13. Thirteen

Thirteen

Griffin

Keeping away from my mates, fuck my life, mates, was damn near impossible. All I wanted to do was know where they were, how they were doing, at almost every goddamn minute of the day.

I had a pack to run. A mating ceremony to prepare for. The distraction was not only unwelcome; it was fucking dangerous. I was missing things, distant from my pack, when I should be focusing on this truce.

Once the truce was in place, then I could see what I could do with my mates. At least, that's what I told myself, trying to ignore the burning envy I had that Sunny was with Rainbow and I was in the cold.

Watching them together over the week, I came to realize I might have missed my chance with them. Rainbow was slowly opening up around Sunny, giving him the chance he deserved. They probably didn't have room for me.

If there was one thing I learned about my vampire mate over the week while I monitored his presence in my pack and around my witch, it was that he was the opposite of what most vampires were, at least in my head.

Sunny was kind and patient with a sometimes anxious Rainbow. They balanced each other out. The witch made the vampire act less impulsively and Sunny, well; he brought the sun, ironically.

Every chance I got, I was walking by Rainbow's store, checking on his progress, wanting to speak to him about everything, anything. A buzz was settling over Umberwood about the place and I was proud of Rain for seeing a need in the town. Not that I would admit that to him.

The store was looking great, especially after Rainbow asked Sunny to help him there instead of at his house. Now they were spending more and more time together, and I was taking every excuse I could get to head into town just to watch them.

Things between me and my mates were decidedly frosty, which was for the best. What right did I have to disrupt them when I'd already rejected Sunny?

I was pretty sure the vampire hadn't told Rainbow that we were also mates. Not sure why it stung. Was it because Sunny was taking the chance to have Bow to himself? I'd rejected Sunny, and also Rain, pretty soundly. Maybe this was his revenge?

Couldn't really have blamed him if it was. If I were in his situation, I'd likely have done the same thing.

"Griff?" Tor prodded me.

"Yeah?"

"Could you—"

"Sure."

"You didn't even wait to hear what I wanted." Tor's amused smirk was annoying.

"The last few days you've sent me on so many errands, I don't even care anymore." I tried to play it off, acting casual and unbothered.

Since they had left that morning, I hadn't seen anything of Sunny or Rainbow. The pair had left in Sunny's larger truck today. Rainbow had the little bearded dragon familiar dressed in some knitted monstrosity. Sunny was cradling him while Rainbow drove!

I'd caught both of them giving my house a lingering look. After being caught watching them before, I'd learned to step back from the window, keeping the inside of the house dim so the witch couldn't see me.

Judging by the look Sunny gave me, he could see me. He didn't appear to be judging me. Could he feel the pull as much as I did?

"Dude, go and check on them." Tor rolled his eyes.

"Don't know what you mean," I said, stubbornly ignoring the looks my friend was sending my way.

"I need you to get it together. Go check on your mates and meet me at the clearing."

A couple of days ago, I'd finally confessed to Tor that Sunny was also my mate. He thought it was the best thing ever. Having a vampire in our pack would be amazing for us. I pointed out that Ray would disagree and it would likely end up in a war.

My pack, this truce, it had to come first, didn't it?

There I was, stuck again between duty and what I wanted. How could I have my mates and my pack?

Sunny said something which made Rain laugh. Beside them, the bearded dragon, Jinx, I heard him be called, was resting on a pillow munching some salad leaf.

They were quite the picture together. Sunny was tall and muscular, strong even without his vampire abilities. Next to him, Rain was smaller, softer, with a gentle air about him.

There was no space for me next to them. I watched them from afar for a few more minutes, enough so the pull lessened in my chest, leaving behind a deep sadness.

My existence was a curse. I wouldn't want to interrupt their charmed lives.

Thoughts of them stuck with me all day while we waited for the moon to rise. We were days away from the full moon, the only concession Ray would make for our Were members. He would have had us all miss the bonding just to prove a point, but Nora had insisted that both me and her father were present at the ceremony.

Sunset was pretty early, so many of the pack had to wait until a little later to meet at the spot in neutral territory.

The area chosen was a popular hiking trail, one which had been closed off for a few days, so Nora could have her friends decorate the place she had picked out. There were flowers everywhere. Nora's friends arranged seats in rows with an aisle between them. Almost like a human wedding. She intended to do a legal ceremony at a later date.

I stood waiting in the clearing for the festivities to start. People from both packs and some witches from the area were congregating together. I kept well away from anyone not connected to my pack, so Ray couldn't accuse me of trying to recruit people.

Once the signal was given, I stood at the top of the aisle next to Ray, waiting for Tor and Nora to walk down the pathway towards us. I ignored the Southridge pack leader. Words between us always became hostile.

We had a witch perform the ceremony. I would have liked Rainbow to be there, but it was too dangerous. If Ray thought there was anything between me and Rain, he'd ruin my witch and it would be my fault.

Similar to a handfasting, the witch bound Nora and Tor together with a red ribbon and had them confirm their vows to each other.

Everyone could see that Tor had fallen madly in love with Nora. The feeling was mutual, if I could trust Nora's eyes. She watched Tor all the time with a look of affection so genuine it actually hurt. Here I was, turning my back on my mates, while they were being forced into a union and had the audacity to be happy about it.

I knew I wasn't making sense. Being away from Rain and Sunny was making me antsy. It had been hours since I'd last laid eyes on them. All I wanted to do was sign the treaty and get the hell out of dodge.

