Chapter 8

Thomas

I still wasn't entirely comfortable leaving the Pack, but I'd put it off for as long as possible. As it was, we'd only be getting five days in San Marco now. Lily was disappointed, as she'd been looking forward to spending time with her family for quite some time. I hated to do this to her and even offered to allow her and the girls to stay a few extra days, but she'd declined.

"As much as I want to see everyone, I don't like being away from our Pack for too long. Five days is plenty."

"You were originally talking three weeks," I reminded her.

"That was a dream. I'm back to reality now, and our place is here. Maybe we should just cancel the trip entirely."

I reached up and checked her forehead for a fever.

She pushed my hand away and grimaced.

"I'm not sick and I was being serious. Now is just not a good time."

"Slugger, we may not be the largest Pack in the world, but we're sizable enough that if we waited until everything was perfect within the Pack, then we'd never go anywhere."

She sighed. "I know you're right."

"Luke and Syd will hold down the fort while we're gone. Isn't that part of why I have a Beta to begin with?"

"I suppose."

"It's fine. Against my better judgement, I've even agreed to leave Sam behind. You just better be right about this Micah character. I've already made arrangements with Kyle to have Micah standing by on our arrival. He'll run a quick check to ensure that the flight didn't harm the baby or send you into premature labor or anything. Then we'll head up the mountain to get settled in. Well, as long as everything looks good."

"By ‘we' you are referring to you, right? Because I'm pretty sure I would know if something went wrong or if I was in labor. Not my first rodeo."

I groaned. "Fine, you want me to say it?"

"I do."

"I need him to verify that you are okay. My wolf is already going to be worked up just being in your brother's territory. Worrying about whether you and the baby are okay isn't going to lead to a good outcome for anyone."

She ran her hand through my hair and kissed me.

"You really are a big over-protective softy."

"Only when it comes to you."

"And our daughters."

"Them too," I acknowledged. "I just can't even let myself think of a world without you in it, so humor me?"

"I will be on my best behavior and let Micah check me out."

"Check on the baby," I corrected.

I knew damn well she was trying to goad me.

"That's what I said," she insisted, but the sparkle of mischief in her eyes told another tale entirely.

"You're just lucky we're leaving for the airport."

"Lucky? Why? What would happen if we weren't?"

I whispered in her ear exactly what I would be doing to her otherwise.

She gasped, and her eyes widened. She grabbed her phone and made a quick call.

"Luke, thanks for keeping the girls so we could pack. Can you take them out for ice cream, alert the pilot we'll be about half an hour late, and just meet us there?"

"Everything okay?" I heard him ask.

"Fine. I'm just feeling a little anxious and need to work off some of this tension before getting into that flying trap."

"Understood. See you soon."

"Did you really just postpone our delay?"

"No time for questions," she said, tossing the suitcases off the bed and then pushing me down onto it.

She unzipped my pants and pulled my manhood out to cradle in her hands as she climbed atop me. She was wearing a thin cotton dress and didn't even bother removing her underwear as she hiked up her dress, pushed her panties to one side and settled herself onto my now-hard steel rod.

She sighed in pleasure once I was fully embedded within her.

And then she moved like a woman on a mission.

She tried to lean forward and kiss me, but her enormous belly was in the way, hindering her attempts. Her frustration soon morphed into pants and sexy little mews that were driving me quickly to climax.

I tried to reach for her, but she swatted my hand away.

"No need. No time," she chanted to the beat of our lovemaking.

There were always signs when Lily was close to her release and over the years, I'd memorized them all. I knew when she was getting close.

"Oh God. Feels so good. More. Faster," I cheered her on.

I could feel her inner walls closing in around me and couldn't hold out any longer as a fast surge coursed through me and I cried out her name.

She continued to ride me hard, milking me for all I had before she finally gave in to her own orgasm.

Hot and sweaty, her body still a little shaky, she climbed off of me and ran to the bathroom to clean herself up. The front of my pants were soaked from our lovemaking. I jumped up and changed into a clean pair.

She returned looking as if nothing had happened, picked up the suitcases and wheeled them down the hall.

"Thomas, we're going to be late. Are you coming or not?"

