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“JR, come here please,” Donna Ackles, Jensen's mother, called from the kitchen upon hearing Jensen’s footsteps as he started up the stairs to his room. She heard his soft response of ‘Coming’ and then his footfalls as he retraced his steps down the stairs and appeared in the kitchen, just standing inside the doorway. Looking up from the papers she had been reading, she looked at her pup. Jensen, or JR as he preferred to be called by almost everyone, was biting his lower lip, worrying it between his teeth as he shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other. He hated to be the center of attention, even in his own home. She offered him a soft smile and motioned for him to join her. Jensen glanced at his mother and then down at his hands. His fingers were nervously playing with the hem of his shirt as he wondered why she had called for him. Was he in trouble? He didn’t recall doing anything that would warrant him being spoken to but then again he never seemed to be able to do things right, at least that’s how it felt to him. He made sure to always toe the line, never wanting to garner attention on himself. He was shy and knew he came across as awkward at times. In his opinion, he wasn’t special. He didn’t have a lot going for him, he was tall, taller than most in his class, standing at just over six feet one inch despite his bowed legs. He had pale skin covered with freckles and he wore glasses. But it was his pudginess that bothered him. At the age of sixteen, no matter what he tried, he couldn’t lose the “baby fat” as his mother called it. He barely ate fearing he’d only get bigger. And since he had presented as an omega and not an alpha like his sire or even a beta like his mother as he had hoped, he knew no alpha wanted a pudgy omega. Alphas wanted slim and toned omegas, ones that were smaller than them. He really had no hope of finding a mate, not with an alpha and definitely not with a human. Most non-Weres were friendly to Weres but mating between the two was actively discouraged. At the age of sixteen, he had already resigned himself to living alone and never having a mate of his own or producing pups. No pups to care for, no alpha to care for, it was the worst thing an omega could face. He was already a failure and he had yet to really live his life. There wasn’t much he could do about that except accept his fate and move on. “JR, come sit down.” Donna motioned to the kitchen chair closest to her. She and Jensen’s sire, her mate Alan, had made the decision to send Jensen to her sister’s for the summer. It would do Jensen some good to get away from their town and submerge himself in pack life. Living around humans, even though they were accepting of Weres, hadn’t made it easy for Jensen to understand what being part of a pack was like. They wanted Jensen to experience pack life, to give him a chance to decide if it was something he wanted to pursue for himself after he graduated. Their goal was for Jensen to graduate high school and then college. After that, the world would be his to do with as he pleased. Jensen nodded, raised his head, and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, stopping them from falling off his face. He hated wearing glasses but hadn’t mastered using contacts. He had only managed to poke himself in the eye and after several unsuccessful attempts had given up on wearing them. It wasn’t worth nearly blinding himself and it wasn’t like anyone wanted to look into his green eyes anyway. He moved to take the seat his mother had indicated and sat, his hands clasped in his lap, not daring to look up. “JR, your sire and I have made a decision. Since you’ve presented, we feel it’s in your best interest to send you to stay with your aunt and uncle for the summer.” Jensen audibly gasped and his head snapped up. His parents were sending him away? Why? What had he done? Were they so ashamed of him that they wanted to be rid of him? “I’ll do better. Whatever it is… Please don’t send me away.” He could feel hot tears pricking at the backs of his eyes. Donna reached out, placed an arm around his shoulder, and pulled Jensen to her. “No, Jensen, sweetheart, you misunderstand. It’s only for the summer and it’s only so you can experience pack life.” Letting go up Jensen, she reached out and cupped his cheeks in her small hands. “This will be a wonderful time for you. You’ll get to see what pack life is like, form bonds with others from our pack. You’ve never had that chance to befriend others of our kind. You need to experience that firsthand before you decide whether or not you want to continue living this way, living with humans. It’s not for everyone. Then again neither is pack life but at least this way you’ll know for sure what you want. You'll never have to worry that you missed out on something.” Jensen worried his bottom lip, biting down on it with his top teeth as he considered what his mother was telling him. “And I can come home? When the summer’s over, I mean.” “Of course. Did you really think you’d get rid of us that easily?” Donna offered him a smile and then ruffled his hair. “Now, go back to doing whatever it was you had planned. We’ll talk more about this when your sire gets home.” She let go of him, coaxing him to do as she has said. Jensen started for the door but stopped to glance over his shoulder. His mother was looking at the papers again. He guessed it had to do with what she had just told him but remained quiet on the subject, retreating to the safety of his room where he grabbed the phone off his desk and dialed his best friend, his only friend really, Christian Kane’s phone number and dropped down onto his bed as he waited for Christian to pick up. “Hello?” Christian’s southern drawl called out. “My parents, they’re sending me away,” Jensen gasped out and then began to tear up. Just saying those words hurt. He didn’t care that it was only for the summer. He didn’t care that they were doing it for his benefit. To him, it felt like he was being rejected by his own family. He didn’t want to go. He had lived this long coexisting with non-Weres and he saw no reason why he needed to suddenly experience pack life. “Wait, what?” Christian was confused and concerned by what Jensen had just told him. He knew the Ackles and there was no way they would just send Jensen away. “JR, there’s gotta be more to this. Or maybe you heard them wrong.” Jensen shook his head no despite Christian not being able to see him. “No, I heard right. My mom called me into the kitchen and told me they made the decision to send me away for the summer. They don’t want me.” Angrily he wiped at his tears trying to wish them away. “Wait, you just said they were sending you away for the summer. So it’s not that bad. Right?” “I don’t want to go.” “Where are they sending you?” “To my aunt and uncle’s so I can experience pack life first hand.” Jensen rolled over onto his side, curling up into the fetal position. “That means I have to go somewhere new. Meet new people. And be left on my own.” He couldn’t stop the tears from falling or the whimper that escaped past his lips. He didn’t want to be separated from his only friend and thrust into the unknown. “It’s not gonna be that bad. Maybe you’ll love it,” Christian added, trying to cheer his friend up and get him to see the bright side of things. Jensen scoffed in response and then sniffled into the phone. “Look at it as an adventure, one you can have fun on. It’s only for a couple of months and then you’ll be home. You can tell me all about the stuff you’ve done,” Christian commented, trying to put a positive spin on things. He knew Jensen was miserable over this and he’d only stew in his thoughts about leaving. “Maybe I can ask if you can come with me or at least visit me.” “I don’t think that’s gonna happen. But this is gonna be a great opportunity.” “Yeah, right. My parents want me gone. They’re probably hoping…” Jensen stopped, his breath hitching in his throat. Were his parents sending him away so they could mate him off? “JR? Are you okay?” “Christian, I think my parents are gonna use this as a way to mate me off to some alpha,” Jensen whispered fearfully into the phone. “No, they’re not like that and you know it. I think you’re upset and reading too much into things.” “Yeah… maybe? You’re probably right. I mean what alpha would want me? I’m not the typical omega. So unless they’re willing to pay some alpha to take me off their hands and mate with me, I guess I’m safe.” “You’re being way too hard on yourself. Any guy, alpha, whatever would be lucky to have you.” “So then you want to date me or mate with me?” Jensen knew he was being bleak about things and starting to feel sorry for himself. And he knew what Christian’s answer would be. Christian was straight while he wasn’t. “Sorry, dude. I bat for the other team but if I didn’t I’d totally date you. Besides, you need to get yourself out of your head. You’re jumping to conclusions.” Jensen made a noncommittal sound at the back of his throat. He was upset and Christian probably was right. He just didn’t know. The only thing he knew was that he had a bad feeling about spending the summer at his aunt and uncle’s on pack lands. “You’ve met your aunt and uncle, right? I mean, are they nice?” Christian’s voice forced Jensen out of his musings. “Yeah, they’re nice from what I can remember. My mom and my aunt are sisters. They’ve visited a couple of times for the holidays. They haven’t been up in a few years though.” “At least you’ve met them so there’s that. It could’ve been worse, you could be sent to someone you’ve never met,” Christian reasoned. “Yeah, I guess.” Looking up from the bed Jensen noticed the time. His sire would be home soon and he needed to help his mother with dinner. It was his responsibility to set the table. “I gotta go. My sire… my dad will be home soon. I should go see if my mom needs any help with dinner aside from me just setting the table.” “Okay, call me later,” Christian stated before the call ended. Forcing himself up into a sitting position, Jensen reached over and hung up the phone. Removing his glasses, he scrubbed his hands down his face, repositioned his glasses on his face, and then forced himself up from his bed and made his way downstairs and into the kitchen. He found his mother cooking and he silently set the table before asking if she needed his help. “I think a salad would be great with the spaghetti. How about you put that together for me?” Jensen shrugged his shoulders. “Sure.” He moved about the kitchen gathering what he needed to make the requested salad, making sure to stay out of his mother’s way the best he could. With the salad ready and on the table he cleaned up the counter and washed what he had used, leaving them to dry in the dish strainer. “Hello!” Alan Ackles, Jensen’s father called out as he entered the kitchen to see his mate and pup putting the final touches on their dinner. “Something smells wonderful,” he announced and then placed a kiss on Donna’s cheek. “You’re just in time, dinner’s ready,” Donna chirped happily to her mate, turning to place a chaste kiss on Alan’s lips. Jensen stood off to the side watching the interaction between his parents, wishing he would one day have what they had; a happy and loving mateship. He forced that thought from his mind before he started to wallow in self-pity. “Okay, everyone take a seat so we can eat while it’s hot.” They ate in silence until Alan spoke up, addressing Jensen. “Did your mother speak to you?” “Yes,” Jensen whispered, not taking his eyes off his plate. He had a small portion of spaghetti on his plate along with a helping of salad and he had hardly touched either, mainly pushing the food around on his plate with his fork. Even if he had been hungry, he didn’t think he could eat. “This will be good for you,” Alan assured Jensen. “You’ll see. You’ll get to see the wolf pack your mother is from, meet other Weres like us. You’ll get to spend time with our family and learn about pack life. This is a wonderful opportunity for you, JR.” Jensen huffed in response. He had seen pictures of the quaint little town his mother had come from. It looked like something out of an old-fashioned movie set. At one point he had thought it would be wonderful to visit the town but now that he was being shipped off he wasn’t too sure. “Do I have to go?” “Don’t you want to know what pack life is like?” Donna questioned, doing her best to hide her disappointment that Jensen wasn’t thrilled about visiting the pack lands. Jensen shrugged his shoulders. “If it’s so great then why did you leave?” He already knew the answer to his question as to why his mother had left. Donna had been seeking life outside of the small pack she had come from, wanting to experience more than what she had been offered within the pack at the time. She hadn’t been able to find a suitable mate within the pack and decided to see what college life was all about. Within a year of moving away from her pack, she had met Alan Ackles and the two of them had instantly known they were destined to be mated to each other. Alan, his sire, ran a small but successful law practice with his mother’s help. After meeting and mating, his mother had continued on with college, obtained a Paralegal degree, and settled into a quiet life with her mate until they had had him. Once he had been whelped, his mother had scaled back her hours at the law firm, deciding to work part-time so she could raise their pup. “You know why,” Donna reminded Jensen in a soft but firm tone. “Do I have to go?” Jensen repeated his question from earlier feeling his heart sink when he saw the look of determination on his sire’s face. “JR...” Alan sighed in frustration. “Yes, you do. Our decision is final.” Jensen had wisely dropped the subject, deciding it wasn’t worth an argument with his parents over something they already had their minds made up on. He also remained quiet on the subject of Christian joining him or at least coming to visit him knowing that either request would have been met with a resounding no. With the dinner dishes cleared and the kitchen picked up, Jensen rejoined his parents at the kitchen table where his mother finally showed him the papers she had been looking at earlier. “This is your bus ticket. Taking a bus is the easiest way to travel to the pack lands unless you’re driving. This is the route the bus will be taking.” She had pulled out a map of the route pointing at stops along the way. Jensen could see how excited she was to be showing this to him and he just wished he could muster up some enthusiasm. He just couldn’t. “You’ll leave the day after school gets out,” Alan informed Jensen. “But… but I thought I could have a few days to hang out with Christian before I left.” Jensen bit his bottom lip and looked down at the table, fighting back his tears of utter hopelessness. “We felt it was better for you this way,” Alan informed Jensen before sending him off to his room so he could finish any homework he had. As soon as Jensen was in his room he grabbed the phone to call Christian. He didn’t give his friend a chance to say hello. “One week!” he rambled out quickly. “JR?” Christian was confused by what his friend had just blurted out. “What are you talking about?” “One week, that’s all they’re giving me before I get shipped out! They won’t even give me a few days to hang out with you. They have everything planned out. Even have my bus ticket bought. What am I gonna do?” “You’re going to make the most of it and have a good time.” Jensen couldn’t help his eye roll or his scoff. “Yeah, right. It’s gonna be the worst summer ever. At least if I stayed here, I still have you to hang out with. There, I have no one.” “Doom and gloom much? Cheer up, it’s only like two months or so and then you’ll be home. We’ll sail through our senior year and then we’re off to college,” Christian reminded his friend. “Yeah but everything comes so easy for you.” “No, dude, I just make it look good. Listen I gotta go, my mom’s calling for me. I’ll see you tomorrow.” “Right, see ya tomorrow,” Jensen said before ending the call. A week later Jensen sat in the backseat of his parents’ car. He had been sullen for most of the week and completely withdrawn that morning as he packed for his trip. Now, he was being driven to the bus station. He watched from the window as his neighborhood disappeared morphing into the downtown area he wasn’t familiar with. Through his melancholy, he heard his mother’s chipper voice announcing they had reached their destination. Looking out of the window he saw the bus station looming before him, causing him to shudder. As if on autopilot he climbed out of the backseat with his backpack and stood with his mother while his sire grabbed his suitcase from the trunk. All too soon they had exchanged heartfelt and tearful goodbyes and then he was handing his ticket to the driver. He settled on a window seat in the back, pressing his hand to the window as the bus pulled away from the curb his parents were perched on. The only comforts of home he had with him were his notebooks to write in and his cellphone. At least he could call Christian now and then to hear a friendly voice. He laid his head against the cool window, hugged his backpack to his body as he let his tears freely fall. He already missed Christian and his parents and the bus hadn’t been on the road for more than five minutes. Jensen wasn’t sure how long the bus had been on the road when he was roused from sleep. He felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked at it following the arm up until he was looking into the eyes of a kindly looking older woman who was smiling down at him. Tentatively, he smiled back at her. “We’ve stopped for a spell,” the woman explained. “There’s a diner inside the bus terminal in case you’re looking for something to eat.” “Thank you,” Jensen acknowledged as he stood and stretched his sore muscles before slinging his backpack over his left shoulder and following the woman off the bus. As he took the last step off the bus he noticed the woman standing seemingly waiting for him. The woman held her arm out to him. “Help an old woman inside?” Her dark eyes sparkled as she spoke, making Jensen chuckle softly and shake his head. “It would be my pleasure.” Jensen slipped his arm under hers and together they began to walk into the bus terminal and toward the diner where they found seating at the counter. “I’m Sarah.” The woman held out her hand in offering to him. “JR,” Jensen said as they shook hands. Reaching for the menu he scanned it before replacing it in its holder as a waitress approached them. “What can I get you?” “Just a glass of water, please.” “Sorry sweetheart, you’ve gotta order something you’re gonna pay for, or you gotta move on. These stools are for paying customers only.” Jensen blushed and ducked his head in embarrassment. “Oh… Ah… can I get a cup of coffee?” The waitress nodded her head and proceeded to pour Jensen a cup of coffee and then moved on to take the order of the woman next to Jensen. Sarah eyed Jensen. “Are you running from something or to something?” “Neither. I’m being sent to stay with family for the summer.” Jensen’s lips were set in a grimace. “You don’t look too happy about that,” Sarah surmised. “I’m not. It wasn’t my idea, it was my parents’. They thought it’d be good for me.” “And you’re not so sure about that?” “Doesn’t matter. I wasn’t given a choice in the matter.” Jensen still wondered about the true reason behind his parents’ decision to send him to the pack lands. He couldn’t shake the deep-seated thought that they were hoping he’d find a mate. They wouldn’t have to worry about him being an unmated omega. It wasn’t that they didn’t love him, he knew they did and he didn’t question their love for him but since he had presented a few months ago he had heard hushed conversations between them. While he had no real firsthand knowledge that it was about him or mating him off, they quickly stopped speaking when they noticed his presence. They fell into a comfortable silence while Sarah ate her meal and Jensen sipped his coffee. She kept glancing at Jensen while she ate, noting how he hadn’t ordered anything to eat. “Didn’t your parents give you any spending money?” “Excuse me?” Jensen wondered where this was going. Was Sarah going to ask him for money or offer him some? “You’re not eating.” Sarah pointed to the coffee in Jensen’s hands. “Aren’t you hungry? I know I get hungry on long road trips.” Placing the cup down on the counter Jensen patted his stomach. “I think I can stand to skip a few meals unless you haven't noticed.” He could feel his cheeks burning from embarrassment. He didn’t normally talk about his body but it wasn’t like he could actually hide his paunch even though he did his best to cover it by wearing baggy t-shirts. “You young people.” Sarah rolled her eyes at Jensen. “Always worrying about your looks. There’s nothing wrong with having a little meat on your bones. A girl’s gonna take one look at that face and fall in love.” Jensen’s blush intensified. “Doubtful and it would be sad for her since I’m not into girls.” It wasn’t like he was ever going to see this woman again after today so he had no fear of confiding his sexuality. His parents knew and encouraged him to just be himself. He wisely chose to keep that fact that he was a Were and an omega to himself. It wasn’t that he was ashamed, he just didn’t know what the woman’s reaction might be. Not everyone was friendly to a Were and there was no sense in risking his safety. “Well then, some boy then.” “Again, that’s doubtful. No one’s ever given me a second glance,” Jensen said in a rueful tone. “A sweet boy like you, I find that hard to believe.” “Sad but true. I think I’m destined to live a solitary life.” He’d never said those words out loud until now but somehow his statement felt true. He doubted he’d ever find an alpha who would look twice at him let alone want him as their mate. Sometimes the truth hurt but it was necessary to say it out loud “Well, that’s such a bleak outlook for someone so young.” Jensen just shrugged. “I believe in being a realist. There’s no sense in lying to myself. I’ve seen myself in the mirror and honestly, there’s nothing special staring back at me.” He finished his coffee, placed the cup down on the counter, and fished out a few dollars to pay and leave the waitress a tip. “Excuse me, I’m gonna go stretch my legs before we need to board the bus again.” He grabbed his backpack, slung it over his shoulder, and wandered off in the direction of the bus, pacing the platform until their driver returned to allow passengers back on. He reclaimed his seat and hunkered down for the rest of his ride to his aunt and uncle’s. He watched as Sarah climbed onto the bus and gave him a sad smile before taking a seat before the bus departed once again. He searched through his backpack for the map his mother had given him wondering how many stops they had until he reached his destination. To his surprise, there was only one more stop. When the bus stopped at Hillshire, the last stop before Jensen’s destination, he watched as Sarah stood and gathered her bag. She glanced over at him and smiled a sad smile at him. Taking a moment, she walked over to him and leaned down to speak to him. “You, young man, need to see the beauty that is inside of yourself. You’re a kind soul. Not every young person would have taken the time to keep an old woman company. I wish you nothing but happiness and a bright future.” With that, she turned and disembarked the bus, not giving Jensen time to refute her words. She waved to him as the bus pulled away and he returned the wave, only stopping when he could no longer see her. Jensen noticed he was one of three others, not including the bus driver, left on the bus. Settling back in his seat he watched as the scenery passed by him. He wasn’t really paying attention to anything, having gotten lost in his own thoughts; wondering what it would be like living with his aunt and uncle for a few months. He liked them well enough and got along with them. He had been closer to his aunt than his uncle; spending more time with her when they would come to visit. Abigail was a lot like his mother. Both were betas and had the same temperament along with the same likes and dislikes. He had a feeling he would still be able to get along with his aunt. His uncle, Raymond, was an alpha like his own sire. He was a quiet man but he also remembered getting along with his uncle, well at least in the past he had. It would be different this time around; staying with them, living under their roof, and following a new set of rules. His aunt and uncle never had pups as their own. He never knew the reason as to why and he had never pried. It wasn’t his place to, knowing that some Were couples chose not to have pups of their own. He felt a stab to his heart as his thoughts shifted to the idea of never being claimed or having pups of his own. He forcefully shook his head trying to dislodge those thoughts. There was no reason to dwell on the inevitable, he’d only end up torturing himself if he continued down that dark path. With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes and hugged his backpack to his chest hoping that when he opened his eyes again he had reached his destination. The breaking of the bus pitched Jensen forward in his seat, forcing him from the light sleep he had dozed off into. “Last stop, Devonshire. It’s the end of the line. Please make sure to gather all your belongings before disembarking,” the driver called out, rousing Jensen from his seat. Slinging his backpack over his left shoulder, he made his way to the front of the bus and onto the platform. He waited patiently for the driver to unload his suitcase and then grabbed it by the handle, dragging it behind him, listening to the wheels scrape across the pavement, as he made his way from the bus to the terminal in search of his aunt and uncle. Standing just outside the terminal doors, he watched as several people passed him by but none of them looked familiar. It had been at least two years if he remembered correctly since his aunt and uncle had made the trip to visit him and his parents; he just hoped he remembered what they looked like.
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“Is that him?” a female voice called out. “Yup, think it just might be,” a male voice called back. Jensen turned in the direction of the voices, watching as an older couple approached him from the parking lot. As the couple got closer he realized it was his aunt and uncle approaching him. “JR,” Abigail said excitedly, pulling him into a tight hug. “We’re so happy to have you here with us. You’re going to love staying with us, I just know it!” It was hard to ignore his aunt’s enthusiasm and Jensen wished she was right, that he would enjoy his time with them. “Hello,” he said and then shifted so he was able to pull away from his aunt’s arms. “JR, it’s good to see you,” Raymond acknowledged, offering his hand to his nephew. Taking the offered hand, Jensen shook it. “Thank you.” He had no idea what to say; they were family but still felt like strangers to him. “I know you probably weren’t thrilled when your parents dropped that little bomb on you about coming out to stay with us, but we’ll do our best not to bore you to tears,” Raymond commented with a soft chuckle. Jensen nodded in response. What could he say? Did he confirm that he hadn’t been happy to learn that he was being sent away for the summer? Did he tell them he’d rather be back home spending his last summer before his senior year in high school hanging out with his best friend? Did he tell them that he suspected the reason he had been sent to the pack land was to be mated off? Not only would saying any of that be rude but it would also be hurtful to his aunt and uncle. He couldn’t do that, he wouldn’t do that to them. His parents had brought him up with manners and he’d be dishonoring them if he acted that way. “Is that the only piece of luggage you brought with you?” Raymond asked, pointing to the suitcase next to Jensen. “Yes, sir.” Jensen pushed his glasses back up his nose and gripped the strap of his backpack. “Well, let’s get everyone into the truck. It’ll be a tight fit but it’s not like aren’t we’re family.” Raymond grabbed the suitcase and carried it over to the truck, depositing it in the back of the truck. Abigail linked arms with Jensen, making him recall how he had walked like that, arms linked, with Sarah a few hours ago. “I hope you had a good trip here.” “Yes, ma’am, I did.” Jensen let his aunt steer him toward the truck, waited for her to climb up first to settle next to her mate, and then joined them. “You must be hungry and tired. You’ll probably want to take a shower as well. We wanted to drive up to fetch you and bring you back ourselves, but things just didn’t work out that way. I hope you’re not mad over that.” “No, ma’am,” Jensen answered, not looking up from the backpack he was clutching to his chest. “Call me Aunt Abby, like you used to, not ma’am. I’m not that old and there’s no reason to be so formal with us. We’re family, remember?” Abigail patted Jensen’s leg, watching as he shifted slightly in his seat to glance at her. She felt for the young omega sitting next to her. She could only imagine how difficult it had been for him to make the trip to the pack lands. Maybe he would have been better off staying at home with his parents but they had been so adamant that JR needed to experience pack life for himself firsthand. “We should be home shortly,” Raymond announced, causing Jensen to start from the sound of his booming voice. Jensen clutched his backpack tighter to his chest waiting for his hammering heart to resume its normal beating. “Here we are,” Raymond stated in a softer voice as they pulled up to the farmhouse he and Abigail called home. “You’re aunt and I are sure happy to have you here with us and hope you think of our home as your home while you’re staying with us.” “Thank you. That’s very kind of you.” Raymond and Abigail exchanged a glance between them as the truck came to a stop. Silently the three climbed out of the truck with Abigail leading Jensen inside while Raymond grabbed Jensen’s suitcase case and carried it inside. He could hear his mate attempting to coax Jensen into eating something and Jensen’s polite refusal stating he was tired from the day-long trip. “Well then, let us show you to your room.” Abigail led Jensen up the worn wooden staircase to the second floor where their bedroom, three other bedrooms, and a bathroom were located. Opening the first bedroom door at the top of the stairs, she flicked on the light. “This will be your room for the summer. The bedding is fresh. The dresser and closet have been cleared out so you can unpack.” “Speaking of unpacking, here’s your suitcase.” Raymond placed the suitcase on the bed and stepped back. “If there’s anything you think you might need or might have forgotten, we can take a run into town and pick up what you need.” Jensen just nodded his head in acknowledgment as he looked around. The room was painted in a soft blue and contained a full-size bed, with coordinating blue and white bedding, which had been placed between two windows along with a nightstand. At the end of the bed was a wooden bench with several pillows and a folded blanket hanging off one side of it. There was a dresser to the left of the bed with a mirror. Jensen turned from the mirror to look at the opposite wall where. A desk and chair which matched the bed and dresser had been placed next to what had to be the closest. As rooms went, it had a homey feel to it which he assumed was what his aunt had been going for. “Okay, let me show you the bathroom. There’s only one on the second floor so we all need to share. But that shouldn’t be too much of a problem. This is the linen closet in case you’re in need of fresh towels.” Abigail indicated to a slim door just outside the bathroom. “This is the bathroom.” She flicked on the light, stepping aside so Jensen could look inside. Stepping into the bathroom Jensen noticed a white porcelain pedestal sink with a toilet next to it. Above the sink was a large mirror that doubled as a medicine cabinet and on either side of the sink, bolted into the wall were large round metal hoops that black and white checkered hand towels hung from. On the opposite wall was a large white clawfoot tub with a shower attachment which took up most of the space. The floor had been tiled with black and white penny tiles and there was a black and white checkered bath mat in front of the tub. The room was rounded out with a window on the far wall with matching black and white checkered curtains. The bathroom was spacious without feeling cold. “At the end of the hall is our room. We like to watch TV at night but you shouldn’t hear us from your room.” Jensen nodded at his aunt’s rambling. “Let’s leave the boy alone so he can unwind. I’m sure he’s had a long day.” Abigail cupped Jensen’s cheeks in her hands. “I can’t tell you how happy we are to have you here with us.” She tipped his head down so she was able to place a kiss on his forehead before letting him go and being led away by her mate. Jensen wandered back to his room to unpack. Once done he grabbed an old t-shirt and a pair of shorts that he used to sleep in and made his way back to the bathroom to shower before going to bed. He paused at the bathroom door when he heard his aunt and uncle speaking. “He’s so shy.” “Raymond, JR’s out of his element. It’s his first time here. Just remember to take it easy, some omegas scare easily.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Abigail scoffed. “As if you don’t know.” “What?” Raymond countered back in an exasperated tone m. “You’re boisterous. You mean well but sometimes you’re just so loud. I don’t mind it, heck, it lets me know where you are. But JR’s not used to that.” Whatever his uncle’s response was, Jensen didn’t hear it, having closed the bathroom door so he could shower before turning in for the night. Jensen’s first morning found him quietly making his way downstairs and into the kitchen where he found his aunt and uncle seated at the kitchen table. His uncle had the paper unfolded and in front of him and he was recounting an article he had just finished reading to his aunt. His aunt was sitting across from him holding a cup of coffee and sipping from it, making a comment on something her mate had just told her. He stood at the door not sure if he was intruding. At home, he wouldn’t think twice about just walking in and joining his parents but this wasn’t his home and these weren’t his parents. He was about to retreat from the room when his aunt noticed him standing there. “You’re up!” Abigail chirped happily, pushing herself away from the table to stand and walk over to Jensen. “We didn’t want to wake you, figured you had a long day yesterday.” She placed an arm around Jensen’s waist and drew him into the kitchen and toward the table, urging him to sit. “What can I make you for breakfast?” Jensen pushed his glasses back up his nose and shook his head. “That’s very kind of you but you don’t have to go to any trouble for me. I’m not really hungry.” He absently ran his hand over his stomach. It was a habit he had developed when he was feeling self-conscious or was trying to remind himself that he should skip a meal or two so he wouldn’t gain any more weight. In his mind, he was already pudgy enough and he didn’t want to get bigger than he already was. His clothing fit and he wanted to keep it that way. “Nonsense, you didn’t eat last night, besides you need to start the day off right by having breakfast.” Abigail turned away from Jensen and walked over to the refrigerator, opened it, and began to ramble off the contents. Raymond folded the newspaper and placed it next to his plate. Leaning toward Jensen he chuckled. “Just say yes to something, anything. She’s been itching to mother you since before we picked you up. Besides, she’s not going to stop until she feeds you.” Raymond met Jensen’s green eyes briefly before Jensen quickly looked away from him. He heard his mate’s voice as she continued to offer Jensen food. “My dear mate, give the boy a chance to answer.” “Well, I just want JR to know what we have to offer,” Abigail huffed in slight annoyance. “Toast… I’ll have toast if that’s not too much trouble.” Jensen dared to look up to see his aunt beaming happily at him and he caught the wink his uncle gave him. He felt his cheeks beginning to burn before he looked away. A moment later the newspaper was pushed into his line of view and he realized his uncle had offered him the comics section of the paper. “Thank you,” he whispered, accepting the paper to read while his aunt prepared the toast and his uncle poured himself another cup of coffee. “Here you go,” Abigail stated, placing a plate containing two pieces of nicely brown pieces of toast with butter down in front of Jensen along with a glass of orange juice. Jensen thought about protesting the juice but thought better of it when he caught his uncle shaking his head and then he heard him whisper, “Just eat and drink”, spurring him to tuck into the food in front of him. When he had finished eating, he offered to help clean up but he and his uncle were shooed out of the kitchen. Raymond slung an arm around Jensen’s shoulder steering him toward the front door and outside. “Your aunt is so happy you’re here. We both are. We wanted pups. Never seemed to be in the cards for us.” Jensen looked up into Raymond’s brown eyes to see such sadness reflected in them. “I’m sorry,” he started to say but was stopped when Raymond held up his hand. “We had a pup; a beautiful little girl. She would have been about your age but she was born too young. She just…” Raymond’s voice cracked. “She just didn’t have it in her to fight. The hardest thing we’ve ever had to do was bury our little girl. Emerson… her name. After that loss, well your aunt didn’t have it in her to go through everything again and I wasn’t about to force her.” Jensen blinked away the tears forming in his eyes. He had no words and had no idea what to say to his uncle. “I’m not telling you this to upset you. I’m telling you this so you’ll understand why Abigail is so excited to have you here. We both know you’re not our pup but this gives her a chance, even if it’s only for a few months, to smother you with all the love she’s got bottled up.” Raymond tightened his arm around Jensen’s shoulder. “Please, I’m begging you, let her fawn all over you. You’ll not only be doing me a favor but you’ll be saving me. There’s only so much caretaking an alpha can stand.” Jensen couldn’t help the soft giggle that escaped past his lips. “I’ll do my best.” “Knew I could count on you. Now let me show you around the farm. I’m not expecting you to do much but you should know what goes on around here.” “Okay,” Jensen said, following his uncle to the chicken coop. He listened as his uncle explained how they raised the hens, collected the farm fresh eggs, and sold them at the farmers’ market. “I guess, if it’ll help, I could probably feed them and try to collect the eggs,” Jensen offered tentatively. It didn’t seem like it would be a monumental task and he felt like he should do something to help out while he was staying with his aunt and uncle. “I’d be much obliged if you could do that for your aunt.” Raymond led Jensen into the barn, explaining the various pieces of farm equipment housed inside. “I don’t expect or want you touching any of those machines. They can do a lot of damage to you if you don’t know how to operate them. I only showed them to you so you have an understanding of what it takes to run a working farm,” he explained as they walked toward the fields where his crops had been planted, introducing Jensen to those who worked for him on the farm as they went. “Most of the vegetables we grow are picked and sold to local restaurants or at the farmers' market. We also sell to the local grocery store in town for those who don’t frequent the outside market. We also benefit from eating what we grow. Be prepared for fresh vegetables with just about every meal.” “Got it.” “Good. Well, this concludes the tour of the farm portion of your day. Starting tomorrow I’ll have you help your aunt with the chickens; follow what she does until you feel comfortable doing it on your own.” “Okay, I can do that.” “Great, now off with you. Why don’t you see if your aunt needs any help making lunch.” “Yes, sir.” Jensen turned to leave but stopped when his uncle called out to him. Raymond waited until Jensen turned back to him. “JR, I may be an alpha, and while I appreciate the sign of respect, you can just call me uncle Ray. Like your aunt said last night, we’re family, no reason for formality between us. Never was before and there’s no reason to now.” “Okay,” was Jensen’s response before he took in the direction of the house where he found his aunt inside preparing lunch. Stepping into the kitchen he cleared his throat to get his aunt’s attention, not wanting to startle her. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Abigail looked up from the stack of sandwiches she was making. “That would be wonderful. I definitely could use the help. Why don’t you clear off the table and grab some paper plates and napkins? I keep them in the pantry.” “Sure.” Jensen walked over to the table and started clearing it off the vase of flowers, placing them on the counter before searching for the plates and napkins. “Monday through Friday we feed those working for us. It’s not much, just sandwiches and a cold drink but it lets them know we appreciate their hard work. Just so you know they’re all Weres. They might be rough around the edges but they’re harmless, so don’t pay much attention to what they might say.” “Maybe I should just go upstairs…” “No, this is your home while you’re here. Plus they’re pack members. Being around them will help you get used to pack life.” Before Jensen could respond, there was a knock at the door and then several voices speaking at once. “Would you mind letting those fools in?” Jensen made his way to the front door, opening it to allow the men standing on the wraparound porch entry into the house. He waited until everyone had made their way into the kitchen before following them. Standing just inside the kitchen door his eyes flicked over the men seated at the large farmhouse-style table. There were five men seated, not counting his uncle who had yet to join them. “Well, well, well, who’s this you got helping you, Mrs. Clark?” “This is our nephew, JR,” Abigail explained as she carried the tray of sandwiches to the table. “JR, would you get these hard-working men some ice water? The pitcher’s in the fridge.” Jensen nodded and hurried to do as his aunt had requested. He noticed one of the men, an alpha, scenting him and he backed away from him, shocked that someone had been so bold as to scent him, something he had never experienced before now. He wasn’t sure it was something he liked and he definitely knew he wasn’t comfortable with it. The man leaned forward and placed his arms on the table. “‘mega,” he said in a low voice to those he was seated with. “That’s right, my nephew’s an omega and you’ll do well to show him and me some respect, Carl. Especially in my own home while you’re seated at my table, about to eat my food,” Raymond warned in a voice dripping with anger. “If I hear you or anyone else here referring to JR in that manner there will be hell to pay. Do I make myself clear?” Carl raised his hands. “Sorry, I meant no disrespect.” Raymond leveled a pointed glare at the men, two alphas and three betas sitting at his kitchen table. “See that it doesn’t happen again, you hear me?” The room erupted with the men all agreeing to what Raymond had just said to them. Raymond nodded in acceptance and then took his seat, waving Jensen and Abigail over to sit and eat. “Let me introduce you to JR. JR, this is Carl, Jason, Kevin, Lou, and Chad.” The men murmured hellos around mouthfuls of sandwiches. Raymond grabbed a sandwich and offered the tray to Jensen. “Chad’s only just started working for me for the summer part-time.” Jensen looked up from his empty plate to see a blond boy around his age grinning back at him. He felt heat blooming across his cheeks and he quickly looked down. “Nice to meet you,” Chad commented. “I’m a beta by the way. These guys like to dish out a lot of shit.” Chad pointed to Carl and Lou when he saw Jensen peeking up at him, and mouthed the word ‘alpha’ to Jensen. “Chad, language,” Abigail cautioned. Chad’s cheeks darkened from being admonished over his language, nodding in acknowledgment. “Sorry. But they’re normally good guys.” Jensen nodded and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “Aren’t you hungry?” Chad’s voice cut through the others’ conversation. “Uhm.” Jensen shrugged his shoulders. He was hungry but didn’t feel comfortable eating again, especially in front of the strangers. He already felt like their eyes were on him, judging him, making him overly self-conscious. He just wanted to disappear from the room but knew he couldn’t. “Abigail makes a great sandwich,” Kevin interjected. “I’ll second that and help myself to a second sandwich,” Jason said, snagging another sandwich from the tray next to Jensen. Remembering what his uncle had said to him earlier that day about his aunt, Jensen reached for one of the sandwiches and began to eat, taking small bites and making it appear as if he was doing his best to finish the sandwich. He listened to the conversation going on around him but remained silent, only speaking to say goodbye when his uncle and the men left to return to work. “It was nice meeting you. Hope to see you around,” Chad said and then thanked Abigail for the food before following the others outside. With everyone gone, Abigail pulled Jensen into a tight hug. “I’m sorry about all that. Not every alpha has the best manners.” “He scented me,” Jensen told his aunt. “Who did?” Abigail couldn’t hide the astonishment in her voice. A Were never went around scenting another Were, at least without permission. “Carl? The one who called me ‘mega.” Abigail cupped Jensen’s cheeks. “That term, ‘mega, it’s not a very nice one and certainly never used around polite company. It’s a slur against omegas. I don’t want you listening to such things, you hear me? If any of them call you that ever again you tell me or your uncle. We don’t stand for any Were using such language. And if any Were, especially an alpha, tries scenting you again you tell them to back off. It’s not something done in polite society between Weres. It’s only done when asked and consent is given.” “How… how did he know I was an omega?” Jensen asked in a soft voice and more to himself than to his aunt. Yes, he had presented but aside from telling someone his status, he had no idea how another Were would know. His heats, when he had them, were mild, and almost nonexistent but he was sure they would intensify in time; something he wasn’t looking forward to. But they had suppressants to help with that. Abigail rolled her eyes. Pulling Jensen back over to the table, she motioned for him to sit. “I love my sister dearly but she didn’t do you justice by keeping things from you. That’s one of the reasons it was for your own good to come here, so you could learn not only about pack life but about yourself.” Jensen scrunched his face up in confusion not understanding what his aunt was talking about. “What do you mean? What things about myself?” “Do you understand your biology?” “Yes… When I presented, my mom and dad took me to our doctor. Dr. Mansfield sees Were and non-Were patients. He and I talked.” He felt his cheeks beginning to burn from embarrassment and he looked down at his hands. “I know… I know I’ll have my heats and that I’ll mate with an alpha. He’ll… he’ll… um… he’ll knot me… breed me and that I’m able to carry my alpha’s pups.” Feeling embarrassed, he took several settling breaths to calm himself. He also chose to remain silent regarding his fear that no alpha would ever want him and that he was destined to live a solitary life, which he was pretty sure no omega wanted. “Well, at least you know the basics. But what you don’t know is how sweet-smelling an omega is. Especially to an unmated alpha. And once you find your mate, your scent will be alluring to them. When you’re mated and claimed by your alpha, your scent changes. It becomes a combination of your own scent and that of your alpha. It also signals to other alphas that you’re off-limits. To touch another alpha’s mated omega is a great offense in the Were community,” Abigail explained. “So scenting or touching an unmated omega is acceptable?” “No, it’s not. Everything has to be consensual, especially on the part of the omega.” Abigail paused for a moment. “Never let something happen that you’re not comfortable with. And if you’re not sure what’s acceptable, don’t hesitate to ask me. I may be a beta but the same rules still apply.” “Can I be friends with an alpha if I’m unmated?” “Yes, there’s no reason for you not to be. For an alpha, it’s their greatest joy to care for and protect an omega. And an alpha can become extremely aggressive toward anyone they see as a threat to an omega, especially one they view as their mate or one they’re mated to.” “What about you and uncle Raymond? Or my mom and dad? Neither you nor my mom is an omega.” Jensen bit down on his bottom lip as soon as the words were out of his mouth, fearing he had just insulted his aunt and his own mother. “Some alphas take a beta as a mate. It really doesn’t matter what your status is within the pack. Once you’ve found your mate, there’s no one else for you. Weres, like our brethren the wolves, we’re descended from, mate for life.” Abigail patted Jensen’s hand. “It’s a lot to take in, I imagine. We can talk more if you have questions. Why don’t you go investigate the rest of the house?” Jensen nodded and pushed himself away from the table. “I offered to help with the chickens. Uncle Raymond said I should follow your lead until I’m comfortable doing it on my own.” “That was very kind of you. Thank you, JR.” “You’re welcome,” Jensen said before disappearing from the kitchen to investigate the rest of the farmhouse as his aunt had suggested.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jensen wandered into the first room off the kitchen and found a sunny sitting room. Instantly he liked the feel of the room; it was warm and cozy, seeming to invite him in. The walls were painted a pale yellow and were adorned with paintings of different flowers; some he knew like the sunflower in one, roses in another, and a dahlia in a third. He moved about the room, looking at the paintings, wondering who might have painted them. Underneath the large window were two overstuffed sitting chairs with a wooden table between them. There was a small bookcase against one and a bench against the opposite wall. He liked the feeling of the room and felt the overwhelming desire to claim it for himself. It would be a perfect room to write in. With a sigh, he forced himself out of the room to search the rest of the house. The next door he opened revealed a half-bath decorated similar to the full bathroom upstairs. Backing out of the room, he closed the door and continued on to the next room. Opening the door, he discovered this room to be an office for his uncle. The walls were painted in a shade of green and the blinds had been drawn on the window causing him to flick the overhead light on. The room felt very masculine with the dark wood furniture. The desk was large and seemed to anchor the room with it being situated in the middle of the room. There were two four-draw filing cabinets against one wall and a green accent rug in front of the desk. The only other piece of furniture in the room was a floor-to-ceiling bookcase that was stuffed full with binders. He wrinkled his nose as he looked around the room. While the room was clean it held no appeal for him. Turning off the light, he backed out and closed the door. Jensen continued on, walking from one room to the other in no order. He discovered a dining room, one which appeared to be used only for more formal dinners. The room had been painted a stark white and the walls were bare. The furniture, a long wooden dining table, matching chairs, and a sideboard had been painted black. It didn’t have the homey feeling that the kitchen had and it didn’t appear that it had been used in some time. The last room he discovered was the family room. The walls had been painted in a rich cream color to accent the large green couch and loveseat as well as the deep brown coffee table and console that contained a TV and other electronics. Walking into that room he felt more at ease in there than he had in his uncle’s office or the dining room. Turning, he walked out of the room into the foyer of the house to look at the pictures that lined the walls. In his haste to get away from everything last night, he hadn’t noticed them. They were a mixture of photos, some in color but most were black and white along with paintings similar to the ones he had seen in the sitting room. He recognized himself and his parents in a few pictures; ones that had been taken when his aunt and uncle had been out to visit them. He felt a stab of homesickness but pushed it aside as he wandered up the staircase following the pictures as he went. He passed his room and went on to open the door across from his room. He stood, mouth gaping, shocked to find the bedroom wasn’t an actual bedroom but an art studio. There was a painting propped up against an easel with other canvases scattered around the room. He looked about, wondering if this was his aunt’s studio. He couldn’t imagine it belonging to his uncle. Something told him the rugged alpha wasn’t capable of creating such delicate and detailed paintings. Smiling to himself he backed out of the room to continue on with his investigation. The last two rooms were bedrooms that had been decorated similar to the one he had been settled in. The only differences were the colors of the walls, one had been painted in a vibrant yellow while the other had been painted a mint green. Neither appealed to him and he was thankful that he had been given the room he was staying in. The last room at the end of the hall was his aunt and uncle’s and he chose not to invade their private area. He didn’t think he’d get into trouble if he peered in, having been told to investigate the house, but it felt like he would be invading their privacy. Turning around, he wandered down the hall to his room to tackle the unpacking of his clothes. He was going to be there for the next two months and had to accept that. With his clothes put away in the dresser and the closet and his suitcase stowed under his bed, he sat on the bed, realizing he really hadn’t packed nearly enough for a two-month stay. He had, after all when packing, been denying how long he would be staying, not wanting to accept he would be away from his home for so long. He would have to tell his uncle that he was in need of a few things; several pairs of shorts, t-shirts, and a sturdy pair of hiking boots if he was going to help with the chickens and anything else around the farm. He remained in his room for the rest of the day, not venturing out until his aunt called him for dinner. Quietly he made his way downstairs and into the kitchen. He watched as his aunt moved around the room, taking bowls and silverware out to set the table. “Would you like me to do that for you?” He pointed to the items in her hands and watched as a smile spread across her face. “I’d appreciate the help.” Abigail handed over the items and returned to the stove to stir the soup she had prepared for their dinner. “Something smells fantastic,” Raymond’s booming voice filled the room. “I made us some vegetable soup. I thought it would be a nice home-cooked meal for us tonight. Whatever is left over we can have for tomorrow’s lunch. JR’s been helpful, setting the table.” Abigail playfully tousled Jensen’s hair, making him smile as he pulled away to take his seat, pushing his hair back into place and out of his eyes. Raymond carried the large pot containing the soup over to the table, setting it on the iron trivet before ladling out a helping for each of them. “I can’t wait to eat this delicious meal.” “Here’s the bread. You can’t have soup without a hearty piece of bread,” Abigail announced, setting a basket containing the bread down, joining Raymond and Jensen for dinner. “How was everyone’s day?” Raymond inquired, taking a bite of his meal. “Busy as always. I think with JR’s help, things might be a little easier for me.” “JR, what did you get yourself into today?” “I… I investigated the farmhouse.” Jensen saw the bemused look on his uncle’s face. “I… aunt Abigail said it was alright. I didn’t go into your room.” He stirred his spoon around in his soup, not really taking a bite. “I also unpacked.” “I didn’t think you would go into our room and I appreciate your consideration for our privacy. We’ll afford you the same. So, did you discover anything of interest?” “I like the sitting room. And I found the art studio.” Jensen raised his eyes up to find his aunt smiling at him. “Are the paintings yours?” “Indeed they are. I can give you lessons if you’d like. I mean you don’t need to feel obligated. It’s my hobby, a way for me to pass the time when I have time.” “Do you have any hobbies?” Raymond questioned. Jensen shrugged his shoulders. “I write. Mostly short stories. I help out on the high school newspaper.” He had written several stories for the school paper and had even managed to interview a few people when there had been a need for him to. He mainly enjoyed being behind the scenes; helping to put the newspaper to bed rather than being a reporter for it. “It’s good to have a hobby. Just, if it matters to you, don’t give up on it. You’re aunt here, she’s sold a couple of her paintings. I’m hoping she hits it big and then I can retire.” Raymond heard Jensen’s soft chuckle and Abigail telling him to stop pulling the boy’s leg. Raymond huffed a muffled laugh. “What, can’t a man dream? I’d love for you, my dear mate, to make it big as a famous artist. I’m already proud of you. Have been since the day you agreed to be my mate.” Abigail and Jensen blushed at Raymond’s admission. Turning to Jensen, Abigail tapped his hand to get his attention. “So, do you like school?” “It’s alright. I like my English classes the best. I mean I get good grades in just about all my classes. Gym is not my favorite but I won’t have to take it my senior year, so there’s that.” “You can’t be good at everything,” Raymond reasoned. “Have you started thinking about colleges?” Abigail asked. “Yes, I’ve looked into a few already. I’ve narrowed it down to a few with great English departments and degrees. I’m not sure what I want to do yet. Maybe teach?” “Well, you’re still young. You have plenty of time to decide what you want to do with your life. There’s no reason to rush into anything,” Abigail assured Jensen. “You’ll know when the time is right.” “So, you unpacked? Does that mean you’re gonna give us a chance? Maybe stay the entire summer here on the farm with us and meet the pack?” Jensen shrugged his shoulders in response. He wasn’t sure if he really had a choice. It wasn’t like he could just leave if he wanted to. Well, he could if he felt like running away but what was the point in doing that? He’d only cause worry to his family. And where would he go? Maybe learning what pack life was wouldn’t be so bad. He was already there in Devonshire and on pack land, what did he have to lose in learning about the pack his mother came from and what pack life was like? At the moment, he couldn’t find a reason not to stay. “I guess.” “Good.” Raymond smiled at Jensen, happy that his nephew was at least willing to try. “When I… when I unpacked I realized I didn’t really pack a lot, at least not enough to get me through staying here for a couple of months.” “Well, this weekend we can take a ride to the store and pick up anything you might need. Make a list of anything you think you’ll need and we can go from there. Now, eat up,” Raymond said, pointing to Jensen’s untouched meal. With a nod to his uncle, Jensen did his best to eat the soup his aunt had made for them. Once he had finished, he helped clean up the kitchen before disappearing upstairs to his room for the night. The next morning Jensen found himself standing by his aunt in the chicken coop, watching as she instructed him on how to feed them and how to gather the eggs. He looked down at his gloved hands and the empty buckets at his feet; one containing clean shavings and one to place soiled shavings in, wondering if he had made the right decision in offering to help. He shuffled in the boots he was wearing; his uncle’s muck boots as his aunt had called them. They were too big for him but it beat ruining the only sneakers he had thought to bring with him. “Here, now you try,” Abigail coaxed, handing the basket containing the eggs she had already managed to gather to Jensen. “Are… are you sure? I mean, do you think I’m ready to do this?” “Yes, JR, you’re ready. It’s not rocket science and even if it was, you’re smart enough to figure it out. Just remember this needs to be done twice a day so we get as many eggs as possible. We don’t want the hens stepping on them and breaking the eggs or pooping on them.” She laughed at the look of disgust on Jensen’s face. “Once you have the eggs, you need to clean their nest boxes and make sure they have plenty of clean shavings. The black barrel in the back of the coop has clean shavings that you can use.” “Okay.” Jensen nodded his head, telling himself that he could do what his aunt had just demonstrated. He accepted the basket and moved to the next nest box, reached in, and began to push aside the shavings in search of any eggs a hen may have laid. He found one egg and gently added it to the basket. He removed the soiled shavings, dropping them into the bucket and replacing them with the clean shavings. When they had moved through all twenty nest boxes, Abigail showed Jensen how to replace the dirty drinking water with fresh water and how to feed the chickens, which had them surrounded by one hundred hungry chickens for a few minutes before showing him where to dispose of the soiled shavings. She also showed him where the extra shavings were stored should he need more. “Now, the last thing you’ll need to do is wash the eggs. We need to make them safe and presentable for selling,” Abigail explained as she carried the basket to the back porch and set it on the counter. She showed Jensen the dry sponges she used to clean the eggs, the egg cartons the eggs would be placed in and the refrigerator they would be stored in before being sold. “So who buys the eggs?” “We sell them at the farmers market, to the diner in town, and to anyone who stops by. Fresh eggs are very popular and the folks around here know I raise healthy and happy chickens. I feed them quality feed and care for them. There’s no question about chemicals being used so the eggs are in high demand,” Abigail explained as she led Jensen over to the sink so they could wash their hands. “Now it’s time for breakfast. Your uncle will be in shortly and I’ll make us some of those eggs we gathered. Then you’ll taste how delicious