Ever Cynical

Chapter 59- Third Mate, Found

Jothan POV

Our kingdom in England had been an ancestral noble home, complete with fancy green lawns and fussy, posh decor. This place, where I knew with certainty I could find my mate, was wild and untamed. Even as we drove up to the... pack house, I think they're called, the beautiful rusticity of the place was poignant. I loved it. So much more in tune with the natural sources of my magic. My elemental was exceedingly pleased, almost purring his approval. I nudged Tabitha, who was quite groggy. The flight had been grueling. She flinched a little at the sun, but was well covered to prevent over-exposure. Looks like the guard had advised the alpha of our arrival. There was quite the welcoming committee. Two SUV's holding the warriors we'd both brought followed behind us.

I was suddenly very nervous at the sheer number of people, clearly of variety of races, that awaited us. There was a pair of particularly tall and muscular men, one with teal hair and the other with white, that stood off to the far left, arms crossed across their massive chests. To the right, there were three men, probably the Beta, Gamma, and Delta. A smallish black-haired woman stood next to the Beta, and a slightly taller blonde woman stood next to the Delta. Right, probably their mates. Tabitha's hands were shaking.

"Are you quite alright, Tabby?" I asked. She nodded, tears in her eyes. She pointed at the Gamma, her other hand moving to cover her mouth as the reality of finding her beloved hit her.

"He's my mate, my beloved." She whispered tearfully. I grinned at her. She was a sweet girl, but fierce in combat. She'd make an excellent Gamma female. Lord Grey made sure that all of the people in his clan were trained, humble, and honorable.

"Lovely, darling." I said, then my eyes landed on the men who could only be the dual alphas along with their luna. Bollocks. How did I know? This was going to be complicated. There was a tall blonde man with a man bun next to an even taller man with a dark brown, long undercut that hung in his face to just under his chin, and a woman with thick black hair to her ass between them. They were all beyond delicious-looking. What was this, a bloody photo shoot? I'd never particularly ascribed myself to one gender or another. Frankly, I'd never been that interested. "You go first, Tabby. I'll be just a moment." I needed to gather myself a bit before facing them.

She got out, and it was clear the Gamma was immediately planning to claim her without even an iota of hesitation. Nice. It wasn't always the case that wolf packs welcomed other races. It was lovely to see. The man was patient, though, waiting for me to step out as well before carting Tabby off. When I got out and my eyes met theirs, and our scents hit each other, it was like time slowed down. They patiently waited for me to approach, but the males especially were vibrating with excitement. Their Luna seemed excited, but I could sense she was worried, almost hesitant.

"Mate." The three of them growled at me. Well, that wasn't the least bit intimidating, now was it?

"Mate." I replied evenly. The two burly men off to the left giggled. The luna waved her hand, dismissing them as my eyes narrowed on them.

"Don't worry, they are just teasing us about multiple mates. They don't mean any harm." She glared at them. "Right Mom and Dad?" She gritted out. Was she actually calling one of those blokes Mom? The teal-haired one glared and pointed at the sexy man bun wearer.

"I blame you, Kieran. Goddess dammit I am not the Mom." He gritted out. Ah, so the blonde is Kieran Blake. Very nice indeed. He may not have been bulky, but he was chiseled and lean, even through his clothing, and his emerald eyes shone like gems. Ugh, I've turned into a poet. Bollocks. Then the man giggled. Suddenly, I was harder than I've ever been in my life. What the hell?! Then my other two mates snapped their heads to him and growled.

"Kierannnn. Can you not f*****g giggle right now? Hold that s**t it for Goddess' sake! We are welcoming new people to the pack and you're over there making us f*****g horny." The luna said, hands on her hips. It was hot. The other bulky man with white hair piped up, clearly feeling secondary embarrassment on her behalf.

"Anais, my daughter, that was not a very polite thing to say in front of strangers." Was it just me or did he seem slightly terrified?

"Dad, seriously." She pointed to me and Tabby, along with the warriors that were disembarking from the SUVs. The Delta moved to direct them as needed, so I focused on the leaders in front of me. My mates. I shivered. It felt far too good to think it, let alone say it. "I do not need more people smelling my arousal because my beloved alpha wolf can't rein in his giggle." She snapped. I could see the Beta and Gamma trying to hold back their laughter at their Luna's antics.

Good to know that they weren't too stiff and formal, I suppose, although I was the very definition of said qualities. Hopefully, I could fit in despite my very British and very royal upbringing. I was a little worried that my royalty might be an issue for them, but I could see that they had quite strong auras, regardless.

