A Family with His Werewolf Mate (11 page)

Everyone else seemed just as surprised. After all, a beta could
only come to the Gathering if invited by an Alpha, and Argent hadn't been in
that position. But somehow, Argent had managed to get here, and in an even
crazier development, he'd come to stand up for Dean.

Argent took advantage of the astonishment. "This has to
stop," he said. "I lost two Alphas in a handful of days, and I lost
them because I was stupid. Because
we
were stupid." His voice
didn't tremble despite all the gazes on him. "I see you all here, passing
judgment, but did anyone ever wonder about the effects your decisions have upon
the rest of our kind? My pack, the only family I've ever known, is gone,
scattered. I cannot blame my Alphas for the decisions they made. I betrayed
them. I realize that now. But because I betrayed them, I can't have this
happening again, not to anyone else.

"When did we become so comfortable with twisting rules
the way we deemed fit? When did we decide it was all right to stab each other
in the back as long as we had a good enough excuse? This isn't our way. It has
to stop."

Finally, Boris snapped out of his shocked trance. "And I
suppose you're going to do it, beta," he sneered. "You're going to
stop it."

"I am not fool enough to believe that I can do such a
thing on my own." Argent smiled bitterly. "But... I was hoping this
might be a start, and it might at least make other people think about what they
were doing. Before all of this happened, I thought I understood... I thought I
grasped the meaning of what my Alphas had done. But I didn't, not really, and
maybe I still don't. All I ask now is for you to think—what if your mate had
been human? What would you have done then? Would you have been strong enough to
protect a pack that separated you? I don't think so."

Dean couldn't see how the words would have any effect. After
all, he'd been trying to convey a similar message for a while now, and nothing
had worked. He almost wished Argent hadn't come at all. Clearly, the man felt
guilty for having sold out Finn. Will had told him all about it, and Dean felt
proud of the way his son had handled the situation, and yes, resentful of
Argent for betraying Finn's trust. That didn't mean he wanted the beta to
die—which might very well happen, because the Gathering didn't take kindly to
anyone defying them.

Just when he thought he couldn't be surprised anymore,
Boris's son stood up and joined Argent. "He's right. This has been more
than enough. We have no right to blame Alpha Simmons for something we would
have done ourselves had we been in his position."

"Sasha, stand down," Boris growled at his son.

"No." Sasha clenched his fists. "I've been
silent for too long. This is cruel, and completely unnecessary. If anyone here
can find a real, rational reason why Alpha Simmons should die, then I dare them
to step forward and say it."

Boris spluttered. "The Secrecy Accords—"

"Have not been breached," Sasha interrupted his
father. "Furthermore, I am told Alpha Simmons's family deliberately left
the human lives of their mates behind, to prevent risky situations."

"That doesn't make what Simmons did acceptable,"
Boris fumed.

"And what exactly did he do? He found his mate and had a
child. This never would have become an issue if the rest of us hadn't made it
so."

Silence. The voice of Sasha Maximoff—a born Alpha and Boris's
heir—had far more weight than Argent's, and hope sparked in Dean's chest. Boris
pushed past Dean and stalked toward his son. "Are you challenging me,
boy?" he asked in Russian.

"If I have to."

Dean suppressed the urge to smirk. Boris seemed to have
bigger problems than Dean, and it was incredibly satisfying to see. Of course,
it was even more satisfying when the other Alphas saw the truth of the
argument, and finally accepted it. "All in favor of Dean Simmons going
free, rise," an Alpha said from the front row. He was already rising, and
Dean had the distant thought that he remembered the man as the very same
foreign leader he'd been talking to that night, so many years ago, when his
father had forcibly separated him and Will.

All around them, Alphas rose, one after the other. It was a
peculiar ripple effect, almost like reverse domino pieces. Not everyone stood,
of course, but by the end, it was obvious that the overwhelming majority had
deemed the matter over.

"It's decided, Alpha Simmons," Sasha said with a
smile. "You're free."

The next thing Dean knew, Will was in his embrace, shaking
and kissing his neck. Dean hadn't even seen his mate move, but his arms went
around Will's waist as if on instinct. "It's okay," he whispered in
Will's hair. "Everything is okay now. There's nothing more to fear."

