“You’re acting unusually brave, fox,” Ma said, looking at him closely. “How did you know to come here tonight?” she asked.
“I was on my way here to speak with Rebecca about volunteering at the library. I don’t have her cell phone number, and Aleks’s house phone kept going to voicemail. I felt panic and fear from my Alpha Mother, so Nic and I headed here. She gives me strength and courage to be who I am,” Ashby said, stepping forward with Rebecca, facing down Ma, who now had Benedict and Emmett standing behind her.
“You have never received any strength from me,” she said carefully.
“I never said I did,” Ashby walked Rebecca toward the door.
“We’ll stay with them tonight,” Damian said, motioning to Rian, and all five left the house.
Chapter 12
“He hates me!” Rebecca cried from between Ashby and Nic. Rian had offered to drive, and Damian rode shotgun.
“He doesn’t hate you. His bear is riding him hard. The first couple years after mating, our animals are extremely protective and possessive. When he heard that you were threatened and then in the company of vampires, I think his bear broke free,” Ashby said, rubbing her arms.
“Why did you offer to feed a bloodsucker, Rebecca? I thought you were happy with Aleks,” Damian asked.
“He was hungry and he saved me. It seemed like the polite thing to do,” she said, sniffling.
Damian, Rian, Nic, and Ashby groaned, Damian hitting his forehead on the dashboard.
“Rebecca, offering to feed a vampire is equivalent to offering them sex. Even a quick feeding like you offered would at least be considered a blow job. Vampires are highly sexual. Most of them are bisexual so that they can have multiple types of partners and no restrictions on their feeding sources.” Ashby watched her face as her eyes grew wide.
“Oh my God, I thought it was like offering him a sandwich!” The men groaned again.
“You’re new to our world. There are things you don’t know. Why didn’t you tell me or Rian about the vampire? We could have at least coached you on what and how to tell Aleks,” Damian asked.
“Y’all are shifters. He was a vampire. I guess I didn’t think it was a big deal, you know. I did say that I thought your world was awesome and did mention vampires,” she said, shrugging.
“We really need to work on re-establishing your new sense of normal. Shifters and hyena attacks…normal. Bloodsucking vampires wanting to chomp on your neck, not normal! Not normal!” Rian said. Damian smacked him upside the head.
“Ow!” Rian said, putting the car in park. Rebecca smiled.
The car finally stopped at Ashby’s ice cream parlor in town. She looked up.
“You live here?” she asked. He nodded.
“There is an apartment upstairs. Come on, little mother, let’s get you settled,” he said.
“Ashby, Damian and I will take the guest room, if that’s okay?” Rian asked as they entered the small but impeccably well kept apartment.
“That’s fine. Rebecca, Nic, and I will be in the master,” he said.
Rian and Damian looked at each other.
“Do you think it’s a good idea for y’all to share a bed? I mean Aleks’s bear is freaking out enough as it is,” Rian said. Ashby snorted.
“If he feels threatened by me, then he has bigger problems than his bear,” Ashby said, smiling.
“Why wouldn’t he feel threatened by you? You’re absolutely gorgeous,” Rebecca said, yawning.
Rian and Damian shook their heads. Nicholas smiled.
“Because he is a bear and an Arkadion, and I’m just a fox with no long familial lines,” Ashby said.
“People are more than their animals and family names. You are an amazing person, Ashby. Don’t let anyone make you feel any different,” Rebecca said. Ashby’s eyes teared up.
“I’m glad you’re my Alpha Mother.” He rubbed his cheek against hers as she giggled.
“You mentioned that back at the ranch. What do you mean, Ashby?” Damian asked, making himself at home on the loveseat with Rian.
“When we met, I offered Rebecca my allegiance and she accepted. Just because Ma is the town’s Alpha Mother doesn’t mean she has the fealty of all the townspeople. I never felt like Ma would look after me, so I never swore my allegiance to her. But I knew from the moment I met Rebecca she would defend and protect me. Leona is the town’s historian. She will have a record of previous Alpha Mothers and who has pledged themselves to them,” Ashby said, cuddling up to Rebecca on the couch.
