Chapter 100
The table immediately erupted in chaos, but I smiled. Silas was yelling at me, as were Sam and Charles. Chris stood, trying to calm everyone down, and Tim had come in after the commotion. Standing up, I ignored all of them and took my folders with me. Pushing in chair and handing Tim my signed paperwork, I nodded to him.
“If you need anything else from me, you have my number. Thank you for helping us in this matter.”
Walking out of the room, I heard them calling after me, but I didn’t turn back. Aelia was right. I needed to chase my dream, not run from it. Not only did she give me an out, but she gave me the best way to protect my pups. All of them.
As soon as I made it outside, I looked up at the clear blue sky. Barking out a laugh, I shook my head. Throwing my middle finger up at the sky, I hoped Aelia would see it. For some reason, I knew she would be flipping me the bird right back. That was her way. The Solaris way. It was Solaris saving my ass now, and I could never repay her.
Climbing into the SUV, I threw my copies of the paperwork onto the passenger seat and pulled out. Silas was coming out of the door, with Sam wheeling him out. They both watched as I drove away. I was a rogue now, at least for a little while. I didn’t belong on the territory. Not anymore, not that I had for the last few years, but now it was official.
This time when I crossed the territory line, it was a weight lifting off my chest. I was done with the Moon River pack. I would make my way forward, my path or our path, forward.
Pulling into The Wayward Tap, I got out and unbuttoned my vest, pulling out the shirt from the jeans. A sigh of relief escaped me. I took the paperwork and headed in. Ryan was on the floor, completely covered with giggling pups, while Finn sat at the bar, holding Hailey. Noah was sitting next to him, laughing at the kids. Their heads turned and eyes widened until they both burst out laughing.
“Well, fuck me sideways. Welcome to the band.” Noah reached out and shook my hand.
When he took it away, I saw that Solaris’ crystal was now in my hands. Smiling, I put it around my neck. It didn’t feel any different, but it was a comfortable weight around my neck.
“Don’t induct me yet. I don’t think I’ll be staying rogue for long.”
Noah raised his eyebrow. “How so? Going to join Alpha Jacob’s pack?”
I shook my head, tapping the folder I laid on the bar. “Solaris gave me so much more than that.”
“Of course she did. Fucking Sol. Of course she had a card up her sleeve.” Finn shook his head.
Noah whined. “You give me shit for saying fuck, but you go ahead and just use it. That’s a double standard, mate.”
“Finn, if you don’t mind, I’d like you to take a look at what my parents left me. I am for sure selling the property on the territory, but there is a bunch of other stuff I would like to set up for the pups.”
Finn nodded and reached out, making grabby hands. I passed him my parents’ information before tapping Solaris’ folder.
“I’m going to need to run into town to pick up some paperwork.”
“Do we need to do it today?”
I narrowed my eyes. “Not…necessarily…”
“But you want to?”
Looking at Noah and Finn, I also took in the surrounding bar. “Solaris built this place for you guys.”
Noah narrowed his eyes. “Well, kind of. She built it for us to live and work. Basically, we would have something to keep us out of trouble. I don’t think she ever meant this to be our final resting place, though. Otherwise, she would have built more bedrooms.”
I chuckled. “I know you guys have been rogues for a long time with Solaris, but would you consider ever joining a pack?”
Finn wrinkled his nose. “Whose pack? Cause if it’s Silas, we would kill him for real.”
“Mine.”
The two of them looked at me, and I could see the wheels turning in their minds. They were quiet for a while before Finn finally said something.
“Solaris set you up with the Hidden Forest Pack, didn’t she?” Finn looked at me. “It was so many years ago that I helped her file that paperwork with the Alpha King…I had forgotten…”
I nodded. “All the paperwork is under my name already as Alpha. My father had Alpha blood in him, which allows me to take up the title of Alpha.”
“It would save you from being attacked. From Alphas going after you.” Noah looked from me to Finn.
Again, I nodded. “In her letter, she told me about these two amazing Betas. Apparently, they come highly recommended. They would have to submit job applications, of course, and for a little while, it might just be the three of us, but I think we could really do some good in the world.”
The two of them stared at each other for a while. My throat felt dry, and I worried they would say no. It would be understandable since they had been on their own for so long. I knew they didn’t have any plans to join a pack anytime soon. But I wanted them with me. I wanted our pups to grow up together and grow our little pack. Suddenly, the two of them broke out in grins.
Noah leaned forward toward me. “Remove the stipulation that we have to submit applications, and you’ve got yourself two Betas.”
I nodded, breaking out in laughter and tears. Finn came around and pulled me into a hug. The kids’ attention now turned to us, and they started to ask questions.
