Yes! I am aware I just posted yesterday! So read read read! Yes, I'm also aware that this chapter is super short compared to what you're used to getting from me. However, I felt like because this chapter comes to an important part in the lives of one of our couples, it needed to end where it did. Just know, I'm already working on the next one! I guess I'm trying to make up for being gone so long. These are my apology offerings.

Please Enjoy!


RyellPOV

Dox and I watched the light fade from the ceiling in his cabin as the sun set. We were still on the bed, tangled up in the sheets. Languidly, I ran my hand down his chest and stomach and back up again. I loved touching him, feeling his strength under my hands. This person was all mine now. Every inch of him belonged to me just as I belonged to him. No male or man would ever touch me again without severe consequence, and if a female ever dared to touch him with my mark on his neck, I wouldn't play nicely.

"I was supposed to get fitted today for the wedding," he said in a low voice.

Sliding my cheek on his shoulder, I looked up at his face. "Why didn't you tell me?"

He frowned. "I forgot until just now. I'll go see Alice tomorrow. Ash probably told her where I was which is why she didn't come drag me to the house."

I laughed and wrapped my arm around his waist, squeezing him. "Sorry. I didn't even think about that."

He shrugged as best he could and tightened his hold on me. "They understand. Don't worry about it."

Going up on my elbow, I looked down at him. "Are you okay? You've been quiet since we settled."

Shifting around, he put a hand behind his head and finally looked at me. He pushed my hair over my shoulder, caressing my skin where he touched me. "Just thinking about something your dad and I talked about."

"Which is?"

He shook his head. "It's not important."

"Bullshit," I growled. "Dox, we just leveled up in this relationship. Don't think that I'm not aware what us marking each other means. I'm not stupid. It was a big deal when Haleigh came home with Garrett's scars in her skin. So I know that Dad saw yours. We can't lead this pack if we don't talk to each other. You don't have to protect me. What did he say?"

Under my palm, his chest lifted with a deep breath. "In a nutshell, he said we'll have to have a coming out party since the pack will see the marks. He also said that our mating could open some serious doors for alliances."

I frowned. "How so?"

"I'm vampire and Quileute getting mated to the hybrid Child and Quileute heir. Because of our mating, I'll be an honorary member of the Children and leader to two packs. As Walker put it, that connects all the players on the board. My vampire blood would make other packs wary to screw with us. And if we have alliances across the U.S. Aro can't touch us without breaking his number one rule. Your dad also talked about humans learning about the supernatural soon, and he's not wrong. All the stories on the news of unexplainable murders, animal attacks, and blood drained. The supernatural world is getting closer and closer to piercing the veil, so to speak."

Holding the sheet to my chest, I slumped a little, lost in thought. "Dad is talking about a new world order," I whispered.

Dox nodded. "And with me being the one connected to all the species…"

"You'd be king."

Sensing my freak out, he wrapped his arms around me and brought me back down to his chest. He kissed the top of my head. "Don't overthink it, Rye. All that is a long way off. Right now, I want to concentrate on us. We have survive Jules's wedding, Piper's mating, and then our coming out party, which your dad wants right after her mating. So right now, we have a bit of time to enjoy all this before we have emissaries and pack leaders prowling around."

"But the markings…"

"Walker wants news to get out that you've claimed your mate. He wants the rumor to spread before we invite them here for the party. And then we'll announce an engagement. Our ally packs will have to come. There won't be a small mating ceremony."

With that, a pain settled in my chest. I should have known better than to hope for something small and intimate. From what Dad had explained, I was the most powerful alpha female who was going to inherit a pack on the west coast. Many pack leaders either wanted me as a mate for themselves or for their alpha sons. But Dad had always refused, telling them that I was already being courted and it was serious. No doubt they'd all want to see who I was being mated to, so Dox and I would be paraded around. Instead of happy, the weeks after Piper's mating were going to be tense with emissaries. The mating would be even worse with several packs camping out in our woods. The thought made my heart break because it was supposed to be a beautiful moment between two mates, not a show.

