11. Garin

Chapter 11

Garin

Trig had seen my beast before, but this time was different. He wasn't just seeing my wolf, he was seeing his mate. And then there was Nate… I couldn't wait to get a glimpse of his bear. I bet he was adorable. Not that I planned to tell him that. Most beasts I'd met liked to revel in their fierceness, not be called cute.

The anticipation of both seeing Nate's bear and seeing both of their reactions to my wolf was growing with each second. If it weren't for the groceries, I'd have run outside, dragging them both behind me. Instead, I was putting the bread in the fridge to avoid insects. Such a sexy and glamorous way to start the day.

We ended up eating breakfast before going out. Nate's stomach rumbled, and Trig and I immediately started to pull out the groceries we'd just put away.

Nate shook his head, but his smile gave him away. He loved the way we doted on him.

After breakfast, we put the dishes in the sink and went outside. The sun was shining, and a light breeze kept it from being too hot. It was the perfect day to enjoy the outdoors with my mates.

"I can't wait to see you both." Trig sat on the stoop, and Nate and I took off our clothing before hanging them over the porch rails.

He directed his attention to Nate. "Out of curiosity, do you mind if I touch you? Garin doesn't mind, but I don't want to assume."

"Assume away. I want you to touch me and leave your scent on my fur. I want to feel your fingers exploring a side of me very few have ever gotten to see."

"Really?" Trig's voice was filled with emotion.

Nate was letting him know that he fully accepted his human side, and his bear didn't need to have a beast for a mate, that he was enough. "Of course! I'd love for you to be close with my bear. You know they don't call them bear hugs for nothing." He chuckled, deep and rich, a laugh you wouldn't expect from someone his stature.

Two seconds later, a black bear stood where his human feet had just been.

"Were you kidding about those bear hugs?" Trig got up and walked over to him, running his fingers through the fur on the side of his head.

In response, Nate picked his arms up and hugged him, just like he said he would. It was physically awkward based on their heights and sizes, but it was also one of the most beautiful things I'd ever seen.

"Do I get one too?" I stepped close and hugged them both. I was a lucky wolf. We stayed like that, just savoring that connection for a few moments.

"It's time to meet my wolf." I shifted and walked over to Trig, who hugged me around the neck and then pet me like a…a dog. Most alpha wolves didn't want to be stroked the way Trig was doing it, but I loved it. I always had, from the very first day I shifted for him.

Looking back, I should've seen the signs that he was my mate from the first time he met my beast. There was a connection there, a deep one. But we'd both been foolish, and it worked out for the best because the two of us had Nate now.

I wandered over to Nate, and we rubbed our bodies against each other, collecting each other's scents on our fur, sniffing each other and committing every note of our scents to memory.

And then where his bear had been, now stood our omega. He wrapped his arms around my neck and buried his face in my fur. "You're stunning. Absolutely stunning."

When he stood up again, he took his fur.

"If you want, I can show you guys to the river," Trig offered.

Normally, I would have wanted to lead the way because I had the nose to scent danger and the skills to thwart it. But Trig knew these woods better than even my wolf could. And he was so proud to give us this, a piece of his past which was now wrapped with his present and his future.

We followed him down to the river. It wasn't large, but the water flowed clear. I imagined it was a great place to go fishing. And right on the bank was a perfect spot for a picnic. We'd have to do that one day.

For today, we sat in the sun, the two of us with our omega between, snuggling into each other. Life really couldn't get much better than this.

We stayed there for hours, dozing off a few times until it was eventually time to go back to the cabin and have some lunch. I circled the cabin before shifting back and putting my clothing on. I couldn't be too careful.

"When I was little, we used to play UNO on the porch when it rained. We'd watch the puddles form as we tried to annihilate each other with draw four after draw four," he mused. "I wonder if the cards are still here."

He went inside, and sure enough, they were in a kitchen drawer.

"Want to play after lunch?" Nate offered.

His eyes raked up and down our omega. "I do, but I had something a little less dressed planned."

And that was how Adult Rules UNO was invented. We had the basic game all laid out even before our sandwiches were made.

"And how do we know who wins?" Nate's scent was deep because he was so aroused it was difficult to focus on anything else.

"I think it's pretty safe to say we'll all win." Trig took a bite of his sandwich.

My brilliant alpha was right. By the end of our first hand, we all declared ourselves victorious.