Chapter Four
Bas
“It isn’t that funny.” Bas scowled at the men around him.
“It’s funnier than finding out the town thinks we’re in a cult!” Noah nearly shouted.
Wrapping his arms around Noah, Bas pulled the little one back against his chest. Noah loved hugs and cuddling and it had been Bas’s fault that the familiar was so upset.
“I’ve heard it before,” Axel said.
Several other men nodded.
“Everyone is so nice to me,” Sam said quietly. “Anytime they enter the bookstore, they haven’t acted weird or anything.”
“It’s just a few people,” Drake said. “Some of the older families that have been around the longest. Or the sheriff department. No one pays them any mind.”
“We have kept to ourselves for a very long time,” Axel added. “I started to buy up this land before the town had been established. It was easier to stay out of sight and not get close to humans since they would start asking questions about us.”
Nate sat on Craig’s knee and sighed. “We haven’t had to change our names or come with much of a backstory since we didn’t go into town a lot. I can pass as my great-great grandfathers since no one really remembers much about us.”
“It wasn’t until recent years that we started businesses,” Axel explained. “We had a family meeting and agreed to help rebuild the town, even knowing it meant we’d have to leave, at least for a couple of decades, so not to draw suspicions.”
“Well, I’m glad that is no longer a concern!” Noah stomped his foot. “I love it here!”
Bas hated that it was his fault that all these concerns were being brought up.
“Are you going to have to leave soon?” Leo asked. “If we open an office—”
“No,” Axel said. “We have time.”
“We’re going to have to leave, Daddy?” Bryce, the cute alpha mate, was blinking back tears.
Bas wanted to smack himself. This wasn’t fair to the family.
“Baby boy.” Axel wrapped an arm around Bryce and drew him close.
In fact, all the mates seemed to be clinging to one another.
Needing comfort. Had they really not discussed this before?
From what Bas understood, Axel and some of the first men to join the family had been here for an extraordinarily long time.
It might be better if they thought about relocating sooner rather than later.
Suspicious humans could cause a lot of problems.
Bryce sniffed. “But I don’t want to leave. This is the only home I’ve ever really had.”
“It won’t be for a very long time,” Axel told him. “And we can go anywhere. Even to other realms if that’s what we want.”
“But we’ll stay together? The family, I mean?” Bryce asked in a shaking voice.
“Well…” Axel didn’t seem to know how to answer.
“Guys!” Noah said loudly.
Once Noah had everyone’s attention, he waved in Dean’s direction. “Most powerful mage sitting right there. With the bestest familiar ever. Plus, we have Lucifer. We have magic! We don’t have to leave. That’s what glamour is for.”
Dean nodded slowly. “He’s right. A simple charm to wear around your neck when you go into town and it will change your appearance enough that you can be whoever you want.”
The shock on the faces around him made Bas chuckle.
There was an explosion of shouts, loud talking, as everyone seemed to have something to say all at once.
Bas kissed the back of Noah’s head. What a smart little familiar. It wasn’t something that he’d considered either so could felt the family’s relief.
Tipping his head back, Noah grinned at him. “Crisis averted.”
“Good job,” Bas praised.
“That doesn’t mean you’re out of trouble. Hudson means business,” Noah told him.
Bas knew that Noah was telling the truth.
Hudson had been adorable earlier with all his worry for him.
Not that Bastian wanted Hudson to be anything but happy.
He’d been annoyed when he’d first heard his name.
Peeking over the branch he’d been napping on, Bas had gotten one good look at Hudson and he’d known.
It was so damn obvious that Bas wanted to smack himself.
Hudson was his.
The entire point of coming to this place with the family was because mates were being found. Bastian’s mate had been found. It might be unbelievable that he was one of the lucky ones but Hudson was everything that Bas hadn’t known he needed.
Just seeing the human peering up at him with concern and fear had drawn out every protective instinct Bas had.
His mate.
Bastian had found the one person that the fates thought was his perfect match.
Once he was close to Hudson, it had been impossible to resist scent marking the human as his.
He might have gone a little overboard but with another human so close, Bas’s shifter side wouldn’t be denied.
It didn’t matter that Hudson had been with his own brother.
Not when Hudson hadn’t smelled like Bas.
By the time Logan was carrying Bas back to the bakery, Hudson had reeked of Bas.
He gave a pleased rumble just thinking about it.
Bastian had even gotten a little taste of his human with the lick he’d snuck in.
“Anything you want to share with the rest of us?” Noah asked quietly.
