 
# Alpha at Home

## Brothers of the Heart, book 1

## DJ Bryce
Copyright © 2017 by DJ Bryce

Cover by Makeready Designs

Proofreading by KMS Freelance Editing

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

# Contents

1. Maximus

2. Gillian

3. Maximus

4. Gillian

5. Maximus

6. Gillian

7. Maximus

8. Gillian

9. Maximus

10. Gillian

11. Maximus

12. Gillian

13. Maximus

14. Gillian

15. Maximus

16. Gillian

17. Maximus

18. Gillian

19. Maximus

What's Next

About the Author

Also by DJ Bryce
Chapter 1

# Maximus

"Max, we need to set up a meet with the Threehorn Pack. I met with Josiah, their Alpha, and he said everyone has arrived and they're getting settled in. Let's see if we can get Gillian and Natasha to send out an all call for the welcome wagon," Mateo, the Alpha of our pack, and my best friend since birth, said from his spot at the head of the table.

We were in our weekly council meeting. As the Bravo, Mateo's second in command, I was at his left, with the rest of the pack council, Bryan, Calin, Gregory, and Kevin, filling in the rest of the seats.

We had about three hundred members in our pack, including the women and children, and they all looked to us to keep them safe and cared for. It was a lot of responsibility, but just as Mateo had always known he would one day be Alpha, I'd known that I would happily serve at his side.

I nodded, mentally scheduling a stop at Howlers, the bar where Gillian and Natasha worked, before heading out to the Threehorn land to set up the meet.

"Next up, we need to talk about the harvest," Mateo continued, talking about the crops we grew to keep our pack afloat. Howlers, the bar in town, had been run by our pack since our grandparents were young, but when Mateo took over and saw the financial state of the pack, he'd had the idea to start growing and harvesting corn on our land.

The first two years had been difficult, but in the third year we'd turned a profit, and now it looked like his brainchild was actually going to give our pack some financial stability again. We still owned and ran Howlers, but it was Mateo's crops that were keeping our pack's bellies full.

"Bryan, you check the combine, make sure everything's working properly. Calin, check the dryer. And, Gregory, do a walk around the silos, checking for cracks, holes, etcetera. Just like last year. We have a good looking crop this year, I don't want anything overlooked."

"What about me boss?" Kevin, our youngest and newest member asked. He was young, but he was hardworking and eager to please.

Mateo looked down the long table at him, considering, then replied, "Go with Bryan. He can teach you how to run the combine. Show you how it works."

Kevin and Bryan nodded their agreement, then Mateo's eyes swept the table and he asked, "Anyone have anything for me?" Everyone shook their head in response, so he added, "All right then. Have a good evening, brothers."

I stayed behind while the others filed out of the room, standing after Mateo did the same, stretching as he reached his full height.

Mateo had always been tall growing up, but when he'd answered the call and became Alpha of our pack, he'd grown even larger. Now, he towered a good three inches over my 6'4" frame. With his dark auburn hair, piercing green eyes, and massive size, Mateo looked intimidating, but I knew him to be the most kind and loyal of friends.

"I figured I'd grab dinner at Howlers while I'm there, you have plans for tonight?" I asked.

"I have to run home to grab some paperwork, but that sounds good. I'll meet you there."

After saying I'd grab us a couple stools at the bar, I headed out of the clubhouse and drove into town. We lived in a two-stoplight town, and on the thousands of acres that surrounded it. In the past, there'd been a mixture of residents, but now, everyone who resided here was in the pack in one way or another.

If they weren't wolves, they were either married to them, or born from them. There were a few families left that were strictly human, but most of them were raised knowing they were going to mate with someone from the pack. Very few people left town, and those who did, usually came back.

This meant everyone knew one another. Their pasts, hopes for the future, and everything in between. It could get annoying, having everyone think they knew you inside and out, but I enjoyed the predictability of it, even if there was one secret about me that nobody knew.

_I was in love with Gillian Matthews._

I'd known it from the second I'd pulled her pigtails on a dare from Mateo in the second grade.

Raven haired, mouthy, and beautiful in a way that made my breath catch in my throat, Gillian was everything I'd ever wanted in a woman.

When I walked into Howlers, my eyes immediately sought her out, flicking over the packed seats signalling that it was dinner time. And, there she was, laughing as she served a family in the back-corner booth.

Wearing the Howlers uniform of a short black skirt, black tank top with a howling wolf on the front, and black boots, she was gorgeous. Her black hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and her lips were painted a fire engine red.

My dick hardened just looking at her. My body always reacted at the sight of her. As did my heart, my pulse, shit, even my nerve endings seemed to vibrate anytime she was near.

Pulling my gaze from her, I crossed to the bar and took one of the two stools at the end that were always reserved for Mateo and myself. Being the Alpha and Bravo of our pack came with some perks...

"Hey, Max, what can I get you?" Natasha, Gillian's younger sister, asked as she walked down the bar toward me. She was just as striking as her sister, but while Gillian was like walking sex, Natasha had always reminded me of a pixie. She wore her black hair cropped short, and rather than her sister's blue eyes, Natasha had the coolest grey eyes I'd ever seen.

"Hey, Tash, how goes it?" I asked with a smile. She'd always been like a little sister to me.

"Can't complain," she replied, returning my smile with one of her own.

"I'll have a Stella and a couple of menus. Mateo's on his way."

With a sharp nod, Natasha pulled two menus from behind the bar, then went to go pull my beer.

The door opened behind me, and I turned slightly to see Mateo walk in. I watched as Gillian caught his eye. He gave her a small grin as she sauntered toward him, laughing as his arms came down to lift her and those red lips locked on my best friends' mouth.

I turned back quickly as Natasha set the beer down in front of me, but it was too late, the picture of them kissing was burned in my brain, and a painful bolt was running up my veins straight for my heart.

Gillian was, and always had been, promised to Mateo.
Chapter 2

# Gillian

When you were raised to marry the Alpha, there were always certain expectations, and I did my best to ensure I met them. Not just to keep myself safe, but to preserve Mateo's reputation.

Since I was old enough to speak, my mother had told me that I was the chosen one. The lucky girl who would go to be the Alpha's mate. It had something to do with lineage and heredity. Our family line was always groomed to be the Alpha's mate.

Legend had it that the women in our family were raised to be the woman behind the wolf, to have his back and bear his cubs. It was the highest honor that could be bestowed on any family. Still, not all women in the family actually became the Alpha's mate. Obviously, there was only one Alpha per pack, so there were instances where the women in our family were mated with packs other than our own.

I'd always worried that would happen to me. That Mateo wouldn't imprint on me, and I'd eventually have to leave my home and the people I love, to marry another Alpha. Luckily, when I was fourteen years old, Mateo assured me he'd never allow that to happen.

So, even though I'd always considered Mateo my best friend, and I'd never felt the stirrings for him that I'd always imagined mates would feel for each other, I always played the part of the happy, and satisfied, future mate to the Alpha.

My lips were warm, but tingle-free, when I pulled back from kissing Mateo hello. It was expected that I'd greet him properly every time we'd been apart, which included lots of smiles, hot looks, and the illusion that we couldn't keep our hands off of each other.

In reality, the only time we kissed was in public. We'd never had sex, imprinted, or performed the mating ritual. And the last time we'd made out, was the first time we'd attempted to see if we were truly meant, when we were seventeen years old, fumbling around in the back of his truck.

We'd realized immediately that we lacked chemistry, weren't actually mates, and would probably never imprint with each other. We'd also agreed to keep our secret safe, to ensure that I wasn't sent away and married off to someone else, and Mateo wouldn't have to go admit that I wasn't the one.

"How's your day?" I asked softly when he set me back on my feet.

"Better now," he replied, and even though he said it loud enough for the people around us to hear, I knew he was telling the truth. As one of his best friends, Mateo often used me as a sounding board, just like he would if I were actually his mate.

"Can I put an order in for you?" I asked, stepping back a step, indicating that I needed to get back to work.

"That's okay," Mateo replied with a shake of his head, then lifted his chin toward the bar. "I'm meeting Max."

I turned my head automatically, and like it always did when I saw Maximus, my heart took off at a gallop. Just as my eyes found him, Max turned his head and caught my gaze. His lips lifted in greeting, and I raised my hand in response, willing the sparks igniting in my chest to go away.

"Great, I'll check my tables then stop over," I said, tearing my gaze from the dark-haired, brown-eyed man who always caused a riot of confusion within me, to smile at my intended.

"Sounds good," Mateo replied, pausing to drop a quick kiss on my forehead before moving his large body toward the bar.

I sighed as I watched Mateo and Max laugh at something Natasha said as Mateo sat, then shook my head, hoping to clear it as I went about my business.

I often wondered if I didn't feel crazy, hot, and excited for Mateo, because those feelings had been reserved for Maximus since I'd hit puberty. Everything I imagined I'd feel for my future mate, hit me anytime I was in close proximity to our pack's Bravo.

I'd never acted on those feelings, or spoken about them with anyone. Not Tasha, not Mateo, and certainly not Max.

As I'd grown older, I kept expecting them to shift. I was, after all, born to mate with an Alpha, so it was impossible for me to want, to _need_ , anyone other than the leader of the pack, wasn't it?

I was in the back corner, punching a new order into the ordering system, when Natasha saddled up beside me.

"How's it going, Gilly? Seems to be a pretty good night."

Turning my head, I grinned at my younger sister. "Tips have been pretty great so far, how about you?"

"The same," she replied, and I was struck by how pretty she was. Small and sweet, with delicate features that only seemed more so by her pixie haircut, Natasha was everything I wasn't.

Maybe it was the hum of awareness still running through me at the sight of Max, or the thoughts I'd just been having about Mateo, that had me impulsively asking, "Hey, Tash, you don't _feel_ anything when you're with Mateo, do you?"

It was a question I'd never been brave enough to ask, but had always wondered. I wasn't, after all, the only woman in our family, so I often worried Natasha was actually Mateo's mate, but hadn't wanted to hurt me by saying anything about it.

The expression on her face was comical, and I knew instantly that my worries were unfounded. Natasha wasn't an actress, her poker face was nonexistent, and she looked absolutely appalled by my question.

"What? _No_ ," she cried, then remembered where we were and lowered her voice to ask, "Why would you ask me that. Is there something wrong between you two?"

Nerves skittered across my skin, and I immediately regretted my question. The last thing I needed to do was raise suspicion about Mateo and my relationship. Even though she was my sister and I knew she'd never intentionally do anything to hurt me, I couldn't allow my lack of feelings for Mateo to get out.

"No, of course not, I was just curious is all," I replied quickly, then said honestly, "I just want you to be happy."

Natasha seemed to accept my explanation, but I felt her eyes on me all night.
Chapter 3

# Maximus

After dinner, I'd gone to the Threehorn Pack's property and met with Josiah. He'd agreed to a meet with our pack the next Monday, so I'd said my farewells and left their land, thinking it was a nice night to shift and get some running in.

On my way back to my house, I called Mateo to let him know that everything was scheduled.

"Perfect, thanks, Max," Mateo was saying as I turned down the long dirt road toward my cabin. I lived the furthest away, right on the outskirts of our property, and I liked it that way.

Whereas some of our pack needed to constantly be surrounded by each other, and seemed to thrive off of the social interaction, I enjoyed the solidarity, and the peace and quiet. I loved my family, and I loved my pack, but sometimes, I needed to lie beneath the stars and just _be_. Plus, being out here gave me more space to run, and my wolf loved to run.

I parked in front of my place and was about to say goodbye to Mateo. Now that I was home, I could feel my wolf's impatience.

"Oh, hey, did you remember to talk with Gillian about getting dishes prepared and taken out to the Threehorn Pack?" he asked, causing me to stop in my tracks and swear under my breath.

"No, I didn't," I admitted, cursing under my breath. I'd been so busy trying to ignore Gillian and my feelings for her, that I'd completely forgotten to mention it to Natasha, whom I'd planned to have pass the information along to her sister. But I didn't tell Mateo that, instead saying, "It slipped my mind, but I'll give her a call."

