23. Chapter 23
twenty-three
Cyrus’s eyes cracked open in surprise.
“What?” he asked.
“I know it’s a big thing, but… I want everyone to know you’re mine,” Gabe told him. “I-if…you want to be.”
Cyrus’s pulse was quick, his ears hot. Hesitance to reply hit him, but…
fought through the feeling. The feeling to push Gabe away, be distant out of fear.
He didn’t want to spend any more time making decisions based on fear.
If he could go back and do things quicker with Kasper, have more time with him somehow, he would; he didn’t want to make the same mistakes with Gabe.
Not when life was so fickle. While claiming was serious, it did tend to be one of the first steps in Were relationships.
“I do,” Cyrus said quietly though his chest was tight.
“I want everyone to know you’re mine.” Cyrus nuzzled his face into Gabe’s neck.
Gabe gave him a bit tighter squeeze and leaned his head down to press his face against Cyrus’s hair.
“Maybe you’re not so stubborn and ornery after all,” Gabe whispered.
Cyrus gave a soft, almost purr of a growl against Gabe’s neck. “Don’t get cocky,” he husked and pressed a kiss against the side of Gabe’s throat.
Gabe sighed softly as they lay there. Cyrus felt his heart burst with joy and affection for the other man. It had been so long since he felt the way he did. He couldn’t help but hold Gabe closer to him, even if it still hurt a bit.
“You’re alive,” Cyrus mumbled. His heart squeezed tightly.
Gabe hummed out softly. Cyrus could feel the vibration against his face and it made goosebumps rise on his skin.
“You’re alive,” Gabe purred out at him.
Cyrus smiled softly, but then his brow furrowed for a moment.
“I want to know more about you,” Cyrus said quietly. “I feel like I spent the last weeks arguing, avoiding…when I could’ve been getting to know you even more.”
Gabe chuckled low. “Well, you’ve been getting to know me pretty well, I think,” he mumbled and shifted slightly under Cyrus’s weight.
Cyrus felt his face flush, and he pressed another kiss to Gabe’s neck and then his jaw line.
“Mmm, but I want to know more,” he insisted. His breath was slow and steady, but his pulse was quick.
“You’ll get to know more,” Gabe told him. “We both will. For however long you want me.”
Cyrus took a slow breath. “We’ll see,” he mumbled.
Gabe snorted. “So mean to me.” He brushed his fingers through Cyrus’s hair again.
Cyrus hummed out content.
“I’m not sorry for trying to save your life,” Cyrus whispered after a moment.
Gabe was quiet, so Cyrus continued.
“I won’t go behind your back again,” he said. Reminding him of the promise. “But, I will always protect you.”
Gabe brushed his fingers down the side of Cyrus’s face.
“You kind of have from the start,” Gabe reminded him. “I guess I shouldn’t have expected someone who protected me for several years just to let me walk into that without a fight.”
Cyrus hummed in response.
“Especially not you,” Gabe mumbled.
Cyrus opened his eyes to look up at Gabe. “I protect my pack,” he said quietly. “You’re one of us.”
Gabe smiled softly. “Just know I’ll always protect you, alright?” He leaned down and pressed a kiss to Cyrus’s lips.
“Always.”
Cyrus wasn’t totally healed, but they had business to attend to. Now that Gabe had won, the job of Alpha of both packs was now combined into one. It was his job to figure out how they would punish Patrick for his involvement.
“Frankly, I’m surprised he didn’t run off,” Gabe admitted as they stood in the Alpha’s office, which consisted of a simple, though big, wooden desk, leather desk chair, several filing cabinets, chairs in front of the desk, and dim overhead lights.
“His fate would be worse if he did,” Cyrus said. “We’d have to get the council involved, and…while they don’t often care when they do, it never turns out well.”
Gabe nodded slowly. “Are you sure about what we spoke about?” he asked.
Cyrus nodded. “Yes, I think it’s a fair punishment.”
Gabe pursed his lips. “Okay,” he said. He straightened his shoulders.
Cyrus looked over as Patrick’s figure came into the doorway, closely followed by Nate and Lily.
Patrick stepped slowly, cautiously. Eyes darting all around, though he tried to smile slightly to come off naturally.
“You don’t need to do that. You know why you’re here, and…we aren’t going to hurt you,” Cyrus insisted.
“No, we only want to talk and relay your punishment,” Gabe said, keeping steady.
Patrick’s shoulders dropped, and he took a slow breath.
“Fine,” he said and stepped over to sit down in a chair, but Cyrus stopped him, hand grabbing at Patrick’s shoulder.
“You don’t need to sit,” Cyrus told him and then closed his mouth.
Patrick’s face fell.
“This will be quick,” Gabe said slowly. He moved to lean back against the desk and crossed his arms.
