Chapter 12
STONE brOTHERS
M arcus ended the call with a soft click, already turning to check on their mate. The sight made his breath catch.
Kai had curled into an impossibly small ball on the massive couch, Miguel’s borrowed t-shirt making him look even more delicate. Somehow, their dogs had snuck back in—Scout pressed against Kai’s legs, Storm a vigilant presence at his feet, and Shadow maintaining a protective position near his head. They formed a perfect circle around their sleeping mate, exactly as they would in the wild.
The scene tugged at something primal in Marcus’ chest. This was how it should be—their mate, safe and protected, surrounded by the pack.
He moved closer, settling into the chair beside the couch. Shadow shifted slightly, making room for his master while maintaining his guard position. Marcus couldn’t resist reaching out, fingers ghosting over Kai’s cheek. Even in sleep, Kai leaned into the touch, a soft sound escaping his lips.
“Well, isn’t that just adorable,” Caleb’s amused voice came from the doorway. He dropped into the chair opposite Marcus. “Our fierce guard dogs, reduced to puppy puddles by one tiny human.”
Marcus smirked, not taking his eyes off Kai. “Who won?”
“Tía Maria, of course.” Caleb rolled his eyes. “Jorge tried arguing that Kai likes Greek food, but Tía Maria pulled the aunt card and Spanish hospitality. No one wins against a Spanish aunt with generations of family recipes.”
“Paella for lunch, then?” Derek’s rough voice joined them as he slipped in. His expression softened at the sight of Kai curled up with their wolves.
“Tía Maria’s special recipe,” Caleb confirmed. “Though Jorge extracted a promise that he could make moussaka tomorrow. You know how he gets about expanding his culinary horizons.”
“They’re already fighting over feeding him.” Derek settled onto the arm of Caleb’s chair, his usual military precision gentled by the peaceful scene before them.
“He’s so small,” Caleb murmured, watching Kai shift in his sleep. The wolf t-shirt rode up slightly, exposing a strip of pale skin and the edge of their silvery pre-mark. All three brothers tensed, guilt and possessiveness warring in their chests at the sight of the scars they’d been forced to give him so young, protective fury rising at the memory of why it had been necessary. “Was he always this small?”
“Bigger than when we marked him.” Derek’s voice held old pain. “But still…”
“Perfect size,” Marcus finished, remembering how perfectly Kai had fit against him earlier, all lean muscle and delicate bones.
Scout whined softly in his sleep, pressing closer to Kai’s legs. Their guard dogs had always been drawn to him, even as pups. They’d howled for days after Sarah took him away, mourning the loss of their future packmate.
“The pre-mark is getting stronger,” Derek observed, watching Kai unconsciously curl toward Marcus’ touch. “He shouldn’t feel this safe with us yet. Not consciously.”
“His wolf knows,” Marcus traced the curve of Kai’s jaw, memorizing every detail. “Even if he doesn’t.”
“Did you see how he reacted when I caught him?” Derek’s voice held a mix of pride and frustration. “Pure instinct. His body remembers us, even if his mind doesn’t.”
“The way he koala-clung to you was pretty spectacular.” Caleb grinned. “Though I still say he would have landed on me if I’d been closer.”
“In your dreams, little brother.”
“You’re just jealous because—”
“Enough,” Marcus cut them off as Kai stirred slightly. Both brothers immediately fell silent, watching their mate with identical expressions of concern.
Kai settled again, one hand curled near his face like a child. The sight did dangerous things to Marcus’ control. Nine years of watching from afar, of maintaining distance while their mate grew into himself. Nine years of fighting their wolves’ demands to claim, to protect, to possess.
“We can’t wait much longer,” Derek voiced what they were all thinking. “The Blackwoods—”
“Are being handled,” Marcus’ voice held steel. No one would touch their mate. Not again.
“He’s going to freak out,” Caleb said softly, watching Kai sleep. “When he learns everything. About us, about what he is, about that night…”
“We’ll handle it,” Marcus stated with absolute certainty. “Together.”
Storm lifted his head suddenly, ears pricked. A moment later, Maria’s voice drifted from the direction of the kitchen, ordering Jorge to “stop hovering over her paella, por favor (please).”
“Should we wake him for lunch?” Caleb asked, though he looked reluctant to disturb their mate’s peaceful rest.
Marcus shook his head. “Let him sleep. He hasn’t been resting well.” The dark circles under Kai’s eyes had been driving their wolves crazy all morning.