"Why don't you stop by Howlers? They should be closing up now, and Gilly seemed a little off tonight. Maybe you can check on her, make sure everything's okay?"

I sighed even as I turned to get back into my truck. When my Alpha asked me to do something, I did it, no matter what my plans or the time of day.

"On it," I promised as I turned back down my dirt road.

"You can run after," Mateo said with a chuckle.

"I'll let you know if I find anything out."

"Thanks, brother."

"Sure thing, Mateo. Good night."

It was late enough that most of the lights were off in the houses that I passed, and I could hear the howls of my pack mates filling the night. My wolf was restless inside of me, frustrated that he couldn't run when the others obviously were.

About twenty minutes later, I was pulling into the parking lot of Howlers, which was empty, signaling that Natasha had already gone home.

Gillian lived above Howlers, so even if she was no longer inside, I knew she was still on the premises. Tapping down all of my feelings and putting on my best _I don't give a fuck face_ , I tried the door of Howlers before finding it locked and walking around back and up the stairs to Gillian's door.

I waited a few seconds after knocking, then steeled myself when the door opened. She was still wearing the skirt and tank top, but had let her hair down, and it spilled around her shoulders like black ink.

She looked momentarily startled, then recovered and asked, "Is everything okay?"

Wanting to assure her that no one was hurt or anything, I softened a little and assured her, "Yeah, nothing's wrong. Mateo asked me to stop by."

"Oh, all right," Gillian said, then after a few seconds, stepped back and to the side to let me in.

As I walked inside Gillian's apartment, I looked around, trying to take in everything at once. I hadn't been inside since the day we'd helped her move, and I was greedy for anything about her personal space that would give me more of a glimpse into who she was when Mateo wasn't around.

As Alpha, he lived in the center of town, in the house that he'd been raised in, which had been passed down for generations. Once they were mated, Gillian would move in there with him. Oftentimes, the Alpha's mate would move directly in with her Alpha from her parents' house, regardless of whether they'd performed the mating ritual or not.

I'd always found it curious that Gilly had decided to move into the apartment above Howlers, rather than in with Mateo.

"Sorry to bother you so late," I began, taking in the bright prints that adorned the walls, the large, comfortable sofa, and the large Grandfather Clock against the wall. The decorations shouldn't go well together, but somehow, they did. And the space fit Gillian perfectly.

"That's okay, it always takes me a while to wind down after a shift. I was just going to have a drink; would you like one?" She asked as she crossed to the kitchen.

"Whatever you're having is fine," I managed, my blood heating as I took in her ass in that tight skirt. Averting my eyes swiftly, I admonished myself for looking, and tried to focus on the painting on the closest wall. It was too late, though, my dick was hard as a rock.

I moved to hide the lower half of my body behind her kitchen counter, as she poured two neat glasses of whiskey and handed me one, before taking a sip of the other.

"So, what's up?" Gillian asked. Her tone wasn't rude, but I could see she was watching me warily. I'm not sure if she sensed how different I was with her, or what, but things between Gilly and I were always awkward when we were alone.

And I did my best to ensure we were rarely alone.

"Mateo wants you ladies to put together some welcome dishes to take to the Threehorn Pack. They just recently moved in, and we'll be meeting with them next week to go over expectations and let them know more about the area. We figured it would be a gesture of goodwill, before we have our sit down."

Gillian nodded and replied, "That shouldn't be a problem. I'll get with the women and we can divvy out dishes. We'll have them well fed by the end of the week."

"Great," I said, closing my eyes as the amber liquid slid down my throat, and I tried to block out the smooth line of Gillian's neck. I suddenly felt itchy, like we were too close, even though there was an island between us.

"Was that all?" she asked, and I opened my eyes just in time to see her flick her gaze away.

I set my glass down and walked around the counter, my hand reaching out automatically to touch her arm as I asked, "Is everything okay with you?"

_I shouldn't have touched her... I never touch her._

Fire seemed to lick at my fingertips and course up my arm at our touch. We were close enough that I heard her sharp intake of breath, and my eyes roamed her face to get a read on what she was feeling.

What I saw stopped my heart in my chest and made my wolf howl with need, the same need I saw reflected on _her_ face.

_Did she feel what I was feeling? Was the blood rushing through her as excitement lit inside her veins? Did she long to feel my lips on hers, to feel our bodies touch, to mate?_

The feel of her skin beneath my hand, coupled with that dark look on her face had instinct taking over, as all rational thought flew out of my brain. Without a thought for anything but what I needed, I pulled Gilly to me and lowered my head, watching her eyes widen as her lips parted in silent invitation.

Then, I brushed my lips against hers, and changed things forever. There would be no going back after this.
Chapter 4

# Gillian

_It was as if every unanswered question had just been answered..._

Max's lips on mine were perfect. It was like a perfectly blended cocktail of heat, passion, love, and rightness. At first contact, I realized one certain fact. I was his and he was _mine._

I couldn't think, worry, or wonder what this would mean for us, for my family, for me and Mateo, all I could do, was feel.

I felt his growl vibrating against my chest, even though he didn't make a sound. It was a sound of pure, unadulterated lust and need, and it made my already throbbing center, burn even brighter.

My back hit the counter as Max's hands came around me, one fisting in my hair, the other lowering to grab my ass roughly. We were a flurry of passion as our hands and mouths stoked the fire within. I placed one hand on his abdomen under his shirt, gasping when I felt the heat of his skin, then cupped the back of his head with my other as I pulled him even closer.

His tongue worshiped my mouth. There was no uncertainty, gnashing of teeth or awkwardness, it was as if we were both made for this moment, and our bodies knew it, even if our minds did not. We moved in time with the oldest dance of all.

I was so primed and ready to go, that as soon as Max lifted me up and placed me on the counter, his hand diving under my skirt, I knew I'd be coming within seconds. When his fingers gently caressed the front of my panties, I let my head fall back as I sighed, then all gentleness was gone as a growl erupted from his lips and he tore my panties away.

My skirt was shoved up around my waist and he was there... lips on my clit as he tongued my wet seam.

" _Fuck, yes, Max_ ," I cried, one hand bracing myself against the counter, the other on the back of his head, practically shoving his face into my pussy. The orgasm that was building was unlike any I'd ever felt, and I needed it so badly I could scream, so I did.

My core was a tight ball, eager to unfurl, and my heart was pounding so rapidly, I worried it would come out of my chest.

Max licked me mercilessly, then pulled my clit between his lips as he shoved two fingers inside and began fucking me. I tilted my hips up, and he started moving his fingers faster, then flattened his tongue and began flicking my clit. Within seconds I was coming so hard I thought I might pass out.

While I was still riding out my orgasm and chanting Max's name like a prayer, I was pulled to the edge of the counter as he thrust his dick inside.

" _Oh, my God_ ," I managed, my pussy clenching and throbbing around his hard, hot cock.

He felt divine.

Max parted his legs a little farther, bracing himself, then put one hand on the counter and the other on my hip, his fingers digging in as he pulled out slowly, then thrust back inside.

I wanted him everywhere, to feel all of me, to see all of me, so I pulled my tank top down, along with the cups of my bra, revealing my breasts and hard pink nipples. I ran my hand over myself, reveling in the softness, before pinching my nipple hard and pulling.

"Gilly," Max managed, the sound rough, as if it was hard for him to speak.

I looked into his face to see his eyes dark and lidded as he watched me play with my tit. My eyes on his, I cupped the bottom of my breast and held it, like an offering, but it was actually more of a plea. I wanted his mouth on me so bad I could feel it.

He took my offering and pulled out slowly, then rested his wet, hard dick against my clit and lowered his head to my breast. He teased me softly, first licking, then nibbling, before slowly sucking my nipple into his mouth. When I was ready to whimper from the sensation, he rocked gently against me, his dick rubbing against my sensitive center.

Just as I started to feel the build begin again, I was plunked off the counter. Once I was steady on my feet, Max turned me and pulled my hips back slightly, urging me to bend and lay my torso on the counter. I hissed at the cool marble beneath my still bare breast, then forgot all about it when Max entered me from behind with one quick thrust.

Holding my hips, he pounded into me, his tone gruff as he told me how much he wanted me, how beautiful I was, and how great I felt. I felt one hand fist in my hair, and I stood up as much as I could without losing him.

"I love you, Gillian," Max whispered in my ear, and as my pussy began to throb around him, I felt his teeth on the back of my shoulder. Seconds later, he bit down, claiming me as pleasure beyond anything I'd ever felt shot through me. It wasn't just an orgasm, it was so much more, like the stars aligning with me as my mate put his mark on me.

"I love you too, Maximus," I managed, between panting breaths, and he roared as he came inside of me.

We were both bent over the counter, trying to catch our breath, saved from the slick sweat of each other's bodies, because we were still almost fully clothed.

I turned my head to the side, breathing in deeply as I tried to regulate my breathing, then closed my eyes as reality crashed over me.

_What had we done? What would I tell Mateo? My family? Had I really just mated with Maximus, my intended's second in command and best friend? The man I'd known since I was a child, and had always wanted, but always knew I could never have?_

As Max slid out of me, I felt his tongue caress the wound on my neck, before he took a step back. I felt panic start to set in, then he pulled me gently back from the counter and turned me, pulling my bra and shirt up as he did. I lifted my chin slowly, afraid of what I might see on his face, but compelled to look anyway, and what I saw settled everything inside of me.

"You love me?" I asked, my voice filled with wonder. I felt tears pricking the back of my eyes and a hard knot forming in my throat as I looked at him. His black hair was in disarray from my hands, and his eyes were brimming with love and affection.

"And you love me," he stated, his tone conveying his happiness.

My heart leapt as he pulled me into his arms. I turned my head to rest my face on his chest and I could hear the still violent beating of his heart. Everything felt right and good, and I felt a calmness, _a serenity_ , that I knew came with finally mating with the person I was meant for.

Fear started creeping back in, so I threw my arms around his waist and squeezed him tightly to me, as I whispered, "What are we going to do?"
Chapter 5

# Maximus

"We'll figure it out," I answered gruffly, too caught up in the moment to think about anything but what we'd just done.

It had shattered every question, any possibility of doubt. Gilly was mine, and I was hers, end of story. The fact that she was promised to my Alpha and best friend was a problem, even in my love-induced haze, I realized that, but I couldn't worry about that now. Not when every fiber of my being was crying out with joy.

I'd claimed her as my own. My wolf, who had been chomping at the bit earlier, was now calm and collected, content with the knowledge that my mate had been claimed.

I knew we'd have battles to fight in the coming days, but I also believed that when something was meant to be, everything would work itself out.

I smiled as I held Gillian close, our hearts beating as one as the smell of our mating permeated my senses and I felt my body start to respond once again. Coupling with her had not been my intention. In fact, I'd thought to live out my days in misery, watching the woman I loved, love another. Never in my wildest dreams had I imagined she would feel the same way about me.

I ran my hands up and down her arms, then to her back, and lower, until her nicely rounded bottom was filling them up and I rocked her against me.

Gillian practically purred in response, then moaned lowly when I once again licked the bite mark I'd left on her neck.

"I'd always imagined it would be like this," I practically growled.

"Me, too," she panted, then put her arms around my neck as I lifted her up off the ground and walked us toward her bed.

We'd had fast, mind-blowing, fantastic mating, now I wanted to take my time and worship every inch of her the way she deserved. So, I sat her gently on the bed, then slowly peeled her clothes off of her body, pausing to enjoy ever new expanse of exposed skin as I did.

When she was finally naked before me, I stood before her for a moment to appreciate her glorious legs, gorgeous tits, and beautiful skin as she laid back on the pillows, her dark hair fanning out around her.

Once I'd looked long enough for my cock to become completely rigid once again, I quickly disposed of my own clothes and laid out on the bed next to her.

My eyes held hers as I enjoyed the soft, smooth feel of her skin beneath my palm, while teasing us both with slow strokes of skin on skin.

"You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," I whispered.

I watched her eyes fill and her lips turn up sweetly.

"So are you, Max."

