9. A Word of Caution

Axel, could you come to my office, please? Blake used the pack link to summon me.

Dalton looked up from behind his desk. “Everything okay? Blake sounded pretty serious there.”

Dammit, he’d broadcast it, so I looked like a naughty kid being summoned to the principle’s office. Everyone within range would know Blake wanted to speak to me.

Sure,I replied, this time just to him. I tried to broadcast my annoyance at him, but emotions were generally a mate link thing.

“Probably wanting a security update,” I said aloud to Dalton, rubbing my forehead. The stress of the last couple of days after the elves had returned wanted to give me a headache, even if shifters didn’t really get them.

We now had a shiny new portal and a dozen new elves to place, thanks to the provisions the council had put in after the announcement of Elliotte’s birth. There was also the new healer, Hiroshi, and the betas who had arrived with him to properly vet. No one thought they posed a security risk, Logan, the leader of the Northarbor Pride, had vouched for them. It was more the risk of trouble they brought with them.

Call me paranoid, but I didn’t think the situation with his betrothed was finished. Hiroshi was sweet, yet the two betas and an omega thing was a bit weird, even for the Sweetwater pack.

All of it was more work than I needed. The last couple of days had been stressful, I’d barely had any time to have another date with Teárlach, though he was also being kept busy with the new contingent of elves. I’d always thought ívarr was the leader there, but it was T all the elves looked to for information and guidance. Every time I checked on him, he was directing more elves.

Between the portal and the temporary housing some witches helped us construct, there was somewhere for us all to sleep, so that was one concern handled. T spent most of his nights with me, but I wanted something more permanent. Unfortunately, that meant building.

I picked up the plans I’d had drawn up and said bye to Dalton before making my way to Blake’s office. If he was in a mood, it wasn’t worth keeping him waiting. His temper would just reach its height and he’d blow up at me. Catching him before boiling point usually meant I could talk him down.

“Hey, Axel. It’s just him,” Dakota greeted me fairly cheerfully. He seemed buried in a pile of paperwork. More work from the factory that made our alcoholic cider and formed much of our income. The elves were helpful in they were good with agriculture, encouraging a better harvest of apples. They took security shifts, too, so they were helping with the burden of affording all of the new buildings and feeding everyone.

“Where’s Kade and the babies?” Roan’s desk next to the door to Kade’s office was empty.

“In his office. Roan and Jasper are in there watching them so Kade can get some sleep,” Dakota said distractedly. “Jasper is supposed to keep off his feet.”

Baby Hayden would be with us in a couple of weeks.

Solid plan. In that office, they had a solid defense with two alphas nearby in case anything did get through. Roan had a lot of training. I knew my cousin Deke, the Head Enforcer, had put him through his paces when he took on the assistant job for Kade, so I felt confident he could protect the omegas and the babies.

I’d get my baby cuddles after, if Blake didn’t rip me a new one. I’d probably need them.

Blake had to have heard me outside, so I entered without knocking.

“Set the ward, would you?”

Fuck. This wasn’t going to be good if he wanted silence from interfering ears.

There was a table by the door with some wards just waiting to be used. It was useful to have close ties with the local coven in Northarbor. I activated it and waited for the now familiar pop to let me know it was working.

“Kade can still hear everything, but he should be sleeping.” Blake spoke as if Kade was awake and listening in. “I never close the bond to him.”

“Not even in the bathroom?”

Blake cracked a smile, the icy facade fading away. “Maybe just then.”

“What’s this about?” I asked, taking a seat opposite him.

The office had so many bad memories attached to it; I was sure I’d never truly feel comfortable in there. Blake had put his own stamp on it, but the pain our father had inflicted in there still lingered in the air.

“Everyone has told me to butt out.” Blake rubbed his face with his hands, then steepled them on the desk. He was unusually anxious.

“Oh-kay.” I sat back in the chair and crossed my arms defensively.

“We all want you happy. I,“ he stressed the word, “want you to have anything you’ve ever wanted. You deserve the world.”

