Alpha-mates Chapter-16/ ?
Chapter-16
Jensen stared at the shopping bag Jared dropped in his lap, “Jay?”
The younger alpha plopped down on the bed, grinning at the surprise in his mate’s expression, “What? Surely you didn’t think you were appropriately dressed today, Jensen.”
“I-”
“Looked completely out of place in your elegant suit? Yep!” Jared finished for him.
“This is your solution?”
“Um-hmmm... why don’t you try it on?”
The elder obeyed grudgingly, and Jared had to admit that Jensen looked rather fetching in the plain-tee and leather jacket combo.
“It’s not too casual?” The alpha enquired, surveying himself in the mirror.
“It’s perfect.”
And Jared’s verdict proved right on target when the next day’s local papers all had an image of the Pack Elder in said outfit. He hoped no one noticed him tucking a copy of the same in his bag as he packed for their departure.
“Hey, Jared?”
“Hmmm?” He asked, not glancing up from the shirt he was folding.
“How do you feel about a little detour on our way back?”
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Jared could only stare as the entrance to what Jensen introduced as his childhood home loomed closer: the stone steps were lined on either side by flowering plants in full bloom, making the entry-way resemble a painting he had seen at some exhibition once. In fact it was so much like the painting- or at least his memory of it; that he wondered if the painter had actually been inspired by this house. He was no longer surprised by how massive the ranch house was: apparently sprawling or small didn’t change the fact that Pack Alpha’s as a rule preferred houses to apartments.
Maybe it had something to do with how they were closer to their Lupine heritage than other Weres.
And Jensen’s mom was every bit as maternal as his mate had promised. She greeted them both with warm embraces and Jared was pleasantly surprised by her warm welcome after Alpha Beaver’s reticence. He privately wondered if the older Alpha had found him lacking of the potential to fill Tracy’s shoes.
However, most of his worries were forgotten by the ease with which he fitted in with the Ackles’.
The evening was going surprisingly well considering this was the first time he was meeting Jensen’s mother and he found himself relaxing in the warm feelings till unexpected guests came calling. Mary Ackles went to open the door as the boys hurriedly moved the little castle of soda cans they had made on the living room table. Jared was putting the cushions back in their designated places -from where they’d ended up piled on the floor in front of the couch; when he heard Jensen curse under his breath, “What?”
“It’s Tracy’s parents.” Jensen whispered back, rising as the senior couple entered the room. Jared tried to blink back his shock.
“Colonel.” Jensen nodded, extending his hand for a shake.
The older man laughed as he neatly side-stepped the hand-shake and moved in for an embrace, “You haven’t called me that for years; Kiddo. Don’t start now.”
“Sorry... Dad.” Jensen murmured with a brief hesitation as he accepted the hug.
“That’s better.” The man thumped him once on the back before releasing the Pack alpha and glancing at Jared, “And you are-?”
“Jared... my- my mate.” Jensen answered for him; and the younger man could feel the shame in the words.
And Jared knew that Jensen wasn’t embarrassed of him and it was just the situation... but hell if that didn’t sting!
The colonel’s eyes narrowed and for a moment Jared was afraid the older man was going to lash out but he only grabbed Jensen’s shoulder, “Hey, no; none of that now. There’s no sin in finding happiness again, son. Tracy would have wanted you happy.”
The alpha nodded and Jared could see his throat working as he tried to speak past the lump in his throat at the mention of his late-wife.“I-”
This time it was Tracy’s other parent who stepped up; “We know; son. We know. You two had some great years together and we couldn’t have asked for more, and ... and it hurts to admit this; but you made her happier than we ever did, Jensen. So while we’re always going to miss her, it’s okay to want to move on. You’re still young, Kiddo.”
Jensen nodded gratefully, his expressive eyes brimming with unshed tears, “She made me happy too; she-”
“Sshhh...” The beta whispered; drawing the grieving widower in a brief hug in an effort to comfort- Jared was not too sure it worked.
“And you deserve to be happy again; you’ve gone too long without another beta-” The colonel added.
The pack alpha shook his head as he straightened- his eyes still red, though dry now; “Not taking another beta. Jay’s an alpha.”