"Hey," Dox said softly. His fingers came up to wipe my cheeks and that's when I realized I'd started crying. "Hey," he said again. "It'll be okay."

Angrily, I pushed his hands away and swiped at my own skin. Then I sat up, wrapping my arms around my knees. "No. It won't. Our mating is going to be a joke, a political show of power, not something beautiful like it's supposed to be. Like Piper's is going to be. People we don't know will be gawking at us and our scars. They'll be watching our every move, judging us. That is not what I want for us."

Dox sat up, too, and rubbed my back. "They're our allies."

"I don't care."

Tilting my face up to his, he met my gaze. "Listen to me, our families are going to have front row seats. I won't compromise on that even if it's taken as an insult. The people we love will surround us while our allies will watch from a distance. I will not let your mating day turn into a spectacle. Do you hear me, Rye? We will make it our own whether they like it or not because that's who we are as a pack, as a family. It's how we run our camp. Our allies will just have to accept that. We'd have to follow their rules and traditions if we're ever invited to their matings and gatherings."

The sincerity in those dark eyes had my chest loosening from the hard grip of suffocation. I could breathe again because of him. I could take a deep breath because my mate did not break his promises. Ever. And what he'd just said had been more than a promise, but a vow to me. A vow from a subject to a royal. We both knew that no matter what the future held for us, I was the leading ruler of this pack. I was going to be queen and Dox was basically king-consort. The only part of me that would keep me from creating that large alliance would be the fact that I didn't have vampire blood. In his vow, Dox was telling me that I was his queen and I would come before him. Always. He respected my position and my power just as I respected his with the Quileute pack. In that world, I was consort to his alpha, and I was okay with that.

I put my palm against his cheek. "I love you so much," I whispered.

Taking my hand, he kissed my palm. "And I you, Ryell. I will not let our positions ruin what we have. And if it's this important to you, we can do what Will and Hunter did: have a mating and a wedding. One for show and one for us, for you."

My breath hitched. "You would do that?"

He smirked. "Rye, when are you going to understand that I would do anything for you?"

Leaning in, I pressed my lips to his. "You are the best gift. I can't do this without you."

"And you won't have to. I won't leave you."

The rest of the tension left my body, leaving behind a buzzing emptiness. "And I won't leave you. I don't think there's another male on this planet who could love me better than you do."

A low growl slipped between his teeth. "We won't ever find out." He leaned in to kiss me before rolling off the bed. "Come on. Let's get a shower and then some food. If I'm this hungry, I know you are."

I swallowed hard. "A shower? Together?"

He gave me a look. "After all we've done today in this bed, you're worried about a shower together?"

At first, I looked at the hand he held out and then out to his body. He was already getting hard. But I noticed there was dried blood on his hips. We'd been rough and I knew there was more between my thighs from the loss of my virginity last night plus what we did today. Dox had taken a shower before he left this morning, so the blood he had now was from during the day.

After a moment, he frowned and looked down his body. I knew when he saw what I did because he hissed. Leaning over the bed, he pulled the sheet sway from my chest and body. Surprising myself, I let him open my legs and thighs.

"Shit," he whispered, instantly worried. "Are you okay? God, I didn't even think…"

I stopped his hand from where it was tracing my inner thigh. "I'm fine. Honestly, I don't feel any pain."

His gaze was intense as he looked at me. "Are you sure." It was a demand.

Smiling a little, I nodded. "Of course. I wouldn't lie to you, especially about this. Are you okay?"

Dox snorted. "I'm fine. I'm just worried about you."

"Dox, I'm okay. This doesn't really surprise me. We went at it for hours and hours, and not gently."

My mate took a deep breath before nodding. "Okay. I won't argue even though I want to. You know your body better than I do."

At that, I laughed and let him help me off the bed. "Oh, I don't know about that. You found some hot spots that I didn't even know I had."

Purring, he brought my body against his. "I enjoyed finding them."

"Me, too."

Between us, our stomachs rumbled at the same time.