“Daddy, Daddy, don’t cry.” Amelia was tugging at my pants.
Reaching down, I picked her up and held her on my hip. “These are happy tears, Ame. Trust me.” I kissed her head. “There are going to be a lot of changes, but they are going to be good for all of us. I think we will be a lot happier.”
She smiled brightly, and I looked up at Noah and Finn, who were grinning with me. Things were finally falling into place where I could see my dream reforming again. Without the nightmares. With the family I had always wanted, but didn’t realize I needed to wait to meet them later in my life. All thanks to Solaris.
\-
The kids were running around out back of the bar as Finn manned the grill. He was holding some of my homemade lemonade in one hand, talking to a couple of the rogues they had invited over to join us. Noah was also in a deep, angry discussion with Keri, which I found out was completely normal for them. There were quite a few of the warriors from Solaris’ unit that showed up to the barbecue, even on such short notice. A few of the pack members from the Moon River pack showed up too. They obviously had actually formed friendships with the pack despite complaining about them all the time.
Noah threw up his hands and shook his head. He stomped away from Keri before grabbing a beer for himself. Stepping up onto one of the benches, he tapped the empty beer bottle against the new one.
“Look, I know a bunch of you shitters are only here because Finn is cooking, which is fine, but this is a damn celebration and I want to treat it like one!”
The entire crowd laughed, and I leaned up against the back wall of the bar. Keri came over and stood next to me.
“We have so much to celebrate, I can’t even think straight.” Noah continued, slurring slightly.
“That’s the beer talking!” Keri next to me called out and elbowed me.
I laughed and shook my head. Noah glared back at us. Pointing to Keri, she threw up her middle finger at him. He tossed one back at her before turning back to the group.
“First off, your boys have finally settled down and found a pack.”
Keri slipped off the lean, her eyes wide. Even a few of the other warriors seemed shocked, mumbling to each other. Noah rolled his eyes.
“Oh, shove off, guys. Solaris built a family without building a pack. Everyone of us would have gladly stepped up to take her pain or die in her place. She built that trust and that feeling of family within us all. We all had some beef or pain associated with packs, and she still took us in to be her family. To be her pack without a name.”
Noah turned to me. “It turns out she did give us a pack. She just didn’t tell anyone until after she was gone. Her previous mate, and all-around hell of a wolf, is going to be our Alpha. She put her trust in him, and so do we.” He raised his beer to me. “Nate, over the years, Finn and I have seen your strength, and we couldn’t ask for a better Alpha.”
I laughed. “I’m sure I could have asked for better Betas, but I think Solaris would kick my ass in the afterlife, so I’m stuck with you two.”
The entire party erupted in laughter, and even Noah was smiling, still holding his beer up to me. “To the future and the dream Solaris always saw for us.”
I lifted my bottle of soda. “To the dream pack.”
We all took a sip, and Nate slammed his foot down on the table. “In other fucking celebratory news, Finn is fucking pregnant again!”
Finn whirled around, completely red. “You said you weren’t going to tell everyone!”
I laughed as Noah scratched his head. “Well, I’m excited, and everyone is going to be excited too! Not only is our Alpha pregnant, but so is our Beta! We are going to repopulate the world!”
More laughter erupted as Noah tilted and fell off the bench. Shaking my head, I rolled my eyes. He was already drunk. Finn warned him not to take shots with the guys as they came in. But after the eighth shot, he was already feeling it. Now, he had been drinking beer and was off his rocker. He stumbled over to the speaker system, and the barbecue picked back up.
Keri smiled at me. “Congratulations. On both Alpha and the pups.”
“You know, there will always be a place for you. Leadership or not. Our pack is always open to you. Solaris counted you not only among her best, but among her family.”
She smiled softly and nodded. “Maybe. One day I might be ready to settle down. Not yet though. I still have some time. These two though. They needed it. Without Solaris, they are always so lost. Giving them a home and a place to belong, that’s the best thing you could have done.”
“At least now I have a sober buddy.” I patted Finn on the back as he mumbled angrily over the grill.
Eventually, he groaned. “I can feel how drunk he is through the bond. I swear he’s sleeping in the office tonight.”
I chuckled and slapped his ass. “That means you and I get the bed.”
Finn wiggled his eyebrows, and I laughed. I jumped into the fray that was the pile of pups that had shown up with the warriors and our own little clan. They squealed, and I rolled around with them for a while.
“Nate!” After the fourth time they called my name, I popped up out of the dog pile I was under.
“What?” I growled.
Finn and Noah were flanking Sam and Charles, who had walked around the back of the bar. I took a deep breath and dug my way out of the pile. The both of them looked far too serious for the laughter and party that we were having. Brushing myself off, I headed over to find out what the hell they wanted.