"My love, why don't we take our mate to Kier's office and talk about the mate bond, hmm?" The taller, chocolate-haired one said in a very deep, velvety voice. I'd heard tales of shifters and their ruts, but was I going into one myself? I didn't understand what was going on with my body. Anais' piercing sky-blue eyes turned to him, her eyes narrowing.

"Erik, you better not be trying to get Kier out of trouble. He's being inappropriate and he knows it. He's pushing me again." She huffed, and Erik patted her shoulder.

"Babe, no. I just want to get to know our fourth is all." He said with a grin. "Remember what your uncle told us." He turned back to me. "Erik Brighton, Alpha of Celtic Moon, welcome." He held his hand for me to shake. When our hands touched, a jolt of sparks shot up my arm, and I felt desperate need to kiss him. I didn't, obviously. I have manners.

"Jothan Farrier, Prince of the Fae in Britain. We don't really operate in packs, so I don't have much more of a title beyond that, I'm afraid." I said, hoping I sounded confident and elegant as my mother had drilled into me. Royal. The blonde man stepped toward me, and the same sensation hit me when I took his hand. Bloody hell.

"Kieran Blake, Alpha of Celtic Moon.You are most welcome." His voice was not as deep as Erik's, but had a very sexy raspy quality. I just nodded, feeling that saying my name more than once was probably unnecessary. Finally, the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen in my life stepped towards me. When I took her hand, the need to claim doubled. I was drawn to the men undoubtedly, but there was something even stronger inside me that wanted her.

Nexus was stirring restlessly in my mind. His space when he was not summoned, if you will. I guess in a way, it was very much like the way shifters had their beasts in their head, always aware of what was going on and sharing emotions.

"Anais Allard, Luna of Celtic Moon. Follow me, my mate Jothan. We have a lot to discuss, and you have a choice to make." Both Kieran and Erik groaned at her assertion as she turned and went inside the pack house, indicating that I should follow. I looked at the two men on the left, who just waved me on.

"We'll meet you later, son-in-law." The white-haired one called after me. Well. I noted the elegant yet rustic and very natural decor as we walked down the hall. It felt like home already. I watched Anais walk in front of me, her long black hair swaying hypnotically across her luscious ass, her scent drifting over me. Kieran, who was walking next to me, leaned over and whispered in my ear, making me shudder delightfully.

"She's got the hottest ass ever, huh?" He grinned and patted me on the ass. My c**k jumped to attention. Erik, who'd been walking behind me, spoke quietly over my shoulder.

"She does have the hottest ass ever, but you and Kier are a close second." He grinned conspiratorially. My attraction to them seemed to double over itself with every second I spent in their presence. I was so turned on by the time we sat down in the office that it was painful. Something I dared to say was entirely new for me. Anais and I sat in the chairs across Kieran's desk, while Erik simply stood to the side, essentially between Kieran and Anais. Kieran rested his arms on the desk and steepled his fingers. He tilted his head at Anais.

"So, mo shíorghrá. Do you think Jothan is our final piece?" He questioned her, keenly observing her every expression. She sniffed in my direction carefully, then nodded. "We don't need to keep looking, then?" She shook her head no.

"I'm sorry, looking?" I inquired delicately. Kieran sighed.

"Our situation is complicated and unique. This is why Anais said you had a decision to make. Mating with the three of us will change your life in many more ways than the standard ones you get when you find a mate." He remarked, and Erik rubbed his shoulder. "Our Luna is worried that those the moon goddess chose for her." He uttered, staring at her intensely. "May not want her or be up to the task of handling everything life with us will surely bring their way," I guess that feeling I'd had wasn't incorrect then. I felt rather prepared, honestly, even if it was war we were facing.

"Perhaps you could explain exactly what's going on?" I directed at my gorgeous lady mate. Her demeanor had gone from strong and decisive to uncertain in seconds. I didn't like it, not one bit. I took her hand. "The sooner we get this out in the open, the sooner we can move forward." She nodded and took a deep breath.

She revealed her background, age, and that she was a dragon-Immortal wolf royal hybrid. The situation with the ancient Babylonian witch. The idiots pursuing her to breed, the horrible torture. Her abilities, and that she was pregnant with eight babies. And that if I accepted her, those babies would receive my DNA on mating and marking. It was a lot to take in. The unsaid thing, was that I was going to have to fight. This was a sure sign of possible wars. Even if just to take out the Dark Witches.

As the silence stretched out, tears formed in Anais' eyes, but I held her hand. I took a deep, shaky breath.

"I accept you, Luna Queen, as my mate." I grinned. "And all the trouble that comes along with it."