Chapter 13
Chapter
Thirteen
Liam checked in with Mags, who was one of the men who comprised their new pack, smiling at the man’s amazing braiding work on the rope he was making. “That looks great, Mags. It will really hold up well, I think.”
“Thanks. I thought the well needed something more sturdy as a backup.”
Their well was run off solar, but every so often, something would fail.
The entire place was starting to come together in a fascinating way. Everyone had skills, and everyone threw in to help their pack be better. There was always bread being made, children being watched, clothes being sewn or knitted, and something being cleaned. It was always a flurry of activity.
“That’s perfect. Let me know when it’s ready to be strung.”
“Of course, alpha.”
He wasn’t sure he was ever going to get used to hearing that, but it did make him proud.
Ryan walked up to him, bumped shoulders with him. “This is a little wild, huh?”
He looked at his little brother and shrugged. “This was not on my bingo card, man.”
“Mine either. I mean, at least we knew werewolves existed.” Ryan shot him a wicked grin. “I didn’t know you were going to become one.”
He fought the urge to roll his eyes. “You’re just jealous.”
“Duh!” Ryan’s eyes went wide. “I want to play with my dogs and maybe understand them. Do you understand them when you talk to them? I mean, can you talk to them?”
“No. I mean, body language. Yes, but like, talk to them? No.” He shrugged. “I don’t think that wolves and dogs are speaking the same language.”
Did he just say that? Out loud?
“Huh. I bet I would get it if I wolfed out. You’re just too hidebound.”
“Bro. Hundreds of thousands of years of evolution separate us.”
“You are just not accepting the fact that my dogs are cool, and that they are trying to communicate. Let it go.” Ryan was having altogether too much fun with this. Liam could tell.
“Fine, fine, fine. I have to go find my mate. Have you seen him?”
Ryan shook his head. “No, usually he’s in the kitchen, but I haven’t seen him.
Maybe he’s playing with the baby? I just don’t know.
It’s a little too cold for him to be outside, although from what I can tell he’s an arctic wolf, so maybe he’s outside being wolfy, catching snowflakes with his teeth. ”
“Hmm.” Liam went back on the hunt for Theo, needing to see his mate now. Worry had a way of creeping in.
What’s wrong, mate? I can feel you stressing.
I’m looking for you. Where are you?
I think I found a swimming pool. The water is warm. It’s huge and there are lights. It’s wild.
Swimming pool? He didn’t remember there being a swimming pool up here, but then again, it wasn’t like he’d been invited for long involved visits that weren’t in the common area.
And he’d worked on the solar and shit…
Where, love?
Down. So you know where we are? Our rooms? Go past the baby’s room. Past Gael’s room.
Past it?
Yes. Just go past it.
He didn’t remember a past. But hell, he’d give it a try. He grabbed a flashlight, because even his new night vision wasn’t perfect in a cave. Go past the baby’s room.
Right.
On my way.
Now come down. There’s a hallway that goes decidedly down.
Okay. He found it and followed it. It was like a wild cave tour with a path that was kind of paved.
Can you smell the water?
He heard a splash, then a soft giggle.
Yes. I can also hear you, I think. It smelled mostly like hot springs water, which made sense in a cave like this. Runoff water would be too cold.
Little Gael is playing. He likes the water.
Does he? Is it warm and easy to float in?
We’re just floating on the edge.
He walked into a huge cavern, catching his breath at the amazing sight. Light twinkled all around, and he could tell it was natural, some kind of reflection or refraction or whatever from crystals. “This pool is big enough for fully shifted dragons to swim in.”
“I know! It’s amazing. The whole entire pack could come down here and swim, and it would be perfect.” Theo was grinning, his eyes lit up. “I mean, it’s amazing—it’s like this little secret chunk of amazing!” Theo laughed as Gael patted his chubby hands in the water, the baby squealing in pure joy.
“It really is.” He flung his clothes off to slip into the pool. No cannonballs with Gael right there. But oh God, that water felt good. Warm and silky and pulling at his tense muscles like a massage.
He could see himself coming down here to soak every damn day.
“This is stunning, love. How did you find it?”
Theo shrugged. “I followed my nose. I was just wandering, and I found a tunnel and I came down.”
Gael stared at him in the water, and then that little boy reached out for him and squealed at the top of his lungs. The sound echoing was a pure demand if he’d ever heard it.
“I can get him down to his skin if you want to hold him and let him see the water,” Theo offered.
“Don’t you want to come in?”
“Of course I do, but don’t we need towels? I could go get towels and snacks, a bottle for the baby, and then come back?”
“Oh, shit, baby. I never even thought of that. I just hopped in. Let me go. It won’t take me a sec to get pants back on.”
“Nonsense! Take the baby! He’s losing his mind! He wants in the water so bad.” Theo smiled at him, the look at once fond and warm and amused. Theo seemed so happy.