"I thought I already did," I muttered under my breath.

The look on her face when I caught up to her told me she'd heard me.

Without a word, I took our luggage and loaded it into the back of my truck before helping her into the passenger seat, then running around and taking my spot in the driver's seat. I started up the engine and sped all the way to the airfield. Lily was right. We were late.

Luke and Sydney were there waiting. Our girls had already boarded the plane.

Lily hugged Syd and thanked her, but Syd scrunched up her nose and pulled away.

"You reek of sex. Wait, is that really why you delayed your flight?"

My mate shrugged. "You remember what pregnancy hormones are like. And I didn't lie. I told Luke I had to work off some tension first."

"Seriously Lil? That's what you meant?" Luke asked.

She took my hand and dragged me toward the plane.

"Thanks for holding down the fort. Call if there's an emergency," I yelled over the noise of the engines as we were boarding.

Lily fussed over the girls for a minute and then settled into her seat as I took mine next to her.

"I can't believe you told him that."

"Why? It's true."

"But you didn't have to come right out and admit it."

"Whatever. They'll get over it."

"Get over what, Mommy?" Willow asked.

"It's nothing sweetie. Grown-up stuff."

"You're sure you're feeling okay?"

"After that, better than okay."

"Slugger, I'm serious."

"Oh, so was I."

The pilot came on and told us to take our seats and buckle up and soon we were in the air for an otherwise uneventful flight to California.

The girls were well behaved and quiet for much of the trip. As soon as we were told we could unbuckle and move around the cabin, Willow was out of her seat and climbing onto Lily's lap. Her stomach was so big these days, bigger than I'd ever seen it before, that it was not an easy feat, so I plucked her off her mama and settled her onto my lap where she could still reach Lily but helped make everyone a bit more comfortable.

The flight passed quickly, and soon I was bracing for the uncomfortable punch I always got entering another Alpha's territory. Even though the Westins were family, and I loved them, I didn't always enjoy being on their turf, though I had no problem with them coming to visit Collier. I supposed that was just an Alpha thing and wondered if Kyle often felt out of place when coming to Collier, too.

Still, this was Lily's home Pack, her family, and I knew she adored them and this place. So I'd never mentioned it before. It wasn't like it was so unbearable that I couldn't be there. Mostly, it was just the initial arrival that made me uneasy. After that my wolf would adjust, for the most part, and only be a bit on edge and on full-alert while here.

Touchdown was smooth and while we weren't entirely in Kyle's territory yet, my wolf still went on alert from the unfamiliar scents surrounding us. And as we headed up the mountain, I knew the exact moment we crossed over into Westin territory.

If I'd had it my way, we'd have booked a room at Westin Lodge, which sat just outside territory lines. Even though it was technically Kyle's too, he'd purposefully set it as neutral ground. But, of course, Lily and her parents would never hear of us staying there. We were family and family stayed at home, in the Alpha House, right in the middle of it all.

Just like Lily and I chose not to live in the Alpha House, Kyle and Kelsey had a similar setup. Lily's parents, the former Alpha and Pack Mother, were also still alive and lived there.

Most wolf-shifter Packs did not allow previous Alphas to live, let alone remain in territory. The Westins were the first that I knew of to make that transition. It hadn't been on purpose. Jason Westin had nearly lost his life in a battle and the Alpha power had transferred to Kyle. Once he'd pulled through it, they had mutually decided it was time for Jason to retire, a concept foreign to Alpha wolves who previously reigned until the day they died whether through defeat in battle or of old age.

Seeing it work for them and knowing how strong and powerful my wolf was becoming, instead of risking the point when my wolf would challenge and dominate his, my father stepped down gracefully and succeeded the title to me in a smooth transition that surprised a lot of people.

Since the day he dropped to one knee and formally gave his allegiance to me, my wolf has never seen him as a threat. So while it may be uncommon to essentially see two Alphas in one Pack, it had never been an issue.

I'd been surprised when no one from her family had been there to greet us on arrival. Kyle had sent a member of Westin Force Delta team instead. I knew Walker well enough from over the years. He was great friends with my sister Shelby, who now resided in Westin Pack as well. Her mate Ben was on the Bravo team of Westin Force. The elite forces program designed to protect shifterkind that Kyle had put together comprised multiple teams. These two lived here in San Marco, but there were others scattered around the world.

