Chapter Seven
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REX HAD KNOWN THIS would happen, but he hadn’t expected his brother to be quite this dramatic. He should have known better, though. This was Alpin they were talking about.
He was sobbing, standing in front of Rex, looking heartbroken. Rex would have rolled his eyes, but he was pretty sure that Merrick would have killed him for it.
“You’ll call as soon as you get there?” Alpin said between two sobs. He was rubbing his cheek with one hand while clutching Rex’s sweater with the other.
Rex sighed. “I promise I’ll call.”
“You better, because if you don’t, I’m going there. I need to know you’re okay.”
“You were never that worried about me being okay before. In fact, I’m pretty sure you cheered when you found out that harpy attacked me a few years ago.”
Alpin gasped. “I would never be happy to find out someone attacked you.”
“I think your exact words were that I deserved it.”
“That’s in the past. I thought we would finally be a family and live together, and now, you’re leaving.”
Rex glanced in Harmon’s direction. He was standing close by, talking to Rex’s father.
He didn’t look worried about Alpin’s behavior.
No one was because this was typical Alpin.
Rex wanted to ask Merrick to get his boyfriend under control, but he knew better.
No one could control Alpin, not even Merrick.
“I’m not leaving forever,” Rex explained gently.
For all that Alpin was being overly dramatic, Rex knew he was doing it because he cared.
He’d always been afraid to lose their family, and now, in a way, he was.
He’d thought they would all live with the pack happily ever after, but Rex’s happily-ever-after wasn’t with the wolves.
It was with a tall man with long brown hair and his coven.
Rex had no idea how he would take to living with the coven, and he probably wouldn’t have agreed to try for anyone but Harmon. For him, though, he’d be willing to do a lot of things.
“And we’ll come and visit you,” Alpin said.
“I know. You’re welcome to come anytime you want.
You know what Harmon said.” Merrick might not be a coven member anymore, but he and Harmon still considered each other brothers, just like Rex and Alpin.
They were family, and Harmon hadn’t hesitated to extend an offer of letting Rex’s family stay with the clan anytime they wanted, to all of them.
He wanted Rex to be happy, and he knew that would come in the form of Merrick and Alpin visiting way too often.
But Rex wanted both him and Alpin to also have time to settle into their new lives.
They weren’t in danger anymore. No one would attack them.
Their relationships with Harmon and Merrick had been born in difficult times, but that was over.
It would probably take them a little while to truly settle down, but they would eventually.
Once they did, Alpin wouldn’t cling so hard to Rex and their siblings.
Or at least, Rex hoped so.
“I can’t believe you’re willingly moving in with a bunch of vampires,” Alpin said, sounding puzzled and a bit disgusted.
“We’re all vampires in the family, Alpin.”
“It’s not the same. None of those vampires will be as fabulous as I am.”
“I don’t think anyone could be,” Rex agreed. “But I still don’t know if I’m going to stay for more than a few weeks.”
Alpin glanced at Harmon. “We both know you will. You love him.”
Rex wasn’t sure he could call it love yet, but he had strong feelings for Harmon, and he wanted to explore them. He was pretty sure that if he did, they’d deepen further, which meant that eventually, he would have to move in with the coven permanently.
But that was something he’d think of once he had no choice but to do so. In the meantime, he was going to have fun, get to know Harmon better, and settle in.
“I’m going to miss you,” Alpin said as he pushed himself into Rex’s arms.
“I’ll miss you, too, but I’m only one phone call away, and I won’t be that far. Besides, you have a dragon boyfriend. If you miss me too much, just tell him to shift and fly you over.”
“You better start planning for a landing pad.” Alpin sounded like he was trying hard not to cry again. It made Rex’s eyes burn, even though he’d just told Alpin that this wasn’t as bad as he was making it out to be.
Someone cleared her throat, causing Alpin and Rex to jump. Harmon’s expression was gentle as he watched them. “I’m sorry, but I told Brad that we’d be home in a few hours, and I don’t want to be too late.”
That meant they needed to go. As eager as Rex was to spend more time with Harmon, he was also a little nervous. What if the coven didn’t like him? What if they didn’t want him as their leader’s boyfriend and maybe later, as more?
Rex would always have a home to come to with the pack. Kieran had assured him of that when he’d told him that he was leaving. He was also pretty sure that Alpin would beat up anyone who disliked him, which wasn’t something Rex should appreciate, but he did. Alpin cared about him that much.
He squeezed his brother one last time before moving toward Harmon. “I’m ready when you are.”
Harmon’s smile was still soft. “We can take another few minutes if you want.”
“It’s not going to help. Alpin is like a limpet. He clings and clings until someone pries him away.”
“Hey,” Alpin complained, but thankfully, Merrick was coming their way. He knew how Alpin was and that Rex would need help to unstick him from his side.
“Everything okay?” Merrick asked.
Alpin nodded and pressed close to his boyfriend. Merrick wrapped an arm around Alpin’s shoulders and kissed the top of his head, and Rex knew that everything would be okay.
He looked around. His family had gathered to watch him leave. They’d all said their goodbyes before Alpin because they’d known he’d be the one to take the most time, and they’d been right, but it didn’t mean they weren’t less affected by what was happening than he was. Rex knew that he wasn’t.
He was used to not seeing his family often, but since they’d moved in with the pack, he’d seen them every day, sometimes several times a day. It would take some time for him to get used to being a few hours away.
But he wouldn’t be alone.
Besides, things were changing, but for the better, not the worse. All of them had been alone before, but they weren’t anymore. The pack might not be Rex’s home, but it was home for his family, and he loved that for them.
“Ready?” Harmon murmured.
Rex nodded and turned toward the car. He knew that if he continued watching Alpin, he’d change his mind and waste more time. After telling Alpin that this really wasn’t as bad as he was making it out to be, Rex didn’t want to give Alpin the satisfaction of seeing him act like it was.
He climbed into the car, closed the door, and put on his seatbelt. Only then did he turn to his family to wave at them.
All of them had moved close to their partner. They stood in little groups of two, watching Harmon and Rex getting ready to drive away, and when they did, they all raised their hands to wave. Rex waved back.
“You know that you can see them whenever you want, right? I’m not going to lock you in my bedroom,” Harmon said, humor tingeing his words.
“Aren’t you?”
“You’re not that irresistible.”
“I disagree.”
“Of course you do. I’m being serious, though. If you decide to permanently move in with the coven, your family will always be welcome, and you’re allowed to leave and see them any time you want. The coven isn’t a prison. It’s a family, and I hope it can become your family eventually.”
He wasn’t wrong. If Rex permanently moved in with the coven, he would get to know them, and eventually, he’d grow closer to them.
It would never be the same as with his family—with the people he considered brothers and sisters—but it didn’t have to be.
He could have two families, no matter how different they would be from each other.
For someone who wasn’t sure where he belonged, he sure had a lot of people he belonged with.