Page 28 of Knot Quite Ready

“Like I was saying before, I was howl-ly interrupted… my furry soul-mate sister. By the court of furry law, Aneira is your sister-in-law. Or is it sister-in-mate? Which, then, makes Casimir your brother-in-law, mate. This means he is part of your pack, and you’re part of his; we are all one big shifter family. And since we will not be one of those weird families that only see each other on holidays… I mean, really, what the fuck is that about?”

We stare at her silently while she takes a deep breath. Ralph shakes his head subtly.

Right. Not done.

“Therefore, your money, my money, is their money and all that—shifter division of assets. So, we have to help. Understand?” Hands on her hips, she meets our gazes, eyes glowing brightly as her face splits into a satisfied smirk. I have this strange urge to clap that I barely hold back. Instead, I run my hands through my already mussed hair.

Calian and I glance at each other with varying shades of bemusement and awe at the force of her conviction. There was no point in telling her that shifter groups technically didn’t work that way because I had a feeling it won’t matter. She could probably convince a beaver it was a bear, and no one would bat an eye. She was born to be an Alpha’s mate, more so a wife of a councilman. I shudder to think of the force she and Aneira would be, with Aneira’s stubbornness and Storm’s inner fire. Terrifying really.

Knowing that Aneria had a sister like Storm and, thereby, a family like the Swiftwaters, as she hereby dictated, made me feel a sense of intense peace. There was something to be said for a real family, even if it was one that you created yourself, despite all odds against you. I respected that, and I knew the sentiment and circumstance well. Despite the challenges of starting my own pack of misfits and the few knuckleheads we had, we made it, and we were strong as fuck. We had accumulated witch allies, almost unheard of within shifter society, and loyal wolves were saved from shitty circumstances. And due to our varying talents, we have coffers as well as accounts full of money to support our pack and our needs.

The Spiorad Pack was a force to be reckoned with, and although we were not yet formally recognized as a pack, I was working on changing the minds of the pack members. Especially if I want to keep Aneira in my life, having the Swiftwaters on our side will more than sway matters; it would solidify our place.

Calian sighs deeply, “Well, when you put it like that, mate. I suppose you are correct.” The shifters in his room cough to disguise their laughter when he glares in their direction.

Looking at me, he nods, “I’ll arrange transport for you. Storm is right, I have a private plane you can use, and I will call to charter a boat for your use. At island West-Bumble-Fuck,” he mutters the last as he grabs his phone and starts making calls.

As Montgomery’s howl of joy reverberates within my skull, a long-held dread lifts from my chest, and I can feel my muscles release as I exhale a deep sigh of relief.

Tristan slaps my shoulder, "Cas, go get your mate…distract her with your giant cock, tie her up, and bring our Luna the fuck home. I will hold down the fort here." With a nod toward Calian and Storm, Tristan strides out of the bookstore, but not before he hands over the backpack full of my clothes; we prepared, knowing that I would leave to find her today, no matter what.

I blink as his words sink in. Home, established or not, Cabria Falls is where our pack belongs. But more importantly,our Luna. In our old pack, our women, no matter their mate, weren't given a position that would have indicated any form of power, and while I have always, internally, thought of Aneria as more than just an Omega, to hear it fall from my second's lips, is powerful.

“Um, before you hit the airport, may I suggest you go upstairs, shower, shave, and change? You look gross. Definitely not brother-in-mate material,” Storm wrinkles her nose, and I laugh, the carefree sound almost foreign coming from my lips after these past few weeks.

I jump over the counter and wrap her in a hug, much to Calians displeasure, if his low neigh-like growl is any indication.

Storm laughs and hugs me back, “I know I saved the day. I have a tendency to do that. It's a superpower. Now go bring back our girl.”

As if anything could stop me.

* * *

Casimir

After a quick shower and shave, I jump into a car Calian has waiting for me in the front of the shop, Ralph in the driver’s seat.

“When you get to the airstrip, you’ll meet my Pilot, Aurora, but call her Rory, or she gets a little peeved,” Calian nods, taps the top of the car, and we pull off.

Ralph snorts as we drive away, “peeved is putting it lightly. She is a scary little thing. She hates her name because she was named after sleeping beauty— her mom has a bit of a Disney obsession—Not knowing that Rory would later be diagnosed with a neurological condition that makes her pass out when overexcited or angry. So she is a bit sensitive about her name. “

I was familiar with the condition in passing, Tristan being our medical doctor in our pack and my best friend; I was there for every study session and every flashcard drill.

I nod, “cataplexy? Wouldn’t that make her being a pilot a little dangerous?”

“Nah, she has it under control for the most part. As well as a magical charm we had made for her. She is usually very easygoing. Just don’t piss her off; she is more likely to stab you in the cockpit and smile the entire time without even raising her heart rate. Shifter control and all. Bird shifters tend to go with the airflow… get it?” He chortles.

I shake my head. He fills the quick drive with stories about how Calian and Storm met and how Storm was on a mission to change the shifter world, from coercing members of the shifter council to sending her own personal bodyguard, Oliver, off on secret missions.

“You haven’t had the chance to really get to know Storm yet, but if Aneira is anything like her, I feel bad for whoever gets in their way of the shifter revolution she is planning,” he chuckles. Before I can ask what he means, we are pulling up to the Airstrip, and I’m hoping out of the car.

“Good luck Pack-in-Mate. Bring your girl home, or Storm will make you into a wolf kebab,” he laughs and pulls out of the lot with a quick wave to who I presume is Aurora, standing by a small plane with the name “Neigh-Vagator,” printed on the side.

I laugh and shake my head as I walk up the tarmac to where she is waiting. If Tristan were here, he would waste no time flirting with the beautiful, tall, athletic woman with long, wavy bright-red hair and amber eyes rimmed in gold that shine the closer I get. She is wearing low-hanging jeans and a tank top that reads, ‘Will Set Fire To Your Loins,’ with a colorful tattoo of a Pheonix in flight that wraps around her right forearm on display. I take a deep breath, confirming my suspicions, a Pheonix shifter.

By the moon.

“I’m Rory; let’s get you to island west-bumble-fuck so that I can lay in the sun while you run off to get your mate and bring her ass home,” she smiles brightly, and I narrow my eyes as she almost knocks me off my feet with the strength pouring off of her.

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