“Dad!” he called, striding into the center of the great room. I could just make out a generously sized kitchen and dining room behind a sweeping staircase. Fates, I could fit my entire house in this room. Although it was grand, the rough-hewn log walls gave it a homey, welcoming feel.
A tall, broad man emerged from a door to the left of us, the Alpha’s office I assumed. Fates, Alpha Ellery, was Archer in twenty years. The resemblance was uncanny, except the Alpha had gray hair around his temples, laugh lines, and dark blue eyes.
He beamed at us, pulling Archer into a tight one-armed hug. “Introduce us, son.”
“Dad, this is Wren Marques. Wren, this is my dad, Alpha Samuel Ellery.”
“Sir,” I said in greeting, giving him a respectful nod and holding his gaze, pulling my shoulders back. Whatever concerns I had about meeting this guy, I sure as hell wouldn’t let him see them.
“Has Archer given you the tour? Come, let’s walk,” he insisted when I shook my head. Sorry, vagina. We’ll have a lie down soon, I promise.
“I must say, it’s very nice to finally meet you, Wren. You’re Daniel Calvin’s niece, aren’t you? We’ve met many times over the years. He’s a fair man, and a good Alpha,” Samuel said, leading me back out the front door and amongst the cluster of log buildings.
“I haven’t actually met him yet. When I visited the Fortis Pack, he and his family were away visiting his mate’s pack. I spent my time there with my grandparents,” I explained. Alpha Ellery insisted on walking arm-in-arm with me, mostly to antagonize Archer, who growled at any male he decided was standing too close to me.
He couldn’t growl at his Alpha though, I thought, both smug and bereft without his touch. It’s not like he had anything to worry about, I was hardly going to get frisky with his mated father.
“Ah, the former Alpha Calvin. I know him well. Your grandmother, too. She’s a tough woman,” he chuckled.
“That she is,” I agreed. I wouldn’t mind having a reputation as fearsome as hers one day.
Miles strode over to greet me and Archer instantly growled once Miles was within two feet of me. I suppressed a smile. If I was honest with myself, a lot of my anger at Archer had dissipated over the last four days. My memory of my heat was hazy at best, but I know Archer had stayed beside me the whole time, taken care of me, and given me anything I asked for — sexually or otherwise. Mostly sexually. I’d never once felt unsafe, and that was huge for while I was in such a vulnerable state.
My pride dictated that I punish Archer more for his initial rejection and his failure to apologize, but my wolf disagreed. My wolf felt her mate had proved himself and wanted to mark him and be marked in return.
“Come,” Samuel encouraged, leading me forward. “The pack has put on a feast to welcome you to Audax Pack territory, everyone is looking forward to meeting you, Wren.”
Archer was practically oozing satisfaction at that. I shot him a quick scowl on principal to put him in his place. This was exactly what I didn’t want to happen, but it would be disrespectful to refuse.
As we approached the dining hall, Alpha Ellery released my arm and gestured for Archer to move forward. “I assume you’ll be wanting to present a united front,” he said, a little too casually.
“Of course,” Archer replied smoothly, draping his arm over my shoulders and tucking me into his side. My wolf practically rolled over and showed her belly at the possessive move.
If I was being honest with myself, my human side didn’t hate it either. I enjoyed having his scent surrounding me, his hands on me. I definitely wanted everyone to know he was spoken for. Mine. I slid my hand into the back pocket of his jeans and Archer brushed his lips against my temple, sending a shiver down my spine. His nearness made me feel cherished. Safe. Adored.
We entered the packed dining hall — a separate hexagonal building in the center of the territory — together, drawing everyone's eye as we passed them. Ugh, I really wished I wasn’t wearing Archer’s oversized sweats right now. Archer nodded respectfully to his pack members, giving my shoulder a comforting squeeze as the number of stares aimed my way bordered on uncomfortable. Perhaps my grandparents had warned the wolves in their pack to give me space because I didn't recall feeling so heavily scrutinized when I visited the Fortis Pack.
