Chapter Thirteen
Matt’s first thoughts upon meeting Dade Stone, the Stone pack’s Alpha, were, here’s a man that looks like a werewolf. They were about the same height, but Dade was broader and more muscular. Though his physique was impressive, it was his yellow gold eyes and large incisors that screamed shifter.
Dade inhaled as they shook hands and then his gold gaze flicked over to Sage before returning to him. “You’re welcome to join our pack. You and your mate.”
Matt blinked. He hadn’t expected it to be that easy. Rick and Missy had arrived at the house just after lunch to pick them up and take them to Dade’s home. A few other members of the pack were present. Enough to show support, but not so many as to make Matt nervous.
He squeezed Sage’s hand. “You don’t want to ask me any questions?”
Dade grunted. “I’ve got your scent. You’re good.”
His confusion must have been obvious because another of the shifters with dark hair and brown eyes smiled and explained, “Dade has an extraordinarily keen sense of smell. For example, he can decipher emotions from a scent. And,” he added, glancing sideways at his Alpha, “from this I’m also guessing he’s judged your character as good.
” He held out his hand. “I’m Travis. Welcome. ”
Matt shook his hand. After Travis, the others lined up, shaking his hand and introducing themselves. “I appreciate the invitation, but Sage has a home, a job and family. Where she goes, I go.”
Dade nodded. “The invitation stands. Rick told me a little about your situation. You should know that Patrick O’Connor put out feelers asking other Alphas for your whereabouts.”
Matt suppressed a growl. Patrick was Meredith’s uncle and Alpha of the O’Connor pack. Matt wondered if her brother Mack had been messaging him for the same reason. “Did he say why?”
“No.”
He supposed he’d have to return Mack’s messages, find out what was going on, although he suspected Meredith to be at the center of this. What could be so important that Patrick searched for him as well?
“We could arrange a meeting with Patrick. You’d have pack support,” Dade offered.
Matt nodded, once again speechless at the level of acceptance he’d received from this pack. “I would like that.”
Dade grunted and pulled out his cell phone. “Excuse me while I make the arrangements.”
Matt practically sagged once Dade left the room.
He noticed similar reactions from some of the other shifters present.
While Dade was undeniably fair and kind even, he radiated power and intensity.
If Matt hadn’t met Patrick, he’d think that Dade’s strength was indicative of all Alphas.
Patrick was impressive, but the members of his pack didn’t respect his authority.
Perhaps it was because of Patrick’s obvious favoritism toward his family. The lack of fairness caused discontent.
Rick patted him on the back. “Good job.”
“I didn’t do anything but tell the truth.”
Rick smirked. “He can smell lies.”
“Of course he can,” Matt muttered, wondering if he’d ever be able to decipher scents in a way that allowed him to read emotions and lies. “Can you all do that?”
He shrugged. “Some of us can. Takes a while for a newbie to learn. Dade’s the best.”
“Patrick is making travel arrangements. He will contact me when he arrives and we can set a meeting time then,” Dade said, returning with a golden skinned baby girl with black curls and large gold eyes in his arms. She held a blanket to her cheek and rested her head on his chest. “Everyone ready for the run?”
A dark-haired man who he thought might have introduced himself as Jack stretched his arms over his head. “Hell, yes,” he answered with a grin, already heading for the door. Others followed him wordlessly.
Dade handed the baby to his mate Halle, kissing the toddler’s forehead and then his mate’s in turn.
“I’ll be back, baby,” Rick said to Missy before leaving.
“You’ll be okay?” Matt asked Sage.
She grinned at him. “Go. Have fun.” She pulled him down for a kiss.
He nodded and stretched much the way Jack had done.
He joined the other men in the back yard which bordered a dense forest. The men were in various states of undress.
He hadn’t given much thought to the fact that he’d be undressing in front of strangers, but shifters viewed nudity differently.
Nudity was a natural state and nothing to be ashamed of.
He folded his clothing as he removed it and placed it on the ground.
Dade was the first to shift, his change fluid and effortless in a way Matt envied. But as the others shifted as well, Matt found that his change came easier than usual as if a supernatural energy charged the air.
And then they were all racing for the trees.
If he worried about losing the way, he needn’t have as the pack stayed close.
A member remained on either side of him the entire way.
They cut through the woods with zero stealth.
