Chapter 75
Volik
“My Alpha isn’t here right now,” Henry states as we begin our walk to his house.
I lift a shoulder. “I came to talk to you.”
He does not point out the rudeness of my statement. But it’s like he said, it’s his Alpha. Not mine.
Nix is on my right side, our fingers entwined. Henry is on my left, hands to himself. And Seb is trying to cut behind me. To walk beside Nix.
I send a pulse of gravito out behind me.
Seb lets out a startled sound as he stumbles.
Henry sighs.
Nix tugs on my hand. “Volik.”
I look down at her. “Yes, Nixy?”
The hint of censure that had been in her expression vanishes. And I wink.
I knew she liked that name.
Her scent intensifies.
She liked that wink too.
But I cannot have either of these shifters scent her arousal, so I must distract her.
“Henry, will you tell Nix about the setup here?” I watch her eyes alight with interest before I turn my attention to the dean. “She is a curious person.”
Henry chuckles. “Good trait for a journalist.”
Nix leans forward to look around me. “I have a million questions. And in case it doesn’t go without saying, this is just for my personal knowledge. When we talk to the reporter tonight, it will just be about us.”
Henry waves her off. “Of course, of course. You’re a part of this community now. The fates would not have chosen you if you didn’t fit.”
Nix squeezes my fingers as she replies quietly. “Thank you.”
Dropping her hand, I reach over, pick Nix up, take her place, then set her down so she’s between the dean and me.
Seb is on Henry’s far side, and when I look at him over the dean’s head, he lifts his hands and takes a step farther away.
He is an unmated Alt. I will not apologize for wanting him to keep his distance.
“So, what would you like to know?” Henry rubs his hands together, asking Nix.
“Everything.” Her laugh is so bright, I have to stomp down my urge to purr in response. “I didn’t even know shifters were real until… this week. So consider me completely uninformed.”
He hums. “Yes, well, that is by design. Someday we’ll make our existence known, as the vampires have, but like so many things in the human world, it’s bogged down by politics.”
“Politics… so do the different, uh, packs work like independent governments?”
“Not as strict as that makes it sound. But each pack has their own rules of engagement, you might say. Across the world, there are many. And like communities across the world, they differ. Here, we all live on pack land, and we have duties within the pack that we do as members of this family. Like Seb here.” He tips his head toward his nephew.
“He works with the security team a few days a week, walking the perimeter, investigating any issues. I spend most of my weekends helping tutor the young ones, since education is my passion. Others simply choose to use their money as contribution. We don’t pay rent or have mortgages, and there is always food available in the club building, so giving money is still very useful. ”
Nix sighs. “Now I have even more questions than before.”
Henry grins. “Promise I won’t be offended. Ask whatever you want.”
“If you say so.” Nix glances up at me, and I nod. “Alright.” She turns her attention back to the dean. “Are we heading to your house now?”
“Yep.”
“Okay, then I won’t ask questions about what the houses look like. But will you explain the pack land to me? And how you all live here at basically no cost?”
I listen half-heartedly as Henry explains that the land has belonged to the pack for generations. Over a million acres. Mostly wooded. Some land for farming. A handful of commercial properties for income.
Most Alts are wealthy. Some hoard. Some spend.
But with enhanced senses, longer lifetimes, and the world governments under blackmail, it’s not hard for us to find and keep resources.
Shifters are no exception. They just live clustered around each other, whereas druids live mostly alone.
And vampires fall somewhere in between. If Vameer had not disappeared, I am certain we would live near each other, if not with each other.
“Do new houses have to be built often?”
“Every decade or so, another couple will go up. We tend to build the houses in neighborhoods of sorts, since we don’t like feeling alone. Though some pack members move away, so not every pup born will require a new home.”
“Why would they move away?”
“Same as anyone, really. Looking for a change of scenery. A dream job. Differing views on life and morals. Family drama. You name it. But most often if someone leaves, it’s for a mate.”
“I get that.” Nix’s voice is quiet.
I release her hand and drape my arm over her shoulders instead, pulling her into my side.
She leans into me but keeps asking her questions. “Do shifters usually find their mates in other packs, or is it all random? And have there been any human mates?”
Not knowing the answer, I watch Henry for his reply.
He smiles at my Nix. “The odds are pretty random. But there are many examples of shifters mating with humans over the centuries. Though the majority of pairings are between shifters of the same animal.”
“What—” My mate pauses.
Henry laughs. “Ask your question, Miss Novak.”
She blows out a breath. “Okay, but you can always choose not to answer.”
“Noted.”
“What happens if two shifters who aren’t the same animal mate and reproduce?”
“The child will have the animal form of the more dominant parent. There has never been a case of a hybrid shifter. A hybrid anything.”
“What do you mean?”
“Say a vampire and a shifter mated. The child would be one or the other. It has happened, mates between different species. Not for a very long time. But in every case, the child simply matched the stronger parent. And that’s usually the community the family will live within.”
“Fascinating.” Nix looks up at me, and since I’m not sure what response she’s looking for, I dip my chin. She turns her attention back to Henry. “Does every Alt have a fated mate?”
“That is the belief. That we are all born with bonded souls. Another half.” Nix leans more of her weight against my side, and I tighten my hold on her shoulders.
“You say that is the belief, but if it’s just a belief, not known fact, then that must mean that not everyone gets a mate.” I can hear the sorrow in Nix’s question. And I don’t care if shifters are with us. I purr.
