Chapter 16

Lachlan

When I awoke the next morning, I felt like a brand new man. Whole for the very first time.

Grinning down at my sleeping mate in my arms, I kissed the top of her head.

“Mine,” I whispered.

She smiled in her sleep and stretched against me.

I wanted her so badly again. But I also knew she’d been through a lot and maybe it wasn’t right for me to claim her so quickly, but I couldn’t help it. I was ready to go in there and destroy everyone and everything in my path to get her out. Turned out she didn’t need a knight in shining armor to rescue her, she was no damsel in distress. But that didn’t stop this incessant need to protect her now.

I thought in claiming her that would subside some, but I was still ready for a fight.

She rolled away from me, snuggling her back to my chest.

I couldn’t seem to stop myself from lifting her leg over mine and pushing into her.

Mate , my dingo sighed.

It felt like coming home. And it dawned on me that home was now Tilly. It didn’t matter where we lived or where I worked. Hell, I had enough in liquid assets to support us for a long time. We had a lot to talk about, but that was going to have to wait.

I got lost in the sensation of her and it wasn’t long before Tilly was wide awake and an active participant in my morning stress reliever.

Holding back, I made sure she came first and then I gave in and followed her lead.

God I loved this woman.

“Is this what I can expect every morning from now on.”

“I can certainly commit to that.”

Pulling her back against me, I just held her.

“You know, I was supposed to be coming for you this morning.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everyone’s here because I called them in when I located you. We had this big rescue mission all planned out and everything. But someone had to go and jump the start,” I teased.

“You’d found me?”

“Of course I found you. I was in there yesterday with one of the Collectors and I caught your scent. I started calling in favors like crazy to get you out of there without causing an international incident, like some people.”

“Oops. I’m not sorry.”

“Me either.”

“I’m really sorry about your parents.”

“Do you want to tell me about it?”

She sucked in a shaky breath. “It was Egan. He just lost it. I didn’t even see the knife in his hand until it was too late. He stabbed your father. I tried to stop the bleeding but it was too much. It was your mother that told me to let him go. They were fully bonded.”

“I know.”

“She followed him peacefully. It was very beautiful. I hope that’s how I go someday.”

“With me being stabbed?”

“Well, not that part. I just meant together, fully bonded and still madly in love.”

“Are you trying to say you love me?”

“I do,” she said, turning to look for my reaction.

I brushed the hair away from her face. “I love you too, Tilly, my beautiful mate.”

She stiffened in my arms and shook her head.

“What is it?”

“Please don’t call me beautiful.”

I scoffed. “You are beautiful.”

“It’s not that. I wouldn’t tell them my real name. Egan and Helen both took to calling me beautiful instead. It was seriously creepy. I’m just not ready to hear that yet. I don’t think I could without cringing.”

I nodded, hating that she’d been through that. But I always knew there could be trauma from this. How could there not be?

“Gorgeous then? Goddess?”

“Much better.”

She smiled and started to relax.

Someone pounded on the door.

“At some point you have to come out. All my clothes are in there,” Grant complained.

I didn’t make any moves to get up. Instead, I kissed my mate.

She giggled and pushed me away. “I think we should get up now.”

“Boo. I think we earned a day in bed.”

“That’s not setting a very good example for the kids.”

“Caring for and loving your mate is not a good example? I made an honest woman out of you last night, remember?”

“It’s certainly a night I’ll never forget.”

Grant knocked again and I groaned.

“Come on. Time to get up. Probably too late for brekkie, but thanks to your mother, I can make a mean cheese toastie.”

“We have to tell the kids today.”

“I know.”

“We have a lot of decisions to make.”

“Not just for us.”

“You mean it?”

“Of course I mean it. We aren’t just tossing those kids off to anyone. They’re ours now. The boys are old enough to voice an opinion so we should probably talk to them.”

“Our first family meeting.”

I kissed her before rolling out of bed to get dressed.

Her clothes were still scattered around the room from her little strip tease. I picked them up and tossed them on the bed for her.

I had a mate and four kids to take care of now. Life sure did have a way of slapping you in the face sometimes. I wasn’t sure I was ready to raise my siblings, or even the best option for them, but the fierce way Tilly included them so quickly told me I wasn’t going to have any say in that.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want them to live with us, it was just going to be a major adjustment for all of us.

My phone rang as finished dressing.

“Hello?”

“Lachlan. You dragged me all the way out here to the middle of nowhere after the mission was accomplished.”

“Hey Marie. So the mission didn’t exactly go as planned. And now the primary concern is stuck in a human prison so it’s a bit of a snag.”

“Archie’s already working on getting him deported back to the States.”

“What about Helen?” Tilly asked.

“Apparently there’s also a Helen, possibly on the loose. We slept in and haven’t gone through debriefing yet.”

“I know, Grant is losing his shit out here.”

“You’re here?”

“We’re here,” I heard her mate yell.

“Holden came with you?”