The point of this run wasn’t to hunt but to give free rein to their wild sides.
Their paws pounded the earth, startling birds into flight and sending small game scurrying for cover.
They had no destination, running a distance, stopping briefly for a drink of water before setting off again. Eventually, they turned back. And though he was tired and missing Sage, Matt almost regretted it. While running with the pack, he felt accepted. He had a sense of belonging. He had family.
***
“Halle, you didn’t want to go?” Missy asked, scooping the baby from her mother’s arms and sitting on the couch.
“I needed to watch Raina.”
Missy bounced the baby on her knees, smiling when Raina giggled. “I could watch her for you.” She grunted after a few more lifts and snuggled Raina into her side. “She’s getting so big.”
Halle joined her cousin on the couch. “So, I guess I should point out the obvious…. I’m not getting naked in front of all those super buff men. Becoming a shifter has toned me up a bit, but I’m still not in naked shape.” Halle was tall with enviable curves.
“Pfft! You act as if Dade would allow them to look at you.”
“Still….” Raina babbled and reached for her. Halle took daughter and kissed one of her chubby cheeks. “We’re being rude. Sage, please sit. You probably have a lot of questions that neither Matt nor any of the other shifters can answer for you for that matter.”
Sage joined them, happy that Halle had opened this line of conversation. “Yes. I do.” Matt had described shifting for her. But his experience was from the point of view of someone who had this life forced upon them.
She joined the other women on the couch. Raina turned to her and gave her a toothless grin that she couldn’t resist returning. “She’s beautiful,” Sage couldn’t help saying.
“Thank you.”
A new question occurred to her as she offered a finger for Raina to grasp. “Can she shift?”
“She can, but she can’t control it. It usually only happens when she’s sleeping.”
“Was it easy making the decision to become Dade’s mate?”
Halle heaved a sigh. “I wish I could say that it was easy. I was afraid. Here was this stranger, telling me that I was his mate. Dade played the long game though. He gave me time to get to know him. I still hesitated, but then it occurred to me that I wasn’t giving up anything.
I had nothing to lose and everything to gain.
I got a man I loved that loved me in return and would never stray.
I became stronger. Shifting opens a world of sensations that humans can never experience. ”
“Wow. When you put it that way….” Honestly, she didn’t know if she was in love with Matt.
Oh, she loved him and had since college.
As a friend. Even so, she’d never for even one second considered saying no to being his mate.
She didn’t feel she could. Saying no would be condemning him to a life of solitude.
She wouldn’t do that to Matt. Especially since she could envision a future with him.
Her feelings for him were quickly morphing into something more.
However, she couldn’t walk into this blind. She needed to learn about life as a shifter.
Missy laughed. “I know, right? These guys need to introduce my cuz to their women on their first date. She has a way of cutting right through all your worries.”
“Have you had any trouble with acceptance in the community?” Sage asked.
“Missy and I grew up here. People know me as a human, and I can’t tell them that has changed. Werewolves don’t want people to have that knowledge falling into the wrong hands. Which is why what happened to your mate is so rare and usually severely punished.”
“Any regrets?”
Halle shook her head. “Not one. Life is good. The pack is like an extended family. There’s always someone there when you need them.”
“Any questions for me?” Missy asked.
Sage eyed Missy’s bright outfit, the pink and yellow top reminding her of a rosy maple moth. “Yes. What’s with all the yellow?” Missy and Halle burst out laughing. After startling at the sudden laughter, Raina joined in, waving her arms about happily.
“Well, obviously, it’s my favorite color.” Missy held up her hands, displaying yellow nails with a floral design.
Halle tilted her head to the side. “The men are returning.”
“You can hear them?” she asked, marveling at shifter hearing again.
Halle nodded. Then she wrinkled her nose. She lifted Raina and stood. “And this one needs changing.”
Sage rose and went to the door. She hesitated for a moment, not wanting to catch an eyeful of naked stranger bits. Missy had no such qualms. She raced outside and threw herself into Rick’s arms.
Sage followed her at a more sedate pace, searching the group for Matt.
She spotted him as he tugged his shirt down over his rock-hard abs.
His gaze met hers and a beautiful smile filled with joy curled his lips.
He looked relaxed and happy in a way that made her realize how tense he’d been since he came back into her life.