23

BYRON

"Chief."

"B, it's good to see you safe. Not that I had any doubt you would be." Godwin pulls me into a bear hug, nearly lifting me off the ground.

I clap him on the back, taking in his scent, which suggests the happiness and contentment he deserves.

After leaving my condo, Aida and I got in my truck, which Godwin had picked up and returned to my house after I'd been kidnapped. We drove the four hours to the private land surrounding the clan village. From there, we hiked to the meeting place with Godwin, who was waiting when we arrived.

"You must be Aida." Godwin releases me and steps over to my wife, pulling her into an equally genuine, if less aggressive, hug. When he steps away, his head tilts, a smile breaking over his face. "Congratulations."

"Oh, thank you." Aida smooths a hand over her front even though she's not close to showing. "I keep forgetting you all can do that."

"No worries. We're happy to have you as part of the clan. Ready to roll?"

"I'm ready." Her response is cheery, but the creases at the corners of her eyes indicate fatigue.

The trek was long. Even though I insisted on carrying her for most of it, she's tired and probably a little nervous.

"Come on, baby. Back up." I lift her into my arms before she can protest, and she turns her face into me in embarrassment.

"I can walk, Byron."

"You can, but you're carrying my cubs, and it's a long way. I can carry you."

She sighs as I start to walk. "How's it going to look if you show up carrying me like I'm some weak human?"

"It's going to look like I love my mate, and I privilege her comfort beyond all else, as I should. Trust me, I will get looks if I don't show up carrying you."

"Byron." Cree is the first to greet me when we appear from the narrow path between the two mountains that lead to our village. His smile is broad and relieved when he sees me. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you, and not just because Miah's pregnancy craving is your elk stew."

Godwin leaves us, walking toward the chief's cabin, presumably to get his mate and clan queen Valeena.

"I'll make a pot as soon as I get my mate settled." I set Aida down and accept his hug, taking care to position myself in front of her. "How is that mate of yours? I'm assuming you finally worked all that out?"

The last time I was here, Cree and Fari were trying to get their throuple in order. Motion behind him signals the latter walking up with Samiah, Valeena's sister.

When she sees me, tears shine in Samiah's eyes, and she quickens to reach me. "I'm so glad you're okay. They kept saying you would be fine, but I still wanted to see your face myself."

I chuckle and kiss the top of her head. "Hey, little mama. I see those cubs are making themselves known."

I wait for her nod before passing a hand over the round swell of her belly. "How many you got in there? I haven't been gone a month."

She blows a raspberry and cuts her eyes back at Cree and Fari. "Two. It's like they thought it was a competition or something."

My brows raise, but behind her head, her mates are having difficulty looking anything but pleased with themselves.

"You've got two mates, Miah, and a whole clan. You'll have more than enough help with the cubs."

"Yeah, you say that now, but only one of us can breastfeed." Her eye roll feigns annoyance, but her skin is aglow with happiness.

"You're going to be a great mom, kiddo. And I hope you know by now that you're as much of a wolf as you need to be for us to love you."

Her lips fold, and she blinks rapidly. "Well, damn, Byron. If I knew you'd have me crying within the first five minutes of you being back, I would have waited to run out here."

I snort. "You came for the stew."

"I did!" She clasps her hands together in a prayer, making me laugh.

"I got you, but first, I'd like you to meet my mate." I step aside, aware that I've been shielding Aida with my body all this time, and gently bring her forward. "Aida, Samiah. Samiah, Aida."

"Wel—oh, um, hi." The exuberance of Samiah's greeting morphs into a frown as she tilts her head to peer curiously at Aida.

My mate looks to the side at the lukewarm reception and offers a wave. "Hello. It's good to meet you. I've heard a lot of great things."

Miah doesn't respond but stares at Aida until Fari steps up and leans down to speak close to her ear.

"You're being rude, baby."

"Oh," Samiah blinks. "I'm sorry. It's just that—oh my god, come here."

Miah reaches forward and grabs Aida's arm, dragging her away from the group.