The ceremony was short for good reason. I could see the rival packs getting twitchy at being together. Once it was done, we would sign our treaties and leave. Nora would say goodbye to her family and we would arrange meetings to be held weekly until the truce was stable.

Over the next few months, we would have to agree on simple things like borders and pack members joining until there was enough faith between us we could peacefully inhabit Umberwood together.

Ray's lip curled as I approached. Dick. He hated Were shifters. We didn't ask to be turned, but packs often saw us as the lowest in the hierarchy. Not me, though. I'd risen through the ranks, beating every challenger until I was at the top, just so I could put a stop to the discrimination my other Weres suffered.

It festered within him, his hate at what I was. Part of me understood it, also hating what I was.

I'd been born to a shifter and a human. I got the gene, but not the wolf my father had, making him bitter. We had lost my mom in childbirth when I was young. Barely remembered her. My sister survived. Losing my mom had changed my dad. He became twisted with anger. When I became an adult he convinced another werewolf to bite me, not caring if I made it through the change or not. I did, accidentally biting my sister in the process. She did not make it through the process. Dad cast me out after.

A few years later I found out he'd died in a pack challenge. Relieved, I returned to the area, hopeful they would allow me home. They didn't. I found the one who'd bitten me and destroyed him so he couldn't harm anyone else.

Ray didn't understand the majority of Were shifters. Far from being weak, they were strong. Better than shifters who were often an accident of birth. Only around half of Weres made it through the change. My latent shifter gene made me stronger, so my chances of survival were already better than most. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way for my sister.

I let out a snarl in Ray's direction, but signed the damn papers before I handed him the pen. Damn bastard didn't pick it up, instead using his own. He couldn't catch what I was.

The strange tug in my chest lessened. A feeling like one of my mates was nearby.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him. Sunny was high in a tree, watching over the proceedings. I wondered what he thought of it all and hoped he had his scent locked down tight. He didn't strike me as a fool, just foolish when it came to his feelings.

All done with the treaties, I watched Ray sign both copies and pick up his one. "Nora, remember what you were told," he barked at his only daughter.

Nora glanced at her dad with a resigned expression. With one order, Ray had snuffed out any joy she'd had over this whole thing.

Ray took Nora's brothers and the rest of his family next. They didn't say goodbye to Nora, leaving me with a bad feeling. Either they were confident they had the upper hand, or they didn't care about her. Either one was bad, not only for Nora, who actually seemed sweet like Tor had said, but our pack, too. There went our leverage over them if they didn't value her.

Slowly, the rest of the Southridge pack left, leaving us North Umberwood members looking around us.

"Feel free to run home in fur. Put your clothes in my truck and I'll see you before the full moon."

Many of my pack members came to me for hugs or fist bumps before they stripped and shifted where they stood, leaving their clothes as they fell. I rolled my eyes, because of course they wouldn't listen and just strip by the truck before shifting, leaving it to me to go around picking up clothes.

"Want some help?" Nora asked.

"That'd be great. Sorry, I know it's your bonding…"

"I don't mind. The pack has been really welcoming!"

"If you'd rather shift…"

"Nah, we're going to drop these in your truck and head out for a late dinner, aren't we, babe?" Tor slung an arm around Nora's waist. She automatically leaned into him. They looked so comfortable together.

"Tor wants to celebrate properly. Or as best as we can, considering everything," Nora said softly.

"After the full moon, we'll organize something. A pack dinner, or a cookout if it's still mild out. Welcome you properly," I offered. It was time for me to make an effort with Nora. Like it or not, she was pack now, and Tor was in love with her.

"I'd like that."

The pair left, and I waited. Sure enough, only a moment passed before Sunny joined me.

"Hey, Griffin."

"Hey." His presence was a balm. Just having Sunny close soothed my frayed nerves. The truce was done. Now all we had to do was wait for it to settle.

"So that went well," Sunny remarked, reminding me he had been watching.

"I don't trust it." Nothing about this truce felt right. It made me wonder if it was a trap.

"Do you trust anything?" Sunny followed me as I walked the trail down to where my truck was parked.

"Not a lot. I trust Tor. I'm starting to trust you with Rainbow."

"You are?"

"I've seen you with him. He's coming around."

Sunny gave a sigh. "He's…"

"What?" I paused with my hand on the door handle of my truck, waiting for whatever Sunny needed to say. He looked burdened with something. Not his usual sunshine self. I didn't like it.

"He feels the pull to you and doesn't understand it," he finally said. "It makes him unhappy because I know he's starting to like me, but he feels bad about his feelings for you."

"Rain will get over it. You just have to wait a bit longer."

Giving my mate advice about my other mate was weird. Was I talking myself out of a place with them?

"Do you ever plan on doing anything about our bonds? Mine or Rainbow's?"

I was silent for a long moment, thinking about the truce, about Ray and his remark to Nora. There was a long road before I could even think about having a mate. Rain would be in danger if I tried to claim him. Not just from me either, though I was the biggest threat to him.

Telling him "not for a long time" was likely not what he wanted to hear. Maybe I just had to let them go. Let Sunny have Rain to himself.

"Probably not."

My answer seemed to crush Sunny, putting out his inner light.

Ashamed, I tried to open the car door. Sunny held it closed, stepping into my space.

"You're making a mistake. If you could just see us as the powerful people we are, you would see we could be your strength. Rainbow has so much to offer. I do, too."

He kissed me softly, letting his lips linger on mine.

"Think about it."

Then he was gone.