I lowered my head and brushed my lips softly against hers, then kissed her gently, taking my time and drawing out our pleasure. She opened for me on a soft moan and I swept inside, enjoying the heady taste of her.

I'm not sure how long we laid there, drinking each other in slowly, our hands and mouths worshiping each other.

This time, I knelt before her and lowered myself slowly, giving her time to adjust to my weight as I entered her slowly. Reverently.

"Max," she gasped, her back bowing as she took every inch of me.

We made love with long strokes, hot kisses, and loving words, and I knew she'd claimed every last piece of me by the time we both came, her name on my lips.

That night I slept more soundly than I ever had, with my mate tucked close in my arms, my wolf surprisingly content, considering I'd never gotten in that run.

When I woke, it was with a stretch and a smile as the night came back to me, my heart full with the knowledge that Gilly was mine, and I was not going to be forced to live this life alone, longing for the impossible.

Unfortunately, the bed beside me was empty, as was the apartment. I took my time getting up and ready, figuring Gilly would be back any moment from whatever chore had taken her away. However, when I'd showered, dressed, had a cup of coffee and looked around for a note I never found, I realized I wasn't going to get the chance to see her before I had to get to work.

I left a note telling her I loved her and would see her later, then locked up, and while whistling a happy tune, I went down the stairs and started to my truck. As I was passing the door to Howler's, however, the idea that Gilly might have gone down to the bar struck me, so I changed course and tried the door.

It was unlocked.

The first thing I saw when I opened it, was Gillian cleaning tables in the bar, her lips moving as if she were muttering to herself.

I grinned at the sight of her, and, needing to feel her in my arms again, I let the door slam and started toward her. At the sound of the door her head swing up and worry-filled eyes hit mine, before her face closed off completely.

Dread hit my stomach at that look on her face, but I kept the smile on mine as I said, "Good morning, although, would've been better if I hadn't woken up alone."

Her hand stilled on the table and I saw it flex around the rag she held.

"Good morning, Maximus," Gilly replied. "Sorry, I had to get to work."

When I was close enough, I lifted my arm to pull her to me, but she stiffened and stepped back.

"What's going on?" I asked warily.

"We can't do this," she started, her voice almost desperate.

"Do what?" I asked, that dread turning to cement in my gut.

"This," Gilly replied, gesturing between us to emphasize what she meant. "Us. There can be no _us_."

"But there _is_ an us," I countered. "You're my mate, Gillian, and you know it. I claimed you last night... you felt it just as wholly as I did."

"I know what we felt, but it's wrong. I'm meant to be the mate of an Alpha, you know it, and I know it. _Shit_ , we've always known it. This thing between us cannot be, you're only a Bravo," Gilly replied, her words not harsh, but pleading, and still, it felt as if she'd punched me.

Wanting to argue, but knowing anything I said now after being hurt and in anger would only cause more damage, I gave her a sharp nod and said, "We'll take some time to think and talk about this later," then I spun on my heel and crossed to the door.

"There's nothing to think about, Max, I'm sorry," Gilly said from behind me, and I flinched again as if she'd hit me from behind.
Chapter 6

# Gillian

When the door shut behind Max, I started shaking uncontrollably, then crying soundlessly, before finally dropping to the floor and allowing the sobs out. Once I'd cried my heart out, I felt a little bit of relief, unless you counted the horrendous ache in my chest.

_Shit, it's like an actual physical pain_ , I thought as I stood, rubbing my chest absently, as if that would help ease the pain there.

Last night I'd been caught up. In my feelings, the magic between Max and I, and I'd allowed myself to _hope_... The cold light of day had dashed that hope away. I knew my lineage, my _purpose_ , and it wasn't to live happily ever after with the Bravo of the pack, as much as my entire being was screaming that it was.

No, I was born to be the mate of the Alpha, case closed.

Was what Max and I shared last night confusing? Hell yes. I'd felt the way I'd always imagined I would when I mated with the Alpha I was born to be with. It had been more than _sex_ , more than _making love_ , it was more like and otherworldly, out of body, experience.

I'd fallen asleep happy and content, but I'd woken up terrified.

What if Mateo found out what Max and I had done? I'd cheated on the man that was supposed to be my other half, hell, I hadn't thought about him at all. Once I'd felt Max's hand on me, I was done. Completely and utterly caught in the moment.

I'd fled my apartment as quickly and quietly as I could manage, needing to get some space and get out of the vicinity of Max's gloriously naked, sleeping form. As soon as I'd escaped my flat and hit the bar, I'd known exactly what I needed to do, even as I knew, I'd never recover from it.

It had killed me to hurt Maximus that way, I'd actually felt his pain deep within me, and I worried that now that we'd mated, we'd forever be linked internally in some way. Still, it was done, and there was nothing that could ever change between us.

What scared me the most was facing Mateo, who knew me better than anyone. I was afraid he'd know immediately that something was wrong, or guess what I'd done somehow. I also didn't know if I'd be able to live with _not_ telling him.

Sure, we'd never been together that way, even though the pack assumed we had been, but I was still going to be by his side for the rest of our lives, just like I was meant to be. Could I live my whole life as a lie?

I heard the door open and whipped my head toward it, worried that Max had come back, then let out a sigh of relief when my sister walked in.

"Hey, Tash," I called, hoping I didn't look guilty.

"Morning," she mumbled.

Natasha wasn't the morning person that I was, quite the opposite. A fact that I was happy of when she barely glanced in my direction, instead heading straight for the coffee pot.

Knowing it would probably be in my best interested to avoid Tash and Mateo, the two people who knew me best and would be most likely to see into my soul and discover my secret, I came up with a plan of avoidance.

"Hey, ah, Maximus stopped by last night," I began, hoping my tone hadn't wavered at the utterance of his name. "And, uh, Mateo wants us to round up some welcome dishes for the new pack down the way... Threehorn, I think. So, I, ah, figured I'd get a jump on that this morning. Can you handle things around here for a while?"

Natasha turned her head from side to side, taking in the empty room, before looking at me blankly.

"I think I can handle it."

I knew she could, since we didn't open until lunch, but that didn't make me feel any less guilty for wanting to get the hell out of there.

"Okay, thanks, I'll be back before we open."

Natasha's attention was already back on her coffee mug, but she lifted a hand and waved me away in response.

Before there was a chance she would come out of her fog and fully wake, I scooted out of there as fast as I could, practically running around to the back of the building, where my trusty little Honda CRV waited.

I drove into town, trying to ignore the pain in my chest and the panicked thoughts fleeting through my brain.

_Everything is going to be fine_ , I assured myself. _Mateo never needs to know, and Max and I will go back to being his best friends and nothing more._

I chanted this to myself on repeat, knowing that it was the best course of action, but I couldn't help but wonder, if that was true, why did I feel like crying again?

When I pulled up to the small, tidy ranch home and parked, I took a deep breath before exiting the car and going up to knock on the door. Within seconds, the door swung open to reveal the already perfectly coifed and made-up owner.

"Gilly, what brings you by so early in the morning?" Heidi, one of my oldest friends, and most anally organized people I'd ever met, asked.

"Hey, Heidi, sorry to bother you, but I'm here on Pack business," I replied, knowing that would get her attention right away.

Heidi was a human, but still very loyal to the pack. Her goal in life had always been to marry someone on the pack council and be an important member of the pack. That's why she was always the first to volunteer for everything, was a fixture at every pack event, and not only looked flawless at all times, but kept an impeccable home.

She wanted the wolves in our pack to know she was terrific wife, and mate, material. Sadly, no one had taken the bait... yet. That didn't stop Heidi from trying.

I'd tried to talk to Mateo about having the guys give her a chance, even if it was just for one date, but he refused to butt into the personal lives of his pack, which I guess I understood, even if I didn't agree.

As I suspected, Heidi immediately opened the door and ushered me inside.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked hopefully, and my heart ached at her eagerness.
Chapter 7

# Maximus

_Fuck._

I was sitting in my truck in the parking lot of our office building downtown, knowing I needed to go inside, but still needing a few moments to lick my wounds.

I'd never had a problem being the Bravo to Mateo's Alpha, it's just the way things were. The way they'd _always_ been, and I'd grown up feeling pride at holding that honorable position. I'd never thought of myself as lacking, that is until Gilly had said her parting shot.

Now, suddenly, the position I'd always been so grateful for, being second only to the Alpha, my best friend and brother of the heart, made me feel like I wasn't good enough. And, I guessed I wasn't, at least not in Gillian's eyes.

_Was she really so shallow? Had I kept her on a pedestal all of these years, thinking she was unattainable, and therefore not seeing her flaws?_

Yesterday, I would have said, _hell, no_ , but this morning? After she'd so callously disregarded everything that had happened last night? Maybe I _did_ need to take time to think and reevaluate my feelings.

My wolf started pacing, pissed by the emotions rolling through me. He was certain that Gilly was our mate and didn't like me even thinking bad things about her, but what was I supposed to feel?

" _Fuck_ ," I muttered, then opened the door with a shove, slamming it shut behind me.

I took a deep breath as I looked at the small, unimpressive office building that was Pack Headquarters. Back in the day, all business had been conducted at Howlers, but when Mateo pushed for us to do more than sling liquor, he'd bought this place.

I walked into the building, heading straight to the coffee pot to grab a cup, then paused. Usually, in the mornings I went straight into what I'd always thought of as the bull pen. Not that we were even close to being cops, although we did enforce pack law, but because it was a large open room with five desks. One each for Bryan, Calin, Gregory, and Kevin, and an extra for the last remaining position on council. The one we'd had yet to fill.

I liked to go in and catch up with the guys, and see if anything was going on, before heading to my own, private office, but on that morning, I didn't feel like hanging out. So, rather than walk toward the sound of raised male voices and laughter, I walked down the corridor to my office, which was right next to Mateo's larger one.

I shut the door softly behind me, so as not to alert anyone to my presence, then moved to sit behind my desk. Staring blankly at my unlit computer, visions of last night flitted through my brain.

_The way she'd looked, felt, smelled... so amazing. The way everything had felt just right, as if I'd been waiting for that moment all my life... Because I had been._

_Fuck_ , I thought again, realizing that I wasn't going to get shit done if we didn't sit down and talk this out. I couldn't believe that she was so willing to throw what we had away because of tradition.

_If she was my mate, there was no way she was Mateo's, so what did that mean? That they'd been faking it this whole time? That would mean someone else was his intended, so why was Gilly so fired up to live a lifetime of lies? Why was Mateo?_

I wasn't going to get answers from my computer, and I couldn't say anything to Mateo, at least not yet. Not until Gilly and I were on the same page. So, I pushed back from my desk, intent on going back to Gillian's and _really_ talking this out.

I wasn't going to accept her reasoning. I may only be the Bravo, but I the Bravo who was going to spend his life happily with his mate. I just needed her to realize that.

I was almost to the door when it flung open and Mateo ducked his head and stepped inside.

_Shit._

"Hey, Max, I saw your truck out front, but didn't see you with the guys, so I came to see what's up."

That was the problem with having your Alpha know you better than anyone else.

"Oh, ah, morning, Mateo," I stuttered, mentally slapping myself. I needed to snap out of it and act normal. "I actually just stopped in to pick up my... uh, the keys to the warehouse. I was heading there now to do inventory on supplies."

Mateo watched me quizzically, his eyes roaming my face while he sniffed lightly at the air. _Shit_ , I wasn't exactly a stumbling and muttering kind of guy, in fact, I'd never sounded so ridiculous in my life.

_Way to act natural, asshole_.

"You've claimed your mate," Mateo stated after a few more seconds of sniffing.

Nothing he could have said or done would have shocked me more.

"Wh-a-t?" I stammered.

"Did you think, as your Alpha, I wouldn't know?" he demanded, watching me suspiciously, probably because I was acting suspicious.

"Uh, I don't know, I never really thought about it," I admitted, realizing no one had mated since Mateo had been Alpha, so I hadn't thought about it. No one on the council had mates yet, and all the elders were already mated, so it had never come up.

Mateo shrugged, "Yeah, me neither, it hasn't come up yet. But, I can smell it on you."