He wasn’t sure he understood—not really. How could he be the one to make this man satisfied?
Of course, he wasn’t going to look a gift wolf in the mouth.
Theo stripped Gael down, the baby wiggling and rolling as he fought to get to Liam, and then handed the little one over.
“I’ll bring a clean diaper, towels, a bottle. I’ll bring a load of stuff. Maybe we should leave some towels here for when people come to swim. Maybe a chest to store things in.” Theo looked around. “We are going to share this with the pack, yes?”
“Of course we are.” Even if part of him wanted it to be private, the bigger part of him knew that this was a boon for the pack—a warm, fun, relaxing place to be.
It also occurred to him that if no one knew the pool was here besides the pack, then if something should happen, this was where they would all meet.
A safe haven that was theirs and theirs alone.
“I’ll be right back. Have fun. I’ll go get things.”
Liam watched Theo leave, his smile growing as he watched the baby in his arms try to swim.
Little chubby arms and legs were running, splashing, hands hitting the water with a fury. The baby’s face was transformed in a huge openmouthed smile. His little eyes squeezed shut tight as he squealed and laughed and played.
The entire sound filled the area, ringing and making the lights get brighter as if they were energized by his joy.
He couldn’t believe it, but this little one, he had been skin and bones only a few seasons ago. Gael had been on death’s door, and now look at him. He was fat and happy, joyous, thriving.
Liam had to laugh right along with Gael, and he held his arms out as he moved over to the baby. “Do you want to come with me and go deeper, sweetling?”
Gael cooed, and Liam picked him up. “Now you can’t do this on your own,” he said. “You have to be careful, but I’ll take you out there.” He waded out as far as his chest, holding Gael up above the water and letting him just flail for all he was worth.
Such a sweet baboo. And the water was so wonderful on his skin. As soon as Theo got back, it would be perfect again.
Gael squealed when Theo came back in minutes later, clearly trying to swim back to him. So Liam waded over and handed off the baby. “He really wants to be with you.”
“He’s taken to you extremely well, though. You’re his papa.” Theo told him. “Don’t worry. He trusts you, or he wouldn’t have gone out there with you in that water. He would’ve screamed and screamed.”
“I know, I’m not upset.” Liam looked around. “How could I be upset in this setting? It’s amazing.”
“It is. I can’t wait to show the rest of the pack, but right now, I kind of want this to just be for us. Is that bad?”
“No, love. It’s not bad at all. This is our moment; we’ve worked hard for it. I wonder how this happened. I know Rory, Dean, Jameson, and Keegan have told me stories about how when the dragons needed something, it appeared to them. But it just seems like this wasn’t here, and then suddenly it was.”
“I don’t know, but it’s wonderful. It’s an amazing, safe, warm, wonderful place.”
“It truly is. I’m starting to feel like this is really our home, sweetie.” He grinned at Theo and then turned over onto his back and swam off into the middle of the pool.
The baby stayed with Theo, laughing and splashing, and Theo began to sing, making Gael coo and burble.
This was what it should all be about, Liam thought. This was what it meant to have a pack. And he was getting used to the idea more and more every day.
He worried that Theo would be lonely, that this whole thing was too isolating. But Theo seemed perfectly happy, completely at peace with where they were.
So he was going to try to stop worrying. The only thing that had caused him stress was the fact that one of his brothers had a wife who was not happy where she was. And why would he attribute that to Theo if it wasn’t true? He just needed to stop looking for trouble.
“You’re all right?”
“Yes, love?” Theo peered at him, squinting, sounding uncertain.
“You’ve seemed a little troubled.”
“I was worried about you feeling isolated, but I think that’s not the case.” He moved close so that he could lean against the edge of the pool with Theo and let Gael reach for him.
“Isolated? How could I be isolated?” Theo kissed his cheek. “I have a family, a home. You, babies. This is lovely.”
“It is.” He blew out a breath. “Full disclosure, I have a sister-in-law who’s really unhappy and a brother who won’t compromise.”
“Well, I’m sorry she’s unhappy. I’m sorry he’s stubborn. But I’m meant to be in a pack, and this is a pack, and it’s ours. We’ve got a lot of work to do to make this a happy place, but it’s our happy place.” Theo sounded so sure.
“I love that about you, baby.” Liam moved even closer and took a soft kiss. There wasn’t going to be any more to it while they were swimming with the baby, but it didn’t matter. He just wanted Theo to know how happy he was to be right here, right now.
At the word “baby,” Gael squealed and leapt for him, pushing right into his arms.
“My sweet boy.” He kissed Gael’s head. “Ready for another swim? Let’s gooooo!”
“Oooooo!” This was his boy, his sweet son. His blessing.
And Theo’s laughter was like a warm spring rain, a feast for his senses.
No. No one was going to be unhappy here, and Liam was going to make sure of it.