Thoreau - Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Poppy
Still on the couch in fox form, I opened my eyes to see a gorgeous man kneeling next to me and my heart stuttered.
Since I was dying to talk to him, I began to shift, and he quickly stood and turned away, then stripped off his t-shirt and held it out in one hand while keeping his back to me.
"Sorry," he muttered. "I can get you something better to wear in a minute."
My shift complete, I took the shirt from his hand and pulled it on, then pulled up the neck to take a deep inhale of his precious scent.
"This is fine," I told him with a smile. "It smells like you. Like peaches. Mmm. Yum."
"You smell like lemons. Fresh. Clean. Pure," he murmured. "Are you okay? I saw your one paw was hurt. Do you need healing?"
"No, just needed enough sleep to heal myself. I've been running for three days." I twisted my head to one side until it cracked, then did the same on the other side. "You can turn around, by the way."
Instead of doing so, my handsome mate tilted his head back, took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
Which was fine with me on one hand. His wide back was a work of art, all rippling muscles and smooth tan skin, and I'd drool over it as long as he let me.
On the other hand, I was confused. Shifters in general were a very physical species, and wolves especially were well known for the lack of personal space when it came to mates. Most couples finished up the whole marking and mating process in a matter of hours, yet mine hadn't so much looked me in the eyes.
That got my foxy senses tingling.
"Mate? Are you okay?"
I touched his bare shoulder with my fingertips and inhaled sharply as sparks flared where our skin connected. He shivered, so I knew he felt them, too, but he still didn't turn to face me.
"Listen," he muttered in a low, rough voice that made my thighs clench. "Reau told me what you said, and I won't, but I suggest you reject me."
Okay. Not what I was expecting.
"What makes you say that before I even know your name?"
To be honest, I did know his first name. Both his wolf, Ruby, and Thoreau had told me it was Leo, but I wanted to hear it from him.
"Leo Espen Halder," he bit out and turned his head just enough to see my hand where it still lay on his broad shoulder, "so you can say it correctly when you reject me."
"Well, Leo, I'm Poppy, and I think the first thing you should know about me is that I do a thing called what I want." I held back a smirk, although I did roll my eyes. "And rejecting you is not something I want. Why do you want me to?"
"If you knew the things I've done, you wouldn't ask. You'd just run." He barked out a harsh laugh. "I cannot and will not ask you to sacrifice your future. Reject me now and be free to seek your happiness wherever you want."
A rare flare of anger cracked the deep calm in my soul, and I dropped my hand from his broad shoulder.
I didn't know who or where or how long ago, but someone or something had hurt my mate. I could almost see the pain radiating from him.
And that pissed me off.
Scurrying around to stand in front of my tall mate, I locked my eyes on his stoic face and studied it as thoroughly as he was studying mine.
Short, dark brown hair. Eyes the color of wildflower honey. A light smattering of freckles over his nose that danced down onto his high cheekbones. Big, full lips I could suck on all day. Small ears tight against his head and a jaw sharp enough to make my ovaries go boom.
No kits until I have a steady income, Practical Me scolded.
Could be pups, too, Miss Romance sighed with hearts in her eyes. Mate is a wolf. Fifty-fifty chance of either one.
It doesn't matter if they're pups or kits! Mommy Poppy squealed. I love babies!
Well, I love mate's face. Maybe he'll let me ride it later. Feisty Pants licked her lips.
Despite that intriguing image, worry for my mate took priority, and I sent out a little skirl of magic to see what was wrong. When I saw the terrible wound inside him, the crack in my calm widened into a chasm.
"You will tell me everything that hurt you," I snarled, "so I can understand how you need to be loved."
"Poppy." He blinked and his eyes glistened. "I'm not good for you and have nothing to give you. Not even a home or an income. I'd only disappoint you."
"I am good for you, and the only thing I need you to give me is yourself. Your love and your loyalty. And I don't have a home or income, either." I rolled my eyes. "Obviously, I don't even own a pair of shoes right now, but you know what? We'll figure it out together."
His hand trembled slightly as he raised it, and I leaned into his touch as he cupped my cheek and stroked his thumb over my skin. The mate sparks tickled and I smiled to see his eyes widen with wonder.
"Leo," I murmured, "the Goddess led me here to you and to this pack for a reason, and I think some of it might have to do with the sister witches I sense in this house."