farm-fresh eggs are.” “Okay,” Jensen agreed, already knowing that trying to dispute his aunt wouldn’t do him any good. He was already finding it difficult to say no to her and her need to feed him and apparently anyone who crossed the threshold of her kitchen. Maybe if he ate a larger breakfast he could feign being full at lunchtime and disappear from the room after helping his aunt get lunch prepared. Within a few minutes of having finished cleaning up from helping with the chickens, Jensen heard his name being called by his aunt. He rushed into the kitchen to find her and his uncle in the kitchen. His uncle was seated in his chair reading the morning newspaper and his aunt was just walking to the table with plates of food in her hands. “There you are, JR. Sit down and try these eggs. I hope you like them scrambled. Your uncle loves them that way and I haven’t cooked them any other way in years,” she explained as she motioned for him to sit and placed one of the plates in front of him. “Thank you,” Jensen murmured and waited for his uncle to be served and for his aunt to sit before picking up his fork and beginning to eat. After a few bites, he looked up to see his aunt watching him. He offered her a smile. “The eggs are delicious.” They were, and they were better than any store-bought egg he had ever had before. Abigail winked at him. “Told you,” she said happily and then took a bite of her own eggs. “I have a few things to do around the house today before lunch. Then I’ll head out to check the crops,” Raymond informed them as he pushed himself away from the table. “Breakfast was splendid, as always.” He placed his plate in the sink and bent down to kiss his mate on the cheek before leaving the kitchen. “Your uncle thinks he’s so covert.” Abigail tilted her head back and giggled. “He’s going to hide in his office until I nag him about fixing that leaking kitchen sink.” “Does he know that you’re on to him?” “Of course! There’s no way we could be mated for this long without knowing what the other is up to.” “What are you going to do?” Jensen inquired, admiring the love he saw reflected in his aunt’s features as she spoke of her mate. He saw the same love between his own parents when they were together. He swallowed thickly when he was hit with the thought that he would never have that; a mate of his own, one who loved him just as much as he loved that person. “I’m going to wash the dishes and give him an hour before I call him out to complain about the sink.” “Why not do it now?” “Where’s the fun in that? You’ll understand in time when you’re mated.” Abigail patted Jensen’s arm, pushed herself away from the table, and began to clean up from making breakfast. “Can I help you?” “No, you just run along.” Taking that as his cue to leave, Jensen brought his plate over to the sink, thanked his aunt for making breakfast, and then walked out of the kitchen trying to figure out what to do with himself until lunchtime. With nothing to do, he wandered back to his room to go through his things, wanting to organize what he had brought and figure out what he needed when his uncle took him shopping. After going through what he’d brought with him and making a list of what he thought he might need, he made his way back downstairs in search of his uncle with the intention of going through the list he’d made, hoping it wasn’t too much and he wouldn’t be troubling his uncle by taking him to the store and if his uncle was busy he could see if his aunt needed his help. The thoughts of talking to his uncle or helping his aunt had been forgotten about when his attention was diverted by a knock on the door. Had he known how fateful that knock would have been he would never have appeared when his aunt called his name to introduce him to the young alpha named Jared Padalecki who changed his life in one moment. “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Clark. My mom and dad sent me over. They asked me to stop over and say hello to your nephew and welcome him to Devonshire and the pack,” Jared acknowledged as he stepped inside the warm and inviting home. Holding the screen door open, Abigail chuckled. “Come in, Jared, and thank you for stopping by. JR...” Letting the door close, Abigail turned to Jensen, seeing him standing on the stairs looking like he was ready to bolt. “This is JR.” She reached out a hand, beckoning Jensen to come closer. “JR, this is our pack alpha’s son, Jared. He stopped by to welcome you on behalf of the pack.” “Jared, nice to see you,” Raymond, Jensen’s uncle said before retreating back into the kitchen. He had been in the middle of repairing the leaking kitchen sink when he had heard the knock at their door and had come to investigate since his farmhands weren’t due for lunch yet. Jensen looked down at himself, his slightly protruding stomach, and then up at Jared. He blushed, a deep crimson coloring his cheeks as he took in the sight of the young alpha standing before him. He pushed his glasses back up his nose, his green eyes catching Jared’s hazel eyes for just a moment before Jared stepped forward and offered him his hand. He didn’t miss Jared’s subtlety as Jared scented him, or how Jared’s eyes widened when he caught the scent of omega. At least Jared was polite enough not to make a comment. He knew he should be appalled by Jared’s action but he wasn’t. “Well, I'll let you two get to know each other. Would you like something to drink?” Abigail offered. “No, Mrs. Clark, I'm good, but thank you,” Jared responded politely and heard Jensen murmur his own ‘No, thank you’ before Abigail disappeared leaving them alone. Jared regarded the green-eyed omega as he shook Jensen's hand. Jensen had cropped blond hair, green eyes that were offset by long dark lashes, pale skin which made the freckles on his cheeks and the bridge of his nose stand out, and the plushest pink lips he had ever seen. Jensen was a few inches shorter than him and slightly pudgy, but the overall package, including the glasses Jensen wore, was adorable. He had noted the sweet scent Jensen gave off, the one distinguishing him as an omega and he actually liked what he had scented. “Hey, JR,” Jared said in a soft voice, trying his best not to spook the omega, and watched as the tips of Jensen's ears pinked from him just acknowledging Jensen. “Hi, Jared,” Jensen acknowledged in a soft voice and then withdrew his hand from Jared's warm but firm grip. “So, I have some time, I can take you around if you'd like,” Jared offered with a smile that hinted at showing off his dimples. Jensen looked down at his feet for a moment, wondering what the right response was. Clearly, Jared was an alpha, and he had no idea if he was allowed to have a say in things. Taking a chance, he raised his head up to look at Jared. He felt his glasses begin to slip down the bridge of his nose and he raised his right hand to readjust them, pushing them back up his nose with his index finger. “Oh, I'm… I... you don't have to. I'm sure you'd rather be out with your friends than have to show me around. I mean, your parents asked you to do this. You can tell them we met.” Jensen took a step back from Jared, readying himself for when Jared turned to leave. Sensing Jensen's shyness over their first meeting, Jared shook his head. “Sure, I mean my parents asked, but it wasn't like I wasn't given a choice. I chose to come here. I'd be happy to show you around. There's not a lot to see in town, but still, I bet we can have some fun.” He watched as a guarded smile crossed Jensen's lips before Jensen agreed. “Okay, I mean if you want to,” Jensen said with a shrug of his shoulders. Jared turned to the door Abigail had disappeared through. “Mrs. Clark, I'm going to take Jensen around town, if that's alright with you.” Abigail appeared in the doorway, a broad smile on her face. “Of course that's fine. You boys have fun.” She pressed some money into Jensen's hand and shushed him as he started to quietly protest, attempting to give her back the money. “You take that in case you need it,” she whispered as she ushered him out the door. “Have fun, and just be home by dinner time,” she called from behind the screen door. Slowly, Jensen trailed after Jared as they walked down the walkway leading from the front door to the street. Jensen watched as Jared stopped next to a black Jeep and unlocked the passenger door, opening it for him. “Thank you,” he murmured as he got settled in the seat and grabbed the seatbelt as Jared closed the door. He sat, unmoving as Jared slid behind the steering wheel and started the engine, putting the vehicle in drive. Looking over at Jensen, Jared offered him a smile. “Ever been here before?” He already knew the answer to his question since he would have met Jensen prior to today. His father had been the pack’s alpha for over twenty years and made sure to welcome all newcomers, and if he wasn’t available, as was the case now, either Jared or his mother would greet the person. Since Jensen was his age, both his sire and his mother thought it best to send Jared in their place. “No, never,” Jensen admitted. This had been the first time visiting his Aunt Abigail and Uncle Raymond in Devonshire. They usually came to visit his family during the holidays, but this year, his mom and dad had decided it would be good for him to spend the summer with them getting some fresh air and seeing what pack life was like. He hadn’t been in town more than a day and now he was being driven around by the pack alpha’s son. “Well, I have just the place to take you,” Jared said as he drove, glancing every now and then at Jensen. The rest of the short drive was made in silence until Jared parked the Jeep and jumped out, rounding the vehicle to open Jensen’s door. “I think you’re going to like this place.” Climbing out of the Jeep, Jensen looked around. Not able to hide his confusion as he looked at the wooded area they were at. “Uhm… I… I don’t understand,” Jensen said quietly as he tried to make sense of what was going on. He heard Jared chuckle and his cheeks began to burn from embarrassment before his mind started piecing things together. This was a joke. Jared was playing a joke on him. Jared was most likely going to leave him here and drive off. He had no idea where he was and then he’d have to call his aunt and uncle to come to find him. He looked down at his feet and the pavement, trying to decide if he should turn around and start walking now or wait until Jared was watching his reflection in his rearview mirror, laughing at him as he drove out of sight. He was startled when Jared grabbed his hand. “Come on, what I want to show you is this way,” Jared announced as he grabbed Jensen’s hand and pulled Jensen along, leading him into the woods. “I don’t share this with too many people. It's pretty special to me. It’s a place I come to when I want to be alone,” he explained as he led them further into the woods. “Being the pack alpha’s son is a lot of pressure. I come here when I need to get away from all that, or I just want to be left alone.” Jensen felt his breathing quicken and his heart race from Jared’s touch and the thought that Jared was still about to prank him, lead him into the woods, and disappear on him. He shoved his hand into his pocket feeling for his phone. If he still had that and hadn’t forgotten it at home, then maybe he had a chance of calling his aunt and uncle to come to get him. He would be embarrassed to have them come, but that beat being stranded in the middle of nowhere. He watched his feet as he stepped over branches and rocks, hoping he didn’t fall flat on his face or his ass. He didn’t look up until he heard Jared speaking to him. “This is it,” Jared said breathlessly. Still holding onto Jensen’s hand, he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet, waiting for Jensen’s reaction. Jensen raised his eyes to see what Jared was referring to and sucked in a sharp breath. What he was looking at was breathtaking. The area was covered in soft-looking green moss. It looked so inviting and all he wanted to do was sink his fingers into the moss. There was a fallen tree nestled between two large trees making it look like it was a hammock, and the branches of the living trees hung down, creating a canopy of leafy green cover. Both trees had grown around the fallen tree, each arching toward the tree. The rest of the area was surrounded by full-grown trees covered in vines and moss. “It’s beautiful here. Peaceful.” Jared turned his hazel eyes on Jensen, studying the omega as they stood together in the woods. “Yeah, it really is,” Jared agreed. “Come on, the tree’s still sturdy enough that we can sit on it.” Jared started walking toward the fallen tree, only to stop and wait for Jensen to join him. When they were sitting comfortably on the fallen tree log, Jensen turned to look at Jared. “Why did you take me here? I mean, you said this place is special to you. You don’t even know me. Why would you share this with someone you don’t even know?” Jensen asked and then sat there watching Jared, waiting for his answer. He forced himself not to look away or fidget with the hem of his shirt. Jared turned to regard Jensen as he thought over his question. Upon first meeting Jensen, he hadn’t planned on sharing this with him. He had planned on just bringing Jensen around Main Street, showing him the shops and the diner before dropping him back at his aunt and uncle’s, but after just being with Jensen for a few minutes, he found himself wanting to share this with him. “I figured I could trust you. Plus, you’re away from home and thought maybe you might like a place to come to if you needed your own space. And I was hoping we maybe could be friends.” He offered Jensen a blinding smile, one that put his dimples on display. The idea of Jared wanting to be his friend made Jensen bark out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, right. Someone like you wants to be friends with someone like me.” He shook his head and then looked away from Jared. “Why?” he asked and then turned back to Jared. Feeling bold, if only for a moment he decided to voice his thoughts. “Either this is some kind of joke at my expense, or you’re doing charity work. Either way, no thanks.” He stood, and leveled a hard look at Jared. “You can go now. I’ll find my own way back. I’ll tell my aunt and uncle that you got called away and I offered to walk home,” he said while he was still feeling brave enough to carry through with his determination to not let Jared see his pain. Jared grabbed onto Jensen’s wrist, stopping him from walking away. “Wait, please. It’s not what you think. It’s not a joke. I really would like to be your friend.” Jensen stood there, too startled by Jared grabbing his wrist to move. He didn’t pull away but looked at where they were touching. “Why? Why would you want to be friends with me? You don’t even know me.” “I just get this feeling from you that you’d be a great friend,” Jared said softly and then scrunched up his face as he recalled Jensen’s words. “What do you mean someone like me wouldn’t be friends with someone like you? Why would you say that?” he asked and then let go of Jensen’s wrist, sensing that Jensen was becoming uneasy from his touch. Jensen drew his hands together and over his chest, rubbing over the area of his skin that Jared had been touching. “Because,” Jensen started to say and then felt his mouth go dry. He looked down at his hands, trying to find the right way to say what he thought without angering Jared. “Because let’s face it, I’m this chubby nobody and you’re you, the pack alpha’s son. I mean, have you seen you? I’m sure you’re popular at school and well-liked and everything I’m not.” He took a deep breath waiting for Jared to agree with him. “Popularity isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be,” Jared said softly, his tone sounding sad as he spoke. “I never know if my so-called friends are really my friends or if they’re using me because I’m the pack alpha’s son. Do they want to know the real me, or are they just friends with me hoping they can use that in some way? I’d just like one person I can talk to, hang out with who I know doesn’t want anything from me other than actual friendship. I was kind of hoping that could be you.” “Really?” Jensen questioned, not hiding the astonishment in his voice. He raised his eyes from his hands to look at Jared, trying to determine if Jared was telling him the truth or just feeding him a lie. He tilted his head to the side, studying Jared as they stood only a foot apart. He honestly didn’t know what to think, but something deep within him was telling him to take a leap of faith and trust the young alpha. Maybe it was the sincerity in Jared’s voice or the look of hopefulness in his sparkling hazel eyes, he was sure, but he found himself agreeing. “Okay. If… if you want to be friends, I guess we can at least try.” It wasn’t like he knew anyone aside from his aunt and uncle in town. Without at least one friend, he knew he’d be bored to tears. Besides, his parents had sent him to Devonshire so he could experience pack life. “Yes!” Jared whooped loudly and then chuckled when he saw the look of surprise on Jensen’s face at his reaction. “You won’t regret this, I promise.” Reaching into his front pocket, he fished out his phone, pulled Jensen close, and told him to smile before snapping a picture of them together, his arm around Jensen’s shoulder. Jensen blinked owlishly at Jared. He hadn’t been expecting Jared to take their picture. “Can I… I mean, will you send me a copy? If I give you my number?” He could always send a copy to his parents, showing them he had made at least one friend. He didn’t have a lot of friends back home. It wasn’t that he didn’t want friends, he did. He was just painfully shy. Add in the fact that he was slightly overweight, wore glasses, and was a Were, which made him self-conscious. He went to school, kept his head down, and did his best to stay off the radar of anyone who wanted to bully him. He did have one close friend, Christian, who he had known since first grade. Christian Kane and his family had moved to Stoneybrook in the middle of the school year and into the house next door to Jensen’s family’s home. Being the new kid, Christian hadn’t known a soul and he had felt bad for him. As soon as the moving truck had pulled away, he had slipped out of his yard and knocked on the new family’s door, and introduced himself, asking if he wanted to play with him. Christian hadn’t given his mother a chance to say yes or no before he was pulling Jensen back outside so they could disappear into Jensen’s backyard. Jensen and his parents didn’t care that the Kanes were human. They also hadn’t kept the fact that they were Weres a secret. The older Ackles believed in honesty and being upfront with those they chose to befriend. It was better to find out as soon as possible how a person reacted to having a Were in their presence than to being blindsided when the truth came out. It wasn’t that they went around announcing it to everyone that they were Weres, but they didn’t hide their status. Weres and the fact that they existed had been accepted years ago, but there were still those people who saw them as second-class citizens or even freaks because they shared traits with their animal kin. As an omega, when Jensen mated, he would be able to procreate, carry his mate’s pup, give birth, and suckle their pup as a female wolf would. And, as an omega, Jensen hoped that he would catch the eye of a virile alpha who would want to mate with him and breed him. He suspected that was another reason his parents had sent him to his aunt and uncle’s; hoping he would find a mate even though they had never said a word about it to him. Where they lived, there were very few Weres, and those who lived there weren’t of the same Were-species as he and his family. It would be difficult for him to find a mate in the community. There were a few Were families, but either way, the alphas were older and already mated or too young to mate with. And the idea of mating with a human didn’t appeal to him. Jensen was pulled from his thoughts by Jared speaking to him. “So, I’ll need your cell number in order for me to do that,” Jared said as he knocked shoulders with Jensen. Jensen blushed and nodded as he pulled out his own phone. “Right. Sorry,” he said and then rattled off his number. A moment later his phone beeped indicating he had received a text. He pulled up the message and smiled at seeing not only the picture of him and Jared but also Jared’s message. JP: JR, so glad we met. Here’s to our new friendship. “So, tell me about yourself,” Jared suggested as he pulled Jensen back so they were both sitting on the fallen tree. Jensen shrugged his shoulders. “Not much to tell.” To him, his life was uneventful and he was unremarkable. He excelled at his schoolwork. He loved his English classes and would have taken as many as he could if his counselor hadn't put a stop to it. He had three English classes, a music class, an art class, and a history class scheduled for his senior year. He had fulfilled all his other graduation requirements prior to his senior year, wanting to make his last year of high school as enjoyable and stress-free as possible. He was useless at anything having to do with athletics or mechanics. He was average at best and in his opinion, forgettable. Most people he went to school with probably wouldn’t even remember once they graduated. In fact, he was sure that if his classmates were shown his picture and asked what his name was, they would draw a blank, and it wasn’t like he had a common name. “Why don’t I believe that?” Jared asked as he tilted his head to the side and studied Jensen as they sat together. He got the feeling that Jensen was someone special, but that Jensen just didn’t know it. Jensen toed at the dirt at his feet. “Really, I’m nothing special,” he said, keeping his eyes on his feet instead of looking up at Jared. “I really find that hard to believe. Something tells me you’re very special,” Jared murmured. Jensen gave a bark of humorless laughter. “I’m really not special. Not at all. I’m not an alpha or a beta. You already figured out I’m an omega. You were subtle when you scented me, I’ll give you that. According to my aunt, that's not something that’s supposed to be done without asking my permission. I’m not mad or anything,” he quickly said before following it up with an admission about himself. “Plus, I’m just me.” “I’m glad you’re not mad and sorry about that. We have a few omegas in our pack but not many are male. I was just curious to see if your scent would be sweet.” “And was it sweet?” “Definitely,” Jared admitted, catching and holding Jensen’s eyes for more than a moment before Jensen broke eye contact by looking down at his hands. “You can scent me. I mean if you want. It’s only fair.” “Really?” Jensen asked in astonishment, raising his eyes up to look at Jared. “Yes, really,” Jared stated and leaned in closer to Jensen so Jensen was able to scent him. Tentatively, Jensen leaned into Jared so he was able to take in Jared’s scent. Jared smelled of leather, sandalwood, and a spicy musk that appealed to him. Closing his eyes, he hummed in satisfaction, moving closer to Jared to take in more of his scent. Realizing what he was doing, he quickly pulled away from Jared with a sheepish look on his face. “Sorry.” He forced himself to get his breathing under control and to not lean back into Jared in order to scent him again. He felt his inner wolf take interest in Jared, heard it whining as if it wanted more of Jared’s scent. Silently, he hushed his wolf, only to hear his wolf protest, begging for more and to submit to the alpha he was sitting next to. And then he heard his wolf begging to submit to what it was referring to as its alpha, its mate. Closing his eyes, he pushed back at his wolf, willing it to quiet. His wolf had to be confused. There was no way that Jared was his mate. Hearing Jared’s voice, he opened his eyes. “Tell me,” Jared eyed Jensen and then looked away from him, suddenly feeling ashy about what he was about to ask. “What’s my scent like?” He had never asked that of anyone before. Then again, he had never offered to allow anyone to scent him. For some unknown reason, he had wanted Jensen to scent him as he had wanted to scent Jensen when they had first been introduced. “It’s like a combination of leather, sandalwood, and musk. It’s nice,” Jensen admitted and then pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. “Can I ask…” Suddenly he was afraid to ask the question on his mind. “You can ask me anything and I’ll try to answer you.” Jared bumped his shoulder against Jensen’s trying to cajole Jensen into speaking. “I was wondering what my scent was like,” Jensen finally admitted. He’d been told that omegas smelled sweet but he doubted he did. He seriously doubted his scent would be appealing to any alpha, he already knew he wasn’t appealing - he saw himself in the mirror every day. He didn’t find himself to be remotely good looking and no one had ever given him a second look. Deep down he had a feeling that no one would ever want him as a mate and as much as that hurt he wasn’t about to fool himself into thinking he’d ever have a mate. A dimpled smile formed on Jared's face. “It’s a combination of vanilla, orange, and a sweetness I can’t put my finger on but I like it.” He didn’t miss the shy smile that danced across Jensen’s face. And he hadn’t missed the way his inner wolf had perked up earlier when he had scented Jensen. It was the first time he could recall his wolf taking notice of another Were. He wasn’t sure what that meant or if it meant anything. Maybe, it just meant that his wolf recognized another Were, one that wasn’t from the pack. For a brief moment, he heard his wolf growling. He felt his wolf moving, wanting to get to the omega next to him and make the omega submit to him. In the next instance, the desire was gone and his wolf had settled down. He heard it growl once more and then huff in frustration when he hadn’t given in to what his wolf had demanded. He had to force himself not to chuckle at his wolf since it was suddenly acting like a petulant child.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“What’s it like living without a pack?” Jensen shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know. I don’t have anything to compare it to unless you count my family as pack.” “Hmm, they count,” Jared assured Jensen. While he had grown up on the pack lands surrounded by his family and packmates he wondered what it was like for Jensen not to have an actual pack. “So… so what’s it like having a pack?” While Jensen didn’t fully understand the importance of having a pack he got the feeling that it was important to Jared and he hoped Jared could explain it to him. A dimpled smile spread across Jared’s face. “It’s great… and it’s not. It’s hard to explain. You always have friends to hang around with. Those born the same year as you are your pack littermates.” He saw the questioning look on Jensen’s face and tried to explain what a pack littermate was. “It’s like having extended brothers and sisters. They’re not blood-related but they’ll always have your back. Sometimes it’s better than having a blood relative - ones that will rat you out to your parents. That’s always happening to Chad, his younger sister is always ratting him out and getting him into trouble. But he knows I’ll take our secrets to the grave. You just know you fit in, you never have to explain yourself, and they know how you’re feeling…” “Sounds like a best friend to me.” “They are, but they’re more.” “So, these pack littermates… are you expected to…” Jensen tried to find the right wording for what he was trying to ask. “What?” Jared asked with a throaty chuckle. “Mate,” Jensen squeaked out and then had to stop himself from burying his head in his hands from his awkwardness. “Is that how you find a mate?” Jared shrugged. “Some do but most don’t. It would be too much like mating with your own sibling.” He thought about his two closest pack litter mates - Chad, Julia. He knew Julia had a crush on him and he’d done what he could to be honest with her, trying to let her down easy. He had no interest in her as far as taking her as his mate. How could he when he was gay? His parents and Chad knew he was gay but he’d yet to come out to the entire pack. He wasn’t ready for that yet. And Chad was just his best friend who actually had a crush on Julia. That wasn’t awkward at all at times. Maybe hanging out with JR for the summer, where there was no pressure to be anything other than himself was just what he needed and from what he’d gathered, JR needed a friend. He could be that friend for him. They sat in comfortable silence for a while not feeling the need to speak further until Jared’s stomach growled causing them both to laugh. “Come on,” Jared urged, grabbing Jensen’s hand and pulling him up. “There’s a diner that makes the best burgers and milkshakes.” Jensen found himself happily following Jared inside MaryAnne’s. The smile slipped from his face when Jared walked over to a large round table where several teenagers sat laughing and talking. He instantly felt the urge to leave knowing these were Jared’s friends and that he didn’t belong there with them. He recognized one person at the table - Chad, the same kid he’d met the other day who worked for his uncle. Chad had been nice to him but that was probably because his aunt and uncle had been present when they’d met. “JR, these are some of my friends and pack littermates,” Jared explained, waving Jensen over to him. Jensen fought the urge to turn and run, instead forcing a smile on his face as he stepped forward to be introduced. He saw the cold looks the others were giving him and he knew they saw him as an outsider and he doubted that even at Jared’s urging they would accept him into their tight-knit group. It was something he was used to. “Hi,” he said, giving a little wave. “Hey, JR,” Chad greeted. “You’ve met?” Jared asked, his face scrunching up in confusion. He’d thought Chad would have mentioned meeting JR, especially since JR was an omega and a male omega at that. “Yeah, just yesterday.” Chad saw the look of shock on Jared’s face. “Sorry, I guess I forgot…” He shrugged and then pointed to Julia. “This is Julia, Cathy, Tiffany, Summer, Milo, and Stephen. We’re just hanging out,” Chad explained and then moved closer to Julia who was eyeing Jensen. “Nice to meet you,” Jensen said and then gulped when Julia sneered at him. “Are you gonna join us?” Julia asked, directing her question to Jared. “I thought we were supposed to grab a burger together. Funny how you forgot to tell me that you were… busy.” She waved her hand at Jensen. “No,” Jared shook his head. “I told you I wasn’t sure if I could make it. I was helping my parents out,” he countered back and then pulled up another chair, squeezing it in next to Julia. “JR, grab a chair.” Jensen saw how crowded the table already was and his heart sank. There was no way anyone would be comfortable if he tried to join them. “I… Ah… I should probably go. You’ve got your friends and… and my aunt wanted me home for dinner.” He gave a half-smile to Jared and then turned, ready to make his way out of the dinner and figure out how he was going to get back to the farm. “Jared… Jared, where are you going?” Julia demanded when Jared pushed himself away from the table and stepped away from the group. “I invited him out. It’s my responsibility to bring him home if that’s what JR wants.” “I’m sure he’ll be fine,” Julia whined. Jared chose to ignore Julia’s comment and jogged to catch up with Jensen who had left the diner. “Hey, wait up, JR.” At the sound of his name, Jensen turned to see Jared jogging toward him. He rubbed at the back of his neck - a nervous habit he had - and then shook his head. “You… you don’t have to…” “Yeah, I do. I invited you out. It’s my responsibility to see you home. It’s what being pack means.” “But I’m not pack,” Jensen pointed out. He’d just met Jared and he wasn’t a member of anyone’s pack. “You’re part of the Clark’s family which means you’re pack. Come on, I’ll give you a ride home.” Jared led Jensen back to his Jeep, got in, and started the engine. They drove in silence until he turned to Jensen. “I’m sorry about Julia. She’s…” He had no idea how to explain Julia to Jensen. Turning in his seat, Jensen frowned at Jared. Was Jared really going to try to apologize for Julia’s behavior toward him? Feeling bold and knowing he had nothing to lose since, he said, “Bitch is the word I think you’re looking for.” Jared threw his head back in laughter having not expected that snarky response from Jensen. “Okay, that’s one way to explain her. She can be a bitch. But she’s…” “If you say she’s got a good heart, I’m going to jump out of the Jeep. I don’t care if it’s moving,” Jensen snarked. “I’ve met plenty of girls like Julia at my high school. They have ice for hearts and they’re bitches. They tear a person down just to make themselves feel good about themselves. I know she’s your pack littermate but if you can’t see that…” He quickly snapped his mouth shut when he saw the incredulous look on Jared’s face. “What? If I can’t see that, what?” Jared questioned in a soft voice and then parked in the Clark’s driveway, letting the engine idle while he waited for Jensen to answer him. Jensen looked down at his hands when he heard a hint of hurt in Jared’s voice. But he forced himself to answer Jared. “Then you have a good heart and she’s lucky to have you as her friend,” he said and then got out of the Jeep. He made his way to the front door, determined not to look back at Jared. As he reached out for the doorknob he heard Jared pulling out of the driveway. He sighed, silently kicking himself for opening his mouth and ruining their friendship before it had really started. At first, Jared had no idea how to react to Jensen’s words. Then it hit him, Jensen had paid him a compliment and hadn’t judged him for Julia’s behavior. He stopped the Jeep, putting it in Park, and leaned out the window. “Hey, JR,” he called out, watching Jensen turn at the sound of his voice. “Thanks for seeing me. I owe you a burger and shake. How about Saturday night, just you and me?” Jensen had been sure that after what he’d said Jared wouldn’t want to have anything to do with him. He was definitely surprised when Jared asked him out - as friends he was sure of. “Yeah… Sure,” he said and watched as a wide smile spread across Jared’s face. “Awesome, see you Saturday,” Jared confirmed and then backed out of the driveway. After Jensen settled in bed for the night, he grabbed his phone and pulled up the message from Jared again. He couldn’t help the smile that turned the corners of his lips up as he looked at it. He found himself sending a copy to Christian. A moment later, his phone rang. “Hello.” “So, you’re gone less than two days and you’ve already replaced me as your best friend?” Christian’s response to seeing the picture had Jensen laughing. “No, you’re still my best friend. That spot is yours for life and I could never replace you.” He felt lucky to find a friend in Christian, one who had accepted him just the way he was. “Who’s the guy? Is he a potential mate?” “He’s an alpha, but no. I mean look at him. Do you really think someone like him would want to mate with someone like me?” “JR, come on. You’re being way too hard on yourself.” “No, I’m being realistic.” Christian sighed heavily. He knew no matter what he said to his best friend Jensen would have something derogatory to say about himself. “So who is he and what’s his name?” “Jared Padalecki. He’s the pack alpha’s son. He asked me to grab a burger and shake with him on Saturday…” Christian cut in, “So he is a potential mate.” “I already told you…” “Look, Jensen, a guy doesn’t ask a girl, or in your case another guy out to grab a burger and shake if he’s not interested,” Chris said. “I’m a guy and I should know,” he added when he heard Jensen starting to protest. “I think he’s interested in you.” “Jared was only here today to welcome me to the pack land on behalf of his parents.” Jensen went on to explain what had happened at the diner and how he was sure Jared had only invited him out to make up for Julia’s rudeness and so he’d keep quiet about the incident. He doubted the pack’s alpha would be happy to hear how a pack member had been rude to someone visiting the pack lands. “There’s no way he’s interested in me. He’s just being nice.” “Whatever,” was Christian’s response before they changed the subject, talking about Christian’s summer plans of getting a part-time job to save up for a car so they could show up to senior year in style before they ended their call. After spending time with his parents and answering their questions regarding Jensen, Jared leaned back in his desk chair. Jensen. He couldn’t get the omega off his mind. He thought about calling Jensen but changed his mind, punching in Chad’s number and drumming his fingers on his desk while he waited for his best friend to pick up. “Hey, Jared,” Chad greeted when he answered his ringing phone. “Why didn’t you tell me you’d met JR?” Jared demanded feeling betrayed by his best friend. “You like him,” Chad said with a slight taunting to his voice. “Shut up,” Jared growled although there was no heat behind his words. “Besides, I just met him.” “And he could be a potential mate…” “I don’t know if he’s even gay, just that he’s an omega. And he’s only here for the summer.” “Still, you like him…” “I’d like to get to know him,” Jared admitted. That was all he was willing to admit to himself or Chad for the time being. “How about I see if I can’t get some intel on him? I can drop a few questions when I’m around him when I’m working. No one has to know I’m asking for you.” Jared groaned, “Chad, don’t get involved.” “Why not?” “Because you’re as subtle as a brick upside the head.” “I’m way smoother than that,” Chad whined and then dropped the subject when Jared growled at him. But he was going to do what he could to get more information on Jensen. He was determined to covertly help his friend out. “Right, and what about you asking Julia out? How’s that going?” Chad huffed. “It’ll happen all in good time. You worry about winning over JR and let me concentrate on my dating because I’ll have Julia agreeing to go on a date with me by the time summer is over.” Jared admired his best friend’s confidence and hoped that things worked out in Chad’s favor. Chad had harbored a crush on Julia for as long as he could remember. The only thing standing in his friend’s happiness was Julia’s apparent crush on him despite him being honest with her and telling Julia he only saw her as a friend. He would never see Julia as more. “Well, good luck with that.,” Jared said before ending their call. Jared had just placed his phone down, ready to turn in for the night when his phone rang. For a fleeting moment, he hoped it was Jensen calling him and he wondered why his body was flooded with excitement and he heard his wolf whining wanting to go to Jensen. Seeing that it wasn’t Jensen but Julia he was instantly deflated. “Hey,” he said flatly when he answered the call. “Hey? Is that all you have to say to me?” Julia demanded. “It’s late…” Jared started to say only to be cut off. “What the hell was that little stunt you pulled back at the diner?” “What stunt? What are you even talking about?” Jared asked, feeling his irrigation with Julia and her riddle rising to the surface. “What stunt?” Julia shrieked. “You walked out on me in favor of that ‘mega outsider…” “What did you just call JR?” Jared demanded and then growled low in his throat letting Julia know he was not pleased with what she had just said to him. “You will not call him that.” “Jared… It doesn’t mean anything,” Julia said trying to smooth things over between them when she heard the anger in Jared’s voice and his growl. She knew calling an omega 'mega' was rude but she was angry with how Jared had just walked out on her, running after some omega. She had been left feeling embarrassed and angry. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad if it had been someone from their pack but it had been an outsider. “You know how my sire feels about that term, how I feel about it. We don’t call any omega in our pack by that term…” “That omega isn’t a pack member,” Julia was quick to point out. “JR’s aunt and uncle are pack members. His mother is from our pack. He’s pack,” Jared answered, his tone low and even making it clear that he wouldn’t tolerate Julia questioning him. “Fine, whatever,” Julia huffed. “You still walked out on me…” “You were being a bitch…” “Hardly. I was just making sure the omega understood his place and that you’re mine.” “I’m not yours. We’re pack, Julia. And we’re littermates. We grew up together,” Jared pointed out, hoping Julia would get his point without him having to actually say that he wasn’t interested in her. He wasn’t interested in any of the females in their pack. “We’re more than littermates…” Julia started to say only to be interrupted by her mother calling her name. “Shit, I gotta go, my mom’s calling me. I’ll talk to you later,” she said and then ended the call. With a heavy sigh, Jared dropped his phone onto his desk and then pushed himself away. Getting up, he stretched his tired muscles and then threw himself onto his bed. The last thought he had before falling asleep was of the shy omega, JR, with the greenest eyes he’d ever seen. After a small breakfast that Jensen did his best to eat and not push the food around on his plate with his fork, he headed out to the chicken coop to collect any eggs the hens had laid. He was just about done collecting the eggs when he heard the hens making a commotion. The clucking caught his attention and he turned to see Chad standing there watching him. Chad jutted his chin toward Jensen. “Hey.” “Hey…” Jensen responded feeling uncomfortable with Chad standing there and possibly watching him. “Can I… can I help you… Or did my aunt send you?” “No,” Chad shrugged. “Just figured I’d say hello and welcome you to the pack lands. Maybe we could hang out sometime…” “Why?” Jensen asked, the word tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop himself. “Why what?” “Why would you want to hang out with me?” Jensen took a step back from Chad, mindful of the chicken and doing his best not to step on them. Chad had been nice to him but hadn’t shown any interest in him until now. Was Jared behind this sudden interest? Had Jared asked Chad to be friends with him? “Why not? Figured since you’re staying here for the summer and I’m working here for the summer and we’re all the same age it might be nice for us to be friends,” Chad reasoned. “Really?” Jensen questioned, still unsure of how to interpret Chad’s offer of friendship. “Sure, why not?” This time Jensen shrugged. “Maybe… I don’t know.” He turned and grabbed the basket of eggs. “I gotta…” He held up the basket and then moved past Chad who stepped back to give him room to walk past him. He stopped just outside the chicken coop and turned back to regard Chad. “Maybe. I’m not saying yes and I’m not saying no,” he said and left Chad as they went their separate ways. Jensen didn’t see Chad until lunchtime that day and he did his best to keep a low profile not wanting to draw unwanted or unnecessary attention to himself. Much to his chagrin, Chad seemed to have other ideas. Chad made sure to sit across from Jensen when he and the rest of the crew broke for lunch. “So, JR, what are you, a junior or a senior?” Jensen felt the blood rushing to his cheeks, causing him to blush when he realized everyone was watching him. “I’ll… I’ll be a senior.” He looked down at his hands hoping that would be the last question Chad asked. “Cool, me too. I’m not sure about college. How about you? Do you have any plans for college?” “Yes,” Jensen murmured. “Maybe you come out here for college. You could be close to the pack. I’m pretty sure Jared has plans to attend Lincoln. It’s a decent college as far as colleges go,” Chad said and didn’t miss Jensen’s subtle response at hearing Jared’s name. Jensen did his best not to react when Chad mentioned Jared’s name but he had a feeling his glance upward had been noticed by the beta. He wanted the floor to open up and swallow him, putting him out of his misery and ending the conversation Chad was trying to have with him. He nodded and then lifted his sandwich to his mouth taking a bite in hope that Chad would take the hint and stop talking to him. Unfortunately, the others in the room thought it would be a perfect time to ask a few questions of their own. Carl quirked an eyebrow up and smiled sweetly at Jensen. “So, do you have any special friends?” “Carl!” Abigail admonished. “That is none of your business.” “Carl, if I have to remind you again to show JR respect then you will no longer be welcome at our table,” Raymond growled. Carl threw his hands up in defense. “I meant no disrespect. And I meant special as in a girlfriend…” “Yeah, sure you did,” Lou snickered and then sobered up when Raymond growled again. “Pay them no mind,” Kevin added, doing his best to diffuse the situation. “They’re single and trying to live vicariously through others.” Chad leaned forward anxiously waiting for Jensen to answer Carl’s question. And then breathed a sigh when he finally did. “I have a best friend Christian. He goes by Chris.” Jensen said and then added, “He’s human. He doesn't care that I’m a Were. He’s pretty cool.” “Well, maybe we can set you up with someone,” Chad offered. “You might find your mate…” “Um.” Jensen hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck as a feeling of dread began to slither up his spine. “That’s not necessary.” “Let’s all leave JR alone and eat,” Abigail advised, giving a stern look to the men sitting at her table. They may have been trying to get to know JR, even teasing him as they tended to do to each other, but the boy was shy and didn’t need to be questioned. “Yes, Ma’am,” the men answered in unison, dropping their teasing and any other questions they may have wanted to ask. The rest of the meal passed by in relative silence, someone only speaking up if they were asking for another sandwich or the pitcher to refill their glass. Once lunch had been eaten and the kitchen cleaned, Abigail placed an arm around Jensen and drew him into the living room with her. “Come, let’s sit and talk,” she said as she sank to the couch and patted the cushion next to her. The slight smile Jensen had slipped from his face. Was he in trouble? Had he done something wrong? Had he offended his aunt in some way? Seeing the apprehensive look on Jensen’s face, Abigail took his left hand in hers. “There’s nothing to worry about.” Again she patted the cushion watching as Jensen sat next to her. “What… what do you want to talk about?” “You,” Abigail said and then patted Jensen’s hand. “I want to make sure you’re happy.” “I am,” Jensen rushed to assure his aunt. “I don’t mean just being here. I mean in general. I know all you young ones are looking to find yourselves. Whatever that means.” Abigail smiled when she saw Jensen’s grimace. “I was young once, you know. So was your mother. We just want the best for you. That includes me, your uncle and your parents. We want you to be happy. If you find that pack life is something you want to pursue just know that you’ll always have a home here with us. If it’s not something you’re interested in that won’t hurt our feelings or that of your parents. They just worried that by raising you away from the pack you may have missed out on things. That’s the only reason they sent you here. You didn’t do anything wrong so please don’t take being here as some sort of punishment.” “I was happy with what my parents have given me. I didn’t think I was missing out on anything by not being raised in a pack. I have my best friend. I have school…” “And what about a mate?” Jensen shrugged. How could he put into words that while he wanted a mate he didn't think any alpha would want him. “I… I never really gave it much thought.” “This might be the opportune time for you to think about it. There are plenty of unattached wolves here. Maybe one might catch your eye.” Jensen snickered at his aunt's words. “Sorry but I don’t think I’m going to catch any alpha’s eye.” “So, you at least would like to mate with an alpha. I know of a few alphas around your age. My friend Sophia has an alpha daughter your age…” “No!” Jensen said and then shrank back against the couch when his aunt gave him a curious look. “Sorry,” he mumbled and then looked away from his aunt. His stomach flip-flopped and for a moment he thought he was going to be sick. It had been nerve-wracking for him when he’d come out to his parents when he’d presented and now he found himself in the same situation. “JR, is there something you’d like to tell me?” Abigail reached out and gently placed her hand under Jensen’s chin, turning his head so they were looking at each other. “It’s fine, whatever it is that you’re worried about. You can tell me. Neither your uncle nor I will judge you.” “It’s just… I thought you knew. That my mom had told you…” “Told me what?” “That… that I’m gay.” “No, it seems that’s something your mother forgot to mention. But it’s your business to tell and she probably didn’t want to interfere. She most likely wanted you to tell us yourself when you felt comfortable. I'm sorry if it seemed as if I was pressuring you or forcing you into telling me.” “You’re not… You didn’t. I just thought you knew.” “Well, I just want you to know that it makes no difference to me. You’re still my nephew. I still love you and that will never change.” “What will never change?” Raymond asked as he strode into the living room. Stopping, he regarded his mate and nephew who both looked like they had been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. “What are you two up to?” “Nothing, dear. We were just discussing life…” “And that I’m gay,” Jensen supplied, watching carefully for his uncle’s reaction. There was no reason not to tell his uncle the truth, he’d find out eventually. “Oh, well, is that supposed to be some big news? Your father told me that…” “You knew and didn’t tell me?” “I thought Donna had mentioned it to you in one of your marathon phone calls.” Raymond turned to Jensen. “You should hear them, two hens clucking away. Is there anything else I should know?” “No,” Jensen and Abigail responded in unison. “Well if there is, let me know. Until then, I’ll be in my office.” Raymond started to walk away, stopped, and turned back. “By the way, you handled yourself well today, JR. If those fools give you any trouble you let me know. I don’t tolerate rude behavior. And your aunt’s right, you being gay doesn’t change how we feel about you.” Having said that, he disappeared from the living room in favor of hiding out in his office and filling out his balance sheets. “That man can infuriate me to no end!” Abigail huffed showing her annoyance with her mate. Jensen couldn’t help but laugh at his aunt’s frustration. He knew that his aunt loved her mate unconditionally despite her current display of annoyance. “Don’t laugh. I’m trying to be angry at my mate,” Abigail said and then snickered. Jensen rolled his eyes at his aunt which caused them both to laugh until they were gasping for breath and wiping tears from their eyes. “So, it doesn’t bother you that I’m gay or an omega?” Abigail grasped Jensen’s hands in her. “Absolutely not. It doesn’t matter to me, your uncle or your parents. I can assure you of that. We all love you for who you are not if you’re an omega, straight or gay. So get any thoughts otherwise out of your head. Do you hear me?” “Yes,” Jensen replied with a nod of his head. “So tell me, is there a special boy back home? What about this best friend of yours? Is Christian, was that his name?” “Yes…” “Is Christian jockeying to be more than just your best friend?” Wrinkling his nose, Jensen shook his head. “No, he’s just a friend and he’s into girls. Besides, I don’t have feelings for him… that way. We’ve known each other for years and it’d be like having feelings for my brother.” Abigail knocked her shoulder against Jensen’s to get his attention when he looked away from her. “Is there a boy you’re interested in?” Her eyes sparkled when she saw the tips of Jensen’s ears turning pink. “There is, isn’t there?” Jensen glanced at his aunt wondering how he could answer that question. Yes, there was someone who had sparked his interest but he was sure that person had no interest in him. And how could he tell his aunt that it was Jared, who was not only an alpha but the son of her pack leader? She’d laugh at him and his little fantasy of Jared being interested in an omega like him. No, he was better off leaving that dream where it belonged - buried because he wasn’t foolish enough to believe that an alpha like Jared would want him. No alpha would want him. Giving himself a mental shake, he looked down at his hands and then up at his aunt. “Not really,” he finally admitted. “But there is a boy, a potential mate…” Abigail started to ask. “No… no, he’s not a potential mate,” Jensen was quick to set his aunt straight. He was about to say more hoping to stop his aunt from pressing further for more information but stopped speaking when he footsteps. Looking up he saw Chad standing in the kitchen doorway and he had to wonder how long the beta had been standing there. Noticing that her nephew’s attention was elsewhere, Abigail looked up to see what had caught Jensen’s attention. “Chad, what can I do for you?” Chad looked from Jensen to Abigail before offering them a smile and answering the question that had been posed to him. “I just wanted to tell you I was leaving. My shift is over for the day.” “Well, off with you then.” Abigail stood from the couch and walked toward Chad. “I’ll let Raymond know what time you left. Have a good night and tell your parents I said hello.” “Yes, ma’am, I will. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Chad started to turn so he was able to head out the back door but stopped. “Hey, JR, maybe we can hang out sometime.” “Maybe,” Jensen mumbled. “Sweet!” Chad crowed before waving and disappearing from the kitchen. “I swear, that boy is a menace,” Abigail muttered and then stopped when she saw a perplexed look on Jensen’s face. “He’s not the boy, is he? Please tell me it’s not Chad…” “It’s not Chad what?” Raymond asked as he appeared in the living room. Standing with his hands on his hips he looked at his mate. “Has that boy done something? Did he break another piece of equipment or let the chickens out again? I swear, if he’s done something stupid like that again I’m going to dock his pay. He’ll end up owing me money!” “No, thankfully.” Abigail rolled her eyes, remembering the time Chad had let the chickens out. “I don’t know where he got the idea that letting the chickens out to roam free was a good idea. No common sense with that one, but he’s a sweet boy.” “So, what did he do this time?” “Nothing that I’m aware of, aside from asking JR to hang out with him. Which prompted me to ask if Chad’s the boy that’s caught JR’s interest.” Jensen cringed at the attention his aunt was giving his nonexistent love life. “Good God, boy!” Raymond exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air. “I thought you had more sense than that… and better taste.” “It’s… it’s not him. It’s not anyone… Not really,” Jensen murmured. “But there is a boy?” Raymond hazarded a guess. Jensen turned bright red under the scrutiny of his uncle’s stare. “Should we invite him over? Is he from here or from home? Either way, whoever it is, they’re welcome here. I can explain the rules of courting…” “No!” Jensen responded, horrified at the thought of his uncle taking Jared aside to explain anything to the young alpha about courting him. Courting? Was that even a thing anymore? “I know you mean well but it’s not necessary. Really,” he said, hoping his aunt and uncle would get the message and drop the subject. Raymond nodded showing he understood what Jensen was telling him. “Okay, well, if there is a boy you’re interested in, just know we’re fine with it and we’d be happy to have him over.” “JR, why don’t you run along? I won’t need your help until later tonight.” “Yeah, okay.” Jensen started for the stairs intending to disappear into his room and try to live down the humiliation he’d just suffered through but stopped and hugged his aunt and uncle. “Thanks… thanks for…accepting me,” he said and then turned and ran up the stairs. In the sanctity of what he considered his room, Jensen curled up on his bed with the intention of reading one of the books he’d brought with him. His school had published a summer reading list and he had chosen several books that looked interesting to read while he was spending the summer in Devonshire. Instead, he found himself daydreaming about Jared and what it would be like to be courted by the young alpha. How Jared would pick him up, open the doors for him, hold his hand, and kiss his cheek softly. He would be the omega Jared chose to be with, to be seen with, despite all the others vying for the alpha’s attention. He knew it was just a dream but it was one he allowed himself to have when he was alone.
