20. RIVER

20

RIVER

I needed a moment to think, a moment that didn't involve all that testosterone in one place. From magic to the Sapphire wolves, to Gael's physical health, and now this new crest and an Oraculum? I've always prided myself in gathering information, studying it, and then making sure Mateo can utilize it. However, all of this is way beyond my expertise.

Refusing to let my chaotic thoughts overtake my rational mind, I opt for a walk through the pack lands. There can never be enough security and what better way to think than to spend time in nature? My feet take me to the edge of the heart, near where the clearing between our pack and the Redstone pack begins. The crystal forest as Mateo so called it once.

It was only later that I learned Nepheline had a part in that name. It fits beautifully, the way the icy snow sparkles beneath the moonlight.

"Running?"

I twist around to see Remi walking up to me, the little Alpha throwing his arms around my waist as he sets his chin on my shoulder. "No."

"And you're a liar. We're all allowed to admit something is too much, River. We've been thrown a lot of fucking details in such a short amount of time. Just over three months ago, I thought we'd be sharing an Omega with Mateo. And now? Everything has changed." He squeezes me a little tighter before I grab his hands and pull them up to my lips to kiss his knuckles.

"Are you going to admit that maybe Mateo was a little too rough with you tonight? I thought he was going to break you in half, babe." I know Remi enjoys the rough side of our Alpha but Mateo wasn't in control. His wolf was driving that connection and if Remi had so much as shown an ounce of discomfort, I would've fought the pack Alpha.

Remi snorts as he comes to stand beside me. "Asani already mentioned something. Well, he basically told Mateo that he's not allowed to do that again and he needs to get his wolf in check. It was awkward and I also needed an out. But hey, Nepheline is half-asleep and Darius won't leave her alone." He shrugs like our entire pack dynamic didn't just change with the appearance of Nepheline's Beta. "Also spoke with a few of the Alphas and they said they were all forced to their knees during whatever that was in the bedroom. They didn't shift but it was like a call of absolute submission."

I raise an eyebrow, curious as to how powerful an Alpha's call can truly be. There hasn't been one for so long that I wonder what would happen if our pack ever had to fight another. Could Mateo's call give us an extra boost of adrenaline? Or is this magic just surface-level?

"I am going to do a quick patrol before I go back."

"There are other guards for that, River."

"And sometimes I miss running through the woods with my mate at my side." A wild grin spreads across Remi's face as he shifts first, looking back at me.

Remi First one to the edge of the pack lands wins.

"You're on, you cheater!" I don't bother stripping, knowing that none of my mates will be bothered by my nakedness when I return. Magic ripples through my body as the shift takes over; being one with my wolf more natural than it ever has been. Before, it was just a different form, something to aid my job here as part of the pack. Now, it feels fluid, natural, and each stride across the snow-covered grass brings me a sense of peace I've never had.

This feels different, right? I ask.

Yes, but better. Remi responds.

The wind whips through my coat as I run alongside my mate, the worries of the day falling away. I'm still unsure of what will happen when Gael passes, and how Mateo will respond but I know it will bring the pack closer. We still have to deal with the council, Calista, and Silas but the deeper into the forest we go, it feels as if Mother Nature is whispering that everything will be alright.

That it will work out.

The true Alpha has returned as has the magic bestowed upon these pack lands.

The crest on Mateo and Nepheline's chests tells me that we have much more to experience before all of this is over. Even after Silas is dead, even after those who wished the Nightshades harm pay for what they've done, we still have to rebuild.

And sometimes that is the hardest part.

Stop thinking so hard and enjoy the night air. You came to run. Catch me.

I look up ahead to see Remi's wolf snarling at me, those gorgeous gray eyes of his bouncing around playfully, waiting for me to engage. It's been too long since it's just been the two of us and while I love what our family has become, sometimes I miss the night patrols beneath the silence of a starry sky.

Remi darts farther into our forest and I take off after him, my longer strides catching up to his in no time. I pin him to the ground, leaning my snout down to his ear before licking a stripe across the sensitive skin.

Submit.

Remi's laughter fills my head. That was too easy. Best out of three.

I flip him over, not surprised when he shifts back so that he is being pinned by my wolf. He reaches up and runs his fingers through the fur on my snout, that sloppy smile switched out for a more serious one. I've never understood his fascination with being dominated by our wolf, being next to us in his non-shifted form but the wonder and love in his eyes tells me I don't need to understand.

I lower my snout to his chest, running the tip of my nose along his bare skin. He shivers beneath the cold touch, his fingers sinking into my fur. "Don't play, River." His words don't make any sense until I look farther south to see Remi hard and leaking, his hips twitching with the need for friction. As much as I love my mate, this is a little outside my comfort zone.

Desperate to give Remi what he needs, though, I shift back and slip down his torso before swallowing his cock whole. The movement grants me a low, guttural groan, Remi bucking up into my mouth as his rich taste settles on my tongue. His hands sift into my short strands, as I grip his waist and push him into the earth floor.

"Fuck me," he whines but I just shake my head. Not now. I might have needed to clear my head but I don't want to stay out here too long.

I bob my head up and down, my tongue sliding along the underside of his cock until he's spilling down my throat. "You taste amazing as always, babe." Remi chuckles, a sound cut off by a soft gasp when his head falls to the ground. I crawl up his torso to ravage my little Alpha for a few more seconds when a flicker of fluorescent light catches my eye. A frown replaces my smile as I shift into my wolf, ready to fight whatever is crossing into our pack lands. When the flicker happens again, a stream of purple, blues, and greens spread across a thin line at the edge of what the Nightshades own.

Remi, look.

I step forward, unsure of what I'm seeing. When my snout presses against the film of wavering light, energy rushes through me. It's magic. A wall of protection that spreads across our pack lands. It extends as far as I can see on both the right and the left, Remi stepping up beside me to experience the same view that I am.

It's gorgeous. Fuck. There's a wolf out there.

Focusing on where Remi's nodding, a large black wolf is pacing back and forth snarling at the barrier. I don't suspect he actually sees it but when he lunges forward, he doesn't make it more than a few feet. The wolf throws his head back and howls into the night air but on this side of the barrier, the night is silent.

That's fucking trippy. I mutter.

If I didn't know better, Mateo's roar did this, the protection around our lands. We'll figure this out in the morning.

I wholeheartedly agree as we race back to the house. I'm not surprised to see that the puppy pile has been moved to the living room again, Nepheline waking up just long enough to meet my gaze when I slip in behind Asani. "You okay?" She asks through the mindlink.

I am now.