23. Nathan #3
It’s idyllic here. Perfectly located for getting to the city when needed, but remote enough that it feels like its own little world.
My tiny kingdom, I suppose. To make the land formally my pack’s, I’d need to submit a registration and file paperwork in person with the council.
I don’t foresee any issues getting approval, given my ancestral claim, but there is the issue of listing my pack members.
If Cas’s name is seen by one of Bash’s connections, the information might be passed to him.
Cas seems more willing to believe that Bash has given up than I am; I’m wary of doing anything that’ll draw his attention.
I may be able to fight with teeth and claws, but if Bash greased some hands and claimed Cas as a member of his pack, I doubt I’d win in court.
Another potential problem is Kato. He’s still part of his father’s pack, Declan’s ward by proxy. Eventually, Kato’s older brother will inherit the Alaskan pack. As long as nothing happens to him, the family should have no problem with Kato staying here. If something were to happen to Kai, though…
Before the approaching alphas are within earshot, I turn to him. “Do you want to stay here? With us?” I realise I’ve never actually asked him what he wants for his future. For all I know, he could want a lift to the airport tomorrow so he can return to Alaska.
His head rolls around, meeting my gaze. “Where else would I want to be, Nate?”
“Home?”
Kato glances at the cabin then back to me. “You’re my home—you and Cas. It’s no longer a place to me. Whether we decide to go to the States together or stay right here in the fuck cabin for the rest of our lives. It’s you two. I’ll always be home wherever I’m with you.”
My lip curves in a smile. “So close to being profound.”
His tongue rubs over his front teeth as he tries to hide his smile. “Profundity isn’t really my thing.”
“And I love you, anyway,” I say, putting on a show of sighing.
He bumps his forehead against mine. “I love you too, Alpha.”
The door behind us opens. I snap my head around, glowering at Cas as he shuffles out onto the porch to stand on my other side.
“What did I say about staying inside?”
He juts his chin out. “I stood there listening to let you guys get through your moment alone, but we’re a pack, the three of us. We stand together or not at all.”
I want to tell him that three shifters are far from a pack, until I remember that his pack had only been the three of them—him and his parents. City wolves do things differently, existing in family units like the humans.
I’m no city wolf. For Cas, though? I’ll try.
Being part of a small pack won’t be bad if it’s with Cas and Kato.
I might even not be tempted to throttle Kato every time he’s a shithead, with Cas around to get between us. Figuratively and literally. Fuck. Will I ever stop thinking about sex at the most inopportune moments?
With these two, I don’t think it’s possible.
Kato reaches behind me and playfully tugs on a lock of Cas’s snowy-white hair. “You gonna growl at them for us, Little Ghost?”
Cas bares his teeth at him. “I bite,” he warns.
Kato snorts. “Please do.”
Yeah. No chance. I’m going to be nurturing a hard-on forever.
Harry and Graham burst into view, their wolves speeding towards us. We all stand our ground even as they show little sign of stopping. If they get too close, I’ll let them know exactly what I think of their trespassing on my land.
Scant feet from where we’re standing as a unit, the two wolves shift back to men. Red-faced, their cheeks puffing out with exertion, they don’t look intimidating in the least. They glare at us.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, as if it’s not obvious.
Harry points at Kato. “He escaped.”
I shrug. “You gonna do something about it?”
Graham elbows Harry. Hard, if the wince that crosses his face is anything to go by. “No,” he says, which has me frowning. “We’re here to tell you that Declan has graciously offered to allow you to keep him.”
“Wait, what?” Kato asks. He’d been gearing up for a fight. We all had, Cas’s fisted hands at his sides a clear sign of his readiness to take on these alphas twice his size. My little mate isn’t so easily cowed now that he has us by his side.
“Tell me exactly what Declan said,” I demand.
“He’s washed his hands of him,” Harry replies.
“I guess I really was the problem,” Kato says with a rueful smile. “Has he told my father?” As far as I was aware, Kato hadn’t been in touch with any of them during his enforced sabbatical from the Alaskan pack.
“He has.”
“And?”
Harry and Graham share a look. “Why would we tell you?”
I take two long strides forward, Kato and Cas shadowing me at my back. “Because Kato wants to know and my mate gets whatever he wants,” I say, squaring my shoulders. “Now, tell me.” I inject my strength into my words, skirting the edge of making it a command.
I think I could, if I wanted to. Alpha command them like Declan does.
Being resistant to his commands has to mean something.
Do I dare try and have these two idiot alphas learn of the ace up my sleeve, though?
It’d be wasted on them. Maybe they’re dense enough not to notice.
My conviction isn’t strong enough to try, despite their obvious stupidity.
“Your father has cut off contact with our alpha,” Harry says. “He’s not happy about it.”
“Does my father want me to come home? Does he know about us getting mated?” Kato asks.
Graham’s thick shoulders bunch up in what I suppose is meant to be a shrug. He can’t really do it, however, with how thick his neck is. “Alpha wasn’t free with the details. That’s all we know.”
“Your alpha,” Cas says, “ought to be ashamed of himself for kicking his own blood out of the pack.” His voice is timid, though gains confidence as he continues. “Nathan’s his alpha now, and he’s a better alpha than Declan will ever be.”
What the fuck did we ever do to deserve such devotion? I reach for the back of Cas’s neck, resting my hand there in a possessive hold. Staking my claim. Making it clear exactly how proud I am to call Cas my mate.
Harry scoffs. “You’re both welcome to him.”
My blood boils. “Return to your pack lands now or we’ll be sending you back in pieces.”
“You think you can take us?” Graham asks, incredulous.
“You do recall what happened to the last one of your little gang when we fought?”
Graham sucks his teeth. “I remember.”
“Wow,” Kato drawls, “who knew your memory went back that far?”
Graham takes a step towards him but stops in his tracks when I growl. “You move an inch closer to either of my mates and I’ll rip your throat out.”
Harry yanks Graham’s shirt, ineffectually attempting to pull him back. “Let’s go,” he grunts.
With a final dirty look, Graham shifts, Harry doing the same. They lope off out of sight. I can sense when they leave the vicinity, my connection with the land solid enough that an invisible barrier has been erected.
“So we’re free?” Cas asks, breaking the silence. “They’re not going to keep chasing us or try to take Kato away?”
Freedom. Freedom from the pack I’ve known my entire life. Freedom from the alpha who left me scarred. Freedom to live my life how I want, as an alpha who loves other alphas and who has not just one but two mates.
“We’re free,” I confirm. And I believe it, too. Mostly. Long term, I have no idea what we’ll do for money or work, or how long Declan will keep to his word about leaving us be. But that’s a problem we can face together. Whatever happens, we can handle it.
The only thing I know for certain is that we’re going to need a bigger bed.