27. Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Locke

I don't know how long I lay there holding her. I haven't felt the skin of any female since my mother and my sister.

My ruts have been painful in my time alone. I sought no relief from another female and endured them with no sort of medication, although I carried it for others close to me, trying to help ease their pain.

Now, I felt the heat of my body rise. My cock was constantly hard and I had yet to gain permission to take my mate's body while she was sleeping. Now that I had claimed her, I felt my scattered and irrational thoughts fade, and now I wanted nothing but consent from her.

I think it was part of the old me shining through. The broken pieces of my mind being pieced together. Those cracks would be sealed through the bond. I wouldn't achieve perfect healing, as it was impossible with the memories I held. I don't think any god or goddess could make me forget. The pain made me the wolf I was today and I needed it to help this pack survive.

My wolf stirred, his ears twitching as he rose from deep within my mind.

" A pack," he muttered. "It is the first time you referred to our club with that term and meant it. "

I took a deep breath, nuzzling my face further into my mate's neck. It was the first time I had thought of the club as a pack, or at least felt that it was the right word. Was this the turning point for those who fought to be inside the Iron Fang?

Would there be differences within the pack, now that I thought of them as a pack rather than a club since, Emm's and my mating?

Thoughts about what I have created in this world circled in my mind when I should have been concentrating on my mate. Yet here I was, worrying about everyone else.

There was no time to enjoy the pleasantries. I had to ensure that the rest of the shifters and fae were taken care of as well.

I rearranged the cozy blankets, ensuring that my scent enveloped them completely. As I held my mate close, I could feel her shivering slightly. It was crucial for her to stay warm, as her body would soon undergo significant changes. I wanted to relieve her immune system of the need to regulate her body temperature.

When I pulled away and saw her sleeping form, I couldn't help but feel gratefulness toward the Goddess. For so long, I damned her for what she had done to me and to my friends.

My mother never told me a mate could reject you. It was either she didn't know, or just refused to tell me. There was so much darkness in Blood Rose, maybe she wanted to give me hope.

Regretfully, I pulled away from my mate and took my phone off the nightstand.

I'd brought my mate to the new packhouse, still being constructed, after I ravaged her on the forest floor.

The third floor of the large mansion reminded me of packhouses I had traveled past in the Elysian realm. They were for the more developed packs, ones that had a heavy export in textiles, armor or other items that were considered luxurious. I hadn't seen anything like it before until I finally left the ashes of Blood Rose.

I wanted that for a pack of my own.

The Iron Fang's packhouse stood tall and imposing, even though the first and second floors were partially incomplete. The sturdy walls were constructed from the finest stone and reinforced with iron. However, what set it apart from other packhouses I have ever seen, was the touch of nature that adorned its exterior.

Lush green vines cascaded down the walls, intertwining with the logs and creating a harmonious blend of human construction and the fae's natural influence. The foliage seemed to have a life of its own, as if the fae had carefully chosen it to complement the surrounding scenery. It was as if the packhouse was not just a home for the alpha but for the unmated wolves that had yet to build their own families. The mated had their own cabins being constructed. This sanctuary was integrated into the wilderness. The combination of modern strength and fae magic made the Iron Fang's packhouse truly unique.

Once the packhouse was completed, we could bring them here. Emm and I would watch over them until they were mated and had their own cabins to retreat too.

I took several deep breaths.

Time. All in good time.

My phone had several messages, mostly from Bones and updates from the club.

Bones : "The crew is set up at the mansion. They are currently delayed but are taking time to scout out patterns of their security."

I tilt my head and rub my chin as I read it. Why the hell would they be delayed?

Locke : "Why is it delayed?"

The response was quick.

Bones: "Nadia and Bear have a headache."

I raised a brow.

Locke: "Explain."

The phone vibrated in my hand and I answered. I stepped out of our bedroom, but kept the door open to monitor her.

"Sorry, I didn't want to disturb you," Bones cleared his throat. "It's being taken care of; I told them some meds to pick up. Bear said they would resume once they've kicked in."

"Why the hell would they get a headache? Shifters don't get a fucking headache, not unless-." My heart stopped beating in my chest. "Fucking shit." I ran my hand through my messy hair. "The link—a pack-link. There is a link trying to form."

"What? Nadia's had a headache before. I figured Bear might be feeling hers through their bond. Humans have medication for this sort of pain. I'm hoping it will help with theirs."

I shook my head. Nadia and Bear were a mated couple. There's way human medication would touch them. Bones didn't know shit about links and how they formed.

"They need to pull out," I growled. "Tell them to back off and come home."

"Alpha, they are already there. They are so close—"

I balled my fist and banged it on the table. "I said get them the fuck home. All shifters need to get back to home base. The ones who are going to feel this the most are the mated couples, Bones. It's going to get worse."

Bones wouldn't know that even for a doctor; few shifters did. Alphas were taught how links were created; tiny wires inside the mind, hunting and searching to connect their threads to a wired system. Bear and Nadia didn't have our pack close enough to connect with anyone—to a leader. Their animals wouldn't connect to just anyone, they would only connect with someone they have submitted to or trusted.

