by Chris McHart
Lindsay stirred a pot before putting it on the table, and Jeremy handed each of them a bowl and silverware before they started eating.
It was some kind of vegetable soup. It tasted good, it was warm, and he wouldn’t complain. They talked during dinner about the necessary changes in the pack and what Lindsay and Jeremy thought was most urgent.
He’d figured out about the same, and they agreed that the meeting tomorrow would be a turning point. Then they’d know who else was supporting which laws. Anthony wasn’t looking forward to the confrontation, but it was necessary. If he wanted to make a difference here, he had to start.
At least he had two men by his side he could trust just as blindly as Josh and who’d always have his back. That made a lot of things easier.
After dinner and a quick shower, he joined Josh in bed. Josh had kept his boxer shorts on earlier, but Anthony didn’t.
They were mated, and they knew each other well enough not to have to go to bed dressed. He slipped under the blanket and moved closer to Josh, but before he touched him, he paused.
Should he really be doing that?
They weren’t together, but somehow they were, weren’t they? They were mated, and until a moment ago he hadn’t thought about going to bed naked.
But now? Now he wasn’t so sure.
Should he touch Josh, or should he just let him sleep on his side? Something inside him cried out to simply pull the younger man toward him, spoon him, and hold him.
That instinct was stronger than any reason speaking against it. With a deep sigh, and the hope not to ruin everything between them again, he slipped up against Josh. Josh had turned his back to him, and Anthony wrapped his arm around Josh’s stomach. His skin was soft and warm, and Anthony buried his nose against Josh’s neck to inhale his scent.
Josh moved and mumbled something, then he rolled over. His arm came to lay over Anthony’s waist, his head found a comfortable place on Anthony’s shoulder, then Josh fell asleep again. His whole body was relaxed, and his chest moved evenly.
It felt damn right holding Josh like that. And wasn’t that a thought he had no idea what to do with?
Anthony held him tight, closed his eyes, and with Josh’s scent in his nose, he also fell asleep.
Something tickled him.
Anthony slowly woke, realizing it wasn’t something tickling him. It was lips and fingers playing carefully with the hair on his chest.
Apparently Josh was already awake and, while trying not to wake him up, he also couldn’t keep his hands off him.
That thought brought a smile to his lips, and he looked down at Josh. They’d hardly moved, and Josh was still lying on his shoulder, pressed to his body.
“Morning,” he murmured, his voice rough. He pressed a short kiss on Josh’s forehead.
“Good morning,” Josh replied and looked up. Their eyes met, and a smile appeared on Josh’s full lips. “Sleep well?” His voice was softer, like he’d been awake for a while.
“Yes, very well.”
“Me too.” His fingers kept playing with Anthony’s chest hair.
“That’s great. I was hoping it’d be okay if you and I were here–“
Josh nodded, interrupting him. “More than okay.” He hesitated and his finger drew small circles on Anthony’s chest. “Thank you for bringing me in here.”
He almost didn’t understand him, Josh spoke so softly, but his shifter ears were damn good. “You’re always welcome. I told you that yesterday.”
“How are we going on from here?” Josh’s voice was still barely a whisper.
“What do you mean?”
“Are we… together?” Josh’s finger stopped moving, and he seemed to hold his breath.
Anthony already had the same thought, but he hadn’t been sure if Josh would have agreed. And actually, he had never wanted a partner. He’d always resisted a relationship, not being really comfortable with the thought.
On the other hand, if a mating wasn’t a relationship, what was?
“You know I’d never force you to do anything, right?” He waited until he felt Josh nodding on his shoulder. “I don’t want you ever to feel like you have to be with me because we’re mated. That contradicts everything I believe in. I know I’m not and never will be a perfect mate, and I know I will do a lot of things wrong. If you like, we can try to make this mating a real relationship. I really like you, and I think we might work well together.
“I never wanted a partner, for various reasons, but most of them are for naught now that we’re mated anyway. That’s something I can’t change anymore, and I’d like to try to make the most of it– with you.”
“So this is just because you can’t escape me anyway?” Josh’s voice gave away how much it’d hurt him if that was the case.
“No!” Anthony turned to the side and placed his fingers under Josh’s chin to move his head until he looked at him. He pressed a light kiss to his lips then whispered, “No, not at all. I would’ve liked to try to have some kind of relationship with you much sooner if I hadn’t had reasons against it. That’s what I wanted to say. Now there’s just no reason for me to hold back, and if you want me to, I’d be happy to call myself your boyfriend. Partner. Mate. Whatever.”
Josh laughed quietly and slid up to press another kiss on Anthony’s lips. “Then it’s all right. I never wanted to have a relationship either, but as you said, that decision was taken away from us. And… If I’m going to be completely honest, I can’t imagine being with anyone but you.”
“I feel the same way. As long as you forgive my mistakes, everything’s fine.”
Josh nodded on his shoulder. “I’ll make enough mistakes too. So let’s just try and see how it goes.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
Josh grinned and then rubbed himself against Anthony’s thigh. “Does that mean you now have husband duties, so to speak?”
