18. Dylan

Dylan

Chapter 18

The hike to Vesta's place was a lot longer than I thought it would be. I had a hard time believing a woman as old as she was could make this hike to the camp every few months for the quarterly festivals. It wasn't like she could drive down, and nobody had carried her piggyback as far as I'd noticed. This wasn't anything like taking a quick walk to the corner store, and with my hiking buddies taking their sweet-ass time, it was going to take hours and hours to walk there and back.

At the back of our party were Sasha and Stuart, gossiping in voices that weren't nearly hushed enough—they were talking about Damon and how cute his ass was when he was bent over working in the garden. Next in line behind me was Tara, humming a little tune under her breath. She had a really beautiful voice, but when I'd tried to encourage her to sing a little louder, she'd blushed and shook her head. Apparently singing was the only thing she lacked confidence in.

Brody was ahead of me, leading our little convoy, Malachi strapped to his back with a long swath of fabric. Every now and then Brody would pass a snack over his shoulder to keep the toddler happy. I thought about telling Brody about all the food smeared across the back of his neck, but I had a feeling he already knew.

They'd told me this was supposed to be some kind of omegas bonding time or whatever, but it seemed an odd choice of activity. We saw each other every single day, so why the hell did we need to leave camp in order to "bond." It was making me feel all kinds of antsy. I couldn't pinpoint what it was, but something wasn't right. And the longer we walked, the more not right it became. Maybe it was just because this was the farthest I'd been from my mate since we marked each other. I could still feel him there, humming happily along through the bond, anchored somewhere deep in my soul. I rubbed at my chest, frowning. He was fine, downright gleeful actually, which only made me frown harder. He wanted time away from me. Maybe this whole little trip had nothing to do with bonding after all, and it was just to give my fucking mate some quiet time with the other alphas.

The forest was really beautiful, the air fragrant with newly blooming wildflowers after a recent rain. The weather was perfect, the sun cutting sharp beams of golden light through the trees' overstory, and it was warm but not so hot that I'd sweat through my shirt. It should've been a perfect way to spend a summer day, and yet… I found myself trying to pick up the pace a little, nudging past Brody to take the lead.

Brody cast me a sly look from the corner of his eye. "Hey, what's the rush?

"Oh, you know… just eager to get there," I said stiffly. That was a lie. It was that I was eager to get home, and the sooner we got to Vesta's, the sooner we could leave. If my mate thought it would be so great without me, I'd show him a thing or two. Maybe I'd claim his hole tonight, see how he liked getting dicked around.

I hadn't even noticed I was stomping ahead until Brody's voice came from quite a distance behind. "So, what's your plan to lead the way? You don't even know where we're going."

I stopped where I was, glancing around for some kind of sign I was on the right track. A giant neon sign maybe, saying "Vesta's House This Way." No such luck, so I turned around in a huff to glare at him. His teasing smirk plucked at me, snagging into my tender nerves, and it took a huge amount of effort not to snap at him. But a tiny, whispering voice in the recesses of my hormonal mind reminded me that he was the Alpha Omega. I was probably supposed to show him a modicum of respect.

My panther offered to handle things for me, whatever that meant, but I had a suspicion he just wanted to play with Mal, probably licking all the snacks off his chubby cheeks.

"Fine," I sighed, my head hanging low toward my chest, and I grudgingly got back into line behind Brody.

Tara giggled behind me, and I gritted my teeth. Brody walked for only another hundred yards and announced, "We're here!"

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?" I grunted. "If you'd let me keep walking, I would've found it on my own."

He just shrugged and smiled again; he had the patience of a saint, and I wanted nothing more right now than to make him snap. "What can I say? I never said you were headed in the wrong direction. You should learn to trust yourself more. You're actually quite intuitive."

Growling, I marched past him into a clearing, and the stunning vista blasted my foul mood on its ass. This was the cutest cabin I'd ever seen! It looked like something out of a Bob Ross painting, with all its happy little flowers and moss and climbing vines. But… it didn't look habitable.

"Vesta lives here?" I asked incredulously.

"Uh-huh. Come on, she's probably expecting us."

A shiver ran down my spine. "What do you mean probably? Didn't you ask if this trip was okay before you planned it?"

Stuart laughed. "Oh, no. You don't need to plan to visit Vesta. She just knows, you know, with her witchy mind powers." He wiggled his fingers at me as if it was supposed to signify magic, and for extra measure, tacked on a spooky, "Woooooo."