“Leona? Really?” Rebecca asked.
“Leona may not act it, but she is more reliable than she looks. She has seen many Alpha Mothers run this town. She may have seen previous examples of this happening,” Ashby said.
“I’d like to pledge my allegiance to you, Alpha Mother,” a quiet voice said from Rebecca’s other side. She turned to face Nicholas. He was an embarrassed shade of pink and looking down at his lap.
“I…I…don’t know what it means to be an Alpha Mother. What if I screw you guys up?” she said scared. This was different than the fun of discovering new things that shifters could do. They were depending on her for protection and leadership. It scared her to death that she would mess up.
“You are already doing a great job, Rebecca. You see us as people. Not as lions or wolves or foxes. Just as people. You care about us and about us being safe and happy. There’s not much more we can expect from you than that. A lot of Alpha Mothers concentrate on the town, it being financially secure, or the politics of fitting in with the other prides, packs, and the council. They harbor a preference for bears even if it’s subconscious. But you’re human. You don’t have any preconceived ideas about what is good or bad. It’s why for the first time in my life I have tied myself to a leader. You are the first and only one I trust,” Ashby said, taking her hand.
“It’s also why I want to pledge myself to you. I trust you, Rebecca, to take care of us. All of us,” Nicholas said, taking her other hand. Both looked at Rian and Damian.
“We trust you too, kiddo, but before we can pledge anything we have to discuss it with our Alpha,” Rian said, smiling.
“I don’t have that restriction, unless you don’t want me,” Nicholas said sadly.
“I do! Hmm. How do I do this? Liam was there last time,” she said. Nicholas tilted his head, exposing his neck.
“Just do what you did with me and lay your lips on his neck. There has to be an intent to bond. With me, I dedicated myself to you as my Alpha and you offered your protection, because you said I was your friend and would anyway. It will be the same with Nicholas,” Ashby said.
“Okay, here goes nothing,” Rebecca said, leaning forward, and gently placed her lips on his neck. She knew that she would protect Ashby and Nicholas and care for them because they were precious to her as her friends. Nicholas gasped and then sighed happily. Rebecca felt another shift in her heart and the connection to Ashby and Nicholas. Nicholas had tears streaming down his face.
“I feel like I have come home,” he said brokenly as Rebecca and Ashby hugged him from either side.
“I think we all have,” Ashby said.
“I wonder what Aleks will think about you two being pledged to Rebecca,” Rian mused out loud.
“Well, after I explain that I didn’t know about the whole vampire thing and then let him grovel over the whole ‘you could find a way to get in trouble at a book store’ and ‘stupid human custom’ comments, I’ll see what he thinks.” Rebecca sighed. “Being mated is hard.” She yawned again, snuggling down between Nic and Ashby. It felt right being with them, like being with lost family.
“You’ve had to deal with discovering about shifters, vampires, and other paranormals. Then we have hyenas going even more bat-shit crazy than they normally are. Usually finding and claiming your mate is an orgasm-a-thon,” Rian said. Rebecca giggled.
“Oh oh, does that mean Aleks has been taking care of business?” Rian asked, wagging his eyebrows.
“He always does. I miss him. I wish I could have been there for him. If I had been a shifter I could have shifted and stayed with him,” she said softly.
The men exchanged sad looks, because she was right. As a shifter she could have stayed with him. As a human she would have been in danger. Rian cleared his throat.
“So do you think you will get your wedding?” he asked. She looked up surprised.
“I don’t know. I hope so. God, what if he says yes? I’m so stupid. Can you imagine the wedding? There would be no one to walk me down the aisle or sit on my side of the church. I should have kept my dumb mouth shut.” She sighed and closed her eyes. She had pissed off Aleks to the point that he had to shift and she could no longer be around him, practically offered a vampire a blow job, and brought up a wedding that really wasn’t needed.
Determined to lighten the mood, Rian continued.
