Page 18 of Alpha's Rise

She was made for him. And for Tobias.

Running did nothing but prolong the inevitable. He was right back here where everyone expected him to be.

“I’m surprised you came back so easily.” Tobias walked into the room and spoiled the moment.

“Did I have a choice?” Everyone knew he didn’t. Once their mate was recognized by Tobias’s wolf, it was almost instantaneous that Nathan’s wolf would feel the connection. That’s how it had been since they were young. Their wolves were inseparable, which made his running almost meaningless.

Tobias stared at him for a minute before shaking his head. “Why do you fight this so much? This is who we are. What we’ve always meant to be. We’re the next Alpha Triad and we’re going to rule this pack, just as my parents did.” He walked over to the window and looked out at the moon in the sky. “The Goddess must have a sense of humor. She’s given us a mate who is unlike anyone I’ve met before.”

Nathan laughed under his breath. “Our mate is special.”

Tobias joined in. “She’s a damn menace. Did you hear her threaten to kill everyone, with our Luna in the room? How she and Layla can be friends is beyond me. Odin’s mate seems sweet and docile. Somehow, I doubt she gives Odin this type of trouble.”

“Do you really think a woman can be docile and sweet and have a mate like Odin? My cousin is not the nicest of people and that’s on a good day. And what’s up with his son, Christopher? There seems to be something about him, but I can’t figure it out.”

When Romi and Layla were holding Christopher and crying all over each other, the little boy had lifted his eyes to Nathan. The intensity of the stare was surprising. It was as if the young one could see inside of his soul. He wasn’t sure if he was pleased with what he saw because Romi had pulled him in closer to place a kiss on his forehead.

“Now that is a long story. Just know that having Layla, Christopher, and now Romi in our family has changed things for us. Christopher has a power that he was born with, but Odin can explain it better. They’re staying over at his parents for the weekend, and we can talk with him tomorrow. Now that you’re back, and she’s arrived, I think we need to stick close to each other for the time being.”

Nathan growled. “I don’t need you to hover over me when I talk to my family.”

A loud bang reverberated in the room as Tobias slammed his hand against the wall. “That’s not what I’m saying, and you know it. We should know everything the other one knows. We must be knowledgeable about all things. Together. What helps our pack. What hurts our pack. No matter what, we are connected until we both leave this earth. Whether you want it to be that way or not. My family will be yours and your family will be mine. Plus, Romi feels so close to Layla, she calls her sister and Christopher is her godson. You know that means if something happens to Odin and Layla, Christopher will become ours. So quit the bullshit bellyaching and fucking deal with the new reality.”

Although Nathan knew everything Tobias said was correct, it still didn’t sit right with him. He was no fucking Beta and once he’d gotten old enough to understand that truth, this entire situation felt wrong. All his life, he’d been expected to play second fiddle to someone and that wasn’t who he was. He wanted his own mate, but fate was not allowing him to choose.

“Am I interrupting?” Romi walked into the room like she owned the place. Her head was held high and a smirk covered her lips. She could feel the tension between the two men. It hovered in the air like a thick cloud of smoke. She almost wanted to turn around and leave them to it but didn’t want to behave like a coward. She needed answers and these two… men, were going to give them to her.

Tobias was the first one to respond. “No, you’re not interrupting. Welcome to the conversation.”

Taking a deep breath, Romi stepped closer into the room. “Listen, I know I threatened to kill everyone tonight, but that’s just because I thought y’all had Christopher. Fear is a great motivator and when I thought he was in danger, all bets were off.” Glancing from Tobias to the other man in the room, she felt her insides turn to mush at the look he gave her. His eyes were traversing her body as he bit his lip.

Tobias spoke up. “Now that you’ve found Layla and Christopher, are you happy?”

Nodding, she looked at him with a smirk. “I’m content. They were my mission and the only thing that mattered to me. They were the entire reason I was out here in the first place. Now that I’ve found them,” she paused and briefly closed her eyes, “it seems they have been taken care of quite well. I spent some time speaking with Odin and know that their problem has been handled, so I’m good with that.” Romi looked at him before tilting her head. “I have a question for you, Tobias.”

“Yes.”

“Did you know they were who I was looking for?”

Tobias shook his head. “No. I had my suspicions, but the two of you don’t look alike. And, because the people who’d come searching for her before had to be neutralized, I didn’t want to introduce you to them in case your intention was to hurt them. They are family. Pack. I had to keep them safe, even if they were the ones you were looking for.”

Romi stepped further into the room. “Is that why I’m still staying here with you rather than with Layla and Christopher. Because you still think I may be a danger to them?”

Nathan and Tobias looked at each other. Each of them trying to send a message to the other. Nathan shook his head, telling Tobias to keep quiet. Too bad Tobias didn’t give a shit about what Nathan wanted.

“No. You’re here because this is where I want you to be.” If she were too far away from him, his wolf would become restless. They had not yet fully mated, but that didn’t mean his wolf would allow their mate to run around without them close by. “You may try to deny that you feel it, but when you look at me… and Nathan… you know this is where you belong.”

Her eyes flashed white, warning him that he was going too far. His words were too cryptic and as she glanced at the other man, she noted he simply sat there with a neutral look on his face. Not giving away anything related to his thoughts.

“Who are you?” She pointed at Nathan sitting on the couch.

“Nathan Baldwin,” he answered with a smirk and two fingers to his brow in a mock salute.

“Why did this one,” she tilted her head at Tobias, “punch you? He didn’t seem very happy to see you, but now here you sit in this…”

“Mansion?” Nathan asked as he too looked around the house that had been his second home. “Yes, I know it seems ostentatious, but it’s a great place to raise your children. I think you’ll come to enjoy living here.”

“Why the fuck would I care about that? I’m not planning on living here. I’m going home as soon as I spend some time with Layla, Christopher, and Odin. He is my new brother-in-law after all.”

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