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As soon as Chad left the Clark’s and was home alone in his bedroom, he grabbed his phone and called Jared. “Hey,” he said as soon as his call was picked up, not giving Jared time to even say hello. “So, I overheard something interesting while at work today.” “Hi, Chad,” Jared sighed in response. “What’s this interesting news?” Sometimes Chad’s interesting news was anything but interesting. Chad had thought his idea of letting the chickens out of their coop to roam free had been interesting. It had only resulted in Chad getting in trouble with the Clarks and his best friend had to scramble to get the chickens located and back into their coop. Although, it had been funny to see Chad racing around the farm with a chicken under each arm as he tried to corral the chickens. He’d had tears in his eyes when Chad had started clucking like he was a chicken with the hope that the act would get the chickens’ attention and follow him as if he was their leader. In the end, he’d taken pity on his best friend and had helped Chad wrangle the stray chickens back into their coop and somehow they had managed to get them all back. “Well, you know how you were wondering if Jensen was gay?” “I don’t recall that…” “And how you wanted my help in finding out if he was gay…” “I know for sure I never asked you to help. I definitely remember telling you to stay out of things.” “Hey, what are best friends for? I had your back on this and got some really good news for you.” “Chad!” Jared growled into the phone he was clutching. If Chad was standing in front of him at the moment he was pretty sure he would have wrapped his hands around his best friend’s neck and squeezed until Chad was gasping for breath and he wasn’t sure if he would’ve stopped. “What did you do?” he demanded. “Nothing aside from trying to be friendly with JR. He’s a hard one to pin down. What’s up with him, anyway?” “He’s shy and why are you getting involved? What did you say to him?” “Nothing, I just offered to hang out with him. He kinda looked at me like I had two heads…” “Chad!” “Sorry, anyway, when I was leaving I stopped in to tell Raymond I was leaving. When I came in through the back I heard Abigail and JR talking and I overheard a pretty interesting conversation.” “Would you just spit it out already?” Jared barked into the phone. He was losing his patients with Chad and wasn’t too happy that his best friend had tried to get involved when he’d specifically told him not to. “Fine!” Chad shot back. “I overheard JR telling his aunt that he’s gay. Apparently, she and Raymond hadn’t been told by JR’s parents. So, you see, it’s a good thing you have me around as your best friend.” While he really didn’t want to admit that Chad had discovered some news that was beneficial to him he was still angry that Chad had tried to get involved when he’d specifically asked him not to. “Okay, I have to admit, that’s pretty interesting, and thanks for the information. But do me a favor, leave JR alone. As I said, he’s shy. If you want to be his friend, don't push him.” “Yeah, I hear you,” Chad said and then changed the subject before ending the call. After hanging up Jared couldn’t help but smile. He’d been wondering about JR and now that he knew the omega was gay he had to figure out if he wanted to pursue him as a potential mate. Of course, that also entailed letting his parents and JR’s aunt and uncle know and probably JR’s parents as well know of his intentions. He’d also have to tell his littermates that he was gay. The question bouncing around in his head was, was he ready to do that? The rest of the week passed by without incident. Chad seemed to have gotten the message to leave him alone. He wasn’t sure his aunt or uncle had said something to the beta but he was thankful that Chad didn’t try to talk him into hanging out. He wasn’t really up for that. The other men were respectful when they sat down for lunch and he knew that his uncle had said something to them about their behavior. On Saturday Abigail noticed how unfocused Jensen seemed. He’d dropped a few of the eggs when he’d been collecting them and he barely ate his breakfast or his lunch. He also seemed restless, pacing in the living room and she had caught him looking at his phone several times. “Okay, JR, what’s going on?” she asked as she stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. “What?” “What’s going on with you?” “Nothing…” Jensen started to say only to stop when he saw the look of disbelief on his aunt’s face. He knew she’d caught him checking his phone and probably wanted to know why. He’d been looking at his phone to see if Jared was going to text him. On one hand, he hoped to see a text from Jared confirming that he was still picking him up to take him out for dinner. On the other hand, he was fearful of receiving a text from Jared telling him that he had to cancel. He knew Jared wasn’t taking him out on an actual date, the young alpha was taking him out to make up for the other day, but he was still looking forward to seeing Jared. “JR, be honest with me.” Abigail grabbed Jensen’s hand and led him over to the couch, pulling him down to sit next to her. “You haven’t been acting like yourself at all today. You dropped some of the eggs…” Jensen winced at being reminded of his clumsiness. “I’m sorry…” he rushed to say but was interrupted when Abigail held up a hand stopping him from speaking further. “Accidents happen and I’m not mad about that. I’ve dropped a few eggs myself, it happens. But you barely ate breakfast or lunch and now you’re pacing the living room like a caged animal. So tell me, what’s going on with you?” Jensen couldn’t meet his aunt’s concerned eyes, instead, he chose to look down at his hands which were folded in his lap. He had no idea how to explain his actions to his aunt without actually telling her why he was acting the way he was and he knew he would have to say something to her. How would he explain his absence at the dinner table or Jared suddenly showing up on his aunt and uncle’s porch looking for him, expecting him to go out with him? “Um… Ah… I…” he stammered, feeling self-conscious as he tried to put into words what was going around and around in his mind. “JR, take a deep breath and then just tell me. Whatever it is, it’s okay and you can tell me anything.” “Jared’scomingtonighttopickmeupandtakemeoutforburgersandshakes.” Jensen’s words were rushed together and hard to make out even to his own ears. “What was that?” Chuckling, Abigail rolled her eyes. “I didn’t quite catch what you just said. Try telling me again but this time not all in one word.” “Jared’s coming tonight to pick me up and take me out for burgers and shakes,” Jensen managed to say and then watched his aunt for her reaction. “Oh… Oh! Is he? Is Jared the boy you’re interested in?” Abigail watched Jensen’s face flush from embarrassment. “He’s… he’s just taking me out to make up for the other day. One of his friends kinda…” Jensen shrugged. He didn’t know if his aunt was friends with Julia’s parents and he didn’t want to cause any trouble if she was. He would only be there for the summer and he just wanted it to pass by quickly without any other incidents before he returned home. “One of Jared’s friends? Which friend?” “Julia, we kind of didn’t make a good first impression on each other.” Abigail rolled her eyes and huffed. “That girl! She thinks the sun rises and sets on her but don’t you let her get to you. She seems to think that just because she’s Jared’s littermate that all his time and attention should be given to her. And Jared’s a nice boy, he’d be lucky to have you show him any interest.” “No.” Jensen shook his head. “He’s just being nice to me. Tonight is just his way of making up for what happened the other day. It doesn’t really mean anything.” “He’d be a good alpha to you. Jared’s a good friend to Chad and has shown this pack that he’ll make a great alpha leader when his father steps down. He’ll do right by you.” “I’m not even a pack member. Besides, I don’t think he’s interested in me. At least not in that way. And he’s the pack alpha’s son and I'm nobody.” “You’re not nobody. You’re very handsome and loving. You care about others, you’re smart as a whip, and you’d make any alpha proud to be your mate.” “I doubt any alpha would want me as their mate. It’s okay,” Jensen rushed to say when he saw the stern look on his aunt’s face. “I know I’m not desirable as an omega. I’ve already accepted that. And Jared’s already told me he just wants to be friends.” “JR…” Abigail started to admonish her nephew for his bleak look at himself but stopped when she heard the knock at the front door. “I’ve got it!” Raymond called as he stepped out of his office to answer the door. Pulling open the door he was surprised to find Jared standing on his front porch. “Jared! What can I do for you?” “Hi, Mr. Clark. I’m here to pick up JR. We’re going to MaryAnne’s for burgers and shakes.” “Well, that’s great. Come on in.” Holding the door open, Raymond stepped aside to allow Jared entrance into his home. “JR,” he called after closing the door and walking toward the living room, stopping when he saw his mate sitting on the couch with their nephew. “What’s all this?” “Nothing, my dear mate,” Rising from the couch Abigail said and then walked toward Raymond and gave him a peck on his cheek. “JR and I were just passing the time until Jared arrived.” She turned to Jared with a smile on her face. “Jared, it’s nice to see you again. I want you two to have a great time tonight. Is it just the two of you going out for burgers?” Looking at JR and then Abigail, Jared hesitated in answering. “Yes, ma’am, if that’s okay.” He’d been out with Jensen the other day just the two of them so he wasn’t sure where Abigail was heading with her question. Their pack didn’t require a chaperone to accompany an omega and an alpha when they went out. Maybe Jensen’s parents had found out that they had been alone together and hadn’t been too happy about that, was the only thing he could think of. Could it be that he’d made Jensen nervous? He hadn’t gotten that impression from Jensen. In fact, they seemed to have hit it off and had been having a good time until they’d stopped at the diner and Julia had been a bitch to Jensen. Maybe Jensen had mentioned that to his aunt and that was why she was questioning who would be there. “Well, You two run along and have a great time,” Abigail said, motioning to the door. Standing up from the couch, Jensen took a few steps toward Jared but was stopped by his uncle who attempted to slip him a few dollars. “That’s not necessary,” he whispered. “Nonsense, take the money. You’ve earned it.” “Aunt Abigail gave me some money the last time I went out with Jared. I never spent it.” Raymond nodded and pocketed the money. “Well, if you’re going to be out past ten just give us a call. That way this one,” he said, hitching his left thumb over his shoulder in his mate’s direction, “won’t be wondering when you’re coming home.” Abigail scoffed at her mate. “As if! Have a good time and drive safely.” She stood with her mate, watching as Jensen and Jared walked to Jared’s Jeep. When the Jeep had disappeared down the road, Raymond turned to his mate. “Okay, what’s going on?” “I think Jared is the boy JR’s interested in,” she said and then went on to fill him in on the conversation she’d been having with their nephew. “Well, JR could do a lot worse for a possible mate,” Raymond reasoned. Crossing his arms, he cocked his head and then asked, “Is Jared gay?” “I’m not sure. It’s never come up in conversation and I’m not about to pry into our pack alpha’s personal life or that of his family’s. Now, how about we decide what we should have for dinner,” Abigail said, changing the subject while she led her mate into the kitchen. She knew if she kept them both busy neither of them would be watching the clock in anticipation of Jensen’s return. The drive to the diner was made in relative silence between Jared and Jensen. Feeling as if the silence was deafening, Jared reached over and turned the radio on, flooding the interior of his Jeep with the sound of classic rock playing from the speakers. Glancing over at Jensen, he saw the omega drumming his fingers on his thigh and humming along to the song currently playing. When that song ended and another one started, he heard Jensen singing along softly to it and he realized that he had a good singing voice. Tucking that thought into the back of his mind he hoped it could be a topic of conversation if things felt strained between them. “We’re here,” he announced as he pulled into the parking lot, parked, and cut the engine. Looking up Jensen noticed that the diner seemed crowded making him wonder if this was such a good idea. “Yeah,” he whispered, not moving to get out of the Jeep. Noticing that Jensen had yet to move, Jared cocked his head to the side, looking at the omega through his bangs. “Is everything…” “Are you sure about this?” Jared jerked back in surprise at Jensen’s question. “What do you mean?” Was Jensen having second thoughts about being here with him? “I mean… I mean if you don’t want to be seen with me…” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jared questioned sharply and then instantly regretted his tone when Jensen seemed to turn in on himself. Jensen flinched and inwardly chastised himself for saying anything. “Nothing,” he mumbled and then reached for the door handle with the intention of getting out so they could get the night over with. Reaching out, Jared grabbed Jensen’s left arm, stopping him before he could open the door. “No, talk to me,” Jared coaxed softly hoping his tone of voice was soothing and relaxed Jensen enough where the omega would open up to him. Jensen’s first reaction was to wrench himself free of Jared’s grip but the sound of the alpha’s voice was soothing to him and he found himself relaxing under his touch. “You’re an alpha and you’re the alpha’s son and I’m not… I’m an omega and an outsider.” He sighed heavily and then looked away from Jared. “Your friends are probably in there…” “No,” Jared cut in, wanting to assure Jensen that he only wanted to spend time with him. “Chad’s the only one who knows.” He left out the part that he’d told his parents he was taking Jensen out. They of course had been interested in that development and had questioned him about it wanting to know if he saw Jensen as a potential mate. His answer had been he saw Jensen as a potential friend and wanted to develop and establish their friendship before he hoped for anything else. Besides, he reminded his parents, Jensen was only visiting for the summer, and to hope that Jensen decided to remain in Devonshire and become a pack member was getting everyone’s hopes up. He’d also informed them that Jensen was shy, they had only spent a little while together, and at the time he hadn’t been sure if Jensen was gay. Now that he knew he wasn’t sure if Jensen would be interested in him or see him as a potential mate. He also had no idea if Jensen was seeing anyone back home. He had also filled them in on Julia’s behavior toward Jensen and he wanted to make amends for that as well. His father hadn’t been happy to hear about the way Julia had treated Jensen and was going to make sure the pack knew that type of behavior would not be tolerated. “Plus, let’s face it, anyone who sees me with you is gonna know it’s out of pity…” “I thought we already established that we’re friends and it’s not out of pity? I’m not like that.” Jensen turned in his seat so he was able to look at Jared and he saw the sincerity in the young alpha’s eyes. “It’s just… I don’t have a lot of friends. I have Christian…” “And now you have me and I guess Chad.” Jensen chuckled. “Is that supposed to cheer me up? Because I’m not sure if that’s a good thing.” “Me either.” Anything else Jared was about to say was cut off by the collective rumbling of their stomachs. “Sounds like we’re hungry and since we’re here it would be silly to starve.” He offered Jensen what he hoped was a winning smile. “Guess you’re right,” Jensen agreed and then got out of the Jeep, following Jared into the diner. He stopped and sucked in a breath when he looked around to see those in the diner who seemed to be watching them. He dropped his eyes to the floor hoping that people would leave him alone. Feeling fingers wrap around his wrist he glanced up at Jared who leaned into him. “They’re just a little curious about you. Not only are you new to Devonshire, but you’re also an omega. We don’t have a lot of male omegas in the pack,” Jared explained in a whisper. He could only remember ever meeting one male omega when he was little, Dean who’d been mated to an alpha by the name of Sam. They’d just been passing through Devonshire on their way to Kansas if he remembered right. They’d been young for a mated pair, barely in their early twenties but they’d been so in love. That he definitely remembered. Sam was younger than Dean but treated his mate as if the omega was the most precious being in existence. Even when Dean had griped that he wasn’t some delicate omega Sam just smiled and overlooked his mate’s gruffness. His father had offered them a place in the pack but they hadn’t been ready to settle down into pack life. He hadn’t thought about them in years but he hoped they were still happily mated. “Hey, Jared,” a woman called as she approached. “Hi, MaryAnne.” Turning, Jared smiled at the diner’s owner and then hugged her. “And who’s this with you?” MaryAnne questioned when she stepped back. “This is JR, he’s Abigail and Raymond Clark’s nephew and he’s staying with them for the summer,” Jared told the beta. “I figured I’d take him to the best burger and shake joint in town.” MaryAnne studied Jensen for a moment and then gasped. “No! You can’t be… Are you Donna’s pup?” She knew Raymond didn’t have any siblings and if the teenager standing next to Jared was related to the Clarks that meant he could only be Donna’s pup. “Yes, ma’am,” Jensen murmured. “Your mom and I went to high school together. How is she? I haven’t seen her in ages, not since she left the pack for college.” “She’s good.” “What’s Donna up to these days?” “She works part-time at my dad’s law office. She’s his paralegal.” “That’s great. Tell your mom I said hi when you speak to her.” “Yes, ma’am…” “Call me MaryAnne, everyone does. So, Jared, you just take a booth and I’ll grab you some menus.” “Thanks, MaryAnne.” Jared led Jensen to an empty booth in the back acknowledging a few people as they walked by before sitting down across from Jensen. “Here are the menus.” MaryAnne placed two menus down on the table and then pulled out a pad of paper and a pencil, already writing out what she knew to be Jared’s favorite. “I know what you want, Jared. He always gets the same thing, a chocolate shake, cheeseburger, and fries.” Jensen glanced at Jared who was smiling up at the beta. “I’ll have the same but can I make my shake vanilla?” “Sure thing,” MaryAnne acknowledged, grabbed the menus, and then went to place the orders. Jared leaned forward. “You know, you could have ordered something different.” “No, it sounded good but if I don’t like the food I’m blaming it on you.” “Fair enough.” Jensen took that moment to look around at his surroundings. He hadn’t really taken note of the place the first time he’d been there. This time he noticed the way the diner mimicked that of a 1950’s style diner with a Jukebox in the far corner which was lit up, throwing a soft red against the white wall which was decorated with pictures of shows from the same time period. Music from that time period was also playing softly in the background. The booths, tables, and counter were metal and had been painted a shiny black and the seats were upholstered in a cherry red vinyl. The floor was made of black and white linoleum squares with flecks of silver which had been laid in a checkered pattern. The waitresses were dressed in black poodle shirts, red silk-looking shirts with their names embroidered on the left breast pocket, and they wore black and white saddle shoes with red bobby socks. Those that had long hair had it pulled back into a ponytail with a matching red scarf tied around it. The diner and the employees reminded him of what he would have seen in an old sitcom or movie. They fell into an awkward silence for a few minutes. Jensen looked down at his hands which were clasped together and resting on the table while Jared played with the salt shaker, twirling it around until MaryAnne appeared with their shakes. After taking a sip of his shake, Jensen’s eyes widened at the sugary vanilla taste hitting his tongue. “This is good,” he said and then took another sip. “Told you.” Jared smiled at Jensen, watching while the omega continued to sip his shake. “So,” he finally said, breaking the silence that had begun to settle over their table again. “You have a nice singing voice. Do you… do you…” his words faltered when Jensen glanced up at him and he saw that his cheeks were turning pink. “Thanks?” Jensen said hesitantly and then attempted to make himself smaller in the booth while he sat across from Jared. “Do you sing in a band?” Jared asked and then wanted to facepalm himself. He knew Jensen was shy; there was no way he’d be in a band so the question had been a stupid one. He felt a flutter in the pit of his stomach as his nerves ramped up making him wonder why he was so nervous to talk to Jensen. He’d never felt this way before and if he didn’t calm down he was going to end up making a fool of himself which was something he didn’t want to happen. “No,” Jensen whispered. “That’s not really my thing.” “So, what’s your thing?” Jared saw a tight smile forming on Jensen’s face and he leaned forward, ready to place his hand on Jensen’s, but stopped when MaryAnne appeared with their food. He breathed a sigh, not sure if he was relieved from the interruption or annoyed. “Thanks,” he said, not taking his eyes off the omega sitting across from him, as his food was placed before him. “Can I get you anything else?” MaryAnne inquired, noting that neither teen looked up at her. Jensen shook his head no while Jared mumbled a ‘No, thank you’ to her. Taking that as her cue to leave, she retraced her steps back to the counter where she busied herself with wiping it down. Glancing over at the two teenagers, and if she didn’t know better, she would have thought that Jared was smitten with Jensen and quite possibly the same could be said for the omega sitting across from him. Wanting to continue with his question from earlier, Jared drummed his fingers on the table in an attempt to get Jensen’s attention. “Are you gonna tell me what your thing is? Although, I still think you could be a singer. And before you think I'm making fun of you, I’m not. You really have a good voice.” “Thanks,” Jensen said after placing his burger down. “Christian wants to form a band. Well, really a duo. He plays guitar and sings and he’s tried to get me to do a talent show a few times.” He wrinkled his nose at those memories. How Chrisitan had begged him to get up on stage, in front of their classmates, and sing. There was no way he was doing that. He’d only end up making a fool of himself and he wasn’t stupid enough to do that or give anyone a chance to make fun of him. He’d been bullied enough over the years for the way he looked and he didn’t need to invite more of the same into his life. At hearing Christian’s name Jared sat up straighter doing his best to suppress the possessive growl building in his chest. He wasn’t sure why he was suddenly feeling possessive over Jensen. It wasn’t like Jensen was his. He heard his wolf growl in response to his thought that Jensen wasn’t his and he could have sworn he heard his wolf protest. Again he wondered why his wolf was reacting like this because his wolf had never done this before. Maybe his wolf wanted Jensen to become a pack member was the only thing he could think of. Hushing his wolf, he tried to focus on Jensen, wanting to ask him about school since he’d brought it up. Instead, he found him asking, “So, Christian… Is he… Are you two close?” Jensen nearly choked on the burger he’d been chewing. When he was finally able to breathe again, he leveled a pointed look at Jared, wondering just where the young alpha’s question was leading. Deciding to head off any other questions he sighed and pushed his plate away. “Are you trying to ask me something?” Jared looked away, too embarrassed to meet Jensen’s green eyes which seemed to be boring a hole right through him. Defensively, Jensen crossed his arms over his chest. “I’ll just cut to the chase. Yes, I’m gay, and no, Chrisitan is just my best friend. He doesn’t give a shit that I’m gay, neither do my parents or my aunt and uncle,” he spat out and then started to move to the edge of his seat, ready to get up and walk out. Jared’s fingers wrapping around his wrist was the only thing that stopped him. Seeing that he’d upset Jensen and that the omega was ready to walk out, Jared did the only thing he could think of. “I’m gay,” he admitted in a low voice. Jensen jerked back, pulling himself free of Jared’s grasp. “What?” After hearing what Jared had just admitted to him, he instantly deflated and slumped down in the booth looking at Jared, waiting for the young alpha to say more to him. “Not everyone knows. I haven’t told a lot of people. Only my parents and Chad know. You’re the only other person I’ve felt comfortable enough to tell,” Jared said, making sure to keep his voice low. While he hadn’t planned on telling Jensen like this and he certainly hadn’t been expecting Jensen to tell him he was gay either. While Chad may have overheard a private conversation between Jensen and his aunt it wasn’t his business and he would never have come out and asked Jensen if he was gay. And now, here he was, in a diner telling someone he barely knew that he was gay. He felt so exposed, so vulnerable, and had no idea how to handle that. “Is this a joke?” Jensen blurted out not knowing if Jared was attempting to make fun of him. He’d suspected that Chad had overheard the conversation he’d had with his aunt and now he was sure that Chad had said something to Jared. He just wasn’t sure what Jared’s endgame was. Jared looked around to see if anyone was paying attention to them. He’d specifically chosen a booth far enough away from the other occupied ones so they’d be able to have some privacy and now he was glad he’d done that. Leaning forward, with his elbow on the table, he went to grab Jensen’s hands but stopped. “No, it’s not a joke. I’m telling you the truth. You can ask Chad if you want. Please… I’m not lying to you.” Seeing the anguish twisting Jared’s strong features Jensen saw and felt the other teen’s turmoil. Jared had just taken a big chance in confiding in him. Jared had just admitted to him, an outsider, that he was gay. In trying to gather his thoughts he heard his wolf whining, begging for him to reach out to Jared and comfort their mate. Mate! No, that wasn’t right. There was no way Jared could be his mate. His wolf had to be wrong. His wolf had just gotten swept up in the emotional moment and was confused. “Thank you for confiding in me. I won’t tell anyone,” he promised. He watched as Jared relaxed after hearing his words and he would keep that promise. He knew what a life-altering admission Jared had just made; he’d done it himself not that long ago. It hadn’t been easy and while it had brought out the truth between himself and his parents, it had still terrified him when he’d told them. He’d been scared he would lose them but he hadn’t. He also hadn’t lost his best friend when he’d told Christian. And for that, he was grateful. “Thanks,” Jared breathed out. “I’m trying to tell my friends in my own time. I want them to hear it from me.” “Yeah, I get it.” Jensen did and he wasn’t about to patronize Jared. “If you… if you ever need to talk…” Jared nodded in understanding. “Thanks and thanks for not judging me.” He saw the questioning look on Jensen’s face. “For me not telling everyone.” “It’s not something that’s easy to do. You worry that you’re gonna lose them…” Jensen started to say and then stopped when MaryAnne approached their table. Eyeing the half-eaten plates, MaryAnne said, “Is anything wrong with the food?” She watched as both teens flushed. “No, we just got to talking. The food’s great, like always,” Jared assured the beta. “Let me know if you want refills on your shakes,” MaryAnne called as she walked away. “Guess that was a not-so-subtle hint to eat,” Jensen quipped, garnering a laugh from Jared. “English,” he said a few minutes later after they had managed to eat a few more bites of their food. “What?” “You asked me what my thing is, it’s English.” As soon as he said the words, Jensen began to wonder if Jared would make fun of him. He clearly wasn’t a jock. Anyone looking at him could tell he wasn’t into sports. They had never interested him enough that he’d want to partake in them. While he liked school, excelled in his classes, he’d always been drawn to the written word. He worked on his school’s newspaper and was hoping to become not just a staff reporter but also an editor in his senior year. “Really?” “Well, look at me. Do I look like a jock?” Jensen snarked back. “That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Jared pointed out, getting the feeling that Jensen was self-conscious about his body. He didn’t care that the omega was slightly pudgy. He had never judged a person by their looks and he wasn’t about to start now. He’d like Jensen the instant they’d met. There was something about the omega he found himself drawn to. Again he heard his wolf grumbling, begging to be allowed to take the omega as his mate, and he had to remind his wolf that the omega was just a friend. “I meant that’s pretty cool that you have something that you love. I have no idea what to pursue. I mean I have my classes set for senior year.” He shrugged. “I’m hoping I’ll figure it out before I start college. I play sports and it’s fun but I don’t think I want my life to revolve around that.” “What do you want your life to revolve around?” “My mate, the pack. I’m supposed to be the next pack alpha when my father retires.” “Is that something you want?” Jared sat back, resting his head against the back of the seat cushion as he contemplated Jensen’s question. He’d been groomed as a pup to be the pack’s next alpha. Was it something he wanted? No one had ever thought to ask him that before. “If I’m being honest,” he said as he tilted his head and regarded the omega sitting across from him. “Yeah, it is. I mean my dad’s been showing me what it takes to be the pack’s alpha and if they want me in that role, then I want to be that for them.” “Why wouldn’t they want you?” “If some other alpha thinks he or she is better suited they can challenge me for the right to be the pack’s alpha. It hasn’t happened in a long time with our pack. My family has been the pack’s alpha for a few generations.” “So then you know what you want for your life,” Jensen reasoned. “How about taking business courses? You could learn what it takes to run a business and apply that knowledge to help you run the pack.” A wide smile broke out over Jared’s face. “You know, that’s a great idea.” Jensen’s smile mirrored Jared’s. Figuring he’d helped the young alpha in some small way he felt pride in himself. “Glad I could help.” The sound of an unfamiliar male voice calling Jared’s name made him stop speaking. “Jared.” Hearing his name being called Jared poked his head up to see his sire and mother making their way over to him. He suspected this was their way of meeting Jensen without formally inviting him and he wanted to protect the omega from the intrusion. “Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?” he asked and then shot Jensen an apologetic smile. Gerald held up the to-go bag in his hand. “We decided to grab a bite to go. Your mother needed a break from cooking.” Eyeing the unfamiliar teen with his pup, Gerald turned to him. “I’m Jared’s sire and you must be JR.” He held out his hand waiting for Jensen to shake it. Accepting the extended hand, Jensen shook it. “It’s nice to meet you Alpha Padalecki, Mrs. Padalecki,” he said shyly. “It’s nice to meet you as well, JR,” Sharon said softly and then winked at her pup. “Don’t worry, Jared. We’re not here to embarrass you, too much.” Gerald chuckled at his own joke. “We figured this would be a good moment for us to officially welcome JR to Devonshire.” “We hope you have a wonderful summer here. Don’t hesitate to let either of us or Jared know if there’s anything you need,” Sharon added. “Thank you,” Jensen said, tucking his chin to his chest as his face began to heat. Jared glared at his parents but they only smiled fondly in return at him. He knew what they were doing, they saw Jensen as a potential mate and had wanted to meet him. Before he could say anything, he heard his sire speaking. “Well, we don’t want to take up too much of your time. You two have fun.” “It was so nice to meet you, JR,” Sharon called out as she and her mate made their way out of the diner. Jared slumped down in his seat. “I’m so sorry about that. They… I told them you were shy. I guess that was their way of meeting you without putting you on the spot.” Looking up at Jensen through his bangs, he wondered what the omega’s reaction would be. Would Jensen be angry? Would he be upset? Would he be embarrassed by what had just taken place? He knew he was. “It’s not easy raising parents,” Jensen stated and then started to laugh at his own joke. Jared tossed his head back, joining in Jensen’s laughter. “Yeah,” he said, wiping away the tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes when he could finally breathe. They chatted for a while just getting to know each other better, their likes and dislikes before Jared paid for their meal. Jensen attempted to pay for his burger and shake but Jared waved him off. “I invited you,” he reasoned and then walked Jensen back to his Jeep. He heard his wolf making an appreciative grumble, reasoning that they had taken care of their mate, and he had to suppress his frustration with his wolf’s instance that the omega was their mate. He knew he’d have to keep reminding his wolf that Jensen was just a friend. He drove them around town, pointing out his high school, track, and football field and other things he thought Jensen might find interesting before bringing him home. With the engine of the Jeep idling, Jared sat back, resting his head against the headrest looking at the farmhouse. Before he knew it, he’d cut the engine and turned so he was looking at Jensen. “I had fun tonight.” Jensen was thankful that the sun had finally set and the sky was darkening, making it difficult for anyone, especially Jared, looking at him to see that he was blushing. He heard his wolf whining, begging for them to give in and submit to the alpha next to him. When he hushed his wolf he heard his wolf protest about being kept from their mate which of course had to be wrong. His wolf had to be confused, seeing the first alpha their age they’d come in contact with, as their mate. “Me, too,” he admitted and then bit down on his lower lip, stopping himself from asking Jared if he’d like to get together again. “I should…” He pointed to the front door of the farmhouse. Not giving Jared a chance to say anything, he pushed open the door and got out. “I’ll see you around,” he said as he pushed the door closed and then walked up the stone walkway. His shoulders slumped in defeat when he heard the engine of the Jeep start up and the crunch of its tires as it backed out of the driveway. Forcing himself not to look back, he opened the front door and stepped inside. After closing the door, he leaned against it while he tried to rein in his disappointment. He and Jared had had fun together. They had both admitted that but apparently not enough where Jared wanted to hang out together with him again in the future. He heard his wolf whining, causing him to sigh heavily. “Shut up, you stupid mutt,” he muttered. He hoped to escape to his room unnoticed but just as he was about to make his way to the stairs his aunt walked into the living room. “JR, did you have a good time?” Jensen shrugged and then forced himself to smile. “Yeah, I did. Jared drove me around town after we ate.” “That’s nice. Jared’s a nice boy.” “Yeah, he is.” Placing his hand on the banister, Jensen glanced over his shoulder. “I’m gonna head up to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.” He started up the stairs but stopped when his aunt called his name. “I know I've said it before but I just want you to know how happy your uncle and I are to have you here.” Seeing the tears glistening in his aunt’s eyes, Jensen didn’t have the heart to tell her that right now he was wishing he was home. He was confused about how Jared had just driven away and how his wolf kept referring to the young alpha as their mate. If he was home, he wouldn’t be dealing with this conflict. He’d be hanging out with Christian and everything would be right in his world. But he chose to say, “Yeah, me too,” before disappearing up the stairs and into his room where he sank down onto his bed and then fished out his phone. He didn’t give Christian a chance to speak. “What’s wrong with me?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“And hello to you too,” Christian huffed into the phone. “Is something wrong with me? If you just met me today would you want to be friends with me?” “What kind of question is that? Of course, I’d want to be friends with you,” Christian stated and then thought about what day it was. Remembering that Jensen had told him that he was supposed to be hanging out with Jared, he asked, “Where’s this coming from? Did something happen? Did Jared do something?” “Yes… No… I don’t know.” “Tell me what happened. He did show up, right?” “Yeah, and things were pretty good. I mean, I was self-conscious at first. I told him if he didn’t want to be seen with me it was okay…” “Did he ditch you?” “No, we grabbed a bite to eat and his parents showed up.” “Shit, JR, meeting the parents already?” Christian teased. “Shut up,” Jensen shot back. “It wasn’t like that.” “Okay, if you say so. What else happened?” Christian listened while Jensen recounted the night's events, choosing to leave out how Jared had confided in him that he was gay. To him, it wasn’t his place to tell anyone that and he’d made Jared a promise to keep it quiet. He ended by telling his best friend how Jared had driven off. “He just drove off?” “Yeah, he didn’t say a word. So, what did I do wrong?” “Nothing. He sounds like he’s a dick.” Christian didn’t bother to hide the anger he was feeling on behalf of his best friend. “No, he is a dick. That was a dick move. I can’t believe he just drove off. He doesn’t deserve to be your friend.” A smile spread across Jensen’s face. While he wasn’t sure that everything Christian had just sputtered was true, he appreciated the fact that his friend had his back. Figuring he’d change the subject, he asked, “So, what’s going on back home?” “I see what you’re doing,” Christian said, calling his friend out on changing the subject but he dropped it knowing how Jensen hated to be the center of attention. “Let’s see, I got a new guitar for my birthday. Mom said you kicked in for it and even helped pick it out, so thanks for that.” “Do you like it?” Jensen asked, feeling nervous over the guitar. When Christian’s mom had asked him about a possible birthday present for his friend he’d instantly thought of the guitar Chrisitan had been eyeing at their local music store. Now he wasn’t too sure if that had been a good idea. “Man, I don’t like it, I love it. I’m just sorry you weren’t here. It would have been sweet to play while you sang. Plus, while I’m playing my new guitar you can use my old one.” Christian had been teaching Jensen to play and while his friend had been picking up the basics of guitar playing pretty quickly. “We could be a good duo, who knows. When you get back we could really start practicing for the talent show,” he taunted knowing what Jensen’s answer would be. Jensen snorted. “No way, Christian. I’m good. We can practice all you want but I’m not signing up for the talent show. If you want to, go ahead. I’ll just cheer you on from my seat in the audience where no one will notice me.” “Fine,” Christian sighed, knowing he’d never be able to talk Jensen into doing the talent show with him. “Hey, I asked Ariel out.” “Seriously?” Ariel was a girl in their class who Chrisitan had a crush on. “And, what did she say?” “She said yes. I’m taking her to the movies this week.” “That’s awesome. I’m happy for you,” Jensen said, and while he was happy for his best friend he was saddened by the fact that he was alone and probably always would be. He forced that thought down along with hushing his wolf so he could give his attention to his best friend who was telling him what he had planned for his upcoming date. He wished Chrisitan good luck, telling him that his best friend had to call him to give him all the details on his date with Ariel before hanging up and turning in for the night. He’d been stupid to just drive off without saying a word to Jensen, Jared knew that, he just hadn’t known how to stop himself. His wolf had been whining, begging to take the omega as their mate and he’d panicked. It had been a stupid move on his part, one he regretted, and had no idea how to fix. Now, as he closed the front door to his home he had to take care of another issue before he tried to find a way to explain himself to Jensen and also apologize. He knew he had to because Jensen probably thought that despite them having a good time, the way he’d just driven off, probably meant that he wanted nothing to do with him. With that thought in mind, he made his way into the living room where he heard the TV playing softly to find his parents sitting together on the couch. “Jared,” Sharon greeted with a fond smile at seeing her pup, and then she winked at him. “How was your date with JR?” “Mom,” Jared groaned. “It wasn’t really a date. I told you that. Besides, I barely know him.” “Well, he seemed like a nice boy. Respectful, if not a bit shy,” Gerald commented. “Why did you really show up at MaryAnne’s tonight?” Jared asked and then saw the wide smiles settle on his parents’ faces. “We were hungry and your mother needed a break from cooking.” “Right,” Jared said, not believing what his father had just told him. He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the doorframe. “You were spying on me and JR.” Sharon giggled. “Okay, yes, we were spying as you so eloquently put it.” “Why?” Jared whined, trying to figure out just why his parents would do that to him. He’d hoped they would have realized how embarrassing that might have been for him and intimidating for Jensen. “We wanted to see this omega for ourselves,” Gerald informed his pup. “He’s new in town. And he seems to have caught your eye. Before you decided whether or not you wanted to pursue him, I wanted to meet JR. It’s as simple as that.” “You could have met him when he got here rather than sending me.” Jared narrowed his eyes at his parents. “Wait… You knew he was an omega before JR arrived, didn’t you? You sent me to meet him first to see if I might be interested in him as a mate!” He flung his arms up in the air in frustration with his parents’ antics. “You were trying to stage a mating.” “No,” Gerald stated as he stood from the couch. “Yes, we knew JR was an omega. Raymond and Abigail told me that when they asked for permission to bring JR here for the summer. Nothing goes on in this pack without my knowledge. The safety of the pack is my first priority. We sent you in our place to welcome him since he’s your age.” “Your sire and I thought it might be better to have you welcome him to our pack. Seeing a friendly face around the same age rather than the alpha of the pack and his mate wouldn’t be so intimidating for an omega, for anyone really,” Sharon told her pup. “And we hoped you two might become friends since JR doesn’t really know anyone here in Devonshire aside from his aunt and uncle. If a mating happened then all the better but we would never force a mating on you. I hope you know that.” “Son,” Gerald started to say as he placed a hand on Jared’s shoulder. “Who you choose to mate with is your decision. Your mother and I have never forced a mating on anyone in this pack. Our mating wasn’t an arranged one nor were we forced into a mating. We fell in love with each other and that’s what we want for not only you but every member of this pack.” “So tonight’s little drop by had nothing to do with wanting me to take JR as my mate?” “No,” Jared’s parents answered in unison. “I won’t lie about hoping you see JR as a potential mate. It would be nice to bring him into our pack.” Gerald admitted. “Maybe even have Donna return. She, her mate, and JR are welcome here. They always have been and always will be. We never turned Donna away. She chose to leave and make a life for herself outside of the pack. We have never turned anyone out nor have we ever turned anyone away from our pack without good cause. I offered the Winchesters a place in this pack. They decided pack life wasn’t for them. It’s not for everyone. Some like to be on their own and we have always respected that. This pack is built on trust. If we don’t have trust then we don’t have a foundation for our pack.” Stepping closer, Sharon questioned, “Have we ever forced you into something you haven’t wanted for yourself?” Jared shook his head. No, his parents never forced him to do something he wasn’t willing to do. “Have we ever forced anyone in this pack to do anything against their will?” Sharon asked. “No,” Jared admitted. “So, why would we start now, especially with our own pup?” “Jared, let me ask you something,” Gerald said, watching his pup turn to look at him. “When you met JR did you like him?” “Yeah…” “When you offered to show him around, was that our suggestion or yours?” Gerald gave his pup a pointed look. “Mine.” “So, I don’t see a problem with us dropping in tonight to meet JR. We didn’t want to pressure him or you. We figured something informal would be best.” “Is JR someone you’d like to pursue as more than a friend?” Sharon asked hopeful that her pup may have met a potential mate. “Mom,” Jared groaned. He knew his mother meant well but he didn’t even know if Jensen would want to be his friend after the way he’d acted tonight. “I’m not going to discuss this with you,” he announced and then turned and fled up to the safety of his bedroom where he paced the floor trying to figure out how to dig himself out of the hole he found himself in with Jensen. Pulling out his phone, he dialed Chad’s number and then sat down on his bed, waiting for his call to be answered. “Hey, Jared,” Chad greeted. “Hey.” “Okay, what’s wrong?” Jared’s voice was flat, devoid of its usual happy tone, and Chad knew instantly that something was bothering his best friend. “What makes you think something’s wrong?” Jared wasn’t ready to admit to his behavior. “Because I know you and I know how you sound when you’re happy. This is not your happy voice.” Then a thought hit Chad. “Oh, man, did JR cancel on you?” “No, we had a good time and I told him I’m gay.” Figuring that Chad already knew about Jensen, Jared confirmed that the omega was gay himself. “Listen, what you overheard… JR’s gay. He knows you overheard him when he told his aunt. Just… just don’t make it too obvious. Don’t put him on the spot about it.” “I won’t. I promise.” Chad knew it had been a difficult decision for Jared to come out to him and he would never make light of that. “So then what’s wrong? Does he already have a mate or something?” “No…” “Then what?” “Well, for one thing, my parents showed up at the diner.” “Holy shit, you’re kidding me!” “I wish I was. It was so embarrassing. And then the night didn’t end too well. It was supposed to be a fun night where we just got to know each other as friends,” Jared said and then admitted how the night had ended with him driving off without a word to Jensen. “Smooth, real smooth,” Chad cackled after listening to Jared. “Shut up,” Jared groused. He already felt bad enough about what he’d done. He didn’t need Chad rubbing it in his face. “I didn’t know what to do. My wolf was whining, practically begging me to mate with JR.” “Well, maybe your wolf knows something you don’t,” Chad reasoned. “My wolf’s gotta be confused or crazy. I just met him. We barely know each other. I know JR’s new to the pack so maybe that’s why my wolf is confused.” “Whatever you say,” Chad countered back, changing the subject to meeting up with Jared so they could hang out before they ended their call. Hearing his wolf begging for him to talk to Jensen, Jared huffed in annoyance. “Fine, I’ll text him but only if you promise to stay quiet.” When he heard his wolf go silent he knew he’d won that round. Pulling up Jensen’s number he started to type out a short text. JP: Sorry about being an idiot tonight. Forgive me? It was short and to the point and Jared hoped Jensen would forgive him when he hit the send button. Figuring he wouldn’t get a response from Jensen that night, he tossed aside his phone and then grabbed the remote for his TV, turning it on so he could find something to watch and take his mind off of his parents, Jensen, and how he’d left things between himself and the omega. After getting up and dressed, Jensen made his way downstairs and out to the chicken coop where he tended to the feathered birds now in his care. Having a sense of purpose made his heavy heart feel lighter. He might be destined to be alone but maybe he could fill the emptiness he felt with a pet of some kind. He had a lot of love to give and maybe adopting an unwanted animal was what he should do, he thought to himself. This way, the pet could take the place of the pup he didn’t think he’d ever have. He didn’t think his parents would allow him to have a chicken so he knew there was no use in bringing that up to them. He doubted they’d allow him to have a dog either. Plus, he didn’t know the first thing about owning a dog but he knew they were a lot of work. A dog had to have a license and be walked daily. They needed to be groomed and crated as far as he knew. Maybe his parents would allow him to get a cat. Cats were low maintenance and he could keep the cat in his room if his parents didn’t want cat fur all over their house. With his thoughts still on the possibility of getting a cat, he finished taking care of the chickens and the eggs he’d collected and then made his way into the house to find the kitchen empty. At first, he found it strange that his aunt and uncle weren’t up yet until he reminded himself that it was Sunday and it was probably the one day where they slept in. Hoping he wasn’t stepping on his aunt’s toes because the kitchen was her domain, he set about making breakfast for them. “What’s all this?” Abigail asked when she stepped into the kitchen to find the table had been set, a fresh pot of coffee was sitting in the middle of the table along with a plate of buttered toast, and Jensen was scooping scrambled eggs onto a platter that already had crispy bacon on it. “What’s all what?” Raymond echoed, causing his mate to jump from the unexpected sound of his voice. Placing the platter on the table, Jensen looked down at what he’d done and then backed away from the table fearing he’d upset his aunt. “I… Um… I hope it’s okay…” Abigail turned to her make, eyeing him suspiciously. “Why have you never done this for me in all the years we’ve been mated?” With a put-upon look, Raymond gently placed his hands on Abigail’s shoulders and looked into his mate’s eyes. “Because my dear mate, I can’t cook for shit and you know that,” he said matter-of-factly. “Language!” Abigail admonished in a mock-angered tone before she started to laugh when Raymond rolled his eyes at her. “I’m pretty sure JR’s heard worse than that.” Shaking her head at her mate, Abigail slipped out of Raymond’s grasp and went to Jensen, drawing him into a hug. “Thank you, this was very thoughtful of you.” Letting go of Jensen, she took a seat at the table and began to serve herself. Raymond knocked shoulders with Jensen. “You did good,” he said and then sat down, helping himself to the food. Quietly Jensen sat and ate, listening to his aunt and uncle as they chatted about the upcoming week and what they had planned for their day. “JR,” Raymond said, getting his nephew’s attention. “If you don’t have any plans with Jared today, figured we could take a run into town and pick up anything you think you need.” Looking down at his plate, Jensen felt his cheeks beginning to burn. Shaking his head he said, “No, Jared… I’m free.” “Great, then we’ll leave after breakfast.” “Sure,” Jensen answered, not looking up from his plate while he pushed his food around with his fork. Abigail shot her mate a curious look but remained silent. She planned on suggesting that Raymond see if he couldn’t coax Jensen to open up. She had a feeling the omega was keeping something to himself and she had a suspicion that it had to do with Jared. Raymond regarded his mate before turning his attention to his plate; he had a feeling that Abigail would tell him what she was thinking about when they were alone. “Why don’t you see if JR will open up to you,” Abigail suggested to Raymond when they were alone in the kitchen. “Me? You think he’ll talk to me? And just what am I supposed to be concerned about?” Raymond asked, seeing the concern in his mate’s dark eyes and the frown marring her soft features. “Maybe, I’m hoping he will. You seemed to have a good rapport with him. I think something happened between him and Jared. JR didn’t seem too happy last night when he got home,” Abigail informed her mate. “Just talk to him.” “I’m no good at things like this. Talking about a person’s feelings is your department,” Raymond groused. “Why, because I’m a beta and you're an alpha?” Abigail huffed in annoyance. “No, because I’m a man and you’re a woman. Everyone knows women talk about their feelings. Men don’t. It’s not what we do.” “Times have changed. Everyone talks about their feelings. Now go!” Abigail pushed her mate, cajoling him out of the kitchen and into the living room where Jensen was waiting. “Let’s get a move on,” Raymond suggested, leading Jensen out to the truck. The ride into town was made in silence. Raymond kept his attention on the road while Jensen stared out the window watching as the scenery changed from the farmland to the forest area Jared had taken him to and then to the town where they passed the diner and continued past that until they arrived at their destination. “Do you remember what you need?” Slipping his hand into his pocket Jensen produced the list he’d written. Handing it to his uncle he watched as the alpha read it, waiting for him to comment on the list. “I… I probably don’t really need any of that,” he said and then shoved his hands into his pockets. “Well, I think you do.” After reading the list which consisted of t-shirts, shorts, and boots, Raymond had to agree that those items would be needed. Life on a working farm tended to be dirty. “Go grab a cart and let’s get what you need.” A small smile came to Jensen’s face. “Okay.” He walked off toward the carts, grabbed one, and wheeled it back to his uncle, and then silently followed the alpha as they looked for the clothing section of the store which seemed to contain anything a person could want. After passing the food section and then the toy section, Raymond spotted the clothing section. “I think we’ve hit paydirt,” he announced, pointing to the area. “Um… Well, if I was a girl, maybe,” Jensen responded as he took in the section they were standing next to with a display of women’s fashion. “Okay, so we’re close,” Raymond commented, leading Jensen further down the gray linoleum aisle, stopping when they stood next to a display of men’s clothing. “Is this more suited to your taste?” Seeing the wide grin on his uncle’s face, Jensen chuckled. “Yes. I’m not really a fan of frilly shirts. At least not on me.” “Well, let’s see what we have to work with,” Raymond suggested, motioning toward the round metal racks and tables lined with clothing. “Grab what catches your interest and try it on.” “Okay.” Making his way over to one of the racks, Jensen grabbed several pairs of denim shorts and then disappeared into the fitting room. When he reappeared with the items that fit, his uncle directed him toward the t-shirts. Grabbing several he made his way back into the dressing room. With the t-shirts and shorts in the cart, he followed his uncle through the store, where they stopped in the shoe section to pick up a pair of hiking boots and another pair of sneakers for him, and then socks. With the purchases made and the bags placed in the back of the truck, they started their drive home. His mate’s words were running through Raymond’s mind and he knew he had to do something to get Jensen to open up to him. Hoping there wouldn’t be too many people at the diner, he pulled the truck into the parking lot and cut the engine. “Come on, let’s get a bite to eat.” Jensen followed his uncle into MaryAnne’s, breathing easier when he noticed they were the only ones there at the moment. Taking a seat across from his uncle at the table by the window, he looked out, watching the slow-moving traffic and anyone walking by. The waitress who took their order wasn’t MaryAnne and he felt relief over not having to make small talk. Raymond leaned forward, placed his elbows on the table, and then rested his chin on his clasped hands. “So…” he started and then realized he had no idea how to start the conversation. “I’m terrible at this but your aunt wanted me to talk to you,” he admitted. The color drained from Jensen’s already pale face. “Did I do something wrong?” “No, JR, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just that… you can talk to me if you need to or your aunt. We know we’re not your parents but we were teenagers at some point in our long lives.” Jensen couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped him. “Your aunt seems to think something’s wrong, maybe you’re upset… with Jared,” Raymond hazard a guess. “Did he do something? Did he say something to upset you?” Before Jensen could answer his uncle their waitress approached their table with their order. When they were alone, Jensen took a sip of his soda and then said, “I thought we had a good time. We have a lot in common. Then when Jared dropped me off,” he shrugged and then spread his arms out. “Did he try anything with you?” Raymond questioned doing his best not to growl in anger at the thought that someone may have tried to hurt his nephew. “No!” Jensen was quick to answer. “He just drove off.” “That’s it? He just drove off?” “Yeah. I don’t know what I did wrong.” “I’m sure you did nothing wrong. Maybe this has all been a misunderstanding.” “Maybe,” Jensen admitted as he finished his sandwich. He thought about his uncle’s words while they drove home. After putting away his new clothes he made the decision to call Jared and give him the benefit of the doubt. Grabbing his phone which he’d left on his bed that morning he was surprised to see a text from Jared. A smile came to his face when he read the apology. His text back was short and to the point. JA: You’re forgiven. Jared’s hands shook when he noticed the message he’d received was from Jensen. A sense of dread was replaced with relief when he read the message. JP: Really? JA: Just saw your text. Sorry for not texting earlier. JP: I thought since you hadn’t responded you were mad at me. JA: No, I was out with my uncle. JP: Chores on the farm? JA: No, shopping so I can do chores on the farm. This “city” boy didn’t come prepared. JP: Are you up for going to the movies on Friday? JA: As long as it’s not a chick flick. JP: No chick flick moments. Promise. JA: Awesome, see you Friday. JP: See ya. Jensen read and reread the text exchange between them with a smile on his face. Whatever had caused Jared to drive off without a word no longer mattered. He was going to see Jared on Friday and he chose to focus on his growing friendship with the young alpha rather than what had happened last. He heard his wolf making a satisfied sound before it went silent giving him time to read for a while before his aunt called him down for dinner. “Your uncle told me what happened,” Abigail informed Jensen when they were seated at the table. She watched for Jensen’s reaction, explaining, “We don’t keep secrets from each other.” “Jared texted me to apologize. We’re good and we’re gonna get together Friday night so we can go to the movies.” “So it was all a misunderstanding,” Raymond commented. “I guess,” Jensen agreed before tucking into his dinner. He answered his aunt’s questions about the clothes his uncle had bought him, helped her clean up after dinner, and then watched a movie with them before turning in for the night. Before climbing into bed he sent a text to Christian letting him know that everything with Jared had been worked out and that they were going to the movies on Friday and then smiled when he got a response. CK: Too bad it’s not Saturday and that I’m not there. We could have a double date. JA: We’re not dating. Jared’s only a friend. CK: But he could be more. JA: G’night. Jared smiled rereading his text between himself and Jensen. The omega hadn’t been holding a grudge against him and Jensen had not only forgiven him but agreed to go to the movies with him. He was already looking forward to seeing Jensen again and hoped that maybe he could get Jensen to hang out with him before Friday. Maybe they could go back to his special place and just talk. It might be easier for Jensen to open up to him without anyone around. Jensen was shy and didn’t seem comfortable around a lot of people and he had a feeling that inviting Jensen out with his litter mates wouldn’t go well. Maybe if Chad could actually befriend Jensen the omega might feel as if he was welcome among them. It was at least a shot, he thought to himself while he dialed Chad’s number. “Yo, Jared. What’s up? Did you work things out with JR?” Chad asked when he answered Jared’s call. Jared rolled his eyes at his best friend’s greeting. Chuckling, he said, “Is that all you’ve been thinking about?” “No, but I was wondering if you talked to him.” “We texted and we’re getting together on Friday. We’re going to the movies…” “You asked him out on a date?! That’s awesome.” “Chad…” Jared groaned into the phone. “We’re just friends. Speaking of which, I’m hoping maybe you can try to get JR to be your friend. It might make things easier for him. If he knows us both he might not feel so shy around everyone. He might be open to joining the group.” “Sure, no problem,” Chad readily agreed. “I can do that. Everyone loves me so it shouldn’t be too hard for me to win him over. It’s not like anyone can say no to my sparkling personality.” “Whatever you say, Chad. Just try not to be creepy about it.