Twenty-Five Tanner

September first arrived and passed, but my life wasn't uprooted. In fact, I couldn't remember a time I'd felt better. I got to spend every day in Wyatt's arms. That alone was worth any hardship we'd endured. Although, if I was being honest, there wasn't much hardship.

Sure, Wyatt was disappointed in his father's decision and losing his job because of it. But he'd also taken precautions to make sure we'd survive such a thing should it come to pass. We had plenty of money thanks to our summer of incredible sales, and so far, his father was still paying their invoices for using the software I'd created. I had a feeling Phyllis was behind it, but Wyatt's cousin Eoin had been a surprisingly huge advocate as well. It seemed the entire office wasn't willing to let go of this new thing that made their lives easier. And in that way, they forced Walter's hand.

Did I feel a little bit bad for him? Yes. Was it enough to make me do anything about it? Absolutely not. I'd never even gotten a chance to really meet Walter, but he'd hurt Wyatt, and that I would not stand for. Until he apologized and got over himself, I wasn't concerned about reaching out.

That night after their fallout, I remember Wyatt telling me the story about his father and mine. Of course, I was surprised to hear they'd been involved with one another, but at the same time, it filled in a lot of gaps. I'd always wondered why they'd spent so much time together, why my parents seemed so distant from one another, and why my father seemed to be so fucking miserable all the time. It was even more surprising that both of them, while miserable with their own choices, would ask their sons to make the same choice so that they, too, could be miserable.

It was generational trauma at its finest. But we weren't going to fall for it. My father didn't give me a choice when he disowned me, but I was grateful for it in hindsight. Wyatt, however, chose happiness. He chose me. I didn't think I could love him more, but that day, I learned just how truly special he was to me.

And now I found myself sitting in the shade of the massive mulberry tree at the secret beach Wyatt had shown me. Aiden was at my side, the pair of us laughing as three massive wolves ran through the waves, splashing and tackling one another. The biggest one was Parker, his black fur shimmering in the sun. The ginger one was Wyatt, who was being a lot rougher than the other two. And the pretty silver one with Timber Wolf coloration, that was Oliver. He was smaller than the other two and more lithe but so fast that neither of them could catch him.

The three of them were like puppies. If I hadn't known them, it would have been all too easy to see that they'd grown up together. Not to mention, they were all a pack now. Wyatt had joined Parker's pack the day after the incident at the office. Oliver, hearing it was happening, rushed over and pledged himself to the Ombra Pack as well. Of course, I joined alongside Wyatt, swearing their werewolf heritage to secrecy. Now, we were a pack of five, and for the first time in my life, I felt like I had a real family. Everything with them was so easy, and I thanked my lucky stars every single day for their company.

"Brace yourself," Aiden said beside me, pointing to the three wolves heading our way at speed.

I furrowed my brows. "Are they going to tackle us or something?"

"Probably not, but they've been wolves since the parking lot."

"What does that me—"

My words were cut off as the trio shifted back into human form, laughing and carrying on like they weren't all butt-ass naked.

"Oh… my… god…" I whispered.

"Told you," Aiden laughed, nudging me on the shoulder. "Try not to stare too hard. They'll notice."

"Like what you see, bro?" Wyatt called, helicoptering his dick in our direction.

"Pretty sure that's a felony!" Aiden called back.

"I can't help it that I'm so hot it's illegal!"

I could feel the heat radiating from my cheeks, so I knew it had to be bright red. Not only was Wyatt ridiculous, but I couldn't help staring at his best friend"s cocks bouncing back and forth as they walked over. All three of them were definitely gifted.

"P-Put some c-clothes on," I stammered, throwing a towel at Wyatt. "For fuck's sake."

Instead of doing what I asked, he threw the towel down on the sand and sat next to me. "Why? You weren't born with clothes on. Who cares?"

"Oh my god… I didn't know I was dating a nudist…"

"Shifting with clothes on is painful," Parker said, taking a seat next to Aiden. He was also still naked. "This is pretty normal for us."

Oliver sat down in front of us, pulling his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on his folded arms. "There's no secrets here," he smiled. "We've been doing this since we were kids." He shot a coy glance at Parker. "And some of us have… explored a bit more than that."

"We all know you fucked in high school, dude," Wyatt said, rolling his eyes. "You don't have to remind us every chance you get."

"You could have been in on it, too," Oliver replied, waggling his eyebrows. "But you had to be straight. Now look at you!" He gestured over at me. "You ended up with a dude anyway. Think of how many free blowjobs you missed out on back then."

"They're still free," he retorted.

"Are you telling me you don't even pay this man for his services?! That's barbaric!" Oliver reached out to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Do you need to be saved from this himbo?"

"Dude, I am not that dumb!"

"The mere fact that you said ‘not that dumb' speaks volumes," Oliver laughed, softly punching him in the shoulder. "But please, at least give this boy a ten next time you guys fuck. I've seen your dick. It looks… intense."

"Oh, don't worry about that," I chimed in. "Usually, I'm the one making a deposit."

Oliver turned to Wyatt, his mouth wide in a fake gasp. "You fucking slut." He punched him again, this time a bit harder. "I knew you liked guys now, but I didn't know you'd turned into a cum dump!"

"I am not!"

"Oh yes, you are," Oliver chided. "I can see it on your face, you whore!"

"That's it…"

Launching himself from his seated position, Wyatt tackled Oliver hard, the pair of them rolling across the sand.

"Should… Should I be worried?" I asked, leaning toward Aiden.

"Nah."

"This is normal for them," Parker added, laughing as he watched them play fighting. "They're always bickering."

I stared as they rolled through the sand, their naked bodies smashed together.

"Is… uh… this a little erotic for anyone else?"

"Absolutely," Aiden replied, staring unabashedly. "I'm here for it."

"It wasn't until you said something," Parker said, cocking his head to the side. "But I see what you mean."

"Do you think we should point it out?" I asked. "When they're done?"

"It'll start another fight," Aiden smirked. "So yes."

"I thought the wolves were going to be the bad influence in this pack," Parker laughed, staring at the pair of us. "Apparently, it's the humans that cause all the trouble."

"You didn't do well in history classes, did you?" Aiden asked, giving him a coy smile.

"I'll deal with your sass later," Parker growled with a smile, snaking a hand around Aiden's waist.

"Everyone is so horny today," I laughed. "Wow."

"Five mostly gay guys hanging out together?" Aiden replied. "It was bound to happen."

"Might be six soon," Parker added. "I got a call from Wyatt's cousin Eoin the other day. Seems he's interested in joining." He glanced back at the pair of us. "Looks like our little family is growing."

"Family," I nodded, a warm smile pulling at my lips. "I like the sound of that."