Josh’s cock grew harder, and Anthony’s own breathing increased.
“No, that means you have rights. And I’m all too happy to help you.” With those words, Anthony rolled them around until Josh was below him. Josh immediately spread his legs, and Anthony settled between them.
Josh still wore boxer shorts, so their cocks couldn’t touch, but they rested next to each other. He was already getting hard, too. When he pulled Josh into a kiss, he forgot everything else around him.
Josh smelled exactly as he’d always smelled, but now his scent had expanded somehow. It wasn’t just his own but mixed with Anthony’s. Where he’d smelled irresistible before, it was now like a siren’s call.
A groan sounded as their tongues met and Josh’s hands scratched his back. Damn, he wanted him.
When they stumbled into the kitchen some time later, they met Lindsay and Jeremy. The grin they shared said it all.
“I don’t want to hear about it,” Anthony mumbled as he caught the looks.
The grins grew wider, but neither of them made a comment.
Josh stood at the coffee machine, pouring two cups. “Don’t worry. They can’t say anything. They’re having as much fun as we are.”
It was good that Anthony didn’t have coffee in his mouth at that moment. Otherwise, he’d have to clean the kitchen.
Josh stepped up to him with the cup in his hand and gave it to him while Anthony tried to process this new information. Lindsay and Jeremy were fucking? Why hadn’t he heard?
“You two?”
Lindsay nodded and blushed. “Yeah.”
They sat down at the breakfast table, and Lindsay and Jeremy gave him the short version of how they’d gotten together. He’d never seen that one coming, even though he’d sometimes noticed the tension between these two.
So all his team members were in relationships now. If someone had told him that when Gerome had called him back when Alex had been kidnapped, he’d never have believed it. That was the catalyst that had set everything in motion.
Back then, it had also been the day he first saw Josh. It was hard to believe
it had been that long ago and they were actually mated now. Strange how fate sometimes worked out.
Now he sat at the table with his mate and two of his team members, ate breakfast, and made plans about how they should continue to lead the pack.
After breakfast, they made their way to the hall. Josh wanted to make a detour to the guest house, and Lindsay accompanied him. Jeremy and Anthony went on to the hall to set everything up. They expected some pack members to leave, and should there be any trouble, the guards needed to be prepared.
Anthony was lost in thought while he walked beside Jeremy.
“So you and Josh put your differences aside?”
Anthony looked up. “Yes, we did. I hope I can be the mate he deserves.”
“I think you’re on your way. You’ll be fine, my friend.”
“Thank you. I really hope so.”
They entered the hall before they could talk any more about it. A part of Anthony was happy about it, because talking about his feelings wasn’t his favorite activity, especially with one of his former colleagues. And… were they feelings at all?
He liked Josh, of course, but liking was it, right?
Yeah, they’d try to have a relationship, but nothing more. Not like Lindsay and Jeremy, who seemed to have fallen head over heels in love. He didn’t, and he probably never would, love Josh.
But spending his life with Josh also didn’t sound bad. If he managed not to fuck up too much, they’d get along well. Hopefully.
Josh arrived a short time later, reported everything was fine in the guest house, then the meeting began.
As Anthony had anticipated, there were members who didn’t agree at all with the change of the laws, which they voiced quite loudly.
Only a hard, sharp command silenced them, and he could finally offer that all who wanted to leave could leave.
It hurt him to see how he lost pack members, but he couldn’t change it. They were allowed to try to find a new pack that shared their views. There was no room for that here.
When it finally became quiet, Anthony counted the still present pack members. There were more than 100 left, which meant they still were one of the bigger packs.
“To all who have decided to stay here, welcome. The guest house is open to all who need accommodation at the moment. Everyone else, please come to me with problems. I’ll try to help you. I’ll be busy the next few days figuring out how to go on with the pack and what we’ll need to change. If anyone wants to help me, has suggestions for improvement, or just wants to say something, go ahead. You won’t be punished for anything you say, unless it’s something really disrespectful. I appreciate each and everyone’s opinion. You can also talk to my mate Josh if you don’t want to talk to me directly. I can understand that, although I hope it’ll change over time. Josh is my second-in-command in this pack, and he will represent my interests. Please respect him as much as I hope you respect me, and there will be no problems between us.”
Josh beamed at him.
So he’d found the right words. Maybe he wouldn’t fuck everything up after all.
Chapter 18
Josh
* * *
When the day was over, the pack still consisted of more than 100 members. More than 60 had decided to find a new pack rather than stay with them.
Josh didn’t mind.
What bothered him was the fact that the guest house was overflowing and they didn’t know where to put them all. But they managed to solve the problem.
Some of the mates would go back to their houses as soon as their former partner had left the pack. Others decided to move into one of the empty houses together.
However, most of them stayed in the rooms of the guest house, even though some had to share a room.