Cyrus stepped over to close the door regardless. He stepped in front of it. He didn’t think Patrick would be stupid enough to try to run or to start anything and then run, but it made him feel more secure. Based on Patrick’s face, it had the opposite effect on him.
“You betrayed us,” Gabe said slowly. “We don’t know each other, so I don’t care about you betraying me, but you went against the welfare of this pack.
I can understand why you went along with Liam.
He was Alpha, but you should’ve come out and told us when he died.
” He took a slow breath and shook his head.
Patrick didn’t say anything.
Cyrus had to struggle not to point out Patrick’s sudden lack of words. His jaw tightened.
“You’re banished from Crimson Lotus,” Gabe said simply. Cyrus could see the anxiety in his eyes, but it didn’t bleed out anywhere else.
“What?” Patrick asked.
“You will be gone within the next week. You are not to live in any of the districts this pack holds,” Gabe told him.
Patrick stepped closer. “What about my job?” he asked. “Where am I supposed to go? The pack takes up around here and four hours out now.”
Gabe pursed his lips. “You should’ve thought about that before.”
Cyrus curled his hands into fists. Struggling not to react to how Gabe struggled with doing this was…beyond difficult.
“Why?” Gabe asked. “Why didn’t you come to us and tell us the full truth when Liam died? You told us Liam knew about the attacks, but instead of telling us that he was part of it, you decided to continue being a spy for Lotuslacker.”
Patrick huffed softly. “Because I knew this shit would happen,” he said slowly. “I wanted things to change. I didn’t want Liam as Alpha, or Cyrus, or sure as fuck you.”
Cyrus ground his teeth but stayed where he was.
“Well, things have changed,” Gabe said slowly. “Not the way you wanted.”
Patrick huffed. “What about the others?” he asked. “The ones who abandoned the pack?”
Gabe looked behind Patrick and into Cyrus’s eyes for a moment. Cyrus took this as a sign to speak.
“They were fearing for their lives when they made their decision,” Cyrus said low. “They’ve since apologized and are working on proving their loyalty. You, on the other hand…well, you said it yourself. You don’t want this pack how it is. Now you don’t have to want it.”
Patrick turned pale.
“Be gone in a week,” Gabe repeated.
Cyrus stepped to the side of the door and allowed Patrick to leave. Once he was gone, he closed the door again. He watched as Gabe sighed heavily.
“Fuck,” Gabe mumbled. “How am I ever going to get used to this?”
“What?” Cyrus asked as he stepped closer. “Being in charge?”
“No,” Gabe said. “Yes, but, mainly…having to look people in the eyes and tell them they have to leave their home. Their job.”
Cyrus’s brow knit. “That doesn’t happen nearly as often as you’re thinking,” he insisted. “In fact…that’s the first time in several years someone had to be banished from the pack.”
Gabe looked up at him and away from the floor. “Really?” he asked.
Cyrus nodded. “Yeah. Most of the time, when it’s not boring paperwork, keeping the petty peace and overseeing rituals, it’s…fairly minor punishments,” he told him.
Gabe sighed in relief. “I’d rather be bored out of my mind than that, frankly.”
“I don’t blame you.” Cyrus stepped closer.
He watched Gabe’s eyes dart to his lips, but before either of them could lean in to kiss the other, there was a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Gabe said.
The door opened, and Tatiana’s face was in the doorway. Cyrus immediately noticed her struggle. His eyes shifted to her stomach.
“Hi… N-not to bother you, but I’m going to go to the hospital, and…uh have a baby.” She chuckled and motioned to the side. “Nate said he w—”
“Tatiana!” Cyrus growled. “Nate, no one, I’ll take you. Where’s your bag?” he asked.
“Right here,” she huffed as she pulled it up over her shoulder.
Cyrus quickly grabbed it and pulled it over his shoulder.
“Here’s the keys, unlock my car, sit wherever you want. I’ll be out in a minute.” He pulled his keys out and handed them to Tatiana.
She went waddling away down the hallway.
When Cyrus turned to look at Gabe, he had a look of bewilderment.
“Not always this exciting, huh?” Gabe asked.
Cyrus laughed, though his gaze shifted back to check on Tatiana, who was disappearing from view. “Promise.”
Several days had passed, Cyrus and Gabe were both healed save for a few sore muscles here and there. It had been days since anything remotely exciting had happened, and they were all very grateful for it.
“What are you up to?” Gabe asked as he walked into the entertainment room.
Cyrus looked up from his seat on the couch and pushed his reading glasses up the bridge of his nose. Lily was seated near the crackling fireplace on the floor, a book in her hands. She looked up as well with a soft smile.
“Working on the incredibly long report for the council,” Cyrus mumbled. He looked back down at his laptop.
“Still?” Gabe asked.