Lucian wagged a finger. "I don't like it, bro. Less than an hour after you started making calls, you had ally agreements locked in with everyone but him and that Barstow dick wouldn’t even take your call. What makes this dude thinks he’s so special? I think he wants to come scope the place out, if you ask me."
Matt seemed to consider the idea before sighing. "You're not saying anything I didn't think of myself at the time. Hell, after I talked to the San Bernardino pack, the Alpha from Baker reached out on his own. They all seem wary but willing to give it a shot. They know as well as we do: if the LA packs get a toehold out here, everyone in the area is in danger of the same shit we are."
Noah interrupted, his stern expression completely ruined by the pink ice cream covering half his cute face and the entire front of his shirt. "You said a bad word, Matt. You're gonna get in trouble with Eli."
My cheeks were on fire. "When I lived in Newberry Springs, I kept a swear jar to keep people from cursing in front of the boys. It never stopped our father, but it helped everyone else tone it down. And whenever the jar got full, I treated the boys to ice cream. The bribe is probably what made Noah notice. Please don't think you have to police your language on my account—I don't personally mind. Especially because Noah is old enough to know the difference between what he hears from grown-ups and the words he's allowed to say."
Setting his spoon down, Matt leaned over to kiss my cheek. "Start the swear jar, little wolf. There is a new pup on the way, and we might as well start learning to watch our language now."
"Ahh… erm… this is only around little ones, right? We can talk however we want if there's only adults in the room?" Poor Lucian could barely get his questions out; he truly appeared about to panic. But then again, I didn't know him well enough to guess if he was teasing or not.
In case he really was worried, I nodded quickly to set him at ease. "Only around the kids, Lucian. I don't care how you guys talk when you're alone."
Lucian made a show of wiping nonexistent sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "Whew. I thought for sure I was gonna go broke within a year."
Rolling my eyes, I threw a napkin at him before turning back to Matt. "I missed at least half of the story when you told me about the need for allies during snack time earlier. My mind was on other things. I've got the gist, though, so tell me what's up with this Tehachapi Alpha. You say he's coming here next week?"
"Yeah, I don't want to get everyone alarmed. He could just be nosy. My family has a long history in this valley, so you’d think it would grant me immediate acceptance. But then again, my story is perfect for the gossip mill, I suppose. I did walk away from my birthright a decade ago and came rushing back to save you, only to discover you're my true mate. And then I topped it off by challenging and killing your father."
I grimaced as understanding settled in. "And to make matters worse, you didn't keep the spoils of the challenge. You unselfishly gave the pack away to another Alpha who would have time to properly focus on his own pack, while you were content to keep the pack which should have been yours in the first place. Huh. Yep, I can see where gossip is probably spreading like wildfire."
Tucker chuckled softly. "You both left out the best part. He also considers himself part of an exclusive all-alpha biker pack. Oh, yeah. Our Matty boy is going to be legendary around these parts."
Matt groaned and got distracted by his ice cream. When he finally set his spoon down, he pushed his half-finished bowl aside. "So like I said, I don't know. Could be something, could be nothing. Either way, I put his visit off for a week so I could get a feel for the pack deltas and how well they function as a team. The diner is reopening, so I'll take him there for lunch next week."
I rested my hand over his. "Makes sense. Good call not bringing him to our home when you don't know if you can trust him. The public diner is an excellent spot, and the deltas will have no problem watching your back with all those windows. No offense to you guys because you're different. But there's a reason Alpha stereotypes exist and why most alphas don't traditionally hang out with each other."
Devon smiled sadly in agreement. "Unfortunately, most other alphas can't be trusted. Not only do they think owning whatever catches their eye is their right, you have to worry about getting bit in the a—butt with alpha venom. You saw for yourself how fast it works. At least the mating bite has a chance of survival. Pure alpha venom? Not a chance."
"True that." Matt tried his best to appear positive, and it worked for everyone who couldn’t feel his tension through the bond we shared. Rolling his shoulders back, he held his hands out expressively. "How scared can I be of a guy named Bart Macklebee the Third? He claims he's got a small, wealthy pack and needs to think of their needs before committing to anything. Who knows? I decided to take a measured risk."
Lucian frowned thoughtfully, waving his pointer finger as if trying to remember something. His eyes brightened. "Tehachapi. I remember why the name sounded so familiar—the speed trap on the highway between Bakersfield and Mojave. Rich little town up in those hills, remember? I couldn't believe what they were asking for a pack of gum. I noticed a lot of grapes growing in the area. If they're vintners, it would explain why he's so paranoid about outsiders."
"I had the same take too. It’s why I decided to take his request at face value. As long as I can get the pack to go about their business and the deltas are ready for anything, we should be fine. We'll get the word out—I want him to leave here with the picture of a small, friendly pack. Then I'll get his signature on an ally agreement, and we’ll have one more wall of defense between us and LA."
As conversation shifted back to easier topics, Noah interrupted again when Matt said something about how big the pack consciousness was now. He was in the middle of describing the way it felt to be aware of so many wolves when Noah climbed up beside him. Matt stopped mid-sentence to give Noah his complete attention. "What's up, little dude? You have something on your mind?"
In response, Noah wriggled as he pulled his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor. I was torn between nervous laughter and wondering what the heck had gotten into him when Noah pointed at the pale scratch mark over his heart. "If all the kids belong to their parents, and they belong to you because you bited their wrists, who gets me now? And Saul?"
Matt treated Noah's question with the solemnity it deserved. "I see. You saw me accept the allegiance of all the grown-ups earlier. And you know the kids don't have to be claimed because they belong to their parents. Yes, I can see where you might worry. Even though I told you Elisha and I will take care of you now, you don't feel like you're part of the pack because you don't have a parent who's sworn allegiance to me."
I'm not sure how much of Matt's adult response went over his head, but Noah got the gist of it. Head bobbing up and down, he tapped his scar again. "Me and Saul can't be part of the pack conscience. That's not fair."
"Consciousness, little dude. Conscience is a completely different word." Matt gently corrected Noah while we shared a long look, love flowing through our bond as I understood his intention. Glancing at Saul, Matt traced a fingertip over Noah's scar. "Your brother is right. I can protect you, but in order for you to truly be pack and bonded to us, I’d need to give you both a sire-claiming scratch. How do you feel? Would it feel weird to be considered my kids if I'm barely old enough to be your father and am technically your brother-in-law? To be clear, you can still call me Matt. I'm not asking to become your parent, but I would assume the rights of one and be able to completely protect you."