"What does it smell like?" I asked, curious in spite of my growing despair at being caught.

Mateo looked thoughtful, then replied, "I don't know. A mixture of wolf and human, of happiness and rightness... I don't know how to explain it. I just immediately understood the scent, and see it in the way you look."

"The way I look?"

"Yeah, you're carrying yourself differently. Standing a little taller, your heartbeat is slightly more rapid, and you look... satisfied."

"Huh," I said dumbly, not sure what to do next. "So, ah, I'll just get to it."

"Seriously?" Mateo laughed. "That's it. You're the first one of us to claim your mate and all you want to know is what you look and smell like? You have to tell me everything. Who is it? How did it happen? Did you know beforehand, or did something just click?"

"Look, Mateo, I hate to ask this of you, but... can you give me some time? Let's just say, there's already some confusion, and although, I swear, last night we both knew we were mates and the claiming was mutual, there was some... panic this morning. I promise I'll explain it all when I can."

"Of course, Max, whatever you need."

I sighed, even though, if I'd taken the time to actually think things out rather than freak out, I would have known Mateo would react in exactly that way. He never pried, and trusted with his whole heart. He'd give me the time I needed.

"Thanks, brother," I said, then moved to walk around him.

"Hey, Max," he called, and I paused. "I'm happy for you."

I managed a small smile, even as my heart lurched as I wondered for the first time if going after my own happiness would hurt my best friend.
Chapter 8

# Gillian

After spending an hour feeling guilty for using Heidi's eagerness to do anything for the pack in order to avoid being around my sister or running into Mateo, I left Heidi's knowing the Threehorn Pack would probably end up with more welcome dishes than they could handle.

Heidi had already activated the phone tree and put me down for my famous cheesy tater tot casserole. I didn't cook a whole lot, what with living alone and working full time at a place that served food, but I had gotten the recipe from my mom when I moved out.

Sometimes, a girl needs her comfort food. In fact, a big helping of cheesy potato goodness sounded fantastic right then.

I pulled around the back of Howlers into my spot, and was about to sneak up the stairs to my apartment, when the sight of Max sitting on my stairs stopped me in my tracks. My heart started galloping, my stomach started fluttering, and _I swear_ , my palms started to sweat.

_God, did he look better than usual?_

Doubtful, since I'd just seen him a couple of hours ago, and I was pretty sure he was still wearing the same clothes he'd left in. But, I guess my body didn't get the memo, because my breasts felt full, and my clit swollen and achy, at the sight of his scruffy face, messy hair, and biceps busting out of his shirt.

"What are you doing here?" I managed.

"We need to talk," Max urged.

"I already said what I needed to say," I argued, trying to figure up how to get past him without accidently brushing up against him, then humping him until this ache went away.

"Well, _I_ didn't," he countered, then stood up and gestured up the stairs. "Please, can I have a few minutes?"

Even though I knew it was a bad idea, I caved. The look on Max's face made it impossible for me to hurt him, again. I'd already done that once today.

"Fine, but just for a few minutes, I have to get back to work."

I felt his warmth behind me as we walked up the stairs and I opened my door. I may have shoved the door open harder than necessary in order to get quickly inside, but I swear, I could also smell him, which only made the memories start to torture me.

He smelled divine, like woods and, well, Max. I didn't know how to explain it, but if he could bottle that scent, women around the world would flock to the store to purchase it.

_Hold it together, Gilly..._

I crossed to the kitchen, dropped my keys on the counter, and went to busy myself by getting a drink of water.

" _Gillian_ ," Maximus said softly from behind me, his tone full of emotion. Hope, fear, frustration, and love.

I turned slowly and tilted my head back to look up at him.

"I know this isn't what you had planned for your life. I know you're scared of what your family will think, what the pack will think, what _Mateo_ will think... and I am too, even though, _I'm not_ ," he stated, confusing me even more. "Nothing has ever felt as right to me as last night, and I don't want to lose that... I don't want to lose _you_. I want to be that happy for the rest of my life, to make _you_ that happy for the rest of yours. I think your family, the pack, and Mateo will want that for us too. They'll understand that you're my mate."

I knew that he was right, that if anyone would understand that we were meant to be together, it would be this pack, this community that we lived in. Still, I hated the thought of disappointing my parents, of causing possible conflict in the pack.

"What if people think I betrayed Mateo? And, what about Mateo himself? I could never hurt him," I whispered, hoping Max could hear the sincere concern in my voice. I hated that I hurt him this morning, but in this situation, someone was bound to get hurt. I lowered my head and muttered, "I'm so confused."

"It's okay to be confused," Max replied, his hand coming to my chin and lifting so I would face him. "And, it's okay to be worried about Mateo, but please, don't push me away... There's really nowhere for me to go. I'm yours, whether you decide to lay claim to me or not."

"Max," I whispered, guilt and need warring within me.

I stopped breathing as I watched Max bend slowly, giving me time to put a halt to the kiss that, even though I knew I should stop, I really didn't want to. Instead, I let me eyes flutter closed, and I sighed at the first, achingly soft brush of his lips.

Max kissed me slowly, sweetly, as if he had all the time in the world and all he wanted to do with that time, was worship my mouth. He made me feel a myriad of things... loved, cherished, wanted, and I knew I'd never be able to let him go, even though I'd made a valiant effort just that morning.

After he pulled back, it took me a moment to get my bearings, then I opened my eyes and looked up at his handsome face.

"Shit's about to get really complicated, but as long as we're open with each other, trust each other, _lean_ on each other, we can get through anything," Max promised, then asked, "Okay?"

"Yeah, Max," I said with a small smile.

The grin he gave back was enormous, and so happy it made my heart flip in my chest.

"Okay," he repeated, then dropped a soft kiss on my nose and moved through the room toward the door. "I know you have to get to work, and so do I," Max stated, opening the door as he spoke. "You talk to Tash, and I'll talk to Mateo, everyone else can come after, sound good?"

Before I could respond, I heard Mateo's voice ask, "Talk to Mateo about what?"
Chapter 9

# Maximus

I swung my head from Gilly, to see Mateo standing behind me right outside the door.

He looked confused, but there was a small smile playing on his lips, until he saw the shocked look on my face and the smile dropped. Mateo pushed past me into the apartment, probably worried that my expression meant there was something wrong with Gillian.

But once he got inside, he stopped in his tracks and I saw his head tilt back as he scented the air.

Eyes wide with shock, Mateo's head swiveled between Gillian and I, a sight that would have been comical, if I wasn't scared to death that we were about to break my best friend's heart.

Mateo's gaze landed on Gilly, so his back was to me when I heard him say, "It's you... You're Maximus's mate."

It sounded more like a statement than a question, but still, Gillian answered softly, hesitantly, "Yes." Then she rushed to him, her hands coming to rest on his arms, and I struggled with the jealousy that roared to life within me. "We had no idea, Mateo... we never meant for this to happen."

I staggered back into the room and shut the door, completely unprepared for what happened next.

I watched as Mateo crushed Gilly to him in a tight hug, before releasing her and turning to give me the same treatment. When he pulled back, he clapped me hard on the back as he grinned down at me.

"This is fantastic," he exclaimed. "The two most important people in the world to me are mated, it's unbelievable."

"Uh, Mateo," Gilly started softly.

When he turned that grin back toward her she asked, "Aren't you... _upset_?"

"Why the hell would I be upset? This is the best news ever. We need to throw a party, a bonfire, a sort of Mating Reception, as it were," Mateo bellowed, his excitement getting away from him.

"But, what about the pack?" Gillian asked. "I'm supposed to be your intended, not Max's mate, won't they be upset? Think that I betrayed you? Don't _you_ feel that way?"

"Gilly, baby," he began, cupping her face in his large hand. I clenched my fists at my side, knowing there was no time for my jealousy right now, especially since it looked like Mateo was completely cool with this new and unexpected change of events. "You and I have always known that we aren't actually meant, we just kept up the façade to placate the pack, and would have continued to do so, but that's only because we didn't think either of us were meant for anyone."

"What?" I asked, when Mateo's words sank in. "You've both always known, and have just been... pretending?"

Mateo looked over his shoulder at me and gave a brief nod.

"We knew that what we felt for each other was more a brother/sister kind of affection, not what we imagined it was supposed to feel like when you've met your mate, but we also knew that we hadn't met anyone who made us feel that way. And, since her family was adamant that she was meant for me, and we didn't want them trying to ship her off to mate with some other Alpha, we agreed to give the outward appearance of being mates."

"So, that means, you've never..." I began, feeling like a jerk for asking, but _really_ needing to know.

"No," Mateo replied quickly, as if the idea were absurd.

"So, does that mean you've never..." I repeated, this time turning toward Gilly, thinking back to last night and how wild it had been.

Gillian blushed and shook her head.

"But..."

Gilly held her hand up and said, "I broke my hymen when I was a kid. Can we talk about this later?"

I turned from her red face to see Mateo masking his grin, and my wolf howled at the knowledge that I'd been Gilly's first, and would be her only.

"Anyway," Gillian began, shooting at glare at what was probably a pretty cocky grin on my face. "What about you? Won't this cause you embarrassment, maybe divide the pack and harm the council?"

"Gillian, if anyone understands what it means to find your mate, it's the members of our pack. They're going to understand that you and Max are meant to be. Will there be some initial confusion and maybe a backlash at the two of us for pretending to be mates when we weren't? Probably... And, will your parents have a hard time coming to terms with this union? I'm sorry, babe, but you know they will. But, in the end, you and Max will be free to start your lives together and the pack will support you one hundred percent."

"I don't want you to have to deal with any bullshit over this," I stated, thinking this news might actually be harder on him than it is on us. "What if we keep it hidden for now, and give you time to tell the pack about you and Gilly, before we spring our relationship on them?"

"How would you do that?" Mateo asked, his eyes looking pointedly at my hand wrapped around Gilly's waist. While we'd been talking, she and I had gravitated toward each other, as if it were impossible to be in the same room without touching. "I'm sure I won't be the only one who can smell the difference in both of you, plus, you can tell just by looking at you that you're in love. There's no disguising it."

"What if I go stay with my brother for a week, just long enough for you guys to take care of things here," Gilly offered, and the thought of her leaving me caused a physical pain in my chest. She must have noticed, because her hand came to rest on my heart and she added, "Then, when I get back, Max and I can let everyone know about us, we can have the ceremony, and I'll move in to his place."

"You'll move in with me?" I asked, the thought making me happier than I could've imagined.

"Of course," she said, softly, and I had no choice but to drop a kiss on her waiting lips.

" _Oh, brother_ ," Mateo groaned. "Yeah, I hate to say it, Gilly, but going to stay with Brick at school is probably the only way that the pack won't find out about you two. I'm surprised they can't smell the pheromones already and aren't pounding on your door."

"Then it's settled," I said, then looked to my best friend and added, "Everyone better come to terms quickly, because there's no way I'll last longer than a week."
Chapter 10

# Gillian

"I don't understand," my sister said as she followed me out to my car.

"I know, it's crazy, but I called in help for while I'm gone, and I'll call you every night," I promised.

"But, you and Max? And, you and Mateo were faking? Now your running off to stay at Brick's and I'm supposed to what, hold down the fort _and_ deal with mom and dad?"

I knew Natasha had a point, it wasn't fair to put all of this on her while I disappeared, but I knew my sister, and I knew that she'd have my back no matter what.

"I promise, I'll pay you back. You name the price, and you got it," I assured her, pausing from throwing my stuff in the trunk to pull her in my arms. "We didn't plan for any of this to happen, but Mateo has spoken, and this is what he needs from me... from us. It's the least I can do for him."

I looked in my sister's grey eyes and pleaded, "I don't want him to face this on his own, but I also know it'll be worse if people find out about Max and me before Mateo has the opportunity to tell everyone that he and I aren't mates. I wish I could be here to stand at his side while he does, but he wants me out of town. And, Tash, even though he isn't my mate, he is the Alpha, and mine and Max's best friend, I have to abide by his wishes."

"Mom and dad are going to be pissed," Natasha said softly.

