Chapter 29

Cobie couldn't believe this was his life. 

He couldn't believe they were here. It's four in the morning and Colson is asleep, cuddled close to Pa. They had talked till Colson couldn't keep his eyes open anymore. Cobie takes one last look at them before sliding out of the bed. He quietly made his way to the door and slipped out of the room as silently as he could. 

He made his way down the room to Erik's door. He knocks one, two, three times before the door is pulled open and a wide awake Erik is standing before him. Cobie takes one look at his mate and smiled brightly.

"Hi..."

"Baby, why are you awake? Is something wrong? Do you need me to beat up someone?" Erik asked as he steps aside so Cobie could walk into the moon-lit room and locked the door afterwards. In the blink of an eye, he was pushed up against the door and Cobie's lips were on his. 

He doesn't hesitate. He doesn't question anything. He kissed back with as much vigor, his hands reaching up to clutch Cobie's waist. Cobie goes on his tippy-toes as he kissed Erik, he buried his hands in Erik's soft brown hair as he licked his way into his mouth, tasting. Tingles zap up their arms as they kissed, their bodies pressing closer together. 

Erik spins them around, pushing Cobie against the door and lifting him up until the vet's legs were wrapped tightly around his waist. Cobie tugs on Erik's hair as they kissed, pouring their emotion and the words they didn't know how to express through the kiss. Cobie breaks away and lets out a loud moan when Erik rocks against him. The friction was too good and the soft scratch of Erik's stubble on his skin felt so fucking incredible. Erik trails kisses down Cobie's neck, he licked, he nipped and he sucked until he left his mark behind. The smell of both their arousals mixed with Cobie's new berry scent was driving Erik mad.

They kiss for a few more minutes until they needed to break for air. They hold onto each other, chest rising and falling until they were calm and their heart beats have relaxed into the same rhythm. Erik rests his forehead on Cobie and rubs their nose together in an eskimo kiss. The cute act, pulling a bright smile from Cobie, despite his swollen and bitten lips.

"Thank you." Cobie whispers.

"For what, Precious?" Erik replies. 

"For being my safe place, for welcoming Colson and Pa even though I never told you about them, for protecting me, for protecting us." 

"Baby, no. You don't have to thank me. I'd do anything for you."  Erik says. "They are your family. You didn't tell me because you wanted to protect them and like I always say, anyone who wants to get to you will have to go through me first." 

"Erik..."

"Cobie, you are my everything. After spending all this weeks trying to know you, I realised you are not just my mate. You are smart, brave, strong, courageous, stubborn and sometimes scary. You are also really fucking lovely, you are sweet and I love the way you blush, I love the way your eyes change colour even right now as they are gold. I think it's my favourite colour on you. I love your laugh, the way you handle your guns, the way you treat members of the pack with care. You are not just my mate in the name alone, you are my other half." 

Cobie cups Erik's face and tightened his legs that were still wrapped around Erik. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Erik and to be honest, it's frightening half of the time and the other half, I just feel so soft, so light and so happy all the time. You gave me a safe haven, you opened your pack house to me, you protect me and I ..." Love you, Cobie wants to say. I love you so much. He stares into Erik's brown eyes and wills himself to say the words but instead, he ends up saying. "I am so glad that I met you. I don't know what I'd be or where I'd be without you."

Erik stares at him for a second, two and three before closing the distance between them. It was a light press of their lips together, soft and chase. 

"How's your brother and Pa?" Erik asks as he pulls away from the door, his hands underneath Cobie's thighs. 

Cobie tightens his arms around Erik's necks and smiles. "They are asleep." 

"We should get a couple hours of sleep too." Erik says as he carries Cobie to the bed. He places Cobie gently on the bed and pulled off the man's shoes, his jeans and his shirt. Cobie goes on his knees and undressed Erik until the Alpha was just in his boxers.  They both got under the duvet and Erik pulls it properly over them. The room was lit with the soft moon light. Erik and Cobie sleep on their sides, facing each other. 

