm thinking your father may not like that plan much.”
“Ugh. Fine! I say, until we have children old enough to know the difference, we keep this place a clothing-free zone.” I jumped up and snagged him around the waist, placing a kiss to the back of his shoulder.
He was grinning. “So you want my babies, do you?”
“You know I do . . . someday. I want you all to myself for a while before we start thinking about it. Kelsey got pregnant really fast, but I know that's not normal for shifters. Plus we just need some more time just the two of us . . . without clothes.” I gave him my sexiest stare as I headed into the bathroom to get ready.
As I was slipping on the new skinny jeans I had bought when shopping for our date, he grabbed me around the waist from behind and I squealed in happiness. He planted kisses along my neck and shoulder, stopping to admire his mark.
“I am more than fine with your no-clothes rule, woman, as long as you realize your youngest brother is probably going through withdrawals and already texted asking to spend the weekend here.”
“Fine, I suppose he counts as children old enough to know better.”
He laughed and put me down. “Hurry it up, love. This is my first family night dinner. I don't want to make a bad impression.”
“Oh, please, they're probably already making bets on whether we'll actually show or not.”
I quickly finished dressing in the blue cashmere sweater Lily had given me for Christmas. I applied very little makeup, just enough to make myself presentable, and was putting on my boots when Patrick came back into the room. He stopped at the door.
“You're not wearing that.”
“What? What's wrong with this?”
He growled and I looked up in shock to meet lust filled eyes. “This is my first time officially meeting your family. We are about to announce our mating to your entire pack, and by proxy, mine too, tonight, and you want to torture me looking like a sexy goddess in that. I won't be able to think straight all night with you looking like that.”
I laughed, grabbed my purse and then his hand as we headed out the door. In the car I saw him shudder and breathe in deeply. I knew he was taking in my scent and it pleased me greatly.
“I wasn't really joking about the outfit,” he told me honestly, halfway to Mom and Dad's.
“There's nothing wrong with this outfit.”
He stopped the car just as the house came into view. “No, there certainly isn't.” The smoldering look he gave me shot heat straight to my core. As he pulled me close and kissed me senseless, the windows fogged. I threw my head back and laughed.
“You're worried about first impressions, huh? ҆Cause showing up with fogged windows and mussed hair is probably worse than the 'I'm sorry, I just can't take my eyes off your daughter' impression.”
“You're an evil woman.”
I shrugged. “Should have thought about that before you bit me, because now I'm your evil woman.”
His grin stretched his entire face and sparkled in his eyes. “Yeah, you are.”
As we finally made it to the house, almost twenty minutes late, Chase was waiting on the stairs. He took one look at us and grinned.
“Pay up, twins. They are definitely good and mated!”
I smacked him, knowing my face was turning all sorts of red. “Chase!”
“Chase Michael Westin, you stop embarrassing your sister,” my mother scolded as she came to greet us. One look and she started smiling as tears fell from her eyes.
“Mom,” I said, hugging her.
She reached out, grabbed Patrick, and pulled him into the hug, too. “My little girl. All grown up and mated.” Letting him go, she took my face in her hands. “You're happy?”
I looked over at my handsome mate and nodded. “Yes, Mom, I really am.”
“My pups just keep multiplying around here. This is definitely cause for celebration.” She linked her arm through Patrick's and escorted him to the back of the house where all my family waited, as I followed, making the announcement for us and introducing her newest son, even though everyone of course already knew him.
“Pumpkin, this is what you wanted, right?” Dad pulled me aside and asked, as if it mattered in a room full of wolf shifters.
I nodded. “Yes, Daddy.”
He sighed sadly. “Can't say I was ready for this one, but I know Patrick O'Connell to be a good and fair man. He'll be a strong mate for you.”
“He is a strong mate for me.”
He sighed. “What happened to asking for permission first? What is it with my children acting on impulse for such a big decision?”
Patrick came to stand by my side. “It may seem fast to you all, but she put me through hell getting here. It definitely wasn't on impulse.”
The others laughed and my dad shook my mate's hand. I knew everything was going to be okay. Patrick, as I knew he would, fit seamlessly into my family. There was no awkwardness. He was immediately included into the typical sibling teasing and he seemed to take it in stride. The fact that they had all grown close through my hiding days helped, I'm certain. As far as my siblings were concerned, he had alre
ady been included as family even before they knew he was my mate. My heart was full.
After dinner as we all sat around, the guys decided to head down to the game room and play a few rounds of pool. That left me time with just the most precious women in my life. Mom excused herself to wash the dishes despite our protests and refused to let any of us help.
“I'm really happy for you, E,” Lily told me. “He's a really great guy.”
“He is, and I'm sorry I didn't confide in you two sooner about him. I was just so freaked out and overwhelmed.”
“In hindsight, we should have known. I mean, all the signs were right there screaming at us, we were just too distracted to put the pieces together,” Kelsey said.
“You've always had to do things your own way so honestly, I think it was probably for the best.” I nodded in agreement with Lily.
“Kyle's sending out the official notice tonight. He's notifying our pack, plus the Irish Clan, out of respect. The Grand Council and the closest three packs will be notified later this week. We'll do the official acceptance at the pack meeting next weekend, and Kyle already said he could join us in the pack run Saturday night.”
I paused and bit my lip. “Is it weird that I'm nervous about that?”
“Patrick's already run with our pack, E. What's to be nervous about?” Lily asked.
“I don't know. It just feels different, more real somehow this time.”
“Well, I'm looking forward to it. I can't believe how long it's been since I last went for a run. The weird part is that usually I'd be crawling out of my skin by now, but I haven't even felt the itch to shift since this little one surprised us. So this weekend should be fun,” Kelsey confessed, rubbing her protruding belly.
I gave Lily a worried look. Kelsey wasn't raised in a pack. We often forgot or took for granted the things she still didn't know.
“Um, Kels. I don't think that's going to happen.”
“Oh, you don't need to worry. Talked to Doc this morning and he said now that I'm in the second trimester I can go back to all my normal activities.”
Fighting Destiny (Westin Pack Book 2) Page 18
