An Alpha's Commitment : an MMM Wolf-Shifter Romance (Leongatha Pack Tales, Book 2)

Chapter 18

TALIUS

As we made our way through the trees towards the clearing where we usually started our monthly pack run, the hum of conversation seeped between the trees, increasing in volume as we approached. As we got closer the buzz broke up into individual voices that I recognized, the conversations tumbling over each other in a confusion of words.

We stepped out of the trees, and a hush fell over the assembled shifters as one by one they noticed our arrival. Sounds, scents and sights stood out in stark relief: the brush of fabric against fabric, sweat, breaths and quiet snorts, the crickets trilling in the background, the sounds of the forest settling, the stars sparkling so brilliantly it felt like I could reach out and pluck them down with my fingers... the loud thump, thump, thump of my omegas” heartbeats beside me.

Pale faces, darker faces... all watching, wondering, waiting to find out how things had gone.

With Irian on one side of me, and Isca on the other, I grasped each by the hand and raised our joined hands high.

Cheers and whoops erupted across the clearing, and one by one the pack came up to us offering congratulations. The omegas in particular gathered around Isca hugging him and kissing him on the cheeks. Irian watched them greet our new mate, smiling indulgently, the corner of his eyes crinkling, cheeks plumped and round, smile lines creasing from nose to mouth. One of the omegas pulled him into the group hug and he was temporarily lost to my sight.

”I gather it went well, then,” said a gruff voice at my shoulder and I turned to find Johnson.

”Very well indeed,” I told the beta. ”Better than we expected. Xeres is a true miracle worker.”

I glanced across to where Xeres and Darius were standing aside from the group, isolated at the edge of the clearing. Johnson”s eyes followed my gaze.

”Who”d have thought,” he murmured, voice low. ”A mage doing something that wasn”t for himself or his coven.”

”He”s a friend of Irian”s. And he has Darius” respect. And mine now too. What he”s done... well,” I shook my head in disbelief, ”there”s no record of it having been done before. It”s amazing!”

”So... a very powerful mage, then.”

”Yes, and that despite his age. He”s actually very young... I don”t know how he could have built up that level of expertise so quickly,” I mused.

”Ah, these young things,” Johnson shook his head. ”They live in a different world to what we grew up in!”

I gave him a filthy look. ”Speak for yourself!” I snorted. ”I”m not that old!”

A shuffling sound in front of me made me swing my head to see Agel waiting in front of me. As usual when he spoke to me, he kept his head down, his shoulders rounded, reducing his profile. Always trying to fit in. Always making sure I knew he was submissive to me and wouldn”t challenge me. I knew he wouldn”t speak without permission, so I didn”t leave him waiting.

”Hey, Agel. Did you want to talk?” I asked.

”Alpha,” he acknowledged. ”I wanted to offer congratulations. You have two very fine mates.” He hesitated, then drew a deep breath, ”If I may say so... you deserve them, Alpha.”

I couldn”t keep the smile from my face. ”Thank you, Agel. I”m proud to be their mate. Just as I”m proud to be Alpha for everyone in this pack. And I do mean everyone, Agel.”

I looked at him meaningfully.

He”d been working on the farm and had progressed to helping with our computing needs. As far I was concerned, he”d assimilated well. Even as an alpha, he didn”t need to constantly express his submission to me however. Was he still afraid he”d be kicked out of the pack? Maybe. His early life experience of that had to have been traumatizing. We”d taken him in on a trial basis, and he”d fitted in almost seamlessly, but I realized with everything going on in my personal life, I hadn”t spoken to him about his permanency here. It was time to rectify that.

”Are you happy here, Agel? In our pack, I mean?”

”Oh, yes, Alpha. Very much. It”s a wonderful pack. Everyone has been welcoming and yes, I like it here a lot.”

”I”m pleased to hear it. Because I was thinking that if you were planning on staying, it might be time to delegate some leadership activities to you... what do you think?”

”Oh!” he looked dumbfounded.

