Chapter 58
Bri
It wasn’t five minutes later when the brush of the territory washed over me, and I felt the soul deep draw to my mates. Well, at least one of them was home, the other would be soon. Wyatt’s recognition skimmed the surface of my mind. I squeezed Sadie’s hand, knowing she felt the shift; her anxiety was bubbling up.
“Relax, little mama, they knew you might be coming,” I tried to ease her mind.
It was Wyatt who greeted us. His lips crashing to mine before he even acknowledged Sadie. I was backed against the pylon, one of his hands tunneling through my hair and gripping it at the back of my head to possessively control a kiss as I wrapped my arms around his neck to draw him closer. The world forgotten for just a moment, that is until Boo barreled down the deck at the unknown intruders and I had the sense of mind the throw out my hand and catch her collar as she snarled. Wyatt, thinking similarly, had suddenly pulled back. We looked at the retreating Sean, who had apparently helped Sadie out of the boat but jumped back in at the sound of the dog, leaving Sadie to fend for herself. I shook my head.
“Easy Boo,” I ordered and the dog sat and thumped her tail against the dock looking up at me with her tongue lulling out of her mouth.
“Why do you smell like him?” He growled low in my ear as Sean pushed off. I still held Boo’s collar to ensure she didnt launch off the dock until Sean was far enough away.
“How bout you help us with our bags, and I’ll tell you inside?” It was getting dark out, and the mosquitoes were droning about. I slapped one who thought it could make a meal out of me and let Boo go. She wagged her tail and went to greet Sadie, the viciousness forgotten. Wyatt grunted and turned his attention to Sadie.
“Welcome to the Rouge Bayou Territory, Sadie,” he said, hefting all three of our bags before he made his way to the house. Sadie fell in step beside me.
“You gonna be in some kind of trouble for helping Sean?” she asked.
I shook my head no.
Once inside, Sadie’s eyes took in the humble dwellings, instead of wrinkling her nose, though she relaxed
and flopped down on the couch, listening as I explained to Wyatt what had befallen Sean. When I finished, Wyatt wrapped me in a hug and kissed my hair.
“That will teach me to not…how does Mela say it?”
“You mean express your alpha postering bullshit?”
Wyatt chuckled, “That,” he said, rubbing my back, still holding me close as I laughed at him. “So, Miss Sadie, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. It seems my mate has somehow sequestered you from your pack. What are the terms of this arrangement?” he asked, turning his gaze from hers to meet mine.
“Her mother and I agreed on no contact. She doesn’t know I’m your luna, Sadie is submitting to me for the time being, and will travel everywhere I go. If she chooses to also submit to you, she will do so of her own volition. She will finish high school online while we are in New Orleans, and she will run with the pack here if she chooses too. I am not taking away the freedom of choice from someone who has been oppressed.” I told him. She most certainly wasn’t being held up on the island like a prisoner.
Wyatt nodded and glanced between us. “So now the real question is, where is she sleeping? Bas and Beau are due in tomorrow at some point but their rooms are available tonight. I suppose we will sort it out then,” He cleared his throat. “I doubt she’d be very comfortable in this house, however.” He said, giving me a pointed look.
“I’ll leave that up to Sadie, as to where she feels more comfortable. We can’t decide that for her.” My eyes scanned the kitchen. “Let me guess nobody cooked tonight?”
Wyatt scratched the back of his neck.” Lou and Claud went fishing but they didn’t catch anything so we just ate whatever for dinner,” he admitted knowing what was coming.
I rolled my eyes and made my way to the cabinets pulling out several cans of beans and set some onions and peppers on the counter and pointed to the bag of rice. “You are not helpless Alpha, now get cooking while I show Sadie around and get her settled in.” I told him pointedly. He huffed but started pulling out pots to get to work.
I gave Sadie a quick tour of our house before we walked out the back and she looked at the coop with interest.
“You can meet the chickens in the morning,” I let her know as her gaze fell on the outhouse.
“I always wondered how rural they really lived. I guess now I have my answer,” she mushed without judgement as we began walking down the trail through the hearth of the pack’s island. When we stepped inside it she gasped.
“This is where we all come together, where the pack has greeted friends and created it’s own kind of magic that has seeped into the land. I may have put my own mark on it, however, the magic was here long before I stepped foot within this place,” I explained. She glanced around in quiet awe, at the rustic outdoor kitchen and the tables and chairs and the vast garden that was thriving to one side of the clearing. Her eyes gazed up the trunks of the ancient cypress as we walked by.
“It feels alive,” she said rubbing her forearms as we passed through.
“I suppose in a way it is,” I admitted.
When we got to the boys house I pushed the screen door open and hollered for them, they both smiled as they came out of their rooms and gave me hugs. I really hated being away from them.
“I think you both know Sadie, she’s defected from her pack and will be staying with us when I am here and going back to New Orleans with me when I leave. We are deciding where she will be most comfortable staying tonight.
“She can have my room. I’ll sleep on the couch,” Lou offered.
“There's two empty rooms tonight, I don’t see a need for you to give up your room till tomorrow if needed,” I pointed out. “Do you think Bas would mind if she stayed in his tonight?”
I didn’t miss the suppressed twitch of Lou’s mouth suppressing a smile.
He recovered before agreeing. “I doubt he would care one bit,” he said, giving Sadie a beaming smile. She bit her lip and cast her eyes away from us.