“Everything.” He shrugged. “Naturally, we are not intimate when she is a wolf, but our love runs deep, beyond the physical.”
“Sounds like you are soul mates.”
“I believe so, but not according to lycan society.”
“Dr. Becker has chosen life with a werewolf as well.”
“Indeed. We are a small number, but to go back to a normal human, at least for me, is out of the question.”
“I couldn’t agree with you more.”
He sighed. “You must think I’m crazy to accept Chandra mating a beta and having his pups.”
“It’s none of my business.”
He continued anyway. “Dominic our enforcer was ordered to mate Chandra, but instead, he made her a blood sister.”
Cricket told her how Dominic had fallen in love with a human, Mia, who carried the Stallo gene. “But why make her a blood sister?”
“As a member of his pack, it allowed her to avoid punishment for loving a human by mating one of Dominic’s
betas.”
“I can’t imagine sharing Steele.”
“In the beginning, I felt the same way, but I knew all along Chandra always wanted to be a mother. Though we talked about adoption, I knew she wanted her own litter. Oak, the beta, is built like Steele. Big and powerful. A perfect sire. He is also gentle and has a great sense of humor. He is as protective of me as she is. My best friend, actually. We are a happy threesome.”
“Do you…never mind.”
He laughed. “No, we don’t have threesome sex.”
She reddened. “Not that I see anything wrong with it.”
“We are simply not into that sort of thing. Oak loves her as much as I do.”
“And she loves you both equally?”
“Our love is romantic, but she loves Oak as the sire to her children and as a friend. He knows and accepts it.”
“As long as it works.” No way would she share Steele. Although, who knew if his brother would convince him to sire a royal line of pups with some available princess.
“Out of the box or rather out of the den, but we are quite happy.”
“I hope the king accepts Steele’s decision.”
“Lunara had an audience with the king and his council. I’m not sure he’ll be swayed to accept your mating, but he cannot force him to leave you. He might even suggest he mate a she-wolf but keep you.”
Not happening. “Good to know.” Guilt tore at her heart. How much would it cost him to be with her? What was the harm of letting him have one litter to please his family?
Chapter 27
Steele boarded the king’s private helicopter and returned to LIA headquarters. It had been a long week since he’d seen or even talked to Gaby. He looked forward to holding her in his arms and making love to her until the crack of dawn. His meeting with his brother went as expected. Conan ranted about Steele’s disloyalty to their family legacy and threatened revocation of nobility if he chose Gaby over a proper royal she-wolf. Steele was prepared to lose his title, but despite the shame of being deemed disloyal, he had no qualms about his decision. Choosing Gaby meant choosing life, happiness and the spiritual fulfillment knowing he’d mated his soul mate. After their heated argument, all ended well. Sort of. Steele agreed to all the terms. Loss of title, banishment from the king’s family territory and worse, pack disownment, meaning he could no longer claim the king as his brother or be the uncle to his nephew and niece. This required the removal of his Wildwood name from the family pedigree, and from now on, he’d be known as Steele of No Pack. It broke his heart to say goodbye to his family, but no matter, he’d always care for them.
He texted Gaby of his return and told her he’d meet her at her den, but his wolf charmer had other ideas. As the helicopter landed, Steele spotted her.
Gaby waited near the helipad. Her silky brown hair whipped about her beautiful face.
Steele leapt out of the helicopter just as it touched down. He rushed to her and she to him. He picked her up and twirled around. “Gabriela.”