“Nightmares,” Derek growled softly. They’d all sensed it through the pre-mark—Kai’s restless nights, his anxiety about returning to Cedar Grove.
“They’ll stop now that he’s home,” Marcus stated with alpha certainty. Their mate would never spend another night unprotected.
Kai shifted again, making a small sound of distress. Before any of the brothers could move, Scout was already nuzzling his hand while Storm pressed closer to his feet. Shadow maintained his guard position but lowered his head to rest against Kai’s shoulder.
“Traitors,” Caleb muttered fondly. “All that training, and they turn into puppies the moment he shows up.”
“Can you blame them?” Derek’s voice held dry amusement. “Look at him. Even asleep he’s…” He trailed off, unable to find words for how their mate affected them all.
Marcus understood. Kai was… everything. The missing piece they’d been waiting for since that bloody night nine years ago. The one person who could complete their pack, their family, their very souls.
And this time, they weren’t letting him go.
The brothers were silent, watching their mate sleep. None of them wanted to break this moment—their little mate safe in their den, surrounded by their protection. It felt right in a way that made their wolves rumble with satisfaction.
But they had responsibilities, duties that couldn’t be ignored even for this. Marcus was the first to stir, though every step away from Kai felt wrong on a primal level.
“We should get back to work,” he said quietly to his brothers, his tone making it clear he’d rather do anything but. He turned his attention to their dogs, who had formed a protective circle around Kai. “Guard him,” he ordered softly, though the instruction was unnecessary given how possessively they’d already claimed their positions.
Derek nodded reluctantly, his military training warring with his instinct to stay. “I need to check the perimeter,” he announced, but when he whistled for Storm, the massive dog merely opened one eye and settled closer to Kai’s feet. “Storm. Come.”
The dog huffed, clearly conveying his opinion of leaving his post.
“Rejected by your own wolf,” Caleb snickered, already settling into an armchair with his laptop. “That’s got to hurt.”
Derek’s scowl would have sent lesser men running. “Fine. Stay.” He stomped toward the door, muttering about traitorous wolves and mate-struck puppies.
Around half an hour later, Marcus paused at the doorway, watching Caleb pretend to work while openly staring at Kai. “Try to actually accomplish something today.”
“I am accomplishing something,” Caleb protested, not taking his eyes off their sleeping mate. “I’m documenting how adorable our mate is when he sleeps. Look, he just scrunched his nose.”
Maria bustled through, hands full of fresh linens. She clicked her tongue at Caleb. “ Ay, pobrecito (Oh, poor thing), you are as bad as the dogs. At least they admit they are guarding him.”
“I’m working!” Caleb gestured to his laptop.
“Your screen has been dark for twenty minutes, mi amor (my love).”
Shadow lifted his head at Maria’s voice, but unlike their usual enthusiastic greetings, he merely watched her pass before returning to his vigilant position near Kai’s head. Scout, typically bouncing off the walls by this time of day, hadn’t moved from his spot against Kai’s legs.
An hour later, the sound of boots on hardwood announced Derek’s return. He strode in, still in full tactical gear, radio crackling at his hip.
“The perimeter team reports all clear, sir,” one of his men called from the doorway.
Derek waved him off without looking, his attention fixed on Kai’s sleeping form. “Double the patrols near the eastern border. And tell Johnson to check those motion sensors again.”
“Forgot something?” Caleb asked innocently, watching his brother circle the room in what he probably thought was a subtle manner.
“Checking the interior security,” Derek growled, finally stopping at a position that gave him a perfect view of their mate.
“Of course. And the fact that you can see our mate from this particular security position is purely coincidental.”
“Shut up, Caleb.”
A phone rang, followed by rapid Spanish as Maria answered it. Marcus emerged moments later, suit jacket discarded, sleeves rolled up. His path to the kitchen just happened to take him directly past the couch where Kai slept.
“Third coffee run in two hours,” Caleb observed, stretching lazily in his chair. “You know we have an intercom system, right? Maria would bring it to you.”
Marcus ignored him, taking in how Kai had shifted slightly, one hand now curled near his face. Their wolves practically purred at the sight. His phone buzzed insistently in his pocket, but he couldn’t bring himself to move just yet.
“The great Marcus Stone, reduced to coffee-fetching excuses just to peek at his sleeping mate,” Caleb continued, clearly enjoying himself. “Wait until I tell the board—”
“Caleb.”