“Who cares about that? Pa would shit car-sized bricks if you asked him to walk you down the aisle and probably bawl like a baby the whole way down. You have me and Damian on your side, plus most of the pride would definitely sit on your side of the church to avoid those grumpy bears. The most important thing is the dress!” he said, clapping his hands.
“Oh my God, you guys have to help me with this if he asks! I’ve never even been in a wedding,” Rebecca exclaimed.
“You mean it? You trust us?” Rian squealed as Damian broke into a wide grin.
“This town is so boring. You come in and everything is changing. I get to plan a wedding! Oh my God, we have to go to New York for the dress, nothing off the rack. I need to call Kate,” he said, whipping out his cell phone.
“Rian, it’s close to midnight,” Rebecca said.
“Girl, please, they are probably between rounds two and three.” He waited as the phone rang. “Katie! Yes I know what time it is. Yes I knew what you’d probably be doing. Fine, I won’t tell you about the wedding I get to plan.” He held the phone away from his ear as a loud screech of “whaaat” came over the phone line.
“Tell him it will still be there in the morning.” Rian giggled evilly then placed the phone on speaker.
“Rebecca, is it true are you getting married?” Kate asked, breathless.
“Well not yet. It came up in an argument tonight. Aleks is actually kinda mad at me at the moment, but I’m hoping he’ll marry me,” Rebecca said.
“Oh my goodness, I want to help. Please let me help!” Kate pleaded. There was a muffled sound of someone getting hit.
“Bran, hush, we were resting between sessions anyway,” Kate said and Rebecca blushed.
“I was hoping you would be my maid of honor. You’ve become like a sister to me,” she said quietly.
Silence filled the room. Everyone stared at the phone. Finally an extremely loud sniff heralded squeals and sobs from Kate’s line. The men let out their collective breath.
“This is so amazing!” Rian said, bouncing around.
“Of course I’ll be your maid of honor. Who will be your bridesmaids?” she asked.
Rebecca hesitantly looked at Nic and Ashby then looked away.
“We’d be honored as long as we don’t have to wear a dress,” Nic said, laughing. Ashby smiled.
“Thank you! And Rian and Damian are the wedding coordinators. I feel like we’re missing something,” Rebecca said then looked down at her empty hand.
“Crap! I’m missing the damn groom. Boys, let’s head back to the ranch. Y’all can stay until Aleks comes back, and then I have some major begging to do and it’s going to involve cakes. Come on!” She jumped up.
“Go get him, Rebecca, and call me first thing in the morning. I am dying to hear what happens!” Kate said.
The guys got up grinning, and headed towards the door.
Chapter 13
Aleks woke up the next morning with his brothers in the small cabin they had on the property for when they spent the night out shifted. All three had passed out there when they had exhausted their bears.
“God, I forgot how bad you snore. I feel sorry for Rebecca,” Connor said, opening his eyes.
“I hope you’re not still mad at her. She didn’t know about the vampire thing,” Emmett said, eyes still closed.
“I was never mad at her,” Aleks said confused, getting dressed. Connor snorted.
“You could have fooled us. Your eyes and hands had shifted and you were yelling at her. I’ll be surprised if her stuff is still at your house,” Connor said, pulling on his sweats. Aleks’s face paled.
“Oh God, you’re right. She would think I was mad at her. Why did I say that about human weddings?” He groaned into his hands.
“You were probably still pissed at the human assaulting her and the vampire coming on to her,” Emmett said, grabbing his sweats and stepping back, hands up in the universal “my bad” gesture as Aleks growled.
“See, you’re still snarly,” Emmett said, heading to the small kitchenette to make coffee.
“She mates me and she’s attacked what…like three times? Thank God the vampire she volunteered to feed was honorable enough not to take her up on her offer, but ultimately that would have been my fault for not explaining things to her.” Aleks stared down at the floor.
“She’s a part of our world now, Aleks. There’s no taking that back. You’re not alone. You have us, and Ma and Pa, and from the looks of things, Liam, his pride, and Kate and her pack watching over her. As far as the wedding bit is concerned, you know human females dream of getting married the way our people dream of finding their mates. She fulfilled your dream, go fulfill hers. Get a ring and ask her to marry you. Done,” Emmett said, proud at the solution he found.