Sasha bumped my shoulder on the way past. "I'll bet she's already got the table set and lunch cooking over the fire."

The door opened before we could get there, and Vesta's bent frame appeared in the doorway. "Now, why on earth would I make lunch when I know you brought food?" she asked, cackling as she waved us in. "And Tara, don't even try to tell me you didn't bring cinnamon buns, I know they are in your bag. It's not nice to tease an old woman."

"I wouldn't dream of it," she said, smirking as she slipped her backpack off and pulled out the container of pastries.

Our small gathering barely fit in the one-room shack, and as it was, most of us sat on the floor because of a lack of chairs. It was fine, I didn't mind—much. Living in the woods had taken a huge reordering of the way my brain worked. Before, I'd taken every luxury for granted. I had never given a second thought about where our food came from or the work that went into preparing it. A soft bed, plush carpets, windows and doors and walls—they were all just… there, as if they'd poofed into existence fully formed. If I wanted the internet, I pushed a button. If I wanted light, I flicked a switch. And when I wanted a hot shower, all I had to do was turn a dial and presto! Like magic!

Except it wasn't magic, not really.

Living out here in the woods had been a huge eye-opener, and while it hadn't been easy, not for one fucking second, it had certainly been worthwhile. It was satisfying in a way nothing in my life ever had been before. So, I would be grateful for my seat on Vesta's floor and the venison sandwich in my belly.

Once the food was consumed and the sun had begun its descent, I assumed we would get going back to camp. I'd been distracted from the distance to my mate for a little while, but now that itchy feeling was back. We must've been here long enough. I pushed up from my spot on the floor and brushed off the back of my jeans.

"Well, I guess we'll—" I began.

"Yes! A game of cards," Brody said, clapping his hands. "Great idea, Dylan!"

"I-I said what now?" How could he have possibly mistaken what I'd said so thoroughly? "No, I didn't—"

Tara stood up quickly, glancing sidelong at the Alpha Omega. "Yes!" she squeaked. "Cards, right. I've got a deck in my bag."

Vesta's chuckle was rough and smoky. "It's not going to work," she said, shaking her head, rocking gently in her chair in front of the cold fireplace.

Tara had come back with her deck of cards, and everyone shuffled into a circle as she began to deal. "Crazy Eights?"

"Lame," Stuart said, rolling his eyes. "I say we play poker. Loser has to do the winner's chores. I'll wager my biffy duty."

Sasha nodded quickly, his curls bouncing. "I'm in! I'll throw in my hunting. I'm so bad at it, and I always get blood in my fur. It's disgusting."

I was still standing, staring down at my packmates chatting like this was the most normal thing in the world. Vesta met my twitchy glare, her white eyes somehow filled with mirth, a smile toying at the corner of her wrinkled lips.

When I turned back to the circle, I caught Brody looking away quickly, his expression suspiciously bland. "All right, what the hell is going on?" I snapped. I no longer had any control of my face. I could only imagine the frustration that was currently written all over it.

Four faces turned up at me, all with the same blank innocence that somehow screamed guilt. Something tweaked in the back of my mind, like an itty-bitty bell. Ding! I narrowed my eyes at Brody. "You're stalling."

He spat out an overly dramatic scoff. "What? Stalling? Me? That's ridiculous." He chewed on the inside of his cheek for a second. "How about strip poker?"

I wasn't buying their bullshit for another second. I reached inside myself to the mating bond and gave it a sharp pluck, like a guitar string, sending the vibration all the way through the woods to my mate. On the other end of the line, I felt Tristan's surprise, but also a cheeky kind of mischief, as well as a bone-deep exhaustion.

"Why is my mate tired?" I asked, brow pinched.

Again, four blank faces, four fake shrugs. Vesta laughed and said, "I told you it wouldn't work."

I growled. "You guys aren't my friends anymore." Then I stuck my tongue out at them and stormed out the door. They were still sitting in the same spots when I popped my head back in just to throw my clothes at them. "Could you guys bring these back for me? Thanks, bye."

Then I took my fur and ran. Screw the winding path; the shortest route home was a straight line, and the terrain didn't slow my panther down a single bit. It felt amazing to stretch our legs, to truly let our power loose. Even reserving some energy, pacing myself, I felt like we could run all day. Leaping over mossy rocks, fallen logs, and streams, it took far less time to get back to camp than it had to hike to Vesta's cabin.

