by Crissy Smith
Christian jumped up from the bed quickly followed by Logan. “Oh, son! That is great.” His father hugged him tightly.
“Congratulations!” Logan added with a slap on the back.
“Thanks. I want to give her time to plan a ceremony, but I had to tell you. Hopefully, you will come.” Adam felt tears pool behind his eyes and sniffed. “Actually I would like you both to be involved.”
“Both of us?” Logan asked with doubt in his voice.
Adam reached out a hand to him. When the other man accepted it, Adam gave it a good squeeze. “You’ve been in my life since I can remember. Now you have not only brought me my father back but have also made him the happiest I have seen him in too many years. I would be honoured if you would stand up beside me.”
Logan’s throat worked before tears started to fall. Christian was already wiping his own eyes and Adam couldn’t hold back any longer. “I love you both. And I love Tasha and Crystal. I can’t believe I am this lucky. Please say you’ll be a part of my ceremony.”
“Yes,” his father finally answered. “Yes from both of us. We love you too.”
Epilogue
The day of the ceremony, Adam was relieved his father and Logan were there to help Tasha. While the three of them were busy getting everything ready, with the help of their friends, Adam was buried deep in work.
He needed to pick a second-in-command. In the two weeks he had returned with Tasha and Crystal and moved them into his home, he’d made a lot of progress. Decision made, he was only left to announce it. He knew it would come as a shock to most of the Packs, but he felt good about it. It had been great to have a mate to talk over his choice with. Tasha had a sharp mind and understood almost too well how his mind worked.
He heard the footsteps coming down the hall before a knock came at his door.
“Enter,” he grunted, knowing his time was up. He had other deals to seal today.
Christian, Logan, and Cain walked in and closed the door behind them.
“Everything’s ready,” his father told him.
Adam stood, smiling. “How nervous is she?”
The three laughed in unison. “Let’s just say everything had better go according the plan or your mate is going to make heads roll,” Logan answered.
Adam glanced at each man fondly before resting on his father. He wasn’t sure if his dad realised it was the first time he’d been back into the office since before Adam had become Alpha. Maybe not, but it showed how much better Christian was doing.
“You’re mate is quite the spitfire,” Cain complimented.
Adam chuckled, that was saying it mildly.
Tasha had been very busy since their return. In addition to planning the mating ceremony, Tasha spent her days with Crystal helping the girl get settled, and her nights with him.
Crystal had flourished in the past weeks. She was now up to running four miles with them and had even started talking to other non-shifters over the Internet, setting up a support group. He couldn’t be more proud of his two ladies.
“How’s the search for your top Enforcer?” Cain asked, walking to the bar on the side of the room. He poured four drinks before passing them out.
As second-in-command and top Enforcer of his Pack, Cain knew how hard a position it could be to fill.
“Actually, I was just thinking about that. I made my decision,” he told them. “I am just waiting to see if he will accept.”
When he didn’t elaborate, the other men laughed.
“Well, with two Alphas and two seconds in the room, I guess that’s about the best we are going to get,” Logan joked.
Adam swirled the brown liquid in his glass and took a drink. “It will work out, but first, I have a woman to make mine.”
“She’s already yours,” his father told him, walking up and throwing his arm around him.
“Yes, she is. But I want to announce it to the world,” Adam said before draining his drink.
“I told you, man. There’s nothing like having a mate,” Cain said smugly.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Adam rolled his eyes. “Then let’s get this show on the road.”
He left the office and made his way to the backyard. He smiled at the transformation the area had undergone. Tasha had worked hard and it had paid off.
His father and Logan walked ahead of him, leaving him to stand on the back porch with Cain.
“Was Tony able to get away from the city?” he asked his friend.
Cain shook his head. “No. I’m not sure what is going on with him, but he sounded strange last night when we spoke.”
Adam lifted a brow in question.
“He wouldn’t tell me what was going on. Said he had something to look into then he’d call.” Cain’s face tightened as he spoke.
“I’m sure he’ll be okay,” Adam said in support.
