Neo

Walking outside, I took in a deep inhale of fresh air. I needed to see Nate, to erase the image of another naked man on top of him, preparing to--no I didn’t even want to think about it. I can’t even imagine how scared Nate must’ve been. I finally saw him being loaded into the back of the van; his mother literally attached to his side. Was I going to have to fight Csilla for the right to comfort my mate?

“Where’s Neo? I need Neo!” Nate sounded so small and broken, 

“I’m right here love, it’s going to be okay.”

Nate basically pushed his mother aside and held out his arms to me, I picked him up and slid into the van, pulling him with me. He allowed me to get comfortable and then attached himself to me like a Koala. The pleasant sparks from the mate bond finally allowed me to relax. Nate was safe. Nate was in my arms. We were going home.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, you have no reason to be sorry. You were trying to save your friend. All that matters is that you are safe now.”

Nate only shuddered against me, clutching at my hoodie. I cleared my mind and tried to connect to his mind through our bond, but he was blocking me out. Deaton tried to contact Dixon, but the wolf was also putting up a barrier.

“I let him touch me…I was so weak from the drugs and it was the only way to protect you. I’m so sorry.”

“Baby, you have nothing to apologize for.”

“I’m dirty…you don’t want me anymore.”

“Hey! Stop that, Nate you are my Goddess given mate, no matter what happens I will always want you, and I will always love you. We will get through this; you are not alone.”

“I love you…I just wanted to go home to you.”

“Shh, sleep now. We can talk more later.”

“Don’t leave me.”

“Never.”

I tightened my hold on his waist and pulled him closer. I felt it as he fell asleep, his breathing evened out, and his heartbeat slowed. I was still paranoid, and hypervigilant…I had watched Beckham die. I had helped put him in a body bag…but I still worried that someone would come for Nate again. 

“Neo, you should sleep. You haven’t slept since Nate disappeared.” Csilla whispered,

“I’ll sleep once I know he’s safe in our bed.”

***

I carried Nate up to our apartment as soon as Mr. O’Rourke put the van in park. As much as Csilla wanted to be with her son, she knew that I was the only one that could calm him and help him heal. Csilla hadn’t seen what I had. She didn’t know how horrific Nate’s situation would’ve been if we had waited just thirty seconds more. The very thought of that made me angry. Beckham was about to rape my mate. If I had been delayed for any reason…Nate could’ve died.

I laid him on the bed, he was still sleeping…but he was restless. I entered our en suite bathroom and began drawing a hot bath for him. I poured in the lavender oil he liked and sprinkled in some Himalayan bath salts. I dimmed the lights and lit some unscented candles and turned on some calming music. Now I just needed Nate. I reentered our bedroom and gently roused him. Nate’s eyes flew open and he looked around the room panicked, he backed himself into the far corner of the bed, far from me. I let him calm down before I spoke,

“It’s okay love, you’re home. You’re safe.”

“Neo?”

“Yes baby…it’s okay. I drew you a bubble bath.”

“Take it with me? I don’t want to be alone.”

I led him into the bathroom and helped wash up a little before he lowered himself into the tub. He looked at me expectantly and I stripped off my athletic shorts and zip up hoodie before wiping off the excess dirt and blood on my skin. I lowered myself into the water behind him and held him against my chest. I wet his hair with the showerhead attachment and then worked in his favorite shampoo. His head fell back and hit my shoulder and he let out a moan of contentment.

I worked on cleaning and caring for my mate until he fell asleep in the water, and then I just held him until the water turned cold. I wrapped him in a fluffy towel and tucked him into bed.  I crawled beside him, I stayed on top of the covers…he may be my mate but he just went through a traumatic experience. His best friend violated him in the worst way. Murdering his friend in front of him and then using me to make him compliant. Disgusting. I was glad that monster was dead.

I draped my arm over Nate’s sleeping form, and fell into a dreamless sleep. Finally able to fully relax now that I knew Nate was safe and in my arms.

Nate

I woke up with an arm around my waist; but I couldn’t feel skin against mine. At first I thought I had been restrained; but I wasn’t in any pain. I turned my head and saw Neo fast asleep, on top of the covers. While I appreciated his consideration for my feelings, we had just bathed together; I didn’t have a good way of covering us both with a blanket while he was on top of it, dead to the world so I scooted around until I too was on top of the blankets, but I lost my towel in the process. The sudden burst of cold air on my skin made me shiver and I felt around for a pair of shorts. I didn’t even care who they belonged to, I just wanted to be covered.