"My alphas are here, too. They're going to want to ask you a lot of questions. Let me get you a pair of pants, then we'll meet everyone. Sorry I don't have any, um, underthings for you."
"It's fine. I'll appreciate anything." I shrugged.
He was explaining that the pack had emergency funds to get me some basic supplies when footsteps thundered down the basement stairs.
"Here, Poppy!" Thoreau yelled as he ran into the safe room. "Pants!"
He flung them at me in his enthusiasm, and I caught them before they could hit me in the face. At the same time, Leo spotted my injured hand, and he carefully grabbed my arm and held it still. As he examined the raw, red skin, I felt his fury light up our new mate bond.
"Did those mutts do this?" he asked through clenched teeth.
"No. It's a long story that I'll have to tell your alphas anyway." I smiled at him. "It'll be back to normal by tomorrow, Leo. I promise."
"I got you my favorite pair, Poppy!" Thoreau interrupted, still yelling. "They're super soft!"
"That's too loud, Reau," Leo grumbled.
"Sorry," he whispered.
"Thank you." I flashed him a wide grin. "It's very kind of you to loan me your favorite."
"Can you be the fox sometimes just so I can pet you?" He tilted his head and his stone-colored eyes stared at me innocently.
"Sure!" I chirped.
"Reau, meet us upstairs, okay?" Leo said. "Poppy needs to get dressed now."
He nodded, then was gone as quickly as he came.
"He's a very sweet boy," I murmured.
"Yeah, he is." Leo cleared his throat. "He's got some issues—"
"I know, and he has a hole inside him, too. Don't worry. I'm here now to help you both heal."
I stepped into the sleep pants and pulled them up, then had to bite back a grin when Leo's ears turned red as I wiggled them over my hips.
One hundred bucks says he's still a virgin, Feisty Pants purred. I mean, his shirt goes halfway down my thighs. He didn't even see anything and he's blushing!
Pfft. You're a virgin, too, Practical Me smirked.
Only physically, Feisty Pants smirked back. My mind is a gutter. A dirty, naughty gutter.
I want to be naughty with mate! Miss Romance giggled.
"Poppy?"
With wide eyes, I stared up at my mate, hoping to the Goddess neither he nor Ruby could hear the thoughts running through my mind. Without marking me, he shouldn't be able to, but he had alpha blood and so much moon power that I could smell it on him, so who knew what was possible?
My mate took a deep breath, and I wondered if any more foolishness about rejecting him was going to come out of his mouth. If so, I really didn't think I could be held accountable for my response.
Thankfully, the Goddess was wise enough to bless me with a deep well of patience, Practical Me said with a serene smile.
Yeah, otherwise, I would have been locked away in the king's cells years ago, Feisty Pants chuckled.
"If you choose to stay," Leo murmured, "if you accept me as your mate, my life is yours. My love is yours. My loyalty is yours. Until I take my last breath, all that I am and ever hope to be is yours."
I started to reply, but he laid his finger over my lips, and I graciously closed my mouth without biting his finger off.
"But don't stick around and make me believe you'll keep me if you're only going to reject me later. I'm already so broken, I don't even know where all the pieces are, never mind how to put them back together again. Just do it now and get it over with so I don't have to be tortured by false hope, too."
He dropped his hand, then stood there with his shoulders back and his chin up, as if just waiting for me to hurt him, and I was quick to put him out of his misery.
"I, Poppy Steep Rock Torres, will love you my whole life, Leo Espen Halder. You and no other. You are mine, and I am yours."
Then I slid my arms around his bare torso and laid my cheek on his naked chest, shuddering under the onslaught of both the mate sparks and the glorious knowledge that all of this was mine and mine alone. A second later, he wrapped his arms around me in a very gentle hug.
"Poppy," he whispered into my ear, his warm breath making me squirm a bit. "Please don't leave me."
"Never. I can't force you to believe me, Leo, but you will eventually." I shrugged. "Then I can say I told you so. Win-win for me."
"I don't know. It's kind of unfair to make announcements like that when you can see the future and I can't."
He's teasing me?
He is! He's teasing me!
"Is it my fault that I'm perfect?" Still squeezing him, I leaned back to meet his honey eyes.
"No, it's not and, yes, you are."