Cain released a breath before nodding. “I understand the importance of coming out of hiding. Sometimes, though,” he sighed, “I think it will do more harm than good.”
Adam agreed. It was one reason he felt so strongly about bringing his second in. He looked over the crowd and his gaze settled on the man in question. Adam nodded and the other man started walking to them.
Cain must have seen him at the same time because he growled. “What the hell is he doing here?”
Adam knew it was time to come clean. “I invited him.”
Cain turned towards him. “Why?”
Adam met his friend’s eyes. “You’re not the only one who is worried about what our coming out will mean. I want to be able to protect my Pack.”
Understanding dawned on Cain’s face. “I see.”
Larry reached them and held a hand out, first to Adam then Cain. Cain was clearly reluctant to take it, but he did.
“I’m glad you could make it,” Adam told him honestly.
“I would like to speak with you more about your offer. If I decide to accept, it will be important to get to know the Pack,” Larry stated.
Cain cleared his throat. “I’d better go find Emily.”
Adam watched his best friend walk away before he turned back to the man he hoped would become family. “Sorry about that.”
Larry shrugged off his apology. “I understand. Cain went through a lot with his mate.”
“Still, if you take the job you may get a lot of flak,” Adam warned. He wanted the man to accept with his eyes open.
Larry laughed, surprising him. “I left my old Pack because I didn’t like the way it was run. I don’t think I’ll have that problem here.”
Adam was relieved. The pieces were falling into place.
“I should have told everyone who I suspected was responsible for the attacks. I was just so used to not having any back-up,” Larry continued. “I’ve never had anyone I could trust.”
Adam understood what Larry was talking about. From what he knew of Larry’s old Alpha, the man ran his Pack like a military unit instead of a family. It was because of Larry that they had been able to capture the attacker from months earlier without Cain’s mate Emily becoming his next victim.
Larry had followed the man he suspected back to Emily. He had reached them before the man could harm her. Before Cain could get to her.
While it was a blessing Larry had been suspicious and followed the man, saving Emily in the process, it was still a sore spot for Cain.
Emily was his mate and he should have been able to protect her. Adam knew it was more of his pride being stung than anything else. Cain was known as the best and most efficient Enforcer from any Pack.
But Adam knew his friend. Cain would come around. Everyone would. Adam felt that Larry would be the perfect addition to his Pack. He’d shown he was loyal and had a sense of rightness that Adam wanted.
Larry had indeed proved himself.
Soon after Larry had saved Emily, he’d gone Rogue. That didn’t bother Adam. Larry was just looking for a place to fit in. Adam was hopefully offering him that.
“I hope you come to trust
me,” Adam told him and held out his hand. Larry accepted it.
“I believe I can.”
The music started in the background and Adam grinned. “Now I have a woman to claim.”
His new friend smiled and slapped him on the back. “Better hurry. I’m told women don’t like to wait.”
Adam was still chuckling as he made his way to the altar to take his place. Yes, all the pieces were indeed coming together. His Pack Territory would be just fine.
About the Author
Crissy Smith lives in Texas with her husband, daughter, and three Labrador retrievers. When not writing or reading, she enjoys hunting, camping and shooting.
But she has a girly side too and is addicted to pedicures and coffee.
She has been writing since she was a teenager and still loves everything to do with the paranormal. Her stories and characters all have a place in her heart. She loves the alpha male, the dominant werewolf, or the Master vampire which find their way in most of her books.
Crissy is currently working on her first series for Total-E-Bound called Were Chronicles. She will introduce her readers to a hidden world of wolf shifters and their unpredictable mates. The first book Pack Alpha will be released in May 2009.
Email: [email protected]
Crissy loves to hear from readers. You can find her contact information, website and author biography at http://www.total-e-bound.com/.
Also by Crissy Smith
Bite Me!: Savage Love
Seduced by the Neighbour
Were Chronicles: Pack Alpha
Caught in the Middle: Magical Ménage
Summer Seductions: Summers’ Girl
Were Chronicles: Pack Enforcer
Corporate Wolves: The Favour
Lacey’s Seduction
Eternal
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