He grabbed the phone from her. “Dude, you know she’s pregnant and you still asked her to come.”

“She’s like two days pregnant.”

“Seven weeks,” he argued. “And do you know how many deadly spiders and snakes there are here? No way was I letting her come by herself.”

“You’re being ridiculous.”

“Just get your ass out here.”

“You mean ‘arse’ right?” I heard Baine teased.

Once Tilly was ready, I took her hand in mine and unlocked the door. Grant was waiting on the other side.

“Finally.”

“Next time you offer up the room, take your shit with you.”

“Lachie’s feeling feisty. Must have been a good reunion,” Tucker said.

Hannah pushed her way through the crowded main room and ran to leap into Tilly’s arms. She hugged her tightly. I hadn’t realized just how much they’d bonded in the time she’d stayed with my family. The boys were much of the same, excited to see her.

Toby looked around, confused. When his eyes met mine, he knew. I saw the way his jaw locked.

“Where’s Mom and Dad?” Hannah asked.

I’d never seen a room empty so quickly. I hated this. It was the last conversation I ever wanted to have with them.

“Let’s sit down,” I said.

Hannah clung to Tilly.

My mate was already starting to cry and we hadn’t even started talking about it.

“Mom and Dad didn’t make it, sweetie,” I told her.

“I’m so sorry,” Tilly said.

I hugged her to me.

“You mean their dead?” Hannah asked.

“Yes.”

Her little chin quivered and then she just broke. I pulled her into my lap and just held her as she cried.

The boys were all trying to hold it in and be strong for her too but there were tears in their eyes, too.

“What’s going to happen to us now?” Tom finally asked.

“We’re orphans now. We’ll be sent away to boarding school to finish out school and then we’re on our own,” Jack said.

“That’s not going to happen,” Tilly said.

She sniffed and dried her eyes.

“I know you’re all grieving and will for some time, but you are not alone. We’re family and we’ll take care of each other.”

“You’re staying in Australia with us?” Hannah asked her through her tears.

“We haven’t decided that yet. We all know Lachlan’s job is in the States.”

“We’re moving to California?” Toby asked.

“We haven’t decided that yet, either,” I told him. “Look, we’re all going to have to make some compromises. Ultimately Tilly and I will decide what’s best for all of us, but we want you guys to have a voice in this.”

“Fine, then we stay,” Toby said.

“I don’t want to go home without Mom and Dad there,” Jack said. “Even if it means moving to California.”

“Don’t be a baby, Jack. It’s not like they’re going to haunt the place or anything,” Tom said.

“It would feel like that to me. Haunted by all the memories there.”

“We’ll make new memories,” I assured him.

“That’s not the same.”

“No, it’s not, but it’s something we can do.”

“Do we have to move?” Hannah asked.

“I don’t know yet. It’s possible.”

“Is your house even big enough for all of us?” Tom asked.

“If it isn’t, we’ll buy a new one.”

“Do you expect us to get jobs to pay for that?” Jack asked.

I chuckled. “I can afford to support us all. Money is not a problem.”

“So you’re like rich?” he pressed.

“Jack. We aren’t supposed to ask those sort of things,” Toby said.

“But are you?”

“I don’t know. We aren’t poor.”

“Well that’s a relief,” Jack said.

“How do you know for sure they’re dead?” Toby asked.

“I was there when it happened,” Tilly confessed.

She didn’t share the moment with them the way she had me. But I hoped one day she would.

“We’re going to get through this as long as we stick together.”

“So it’s settled. We’re moving to California,” Hannah said as she wiped at her wet cheeks.

“No one said that, Hannah,” Toby insisted.

“I think we should all think through the pros and cons of staying verses moving. And even if we stay, that doesn’t mean we’d stay in Sydney,” I explained.

“Why wouldn’t we?” they wanted to know.

“I’m just saying it’s just one possibility.”

“Where else would we consider?” Tom wanted to know.

“Well, Tilly’s a King. We could end up there.”

“No. You might as well just send me to boarding school,” Toby said.

“Yeah, I’d take California over that,” Tom added.

Tilly laughed. “It’s not that bad.”

“Maybe, but no one actually wants to live in Whoop-Whoop,” he insisted.

“I know this is a lot to digest. Just know that Tilly and I are here for you guys. If you have any questions or issues, please communicate with us.”

“So if we’re including her in all these major life-changing decisions, are you keeping her?” Jack asked.

“He means are you going to claim her?” Tom clarified.

“That’s what I said,” Jack insisted.

“She’s mine,” I told them.

“And he’s mine. We aren’t doing the patriarchal thing. We’re dingoes. Male and female Alphas rule equally.”

I leaned over and kissed.

“Ew, gross,” Hannah squealed.

“You already claimed her?” Toby asked.

“I have.”

I half expected him to argue with me about that too, but he didn’t.

“Good, I’m glad.”

“Me too.”

“We’re going to be okay,” she assured us all. “This is our Pack now.”

“Pack means family,” Hannah said.

“Exactly.”