He grinned down at me, and my heart sang, overjoyed that he was comfortable enough to tease me back.
"Good boy!" I chirped.
I reached up and patted the top of his head with my uninjured hand. Growling, he spanned my waist with his big hands, then lifted me until we were nose to nose.
"Oh, am I going to have fun kissing that sass out of you, little vixen."
"Since I'm ninety percent sass, I think that will take a lot of kissing." I smirked at my handsome mate, our faces an inch apart. "Decades and decades and decades."
"Oh, a hundred years at least," he taunted.
Then our lips met and the real teasing began.
While we waited for Leo's new mate to wake up, I loaned some of my clothes to my zias, since they all flew here in their bird forms. Well, except Zia Bea, whose mates drove them all here. Bubba handed out some shorts and shirts to alphas Cole and Mason and Nathan Barlow, and Gelo did the same for Royal Price and the other three alphas.
Once everyone was dressed, I was finally allowed to dig into my chocolate chip pancakes while the adults chatted. I tuned most of it out, though, since it was boring grown-up talk.
After breakfast, the alphas sent Zayne and Zayden to trace the dire wolves' trail back to where they crossed into Dark Woods, and Zia Bea decided to go with them. She said she wanted to smell around and make sure there weren't any surprises waiting on the other side of the border.
Once they left, Zia Sara and Zia Ariel flew back to the alpha house to get the alphas' cars, and Zia Maria stayed with us to wait for Poppy to wake up.
I was so excited to see her again! She was very pretty, and I loved her fluffy fox!
After we finished breakfast, everyone went into the living room, and I tagged along because I didn't want to be alone after my messed-up morning. While Zia Maria cuddled me on the couch, Alpha Mason asked if anyone had ever been to the Cold Moon pack, and Bubba said he had.
Alphas Wyatt and Jayden kept interrupting them, though, and that made Alpha Mason mad, which was super scary! Alpha Cole slapped Alpha Wyatt upside the head, and I flinched at the loud smack. I thought a fight was going to break out and hugged Zia Maria tighter, but Alpha Wyatt only made a face at him as he rubbed the back of his head.
Once they settled down, Alpha Mason asked Bubba a few questions about Cold Moon, and Bubba got upset about something that happened there. My big, brave beta brother got so worked up that Gelo pulled him into a hug and whispered to him.
Gelo, why's Bubba scared? I whimpered and stuffed my thumb in my mouth.
He's not scared, Gelo linked back right away. He's distressed because someone was mean to him, but don't you worry about it. I'm going to take care of it.
Bubba leaned more into Gelo's side and hugged him as Gelo rubbed his hand up and down Bubba's back.
"I need to report to the king first," Alpha Mason said as he looked at Gelo. "He needs to know what else has happened in the past three years. Once King Julian gives his orders, I'll go with you."
I wondered where they were going, but then I realized that was what Gelo meant by he'd take care of it.
Oh! There must be a monster at Cold Moon that almost got Bubba! I realized. Gelo and Alpha Mason are going to kill it.
Satisfied I figured it out, I nodded my head.
"We need to call him anyway about the other alpha and luna issue we have," Alpha Jayden said and pointed his chin at me, but I was too busy linking Bubba good thoughts to wonder about that.
I love you, Bubba. Gelo and Alpha Mason will take care of that monster. Then you don't have to be distressed anymore.
Thanks, honey. I love you, too.
Suddenly, my little ear heard footsteps coming up the basement stairs.
The footsteps took a detour into the kitchen, then I heard Leo race up the stairs toward the bedrooms - something they fussed at me doing all the time!
Not fair, I pouted.
When his heavy footsteps clumped back down the stairs just as fast, I decided to link him.
What are you doing, Leo?
Grabbing a shirt while Poppy is inhaling food. She hasn't eaten in three days.
Poor foxy! Can you link with her yet? I knew I couldn't until the alphas made her part of the pack, but Leo should be able to since they were mates.
No, but Ruby can when she's in fox form.
Why can't you in either form? I wondered as I tilted my head.
I don't know. I don't know much about foxes, but I think I need to mark her before we can link.
After a few more minutes, Leo finally led her into the living room.
"Poppy!" I shouted. Running up to her, I wrapped her up in a big bear hug.
