Inevitably Yours

QUINN

We all stayed on edge for a few days after the attack. M and Nic found out that it was all orchestrated by Wild Paws. Luckily, no one had been seriously hurt other than the rogues. Even Adi and Andrea were relatively alright about everything. Their home was a complete loss, and we felt terrible. Fortunately, M was able to rally enough support within the pack to get the mess cleaned up and a new structure put in. Andrea and Adi stayed with friends while everything was being fixed.

Much to the pups’ dismay, we put a hold on training for a few days. Everyone needed rest, and M wanted to be on alert in case anything else came our way. With everyone still on high alert, I did the only thing I knew how to do to comfort anyone – cook.

Nic and M were squirreled away in one of the offices I had managed to clean up. All that was in the room was an old table that had seen better days, but after the rogue attack, Nic and M seemed to be occupied by something. I promised Michael I would stay in the packhouse, so he knew I was safe, but I needed to do something.

While they were busy, I went to the kitchen and assessed everything we had in the pantry and freezer. Even with our tight budget, I tried to buy extra meat or shelf staples to store away in case a need for more food arose. There was an additional room off the garage that actually had an unused freezer and usable shelves that I turned into food storage for us. Nic hadn’t found it, but I did get a couple of bags of potato chips for those times when ‘a girl just needs a potato chip.’

By the time I saw Nic and M again that evening, I had large steaming pots of chicken and vegetables over rich garlic rice ready to take down to the warrior compound. It wasn’t much, but it was home-cooked.

“What in the world smells so good?” Nic said, appearing in the kitchen first.

“Come and taste,” I smiled, holding up a spoon. There was a smaller pot set aside for the three of us. Nic hurried over as Michael joined us.

“Why’d you make so much food?” Michael asked.

I shrugged. “I can’t do much else. I thought maybe everyone could use a decent meal. The only appliance used in the kitchen at the compound is the microwave.”

Michael joined Nic, grabbing a spoon from the silverware drawer. They both started eating directly from the pot. “Wow,” Nic said. “This is really good. Where did we get all this food, though?”

“I’ve been creative with shopping,” I smiled. Michael looked at me with the spoon dangling from his lips. His eyes had a slight glow to them.

“Magic!” Sapphire piped up.

“M, are you okay?” I asked.

“Yea,” he answered with a little smile. “It’s weird; I don’t feel so tired anymore.”

Nic stretched her arms up in the air. “Now that you mention it, I don’t either.”

“Magic! It’s your magic!” Sapphire cheered.

“My magic made them less tired?” I asked.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“Well, some fae have healing magic. Maybe yours is achieved through your food,” Sapphire reasoned.

“Doesn’t that seem like a stretch?”

“Look at your mate’s eyes,” Sapphire said. Nic and Michael continued to eat straight from the pot, talking to each other about the food. They both seemed less stressed suddenly, and Michael’s eyes kept that faint glow about them. Could this really be my magic?

“Are you going to eat, baby? You made all this for us; you should have some too,” Michael said, holding the pot up out of Nic’s reach with a smile.

–

After a delivery of home-cooked food from the Alpha, Luna, and Beta, spirits seemed brighter. Life went back to normal; Michael attended to training and other Alpha duties, Nic helped, and I either spent time with them or worked on the packhouse.

Courtney came to visit the packhouse, asking to help us in return for giving her refuge. With a few weeks of food and shelter, she was like a whole new she-wolf. Since Michael and Nic stayed so busy with training and pack stuff, I asked Courtney if she would like to help me. She had a remarkable amount of energy for a pregnant woman, which she told me was common in the beginning. With her help, we managed to clean out the remaining bedrooms of trash and broken furniture and patch up the walls.

In no time, the last significant obstacles I had in the packhouse were the basement and Alpha floor. I found a bedroom that looked abandoned while Courtney and I worked. Michael was upset when I asked who had stayed there and ran off to make a call. Later, I found out it had been his grandfather, but he had passed shortly after they left the pack.

I didn’t feel much better when I finally sat Michael down to tell him about the pack’s debt. Lawrence had not only been taxing pack members into poverty but borrowing money from other packs. He had gambled through some of it, but a lot of cash was not accounted for. Michael’s anger slowly rose as I showed him everything. I knew we were young and relatively untested, but we had to start making arrangements to pay our debts, and that started with Michael making calls to ask for some goodwill.

He spent an entire day closed up in his and Nic’s new little office making these calls. I felt nothing but anxiety, shame, and embarrassment from him the entire time. It was agonizing to know how hard he worked but put him through all of that.

I tried to give him space to work through it, but I was getting pretty worried when midnight came and went. I had been sitting in our room, not paying much attention to whatever channel was on the TV when I turned it on. When I went to check the makeshift office, I found it empty. I closed my eyes and felt along our bond; he wasn’t far. The same feelings of embarrassment and frustration lingered.

I went downstairs, migrating toward the back door. Looking out the window, I saw Michael flipping a giant tire. Back and forth across the yard he went, breathing heavily as he flipped the massive thing over and over until he had to turn and go back in the other direction.

When I stepped outside, his attention moved to me briefly before returning to what he was doing. “Come to bed,” I said quietly. Michael ignored me and continued. “M, please,” I said.