As we approached camp, though, I began to be aware of a few things. One, I heard the rumble of engines, and the air was ripe with so many scents—sawdust, melted plastic, diesel fumes. What the hell was going on?!

With a final burst of speed, we bolted into the clearing, landing in a crouch where I knew my mate would be. Sure enough, he was standing there waiting for us, arms crossed over his chest, amused smirk on those kissable lips. "I was wondering how long it would take before you got suspicious."

I'd planned to be angry with him. I didn't even know what I was angry about, but I didn't like being kept in the dark. "I hate surprises," I snarled as I shifted back to my skin.

"I promise you'll like this one," he said, easing closer cautiously in case I decided to attack, then he brushed a soft kiss on my mouth. He licked along my lower lip, nipping it with his teeth. "Forgive me?"

I grunted. "Depends on the surprise, I guess." In truth, as his fingers slid over the curve of my hip, I was already starting to forget why I was mad in the first place. My cock began to thicken from the friction of his jeans, and since I was already naked, we were halfway to a good time. "Lose the pants," I grunted, slipping my fingers under his shirt to tangle in the hair on his stomach.

Tris reached down and gripped my wrists, groaning, his eyes just a little unfocused. "I'm afraid that'll have to wait. We have guests."

I couldn't believe how easily distracted I'd been by my mate that I'd completely ignored everything else going on. Of course we had guests, that was obvious, and way more than just a few of them. Their scents overlapped until I couldn't distinguish one from another, though I could tell all of them were shifters.

Tristan smugly handed me a pair of sweats, and I shoved my legs into them while trying to get a peek at all the activity going on in the camp. My jaw hinged open in awe. "What the hell, Tris. What have you done?"

His grin was blinding, his pride shining through. "Let me give you a tour," he said, draping an arm over my shoulders. We couldn't get very close because the entire clearing had been turned into a construction zone, but he started pointing out a few things.

"Over there, you can see they're installing a couple solar panels. We won't get a whole lot of electricity from them, but it's enough for a few basics you might've been missing. Over here," he said, guiding me off to the right through the trees, "we have our brand-new compost toilet. I know, I know, not as glamorous as the electricity, but it's a massive step up from the outhouse we had before."

The next stop was the kitchen which they'd only just finished building earlier this week. It hadn't been more than a few rough walls when I left this morning, but now it had been completely transformed! The floor was covered in a durable tile, the walls were insulated for the winter months, covered in drywall, and painted a warm earth tone. "Careful, the paint's still wet," he told me all casually. There was even an indoor eating area. And a stove and a fridge and… "Is that a cappuccino maker?!" I felt like my brain was going to start leaking out of my ears.

The squeal I made was probably in a pitch only dogs could hear, but because, you know, wolf shifter, Damon popped his head in the door. "Crazy, right? Did you see my new greenhouse?" His eyes lit up with childhood-Christmas-morning glee.

"It's not yours," Tristan scolded teasingly, even though we all knew the garden was Damon's baby.

I didn't have a chance to give input because we were already on the move again. The way the bond started to vibrate, I knew my mate was getting really excited. He took me by the hand and almost dragged me toward a new building that hadn't been there this morning. "This… is our new home." He swept his arm out, and even though he didn't say it, I could practically hear the "Ta-da!"

"I—it's—but what—" I was entirely speechless, which only seemed to delight him even more.

He opened the door to show me around. It was way larger than what we'd had before, with a huge, thick mattress and all new bedding, plus a crib by the floor-to-ceiling window that looked out at the woods. "There's a second smaller bedroom through there, which can be the nursery, but I thought you might want to help decorate."

I nodded vaguely. There was a plush rug on the beautiful cork floor, and there must've been something really wrong with me, because the only thing I could think about was what a nightmare it would be to get dirt out of the fibers.

"What was wrong with our old cabin?" I asked without thinking.

Tristan's smile wobbled. "You don't like it?"

"I didn't say that. I love it! I just can't imagine the amount of work and money that went into everything. I hope you didn't do all this for me."

He held a finger up in the air between us. "Wait… there's one more thing I need to show you." I noticed how he'd brushed past what I was asking. My stomach squirmed with guilt. Had I done something to make him think I wasn't content with everything the way it was?

