The Backyard

Swanley

I saac and Carys walk back to the house, hand in hand. I normally like to watch my mates saunter away, especially when they’re wearing pretty little sundresses or tight summer shorts, but I’m too busy watching Judson. He watches Carys like she’s a meal, waiting to be devoured.

And the way he talks to Isaac…I don’t like it.

“Why do you keep flirting with my beta?” I ask. Kofi stops what he’s doing, and I immediately realize that my tone was way too sharp.

“Should I not?” Jud looks from me to Kofi.

“I'm curious.” I pitch my voice higher, more casual. “I thought you were interested in Carys,” I set my empty glass on a nearby stack of wood, “but you seem to be flirting an awful lot with Isaac.”

Kofi’s eyes widen as he juts his head toward me. His exaggerated expression makes it clear that he thinks I’m being too harsh. In all fairness, he and I did talk about this again last night—I gave my blessing for my pack to see how things go with Jud, and I need to let that happen. It’s just so fucking hard to let go.

What if he hurts Carys? Or breaks Isaac’s heart?

What if he wakes up one morning and just leaves, feeling that he’s not ready to settle down?

“Never mind.” I pick up my pickaxe, resting it on my shoulder.

“Isaac is a very sexy beta.” Jud clears his throat, his eyes bouncing between me and Kofi. “Isn’t this how you court a pack?” He looks genuinely confused, almost as if silently begging me to tell him what he did wrong. He really is unbelievably young. “I’ve never pursued one before. I don’t know the rules.”

A gentle smile lifts Kofi’s lips. “Every pack is different,” he says. “There are no hard and fast rules.”

“I didn’t mean anything by it.” I give the youngin’ a half-hearted shrug. “It was something I noticed.” I move back to the sizable tree stump I’ve been slowly chipping away.

“You haven’t done anything wrong,” Kofi says, saving the poor kid from his growing confusion. “Having permission to court a pack means pursuing whatever kind of relationship you want with each member. We have a fully poly pack,” he says, and the young alpha’s eyes go wide.

“Really?” Jud’s mouth falls open, but he quickly closes it and nods. “Okay. Good to know.”

His reaction doesn't surprise me. It’s admittedly a little rare for a whole pack to be intimate with each other—especially all the alphas—but I wouldn't have it any other way. Except with Jud. If he ends up joining our pack, he’s going to have to find his own damn bed until he proves his devotion.

“There’s no pressure in this house,” Kofi says, patting Jud on the shoulder. “You pursue who you want, but it’s important that all members of my pack get along.” I notice his gaze flicker to me, before giving Jud all his attention. “We don’t want Carys stressed.”

“Yes, sir,” Jud says, eager to please. It takes everything in me not to roll my eyes.

“My only rule is no biting,” Kofi says firmly. “You will not fuck or mark Carys until you have my permission.”

Jud shifts his weight from foot to foot. “What about kissing her?”

Kofi nods and I almost choke, trying to stifle a growl. “You can kiss her, but your dick stays in your pants.”

“Isaac too?” Judson asks, glancing up at the house.

Kofi nods again. “Assuming you have his consent.”

This time, I roll my eyes. Isaac is so smitten that it’s ridiculous.

“I’ll be back.” Kofi grabs our empty water glasses. “Try to get along.” He says the words with a friendly tone, but he cuts a hard look at me as he passes.

I get it.

I don’t handle change well, but I gave Carys my blessing for this to happen, and I’m a man of my word. And once this kid fucks up or runs off, then we can go back to normal, and it won’t be my fault.

Eager to get back to work, I turn my attention back to the splintered stump. I lift the pickaxe, bringing it down hard.

Judson squats, picking up a few loose nails and dropping them in the nearby toolbox. I’m thankful he’s not going to try to talk to me… again . I swear, every time I turn around, the kid is trying to chat me up.

The back door clicks shut, and Judson whispers harshly, “So you don’t want me around Carys or Isaac ?” Anger flashes in his dark eyes.

“What the fuck?” I whisper back, being very careful not to be overheard fighting. All three of my packmates would be pissed . “What’s with the fucking attitude? I’ve been nothing but friendly with you today.”

“ Friendly ?” Jud’s whisper yells. “You're either giving me angry looks, ignoring me, or criticizing every little thing I do.”

“It’s not my fault you don’t know how to use a tape measure.” I grip the pickaxe’s handle, fantasizing about bringing it down right into his smug face.