He stopped, leaning over with his fists braced on the side of the black rubber. “I’ll come in a bit,” he panted.

I wasn’t taking that as an answer. I walked out into the grass, meeting him. He looked up at me; his usual happiness was stripped away. “We will figure it out. Even if it takes our whole lives, we will make it work,” I told him.

He looked back down at the tire. “I feel like I am failing. We were attacked, and now the pack has this hole that seems like we’ll never get out of. Our wedding is not much more than a date.”

“You aren’t failing,” I promised him. “M, you love this pack and me with your whole heart. I’m not the only one that believes it. And more understand every day. You only have so much of yourself to give, even as an Alpha. Money isn’t important, and either is a fancy wedding. You are protecting that girl and everyone in this pack. And I will be by your side through all of it, no matter how long it takes to make Stary the best place to live.”

Michael’s shoulders slumped, his posture slackening. “It’s really hard to wallow about your problems when you go and do that,” he sighed, standing up to his full height. I couldn’t ask for clarification because he grabbed me and pulled me into his chest, hugging me tightly while he buried his nose in my hair.

“We got this, M. Remember, one step at a time,” I linked him.

–

Michael’s mood came around just in time for his birthday. The night before, Nic came racing into our room, ignoring the closed door, holding the packhouse phone. She insisted M take the call, so he did begrudgingly. It turned out to be the Alpha of another pack Stary owed money to. The Alpha told Michael it took a real wolf to call and claim responsibility for the debts, so he would forgive them as they stood. Neither of us could believe how generous the other Alpha was; it was only a drop in the pond, but it still gave us all renewed energy.

With that little bit of stress lifted, M was able to sleep in the next day. I played with his wavy strands as I watched him snore softly, utterly oblivious to my awake state. I knew I couldn’t watch him forever; there were plans to attend to. I had not put much of my birthday plan in place, fearing that he wouldn’t be in the mood to celebrate. Now that he was decidedly back to a positive outlook, his birthday needed to be special.

Usually, the whole pack would celebrate the Alpha and Luna’s birthdays. It was a party for everyone really. I wanted to do that for M, but Nic and I couldn’t find a way to feed everyone. We agreed to keep it small this year and make it big the next when we could put aside some money.

I snuck downstairs and got to work in the kitchen with two objectives: a hearty breakfast and a picnic lunch for the drive. I had Nic pack up our tent from prom after our pleasant surprise the previous night. M and I were going to have an eventful day.

–

“Okay, now I’m hungry,” M laughed while panting next to me.

“Your food is probably cold now,” I said, a sated smile still on my face. “We’re going to be late anyway.”

“So no round four?” he joked. I lazily backhanded his chest, and he continued to laugh. When I got upstairs with his breakfast, he had different plans for the morning of his birthday.

I closed my eyes and let my breathing finally calm. Our lumpy bed always felt weirdly comfortable after we had s*x. But if I went to sleep now, our plans with his family would be ruined. Michael rolled over, his body covering mine again. He ran his nose along mine slowly.

“Doesn’t the birthday boy get some say in what he does today?” he cooed softly. “Cause I pick my sweet little mate all day long.”

“What time is it?” I asked him, peeking my eyes open. He looked over to our nightstand.

“Almost noon,” he answered.

“Well then, your dad is almost here. Do you want to greet him naked?”

“Why is my dad coming here?” Michael asked with a cute perplexed expression now on his face.

“We’re going to see your mom and brother!” I told him excitedly. “Family birthday party, then you and I have something else to go do.” Michael’s face fell. I immediately panicked. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he said with a forced smile. “Thank you for planning this.”

“No,” I said, pushing myself into a sitting position. Michael sat back on his heels. “No, you’re sad. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, sweetheart,” he said. “It’s okay.”

“Tell me, Michael!” I raised my voice.

“Don’t yell at me, ma’am,” he said, his tone darker.

“I am not yelling! But you will stop lying and tell me what is wrong with seeing your mom and brother!” I snapped back. I could see my frustration mirrored in the expression on his face.

He was quiet for a second, probably debating if he wanted to be honest or not. “I just don’t really want to see my mom right now. I’m still not too happy that she refuses to come back here. I tried to get her to come to the wedding before the whole Courtney thing, and she wouldn’t even discuss it.”

“You could have told me,” I said, deflating. “I didn’t realize you didn’t want to see her at all.” Michael shrugged. With a sigh, I changed tactics. “Okay, how about this? You take a nice long shower so you don’t smell like three rounds of birthday s*x. I’ll try and call your dad before he gets here and ask him to stop by tomorrow. Me and you, couch, movies.”

Michael smiled and leaned in, pecking my lips. “One slight change to your plan,” he whispered. “I think my mate should come shower with me. The birthday boy shouldn’t have to do all that work himself, should he?”

I rolled my eyes but still chuckled. I returned his k**s, but before I could agree, there was knocking at the door.

“Are you two done yet?” Nic’s voice shouted from the hall. “I want to give you my present before you leave!”

Michael looked at the door and looked back at me. “Is Nic joining birthday movies?” I asked. He just smiled and nodded.

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