18. TREY
Chapter 18
TREY
I feel complete. When I first found out my father was sick, I knew there was a possibility that I’d end up being Alpha of our pack sooner than I expected.
It had been a terrifying wake-up call then, even though I had been educated to be an Alpha my whole life. I wasn’t sure I’d be ready.
When I was at Violet’s wedding and found out that Father was gone, I was sad, but I’d already prepared myself to say goodbye to him and take my rightful place.
When I found out that Heather had left, all of those feelings flew out of me like they’d gone with her. I wasn’t sure I could do it.
The pack elders challenging me made me see that I needed her. She is the stability that makes me feel like a real leader.
We were fated to find each other. I’m sure of that now. As I lay beside her in her bed, exhausted from the vigors of our reunion, nothing has made more sense to me than that.
“Trey, come on! We have to get dressed!”
I’m not exactly thrilled about this dinner, but I suppose it has to happen before we leave.
“It’ll be fine, my love.” That feels so fucking good to say.
“I haven’t seen them in a month.”
“You were scared?”
“I was fucking terrified. I thought you were about to tear me to pieces.”
“Part of me thought I should when I first met you.”
She glares at me, but I continue.
“The wolf in me knew better, though. He felt the connection we wouldn’t be able to resist—the part that led us to defy everything we know.”
“And I’m glad we did.”
Now dressed in her usual leggings and a loose shirt, Heather crushes her mouth to mine. I only have my pants on, and my hair is still all messed up.
I need to make myself presentable before we go to the restaurant. But I’m not complaining. I don’t ever want to be away from her again.
I’m glad to know that the feelings are mutual. She leans into the kiss and we’re hitting a point where if she doesn’t stop, we won’t be on time to meet her friends.
I pull away from the kiss—reluctantly—and it’s hard to keep the smirk off my face when I see her frown. I have to finish getting ready if we’re going to make the plans she’d set out.
As interesting as the scandal sounds, I don’t think it’ll go over well for her if she shows up with me topless.
Then again, it might soften the blow that’s coming. At this dinner, she isn’t only telling her friends that she’s met the love of her life and she’s getting married.
She’s telling them that she’s a wolf, a secret she’s kept from them the entire time they’ve been friends. She’s also telling them that she’ll be moving hundreds of miles away.
As I pull a black t-shirt over my head and grab a sweatshirt from my overnight bag, I think about how I’ll react if her friends take this badly.
Of course, my first instinct is to protect her, but hurting them in the process wouldn’t make anything better.
Plus, we’d have to explain that to the police, and any scrutiny of wolves involving the law is frowned upon. I’m already on thin ice with the elders.
If this turns violent or intense, I suppose I’ll simply have to whisk her out of there as fast as possible.
My top priority will be protecting her. I’ll change if I have to; I’ll be faster that way, but I won’t use my wolf for any carnage. Even if her friends are shocked or upset at first, they may change their minds.
“Where are we going, then?” I turn to Heather.
“My favorite diner.”
“A diner? You found a good diner this far from the city?”
“I know. I was surprised too, but I did, and it’s my place.”
“Like my diner back home?”
“Yep, except no one knows you, and everyone knows me.”
“So you’re the queen here.”
“I guess you can say that.”
“Babe, you are a queen, in a sense.”
She sits down on the bed, and I can feel her anxiety amp up a bit. I sit down beside her and take her hand in mine. She looks up at me, and I wait for her to express what she’s thinking. It’s not my place to force her into anything.
“Trey, what if our pack doesn’t want me as their queen? I’m supposed to be their female Alpha, next to you. I heard what they said at Violet’s wedding. It’s why I left. I don’t want things to be more difficult for you because your mate is an exile.”
“Hey, you were an exile. Now you’re going to be my wife. That makes you an Alpha whether they like it or not. But you don’t have to worry about that. As soon as they get to know you, our pack will love you.”
“Our pack?”
“Yes, our pack. You belong with us. And that’s exactly what I told the elders when they tried to pull their shit at the first community turn.”
“Wait, what? You stood up to the elders?”
“What else could I do? I had to make sure you have a safe place to come home to, and your parents helped back me up, too.”
“They did? I miss them so much. It’s been so long since I’ve seen them, aside from that one little glimpse I had before you stopped me.”
“I didn’t want to do that, Heather. It was for your own safety.”
“I know that now.”
“They’ll be so glad to see you come home.”
“I can’t wait, but I also wish my mom could be here for my wedding. I always thought I’d modify her wedding dress to wear it. We talked about it a lot when I was a little girl. That dress is one of the biggest reasons I started working at a bridal shop in the first place.”
“We can have a bigger party in New York when we get home. I’m sure that the pack will insist on it. They’ll want a big party to welcome you.”
“Right, tradition.”
“We’ll make it happen, I promise. Tonight, let’s get through this next thing, and then we can handle that.”
“Okay, yes. You’re right. Let’s go.”
She picks up her bag and gets ready to head for the front door, but I can tell she’s still distracted. I can’t tell her that I’m picking up her parents at the airport tomorrow so they can attend this initial ceremony.