Not anymore. This time around, Dean had managed to keep his
promise, and nothing would keep him from Will, ever again.

Epilogue

"Oh my God." Jessie breathed as Will finished his
story. "I can't believe Argent came to help you. I would have expected
anything but that."

"It was the least he could do," Finn grumbled,
clenching his fists. "I trusted him for years, and—"

"It's okay now, Finn," Parker cut him off with a
kiss. "Breathe. We're all here. We're fine."

It was amazing, but true. Will and Dean had finally made it
home, and it had been a difficult journey, in more than one way. Willow Cove
had changed a great deal. Will's parents and his brothers were gone, some the
victims of old age, others of the various wars that had shaken the country
throughout the past century. The only descendants of the Mulligan family were
Kyle's daughters who'd moved away ten years ago. And at some level that still
hurt, but the pain dulled into a sense of rightness the moment he'd stepped
into the very same cabin that had once been the witness of their budding
romance.

The cabin itself was a little on the small side, but for the
moment, it would suffice, at least until Saul managed to go through with his
plans of building a second house, so that they could all have more space. With
the children coming, they'd need it. For the moment, though, those concerns had
been set aside as the family eagerly took in the information on what had
happened at the Gathering.

"How did Argent even manage to get there?" Saul
asked. "I mean, it's not exactly easy to travel all the way to
Siberia."

"I spoke to him before we left, and he said he'd gotten
Elena Maximoff to bring him with the excuse that he wanted to join her pack.
It's also one of the reasons why he couldn't leave yet." Dean smiled
sadly. "To be honest, it's a pity that it got to this. I always thought he
was competent and clever."

"Will he be okay?" Andreas asked. Dean suspected
that out of all of them, Andreas probably empathized most with Argent.

"I think so, yes," Dean replied. "In the big
picture, Argent was only the tiny stone to cause the avalanche. Most of the
people there were already thinking those things. They just didn't have the
courage to say it until someone else did. Kind of humbling that the someone turned
out to be a beta."

Will reached for Dean and squeezed his mate's hand. He didn't
want to have Dean blaming himself for the past, never again. Dean threaded
their fingers together, and Will could feel his mate relaxing slightly.

He turned his attention toward the rest of those present.
"What about you? What have you been up to?"

"Well, we managed to get a hold of the silencer guilds.
It was difficult, but the leader of Erdi's guild seemed reasonable, insofar as
a silencer can be, at least. He said he'd meet us in a few days and release
Erdi into our custody."

"That's excellent news." Dean grinned. "He
helped us a great deal. I feared what that would mean for him."

"My bet is that the guild didn't like it, but at least
we managed to get him out of there."

Saul looked like he wanted to say something more, but he
didn't get the chance. The cry of an obviously dissatisfied baby interrupted
their conversation. Saul cursed. "Oh, shit. Shan."

He tore out of the small living room like a horde of
silencers was after him. "The baby's been restless," Andreas
explained. "Gavin's barely slept a wink in the past few days with the
amount of crying he's been doing."

"He could tell something was wrong," Finn offered.
"Not that it was very hard. He missed his grandfather."

Dean chuckled. "I missed him too."

Will elbowed Dean in the stomach. "Go. I can tell you
want to see him. Come on, get a move on."

Dean went, and without being told, Finn, Parker and Andreas
followed. It was like they could also sense what Will had already felt—the fact
that his son needed to talk to him in private.

Will sat down next to Jessie and wrapped an arm around him.
Jessie set his head on Will's shoulder, and Will caressed his son's hair.
"How are you feeling? The twins?"

"They're pretty active, but they're fine." Jessie
caressed his swollen stomach, and it reminded Will of a different time when
he'd done the same, when he'd been carrying Jessie inside. Had it truly been so
long? Sometimes, it seemed unbelievable.

Jessie was still his baby boy. The protectiveness Will had
felt over his son had never faded, and neither had their bond. And that was why
Will knew what Jessie wished to ask, but couldn't quite manage to find the
right words for.

