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Drake was the only outlier. He’d clearly been shocked at the revelation and was dealing with it the best he could, eyes still wide with surprise, but his mouth was playing at a smile.
Unable to resist, Cortana called out to him where he still sat by the fireless hearth. “Sire?”
“First Rona and now you,” he chuckled, his earthy-brown eyes dancing with mirth. “Perhaps I’ll hold tight to my other fledglings, so I don’t lose any more of them to precocious matehoods.”
A grin split his lips as he took in Cortana’s reaction to the word ‘precocious’. To her sire, she’d always be a youngling to be protected—a way of thinking she had new respect for, as the alpha of a wolf pack. Drake stood and closed the distance between them to wrap Cortana in his arms. Overjoyed by her sire’s ready acceptance, she settled against his familiar frame.
“Unfortunately, sire, I think you’ll need to find a replacement for me rather quickly.”
Two weeks ago, if Drake had been injured or her House was in trouble, there’d have been no question as to her priorities. Now, the unfailing loyalty to her House had become second fiddle to the loyalty Cortana felt to Riaz.
Drake nodded after they pulled away and returned to their respective mates. “We have our work cut out for us, that is for certain. Who would you suggest to replace you?”
Of course, Cortana had thoughts.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The wolf within Riaz waited impatiently for his own alpha to arrive. Pacing a path through his mind, the beast growled his disquiet, eager to be reunited with the man who’d saved him all those years ago.
The two males set to arrive inside the hour were amongst the few who matched Riaz’s own dominance. Aidan was the origin of their breed and as such, Riaz continually strove for his respect. Except for the occasions he played pranks on him— which wouldn’t happen today.
Shifting uneasily from foot to foot, the wolf happily waged his invisible tail, a nervous energy settling over him. Cortana, clutching his hand, cast a questioning gaze up at him.
“Nervous, are we? Anxious your vampire mate won’t make a good impression?”
He chuckled. “Nah, Pet, just worried that you’ll see the submissive part of my wolf and start thinking of me as a puppy, belly rubs and everything.”
The sound of her delighted laughter tickled over his skin, a healing balm to a nervous soul. “Well, I’ll certainly promise to never rub your belly … unless you want me to.”
His gaze hooded. “You devilish temptress, you. Perhaps I’ll let you rub my belly in private—and only on special occasions the pack must never find out about.”
Her sweet smile had almost quieted the anxious wolf.
Nipping at her neck, he was distracted by her hum of contentment until the sound of gravel beneath car wheels announced the arrival of his alpha. Aidan had been vacationing in the area with his mate, Lucy, and had elected to drive instead of hitching a ride with a Raeth.
Riaz unconsciously ran a hand down his shirt and stood taller. Cortana chuckled beside him. “Stop, Fido, you look fine.”
Throwing her a lopsided grin, his attention jerked back to the doors when they opened, and his alpha caught sight of him.
“Riaz.”
Resisting the urge to jog the distance between them, he clung to Cortana tighter, grateful for the calming waves of reassurance that washed through their mating bond. “Alpha.”
Eyes dancing, Aidan pulled Riaz into a hug. “Matehood suits you, pup.”
“Thank you, alpha. Allow me to introduce Cortana, my mate.”
“Pleasure is mine, Cortana.” Taking her hand, Aidan gently brushed his lips over the top of her hand in old-school chivalry.
“I carry a debt of gratitude to you, Aidan. For finding my mate all those years ago and caring for him when I couldn’t. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.” Cortana dipped her chin in a short bow.
“He’s a good man, and I’m glad we both found him.” With a smile, Aidan stepped back and the wolf’s green-grey gaze flicked to his mate. “This is my mate, Lucy.”
Lucy grinned. “We’ve met!”
Throwing her arms around Cortana in the next moment, Lucy reminisced about the last time they’d seen each other in New York when she’d come to visit Toni.
Minutes later, the cohorts of dignitaries started to teleport in. By the time the hour was out, four representatives of each immortal breed had gathered.