“It’s not that easy,” Aleks said.
“Why not?” Emmett asked. “You love her, she loves you. You mated her, she’s mated to you. She wants to get married, so marry her. It’s one more tie that will hold you together. She keeps tripping over shifter and paranormal rules. Sit down and explain them to her. Then fuck like bunnies. See? Easy,” Emmett said.
“You know as crazy as that sounds, I think he’s right, somewhere in there,” Connor said, smiling.
“I especially like the fuck like bunnies part,” Aleks said, grinning. “So, get a ring, beg forgiveness, and then explain rules before resuming post-mating sex?” Aleks asked.
“Sounds like a plan to me.” Connor grinned.
“Being mated is harder than I thought it would be,” Aleks said.
“Anything worth having requires some work, Aleks,” Emmett said.
“When did you get so damn smart?” Aleks asked, smiling.
“I’ve been reading,” Emmett said.
“Does Ma know you can read?” Connor asked and then ducked.
“Asshole,” Emmett said, laughing.
“Okay, so plan is set. I think I know where to get a ring too,” he said, smiling.
“Go get her!” Connor said, pushing him out the door.
“Think they’ll be ok?” Emmett asked.
“He’s following your plan,” Connor said. They both looked at each other and grimaced.
* * * *
Aleks patted his shirt pocket where his grandmother’s ring sat. He grinned remembering the happy looks on his parents’ faces when he asked for the ring. He pulled up in his driveway and frowned. Ashby’s car was still here. He also smelled Rian, Damian, and Nicholas.
He walked up to the front door and heard Rebecca say, “No, that one goes in the family room, and that one goes in the bedroom. It has a special meaning.” Letting his curious nature take over, he walked around to the window and peeked in to see his mate wearing a short robe positioning a cake in the den. Frowning at the other males around his mate when she wasn’t dressed, he quickly made his way back to the front door and unlocked the deadbolt. When he opened the door, Damian, Rian, Ashby, and Nicholas practically ran him over leaving.
“Good luck!” Rian said, winking, and then the group of them jumped into Ashby’s car and took off like a bat out of hell. What
in the world was his mate up to?
“Rebecca?” he asked, walking into the foyer. When he got to the family room he practically swallowed his tongue. Rebecca lay on the couch in nothing but a frilly white apron with a chocolate cake in front of her on the coffee table.
She sat up and looked up at him.
“First, I want to say I’m sorry for offering to feed the vampire. I didn’t know what it meant. I thought I was offering him a sandwich. I don’t deliberately go looking for trouble.” Aleks opened his mouth to speak but she held up a hand.
“Second, I’m sorry I’m not a bear shifter and can’t be with you when your bear needs to get out. But I promise to always be waiting for you when you come home. Third, I know that a human marriage is nothing like a shifter claiming, but it does mean something to me. Sometime, whenever you’re ready, I would like to get married.” She hurried up with that request and looked down at the cake on the table, then back up at him. “I made you ‘I’m sorry’ cakes,” she said, smiling.
For as long as Aleks lived, he would never forget this moment. Her innocent apologies made naked in an apron. She could have asked for anything in that moment and he would have gladly done it. Did she have no idea how precious she was to him? He cleared his throat and removed his coat, throwing it on the chair.
“First, I want to apologize for not explaining about our world more, including vampires. It left you vulnerable and it’s my fault. I will take the time to tell you what you need to know. I know you don’t go looking for trouble, but the fact that you are in danger makes me lose my mind. Please be patient with me.” He took a step forward and removed his boots.
“Second, I want to apologize for losing my temper and making you feel like you are lacking as my mate. If given the choice between a huge furry body to sleep next to after shifting or coming home to my soft-skinned mate in nothing but an apron with cakes, I will choose you and the cakes every time,” he said then winked. He dug in the shirt pocket, removed the ring, but kept it hidden from her before removing the shirt and tossing it next to his boots.