Or, more likely, they were assessing me as their future Luna, which was a flattering and terrifying thought. I hadn’t allowed myself to think about Archer’s position in the pack hierarchy, mainly because I didn’t like the way it made me feel about myself. Selfish, mostly. Archer and my relationship status wasn’t just our business, it affected every member of his pack.
When they were all sitting in a room in front of me, that fact became a little more unavoidable.
Samuel took the Alpha’s seat at the center of the long head table. To his left was the Luna’s space, which remained empty. No one seemed concerned about that, and I wondered if Archer’s theory about the secret nature of his mother’s condition was accurate. These shifters all lived together, worked together, ate together at each meal. They would have noticed something.
Archer sat at the next seat along and pulled out the chair to his left for me. I wasn’t feeling particularly poised or graceful, but I projected that image. Next to me was a wolf who could only be Archer’s little brother, Flynn. He looked a lot like Archer, but with hair that was more brownish than blonde. He was almost as big as Archer, which was a little alarming. A couple more years and he’d probably be a contender to challenge Archer for Alpha, and I know he’d hate to fight his own brother.
"Hey, sis," Flynn said, giving me a crooked smile. Archer snorted, as Flynn reached for the water jug and filled both of our glasses.
"Flynn, I presume," I replied, biting the inside of my lip to stop myself from smiling.
"Indeed. Baby brother, in the flesh," he said, tipping his head slightly to examine me. There was nothing mean about the interaction. He seemed genuinely excited to meet me. "I was so excited when Miles burst into the dining hall and said Archer had brought his fated mate to pack territory, then we didn't get to see you for four days."
"We were a little preoccupied," Archer cut in, giving his brother a sharp look. Flynn grinned impishly.
"So I'm told. Doing what exactly? I'm not sure how it all works. Can you explain it to me, big bro?"
"Shit-stirring little bastard," Archer replied, rolling his eyes.
“Could we aim a little higher with the dinner conversation, boys?” Alpha Ellery called from down the table, an amused glint in his eye. “We have a guest. Speaking of — Archer, stand up and introduce your girl.”
Fates, my face felt like it would burn off.
Archer stood languidly, with the natural grace of a confident predator. He surveyed the room as the chatter died down, commanding attention with nothing more than a look. "Good evening, Audax family,” he said assuredly. “This is my fated mate, Wren Marques. Her uncle is Alpha Calvin of the Fortis Pack. We met on campus. We'll remain there for the foreseeable future. Enjoy your meal."
"I hope you aren't ever called on to give a motivational speech," I muttered, even though I was relieved at how little he'd said about my origins.
"I couldn't agree more, little bird," Archer replied cheerfully, pulling a tray of barbecued meat towards him and loading up my plate before his. A few days ago, I'd have bristled at the overstep, but I’d have died from dehydration if he hadn’t been force feeding me water during my heat. Doing things for me wasn't something he struggled with.
"Where are Kye and Zoe?" Archer asked Flynn, looking around the room.
Flynn grimaced. "Her heat struck."
"Shit," Archer muttered, looking at him in alarm.
“Yeah, shit is right. Both their parents went postal, but it’s not like they could do anything. They’re holed up at Kye’s parents’ house.”
"Who are Kye and Zoe?" I asked curiously, eager to engage my mouth in anything except eating what was on the plate in front of me, but not wanting to
offend anyone. Archer hadn’t been joking when he talked about the quality of the food without his mom in the kitchen.
"They're Audax Pack Relationship Goals," Flynn said with a grin. "Fated mates that grew up together."
“That almost never happens,” Archer added. “We think it’s the Fates’ way of building connections between packs. When Kye and Zoe were born, they only ever settled as babies when they were together. As they grew older, they were inseparable. Like two halves of the same whole.”
"We all thought they were fated mates, but Mom forbade any of us from mentioning it because she didn't want to put pressure on them," Flynn cut in.
“We knew, though,” Archer agreed. “They were miserable when they were apart. They’d always share their toys with each other like little angels, but if one of the pups tried to take a toy Zoe was playing with, Kye would rip into them and vice versa,” Archer chuckled. My heart filled with warmth hearing about his pack and the affectionate way he talked about them.