My wolf springs to his feet, prancing to the side, unsure if Aida is in danger, as Fari, Cree, and I jog to catch up with them.

"Baby, what are you doing? Give them a minute to settle in." Cree tries to halt his wife, but she waves him off and continues her march toward Godwin and Valeena's cabin.

"Just hold on because either I'm going crazy or—"

The door to Chief's cabin opens, and Valeena steps out, her wild trio of cubs tumbling out behind her.

They still can't control the shift. They scramble around her feet, nearly tripping her before Godwin appears to grab them by their scruffs.

Valeena is laughing, her head down to prevent her from stepping on an errant tail, when Samiah shouts up at her.

"Leena, we know her, right?" She looks up expectantly at her sister, who finally manages to detangle herself and glance down at us from the top of the steps.

Valeena frowns, too, when her sight lands on Aida. Then her eyes widen, and she jumps down from the steps, making Godwin jerk in response. His arms automatically go out to stop her, but then we all freeze in a shocked kind of hesitancy as she throws her arms around my wife.

"Aida! Oh, my god. I can't believe it." Valeena pulls away, her eyes shining with tears, before she goes back in, sighing against Aida's shoulder. "You don't even remember us. It's okay."

Aida looks just as confused as I do, but when Valeena pulls back again and smiles, her expression shifts to guilt.

She narrows her eyes, seemingly searching for whatever connection Valeena believes is between them. Then they widen suddenly, and she grips Valeena's arms. "Oh, my god! Valeena! Oh, my god. I can't believe I forgot." Shifting to me, her expression is excited. "This is my cousin! Oh, my god."

The litany is repeated several times as she hugs Valeena tightly, pulling away only to bring her close again as they both laugh.

"I'm so sorry." Aida reaches over to pull Samiah into the cuddle.

"It's fine," Valeena offers a forgiving smile. "We only met you like once, and we only remember because after Mom died, we used to hope that your family would find us. You were so nice."

"And you took us to get our ears pierced." The wonder of that moment is evident in Miah's voice, and she looks for a moment like a little girl looking up to her big cousin as she gazes at Aida.

"What happened to you all? I know my mom and yours didn't keep in touch like they should have, but I know she tried to get in contact a few times after that trip and couldn't. We learned your mom died when we came to town and went to your apartment. The landlord said he didn't know where you went."

"Our dad came and took us, but that's whatever. I can't believe you're here—and with Byron!" Valeena flings a hand at me, grinning.

"That is a strange coincidence." I exchange a glance with Godwin, and he nods.

"Hey, why don't we get something to eat? My grandmother sent some stew. It's not Byron's, but we haven't eaten yet, and I'm sure you two could use some food after that trek." He waves us forward.

"Yeah, you guys are staying, right? We have time to catch up." Valeena and Samiah link arms with my mate and we follow them into her and Godwin's cabin.

The inside is a startling contradiction to the rustic exterior. One would expect the same inside with the logging lines and hand-carved porch, but the interior is modern and comfortably furnished.

Like my own cabin, which still reflects the harshness of its location, Valeena and Godwin's home has been updated with the comforts of air conditioning, a top-of-the-line kitchen, and other modifications.

Just because we choose to rough it as a safety precaution, to make sure we don't get too pampered living among humans, doesn't mean we make it unnecessarily complicated for ourselves.

The living room is full of children's toys that appeal to Godwin and Valeena's cubs' human and wolf sides—blocks, dolls, several stuffed animals that look like they've been on the receiving end of a cub's little fangs, a wooden indoor jungle gym.

This last is where her children—the little girls in human form and the boy with a giraffe that's seen better days clenched between his sharp wolf teeth—are dangling. They ignore us as we walk in. Valeena is in front with Aida and Samiah, Godwin is next, Cree and Fari follow, trying to stay close to their mate, and I'm last.

That's the only reason I am slow to react when no sooner have we all cleared the door that Valeena releases Aida's hand and pulls a gun from god knows where and aims it at my mate.

"Now, while I am shocked to see you, I don't believe in coincidences. Life has shown me that those don't exist as often as we think. What the fuck are you doing here, and why shouldn't I shoot you and deal with Byron later?"