“Cut the shit,” Jud hisses. “You decided you hated me the second you laid eyes on me. Well before I came looking for Carys.”

“What can I say?” I shrug. “You’ve got a face that begs to be punched.”

“I won’t hurt Carys.” Jud curls his fists tight. I half expect him to stomp his feet. “What can I do?” His voice pitches louder, making me uneasy. The last thing I need is for everyone to hear us fighting. “How can I prove to you that I’d never hurt her?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug, being intentionally vague. “There’s so much about you that makes me question if you’ll be a good fit in our pack.”

Judson jerks, his face scrunched with confusion. “Like what?”

I drop the head of the pickaxe on the ground, resting my hand on the end of the handle. “You want honesty?”

He nods, squaring his shoulders. “Give it to me.”

I suck in a deep breath, scanning the yard to make sure we’re alone. “You’re too young and immature to settle down. Alphas your age try to join packs but end up running off when they get too restless and horny. You have a violent and dangerous profession, and I don’t care for your… employment history, ” I emphasize the words, letting him know exactly what I mean.

Jud’s throat bobs as he swallows hard. “I get that I’m young,” he says in a cool and calm voice. His self-control is impressive sometimes. “But I know what I want. I always have. And I want Carys. I was so committed to being near her, I burned all my bridges and uprooted my whole life on the off chance I might get to see a quick glimpse of her.” His dark eyes pull at the corners, what looks like genuine emotion creeping in. “I have no intention of abandoning anyone,” he says so firmly that I almost want to believe him. Almost . “And as far as everything else, I have the exact same job as you.” This time I see a trace of an attitude flash in his eyes. It makes me want to bark at him, see if he’ll rise to a challenge or submit to me as the higher-ranking alpha in this pack. But I don't do it. There’s no point.

“I guess you have all the answers,” I say, lifting the pickaxe, then dropping it onto the wrecked stump. It makes a thwack of a sound, spraying a few splinters of wood into the air.

“Swanley.” Judson is suddenly at my side, touching my upper arm. My usual instinct would be to snarl at him and shove him off, but the earnest look on his face has me intrigued. “I’m going to fix it. I’ll make you see my commitment.”

My brows draw together, not understanding.

He cuts a nervous look back at the house, then whispers, “I will do right by Carys, and I’ll fix what I let happen to her.”

“What?” I laugh, suppressing the urge to ask if he’s got a time machine stuffed up his ass.

“I mean it,” he says, holding his head high. “I’ll find a way to fix this, because I’m not losing Carys, again. This,” he motions to the garden and back at the house, “this is the closest thing I’ve ever had to a family, and I’m not going to fuck it up.”

I feel for the kid. I really do. I know what it’s like to lose your family and have nothing but your rage to keep you warm at night. But I’m not a young alpha in my twenties anymore. I don’t have the time or ability to help Jud figure out what the fuck he wants in life. I have a pack that needs me. And until Judson can prove that he’s fully committed—that he’s willing to do whatever he has to to keep my mates safe—he’s just some asshole that could destroy Carys and Isaac’s happiness the second he realizes he has more options.

“Do me a favor,” I say.

Jud nods eagerly. “What?”

“Really think about what you want before going any further with my mates. Don’t string them along if you don’t have any intention of really committing. Because if you break her heart,” I lean in, my nose inches from his as I whisper, “I’ll break your fucking face.”

Jud’s chest rises and falls. I can’t tell if he’s filled with restrained furry or determination, but either way, he’s not lashing out. “Why the hell would I hurt Carys or Isaac or anyone in your pack?”

“You’re not even twenty-five,” I say.

“So?” he snips.

“So, alphas your age don’t settle down. You might like having a family right now, but once you get bored, you’ll pack up and leave, and that will devastate Carys. So please,” I lean in, glaring hard at the youngin, “figure out what you want, before you blow up my whole world.”

I swear to fucking god, Judson’s chin quivers, but he steadies himself, sucking in a deep breath. “I’ll make you see,” he says in a soft growl. “I’ll show you my devotion to you and the whole pack.”

I simply turn away from him, not saying anything.

I hope he’s right. I hope he’s half as committed as he says he is.

He could even eventually be a decent packmate, but I’m not betting money on it.

“Swanley!” Carys's cheerful voice drifts through the air. “Judson! We’re going out for dinner!” My pretty omega skips around the shed, her pretty yellow dress fluttering around her knees. “Get washed up.” She smiles widely, excitement pouring from her big gray eyes.