Returning his attention to the familiar, Bas lifted a brow. There was no way the little one knew.
Noah grinned.
Was there? Bas narrowed his eyes.
Noah’s smile grew.
It had to be impossible. Bas had barely come to terms with finding his mate. If Noah had known, he would have said something. Wouldn’t he?
“Why are Bas and Noah staring at each other like that?” Logan’s loud whisper seemed to draw everyone’s attention to them.
Noah smirked before he looked over at the lion shifter. “Like what?”
Logan stuck out his bottom lip. “Like you have a secret.”
Dean was watching them and suddenly his eyes widened.
Well, there went Bastian’s plan to keep things private.
“What’s going on?” Nate demanded. He rose from Craig’s knee with his hands on his hips. “There are no secrets between family.”
But was he family? Sure, Bas felt close to the men that he considered friends but wasn’t family pushing it? Bastian felt like he hadn’t been around long enough for that.
“Secret?” Noah repeated as he batted his eyelashes innocently. “I’m sure I have no idea what you mean.”
No one was buying that act.
Bas tightened his arms around Noah. He wanted to strangle the little shit but that would probably upset Dean, and Logan, and hell, all the other boys. “You’re a brat,” Bas snarled in Noah’s ear.
Dean chuckled and nodded. “No one ever believes me when I say that.”
“Hey!” Noah exclaimed.
Bas pushed Noah gently toward the mage. “You can have him back.”
“I’ll take him!” Logan grabbed Noah to pull him close.
“I knew you loved me best!” Noah threw his arms around Logan’s neck.
Bas was hoping the antics would keep everyone’s attention from him, but Nate was still glaring.
“Are you leaving?” Nate demanded. “Is that what it is?”
“What?” Why would Nate think he was going to leave them.
“Leo said you hadn’t made up your mind,” Nate said. He stalked forward.
Bas cut his gaze over to Leo, but the other man wasn’t meeting his eyes. Damn, no help there.
Aaron straightened. “Are you?”
And everyone was back looking at him.
Nate was frowning. “Do you not like it here? Is it the cabin?”
“You can have a room in the big house!” Bryce rushed to Nate’s side.
“Or we can remodel the cabin if you don’t like it.” River was now there too. “I can have the crew here tomorrow.”
“Woah.” Bas held up his palms. This was quickly getting out of hand and he hadn’t even said anything yet.
“Boys,” Axel called. “Give Bas some space.”
“But I want to know what’s going on,” Nate whined.
“Me too!” Bryce pushed out his chest. It was adorable especially with him wearing a light blue shirt that said Daddy’s little boy. “I’m the alpha mate. You just tell me what you need.”
This was crazy. Bastian glanced at Noah, who had the biggest smile that Bas had ever seen. Little monster knew what he’d started.
“The cabin is fine,” Bas found himself saying.
“Just fine?” River leaned closer. “If it’s not something that the crews can fix, then we can use magic.”
Bastian shook his head. “Nothing needs to be done to the cabin.”
“Do you want to realm hop?” That question came from Seb. “You can stay with us in hell. We have a portal to get back and forth.”
“No,” Bas said. “Well sure I’d love to see hell sometime but…” How was this happening? What was even happening? Was this what being part of the family meant? Chaos all the time?
“Tristan and Jason are staying in hell now. If you need space, then you can use the old ranger cabin,” Levi offered.
“No! Wait!” Bas took a deep breath and blew it out. “I like the cabin here. I’m not going anywhere.” Well, until he knew what Hudson wanted to do.
“Oh.” Nate’s shoulders sagged in relief.
“So…you are staying,” Aaron pressed.
“Yes!” Bas shouted. “I’m staying.” There, that should put an end to all the madness.
“Then what’s the secret?” Stryker asked. “Did I miss it?”
“No,” Lawson drawled. “Everyone just keeps getting distracted.”
And fucking again everyone was staring at him.
“You might as well just tell them,” Dean said.
He sucked in a breath, looking around him. So many men, paranormal, shifter, human, old friends, new friends, and they were about to hear the most important news of Bas’s life. “I found my mate,” he said quietly then cleared his throat and tried again. “Hudson is my mate.”
The shouts, hollers, and celebration around him was loud as Bas was tugged into hugs and patted on the back.
In a whirlwind he was passed from person to person as everyone shared their excitement.
Even though he was slightly uncomfortable with all the touching, Bas found himself smiling by the time he stood in front of Leo.
Leo grabbed the back of his neck, bringing their foreheads together. “Congratulations, brother.”