"You should sleep. You had a big day yesterday." Erik whispers, reaching out his hand so he could stroke Cobie's cheek. 

"You had a big day yesterday too." Cobie replied. 

"Come here." 

Cobie moved closer to Erik and tucked his face into the Alpha's side. Erik wrapped his arms around Cobie and held him tight. Cobie hums in satisfaction and pressed a kiss to Erik's chest. He whispers a quiet thank you before falling asleep. 

The next time Cobie opens his eyes, it was bright out. He lets out a yawn and stared at the arm thrown over his waist. He smiles and placed his hand on it, softly stroking the back of Erik's hand. At one point during the night, Cobie must have turned around because right then his back was pressed to Erik's chest and Erik's face was buried in the side of Cobie's neck, the Alpha periodically taking deep breaths. The man really had a thing for Cobie's scent. 

There was a light knock on the door and it makes Erik stir. Cobie raised their intertwined hands and pressed a kiss to Erik's hand before getting out of the bed. He pads silently to the door and pulls open the door. His eyes widened when he sees Colson standing there, dressed in a mustard coloured shirt and washed blue jeans and black combat boots.  His blonde hair was brushed and styled into a fringe, his blue eyes shining. 

"Oooh, someone had a nice time." Colson sings, wiggling his brows a little. He trails his eyes over Cobie's body, forcing the vet to take a good look at himself. He doesn't see the hickeys but he remembers he was just in his boxers. He feels his cheeks heat up and he almost chokes when Erik comes towards the door and slid a hand around his waist. 

"Good morning to you too, Erik."

"Morning, Colson. I apologize if I took your brother fr-"

"Nah, don't worry about it. I slept off during our conversation." Colson says, waving his hand a bit. "Pa is taking a tour of the house with a Michel?" 

"He's my beta. He's in safe hands." 

Colson doesn't reply and just nods his head. 

"I'll quickly freshen up and take you around town." Cobie says to his brother who nods. 

"There's something I need to discuss with the both of you before you go." Erik says to the brothers. "Why don't we all freshen up and meet in the sun room in thirty minutes?" 

"Is it something serious? Did something happen?" Cobie asked Erik who just shakes his head. 

"No, it's just regarding yesterday's event." 

Cobie quickly grabs his clothes and shuffles into his jeans before walking to his room with Colson beside him smirking like a cat who just got the cream. Colson tells Cobie to go and shower while he chooses the clothes he would wear. Cobie smiles as he takes his bath, scrubbing himself clean. He walks out of the shower ten minutes later. 

He lets out a loud laugh when he sees the clothes Colson had placed on the bed. It was a mustard coloured sweatshirt and black jeans.

"You are kidding right?"

"What? It's been long since we dressed as the twins we are." Colson pouts. 

"I don't even own a sweatshirt in that colour." 

"I got you the shirt on my way here." Colson shrugged as he takes his seat on the bed. 

"Well, in that case, I can't say no to that." 

"I want to see everything. I want to know everything." His little brother says as he bounces on the bed. "I have never seen a place as clean as this before." Colson says as he falls back onto the bed and spread his arms out like a starfish.

"Right? It was the first thing that caught my attention the first time I came here." 

"The second being Erik?" Colson sings, doing a little shuffle dance on the bed with his shoulders. "He marked you up pretty good. Your neck looks like something else."

Cobie's cheeks heat up as he blushed, he quickly slaps his hand on the side of the neck where Erik had been kissing and nipping very early this morning. He had totally forgotten about marks.  He quickly made his way back to the bathroom, wiped the steam off the mirror and cranes his neck to the side so he could see the marks really well. They were huge and dark and ...wow. Okay, they might have gotten carried away this morning. He poked the marks gently and hissed. It felt like he could still feel the graze of Erik's lips there, could still feel the slight burn of the Alpha's stubble against his skin and it caused him to shiver. 

He licked his lips and just stared at his reflection in the mirror. He liked the fact that he and Erik had grown from skirting around each other, to talking and now to touching and kissing and so much more. It was a gradual thing, something they were taking their time with. Just because they were mates, meant that they were just going to jump into it straight away. 

