He shrugged. “The future. And all that comes with it.”
And that was all he would say until we got to the house at the end of the lane. Thomas and Joe were waiting for us. “It’ll be okay, Ox,” Carter said before he went inside.
“Ox,” Thomas said warmly. “Thank you for coming.”
I smiled back a bit nervously. I knew he could smell it on me. Werewolves were like that. So he said, “There’s nothing to be worried about,” and I said, “Okay.”
Joe took my hand and rubbed his forehead on my shoulder. He was getting tall. Almost thirteen years old and he was sprouting like a weed. I told him as much and he grinned blindingly at me.
Thomas walked into the woods without another word.
Joe tugged on my hand, and we followed.
I followed their example and didn’t speak.
Eventually, we reached the clearing in the woods.
Joe dropped my hand and went to stand by his father. Without a word, they sat down on the grass, crossing their legs, facing each other.
Thomas said, “Joe, what does it mean to be an Alpha?”
“It means protecting others at all cost.”
“Even at the expense of your life?”
“Yes. Pack is more important than anything else.”
And man, did I want to step in and say something, but I kept my mouth shut. Thomas glanced at me briefly, a look of warning on his face, but he smiled quietly to let me know he understood.
“And why is the pack more important?”
“Because pack is family,” Joe said. “And family is everything.”
“Ox,” Thomas said. “Sit with us.”
And I did. I was unsure of my place here. Unsure of why I’d been invited along. Unsure of what to say. So I did what I did best and said nothing at all.
And neither did Thomas or Joe. They sat there, watching the leaves in the trees, hands trailing through the grass beneath, and everything was green. Green like the wings of the dragonfly I saw on the day Joe and I first met. Green like Elizabeth’s phase when we first met. Green like Gordo’s earth magic, sharp and pungent. Green like relief, like so much fucking relief that I was overwhelmed by it all.
I was. Because I was sitting next to an Alpha werewolf and a future Alpha werewolf and I belonged with them. To them. And they belonged to me.
The bonds were there. Between us. The bond to my Alpha. The bond to my Joe.
We stayed there for hours and didn’t say a word.
FROM THAT point on, I went with them more often than not. Sometimes we sat. Sometimes I watched as Thomas and Joe trained one-on-one, claws flying, fangs bared.
I asked Thomas again, “What is all this for?”
“What?”
“The fighting. The claws. The teeth. Training. All of it.”
He said, “So when the time comes, we’ll be able to protect our territory.”
“From who?”
He shrugged. “Everyone.”