The two older men smiled tenderly, “its okay... whatever you choose; as long as you’re happy, alright?”
Jensen managed to pull up a smile as he reached out to Jared; discretely wiping at a tear in the corner of his eye, “S’rry.”
“C’mon,” He rolled his eyes. “...It’s cool man, I-... I just wish I could have met her too, you know?”
Jensen ducked his head but moved to sit next to Jared as everybody moved to sit. They exchanged small-talk for awhile before Jared excused himself- it was incredibly nice of Tracy’s parents to accept and actually talk to him, but he didn’t want to stretch their kindness too far.
It was a couple of hours before Jensen returned to the room and Jared couldn’t help but smirk at the red that suffused his skin when his eyes fell on what Jared had been reading.
“Please tell me you’re not-“
“’Course not;”He laughed, “reading the other articles... not my fault if your face graces the cover.”
“I’m sorry about earlier-” Jensen began.
Only for Jared to cut him off with “I told you that it’s fine... besides, s’not like I didn’t know about Tracy earlier... just-” he paused, continuing only at the older man’s questioning look; “You could have told them that you didn’t actually choose me; that it was a compulsory mating.”
Jensen shook his head, “Mom was there too, remember? Didn’t want her to know.” He mumbled.
Jared nodded. He could understand that even if he couldn’t relate.
Jared woke sometime near dawn feeling inexplicably cold in the early morning air, and for once he wasn’t surprised to note that he had curled into the older man in sleep- his head fitting in comfortably just under the Elder’s chin. Once he had pulled the blanket back over himself from where he’d (apparently) shrugged it off in the night, he paused to take in the peaceful expression on his mate’s face; his fingers tracing the contours of one defined cheekbone of their own accord.
Jensen scrunched his face adorably at the touch, making Jared repeat the gesture in a childish need to see him react again.
“Ugh,” the alpha mumbled, still partway asleep and ineffectually trying to bat the exploring fingers away, “Trace... le’mme sleep...”
Jared froze, heart constricting painfully at his mate’s sleep-addled words. “Not Tracy,” he ground out, “Jared.”
And whether it was the wrong baritone or whether it was his words, he would never know; but Jensen’s eyes flew open, “Jay...what?”
“It’s Jared.” He repeated helplessly.
The alpha’s brow scrunched up, confusion clear in their green depths, “Hmm?”
“You called me 'Trace'...” Jared whispered.
Jensen’s eyes closed guiltily, “S’rry...”
“Its fine,” The younger man dismissed the apology, wanting to erase that look off his mate’s face, “At least it proves that you’re not cheating on me.”
Jensen’s eyes widened in remonstration, “I wouldn’t!”
Jared stretched forward to press his lips against the alpha, murmuring “I know.” He pulled back as he felt the man stiffen, “Jen?”
But the older man simply stared back at him for a moment before arching his head and stretching to continue the kiss. Jared responded enthusiastically, crowding closer till he was almost on top of the other man and despite his willingness to continue the make-out session, Jared could feel Jensen’s muscles clenching and unclenching under him as the man fought to relax. He knew that every instinct in the alpha had to be screaming to roll over and pin Jared under him and yet, Jensen remained pliant in his hold, not fighting his dominance.
“You’re allowed to say no, you know?” He whispered; nuzzling against the hollow in the alpha’s neck not sure if the Alpha really wanted this or if Jensen was just playing along.
“No...” Jensen hesitated, “I mean, I... It’s not that I don’t want this-”
“But?” Jared prompted.
“Mom’s two doors down, dude.”
And that was the equivalent of a bucket of cold water.
“Damn!” he whispered, rolling away and collapsing on his back next to the (now chuckling) alpha.
“I could-?” Jensen offered hesitantly after a minute, but Jared waved him off, panting harshly as he fought to bring himself back under control. He thought he would find it hard to reclaim sleep after what happened but within a few minutes, he was already half-way to dreamland as he burrowed into his mate’s side.
The next time Jared awoke, he was alone in bed; the covers neatly pulled over him and Jensen’s pillow pressed against his side in a poor substitute for the other alpha. Huffing incredulously, he made his way to the kitchen; blinking around blearily as he waited for the caffeine to hit his system.
