True mates Book Two of Ozark Wolves

Alexandria walked into the house through the back door. She wanted a moment before she said the words. She had made the decision she must follow through. That was the only good thing that was taught to her from that place. To stand firm in her decisions.

“Hey, sugar.” William came down the stairs to greet her. The entire hallway and back of the living room separated them. Again an unfamiliar emotion in his eyes.

“Hello.” She replied. Don’t back down. If this is what he wants then so be it. Though why she still did not understand.

“How did it go?” He asked walking towards her. More like stalking she thought. His tan had already darkened from the slight red he had been earlier at the lake. She shrugged. Not sure what to say. "Can we talk outside, please?" He asked the amended. "I know it is late, so if you are not up to it."

"Yeah," She turned back to the door she had just come in through. But he was there already opening it for her. She smiled at him half heartedly and led the way to the outdoor chairs on the porch.

"I did not do a very good job apologizing earlier." He said. He took a seat in one of the chairs. She remained standing. Not sure if she should sit. "Sit down please." She did as he asked amazed that he had managed to say please not once but twice to her. "Thank you." He said before continuing. "I didn't mean to get so upset. I let my emotions get the better of me." She opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off. "I heard what you said. I did. You are thinking clearly and logically." He smiled then. Her breath caught. "Again I am sorry for hurting you. I should have been listening in the moment."

"I accept." She said gently. "And I understand." She moved to stand. "Are Rick and Quincy still awake?"

"Yes. They have been busting my balls since you left." William replied gruffly.

"Good." She said and walked to the door again. He put his hand over hers on the knob.

"That song is melancholy but not that sad. What were you thinking when you listening to it? I am really curious." He asked earnestness in shined his eyes from the porch light.

"That she was lucky." Alexandria replied. "To know love like that." He lifted his hand off hers to reach for her other hand but she was already inside. His phone vibrated in his pocket.

What the hell did you do? Mom.

He groaned and messaged back. At this point, Mom. I have no idea. I hurt her feelings and have apologized twice for it. But there is still something there that I cannot quite understand.

"You coming?" Alexandria asked through on the other side of the threshold.

"Yeah." He answered and stepped inside.

Work it out. She needs you as much you want her. Mom.

I am working it out. He responded.

He followed behind her. Thinking he wuld catch her in the living room. But she was already upstairs.

"What did you say?" Quincy asked turning from his computer. Rick set his laptop aside.

"I apologized again." William ground out between clenched teeth. "She accepted. Who in the hell told Mom?"

The brothers looked at each other confused and then at the ceiling. "She did just come from Mom's house. And you know how sensitive she is to such things." Quincy said.

William groaned and went back to his drawing board. Rick chuckled. Quincy winced. There was silence from upstairs. All three strained to listen for even the slightest sound up there. Had she gone to bed without saying good night? If so, why? He remembered her tone when she had spoken about the song.

She couldn't have put that together? Not a chance. Yes, she was smart. She was intuitive. She was... softly spoken words filtered down from the third floor. Audible and clear. She had stopped walking and was standing not far from the steps. He was elated. She had said the words.

Rick heard her words clearly. Felt the call of her soul to his. Her wolf to his. Her wolf was still. Waiting. Not submissive. But timid. He gave William an angry scowl. If the council got wind of this they were in for hell. Especially since they were not planning the ritual until after she at least completed her high school equivalency. Personally he would rather wait until after she got her degree in whatever she wanted and started her career.

Quincy was dumbstruck. She had said the words. He was distressed a little that she had not said them in the living room or in the dining room. Gathered in an intimate setting. But nonetheless she had said the words. He felt the call. Felt her wolf. Timid and shy. A soft whimper escaped its throat. He looked to Rick who was obviously not pleased. Then at William who was elated. A huge grin on his face. Fine, brother, have it your way. Quincy thought. If they did not finish it. She would be on edge. Her emotions and her wolf both. Quincy nodded to Rick and William. As one they finished the binding words.

