The shadein Odette's front yard makes the ninety-eight-degree heat tolerable.
Two old oak trees rustle overhead, their branches spreading out over the lawn like a canopy. I've been sitting under them for two hours with a glass of sweet tea sweating in my hand, soaking up the occasional breeze, waiting for Cliff to finish grilling the steaks.
Adam is in the chair next to me, his long legs stretched out in front of him, his own glass of tea balanced on his knee. Odette is on his other side in a wide wicker chair, her silver hair bright in the dappled light. She occasionally glances over the top of her sunglasses, looking between the grill and the garage, surveying her kingdom.
Perrin and Raff are bent over Sal's old Cadillac. It needs a new starter and a battery, which should be straightforward, but somewhere along the way the two of them have managed to turn it into a full afternoon project involving asignificant amount of standing back, staring, and the occasional argument.
But they seem to know what they're doing…kind of.
“They’re almost done.” Cliff flips an especially fat steak.
His broad back to us, smoke rising around him in lazy curls as he sips a cold beer.
A few months ago, I was alone.
And now I have this amazing family.
“Stop it,” Perrin says with a little laugh.
He’s bent over the engine, trying to reconnect the battery, and Raff is directly behind him, chest to back, his chin hooked over Perrin's shoulder. Raff’s hands grip Perrin's hips, pulling the beta back toward him.
Every time Perrin reaches forward, trying to connect the battery, Raff pulls Perrin’s hips back, stopping him.
“Do you really want me to stop?” Raff rumbles in Perrin’s ear and the back of the beta’s neck goes pink.
"Rafferty." Odette's voice carries across the yard. "Get your hands off that beta and fix my damn car." She looks at her son over the top of her sunglasses. “If you don’t straighten up, you’ll have to do the dishes after dinner.”
Raff laughs, low and warm, releasing Perrin's hips and straightening up. He looks at his mother across the yard with that slow, easy smile that he saves for her specifically. "We both know I was going to end up doing the dishes anyway, Ma."
"Then you'd better get that car fixed," Odette says, "so at least you have something to show for yourself."
Raff's smile widens and he turns back to the engine, nudging Perrin with his shoulder. Perrin shakes his head, ears still pink, and reaches for the battery terminal.
"You have to be a little mean to alphas," she says as she glances at Adam, then me. "They like it."
Adam snorts into his tea. "Did you like it when Sal was mean to you?"
Odette's expression shifts into something magnificent. She tips her chin up, squares her shoulders, and says with absolute conviction, "I fucking loved it!"
Adam and I both burst out laughing at the same time.
"Elle couldn't be mean if she tried," he says, smiling so wide the corners of his eyes crinkle.
Odette looks directly at me with an expression of absolute sincerity. "I'm serious, omega," she says. "You're going to have to be mean to them too eventually. I'll teach you. It's a skill."
"I look forward to learning from the master," I say with a wink.
Odette sits back in her chair and beams, taking that title with pure pride. Her gray eyes seem to sparkle as they move to Adam, then she immediately frowns. “Stop that, sweetheart.” She bats Adam’s hand away from his fresh mating bite.
Cliff's mark sits almost exactly over Raff's, layered perfectly.
I was in the early stages of my heat when it happened, the world soft at the edges and my body running on instinct, but I still remember the focus on Cliff's face. The way he tilted Adam's head with both hands, studying the gland, taking his time despite slipping into his own rut. And then he struck. With a swift flash of his teeth, Cliff buried his canines deep in Adam’s neck.
Adam had made the most lovely noise.
It was shock and relief, laced with an edge of pain.
Adam’s bond with Cliff still hasn't formed, but it's only been a week, and given how long his bond with Raff took, nobody is worried. These things settle in their own time.
