The Lost Mate
36 Protect

Max

More than a month passed and Lillian and Jonas became accustomed to life in our pack. I grew used to having them beside me every day, where I could touch my precious mate and spend time with my son.

The idea that he was my child gradually began to feel normal, although I would never take proximity with my family for granted. They were the most important thing in my life. Even if my human side dared to forget, my wolf side’s protective instincts would never fade.

Events happened during that time in the rest of the world, too. The Cirque du Sang was completely dismantled so that no trace remained, and the rebel vampires they had captured were all being tried before the vampire queen and duly punished. The human media was abuzz about the miraculous return of a senator’s daughter and her fiancé after being rescued from a nebulous human trafficking ring. Some combination of vampires and witches had handled modifying memories and smoothing over the cover stories, and it was out of my hands. I was glad everything worked out for the survivors, but I had I desire to involve myself any more than I already had.

Other things in Glenshadow were holding my attention. Everyone was a little wound up since the full moon was upon us, and I was even more excited because Lillian would become an official part of Glenshadow. We’d explained what would happen as clearly as we could to a three-year-old, and Jonas remained adamant that he wanted to be in the pack. Jason had agreed to induct him along with his mother, but he would hold off if Jonas seemed to change his mind about it when the time came. It was unusual for children that young to join a pack rather than be born into one.

Lillian was nervous, but I wasn’t worried. I trusted my alpha completely, and I’d already noted how brave the solemn little boy could be in serious situations.

When night fell, the entire pack gathered at the clearing. My mate looked beautiful in a simple blue dress that made me feel nostalgic about how she had looked way back during graduation. She was slightly older now, but no less beautiful, and our aging didn’t bother me because I greedily planned to spend every remaining minute of that aging with her.

Jonas stood beside her, serious eyes taking in his surroundings. Even in the short time I’d known him, the little boy had grown, and the observation brought a sweet ache to my heart.

Beside Jonas stood my mate’s father, standing tall even though he wasn’t fully recovered. He’d hung on by a thread, and she’d cried for joy when she’d learned that he was going to make it.

Deep down I believed he was ready to go to be with Lillian’s mother, but he was also strong enough to endure for his daughters and grandchildren. Hannah visited Glenshadow to see her father and sister and meet her nephew, and she was in the front row, crying her eyes out while leaning into Darcy’s chest. He patted her with a loving but resigned expression that showed how familiar he was with her tears.

Nash’s mate, Marissa, was next. She looked, quite frankly, terrified, as she clutched his arm in the darkness. She’d been given the choice to have her memory modified and return to live with the humans if she wanted, but she decided that she wanted to stay with the pack instead of going back to blissful ignorance. Her parents had been notified that she was alive, and she had visited them with Nash, but she quickly returned to the pack afterwards.

The cover story was that Nash was a fellow captive in the human trafficking ring, and she’d gotten attached to him. From what I’d heard, her parents had been so thrilled she was alive that they hadn’t even questioned it.

And at the end of the line stood Will, who had finally decided to transfer packs, even though he’d still be spending most of his time at Sterling throughout the school year. I was looking forward to having the pack link with my friend restored after so long.

Jason stood up at the front and started speaking in his even voice. Then after his brief speech, he and Carrie cut both their palms and then Lillian’s and brought her into the fold. The connection between us strengthened, but it had already been strong so the feeling was more steady comfort than anything new.

Then, Jason knelt down in front of Jonas. “You ready, Jonas?”

Jonas squared his shoulders. “Yes, Alpha.”

I was so proud, and the feeling was only amplified by Lillian’s own love for our child.

Jason made a deep cut in his own hand, and Carrie did the same, and then he made the smallest prick they could manage in my son’s. He flinched a bit, but he didn’t run away or complain about it. As the blood built the bond between members, I could finally feel my son through the pack, and it was an unbelievable feeling I’d never dared to hope for.

The luna was crouching in front of Jonas with a smile. “It’s important to bring strong brave members like you into our pack.”

“You’ll be a powerful member,” Jason agreed, his lips quirking with his amusement at my boy’s solemn demeanor.

Lillian scooped him up into her arms as the alpha and luna moved on to my father-by-bond, and Jonas peeked over her shoulder at me and waved with obvious delight at the praise they had given him.

They moved on and inducted Marissa next. She paled and looked like she was going to faint after Jason was done. She held her head in her hands, and Nash moved in to support her so she wouldn’t fall.

Then they moved on to Will, and he grinned as his pack allegiance switched to ours.

Then, Jason commanded our shift, and most of us switched to our fur. Lillian put Jonas down on the ground. Her father took our little boy’s hand and walked off along with Michael carrying the squirming Rosella, while the rest of us ran into the forest, checking our borders as we hurried forward.

Lillian and I ran a small protective circle around the building where the younger kids would be guarded during the night by her father and other dedicated pack members.

Will rushed by us. “Getting slow?”

“You wish. Not showing off your fancy leopard and hawk?” I slammed into him with mock aggression.

He snapped his jaws in my direction. “Jaguar and golden eagle. And no, my wolf would have a fit if he wasn’t the one running right now. Not worth it. My transformations aren’t for the moon, it’s always for the wolves.”

I barked a laugh and pounced on him.

“You two never change, do you?” Lillian asked, but her scolding was all amusement.

“Hopefully not,” Will agreed as the three of us ran off to check the perimeter of the territory.

We’d lost so much, but we’d also gotten so much back, and now it was all ours to protect.

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Epilogue and bonus chapters still to come. XD