"Anyway, their wolves emerged at the same time — on Kye's thirteenth birthday," Flynn continued. "They recognized each other as fated mates straight away, which was totally expected, and a massive headache for their parents."
"How old are they now?" I asked.
"Sixteen," Archer said, frowning. "It's always been a matter of time until their first heat, but it's something their parents dreaded."
"They were nervous about it too. They aren't ready to be parents themselves just yet," Flynn added. I was surprised at how much hearing about them was affecting me. This wasn't my pack, yet the idea of young Kye and Zoe worrying had me feeling stressed on their behalf. I wanted to do something. To fix it. Archer's hand rested heavily on my nape, rubbing soothing circles into my skin as if he could sense my distress.
"Have they claimed each other?" I asked, flicking my gaze up to Archer.
“Of course.” I turned my head back to Flynn, who was giving me an odd look. “Two days after they recognized who they were to each other. Their parents tried to make them hold off, but Margaret convinced them they could do the claiming bite without consummating the relationship, so their parents eventually backed off. It would have driven Kye slowly mad if he hadn’t been able to seal the bond. Dominant male wolves struggle without the claim.”
Archer cleared his throat pointedly, and I didn't need to look up to know he was glaring at Flynn over my head. Was he struggling with it? My wolf wanted to bite him — I didn't trust her not to if she had the chance — but “struggling” was probably an overstatement.
Archer rubbed his jaw reassuringly over my hair. I didn’t protest; the gesture seemed to settle both of our wolves, who were tense with the number of people around us when we weren’t at full strength. Particularly my wolf, who didn’t recognize the Audax shifters as our pack.
Yet. Maybe.
Halfway through dinner, I felt the exact moment when four days of constant sex and a few hours of being gawked at by an entire wolf pack caught up with me. My eyelids were itchy and my head was too heavy for my neck to hold up.
Alpha Ellery’s deep, rumbling laughter filtered through my foggy brain and my eyes flared open, surprised to find I’d closed them. To my utter horror, I realized my head was leaning on Archer’s bicep, my hands clutching his forearm. I sat up with a start, awkwardly clearing my throat.
“Shhh,” Archer soothed, immediately tugging me back into his side. My wolf settled instantly.
“It was unreasonable of me to expect you both to come to dinner the day after your heat ended,” Alpha Ellery said gently. “Go. You need to rest.”
“We’ll stay at the main house,” Archer announced, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me to my feet with him. He gave me an assessing look, as if deciding whether he could get away with throwing me over his shoulder. I narrowed my eyes in warning. Don’t even think about it.
Taking the hint for once, Archer supported me out of the dining hall and across the clearing to the Alpha House. I was too stunned to speak as we walked — how had I let myself fall asleep in a room full of strange wolves? How had my wolf let me do that?
My chest constricted as the answer to that question scooped me up bridal style the moment we were in the house and safely hidden from anyone who might witness my moment of weakness.
My wolf trusted Archer implicitly. I wasn’t vulnerable as long as he was around.
Archer strode up the staircase with me cradled in his arms like I weighed no more than a feather. His strength was incredibly sexy. Hazy memories of the way he’d moved me around the bed in his cabin like a doll flooded to the forefront of my mind.
Archer’s nose twitched, and the corners of his mouth curled up. “I knew you enjoyed being carried, really. You’re too tired though, little bird. You’ll have to keep your hands to yourself tonight.”
“You think highly of yourself,” I muttered, even as the scent of my need entirely gave me away.
“You’re very grabby when you don’t think I’m cooperating,” Archer replied smugly.
“I thought we weren’t discussing the past four days,” I mumbled sleepily, letting the last vestiges of my pride go and letting my head fall against Archer’s broad shoulder.
“What gave you that impression?”
“I put it out into the universe and I’m willing it into existence.”
