21. Silas
Chapter 21
Silas
T he whole group piled into Silas and Sammy’s living room.
“Will you two stay for a few minutes? Not long,” Silas said to Finn and Jaime on their way inside. “I just need you all under one roof for a little bit, if that’s ok.”
Finn clapped him on the shoulder, forever understanding. “Of course.”
They’d collected their clothes and vehicles from the safe house in Silver Rapids before Gabe excused himself, citing his need to communicate with the fire responders and figure out what to do about Cain’s death and Riley’s disappearance.
Buck left shortly after as well, following a brief, hushed conversation with Sheppard.
The rest settled into the sofa and haphazardly arranged kitchen chairs with heavy sighs.
“We’ll say goodnight,” his mom said, dropping a kiss on top of his head, and then Finn’s. She squeezed Jaime and Sammy’s shoulders on her way by. “Tomorrow, we can talk through what happens next.”
“You’re welcome to stay in the safe house here in town for as long as you need,” Sheppard offered.
“Thank you,” his dad responded. “We’ll probably take you up on that once we’ve had a chance to rest and plan.” They disappeared up the stairs and into the guest room, shutting the door softly behind them.
“I should go, too,” Will said gruffly, eyes lingering on Finn before flicking away. “I’ll uh… stay in town for a few days, if that’s alright.”
Silas looked at Finn, and then the doctor. “You’re welcome here as long as you’d like to stay. Thank you for coming with us tonight. It means a lot.”
The doctor bowed his head. “I’m glad I was here in time to help. I’m glad… yeah,” he said, eyes darting back to Finn and then away again. “If you don’t mind me asking,” he continued, “have you three always been able to link minds the way you did tonight?”
Silas looked at Finn, again. He wouldn’t engage further if it made him uncomfortable, but Finn nodded his agreement.
“No,” Silas answered. “It started very recently. Within the last month.”
Will’s eyebrows creased in thought. “What were the circumstances?”
“Um…” Silas said, peering at Sammy. He’d never actually fully explained this. “Sammy and I hadn’t accepted the mate bond yet, but I was aware of it. Sammy was in a dangerous situation, and I just… knew. I knew I had to find him. The way I knew tonight.”
Sammy took his hand. “That’s why you called me,” he said.
Silas nodded.
“And that’s when the telepathy started?” Will asked.
“Shortly after,” Silas answered. “Finn called me and said he could sense I was stressed, and when all three of us arrived at the hospital our shared thoughts became clearer. It’s happened on and off since then.”
“Hmm…” the doctor said, lost in thought. “Maybe some kind of survival mechanism induced by stress and proximity. There are old records of mind speaking in a few of the northern packs, but if others are still capable of it in recent times, they’ve kept it to themselves. I’ll do some reading.”
He stood to leave, but Silas stopped him. “Before you go, could you take a look at Sammy’s head? Riley hit him and knocked him out,” Silas growled.
The doctor nodded. “Of course. Want to step into the other room, Sam?”
Sammy nodded and squeezed Silas’ shoulder, leading the doctor into the kitchen. Jaime trailed after them, clearly not ready for Sammy to leave his sight just yet.
Alone with Finn and Sheppard in the quiet, Silas whispered, “I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to be a good alpha. Silver Rapids doesn’t need one; things have been working just fine the way they are. Most of the people who live here couldn’t give two shits about me.”
Finn sighed. “Now, that’s not true. Nearly half the town stopped by to say hello last night for Halloween. I think I heard you introduce Sam as your, uh, Sammy about thirty times.”
Silas snorted at Finn’s attempt to mock his voice. “We weren’t subtle, were we?”
Sheppard gave him a look. “Not even a little.”
Silas smiled. “Still. That doesn’t mean people need someone running around town shouting about being the alpha of Silver Rapids.”
Finn rolled his eyes. “You’ve literally never done that. And if you start getting weird about it, I’ll tell you. Cain may be gone,” he continued, “but that doesn’t mean people don’t need someone watching out for them, and keeping an eye on things. Especially around here. Who knows what trouble could crop up.”
Silas shifted in his seat, unsure what to do with his hands. “But you’ll do it with me, right? I mean, you’ll be my…” he trailed off.
“Pack?” Finn finished for him.
Silas nodded.
Finn smiled at him. “Of course, we’ll be with you, and so will Sammy and Jaime.”
Silas nodded again, not sure he had the words after their tumultuous day. “Thank you, Finny.”
“Finn’s right,” Sheppard said gruffly. “We’re yours, and you’re ours. And you don’t have to ingratiate yourself with every resident in the area to have a positive influence on this community. You’ll learn, and we’ll learn with you.”
Sammy and Jaime walked back in from the kitchen, Will following behind.
“I’m fine,” Sammy said in answer to Silas’ concerned look. “Just need some rest.”
Silas and his wolf relaxed at that. “Thank you, Will,” he said.
He’d feared that acknowledging and becoming an alpha would turn him into something he wasn’t. And he had changed, he just hadn’t anticipated it would be for good.
Silas had worried that he’d never measure up, that he’d never be everything he needed to be for his pack—but he’d also never considered that he would grow and become what he needed to be because of them.
He wasn’t an alpha without a pack, and there was no pack without Finn grouching about Silas nosing around the food prep, Sheppard’s quiet drawl, or Jaime cackling in triumph at beating everyone in a board game.
He wasn’t an alpha without his match. His equal. His mate.