Rick got off his bed when it was done. And punched William square in the stomach. "I love you, brother. But right now, I really am not pleased with you." Rick marched down the stairs and out the back door. He would go sleep at his parents' tonight.

"You are a bastard." Quincy grinned. "But I have better control over my temper than even Rick apparently does."

William was still doubled over from the punch, catching his breath. He forgot how strong Rick was. "What happened?" Alexandria asked concerned from the top of the stairs. She was in her yellow silky pajama set. It looked really good on her. Hanging just right to show all the soft parts of her.

"Rick lost his temper. I am fine. Go to bed, sugar." William replied between breaths.

"Stand up straight and it will take the pressure off your diaphragm." She said coming down the stairs to get a closer look.

"Don't baby him, honey. He deserved it. Rick has been itching to do it since the boat. He was trying to reason his way around it." Quincy said as he joined William's side faster than she. "Go ahead and go to bed. He will be fine for your outing tomorrow."

She cast a questioning look to Quincy and then William who nodded and she turned and went back up the stairs. Why was Rick so angry? She climbed into her cold bed. Even colder now that the binding was done. Her wolf was rolling happy around on its back. Content with the world. Why wasn't the rest of her? She put in her earbuds and hit play on the song she wanted to listen to. The haunting melody filling her ears and her head. She closed her eyes.

Rick knocked on his parents' door. Marcus answered in his pajama pants and bare chested. "Whoever it is can fuck off." Margarette called from the top landing. "We are busy."

"It is our son, love." Marcus opened the door wide with a sigh. "I believe what we were hoping for and dreading has happened."

Margarette flew down the stairs in her black nightgown and silk robe. "Then what the hell are you doing here and not over there with her?" Margarette asked her son.

Rick crossed his arms and leveled a look on his mother. "She is not ready for that and you know it."

"I wasn't meaning that. We are in no hurry to be grandparents. But Alexandria needs you." Margarette said flustered. "If you came here looking for refuge, the door closed after she left."

"She has nothing to do with why I am here. If I look at William's smug face I will break it." Rick growled as his eyes flashed a bright yellow in anger. "We had a plan and he threw it away because he got scared."

"Scared?" Marcus asked. "That does not sound like William."

"You did not see him after the incident with Maria." Rick replied and unfolded his arms. "After Andrea and John there there was some tension from him. He had asked if she had asked about the words. She had tried to be reasonable. But he had of course snapped at her and walked away. Hurt her pretty good with it too. Although I think there is something else going on in her head that she is not saying." Rick mused then continued. "I set her up to listen to music while Quincy and I talked it through with him. She was crying when we rejoined her. She seemed to be okay. He apologized and then shortly after started crying again. Cried herself to sleep on his lap while I drove us back." Rick shook his head. "Do you happen to have a Jonathan Davis album?"

"Yes I always buy two of every album I get you boys so if you like it we can go over the lyrics or just listen together." Margarette replied and walked across the room to her record player. Pulled out the album and put it on.

"Song eight, please." She put it on and the haunting melody came over the speakers. Margarette's eyes widened and Marcus groaned.

"She was listening to this?" Margarette asked as the haunting voice of the artist came joined the instruments and Rick felt sick.

"William had the damn song on repeat. From that day he went to the lake for five hours. He was fishing and listening to that. Trying to soothe his broken heart." Rick said. "So yeah she listened to that. Oh Moon this is a disaster."

"Does Alexandria know of Maria?" Margarette asked cautiously.

"Yes. William told her all about that. He claims he was still pissed at her for trying to kill us. It was the first morning she was here." Rick replied his tone halting. "But she would not have known he had taken the boat out. That was a month or better."

"She is a sensitive and intuitive young woman." Margarette all but screeched. "March your ass back over there. Cuff your brother and go and hold that poor girl. All three of you or so help me I will use all three of you for target practice while I teach her."