"I know," I replied with a frown. "But, they should understand what it means to me to find my mate, even if he isn't the Alpha they've always predicted he would be. I'll talk to them, Tash, I promise. I won't put that on you. But, you need to know, no matter what they say, Max and I are having a ceremony when I get back, I'm moving in with him, and we're going to spend the rest of our lives together."

Tash's face softened and her eyes filled.

"I can't believe it, but, seriously, Gilly, I'm so happy for you. You deserve this, but I'm not going to lie, I'm pissed that you've been lying to me all this time about Mateo. It's going to take me some time to come to terms with that."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, then hugged her tightly before letting her go.

"Give Brick a kick in the ass from me," she said, before turning and jogging back toward Howlers.

"I will," I shouted, but she was already turning the corner of the building.

It sucked that my sister was mad at me, but I knew she would only be the first of many. Mateo and I had been lying to the pack for many years now, and I hated that I wouldn't be here to face the backlash with him. Although, as Alpha, I knew he could take it, I just hoped nobody saw Max as the easier target with me gone, and turned on him.

As I drove toward the college town two hours away where our younger brother, Brick, lived, I worried about Natasha, and what our parents would say once they learned about me and Max. I felt like I should at least call to give them some sort of warning, but had no idea what to say.

_Maybe Brick will have some ideas_ , I thought, then laughed dryly.

There was no love lost between my parents and Brick. What, with my parents being traditional and conservation, and Brick being gay and liberal.

We'd all known Brick was gay for as long as I could remember, and that's just as long as our parents had been living with their heads in the sand. Even when Brick had worked up the courage to officially come out to them, they'd said he was wrong, that it was just a phase and he'd grow up and see his true path.

He'd left for college as soon as he possibly could, and hadn't been back once, not even for a visit. Natasha and I usually took turns going to see him, leaving one of us to run the bar, but it was usually just for the weekend. This would be the longest I'd ever crashed at his place, and I hoped I wouldn't be messing up any of his plans.

I couldn't even turn on the radio while I drove, my mind was already too loud as I thought about what Mateo was going to do, what Max was going to say, how everyone was going to react. It was driving me crazy that I wasn't going to be there.

When I finally pulled up to Brick's apartment building, I'd barely thrown the car in park before I'd ripped the keys out of the ignition and was running up the walkway to the door of his first-floor apartment.

"Where's the fire, Gilly?" Brick said with a grin as he leaned against the doorjamb.

I stopped abruptly. I'd been in such a rush, I hadn't even seen him standing there.

"Oh, Brick, I think sending me here was a bad idea. I should be there to face the pack with Mateo, and to break the news of Max and I to not only the pack, but to mom and dad. I left Tash pissed at me, not just about telling mom and dad, but about lying to her all these years, and leaving her to run the bar."

"Breathe, big sis," Brick said calmly, stepping out to pull me into his thick, sculpted arms. "If you think back home is where you need to be, then you should be there."

"But, Mateo said..."

"I know what the Alpha said, but Gilly, you have to listen to your heart," Brick said tenderly. "Not doing so is what got you in this mess in the first place."

_Shit._

"You're right," I said, because he was. Mateo and I both knew we weren't mates from the start, and if we'd just been honest, instead of being afraid of the unknown, we wouldn't be here now. Shoot, Max and I may have realized we were mates sooner, and already be living our happily ever after.

"Of course, I'm right," Brick said haughtily, causing me to smile.

"Oh, calm down," I replied with a smirk, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. "Just because I said you're right _this time_ , doesn't mean you're _always_ right."

"Whatever, you know I am. Just let me get my bag and we'll be on our way," Brick said, then disappeared into his apartment.

"Wait, what? You're coming?"

Brick reappeared with a backpack over one shoulder.

"C'mon, sis, you have to know I wouldn't miss out on you telling the parents you aren't mated to the Alpha."

"That's kinda mean, Brick," I said with a frown.

"Now, Gilly, you know I won't get any satisfaction out of anything other than _their_ discomfort," my brother said with a wink, then sauntered to my car.

"Here, you drive," I said, tossing the keys to him when he turned back. "I don't think I can handle another couple hours behind the wheel."
Chapter 11

# Maximus

It was totally silent. So much so, that I couldn't even hear the breaths of my fellow council members, and I could usually hear at least a couple of them panting like dogs.

Mateo had just told the room that he and Gilly weren't mates. That they'd been pretending all these years, in order to keep Gilly here with the pack, and keep him from having to ward off every female in a hundred-yard radius who had hopes of being mated to an Alpha.

That was the first I'd heard Mateo's reasons behind the farce, and although warding off hundreds of women didn't sound so bad to the rest of the pack, we all new Mateo, and he'd always been a rather private person.

I could understand that, since, as Alpha, he had to be there for the pack at all times, he'd wanted at least a semblance of peace at home.

"I know this is a shock, and a betrayal, and I can't tell you how sorry I am that I lied. I promise you, it didn't have anything to do with trickery, it had to do with helping out one of my best friends and doing what I thought was best for the pack. Everyone knows an Alpha should have a mate, and I thought it would help some of the elder members transition to my leadership a little bit better. I was already changing things up by adding in the crops..." Mateo shook his head and rubbed the back of his neck. "I know, they all sound like excuses, but..."

"I won't deny I'm shocked," Calin, Mateo's younger brother, and the closest person to Mateo other than me and Gilly. "But, I can understand why you and Gilly wanted to help each other out, and I can forgive the lie, based on your intentions. The question is, why are you coming clean now? Has something happened?"

Mateo cleared his throat and was about to speak, when I opened my mouth and said, "She's my mate. Gilly... We didn't know because we've always pretty much kept our distance. I knew I felt a pull toward her, but always denied it because I believed what you all did, that she was destined to be our Alpha's mate. I never even touched her until the other night. And, that's all it took. As soon as my hand touched her arm, I knew... She's my mate."

I could tell they were shocked. Everyone started looking awkwardly from me to Mateo, as if expecting some sort of battle to break out between the two of us.

"I couldn't be happier," Mateo said when he found his voice. "Two of my best friends are mated and will spend their lives together, bringing cubs into our pack and strengthening our numbers. I feel no ill will toward either of them, because, as I said, I've always known that Gilly is not that one for me, which you will know too once you see them together. It's actually quite sickening," he joked.

The room erupted with laughter as questions started flying at me from around the table. Since they knew their Alpha wasn't upset, neither were they, and now, they felt free to allow their curiosity to get the better of them.

"Just from touching her arm, really?" Bryan asked.

"You say you felt a pull, when did that start? How old?" Gregory put in.

"What did it feel like? That moment when you knew she was your mate?" Kevin added softly, from right next to me. As the youngest, he was definitely the shyest. Actually, he was the only shy one.

I knew the guys were curious because none of them had found their mates yet, and unlike Mateo, they had been playing the field in hopes of finding the woman they'd settle down and build a family with. Wolves were not just loyal to their packs, strong fighters, and more handsome than mere men, they longed for family. For cubs, a mate they could care for, and a home they could call their own.

"Honestly," I began, giving Mateo an apologetic look. "I knew in second grade. Like I said, I've never touched her skin, but Mateo dared me to pull her pigtails, and that's when I started feeling the pull."

" _Fuck_ ," Mateo bit out, and I knew he was feeling guilty about the façade between he and Gilly, that had kept us apart for so long. "If I'd known, Max..."

"It's not your fault," I replied. "I should have talked to someone about what I was feeling. If I'd known she was my mate, I would have known that she couldn't have been yours as well, and I would have talked to you about it."

"But all this time..." he started miserably.

I held my hand up to stop him.

"It's a total fucking fluke, Mateo," I assured him with a chuckle. "We know now, and no one was hurt, so we can move on. We just figure out the best way to tell the pack, and to let Gilly's parents know."

"Gregory, call a pack meeting for tonight at town hall. I'll tell everyone then."

Gregory nodded and rose from the table to do just that, knowing time was of the essence.

"I'm pretty sure Gilly wants to tell her parents herself, but I'll give her a call after this to make sure. I could always go over there if needed," I offered, knowing that my new in-laws probably wouldn't be welcoming me to the family with open arms, but honestly not really caring.

As long as I had Gilly, I couldn't care less what _anyone_ else thought.

"All right, we should go ahead and get to it. We've got to get ready for harvest this weekend, the meeting with the Threehorn Pack, and now this wrench I've thrown into things. People may be pretty pissed initially, and I'm sorry to bring this down on you guys."

"We've got your back, brother," Calin assured him.
Chapter 12

# Gillian

"Yeah, we're almost back. I know, I just couldn't leave you and Mateo to face the possible fallout alone. Okay, we'll meet you there tonight, but first, Brick and I are heading to our parents. Yeah, they should hear it from me before the whole pack knows. I want to save them that embarrassment. I know, but still... Thanks, yeah, me too. I love you, too."

I hung up with Max, a goofy smile playing on my lips, when I felt Brick's eyes on me and turned toward him.

"What?" I asked defensively.

Brick smirked. "I've just never seen you act like this over a guy, it's freaking hilarious."

"Shut up."

Brick snickered until we turned onto the street our parents lived on, then his mirth vanished.

"Hey, I can do this alone," I began, but Brick shook his head.

"No, I've got your back," he assured me. "Plus, I'm through staying away like I have something to be ashamed of."

"Good for you," I said with a small smile, but my stomach was beginning to ache with the thought of what my parents' reaction may be. "They are the ones who should be ashamed."

Neither of us said anything else as Brick parked my car along the curb, both of our gazes on the light blue ranch-style home that we'd grown up in. I'd like to say our childhood had been a happy one, and it had, to some extent. Natasha, Brick and I had our differences, but we'd gotten along pretty well, and had always been there for each other. Especially when our parents were being extra hard on one of us.

I took a deep breath and put my hand on the door handle.

"Ready?" Brick asked.

"As I'll ever be," I replied, then we both got out of the car and walked slowly up the walkway, as if we were doing a death march.

We paused at the door to knock. Ours was not the kind of home that you walked into uninvited. If we were expected, it was acceptable, but since our parents didn't know we were coming, they would not welcome us just walking in.

That was just one of the many things I would do differently once I had a home and family of my own.

The door swung open and my mother's pinched face came into view. _Yeah, she was annoyed at being intruded upon..._

"Gillian, what on earth..." She began, then noticed Brick and she frowned. "Brick."

"Hello, Mother Dear," Brick said with a fake smile and sing song voice.

I would have started giggling, if I wasn't so nervous over what I was about to tell my parents.

"I need to talk to you and dad," I said, trying to keep my tone strong and steady. "It's important."

"Your father's in his study, I'll see if he has a moment," she said, and when she was about to walk about and leave us on the stoop, I asked, "May we come in?"

She looked put out when she replied, "I suppose," then walked away, leaving us to let ourselves in.

"Well, looks like things are just as cheery as the last time I was home," Brick said wryly.

"Can't you just feel the love?" I commented snarkily, letting my anger at my mother's rudeness form an armor around me.

_What did I care what they thought anyway?_ I asked myself. _They would never be happy, regardless of what any of us do, so I might as well live my life for myself._

My inner pep talk helped my confidence, until my parents walked into the living room. I sank down onto the couch and clasped my hands over my knees, feeling like a child who knew she'd done wrong and was about to get in loads of trouble.

I wondered briefly if they'd make me go pick a switch off the tree. Then, I felt Brick's reassuring arm around my shoulder and brought my gaze up to meet my parents'.

"What is it that's so important it couldn't be shared over the phone?" Our father asked not even looking at my brother.

"I came to tell you, before the rest of the pack finds out, that I am not Mateo's mate," I didn't want to let that sink in before I could explain, so I kept speaking hurriedly. "We've both known, since, well, forever, and just pretended we were mates to keep you guys happy. You've always sworn that I was born to be mated to the Alpha of our pack, and when it became clear to Mateo and I that was not the case, we agreed to pretend to be mates, so that you wouldn't try to mate me with the Alpha of another pack."

"So, you didn't lie to keep us happy, but to save yourself?" My mother asked, her eyes narrowed.