Archer shook with silent laughter as I let my eyes drift shut. I was vaguely aware of Archer laying me down on a bed and climbing in next to me, wrapping me tight against him before I succumbed to sleep.
✽✽✽
The sun streaming through the window, irritating my eyes, woke me up. I shoved in vain at the enormous male who was lying almost entirely on top of me, his head resting on my chest. He didn’t have anywhere else to go — this was clearly his childhood bed in his childhood room.
The walls were painted navy, with exposed wood shelves covering one wall that housed what looked like a collection of Archer’s prized possessions, including a deflated football and a surprising number of books. We were tucked up underneath a black-striped comforter. It was a stark, masculine space, but every inch smelled reassuringly like Archer.
“Go back to sleep,” Archer groaned, nuzzling my breasts.
“Here was me thinking you slept on my tits because you didn’t have enough room,” I said drily.
“Sure, definitely that,” Archer said, yawning.
“I want to meet your mom.” Archer stiffened slightly before blowing out a long breath.
“I figured you would. Come on, little bird. Shower and breakfast first. Miles’ mom found you some clothes, they’re on the desk.”
✽✽✽
I dressed quickly, relieved to have clothes that fit after wearing Archer’s sweats all day yesterday. Claudia had set aside a few pairs of leggings, warm tops, a winter jacket and even a pair of winter boots that were just a smidge too big. I wore them with Archer’s thick woolen socks to pad them out a bit. I grimaced slightly at my reflection on my way out of the Alpha House. The purple jacket, aqua top and tan boots were far brighter than my usual wardrobe colors of gray, black and dark green. This outfit did not appropriately reflect the blackness of my soul.
We traipsed through the hilly forest hand-in-hand, Archer unnecessarily assisting me over logs and holding branches out of my way. It didn’t annoy me, not today at least. Sometimes he needed to take care of me. Sometimes I needed to let him.
“You know she probably won’t shift back?” Archer asked hesitantly, clutching my hand a little tighter as I leaped onto a fallen log and walked daintily along the length of it.
“I know.” I shrugged, not wanting Archer to feel any worse than he did. My heart broke for him. His mother was still here, but the woman he’d known all his life was lost to him. To her family. To herself. “She’ll have my scent at least, and she’ll smell it on you. I’m sure her wolf recognizes you’re someone important to her.” I gave his hand a supportive squeeze. I’d never really had to comfort anyone before,
not in my adult life at least. I wanted to be good at it. I wanted Archer to feel like he had someone to turn to, because it really seemed like he needed it. He was lonely.
Archer said nothing, his mouth set in a grim line and his eyes fixed straight ahead. The smell of wolf was strong here, and we both attempted to make more noise, announcing our approach.
There were no other scents in this area. It seemed the pack members left Mandy to her own devices out here. They definitely knew something was up, even if Archer, Samuel and Flynn weren’t willing to acknowledge it.
A low growl from the bushes alerted us to Mandy’s presence. Not a total fuck off, but a definite watch yourself.
Archer and I exchanged a glance before sitting down on the ground next to each other, stretching our legs out and leaning back on our hands. Non-threatening. Plenty of space.
“I love your territory,” I told Archer, keeping my voice low and even. Mandy’s wolf would understand the tone.
“Oh, it’s still like that, is it?” Archer teased, nudging my shoulder with his enormous one. “Your territory,” he scoffed. “Like we’re not fated mates and didn’t just spend four days fucking each other’s brains out because my mere proximity sent you into heat.”
“It was a little more than mere proximity, Arch. And yes, your territory, we haven’t discussed anything to the contrary.”
“Seriously?” Archer asked, shooting me an incredulous look before returning his gaze to the gray wolf now only partially obscured by the bushes.
“Do you really need me to tell you I want you here? That from the moment I set eyes on that beautiful, fearless face, I knew you were the only future I ever wanted, even if I wasn’t quite ready for it?”
“You’re still not ready, Archer,” I said softly, even as my heart swelled with something a lot like love for this brave and broken man.
Fire & Gasoline: A Shifter Romance (Audax Pack Book 1) Page 21
