Chapter 2 - Jared

“Come on in!” I call from the dining room when I hear a knock on the door.

I hear the door open followed by my best friends, Jai Vlk and Rowen, Alexander, and Jacob Vegter, arguing with each other.

“No way, man.  I bet that one of you trio kids are going to be Chris’s mate.  There’s no way that it won’t happen.  Same with Jared.  There’s too much mystical mumbo jumbo mixed up with you guys.  The Moon Goddess isn’t going to let any of you get out of this,” Jacob says.

Though Jacob carries my Aunt Arya and Uncle Dev’s last name, he isn’t their biological child.  His actual parents both died in the war between the wolves: his father, Isaac, as a spy, and his mother, Lacey, in childbirth.  Aunt Arya and Uncle Dev took him in because Isaac had meant so much to Aunt Arya.  They had been in the same pack before their leader, Matthias, turned into a giant asshat and started the war with my parents because of them being gay.  I mean, honestly, didn’t he have anything better to do than to worry about who was sleeping with who?

Jacob has always known that he was different from his brothers and Aunt Arya and Uncle Dev have been very upfront with him about who he is to them and who his real parents are.  I think that the hardest part for him is that his entire family can go to the Goddess Realm and he can't.  Aunt Arya and Uncle Dev got that gift bestowed on them after their third mate, Xander, died and Alexander and Rowen were born there.  They were able to visit his parents, but he couldn’t.  It was something that he, Chris, and I shared.  

For a while there, it was something that we three held against them.  It just wasn’t fair.  We had lost family members, too.  Why couldn’t we see them?

That was when Aunt Meredith came to talk to us.  She is a major conduit for the Goddess.  Selene's oracle, but like, the main one.  She explained to us that it wasn’t a punishment from the Goddess that our friends were able to go to her realm.  The twins were born there, making them not fully a part of either world.  Aunt Meredith even shared some of the exploits that the twins went through as infants and toddlers, suddenly just not being there.  Aunt Meredith had been on the phone with Aunt Arya and Uncle Dev a lot in the twins' early days, making sure that they knew that the twins were safe in the Goddess’s realm and not abducted or something.

Aunt Meredith also explained the Goddess’s consultation for Xander dying so early was to allow Aunt Arya and Uncle Dev to go to her realm every full moon.  And that Dad and Papa wouldn’t have been able to handle seeing Mom just that one time each month.  Selene had been worried that it would have made them stuck in between realms, not fully taking care of themselves or us and living for the next time that they saw Mom.  Her reason for Aunt Arya and Uncle Dev to see Xander was the same reason she had for not allowing my dads to do the same: it made them stronger and better able to move on with life.

Jacob…well, his parents died doing what they could for him and for all of wolfkind.  Their deaths were honorable and they deserved to be remembered for their sacrifice.  But Jacob deserved to have a full family here on earth.  He didn’t need two sets of parents with two very possible different sets of rules trying to tell him what to do.  The Goddess foresaw that it would only lead to pain, heartache, and strife for their family and decided that he wouldn’t be able to come to her realm.  It was all very logical and I fully understand it.  It just took a bit for us to get passed it.

“I don’t know, man.  I think that Selene’s going to bring in some new blood.  Maybe some of these new paranormals that have been popping up lately,” Alexander says.

“Dude, I heard that those selkies are able to partially transform at will and can grow gills so they don’t have to breathe through their mouths.  Can you imagine what that means for a blow job?” Jai asks.

“Awww, come on, man!  Seriously?” I say, tossing a pillow at him as they come through the hallway into the living room where I am.

He catches it, like I knew he would.  “I’m just saying - “

“I’m just saying that you need to get laid.  How long has it been since you and Sadie broke up, man?” Rowen interrupts him and gives me a wink as he comes in.  I’m thankful that he changed the subject.

The guys start ragging on Jai, who broke up with his long time girlfriend about two months ago and has been dying of blue balls ever since.  We drink a little, have some steak that the omegas send up, and then head out to the club.