I laughed. "Okay, let's get a shower and food."

Dox pressed that luscious mouth to mine. "Your wish is my command."

VictoriaPOV

The sun was setting as Nik drove back toward Forks and the compound.

I was utterly exhausted and must have fallen asleep on the drive back because the next thing I knew, we were pulling into the driveway and Mark was opening the door for me.

I took his hand because I was just that tired. Even the baby was quiet inside me as if he were just as worn out. I smiled up at the enforcer. "Thank you."

He smiled back. "You're welcome. Get some rest and we'll see you tomorrow."

I tried to ignore the flutter in my tummy under the baby weight. Mark was exceptionally handsome with sandy brown hair, hazel eyes, and sharp features. It also wasn't a bad thing that he had the body to go with his position. He was built like a tank, but I knew firsthand that those hands were also gentle.

Gathering my stuff, I walked around and said goodbye to Nik as well. They both waited in front of the SUV as I walked into the house through the side door. Ash and Cole were in the kitchen, moving around and cooking dinner.

Smiling, I put my stuff on the bar. "Smells amazing in here."

They both whipped around, blinking in surprise.

Ash frowned and turned back to stare at the door. "Did you seriously just walk past us?"

Grinning, I nodded. "Yep."

"Some werewolf I am," he muttered darkly before smiling back at me. "Are Jason's guys still out there?"

I nodded. "And waiting on you, I assume. I didn't hear them take off."

While he went outside to get a report on the day, I was left with Cole.

"So," he asked. "How was it?"

"Good," I answered, rubbing my belly. "I'm exhausted but it felt good to be back. Mark would barely let me lift a file folder let alone a box of them."

Cole nodded his approval. "Good. I like him."

I gave him a look. "I'm not fragile, Cole."

"You are until Carlisle clears you of everything."

"He's right," Ash said when he came back inside.

"Any problems?" Cole asked him.

Ash went back to chopping up some basil and shook his head. "Nik said all was clear. No signs of your parents prowling around."

Something in my gut eased. I'd been too scared to ask my guards if there had been any trouble because I didn't want to know how in danger I was. To some, it seemed silly, but I, as well as Cole, knew how violent our father could be, how cruel our mother was.

The baby kicked hard again, just as he'd been doing all day. Hissing, I rubbed soothingly, trying to calm him.

Ash looked over sharply, his brows cranked down. "You okay?"

Smiling tightly, I nodded. "Yeah. He's just been really active today." Sitting on one of the bar seats, I leaned on my forearms. "So did you guys talk about it?"

Cole gave me a warning look. "No. We didn't have the time or privacy. Alice had to fit us for the wedding and this isn't something we want everyone hearing about until we're ready."

Knowing I wouldn't get anywhere with him, I looked to Ash. "What about you? What do you think?"

He shared a look with my brother before speaking. "Cole and I do need to talk about this, just the two of us. But for right now…I don't know, Toria. What you're asking of us isn't some small favor. It's a kid's life and sanity. And it's me lying that I'm the donor to your surrogate. You've gotta think about this. I'm an alpha by birth. Your son is not my blood so he won't be. He won't be like Cordy and any other kids born to my siblings. I get that you want to involve me, make me feel more like a part of this, and I appreciate it. But I don't think I could go with that lie. I'd be okay with you saying you're a surrogate and having a donor for us. But we can't say that I am that donor. He would grow up thinking something is wrong with him."

Instead of trying to argue like I would have done before the pregnancy, I stopped and thought about his reasons. They were all solid. The boy would grow up to think something was wrong with him if he didn't have the kind of power his cousins did. It only made sense to say that the donor was someone else. Besides, maybe someday I could actually carry a child for Ash if they really wanted one of the alpha line. I had to say that I wasn't too opposed to the idea. Not for them.

So I nodded. "Okay. I can understand that. As long as he's taken care of, I really don't care what you tell him."

They both looked at me in surprise.

I shrugged. "It makes sense. As long as you guys are considering taking him, I can deal with whatever you want to tell him."