He wasn’t an alpha without Sammy.
They would rebuild, because they had each other to rebuild for.
Everyone stood to leave, Sheppard patting him on the back before he quietly excused himself. Before they could go, though, Will stopped Finn and Jaime on their way out the door. “Um, Finn. Could I talk with you for a minute?”
Finn gave him a long look. “We can talk here,” he gestured to the living room, clearly not ready to be alone with the doctor.
Jaime took his hand.
“If you’d like, I mean, if it’s alright, I’d like to see you again. Maybe have lunch. I haven't spoken with Maggie in, well. Over thirty years. But I’d like to,” Will said, stumbling a bit over his words.
Finn heaved a sigh. “I haven’t spoken to my mother in about ten of those years. She wasn’t great to grow up with. I tried to be home as little as possible—Silas’ parents were the ones who really raised me. Good luck, but I won’t be involved in that conversation.”
Deep sadness crossed Will’s face. “I’m very sorry. I’ll… respect that. I’d still like to see you again, though?”
Finn looked apprehensive, like he wasn’t certain how serious the doctor was about the offer. “Sure. Lunch could be good,” he replied. “Come by the security office and we can plan something.”
Will nodded. “I will.”
Would he honor that promise? Silas wasn’t sure; he may wake up tomorrow completely overwhelmed by it all and leave. Only time would tell.
Jaime had a similarly apprehensive look on his face, but he held his tongue.
“Right,” Finn said. “Let’s call it a night.”
After everyone else had gone, Silas and Sammy flicked off all the lights, and quietly tread upstairs.
Once in the safety of their bedroom, with the warm glow of the bedside lamp casting deep shadows across Sammy’s face, all of the night’s emotions came pouring out.
“ Sammy ,” Silas said, before wrapping him up in a fierce embrace.
“Are you alright?” Sammy asked, speaking softly into Silas’ chest. “After… Cain.”
Silas tucked his face into Sammy’s hair. “I don’t know. I think so? Or I will be?”
Sammy nodded, squeezing tighter.
They held each other like that for long minutes, speaking volumes without saying anything. How had Silas survived before now without Sammy’s comforting scent and strong arms holding him tight?
Never again.
They would always have each other to cling to when the winds of life became too strong to weather alone.
Without speaking, they undressed and stepped into a hot shower together. Exhaustion blanketed heavily over them both—Sammy could barely keep his eyes open, but they gently washed each other before drying off and tucking into their soft flannel sheets.
Silas cradled him close while they lay together in the dark, soaking each other up. He gently scratched his claws through Sammy’s soft beard. “I was so afraid, Sammy,” he whispered, thinking back on those agonizing moments when Sammy had been taken. “I was so afraid I’d lost you.”
Sammy wiggled closer, lightly dancing his fingers through Silas’ chest hair. “I was scared, too. I was scared I’d wasted so much of our time telling myself I couldn’t have you when we could’ve been together.”
Silas nuzzled his face into the crook of Sammy’s neck, mouthing at their mating mark. Not to arouse—they were both far too tired, and there were no magical walls to spare his parents—but just to remind them both it was there.
“I would have waited forever for you. I don’t regret a second of the time it took us to get here,” Silas said, purring in the quiet.
Sammy kissed him, before tucking back into his chest.
Just as Silas was about to doze off, Sammy whispered, “Silas?”
“Hmm?”
“When we, uh, mated,” Sammy smiled like he still found the word new and remarkable, “you mentioned something about a ceremony. What are those?”
Silas pulled back a little to look at his face. “Oh. Well, they’re not very common anymore. They used to be more popular when one mate would leave their pack to join the other’s. They were sort of like a wedding, but it was more of a formal declaration of being mates to smooth over any territorial issues of pack jumping. The actual mating would happen after.”
“Oh,” Sammy said, avoiding his eyes.
Silas tipped up his chin. “Sammy? Was there a particular reason you wanted to know about mating ceremonies?”
He huffed and scowled at Silas. It would have been scarier if he wasn’t clinging on with every limb available. “I just thought, you know… I mean if they’re supposed to happen before the mating than it’s fine. We don’t have to have one. Goodnight.”
Sammy tried to roll over, but Silas held him down, shifting his body on top so he couldn’t turn away. Silas was doing his very best to be serious and not grin like a lunatic. “Love, are you trying to ask me to have a mating ceremony with you? Do you want to declare our love for all to hear?”
Sammy’s scowl turned into a pout. “I mean, maybe. I guess if you wanted one it might be nice.”
“Was that a proposal?” Silas quietly teased, still not letting Sammy wiggle away. “I never thought the day would come.”
Brows softening, Sammy traced a finger along Silas’ jaw, over his lips, and up his nose. “Yes,” he whispered. “I do want to declare you as mine. Will you do that with me, Silas?”
Silas had thought he’d experienced the peak of joy running through the valley of his childhood home with Sammy in tow. Then, he’d thought it was when Sammy had said ‘ I love you’ for the first time. Then he’d thought the peak of his joy was holding Sammy in his arms while he quaked in pleasure, screaming his orgasm on Silas’ knot.
But now, this was the new height of his happiness.
They were already bound together forever, and yet his prickly mate still wanted to proudly declare their bond in front of those who mattered most.
Silas kissed him, pressing his answer onto Sammy’s lips. “Yes. Let’s do it. Let’s get mated. ”