He made his way back out of the bathroom and got ready for the day. He slips on the clothes that Colson had picked out and styled his hair into his signature fringe, dark hair falling into his eyebrows.

"First we have the meeting with Erik and afterwards, we'll do the tour thing. I think Pa wants to stay behind. He kept moaning on about not being as young as he used to be." Colson says and rolls his eyes afterwards. Cobie nods and walked towards the closet and pulled out his duffle bag. He takes out a pure black .35 hand gun and tucked it into the back of his jeans. After the event of yesterday, he wasn't going to risk not being prepared. It seemed Colson had the same thought because he also looks through the bag for a gun. He finds a similar one to Cobie's.  

"Do you think they have bacon? I haven't had breakfast yet and I was too scared to go downstairs. I don't know anybody here and I don't want to mistakenly choke someone with a water ball." Colson says. The twin opens his hand and slowly wiggles his fingers until they was a thin line of water moving between each finger like a worm. 

Cobie chuckles as he watched his brother. Being able to manipulate water to their will was something they were born with, what with their mother being a mermaid. He hadn't been able to fully embrace that part of himself for a few years, he had only begun to use his ability when he got to Astir. It was what made this place feel more like home. 

"Yeah, there's bacon. I think a couple of the pack members are on breakfast duty today." Cobie said. 

"What do you mean?"

"Um... Erik's pack is actually big, so they take turns in being here, in being in a close proximity to their Alpha. It strengthens the bond." Cobie replies, giving his brother a small smile afterwards.

"How many people are in the pack?" Colson asked, his curiosity peeking through. 

"That is something he has to tell you himself." 

Colson nods and together they made their way down the stairs. They made their way to the sun room where Erik was waiting for them with Michel, Pa and three other people. Cobie was guessing they were part of the Astir Pack Warriors. However, what captures the interest of the brothers was the breakfast that was set out on the glass table. Erik must have heard them talking about bacon or maybe it was just coincidental, because lying on the table were stacks of pancakes, eggs and bacon with hash browns, oats with a tray of fruits diced beside it, the fruits  separately properly so they weren't touching. There were also waffles, a small plate of chicken wings and toast with the jar of jelly and butter beside it. 

"I wasn't sure if Colson and Pa were allergic to anything so I got Grant, Glory and Oleg to make this." Erik says, his eyes flickering to the side a little. Cobie knows Erik well enough to know the Alpha wants to rub the back of his neck. It was his nervous tick. Cobie also knew that was the last thing the Alpha would ever do in front of pack members who see him as tall, fair yet mean. 

"Thank you." Colson says and headed straight for the waffles and covers every inch with whipped cream and added a couple of blueberries to it. 

Colson takes a seat beside Pa while Cobie took his seat beside Erik. The Alpha immediately hands him the plates with the pancakes. 

"Can you pass me a couple of bacon and eggs?"

Erik does as Cobie asked and returns the plates when Cobie had taken what he wanted. The pack warriors wait until Erik was ready. 

"We need to talk about Mel." Erik says when the brothers and Pa were almost done with their breakfast. This captures the attention of everyone in the sun room. They all look away from their plates to Erik. 

"We have her safely locked up in a guardhouse. We had her checked for any tracking device and have switched off her phone. Okay, I might have smashed her phone into pieces." Erik says and Cobie couldn't help but smile. "I need to know what you all decide." 

Cobie didn't know what to say. 

"Erik and I have actually thought up a plan but we don't know what you would think about it." Michel says, rubbing his hand together. 

"What plan?" Pa speaks up, pushing his plate back. 

"I think we should let Mel go." 

"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" Colson screams, standing up from where he was seating, blue eyes bright with fury. The pack warriors walked right beside Erik, all of them spreading out like a protective wall. Cobie doesn't say anything and instead just stared at Erik with wide eyes. What the fuck was his mate thinking! Doesn't he know anything?!