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” “You tend to come off a little strong.” “It’s part of my charm,” Chad pointed out. “If you say so. Just be friendly with JR. Don’t scare him off,” Jared advised. “Whatever, I’ll have him begging to be my friend by Tuesday,” Chad said before they said their goodbyes. Jared looked down at his phone hoping he’d made the right decision in asking Chad to try to get Jensen to be friends with him. He wanted to bring Jensen out of his shell, wanting his littermates to get to know Jensen and for them to accept Jensen as part of the pack they had created within their larger pack. He had a feeling that if Jensen felt comfortable and even accepted he might actually consider staying or at least returning at some point and wanting to be part of the pack. He certainly hoped so because he saw his budding friendship with Jensen growing and he hoped he was right that they had some type of a connection. He heard his wolf agreeing with this sentiment as he settled on his bed, rolled onto his side, and drifted off to sleep. The week seemed to fly by for Jensen. He did his chore of caring for the chickens as he normally had been doing but on Monday he seemed to have developed a shadow, one that stayed with him all week. He hadn’t known what to make of the situation at first but by the end of the week, he found himself looking forward to what was once an unwelcome presence. On Monday while he’d been putting out fresh bedding for the chickens he’d turned around to find Chad standing in the chicken coop. Stopping what he’d been doing he stood there waiting for Chad to say something when the beta remained quiet he finally broke the awkward silence that had grown between them. “I know my aunt and uncle didn’t send you out here to help me, so what are you here for?” “I figured I would say hi.” Jensen’s face scrunched up in confusion, causing him to push his glasses up onto his nose before he asked, “Why?” “Why would I want to say hi to you?” Chad watched as Jensen nodded. “Because we’re the only ones on this farm that are the same age. I figured…” He shrugged his shoulders. “I figured maybe you’d like another friend. I’m best friends with Jared and he’s your friend so it only seemed to make sense that we could be friends.” “So if it wasn’t for Jared you’d have nothing to do with me,” Jensen pointed out. “That’s not true. I tried to be friendly with you before you met Jared,” Chad countered back. Jensen opened his mouth to dispute Chad but realized the beta was right, he had tried to be friendly with him prior to him meeting Jared. “Are you doing this because you want to or because you were told to?” “Do what?” Jensen rolled his eyes at Chad. “Don’t play stupid,” he snarked and then watched Chad tip his head back in laughter. After catching his breath, Chad wiped away the tears that had formed at the corners of his eyes. “You’re awesome.” Stepping forward, he slung an arm around Jensen’s shoulder. “We’re gonna get along great,” he pronounced and then let go of the omega. “See ya at lunch,” he called and then took off in the direction of the barn where the farmhands met before starting their shift leaving Jensen to stare after his retreating form. All Jensen could do was sigh and then look down at the chickens at his feet. “I think I’m screwed,” he muttered to the birds before grabbing the eggs he’d collected and making his way back up to the house to finish up with them. When he’d completed his morning shore he disappeared into his room where he settled on his bed, pulled out one of his books, and lost himself in the story of Moby Dick . With lunchtime upon him, Jensen set aside his book and made his way from his room to the kitchen where he found his aunt setting out what she intended to use for that day’s meal. “Do you need any help?” Abigail turned to her nephew with a smile on her face. “I’d always take the offer of help,” she said and then hugged Jensen. “It’s so nice to have you with us. I know I’ve said it before but it really is. It’s nice to have a young one in this house.” “Thanks,” Jensen acknowledged and then set about helping his aunt put together enough ham sandwiches to feed the hungry men who’d be showing up soon looking for lunch. This time, he would at least engage with Chad if the beta spoke to him, which ended up happening. Chad scooted around a Carl so he was able to take the seat across from Jensen, giving the omega a wide smile as he sat. “So, how are you liking being here?” he asked as he handed the platter of sandwiches to Jensen. “It’s nice,” Jensen said. “It’s different from home.” “Really? In what way?” Chad questioned using that as a way to get Jensen to continue speaking to him. Placing his sandwich on his plate, Jensen looked over at Chad, seeing the sincerity in the beta’s eyes, he continued talking to him. “It's quiet here. At home, it’s not. I can walk to my best friend’s house if I want to hang out with him. Here, everything’s open and unless you live in the heart of the town, you can’t walk anywhere. It’s just different from what I’m used to if that makes sense.” A smile spread across Chad’s face. “Yeah, I get it. Probably to me, where you live would be stifling, too many people around all the time.” They chatted a little more in between eating their lunch before Raymond called an end to their lunch break, leaving Jensen and Abigail to their own devices while he and his farmhands made their way back outside. “Hey, Chad,” Raymond called, placing a hand on the beta’s shoulder and stopping the teenager from following the others. Chad stiffened under the alpha’s hand wondering if he was in trouble. “Yes, Sir?” “I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to talk to JR. He’s shy and doesn't really know anyone. It was nice to see him open up a little bit.” “No problem. JR’s cool,” Chad said and then took off in the direction of the barn where his help was needed. Friday was something Jensen wasn’t sure he was going to make it through. As soon as he woke he could feel the anticipation coursing through his body at the thought of seeing Jared and his wolf was on edge, eager to be with the young alpha. He and Jared had texted a few times throughout the week; it was more of an attempt on their part to get to know each other and also to figure out what movie to see; settling on an action movie that neither of them had seen yet. He’d managed to calm his wolf down until it was time for Jared to show up. He could hear his wolf whining, wondering where their alpha was and why he wasn’t there yet. “Stupid wolf,” he muttered to himself. “He’s not our alpha. He’s an alpha who is a friend.” He’d just managed to calm his wolf down along with his own anticipation when he heard footsteps hitting the front porch stairs. Taking a calming breath, he waited for whoever was on at the front door to knock before he answered it. Jared had gone through several outfits before he finally settled on a pair of black shorts and a soft gray t-shirt and sneakers, reminding himself that while he wanted to look nice, he wasn’t on an actual date. His wolf growled his disagreement and they agreed to disagree. He wasn’t sure where his wolf had gotten the notion that he was taking Jensen out on a date; it wasn’t a date in the sense that they were seeing each other. They were just friends. Again he had to quiet his wolf when his wolf growled his disagreement, showing his displeasure with him. He was finding it harder and harder to rein in his wolf when it came to Jensen. Just the mere mention of the omega had his wolf growling and wanting to show his dominance over anyone who said Jensen’s name and protectiveness toward the one his wolf kept insisting was their mate. At times it had gotten so bad that it was all he could do to tune his wolf out wondering just where his wolf had gotten the notion that Jensen was meant to be theirs. And as he stood on the Clark’s front porch he could hear his wolf whining. “Shut up,” he hissed at his wolf and then plastered a smile on his face as the door was opened and he saw Jensen standing there with a shy smile on his pink lips. For a moment he had the thought of surging forward and kissing Jensen but caught himself before he acted on that idea. “Hey,” he greeted, hoping he didn’t sound strange. “Hey,” Jensen said and then cocked his head to the side almost as if he was offering his neck to the alpha standing in front of him. He heard his wolf begging to let the alpha claim them and he quickly pulled himself back, righting himself, and offering Jared an embarrassed smile. “I… Uh… I’m just gonna let my aunt know you’re here and that we’re leaving, that way she won’t wonder… Sorry, I’m rambling,” he admitted and then bit down on his bottom lip, stopping himself from saying anything more in fear of embarrassing himself more before disappearing into the kitchen to tell his aunt he was leaving. Jared licked his dry lips at the sight of Jensen’s exposed neck. He could feel his canines extending and hear his wolf growling, demanding they take the omega and claim Jensen as theirs. He found himself leaning in, scenting Jensen, ready to claim him but snapped out of the daze he was in when Jensen pulled back from him. He heard his wolf grumbling in irritation, urging him to follow after the omega, wanting to force the omega to submit to them, and he had to steady himself against the anger his wolf threw at him at being denied what his wolf wanted. “Yeah… Ah… Sure,” he agreed and then turned away from Jensen and raised his hands to his forehead, his fingers rubbing his skin and soothing away the tension he felt mounting. Returning from the kitchen, Jensen cleared his throat to get Jared’s attention. “I’m ready to go…” he started to say and then stopped speaking when he saw Jared standing there looking as if he was in pain. “Are you okay?” Turning around, Jared blinked several times hoping to clear his mind of his wolf. “What? Oh, yeah, I’m fine.” He offered Jensen a smile. “Let’s go, I can’t wait to see the movie.” He led Jensen out to his Jeep. Once they were both seatbelted in, he started up the Jeep, turned on the music, and pulled out of the driveway. The movie theater was at the opposite end of the main road, Liola Lane, from the diner. The old brick structure was right off the sidewalk with parking offered around the back of the building if on-street parking wasn’t available. Jared managed to find the last on-street parking spot close to the theater’s entrance and grinned at having done so and then led Jensen across the street and into the movie theater where he paid for their tickets. Making their way to the concession stand, he said, “Do you want to get some popcorn or a drink?” Jensen shrugged in response. He had his own money and could buy his own food but he felt as if he should skip eating as he looked down at himself. Before he could answer, he heard Jared speaking to the girl behind the counter, ordering popcorn and two drinks. “Guess we’ll have a large buttered popcorn and two medium…” Jared turned away from the female alpha waiting on him to look at Jensen. “Do you want soda or Lemonade?” “Lemonade,” Jensen supplied, stepping closer to Jared so he could be heard over the crowd of people in the lobby waiting to be allowed into their respective movies. Turning back to the female alpha, Jared noticed the look on her face. It was one of interest and it was directed at Jensen; neither he nor his wolf liked what he saw and he bared his teeth at the alpha before ordering two Lemonades in a low growl. Seeing that her interest in the omega wasn’t wanted, she quickly mumbled an apology and then filled his order, and then retreated to the other side of the counter. “Here,” he said, handing one of the drinks and a straw to Jensen, and then led the omega into the theater where they sat waiting for the movie to start. With the popcorn between them, Jensen sat next to Jared waiting for the movie to start. He kept eyeing Jared out of the corner of his right eye wondering why the young alpha had acted the way he had toward the female alpha. Was it a postering thing between two alphas but that didn’t make sense to him. At the farm, there were more than two alphas sitting at the kitchen table and none of them had acted that way toward each other. Maybe it was because he was there? Was Jared being protective over him? Then he recalled his aunt's words when they had been discussing the finer details of omegas and alpha. For an alpha, it’s their greatest joy to care for and protect an omega. And an alpha can become extremely aggressive toward anyone they see as a threat to an omega. That had to be it, that had to be the reason why Jared had acted the way he had, he thought to himself. He wasn’t sure why Jared would be aggressive to another alpha on his behalf, especially a female alpha given the fact that Jared knew he was gay but maybe it really was alpha posturing after all. Jensen let that thought go when the overhead lights flickered several times indicating the movie was about to start and Jensen sat back in his seat, sipping his drink. While sitting there watching the movie he reached for some popcorn, his hand brushed against Jared’s and he quickly pulled his hand back. He noticed it continued to keep happening, the brushing of their hands, and even when they had finished the popcorn and he’d placed his hand on the shared armrest, Jared rested his hand on his. He tried to remain calm and keep his wolf calm, reminding them both that it meant nothing even if it felt right to have Jared’s hand on his. At his wolf’s insistence, Jared grazed his fingers along the side of Jensen’s hand. When the omega pulled away, he pulled his hand away, popping a few kernels of popcorn in his mouth. Every time Jensen moved to get popcorn he mimicked his movements until they had eaten the popcorn and Jensen had placed his hand on the armrest. Feeling bold and tired of listening to his wolf urging him to touch the omega, he placed his hand on Jensen’s. When Jensen didn’t pull away, he and his wolf settled down to comfortably watch the movie only to withdraw his hand when the movie was over and they had to get up to leave. As soon as they were outside, he silently took Jensen’s hand in his and led the omega back to his Jeep. Jensen had no idea what to make of Jared’s easy way of taking his hand in his larger one. He could still feel the lingering touch of Jared’s fingers on his skin and he could hear his wolf begging for more, matching his own longing to touch Jared again. Overcome by his shyness and being self-conscious, he sat rigidly in the passenger’s seat while Jared drove them back to the farm. “I had a good time,” he said, finally finding the courage to turn and look at Jared. “Yeah, me, too,” Jared agreed with a dimpled smile. He could hear his wolf urging him to lean in, wanting to scent the omega sitting less than three feet away from them, and then kiss him but he forced himself not to do that. He had a feeling that if he did not only would he spook Jensen but it would be the wrong move. Holding hands, however brief and casual it had been, had been a step in the right direction. If there was to be anything more between them, he wanted it to develop naturally between them. “Call me?” Jensen asked as he pushed the Jeep door open and got out. “Definitely,” Jared assured Jensen, watching as the omega made his way to the front door and then disappeared inside before driving off.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jensen wore a happy smile as he shut the door to his bedroom and pulled out his phone. Sitting on his bed, he dialed Christian’s number. “Hey,” he said when his call was picked up. “Hey yourself. You sound happy,” Christian commented. “I am.” “So, I’m guessing things went well tonight with Jared.” “Yeah, they did. We went to the movies as we planned and we had a good time.” “And?” “What do you mean, and?” “I know you well enough to know when you’re trying to hide something. So, out with it. What’s going on?” “Jared held my hand,” Jensen admitted. “I mean, it’s probably nothing…” “Tell me everything,” Christian urged and then listened while Jensen told him what happened with Jared while they had been at the movies. “That sounds to me like he likes you…” “Yeah, as a friend. I mean, he’s an alpha and alphas are protective over omegas. There was another alpha working the concession stand. She kinda gave me a look like she might’ve been interested in me. It’s probably what got Jared’s protectiveness to kick in,” Jensen reasoned, not wanting to get his hopes up more than what they already were. Yes, Jared was gay but just because he was didn’t mean that Jared was interested in him as anything more than a friend. “Still, it was nice…” he said, closing his eyes and recalling the feel of Jared’s hand holding his. “Then you should go for it,” Christian urged. “Yeah, right,” Jensen snorted, forcing himself back to reality. “So, are you excited for tomorrow night?” Christian wanted to urge his best friend to pursue Jared and see where this led but he knew how shy Jensen was and that he’d shut down if he pushed him. He chose to switch topics rather than push Jensen, talking about his upcoming date with the girl he’d asked out before hanging up. Once Jared was home, he raced up the stairs to his bedroom, closed his bedroom door, and pulled out his phone to dial Chad’s number. He paced the floor waiting for Chad to answer. “Chad…” he said and then was cut off by his friend interrupting him before he could say anything more. “Jared, what’s up? How did it go tonight?” Chad had been anxiously waiting for Chad to call him, hoping things had gone well tonight for his best friend. “It was good. We had a great time,” Jared admitted and then he heard his wolf grumbling, wanting to see Jensen again, urging him to call the omega. He had to quiet his wolf down with the promise of texting Jensen once he got off the phone with Chad. “That’s cool…” “I held JR’s hand,” Jared blurted out, unable to keep this development to himself. “What?!” Chad asked and then listened to Jared while his best friend recounted the events of the night, grumbling about the female alpha showing Jensen a little too much attention in his opinion, and how the hand holding had come about. “So, you made your move…” “Well, kind of… I’m not really sure you could count that as a move but he didn’t pull away. He seemed kind of happy about it.” “Then talk to him. I think he likes you.” “I don’t know…” “What’s the worst that can happen?” Chad asked when Jared seemed to hesitate. “He tells you he only wants to be friends or you end up having a summer romance.” “Maybe… I just don’t want to blow things between us…” Jared hesitated, chewing on his bottom lip while he thought things over. He had to admit that Chad had a point. “I could always see where things go during the fireworks for the Fourth of July.” “There, problem solved,” Chad responded only to be interrupted by Jared. “I will but only if you ask Julia to go with you.” “Hey, that’s not fair,” Chad whined. “Sure it is.” Jared chuckled at his best friend’s reaction. “You ask Julia to go with you and I’ll ask JR to go with me. Seems fair to me.” “Fine, it’s a deal,” Chad grumbled in agreement before they changed the subject, talking about the plot of the movie and if it was worth it for him to go see it before they hung up. Jensen had been on the back porch reading when he heard his aunt’s voice calling his name. Setting aside his book he got up and walked into the kitchen to find his aunt standing there with Jared next to her. He stopped short, surprised to see the young alpha standing there. He and Jared had texted over the weekend but they hadn’t made plans to hang out so seeing Jared there was something he hadn’t been expecting. “Jar… Jared… wha… what are you doing here?” he stammered and then looked away, embarrassed. He heard his wolf whining, begging for them to go to Jared, and he found himself frozen, unable to move. “I… Um…” Jared started to say and then stopped, running his hand along the back of his neck while his wolf demanded they scent the omega again. He would do that to Jensen, it would embarrass him, especially with his aunt there. “Well, I’ll just leave you two alone,” Abigail suggested when she sensed how awkward it was between the two teenagers. “I was hoping JR was free,” Jared said, turning to address Abigail. “I wanted to see if JR wanted to go for a ride.” “Well, that’s up to JR. It’s his decision,” Abigail declared and then turned to look at Jensen. “I’d like that… if… if you don’t need my help,” Jensen said, meeting his aunt’s questioning eyes. “No, JR, you’re fine to run off and have some fun. It’ll be good for you,” Abigail answered and then watched a shy smile form on her nephew’s lips. Jared breathed a sigh of relief at hearing that Jensen was free to go with him. “I can have JR home at a certain time if you need me to.” “Whenever is fine. I’ll just wrap up dinner for you, JR. Go on now.” Abigail shooed the teenagers from her kitchen just as her mate walked in. “What was that all about?” Raymond asked, perplexed when he saw the mischievous look on his mate’s face. “Jared just showed up out of the blue asking JR to go for a ride with him,” Abigail nonchalantly informed her mate. Raymond crossed his arms over his chest. “How do we feel about this little development?” “We’re encouraging it. This is a good thing for JR. He’s making friends, something he needs. If something else develops out of it, wonderful. If not, at least he’s made a friend or two here before he heads home.” “Very true,” Raymond agreed before he walked out of the kitchen, leaving his mate to do whatever she had been doing before he and Jared had shown up. Feeling happy that he was spending time with Jensen, Jared drove them out to the secluded spot. He had something he wanted to talk to Jensen about and he wanted to do it in private. If things went the way he hoped, Jensen would say yes to his question but if it didn’t turn out as he hoped, at least there wouldn’t be anyone around but Jensen to see his embarrassment. When they started making their way to the spot, Jared silently laced his fingers with Jensen’s, while they walked together, his excitement growing when Jensen didn’t pull away from him. He could also feel his wolf’s happiness at being so close to the omega. Jensen felt a tingle run through his body when Jared entwined their fingers while they walked toward the secluded spot. He could also feel his wolf’s excitement at having the young alpha so close to them. During the drive there and the walk to the tree they would sit on, his mind swirled with possibilities as to why Jared had stopped by, why Jared had asked him to go for a ride with him, and now he wondered what it might mean that Jared was holding his hand. He tried to calm himself and his wolf down, reminding them both that Jared was probably doing this out of concern for him possibly falling. Taking a seat next to Jared, he looked at him but remained silent, waiting for Jared to speak first. Not letting go of Jensen’s hand, Jared looked out over the lush greenness of the area feeling at ease for the first time in a while. He had his suspicion that Jensen would say yes to him, he just had to ask his question. Feeling as if the silence between them was growing too wide, Jensen squeezed Jared’s hand to get his attention. “Is… is something wrong?” he dared to ask. At hearing the uncertainty in Jensen’s voice, Jared turned to him. “No… no, nothing’s wrong. Everything’s good. Great in fact,” he said in a contemplative voice before looking away. “Oh.” Jensen nodded, even though he wasn’t sure he understood what Jared was referring to. He continued to sit there next to Jared, holding the young alpha’s hand, content not to speak and just be with Jared the way they were. He could hear his wolf’s soft puffs of breath indicating how content his wolf felt, matching his own contentment. Figuring he needed to say something to Jensen, Jared turned back to Jensen. “So, you’re probably wondering what’s going on.” Jensen shrugged in response. He had been wondering but he hadn’t wanted to ask for fear of breaking their comfortable silence. “Every Fourth of July Devonshire puts on a fireworks display. It’s nothing too fancy, at least not compared to what a big city puts on. They hold it out on the school’s football field…” Jared started to explain and then stopped when he heard his wolf demanding to claim Jensen as their omega. He had to not only hold back his wolf but himself from doing just that as he breathed in Jensen’s scent. “I was wondering… Hoping really that you’d consider going with me.” Jensen turned to stare at Jared with a look of shock on his face. Had Jared just asked him out on a date or did Jared just mean as friends? He wasn’t too sure but he knew either way his answer would be yes. Seeing the surprised look on Jensen’s face, Jared rushed to add, “I’m asking you out on a date.” When Jensen just sat there not saying a word, he felt his contentment slipping away, being replaced with apprehension. Had he been blinded by his wolf’s desire for Jensen, the only male omega in town their age? “You don’t have to… We can just go as friends if you're not interested…” “Yes!” Jensen blurted out. Not understanding Jensen’s receptive response, Jared jerked back from the omega. “I’d like to go with you as your date,” Jensen supplied with a shy smile, watching as a grin spread across Jared’s face. “You would?” “Yes.” Jensen chewed his bottom lip. “I mean, we don’t have to call it a date unless you want to. I know you haven’t come out to your littermates so…” And that we when Jared realized there was a chink in his plan. He had yet to tell his littermates. Not too many in the pack really knew he was gay. Then again, no one really knew about Jensen either Jared reasoned. “How about we make it an unofficial date?” He saw the questioning look on Jensen’s face. “We know it’s a date, that we’re on a date with each other but if it makes both of us more comfortable no one else has to know.” “Oh,” Jensen said in a small voice, his uncertainty bleeding through, and pulled his hand away from Jared’s. He heard his wolf whining and he felt his wolf’s hurt, mirroring his own. Was Jared ashamed of him? Was this some type of joke that Jared was playing on him, asking him out on a date only to tell him it really wasn’t a date? He looked away from Jared, too afraid to let the young alpha see his pain and the tears pricking at the corners of his eyes. “We… we can just go as friends,” he whispered. Jared heard his wolf growling in anger at him which was something new. His wolf may have been upset with him in the past, especially when he refused to give in to whatever his wolf wanted, but his wolf had never growled at him. And then he realized why. His wolf was being protective over Jensen and that he had managed to hurt Jensen’s feelings without meaning to. He had to do something to fix things between himself and his wolf as well as with Jensen “No, JR, I want to take you as my date. I just… I know you’re shy and I’m scared,” he admitted. “Not scared to take you as my date, I’m just scared of telling everyone I’m gay. I know this doesn’t make sense. I’m sorry.” “No, I get it. Coming out is a big deal. There’s no pressure. I’d like to go as your date but if it’s too risky for you, I understand.” Jared grabbed Jensen’s hand, giving it a squeeze before looking him in the eyes. “I want to take you as my date. I’d be proud to have you as my date for the fireworks,” he said in earnest. He watched Jensen wipe at his eyes as a shy smile spread across his lips. “Will you go with me? Will you be my date?” “Yes, I’d like that,” Jensen agreed. For a while they sat together, holding hands in the comfortable silence that had settled over them until Jared’s wolf began to grumble at him. His wolf had been happy with the development, that Jensen had agreed to be his date to the fireworks display but his wolf was demanding more. He wasn’t ready for that and he doubted Jensen was either. He had a feeling that Jensen needed to be treated with care and it wasn’t because Jensen was an omega it was because Jensen was special. With his wolf demanding to scent Jensen, he decided it was time to take Jensen home before he gave in to his wolf and scared Jensen off. Still holding Jensen’s hand, he helped him up. “We should go,” he said wistfully and then led Jensen back to his Jeep. This time, when they arrived at the Clark’s farmhouse, Jared walked Jensen to the front door, following him inside, and then waited for Jensen to let his aunt and uncle know he was home and that he had asked to speak to them. “Jared,” Raymond greeted. “Did you two have a nice time?” Abigail asked. “We did, thank you,” Jared answered and then rubbed his clammy hands on his thighs. He hoped that the Clarks would approve of him asking Jensen to be his date but he also wanted their permission. “I asked Jensen to go to the fireworks with me,” he announced with a dimpled smile and then rushed to add, “if that’s okay with you.” Raymond and Abigail exchanged a questioning look before Raymond stepped forward, his attention on Jared as he asked, “As friends?” “No, sir.” Jared shook his head, the motion causing his bangs to fall into his eyes, obscuring his vision. Reaching up with his right hand he swept his bangs out of his eyes and then met the questioning eyes of the older alpha. “I asked JR to go with me as my date.” “Oh…” Abigail breathed out and then looked over at her mate to see that Raymond was processing the information that Jared was gay. “Are you… Do you mind me asking…” “If I’m gay?” Jared supplied, meeting the beta’s questioning eyes. “To answer your question, yes, I am. I haven’t told a lot of people in the pack. Up until now, only my parents and Chad knew. I told JR recently and now you both know.” Feeling vulnerable, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his khaki-colored shorts and then rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. Sensing the tense situation they were in, Abigail stepped forward with her arms outstretched and engulfed the younger alpha in a tight embrace. “Thank you for confiding in us. I can assure you that this will remain between us until you feel comfortable telling others. I know this was a big step for you. Just know that we only see the young alpha you’ve grown into standing before us,” she assured Jared as she let go of him and stepped back. Raymond cleared his throat causing Jared to look fearfully over at him. “Well, it would be hypocritical of me to take exception to you being gay when my nephew is gay and it doesn’t bother me in the least. As long as you continue to treat the pack members with the respect you have in the past, that’s all that matters to me, not who you’re drawn to. When the time comes and you choose to be this pack’s alpha leader, you will have my respect and my support.” “Our respect and support,” Abigail corrected. “Thank you,” Jared said softly, knowing that he continued to have the Clarks’ respect. “I should probably get going, tell my parents…” “You’re welcome here any time and have our approval to take JR to the fireworks,” Raymond assured Jared. He chose not to call it a date, figuring it would make things awkward between everyone again and he wanted to spare the teenagers from dealing with that. He also pulled his mate out of the room to give Jared and Jensen privacy. A smile spread across Jared’s face. “Great! I’ll pick you up around eight,” he said, turning to face Jensen. “That way we can find a spot to sit and watch the fireworks.” “Sounds like a plan,” Jensen said, not knowing what else to say. He was still shocked that Jared had told his aunt and uncle that he was gay and that Jared had told them he’d asked him out on a date. It felt surreal to have this happening to him and he wasn’t sure what to make of everything. “I should… I should go,” Jared stammered and then started for the door only to stop and look back at Jensen. “I’m really happy you agreed to go with me as my date,” he said and then made his way out to his Jeep. That night, when he was having dinner with his parents he informed them of what had happened. “I’m proud of you,” was Gerald’s response after listening to his son tell him his news. “I know it’s a big step.” “Well, you do manage to keep us on our toes, in a good way,” Sharon chuckled. “In time, things will become easier for you. Just remember there’s no rush to tell everyone, do it on your terms and when you feel ready. Some in the pack may be shocked when they hear the news but I’m sure everything will work out fine for you. And remember, you will always have our love and support.” “Thanks, Mom, Dad, that means a lot,” Jared had said as he finished eating before helping to clean up and then disappearing into his room where he texted Chad. JP: I did it, so now it’s your turn. CMM: Did what? What’s my turn? JP: I asked JR out. CMM: Seriously? JP: Yes. CMM: Cool! JP: Yeah… I haven’t told everyone but I will in my own time and on my terms. CMM: No worries and I’ve got your back. JP: Just don’t tease JR. CMM: I won’t. With Chad’s promise of not teasing Jensen, Jared ended their texting and settled down for the night, assuring his wolf that they would see Jensen again. As soon as Jared had left Abigail appeared in the living room, pulling Jensen toward the couch to sit with her. “It’s Jared isn’t it?” she questioned with a gleam in her eyes. Jensen felt his cheeks heating from his blush. “I like him,” he admitted and then found himself engulfed in a tight hug. “He’s a sweet alpha,” Abigail gushed, letting go of her nephew. “We’re not making a big deal of things.” “Okay, got it. Not making a big deal of it,” Abigail said despite the wide grin on her face. “Leave the boy alone,” Raymond spoke up, causing his mate and nephew to startle at the sound of his voice. “JR, I advise you to seek the safety of your room before this one starts planning your mating.” Despite knowing his uncle was teasing him, the color drained from Jensen’s face. A mating! He wasn’t ready for that, yet. Taking his uncle’s advice, he made his escape to his room where he grabbed his phone and called Christian. “Hey,” Christian chirped happily into the phone when he answered it. “Hey, yourself,” Jensen chuckled. “So, I’m guessing the date went well?” “Yeah, it did,” Christian confirmed. “We had a great time and she let me kiss her goodnight.” “Wow! I’m impressed. So Casanova, what’s next? When’s the wedding? Hey, can I be your best man?” Jensen teased and heard his best friend snort in response to him. “I think a summer wedding would be nice. We could wear white t-shirts and tuxedo board shorts.” He broke into laughter at the image he had conjured up of him and Christian dressed up in that wedding attire. “Shut… shut up!” Christian sputtered, laughing along with Jensen. “No, nothing so intense,” he said when he was able to stop laughing. “We’re gonna get together this coming weekend. I asked her if she wanted to go to the Fourth of July parade and she said yes.” “That’s awesome!” Jensen cheered, happy that things were going well for his best friend. “What about you? Anything more happening between you and Jared?” “Well…” Jensen teased, drawing out the news he had to tell Christian. “Well, what?” Christian demanded, knowing that if Jensen was teasing him it had to be good news. “Jared asked me out on a date.” “What? Are you screwing with me? He asked you out on a date? An actual date?” The surprise was evident in Christian’s voice. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jensen asked, his good mood souring from Christian’s reaction. “What? I’m not good enough to ask out? Just because I’m not lean and toned doesn’t mean I’m not good enough for some alpha to ask me out on a date!” He was about to hang up, hurt that his best friend had thought Jared or any alpha wouldn’t want to ask him out on a date when he heard Christian speaking to him. “No, no, that’s not what I meant at all,” Christian rushed to say, trying to salvage their conversation and explain his reaction. “Then what did you mean?” Jensen asked, not hiding the hurt that bled into his words. “It’s just I wasn’t expecting that. I mean, is he gay?” Christian questioned, not recalling Jensen ever confiding that information about Jared to him. “Jared…” Jensen started to say and then stopped speaking, chewing on his bottom lip while he thought about what to tell Christian. While it wasn’t his place to tell anyone Jared’s truth, the young alpha had asked him out on an actual date. Jared had come out to his aunt and uncle. Would telling Christian have any effect on Jared? It wasn’t as if the two would ever meet each other. It would be safe to assume that since Jared had asked him out it was telling that Jared was gay. Operating under that thinking, he thought it would be alright to confide in Christian. “Yes, he is. But you have to promise me that you won’t say anything to anyone about it. He hasn’t really come out to a lot of people yet.” “I won’t say a word,” Christian promised. “Thanks.” “So, tell me about this date,” Christian urged, wanting to turn the conversation to a topic that he hoped would put his friend at ease. “He’s taking me to the fireworks display they have at the high school. We’re keeping it between us that it’s an actual date if that makes sense.” “I get it, baby steps. It’s like he’s ready to let everyone know but he’s scared so he’s testing the waters.” “I guess so. I mean, he lives here. This is his pack and he’s gonna have to deal with things on his own,” Jensen admitted. “Either way, I’m happy he sees how special you are and that he’s asked you out. Jensen made a dismissive noise in the back of his throat but remained quiet on Christian’s comment. He didn’t think he was anything special. “Promise me that you’re gonna have fun.” “I will. Hey, don’t forget to take your own advice,” Jensen advised and then heard Christian chuckling. They talked about their return to school in the fall before ending the call. Every time Jared hung out with Jensen it seemed they would always end up at the secluded wooded area which he was now calling their area. Whenever he drove past it he couldn’t help but smile to himself knowing that he and Jensen were the only two who knew about the secluded spot. At first, he hadn’t been sure about bringing Jensen there, hadn’t really ever thought about sharing his private spot with anyone, but for some reason, he had with Jensen and he’d been happy he’d taken that chance. It was something he shared with only one other person; Chad had no idea about the spot, not even anyone from his group knew about it, or so he thought. And it now held a special memory for him and a significant meaning - it was where he’d asked Jensen out. It was where Jensen had agreed to go to the fireworks display with him as his date. It had been a wonderful moment and he hoped to share more of them with Jensen. Julia followed Jared’s Jeep from a distance, watching as Jared pulled to a stop at some wooded area. She’d wanted to ask him to be her date to the Fourth of July fireworks display Devonshire was holding at their high school but to her dismay, Chad had asked her to go with him informing her that Jared was going with Jensen. They’d been at the diner when Chad sprung his little proposal on her. Sliding closer to Julia, Chad coughed and then bit his bottom lip trying to screw up the courage to ask out the beta he’d been pining over. “So, Julia… You’re planning on going to the fireworks, right?” “Yeah, of course. Why are you asking?” “Well, since you’re going and I’m going, how about we go together?” Chad proposed hoping Julia would agree to be his date. Julia’s fake smile had been plastered on her face as she looked at Chad. “That’s sweet but I’m going with Jared.” She watched as Chad deflated in front of her. “Did he ask you?” Chad questioned, chewing on his bottom lip. He knew Jared had asked Jensen to go with him. It was their official “unofficial” date. Jared was hopeful that this unofficial “date” would lead to a real date between himself and Jensen if things went well between them. Jared had proposed he and Jensen go together as friends so as not to put pressure on the shy omega. “Not yet,” Julia replied, watching as hope sprung up in the beta’s eyes. “Oh, well, I hate to break it to you but he’s not going to…” “What’s that supposed to mean?” Julia demanded, her voice rising in anger as she spoke, and then she drew in a deep breath reminding herself she was in the diner. “Jared asked JR to go with him.” “What?!” Julia shrieked in shock. “Yeah…” Chad admitted and then realized he may have outed his best friend. “I mean he invited JR to come with him… You know… As friends,” he stammered out hoping he’d been able to salvage things for Jared. “It’s not like JR knows a lot of people in town and Jared thought he might like to go.” “Jared would rather take some ‘mega who isn’t even a pack member to the fireworks than me?” “Don’t call him that,” Chad chided. “And what’s so wrong with it? JR’s nice…” “Who gives a shit if he’s nice? And I’ll call the omega whatever the hell I want. He’s not a part of this pack and he needs to know his place. That ‘mega needs to go back to whatever rock he crawled out from. He’s been taking up too much of Jared’s time.” “Hey, it’s not like you and Jared are joined at the hip. We’re littermates. Besides, JR is only here for the summer. You’re acting as if Jared’s yours. He’s not and he doesn’t see you as anything other than a littermate and friend.” Chad narrowed his eyes at Julia, watching for her reaction. “Besides, you’ve got someone asking you out right now, or am I not good enough for you?” When Julia continued to stare at him, he stood up. “Jared’s never gonna want you as his mate. He doesn't see you as anything other than a friend.” With that truth leveled at Julia, he strode out of the diner leaving Julia to sit and fume after he’d left. Jared’s never gonna want you as his mate. He doesn't see you as anything other than a friend. Those words seemed to burn into Julia’s mind and the only thing she could think of as a reason was because of that interloper. Ever since that omega had shown his face in Devonshire, Jared’s attention was no longer held by her but by that damn outsider. She needed to figure out why. Did the omega have something on Jared? If so, she was bound and determined to figure out what it was and break the omega’s hold on Jared. And if she had to break the omega in the process, well, she wouldn’t lose any sleep over that. Jared was hers, not some outsider’s. As soon as Chad was out of the diner and in the safety of his bedroom he called Jared. He knew he had to warn his friend about Julia’s mood and that he may have also outed Jared before his best friend was ready to tell others that he was gay. He didn’t give Jared a chance to say a word before he started rambling into the phone. “I’m sorry! I know you’re gonna wanna kill me. I don’t know why I opened my mouth but I think I fixed it. Don’t kill me…” “Chad!” Jared was exasperated with his friend. “Sorry… sorry. Just remember I’m your best friend and murder is against the law - human and pack law.” “What did you do this time?” Jared asked with a sigh figuring it had something to do with the farm. “I asked Julia out.” “And why would I kill you over that?” Jared asked, not grasping the intensity of Chad’s tone. “Well… In the process… I may have outed you to Julia…” “What? I’m going to kill you!” Jared bellowed into the phone. “But I think I fixed it…” “You better start explaining or I’m going to show up at your home, kick your ass, and then kill you!” Jared threatened angrily and was actually thankful that Chad wasn’t standing in front of him at that moment because he couldn’t believe Chad had done something as stupid as opening his mouth. How could his best friend do this to him? Chad knew it had been difficult enough for him to come out to his parents and to him. The only other person he’d been comfortable in telling had been Jensen and he’d never questioned who he’d confided his truth to until now. He knew if Chad was there he’d end up punching his best friend in the face and in his anger, he might not stop. “I asked Julia to go with me to the fireworks…” Chad started to explain only to be cut off by Jared. “And how did that change into possibly telling her I’m gay?” Jared demanded. “Well…” Chad started to say. “Chad!” The idea that Chad was hesitating in telling him anything was beginning to irritate Jared. “So help me, if you don’t tell me everything, I’m going to kill you.” “Okay… okay,” Chad said reluctantly. “It’s like this, it wasn’t done on purpose, okay? I brought up going to the fireworks to Julia and I asked her if she was planning on going. She said she was and I asked her to go with me. She told me she was going with you. I asked her if you had asked her because I knew you hadn’t since you’d already asked JR. She said not yet and that’s when I told her you’d asked JR to go with you. But I told her it was because JR didn’t know anyone and you thought he’d like to go. So, it’s not so bad, right? I think I smoothed things over,” he rushed to say in an attempt to assure Jared things were fine. “Chad…” Jared started to say and then huffed in annoyance. Maybe things weren’t as bad as he feared. If Chad had said that about why he’d asked JR to go, then there was still a chance that Julia thought that was the reason. He wouldn’t have to explain things to anyone just yet. He knew he had to, that he had to tell his friends he was gay but he was just scared to lose them. He wasn’t sure how he’d handle the loss of his littermates. He’d known them his entire life and losing that closeness and the bonds they’d formed would be a difficult thing to deal with. “Are you still thinking of killing me?” Chad asked after the silence between them had grown to an uncomfortable level. “No,” Jared grumbled into the phone. “I’m not. I’m not too happy about you saying anything but you didn’t do it deliberately. Just try not to open your mouth.” “I’m sorry.” “I know you are.” “Are we okay?” Chad asked, his voice wavering as he thought about losing his best friend as a result of his own stupidity. “Yeah, we are,” Jared assured Chad after hearing how unsure his best friend sounded when he’d asked. He might have been mad at Chad, he might have wanted to kill him for what he’d done but he would end their friendship over a moment of stupidity on Chad’s part. “Did you at least get a date with Julia?” “No,” Chad admitted. “She’s too hung up on you and when she turned me down I told her to wake up and that you’re never gonna see her as anything more than a friend and then I walked out on her.” “Oh, man, you what?” Jared questioned with a laugh as he tried to picture Julia’s reaction to Chad or anyone for that matter walking out on her. He knew that Julia wasn’t used to being treated like that and he could only imagine how shocked she’d been before that shock turned to anger. He could just see her sitting there after Chad had walked out, her face turning red as she tried to comprehend that Chad of all people, the one who trailed after her, had had enough of her shit and had walked out on her. “Wow, I would have loved to have seen that.” “It was pretty epic,” Chad admitted and then laughed. “Maybe playing hard to get will get me somewhere with her.” “Maybe,” Jared agreed. They talked for a little longer before ending their call. Just as he was about to toss his phone down, it buzzed indicating he’d received a text. The smile fell from his face when he saw that it was from Julia. J: Are you really taking that outsider to the fireworks instead of me? Jared sat staring at his phone trying to decide what to tell Julia in his text. Deciding it was better to be honest, he gave a simple reply. JP: Yes. J: So, you’re choosing him over me? JP: If you put it that way, then yes, I am. J: I mean that little to you? JP: We’re friends, don’t be so dramatic. Besides, JR isn’t an outsider and he’s my friend. If you tried getting to know him, I think you’d like him. J: Fine, take him. I’ll go with Chad. He asked me out. Jared chuckled when he read Julia’s latest text knowing that she was trying to make him jealous. JP: Chad’ll be happy that you’re going with him. I’ll see you there. Gotta go. Whatever else Julia may have wanted to text him, Jared had managed to stop by ending their back and forth texting. He wasn’t interested in her attempted guilt trip. He didn’t owe her any other explanation than the one he’d given her and he didn’t belong to her. They weren’t mates and he knew he’d have to deal with that sooner rather than later was his last thought before he settled down for the night.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jensen stood next to the kitchen table looking down at the picnic basket his aunt had handed to him earlier in the day. He had given her a perplexed look while accepting the wooden basket which had a large rounded handle and a hinged top that opened on either side making it easy for more than one person to reach into it for a drink or food. He was just happy that it didn’t have a ruffle around the rim of the basket like the ones he’d seen in pictures. “I thought you might like to make something to take with you on your date,” Abigail suggested and then walked away. Taking his aunt’s not too subtle hint, he’d made them sandwiches and packed those along with chips, cookies, and drinks in the picnic basket. He’d also asked his aunt if he could borrow a blanket to sit on. He wasn’t sure what Jared had planned or what the young alpha was used to when he had gone to the fireworks in previous years. At least he was ready for anything he thought to himself as he picked up the picnic basket and carried it out to the living room and placed it on the couch next to the blanket. After placing the basket down, he paced the living room, stopping every few passes when he heard his wolf sighing while they waited for Jared’s arrival. He could feel their anticipation building and he hoped that he didn’t make a fool of himself in front of Jared. Hearing his phone beep indicating he’d received a message, Jensen’s heart sank thinking it was Jared texting him to let him know that he’d had second thoughts and was canceling their date. Pulling his phone out of the front pocket of his jean shorts he looked down to see that the text was from Christian. CK: Hope you have a great time. Remember, he’s the lucky one! A wide smile formed on Jensen’s face as he read his friend’s words of encouragement and endearment. He really was lucky to have Christian as a best friend. Christian didn’t care that he was a Were or that he was gay, he just saw him for the person he was. JA: Thanks. Have a great time yourself and Ariel better understand what a catch you are! Jensen was just shoving his phone back in his pocket when he was startled by a knock at the front door. Taking a deep breath, he made his way over to answer it, pulling open the door to see Jared standing on the porch, a dimpled smile directed at him. “Hi,” he said shyly, feeling his cheeks begin to burn he tilted his chin so it rested on his chest, and looked down at his sneaker-clad feet. “Hi,” Jared responded, feeling his wolf perk up as they took in the sight of Jensen standing in front of them, liking the pinkness that was spreading up Jensen’s neck, covering the apples of his cheeks, and reaching the tips of his ears. He had to hold himself and his wolf back from leaning in and scenting the omega before them and he heard his wolf growling in protest. “Are you ready to go?” Jensen gave a slight nod of his head and then cleared his throat. “Yeah.” He raised his head, taking in a glimpse of Jared before he turned away, feeling self-conscious. He knew he wasn't anything to look at, not with his pale and freckled skin, the glasses he wore that he needed to constantly push back up the bridge of his nose, or his pudginess, in his opinion. Yet, Jared had seen past all his faults, even his shyness, and had wanted to be his friend. Now he was going out on a date with Jared and he knew he was out of his league. Jared was a few inches taller than him, with what seemed like permanently sun-kissed skin, and not an ounce of body fat to hide his muscles. He knew things wouldn’t last between them. He wasn’t a pack member, he wasn’t staying after the summer, and even if he did stay or left only to return after he graduated high school, he knew he wasn’t the one Jared would end up mating with. He couldn’t be that lucky. Quitting his whimpering wolf, he turned away from Jared. “I… Um… I packed some food and a blanket.” He pointed to the couch and then had to stop from facepalming himself. “Cool,” Jared said, grabbing the basket and blanket, and leading Jensen out to his Jeep. After placing the items in the back of his Jeep, he held the door open for Jensen and then rounded the front of the vehicle, getting in and starting the engine. After backing out of the driveway, he turned on the radio and then took Jensen’s hand in his as he drove them to the football field where he found a parking space, only letting go of Jensen’s hand when he had to get out of the Jeep. Grabbing the picnic basket and blanket, he led Jensen to the field where they found a comfortable spot to lay out the blanket. “This is a pretty good spot, we’ll have a good view of the fireworks from here,” Jared commented and then sat down, motioning for Jensen to join him. Looking around, Jensen noticed that Jared had chosen a spot that didn’t have a lot of people around them. “Yeah, okay,” he said as he joined Jared, sitting so there was space between them, not wanting to assume that Jared wanted him any closer than he already was. “Everyone always sits up close not realizing that if they sit farther back they get a better view,” Jared explained when he heard the uncertainty in Jensen’s voice. “Chad and I figured it out a few years ago that sitting back here was better.” Reaching out, he took Jensen’s hand in his, giving it a reassuring squeeze, before entwining their fingers together. “So, what did you pack?” He jutted his chin toward the basket and then tilted his head, waiting for Jensen to answer him. “I… Um…” Jensen looked down at their joined hands and then up at Jared, meeting his intense gaze and he felt himself leaning closer to the young alpha. “Sandwiches… Chicken sandwiches, chips, cookies, and a couple of sodas.” He was thankful that the sky had darkened and that Jared couldn’t see the blush spreading across his skin. “I… I made the sandwiches.” Jared whistled in response and his wolf sat up, huffing, puffing up its chest at the idea that the omega had prepared a meal for them. “That’s… Thanks,” he responded when he got his wolf to calm down. “I bet they’re delicious.” He licked his lips in anticipation and then let go of Jensen’s hand when he moved to grab the basket. “I… don’t… I hope so…” Jensen stammered and then reached for the basket, pulling it closer and opening it. “Do you… Would you like one?” Raising his hand, he hesitated, waiting for Jared’s response before opening one of the lids. “Yes, please.” Jared watched Jensen while he lifted one of the sides, reached in, and pulled out a sandwich. “Thanks.” He waited until they each had a sandwich, a bag of chips, and a soda in front of them before he unwrapped his sandwich and sank his teeth into it, moaning in appreciation. “This is good,” he proclaimed after he’d devoured half of the sandwich. He ignored his wolf who grumbled at him, demanding that he sink his teeth into Jensen’s neck rather than the sandwich. Jensen felt his wolf preening under Jared’s compliment. He shyly smiled at the compliment as he took a bite of his sandwich. “I’m glad you like it,” he said and then looked away, watching as others started to arrive and sit around them. “What time do they start the fireworks?” “Usually around nine, so it shouldn’t be too long now,” Jared explained and then helped Jensen clean up, placing the wrappers and empty soda cans in the basket. Taking a chance, he moved closer to Jensen, sitting so there was barely any space between their bodies, their thighs touching. When Jensen didn’t move away from him, he reached out and took Jensen’s hand in his, contently sitting there while they chatted and waited for the fireworks to start. They both jumped and then laughed when the first of the fireworks went off, catching them off guard. They pointed up at the sky as others went off, indicating which ones they liked. Seeing the bright smile on Jensen’s face caused Jared’s heart to flutter. That smile was directed at him. As the fireworks exploded over their heads, he leaned in and kissed Jensen softly on the lips. When Jensen didn’t pull away, he snaked his free hand around the back of Jensen’s back, pressing the omega to his body, kissing him again. “You… you kissed me,” Jensen breathed out, shocked, raising his fingertips to his still tingling lips when they pulled away from each other. “Yeah, I did.” Jared felt his heart sink when Jensen just continued to look at him with a shocked expression. “I… Ah…” He was cut off from saying anything further by Jensen. Feeling bold, Jensen leaned into Jared and returned the kiss, giggling when the kiss ended.
Unknown to Jared and Jensen, Julia sat a few yards away watching them, fuming when she saw Jensen kissing Jared. Jared was her intended mate, not that outsider’s. Jared would never be Jensen’s and she needed to teach that omega his place and when she was done with him, that omega would be sorry he ever showed his face in Devonshire. Turning to her friends, Cathy, Tiffany, and Summer, she caught their eyes, a cold and calculating spreading across her face. “I’m gonna need your help to teach some omega slut his place.”Cathy clasped her hands together, a wicked smile forming on her lips. “Sounds like fun.” “What do you have in mind?” Tiffany inquired, leaning in closer to lend her support. “We’ve got your back,” Summer assured Julia. “I know what needs to be done, I just need to get that slut alone. And when I do, we’re gonna make that ‘mega wish he’d never stepped a foot in Devonshire,” Julia promised, sitting back and watching Jared while he helped Jensen roll up the blanket they’d been sitting on. She just needed to figure out how to get Jensen away from Jared. Since her first encounter with the omega hadn’t gone well she knew he wouldn’t be receptive to an invitation from her to meet but maybe if Jensen thought the invitation was from Jared, he might just agree to it. The question was, how was she going to make that happen? She knew Jared wouldn’t agree to anything that might cause harm to the omega; Jared had been snowed by the slut. Jared saw Jensen as pack, something he actually wasn’t and would protect him. No, she’d have to get creative and figure something out, something that involved Jared without him actually being aware of his involvement. She’d just have to bide her time because she knew the perfect opportunity would present itself and then she’d strike. She’d teach the omega slut that Jared was hers and she’d make him regret ever being born. And once the omega was gone, Jared would come to his senses and mate with her. Hand in hand, Jared and Jensen walked back to the Jeep. For Jensen, it felt like he was living out a fairytale. He had been asked out on a date by an alpha, one who wasn’t ashamed to be seen with him. Jared had held his hand in public, and then under a darkened sky as fireworks exploded over their heads, Jared had kissed him. Jared had kissed him. He had been kissed! He still couldn’t believe it. He heard his wolf begging for them to offer their necks to Jared and Jared’s wolf, wanting to submit to the alpha, wanting to be claimed by their mate. For a moment, he considered doing what his wolf was begging for. He almost offered his neck to Jared and then he was hit with a thought, what if he wasn’t Jared’s mate? What if he and his wolf were only caught up in the idea of being Jared’s mate? That had him and his wolf backing down, not wanting to be rejected. If he was really Jared’s mate, Jared would be the one to claim him by making the first move. Tonight, as wonderful as it had been, wasn’t anything he could really base a mateship on. He forced himself to stop thinking about mating with Jared, preferring to look out the window while Jared drove him home. Cutting the engine of the Jeep Jared turned to Jensen, reaching out to take the omega's hand in his. He could feel his wolf’s approval at their contact. He heard his wolf urging him to kiss Jensen again, wanting to feel their mate close to them again and he wasn’t sure how far off his wolf was. He’d never felt this way about anyone before and with Jensen, he felt complete. Maybe his wolf was right, maybe Jensen was his mate. Hushing his wolf when his wolf urged him to claim Jensen, he gently pulled the omega closer to him, kissing Jensen softly on the lips. “I had a nice night. Thank you for agreeing to be my date,” he said when the kiss ended. “Me, too.” Jensen wasn’t sure what to do. Did he lean in and kiss Jared again as he wanted or did he break contact with the alpha? “Call me?” he opted for asking, not wanting to push for more than what either of them was ready for. “Definitely,” Jared agreed happily. “Just don’t give up on me, okay? I know things aren’t perfect. I still need to tell my friends…” “I get it. When you’re ready and we can see where things go with us… or not,” Jensen whispered, wondering if this was just a summer romance. Was he the person Jared only wanted for the time being because he hadn’t come out to his pack? He needed to be honest with himself and guard his heart so he didn’t end up getting hurt. “I’ll see you later?” “You’re not getting rid of me,” Jared promised, watching while Jensen got out of the Jeep and made his way inside before making the drive home where he was met by his parents. “How did everything go?” Sharon asked anxiously when their son appeared at the living room door. “Dear, give Jared time to step inside before you bombard him with questions,” Gerald admonished with a fond smile directed to his mate. A dimpled smile formed on Jared’s face. “It was a good night,” he admitted, leaning against the doorframe. “Oh, how so?” Gerald questioned, looking over the top of his glasses at his son as he placed the book he’d been reading down next to him on the couch. Jared could feel the blush creeping up his neck as he stood under his father’s scrutiny. He wasn’t ready to tell his parents he’d had his first kiss but he was willing to tell them the date with Jensen had gone well. “We just had a really good time.” “Anything we should know about?” Sharon asked with a hint of a smile on her lips. “Not really.” Jared cleared his throat. “I think I want to tell my friends that I’m gay. I don’t want to hide this from them.” “Well, you have our support. If anyone gives you a hard time I want to know about it. I won’t tolerate bigotry in this pack. Not from your friends and not from anyone else.” “Dad…” “What your father is trying to tell you is that we support this decision,” Sharon quickly added when she saw the pained look on her son’s face. “And that we just want you to be happy.” “Thanks,” Jared said before wishing his parents a goodnight and making his way up to his room where he sent Chad, Julia, Cathy, Tiffany, Summer, Milo, and Stephen a quick text asking them if they could meet him at the diner for lunch. He received responses from them letting him know when they’d be able to meet up, setting a time for a few days from that night, and then he received a separate one from Chad. CMM: What’s up? JP: Nothing. CMM: Bullshit. Not wanting to put something as significant as having his first kiss in a text, Jared called Chad. “Promise you won’t say a word.” “Of course, I promise.” “I kissed JR.” “Wow,” Chad breathed out. “So, what does this mean?” “I… I’m still trying to figure things out,” Jared admitted. And he was still trying to figure things out. He liked Jensen. His wolf wanted Jensen. He wanted to take things slowly with Jensen and he also knew he had to tell his friends that he was gay before he could date Jensen or anyone else. “Okay, whatever you need, Jared.” “Thanks. I’m thinking of asking JR if he wants to go to the barbeque with me…” “As a friend or as your date?” Chad cut in, asking the question that Jared was asking himself. “As my date? I’m not sure.” “I’ll support you, whatever you decide. Just make sure you’re honest with yourself and him,” Chad advised before they ended their call. Once Jensen was alone in his room he called Christian needing to tell his best friend what had happened between himself and Jared at the fireworks. Hoping it wasn’t too late, he waited while the line rang. “Hey,” he said when Christian answered. “What’s up?” “How was your date with Ariel?” “It was good. We’re going out again next weekend when she gets back from a trip with her parents.” “That’s awesome. I’m really happy that things are going well for you with her.” Jensen chewed his bottom lip between his teeth wondering what this change would mean for him in September when they went back to school. Would Christian still be dating Ariel? He wanted his friend to be happy and knew that Christian had been crushing on the girl for a while. Now that they were dating would Christian still have time for him? If Christian didn’t, he’d deal with the hurt and loneliness and move on wishing his best friend well. “Yeah, it is awesome!” Christian crowed. “We’re already talking about school and going to the homecoming dance in the fall.” “Wow, that’s great,” Jensen forced himself to say. “Thanks… Hey, hold on, my mom’s calling me.” Christian covered the phone with his hand, muffling his conversation with his mother. “I gotta go, my mom needs my help.” “Yeah… I’ll… Okay,” Jensen stammered out before he heard the click on the other end of the line indicating that Christian had hung up. Feeling defeated, Jensen’s shoulders sagged. He’d wanted to share his news of being kissed by Jared with his best friend. Figuring that wasn’t going to happen, at least not that night, he curled up in bed, reading until he fell asleep. Over the next few days, Jensen kept himself busy with taking care of the chickens and helping his aunt and uncle out with whatever he could. He and Jared exchanged a few texts and went for a drive once, ending up at their secluded spot which he’d discovered wasn’t too far from the farm. He’d decided to take a walk one afternoon, slipping out the backdoor and walking until he found himself in the familiar area. He encouraged Jared to follow his heart in talking to his friends, letting the young alpha know that he was there for him if Jared needed his support. Seeing as they hadn’t kissed since the fireworks, Jensen sensed Jared’s inner turmoil, wondering if everything in his life was falling apart as he tried to be there for Jared. The last thing he wanted was to be clingy and demand something from the young alpha that Jared wasn’t ready to give. “Just do what feels right. Tell them but only if you’re ready. If they’re really your friends, littermates, whatever, they’ll accept you for who you are.” “Would you go with me?” Jared asked, his hazel pleading with Jensen. