Page 20 of Jared

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He hadn't been kidding. How did he manage to do that? Get an apartment ready, get in touch with my landlord and roomies, pay off my lease, get my security deposit back in cash, and pack me up and move me in, all in less than 4 hours? I know he's the Alpha of a werewolf pack, but just how far does his influence go? And Desmond... I'd called him after we ate and he said he'd think about it, seeing as it's rent free on top of all that other stuff, but now he's saying pack members have shown up and are carting his stuff out too? What the ever loving hell?

“Go on,” he railed. “Explain it to me. It's fine you guys moved me because I said I'd move, even though you guys couldn't give me time to pack it up myself or wrap my head around the fact I was moving. Or let me see the apartment first. Or get to tell my roommates myself that I was leaving. Oh no, I call Desmond to ask him and less than hour after I find out that I've moved already, he's calling me because he's being moved without having even agreed yet.”

“Dad said the Council decided. He'd let them know I'd found my True Mate and what everything that has gone on, and they placed Desmond under our protection by order of the Council. He's a lone shifter and the best friend and co-worker of our pack's next alpha's True Mate, so vulnerable. His vulnerability makes you vulnerable, which makes me vulnerable, which makes the pack-”

“Vulnerable,” Jared finished, sarcastically. “I get it, okay? But someone could have least told me first so I could break it to him and my roomies first. Talk about being high handed.”

Steve grimaced. “The Council are like that.”

“Is it a shifter one only, or what?”

“No, it's over all us paranormals. There's uh, more than shifters...”

“Yeah, I know, Desmond mentioned that,” Jared interrupted. “So, they like what, are the paranormal government or something?”

“Something like that. They uh, keep order and make sure we all follow the charters and stuff. They also help keep us safe from human meddling so Dad had to inform them of things,” Steve looked apologetic as he explained.

Jared's shoulder's slumped. “Okay, I get that. I'm... I'm not the first human mate, right?”

Steve shook his head. “No, but you’re the first human True Mate of an Alpha in over a hundred years, and the first male one of those for over three hundred.”

“But there are several regular human mates?” Jared couldn't believe he was actually asking such a thing. Just days before he'd have called for men with butterfly nets if he'd overheard such a conversation.

“Yes. And um, they paid your share of the bills for the rest of the year, so your roommates didn't get shafted.”

Jared deflated hearing that. “Is there a manual or a welcome pack or something I can read? One that explains all this shit?”

Steve brightened. “I think I can get one put together, but it'd have to remain here, in the building.”

“You do that. This shit is confusing enough as it is, I don't need to be finding out bits and pieces of it piecemeal.”

“You're right,” Steve agreed. “I'll speak to my Mom right away.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, walking into the next room as he made the call. “Hello, Mom?”

Jared stood in astonishment, surprised at the speed his boyfriend did something once his mind was made up. Just like his father.

“Damned alphas,” he muttered.

Steve turned around, standing in the open doorway, and quirked an eyebrow at him.

Shit, he heard that all the way over there. Jared smiled sweetly back at Steve, who shook his head in mild exasperation. “I love you,” he whispered, wondering just how acute a werewolf's hearing was. Judging by how quickly Steve spun back around to stare at him, mouthing “I love you, too” back at him, it was very acute. Heh. That's all right then.

Steve disconnected the call and strode back over. “She thought that was a great idea. Said she'd have one put together right away, have it to you in a few days. Reckons it'll help you and other human mates and unsocialized paranormal mates learn the ropes.

“Unsocialized?”

“Yeah, ones not raised with other paras. There's been cases, including ones where a kid ended up in foster care. This one kid, a few years back, was even adopted as a toddler by some humans. He had no idea he was half Fae until puberty hit and stuff began to happen.”

“Stuff? Like what?” Jared wondered.

“He began to come into his powers. Fae are earth elementals. His was water. Kinda hard to explain when you're stood in a school hallway and arguing with someone and suddenly sea water drenches the guy you're arguing with, just outta nowhere.”

Jared goggled. “Oh, man!” He began to giggle. “But I bet it was awesome!”

Steve grinned. “Oh yeah, probably was once he understood what was happening.”

“What happened to him?”