"This is preposterous," my father bellowed. "If you both agreed to this farce, why are you telling us now?"

"Because," I began slowly, "I've met the wolf that I am intended for, and he's claimed me as his mate."

"Who?" My father asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Maximus."

"The _Bravo_?" My mother spat, as if it were a bad word. "Impossible. No one in our family has ever been the mate of anyone other than the Alpha. It's in our lineage, and no daughter of mine will throw her future, and the future of our line, away to be some Bravo whore."

Brick sprang to his feet and yelled, "That's enough. You can't talk to Gilly that way, I won't allow it. I'm sorry that your children are such great disappointments to you, what not, filling out some bullshit prophecy, but you can't make us bend to your will."

"If you and Mateo had already agreed to _pretend_ , then you can keep on doing so," My father bit out as if Brick hadn't spoken. "You'll remain the Alpha's intended, go through the claiming ceremony, and remain his mate."

"No, dad," I argued, getting to my feet to stand next to Brick. "I won't. Max and I are meant to be together, and we have Mateo's blessing. I'll be moving in with him and we'll be starting our life together."

"I forbid it," my mother screeched.

"You can forbid whatever you want, I'm still going to live my life, my way. If you choose to write me out of your life the way you did Brick, that's your problem. But, don't expect Max and I to welcome you into our homes, or to get the chance to know your grandchildren once they're born. If you decide to turn your back on me now, I'm done."

"Natasha won't let us down," my mother said, her voice full of disappointment, and I took that as her decision.

Grabbing Brick's hand in mine, I lead my brother out of our parents' house, and tried to put their hurtful words behind me. Still, I couldn't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks.
Chapter 13

# Maximus

"I'm so sorry, babe," I said as I rubbed Gilly's back soothingly.

She'd come to the Town Hall, where Mateo was about to address the pack. I'd been thrilled to see her, but the look on her face told me that things had not gone great with her folks, and when she ran right into my arms, I knew I was right.

I glanced at Brick, who I hadn't seen in years, and frowned when he shook his head sharply at me, indicating that no, their parents hadn't been enthused at the news of Gilly being my mate.

Just like everyone else in town, I'd known how awful the Matthew's had been to Brick when he came out, even though it seemed like everyone except the Matthews knew their son was gay. To say that their reaction to their son had been not only extreme, but unimaginable was an understatement, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that they'd been just as ignorant when it came to Gillian.

Still, I was surprised. Gillian had always been their favored child, and I figured they'd be disappointed initially, but never expected them to write her off.

I frowned at Brick, then watched as he lifted his chin then walked out to join the crowd, then kissed the top of Gillian's head softly and held her a little tighter. I felt eyes on me and shifted to see Bryan and Calin standing by the entrance to the stage wiggling their eyes and making goofy faces at me.

Biting back a laugh, I shook my head at them. We were waiting in the back behind the stage while the meeting area filled with the members of our pack. Mateo wanted the council on the stage with him, to show that we had his back, and prove to the pack that we were all on board with what was happening. Since Gilly was now here, Mateo suggested we bring her out after everything had been explained, so that they could see the two of us together as a couple. He said that the sight of the two of us, so obviously together and in love, would help move the pack along to acceptance sooner.

I hated the thought of Gillian and I becoming the subject of gossip and a veritable sideshow for the town, but I was willing to put up with anything if it meant we got to be together.

Just thinking about it, as I held her in my arms, brought a huge grin to my face.

"What are you smiling about?" Gilly asked. She'd pushed back enough to look up at my face, but was still firmly in my arms.

"Just how happy I am," I admitted softly. "I never imagined I'd actually be able to have you. And, now that I do, I don't care about anything but making you happy. Not what the pack thinks, and certainly not your parent's shortsightedness. I'm the happiest man in the world right now."

"Looks like some things have changed since last we saw each other..."

I tore my eyes from Gilly to the large man who'd just entered the room, then shot him a grin as I tucked Gilly into my side to extend my hand to my old friend.

Taller than even Mateo, Logan was a bear shifter from the north and Chief of his Clan.

"I didn't realize you were coming," I said as we shook. It had been a little over a year since Mateo, Calin and I had gone up to help Logan's clan with some issues they'd been having with some thieves who'd squatted on their land. "It's good to see you, brother."

"Good to see you as well," Logan replied, then turned his charm to Gilly and added, "And you, my lovely, are a sight for sore eyes, although I'm a little confused..."

That's when I remembered that Gilly had gone with Mateo on a trip up to Logan's land on a previous trip, so they did know each other. While this was Logan's first trip to our town, Mateo and I had known him for many years, and often took turns going up to see him. Sometimes it was to help his clan, while others it was to utilize the isolated cabin he had on a lake, which offered great fishing and a relaxing place to take a break and let our wolves hunt.

"We're actually about to have a meeting with the pack to explain things," I informed him. "Gilly is my mate."

"I see," Logan said, although the crease in his forehead suggested otherwise.

"Is that why you came?" I asked, although I didn't see why Logan would care about the workings of our pack.

Logan shook his head.

"No, Mateo invited me to be here for the harvest. I'm interested in learning some things, maybe starting something up for my clan."

"Great, well, hopefully we'll get a chance to grab a drink and catch up," I said.

"Sounds good."

"You guys ready?" Mateo asked as he walked in from the stage. He noticed Logan and crossed to our friend. "Hey, Logan, I didn't realize you were here already. We're just meeting with the pack. Why don't you head to my place and I'll meet you there? This shouldn't take too long. There's beer in the fridge."

"Perfect," Logan replied, his eyes roaming over Mateo's face as if searching for something. What he saw there must have eased his mind, because he clapped Mateo on the shoulder with a grin, then turned to Gilly and I and added, "Congrats."

We watched as he strode out of the room, then turned back to our Alpha for further instructions.

"Let's do this," Mateo said and we followed him to the stage, leaving Gilly in the room to wait for her cue.

Mateo explained things to the pack much as he had to the council. First, by explaining the fact that he and Gilly and been pretending to be mates, and why, then he told them about Gilly being my mate and announced there would be a claiming ceremony in our future.

Everyone was shocked at first, and I could see some murmuring their displeasure at being lied to, but once Mateo explained about Gilly and I, I sensed the shift in the room.

Our pack always celebrated the mating of two new souls, and loved being a part of claiming ceremonies, as well as the romance of young love and the joy of a wolf and his or her mate starting a family.

By the time Gillian came out and she and I stood on the stage hand in hand, the pack was in a full-on frenzy.

I knew we'd still face some adversity. Not everyone was going to forgive the lie so easily, and I could already tell that some of the single women in the crowd were eyeing Mateo hungrily, eager for the chance to mate with the Alpha, now that he was no longer taken.

_Mateo was going to hate that..._

But, all in all, I was proud of our pack and their willingness to forgive Mateo and Gilly, and to be excited for Gillian and I.

The only black mark on the announcement was the obvious disapproval of Gilly's parents, who were the only members of the pack not in attendance.
Chapter 14

# Gillian

My legs were shaking as I stood on the stage in between Max and Mateo. Staring into the eyes of our pack, I couldn't help but feel a myriad of emotions. Guilt, shame, apprehension, and finally, hope.

Mateo and I hadn't hurt anyone with our lie, but still, we _had_ lied. For many years and to everyone. And no matter how accepting the pack seemed now, people were bound to be upset about that.

But, when Max took my hand, lifted it to his lips and kissed it softly, not only did the crowd go wild, but the frenzy within me calmed, and I smiled genuinely out at the people we'd grown up with, who had helped raise us, and who would be in our lives until we passed.

I searched the crowd for my parents, and even though I knew they wouldn't be there, I still found myself hoping I was wrong. Instead, my gaze landed on Natasha and Brick. My siblings were standing in the back of the room, arms thrown around each other, and they were both grinning.

Mateo dismissed the pack and Max and I followed the rest of the council members to the back room.

"Since Logan is finally here, I figured it be nice to make him feel welcome by having a small barbecue at my place. If you guys will pick up some more beer, I'll grab meat on my way home and we can all meet up at my place in about an hour," Mateo told the group, who began nodding enthusiastically.

"Can I tell Tasha and Brick?" I asked, wanting to spend time with my siblings, but not quite ready to leave Max's side yet.

"Of course, you know your family is always welcome," Mateo replied, looking at me pointedly as if to convey that nothing between us was going to change, just because almost everything had.

I loved that. Mateo had been such a large part of my life, and I wouldn't know how to handle it if things went sour between us.

My heart felt so full that I almost felt guilty, as if I shouldn't be allowed to have everything... A mate, my best friend, my friends and family, well, most of my family. I'd been living half a life for so long, it seemed inevitable to me that something was going to go wrong.

I nodded and smiled gratefully at Mateo, then leaned into Max and said, "I'm going to go tell Natasha and Brick. Meet you outside?"

"Yeah, babe," Max said, leaning down to brush his lips against my temple before letting me go.

" _Awe_...." Calin and Bryan cooed.

I shot a grin at them before turning to go find my brother and sister.

They were deep in conversation, still standing at the back of the room, when I approached.

"Hey," I called, and smiled as both their heads swung in my direction. My breath caught as Natasha's face crumbled and she ran to pull me into a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Gilly," she said, and I sighed, hugging my sister harder.

"No, I'm sorry, not you're going to get the brunt of parental pestering," I countered, giving Brick a frown over her head.

"Don't worry about that," Natasha said, pulling back and flicking her hand back. "I can handle mom and dad, even though I don't know if I even _want_ to. I hate what they're doing to our family. First pushing Brick away, now you... I really don't understand."

"Well, you can bet that they're sole focus is going to be on getting you mated to an Alpha, whether they try to push you at Mateo, or send you somewhere else. I wouldn't be surprised if they ordered all the Alpha's in the State to come by the house and set them up to some sort of machine to gauge their feelings upon touching you."

I was trying to make light of the situation, but even as I joked, I worried that it my parents _would_ go that far to try and assure the Matthew's family place in the world was as it should be.

"I wish they cared about their children as much as they did some damn family trait," Brick muttered as he joined us.

"We still have each other," I promised with a smile.

"Nothing will ever change that," Tasha put in.

"I know," Brick said softly, but I could tell this trip home was hurting him. Being away at school, he could try and forget our parent's rejection, but I knew it was hard for him to feel it again first hand.

"What do you say to some barbecue, beers, and good conversation?" I asked, thinking I could really use the down time myself.

"I should get back to the bar," Natasha began, so I asked, "Who's covering?"

"Taylor," she replied.

"She's dependable, she can hold it down for a few hours at least," I said, then cajoled, "Come on, just for a little while?"

Natasha smiled and gave in. "Okay, but only for one beer and one burger."

"Deal. What about you?" I asked Brick.

He shrugged and said, "I'm at your mercy until you decide to take me back home."

"Oh, yeah," I laughed. "Good, you're coming with us to Mateo's then."

Bricks eyes flashed at that, but before I could ask what was up, Natasha leaned forward to squeeze me tightly again, then whispered, "I'm sorry I got mad at you. Seeing you and Max together, I totally get it. You never lit up that way around Mateo."

"Thanks, Tash," I said softly into her hair. "That means a lot."

"Okay, my beautiful babies," Brick said, pulling us apart and throwing an arm around both of us. "Let's get this party started."
Chapter 15

# Maximus

"We've been pretty busy keeping poachers off the land, and there really never seems to be a dull moment, but I like the idea of being sustainable," Logan was saying.

We were all sitting around the fire pit in Mateo's backyard, drinking beer and catching up while the charcoal burned. Gilly had ended up going with Natasha to the store, saying we couldn't have a barbecue without potato salad, baked beans and pie, so Brick had ridden with me.

"It's really worked out great so far," Mateo told Logan. "It takes a couple years to get going, but I think you'll be happy with the results."

"So, Logan," Brick began, causing us all to turn our attention to him, "I've never been around a clan, or any bear-shifters for that matter, are ya'll an equal opportunity bunch, or are you like our wolf pack?"

"Brick," Mateo said, his tone low and warning, which caused me to look sharply at him, then back at Brick, as I wondered what was going on.