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Jensen shook his head. This was something Jared had to do for himself and by himself. Plus, these were Jared’s friends, not his, and he had a feeling his presence wouldn’t be a welcome one. “Chad’s gonna be there, right?” He watched Jared nodding his head. “He’s your best friend. He’s the one who should be there with you, not me. I’m not really…” His words were stopped by a kiss from Jared. “You’re important to me. And you’re special to me,” Jared said, locking his eyes onto Jensen’s, watching the blush creeping onto the omega’s cheeks “But I'm not part of the pack.” Raising his hand, Jensen stopped Jared from trying to protest his words. “I’m not and you know it. Maybe in the future…” He shrugged. “But I'm here if you need me,” had been his last word before Jared nodded and a comfortable quietness settled over them before Jared had driven him home. Jared had told him he’d text him after he met up with his littermates. Walking into MaryAnne's, Jared felt his stomach doing flip-flops as he made his way over to the table where his friends were sitting, waiting for him. Sliding onto one of the chairs he felt Chad knocking his shoulder with him, silently letting him know his best friend was there supporting him. He listened as Milo and Stephen talked about going fishing while Cathy, Tiffany, and Summer giggled over some alpha that had caught their attention. He was about to say what he needed to tell them, that he was gay when Julia caught his attention. “Hey, can I borrow your phone? I forgot mine,” Julia said sweetly hoping Jared wouldn’t pick up on her lie. Jared gave Julia a curious look; the beta was a typical teenage girl and she was never without her phone. “I guess,” he said and then handed over his phone. He eyed her for a minute before Chad calling his name diverted his attention. “Did you ask Jensen if he wanted to go to the barbecue?” Chad asked, pulling Jared into a conversation about the gathering Jared’s parents were having on Saturday. Every year the Padaleckis threw a party for the pack pups so they could get together to strengthen their bonds with their pack mates. There was always plenty of food, outdoor games, music playing, and fun. It was usually held the weekend after the Fourth of July and something every pup under the age of eighteen looked forward to. He knew he was since he planned on asking Julia to go with him. “I… Ah… I haven’t yet.” Jared felt himself blush at Chad’s direct question. He knew his friend was only asking because he’d finally figured out that his feelings for Jensen had passed that of friendship and he suspected the same for Jensen. But before he asked Jensen out on a real date, one where others knew it was a date he needed to tell his friends so they wouldn’t be shocked when they saw him on a date with the omega. With Jared’s attention elsewhere, Julia used that opportunity to pull up Jensen’s number and sent him a text. The omega would see it was from Jared and never suspect that it had been her who’d sent it asking if they could meet at their special spot. Her anger was still simmering over that little tidbit - that Jared had a special spot that he only shared with that omega. With the message sent and then deleted, she returned Jared’s phone to him and then sat back with a sly smile on her face, listening to conversations going on at their table. “What are you waiting for?” Chad asked and watched Jared look around at their friends. “Hey… Um… I have something to tell you,” Jared said and watched as all eyes fell on him. He was about to his friends and littermates he was gay when a scream and the sound of breaking glass caught everyone’s attention. Jared turned to see MaryAnne lying on the floor with several broken plates and food around her and Mrs. Rogers bending down, attempting to help the beta up and apologizing profusely for knocking her down. Seeing that help was needed he got up and went to see if there was anything he could do. “Here, let me help you up.” He offered his hand to MaryAnne, pulling her to her feet and helping her step over the mess on the floor. “Are you alright? Did you hit your head?” “No, I’m fine. I just got the wind knocked out of me.” MaryAnne tried to take a step on her own and gasped when she tried to put weight on her left ankle, causing Jared to grab onto her and steady her before she fell. “I’m so sorry,” Mrs. Rogers started to say only to have MaryAnne wave a hand at her. “Hazard of the job,” MaryAnne assured the older beta and then waved her off while Jared helped her over to his empty chair. “I think you may have sprained your ankle,” Jared murmured looking down at the swelling area. “Chad, can you ask for some ice?” “Got it.” Chad made his way over to the counter, sidestepping the mess one of the waitresses was cleaning up to ask for an ice pack. “Here you are,” he said and then helped MaryAnne place the ice pack on her ankle which was now resting on his chair. “Never a dull moment around this place,” MaryAnne commented with a roll of her eyes which caused Jared, Chad, and the others to laugh. “Sorry about this and thanks for your help.” “No worries,” Jared murmured. “I think you should probably stay off that ankle. Chad and I can give you a ride home.” He knew since MaryAnne lived around the corner from the diner and that she walked to and from work every day. “I’d appreciate that.” “Weren’t you gonna tell us something?” Julia piped up. “It can wait,” Jared murmured, letting MaryAnne lean on him, he helped the beta out of the diner while Chad held the door open, helping when they got to his Jeep and then when they got MaryAnne home. Julia caught her friends’ eyes, a wicked smile forming on her face. “Tonight,” she whispered and then nodded her head when her friends realized what she meant. Tonight she would teach that ‘mega his place and show him that Jared was meant to be her mate. She and Jared would mate after graduation and when it was time for Jared to take over the pack’s alpha, she would be the pack’s top beta. Everything would be perfect once that ‘mega backed off and if she had her way, left Devonshire altogether. “So, that didn’t go according to plan I’m guessing,” Chad commented once they had gotten MaryAnne settled and they were back in Jared’s Jeep. “No, not really,” Jared grumbled, unhappy about how things had turned out. “So, why don’t we hang out today?” Chad suggested. “We really haven’t hung out in a while and I’m supposed to be your best friend.” “Yeah, because you’ve been working and I’ve been helping my dad out with the pack.” “And there’s JR…” Chad started to tease Jared, only to stop when he heard a deep rumbling coming from Jared. “Watch it,” Jared warned, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. His wolf’s hackles were raised, agitated as his feelings of protectiveness rose upon hearing what sounded to him like Chad was jealous. Chad raised his hands, palms out showing his submission to the alpha sitting in the driver’s seat. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it. You’ve just been spending a lot of time with JR, that’s all.” “What, are you jealous?” “No! God, you’re losing it.” An uncomfortable silence settled over them as Jared pulled into his driveway. His fingers gripped and relaxed against the steering wheel while he tried to get himself and his wolf under control. Without a word, he got out of the Jeep and made his way into his home with Chad following silently behind him. “Jared, Chad,” Sharon called when she saw the two entering the kitchen, giving them a concerned look when she picked up the tension between the two of them. “Is everything okay?” Jared glowered at his mother. “Yeah,” Chad answered. “We just had to help MaryAnne. She got hurt, sprained her ankle.” “Oh, I better call and check on her. Chad, you’re welcome to stay for dinner tonight if you like. We haven’t seen too much of you lately. That part-time job has been keeping you busy and Jared hasn’t had much time to hang out with his friends, not with learning pack business and, well, everything else…” Sharon started to explain and then stopped when she noticed her son’s deepening frown. “Yeah, everyone’s been pretty busy. Thanks for the invite. I’d love to stay.” “We’re gonna go hang out in my room,” Jared pushed out from behind gritted teeth before turning and stalking out of the kitchen. “What’s with you?” Chad asked once they were in Jared’s room. “Nothing,” Jared growled while pacing his bedroom floor. “Bullshit! You’re not acting like yourself. You’re acting like…” Chad’s eyes widened as he started to put two and two together. “I’m acting like what?” Jared demanded, stopping right in front of Chad who was lounging on his bed. “Like you’ve found your mate.” Jared opened his mouth to dispute Chad’s words but stopped when his wolf growled mate , confirming that he had indeed found his mate. “I… Ah…” How was it he hadn’t noticed it before? His wolf had been howling it since he’d met Jensen. Jensen was his mate. “No…” he started to say and then stopped when he saw the smirk on Chad’s face. “Look, try to deny it all you want but you can’t hide from the truth. You’ve never taken an interest in any other pack member before. Not like you have with JR. He’s an omega, a male omega, and you’re an alpha,” Chad pointed out, watching Jared as he shifted from one foot to the other. He could tell that his best friend was working things out in his mind. “It was bound to happen, you finding your mate…” “But…” “Tell me, what is your wolf telling you? How does your wolf react whenever you’re around JR?” Jared sank down onto his bed next to Chad, placing his elbows on his knees while he contemplated Chad’s question. “My wolf wants to claim JR. My wolf wants me to claim JR as my mate.” “Well, there you have it. Our wolves just seem to know when we’ve met our mate.” “Is that why you’re always after Julia?” A sad smile came to Chad’s face at the mention of the other beta’s name. He’d known for a while that Julia was his mate but hadn’t been able to make her see past Jared. He understood why she had taken an interest in his best friend. Jared was an alpha and he was a beta. While betas could mate with each other, it always seemed that if given a choice in having a mate, an alpha was always preferred. “Yeah,” he answered wistfully. “My wolf…and I have always seen her as my mate. It’s stupid since she sees you as hers.” Jared scoffed at that. “That’s never gonna happen. I know I have to tell everyone that I’m gay… I don’t see her as my mate. I never have.” “And you see JR as your mate?” Chad questioned, his hazel eyes locking onto Jared’s while he waited for his best friend to answer him. “Because if you do, then you need to tell everyone that, including JR. Since JR’s never lived in a pack, he might not understand what’s going on with himself and his wolf if he’s dealing with what you are.” “Oh, man, I never thought about that,” Jared groaned, raising his hands to his head and running his fingers through his hair. “What if… what if JR doesn’t feel the same way?” Since Jensen hadn’t experienced pack life until a few weeks ago, the omega might not realize he’d met his mate. JR and his wolf might not even recognize what was happening, why they might want to submit to him if they were reacting to him as he and his wolf were reacting to Jensen. “I should call him.” Jared shifted on the bed, reaching for his phone which was in his back pocket. “Hold up!” Chad said. “I think before you call him you need to figure out your own head. Then if you really have feelings for him other than friendship, you need to figure out how you’re gonna deal with that and if you want to tell our friends. Unless you want to sneak around with JR. Which is something I don’t advise. He deserves to be treated better than that.” “Yeah, you’re right.” Jared frowned at Chad. “How did you get to be so smart about things?” Chad shrugged. “You, like everyone else around here, have just always taken me for granted. If you all listened to me, this place would be heaven,” he said and then broke out into laughter. “You mean hell,” Jared said as he dissolved into laughter. Looking down at his phone, Jensen smiled as a tendril of excitement curled up his spine. He read and reread the message from Jared again. JP: Meet me in the woods at that special spot after sundown. Jensen was perched against the fallen tree in the woods; Jared’s special spot where he came to be alone. Jared had never shared that place with anyone except him, making him feel special. He’d slipped out the backdoor and made his way to the tree where he was currently waiting. He hoped things had gone well for Jared since the young alpha was supposed to be talking to his friends. He couldn’t imagine how Jared’s friends had taken the news of finding out that he was gay, hoping that they had been open and receptive since he knew the pack meant a lot to Jared. Hearing movement, Jensen set his phone down and stood up, a smile on his face, ready to greet Jared. He couldn’t hide the look of surprise on his face when Julia and her friends appeared instead of Jared. He swallowed several times as he looked around, hoping and praying Jared was about to make his presence known. He felt his blood run ice-cold in his veins when he realized Jared wasn’t coming. “What… what are you doing here?” he questioned in a quivering voice. He could feel his body beginning to shake; fight or flight and he knew he was no match for Julia and her three friends. “We need to have a talk, omega slut,” Julie announced as she stepped in front of Jensen, raised her right hand, and backhanded him. “You need to understand your place, omega. Sluts like you have no place hanging around with an alpha like Jared. Your place is only to bend over when he wants to knot a whore. You’ll never be good enough for anything else. Jared’s mine, do I make myself clear?” Rubbing his cheek, all Jensen could do was stare at her. He had no idea where this was coming from. While he had hoped for more from Jared, he knew they were only friends. Nothing more. “We’re… we’re only friends,” he managed to get out before the blow to his stomach knocked the wind out of him, sending him crashing down onto his knees. “Friends! I saw you at the fireworks. ‘Mega, you need to stay away from Jared.” “Slut,” Cathay taunted, the others joining in, calling Jensen slut and ‘mega as they circled him. “You think I don’t know that you were trying to tempt Jared?” “You need to learn your place,” Summer leered at Jensen. “We’re just friends,” Jensen said, trying to assure the girls as he attempted to stand up. If he could get them to calm down he might get out of the situation he found himself in with just the wind knocked out of him and a few scrapes on his shins. That was if he was lucky, which he didn’t think he would be. He had a feeling the four girls were out for blood, his blood. “You’re not Jared’s friend. He was just screwing with you. He thinks you’re pathetic,” Summer said and then kicked Jensen in the leg, sending him crashing to the ground with a yelp as he landed on his knees. “He can’t stand you. That’s why we’re here. He sent us,” Tiffany smirked. “Jared doesn't see you as a friend. Not really. You were just some charity case his parents asked him to take on. You’re not part of this pack. You never mattered to him,” Julia spat out, her words full of hate and anger as she looked down at Jensen who was struggling to get back up onto his feet. “You’re wrong! I am Jared’s friend and he’d never do that to me,” Jensen shot back looking up into Julia’s face which was twisted into a mask of fury. He shook his head at her. Over the few weeks he’d come to know Jared, he’d found him to be sincere, not fake. “No, ‘mega, you’re nothing to Jared!” Julia screamed before raising her foot and landing another blow to Jensen’s stomach that sent him sprawling to the ground. From that moment on, Jensen was surrounded by Julia, Cathy, Tiffany, and Summer. He tried to cover himself as they rained down blow after blow to his body. He tried to crawl away and cried out when someone stomped down on his left wrist, breaking it. He tried to roll over onto his left side to cushion his broken wrist and screamed when he was kicked several times in the ribs. It felt like his chest was on fire. He didn’t know what was happening or how to protect himself from the attack. “Why… why are you doing this?” he gasped out as he felt another kick to his back. “Why? Because I don’t like you, ‘mega!” Julia screamed as she stomped down on his right thigh repeatedly, causing Jensen to shriek in agony as another bone broke under her onslaught. “You don’t belong here. Go back to whatever hole you crawled out of!” she screamed, her anger fueling her desire to hurt Jensen as much as possible, not stopping until one of her friends pulled her off him after he’d stopped pleading with them to stop hurting him. She stood there, her chest heaving, gulping for air as she looked down on Jensen who was unconscious. “Jared’s mine!” she screamed as her friends dragged her away, leaving Jensen broken and bleeding on the ground. “Please,” Jensen gasped as he was rolled over so they could stomp on him more, the blows now centering on his midsection and pelvis. The last thing he heard was Julia telling him she was going to make sure he learned his lesson for sniffing around what was hers before he blacked out.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Jensen came to, he found that he was alone. He was thankful for that. It meant Julia and her friends were gone, and his beating was over. But that also meant that he had no one to help him. He tried to draw in a deep breath, but couldn’t, the pain from breathing deeply was too great. He clutched his left wrist to his body, trying to figure out how he was going to get back to his aunt and uncle’s. They had no idea where he was since he had snuck out of the house. He had been so stupid to think that Jared might want him. There was no way that someone who looked like Jared would want someone who looked like him. He didn’t bother wiping away the hot tears that pricked at the corners of his eyes. He let the tears flow, running down his temples as he lay there staring up at the starry night sky. Once his tears of embarrassment and loss had stopped, he did his best to get himself up. His body was wracked with agonizing pain. He couldn’t breathe and he couldn’t stand. When his mind registered the stabbing pain in his right thigh, he brought his hand down to rub at the area, feeling something jagged protruding from his leg. He quickly pulled his hand back with a yelp, thinking somehow a tree branch had pierced his skin. Looking down at his fingers, he noticed they were wet. It took him a moment to realize that the wetness was his own blood. He closed his eyes as his stomach roiled and he became dizzy. He was hurt and he needed help. When the feeling of passing out had subsided, he tried to think of a way to get himself help. He heard a soft beeping and went still, thinking it was Julia and her friends returning for another round of beating him to a bloody pulp. When he got his thumping heart under control, he realized it was his phone that was making the sound. His phone! If he could get to it, maybe he could get himself the help he needed. Pushing aside the blinding pain he was in, he dragged himself over to the fallen tree. Reaching up with his right hand, he patted around the bark of the tree until his hand landed on his phone. He blinked several times, trying to focus on getting himself help rather than the pain shooting through his body. Propping himself up against the tree, he dropped the phone onto his chest and managed to dial his aunt’s phone number. He listened as it rang and then he heard his aunt’s groggy voice on the other end. “Aunt Abigail?” “Jensen?” Abigail said in confusion. Why was Jensen calling when he was in the guest bedroom at the end of the hall? Then it hit her, Jensen wouldn’t be calling if he wasn’t in bed. “Jensen, where are you? What’s going on?” “Hurt… I’m hurt, please help,” Jensen whispered into the phone. Despite his aunt’s frantic questioning, he managed to give general directions on how to find him. He wasn’t sure how long he lay there, propped against the fallen tree, clutching his phone to his chest as if it was a lifeline, doing his best to stay conscious before he heard his aunt and uncle’s voices calling out to him. The last things he remembered before waking up in a hospital bed were his aunt’s anguished cry when they found him and his uncle reassuring him that they’d get him the help he needed. The first time Jensen regained consciousness was after he’d come out of surgery to repair his broken leg. His mother had been in the room with him along with the doctor, a female beta, that had been assigned to him. “Mom…” he croaked out, trying to sit up but failing since he didn't have the strength in his arms to lift himself up. He hadn’t realized his left wrist was being immobilized by a cast and the pain medication helped to mask his broken leg and his broken ribs. “Hey, sweetheart, try not to move,” Donna said softly, motioning for him to lie back down. “Where… What’s going on?” Stepping into Jensen’s eyesight, the beta adjusted the bed so he was able to sit comfortably. “JR, I’m Dr. Brahm and you're in the hospital.” She watched Jensen nodding his head in understanding before continuing. “You were hurt and we had to perform surgery to repair your right leg. You have a broken wrist and several broken ribs along with some bruises and scratches. But I’m confident that with physical therapy you’ll have full use of your leg and wrist.” Jensen noticed how quiet his mother was during the doctor’s explanation and how the doctor hadn’t really met his eyes. “What… what aren’t you telling me?” His question seemed to hang in the air, weighing the air down until his mother stepped forward. “Sweetheart, JR, just know that you have your entire life ahead of you…” Jensen’s face scrunched up in confusion. He wasn’t sure if it was the drugs being pumped through the IV in his right hand but he had no idea what his mother was trying to tell him. “What your mother is trying to tell you was that there was an unforeseen complication. While you were being transported to the hospital, the paramedics administered a medication that isn’t approved for Weres. They weren’t aware…” Donna moved to sit by her son as the doctor continued. Taking Jensen’s right hand in hers she gave it a squeeze and then stroked his fingers. “Complication? I don’t understand…” Jensen looked to his mother for clarification only to see tears wetting her eyelashes. “Your blood pressure was dangerously low. The medication is typically given only to humans to raise their blood pressure. They simply didn’t know… The medication, when administered to Weres can have adverse effects, especially for an omega.” “Mom…” “Just remember that we love you,” Donna reminded her son. “The medication can result in sterilization. I’m afraid you won’t be able to produce your own slick or conceive. I’m so sorry,” Brahm said softly. “No… no that’s… that’s not true.” Jensen shook his head in disbelief and then pulled away from his mother. “I… I’m an omega. I’m supposed to carry my alpha’s pup. You’re lying. Why are you lying?” He heard his wolf howling in sorrow and despite his attempt to reject the news he’d been given in his heart he knew it was true. His heart shattered as hot tears slid down his cheeks and all he wanted was to howl along with his wolf. “JR…” “There’s a medication that I can prescribe that might have a chance of helping you produce slick…” “Stop… Please,” Jensen begged in an anguished voice. He couldn’t take hearing any more at the moment. He was broken; Julia had seen to that. Closing his eyes he turned his head away trying to block everything out, even his wolf. He was dreaming, he had to be. It was the only explanation he had for the nightmare he found himself in was his last thought as he let the drugs he was on pull him down into darkness. Jensen never named his attackers. What was the point? Julia was Jared’s intended mate, and he was nothing. She had seen to that. He would need months of physical therapy to regain the use of his left wrist and his right leg. The scar on his right thigh would always be a reminder of that night. The worst part had been when the doctor, a female beta, sat on the edge of his hospital bed explaining his injuries to not only himself but his parents who had been called to the hospital, his aunt and uncle, and the sheriff, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, or JD to those who knew him. He had sat there numbly listening as she explained to everyone the damage he’d sustained in the brutal attack he had suffered, the medication mix-up, and there was nothing that could be done to reverse the damage. He was brought out of his trance-like state by the sound of a pen scratching against paper and then the sound of an unfamiliar voice filled his otherwise silent room. “Sorry, hope I didn’t wake you.” “Who… who are you?” Jensen croaked out feeling his dry throat tighten as he tried to speak, watching as the older man, an alpha with dark hair and a beard streak with gray looked over at him. “Sweetheart, this is Jeffrey Dean Morgan. You met him earlier but the pain medication kind of made you a little out of it. He’s the sheriff and he’s here to speak to you, but only if you're up to it,” Donna explained, keeping her voice soft as she spoke to her son. “Call me JD, everyone does,” JD said, directing his words to Jensen. Nodding his head, Jensen closed his eyes, trying his best to focus his muddled thoughts as he heard JD asking him if he remembered anything that could help him catch the ones who had done this to him. Opening his eyes, he looked down at his wrist, specifically the cast, and shook his head no. “Sorry, it was dark. I didn’t get a look at them.” He knew exactly who had done this to him but they were pack members and he wasn’t. He seriously doubted they would ever see the inside of a jail and he would never get the justice he deserved. They were Jared’s littermates and they had managed to take everything from him. Even if he told JD who had done this to him, that truth would never repair the damage. He would still be a broken omega. “What were you doing out at night? What were you doing out there alone,” JD asked, his hazel eyes locking onto Jensen’s tired green ones. “Are you accusing my son of something?” Alan cut in, his voice angry and raised as he spoke. “Are you suggesting this was JR’s fault or that he deserved this?” “No, Mr. Ackles, I’m not and I understand why you’re upset. I’m just trying to figure things out.” “Alan, please…” Donna whispered, trying to get her mate to see reason and calm down. “The sheriff is only doing his job.” JD cleared his throat, ignored the angry glare Alan was giving him, and turned his attention back to Jensen. “So, JR, why were you out there alone? Were you meeting someone?” “I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk,” Jensen answered in a monotone voice, looking away from the sheriff’s scrutinizing gaze. “They… they jumped me from behind. I didn’t even know anyone was around. I thought… I thought I was alone,” he said, never making eye contact with anyone. “Are you scared of telling me who did this to you? If that’s the case, I promise to do everything I can to protect you,” JD assured him. “Right, like you protected him from getting hurt!” Alan, Jensen’s father bellowed. “Mr. Ackles, I know you’re upset,” JD started to say only to be cut off by Jensen’s father. “Upset? Upset is an understatement! Our son was attacked, brutally, in your town. He’s been hurt beyond what any doctor can do to repair. And you think I’m just upset?” Alan yelled back. Stepping away from the wall where she’d been standing, the doctor spoke. “Gentlemen, if you can’t control yourself and conduct yourselves accordingly, I’m going to ask you to leave. Right now, Jensen needs to rest. He doesn’t need to be subjected to two alphas posturing for dominance.” “When can I go home?” Jensen asked. “I want to go home. I don’t want to be here anymore.” He continued to stare down at his broken body, doing his best not to cry while his room was filled with people he didn’t want there. The only thing that kept running through his mind was the fact that he would never conceive, he would never carry his mate’s pup. He was a useless omega. No alpha would want him, not when the alpha discovered he wasn’t even capable of producing slick, let alone produce an offspring. With a heavy heart, as he lay in that bed, he decided at that moment he would never bother with trying to find a mate. He didn’t want to go through the humiliation of explaining how his body didn’t work as every other omegas’ did, or why. Finally, he raised his eyes to meet his mother’s tear swollen and red eyes. “I want to go home today. Now.” “Jensen, you can’t be moved just yet,” the doctor told him. “You’re recovering from the surgery we performed to repair your broken leg. It’ll be at least a week before I’d even consider allowing you to be transported by ambulance to a hospital in your hometown.” Jensen turned his green eyes on the doctor. “I want to go home.” “Sweetheart, we’ll make that happen as soon as we can,” Donna, Jensen’s mother assured him as she stepped forward, trying to take his good hand in hers. He pulled away from her, not allowing her to touch him. “I’m tired. I’d like to nap. You can go.” He watched as his mother started to protest. “Now, please. And I don’t want any visitors. I just want to go home,” he stated flatly and watched as everyone walked out of his room. Once everyone had left his room, he turned his face to his pillows and let himself cry. He felt so useless and empty. He would never have what he had hoped for. And, if he couldn’t have that, then he would create a new life for himself, one where he didn’t need anyone. As everyone filed solemnly out of Jensen’s room, the Padalecki’s rounded the corner coming to an abrupt halt when they saw the grim looks on those standing there. “We just heard,” Gerald explained as he stepped forward. “It’s awful,” Sharon said and then wiped at her eyes. “Can I… can I see JR?” Jared asked hopefully. “Who did this to him? Who attacked an omega on pack lands? Did he say anything? Did he tell you anything? Are the pack lands safe?” Gerald asked, hoping to get answers to his questions. As the pack’s alpha he needed to ensure the safety of his pack and that the person or persons responsible for the attack were brought to swift justice. Someone had been hurt on his watch, on his pack lands and he was determined to set things right and catch the outsider who had done this. “Is that all you're concerned about?” Alan demanded, his voice rising in anger as he spoke. “Your precious pack lands? What about our son? We sent JR here thinking it would be good for him to learn about the pack, thinking he’d be safe!” “Are you telling me that you think someone in our pack did this?” Gerald questioned and then looked to JD for answers. “I don’t know. JR said he never saw his attackers.” JD sighed. “I’d like to ask him a few more questions when he’s feeling up to it.” “No, absolutely not!” Alan bellowed, causing those around him to jump. “My son has been through enough. We’re going home as soon as possible.” He turned to the doctor, his right hand raised and his index finger jabbing the air. “I want arrangements made so we can take our son home to a hospital that can actually care for him.” “Alan…” Donna started, only to stop when her mate glared at her. She felt the comforting hands of her sister on her and she turned into that embrace. Raymond stepped up to Alan’s side. “Why don’t we take this into the doctor’s office? We can discuss JR’s injuries and the best way to move him.” “Fine,” Alan grumbled and then allowed Raymond to lead him down the hall as they followed Brahm to her office. Stepping forward, Sharon asked, “How bad are your son’s injuries?” Donna raised her tear-stained face toward the Padalecki’s to see concern etched in their faces. “Whoever did this to my sweet boy…” Her voice caught on a sob and she looked away, unable to continue. “JR suffered a broken wrist, several broken ribs, and a compound fracture of his right leg which resulted in him needing surgery. He lost a lot of blood and he’ll need physical therapy but the doctor is hopeful that he will regain full use of his wrist and leg,” Abigail explained, choosing to leave out the part about Jensen being given a medication not intended for Weres or what had resulted from that grievous mistake. “I just don’t understand why he was out by himself or what he was even doing in the woods. I didn’t even think he knew about them. If he didn’t have his phone with him and had the presence of mind to call us for help…” She shuddered at the implications of her words and accepted the comforting hug offered by Sharon. Jared felt dizzy at hearing where Jensen had been found. He had been the one to show Jensen that area. At first, it had been his private place to slip away to but then it had become his and Jensen’s special place that only they knew about, or so he thought. “We’ll get to the bottom of this,” JD assured everyone and then turned to Jared. “You’re friends with JR, aren’t you Jared?” Jared forced himself to answer, “Yes, Sir, I am.” “Do you have any idea why he would have been out?” JD questioned. Slowly Jared shook his head. He had no idea why Jensen would have been out by himself. “No, Sir.” “Do you have any idea who JR might have been meeting? Was he seeing anyone?” “No, Sir,” Jared responded, feeling his heart sinking at the thought of Jensen meeting someone else at their spot. He forced that thought down knowing Jensen would have respected his private spot, the one he’d been willing to share with him. And as far as Jensen meeting someone else he highly doubted that. Jensen was shy and he was pretty sure Jensen was interested in him. He’d been thinking of telling Jensen how he felt, that he saw Jensen as his mate and hoped Jensen felt the same about him. He’d been home that night after Chad had left trying to figure everything out, needing to tell his friends, wanting to ask Jensen to be his date to the barbecue. He’d wanted to pursue things with Jensen and now this had happened to the omega. “Are you sure?” JD questioned again. “JD, my son answered you.” JD held up his hands choosing to forego asking Jared anything else. He seriously doubted the young alpha knew anything and if Jared did he was pretty sure given the circumstances he would have spoken up. “I’ve just gotta do my job,” he assured his alpha before excusing himself, mumbling he had to investigate Jensen’s attack and needed to collect his clothing as evidence. “Can I see JR?” Jared rushed to ask as soon as JD had left. He felt anxious at being kept from Jensen and he wasn’t sure why. Was it because it was his nature as an alpha to protect? Was it because Jensen was not only hurt but also his friend? His wolf was growling, demanding to be reunited with Jensen and he could have sworn his wolf had called Jensen his mate. He smiled at that knowing his wolf was right, that Jensen was his mate. “I’m sorry, no,” Abigail said and then rushed to add, “he’s resting and can’t really handle having visitors right now,” when she saw how crestfallen Jared was. “We’re so sorry this happened to your son. You have my word that JD will not stop investigating. We’ll bring JR justice,” Gerald said and then gently started to lead his family away. Jared stopped and turned. “Can you tell JR I was here? Tell him to call me when… when he feels like talking.” “Thank you for being his friend,” Abigail said tearfully. “Please, don’t hesitate to let us know if there’s anything we can help with,” Sharon responded and then followed her mate and son, leaving Abigail and Donna sitting outside Jensen’s room. Less than a week later, Jensen was gone from his hospital room and Devonshire. His parents had made a brief stop at the farm to collect his belongings before they left with him, returning to their home where Jensen would be able to heal and regain a semblance of a normal life. He kept in sparse contact with his aunt, telling her of his accomplishments but refused to discuss anything having to do with Devonshire, the pack, or Jared. He never wanted anything to do with that part of his life ever again but fate had another twist in store for him. After his return home from the pack lands and recovering from the trauma he had suffered through, JR, or Jensen as he now went by, had reinvented himself. Gone were the glass; opting for Lasek surgery to correct his eyesight so glass or contacts were no longer needed. He had found a workout regiment that had worked for him. Gone was the fat from around his middle, replaced with toned muscle. He now wore his hair, which had darkened from the blond it used to be to its reddish-brown shade, in a cropped, yet artfully tousled style instead of the way he used to with the top being longer and worn in messy waves while the sides and back had been kept shorter. There was nothing he could do about his long dark lashes that framed his green eyes, the freckles that dotted his fair skin, or his plush lips. He had just learned to live with his looks, never paying too much attention to himself in the mirror or the remarks he received when someone, male or female, showed him any interest. Aside from his best friend Christian, he shied away from any contact with anyone else. He had been taught that fateful summer he’d met Jared that he was nothing. What he could have offered to an alpha had been taken from him. He didn’t produce slick, the medication he’d been prescribed to help him produce slick had made him violently ill, and he would never conceive or carry a pup. Finding himself an alpha to mate with and live his life with was off the table for him. He was useless as an omega and knew no alpha would want him. An alpha’s greatest desire was to breed their mate and produce a pup, something he was no longer capable of doing. And mating with a non-Were wasn’t appealing to him. He was thankful that he wasn’t in need of suppressants or suffered through a heat alone; he didn’t have a sexual need to fulfill and had no need for dating. He longed for what he couldn’t have, an alpha, and if he couldn’t have that, then he saw no reason to seek out another’s comforting touch. He was better off alone. He had his writing. Being an author of a popular series of children and young adult books had afforded him a comfortable living. He had a small home that he owned in the same town he had grown up in, and he had turned the second bedroom into his office where he spent most of his days writing. It was the life he had carved out for himself, and that was enough for him. He didn’t allow himself to dream of more than what he already had. There was no point in dreaming of what he would never have and he forced himself to do his best to forget about the young alpha with the multicolored eyes he’d met and fallen for ten years ago. Jensen had been left broken and bloody, suffering severe injuries; a broken left wrist, a broken leg which left him with a scar on his right thigh and a slight limp, one that was evident when he was tired or in pain, a few broken ribs, scrapes, and bruises. But the worst of the damage had been unseen. The repeated trauma to his midsection, kicks, and punches, and the medication used on him which had been meant for humans, had left him barren. He was a useless omega as far as he was concerned. He didn’t have heats, he didn’t produce slick and as far as the doctors had told him, the damage wasn’t something that could be reversed. He would never know the joy of carrying a life within his own body, he would never have pups of his own and he would never have a mate. Who would want an omega that was broken? No one as far as he was concerned, so he never bothered trying to find a mate, remaining a virgin and never dating. Any alpha who sniffed around him was automatically shot down. Besides, even after ten years, he still couldn’t get the thought of Jared out of his mind. No one could compare to the image he had of the tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular alpha for who he had fallen for. Jensen never planned on returning to that little town, but he had to deal with his inheritance; the house his aunt and uncle left to him after they decided it was time to move. They felt it was time for them to join his parents in the fifty-plus community where they lived and had left the house and farm to him, hoping he would return there and heal. Right, because he had been itching to return to the place that held such bad memories for him. Why couldn’t his mother and his aunt and uncle understand that returning to Devonshire was the last thing he would ever choose to do? They probably had and that was why they had left him the farm, hoping he’d return and find a way to put the pain behind him. That would be easier said than done. They had forced him back onto the pack lands. He would be surrounded by alphas, betas, and omegas, something he actively did his best to avoid. Standing just inside the living room of the house brought out such emotions for him. He felt his knees buckling and had to sit before he fell. He could still remember the first time he had met Jared. How Jared had knocked on the door and his aunt had rushed to greet him and how his uncle had joined her. Jared’s dimpled smile had been blinding Jensen noted from where he had been standing on the third step to the stairs leading upstairs. He had just been returning from his room in search of his uncle or ready to offer help to his aunt if she was in need when there had been a knock on the door. That had been the day he’d met Jared and his life had forever changed in a way no one had seen coming. Sitting on the couch he let his head fall into his hands, his fingers rubbing his temples, hoping to ease away his memories. When he looked up, he could have sworn he saw Jared standing there on the porch with a bright smile, one that displayed his dimples, as he had done so many times. He could hear Jared’s laughter and the sound of his aunt and uncle’s voices while they talked in the kitchen. For a moment he’d been happy here. For a moment he’d considered moving to Devonshire wanting to join the pack and hoping Jared would choose him as his mate. He’d hoped for a happy life, a loving mateship with Jared, and the joy of carrying Jared’s pups. Closing his eyes he forced those thoughts down. He’d been so stupid. He’d wanted more than he could ever have, more than he deserved. Opening his eyes, he pushed to his feet and made his way to the door and out onto the porch. He needed to get away from his thoughts and the house even though he’d just arrived. A drink. He needed a drink. Just one to take the edge off of being here again, then he’d be able to deal with packing up the house and finding a buyer for the farm. It was still a working farm and would probably sell quickly. He’d make sure that whoever he sold to wouldn’t close the farm. He didn’t want those earning a living by working the farm to be displaced. He knew it’d been his aunt and uncle’s hope that he’d take up the running of the farm, move there, and still write but there was no way in hell he’d ever willingly stay in Devonshire. He just wanted to get in and get out quickly and hopefully never see Jared Padalecki while he was here. Fate had other plans for him and had he been aware of that he would never have stopped at On Tap for a beer. Jensen found the only bar in town, parked, and made his way inside. He chuckled to himself when his eyes adjusted from the darkness of the night to the soft lighting of the bar which reminded him of an Irish pub with its warm polish wood of the bar that seemed to remind him of the color of whisky. The bar itself was situated in direct eyesight of the front door and took up most of the back wall with several bar stools in front of it for customers to sit and have a drink at. He noticed the cash register was an old-looking chrome ornate one that reminded him of something one would see in an old-time Western movie. There was a pool table off to the left of the door and a dartboard where a few people were milling around discussing the next game. The rest of the space was occupied by a few booths to the right of the door lining the wall and several stables scattered in front of the door which created a path that led directly to the bar. Seeing an empty table with two chairs he made his way over and sat down. “Hi, welcome to On Tap. You’re new…” the waitress, a beta named Tamra observed, looking the newcomer over. “I… I’m just passing through,” Jensen said, hoping that would end the beta’s questions. “What can I get you?” “Just a beer, please.” “Coming right up.” “Hey, Jared, can I get a beer?” Tamra called out. Jensen’s head snapped up, his eyes immediately taking in the sight of the man behind the bar. His view was blocked by his waitress and also by another female beta that had walked in after him. “Here you go,” Tamra said as she placed the bottle in front of Jensen. “Thanks.” “Let me know if you need anything else. My name's Tamra, just give me a shout,” she said and then moved off to wait on another customer.
Jensen watched from the table he was sitting at, trying to be discreet and most likely failing. He never took his eyes off the alpha. Jared . He would never be able to forget him. He had hoped for and also dreaded the possibility of seeing Jared again. He had never bothered to ask if the son of the pack’s alpha was still living here. The thought to ask had never even crossed his mind before he’d made the trip back to Devonshire. His only thoughts had revolved around getting the sale of his aunt and uncles’ home moving along. He needed to go through things, determine what he wanted to donate, sell, or keep. After that, he intended to put the house up for sale. He knew his aunt held out hope that he’d return to Devonshire, to the pack, and decide to stay. Nothing was further from his mind. He had no desire to live there or to be a part of the pack, not after what had happened ten years ago. His physical wounds had healed, well, the ones that would heal, but he’d still been left with scars - ones that would never heal. All he had to do was look down at his right leg to see the physical scar he’d been left with but he had other scars that only he knew about - the mental scars he dealt with. His body had healed over time but he still limped when he was tired. And he was still broken. He still didn’t produce slick and he still would never be able to give an alpha pups. All because of Jared. His hand clenched around the beer bottle in his hand as he watched Jared interact with the woman he was speaking with. She must have said something he found amusing, having tossed his head back as his shoulders shook from laughter. Jensen took in Jared’s scent, musky, and Alpha, and had to force himself not to offer his neck to Jared. Not that it would matter, he had sworn off ever mating and it wasn’t like Jared would even recognize him, not after ten years, not after the changes he had gone through. Gone we’re the glasses he used to wear thanks to corrective surgery. His hair had darkened from blond to a reddish-brown, and he was no longer chubby, having spent time working out with a trainer to completely change his appearance. He was no longer that pathetic and awkward seventeen-year-old who went by JR. That person was long gone. He had made sure to bury JR and his memories of his past as best he could, even though at times he still saw that pudgy teenager staring back at him when he looked in the mirror. The woman, clearly a beta, was twisting her long blond hair on the fingers of her right hand as she spoke. Her left hand was rubbing over the swell of her stomach. Jensen watched as Jared placed a large hand on the beta’s stomach, looking down in awe at the baby bump. Seeing that, caused Jensen’s precarious mood to turn. He couldn’t help it. What he could never have was staring him right in the face; the alpha he stupidly pined for along with the ability to conceive and carry his alpha’s pups. Then he realized who the beta was and he felt his heart shatter into a million tiny shards with the realization that it was Julia standing with Jared. Jared, despite telling him he was gay, had mated with Julia, the ringleader of his attackers. That was more than he could take. Hastily he forced himself away from the table, nearly colliding with his waitress. “Easy there, Sugar. Something wrong?” Jensen shook his head. “No, just gotta get out of here,” he mumbled as he shoved his hand into the front pocket of his jeans, fishing for his wallet so he could leave her a tip. Hearing the commotion, Jared’s hazel eyes focused on the man speaking with Tamra. Having zoned in, he realized the scent that had been overwhelming him was coming from him, and whoever the man was, he was an omega. The alpha in him was fighting to go to the omega in distress and comfort him. “Excuse me,” he said as he placed a hand on Julia’s arm. “I’ll be right back.” He stepped around the pregnant beta and started walking toward Tamra and the man. He didn’t get very far when another customer grabbed his arm, stopping him from reaching the man who stood with his back to him. He felt compelled to see who the man was, he needed to know who this omega was. He tried to untangle himself from the customer but wasn’t able to before the man tossed something onto the table and made his way to the door. “Who was that?” he asked Tamra when he finally made his way over to her. Tamra looked at Jared and shook her head in confusion. “Who was who?” “The omega you were just talking to.” Jared pointed to the empty table and then the door. Tamra gave a shrug of her shoulders. “No clue. Just someone passing through, I guess.” Jared’s nose wrinkled from the scent he was hit with. The scent had a hint of familiarity, but he couldn’t place it. It was definitely coming from an omega, one who was upset, anger mixed with sadness and longing. He wasn’t sure who it was coming from, but it was beginning to overwhelm him. He stopped at the table the omega had been sitting at hoping to find some clue as to who he was but the omega had paid in cash so he wasn’t able to get a name from the receipt. He followed the omega outside to watch taillights disappearing down the road. Whoever the omega was, was a mystery, one he wanted to unravel.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Turning, Jared made his way back into the bar and into his office where he slumped down into his chair. Pulling open his top right-hand drawer his eye glanced at the picture he kept there, the one of him and JR he’d taken on the first day they’d met. He’d never gotten over losing the omega, the one he had come to realize was his mate. He’d tried to forget about JR, he really had but whenever he closed his eyes his thoughts were plagued by green eyes. With a heavy sigh, he slid the drawer closed, leaned his head back against the back of his office chair, and closed his eyes, doing his best to not see the images of Jensen or his green eyes. This time, Jared’s mind wandered to the time he’d come out to his friends and what had taken place after that, including how he’d tried to have a relationship with a beta by the name of Grant. He’d met the beta after returning from his junior year in college. After JR had been attacked and then left Devonshire without a word he’d come out to his littermates, informing them that he was gay. That had been a big step in being honest not only with himself but his friends. Of course, Julia hadn’t taken the news well but his other friends had been fine with it not caring about who he was attracted to and assuring him that they were still his friends. She’d shown up at his house that night demanding to talk to him. His parents had allowed her inside and then retreated to the kitchen giving him his space but also at the ready should they need to step in. Standing in the living room, Jared shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. “Julia, what are you doing here?” “We need to talk!” Julia screeched, her voice rising with every word. Jared huffed in annoyance, “About what?” “About what? About your news. What the hell was that crap? Suddenly you’re gay?” Julia didn’t bother to hide the sneer on her face. “Not suddenly. I’ve known for a while that I was gay. I just didn’t say anything. I was too afraid to tell everyone…” “Oh, but let me guess, you told JR! I saw him kiss you at the fireworks. That ‘mega is the cause of all this!” Jared and his wolf had growled at the beta, baring his teeth and showing his anger with her. “Watch what you say about JR,” he warned in a low voice. Pulling his hands out of his pockets, he balled them into fists as he stepped closer to the beta. “If you ever call JR that again…” Julia scoffed and then demanded, “You want him over me?” “Julia…” Jared was doing his best to maintain what calm he had but his wolf growling angrily in his head wasn’t helping the situation he was dealing with. “We were supposed to be mated!” Julia screamed at Jared. “You were supposed to see that I’m your mate… not some… not an outsider!” “Julia, I never saw you as anything more than my friend and littermate. I was always honest with you about that.” Jared narrowed his eyes at the beta in front of him, thinking about what she’d just said to him, how she’d seen JR kissing him the night of the fireworks display. “Were you spying on us? On me the night of the fireworks?” he demanded. “You were supposed to ask me to go with you! We’ve always gone together before,” Julia shot back defiantly. “No, we’ve always gone together as a group. It’s never been just you and me,” Jared corrected. “And I had to learn from Chad that you’d asked that… you’d asked JR to go with you,” Julia spat out in contempt. “Yes, because I asked JR out on a date. We were on a date!” Jared bellowed. Just the thought of that night, of being spied on and now knowing Jensen had been attacked, that Jensen was his mate and they’d been separated was making it difficult for him to think straight. Reaching out he grabbed Julia by the shoulders, gripping her tightly as he demanded to know, “What did you do? Did you hurt JR? What do you know about him being attacked?” Wrenching herself free of Jared’s vice-like grip she looked at Jared with a hint of fear in her eyes. “Nothing!” “I swear if you know who did this and you’re covering for them…” “I had nothing to do with him getting hurt!” Julia cut in doing her best not to show her fear. If Jared suspected her involvement she knew he’d never forgive her. “What did he tell the sheriff? Did he say anything about who attacked him?” Jared narrowed his eyes at the beta, taking a moment to study her. He had a feeling she was somehow involved in Jensen’s attack but had no proof. “I don’t know what he told JD but I was questioned.” He and his wolf bristled at that admission; there would never be any way he would ever harm Jensen or any pack member. That wasn’t who he was but he’d certainly make the exception for whoever had attacked Jensen. “Maybe he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Julia suggested. “Yeah.” The uncertainty was clear in Jared’s voice. Hoping that Jared had calmed down and that he believed she wasn’t involved, Julia smiled sweetly at him. “Now that he’s gone, we can put all of the ugliness behind us.” She reached up and cupped Jared’s cheek. “We can move forward. I can forgive you. I’ll forget about your silly little admission to us. I’m still willing to be your mate…” Growling, Jared knocked Julia’s hand away. “Get this straight,” he said from behind gritted teeth. “We will never be mated. My mate is gone.” Before Julia could dispute Jared’s words, Gerald interrupted her. “I think it’s time for you to leave. You heard my son, he has no intention of mating with you. And, I think it’s time for you to understand that,” he said as he ushered the beta to the front door, standing between her and Jared. “Have a good rest of your day.” He watched as Julia stalked out of his house and toward her car before slamming the door. When he turned back, he discovered that Jared had disappeared. “Sharon?” Sharon appeared in the doorway. “Jared’s in his room. Let’s give him some time. He needs to sort things out for himself.” “But what if he’s right? What if JR is his mate? You know what that means.” Solemnly Sharon nodded her head. “Yes, we both know what that means. If JR is Jared’s mate and he’s gone it means our son will never take a mate. But that’s something Jared will have to deal with on his own. The only thing we can do is be there for him. Now, come.” She motioned to her mate. “Let’s go settle for the night.” Turning, she led Gerald into the living room where they sat and relaxed for the night. Once Jared was in his room he grabbed his phone and pulled up the picture he’d taken of himself and Jensen. Sitting on his bed he stared at the image wondering where Jensen was and how he was doing. He missed the omega and had finally realized that Jensen was meant to be his mate. Unfortunately, he’d realized that fact too late and now Jensen was gone and he had no idea how to get to him. With that thought in mind, he pulled up Jensen’s number and called, hoping Jensen would answer. When Jensen didn’t pick up his call, he sent him a text, hoping the omega would respond. JP: Hey, I miss you. How are you? Jared sat staring at the phone willing Jensen to answer him. When Jensen didn’t, he tossed down his phone, curled up on his bed, taking the hint that he would never hear from the omega again, and drifted off into a restless sleep feeling the ache in his heart from missing Jensen. Grant’s family had moved to the pack lands while Jared had been away at college. He’d met the beta one day when he’d stopped by diner and Grant had been the one to wait on him. They had talked and flirted that first time and he found himself asking Grant out. They had gone to the movies which had stirred up mixed feelings for him, recalling how he’d taken Jensen there and how he’d dared to hold Jensen’s hand. That time, while on his date with Grant, he hadn’t tried holding his hand. He hadn’t even reacted when another alpha had shown interest in the beta who was so different from Jensen. Grant wasn’t as tall as him or the omega that still occupied his thoughts. The beta had jet black hair, blue eyes, and olive-colored skin. While the beta was pleasant and fun to be with, there was just something missing as far as he was concerned but he was determined to make things work between them for however long he could, knowing that he didn’t intend on taking Grant as his mate. Jared had taken Grant out on several dates but never shared that secluded spot with him. He still considered that spot his and Jensen’s place and since Jensen had been attacked there he’d only been back once or twice. He had a hard time going there, knowing Jensen had been out there alone and that someone had attacked him and had left him there, hurt and in need of help, like he’d been trash. He’d pushed that thought aside, trying to focus on the beta he was dating, wanting to give Grant his full attention whenever they were together. Over the course of their dating, he’d discovered that they had very little in common. He was in college, determined to get his degree in Business so he could return to the pack lands and be an effective leader for them. Grant was happy to be a waiter at the diner and had no desire to do more with his life. He knew he’d never take Grant as a mate but he was willing to see where things went with the beta and he’d made sure to be up front with Grant, not wanting to lead him on and Grant had seemed fine with that. But, Jared had realized the night he and Grant had slept together that the beta had been looking for more than what he had been willing to offer. After a night out, he’d gone back to Grant’s tiny apartment where they had slept together. He hadn’t knotted the beta which had caused a fight between them. “So, what the fuck was that?” Grant started, his tone angry and his face stony as he rolled over and turned on the bedside lamp. “What was what?” Jared questioned groggily, sitting up, and wiping at his eyes. He’d been confused about what was bothering Grant and why the beta seemed angry with him. It had been his first time having sex but he’d thought he’d satisfied Grant by the way the beta had panted, moaned, and called his name when he’d climaxed. “You fuck me but you don’t bother to knot me?” Grant gave Jared an expectant look as he crossed his arms over his chest. “No,” Jared said, tossing aside the blanket covering him and pushing to his feet. Now he understood what was bothering Grant. “I was honest with you from the start about this relationship. You said you were fine with the whole no strings attached thing. You had no problem with us seeing where this went but you knew I wasn’t looking for a mate.” He grabbed his jeans and boxer briefs and shoved his legs into them, pulling them up, and doing up his jeans. “So, where is this coming from?” Grant watched Jared search for his t-shirt, a look of disbelief on his face. “I thought you were just saying that to get me interested in you. I thought you were playing this cool and aloof alpha persona to get my attention.” “Sorry to disappoint you,” Jared said while he pulled his t-shirt on. “I wasn’t playing at anything. And I didn’t knot you because you’re not my mate. He’s… he’s not you.” He knew his words were coming off as cruel but he didn’t want to sugarcoat things and he’d thought he and Grant had had an understanding between them. “You were supposed to forego all that. I figured once I had you in my bed you’d see that we could be good together.” Pushing aside the blanket, he moved onto his knees, trying to reach out to Jared and pull him back to him. “You were supposed to knot me and then claim me.” He didn’t bother to hide the pout that had formed on his lips. Jared pulled away from Grant and backed away from the bed. “I’m sorry if you thought us sleeping together would change my feelings on taking a mate. I like you. I like spending time with you but that’s all this was ever going to be. I’m only home for the summer and that’s all this was to me, a summertime relationship. I was never going to take you as my mate.” After speaking those words, Jared finished getting dressed and left the apartment. He tried dating in college, but it was nothing serious. After ending things with Grant, he’d gone on a couple of dates with a few humans but none of those men really sparked an interest for him and he’d come away feeling lonely and empty. The next time he saw Grant was when he’d returned to the pack lands after graduating college; the beta had found his mate and had settled down into a happy relationship. He’d been happy for the beta and the alpha and had wished them nothing but happiness despite knowing happiness and his mate, Jensen, were out of reach for him. Wanting to make something of himself, Jared had purchased the rundown bar not far from MaryAnne’s and had managed to turn it around into a thriving business. After buying the bar, he’d changed the name from Main Street Bar which didn’t have a great ring to it to On Tap which at least spoke to what a patron would find when they walked in. He kept several local beers on tap and offered seasonal beers as well as cocktails and food. Once he’d made the change to the menu and reopened it under the new name and an actual menu that seemed to appeal to the pack, his business had taken off, thriving and proving to himself and the pack that he would be a great alpha to them. And when his father had decided to step down as the pack’s alpha, he’d readily stepped into the role, proving he was capable of caring for and protecting his pack. Jared’s parents still lived on the pack lands in the home he grew up in and he’d decided that even though it was his right to take over the house as his since every pack alpha had lived in that house, he wouldn’t force his parents to move. He’d found a small plot of land on the outskirts of town, away from the hustle and bustle of the town and the pack, and had his house built on it. It was a comfortable four-bedroom ranch-style home which he enjoyed coming home to at the end of the night when he closed the bar. One of the bedrooms had been converted into a home office where he could deal with pack business, keeping it separate from the bar. The house itself was homey and inviting and he loved walking in at the end of one of his shifts at the bar to sit on the couch which accommodated his large frame. The home boasted an open-concept living room and kitchen which led out to the fenced-in yard where he let his dogs, Bear, a chocolate Labrador Retriever, and Finn, a red Bullmastiff run and play. He spent as much time outside with the dogs he’s rescued as he could daily before bringing them in to settle down either before he left for work or after he returned and it was time for him to retire to his bedroom for the night. His dogs would curl up at the foot of his oversized bed, wanting to comfort him in his loneliness while he read until he fell asleep. The life he lived was lonely but it was his and he made the most of it. He may not have his mate but he at least had his beloved pups and it was enough for him. It had to be. The sound of knocking on his office door pulled Jared from his thoughts. “Yeah,” he called, lifting his head to watch the door being pushed open to reveal Chad standing on the other side. “Hey,” Chad greeted softly when he saw the state his best friend was in. He wished there was something he could do to take away Jared’s sadness. It hurt to see Jared living such a solitary life and he’d brought it up in the past, trying to encourage Jared to embrace more than the two dogs he’d rescued. There were plenty of available members in the pack that Jared could be with if he chose to. But he also understood the heartbreak Jared was dealing with from being separated from the one he saw as his mate. He’d dealt with it himself years ago when they had been teenagers and Julia had seen Jared as her mate despite Jared being gay when