It’s quiet. Low. But enough that I can feel my mate relax.
Henry, wise man that he is, does not look our way. But I do not miss how Seb sways, or the way Henry has to grip the back of Seb’s shirt to keep him in place.
I wonder if my purr is some sort of lure to Alts that are not my mate.
Curious.
Henry clears his throat. “It’s considered a belief because some people never find their mate. And the best explanation we have for this is death. That one half of the pair met their end before both could come of age.”
“That’s awful,” Nix whispers.
I work to keep our heartbeat steady, unsure how much Henry is going to say, but needing Nix to keep feeling safe and calm.
“It is.” The dean exhales. “There are also tragic tales of lovers attempting to sever bonds. Someone who was already in love with another when the bond formed. Wanting to control their own destiny… But the bond is a part of us, and every attempt to break it, that I know of, has ended in death.” Henry shakes his head.
“Those fools only thought they knew love, but nothing compares to our mate. It’s such a waste. ”
“Two halves.” I rub my thumb in a circle on Nix’s shoulder as we walk.
She rocks into me with her next step.
“Of course, there’s also the fact that most people don’t go through such a drastic change as our Volik here.
So it’s speculated that some people just don’t know that their bond has formed.
And if they never run into them, say they live on different continents, then they may live their lives never knowing. ”
“Slightly less depressing but still depressing.” Nix tries to joke as she tucks her fingers into the corner of my front pants pocket.
My quiet purr cuts off as I swallow down a groan.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Henry finally let go of Seb’s shirt as the boy relaxes slightly.
But I cannot focus on them, because right now Nix’s hand is dangerously close to my cock.
If I get hard… I wonder if I can use my gravito to keep my dick down.
“Something not depressing.” Henry points through the woods ahead of us. “We’re almost to my house, where you can meet my beautiful mate.”
A minute later, we step out of the tree line, into Henry’s backyard.
The house is two stories. Modest. Nice. Normal. With a back deck boasting a smoking grill and a woman.
Henry’s mate smiles and waves at us.
Nix is waving back when a pair of pups rounds the side of the house. To a human, you might think they were some sort of shepherd. Just a regular dog. To an Alt… we know there is nothing regular about them.
The pups lift their noses, turn their heads in our direction, then skid to a halt before spinning and running the other way.
Nix tugs on my pants. “Were those…?”
“Pups.” I confirm.
“Like… kids?” Nix is trying so hard to keep her tone casual.
It’s cute.
“Ages eight and ten, if that’s who I think it was.
” Henry confirms as we continue across the yard.
“That was their reaction to smelling him.” He tips his head in my direction.
“The older ones know Volik’s reputation, that he’s a good guy.
” I roll my eyes at that label. “But the young ones don’t know how to react around so much power. ”
“Wow.” Nix is still watching the corner of the house where the pups disappeared, and I pretend her wow was for my impressive amount of power. Not for a couple of pups.
“When they’re at home, on pack land, we let the kids run around in whatever form they want.
It’s the best way for them to learn control.
And at that age, they can pass for domestic dogs if an outsider, like a delivery driver, happens to see them.
But once they hit puberty, their wolves become too big, so they’re no longer allowed such freedom. ”
“Fascinating.”
When we reach the deck, Nix is introduced to Henry’s mate, and Seb wisely excuses himself.
Nix falls into conversation, and when I’m certain she is comfortable, I follow Henry inside.
Ten minutes later, I have the coordinates to Dread, the route there memorized, and we’re standing in the driveway, on the front side of the house.
“Thank you for putting up with me,” Nix says with a self-deprecating laugh.
Henry’s mate grins at her. “With or without the big guy, you’re always welcome. Come back anytime you want.”
I grunt.
I appreciate the sentiment, but Nix will not be going anywhere without me. Ever.
I wrap my fingers around hers, and we turn, walking down the driveway.
We will follow the road out of pack territory, since it’s shorter than going back through the woods. Then we can jump from there.
As we reach the street, I slow my steps.
Nix slows with me, hearing the hushed voices. And two seconds later, one pup, in human form, is pushed out from behind a bush.
We stop.
Nix waves. “Hello.”
The boy—dressed in just a pair of baggy shorts—stops at the curb and waves back. “Hi,” he says to Nix, then looks up at me. “Is it true you can fly?”
“It is true.” I look over my shoulder to where Henry and his mate are still standing on their front step. Then I bend down, getting closer to the pup’s level. “Would you like to see it?”
The kid’s eyes go wide as he nods with jerky movements.
Nix snickers beside me. “I thought you weren’t supposed to jump on pack land.”
I smirk. “I am not. But my new friend here will not rat me out.”
The kid shakes his head. “I won’t tell nobody.”
“See?” I tell Nix. “Plus.” I look back down at the pup. “If your Alpha finds out, tell him I owe him a small favor.”
The kid looks back and forth between Nix and me, finally settling on my mate. “You gonna let him do it?”
Nix taps a finger against her chin, then she grins. “Da. But we should hurry.”
The kid turns his head and shouts over his shoulder. “He’s gonna do it!”
Three more pups pop their heads up from behind the bush.
Nix faces me. “Better make this good for your audience.”
Since I am already showing off…
I reach down and lift Nix with one arm, tucking her against my side, with her legs wrapped around my waist and her arms around my neck.
“You pups ready?”
They nod.
“Brace yourselves.” I gather my power. “And don’t blink.”