"I don't follow," Logan replied, also looking between the two.

"Does your clan find value in more than just the token male shifter... You know, women, humans, or _homosexuals_?" Brick said the last in a whisper, then gave a mock horrified gasp.

Logan seemed unphased as he took a pull from his beer with his gaze on Brick.

"We find value in all members of the clan. I'll admit that most of our shifters _are_ men, that's just the way it is, but we do have a female panther shifter who is mated to one of our men, as well as a lesbian couple who moved to be with our clan when they adopted two boy cubs. And, the youngest of our clan is gay, although he hasn't found his mate yet."

"Interesting," Brick replied, but his focus wasn't on Logan, it was on Mateo.

"What are you getting at, Brick?" I asked, not liking what I was hearing. "Has someone in the pack said something to you, other than your parents, I mean."

Brick turned to me and gave me a sad smile.

"No, nothing like that, Max, everyone has treated me the same as they always have, it's just... Well, even if I wanted to move back to be with the pack, it's not like I'd ever be able to find love here. I was just wondering what it's like in other breeds."

His words gave me pause, and I realized I hadn't thought about things in that way. Brick was the first person to ever come out in our pack. It hadn't made a difference to me or anyone else I knew, Brick was Brick and had always, would always, be one of us. But, I hadn't ever thought about what being the first, and so far, only openly gay member of our pack meant for him and his future.

I knew Gilly would be upset if he didn't come back, hell, I would be upset, I liked having my friends and family near, but Brick deserved happiness just like the rest of us.

I looked up to see Mateo watching Brick warily, and figured he was going through the same thought process I was.

"You know that you and whoever you start a life with are welcome here, anytime. You don't have to fall for a member of the pack or our community, we will welcome the person you love into our pack with open arms," I assured him. It wasn't unheard of for that to happen, that is, after all, how our pack grew, outside of reproduction, of course.

"I know, Max, thanks," Brick said, but his face conveyed that whatever had made him bring it up in the first place, was still an issue in his mind.

Before I could broach the subject further, Gilly and Natasha came walking out back, their arms loaded down with grocery bags. I sprung to my feet to go and help, and noticed Logan do the same.

"I thought you were going to get a couple sides and a pie," I said teasingly. "What's all this?"

"C'mon, I know my guys need a lot of food to fuel your bodies," Gilly replied, handing me a couple bags and placing the others on Mateo's counter.

He had a sweet setup outside. A full barbecue pit with a counter, bar, small refrigerator and even a stove top. Mateo may not ever use his kitchen inside, but like any self-respecting shifter, or man for that matter, he could throw down on the grill.

"Here, let me get that," Logan was saying to Natasha, who was looking up at him with wide eyes.

Logan reached out and started to take the bags, but when his hand brushed Tasha's they both stilled, neither of them saying anything for a few minutes, before Natasha released the bags and stepped back.

"I'm Logan," he said, his voice full of what sounded like longing.

"The Chief?" Natasha asked on a whisper.

Logan nodded and Natasha took another step back.

"I have to get back to Howlers," Tasha said suddenly, then spun on her heel and fled, leaving both Gilly and Logan staring after her with shocked looks on their faces. Although, I had a feeling they were shocked for different reasons.

"Who was that?" Logan asked gruffly.

"Natasha, my sister," Gilly answered, oblivious to what had just happened between Logan and Tasha. "She promised me she'd stay for one beer and one burger."

I put a hand on Gilly's shoulder and when she looked up, I shook my head.

"Your sister?" Logan asked, still looking toward the door that Natasha had gone through. "So, she's promised to an Alpha?"

Gilly shot me a look of confusion before turning her head toward Logan.

"No, well, not yet, but yes, we were always told that we were meant to be an Alpha's mate... At least, that's what our parents always told us. Who knows what the truth really is..."

"Hmmm," Logan murmured, and I knew things were about to get even more complicated for the Matthews family.
Chapter 16

# Gillian

" _Baby_ ," Maximus growled.

I looked up through my lashes, never stopping my ministrations as I licked his cock from bottom to top.

_God_ , the way he looked tied to my headboard, his muscles bulging as he strained at the pleasure I was giving him made my pussy flood with wetness. I hummed as I sucked him into my mouth, his back bowing off of the bed as I played with his balls in my palm.

"Get up here," he ordered, and I was about to deny him, because I was in charge and I liked it, but then he added, " _I want you to sit on my face_ ," and I scrambled up quickly.

My body throbbed everywhere, I was so turned on.

I moved over Max's body, my legs on either side of him. He was big, so it was a bit of a stretch and my swollen pussy rubbed along his stomach, then chest as I moved up him. The urge to stop and thrust was hard, but his eyes were hot on me, and his mouth was open, and I really, _really_ , wanted that mouth on me.

"Come here," Max ground out.

I put my hands on the top of the headboard to steady myself, then tilted my head down to watch as I lowered myself onto his face. I felt his breath first, then his tongue darted out and licked... " _Ahhh_ ," I moaned, then closed my eyes when his lips joined the party.

I rocked shamelessly against his mouth, already so close to coming from giving Max a blow job.

He lapped at me before stiffening his tongue and plunging it in and out of me, while he nuzzled my clit with his nose.

" _Oh. My. God_ " I managed as I moved my hips faster, chasing the pleasure that was surely moments away from encompassing me. Then it hit me, and I bucked against him as he sucked my clit between his lips, then kept at me until I was shaking and convulsing.

I managed to move back down his body, my pussy still throbbing with aftershocks of pleasure, and eased myself slowly onto Max's cock. This time, he groaned loudly as my slick heat surrounded him, before I lifted back up and teased the head of his cock at my entrance, before seating myself again. I did this repeatedly until he made a strangled sound, and I felt the pressure begin to build within me again.

"Harder," Max grunted, his wrists pulling at his restraints.

I adjusted my position and complied, riding him as fast and hard as my body would allow.

"I need your teeth on my shoulder," Max managed between groans, and I knew he meant he wanted me to claim him like he had me our first time.

The thought excited me further, and I ground against him even harder as I bent forward, moaning when the new position gave my clit more friction against his hard stomach.

" _Fuck, harder, Gilly_."

I could feel the sweat beading on my upper lip as I moved faster and tilted my hips at just the right moment to pull him deeper within me. When I heard him begin to pant and felt his heart pounding in his chest against mine, I reared back, then put my mouth on the base of his throat and bit down as hard as I could.

Max shouted as he bucked his hips and came hard, pounding into me from below and triggering my own release.

After we finished milking every last bit of pleasure possible, I collapsed on Max and struggled to even out my breathing. I laid there for a few moments, cheek on his chest, smiling happily as I came down from a euphoric high.

"Wow," I managed breathily as I lifted my head to grin down at Max.

"Yeah," he replied, then tugged on his restraints and asked, "Can I be released now? I'd like to hold my mate."

I quickly let him loose, then snuggled back in when his arms came around me.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you, too."

My adrenaline subsided, and I became aware that my legs were starting to cramp.

"Let me go get cleaned up, then I'll come back to snuggle," I promised, dropping a soft kiss on Max's lips before easing off of him.

I cleaned up quickly, then rushed back to Max, jumping on the bed and making a show of hurrying next to him and snuggling into his side.

Before I could say anything else, his phone rang on my bedside table, and I lost my snuggle partner as he sat up to reach it.

"Yeah?" he asked without looking to see who it was, his tone conveying his displeasure at being disrupted. The frustration cleared and a look of anger crossed his featured before he said, " _Fuck_... I'll be right there."

I sat up, pulling the covers with me to cover my nakedness when Max hopped out of the bed and began pulling on his jeans.

When he disconnected the call, I asked, "What's going on?"

"That was Mateo. There's damage to the silo, the combine is missing, and someone set fire to the crops. Gregory saw the fire and rushed over, he's been able to stop it... I don't know how much damage there is."

"Oh my gosh, that's terrible. Is there anything I can do?" I asked, my heart lurching when I thought of how upset Mateo was going to be about this. Shit, it was going to affect the whole pack, we'd come to rely on the money Mateo's brainchild had brought in.

"Not right now," Max said as he pulled his shirt over his head and crossed toward me. He put one hand behind my neck and dropped a quick kiss on my lips, and added, "I'll call if that changes, okay?"

"Okay, Max. Be careful."

"I will, babe."
Chapter 17

# Maximus

Once I got out to the field and not only saw the damage, but felt the rage and frustration coming off of everyone, I started pacing and did my best to keep my wolf in check. And, I knew the others were feeling the same way.

Half of one acre of crops was burnt to shit, there was a large gash in the side of one of the silos and the combine was nowhere to be found. That was a big ass piece of machinery to just up and disappear.

"I can't believe no one heard anything... _saw_ anything," Mateo growled.

I could tell he was on the verge of shifting, and doing everything in his power to keep it in check. But maybe, all of us keeping ourselves in check was the exact _wrong_ thing to do.

"No one has come forward and said anything, so I think our best bet is to shift. We can split up and see if we can catch a scent that will lead us straight to these fuckers," I said, loud enough for the guys to hear me.

Mateo turned his glower toward me briefly, before giving one sharp nod and shifting. Mateo's wolf was large, the biggest of us by far, with a grey and white coat. His green eyes held mine for a second, then he took off.

One by one, the council shifted and their wolves scented the ground before following their noses. Bryan's blonde coat matched his hair, while Calin's light brown fur was vastly different from his brothers. Gregory also had a grey coat, but it was more like slate, and Kevin's was a black as night.

I was about to shift myself, when I saw Logan step out of his truck and survey the area, before shifting into the largest, most bad-ass Grizzly I'd ever seen.

" _Fuck_ ," I muttered as I watched him lumber off, then shook my head clear and allowed myself to shift.

Everything becomes much clearer, simpler, when I'm in wolf form. My senses are heightened, with my nose leading the way. I ran over to the silo, and sniffed. I caught Gregory's scent, and knew he must've come this way too, then caught the scent of someone else. Some _thing_ else... a stranger.

That's the scent I followed.

I ran, nose to the ground, then scented the air, my ears twitching anytime I heard a sound. I looked to my right to see two wolves and a bear a little bit ahead of me, but obviously tracking the same scent. Changing course, I got behind them, careful not to get to close and startle the bear.

Logan's bear knew me, but even in wolf form I knew not to fuck with him.

We were about five miles out of town when the scent just disappeared. We were all together, noses to the ground as we tried to pick it back up again, when a loud engine caused us to still and lift our heads.

Three trucks came tearing into the field, surrounding us, their high beams on in an effort to blind us.

My hackles rose and I snarled, ready to attack at the first opportunity, and saw my brothers reacting the same way. Before I could let loose, a large bang erupted, and I heard a loud yelp. Instinctively everyone except for Logan closed in on Mateo's wolf, eager to guard our Alpha. Of course, he had other ideas, and pushed through us to get to the front of the pack.

I looked back and saw Kevin laying on his side, his blood seeping into the ground.

Unable to do anything but react, I surged forward toward the blinding lights, but was knocked to the side by Mateo. Before I could right myself and attack, the trucks turned and sped away, gone as quickly as they'd arrived.

I shifted and was about to ask Mateo stopped me, when I noticed Logan was standing and cradling Kevin's wolf in his arms.

"We have to get him to a doctor," Logan urged, then began to run back toward town.

"What the fuck was that?" Gregory asked angrily.

"Who the hell were those guys?" Bryan bit out.

"Is Kevin going to be alright?" Calin asked.

Mateo looked around at all of us, out to where the trucks had driven away, then back at us.

"I don't know who it was, but whoever they were, they burned the crops and damaged our property, then led us out here so they could pull a fucking gun on us," he seethed. "First, we're going to see to Kevin, then we're going to find out who is fucking with our pack."

That being said, he shifted again and took off at a sprint. By the time the rest of us changed, I couldn't even see his wolf anymore, but we all took off in the direction Logan had gone with our brother.

It was only a couple of miles, but felt like hundreds, I was so distraught over what had happened that night. By the time I made it back, found my clothes and grabbed my phone, Mateo, Logan, and Kevin were nowhere to be seen.