he and his wolf saw her as his mate. It had hurt to see her fawning all over Jared even after Jared had come out to the pack. It wasn’t until Jared had left for college that Julia realized that they were meant to be a mated pair and now they were expecting their first pup. “What’s up, Chad?” Jared wasn’t really in the mood for the pity he saw in his best friend’s eyes. “Just wondering how you’re doing. I saw you run out after that omega.” Chad cocked his head to the side silently questioning what that display had been about. He’d never seen Jared react that way to a stranger. Sure Jared cared about the pack and its members and was always there for the pack, making sure it was thriving, even though his heart was broken, but he wondered if the pack realized how lonely their alpha was. He knew for certain that Jard would kill him if he ever breathed a word to anyone about his loneliness so to see his friend’s reaction had been interesting. “Don’t read anything into it.” “But still…” “Chad, don’t. He was an omega who was upset, that’s all. It’s in my nature as an alpha to want to comfort and protect…” “A pack member but not a complete stranger,” Chad cut in, making sure Jared understood what he was trying to say to him. The only other time Jared had felt that way toward a stranger had been when he’d met Jensen. Jared held up a hand, stopping his best friend from jumping to any conclusions. “It didn’t mean anything.” “Are you sure about that?” “Chad, why don’t you take Julia home?” Jared suggested hoping that would end this useless conversation they were having. He knew Chad meant well, that his best friend wanted only the best for him and wanted to see him happy but there was no way that he would ever truly be happy without his mate and when he’s tried to ask the Clarks about Jensen and how he could contact him, they had politely refused to give him that information. After sending his last text to Jensen telling him he missed him and asking him how he was, the omega’s phone had been turned off and he’d never heard from him again. He’d taken the lack of a response for what it was, Jensen wanted nothing to do with him, and he’d forced himself to figure out how to go on without his mate. Shaking his head, Chad sighed. “Yeah, I should probably do that.” “Hey, thanks for being such a good friend,” Jared said with a hint of a smile as Chad started to close the door. “Best friends for life.” “Best friends for life,” Jared agreed, thankful that he had Chad in his life. Favoring his right leg as he climbed the stairs of the front porch, Jensen stopped to rub at his right thigh, trying to massage the tension out of his muscle. When he felt his muscle relax, he turned back to his SUV, key fob in hand, and clicked the top button locking his vehicle before turning his attention to unlocking the front door and making it inside where he collapsed on the couch, breathing heavily, trying to get his emotions under control. He’d been so stupid to leave the safety of the farmhouse. He should have known that he would have run into Jared in some way. Jared was part of the pack and probably the pack’s alpha after all this time. And Jared had mated and was expecting a pup. That seemed to crush him, leaving him no hope for reconnecting with Jared and sending him into a memory he’d tried to bury. Jensen had tried dating after returning home but it hadn’t worked out for him. He’d tried dating a few humans but his wolf whined in protest, making him feel as if he was not only betraying himself and his body but the alpha he would never mate with. There had been one human he had tried to form a relationship with, Zach, who he’d met in college. He’d been lonely, feeling the ache to connect with someone and belong to that person, and Zach had been friendly to him. They had struck up a conversation over a research paper they were each working on for a shared Literature class. Zach had asked him out for coffee and he’d agreed to meet him as friends. He’d discovered that he enjoyed Zach’s company and let himself believe he was falling in love with the man. They dated for six months before he’d suddenly ended things with Zach out of the blue. One night after a good meal that Zach had cooked and a few beers, he’d tuned out his wolf, and slept with Zach. Their night together had been uncoordinated and painful for him, leaving him feeling hollowed out. To him, being with a human felt wrong. The man wasn’t an alpha and to be more precise the man hadn’t been his alpha. What they had was a night of sex, not a mating where he’d been claimed and a bond was formed between them. After Zach had rolled off him, he’d gotten up, used the shower to wash off the scent Zach had left on his skin, and then dressed. He was about to leave when Zach sat up in bed asking him where he was going. Turning, he looked at Zach and said, “This isn’t going to work out between us.” “Wait, what?” Zach asked in confusion and tossed aside the blanket covering him. “Jensen, did I do something wrong? I know tonight wasn’t my best performance…” He stood up, taking a step toward Jensen. “To be honest, I was a little nervous. It was our first time...” For a moment all Jensen could hear was the whining of his wolf and he knew his wolf wanted to leave. “No, Zach…” He ran a hand through his hair as he tried to figure out what to say to Zach. He couldn’t tell Zach that he was a Were or that he was an omega. He’d kept his status hidden, doing his best to bury it even from himself. He’d turned his back on anything having to do with being a Were and a broken omega since he’d returned home after being attacked. He hardly listened to his wolf, not caring when it howled for their mate. “I… I’m sorry. You’re a great guy, you just deserve better than me. I can’t be what you want. I don’t love you.” He watched Zach stagger backward and sink down onto the bed. “I tried. I really tried. I’m sorry,” were his last words to Zach before walking out of his apartment. After that night, Jensen had thrown himself into his writing. If he couldn’t have the life he wanted he could at least create a world of words he could lose himself in and hoped that if his stories were ever published others would find solace in what he’d created. To his amazement, after graduating college, his stories had been picked up by a small publishing firm. He’d decided to take a chance, emailing a copy of one story to the firm when he’d seen an advertisement that they were interested in unknown authors and willing to work with them in promoting and publishing their stories. His first story had been about a teen being bullied and how the teen had handled the bullying. The firm had seen potential in him and his words and had signed a contract with him working with him to get the story polished, published, and in bookstores. The story entitled Bullied No More had been a hit with preteens and teens facing the same obstacles the teen in his book had. He’d been asked to appear at book signings and despite wanting to remain out of the limelight, he’d agreed, meeting and listening to many who had been touched by the story he’d written under his pseudonym, J. Ross which afforded him some anonymity. He was able to go on with his life, unknown by many since he’d started writing under that name, and refused to allow a picture of himself to be used on the back of his books. As his books and writing gained popularity and a following he’d stopped all book signings, wanting his writing to speak for itself and not rely on having to pander for popularity. Forcing himself out of his memories, Jensen pushed himself to his feet and then climbed the stairs to his old bedroom where he crashed down on the bed. He and stairs had a love/hate relationship ever since his leg had healed. When he wasn’t tired or hurting he didn’t mind climbing stairs but on days when he was stressed or tired it was cumbersome to climb them and that was the reason his home was a one-level ranch without stairs. He already missed being in his home and the feeling of comfort it provided him. The house had an open floor plan where he could see straight through to the backdoor from the front door. He’d painted the walls a soft cream except for his bedroom which he’d painted a soothing blue. He had a small backyard with a covered patio where he had a grill and lawn furniture for when he felt like cooking outside or sitting in the backyard to enjoy a beer. His kitchen had a breakfast island where he ate most of his meals unless he felt like sitting in front of the TV in the living room, making himself comfortable on his oversized couch. But his favorite room in his home was his office where he spent most of his time. The window overlooked the street which didn’t really bother him as far as views went but he loved the room with its cream-colored walls and the dark rich wood desk where he’d sit for hours in his chair writing. He could lose himself for hours in that room, writing, and creating a new world only found in his words. Looking around the room, Jensen noticed that nothing had changed from when he’d stayed with his aunt and uncle. The furniture was still in the same place, the colors were still the same and although the bedding had been updated, it was still in a color that matched the walls. He couldn’t help but chuckle at his observation. Doing his best to get himself comfortable he pulled out his phone and dialed a number he knew by heart, waiting for his call to be picked up. “Hello,” a sleepy voice mumbled into the phone when Christian picked up the call. “Sorry, is it late?” Jensen questioned not realizing the time when he’d decided to call his best friend. He and Christian had maintained their friendship through that last year of high school. He’d feared that Christian would have lost interest in him, especially since his friend’s relationship with Ariel had gotten serious. He’d hadn’t wanted to leave the house unless he’d been going to school and even then it had been hard for him to step foot outside for fear of being harassed by others or worse, attacked as he had been on the pack lands. But Christian had stuck by him, even being his roommate in college, trying to encourage him to let go of the past and make a future for himself. And he’d been there when things between Christian and Ariel had ended, never judging, just offering his unwavering friendship. “No, man, it’s fine,” Christian assured Jensen as he sat up in bed. “It’s just been a long day.” “Yeah? What happened?” “Tina called out sick so I had to pick up her shift,” Christain explained. “That sucks,” Jensen acknowledged knowing how hard his best friend worked as a Paramedic. The job wasn’t easy but knew how much Chrisitan loved it and he was happy that Chrisitan had found his calling. He suspected Christian’s interest in the medical field was a direct result of seeing him suffer through the aftermath of his attack but he’d never come out and asked him. Christian had been there for him every day, taking him to his rehab appointments, helping him, through the worst of the pain, coaching him when he’d wanted to give up. “Tell me about it. I’ve already worked two doubles and then that happened,” Christian tried to bite back his yawn but failed. “But, hey, the extra pay will be great.” “Yeah, if you’re able to stay awake to enjoy it. Do you want me to let you go? We can talk another day when you’re not so tired,” Jensen offered, chewing on his bottom lip. While he really wanted to talk to Christian he wasn’t about to push. His problems could wait; Christian needing sleep came first. “No, it’s fine. So spill it. What’s it like being back there?” Chrisitan knew what Jensen had been through and how it had affected his best friend. It had taken a few months for Jensen to heal physically but he suspected that his best friend had never really recovered from the attack. How could Jensen? He’d been hurt beyond what he could fathom. Jensen had met an alpha he had hoped would be his mate, felt a pull toward, and then had been separated from. He’d had his first kiss with Jared, fallen for the young alpha, and then had been attacked because someone in the pack had seen him as a threat. And, after that, after suffering broken bones and having surgery, Jensen had been dealt an unbelievable blow, having been given medication only intended to be used on humans. That had been the hardest thing for Jensen to deal with, that fact that he’d been left barren when as an omega he’d been dreaming of carrying his alpha’s pups. Jensen put on a brave face in front of others but he knew that his best friend had never recovered from that. Hell, Jensen never left his house unless he had to. He’d only dated one person in college, a human, and Jensen had ended that. When he’d pressed Jensen for answers as to why, his friend had simply told him he was better off alone, that he had nothing to offer a human or a Were. His heart broke for his best friend and now, Jensen was back in Devonshire dealing with the pain of his past. It was enough to bring him to his knees and he had no idea how Jensen was managing to navigate through things. And to make matters worse, one night while they’d been in their dorm room, Jensen had finally confided in him, admitting that he had known who his attackers were but had remained silent on the subject when the sheriff had questioned him. He’d been so angry with Jensen for keeping that information to himself. “Why the hell didn’t you tell anyone?” he’d demanded. “Because they were Jared’s friends.” Jensen’s voice had been a whisper when he answered Chrisitan’s question. “So what? Fuck him and fuck his friends!” “I… I couldn’t… I couldn’t tell anyone it was Julia. They would have blamed Jared. I didn’t want to cause him any trouble. He was already dealing with so much…” At that moment, Christian realized that Jensen was in love with Jared. Jensen was still in love with the alpha he’d met and all he could do was rein in his anger. But he swore to himself that if he ever came face to face with the alpha, he’d punch the son of a bitch in the face. The sound of his friend crying pulled him from his thoughts. “Jensen, talk to me,” he implored, wanting to comfort his best friend. “I saw him…” A sob tore from Jensen’s chest as he said the words. “He’s mated to… They’re expecting a pup.” “Jensen…” Christian had no words of comfort for his best friend. How could he comfort him? What could he say that would erase the pain Jensen was feeling? He had always suspected that Jensen was in love with Jared despite what had happened. He’d done some research about Weres and mating, discovering that Weres mated for life and once a Were found their mate there was no one else for them. Jensen saw Jared as his mate and now, seeing Jared with someone else, it was as if Jensen’s heart had been ripped out of his chest. “He… he looked so happy…” Jensen choked out in between his tears. “Fuck this, come home.” “Christian…” “No, come home. You can sell the farm and the house and everything that goes with it from here. You don’t need to be there.” Sitting so his back was against the headboard with his knees drawn up against his chest Jensen sighed heavily. “I can’t. I need to make sure that if I do sell the farm it stays within the pack. It’s still a working farm and people in the pack depend on it for a living.” “So what! What the fuck has the pack done for you?” Christian demanded hotly and then took a steadying breath, reminding himself that Jensen was sensitive and would only feed off his anger. “Do you want me to come out there because I will?” “No… no…” Jensen sucked in a watery breath. “I’ll be okay. It just… it just hit me hard seeing him. I wasn’t expecting that or who he took as his mate. Tomorrow I’m gonna meet with the guy who’s been running the farm in my uncle’s place and then I’m gonna see what’s what in the house. I’ll probably pack up anything I want to take with me. I’ll most likely sell the place fully furnished. It’s not like it’ll fit in my place. My aunt and uncle took what they wanted when they moved so there shouldn’t be too much for me to sift through.” “Still…” Christian hesitated, trying to find the right words. “Still, I don’t think you should do this alone. I don’t like it, especially since you ran into him…” “Technically I only saw him.” Jensen sniffed, wiping at his eyes. “I think he owns the bar or at least works there. I stopped in for a beer and he was tending bar. When I saw… him… with his mate… I got the hell outta there.” Christian laughed. “So, you hit it head-on.” He knew Jensen wasn’t one for confrontation, preferring to remove himself from a tense situation whenever possible. It was probably the main reason why Jensen was a writer and worked from home. That way, Jensen never had to deal with people unless it was on his own terms. “Yeah, like I always do. Hey, thanks for always being there for me.” “That’s what best friends are for. I’m always just a phone call away and if you need me to come out I will.” “Thanks but I think it’s something I’ve gotta do on my own. Closure and all that shit.” “Yeah, I get it. But just for the record, I think it’s a bunch of bullshit, you feeling like you have to do this on your own. Still, call me…” Chrisitan let his words hang in the air, knowing that Jensen understood what he was implying. Call me if you need me. Call me if you’re hurting. Just call me. “I will. Go get some sleep. I’ll talk to you later.” “G’night,” Christian mumbled as he hung up. Goodnight. Jensen was pretty sure he wouldn’t be having a good night or a good anything while he was in Devonshire he thought to himself before he drifted off to sleep.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Jensen was awakened by the sun streaming through the window hitting him in the face. Groaning he rolled trying to get a few more minutes of precious sleep which seemed to elude him. With a heavy sigh, he sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed and then pushed himself to his feet. He grimaced at the pain that shot through his right leg, careful not to put too much pressure on it as he made his way to the bathroom. He let the water heat in the shower as he stripped out of his clothes from last night and then dropped his right hand down to massage his thigh, his fingers running over the scar. It was just another reminder of his time in Devonshire. Pushing aside the shower curtain he stepped under the hot water, letting it rain down on his shoulders, feeling the heat work to lessen the tension in his muscles. Once he was showered and dressed, he made his way downstairs to the kitchen to see what his aunt had left for him in the way of supplies. She’d told him she would leave the kitchen stocked so he wouldn’t have to go into town right away. He appreciated her thoughtfulness but still hated the idea that she and his uncle hadn’t just sold the place rather than giving it to him. It would have been so much easier for him if they had but he suspected that his family was hoping he’d have a change of heart, fall in love with Devonshire and the farm, and decide to keep it, moving there to live out the rest of his days with the pack. That wasn’t happening. He’d told his family that he had no desire to uproot his life. He was happy with it the way it was. “Jensen, just see what happens,” Donna advised when they’d last spoken. “Mom, there’s nothing for me there. Why didn’t they just sell the farm?” “Sweetheart, the farm has been in your uncle’s family for generations. They wanted you to carry on with it. They want it to remain in the family…” “But I’m probably gonna end up selling it,” Jensen countered back wondering why his family couldn’t wrap their heads around the fact that he wanted nothing to do with Devonshire or the pack. “Please…” Donna started to say. “Just go and see how it feels being back there. You might be surprised. You might end up loving it.” Jensen scoffed at that. “I doubt it.” “Then if you feel that way after being there, sell the farm but make sure it’s to someone in the pack. Don’t take that away from them. There are people who depend on the farm for their livelihood.” “Yeah, okay. I can at least do that when I sell it.” Jensen could still hear the disappointment in his mother’s voice when he recalled that conversation. He hated disappointing his parents but he also needed to follow his heart. He deserved to be happy. He would never have a mate or pups of his own and living in Devonshire, being around the pack, seeing alphas with their happy mates and their pups would be a constant reminder of what had been taken from him. He could put himself through that. He wouldn’t because if he did, he’d only end up heartbroken all over again and he knew this time he would recover from that. He was barely surviving as it was. Everything in him screamed for a mate of his own. He was the one who had to listen to his wolf howl in sorrow whenever they encountered a happy couple, especially when that couple had a baby with them. He did his best to soothe himself and his wolf, to lessen the ache in his chest as best as he could. It was the reason why he never left his home unless he absolutely had to. Why didn’t his own mother understand that? Pushing that thought aside he pulled open the refrigerator, grabbed the loaf of bread and butter, and set about making himself a few pieces of toast, washing it down with a cup of black coffee. After cleaning up the kitchen, he walked out the backdoor and made his way down to the main building of the farm in search of the farmhand in charge. Knocking on the door of the small office located in the large barn which still housed most of the farming equipment, he waited for the man sitting at the desk to acknowledge him. When the man looked up from the papers he’d been going through on the desk he offered him a tight smile, unsure of how his presence would be perceived. He was pretty sure most of those working on the farm were aware of his intentions to sell the place, just not that he did intend to sell it only to someone within the pack who promised to keep it running and provide a livelihood for those dependent on the farm and the income it generated. “Morning,” he said when he met the man’s dark eyes. He had a vague recollection that he’d met the man, an alpha, years ago. His eyes raked over the man sitting in the chair waiting for the man to say something to him, watching while the man slapped the paperwork down with an irritated look thrown at him before he pulled himself to his feet. “Morning,” the alpha grumbled and then crossed his arms over his wide chest taking in the sight of the newcomer. “So, you’re the new owner of the farm.” It wasn’t a question or a statement that did little to hide his obvious contempt for the man standing in his office. “Yeah, I am… for the time being anyway,” Jensen acknowledged, and then he was hit with a blast of angry alpha pheromones causing him to cough and choke. “Right,” the alpha agreed, pursing his lips. Stepping out from behind the desk he didn’t bother to hide that he was scenting the air. “I’m Carl. I’ve been working on this farm since I was a kid. The Clarks are good people. Always took care of their own. And now there’s you…” Jensen’s eyes widened and he did his best to hide the fact that he’d met the alpha years ago. Back then the alpha had blatantly scented him as he’d just done and now he was thankful that he’d decided on wearing a scent blocker which made it difficult for an alpha to distinguish his scent from that of a beta’s. “Look, I get it. You’re not happy I’m here or that I own the farm now. Neither am I.” Rubbing a hand across the back of his neck he met the alpha’s steely look with one of his own. He was determined not to let this alpha intimidate him. “So, why don’t we put the bullshit aside and get down to business?” Carl wasn’t able to hide his look of astonishment at the man’s words. “Well, you got a set of brass ones, don’t you? So, what’s your name?” he asked, extending his hand to the man standing in front of him. Jensen shook the offered hand. “Jensen,” he said, waiting to see if Carl would say anything about possibly recognizing him. He didn’t think the alpha would since he’d changed over the past ten years and they hadn’t really known each other back then. “Well, what do you want to know?” Carl asked, stepping aside so Jensen could sit down at the desk where he’d been sitting. “No, please, that’s your desk,” Jensen acknowledged, taking the seat in front of the desk. “Why don’t we start with how you’ve been running things since the Clarks left. Tell me the ins and outs of the daily operations of running the farm, what it takes to maintain it, and its profit margin.” “Down to brass tacks, huh?” “I don’t see a reason to screw around and waste either of our time.” “Are you really planning on selling this place?” Carl finally asked. “Probably. What did the Clarks tell you about me?” Jensen questioned, wondering what his aunt and uncle might have said to those working on the farm and possibly anyone in town. “Not much, just that you now owned the farm now and that it was yours to do with as you pleased.” “That it is,” Jensen admitted. “Right,” Carl grumbled and then pulled the information Jensen had requested, turning the monitor so they both had access to it. Several hours later, after reviewing the financial information and touring the farm, Jensen made his way back up to the house, stopping in his tracks when he saw a familiar truck parked next to his and a man he hadn’t been expecting to see casually sitting on the steps of the front porch. “What are you doing here?” Standing up and brushing himself off, Christian flashed Jensen a mischievous grin. “Now is that any way to greet your best friend?” he asked, making his way over to Jensen and pulling him into a hug. “How are you doing?” “Christian, you didn’t have to…” “The fuck I didn’t.” Christian slung his arm around Jensen’s shoulder, giving him another squeeze before letting him go. “So, this is the farm, huh?” “Yeah…” Jensen started to say and then stopped when he saw a small suitcase next to the front door. “Christian, you don’t have to stay.” “Nah, it’s fine.” “What about work?” “I had a few days off coming to me. I called in a favor and got a few people to cover my shifts, packed a few things, and here I am. I gotta say, it is pretty around here from what I’ve seen.” “Yeah?” Jensen questioned, tilting his head as he regarded his best friend wondering where Christain had been and how long he’d been in town. A wide smile spread across Christain’s face. He knew what Jensen was asking without actually coming out and saying anything to him. “I stopped at a diner in town and grabbed a bite to eat. Met the owner, MaryAnne.” He saw the concerned look on Jensen’s face and rushed to say, “Don’t worry. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t tell her you were here or why I was in town. I just told her I was passing through and stopped since I was hungry. There’s nothing to worry about and no, before you ask, I didn’t go searching for Jared. Even though I’d like to…” “Christian…” Jensen said in warning knowing how protective his best friend could be over him. He appreciated it and he loved Christian for it but there was no way his best friend could ever solve all his problems or find him a mate that would want a broken omega. “Don’t worry. I got your message loud and clear last night. I’m not gonna get involved. I’m just here for support… If you need it. But just to be clear, you’re a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for.” “Yeah…” Jensen responded. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince Christian or himself of how strong he really was. He definitely didn’t feel it at times. “Come on,” he said, turning away from his friend and making his way over to the front door. “I’ll show you around.” Unlocking the door, he grabbed the suitcase and led Christian inside. “This really is a sweet place,” Christian announced after Jensen had given him the grand tour. He watched Jensen for his reaction while Jensen puttered around the kitchen making them something to eat. “Are you sure you don’t really want to keep it? Maybe use it as a summer place?” he suggested when Jensen remained quiet. Turning from the stove with a plate in each hand, Jensen stopped and stared at Christian trying to figure out if his friend was screwing with him. “No,” he stated flatly and then placed a plate filled with spaghetti in front of Christian before taking a seat and starting to eat. Once dinner had been cleared and the kitchen picked up, he got Christian settled in the spare bedroom before turning in for the night. He lay there in the darkened room staring up at the ceiling wondering what his life might have been like if he’d reached out to Jared after he’d returned home but he hadn’t. He’d been too consumed with his own pain and trying to heal so he could build some type of life for himself. Seeing Jared with a mate, a female mate, in fact, had hurt in a way he’d never expected. He had known all along that Jared would never really want him but coming face to face with that fact had opened old wounds he’d thought were long healed. As he lay in bed, he wondered how he was going to mend his broken heart. He’d stupidly held out hope that someday he’d see Jared and the alpha would take one look at him and want him as his mate. Now he knew he had to let go of that dream and let go of any thought of ever being Jared’s mate. Rolling onto his side, he wondered what tomorrow would bring as he drifted off to sleep. When Jensen woke, at first he wasn’t sure where he was until the fog of sleep cleared his brain and his surroundings became familiar he felt the crushing weight of where he was, back in Devonshire, hit him. His first instinct was to sink back down in the bed, pull the covers over his head, and wait for the day to pass him by. Knowing that he didn’t have the option to remain hidden in the bedroom, he forced himself up from bed and made his way into the bathroom where he stepped into the shower hoping the warm water would wash away the tension he was carrying in his shoulders and the anxiety coursing through his body. Once dressed in a blue and tan flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a pair of dark blue jeans, and a pair of hiking boots, Jensen made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen where he found Christian sitting with a cup of freshly brewed coffee. “Any of that left for me?” He jutted his chin toward the cup in his friend’s hand, eyeing it with envy. Seeing the dark look in Jensen’s eyes, Christian chuckled, remembering his friend’s love affair with the bitter-tasting dark liquid. “Maybe,” he taunted and then pointed to the carafe sitting on the counter which contained the remains of the coffee he’d brewed earlier. “Do you want anything to eat?” “Nah, I’m good,” Jensen assured Christian once he had a cup poured and was sitting across from him. “I’m not really hungry.” He looked over at his friend to see Christian eyeing him with a worried look. “Did you eat breakfast?” “Made some toast and eggs. Are you sure you’re not hungry? You should eat something,” Christian suggested. “Mom, I’m fine,” Jensen countered with a roll of his eyes. He knew his friend meant well but he just didn’t have an appetite and he wasn’t about to force himself into eating only so he’d end up feeling sick afterward. “Fine,” Christian knew better than to push Jensen. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?” Jensen shrugged. “I guess I should probably go through the house, see what’s worth keeping, what I can donate, and what I want to leave when I put the place up for sale.” “So, you’re really gonna go through will selling the place?” Jensen shrugged again, feeling uncertainty creeping up his spine. He had mixed emotions about selling the place, knowing that his aunt and uncle had given it to him with the hope of him moving here and becoming part of the pack. Hell, his own mother had encouraged that as well. His father had been another story. “Son, I think what you need to do is sell the place. I’d burn it and the damn town to the ground,” Alan said, his eyes dark with anger as he recalled how his son had been attacked in Devonshire. He’d hoped that by sending Jensen to his mate’s pack lands, Jensen would find a mate and the desire to be part of a pack. He’d wanted that for his only child remembering his time growing up in the small pack he’d been raised in. If he’d had the chance, he would have sent Jensen to his pack for the summer but most of them had moved on, joining larger packs for protection from the encroaching humans. Not all Weres were thrilled with humans knowing of their existence or mingling with humans. A pack offered protection and family and many still wanted that for themselves, wanting to carry on the tradition of pack life. Now, all he did was regret his decision to send Jensen to Devonshire. It had been the worst mistake of his life and Jensen had paid the price for that decision. He should have left well enough alone, given in to when Jensen had voiced his desire to remain at home for the summer instead of sending him off to a place where his son had been attacked. “Just sell it and move on with your life.” “Jensen?” Christian called, seeing that his friend was staring off into space. “Yo, you in there?” Jensen shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. “Sorry.” He gave his friend a sheepish grin at having been caught lost in his thoughts, wondering if his father had the right idea in mind, for him to sell the place and move on or if his mother, aunt and uncle were the wiser ones, wanting him to return, live on the pack lands, become part of the pack, and finally heal. He was just so confused. And seeing Jared and his pregnant mate hadn’t helped him in figuring things out in the least. Maybe a day of walking the farm and poking through the house might help him figure things out. It couldn’t hurt, he surmised to himself as he drank the last of his coffee. “Hey, how about we walk the farm first,” he suggested, feeling the need for some fresh air, hoping that would clear his head and help him to decide on what was best for him. “Sounds like a plan,” Christian agreed and then placed his cup in the sink and then went to change out of his old band t-shirt and sleep pants and into a green button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, a pair of jeans and boots. “Okay, I’m ready whenever you are,” he called as he approached the kitchen to find Jensen washing down the kitchen table. He smiled and chuckled softly at his friend and Jensen’s need to make sure that everything was clean and in its place. He’d asked Jensen about it one time and to his amazement, his friend had explained that it was an omega trait. Omegas were known for being caregivers and they felt an overwhelming need to make sure things were cared for to make their mate’s life easier. Even though Jensen didn’t have a mate of his own, he still felt the pull to care for those around him, and kept his home neat and orderly. He’d seen that first-hand when they’d roomed together in college. He’d leave their room in disarray only to return to find that Jensen had taken the time to pick it up and put the room back together. It wasn’t that he took advantage of Jensen’s need to keep things orderly, he was more of a free spirit and figured he’d get around to picking up after himself eventually. “Coming,” Jensen responded once he’d finished cleaning the table and wiped his hands. Leading Christian out the backdoor, he walked his friend past the chicken coop. “I used to take care of the chickens. That summer… I offered to help out. I didn’t want to be a burden to my aunt and uncle,” he explained with a sad smile on his face as he recalled those summer days. “I’d collect the eggs and store them so they could be sold.” “Interesting,” Christian commented. “I had no idea you were turning into a farm boy.” He knocked his left shoulder into Jensen’s arm, urging him to tell him more. “Yeah, it was… it was nice to be helping out…” Jensen said and then led them past the chicken that rushed up to the fence clucking at them for attention. “The rest of the farm is this way.” He walked Christian down to the main building, showing him where the equipment was kept. “Mornin’,” Carl greeted when he saw Jensen and a man he hadn’t met before looking around. “Morning.” Jensen jutted his chin in Carl’s direction. “Morning,” Christian greeted, offering the older man his hand. “So, are you thinking of buying the place?” Carl asked warily, eyeing the man and scenting that he was human. “No. This is my best friend Christian. He’s just visiting,” he explained, hoping to calm the agitated alpha. “I’m just giving him a tour of the place.” “Hmmm, well, the cows are out in pasture one. I can radio Chad and let him know to meet you if you’d like.” At hearing the mention of Chad’s name, Jensen rushed to say, “No, that’s okay. We don’t want to disturb anyone while they’re working. I think we can find our way around on the farm.” “A few of the men are out in field two pulling up the vegetables that are ready for harvesting if you want to stop there and take a look.” “Thanks,” Jensen acknowledged and then led Christian out of the building. “So, he seemed pleasant,” Christian commented, causing them both to laugh. “Yeah, he’s always been that way.” “Wait, you know him? Does he…” “Remember me?” Jensen shook his head. “No, he doesn’t have a clue who I am or that I’m an omega. I wore a scent blocker yesterday and today, with you around, all anyone will pick up on is the scent of a human.” “Gee, thanks, I think.” A wide smile appeared on Jensen’s face at Christian’s reaction. “So, you haven’t run into anyone else?” “Not really, and I’d like to keep it that way. We’ll stay clear of the cows. Chad is or at least was best friends with…” Jensen felt his throat closing at just the idea of saying Jared’s name. “We don’t have to do this,” Christian suggested after seeing Jensen’s distress. “No… no, it’s… I’ve gotta do this. I need to know that whatever my decision is, it’s the right one for me and the pack.” “Why do you care so much about the pack? It’s not like you’re a pack member.” Jensen shrugged. “I… I just do. I can’t explain it. I just feel that I have to be sure about what I’m doing…” “Yeah, I guess I understand. You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t care about it. Just know that I’ll back you in whatever your decision is.” “Thanks,” Jensen said as they continued to walk the farm, a comfortable silence forming between them. “Well, this place, the farm itself is huge,” Christian commented as he made his way up the steps of the back porch, stopping by the backdoor when Jensen didn’t answer him. Turning, he saw that Jensen had stopped at the bottom of the stairs, his left hand was on the banister, and his right hand against his thigh and he looked like he was in pain. “Are you okay?” “Yeah, just give me a moment,” Jensen responded in a tight voice, his right hand rubbing at his jean-clad thigh. The walk had caused the muscle in his thigh to start throbbing and he knew trying to navigate the stairs would be painful if he didn’t get the muscle to relax. “You don’t look okay. Here, lean on me,” Christian told Jensen as he climbed down the stairs to offer his assistance. He’d helped Jensen navigate stairs on more than one occasion and while he knew his friend could make it on his own despite the pain it would cause, he saw no reason not to exacerbate the situation. “Thanks,” Jensen grunted, letting Christian take his weight and help him up the stairs, inside, and over to one of the kitchen chairs where he sat, gulping in air as pain shot through his leg. “How bad is it? And don’t lie,” Christian warned as he pulled up a chair next to Jensen and felt along his friend’s thigh, watching him wince in pain. “I’ll be fine.” “That’s not what I asked.” “Fine, the pain’s about a seven. It was a ten earlier, so it’s getting better.” “Why the hell didn’t you say anything?” Christian demanded, giving Jensen a dark look. “I didn’t think it would be this bad. There was only a little flair up yesterday, so I thought I’d be fine,” Jensen groused, feeling as if Christian was reprimanding him. “And you should have been more careful. After walking the farm yesterday, you should have realized your leg would be tender today and we could have foregone the trek we just made,” Christian admonished and then started to massage Jensen’s thigh, doing his best to manipulate the sore muscle. He’d learned how to do this for his best friend years ago. Jensen’s leg would be tender after his physical therapy sessions and he’d been shown by Jensen’s mom how to help the muscle relax so it wouldn’t bother him as much while he’d been recovering. Most days, Jensen was fine but when there was extensive walking or a lot of stairs for him to climb, his leg would give him trouble. And just as he’d kept his pain to himself today, Jensen would bear the pain shooting through his leg silently until he could no longer hide the agony he was in. Jensen could feel his tight and sore muscle being manipulated under Christain’s fingers and the pain starting to slowly ebb away. Sitting back in the chair, he let his head fall backward and his eyes slip closed, enjoying the feeling of someone else doing this for him. “Thanks,” he said when Christian had finished and the pain had subsided to a barely-there ache. “Don’t pull that shit again,” Christian warned. “And, I don’t want you trying to climb those stairs for a while.” Raising his head, Jensen cracked his eyes open, green slivers looking over a Christian. “I’m not an invalid.” “Who’s the medical professional here? Me, or you?” “You,” Jensen grumbled, sinking lower in his chair, staring down at his right thigh with murderous intent. He’d known he’d been pushing his luck, but he’d hoped that Christian wouldn’t have noticed that he was in pain. “That’s right.” Christian shot him a cheeky grin before pushing to his feet and getting Jensen a glass of water. “Drink this. You need to hydrate.” He stood over Jensen, not moving until Jensen picked up the glass and took a few sips, only moving away from his friend when there was a knock at the door. “Are you expecting anyone?” Jensen scrunched his face up and shook his head. “No, of course not.” He started to move to get up so he could answer the door but stopped when Christian motioned for him to remain seated. “I’ll get it,” Christian said and then disappeared from the kitchen to make his way to the front door, pulling it open to see a tall, well-built man with chestnut-colored hair and a hesitant smile on his face standing on the porch. “Can I help you?” Hearing that the new owner of the Clark’s farm was considering selling it, Jared had put together a generous offer to present to the person. He wanted to keep the farm and farmland in the pack and he was prepared to take ownership of it. While he didn’t know the first thing about running a farm, he was sure with Chad’s help he’d be able to figure it out. He owned On Tap and his bar was successful, he just hoped he’d be a successful farm owner as well. He didn’t want to let down his pack and have to tell some of his pack members that as their pack alpha he hadn’t been able to purchase the farm and secure the jobs of those employed by the farm. With a heavy sigh, Jared closed the door to his truck and then looked up at the farmhouse remembering the last time he’d been here. His heart hammered in his chest at just the thought of Jensen and how the omega had been attacked and hurt. The severity of Jensen’s injuries had been kept from him in the beginning but he’d eventually learned that Jensen had been out at their spot late at night and had been attacked and left to find help for himself when he and his parents had shown up at the hospital. He’d never found out what Jensen had been doing there that night or why he’d gone there alone. Whoever had attacked Jensen had to have followed him out there and he had his suspicions as to who it had been but he’d never been able to prove it and Jensen had never identified his attacker or attackers as far as he knew. It had still hurt to know that when he’d tried to see Jensen at the hospital, the omega refused to see him, and then Jensen had left the hospital. He’d come out to the Clark’s to check on Jensen hoping he’d be able to see him only to find out that Jensen’s parents had taken him home to recover and he’d never seen the omega again. Wanting to comfort the omega, his wolf had howled in sorrow at being separated from Jensen and he’d felt an emptiness he’d never felt before and still felt it now. Somehow in the short time they’d known each other, Jensen had made an impact on him and he’d realized too late that Jensen was meant to be his mate. Exhaling a shaky breath, Jared forced those memories down and ran his fingers through his hair, hoping to make himself look presentable. He wasn’t sure how his presence would be perceived but after speaking with Carl, he at least knew the new owner of the farm was male and was on the fence about selling. Maybe, if he was lucky, he could persuade the man to sell him the farm. Now, all he had to do was get the courage to walk up to the front door, knock on it, introduce himself, and charm the pants off the current owner. Of course, it would have helped if Carl could have remembered the owner's name but the alpha had admitted that when he’d met the man yesterday he hadn’t been paying too much attention when introductions were being made. With that in mind, he forced one foot in front of the other until he was standing on the porch in front of the door. Before his courage failed him he raised his arm, curled his hand into a fist, and knocked on the door, waiting until someone answered it. “Hey… Ah… Hi, I’m here to speak to the new owner of the Clark farm. I’m the Devonshire pack’s alpha…” he started to say but was cut off by the man who’d opened the door. “Yeah, hold on, ‘cause that ain’t me,” Christian announced, motioning for the stranger to enter, and then turned toward the kitchen, ready to call out to Jensen when his friend appeared, took one look at the man he’d allowed in, and had gone ashen. “Jensen…” “Jar… Jared…” Jensen stammered when he stepped out of the kitchen to see who Christian was speaking to. “Jared?” Christian repeated and then turned back to the man, his features contorted in anger, curled his right hand into a fist, and slammed it into Jared’s jaw. “You’ve got some fucking nerve showing up here!” he bellowed. Jared stumbled backward from the blow to his jaw, his back slamming into the doorframe from losing his footing. “What the…” he managed to say, but was cut off by the ranting of the man who’d hit him. “I’m gonna kill you! I don’t give a shit if you’re an alpha or not! You fucking son of a bitch!” Chris charged at Jared despite Jensen calling his name. “Christian!” Jensen called out, alarmed at his friend’s behavior. He’d never seen Christian so enraged or watched as his friend attacked another person. Jared did his best to block the next blow aimed at him by the human, grabbing Christian’s wrist and then pushing him back and out of his reach before he took a swing at the man. “What the hell is going on here!” he bellowed. He looked at the person named Jensen, his nostrils flaring and he caught the scent of scared omega. He studied the green-eyed man standing in front of him. The man was vaguely familiar to him but he couldn’t recall seeing him before. Forcing his attention back on to the man named Christian, he growled low in his throat at him, issuing him a warning to back down because if this human started a fight with him, it wouldn’t end well for Christian. “Christian…” Jensen called out fearfully when he heard Jared growling. He knew there was no way his friend would survive a fight with an angered alpha, especially one built like Jared. “No, Jensen. This piece of shit shows up here like nothing’s happened…” “What are you even talking about? I don’t even know either of you!” “Oh, yeah? So, you’re gonna deny knowing Jensen?” “I’ve never met…” Jared stopped speaking and scented the air again. Under the stench of anger the human was giving off was the scent of sweetness the omega was giving off, one that was familiar to him, which had his wolf howling one word over and over again, Mate, and there was only one man, one omega that was his mate. No, it couldn’t be, could it? “JR?” he whispered in disbelief as he stood staring at the man called Jensen. He didn’t have time to marvel at how Jensen looked now. How his green eyes were even more vibrant without his glasses or the fact that he was no longer the pudgy sixteen-year-old he’d met that summer. All he knew was that he was standing in the same room with Jensen after all these years of being separated from the one he saw as his mate. His mate was only a few feet yet Jensen may as well have been miles away for the way Christian was standing between them. Christian stepped protectively in front of Jensen when Jared realized who was standing in front of him. Reaching out, Jensen placed his right hand on Christian’s shoulder in an attempt to calm his friend down before he did something he’d regret. Looking past the human standing in front of the omega he’d thought he’d never see again, Jared took a step forward, reaching out to Jensen. “JR… Jensen,” he corrected, meeting the green eyes that had haunted his dreams, the ones he’d thought he’d never see again. “Fuck off,” Christian yelled, shrugging off Jensen’s hand on his shoulder. “No, you don’t get to come in here acting as if you're innocent.” He shook his head, shooting Jared a disgusted look. “You’re the cause of all Jensen’s pain and I’ll be damned if I let you anywhere near him. You let him get hurt. Hell, you were probably in on it when your friends and that bitch mate of yours attacked Jensen. Turn the fuck around and walk outta here. Go back to your mate and forget about ever seeing Jensen.” “My mate…” The realization that Jensen had been the mysterious omega from the bar the other night hit Jared and he shook his head. “No… Jensen…” he started, wanting to set the record straight that he didn’t have a mate because the person he saw as his mate was Jensen. He took another hesitant step toward Jensen but stopped when he was hit with the acrid scent of fear, anger, longing, and hurt mixed together that was rolling off of Jensen in waves. Despite his wolf demanding he go to the omega standing only a few feet away from him and claim Jensen, he didn’t. Sensing that Jensen was just as confused as he was, he figured the only thing he could do was give Jensen time and he needed to get to the bottom of what Christian had just said to him. Throwing his hands up, he admitted defeat for the moment. “I own the bar… On Tap if you want to stop in…” Christian scoffed at Jared’s suggestion. There was no way he was going to let Jensen open himself up to more heartbreak by letting him willingly step foot in the bar Jared owned. If he had his way, he’d take Jensen home to Meridian and make sure that Jensen never looked back. “Or, you can ask Carl or anyone else in town how to get in touch with me. Maybe… maybe we can talk,” Jared offered, hoping Jensen would take him up on the offer. He certainly wasn’t going to let Jensen’s friend stop him from seeing Jensen again. When he didn’t receive an answer from Jensen, he decided to leave, letting his offer stand as an open invitation. Stepping forward, Christian watched as Jared got into his truck and drove away before turning around to address Jensen. “Can you believe that guy? Showing up here and…” He stopped speaking when he saw the look on Jensen’s face, the one of disbelief over everything that had happened. “Why?” Jensen questioned as he tried to wrap his mind around everything. Jared had shown up looking to speak to the owner of the farm unaware that he was the owner. Christian had punched Jared in the face and had threatened the alpha. And then Jared had offered to talk before he’d left. Jared had left. He was stuck on that, that the alpha had left. “Why what?” “Why did you act that way? Why did you punch him? Jared’s an alpha.” “Yeah, so what?” “So what? He could have hurt you or even killed you. Christian, you issued him a challenge! You need to leave before he decides he wants to fight you…” “So, he’s an alpha…” “Christian, he’s not just an alpha, he’s the pack’s alpha. This is bad, this is very bad.” “Jensen, I did what any best friend would do.” “No, Christian, you don’t understand. You challenged an alpha. Jared’s within his rights to banish you from the pack lands if you’re lucky or to fight you and you’re human. You won’t survive the fight. You need to leave… Or apologize. Maybe if you tell him you had no idea that you challenged him, that you didn’t understand what you were doing, he’ll let it go…” “Hold on,” Christian said, throwing his hands up while he tried to make sense of what Jensen was saying to him. “You want me to apologize to him?” Was he hearing Jensen right? Seeing the fear in his friend's eyes, he realized he didn't understand that he may have created a situation he couldn’t get himself out of. He hadn’t meant to cause trouble; he’d just seen red when he’d realized who the man was standing in front of him. “Come on, get off that leg.” He motioned for Jensen to sit on the couch. “Listen, I didn’t know… Pack rules, life, whatever you call it. He’ll probably figure I’m some dumb human and let it go.” Sitting on the couch, Jensen shot Christian a doubtful look. “Yeah, maybe.” “Look, if he comes here again I’ll be on my best behavior and even apologize if that’s what it’ll take to smooth things over. Right now, I want you to get some rest while I make us something for dinner since we missed lunch.” Christian helped Jensen get comfortable on the couch, removed his boots, and then made his way into the kitchen where rummaged around, pulling out fresh vegetables and bread. In the cabinet, he found several cans of soup and grabbed a couple to add to what he had decided to make for dinner, foregoing trying to defrost the meat in the freezer. When he’d finished putting the salad together and warmed the soup, he stepped into the living room to find Jensen dozing on the couch, gently shaking Jensen awake and leading him into the kitchen. “Thanks,” Jensen said in a groggy voice as he sat down at the kitchen table. “Since when do you cook?” he teased, knowing that Christian preferred to grill rather than cook. “Very funny,” Chrisitan groused and then motioned for Jensen to start eating. When they’d finished eating, with Christian’s help, Jensen cleaned the kitchen and then made the climb upstairs. Once he’d changed into his t-shirt and sleep pants, he climbed into bed and turned on the TV, listening rather than watching what was playing until he’d fallen asleep. Christian waited until he was sure Jensen had fallen asleep before he let himself out and made the drive into town, stopping at the bar Jared owned. After thinking about what his friend had told him, he felt the need to set the record straight with Jared and he wanted to do that without Jensen around to worry about what he’d do or say. With his shoulders set and his head held high, he walked into On Tap, his blue eyes searching for and finding the alpha he had been looking for.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