I didn't ask a lot of questions or demand details on all they did, but I knew that Collier Pack was that much more safe because of it.

Walker drove us straight to the Alpha House while chatting with Lily the whole way.

"When is the rest of the family coming in? I know Shelby is so excited to everyone."

"They'll arrive in two days for the party."

It wasn't really a party, just a big family day combining all the Westins and Colliers. It was more like a reunion or really just a giant family picnic. The important thing was that it was time set aside to just come together as a family, which was not an easy feat.

He drove us straight to the Alpha House. I knew from all the cars parked out front that several people were likely awaiting our arrival there, and I was a bit relieved by it.

Lily wasn't always great at telling people when we were coming to visit. She said she liked to surprise them. It probably paid a big role on why my wolf never fully rested here. It was one thing to have an open invitation into another Alpha's territory and an entirely different thing to find out you'd snuck in completely unannounced. Kyle never seemed to care, but I did.

Relief flooded me when her parents met us at the door and were actually expecting us for once.

"My baby girl is finally home. It's been too long," Mary Westin gushed, hugging her daughter.

Lily had four siblings, three brothers and a sister. She was very close to all of them. In contrast, I had six sisters. Sure, I was close to them, but the dynamics were all very different. I was the youngest of seven and the only boy, so my relationship with my sisters was nothing like the closeness Lily experienced with her siblings.

Actually, being with Lily had helped bring me closer to my family. She was not only the glue that held our Pack together, but the one who embodied family, setting an example that affected everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.

I hugged Mary and shook hands with Jason before they turned their attention to the girls.

"Cammie, I swear you need to slow down. You're going to be as tall as I am the next time you visit at this rate."

She giggled. "I'm going to grow big and strong so I can help protect our Pack," she informed them.

Jason shot me a questioning look that I chose to ignore.

My daughter was growing bold in her assertion that she would one day be Alpha of Collier. I had no idea how that would all play out. Lily could very well be carrying a son right now. I nearly cringed at the thought. The last thing I wanted to do was break my little girl's heart, but while there were Pack's far more open to the idea of female Alpha, I was not sure my Pack had progressed to such a point.

Fortunately, the topic passed quickly, and they were on to more important things, like helping their grandmother bake cookies for the picnic.

As we made it to the living room, we found several other familiar faces.

Kelsey rose and walked over to hug us with a huge smile on her face.

"I am so happy you guys made it."

"Is Jason here?" Cammie asked hopefully. She was referring to her cousin, Kelsey's youngest, and not her grandfather, in this case.

"He and Zander are helping in the kitchen. Sara's in there too."

Cammie squealed and ran off in search of her big cousins.

In total, there were fourteen Collier grandkids, for a few more weeks at least. Half of them were also Westin grandkids thanks to Lily's twin brother Liam mating Madelyn, my youngest sister. The Westins now numbered twelve, with two more on the way.

"Hey everyone. Sorry I couldn't get freed up to meet you when you landed. How was the flight?"

"Uncle Kyle!" Willow squealed as she abandoned us all to run over and leap into the air knowing damn well her favorite uncle would catch her.

I was pretty sure Willow thought he was a true flesh and blood prince from one of her fairytales she was always reading. Kelsey told their mating story like it was something in a book, with Kyle always staring at the prince who rescued her.

Kelsey Adams Westin was no damsel in distress. She was the strongest person I knew, aside from my mate. But Willow ate up every word every time she recounted how they'd met and fell in love, which had contributed heavily to my third daughter's infatuation with Uncle Kyle.

"You brought my best girl with you," he cooed, nuzzling her and, no doubt, rubbing his scent on my daughter.

My wolf should have been furious, yet the knowledge that my kids had the double protection of two Packs had always given me just a bit of peace, which was in stark contrast to everything else I felt being here.

Life didn't always make sense, but at the core of it all for me was the importance of family.

"I can't wait for everyone to arrive so we're all together at last," Lily whispered, echoing my thoughts exactly.