“Yes, big brother?”
“Shut up.”
The kitchen door swung open as Maria appeared with a fresh pot of coffee, muttering rapid-fire Spanish about lovesick wolves and stubborn men. “Here.” She thrust the pot at Marcus. “Now you have no excuse to keep wandering in. Let the poor boy sleep.”
Derek’s radio crackled again. He growled in frustration, stepping away to answer it in hushed tones. But his eyes kept drifting back to Kai.
Kai made a small sound in his sleep, and all three wolves immediately moved to comfort him. Even Maria’s stern mother act softened at the sight.
“Dios mío.” She sighed, adjusting Kai’s blanket with gentle hands. “Your wolves have good taste, at least.” She patted Marcus’ arm. “Now, back to work. All of you. He will still be here when you finish.”
Derek was already positioning himself by another window, pretending to examine the security setup. Caleb had resumed his random key-tapping, though his screen remained dark. And Marcus…
Marcus took one last look at their sleeping mate before forcing himself back to his office. His phone showed fifteen missed calls, but all he could focus on was the soft sound of Kai’s breathing.
“ H e’s been sleeping for hours,” Caleb said for the third time, picking at his simple lunch of grilled chicken and vegetables. His eyes strayed toward the living room where Kai lay curled into a tight ball on the couch, small fists tucked under his chin. “Maybe we should wake him? What if he’s hungry?”
“He ate plenty at breakfast,” Derek reminded him, though his own gaze lingered on their sleeping mate. Their three massive dogs had barely moved since morning—Scout now curled tighter against Kai’s legs, Storm stretched out but still vigilant at his feet, and Shadow having settled his head closer to Kai’s, maintaining his protective watch. “Let him rest.”
The kitchen felt oddly empty without Maria’s usual bustle. She’d banished them all when they’d tried to sneak tastes of the paella simmering on the stove.
“It’s for Kai,” she’d declared, brandishing her wooden spoon like a weapon. “You get chicken. Simple chicken for simple wolves who can’t wait their turn.”
Jorge hadn’t even looked up from where he was aggressively chopping vegetables, still sulking about his abandoned Greek menu. The brothers had wisely retreated.
Maria bustled in from the garden, arms full of fresh herbs, their scent mixing with the simmering paella. “Jorge, stop that sulking. You can make your Greek feast tomorrow—Kai will still be here.” Her tone brooked no argument, as if their mate’s extended stay was already decided.
Derek’s phone buzzed. His expression darkened as he read the message. “Johnson found more tracks along the eastern border. Fresh ones. The Knox Pack is getting bolder.”
“How many?” Marcus demanded, lunch forgotten.
“Three scouts. Our patrol caught their scent near the old hiking trails.” Derek’s jaw clenched. “Too close to Kai’s cottage for my liking.”
“They know he’s here.” Caleb’s usual playfulness vanished. “Word travels fast in our world.”
In the living room, Kai stirred slightly, his pre-mark pulsing with a faint silver glow through his shirt. The brothers tensed, their wolves responding to their mate’s unconscious distress.
“Speaking of unwanted attention…” Marcus’ phone chimed with an incoming call. He glanced at the screen and growled. “The Cascade Pack from Oak Harbor wants to ‘discuss territory agreements’ now that our mate has returned.”
“Vultures,” Derek spat. “They didn’t care about territory lines until they sensed Kai.”
“Politics,” Marcus muttered, declining the call. “Every pack within a hundred miles suddenly needs urgent meetings. The River Valley Pack from Mount Vernon is pushing for an alliance, and even Cooper Pack from Port Angeles is suddenly interested in our borders.”
“Because now they can’t pretend they don’t sense what he is,” Caleb said. “The pre-mark’s strengthening. They all feel it.”
Maria paused in her herb sorting, her expression knowing as she watched Kai shift restlessly in his sleep, the mark on his hip gleaming brighter for a moment before fading.
“We arranged protection for him in Seattle,” Marcus’ voice held steel. “Made it clear that any supernatural entity who caught his scent would face consequences. The city’s neutrality laws helped mask his presence there.”
“Cities are dead zones for us anyway,” Derek added. “Too much concrete, too many people. No pack would choose to settle there. That’s why Kai’s mother chose it—harder for us to track them.”