After leaving the farm, Jared had driven around for a while, not knowing what to do. JR, no Jensen, was back. His mate was back but hadn’t seemed pleased to see him, making him wonder if the human who’d first greeted him was somehow mated to Jensen. No, he didn’t get that feeling from them, and Jensen’s scent didn’t hint at him being mated in any way. Which begged the question, why had the human acted that way? Then realization had hit him and he recalled Jensen mentioning his best friend, Christian. The human had to be Jensen’s best friend from childhood. That would make the most sense as to why he’d been so protective over Jensen. What didn’t make sense was Christian blaming him for Jensen’s attack and injuries. Christian had even gone so far as to accuse him of being involved which was ludicrous. There would never be an instant where he’d hurt Jensen or another pack member. He’d even done his best to refrain from hitting back despite his wolf’s reaction, demanding that he respond in kind when Christian had punched him. It had been hard not to curl his hands into fists and hit back. It had taken everything in him not to rise to the challenge Christian had issued him but knowing Jensen’s friend was human, Christian probably hadn’t realized what he’d done. He was willing to let that slide this one time but if it happened again, he would be well within his right to accept the challenge, and he would. He wasn’t just an alpha, he was the pack’s alpha and he wouldn’t stand for treatment such as that from a pack member or an outsider. By the time Jared had gotten his thoughts in order, he’d realized he needed to get to the bar and open it so his staff could get the place ready for the night. With the bar open and the place filled with pack members looking to relax, have a drink, grab a bite to eat, or play a game of pool or darts, he hadn’t had a chance to call Chad as he’d intended to. Now that his thoughts weren’t so scattered, he’d wanted to speak to his best friend about seeing Jensen again and what had transpired between them. Plastering a smile on his face, he’d greeted several pack members, listening to them as they talked about their day and their concerns over the possibility of the Clark’s farm being sold. Several had asked if he’d been out to the farm yet to speak with the current owner, wondering what the person was like and if the owner was reasonable and open to the possibility of the pack taking ownership of the farm or at the very least allowing those who relied on employment to remain as employees. He had chosen to evade those questions, not wanting to lie to his pack members. His visit hadn’t been received well and he didn’t want to worry them any more than they already were by admitting that. He was about to slip into his office when a familiar scent filtered over to him, causing him to stop what he was doing, washing a glass, to search for the source, hoping it was Jensen. Seeing that it wasn’t set his mouth into a scowl when he noticed who had walked into his bar. Seeing Jared behind the bar washing glasses had Christian weaving his way past tables and people until he had made his way over to the bar. Hoping up onto the empty barstool, he set his elbows on the polished wooden bar top and waited for his presence to be acknowledged. When it was, he shot Jared a pointed look and then wondered if Jared would be the one to serve him or if the alpha would remain at the opposite end of the bar scowling at him. Placing the clean glass down, Jared tossed the bar towel over his shoulder and made his way over to the other side of the bar and to Christian. Stopping in front of the human, he looked at him before asking, “What can I get you?” If this human had shown up here after what he’d done, he was either clueless or looking to speak to him without Jensen around to hear their conversation. “Whatever’s on tap,” Christian responded, waiting for Jared to either serve him or tell him to get the hell out of his bar. With a nod, Jared stepped away to pour the requested beer, and then placed a mug filled with the golden-colored liquid down in front of Christian. “So, can we talk?” Christian asked, pulling the mug closer to him, running his thumb along the handle. Jared eyed Christian and then nodded. “Sure,” he agreed, tossing down the towel and turning away to motion for one of his servers who doubled as a bartender at times for him to take over. Sliding off the barstool, Christian grabbed his mug and carried it over to a table that was situated far enough away from the bar and pool table to afford them some privacy where they could talk. Taking a seat, he waited for Jared to join him. Once Christian was seated, Jared walked over to the table and joined him, sitting across from him and crossing his arms over his chest, waiting for the human to say what he’d come there to say. “Look, I’m not gonna apologize for being protective of Jensen, but I will apologize for hitting you. I had no idea that by doing that you’d see that as me challenging you. I wasn’t.” “Is that what you came here to say?” “Jensen’s my best friend. He’s been through some serious shit and seeing you with your pregnant mate really did a number on him.” “So, that was him the other night…” Jared said more to himself than Christian when he realized the omega who’d been in distress the other night had been Jensen. He’d been so close to Jensen and he hadn’t even known it. He had to quiet his wolf when his wolf started to growl, wanting him to fight the human his wolf saw as an obstacle to getting to Jensen. “Yeah, it was. He was in a pretty good place until that night. His father and I weren’t thrilled with him coming back here. We wanted him to just sell the farm and be done with everything. His mother, aunt, and uncle wanted him to come back here. They think by him coming back here he’ll be able to heal and move forward. But, for whatever reason, he felt the need to come back and handle everything himself. Just do me a favor, stay away from him. And keep your mate away from him…” Jared sat forward, shocked by hearing that Jensen thought he had taken a mate. “Wait, I haven’t taken a mate…” “Jensen saw you with her the other night. I don’t want her anywhere near him. She attacked him. He could have bled to death that night. Did anyone think of that?” Jared’s jaw dropped open in shock. It took him a moment to wrap his mind around the idea that his friend had been involved. He’d suspected, but part of him had always hoped he’d been wrong about his suspicion. “Julia?” “Yeah, your mate. The two of you stay away from him. I don’t know what kind of trick you were playing on him that summer but he was seriously hurt. You have no idea what you did to him. He thought… Well, it doesn't matter what he thought back then. He knows the truth about you now. You didn’t have to trick him or lie to him. He never expected anything… But you had to string him along. You played with his emotions, led him to believe that you were gay. That he had a chance with you. For that, I’ll never forgive you.” Christian stood up, pushing the chair away from him as he pulled out enough money to pay for his beer. “Let him do what he needs to do without having to see you again,” he said and then walked out, leaving Jared to mull over what he’d said to him. Jared sat there too stunned to move as he thought about what Christian had said to him. His worst fear had come to pass, someone from the pack had attacked Jensen, and to make it worse, it had been one of his closest friends and littermates. He had no idea what to do with that information. Knowing that he needed to get to the bottom of the truth, he got up and made his way into his office to grab his keys. With them in hand, he walked back out to the bar to let his staff know he had to step out but planned to be back by closing time. “Hey, Tamra, I’ve gotta step out. I should be back by closing.” Looking up from wiping down the bar, Tamra smiled at Jared. “No worries. We’ve got it covered. If we run into any problems, which we won’t, I’ll give you a call. Take your time.” “Thanks,” Jared called back and then walked out his way out to his truck. Getting in and starting the engine, he pulled out of the parking lot, driving to the destination he had in mind. Once outside Chad’s house, he parked and then made his way to the front door where he knocked and then waited for someone to answer the door. “Hey, Jared!” Chad called happily when he opened the door to see his best friend and pack alpha standing there. “Hey, Chad. Is Julia home?” The smile slipped from Chad’s when he heard the solemn tone in Jared’s voice. “Yeah, she is. Is something wrong?” he questioned, stepping aside to let Jared in. “I don’t know,” Jared said honestly. “I just need to talk to her about something.” “Yeah, sure. She’s in the kitchen. Come on back,” Chad said, motioning for Jared to follow him into the kitchen where they found Julia sitting at the kitchen table finishing her dinner. “Jared!” Julia said happily at seeing their pack alpha standing in hers and Chad's kitchen. “Can I get you anything?” She started to rise but Jared motioned for her to sit. “No… no, I’m good. Listen, I need to speak to you about something and I need you to be honest with me.” Julia scrunched her face up in confusion. “Of course, Jared, I’ve always been honest with you.” “Jared, what’s this about?” Chad asked, stepping between his mate and his alpha, feeling the need to protect his mate. “Chad, it’s about the summer JR was here. I need to ask Julia about that.” “What could you possibly need to ask me about that?” “According to some new information that’s come to my attention, you were involved in JR’s attack.” “Are you accusing my mate of something?” “No, I’m asking your mate if there’s any truth to this,” Jared stated, meeting Chad’s scowl. “I need to know…” “Why are you bringing this up after all this time?” Julia cut in. “Because Jensen’s back and if I have any hope of making things right between us, I need to know the truth. So, I’m going to ask you, Julia, not only as your friend and littermate but also as your pack alpha, were you in any way involved in Jensen’s attack?” “Jensen?” Chad asked, confusion clear on his face. “JR goes by Jensen now. But that’s not the point.” Jared explained and then crossed his arms over his chest, his hazel eyes trained on Julia who was trying to look away from him. “You think Julia had something to do with Jensen’s attack?” Chad demanded with a sneer on his face. “Are you insane? There’s no way she or anyone from the pack had anything to do with his attack. And, to tell you honestly, I’m offended that you’d even think Julia had anything to do with this. You come to my house, accuse my mate, and you think that’s okay? Just because you’re our pack alpha doesn’t mean you can come here and… and try to intimidate my mate! And, what, you’re taking some omega’s word over your own pack members?” “Settle down, Chad…” “No! I will not settle down…” “I said settle down!” Jared bellowed and then followed his order with a growl, letting Chad know that he would no longer tolerate his behavior. Chad narrowed his eyes at Jared and opened his mouth to protest but another growl from Jared had him snapping his mouth shut. Turning to focus his attention on Chad, Jared growled low in his throat, issuing his pack member a warning that he was losing his temper and that it would be prudent for Chad to remain silent. Once Chad had realized he would not allow his authority to be questioned again, he turned his focus back to Julia. “In no way am I accusing you or anyone else in my pack of attacking Jensen. I am simply asking you, based on the information given to me, if there’s anything you need to tell me. Do you know who was responsible for Jensen’s attack?” “Jared… Please…” Julia started to say as a sob tore through her. “What is it, sweetheart?” Chad coaxed, placing a reassuring hand on his mate’s shoulder. “Please don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to…” “Julia, what do you know?” “I…” Julia started to say and then turned her face away from Jared as her chin started to quiver. “Julia,” Jared snarled, his and his wolf’s patience wearing thin. He could tell by the way the beta was evading his questions that she knew something. He and his wolf growled at Julia. “Tell me what you know.” “I’m sorry, so sorry. That night….” “You were involved?” Chad gasped, pulling his hand from his mate’s shoulder. “You have to understand,” Julia said in between her tears. “I was so angry at that omega. I saw him as an intruder. I saw the way you looked at him the night of the fireworks… like you were in love with him. Like he was your mate…” “Jensen is my mate!” Jared bellowed and then snarled at Julia. “You… What did you do?” “You have to remember we were teenagers. We did stupid things back then. I thought… I thought I was going to be your mate. I saw him as my competition… I’m sorry…” “I’m only going to ask you this one more time. What did you do?” Jared demanded. “I borrowed your phone and sent him a text pretending to be you. I followed you one day out to that secluded area you took him to. I asked him to meet me out there.” Julia looked up at Jared, silently begging for his forgiveness. Seeing none in his eyes, she looked over at her mate for comfort only to see a look of horror on Chad's face. “Tell me,” Jared said in an angry tone. “I never meant for it to get so out of hand. I was just so angry…” “And you attacked my mate. You left him broken and bleeding on the ground. He could have died!” “Yes,” Julia whispered. “I’m not proud of what I did. You have to believe me…” “Who was with you?” “You think others were involved?” Chad asked. “Of course, others were involved. There’s no way your mate did this alone.” “It doesn’t matter who was with me. It was my plan. I hurt your mate. I’m sorry,” Julia said, and then covered her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking with her sobs. “What happens now?” Chad questioned, the fear for his mate clear in his eyes as he looked at Jared. “I’ll leave that up to Jensen. He was the one that was wronged here. And for the record, I know who was with you that night. I can’t believe my own littermates were behind Jensen’s attack,” Jared snarled and then turned, stalking toward the front door. “Wait!” Chad called after his best friend. “What?” Jared snarled as he turned back to Chad. “Are you… are you okay?” Chad had no idea how Jared was holding it together based on what was just revealed. Hell, he had no idea how he felt about finding out the truth. His mate had been behind the attack. Jared laughed bitterly at Chad’s question. How was he supposed to answer that? He was enraged. Pack members had attacked an omega. When he’d confronted Julia about it, she had lied to him. Jensen had been severely hurt, he’d been separated from his mate, and he had no idea if he could ever win Jensen over. “Am I okay? I just found out the truth about Jensen’s attack. Pack members were behind it. Friends… our friends. Your mate.” “Stupid question.” “Chad, I have no idea how I’m going to fix any of this. Jensen thinks Julia’s my mate. He would barely look at me. He’s my mate. All I want to do is go to him but I know if I do that I’ll only end up alienating him.” “Is there anything I can do?” “Go take care of your mate. You two need to talk about things. Just do me a favor, keep her away from me and Jensen. I can’t guarantee that if she comes near me or him that I won’t lash out at her.” “Yeah, I get it,” Chad said sadly, the gravity of the situation hitting him. His mate had been involved in hurting Jensen. She had been the reason why Jared had been separated from his mate. He knew Jared would probably never forgive her or the others who’d been involved, and they both knew who else had a hand in the attack. Back then Julia had been close with three other littermates. He wasn’t sure how Jared would reconcile himself with that knowledge and he had no idea how he was going to be able to look at his mate without his own brewing anger. “Hey, are we okay?” “Always.” Jared shook his head. “We’re fine,” he assured his best friend. “How are you?” He felt betrayed by Julia’s actions and he could only imagine how Chad felt finding out that his mate had not only been involved in Jensen’s attack but had orchestrated it. Chad glanced over his shoulder to see Julia still sitting at the kitchen table sobbing. “I honestly don’t know.” Reaching out, Jared clasped Chad’s shoulder. “You love her, right?” “Of course I do. She’s my mate.” “Then focus on that. Everything else will fall into place.” Despite everything that had happened, Jared still wanted his best friend to be happy. “Do… do you think you’ll ever be able to forgive her?” “I don’t know. Maybe in time but right now, no. She hurt someone. She hurt another Were. I can’t forgive her. At least not right now.” “What are you gonna do about Jensen?” “I’m hoping he’ll talk to me. I just need to find a way to get him alone.” Jared saw the questioning look on Chad’s face. “His best friend is here with him and he’s rather protective,” he said and then rubbed his jaw, feeling the faint bruise that was forming. In a day or two, due to a Were’s quick healing ability, it would be as if nothing had happened. “Did he… did he punch you?” Chad asked, knowing that surmounted to a challenge being issued. “Yeah, he managed to catch me off guard when he was lashing out at me. He showed up at my bar to apologize and to tell me to stay away from Jensen. So, me trying to talk to Jensen isn’t gonna be easy.” “You’ll figure it out. I know you will, Chad encouraged and then watched Jared walk to his truck. He stood at the door, watching as Jared drove away before turning and closing the door. With a heavy sigh, he made his way into the kitchen where his pregnant mate was waiting for him. Holding up his hand, he stopped Julia from speaking. “Jared’s angry with you and I know I should be as well but I love you. You’re my mate. You did something stupid ten years ago and someone got hurt. We were kids and… and well, I can forgive you for what you did. The person you were ten years ago isn’t who you are now.” “Jared hates me,” Julia sobbed. “He’s upset and he’s angry but I don’t think he actually hates you. Jared’s just gonna need a little time to cool down. Eventually, he’ll come around and forgive you.” Julia looked up hopefully at Chad. “Do you think so?” “Yes, my love, I do.” Chad extended his hands to his mate, helping her up and guiding her to their bedroom. “Just give it time and please, whatever you do, just give him some time. Don’t push him.” He hoped over time his words would ring true. Jared made it back to his bar with a little time to spare before it was time to close for the night. Walking in, he waved to a few of his pack members as he made his way to the bar to pour himself a tumbler of whiskey. He didn’t sip the dark liquid, tossing it back and feeling the burn as it hit his throat. Wanting another one to numb his feelings, he pushed the tumbler away from him and then made his way into his office, deciding he needed to get away from everyone and let his staff take care of closing the bar for the night. Once the last patron had left and his staff had cleaned up the place, he headed home hoping to drop onto his couch to try and figure out how he could reconcile with Jensen. Hearing the excited barking of his dogs when Jared opened his front door, caused him to put aside his misery and confusion in favor of receiving the happy greetings Bear and Finn offered him. A smile came to his face when both dogs sat in front of him, waiting to be taken outside where they could play and work off a little bit of their pent-up energy. “Come on you two,” he said, leading the dogs outside and watching as they bounded around the fenced-in backyard. He couldn’t help but chuckle at their antics, watching as they rolled around in the grass and chased each other until they had spent their energy and returned to him looking to be brought back inside and fed. “Let’s go,” he said affectionately, bringing the dogs into the kitchen where he put down fresh water and their bowls filled with dog food. Leaving his dogs to eat in the kitchen, Jared made his way into the bathroom where he stripped out of his clothes, dropped them into the laundry bin, and then stepped under the showerhead, letting the hot water wash away the grime of the day and the tension he’d been holding in his shoulders. When he felt more relaxed, he stepped out of the shower and pulled on an old comfortable t-shirt and sleep pants, and then made his way into his bedroom where he sank down onto the bed. He heard the sound of his dogs padding into the bedroom and felt their added weight on the bed when they joined him. Laying his head on the pillow, his exhaustion from the day hitting him, and pulling him down into a deep sleep. Christian paced the kitchen wondering if he should open up and talk about the prior night and how he’d ended up at On Tap and how he’d spoken to Jared. His mouth was set in a grim line as he recalled the look on Jared’s face when he’d confronted him, letting him know that Jensen had seen him with his pregnant mate, How Jared had really done nothing to dispute his words. He knew he probably shouldn’t have shown up there. He probably should have left things well enough alone, but Jensen was his best friend and he’d watched Jensen go through so much since that fateful summer. He wasn’t about to stand aside and let anyone hurt Jensen again. He would do whatever it took to keep his friend safe. He’d do whatever he had to, to protect Jensen from ever getting hurt again. He’d hated seeing Jensen so hurt and broken and he’d held his best friend when Jensen had cried from the physical and emotional pain he’d been in. He’d been there for Jensen then, and he’d always be there for him. It was his duty as Jensen’s best friend to protect his heart and after hearing Jensen sobbing over the phone because he’d seen Jared, he’d made the decision to drop everything and join him in Devonshire. His heart broke again at hearing Jensen cry. Yes, Jensen was strong, but he wasn’t alone, and he’d done what he’d done last night, telling Jared to stay away to enable Jensen to move on from the past, this place, and most importantly, Jared. And no, he would never regret how fiercely he loved Jensen or protected him. As far as he was concerned, Jensen was family. Jensen was his brother despite them being from two different families but then again, as his mother used to tell him, blood made you related, loyalty made you family. With that in mind, he made the decision to remain quiet about last night. All he wanted was to help Jensen do what he needed to do, figure out if he wanted to sell the farm or keep it, and allow the foreman to oversee the day-to-day operations of the place, and get them back to their lives. At the familiar sound of Jensen shuffling into the kitchen, he turned to greet his best friend, offering him a cup of coffee. “Morning,” he said and then set the cup filled with black coffee down in front of Jensen. “Morning,” Jensen acknowledged, rubbing his right hand across his eyes before taking a seat at the kitchen table. “Thanks,” he said when Christian placed a cup of black coffee, just the way he liked it, down in front of him. Grabbing it with both hands, he pulled it toward him feeling the warmth of the liquid seeping through the mug and settling onto his skin. With a satisfied sigh, he raised the mug to his lips, blew on the hot liquid, and then took a tentative sip. Finding that the temperature of the coffee was tolerable, he took a larger sip of the bitter liquid, savoring the taste on his tongue before swallowing. “God, I needed this,” he sighed after placing the empty mug down on the table. “Do you want a refill?” Christian asked from where he was standing leaning against the kitchen counter. Reaching for the carafe, he poured himself another cup of coffee and then offered more to Jensen who pushed his mug toward him, silently asking for more. With a chuckle to acknowledge his friend’s addiction to the caffeinated liquid, he obliged, pouring Jensen another cup. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?” Jensen shrugged. He hadn’t given much thought to anything other than drinking his coffee. He hadn’t wanted to think about anything, especially after yesterday and seeing Jared, but he knew he had to. He had to acknowledge the fact that Jared knew he was here and that he owned the farm. He had to deal with his life the way it was and he had some important decisions to make. “I haven’t figured anything out yet. I know I need to take a shower and then I have to check my emails.” He’d brought his laptop with him, knowing he needed to stay in touch with his publisher and editor and also get some writing done while he was in Devonshire. He’d been working on a new book when his life had been derailed by his aunt and uncle giving him the farm and he still had to meet his obligations and send in the first chapter for his editor to read through. “Well then, you better get a move on. I’m sure your editor and publisher are wondering if you’re still alive or if their cash cow has up and disappeared.” Christian smiled when he heard Jensen laughing. “So, now I’m just a cash cow? You say such flattering things to me. My heart’s all aflutter.” “To them you are. To me, you’re my best friend. No, you’re more than that, you’re family. You’re my brother and I love you.” Jensen felt his cheeks beginning to burn and his throat close from hearing Christian’s words. He knew Christian wasn’t one for saying flattering words, he wasn’t one to sugarcoat things either. “Thanks,” he said, hiding behind his mug. “I love you too, brother.” Christian turned away from Jensen, trying to hide the tears glistening in his lashes from hearing his best friend call him brother. Something about hearing Jensen tell him he loved him and calling him brother, hit him unexpectedly. He’d never heard Jensen call him brother before and it meant the world to hear his best friend calling him that. Clearing his throat, he said, “I’m gonna make something for breakfast. Are you hungry?” “Not really.” Pushing himself away from the table, Jensen pulled himself to his full height. “I’m gonna take a shower…” “Jensen, you need to eat something,” Christian chided. “You can’t just keep skipping meals. It’s not healthy for you.” With a sigh, Jensen said, “Christian, I’m just not that hungry.” Turning, he made his way out of the kitchen and back upstairs where he showered, dressed, and then disappeared into his bedroom. Sitting on his bed, he pulled out his laptop, propped it up against his knees, and started reading through his emails. Seeing one from his publisher, he clicked on that to read that his publishing company was requesting status on the book he was supposed to be working on. A frown came to his face when he realized he’d missed a deadline for sending in his latest chapter to his editor. He never missed a deadline and thought he had at least a few more days to submit what he’d written. Pushing his laptop aside, he got to his feet and walked to the door. Pulling it open, he poked his head out and called to Christian. Hearing Jensen’s muffled voice, Chrisitan made his way to the stairs. “Were you calling me?” “Yeah, I missed a deadline. I’ve gotta get some writing done so I can get back on track…” “Do what you need to do. I’ll find something to occupy myself with.” Jensen chewed on his bottom lip. “Are you sure?” “Jensen, don’t worry about me. Go take care of what you need to. I’ll even make lunch and bring it up to you,” Christian offered, hoping to alleviate his friend’s anxiety. “Okay,” Jensen agreed and then stepped back inside his bedroom, closing the door behind himself. Returning to the bed, he got himself comfortable. Answered the emails which needed answering and then set about writing, losing himself in the world he’d started to create before coming to Devonshire, not stopping until his stomach was growling and he’d managed to finish writing the needed chapter, finish a second chapter, and had outlined what he intended to write for the rest of the story. The knock on the door provided a moment of distraction Jensen needed as he rubbed at his tired eyes. “Yeah?” he called, looking up when he heard the door being opened to see Christian standing there with a stray in his hands. He couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up in his chest at seeing that sight. “What are you doing?” “Bringing you something to eat,” Christian said matter-of-factly and then pushed the door open so he was able to walk in and set the tray down on the bed. “And, you’re going to eat.” Looking down at the tray, Jensen’s stomach grumbled again, signaling his hunger, and he nodded in agreement. He definitely needed a break from writing and was hungry. He reached for one of the sandwiches and took a bite, moaning his appreciation at the taste of the chicken sandwich on his tongue. “Thanks.” “You’re welcome,” Christian commented and then sat on the edge of the bed to join Jensen while they ate. “So, did you get back on track?” Jensen nodded. “Yeah, I even managed to get ahead. So, I think I’m in a good place. I’ve just gotta give the chapter another read through and then send it off to my editor.” “Well, then you better get back to it. So, what’s this story about?” Christian, out of loyalty to Jensen, had read every one of his best friend's books, not minding that they were aimed at teenagers. Jensen’s writing was insightful, his words were thoughtful and the world he created in each book was vibrant, seeming to jump off the page and capture the reader's attention and imagination. Jensen was able to write about heterosexual relationships just as well same-sex relationships, tackling the ups and downs a teenager's relationship went through at such a young age. Jensen blushed and averted his eyes, feeling self-conscious. He rarely talked about what he was writing with anyone aside from his editor and publisher until the story was finished. But Christian wasn’t just anyone and he didn’t see the harm in sharing what he was working on with his best friend. “It’s a story about a young alpha Were and the human he falls for.” Christian’s response had been to lift an eyebrow as he tilted his head, silently encouraging Jensen to tell him more. “The alpha, Sebastian, meets Asher when Asher’s family relocates to his community.” Jensen wasn’t about to share with Christian that he’d based Sebastian on Jared and Asher on himself. While he wasn’t human, he felt close to Asher, being in new surroundings, the unknown popping up at him as Asher tried to navigate his way through a new community that didn’t necessarily welcome him since he wasn’t a Were. Sebastian was similar to Jared, having dimples that dented his cheeks when he smiled and a sunny disposition, open to meeting and befriending a human when his friends seemed to be unwilling to accept a human into their close-knit circle. It was what he’d experienced his first time being in Devonshire but he planned on giving Sebastian and Asher a happy ending despite the hurdles they had to overcome. They at least would get what he’d been denied. “So, it’s gonna be filled with teen angst…” “Shut up,” Jensen huffed. Christian broke out into laughter at Jensen’s response. “Sorry, but you do write it so well. It’s believable and probably why your books are so popular.” “Get out of my room,” Jensen said but there was no heat behind his words. Grabbing the tray, Christian pushed to his feet. “Are they gonna kiss?” he teased with a cackle when Jensen told him to go to hell. “Love you, too,” he said and then closed the door, leaving Jensen to finish what he needed to, knowing he wouldn’t see Jensen again until his friend was satisfied with what he’d written and had sent it off to his editor to be looked over. Shaking his head at his friend, Jensen pulled his laptop to him and pulled up what he’d written, reading over the chapter he needed to send, making any changes he felt the chapter needed. Satisfied that the chapter was ready to be edited, he sent a copy off to his editor and publisher along with a copy of the story’s outline so they could see what he intended the story to entail before returning to his unread emails. He took his time going through his email, deleting the ones he deemed as trash and responding to the ones that needed his attention before powering down his laptop and packing it up until he needed to pull it out again, which he hoped wouldn’t be for a few days but figured he’d probably grab it sooner rather than later so he could write. Feeling as if he’d accomplished more than he’d set out to do with his new story, a smile came to Jensen’s face. At least he could lose himself in a new world he’d created and he was actually looking forward to continuing Sebastian and Asher’s love story. Over the years, his writing had gravitated more toward writing same-sex love stories geared for teens but he did still write one popular series where the characters, who had started out as preteens and were now in high school were dealing with everyday life, and they were in heterosexual relationships. He was proud of the stories he told and prouder still that they were well received. With a yawn, he settled into a comfortable position on his bed and closed his eyes with the intention of just resting for a bit before getting up to see what Christian had been doing while he’d been in his self-imposed seclusion while writing. He never meant to let himself drift off to sleep. Looking at the time and seeing that the sky had faded from a brilliant shade of blue to an inky black, Christian set aside the book he’d found when he’d wandered through the rooms of the farmhouse to see where Jensen was and if he was hungry. Climbing the stairs he stood outside Jensen’s bedroom door listening for any sounds of his friend clicking away on his laptop. Hearing no sound coming from the other side of the door, he knocked softly. When he didn’t receive an answer, he gently pushed the door open to see Jensen was curled up in the middle of his bed and that he was sound asleep. Deciding that Jensen needs to sleep, he backed out of the room and made his way downstairs where he made himself something to eat before turning in for the night.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Upon waking and after dressing, Jared fought the desire to go to Jensen, having the feeling that his presence at the farmhouse wouldn’t be well received. He wanted to call Chad and talk to his best friend but after the night before and the revelation that Julia had been behind Jensen’s attack, he thought better of that. Chad needed time to sort through his own feelings since Julia was now his mate and pregnant with their first pup. He also needed time to figure out his own emotions. He felt betrayed by his friends, wondering how Julia and the other three betas who he’d considered close friends and littermates at the time could attack anyone. It made no sense to him. He’d always been honest with Julia about his feelings toward her. He’d only ever seen her as a friend and nothing more. For Julia to tell him the reason behind the attack on Jensen, was because she saw the omega as competition for his affection and for him as her mate had been shocking to him. He still couldn’t believe her admission even now as he thought about her words. He’d never known her to be violent, never having gotten into a physical altercation before the attack on Jensen. He knew he’d have to deal with his feelings over the betrayal and his anger at having been lied to. He still had a hard time accepting that she had lied to him. He’d confronted her in his parents’ home after he’d come out to his friends that he was gay. She had looked him in the eye and denied being involved. Just thinking about that made him grip the coffee mug in his hand tighter as anger flooded through his body, making him see red. Jared made the resolve that he would remain true to his words. He would tell Jensen the truth and he would let Jensen decide Julia’s fate. It was only fair as far as he was concerned. Members of the pack might not approve of his decision. Some might not see Jensen as a pack member but Jensen’s family were pack members and by that extension, the omega was also a pack member. He hadn’t been able to do right by Jensen ten years ago, but he would make sure he was able to now. With that vow made, he set down his mug when he heard Bear and Finn making their way into the kitchen for their breakfasts. “Well, look who decided to finally get up out of bed,” he teased when the dogs walked over to their empty dishes, sat by them, and whined for their food. “You’re lucky I love you both or you’d be outta luck.” A smile came to his face when Bear rolled his head from side to side, letting his tongue loll out of his mouth. As he grabbed their bowls, he patted both dog’s heads and then forced his thoughts off of what he’d been mulling over so he could give his dogs his attention, watching them as they ate, and then went to stand by the backdoor, letting him know they wanted to go outside. Opening the backdoor, he let them out and then followed, sitting down on one of the outdoor chairs, watching his dogs run back and forth in the yard before coming over to him, seeking out his attention. With a huff, Bear sat at Jared’s feet, his dark brown eyes looking up at him, making him chuckle at how forlorn the dog looked. “What’s the matter, Bear? Am I not giving you enough attention?” Reaching out, he began to pat the top of his dog’s head, feeling himself beginning to relax as his fingers stroked the soft fur. A moment later Finn made his way over to him and dropped down at his feet, nosing at his free hand, looking for his attention as well. “Yes, Finn, don’t worry, I would never ignore you.” He sat in silence for a while, petting his dogs’ heads, doing his best not to think about Jensen, Julia, or the mess he currently found himself in. When it seemed that his dogs had had enough of him petting them, they got up to run around the yard, wandering back to him occasionally with one of their balls for him to throw for them to chase after. After taking care of his dogs, Jared brought them inside with him and then made his way to his office so he could go over any pressing pack issues that needed his attention. Sitting at his desk, he pulled up his files, looking over the pack’s holdings, making sure things were running smoothly. Seeing that they were, he then brought up his emails, reading through them and answering the ones that needed his immediate attention. He’d just finished responding to one email when his phone rang. With a sigh, he picked up the receiver. “Hello?” “Jared, this is Loni over at Delton’s Market…” “Hey, Loni, what can I do for you?” “I’m wondering if you’ve spoken to the new owner of the Clark’s farm? Are they keeping the place or are they selling it? Will they still continue to sell me their eggs and are they gonna raise the price?” Sitting back in his chair, Jared listened to the alpha’s valid concerns. “These are valid questions that I’m hearing and I’m hoping to set up a meeting with the new owner. As soon as I know anything, I’ll inform the pack,” he explained before ending the call. He’d already fielded questions the other night at his bar and knew it was only a matter of time before the pack started to show concern over the uncertainty of where things stood with the new owner of the Clark’s farm. He understood where the unrest in his pack was coming from and he knew he had to seek out answers from Jensen as to what he was proposing to do, he just wasn’t sure how to go about it without upsetting the omega any further than he already was. Knowing he had to approach Jensen didn’t make it any easier for him but he still felt a spark of intrigue at seeing the omega again and at the mere thought of him, his wolf was huffing, demanding to claim Jensen. Claiming Jensen as his mate was the only thing he could think of as he went about the rest of his day, dealing with his pack and running his bar. By the time he returned home that night, he still hadn’t figured out how to approach Jensen and hoped that after a night of sleep he’d have some clarity on that subject. After having breakfast with Christian, Jensen had every intention of starting to go through each room of the farmhouse to see if there was anything he wanted to keep for himself, what could be donated, and what could be left with the house if he chose to sell it and the farm. As he stood in the kitchen looking out the backdoor, he felt the pull to go to what he used to refer to as his and Jared’s private spot. It was something he couldn’t explain, the need to go there, and he couldn’t seem to fight against it. Slipping out the backdoor, he made his way down past the farm, continuing on to the destination he felt the need to see. As he made his way to the secluded spot Jared had first shared with him, he noticed how overgrown the area had become, making it appear as if no one had been there in years. Taking a deep breath, he looked around the area to see that the tree he and Jared used to sit on was still there. He walked over to the tree, kicking at it to see how safe it was to touch before he tried sitting on it. It had been ten years since he’d been there and nothing had changed, making him wonder if Jared had stopped coming here and if his attack had any bearing on that decision. Gingerly, he sat against the tree to see if it would hold his weight, breathing a sigh of relief when it did. He let the quietness of the woods settle over him, looking out over the lush greenish of his surroundings, and smiling as he recalled how nervous he’d been when he’d first met Jared. He’d made the decision to keep quiet about where he was heading, not wanting to fight with Christian about what he was doing. His friend would either try to talk him out of coming here on his own or offer to accompany him. Neither of those options appealed to him. He needed to face this place on his own and he hadn’t wanted to fight with Chrisitan on that issue or be persuaded out of his decision to face his past and try to move on. He really had no choice in the matter if he wanted to find a way to live happily by himself. Taking out his phone Jensen pulled up the picture he’d kept, the one Jared had taken of them at this very spot the day they’d met. He felt his throat closing and tears forming and he tried to breathe through the hurt that was trying to consume him. He heard his wolf whining, begging to see Jared, to be with Jared, and he had to remind his wolf that Jared wasn’t his mate. That Jared had never actually been his mate, and that he and his wolf had to come to terms with that fact and that they would never have a mate of their own. Once the overwhelming ache in his chest had subsided to a dull throb, he slipped his phone back into his pocket not wanting to see the photo any longer. He should delete the photo but he just couldn’t seem to get himself to do that yet. Maybe after all this, he would be able to. It wasn’t as if he needed to keep a photo of an alpha that he wasn’t mated to. Just thinking about Jared caused his thoughts to shift to that fateful summer night when he’d stupidly believed that the text he’d received from Jared had been anything other than a setup. He should have known from the very beginning that Jared wasn’t interested in him. Jared had just been stringing him along. He’d been so blinded by the attention Jared had lavished on him, wanting to believe that an alpha like Jared would want an omega like him. Whether Jared was gay or not, he’d bought into the lie, and he’d paid the price. And Jared hadn’t even been the one to clue him into how stupid he’d been, following the alpha around, thinking he’d had a chance with him. No, Jared had sent Julia and his other littermates to teach him a lesson that he wasn’t wanted, that he didn’t matter, and they had managed to take away the one thing he’d had to offer to an alpha that may have been sniffing around him. It had been bad enough that they had broken his leg and his wrist but because of those injuries, he’d been given a medication not intended for Weres, and that error had resulted in him being left sterile. As he sat there, the words Julia had spat at him came flooding back. Jared doesn't see you as a friend. Not really. You were just some charity case his parents asked him to take on. You’re not part of this pack. You never mattered to him. ‘mega, you’re nothing to Jared! And she and her friends had made sure he not only learned his lesson but had inadvertently made sure he was nothing. Shivering despite the warmth of the sun beaming down on him, Jensen wrapped his arms around himself as hot tears slid down his cheeks, making him wonder how many more tears he would shed over what he’d been through. He’d hoped he’d long run out of tears to shed over that fateful summer but apparently he’d been wrong. And now, he was back in the last place he’d ever expected to be. Hearing movement, he stiffened, and stood, ready to defend himself this time if someone tried to attack him. He’d fight back and back and make sure that he gave as good as he got. Turning in the direction of the sound, he came face to face with Jared, and the combination of leather, sandalwood, and musk which filled his nostrils, making him envy the one who was Jared’s mate because she got to experience that scent every day. Jared had felt the pull to return to the secluded spot, heard his wolf whining and begging to go there for some unexplained reason. At first, he had no idea why he was experiencing the need to revisit the spot that had changed everything for him and Jensen; he actively did his best to steer clear of the area. He hadn’t been there since right after Jensen’s attack. He had gone out there looking for clues, hoping to find some evidence of who had attacked Jensen. Of course, he hadn’t. The scents he’d picked up were too many to try to distinguish one from the other but he had gotten a faint scent of Jensen. After seeing the area and how trampled over the grass was, he’d turned his back on the place he’d found comfort in and had shared with Jensen and had walked away from it, never returning to the place until now. As he made his way to the fallen tree, Jared spotted a figure sitting on the tree and he took a moment to scent the air, hoping the person was Jensen. He was hit with the familiar scent of vanilla, orange, and a sweetness he hadn’t been able to put his finger on when he’d first scented Jensen years ago. Now, he understood what that sweetness had meant then and it was still there now. Mate. His wolf had realized it the moment he’d come into contact with Jensen all those years ago and all he wanted to do was go to Jensen and claim him now. He heard his wolf growling, demanding to claim the omega as his mate, and before he knew what he was doing he was making his way over to Jensen. When their eyes met, he saw such sorrow in Jensen’s green eyes, and he had to fight the urge to reach out to Jensen, to pull the omega into his arms and comfort him. Knowing his touch would be unwelcome, he stood there, staring into those green eyes that had haunted his dreams for the past ten years. “Jensen,” he croaked out and then licked at his too dry lips wondering if Jensen was going to speak to him or ignore him. “Jared…” Jensen said and then looked away, feeling too overwhelmed to continue making eye contact with the tall alpha. He heard his wolf howling at being so close to the alpha he’d been longing for and he tried to hush it but his wolf refused to quiet, demanding he get closer to the alpha. He forced himself to stand his ground, not wanting to give in to his wolf as he tried to tell his wolf that Jared wasn’t his alpha. Jared already had a mate. One who was pregnant. One who had attacked him. And more importantly, one who wasn’t him. A feeling of despair quickly began to overtake him and even he could smell the acrid scent he was giving off. “I should go.” He started to take a few steps with the intention of leaving but stopped when Jared spoke. “Wait… Please… Can we… can we talk?” Jared asked, hoping Jensen would give him a few minutes alone with him to talk. If he could get that with Jensen, maybe he could tell Jensen how he felt about him and also set the record straight about a few things. He felt the need to be honest with Jensen about that night and how he’d realized too late that Jensen was his mate. If Jensen didn’t feel the same way about him then he’d need to find a way to move past his longing for his mate and let go of any hope of ever having Jensen as his omega. Seeing that Jensen had stopped, he rushed to say, “I went to see you in the hospital but your aunt told me you didn’t want visitors. I tried to see you after you left the hospital. I went to your aunt and uncle’s thinking that was where you were. You were gone and no one would tell me where you were. I called you and you never answered. I sent you a text message and you never responded.” A sad smile came to Jensen’s face after hearing Jared’s words. He’d always thought that Jared had never given him a second thought. “After the attack… I just couldn’t handle seeing anyone and I wanted to go home. My dad… He took away my phone and then when he gave it back to me… He… He’d wiped it clean of anything having to do with you. If I hadn’t sent the picture of us to Christian… That would have been gone forever.” “You still have the picture?” Jared asked, astonishment clear in his voice. “So do I…I’ve never stopped thinking about you. I even stopped hoping to see you again. I’ve missed you,” he said, taking a step toward Jensen only to stop when the omega held up his hand. Jensen shook his head and held up his hand stopping Jared from speaking further. “I can’t do this...” “Do what?” Jared questioned, cutting Jensen off. “You can’t talk to me?” “I can’t be around you.” “Why?” Jared asked, taking another step closer to Jensen. “Because… because it’s too painful to see you... To be around you.” Hearing Jensen’s words cut Jared deeply. Taking a chance, he closed the distance between them, grabbing Jensen’s wrist and tugging him closer to his body. “It’s too painful not to be around you,” he admitted. Bringing his free hand up, Jensen placed it against Jared’s muscular chest in an attempt to push the alpha away. “You have a mate…” he said and then looked away. Reaching up, Jared grabbed Jensen’s other wrist, bringing the omega’s hands to rest against his chest. “I don’t have a mate. I’ve never taken a mate because my mate left me ten years ago,” he admitted, feeling his and Jensen’s sadness beginning to overwhelm him. Jensen’s head snapped up so he was able to look into Jared’s eyes. “But I saw you with… with her. You’re mated.” “Jensen, I’m not mated. Yes, you saw me with Julia but she’s mated to Chad and they’re expecting their first pup. I’ve never taken a mate…” “Why?” Jensen dared to question wondering why Jared had never taken a mate. It was clear to him and his wolf that Jared was a desirable alpha and anyone beta or omega would be proud to be his mate. “Because you’re my mate. I’d just figured that out and then that night happened. You were attacked and then you were gone…” Closing his eyes, Jared took a breath, using that time to try to figure out how he was going to tell Jensen the truth about the attack. Opening his eyes, he sought out Jensen’s green ones. “Julia’s not your mate?” Jensen asked, still not believing what he’d heard. “No,” Jared confirmed, and then added, “I’m so sorry about what happened to you. I didn’t know... I swear to you that I didn’t know what she’d done. I just found out.” He looked away from Jensen, a sense of shame flooding his body, making it difficult to meet Jensen’s eyes. “If I had known, or even suspected what Julia was up to, I would have stopped her.” “Do you know why she attacked me? What made her and her friends…” Jensen had always wondered what had prompted the attack. He’d never really understood why Julia and the others had done that to him. “She saw us kissing the night of the fireworks,” Jared admitted. “She saw you as her competition. At the time, she didn’t know that I’m gay or that my wolf and I saw you as my mate…” “Do you… do you still see me as your mate?” Jensen questioned. He’d been too stunned upon finding out that Julia wasn’t actually Jared’s mate to have asked that previously. “I’ve never stopped. That’s why I’ve never mated with anyone else. My wolf and I only want you. We’ve only ever wanted you.” “Oh… I…” Jensen stammered, not knowing how to tell Jared that he and his wolf saw the alpha as his mate. “You don’t have to say anything,” Jared said, letting go of Jensen and taking a step back. He had a sinking feeling that Jensen was trying to find a way to tell him that he didn’t see him as his mate. “I just needed you to know that I was never involved in your attack. Julia admitted everything to me the other night. Your friend showed up at the bar…” “Wait, Christian did what?” The shock was evident on Jensen’s face as he asked that question. Christian hadn’t said a word to him about him paying a visit to Jared, making him wonder what else his best friend had been keeping from him. “Yeah, it was the same night I showed up at the farmhouse.” Jared rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand. “I guess he’s pretty protective of you.” Rubbing his jaw, Jared had to admit to himself that Christian had a good right hook. “I’m sorry he hit you…” Jensen said and then stopped when Jared raised his hand. “Don’t worry about that. The bruise is gone and I can overlook his actions since he was only reacting to your distress at seeing me again. I’m just glad he’s a good friend to you.” Jensen nodded. “Yeah, he is. He’s stuck by me through everything,” he confirmed and then moved back to the tree so he could lean against it, taking some of the weight off his right leg. “He helped me through things…” He chewed on his bottom lip, stopping himself from saying more. “Christian told me that she attacked you. I confronted her and she admitted everything. How she used my phone to send you a text and lured you here that night. She tried to protect whoever was with her but I’m pretty sure I know it was Cathy, Summer, and Tiffany with her. Why… why didn’t you tell JD it was them?” “JD?” “Yeah, he was the sheriff back then. Still is and I’m sure he’d be happy to listen to you. It never sat right with him that he couldn’t solve what happened to you or who attacked you.” “I didn’t see the point… And they were your friends. She was your intended mate or at least I thought she was.” Jensen shrugged. “I guess part of me was worried that what they said was true and since they were your friends… I don’t know… maybe I was trying to protect you…” “What did they say to you?” Jared asked in a harsher tone than he’d meant for his words to be spoken in but his anger was rising at the thought of what might have been said to Jensen. “It doesn’t matter…” “Yes, it does. It matters to me. I need to know. They're part of my pack.” Jared stepped closer to Jensen and rested his hand on Jensen’s arm hoping his touch would soothe the omega’s hurt. “That you didn't see me as a friend and that I was just some charity case your parents ask you to take on. That I wasn’t part of this pack and that I never mattered to you…” Jensen could feel hot tears rolling down his cheeks as he repeated those words, the pain he carried with him hitting him hard as he relived that memory. Before he could move to wipe away his tears, he felt Jared’s large hands cupping his face and the alpha’s fingers brushing away his tears. Jared’s heart broke as he listened to the words Jensen was repeating. To know those words had been said to him in order to hurt the omega only fueled his anger with Julia and the others. Feeling the need to comfort Jensen, he cupped the omega’s face with his hands and gently brushed away Jensen’s tears. “I’m so sorry that was said to you. You have to believe me, I never felt that way and I never said any of that to them.” Jensen didn’t know what to say to Jared but he felt the desire to lean into the alpha’s touch. Hearing his wolf beg for him to do so caused him to sag against the tree, feeling overwhelmed by the desire to let Jared care for him. He’d never experienced another alpha, aside from his father caring for him, wiping away his tears, and it was causing sensory overload for him. Everything was screaming in him that Jared was his mate but he was still having a hard time reconciling his mind and his heart to everything he’d just learned. Jared didn’t have a mate as he’d thought. Jared had never taken a mate and saw him as his mate. Jared’s wolf saw him as his mate but that didn’t erase the hurt he’d been carrying around with him for the past ten years. Pulling away from Jared’s touch, he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts since Jared’s scent was so intoxicating to him. Looking up into Jared’s eyes, he saw the sincerity in them. “I believe you.” Jared’s heart was hammering in his chest and he let go of the breath he hadn’t even been aware that he’d been holding. At least Jensen believed him when he’d said he’d never said any of those cruel things. That he wasn’t part of the attack. It was a start, one he hoped to build on. But he still felt that he had to win the omega over, needing to prove to Jensen that they were meant to be mates. “Are you willing to talk to JD? You deserve closure and those involved need to be held accountable within the pack and with the justice system. As the pack’s alpha, I told Julia that I would leave their fate in your hands.” Jensen looked down at his feet, thinking over what Jared had just said to him. At that moment, he held power over the beta who had been behind his attack and those who had taken part in it and it was a heady feeling. Did he want retribution? Did he want to see the betas held accountable for what they had done to him that night? If they hadn’t attacked him, he would be dealing with the physical limitations his leg posed to him. If they hadn’t hurt him, he wouldn’t have been in a situation where the wrong medication had been administered to him. If that night had never happened, he wouldn’t be broken and useless to an alpha. He wouldn’t have been separated from Jared. They might even have been mated with at least one or two pups of their own if that fateful night hadn’t happened and Julia hadn’t seen him as a threat to something that never even existed between herself and Jared. Yes! Yes, he wanted them to pay. And then he remembered that Julia was mated to Chad, a beta who had been kind to him and had even offered him friendship. Julia was also pregnant, expecting her first pup and for a moment hot anger flared within him. Why should she be allowed to experience the joy of carrying her mate’s pup when that had been taken away from him? He heard his wolf howling in sorrow at what had been taken from him and he had to admit that revenge would be sweet but in the end, Chad and their unborn pup would suffer at his hands. And while he didn’t know if the other betas were mated or had pups of their own, he knew as tempting as it would be to serve up their heads on a platter, he would never cause that type of pain to anyone else. “At this point, I just want to forget about the past.” He shook his head. “No, I don’t want to be a part of that. I don’t want to put you in a position to deliver justice within the pack or drag Julia and the others, along with their families into this mess that’s better left in the past.” Jared couldn’t believe what he was hearing. To his amazement, Jensen wasn’t thinking of himself, but those who had not only wronged him but had attacked him. Those who had physically harmed him. Jensen was amazing in his thoughtfulness towards others. “Jensen, you wouldn’t be dragging me into anything. It’s my duty as the pack’s alpha to make sure everyone within my pack is cared for. If they’re wronged by another pack member, it’s also my duty to deal with that. I know what happened to you. How you had to have surgery. I’m sure dealing with that and the pain couldn’t have been easy for you.” Jensen nodded but chose to remain silent. So, Jared knew some of what he’d been through but not all of it. Maybe that was for the best, he thought to himself. “Jared, just leave it alone,” he said, his voice taking on a hard edge. Hearing the tone in Jensen’s voice and sensing that the omega had made his decision, Jared nodded in understanding. While he wanted justice for Jensen, he would accept the omega’s decision. He didn’t like it, but he would honor Jensen’s request to let things stay in the past. “Okay, if that’s what you want.” “It is,” Jensen said firmly and then pushed himself away from the tree. “I should get back to the house.” Turning, he started to make his way back down the overgrown path only to be stopped by Jared. “Wait!” Jared called, closing the distance between them. “Let me give you a ride back,” he offered, a smile on his face, and a hopefully feeling blooming in his chest. Seeing the hope on Jared’s face, Jensen gave the alpha a shy smile. “Okay,” he said, accepting the offer, letting Jared lead him back out and to his truck, riding in a comfortable silence as Jared drove him back to the farmhouse. “Thanks for the ride,” he said as he stepped out of the truck, a feeling of nostalgia overpowering him as he closed the door. Pulling the key from the engine, Jared hurried to the front of his truck, stopping Jensen from walking past him. “Have dinner with me,” he asked breathlessly. “What?” Jensen questioned, looking up at Jared with uncertainty. Reaching out with his right hand, Jared cupped Jensen’s cheek. “Have dinner with me. Please… I just found you again. I don’t want to let you go.” Jensen couldn’t fight the desire to lean into Jared’s touch. “I don’t know…” “I know you probably don’t see me as your mate…” Jared started to say and then stopped, biting down on his bottom lip, giving him a moment to rein in his thoughts. “Maybe we could at least be friends?” he offered. “Tonight, have dinner with me.” At his wolf’s urging, Jensen found himself accepting the dinner invitation. “Okay,” he agreed and then handed over his phone, letting Jared enter his contact information into it. A broad smile came to Jared’s face showing his dimples. “Great, I’ll see you tonight around six,” he said and then reluctantly pulled away from Jensen, watching the omega as Jensen walked toward the house. With his hand on the banister, Jensen stopped and turned back to Jared. “You’re wrong,” he said, feeling bold. “I do see you as my mate. So does my wolf. We’ve never stopped, not in the ten years we’ve been separated,” he admitted and then climbed the steps to the porch and disappeared inside. Jared stood there in shock, watching as Jensen went inside. Jensen and his wolf saw him as his mate. With a sense of growing hope, he got back into his truck and backed out of the driveway with Jensen’s admission still ringing in his ears as he made the drive back to his home. He was determined to do whatever it took to win Jensen over and mate with the omega.