The Claw is a shifter only club on the outskirts of the Artemis area and a very popular place for unmated wolves and other shifters.  It’s not unusual to find couples, threesomes, or more in the hidden alcoves, red rooms, and balconies in various states of undress and sex.

Not something that any of us can do as alphas and betas to be, but it’s always fun to watch, isn’t it?

The second that we walk into the club, we’re recognized by the manager, who was probably alerted by the bouncer that we were there.

“Welcome to The Claw, future alphas and betas.  To what do we owe the pleasure?” the tall, chocolate-skinned beauty says to us.

Rowen puts an arm around my shoulder, hugging me close to him.  “Jared is turning 21 in two days and we want to celebrate his last bit of independence.”

Her eyes light up and she smiles brightly.  “Future beta, I’m so pleased that you chose to come spend your evening with us!  Allow me to escort you to a private balcony and set up a bottle service for you?”

I’m about to answer when Jai loudly proclaims, “We’ll take anything that you would like to offer, gorgeous.”

The manager’s eyes widen and she flashes him a bright smile before biting her lower lip.  I get the feeling that this isn’t only for her to get tips.  She ever so slightly and artfully pushes out her chest, causing the already tight and low cut shirt to reveal even more of her mountainous cleavage.  “Of course, future beta.  I’d be happy to show you…all we have to offer as soon as I have you settled in the private balcony.”

She reaches out her hand, which Jai happily takes and she leads us to the upper floor and a large balcony, easily big enough for three times the size of our group which overlooks the dance floor.  She shows us how to have food and drinks sent up and says that she’ll have a bottle sent up right away before stepping out of the balcony, Jai’s hand still in hers.

“We won’t be seeing him for the rest of the night,” Rowen mutters in my ear, his arm still around my shoulders.

“Hey!  Isn’t that Roxie down there,” Jacob says to Alexander.

“Where?” He immediately searches the dance floor before spotting whoever Roxie is.  “Holy shit, it is!”  Turning to us, he says, “Guys, this chick is wild!  She does things with her mouth that defy explanation.”  Turning back to Jacob, he continues, “She’s got friends.  Let’s see if we can get them up here.”

And then they’re gone.

Rowen and I look at each other and bust out laughing.  “Well, shit.  Happy Birthday to me.” I chuckle, plopping down on the plush sofa with Rowen beside me.  “You want something from the bar?”

“Yeah, let’s order some shots!” Rowen answers.

I turn to try and call down to the bar to order, but I’ve already forgotten which buttons to push.

“Here, let me,” Rowen says and he leans over me.  I get a lungful of his scent, feeling his chiseled chest and stomach rubbing across me.

Here’s the thing about me: I have absolutely no issue with my partner being male or female.  I mean, I’m born from a freaking trio with two males in it.  And my dads are very affectionate with each other no matter where they are.  I’ve had girlfriends, boyfriends, and was even in a polyamorous relationship for a bit.

So, when Rowen’s sending me clear signals like this, I am picking up what he is laying down.

Rowen and I have flirted a bit in the past, but nothing has ever really come from it.  But tonight?  Tonight there’s something different about him.  Almost as if I need to touch him.  As if I don’t touch him, it will physically hurt.

So when he pulls back from the intercom and his face passes mine, I don’t miss the look on his face or the answering response within me.  I stop him cold, cupping his face in my hand.

His eyes flit all over my face, not sure where to land between my eyes and my lips.  I’m doing the same thing he is and I hope he’s feeling the sweet anticipation I am.  

I lean closer, moving slowly so that he can stop me if he wants.  I offer, “Tell me to stop, Rowen.  Tell me that you don’t want me and I’ll back off.”

He lets out a moan and I feel my pants starting to get tighter.  “Don’t stop,” he whispers.

Goddess, who could resist that?  Not me, that’s for sure.

I close the distance between us, pressing my lips to his, pushing with my tongue to open his mouth.  I want to devour him, the urge to taste him is so strong.  His answering moan eggs me on and I pull him into me, my body responding in kind.  His hands entangle in my hair, my hands on his back and ass.

It’s only as he straddles me, pulling back slightly and both of us breathing heavily that I realize that I’m making out with one of my best friends.