Rick nodded and turned on his heel. "What do we say to her?"

"You better promise that girl the moon and stars on strings if you want peace in your household for the rest of your lives." Marcus finally added his two cents. "She is under the impression that she is somehow unworthy. Correct that, Rick. You know how."

"Oh for fuck's sake." Rick said and marched back to the pack house. Upon entering he marched down the hall and to the stairs. Punched William in the face. And said in low tones in case she was listening. "See what kind of mess you have made. She thinks that we will never come to love her. Thanks asshole." Rick motioned to Quincy. "We all have to fix this or this is going to be a very long era of our line."

Rick led the way up the stairs. She was in bed. Sound asleep. Earbuds in place. Thank the Moon for small favors. He approached the bed and wrapped his hand around her ankle. She cried out in a soft whimper. "No, not again. Please." She rolled to her right which put her closer to him in her sleep then settled when she sighed. A smile on her face. "My mates." She said softly. The brother's looked at each other. She talked in her sleep? Who the fuck knew?

"What the hell was the first part about?" William asked as he took his place at her head.

"Does it matter?" Rick asked as he took his place. She was in the prefect position for him to spoon her. He had not known she was shivering. As soon as he put his arm around her the shivering stopped. Her head on William's stomach once again. His fingers playing in her hair.

Quincy was the last to take his position. She was facing him. He pulled the earbuds out of her ears and put them on the bedside table. Her eyes fluttered a little. Quincy stretched out next her on his side facing her. His head just below hers on the pillow. His hand caressed her arm as Rick held her to him. William still caressing her hair. Each of them wanting to do more. So much more.

She opened her eyes as the sun hit her face. She could have sworn the brothers had joined her. She had remembered Quincy taking her earbuds out before he joined her. "Good morning, sugar." William said from the stairs. A tray in his hands. Loaded with pancakes, sausage, eggs, bacon, hash browns, a glass of milk, a glass of juice, and coffee. A small vase with a daisy in it was also there.

"Morning," she said shyly. She sat up in bed and he walked slowly towards her with the food. Uncertainty in his eyes.

"Sleep well?" He asked as he set the tray across her legs. And sat down next to her.

"I did thank you," She said with a small amount of alarm in her voice. What was this? Peace offering. "Did you?" She asked.

"Yes, very well." He smiled. Her heart skipped a beat. Her wolf was nuzzling needing affection. He relaxed. "We made you breakfast." He said indicating the tray. "Eat what you can and then I have a new outfit for you." He leaned in for a lingering kiss on her cheek. "I am sorry." He said softly in her ear.

"You don't have to keep apologizing." She said just as softly. "I forgive you. I am not perfect. I do not expect you or your brothers to be." She picked up her fork. "Thank you for breakfast, it looks lovely."

Alexandria cut and bit into the pancakes. Rick had made them. He puts a touch of cinnamon in his. Quincy followed the directions to the letter, and William's were a little burned. She was still really confused. Why did she get breakfast in bed? She had felt Rick behind her. But he had been on top of her covers. William had taken up his spot at the head of the bed. Quincy had also been on the covers. She was certain that there had been nothing done to her. She was still dressed in her pajamas.

She had said the words. They had responded. She should be relaxed and happy. But she was still apprehensive and shy. Well close enough. She wasn't terrified anymore. That was going to have to be good enough. Did William still want to take her horseback riding? Or had she blown that. He said something about a new outfit. Perhaps. No don't get your hopes up. She chided herself. "You are thinking awfully hard." Quincy said from the top of the stairs. He had a couple of shopping bags in his hand. His usually playful smile and humorous twinkle in his eyes.

"Just wondering what I did to deserve a lovely breakfast in bed," She said her usual soft bell of a voice a whisper.

"You don't have to do anything to deserve such things, honey." Quincy replied his brows coming down over his eyes. "We love taking care of you." He said emphasizing the word love.