Chapter Nineteen
Jeremy
After shifting back into my wolf form and locating my clothes, Cass and I helped out in the kitchen.
It seemed to only be Marcus and his son who had issues with Cass and I hoped they would either leave the pack, or do something stupid so I could kick them out.
Just as long as it wouldn’t hurt my mate.
“Milo acted weird before,” Cass whispered once we were done with the dishes and walking back home.
“How so?”
“He told me it couldn’t be easy for me, finding out shifters were a thing and then finding out I had someone I was fated to be with.”
I stopped dead, then watched him with worry. It seemed Milo truly didn’t care what happened between us as brothers. He’d only told Cass that to cause tension, something I really didn’t feel like I deserved.
I’d promised myself to be honest with Cass, and there was a difference between waiting to tell him stuff and then evading it completely. This time, I couldn’t evade it.
“You are fated to be with me, Cass,” I began, resuming our walk.
His hand in mine was firm, showing me he wasn’t about to bolt.
“Some of us shifters are lucky enough to be blessed with a fated mate, someone that is our perfect match. The day you adopted me as Red, was the day I knew you and I were meant to be.”
“Seriously? You can tell these things?”
He seemed intrigued and happy by the news, which made me sigh in relief.
“When I got my senses back, I could smell that you were different, but I didn't know for sure until I looked into your eyes.” I looked into said blue eyes and smiled fondly. “And then you went and adopted me. I was a goner, then, simple as that.”
His eyes got a bit glassy hearing it, but he laughed and moved closer to my side.
“I wish you’d told me sooner.” He took in a deep breath.
“When I started knowing you as Jeremy, I got scared of my own confusing feelings. It didn’t make sense why I couldn’t be apart from you.
But now it’s starting to make sense in my head. ”
“I’m sorry,” I said, releasing his hand but only so I could place my arm around him, pulling him fully against my side. “I feared you’d run off if I started throwing more information your way. You already had the whole shifter thing you needed to deal with.”
“True. But knowing now helps. Even if Milo was out to cause trouble.”
“Yeah, I truly didn’t think he’d be cruel enough to tell you about the fated thing.” It still hurt to think about how little he cared about me. “Everyone in the pack knows about you being my fated, but they also know you don’t know. Or didn’t know. Milo telling you really wasn’t cool.”
“Now that you’ve explained it, I feel angry on your behalf. And mine, to be honest. He wanted us to what? Fight? For me to get mad at you? Have you done something to earn that kind of ire from him?”
Shaking my head, I spoke the hardest words I’d ever had to.
“I don’t think he’s ever loved me. We didn’t grow up like normal siblings do, we tended to always challenge each other, always wanting to one up the other.
I’ve never told our dad, but he was the reason for a lot of it, always reminding us as we grew up that only one of us would be Alpha one day.
I would be okay if Milo was chosen, but even I have to admit that it would sting knowing Dad found Milo to be the better Alpha.
I think Milo is feeling the rejection of it, and in turn is taking his anger out on me. ”
“I mean, he could be doing that, sure, and I get why he would blame you, even if it isn’t your fault. But this seems like something way bigger.”
“Milo always wanted to be Alpha. He’s made that very clear,” I said, thinking back to when he was thirteen and did push-ups until he’d faint. “I think it might be because of Darius.”
“Darius? His boyfriend? Or mate, I mean?”
“Yeah, Darius and Milo are fated mates.” My mate needed to know all the details. He deserved to know it all. We were already at our house, so I led him out back and sat on the loveseat overlooking the garden.
“But…you told me that you hadn’t done anything with Darius?” His voice sounded so unsure now.
“I haven’t! But I’d been in love with him since we were teenagers. And Milo knew that.”
“Oh.” Cass looked pointedly down at the wooden deck.
“Milo knew I had a crush on Darius, of that I’m pretty damn sure. I don’t know what happened between Darius and Milo after they found out. But I think I’m the reason for it.”
“How could you be? Because you’re best friends? That doesn’t make sense.”
“Not to me either,” I admitted. “But I wanted you to know everything that I do; in case you could see something that I can’t.”
“Hmm,” he pondered, already over the fact that we were fated mates, and I truly loved that. He was so okay with basically being told that he was mine forever that he skipped over to my problem with Milo.
“I never told Milo my feelings for Darius,” I added. “But my dad knew, somehow.”
“I love that he knew,” Cass grinned at me. “It just shows how much he noticed you. How much he cared.”
And Cass’ own father hadn’t ever noticed him… I felt bad for pouring out my family drama, when Cass didn’t even have a loving parent who was alive.
“When did Milo and Darius start seeing each other? Or when did they know they were fated?”