I want to at this moment to cheer her up, but that’ll be tomorrow’s surprise. I follow her out, and we walk over to the diner.
This town is incredibly small compared to the city. I suppose if you think about it like never leaving your neighborhood, it could seem similar. We do walk places a lot back home. This feels different, though.
When we get to the diner, it’s not what I expected. The place looks like it used to be someone's house. Inside, it feels like walking into my grandma’s house or a favorite aunt’s kitchen. I can see why this place would be Heather’s favorite.
We move through the dining room (which is more like a living room) to a table near the middle, where three people are sitting. One woman has cascading red waves and a curvy body, almost identical to Heather’s.
The other woman is tall and sinewy, with nearly white-blonde hair. The man is shorter than the blonde, with jet-black hair cropped short and the sharp, defined features of his Korean heritage, as Heather had mentioned when describing everyone.
When they spot Heather and me, all three of them are beaming. They stand up and walk toward us, and then I notice Heather jogging toward them. They practically collide into a group hug. I can see the love there, at least for now.
They missed her. She had been in New York for a long time, so it makes sense. It’s jarring for me to see other people love her as much as I do.
They really are her family. She turns to me and waves me over. I smile and approach the group. They’re still sort of linked with their arms all around each other.
“Trey, this is Callie,” she points to the blonde, “Sam,” she points to the redhead, “and Logan,” she points to the man.
“Hello, it’s wonderful to meet you all.” I put my hand out.
Logan comes forward to shake my hand first. “Nice to meet you too, man. Heather’s told us a lot about you.”
I look at my mate. “Did she?”
Sam comes forward next after Logan steps back, and she shakes my hand.
“Yes, and I looked up your family too. The Hanovers are powerful wolves where you’re from. I’d love to know more about that.”
My heart drops into my stomach. I had almost forgotten how famous my family is throughout the country, not only in New York. I wasn’t counting on them knowing I’m a wolf right off the bat.
The blonde comes forward next. She shoots a look at Sam, and Sam lets go of my hand. Her name was Callie, right? I shake her hand when it’s offered, and she smiles.
“Don’t mind Sam,” Callie says, “she’s a little overprotective.”
“I can understand that.” I wink at her, and she pulls back her hand.
Fuck. I hope I didn’t make this harder on Heather.
She goes to sit at their table, and I see they’ve left a chair open for me. It’s on the end of the table, showing that it’s usually the four of them and they added on something extra for the occasion.
I suddenly feel like I’m intruding on some private party.
Heather takes my hand while under the table and squeezes. She looks back at her friends and takes a deep breath.
“I have to tell you something important,” she says in the most serious tone I’ve ever heard her use.
They all lean in, knowing her well enough to pick up on the tone, and Sam breaks the silence after a moment.
“Well? What is it?”
Heather looks down at the table. “I’m also a wolf.”
I can barely hear her with my wolf hearing and I know her friends didn’t hear her at all. They look around the table at each other. This time, Callie speaks up.
“Sweetie, we can’t hear you. Whatever it is, you can tell us.”
She looks up. “I’m also a wolf.” This time, her voice is clear—confident.
Logan smirks and nods. “That explains so much!”
Heather’s eyebrows fly up, and her jaw hangs open. Callie takes up the conversation next.
“Oh my gosh, you’re right, Logan! All those times she couldn’t come out with us. It was the full moon! Heather, was that why?”
She nods, her eyebrows still raised, but her mouth is now closed. I’m surprised how well they know her, but Sam hasn’t said her piece yet. She stands up abruptly, her chair sliding behind her with the force of the motion.
She walks toward the door, hesitates, and then comes back and sits down in her chair. She looks up at Heather, tears shining in her eyes.
“Why didn’t you tell us before?”
Heather stumbles with her words before answering. “I…I wasn’t sure what you’d say. I know you understand that wolves exist, but it’s something different to see one and be friends with one. I…I didn’t wanna lose you.”
Sam’s lip trembles, and she gets up again. She then comes over to Heather, kneels down, and throws her arms around her.
“I’m so sorry you felt that way. I’m so sorry you didn’t feel safe enough to tell us. We love you no matter who you are. I’m so happy you decided to tell us now, even if it did take you five years.”
They embrace for a few more moments, and when Sam pulls away and goes back to her seat, Heather is wiping away tears. I put my hand on her leg under the table and squeeze. She looks at me and mouths without sound.
I’m okay.
I nod at her, barely moving my neck enough for anyone else to notice. Logan is watching us.
“Wow,” he says, “you really are in love.”
Without looking away, Heather answers him. “He’s my mate.”
“I guess that means you’re moving to New York,” Sam says.
“I am,” Heather turns to her. “But I’ll visit, I promise. And you can come to see me. We’ll be able to fly you out, don’t worry. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”
After that revelation, her friends include me in every part of the conversation. They ask questions about my family and living in New York as the son of an Alpha.
We talk about how I’m now the Alpha and how Heather will be my Alpha mate. They all laugh. The server comes over then and we order drinks and then dinner.
