AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Did that picture fall again?”
“That’s not what fell.” He walked around me and smacked my ass.
“No? What did?”
“My boxers… in about 30 seconds.”
Gods, I was the luckiest alpha in this den. Scratch that. In this world.
Chapter 11
Corey
Knowing that your brother is Alpha and seeing it in action were two very different things.
I knew that he was good at his job—that he was a good Alpha. And it wasn’t just because he was my brother and I saw him as being great at everything, even though he kind of was. It was so much more than that.
Walking around town, I could see his success in the way his den members talked about him. And the way Zane respected him so much that he tried to deny fate? Yeah, most shifters wouldn’t have even tried.
The success of his den, despite the challenges they still faced, was a testament to his leadership. One thing about my brother was that he was a strict, by-the-book type. No room for error, no room for spontaneity. He expected that of not only others, but also of himself.
As my friend Jayce would say, he had a massive stick up his ass. I found it equally endearing and a pain in the ass and was honestly surprised people didn’t mention it when speaking of him. My guess was because that was the exact character trait that made him good at his job. It was his Alpha superhero power, as it were.
After the way we grew up, I didn’t blame him for being like this. It was sort of weird that I wasn’t that way too. My brother played a role in that. He made life far better for me than my parents ever did.
Our parents were chaotic, and half that time we hadn’t known where our next meal was coming from or what type of roof we’d have over our heads. Had we been human children, we never would have survived, at least not without interventions like foster care. They were that bad, and there were days it made me feel less than and others that it made me angry. Parents were supposed to love and protect you. They did neither.
Aydan’s response to that had been to make everything orderly and “perfect.” At the time it was exactly what I needed. He made sure I had shelter and food and clothing, sacrificing his own childhood to make mine better. I owed him so much more than I’d ever be able to pay back, which was why I carried so much guilt over this.
No, I wasn’t willing to give up my fated for his politics. But there were so many times along the way I could’ve been more clear about what I wanted and how much I was sacrificing to agree to his plan. And sure, there were times I’d convinced myself it was for the best, but deep down, I never believed it. And now? Now it was all coming to a head.
I wasn’t quite prepared for seeing the organized, by-the-book side of him jumping into action when he arrived home from his travels. But prepared or not, I was going to have to. Trusting my brother with all that I was had always been integral in our relationship. I needed to focus on that, on how he was going to be happy for me despite the politics.
The den felt different today. Everyone seemed to be excited and bustling with activity. Had I not been a bundle of nerves, I’d have enjoyed it. Heck, it was so festive that if a marching band had played in the street, I wouldn’t have been surprised.
A few of the den members made sure to have the Alpha house cleaned and a meal ready for him when he arrived. He didn’t ask them to, and I’d have been shocked if he expected them to. It wasn’t an act done out of obedience or submission. It was done out of love and respect and had me beaming with pride. They even stocked his fridge so that he wouldn’t be hungry if he didn’t love what they prepared. And his lawn? Mowed. In a word, he was spoiled, and I was glad for it. He deserved it.
I hadn’t been sure what to expect when he finally did pull into the drive around noon. There was no one there to greet him except for me. They might’ve been ready for him, but he came in on the sly. I wasn’t sure if that was by design or not. I had a feeling that on my brother’s part, it was. Being “on” for days on end, having to be the perfect Alpha of the perfect den in order to make an alliance had to be wearing.
As soon as I saw his truck pull in, I went out to greet him. Zane was at work, and so it was up to me to get a feel for how my brother would react. Zane had not stayed at my home the night before, and so I had showered off the scent of him. Unfortunately, my bear hated that I no longer smelled of my mate.
I did too. And not just because I missed it, which I did. But because it felt dishonest not only to my brother, but to my mate. Removing his scent… it felt wrong. There wasn’t anything I could do about it, though, even if I wanted to, and I wasn’t sure I did. I was walking a tight rope, and falling wasn’t in my plans.
Aydan smiled wide when he saw me. He had his duffel over his shoulder, and he gave me a one-armed hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“It’s so good to see you, little brother.” He dropped the duffel and pulled me into a bear hug. “I’m so happy you’re here. I hope you’ve settled in nicely.”
I hugged him back tightly. Gods, how I’d missed him. It had been right for each of us to follow our futures where they naturally led us, but every fiber of my being was glad that our paths led us back to each other. Sure, it was complicated, but that was the way of things, wasn’t it.
“I’m happy to be here. I love my little house.” I stepped back and reached down to grab his bag. He swooped down and grabbed it a nanosecond before I could. “Do you need anything carried inside from the car, then?”
He shook his head. “No, everything else can wait. I really don’t have much. Just some paperwork. Mostly I need my laundry done.”
“Will you do that yourself or does someone from the den come pick it up?” I arched a brow.
His cheeks reddened. I hadn’t meant to embarrass him.
“I’ll do it myself. I take it that there have been den members in and out of the house since they knew I was coming home?”