I didn’t know where my phone was, or if it had even been recovered. Did Beckham destroy it? Beckham. Moon Goddess, how did everything turn out this way? Had I missed the signs? Was Beckham always that delusional and obsessed? Was my sister right? Did I turn on blinders when it came to the people I loved? Obviously she was, otherwise I would’ve been the first one to know that something wasn’t right with Beckham. My best friend was a murderer…and if Neo and Malcolm hadn’t come when they did, Beckham would’ve been a rapist too. I couldn’t believe that the boy I grew up with, grew up to be such a monster.

I didn’t want to think about him anymore. I didn’t want to think about anything at all…I just wanted to sleep and forget about everything that had happened; but I couldn’t. I rolled onto my back and stared into the darkness; all I could see was Bree, hanging pathetically from silver chains, the silver poisoning had taken over her body…she would’ve died even if she had been given the antidote; coupled with the emotional rejection of her mate when he came of age, she had no chance of surviving that. In a way, Beckham gave her a mercy killing…now that I myself was out of danger, I could see that. It didn’t take away the fact that he had been the one to poison her to begin with or that he had killed Sam. 

As if sensing my distress in his sleep; Neo rolled over so he now clung to me, his body weight was comforting, and it was enough to lull me to sleep. Perhaps that was why Neo didn’t mind when I Koala hugged him as we snuggled in bed after a long day. 

I didn’t wake again until I heard a phone ringing in the next room. Rubbing my eyes I looked around and saw Neo starfished in the center of the bed; his leg hooked on mine, and his arm splayed across my chest. I chuckled at how adorable my Alpha was before sliding out from beneath him and walking into the room with the offensive trilling ringtone.

“Colm, what do you want?” I asked as I pressed answer.

“How’d you know it was me?”  I wasn’t about to tell him it was because of the annoying ringtone Neo had set.

“Intuition. What is it?”

“Just checking in. Is Neo still sleeping?”

“Yes, how is everything?”

“Good, you two take as much time as you need. Recharge and prep for the funerals.”

“Oh…right. Bree’s funeral.”

“Are you okay?”

“My best friend tried to rape me and mate with me. Kidnapped his true mate, killed her with silver poisoning and severed her spinal cord in front of me…all things considered; yeah I’m okay. Neo helps, without even trying to. His presence is just so--”

“Calming? Yeah, he’s always had that effect on people…it’s why I know he’ll do great as an Alpha.”

“Thanks for checking in Colm. I’m going to make some food; if you need anything just call.”

“Will do. Oh, we’re going to have to get you a new phone.”

“I figured as much.”

After hanging up, I entered the bedroom again to make sure Neo was still asleep; he was. I pulled on one of his sweaters, it was maybe a size or two too small but it smelled like him and it was extremely soft. I flipped on the kitchen light before going through the motions of making a traditional Italian breakfast, complete with pastries. Halfway through making the filling, the kitchen smelling amazingly like home, Neo walked in the room, his hair wild, his eyes hooded with exhaustion, and he wore one of my sweaters, which was two sizes too big, and the arms too long.  

“Good morning Amore mio.”

“How are you awake right now?”

“Malcolm called. I’m a light sleeper so the ringtone woke me.”

“Did you just call me something in Italian?”

“I did.”

“What did you call me?”

“My love.” 

Neo smiled widely, and placed a tender kiss on my mark, which sent a thrill of electricity through me. I shuddered with pleasure. This is how it was supposed to be. Neo put some distance between us, I had a feeling I would be making the first moves for the time being, which was fine. 

“What are you making?”

“A traditional Italian breakfast complete with Zeppole.”

“You spoil me.”

“I do only what you deserve.”

I kissed his mouth quickly, nothing more than a peck and went back to baking. I pulled the Frittata out of the oven and set it down, and then filled the Zeppoles with the ricotta and cream mixture.

“I’m going to assume your mom taught you how to cook?”

“Of course, my dad could cut off a piece of bark from a tree, put Tabasco on it and call it a meal. If mom didn’t cook, we didn’t eat. My sister and I learned how to cook and bake really young. My nonna helped as well. Those are some of my greatest childhood memories.”

We ate in comfortable silence, until Neo bit into a Zeppole and moaned obscenely. My face reddened at the familiar sound and I quickly hid behind my own donut. Neo continued to eat and moan, and then he reached for a second,

“These are better than sex.”

“I can tell.”

“What is in this filling?”

“Ricotta, mascarpone, heavy whipping cream, orange zest, a splash of orange juice, real vanilla, and a dash of cinnamon, oh and sugar obviously.”