"Mathias is all right," he explained. "Your
father made sure his injury was incapacitating, but not lethal."

"Oh." Jessie released a sigh of relief. "I'm
glad."

So was Will. He couldn't exactly be sure on what he felt
about Mathias. Their friendship had received a heavy blow, but it wasn't solely
Mathias's fault. In his heart, Will realized all too well that at some level,
he'd played with Mathias's feelings. Mathias had wanted a family and a mate so
badly, and for a while, he'd fooled himself into believing Will and Jessie
could be that family. Will had allowed it for his own convenience, and that was
something he would never forgive himself for. He couldn't quite regret
it—everything he'd done had been for the benefit of his child—but he still
hated he hadn't been able to find a different solution.

"Do you remember him?" he asked Jessie.

"Some. Not clearly. Just... sensations. Flashes. I
remember warmth, safety, kindness... It's not really clear. But... I do know
I'd like to see him again, properly."

"And I won't deny you that. Maybe after the twins are
born."

By then, Will could perhaps banish the image of Mathias
lunging ferally at Dean, so unlike the man Will had known. Oh, who was he
kidding? He could never forget. But maybe, just maybe, he might be able to make
his peace with it.

Dean must have sensed his disquiet, because he returned into
the room, carrying Shannon in his arms. He sat down next to Will on the couch
and quietly passed him the baby.

The tiny boy blinked up at him and released a small coo, and
Will melted. Right then and there, with Shannon in his arms, with his son on
his left and his mate on his right, he couldn't really cling to those morose
emotions. Because finally, after all this time, after decades of waiting, he
had his mate back. He was surrounded by people who loved him, and all the pain
he'd been through was worth it, for this one moment of peace, of contentment,
and most of all love. The dream he and Dean had dared to share was a reality,
and their family would never be separated again.

****

That evening, after dinner, Saul pulled Dean aside. Dean had
expected this conversation, since he'd known living here would involve
following Saul's rules. It was Saul's pack, and as such, Dean would have to
step down from his previous position as Alpha.

It didn't bother him. In fact, he was relieved. He'd already
severed all ties with his previous pack, and right now, he just wanted to live
for his mate, for his children and his grandchildren. "I don't want to
lead anymore," he told Saul. "You're a good man, and you make good
decisions. I trust you."

Just like that, Dean became a member of the Lone Wolf Pack.
In hindsight, it was silly that he'd waited so long, but he'd truly thought he
didn't deserve a chance at his mate's side. Now that he had it, he had no
intentions of wasting it.

He found Will in the attic, looking through some of their old
things. The wolf plushy that he'd won for Will at the carnival had miraculously
survived the passage of time, and as Dean entered the room, Will smoothed his
hand over the dusty toy.

"I wish I could have taken this along with me when I
left."

"You had no reason to." Dean knelt next to his
mate. "I abandoned you."

"Only... You didn't, did you?" Will smiled, and his
eyes glittered with emotion. "Dean... Is this really happening? Are we
really safe?"

"Oh, baby." Dean pulled his mate close and kissed
Will's forehead fiercely. "I realize it seems unbelievable, but we're
here. We're fine, and so is Jessie. We're starting over, with our own pack. I
know it isn't exactly what you dreamed, but—"

It was Will's turn to shush him. "It's exactly what I
dreamed. To be with you, with my son... What more could I want?"

Dean couldn't have said which one of them moved first, but
the next thing he knew they were kissing, tasting, exploring, reacquainting
themselves with one another. Perhaps they should have been frantic after
everything they had experienced, but oddly, they weren't. It was suddenly
important for Dean to take his time, to lavish his mate with attention like
Will deserved.

They'd never truly had time before. They'd always been forced
to hide, or been afraid and judged. Not anymore. Today, they could at last be
together, without fear to cloud the moment.

They broke apart to breathe, and Dean took advantage of the
moment to pick his mate up. The floor wasn't exactly comfortable, and Dean
refused to take his mate elsewhere than on a regular, normal bed.

Dean wanted normality—insofar as he and Will could ever be
normal, at least. Without the burden of his responsibilities, he felt free to
build the future he'd dreamed of, and he would start right now.

