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She had a fluffy bun of golden hair on top of her head, and her skin was deep olive from many days in the sun. Elias didn't know why, but he wanted to run up and give her a firm hug. She seemed like a person who wouldn't mind in the least.
"Hi," he replied, feeling shy.
Dane got out of the back after folding each blanket, closing the door, and waving to the woman who stood up. She was shorter than Elias, five foot two or less, and wore overall shorts and a blue tee printed with fluffy clouds. Everything about her was petite and cute. He wanted to squeeze her dimples, but wouldn't dare be so rude.
The screen door opened and an even tanner man came out… and just kept coming.Standing at well over six feet five inches tall, he had a formidable presence, his muscular frame a testament to years of hard work. When he smiled at his mate, his teeth gleamed with an otherworldly white, a striking contrast against his silky chestnut hair. He reminded Elias of Levi, except, well, massive and more at ease. Outside of the bedroom, his alpha was just as high-strung as he was.
In a seemingly telepathic moment, Levi emerged from the driver's seat and greeted the two on the porch with a wide grin. Seeing his mate's former lover didn't faze the other alpha in the slightest. He smiled back just as brightly, striding down the stairs to pull Levi into a bro hug.
Ian rounded the car to stand just behind Elias like Dane was, all three of them waiting quietly to be introduced. He sensed the heat of this place already, as he shifted from foot to foot and pushed the sleeves of his sweater up. The stark difference here compared to rainy Hamton was astonishing. Elias looked at the cloudless sky and became convinced that they had to water every plant manually. There was no way it rained.
"Ah, it's good to see you," the man rumbled, slapping Levi across the back with a broad hand as they pulled away.
Levi nodded. "Same to you, Charlie."
Charlie's gaze shifted past Levi, fixating on Elias, who let out a small squeak and blushed. "Hi."
"Hello there, as you heard, I'm Charlie," he replied, taking the woman under his arm. "This is my mate, Anna."
Elias didn't let himself lean on his pack mates for comfort, even though his body wanted to. Instead, he stood tall and raised his head.
"It's so nice to meet both of you. I'm Elias. This is Dane and Ian."
He gestured to the two men accordingly.
Charlie dipped his chin to them. "Good to meet you all. How about we go around to the back porch for some snacks and drinks? Henry and Kellen are back there setting up."
He nodded, and so Charlie turned to lead the way, Levi keeping pace beside him. Anna slipped away from her mate and approached Elias, wrapping him in a sunny and inviting hug. Her simple comfort caught him off guard, but Elias couldn't help but melt into it.
"I'm so glad you came," she said. "Levi talked on and on about you when we spoke on the phone a few weeks ago."
Elias tried not to flush at the knowledge that Levi was just as enamored back then as he was now…all of his alphas were like that. He sensed an instant connection with all of them, but made an effort to overlook it. Now, he was doing his best to embrace every aspect of preparedness for bonding. A thought that left him giddy and warm as they pulled away from each other.
Anna grasped his hand and led him up the stairs. He let it happen and looked out over the fields as they walked around to the back of the house. Acres and acres of lavender spanned as far as the eye could see, every bloom swaying in the wind. He yearned to go down and touch one just to experience its texture. Maybe later.
"Is this your first time in West Sagefield?" Anna asked.
Elias jumped, turning wide eyes back on her. "Yes. This is actually my first time out of Hamton. My family sheltered me when I was younger and then I guess I never saw a reason to leave."
She nodded in understanding. "I was the same way. We didn't move out here until we had already mated. There were just too many people unwilling to understand our dynamic in Hamton."
Elias' good mood dimmed. "Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."
Anna waved the words away. "Don't worry about it. That was over ten years ago, and I'm much happier here than I ever was in my parent's mansion. Unlike you, I didn't have a job or purpose in Hamton, other than becoming someone's mating toy. I found nothing for myself there."
Before Elias could process that information, they rounded the last corner to the back porch, revealing the six alphas waiting for them. His pack mates remained standing after the long drive, leaning against the railing with half-full glasses of what looked like whiskey on the rocks. Anna let go of his hand and glided over to where her alphas sat in a cluster on a white outdoor sofa.
She unapologetically took a seat across a blond man's lap, wrapping her arms up and around his neck. He wasn't as large as Charlie, but held the same commanding energy. His muscles were lean and his hair was just long enough to brush against the nape of his neck. Swaths of it fell in messy waves, which Anna pushed away from the man's crinkled green gaze.
"Hello," he called to Elias, who was still loitering near the corner like a weirdo.
The greeting pushed him into gear, and he took several quick steps up to the edge of the couch. He tried to smile with warmth as Anna did, but wasn't certain he could pull it off. The anxiety in his chest wasn't as intense in this situation, but it still lingered at the idea of meeting new people—especially alphas.
"Um, hello."
The man didn't lose his kind grin, and it calmed him down a little. "I'm Henry, and this guy next to me is Kellen, or Kell. Call him whatever you like."
Elias peeked past Anna to find a much smaller man sitting between them and Charlie. He was probably five-ten or five-eleven, with black hair cropped close to his head and curious brown eyes. He didn't have a bulk of muscle or broad shoulders, but the scent coming from him was still distinctly alpha. Musk, oak shavings, and wood polish. It was the first time Elias had met an alpha who, while handsome, wasn't so imposing. It was kinda nice.