“Well, I don’t know about the first one, but they kissed the day after I was chosen as Alpha. I came to find Darius and found them kissing.”
He grimaced. “That couldn’t have been fun to witness.”
I laughed. “It wasn’t. But it led me to you, so I take it as a win.”
“To me?” Then his eyes widened. “You saw the guy you liked kiss your little brother and then got hit by my car?!”
Laughing even harder, I nodded. “Best meet cute ever.”
Cass shook his head. “What a messy way for fate to bring us together.”
Shrugging , I said, “I love that I met you on the same day I saw them kiss. It didn’t erase the pain of seeing them together, but it helped me realize it was never meant to be.
And now, you’re everything to me. It still stings to think about Darius and Milo being together, and I hate to admit that to you.
But I also know whatever my heart felt for Darius will soon be nothing but a distant memory.
There’s only room for you, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. ”
“Knowing I’m your fated mate helps…it’s not fun to hear how you felt or feel about Darius, especially considering he’s still your best friend.
But I’m grateful that you aren’t keeping things from me, even if they aren’t easy topics.
We both want this to work long term, so full honesty is the best way for us to last and be happy. ”
His fingers laced with mine and I felt so at ease now. Communication truly was important, and instead of Cass being sad or angry when he’d learned about my feelings for Darius, he’d understood.
“Maybe now is the perfect time to tell you that you and Daisy are staying here for good,” I said, smiling over at him.
He laughed softly. “Good luck ever getting rid of us.”
I beamed in victory.
“Dad?” I called, scenting his wolf was nearby.
Cass and I had just grilled some steaks outside and as soon as Cass went inside to plate everything for us, I’d scented Dad.
A rustling of leaves alerted me he was coming to talk. Normally he wouldn’t make much noise, but I figured Milo had told him about how scared Cass had been when he showed up in wolf form.
A few seconds later, his giant grey wolf appeared, prowling towards me slowly.
Cass was still inside, so I urged him forward with a hand gesture.
I knew Cass wouldn’t be afraid of my dad, not since he’d seen Milo and the cubs in their wolf forms. It was like he’d needed to see someone other than me before everything had clicked, and now it was a non-issue for him.
Opening the crate with clothes I stored next to the loveseat, I pulled out some shorts for Dad. He never seemed to get cold, so I might as well save the pants for when I needed them myself. As shifters we tended to store clothes everywhere we might need them, and I had a few in the garage, too.
Dad shifted and beamed a smile my way. “Hey, son. Hope I’m not interrupting your evening?”
“Not at all,” I grinned, throwing him the shorts. “Cass isn’t good with the naked thing, so put those on.”
I wasn’t okay with Cass seeing others naked either, so I figured the clothes would be a good thing for everyone.
I had yet to see all of my mate, a decision that was fully my own since Cass seemed determined to tease me at every opportunity.
My willpower was fading a little every day.
If I wanted to wait with the claiming, I had to look away whenever he undressed.
As Alpha, I had to be an example, and it was seen as respectful to wait with the claiming until the pack had welcomed him as my mate.
It was like that whenever a new pack member was introduced.
Normally it was another wolf shifter joining from another pack, though.
With Cass being the first human to join us, it was even more important that I kept my fangs to myself until he was officially pack.
With the shorts now on, Cass appeared. “Hi!” he said, stepping over to shake my dad’s hand in greeting. It was so obvious he’d grown up shaking hands whenever he met someone. That wasn’t at all what we were used to here, but Dad accepted the offered hand and gave my mate a kind smile.
“Hello again, Cass. I just came to give you the good news.”
“What news?” I asked, already hoping it was about our claiming ceremony.
“Well, what do you say to getting fully mated tomorrow?” he announced, grinning.
“Really?” My excitement was through the roof. I was so glad Dad had helped gather all the pack mates so I could focus on Cass. Normally it would’ve been me who would run around and ask everyone to be there, but he’d kindly offered.
“Really,” Dad said, patting me on the back. “Lunch time tomorrow. You’ll eat with the pack before the ceremony. I figure you’ll both want to get home as soon as possible when the ceremony is over with.” He shot us both a wink.
“Definitely!” Cass grinned, aiming a smirk my way.
Dad held up both hands. “Don’t wanna know. I’m off. See you both tomorrow.”
“Bye!” Cass called, waving at my dad’s retreating form. He would lose the shorts behind the closest trees, meaning I’d have to collect them before bed. But that was better than Cass watching my dad’s bare ass as he walked away.
“Foods ready inside,” Cass informed me, holding the back door open for me. “I’ve told Daisy to stay away from it, but we might wanna hurry anyway. She had that gleam in her eyes that tells me she isn’t about to waste a good chance to taste steak.”
Laughing, I followed him inside to another cozy night in front of the TV.