The young girl, who was originally supposed to be the new mate of the alpha, had also found shelter here. The two men who were supposed to guard her brought her safely to the guest house as soon as it was clear that Anthony was the new alpha. They’d apparently disagreed with the old alpha’s plans for her, doing their best to protect her. And they also didn’t seem to be innocent that Kyra, the girl’s sister, initially showed up at the castle and spoke to Gerome.
Both of the sisters couldn’t believe their luck to have escaped the fate of a mating. For their own safety they’d soon move together to another pack, one Gerome knew well. They’d be able to stay there until they were adults and could make their own decisions.
Anthony had helped Josh with everything, had supported him, but clearly showed that he was the one responsible.
Josh glanced at his boyfriend – even though the word still sounded strange – and suppressed a smile. He was looking forward to going to bed with him again tonight.
That was one of the best things about their mating. He could go to bed with Anthony every night. Maybe at some point things wouldn’t go so well, and they’d have to find a new solution, but for now he was more than happy if it stayed that way.
What still surprised them was the desolate situation of the pack finances and the fact that they’d almost exclusively taken care of themselves, like in a community – a badly led one. This had led to the fact that some food was hardly available, and the pack members had received only what the alpha had assigned to them.
Apparently everyone had to cultivate something and keep animals, and whatever they harvested was divided among all. Whatever else was needed was bought by selected pack members in the next town. No one was allowed to leave the pack, except when the alpha authorized it.
Josh had been stunned when he found out. He was even more speechless when he heard that those who’d brought food in the first days had hardly anything because they’d taken care of Anthony, him, Lindsay, and Jeremy.
He’d not only thanked them again, but also made sure they had everything they needed.
The deeper they went into the things that had happened in the pack, the worse it got. The old alpha had ruled with an iron hand, and it was high time to set these people free. Some had tried it before, but all had failed. None of the pack members had been strong enough to take down the old alpha.
Only Anthony was able to do it. The pack already loved him for that, and they did everything to help him.
It also made Josh’s work easier. The only disadvantage was that many of them preferred not to say if something didn’t work because they didn’t want to cause him and Anthony any new problems. But he also learned to deal with it, and it got better from day to day.
He was just discussing the meal plans for next week with Theresa when the door to the guest house opened. A baby’s crying immediately filled his ears, and he turned around.
Was that someone else who needed shelter? A tired-looking woman carrying a crying baby and leading a second child of about one and a half years old entered.
Josh put on a friendly smile and walked toward her. “Hello. How can I help you?”
“I’ve tried to take care of them, but I can’t do it. I just can’t.”
“To take care of them?”
“The parents are… They’re gone. They left the kids with us, with me. My mate also left, and I have– I’ve really tried everything, but I just can’t deal with it.”
Uh, what?
“Give me the baby and sit down in the kitchen. Then we can talk about everything.” He turned around and said over his shoulder to Theresa, “Please check with one of the women who have babies to see if you can get some milk and a bottle.” To the woman who’d just come in, he asked, “I don’t suppose you have anything with you, do you?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t have any more milk at home. I think he’s hungry. That’s why I came here.”
“All right. Theresa will see that he gets something to drink.” Josh took the baby carefully and put him on his shoulder. He was four or five months old, if he guessed correctly.
“Thank you.” The woman sounded tired, like she hadn’t slept for nights. That wasn’t surprising with a toddler and a baby.
&
nbsp; “Come sit down and tell me what happened.” Josh rocked the baby gently from side to side until he started sucking on his hand. That would only work for a few minutes, but maybe he could keep him quiet until the bottle arrived.
He led the woman into the kitchen, and she sat down, pulling the other little child onto her lap. It was a girl, if Josh interpreted the blonde pigtails correctly.
“So, tell me exactly what happened. Oh, and maybe start with your name. I don’t think we’ve met before, have we?”
She shook her head.
“Here’s the bottle.” Theresa interrupted them and handed Josh a bottle. “The temperature should be okay, I just tried it.”
“Thank you.” Josh took the bottle, checked the temperature at his wrist and gave it to the boy, hoping to make him happier. The baby immediately started drinking, and Josh sighed with relief. One less problem, from the looks of it.
However, he couldn’t get rid of the feeling that he’d just been confronted with a much bigger problem than a hungry baby.
“Well, from the start.”
The young woman nodded. “Yes, alright. My name is Avaya, and I’m the neighbor of her parents. When Alpha Anthony took over, they decided to leave the pack together. I’m pretty sure she didn’t force him to come, but that they wanted to stay together. She just left the kids with me, though. I never had the feeling that she was particularly attached to them. That’d explain why it was so easy for her to give up her children. I don’t understand it, but I’ve agreed to take care of them. Originally she said she might come back to get the kids, but I don’t think so.” Avaya fell silent.
Josh waited a few seconds and tried to understand what he’d just heard. “They left their children behind?”
Avaya nodded. “Yeah. In any case, I’ve been taking care of them for the last few days, trying to do everything right, but I’m out of milk and almost out of diapers. I usually just babysat them a bit, and I can’t handle a baby and a toddler. That’s just too much.”