“Smart woman,” Caleb mused. “Using our own nature against us. But now…”
“Now he’s back in wolf territory,” Marcus’ eyes flashed red. “And every pack in the Olympic Peninsula and Cascade Range wants to test our claim.”
Derek’s phone buzzed again. His expression darkened as he read the message. “Johnson found Blackwood tracks along the northern border. Fresh ones.”
“How many?” Marcus demanded, lunch forgotten.
“Five scouts. Our patrol caught their scent near Cedar Falls.” Derek’s jaw clenched. “They’re trying to find weak points in our defenses. Getting bolder.”
In the living room, Kai whimpered softly in his sleep, his pre-mark pulsing with silver light. Shadow pressed closer, his crimson eyes alert, while Storm and Scout adjusted their positions protectively around their charge.
“Those bastards have some nerve.” Caleb said. “After what they did during the Blood Moon…”
Marcus’ grip tightened on his phone until the case cracked. Nine years ago, during the sacred Blood Moon ceremony with multiple packs present, Edmund Blackwood had launched his attack. The alpha’s hatred for anything that threatened their ancient traditions had led to bloodshed none of them would ever forget.
Maria crossed herself quietly, remembering that terrible night as she arranged her herbs. Jorge’s chopping slowed, the kitchen heavy with shared memories.
“They killed our parents.” Caleb’s voice was uncharacteristically dark. “Our grandparents died protecting the ceremony.”
“Grandmother saw something coming,” Derek added quietly. “Something about Kai’s importance. That’s why she insisted on the emergency marking.”
Marcus remembered that night with painful clarity. Their parents using their final strength to shield the ceremony, their grandmother’s urgent commands still echoing in his mind. They’d been so young—Marcus at twenty-three, Derek twenty- one, Caleb just eighteen—but the ancient magic had accepted their claim on thirteen-year-old Kai.
“The pre-mark protected him,” Marcus said, watching as the silver glow beneath Kai’s shirt pulsed in response to their heightened emotions. “But Sarah saw too much that night. The violence, the true nature of our world…”
“She ran the next morning,” Caleb finished. “And we were too young, too weak from the ceremony to stop her.”
“They lost half their pack in that raid,” Derek continued, checking his phone again. “You’d think they’d have learned their lesson.”
“They’re desperate.” Marcus’ voice was cold. “Their bloodline’s weakening. And what we have…” His eyes flashed red. “A quarter-wolf mate, carrying First Pack blood, already bearing our pre-mark.” He didn’t need to elaborate further. Such a combination hadn’t been seen in centuries.
Maria muttered something in Spanish that sounded suspiciously like a curse, her hands tightening around her herbs.
“Edmund Blackwood would rather see Kai dead than accept what he represents.” Derek’s voice hardened. “A living challenge to everything their pack believes about pure bloodlines.”
“Over my dead body,” Caleb snarled, all traces of the charming youngest brother gone. “They don’t get to murder our family and then come sniffing around our mate.”
“They won’t get near him,” Derek promised darkly. “I’ve doubled the patrols. No one gets within a mile of the property without my knowledge.”
On the couch, Kai’s small fists clenched tighter under his chin, his pre-mark responding to their rising anger with pulses of silver light. Shadow’s ears flattened, his massive form shifting closer to their sleeping mate.
“Let them watch.” Caleb’s grin was all teeth. “Let them see exactly what happens to anyone who threatens what’s ours.”
“They invaded our territory that night,” Derek added quietly. “Killed our parents, our grandparents, just to try to destroy what they saw as an abomination. Maybe it’s time we showed them exactly what that ‘abomination’ has made us become.”
Marcus nodded slowly, his phone chiming with yet another pack requesting an audience. “The Blackwoods started something nine years ago they couldn’t finish. If they want to try again…” His eyes gleamed crimson. “This time we’ll end their line permanently.”
“They want to see if the rumors are true.” Caleb leaned back, some of his usual mischief returning as the tension eased. “A quarter-wolf mate, claimed by three alphas? That’s not just rare, it’s unprecedented.”
“They can want all they like.” Derek’s voice held steel. “Kai is—” He broke off as Marcus suddenly went rigid, attention snapping to the doorway.
Anna, their petite maid with the perpetually escaping braid, was carrying an armful of silk pillows from Marcus’ room. The alpha’s demeanor changed so fast it was almost comical, from deadly predator to possessive mate in an instant.
“Stop.” His voice cracked like a whip.