I can't my head at her surety that she can "deal" with me, but my body thrums with the urge to protect my mate. "Valeena. Lower. That. Gun."

She shifts her gaze to me briefly but ignores my demand.

Cree and Fari stiffen but don't move, their expressions showing nothing, but I can tell by the surprise on their scent that they didn't see this coming either.

I clench my fists, torn between ripping the gun from her and letting the room erupt into what I know will be chaos as Godwin and probably the rest enter the foray.

After all, Valeena is also my chief.

"Leena!" Samiya sidesteps closer to Aida but halts when Valeena fixes her with a look.

"Baby, we said no guns." Godwin sounds exasperated. He presses a hand to his forehead and sighs.

"No, you said no guns. I said this shit was suspect when I saw her on the feed."

The news that they were observing us from the discreetly placed cameras along the path to the village and that Valeena recognized Aida immediately takes me by surprise, but it shouldn't.

Valeena is a singular woman. She also comes from a tough background where the people who were supposed to protect her turned out to want only what was worse for her.

To say she's suspicious of her biological family is an understatement.

Godwin shoots me a look of apology, but it's also apparent that he's backing his mate regardless.

And I fucking get it. This is not my first time navigating a mating, but Valeena's also pointing a gun at my mate, who looks like a deer caught in headlights.

"What the hell?" A helpless glance follows Aida's whispered exclamation in my direction.

"Chief."

Godwin glances at me, but then it becomes apparent I'm talking to Valeena, and she shifts her gaze in my direction.

"I respect and love the hell out of you, but you need to lower your gun. Whatever is going on, we'll sort it out, but I'm telling you, my own son challenged me because of Aida, and I was ready to lay down my life. So just be ready to kill both of us. You won't have a choice."

She narrows her eyes, her mouth twisting. It's a tell of hers when she's genuinely conflicted, and I'm almost proud that she would do it if it meant protecting our clan.

That means she loves us as much as we've come to love and accept her.

"Fine, but if she makes one wrong move, even toward you, I'm slitting her throat. We'll just have to tie you up until you get over it."

I give a curt nod. "Deal, but I'd never get over it."

Samiah aws quietly, and Valeena rolls her eyes and drops her hand. She focuses back on Aida and shrugs. "Do you realize how this is about to go?"

Aida nods, her eyes still wide. "Yeah, but damn, girl. I don't remember you being so killey when you were younger."

Valeena snorts and pockets the gun back to wherever the hell she pulled it from. "Yeah, well, I'm working on it. Come on," she waves us toward the kitchen, ruffling her son's fluffy head as she passes the kids still playing on the jungle gym. "There really is stew."

***

"You all can't fault me for being cautious. This is weird." Valeena swallows a mouthful of venison and potatoes.

She's the only one eating as if the table isn't rife with tension.

Samiah, her spoon swirling aimlessly in her bowl, lifts and drops the chunks with a frown, her unease reflected in the depths of the thick, brown meal.

"I think we'd all eat more comfortably if you took the gun off the table." I keep my voice even and respectful but don't attempt to hide how outrageous her behavior is.

Valeena ignores me, scooping another mouthful between her lips.

With a loud sigh, Godwin snatches the Glock and walks out of the room.

I hear the distinct sounds of a safe beeping open and then closing before he comes back and drops to his seat, ignoring Valeena's glare.

"There. Now, again, nice to meet you, Aida. We are, however, concerned that you might be an opp. See, baby," he turns to his mate, "words also work."

"Guns work, too. And people tend not to lie to guns."

"If I may," Aida clears her throat. "This isn't the first time my presence with Byron has caused problems, so I want to start by saying I'm not here to cause problems. I get it that you don't know me anymore. You never really knew me except for that one summer we got to see each other, and that was almost twenty years ago. I've lived about ten lives since then, and I'm happy to tell you about them if you want to listen. If you don't want to listen, then I'll leave. But I have a daughter, and I'm pregnant, so it would be great if that leaving could be alive."