"Stand down." Erik says to his warriors and they do, they go back to standing beside him. 

"Colson, let's hear him out." 

Colson stared at Cobie with wide eyes. "You're siding with him?" 

"I know we just have to listen to everything he has to say and not just the premise." Cobie said sternly, his lips pursed. He stared at Colson who stared back for a few more seconds before he takes a deep breath and takes his seat.

"Like I was saying before I was interrupted." Erik snaps, brimming with anger, Cobie's brother or not, cutting someone mid-sentence was so rude! "I say we let Mel go. She will happily blab to the Alpha, whoever he is, that you both." Erik says, motioning to Cobie and Colson. "Are here. I gather they are looking for you both."

"You're thinking of bringing the Alpha here." Cobie says and Erik nods. 

"You told me you were tired of running." Erik said. "I want you safe. I need you to be safe."  Erik places his hand on Cobie's hand and squeezed. Cobie looked down at their hands and then at the Alpha beside him. 

"I don't think I want that, Erik." Cobie says, his words coming out quiet. He could feel the fear creeping up his body and could feel his heart jump to his throat. He didn't know what to do or what to say, all he knows is that he doesn't want that. 

"Okay, Precious. We'll just go back to plan A which was me ripping her throat out with my claws."  Erik says, squeezing Cobie's hand again. "I'm sorry to say this but the Alpha would still make his way down here, he knows Mel was coming to Astir to find you and if she doesn't come back, it will confirm he was right." 

"So this is a one way street." Colson says, resting his hand on his lap and resting his face on his palm.

"We need to come up with a plan and we need to ask fast because we do not know if he's already on his way. We need to be prepared." Michel speaks up. 

The room goes tense. 

Cobie doesn't know what to do. His legs were shaking, his palms were sweaty, he had the urge to get up and run but it seemed like the hand Erik had on him was holding him down. It was keeping him grounded. He runs his free hand through his hair and stared at Pa and Colson who was across him. He just go them back, what if he lost them again? He wasn't sure he was going to survive it. They needed to go. 

No, wait, scratch that.  

Just like Michel had said, what if the Alpha was on his way here already and he runs into Pa and Colson on their way out. No, they will stay. It would be easier to keep his eyes on them, to ensure they are safe. 

"If we are going to do this, we need all the help we can get."

"I know. I've already called Aetos and he's on his way here with half of his coven. We have to call the Seelie queen, talk to the Fairy King and a couple of other people. I know our wolves are enough and are strong but I need you to be safe, I need the children of Astir to be safe. I need my pack safe. " 

"How many wolves are in your pack?" Colson asked.

"Sixty thousand." Erik answered immediately. 

Colson and Pa leaned back against their seats in shock. They had never heard of this. Cobie doesn't know if he should laugh or just smirk in satisfaction at their faces. His mate wasn't leading a battalion of wolves. This meant thousands of Alpha looked up to Erik, this meant thousands of wolves respected Erik, an alpha who can't shift, so much so they made him the State Alpha. They made him their leader. 

And now, Cobie thinks as he turns to the side to see Erik, now Erik's wolf was no longer sleeping. Now Erik's wolf was awakening, as if it knew Erik and Cobie needed it, needed him. 

Erik and Michel's plan didn't sound that bad. But it's been years since Cobie, Colson and Pa have been on the run. They had cut off contact with other packs and kept communication between each other to the barest minimum. They didn't want to risk the other's life, they didn't want to draw the attention of the Alpha because they had thought they would have died a very painful and messy death.

Yet.

Yet, after many years of running, after many years of not being in the same room together, here they are. They are seated in the same room, with an Alpha leading sixty thousand wolves and his Head Beta. 

Yet, here they are. Bringing up a plan that would bring the Alpha to them.

Yet, here they are tired of running and ready to fight.

And fight he shall. Cobie would fight to give his brother the best. He would fight to protect them, to give them safety so he and Pa won't harbour the thought of running away again. Ge would fight to stay with Erik. Right then, with Erik's hand on his, Cobie decides that it was time.