“But?”

“Is Teárlach really the best choice?”

I nearly launched myself out of the chair. Years of training made me sit still in my seat and give no other indication of my anger other than a raised eyebrow. Inside, I was a raging storm. I kept the family link locked down so Blake wouldn’t know just how badly the question had affected me.

“Don’t make that face. I like T,” Blake said, reading me as clearly as if I’d shouted at him. “All the elves, really. I just… do we know how long they will stick around?”

“No. We don’t.” I kept my words clipped.

“Axel…” Blake blew out a breath. “I love you. I just don’t want you to get your heart broken when T leaves and you can’t follow.”

“How do you know I can’t?”

Blake stopped dead. He stared me right in the eyes. “There are three reasons just in the other room for why you’d never leave.” His face did something complicated, then landed on sadness. “You love those babies like they’re your own.”

Hiding my wince was hard. “I do. They’re yours though.”

“Are you telling me if you had the choice to go live in Abrocaelum with T, you’d go? You’d leave us behind, settle for only seeing the babies on holidays?” His worry was obvious. “Are you sure you’d be welcome there? The elves here are excited about working with shifters, but I know there are factions in Abrocaelum that don’t want to integrate with us.”

We sat in silence for a while as I thought about what I had to say. Words didn’t come easily. I was the brother that stood watch, stood in the shadows for so long, I blended in. Blake had to understand how I was feeling.

“Teárlach told me about his people before. I thought if I ever went to spend time with him there, that I could change their minds. It doesn’t matter if I can’t. Being with him would be worth anything they said or did. The babies have all of you. They have Chase. There’s a damn portal here. I could visit every damn day if I wanted.”

I paused to let him process. “The thing is, I’m already at the point where being without him feels like I’d be missing half of myself. So missing the babies growing up would be a small price to pay. They aren’t mine. Sometimes they remind me of what I can’t have for myself.”

“Axel—“

“It’s fine, Blake. Once T helps fix their fertility, maybe he will have to go back. Maybe I’d go with him.”

My admission stunned him. He sat there for a while, his eyes going distant as he communicated with Kade, who clearly had a lot to say.

“Kade says to be careful. He’s not sure Teárlach is telling you everything. There’s things that don’t add up there.” We locked eyes. A lot of unsaid things passed between us. Again, I was grateful The Luna hadn’t made me an alpha. The pressure Blake had always endured would have destroyed me. Something I reminded myself of often.

“We love you and want your happiness, and if that’s him, we’ll do what we can to ensure it.”

“Thank you.” I knew they loved me and this talk had come out of their need to protect me for once. Completely unnecessary, though. Teárlach held all of my heart in his hands already. It was up to him what happened next.

Even if he was hiding something, I was sure it wasn’t a secret mate and a bunch of kids. There wasn’t anything we couldn’t overcome together. I was certain about a future with Teárlach.

“So, how are those plans coming along?” Blake changed the subject. I wanted to hug him for it.

Reminded of them, I went back to the table where I’d dropped them and removed the ward for extra measure.

“All’s good, Dakota,” I said with a grin on my face.

“Thanks, Axel!” he called in return. I could hear him laugh through the door.

“The plans are great!” I set them on the desk and unrolled them. “We need to get you out of this place. It’s a security nightmare with how many people are free to pass through it daily.”

Blake winced. “You’re not wrong. I think part of our sleeplessness is anxiety for the babies’ safety.”

Tired, worried, silver-blue eyes, the same shade as mine, held my gaze. “I can’t put my finger on it, I just don’t trust some of the alphas. We need to get out of here before something happens.”

“Well, luckily, your big brother is amazing!” Blake laughed, the fear receding from his eyes. “And I’ve got you covered.” I pointed at the plans. “Here’s your house, over here. There’s mine.”

“Oh, we’re building you a house, are we?”

“Damn right. I’ve got it set up for six in a semicircle with defensive points.” I pointed to the places on the map.

Blake grinned. “Okay, outline it all for me.”