I just hoped that was me.

"Get them out," I snapped. "We will have to find another way."

"The vampires?" Bones questioned. "The ones that offered their help. Bear can have them come in and take their place."

As much as I wanted to leave out that damn coven, it was a suitable substitute. I clenched my jaw. "Do we have maps available? What about the Moonlight Outcasts that helped Bear rescue Nadia? Are they willing to negotiate with the coven and lead the operation?"

Bones repeated what I asked. I heard Switch's confirmation and the repeated tapping of the keys on a keyboard. The Moonlight Outcasts were a bunch of vampires and a werewolf, who'd formed some sort of friendship bond before finding me. They held each other together and helped Bear rescue Nadia. They would know that mansion inside and out, as much as Bear.

"Any other mated pair cannot take part in this rescue," I snapped. "That's an order. I want this done in six hours."

Bones said nothing on the other line.

"I said it was an order. Do you understand?" I growled.

"Y-yes, Alpha."

He said Alpha! And it wasn't in a derogatory or joking manner. It was in reverence, in hope.

I took a deep breath and sat in the chair. My eyes darted to Emm who was still sleeping soundly, undisturbed.

My body craved to be near her, but I couldn't let this go. Not yet, not when we were close.

For the next hour I made phone calls. One to Bear to check on their health, and the other to Hawke. I felt stupid that I would forget such a huge detail about pack-links, but shit, it had been so many years since any of us had been a part of a pack.

Mates, in general, were stronger, of course, their animals wanted to establish a connection. The pain in their mind, searching for its home pack, would get stronger until it was relieved. The mated needed to be returned home quickly to establish the connection.

As for the unmated; a ceremony performed by a witch would have to be established. It would pull their animals from going rabid and establish a formal connection. At least, I hoped; it was what I read in books I had found many years ago.

It was never an easy process for shifters to move from pack to pack. It was painful and downright dangerous. Some could lose their life with the pain, and if the soul was not strong enough— they may not make it.

Before performing such a ceremony, we would have to check each soul.

And, who the hell was going to check a soul to make sure a member wasn't going to be in danger of dying?

Journey?

I ran my hand down my face. If they are too far gone, if they have been rogue long enough, I can't help; only their mates can.

At least some individuals, who have been recently rejected within the past few years, had a better chance.

"We are getting there," my wolf mumbled. " You are doing everything in your power."

I chuckled and pulled at my hair. " My sister would be better at this."

He hummed. " Probably."

Asshole.

Two days passed. I had been rearranging our new living quarters on the third floor of the packhouse. It was not completely furnished, still, but I didn't think it would be. At least someone had the idea of finishing the alpha suit first - walls, a bed, a table and kitchen supplies. Hell, it even had food.

Journey, she had a sixth sense about this stuff—or the Goddess inside her head. I don't know which.

And they all think I'm crazy.

Emm has moved very little and was still laying in bed. I constantly checked on her, keeping her warm and covering her with blankets again, while trying to make our home more like—a home. Adjusting the drapes, fluffing the pillows, all that.

Gods, I fluff pillows!

I ordered so much shit, and wolves kept dropping it off just outside the door. Too scared to even knock on the double doors, afraid I would come out and bite their heads off.

They should have been scared; their luna was transitioning, and my fucking shaft was raw as fuck.

Luckily in one of the boxes, Bones had the decency to put in some lube and a damn fleshlight inside. He even put in the infamous rutting root, that he had told me time and time again not to use, but I know I will not use it. I think it was as a joke, but a fucking terrible one.

The rut was getting worse, but I did what I could to keep my mind off of it. And, that was to decorate.

Our home would look much better than the shitty RV she was staying in. She's lived in that thing for almost fifteen years. Flashes of her past life flickered in my head constantly, and the more I see, the more I realize just how strong she is.

The Goddess didn't make a mistake, that was for sure. Emm was a real fighter. Taking men, twice her size, down with single blows. Her combat skills are incomparable, even for when I trained. For a female—hell for a human - she had more skills than most of our pack.

She wouldn't be the timid Luna you often see hosting boring tea parties. She would be a warrior and the backbone of the pack.

I did something unspeakable—but being the possessive bastard I was, I did it anyway. Bonded mates can look inside each other's minds. Emm wouldn't be able to do it as well as me yet, but hell, I could pry inside hers without her noticing.

I dug deep, wanting to know every last detail about her while I fucked her. I saw things I shouldn't have, like flashes of past lovers, and that was when my rut became worse. Fenrir hated it. His claws would grow, our fangs would descend, but our mate wasn't in our life then. I had to remind him of that.

My mate didn't fully understand what she prayed for, all those years ago. Her grandmother told her what to say, how to feel and, like an innocent child my mate was, she hung on her every word.

We owed her grandmother much.

Now, I fear my mate will worry about my true intentions. Yes, our mating will save The Iron Fang, form them into a pack and save countless lives. But it wasn't just about that—

If I knew that my mating to Emm would have destroyed everything I had built for these souls— I would have let it happen.

I would have let the Iron Fang burn.

Because, as my mother said, it is best to be the villain and get your happiness.