“Well, it's the best thing I’ve ever put in my mouth.”

Neo’s eyes widened as he realized what he just said and he looked panicked,

“Not to say I didn’t also enjoy having you in my mouth…”

“Relax babe, I get it. I’ll just accept the compliment before you implode.”

Neo relaxed and I gave him a kiss on the cheek. He blushed a deep red before finishing his pastry.

“Wanna cuddle and watch cringey supernatural romance films?”

“Sounds perfect.”

We cleaned up the kitchen together and then made a nest of blankets on the couch before opening one of many streaming apps. Neo found a movie relatively quickly and I settled in against his chest. I wasn’t paying much attention to the movie, I was more focused on the feeling of fingers in my hair, and steady heartbeat beneath my ear. Neo would whisper his commentary in my ear every so often, making me laugh at his silliness. I snuggled deeper into him and kissed the top of my head, I had almost lost this. I could’ve died if…if he had bit on top of Neo’s mark. I shook those intruding thoughts out of my mind, and focused on the present. That monster could no longer hurt me.

What mattered now is that I was back where I belonged. I was back in my mate’s arms; he was alive and so was I. He had vanquished my monster and rescued me. I could finally be happy and content.

“I love you.” I whispered in English, just because sometimes it needed to be said in a language you both understood.

“I love you too.”

***

Alpha Jefferson

I stared into the black bag that contained my son. Neo had decided on mercy and slit his throat; it was quick, virtually painless. Even so, my eldest son and heir was dead. I sighed deeply, although I was saddened at the outcome; I knew that this was the only way that Beckham would ever truly know peace. My mate, Vilde, didn't see it that way. She was angry. She wanted revenge and in her grief she couldn’t see reason. Beckham had started all this. Beckham had killed his true mate, her brother, kidnapped and attempted to rape his best friend of twelve years…he had this coming. According to Werewolf Law, Neo did nothing wrong. He avenged his mate and rescued him. By rights, Neo could claim Purple Moon for his own; and I wouldn’t stop him. Perhaps I wasn’t fit to rule…I couldn’t even help my own son.

“Prepare him for his pyre.”

Two bottom ranked wolves nodded their heads in understanding and I left the room. I found my younger son, and new heir sitting in Beckham’s room. He was holding a framed photo of Beckham, Samson, and Nathan; they were maybe ten years old, smiling and holding a large fish they had managed to catch in the river. I had taken the photo that day…it had been a really great day. How did it come to this? One friend was traumatized, two were dead. The gapped tooth, smiling, happy, mischievous boys in the photo were no more.

“Atlas, how long have you been in here?”

“Not long. I was looking for mom.”

Vilde was most likely sculpting Beckham’s grave marker. Even though his body wasn’t going to ground since he had taken multiple werewolf lives. Murderers, rapists, and abusers didn’t get returned to the ground and nature; their bodies were burned and their spirits cast into oblivion to be judged by the Great Mother. Vilde was adamant that Beckham at least have a marker in the Pack cemetery. I didn’t have the heart to deny her.

“She’s probably in her studio.”

“When do I start Alpha training?”

“When you’re ready I suppose. You’re only thirteen, you’ve got time.”

“When did Ham start?”

“When he was twelve, at his insistence.”

Atlas was quiet, he looked at his ten-year-old brother and said,

“Then I’ll start training after his pyre.”

“Okay. I have to call Alpha Noah and let him know when Bree’s funeral is.”

“Is Nate okay?”

“He’s alive.” 

Nate would never be okay with this situation, he may move on from it but the fact that his best friend was a murderer and rapist would haunt him for the rest of his life, but Atlas didn’t need to know all that. 

“I’m going to go find mom. Or maybe Vanessa will know how her brother is.”

“Why don’t you message him yourself?”

“Wouldn’t that be weird?”

“Nate loves you like a brother, I’m sure he’d be glad to hear from you.”

Atlas didn’t look convinced, and I honestly didn’t know if Nate would be comfortable hearing from any of us. Altas stood and left the room, I hated that he was living up to his name. Bearing the weight of the world and the sins of his brother and father.

The next morning we gathered as a family, just me, Vilde, Atlas, Vanessa, Vincent, and Christopher. This wasn’t a Pack affair like a funeral. A pyre was to send off a sinner’s soul, hoping they found the peace they couldn’t find on Earth.

“Goodbye my son. May you find the peace you couldn’t achieve here.”

Vilde’s sobs were the only sound aside from the crackling of the fire as it consumed what remained of Beckham Jefferson. He was a monster, but he was still my son, even in death.