They’re in awe of Heather’s new status once they recognize what it means. She even shows them her claws at the table.
We have to skirt around the questions about Heather’s exile and play off the fast wedding as simply wanting to be together as soon as possible, which they find so romantic.
We close the place down and promise to get together again soon to go over wedding stuff. Of course, Sam is going to be Heather’s maid of honor, and she’s over the moon about making this ceremony happen in a few days.
She’s ready to read up on everything that’s public about wolf weddings. This is one tradition that has become more openly accepted in recent years.
Back at Heather’s condo, we discuss Violet's involvement. We video call her on her honeymoon, and she gives us her blessing, seeming only a tiny bit put out that she won’t be the maid of honor at this ceremony.
Heather says she can take that role at the big wedding when they return to the city.
We’re both physically and emotionally exhausted by now, and I’m happy to crawl into bed with Heather and sleep with her in my arms without doing anything else. Once I’m settled behind her and we’re all snuggled up, I drop one more bomb.
“There’s another surprise, my love.”
“Oh?” she says, her voice heavy with sleep.
“Yes, but it won’t be here for a few more hours. Get some sleep. You’ll see what it is in the morning.”
“Okay.” She mumbles before she dozes off.
I set an alarm to vibrate on my phone and put it behind me so it hopefully won’t wake her when it goes off. I leave her sleeping peacefully when I wake up a few hours later, the sun barely rising.
I hastily get everything prepared, walk back to that diner, and order some donuts. Then, I jog across the street to the small grocery store nearby for some eggs and bacon. I’m surprised they’re open but grateful.
There aren’t many people out at this time of the morning, and I can’t help but watch some of them as I go through my errands. These are the people who live and work with the love of my life. Although…wait…is that? It can’t be.
I swear I recognize someone from back home, a man who I remember being at our house in the initial days I was learning how to master my Alpha role.
If this man is here, it means the elders completely disregarded what we’d agreed upon. They’ve defied me. No one else could order him to come here.
Are they trying to kill me? Or are they here for Heather? If my mate dies in some apparent accident, most people won’t bat an eye. That would be a calculated move.
Would they dare to go that far?
I start breakfast at the condo, stopping when I hear a light tap on the door. When I open it, Raymond and Melissa are there with their suitcases, and an airport shuttle van is driving off behind them.
“Where is she?” Melissa looks into the condo behind me. “Is she awake yet?”
“She’s not. I’m making breakfast for everyone. Come on in.” I see that Melissa is holding a garment bag. “Here, let me take that.”
She reluctantly hands it over, and I hang it on the door between the dining area and the kitchen.
Raymond and Melissa come in with their bags, leave them by the door, and sit down at the table. They crane their necks, searching around the place.
“So this is where my daughter lives. It’s a cozy little spot,” Raymond remarks.
I turn to Melissa, “The bathroom is over there if you need it.”
I point to the door in the hallway, and she nods and goes over to it. When I hear the door shut, I turn to Raymond.
“Did you tell anyone you were coming here?”
“I told work I’d need a few days off, but I didn’t tell them why.”
“You’re sure they don’t know you were coming here ?”
“Trey, what’s going on?”
“I thought I saw someone in town today. Someone who shouldn’t be here—someone that only the elders would send.”
“You mean?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think he’s here for you or…?” His voice trails off.
“I’m not even sure it’s him.”
“Heather’s mother cannot know about any of this.” Raymond looked at the bathroom door.
“Agreed. We’ll figure it out and take care of it ourselves if need be.”
The toilet flushes, and a sliver of light shines in the living room as Melissa emerges from the bathroom. She shuts the door and walks back to join us.
“What…” She looks back and forth between us. “What were you two talking about?”
“It’s nothing, dear, don’t worry.”
Melissa crosses her arms, but her pouting is short-lived. We all turn our heads as we hear footsteps coming from the bedroom. Raymond and Melissa stand up. Heather calls out before we see her.
“Mmmm, is that bacon I smell? Did you go shopping?”
“Yeah,” I call back. “Your surprise is here, and it’s more than bacon.”
“It’s here now?” Her voice is much closer and Melissa puts her hand to her chest.
Heather appears in the doorway, pulling a robe closed over her sleep shirt, her feet clad in fuzzy slippers. She screams when she sees her parents. Melissa and Raymond jump up and circle the table, wrapping Heather up in their arms.
I go back into the kitchen to let them have their moment alone. They don’t say a word to each other, but I hear muffled sobs from all of them. I don’t interfere.
This is their moment, and Raymond and Melissa have waited for this for five long years.
They were seriously beginning to wonder if their daughter was dead, and now she’s back with them. It moves me.
They get to be a family again, and I’m honored that I’ll be part of that, too. I’m not sure they’ve fully grasped the concept of being parents of an Alpha. That’s not important right now. They can learn all about it later.
In this moment, I’m not feeling the loss of my father as much. All I feel is the fullness of love and connection for my mate.
As I put breakfast together and get ready to bring it to the table, I stop to revel in that feeling. And then I realize something else: this is only the beginning.