"Reau, come sit down and mind your manners," Gelo scolded me in a soft voice. "You've already met her and none of us have."
"But I just like her so much," I whined, but did what he said. This time, I sat on the other couch between Alpha Cole and my friend Royal Price.
"Everyone, this is my mate, Poppy Torres," Leo introduced the pretty girl, then went around the room and told her all of our names. She thanked them for saving her life and Alpha Cole asked her why the dire wolves were chasing her.
"Well, I am a foxy lady, you know," she said with a big grin.
"Oh, my Goddess, another Wyatt," Alpha Mason muttered and covered half his face with one hand.
"Watch out, alphas," Leo said with a smirk. "She's got her sassy pants on."
"Oh, honey, all my pants are sassy," she shot back.
"Nuh-uh," I protested with a mad face. What was she talking about? "Those are my pants and they're not sassy. They're plaid. I wouldn't wear sassy pants!"
Maria, Dad, Ash and Wyatt burst out laughing while everyone else chuckled. I looked around in confusion, and Alpha Cole ruffled my curls.
"Reau, do you know what sassy means?" he asked with a tiny smile.
"No."
"Good," Bubba said. "You don't need any sass."
I just shrugged. If they weren't going to explain it, I'd ask WayWay and ChiChi later.
Gelo asked Poppy about her injury, and I winced when she held up her red, raw hand. She told him it would be fine by tomorrow, but he healed it for her anyway, and she grinned at him.
"You said those mutts didn't do it?" Leo prompted her to begin her story.
"I chewed my paw off to escape a prison," she said, making all of us look at her with wide eyes.
Then she told us she was roaming the forest in fox form two weeks ago when she was shot with a tranquilizer dart and woke up chained to a wall. She described the prison, the humans running it, and the other shifters and creatures chained up there with her. She said she knew she couldn't wait to escape any longer when the leader of the humans started talking about taking them all to some lab for 'eradication.'
What's that e word mean, Bubba? I linked him.
It means kill them, honey. Whatever else the humans planned to do to them in that lab, they planned to kill them.
Meanies! I made an angry face. Why?
Some people are just born hating the world, I guess.
"I don't know if the dire wolves were sent by the humans, or if they picked up my trail on their own," Poppy said. "However, I do know the Goddess was guiding my steps. As soon as I crossed into your territory, I sensed my mate."
She smiled up at Leo, who leaned down and kissed her.
"The rest you know," she finished, then snuggled into Leo's chest as his arms went around her shoulders.
Alpha Mason started handing out assignments to the adults. Poppy's was to draw a map of what she could remember about the prison, so Leo went into the study to fetch some paper and a pencil for her.
"I would like a hand in cleaning out this prison," Gelo told Alpha Mason in a hard voice, "but I also need to take care of the Cold Moon luna."
The luna? I gasped. The luna was the monster who was mean to Bubba?
My forehead wrinkled up in confusion for a second because lunas aren't supposed to be monsters. Then I remembered Mommy Daddy. She was the luna of Gray Shadows, and she was a monster, so I supposed the Cold Moon luna could be a monster, too.
"We'll sort out who goes where and when after we talk to the king," Alpha Cole told Gelo, who nodded.
Then all the adults' eyes fogged over, and I wondered who they were linking with. Whoever it was, it must have been very serious because the alphas ran out of our house as soon as my zias returned with their vehicles.
Things got even more boring after everyone was gone. I was left to entertain myself as Bubba and Leo helped Poppy draw her map, and Gelo reminded her to include all the prisoners and guards she could remember. I understood it was important, though. People were getting hurt - maybe even killed! - and the alphas could only help them if Poppy shared what she knew.
Since no one was paying attention to me, I linked with ChiChi and WayWay for a while. They wanted to hang out with me tomorrow and we were right in the middle of brainstorming something fun to do when Leo called my name.
So I said goodbye to my besties and looked up to see Leo holding Poppy on his lap while Bubba and Gelo sat next to them and studied her map.
"Yes, Leo?"
"Um, you do understand that Poppy's my mate, right?"
"Yep!" I chirped with a big smile.
"And you know that means she'll move into my room with me."
"That's fine." I shrugged. "You can sleep between us. We can both cuddle you, one on either side."
For some reason, Poppy giggled and Gelo snorted.
