Chapter Thirteen #2
Despite Matt’s assurances that she was his home, she couldn’t take him away from this. Some way, somehow Matt needed to stay here. Moving wasn’t something she’d taken into account as part of becoming Matt’s mate. Now, she really had some thinking to do.
Matt opened his arms to her, and she walked right into them. She rested her head on his chest and breathed in his wild scent. “The guys invited us to eat at Boyd’s Tavern tonight. Is that okay with you?”
She nodded. “It’ll give you a break from the kitchen.” Though she assured him that she was perfectly fine, he still insisted that he do all the cooking.
He kissed her forehead. “Thanks again for coming with me.”
“Of course. We’re a team.”
“How does it taste? Delicious, right?” a werewolf named Jack asked as Matt bit into his burger.
Jack’s jaw dropped as if he were biting into the burger himself.
Sage hid a smile. Jack was impossible to dislike.
He was like a big kid, friendly and brimming with enthusiasm. In some ways, he reminded her of Matt.
The pack had commandeered two large tables at the center of Boyd’s Tavern. Dade and Halle, Rick and Missy, Jack, Travis, Mitch and Baxter sat at their table. She would be proud of herself for remembering their names except she hadn’t. Missy had kindly reintroduced Jack, Travis, Mitch, and Baxter.
Matt’s blue eyes widened and he hummed. Mouth full, he stuck out his hand with his thumb up.
“Werewolf cook,” Jack said, picking up his own burger.
Travis rolled his eyes. “You’d think he made it himself,” he grumbled.
Sage had noticed a lot of good-natured ribbing between Travis and Jack.
They looked so similar that she wondered if they might be related.
The two shared the same coloring, black hair and dark brown eyes.
Both had a cute little cleft in their chin.
“I did suggest that he add more bacon.”
Sage swirled a fry in ketchup. As she glanced around their table, she noticed that Matt was the only one with two double cheeseburgers heaped with bacon and cheese.
Unable to remain silent when Matt started on the second burger while casting the occasional covetous glance at the burger on her plate, she gestured at him. “Is this normal? Eating like this?”
Dade gave her a brisk nod. “Because of the circumstances, because he’s new, and because his wolf is an alpha strain.”
Matt swallowed audibly. “I’m an Alpha?”
Dade shook his head. “No. Your attacker is closely related to an Alpha. Having the blood won’t necessarily make you an Alpha.
One of your children or grandchildren might be.
In the meantime, the power of that blood needs fueling.
” He pointed at Matt’s full plate. “Your appetite will slow down eventually as your wolf side matures.”
“Good to know.” He turned to her and held up his burger. “We should get one of these to go.”
Sage laughed.
“Not to interrupt your love fest with your double bacon cheeseburger, but I’d like to show you around tomorrow.”
Rick made a sound. He chewed quickly and swallowed. “We’re taking Matt on another run.”
Missy turned to her mate. “Why?”
“It’s good for him. It’s the only way for him to fully embrace his wolf.”
She shrugged. “Okay, then Sage, what do you say to a day of shopping and eating something other than beef?”
Sage laughed. “I’d like that.”
“Me, too,” Halle chimed in. “With exception to the beef part, but we can go somewhere that serves a variety of entrees.”
Missy clapped her hands. “Excellent. Girls’ trip.” She kissed Rick’s cheek. “Don’t wait up for me.”
Dade grunted. “He won’t have to. I enjoy spending my evenings with my wife and I expect her to be home well before bed.”
“I object to the implied order in that statement, but I can’t disagree. I enjoy spending my evenings with you as well.”
Dade stood and retrieved his wallet from his back pocket.
“My parents aren’t expecting us to pick up Raina for another hour,” he said, fishing cash out of his wallet and handing it to Mitch.
“That should cover my meal and Halle’s and a tip.
” He extended his hand to Halle and pulled her out of her seat.
“See you tomorrow,” he said to no one in particular as he led his wife away.
Halle twisted in his embrace and waved over his shoulder.
Missy rolled her eyes. “Those two,” she groused, but her smile belied her grouchy tone. Rick leaned over and kissed her forehead.
The rest of the men, the unmated shifters looked wistfully after their Alpha. It was then that Sage gained a bigger appreciation of how much finding a mate meant to shifters. It was more than a marriage or a dream of having a family. It was a need. Essential to their way of life.
And Matt needed that with her. And only her.
“What are you thinking?” Sage asked Matt as he put away the burger he’d ordered to go.
“I’m thinking about putting this in my pocket and eating it before the run tomorrow.”
She blinked. Then she laughed as she leaned against the kitchen counter. “No. I meant about today. About the run, about the pack, about your upcoming meeting with Patrick O’Connor. About everything.”
He smiled. “That’s a lot.”
She nodded. “Yeah. It is a lot. So, what are you thinking?”
He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “The run, the pack, yeah…. That’s good. I’m glad we came. There’s something about being with the others…. It’s hard to describe.”
“It’s like finding family.”
“Maybe.” His tone was casual, but she’d seen his face. He wasn’t fooling her. She knew how much it had meant to him.
“And the upcoming meeting with Patrick O’Connor?”
His jaw clenched. “I want all of the O’Connors out of my life. If this meeting accomplishes that, then I will be thrilled. Meredith’s brother has been texting me for months, but I’ve never replied to his messages. There was no reason to since they hated me, and I wasn’t too fond of them.”
“And you think this is related to Meredith?”
“Oh, I know she’s behind this. They don’t give a damn about my welfare.”
“You think…she still wants you to be her mate?” The possibility felt like a band around her chest cutting off her ability to breathe.
“Hey.” Matt wrapped his arms around her. “You’re my mate. Nothing she can do can change that.”
She stroked his cheek, loving the feeling of his stubble on her fingertips. “You’re sure?”
“Trust me.”
“And the offer to have you join the Stone pack—”
“Where you go, I go. I can’t stay here without you.”
“But, Matt, I saw the way you looked after you came off that run. I don’t want to take that away from you.”
He shrugged. “There are other packs out there. This one proves that they can’t all be as shitty as the O’Connors.”
She stretched up and kissed him. “You’re smart and amazing.” She didn’t know why she’d never realized how very wonderful he was before.
He lifted her and she eagerly wrapped her legs around his waist. “Time for bed,” Matt declared.