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Hearing the door close, Christian stepped out of the kitchen, to see it was Jensen walking through the front door. “Where have you been? I tried calling you…” He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he’d been panicked at waking up to find himself alone. He hadn’t liked not knowing where Jensen was and had tried to call him several times. “You went to Jared’s bar? You talked to him?” Jensen demanded, his anger visible in his stormy eyes as he looked at his best friend feeling betrayed by him. “How did… how did you find out?” “I talked to Jared today. Christian, what did you say to him?” Crossing his arms over his chest, Christian leveled a pointed look at Jensen. “I told him to stay away from you, and to keep his pregnant mate, the one who attacked you, away from you.” “Why… why did you do that? When did you do that?” Jensen threw his hands up in frustration, not understanding why Christian had done what he had or why he’d gone behind his back. It wasn’t as if they were anything other than best friends so he didn’t think Christian was warning Jared off because he saw the alpha as competition. They would always be best friends and he knew Christian had no interest in him romantically so he had no idea why Christian would tell Jared to stay away from him. “The other night. I went there to apologize since you were so worried about what he’d do. We talked… Well, I clued him in on a few things and then told him to leave you alone. You built a good life for yourself. I don’t want that to get wrecked. You were so miserable the night you called me. You deserve to be happy.” Seeing the angry look on Jensen’s face, Christian shook his head. “I won’t apologize for worrying about you or for trying to protect you.” If Jensen was angry with him, he’d deal with that, knowing his best friend’s anger would eventually blow over. He just had to make Jensen understand why he’d done what he had. “How did you meet up with Jared?” he asked, curious as to how the alpha and omega had come into contact with each other. Seeing the concern Christian had for him etched in his best friend’s face, he felt his anger dissipating, being replaced by his gratitude for having such a good friend. “We both ended up at the place where I was attacked,” Jensen explained and then held up his hands when Christian started to walk toward him, concern for him clear on his best friend’s face. “I’m okay. I needed to go back there. I need to move past that night and the only way I can do that is by confronting everything.” “And Jared just happened to be there?” Christian asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion. “No, not in the beginning. He just showed up and we started to talk. He told me what happened and why. He had nothing to do with my attack. Julia saw me as her competition, but I’m not. I never was because Jared never saw her as his mate. In fact, the night I saw her with Jared, I jumped to a conclusion. She’s mated to Chad, Jared’s best friend.” “What are you trying to tell me?” “I’m having dinner with Jared tonight. He sees me as his mate. I still see him as mine.” Jensen bit down on his bottom lip waiting for Christian’s response, sure that his friend would attempt to talk him out of having dinner with Jared. When there wasn’t an outburst from Christian, he stepped closer to his friend, searching his face, trying to figure out what Christian was thinking. Apprehension was rolling off Jensen and Christian knew his best friend was trying to determine what he was thinking. Because Jensen was an omega and knowing how sensitive he was he pulled Jensen into a hug, doing his best to let his friend know he wasn’t mad at him. He was frustrated with the situation Jensen was in and he didn’t like the fact that there wasn’t anything he could do to sort things out for Jensen. He really just wanted to spare his best friend any more pain. Seeing the look on Jensen’s face, the one that hinted at needing his understanding if not his approval, when he pulled away, he smiled at his best friend. “I’m sorry if I overreacted. Look, I’m not gonna say I get what you’re feeling or that I don’t want to do everything I can to protect you…” He sighed heavily before continuing. “You’ve been through so much already and I don’t want to see you hurt again, but if you want to see where things go with Jared, then I’ve got your back.” Closing his eyes as his emotions overpowered him, Jensen nodded. “Thanks,” he whispered and then felt Christian’s hand on his shoulder, the squeezing of his best friend’s fingers against his body grounding him. “That means a lot to me.” Opening his eyes he met Christian’s eyes. “I have to tell you something else and I hope you’re not gonna be disappointed in me…” “Never,” Christian responded fiercely and then led them over to the couch so they could sit. “What else do you want to tell me?” He chuckled and then went on to ask, “Are you writing a character in your newest book based on me?” Jensen returned the chuckle and a shake of his head. “No… Um… I…” “Just take a breath and then tell me what you have to say,” Christian cajoled after placing a hand on Jensen’s shoulder in an attempt to reassure his friend that whatever Jensen had to tell him he’d be open to listening. Taking a deep breath, Jensen nodded and then gave Christian a tight smile. “Jared gave me the option of what to do about Julia and the others.” “Okay, so that’s a good thing, right?” Since Christian wasn’t a Were and only knew of pack life from what Jensen had told him, he could only assume that an alpha, and the pack alpha on top of that offering to let an omega decide the fate of those who had wrong him or her was a good thing. Seeing the uncertain look on Jensen’s face, he wasn’t too sure. “But I’m guessing there’s more to this, isn’t there?” Jensen pulled away from Christian, moving slightly so there was now some separation between their bodies. Looking down at his hands, he nodded. “Yeah, he asked me to speak to the sheriff about everything. He said that JD never liked that he couldn’t figure out who attacked me…” “That’s a good thing. You can get the justice you deserve.” “I said no,” Jensen admitted and then looked up at Christian with fear in his eyes. He knew just by saying that he’d most likely disappointed his best friend and that Christian would be angry with him. “What…” Christian’s first reaction was to tell Jensen he was making a mistake. That Jensen needed to make Julia and the others who attacked him pay for what they’d done to him but he knew that wasn’t who his best friend was. “Why?” he asked and then watched Jensen move further away from him. Grabbing Jensen’s hand to stop him and also to reassure him that he was willing to listen, he urged Jensen to explain things to him. “Just tell me why you made that decision.” He would at least listen to Jensen. He might not understand or even agree with him, but he also knew this was Jensen’s decision, and no amount of his urging to seek the justice he deserved would change his best friend’s mind. “I just don’t understand.” “It’s been ten years, Christian. I kept quiet before because I was afraid and I thought if I said anything I’d be hurting Jared. Even though the text had been sent from his phone, there was something deep within me telling me he hadn’t been a part of the attack and I was right. He didn’t know anything about it. Julia used his phone to send the text to me. He tried to visit me in the hospital. He even came out here after I left the hospital looking for me,” Jensen explained. “Okay, I get that you don’t want to do anything that would affect Jared. He’s innocent in this, as are you, but those bitches aren’t. You deserve justice…” “I said no because they have lives of their own. They have families. Chad is Julia’s mate. They’re expecting their first pup. Chad never did anything to me. He actually tried to be my friend.” Jensen bit down on his bottom lips, shaking his head as he thought about how he could make Chrisitan understand his decision. “I’d be blowing up Chad’s world if I decided to pursue either pack justice or if I decided to go to the sheriff. I need to think about how that would affect the pack and their families. What if they have pups? What about their mates if they have them? What if Jared decided to banish them? Then what? I can’t do that to them. I can’t rip apart families just so I can… so I can get retribution. I’m not comfortable doing that. It’s not what I want. I just want to move forward with my life and stop looking at the past.” Christian nodded in understanding. While he didn’t completely agree with Jensen’s decision, he would accept it and not fight his best friend on it. Maybe, he needed to stop pushing Jensen to fight. Maybe, by extending this act of kindness to his attackers, Jensen would be able to leave the past where it belonged and move on. Maybe, it was time for everyone to let go of the past and start looking toward the future. “Okay,” he finally said. “I’m not gonna lie. I want to see those bitches pay for what they did to you, but if you think this is best for you, then you have my support.” A shy smile crept over Jensen’s face at hearing Christian’’s words. “It means a lot that I have your support.” “You know I’ve always got your back.” Christian leaned back against the couch, a smile spread across his face at seeing how content Jensen now looked. “So, is Jared picking you up?” “No, I’m gonna drive over to his place,” Jensen said, watching Christian for his reaction. When his best friend remained silent he began to chew on his bottom lip wondering what Christian’s silence meant. Next to his family, Christian was the most important person in his life, and what his best friend thought about the situation mattered to him. “Okay, just be careful. I know you see him as your mate and he told you he sees you as his… I just want you to be happy and if pursuing things with Jared is what feels right for you, then I can get behind that.” Jensen shot Christian a grateful smile. “Thanks.” Christian held up his hand. “But, I still reserve the right to clock him if he hurts you,” he said in a serious tone and then chuckled when Jensen’s eyes widened. “It’s a best friend thing and you know it.” “True,” Jensen agreed, remembering how protective he’d felt over Christian when his best friend’s relationship had ended with Ariel. Christian had been the one to break it off with his high school sweetheart but he’d known it hadn’t been easy for him to do that. Christian and Ariel had grown apart and rather than prolonging the inevitable, Christian had called it quits with her. When he’d asked Christian about it, his friend’s answer had been that he’d been ready to settle down but Ariel was still trying to find herself, wanting to go out to parties and meet her friends at the bars they frequented rather than moving in with him and looking to create a future together. It still hurt him to know that Christian had suffered that loss. He’d wanted to tell Ariel what a mistake she was making by choosing her friends, partying, and clubbing over Christian. When Jensen had offered to intervene on his behalf with Ariel and try to talk some sense into her as his best friend had put it, he’d just shrugged it off. “Look, it wasn’t like I was ready to pick out rings with the girl. I just thought we were both moving to that eventually. She’s not interested in settling down as she had put it.” “She’s an idiot!” Jensen shot back at his friend, the feeling of wanting to shake Ariel overtaking him. “Let me talk to her, she has no idea who she’s passing up.” “No need, Jensen, but I appreciate the thought. It’s for the best. If I or anyone else has to convince her to be with me, then there’s no reason to be in a relationship with her,” Christian reasoned and then changed the subject. Just knowing that Jensen had his back had been enough for him at the time and now if he was being honest with himself, he was glad things had ended between himself and Ariel. He worked crazy hours as a paramedic and being away from home for long hours would have taken a toll on their relationship. He knew he’d eventually find the right woman for himself and that Jensen would be happy for him. The sound of Christian’s voice pulled Jensen from his memories. “What time are you meeting Jared?” “Around six.” “That gives us some time to pack up a few things if you want or we could just hang out and do nothing until you need to get ready to leave,” Christian offered, hoping Jensen picked the latter. “Doing nothing sounds nice,” Jensen confirmed, leaning back against the couch and resting his head, letting his eyes slip closed. He needed a few minutes to let everything sink in that had happened today. He’d not only seen Jared but had spoken to him. He’d learned the truth about his attack and what had motivated his attackers. He and Jared had admitted that they saw each other as prospective mates and he’d agreed to have dinner with Jared. To say the day’s events had been overwhelming would have been an understatement. Looking over at Jensen, Christian noticed that he’s drifted off to sleep. Deciding to give Jensen time to rest, he gingerly pushed to his feet, hoping not to disturb his friend, and made his way into the kitchen where he made himself something to eat and cracked open another book, sitting and reading at the table until he saw Jensen wander into the kitchen for a glass of water. “Why did you let me sleep?” Jensen questioned as he rubbed his eyes. “Because I could tell you needed the sleep. Plus, you’ll be fresh for tonight. I was about to wake you up so you can take a shower. Do you need me to go through your outfits with you? Possibly help you tie your tie?” Christian teased, a wicked smile coming to his face when Jensen flipped him off. “Fuck you,” Jensen said but there was no heat to his words. He flipped Christian the middle finger and then walked out of the kitchen, disappearing upstairs so he could shower and change for his dinner with Jared. Upon returning home, Jared let his dogs out, letting them play in the yard while he set about cleaning every surface in his already clean home. He wanted Jensen to feel at home when he showed up for dinner tonight but he also wanted the omega to know that he was not only capable of preparing their dinner but that he could maintain a home despite having two dogs to care for. Hearing his dogs barking, he walked back into the kitchen to check on them to find them sitting at the backdoor waiting to be let in. “Okay you two, if I let you in, you have to promise me that you won’t make a mess. I just cleaned up the place and we’re having company tonight,” he explained to Bear and Finn, watching their heads move from side to side as they listened to his voice. Bear huffed and Finn barked at him before they pushed past him and made their way into the kitchen, stopping at their water bowls before disappearing into the living room where they settled down for their naps. “Good talk!” he called after his dogs and then turned his attention to what he was going to cook Jensen for dinner that night. After settling on baked chicken with roasted vegetables, Jared set the table, and then pulled out a bottle of wine to pair with the dinner he would cook for Jensen. Satisfied that he had things ready for their dinner, he made his way into his office where he sat at his desk so he could make a phone call. Picking up his desk phone, he placed a call to one of his staff members who he trusted with opening and closing his bar. He sat back in his chair with his head resting against the back of it, listening to the phone as it rang. A smile came to his face when he heard the familiar voice of his friend and littermate, Milo. “Hey, Jared,” Milo greeted when he answered the call. “What’s up?” “I’m hoping you’re able to fill in for me tonight. Something’s come up and I can’t be at the bar.” “Sure, that shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll let Stephan know that I’m picking up another shift tonight.” “Are you sure it’ll be okay with Stephen? I don’t want to cause you any problems.” Jared as well as his littermates had been surprised when Milo and Stephan had admitted that they were in a relationship with each other. He’d been happy for his friends, only wanting what was best for them and if they found love with each other, all the better. The two betas, Milo and Stephen had mated right out of college, renting a small apartment in town with Milo working for him and Stephen teaching at the elementary school. Milo scoffed, catching Jared’s attention. “Stephen is my mate but he doesn’t dictate what I do. Besides, he knows there might be a time or two where I’m needed to either open or close the bar or in this case, be there for the night. It’ll do him so good to have to fend for himself. This way he doesn’t take me for granted and sees what a good thing he has being mated to me.” Jared chuckled at his friend’s words, appreciating Milo’s matter-of-factness. “Well, if you’re sure, then I’d appreciate you filling in tonight.” “You got it. Is there anything I need to be aware of?” Milo asked, knowing that at times Jared had shut the bar down in order to host a private party. Jared also held fundraisers at times with the proceeds going toward one of the schools in town, a little league, or a pack family in need of their support. “No, it’s just a regular night. There’s nothing special going on so it should be a pretty easy night.” “Sounds good.” “Thanks for doing this,” Jared said before ending the call. Before he knew it, Jared was reaching for his cell phone and called Chad. “Hey, Jared,” Chad greeted in a tentative voice, surprised that Jared was calling him. “Is something up?” Jared could hear the shock in Chad’s voice and he had to chuckle. “Don’t sound so surprised that I’m calling you, Chad. We’re still friends.” “Yeah, I know… I just thought that since you’re angry with Julia you probably didn’t want to speak to me right now,” Chad admitted sadly. Jared’s shoulders slumped at hearing his friend’s sad tone. Yes, he was still angry with Julia, but he didn’t blame Chad for what his mate had done. Chad had nothing to do with Julia attacking Jensen. Chad had been just as shocked as he’d been to discover the truth. “No, we can still talk. In fact, I’m calling to talk to you about a few things. I spoke with Jensen today…” he started to say and then heard Chad’s sharp intake of breath. “What? How’d that happen?” “We both ended up at the place where he’d been attacked.” “Jesus Christ. That must have been awkward.” “Just a little bit,” Jared admitted and then cleared his throat. “But it gave us a chance to talk. I told him who was behind his attack and why.” “What does that mean for Julia and the others? What does he want? Is he demanding pack justice? Is he going to JD?” Chad questioned anxiously. “He wants to leave the past in the past. He’s not interested in seeking pack justice or going to JD. He doesn’t want to cause harm to you, your unborn pup, or the other families that might be pulled into this mess if he decided to seek retribution.” “You’re kidding me!” “I’m not. Julia and the others dodged a bullet.” “I can’t tell you how relieved I am to hear this. Julia and I have been worried about how this might play out.” “She’s damn lucky. If it was up to me, I’d demand pack justice on Jensen’s behalf, but I’m going to honor his wishes. You can tell Julia that neither he nor I will be pursuing this any further, but it doesn't mean that I forgive her or the others. I don’t know if I ever will,” Jared informed Chad. “I know and I understand. I’m just incredibly grateful… Can you thank him for me at least?” “Yeah, I will. He’s having dinner with me tonight.” Just saying those words had Jared smiling and feeling a sense of calm coming over him. He heard his wolf huffing, demanding to see their mate and he had to reassure his wolf that would be happening soon enough. “How… how did this come about?” “When I drove him home I took a chance and asked him. He agreed.” Jared decided to keep the fact that he and Jensen had admitted that they saw each other as mates. If he was able to win Jensen over, then there would be plenty of time to let Chad know that. “We’re having dinner as friends. Nothing more.” “Still, you’ve gotta be happy about that. I know you’ve missed him…”“Yeah, I have and I’m happy we were able to talk. I’m hoping we can at least reconnect and be friends.” “Are you hoping for more?” Chad hedged, asking Jared something he wasn’t sure his best friend would answer. Rubbing his forehead, Jared sighed heavily, not willing to recount the end of his conversation with Jensen to Chad. It was too personal and definitely on tentative ground for them. “If you’re asking if I still see Jensen as my mate, then the answer is yes. I don’t know what he feels about me, but at this point, I’d just settle for having him as a friend if he’s willing to allow me in his life.” “Well, if he agreed to have dinner with you, it seems like he’s open to it. It’s a start. Maybe you two can build something on that.” “Maybe,” Jared agreed and then ended his call with Chad. Looking at his watch, he noticed the time and then pushed himself away from his desk. Getting up, he made his way into the living room to check on his dogs and then walked into the kitchen to start cooking dinner before he disappeared into his bedroom. Taking his time to go through his clothes, deciding on a pair of dark blue jeans, a gray Henley, and a pair of gray sneakers to wear for his dinner with Jensen before making his way into his en-suite to shower. When he was dressed, he felt his anticipation ramping up as the clock’s hands moved closer to the agreed-upon time. As six o’clock approached, he fed Bear and Finn and then let his dogs out to play, hoping they would expend any pent-up energy they had before Jensen arrived. He was just closing the backdoor after calling his dogs in when he heard the musical sound of his doorbell signaling that someone was at his front door. Nervously, he rubbed his hands on his jean-clad thighs and went to answer the door, followed closely by Bear and Finn. Opening the door amid the excited yips of his dogs, a dimpled smile came to his face when he saw Jensen standing there. “Hi,” he said, momentarily lost in the omega’s wide green eyes which met his, and then flicked down to the two dogs dancing behind him, trying to get to the newcomer. Jensen was filled with excitement and apprehension as he dressed. He’d chosen to wear a pair of black jeans, a green Henley, and a pair of black sneakers, wanting to be comfortable and not appear overdressed. They weren’t meeting at a restaurant and he figured Jared would probably be dressed comfortably as well. He tried to calm himself and his wolf down by reminding them both that he and Jared were only having dinner together as friends as he recalled Jared’s words I know you probably don’t see me as your mate…Maybe we could at least be friends? And then he’d admitted that he saw Jared as his mate. His mind was still trying to process everything and he didn’t want to get his hopes up for more than what Jared had offered - friendship. After ten years, he wasn’t too sure Jared would actually want him. Seeing as a mate and wanting him for a mate were two separate things as far as he was concerned. Plus, he didn’t live in Devonshire and Jared did. He had a life to return to in Meridian and he didn’t see the alpha of a pack moving just for him or trying to pursue a mateship with him, so he’d settle for at least being Jared’s friend. He heard his wolf grumbling his displeasure with his reasoning but he hushed his wolf and then made his way downstairs to find Christian sitting on the couch. Seeing Jensen dressed and ready to leave for his dinner with Jared, Christian whistled. “Damn, Jared’s not gonna know what to do with himself when he sees you,” he said and watched the blush creep up Jensen’s neck and over his cheeks. “Shut up…” Jensen retorted, feeling his neck and face flush from his embarrassment. He was already feeling nervous about meeting Jared again and even though he knew Christian was teasing him, he didn’t need that at the moment. Pushing himself to his feet, Christian chuckled. “What? I’m only speaking the truth. If he’s your alpha and you’re his omega, then when he sees you, he’s not gonna be able to hold himself back. Isn’t that what you want?” he asked, searching Jensen’s face for any clue as to what his best friend was hoping for. Jensen looked away from Christian, letting his eyes rest on his sneaker-clad feet. “I don’t know… Maybe?” He shrugged. “It’s been ten years and even though we see each other as mates, how would that even work out for us?” “Don’t you owe it to yourself to find out?” Lifting his head, Jensen met Christian’s eyes. “I’m scared…” “Of what?” “Of being rejected. Being separated from the alpha I see as my mate is one thing, but being rejected by him…” Jensen shook his head. “It’s not something I think I could deal with.” Placing his hand on Jensen’s shoulder, Christian squeezed it. “Trust me, he’s not gonna reject you. I saw the way Jared looked at you when he was here. That alpha wants you.” Seeing the doubt on his friend’s face, he pulled Jensen into a hug. “Go have dinner with Jared. See if you're able to reconnect as friends. If you are, maybe you’ll be able to build on that. If you can, things will find a way of working out. But, you won’t know unless you try, and you deserve to be happy.” Biting his bottom lip, Jensen nodded in agreement. “Yeah, okay,” he said and then pulled free from Christian’s embrace. “I’ll see you later.” “I won’t wait up!” Christian called happily with a grin as he stood at the front door, watching Jensen get into his car and drive away before disappearing inside. Gripping the steering wheel until his knuckles bled white, Jensen made the drive to Jared’s home, parking in the driveway next to the alpha’s truck. With an exhale of the breath he hadn’t known he’d been holding, he let go of the steering wheel and then glanced at himself in the rearview mirror. “You’ve come this far,” he said to himself and then got out of his car to make the walk up to Jared’s front door.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Standing at Jared’s front door, he chewed on his bottom lip, raised his right hand, and rang the doorbell, listening as it signaled his arrival. He heard movement from within the house and then looked up when the door was pulled open to see Jared standing there smiling at him and two large dogs eagerly trying to get past the alpha to inspect him. Pulling his eyes off the dogs, he looked up into Jared’s multicolored eyes and smiled shyly. “Hi,” he said in response to Jared’s greeting and then waited for Jared to invite him inside. “Let me…” Jared swept a hand to the two dogs standing by his side and then turned to them. “Bear, Finn, go lay down.” He heard his dogs huff and whimper before obeying his command. “Sorry about them,” he said and then pulled the door open, motioning for Jensen to enter. “They’re harmless.” His eyes widened and the smile slipped from his face when he realized he hadn’t told Jensen he had dogs. “I forgot to tell you about them. I hope… I hope they won’t be a problem for you… I can put them outside…” Jensen held up a hand, stopping Jared from continuing. “It’s fine. I like dogs,” he said and watched as Jared visibly relaxed. “Bear and Finn?” He watched while the anxious look on Jared’s was quickly replaced by a dimpled smile causing his breath to catch in his throat. “Yeah, my boys.” Jared motioned for Jensen to follow him into the living room where his dogs were lying on the floor by the couch. “This is Bear,” he said, pointing to the chocolate Labrador Retriever, watching as the dog picked his head up to regard Jensen. “And this is Finn.” He pointed to the red Bullmastiff, watching the dog get to his feet and approach the omega, sniffing at him before plopping down on his hindquarters, and waiting for Jensen to acknowledge him. Finn was soon followed by Bear who nudged at Jensen’s hand with his nose. Jensen looked at Jared for permission before he crouched down and let the dogs sniff him while he rubbed the heads. “Hi, boys. It’s nice to meet you.” He stayed like that for a while, feeling himself beginning to relax in Jared and the dog’s presence. He let the dogs sniff and lick him, laughing at the feel of wet and sandpaper rough tongues against his cheeks and hands. “You two are really just big babies aren’t you?” he murmured into their fur and one of the dogs huffed, seeming to agree with him. “Yeah, they really are. Some might even say spoiled,” Jared commented with a chuckle, enjoying the sight of Jensen and his dogs together in his home. It was a sight he secretly hoped for more of. “Can I get you something to drink? Wine, beer…” Standing to his full height, Jensen met Jared’s eyes. “Water’s fine, thanks,” he said and then followed Jared into the kitchen, watching the tall alpha pour him a glass of ice water. After pouring himself a glass of water, Jared led Jensen and his dogs outside, taking a seat on one of the patio chairs and motioning for Jensen to join him. They sat in silence, each sipping from their glass until he looked over at Jensen. “So, you’ve changed. At first, I didn’t recognize you. I had no idea that was you the other night in the bar…” “Guess I finally figured out how to lose the weight,” Jensen acknowledged with a shrug. Reaching over and cupping Jensen’s face, Jared shook his head. “I never cared about that. Not then and not now. You were always appealing to me,” he admitted. “And I didn’t mean it like that. You used to wear glasses. They were adorable on you but I like this look as well.” Jensen felt his cheeks burn from Jared’s compliment and from the feel of the alpha’s hand on his cheek. Closing his eyes, he allowed himself to enjoy the warmth of Jared’s large hand on him before slowly and reluctantly pulling away. “They kept getting in the way, always falling down my nose, so I had surgery to correct my vision,” he explained. “No need for glasses after that.” Shifting so he was sitting back in his chair, he turned his attention to the dogs, watching them run around the yard. “They seem happy,” he commented. “You can tell they’re loved.” “They are loved, very much,” Jared assured Jensen, not taking his eyes off the omega. He watched Jensen interacting with his dogs. How when Finn approached with his ball, Jensen readily accepted it, throwing it for his dog to chase after. “Now that they have someone new to play with, they’re not gonna leave you alone.” A smile came to Jensen’s face as he played with the dogs. Seeing what his companion was up to, Bear brought his ball over, dropping it at his feet, barking excitedly when he picked it up and threw the ball for him to chase after. He repeated the action, throwing the balls for both dogs, until his right arm started to tire and Jared intervened, taking pity on him. Standing up, Jared called for his dogs. Once he had their attention, he held his hand out to Jensen, offering to help him to his feet, happiness flooding his body when the omega accepted his gesture. “Okay you two, leave Jensen alone. How about I get you something to eat and then Jensen and I will have dinner.” He led everyone back inside, motioning for Jensen to take a seat at the kitchen table while he fed his dogs. When the dogs had finished eating, he shooed them off to the living room and then turned his attention to serving dinner and Jensen. “Something smells delicious,” Jensen commented, watching Jared move about the kitchen, admiring the alpha’s muscles flexing under his shirt. Jared had definitely changed over the years from the toned and tall teenager he’d met, to the broad-shouldered and muscular alpha he was now. Jared gave Jensen a dimpled smile and then poured two glasses of white wine. “I hope it tastes as good as it smells. I can cook but I’ve never cooked for anyone but myself,” he admitted as he placed one of the glasses of wine down in front of Jensen and then went back to pulling out the chicken and vegetables, and serving the omega before taking a seat across from Jensen. He waited for Jensen to take a bite before digging into his plate. After having a few bites, he looked up, catching Jensen’s eyes. “So, tell me about yourself,” he said. A fond smile came to Jensen’s face and he placed his fork down, meeting Jared’s eyes. “You said that to me the first time we met.” “I know, I remember. And your response was, not much to tell. I didn’t believe it then, and I wouldn’t believe it now if you said those same words to me.” Picking up his glass, Jared took a sip of his wine. “Did you attend college? Travel the world? Join the circus?” Shaking his head, Jensen chuckled. “No to the last two but I did go to college. Chris and I were roommates. How about you?” “I took your advice. I went to college and got a degree in Business. When I came back, I bought the failing bar and turned it around. Your advice really helped me focus on what I wanted for myself and trying to be the best alpha I can be for the pack.” “That’s great. I’m glad things worked out for you.” “How about you? I remember you telling me you loved English. Did you go to college for a degree in English? Do you teach?” “No, I don’t think I could ever stand up in front of a class and teach.” Jensen shuddered at the thought of having several pairs of eyes on him, students watching his every move. “I did get my degree and I…” He felt himself blushing under Jared’s intense gaze. “I have a successful career as a writer,” he admitted and then waited for Jared’s reaction. “Really? That’s awesome! Wait… Would I have read anything you’ve written?” Jared questioned, trying to remember if he’d read anything written by someone with the first name Jensen. “It’s doubtful, unless you read young adult novels.” “No, I can’t say that I do. I’m sure the teenagers in the pack have probably read your books. We have a couple of pack members who are avid readers.” After taking another bite, Jared met Jensen’s eyes. “A published author. Wow! That’s incredible. I’m really happy for you. Maybe I’ll have to read one of your books.” “Thanks. Maybe I’ll autograph one for you.” Jensen smiled shyly at Jared and then picked up his fork, taking another bite of his dinner. “This is really good, thank you for cooking me dinner.” “You’re welcome and I’m happy you accepted my offer for dinner and friendship.” Jared took another sip of his wine before asking, “So, what else has happened in the last ten years?” They settled into a comfortable conversation, filling each other in on the lives they’d lived over the ten years they’d last seen each other. Jared talked about college and returning to the pack. How he’d taken over as pack alpha a few years ago when his father had decided that being the alpha to a pack was meant for a younger man. He admired his father for making that decision and his admiration for Gerald had only grown when he’d fully come to understand what being the alpha to a pack entailed. He’d been lucky that his father had shown him from an early age what it was like to be an alpha not only to his own family but to an entire pack and he was grateful that his father was still around to call upon. He wasn’t afraid to admit that there had been a few times when he’d sought out his father’s advice wanting to make sure he was leading and caring for his back to the best of his ability. “It’s not always easy knowing what to do for the pack,” he stated. “I’ve made mistakes, but I’ve also learned from them.” “And admitting that is something not many would do. I’m sure you’ve earned the pack’s trust and respect.” “I hope I have,” Jared said, and then listened while Jensen spoke, telling him, at his urging, about the injuries he’d suffered when he’d been attacked. He huffed and growled upon hearing how badly Jensen had been hurt and how the omega had to deal with physical therapy and the pain he’d dealt with. Reaching across the table, he took Jensen’s hand in his, running his thumb over the back of it. “I’m so sorry.” Enjoying Jared's touch, but not the emotions of anger and sadness he felt coming from the alpha, Jensen chose to change the subject, telling Jared about his college days, rooming with Christian, and becoming an established author. He told Jared about the name he wrote under - his first initial and middle name and how he’d settled on that pen name. It gave him a sense of anonymity which he enjoyed. He talked about his home and that his favorite room was his office. How he can wander into that room, sit down at his desk, and write, losing himself in the words he wrote and the world he created. How he’d stumbled into the category of young adult stories and discovered that was his writing audience. His books were well-received and there was even a demand for his books. He explained a few of his books to Jared who sat listening to him, their hands still combined, stopping before he spilled any information on the newest book he was writing. The one where the characters were based on himself and Jared. At that moment, confiding that to Jared felt too personal. Maybe, when he’d finished writing this story, he would send a copy to Jared. He’d have to think about that since he wasn’t sure how Jared felt about his writing since the alpha had admitted to never reading anything he’d written. “Well, now I’m definitely going to have to read your books. They sound interesting,” Jared announced after they’d gotten to recount their lives. “I hope you enjoy them if you ever do get around to reading anything I’ve written.” Pushing himself away from the table, Jared got to his feet, making quick work of clearing away their dishes. “Can I get you another glass of wine or a cup of coffee?” he asked, wanting to extend their time together. “No, I should probably…” Jensen started to say as he stood and then stopped when Jared approached him, a pleading look in the alpha’s eyes. His breath hitched in his throat and he was suddenly overcome with a feeling of longing. He heard his wolf whining, begging for them to stay with the alpha. With their alpha. When he heard Jensen saying he thought he should leave, Jared allowed himself to listen to his wolf who was urging him to stake his claim on the one they saw as their mate. He wasn’t ready to let Jensen leave and he was determined to make Jensen see that they were meant to be mated. Jensen was his and he couldn’t think past that. “Please…” he started to say and then pulled Jensen into his arms, crashing their lips together in a hungry kiss. “Jared…” Jensen choked out when their kiss ended. He could still feel the tingle of Jared’s lips against his as he looked up into Jared’s eyes. “I can’t… We can’t…” “Why?” Jared searched Jensen’s face for any sign of distress. Seeing none, he urged the omega on. “Is there someone else?” He needed to know if that was the reason Jensen was pushing him away. “No… There’s no one. I haven’t been with anyone since…” Looking away from Jared, Jensen bit down on his bottom lip feeling his apprehension rising. Surely Jared wouldn’t want him now that he’d admitted to being with someone else. Sensing Jensen’s anxiety, Jared cupped the omega’s face. “I don’t care if you’ve been with someone else. It’s been ten years. I tried being with someone else but it didn’t feel right.” “It… it didn’t?” “No, he wasn’t you.” “I was… I was with a human. He… he didn’t know I’m a Were. He wasn’t my alpha,” Jensen admitted searching Jared’s eyes, fearing he’d angered the tall alpha. “That’s the past. Let’s create a future together,” Jared gently coaxed. “There’s no way we can have a future together…” “Why? We’re mates. We’ve both admitted that so why are you pulling away from me? Do you… do you not want me as your alpha?” Jared hadn’t ever thought that could be a possibility, that despite being mates, Jensen might not actually want him as his mate. Seeing the hurt and fear in Jared’s eyes, Jensen knew he had to tell the alpha the truth about him, about the medication mixup and what had resulted from it. “Please, Jensen…” “After the attack… The paramedics… They didn’t know I wasn’t human. They gave me a medication that should never have been given to a Were.” “It’s okay, whatever happened…” “No, Jared, you don’t understand, I’m broken. I don’t have heats. I don’t produce slick.” Jensen pulled away from Jared not wanting to see the look of pity on the alpha’s face. Jared grabbed Jensen by the shoulder, spinning him around until they were facing each other, and then leaned in, his lips ghosting over the omega’s neck until he reached the shell of Jensen’s ear. “There are other ways for me to get you wet,” he whispered seductively into Jensen’s ear. Jensen felt his knees buckle and he gasped, grabbing onto Jared’s shoulders to steady himself. “Jared…” he whispered and then rested his head against Jared’s shoulder. “You… don’t want me.” “I do.” “No, you think you do… I’ll never be able to be… I’ll never be able to give you a pup. After the attack… There was a complication…” Jensen drew in a deep breath, holding it for a moment before letting it out and saying, “It left me sterile.” Gently Jared lifted Jensen’s head so they were looking into each other’s eyes. “I don’t care about that. I don’t care if we have a pup. I care about you, about making you happy.” “How can you still want me?” “Because you’re my mate. Even after all this time, I still see you as my mate. I always will. These past ten years have been lonely without you. Tell me that you don't feel the same way. Tell me that you don’t feel complete right now, right here standing with me. Tell me you don’t want me just as much as I want you.” Looking into Jared’s eyes, Jensen only saw love and acceptance. As he thought about Jared’s words he had to admit to himself that Jared was right, he finally felt complete. That part of him that had been missing, that missing piece of himself had finally been found and it took being with Jared, with being in Jared’s arms to understand that he was where he should have been all this time. He finally felt whole. He’d finally healed from the past ten years of hell he’d been living without his alpha. “I do want you… Are you sure about wanting me?” He knew how he and his wolf felt about Jared. They both wanted to be claimed by the one they saw as their alpha but he needed to be sure how Jared felt about him. “I want you,” Jared breathed into Jensen’s ear and then bit down on his neck, nuzzling over the area where he would lay his claiming mark. He heard his wolf urging him to let his canines extend, to just bite into that tender and exposed flesh, to claim their omega right then. He had to fight the primal desire that was urging him to give in to what he and his wolf both wanted. He wouldn’t take Jensen as his mate without the omega’s consent. Pulling away from Jensen, he offered the omega his hand, hoping Jensen would accept his offer. “Want… you… too…” Jensen panted out. Taking Jared’s hand, he allowed himself to be led into Jared’s bedroom, stopping just inside the room as uncertainty took hold of him. He was here with Jared but would Jared really want him when he realized how broken he was? He had been truthful with Jared, he didn’t produce slick which would cause an issue for them but how would Jared react to his scar? He didn’t have a chance to voice his concern, all thoughts momentarily disappearing when Jared kissed him. Sensing Jensen’s doubt, he reached out to Jensen, pulling him into his arms and kissing him until they were both left panting for air. With shaking hands, they tenderly undressed each other, slowly revealing themselves to each other, Jared’s large hands running over every area of Jensen's exposed skin that he could reach. He walked Jensen toward the bed, helping him to lie down, and then crawled between the V of his open legs, surging forward to capture the omega’s lips in a heated kiss, swallowing Jensen’s moans. “You’re mine, my mate,” he growled and then began trailing kisses along Jensen’s exposed neck. “Yes, Alpha, I’m yours,” Jensen agreed and then moaned in response to the feel of Jared’s lips on his skin and the alpha’s naked body pressed against his. He felt desire blooming hot in his body, traveling up his spine and he arched into Jared’s touch, wanting more, offering his neck to his alpha. Pleased at Jensen’s show of submission to him, Jared bit down on the omega’s neck, careful not to break the skin yet. He would claim Jensen as his. There was no doubt in his mind that they both wanted this but the time wasn’t right yet. Trailing his fingers along Jensen’s pale and freckled skin, he growled low in his throat when his fingers brushed against the scar on Jensen’s right thigh. His anger scathed him for a moment at the thought of Jensen’s pain, of what he’d endured. Forcing his anger down, he trailed kisses along Jensen’s body, stopping to tease the omega’s nipples, listening to Jensen’s moans of pleasure before he allowed himself to turn his attention to the omega’s thigh. Kissed along the scar, his tongue lapping at it, trying to soothe away Jensen’s past hurt. When he felt Jensen’s tension bleed out of his body from the care and attention he was giving the omega, he gently helped Jensen to roll over, waiting for Jensen to get comfortable before climbing back between his open legs. Jensen felt boneless from Jared’s ministrations and easily gave into Jared’s urging to roll onto his stomach. Feeling Jared settle between his legs, he moaned softly when he felt Jared’s lips on his skin. “Jared,” he breathed out, letting his eyes slip closed at his alpha’s tender touches. His moans intensified upon feeling Jared’s fingers needing the globes of his ass, spreading them and his eyes opened wide, his lips parting on a moan when he felt Jared’s warm breath and his wet tongue lapping at his rim. “Jar… Jared,” he gasped, shocked at what Jared was doing to him and the pleasure coursing through his body. Hearing Jensen’s gasp, Jared continued to lick at his omega’s rim, working the sensitive rim open, and spearing the muscle with his tongue. When he had Jensen relaxed and wet, he started to work a finger in next to his tongue, opening Jensen up slowly, working up to two fingers and eventually three. “Jared,” Jensen moaned, his body tingling with the desire he was feeling for his mate. He’d never experienced what Jared was doing to him. The one time he’d been with Zach, he’d never felt attraction or desire for the human. And Zach had never used his tongue on him, preferring to use lube and his fingers instead to slick his way and open him up. With Jared, he was experiencing the most intimate of bonding, of an alpha pleasuring his omega, and he wanted more. He wanted to be more for Jared. As he relaxed into Jared’s ministrations, he felt a sudden change in his body, almost as if he was on fire, and then something warm and wet was leaking from his body. “Jar… Jared,” he called out in fear and confusion. He’d never produced slick before, yet somehow he was now. Had his body somehow healed itself? It was well-known that Weres were able to heal quickly from most physical trauma such as a physical altercation but he’d been told the medication had left him sterile and unable to produce slick, but somehow, with Jared, he was producing slick. Lapping at the slick Jensen was suddenly producing, Jared hummed in satisfaction, and then bit down on one of the omega’s cheeks. A smirk came to his face when he heard Jensen yelp softly. Clearly, whatever Jensen had been told was inaccurate, the omega was able to produce slick, and he suspected that Jensen’s body had healed itself over the past ten years. Since Jensen had been with a human and his body had known the difference between being with a human versus being with his alpha, the omega’s body had seen the need to produce slick. “Present for me,” he growled, his hindbrain eager for his mate, his omega to be ready for him to breed. Hearing Jared telling him to present had Jensen rising up onto his hand and knees and lifting his ass to Jared. He felt Jared’s fingers circling his rim and then he felt the blunt head of his alpha’s cock nudging at his hole. He heard Jared telling him to relax and let him in. The sound of Jared’s voice, his gentle coaxing, had him relaxing and he felt Jared breaching him. Dropping down on his forearms, he moaned at the feeling of being so full, of taking the girth of Jared’s cock. Reaching out, Jared rubbed his hand along Jensen’s spine, feeling the tension coursing through his omega’s body. Wanting to move, he fought that desire, needing to give Jensen time to adjust to being breached. When Jensen moaned again, he slowly pulled out and then pushed back in, setting a languid pace until he was sure Jensen was enjoying their mating as much as he was. Hearing Jensen’s moans of pleasure, he set his teeth to the back of his omega’s neck, huffing and growling as he snapped his hips backward and forward, his thrusts building with need as he took his mate for the first time. “Jared, Jared, Alpha, Alpha…” Jensen chanted, his fingers digging into the mattress, anchoring himself as Jared leaned over him. Savoring the feel of his mate pressed against him, he offered his neck to Jared. Jared bit down on Jensen’s pulse point, savoring the soft moan that escaped Jensen’s parted lips. Scenting along Jensen’s neck, he licked and sucked at the soft skin until he reached the place where he would lay his claiming mark for all to see that Jensen was his mated omega. At first, he hesitated, fear warring within him, overshadowing his desire to stake his claim to the one that was his mate. “Please… Jared,” Jensen begged. “Please, Alpha, claim me… I want… I want… We’re meant to be mates,” he babbled, urging Jared on, hoping that the alpha would claim him. Upon hearing Jensen’s urging, Jared’s canine distended and he bit down on the omega’s exposed neck, breaking the skin and claiming Jensen as his mated omega. As soon as he’d claimed Jensen, he knotted the omega, tying them together. Pulling Jensen into his arms, he rolled them onto their sides and then took the omega’s hard and leaking cock in his hand, fisting Jensen until he’d orgasmed. The feeling of Jensen’s muscles tightening around on his cock brought him to his own orgasm and he lay there, with his mated omega in his arms. “I love you,” he said softly and then kissed over his claiming bite. He heard his wolf howling in happiness at them finally being with the one they saw as their mate. After ten long and lonely years, he’d claimed Jensen as his. He lay there with Jensen in his arms, their scents of contentment filling the room, amazed that he had Jensen back in his life and that he’d finally claimed the omega. With heavy eyelids, Jensen lay in Jared’s arms, the feeling of being content filling him and he heard his wolf howling in joy at finally being claimed by their alpha. Jared had mated with him and had claimed him. He’d once felt empty and incomplete and now, he felt like the missing piece of his soul had found its way back to him. He was now Jared’s mated omega. Turning his head, he was able to capture Jared’s lips and then murmured, “I love you, too,” against them before resting his head against his alpha’s shoulder. “Let’s get some sleep,” Jared said. “We’re probably going to be tied together for a while.” “Yeah,” Jensen murmured in sleepy agreement. Sleep sounded good to him, was his last thought before he closed his eyes and drifted off, safe and content in Jared’s arms. That night, Jared took Jensen two more times, mating with him before the sun rose and his dogs barked from the living room where they’d spent the night looking for his attention. “I need to get up and deal with them,” he groaned into Jensen’s warm skin, not wanting to leave his bed or be parted from his mate. “Don’t go,” Jensen murmured, and then wrapped his arm around Jared’s waist, and snuggled closer to his mate. The sound of movement and whining from both dogs drew their attention away from each other. Jared groaned in response and then gently removed Jensen’s arm from around his waist. “I can’t ignore them,” he said as he pushed aside the comforter and then pushed to his feet, grabbing his boxers and pulling them on. “Come on you two demon dogs. I know you both need to go out and want to be fed. But, you could have given me a little more time…” he grumbled to the dogs, leading them out of the bedroom. Jensen grabbed the comforter, pulling it up to his chin and wrapping himself up in its warmth. Rolling over, he buried his face in Jared’s pillow, breathing in deeply the scent of his mate. His mate. He was mated to Jared, something he’d hoped for, but never thought possible. While he lay in his alpha’s bed, his mind began to fill with thoughts. Now that he was mated how could their mateship possibly work? He didn’t live in Devonshire. His life was back in Meridian, at least his house was back there. He didn’t see Jared leaving Devonshire, the place he’d lived his entire life. Jared was the pack’s alpha and he knew that was important to his mate and he would never ask Jared to give that up. Was he expected to return to Meridian and live his life without Jared? And now that they were mated, would Jared demand he to be the perfect omega because he wasn’t. He was far from perfect and even though his body had managed to produce slick when Jared had mated with him, that didn’t mean that he would ever be able to produce a pup for his alpha. Sitting there, thinking about all this, he found himself to be miserable when he should have been happy. After letting the dogs back in and feeding them, Jared set about making breakfast for himself and Jensen, carrying the plates back to his bedroom. As he stepped into the bedroom, he was hit with the acrid scent of his distressed omega. Setting the places down on the nightstand, he moved to sit next to Jensen who was wrapped up in the comforter and had his head on his pillows. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, running his fingers through Jensen’s hair. He had no idea what had changed in the time he’d left to care for his dogs. Jensen had been sleepy but happy when he’d left the room and now, his mate was miserable. “We’re mated,” Jensen whispered. It felt like his stomach had bottomed out when Jared heard what Jensen had said. Yes, he’d claimed Jensen. The omega had urged him to do so when they’d mated the first time and Jensen had seemed happy. Had Jensen been too caught up in the moment and hadn’t really wanted to be claimed? “I thought… I thought you wanted me to claim you…” Pushing the comforter down, Jensen looked up at Jared. “I did… I just… How will this work for us?” Jared cocked his head to the side, studying his mate. “What do you mean?” Pushing himself up, Jensen sat with his back resting against the headboard. “Us, our mating?” he asked. “I don’t live in Devonshire and I don’t see you stepping aside as the pack’s alpha. And I would never ask you to,” he rushed to add. “Oh,” Jared acknowledged with a nod. They hadn’t thought about anything past wanting to be together last night and mating. He’d never given any thought as to what Jensen might want for himself. And Jensen was right, he could never leave his pack. “What do you want? Do you want to leave?” What did he want? Jensen hadn’t thought to ask himself that. “You,” he admitted and then chewed his bottom life. He knew he wanted Jared. “Well, that’s a start because I want you, too. You’re writing, can you do that anywhere, or do you have to be in Meridian?” “I can write anywhere. As long as I have a quiet place to write that’s all mine.” “What if you moved here and we turned one of the other bedrooms into your office,” Jared suggested, hoping that Jensen would at least consider his offer. “You’d be willing to do that for me?” “I’d do anything to make you happy.” Jared reached out and cupped Jensen’s face. “Whatever it takes. Tell me and I’ll do it.” He watched as a smile spread across Jensen’s face and in that moment, he knew they’d be able to work through anything together.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
After mating with Jared, Jensen had returned to the farmhouse to talk to Christian, letting him know that he was now mated to his alpha. With his arms crossed over his chest, Christian stood looking at Jensen. “Are you sure about this?” He saw a fleeting look of hurt cross Jensen’s face and he knew he had to explain his words. “Are you happy? That’s all I want for you. It’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. I want you to be happy.” “Yes, Jared makes me happy. Being mated to my alpha makes me happy. I’m happy and I’m in love,” Jensen assured his best friend. “How? How do you know this is the right thing for you?” “Because I feel a connection to Jared. Since meeting him ten years ago, I’ve felt that connection, but I wasn’t happy or whole without him. Now that we’re a mated pair, I feel complete.” “I won’t pretend to understand,” Christian said with a shake of his head. “For many Weres, we find our mate and enter into a mateship. Think of it like a marriage. For me, since my Were counterpart is a wolf, like a wolf, once I find a mate, I would mate for life. When we meet the one who’s meant to be our mate, we just know. It’s like when a human meets their soulmate. You can’t explain why you’re drawn to that person, you just are. For me, it’s Jared. He’s my mate. He’s my alpha,” Jensen explained, hoping Christian might understand what he was telling him. “Yeah, I get the whole soulmate thing,” Christian admitted. “I guess if you’re happy, who am I to stand in your way?” He pulled Jensen into a tight embrace. “So, I guess since you’re mated to Jared you’re going to be staying in Devonshire.” Pulling away from Christian, Jensen nodded and then gave his best friend a sad smile. He’d miss Christian. His best friend had been a constant in his life and the idea of not having his best friend around wasn’t one he liked. “Yeah, I am. We’re going to turn one of the bedrooms in his home into my writing office. I’m gonna go back to Meridian, pack up my stuff and see about renting out my home. I figured I’d do that rather than selling the place.” “What about this place?” “I’m keeping the farm. Jared and I are gonna oversee it. Since Carl’s been doing a great job as foreman, there’s no reason to change things. As far as the house, I’ll probably look into renting it out as well.” “I think I have the perfect tenant for you,” Christian announced with a wide smile. “Who?” “Me!” Christian said and then chuckled when he saw the look of shock on Jensen’s face. “Don’t look so surprised. You’re not gonna get rid of me that easily. We’ve been best friends almost our entire lives. I figure I can get a job as a paramedic in Devonshire. I like it here. It’s peaceful. So, what do you think?” “I think I like that idea.” The move to Devonshire to be with his mate didn’t seem so daunting for Jensen now. He would have the best of both worlds, his mate Jared and his best friend Christain. He’d informed his parents and his aunt and uncle of the development. At first, his father hadn’t been happy about his son returning to start his life in Devonshire but after speaking to Jensen, hearing how happy he was, Alan relented. “I’m happy for you, Jensen. Jared better do right by you, that’s all I’ve got to say. If for one moment you’re not happy or he’s not treating you well, you better tell me. I may be older than your alpha, but I’m not afraid to go toe to toe with him.” “Dad!” Jensen gasped and then chuckled when he heard his mother admonishing his father. “You will do no such thing, Alan. Pay no attention to your father, Jensen. He thinks he has the body of a twenty-year-old. Let me tell you, everything creaks on him when he moves,” Donna joked. “Mom,” Jensen sighed. “Really, I’m very happy…” “Are you?” Alan questioned, ignoring his wife’s jab at his ability to take on a younger alpha. “I just worry about you being back in that town… It can’t be good for you to be there, not after everything that happened. Why don’t you and Jared move away? You both could start fresh someplace else. One that doesn’t hold such bad memories.” “Dad, I really appreciate your concern, but honestly, I’m good. I’ve let go of the past. I think we all should. Jared is the pack’s alpha and I would never ask him to give that up. We’re making a life here in Devonshire together. It’s what we both want,” Jensen assured his father, knowing his parents only wanted the best for him. After that reassurance, Alan had accepted his move to Devonshire, willing to let go of his anger over what had happened to his son there ten years prior. His mother had been happy that he’d found his mate. His aunt and uncle had been ecstatic that he’d decided to keep the farm, choosing to keep Carl as the foreman and having it as a source of income for those employed on the farm. Having Chrisitan living at the farmhouse had made his move to Devonshire easy for him. He had a familiar face that he saw regularly and he’d been happy that his best friend and his mate had put aside the past and had formed a friendship. Christian had transferred to the Devonshire fire department and was employed as one of their paramedics. He’d even caught the eye of a nurse who worked at the local hospital and was happily dating her. One day while out at the farm to discuss business with Carl, Jensen had run into Chad. Their meeting had been tense at first until Chad spoke. “I’m sorry,” Chad said and then looked away from the omega. “I didn’t know what Julia had planned. I didn’t know she had anything planned or I would have done something to stop her. Please believe me…” He was cut off by an unexpected hug from Jensen. “I do believe you. Back then, you offered me friendship and I know it wasn’t because of Jared or… or Julia.” Jensen gave Chad a sad smile. “I don’t blame you for what happened. I blame your mate. I blame her and her friends but I think it’s time to let go of the blame.” “Thank you for that and for choosing not to pursue pack justice or going to the sheriff…” “I made that choice because of you and your pup. You had nothing to do with the attack. The pup is innocent in all this. It wouldn’t serve anyone any good for me to pursue some type of justice. At this point, I just want to move on from what happened. I’m happily mated to Jared. We’re building a nice life together with our dogs.” Since returning to Devonshire and moving in with Jared, Bear and Finn seemed to have adopted him as theirs, at times preferring him over Jared. Their antics never ceased to make him laugh. They’d be lying next to Jared, but the moment he entered the room they would scramble to get up and run to him. Jared would protest, grumbling that the dogs were his, and then his alpha would join him, kissing him until he was left breathless while the dogs danced around them. “I’m really happy for you and Jared. He’s been in love with you since first meeting you. After you left, he wasn’t the same. It was as if he was just going through the motions and not really living life,” Chad commented with a forlorn look on his face as he thought about his best friend. “I guess I can say the same about my life. I wasn’t really living for the past ten years. Not really until I returned here. It seems my aunt and uncle recognized that.” A fond smile came to Jensen’s face as he reflected on his aunt and uncle. They had known that he and Jared were meant to be a mated pair and had done what they could to get him back to the pack lands hoping he and Jared would reconnect. They’d managed to play matchmakers from afar and for that, he would always be eternally grateful. He was truly happily mated to Jared. He had his alpha and a life he loved. Since speaking with Chad, Jensen had developed a friendship with the beta much to Jared’s surprise and happiness. He saw no reason not to and enjoyed Chad’s company and being able to play with Mia, Chad, and Julia’s adorable pup. Being able to hold the pup seemed to soothe the hurt of not having his own pup. He’d managed to get over the idea of never having a pup of his own with Jared’s help and unwavering love. After coming down with what he’d thought was a stomach bug, Jared had taken Jensen to see the pack’s doctor, a beta by the name of Patrick Milligan. “Jared, what brings you in today?” Milligan asked with a smile, offering his hand to Jared. “And, who do you have with you?” Turning he flashed Jensen a wink but didn’t offer the omega his hand. He wouldn’t until the pack’s alpha introduced him to his mate. “This is my mate, Jensen,” Jared said proudly, a dimpled grin on his face as he looked at his omega. Since he’d been introduced to the omega, Milligan offered Jensen his hand and then pulled away, sitting down on the rolling stool so he would be able to move back and forth between the exam room’s computer area and his patient. “So, what can I do for you?” “I haven’t been feeling well lately,” Jensen explained, feeling Jared’s large hand on his back rubbing soothing circles through his shirt. He leaned into his mate’s welcome touch. “When was your last heat?” Milligan asked and then watched Jensen deflate. “Oh, I don’t have heats.” Jensen looked away from Jared and down at his clasped hands in his lap. While he’d come to terms with not having a heat despite now producing slick whenever he was aroused, saying it out loud wasn’t easy for him. “You haven’t had one recently?” Milligan asked, trying to be as tactful as possible. “No, I don’t have heats at all…” A tear slipped down Jensen’s face and he felt Jared’s thumb on his cheek gently wiping it away. “Ten years ago, Jensen was attacked,” Jared explained, knowing that Milligan had joined the pack nine years ago and wouldn’t have known about what had happened to his mate. “He was severely hurt. While being transported to the hospital, the paramedics hadn’t known that he was a Were and administered a blood pressure medication only intended for humans. That mistake left my mate sterile. Until we’d mated, he hadn’t produced slick. What he produces now is enough to make our mating enjoyable,” Jared explained to Milligan, trying to save Jensen from having to speak those words he knew hurt his mate to say. “I see,” Milligan said and then turned to the computer to pull up Jensen’s medical history. Reading through it, he noted that Jensen had only been given one dose of the medication. He suspected that the doctor had been wrong about Jensen being left sterile but remained silent on that idea until he knew for sure. He didn’t want to get his alpha’s hopes up only to dash them when he had to admit to Jared and Jensen that he was wrong. “Well, we’ll figure out what’s going on with you. I’m going to send in Jerri and have her take your mate into another room to have some blood drawn and also get a urine sample. It shouldn’t take too long and then you’ll be back with your alpha.” Looking over at Jared, he added, “With your permission, of course.” “Please do whatever it takes to ensure my mate is healthy.” Pushing himself up from the stool, Milligan nodded and then left the room. A few moments later, Jerri, the beta appeared at the door. “Alpha, I’m here to take your mate…” “Yes, of course,” Jared acknowledged and then kissed Jensen’s cheek before helping him off the examination table where he’d been sitting. “I’ll see you in a few minutes,” he assured his nervous mate and then watched Jensen follow the beta out of the room. He paced the room until he heard movement and looked up to see Jensen standing in the doorway. Opening his arms, he coaxed his mate to him. As soon as Jared opened his arms to him, Jensen stepped into the much-needed embrace. Placing his head against Jared’s shoulder, he breathed in the scent of his alpha, feeling his anxiousness melting away with each kiss Jared placed to the top of his head. Ever since his attack, he hated being in a doctor’s office, hospital, or any other type of medical facility. Once Jared felt that Jensen was calmer, he led Jensen back over to the table, helping him to settle on it while he stood next to his mate. The wait had been hard on both of them and he felt relieved when Milligan knocked and then entered the room. “Do you have any answers for us?” “I do,” Milligan announced, reclaiming the stool and sitting down. “And?” Jared had to force himself not to growl at the beta. “I didn’t want to say anything until I knew for sure since you’d told me that at first Jensen hadn’t produced slick until you mated with him.” Milligan met Jared’s eyes and then turned his attention to Jensen. “Jensen, the doctor who told you the medication caused you to be sterile was wrong. She would have been correct if you’d been exposed to it for a long period of time. You were only given one dose, which did wreak havoc on your body; she was correct about that. What she didn’t take into account is the fact that a Were’s body is capable of healing itself from many ailments…” “What are you saying? Are you telling me that I’m capable of having a heat?” “Yes, just as you’re capable of producing slick. You’ve probably experienced a heat, but it was mild so you may not have noticed it.” “Okay, but that doesn’t explain what my mate has been experiencing the past month…” A smile came to Milligan’s face. “It would… The nausea, the tiredness…” Standing up, he motioned for the mated pair to follow him, leading them into another room where he had Jensen lie down. “What’s going on?” Jared demanded feeling his patience wearing thin. “Give me a moment and you’ll understand.” Pulling over a machine on wheels, Milligan turned it on and then pushed aside Jensen’s shirt, ignoring Jared’s territorial growl while he placed a handheld applicator to Jensen’s midsection. A moment later, a grainy black and white image appeared on the screen and the room was filled with a loud whooshing sound. “That is the sound of your pup’s heartbeat and that,” he said pointing to the screen with his free hand, “is the image of your pup. Congratulations, Alpha. You and your mate are going to have your own pup in a few months.” That had been nearly a year ago. Now, Jensen and Jared’s home was filled with the sounds of their pup. Jensen had whelped a boy which they named Jesse, a Welsh name meaning blessed, because they’d truly been blessed to have their pup. Sitting outside, watching Bear and Finn running in the yard, Jensen held Jesse to him while Jared sat close by. Neither of them wanted to be separated from each other or their six-month-old pup. “Have you heard from your publisher?” Jared asked. Jensen had finished the book he’d been writing, sharing it with him and he’d been honored that Sebastian had been based on him and he’d loved that Asher had been based on Jensen. The story his mate had written was one of teenage angst, ending with the human and Were overcoming any obstacle that had been thrown at them and becoming a happy couple. It mirrored their own relationship. “Yes, and I told him I’m taking a break. I’m still writing but right now, this one comes first,” Jensen said, bouncing Jesse on his lap. His publisher had been urging him to write another story based on Sebastian and Asher, and he would, when he was ready. Right now, his mate and their pup were the center of his world. “We come first.” He reached over and linked his fingers with Jared’s. “I love you.” With a fond smile directed at his mate and their pup, Jared squeezed Jensen’s fingers. “I love you, too. I always have.” A content smile came to Jensen’s face as he sat there with his mate and their pup. He’d never thought it possible to have what he now had. He’d thought the attack and the medication mixup had left him broken and beyond repair. He’d been wrong. He had Jared, a mate who he loved and who loved him not for his ability to produce a pup for his alpha, but one who loved him despite everything. That fateful summer hadn’t won. Jensen was no longer broken. He was whole, happy, and loved.