I hesitated. ”Are you planning on staying with us, Agel?”

”If... if I- Ican,y-yes, I”d like that, Alpha,” he was having trouble finding his words. His eyebrows had risen high on his forehead, eyes so wide I could see the whites of his eyes. I”d swear he hadn”t seen this coming.

”Good. Johnson and I have been discussing getting you to help him out with some of his tasks. You can learn how he does things and be his backup if it works out. How does that sound?”

”Alpha... I”m honored,” Agel blinked rapidly, as if he couldn”t believe what had just happened. ”That would be... amazing.”

A few lines I hadn”t taken note of before disappeared from his face, softening his features. He had been feeling insecure.

”Can you get everyone organized for the run then, please? We”ll start just as soon as I”ve spoken to Darius and his mage.” I inclined my head in their direction to show him who I meant.

”Y-yes, Alpha,” he nodded.

”Thank you... Agelius.”

The young alpha smiled, straightened his shoulders and hurried off to complete his first leadership task.

”That was a good thing to do and it”ll do wonders for his confidence.” I”d forgotten Johnson was still standing there. ”And he”s well liked by the pack. He”ll do well. He”ll be an asset to the pack.”

”I think so. I”m going to talk to these guys now and then we can get started. You”ll be second for the run tonight?”

”Of course.”

I left Johnson and made my way over to where Darius and Xeres were watching the activity.

”Thank you,” I said simply, addressing Xeres. ”I can”t tell you how much this means to me, to all three of us.”

He dipped his hooded head solemnly in acknowledgement of my words, but said nothing.

”Did you know...? That we”d form a three-way telepathic bond?” I asked him.

After a brief pause, he waggled his head sideways.

”Wasn”t sure,” he admitted. ”Thought it might.”

I turned to Darius and opened my mouth to speak.

”Oof!” yelped Xeres, and I was surprised to see him staggering under the weight of an enthusiastic Irian, who had crashed into him and was hugging him madly.

”Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” Irian enthused, bouncing and dragging the mage around with him.

”Get off me!” protested Xeres, his aura of solemnity and mystery totally disregarded by the irrepressible Irian.

The two of them began bickering while Isca, who had also materialized here, watched in surprise.

I turned back to Darius who was having a hard time stopping himself from laughing out loud. The corners of his lips were twitching as he struggled and his eyes twinkled.

”Xeres really is amazing,” I said. ”Not only did he successfully complete the mating bond, with a mind bond between Isca and myself, but he somehow managed to link Irian in as well!”

”I told you he was good,” chided Darius, his eyes still on Irian and Xeres mucking around like adolescents. Then his brows drew together and down, his eyes losing their merriment as he frowned. ”I just haven”t figured out why he”s stayed with our pack this long.”

We both observed the young men, who had stopped their shenanigans long enough for Isca to approach and with a shy smile, say something to the mage. Xeres spoke softly to Isca, who nodded, momentarily serious. Then to my surprise, the mage gave him a gentle hug.

”Are you running with us?” I asked Darius, tearing my eyes away from the sweet spectacle.

”Tempted,” he admitted, ”but no. I”ll head home with Xeres. Goddess knows what new drama has been going on while we”ve been away. My second is leading our run tonight, but I”d like to try and get back there before it”s over.”

”Well, I won”t hold you up. And thank you. I owe you more than I can repay.”

Darius shrugged. ”There”s no debt. I”m just glad it all worked out. Keep your omegas safe,” he added, then he went to disentangle his mage from Irian and Isca and they disappeared into the forest.

”Ready to run?” I asked my omegas. Their faces were flushed with excitement, white teeth flashing, eyes shining.

”Yes!” they chimed together, then giggled at each other. Apparently they were already having fun with their telepathic link.

Oh my Goddess, what had I done? They were going to be trouble, weren”t they?

I sighed and smiled fondly.

Trouble or not, they were mine now. I would happily deal with this sort of trouble for the rest of my life.