"Reau," Bubba said slowly, "he means, whenever they're in their room together and the door's closed, it's for private couple time. Just like me and Angelo. If you have an emergency or a nightmare, you can come knock on one of our doors, but otherwise, you need to leave them alone."
My mouth dropped open as my heart started to pound.
"You— You don't want to be my friend anymore, Leo?"
"No, buddy. That's not it—"
"You don't want to hang out with me anymore?" I stood up and my hands started flapping open and closed as my lungs worked harder and harder. "Is it because you're tired of being my friend, or is it because now you have her?"
"I didn't mean to upset you, buddy, but Poppy's my mate—"
"You're ditching me for her!" Tears filled my eyes as I pointed at Poppy. "You're my friend, Leo! And now you're going to let the ghost get me just so you can play with her breasts and—"
"That's enough, Reau." Bubba stood up and walked toward me. "No ghost is going to get you, and you're being disrespectful when you talk that way. Let's go to your room to reset."
He put his hands on my shoulders and spun me toward the stairs, then gave me a little push to get me moving.
"He's my friend!" I shrieked. "Mine! Not hers!"
"Inside voice, Reau," Bubba said calmly and kept moving me toward the stairs. "There's no limit on the number of friends someone can have. He can be more than one person's friend, just like you can be friends with lots of people. Think of all the friends you've made so far here at Five Fangs. You even have two besties now."
He didn't understand. Too overwhelmed to use my words, I grunted and stomped my feet.
"Leo's not ditching you. He's just asking for some alone time with his new mate. Try to remember they only found each other a few hours ago."
Screaming in frustration, I dropped to my knees and grabbed big fistfuls of my curls and yanked hard, wishing I could pull all this worry and frustration and irritation out of me as easily as I pulled out strands of my hair.
Too much! Too much! Too much! Too much!
Big hands suddenly clamped down on my smaller ones and untangled my fingers from my curls. Then a pair of thick arms went around me and picked me up. I could hear a deep voice rumbling, but the buzz in my ears nearly deafened me and I couldn't make out any words.
After a while, it was like I woke up. The darkness faded from the edges of my eyes and the buzz left my ears, and I realized I was sitting on my bed. Bubba sat next to me and held my head against his chest as he whispered in my ear.
"Listen to my heart. Count the beats," he said over and over.
It took a minute before my little ear heard individual bah-bumps and another minute until I could count them.
One two.
Three four.
Five six.
By fifty-seven fifty-eight, my breathing was back to normal and I could think again.
"Are you mad at me, Bubba?" I whispered into his shirt.
"No, honey. I'm not mad."
"Is Leo mad at me?"
"No, Reau. No one is mad at you, but Leo is very sad that you think he doesn't love you anymore. He loves you so much, honey."
"Did I hurt his feelings?"
"A little, but he's more worried about you. We all are. We didn't think you'd react this badly to Leo finding his mate. Can you explain to me what you're feeling?"
I lifted my head off Bubba's chest and flicked my eyes up. He was wearing his Very Serious face, so I decided to admit the truth.
"Leo gives me lots of attention all day long. Now he won't. He'll give it all to her. I'll be alone."
"That's not true. She'll give you attention and be your friend just like Leo. She doesn't have a job or a home right now, either, so they aren't moving out anytime soon."
"She doesn't have a home?" I gasped.
"No. She doesn't have a family, either. She was alone in the world until she found Leo."
"Aw. Our poor foxy." Tears stung my eyes as my heart filled with pity. "Do you really think she will want to be my friend?"
"Oh, honey, of course! You're important to Leo, which means you're important to her. Besides, what's not to love about my baby brother?" Bubba kissed my forehead and I giggled. "How about you talk with her and get to know her a little more? You'll see I'm right."
"Okay, Bubba, I will talk with her."
"Do you want me to be there with you or give you privacy to talk to her alone?"
I flapped my hand at him with a frown, closed my eyes, and snuggled my face into his chest again.
"Not so many questions, please, Bubba. My brain's all hot and fuzzy right now, and I'm so tired."
Every time I got upset like that, it always made me sleepy, and a big yawn nearly split my face in half. That was scary! How would I eat peabutter jelly sammiches if my face split in half?
"Take a little nap, honey. You can talk to Poppy when you wake up."
"Okay, Bubba. I love you."
"I love you, too, Reau."