All it Takes is Love
Chapter 22

Byron turned his gaze to James, asking, “I need you to tell me something, James. Why do you seem different than the others?”

“Alpha Raymond killed my parents because they wanted to leave here. When Chester… hurt me, I told my dad. I was scared to tell him, but I was bleeding so badly, and I thought I would die. My dad was furious, but he knew if he were to say anything to the Alpha, it would only be worse,” James explained as tears ran silently down his face.

“So, what happened?”

“After my dad cleaned me up and finally got the bleeding to stop, he told my mom we were leaving this pack,” James continued. “Knowing it would embarrass me, he wouldn’t tell her why just that we were. Then we went to the Alpha, and the Alpha, he, he became so angry. He was yelling and… and then he shifted, killing my parents right in front of me. When he shifted back, he told me that disobedient pack members had to be disciplined and that I had just become his personal punching bag. When he wasn’t beating me, Chester was slipping into my room and—” James stopped once more, and Dan put his arm around him while he sobbed.

“You don’t have to say anymore,” Byron told James. “Do the rest of you still have parents?”

All three nodded.

That explained the difference. The others had support in family, and James had not.

“James, I want you to come and stay with my mate and me. You need love and guidance as you mature into manhood, and I already feel as if there is a bond between us. My wolf is drawn to you, though I’m not sure why,” Byron said.

Lynn stirred a bit on Byron’s lap, and he couldn’t help but notice how the boys stiffened when they saw. Then she began to mumble so low, even with his werewolf hearing, it was hard to hear her.

“Byron, James is a kindred spirit,” Lynn said in a louder voice. “No, you were never hurt like he was, but you and your wolf understand what it is to feel like an outcast. While the demons you faced made you feel like a freak, James’s demons make him feel dirty.

“All his wolf wants is to be able to lift his head and be proud of who he is. Even though your Pack excepted you as the Alpha’s son, you worried they talked behind your back. Even though he knows nobody knows what happened to him, he still worries that someone will somehow replace out and talk about him. So, kindred spirits, Byron. You can help him in a way no one else can because you understand,” Lynn concluded before going quiet.

“Just like you did with me,” Byron whispered.

“Yes, just as I did,” Lynn murmured with a smile. Then she said no more.

Byron realized she was once more sound asleep. Glancing over at the boys, he found their faces full of awe as they watched Lynn.

“Boys, my mate, so young, yet so wise,” Byron said.

After that, they sat and talked, sometimes about serious things, sometimes not. Mostly, Byron just listened as they talked because he knew they just needed to get the horror of their stories off their chest.

Before long, two hours had passed, and his belly was growling. It woke Lynn up, and she stretched a bit in his lap before kissing his neck.

“Nice nap, sugar?” Byron asked.

“Mmhmm… I did,” Lynn agreed as her eyes fluttered open. “What time is it?”

“Almost twelve-thirty,” Byron informed her.

Lynn sat up with a gasp. “You’re meeting with… oh, hi boys.”

They all gave her a nod.

Lynn looked at Byron, her face pink. “Byron, why didn’t you wake me up and send me on my way. I know this meeting was important and—”

Byron placed a finger over her mouth. “It’s okay, sugar. You were sleeping, and they said it was okay for you to be here. So, no worries.”

Lynn turned, her eyes wide as she gazed at the boys. “I really didn’t mean to be here. It’s just I was so tired, and I don’t like to be away from Byron for too long.”

Dan smiled and asked, “Is it always like that? Will my mate feel that way about me when I replace her?”

Lynn cocked her head as she considered. “Of course, she will. I remember my mom telling me that replaceing my mate would be the best and worst day of my life. She said that it would be the best day because I would have the person who completed me in a way no one else ever could.”

“And the worst thing?” James asked.

“Well, actually, she said it would only be bad if I didn’t like having a possessive hulk hanging off my arm.” Lynn giggled, and the guys chuckled a bit. “Mom also told me about how she met my dad. She was out with a couple of her girlfriends, and suddenly this big guy was holding her hand. She asked him what he thought he was doing, but when she looked in his eyes, it just clicked that he was her mate.”

“So, what happened?” Dan asked.

Lynn focused on Byron as she said, “He picked her up and carried her off, of course. She said she didn’t mind because she’d always wanted to be carried in a pair of strong arms.” She turned to face the boys again. “To this day, she uses every excuse in the book to get my dad to carry her. He grumbles that she’s taking advantage of him, but the look of love on his face says he wouldn’t have it any other way.” She sighed softly. “Boys, when you replace your mates, be what they need. Whether it’s being stuck to them like glue, or whether it’s giving them space to be alone.”

“How will we know which one she needs?” Dale questioned her.

Lynn smiled as she turned back to Byron, “Trust me, you’ll know exactly what she needs. It will be instinct for your wolf.”

“Does that mean I’m good at my job as a mate?” Byron asked.

Lynn leaned in so close he could feel her warm breath on his cheek as she whispered, “Oh, baby, you are the best.”

Byron vaguely heard one of the guys say something about lunch as he continued to gaze at Lynn. He thought he even heard the door as it closed behind them, but he wasn’t positive. All he knew was that her eyes held him captive. His heart began to pound even as his cock filled with his need for her.

“Want me to prove it?” Lynn whispered as she pulled her top down.

“Always.”

And prove it she did.