I let myself get pulled back outside to the side of our house where there was a showerhead mounted to the wall. "Is that… a shower?"

"Yes!" He went on to explain how the water was heated by the sun through a series of black pipes that were coiled over the roof. "It's not perfect, we still need to keep the water stocked up, but—"

"No," I quickly said, placing my hand over his mouth. "Please, don't apologize. You've done so much—too much. I can't even begin to guess how much all this cost. And to get it all set up so quickly? You can't afford this. I really wish you hadn't gone to so much trouble for me."

"Yeah, about that…" He looked down at his feet. "It didn't cost as much as you might think." He winced.

I opened my mouth to ask what he meant, but a familiar scent pierced through the shifter cocktail. "Dad?" I whipped around and found my father hopping out of a truck that had just pulled up.

He grinned and headed over, carrying a tray of coffee cups in one hand and a grease-stained paper bag in the other. I'd never seen my father dressed down. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, both of which were coated in a fine layer of dirt. His hair, usually so carefully styled, was messy with dried sweat. Despite the shock I'd been hit with, I smiled. This new look suited him, seeing him get his hands dirty, in an honest way for a change.

He passed the bag of fast food to Tristan and the coffee to Shan who'd joined us. "You were right, Shan. That diner smelled amazing—and you're lucky a few pastries managed to survive the trip back."

"Dad, what are you doing here?" I asked as the boys descended on the food like their animals were in control.

My father shrugged like it was no big deal. "I was having a really rough week dealing with Avi Cant and his cackle of hyenas. I sympathize with him over the loss of his son, but he's demanding restitution—as if Merlin's killer being put down wasn't enough. Anyway, I needed to take a break, and I realized I hadn't given you a mating gift."

My eyebrows jumped. "So you just randomly decided that you would overhaul the entire camp?" I wasn't buying it. I speared him with a glare. "Or are you in cahoots with my mate?"

He didn't need to answer, his smirk was an admission all on its own. Was it wrong that it made me all warm and squishy inside when I thought about my mate and my father getting along? When he'd first planned the competition with me as the prize, I'd been livid. It was unforgiveable. I'd assumed I would live a miserable future as a pawn, maybe even a hostage, in whatever political criminal scheme unraveled. But this… I could never in a million years have predicted something like this, and I felt my anger at him fading, because as extravagant and over the top as it was, it was also wholesome. He was trying. The least I could do was meet him halfway.

I nodded, barely hiding my grin, as I reached out for Tristan's hand and pulled him to my side. I'd been waiting for the right moment to give my father the news, and now seemed the perfect time. "If this is a mating gift, I can't wait to see what you get for the baby…"

I saw the moment my words sank in. His face went slack, his rigid posture melted, and he blinked quickly, trying to dispel the tears. He looked ten years younger. "I'm going to be a grandfather?" I nodded, my vision swimming as my own eyes grew watery.

Tristan and I were both pulled into my father's strong arms as he hugged the hell out of us. "This is wonderful news!" He beamed, cuffing me around the back of the neck. "What are the chances I can get you to move back to Fairhome so I can be closer?"

"Zero," I said with no hesitation, and my panther agreed wholeheartedly.

Tristan seemed surprised by that answer, his arm tightening around my waist, the bond fluttering. I couldn't believe he didn't see what I saw. The Grim Wilds pack, the forest, and even the rugged camp had become my home. I felt happier, freer, than I ever had. I wouldn't give this up without a fight.

My father gave a pouty frown, though he looked like he'd been expecting it. "It's a shame. I was hoping I could convince Tristan to come work for me. He's proven himself to be quite innovative."

"Father—Daddy? I love you, I really do, but… I do not love your business. I don't agree with how you make your money, and I would never forgive you if you pushed it onto my mate."

He huffed, pouting. "I don't do anything that bad… nobody gets hurt who doesn't deserve it."

I held a finger up to cut him off. "Nope, I won't have this beauty spoiled."

"Fine," he grunted, crossing his arms over his chest, the sleeves of his t-shirt stretching.

Tristan dropped a kiss on my temple, then he turned to my father. "You know, I've got a few ideas for businesses that are a little less… colorful. You know, if you ever decide to branch out." He held his hand out, and my dad looked down at it before clasping it tightly.

"It's a deal."

"And maybe next time you're here, we could all go for a run?" I asked.

My dad grinned, all the stress sloughing off, leaving him healthier and happier. "I'd love to."