Anna froze, nearly dropping her burden, though her pretty face showed more amusement than alarm. After three years of service and dating Miguel, she was used to the Stone brothers’ peculiarities. “Something wrong, Marcus?”
“Put those back. Exactly where you found them.”
The abrupt shift in atmosphere was palpable. One moment they’d been discussing territory wars and ancient vendettas, the next their fearsome alpha was obsessing over pillows that carried their mate’s scent.
Maria rolled her eyes heavenward, muttering “Dios mío” under her breath as she continued sorting her herbs.
“But Marcus,” she said, lips twitching with barely suppressed amusement at his intensity over pillows of all things, “they need to be cleaned after…” She hesitated, trying to find a polite way to describe the chaos from earlier. “I’ve already put fresh ones on the bed.”
“I don’t care about fresh ones.” Marcus stood, his chair scraping against the floor. “Those pillows go back. Now.”
Derek and Caleb’s nostrils flared simultaneously, catching their mate’s lingering scent on the silk. Their reactions were instant—Derek’s eyes darkening to amber while Caleb’s playful grin turned predatory. The scent of Kai’s earlier fear and adrenaline still clung to the fabric, along with something sweeter, more intimate.
“Well, well,” Caleb drawled, “looks like our little ma—friend left quite an impression on your bedroom decor, brother.”
“The wolves did herd him there rather effectively,” Derek added, his voice rough, the scent making his wolf stir with possessive need.
Anna glanced between the brothers, her eyes dancing with amusement at their intensity over pillows. Her gaze drifted briefly to where Kai slept peacefully in the living room, surrounded by the massive dogs. “I… don’t understand. They’re just pillows.”
“Just pillows?” Caleb gasped in mock offense. “Those, my dear Anna, are now precious artifacts of Kai’s first—”
“Finish that sentence,” Marcus warned, “and you’re doing tax review and quarterly projections.” Turning to Anna, he said, his voice deceptively calm, “The pillows, Anna. We’ll handle their… cleaning… personally.”
Anna’s lips quirked into a small smile as she adjusted her grip on the pillows, stealing another glance at Kai’s sleeping form. “Right. Of course. I’ll just… put these back.”
They watched her retreat, still hugging the pillows that carried their mate’s scent. In the living room, Kai shifted again, his pre-mark pulsing softly as he responded to their heightened emotions even in sleep.
“So,” Caleb drawled once she was gone. “About how our little mate ended up naked in your room—”
“Eat your chicken,” Marcus ordered, though his own eyes tracked Anna’s progress up the stairs. Those pillows weren’t leaving his room. Ever.
His phone chimed again. Another pack wanting to discuss territory now that word of Kai’s return had spread. Marcus deleted the message with more force than necessary. Let them demand. Let them scheme and plot. Kai was theirs to protect now.
“The Blackwoods and Knoxes won’t be the only ones testing boundaries,” Derek said quietly, reading his brother’s tension. “Every pack will want to stake a claim, establish dominance.”
“They can try.” Marcus’ eyes flashed red. “I’ll remind them why the Stone Pack has held this territory for three centuries.”
“Speaking of holding territory.” Caleb’s grin turned wicked. “Are we going to discuss how our mate ended up pressed against those pillows or—”
The sound of three chairs scraping against the floor echoed through the kitchen as all three brothers rose simultaneously.
Jorge finally looked up from his vegetables, watching them race toward the stairs. “ Lobos idiotas ,” (idiotic wolves) he muttered, turning back to his aggressive chopping. “At least the pequeno (little) one appreciates good food.”
“Dios mío, estos lobos ,” (these wolves) Maria muttered under her breath, shaking her head as she watched them go. Her hands never stopped sorting herbs, but her fond exasperation was clear in her quiet Spanish grumbling about “foolish wolves” and “poor sleeping angelito ” (little angel).
In the living room, Kai slept on, blissfully unaware of both the pillow war about to erupt upstairs and the much larger storm gathering around Cedar Grove. Pack politics, territorial disputes, and ancient protocols were stirring to life—all because a small quarter-wolf had finally come home. His pre-mark glowed softly beneath his shirt, responding to the heightened emotions of his mates even in sleep.
Shadow lifted his head, sensing the tension in the air. His crimson eyes gleamed as he adjusted his position, moving closer to their sleeping mate, Storm and Scout following suit to form a tighter protective circle. Let them come, his posture seemed to say. The Stone Pack was ready.