"Thank you," Cole said. "And I promise we'll talk about it. Lately, we've been so busy-,"

"I know," I said, reaching out over the counter. He took my hand and I continued. "I know you have. So I'm especially grateful for all you've done for me already. You're both wonderful, which is why I know this kid would be in great hands. Raised right, it won't matter if he doesn't carry alpha blood. He'll still be a Black and respected for it. I mean, I'm assuming you'll be taking Ash's name when you get married…or mated. Whatever."

Cole smiled. "Yeah, I will be."

Behind him, Ash frowned. "We haven't talked about that, either."

My brother gave his boyfriend a stern look. "I'm taking your name. Nothing to discuss."

Ash's brows shot up to his hairline. "Okay, then. If that's what you want."

While watching them, a grin spread my lips. I loved seeing them like this. Already, these two men were my family. Cole always had been but he was different now that he was with Ash. And I loved how strong he was now. I also liked that Ash didn't seem to mind that my brother wasn't a pushover. Cole had always been a fighter, but now he didn't take any shit at all.

"It is," Cole answered.

Ash nodded as if that settled that issue. Then he turned back to the stove. "Dinner's ready."

As a family, we all set the table, washed up, and sat down.

ColePOV

After dinner, the three of us sat in the living room and caught up on all the TV shows we'd been missing. Then Ash and I forced Toria to go to bed. She looked exhausted and needed sleep. She'd kissed us both on the cheeks went for her bedroom.

That was ten minutes ago and Ash and I were sitting on the couch with no other sound than the fire crackling. It had been a long fucking day of getting poked with pins and modeling the suits for everyone. Alice was never happy until Esme had stepped in. Man, that woman was a saint.

"If you want to do it, I'm okay with it," Ash said quietly beside me.

I frowned before I understood what he was talking and then nearly gave myself whiplash with how sharply I looked at him. "What?"

He tilted his head toward Victoria's room. "The baby. If she still wants to give him up after he's born, I'm okay with us taking him."

"Really?" I asked breathlessly.

He nodded. "Of course. He's your blood, Cole. And I know you. You couldn't turn him away. Hell, if something had happened to Hunter and Will hadn't wanted Cordy, someone in our family would have taken her. There's no way any of us would have let her go. And Toria is right; she'd struggle to be a mom. She doesn't have footing in her own life. I mean, I'm not saying we wouldn't be there for her if she decided to be his mom. Absolutely, I'd be his uncle. No questions asked. I just know that, right now, she's adamant, so we might as well come to a decision now. We'll be prepared for whatever happens."

For a moment, I just stared at him. Then I said what was really on my mind. "I've always wanted kids, but I didn't think it would happen this fast. I thought you and I would have more time together before we even talked about it, so I guess it's bittersweet making this decision. But thank you. I would want to take him."

Ash reached out to rub my thigh. "The moment the two of you came in this house and told me what you'd discussed, I knew what we would choose. I still want her to make the final decision. Having a kid might help her figure out what she wants out of life."

Taking his hand, I nodded. "I agree. But still…thank you." As the answer settled in my chest, I looked toward her room. "God, just think. In less than four months, we could be dads," I said softly.

Ash tilted his head. "Life is strange like that. It usually gives us what we want but not in the ways we expect."

For a moment, we both sat there contemplating that.

"Come on," I said with a squeeze of his fingers. "Let get to bed. I'm beat."

We both got up to turn out lights and put the fire out. Then we walked hand in hand to our bedroom.

After our conversation this morning, I was already thinking about being with Ash, but not tonight. We were both too tired to enjoy it.

So for now, my imagination was just going to have to get me through until I felt the moment was right for us. Ash wanted me in charge of that part of our life, so I would be because he trusted me to.

In bed, Ash fell asleep first with a content smile on his face like he'd had a good, full day. Which we had spending it with Bray and Will and the guys.

I watched him sleep until my lids grew too heavy and I fell into the most peaceful sleep I'd had in days.


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