He carried his mate out of the attic and into the bedroom
Saul had assigned them. They didn't run into anyone on their way there, and
Dean momentarily wondered if that was how Saul had planned it, before he
realized it didn't matter.

As gently as possible, Dean set his mate on the bed. Will
smiled up at him and extended his hand in wordless invitation. Dean wanted to
take that hand, but for a single instant, he was frozen, hypnotized by the
sight in front of him.

A million things passed through his mind then. He could have
lost this so easily. He could have failed Will again. He
had
failed Will
so badly, and he didn't really deserve forgiveness.

But those thoughts and fears faded as Will grabbed his hand
and pulled him down. And when Will kissed him, Dean forgot all about guilt,
sadness, and the past that had burdened him for so long.

Instead, he focused on the very important task that was
getting his mate naked. It was a little harder than he'd have liked, since
Will's taste was messing with his head, and with his coherence. Still, he
managed well enough. If he ripped some buttons along the way, Will didn't
protest. He simply grinned against Dean's lips. Some things never changed.

While still lost in the kiss, Dean discarded Will's shirt and
his own. He pulled back long enough to help Will out of the rest of his
clothes. Despite his urgency, he took a little more time than would have been
warranted. He kissed Will's chest and abdomen as he popped the buttons of
Will's jeans. He caressed Will's sides as he helped Will wiggle out of the
tight denim. He thrust his tongue into Will's bellybutton as he pulled Will's
underwear down.

Will's whimpers guided him along, and Dean forced himself to
break away from his exploration of his mate's silken skin. As quickly as
possible, he took his own clothes off, while Will threw off his shoes and
shoved his jeans down.

Finally naked, they came together once more. Their cocks slid
against one another, making both of them hiss in tortured pleasure. Still, they
didn't immediately move to pursue an orgasm. Instead, they just lay there,
kissing lazily, caressing every inch of each other they could reach.

It was a slow seduction, a luxury Dean had never allowed
himself. Will's slender fingers left trails of fire over Dean's skin. His dick
throbbed with a pleasurable agony, and Dean reveled in it, in simply being and
experiencing this moment of perfect intimacy with his mate.

The touches gradually became more daring, and Dean let
himself fall into the natural flow of what they shared. When Will whispered
Dean's name in a pleading murmur, Dean gripped both their cocks into a fist and
pumped lazily. It wasn't meant to make Will climax, and maybe even Will hadn't
expected or wanted it to happen. Nonetheless, that one touch was enough to push
his mate over the edge. Will's body went rigid and wet heat splashed over
Dean's stomach as his mate came and came and came, so beautiful in his pleasure
that Dean was both humbled and impossibly aroused. By some miracle, he managed
to hold back, but it must have been only because of the wolf's need to claim
Will.

 
He made no attempt to pursue that goal,
not yet. Instead, he watched Will as his mate rode the waves of his pleasure.
In spite of his own burning need, Dean realized he wouldn't mind it if he
simply held Will without them actually taking things further. A paradox,
perhaps, but his wolf was no longer impatient, and there was a special charm in
the anticipation.

Will had other ideas. No sooner had he caught his breath than
he cupped Dean's cheeks and fixed him with a hot, needy gaze. "Dean,
please... Inside me."

It would have taken a man stronger that Dean to resist those
breathless words. In a daze, Dean reached for the nightstand, mentally
congratulating himself for having the foresight to buy supplies, and to
retrieve them from their bags.

His hands trembled slightly as he uncapped the tube of
lubricant. Will spread his legs, his eyes bright with passion and emotion. Dean
squirted a generous amount of lubricant on his fingers and reached for his
mate's opening, watching Will's face for any signs of pain. He'd been less
gentle than he'd have liked when they'd made love in Siberia, and the last
thing he wanted was to accidentally hurt Will.

Gently, Dean inserted one finger inside Will's channel. There
was no pain written in Will's beautiful eyes. Dean saw only pleasure, only
eagerness and the same fire burning through Dean's veins. Another digit earned
Dean a gasp, and when he crooked his fingers inside Will and hit his mate's
prostate, the sound escalated into a moan. "Dean..."