I shot out a text to Mateo, asking where they were, then found Gilly's name and texted her to let her know I'd be a lot longer.

**Is everything okay? Do you know who did it?** Gilly asked.

**No, we don't know yet, and there was a problem... Kevin is injured. But, until we get the okay from Mateo, keep it all under wraps.**

**Okay, Max. Stay safe and give Kevin my best.**

**Thanks, I'll be home as soon as I can. Love you.** I replied, then switched over when Mateo's reply came in.

**We're at Doc's. You and the guys head to the office and put some coffee on. It's going to be a long night.**
Chapter 18

# Gillian

Deciding I needed normal so I didn't start freaking out, I left Max's empty house after straightening up, making the bed, and locking the door. He hadn't come home, but he had kept in touch, letting me know they were trying to figure out who was behind the vandalism and attack on Kevin.

I pulled into my spot behind Howlers and crossed the parking lot to open the door and start setting up. I was surprised when I got there to see the door was already unlocked. I went inside to find Natasha and Heidi covering up a bunch of tin pans with foil.

"Hey," I said in greeting. "What are you guys up to so early?"

"Hey," Tasha said with a smile.

"Good Morning, Gilly," Heidi added, way too chipper for so early in the morning. "We had everyone bring their dishes here so we could consolidate and take them all to the Threehorn Pack together this morning. You're free to join us, if you'd like."

I raised an eyebrow at Tasha, who just shrugged.

"Have you heard from Brick?" I asked, realizing our brother had been MIA since he'd left the barbecue last night, not long after Tasha had run out. I needed to ask her about that, but didn't want to bring it up in front of Heidi.

"Yeah, he came by last night and helped me close, then we had a beer before I left him snoring happily in your apartment," Natasha replied. "I'm sure that's where he still is, and plans to stay until at least noon."

"Cool," I said to Tasha, then looked at Heidi and said, "You guys go ahead, I'm gonna stay here and make sure everything's ready for lunch."

I helped them load up Heidi's Corolla, then went back to work.

The bar was sparkling, the kitchen was ready, and everything was stocked, when the first customers started rolling in for lunch. After a couple hours on my feet, slinging beers and bar food, I was feeling lighter and more like myself. Then, Max and Mateo came barreling into the bar

I hurried over to them, concern written all over my face.

"Kevin?" I asked, anxiously.

"He's okay," Max answered, pulling me into his arms where I relished comfort he provided.

"Thank God," I muttered against his chest, then pulled back and looked up at him. He looked exhausted. "Do you guys need anything? Are you hungry?"

"Yeah, I'd kill for a burger," Mateo said as he made his way to his bar stool.

"That sounds perfect, thanks, babe," Max replied, before brushing his lips against mine.

"Coming right up," I whispered, gave him one last squeeze, and let him go so I could get their orders in.

I told the cook to put a rush on it, and was serving up their burgers and fries as fast as I possibly could. They both looked dead on their feet, but took the food greedily and wolfed it down.

They were pushing back from the bar, bellies full, and about to go grab some sleep, when the door slammed open and Calin came rushing in.

"It was Threehorn," he managed through ragged breaths.

"What?" Mateo asked, standing fully and crossing to his brother.

"Bryan and I went out this morning, to see if we could find anything else... We caught a scent out by where Kevin was shot, and followed it and the tracks to an abandoned property. While we were sniffing around, a truck came back, so we waited and followed them. The Threehorn pack is behind the vandalism."

"What the hell? Why?" Max asked, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "They just got here... I thought you met with their Alpha..."

"I did," Mateo growled, obviously not happy about having his judgement questioned, and probably a little pissed that his first impression of the new pack leader was wrong.

"Oh my God," I gasped, when the full impact of what they'd just said hit me. "Tasha and Heidi just drove out to their land with the food... for the welcome wagon."

All eyes flashed to me, and the men's bodies went rigid.

"Try to get them on the phone, we're headed out," Mateo ordered.

I nodded, gave a small smile when Max kissed me on the cheek, then turned to get my phone as they all left the bar.

" _Pick up, pick up, pick up_ ," I chanted as I listened to the phone ring. " _Shit_ ," I swore when Natasha's voicemail message came on.

I pushed the off button and tried Heidi's cell.

_Same thing._

I looked around the dining area, heart pounding as my soul filled with worry. I could see there were customers that needed help, but I couldn't focus, all I could think about was that fact that Natasha and Heidi were with the same animals that shot Kevin last night.

"Gilly, are you okay?" I looked up to see Taylor, one of our best servers, watching me with concern.

"Ah, no, actually... Can you cover for me for a minute, I need to run upstairs and get my brother?"

"Sure thing."

"Thanks, Taylor," I said, then rushed to go find Brick.

I opened the door to find my apartment pitch black. I used the flashlight on my phone to navigate the room and get to my bed, where Brick was snoring away.

"Brick," I whisper shouted, shaking his arm as I did. I didn't want to scare the crap out of him, but he could be a hard sleeper, and I _really_ needed him to wake up. " _Brick_."

"Hnnwhama huh?" He muttered, trying to scoot away from me.

"Brick, _wake up_ , Tasha's in trouble," I said a little louder.

Brick's eyes flew open and he struggled to sit up.

"I'm up," he said roughly as he rubbed his eyes with the heel of his palms. "What'd you say about Tash?"

I explained everything that was going on in one long string of words, luckily, Brick had been a witness to me in panic mode before, so he understood what I was saying.

"Holy shit," he exclaimed as he pushed back the covers and jumped out of bed.

" _Jesus, Brick_ ," I chastised as I covered my eyes. I couldn't unsee he naked form however, and I was worried I'd be scared for life.

"Please, I _know_ you've seen a penis before."

"Ewww, gross, you're my brother," I squealed.

"Yeah, and we used to take baths together, get over it," Brick replied, then his voice got tight. "So Mateo went after them?"

"Yeah, he, Max, and Calin all left to go out to the Threehorn Pack property. I tried calling both Natasha and Heidi, but neither answered.
Chapter 19

# Maximus

"Where are the women?" Mateo growled at Josiah and the fourteen members of his pack who surrounded him.

I was beginning to think Mateo, Calin and I should have grabbed some more of the guys to come with us, but we'd been spurred into action when we realized Natasha and Heidi had come to Threehorn land.

That had been our mistake. Reacting without thinking things through first. I just hoped Tasha and Heidi wouldn't pay the price for it.

"I have to say, _Alpha_ , I don't like the tone of your voice. Considering you are currently guests on my land, I'm thinking you should be a little more respectful. I am, after all, your elder," Josiah said haughtily, a smirk on his lips.

"We had a deal," Mateo bit out, ignoring everything Josiah had just said.

"Yeah, well, things change," Josiah said as he walked down his steps, his men flanking his movements. "I've decided that I like it here, and although your little town and pack are but a small annoyance, I think we'd like to settle down. Do a little, _expanding_. And to do that, we're gonna need you and yours to relocate."

Mateo's face contorted with rage.

"This is our land, our home. We aren't going anywhere. If you need more space for your pack, it's you who needs to relocate."

Josiah chuckled, which only caused Mateo to get angrier.

"We'll see, _young Alpha_. But for now, I'm going to need you and your boys to get off my land."

The men facing us shifted, leaving only Josiah standing before us in human form, surrounded by wolves.

"We aren't leaving without our women," Mateo said, not moving a muscle.

Before anyone could say another word, a loud crash, followed by pounding, had us all turning toward the woods just in time to see Logan's bear come crashing through. He stopped on the edge of the tree line and stood on his hind legs.

He had to be almost ten feet tall.

He roared ferociously, and when the wolves answered back with snarls and gnashing teeth, he dropped back down to all fours and ran straight for the pack.

"Logan," Mateo shouted, worried for his friend who was about to battle fourteen wolves.

"Heel," Josiah commanded, and I flinched at the disrespectful way he spoke to his pack, as I watched Logan continue his charge toward them.

Josiah turned to Mateo and said, "Make him stop and I'll bring out the women."

"Logan, he's letting them go," Mateo shouted.

Logan ran until he was a mere feet in front of Josiah and stood on his hind legs until he was towering over the older Alpha. Then he roared in Josiah's face, his spittle landing on the man's jaw.

I turned my head to see an older woman open the screen door and usher Heidi and Natasha out onto the porch. They looked a little shaken, but otherwise unharmed.

They started to make their way through the wolves slowly, and I could see Heidi had started crying, but Natasha's eyes were rapt on Logan. When they were almost to us, and out of the wolves reach, Logan dropped to all fours and moved toward Natasha, holding her gaze.

I heard Calin telling Heidi everything was going to be okay and saw her collapse in his arms, then watched with shock as Logan stood in front of Natasha, grabbed her gently and lifted her into his arms, before turning and taking her back into the woods.

"Logan," Mateo called again, then looked to me as if to ask what he should do.

I shrugged, then said, "He's got her. Let's get out of here."

Mateo nodded, took one last look toward the tree line, then we turned to leave.

"This isn't over," Josiah called after us, and Mateo replied, "You're fucking right, it isn't."

* * *

Later that night, I held Gilly in my arms after making love to her, and felt overcome with exhaustion. The last few days had been insane, and although I couldn't wait to have a claiming ceremony and start a normal life together, I didn't think that was going to happen any time soon.

"I think we should wait until things calm down and we get everything situated with the Threehorn pack. When I claim you, I want the whole pack to celebrate and I want to spend a month in bed with you while we make our cubs."

"Okay," Gilly said, even though I could tell by her tone that she didn't want to wait. Hell, neither did I, but I didn't want trouble hanging over our heads either. "I'm still moving in though."

I chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

"What do you think Logan's doing with Natasha?" she asked, and although I knew she was worried about her sister, I didn't know if I should share my suspicions with her just yet.

"He's making her safe. She's in good hands, I promise you."

I felt her nod against my chest.

"Brick's going to stay. He's worried about Natasha, and everything with mom and dad. I told him he can use the apartment since I won't need it anymore."

"What about his classes?"

"He's almost done and said he may be able to get his last few credits taking online classes. If not, he'll stay until things calm down, then go finish. I know I should encourage him to go back to school, but I like having him here," Gilly admitted softly.

"I know you do, babe, and I want you to have everything you want. I'll do everything in my power to make sure you get it. We'll have the best claiming ceremony you've ever seen, with your sister and brother by your side, and I'll have your back when it comes to your folks, whatever you decide. You want them out of your life for good, their gone... You want to try and make them see reason so they can be grandparents to our children, I'll make it happen. I know you were raised to be with the Alpha, and I can't change my status to give you that, but, _baby_ , I'll be your Alpha at home."

"You're all I'll ever need," Gilly said, lifting her head to give me a sweet smile. "I love you, Maximus, just the way you are."

# What's Next

Want to find out what happens with Natasha and Logan? Their story, **Right Girl, Wrong Alpha** , is Out Now!

* * *

Next up, Mateo's story. **The Alpha's Forbidden Mate** is available now!

# About the Author

Author DJ Bryce loves her men tall, dark, and Alpha. She can often be found relaxing with a cup of coffee, a handful of RedVines, and a good book, with her two dogs snoozing happily at her feet.

She's a lover of The Walking Dead, Romantic Comedies, and writing sexy shifters.

DJ Bryce is a pen name for USA Today Bestselling author, Bethany Lopez.

For information on her new releases, promotions, and her favorite PNR reads, follow her:

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# Also by DJ Bryce

**Ghost in the Dark Moon Falls Anthology**

* * *

**Paranormal Mating Series:**

**Swipe Right to Mate**

**Swipe Right for Love**

**Swipe Right for Passion**

**Paranormal Mating Box Set**

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**Brothers of the Heart Series:**

Alpha at Home

Right Girl, Wrong Alpha

The Alpha's Forbidden Mate

Brothers of the Heart Box Set

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**The Grizzly Brothers Series:**

Diesel

Blaze

Hunter

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**Writing with Meredith Clarke:**

Her Bear for Life

Her Bear to Keep

Her Bear to Hold

Her Bear Box Set - Her Bear Forever