“Slept well?” A female voice enquired and Jared turned to find Jensen’s mother watching him.
“Yeah,” He answered, grinning as he caught the time on the wall-clock behind her, “A little too well, judging by the time.”
He watched her putter around the kitchen as he finished his coffee and was about to pick up the morning’s newspaper when he saw her pick up some clippers and a sunhat as she headed outside. Following uncertainly, he watched as she tended the flower-pots he had admired on his way in the previous day, realizing that the beta was responsible for their upkeep herself.
“Can I help?” He offered, feeling ridiculously useless as the older woman worked expertly on her garden.
She glanced up, peering at him thoughtfully for a moment before musing, “Maybe you could help me trim some of the higher branches.”
Jared nodded enthusiastically and set to work; realising within a few minutes that the task was much more difficult than it looked. For a while they worked in silence, then; “Tell me about the first time you two met.”
Jared nearly clipped his finger in surprise but managed to bring himself under control when he turned to glance at her, “Uh- what?”
“C’mon now, don’t be shy... how did you two meet? Was it love-at-first-sight like last time?” Mary coaxed.
“Last time?” He repeated blankly.
“Oh, Jensen didn’t tell you? He was a goner the first time he saw Tracy- with reason, I might add; that girl was something else. He didn’t talk about anything else for weeks after. Harold and I teased him about having already found a mate before even playing the field, you know? Little did we know how right we were...” She smiled, shaking her head wistfully, “They made a lovely couple.”
For a moment, Jared felt like he was the nameless second mate from ‘Rebecca’- forever overshadowed by the brilliance of his husband’s first wife. Shaking his head to dispel the feeling, he muttered softly, “It wasn’t quite like that with us.”
“Tell me.” Mrs. Ackles cajoled.
“I- I’d read about him before I ever met him, actually. My business Studies class had been asked to prepare a report on some company and I’d picked Ackles Corp... Jensen was... rather... inspiring- if you will; in paper at any rate...then we met.”
“And you thought he hung the moon and the stars.” She finished, smiling.
Jared shook his head, “Quite the reverse, actually... I found him arrogant and condescending.”
The beta raised a questioning brow, making him continue, “There was a trade-fair... more of a conference, actually,” He amended at her confused expression; “I was there with my aide and busy discussing our upcoming presentation, I-” he blushed, “I literally walked into him...”
“I’m sorry...I- you’re Jensen Ackles!”
Cool green eyes lifted to meet his gaze, answering despite Jared’s exclamation being impossible to mistake as a question, “Yes.”
“I’ve read so much about you... and it’s so nice to finally meet you in person, Sir. I’m Jared-”
“Padalecki- the kid who thinks he’s big enough to join the big boy’s sandbox. I know.”
“You don’t think I qualify?” Jared hissed, Jensen’s dismissive manner rubbing him wrong.
The first hint of a smile tilted the corners of the older man’s lips, “You’ll be the best judge of that, Kid.”
Jared bristled at the teasing and somehow that exchange was what settled the tone for their future interactions.
“So when did that change?”
“Hmmm...?” Jared questioned, having gotten lost in his memories to forget his audience. Hindsight proved that despite its packaging, Jensen’s criticism had always been positive; even though he hadn’t realized it at the time. Speaking of-
“Hey, do you know where Jen is? I haven’t seen him all morning.”
Jared found Jensen sitting with his knees drawn up and legs crossed at the ankles in front of the grave-marker. He didn’t look up when Jared sank down Indian style on the grass next to him- shoulders brushing, but he didn’t shift away either. For a long moment, neither of them spoke and Jared was beginning to wonder if he was intruding when the alpha began speaking.
“It was an automobile accident.” Jensen whispered so softly that for a moment Jared wasn’t sure that the older man wanted him to hear; irrespective he pressed his palm against his shoulder in a move he hoped was comforting but not really having much confidence.
“She’d said she wanted to tell me something... I was caught up in work all day, so I told her I’d meet her at Flame n’ Grill.”
“On Moore Avenue?” Jared asked when the older Were lapsed into silence yet again.
“Yeah,” Jensen nodded, “She never made it... It- it had been snowing lightly; and the tyres lost their traction on the slippery road. She braked- hard...” For a moment Jared wondered if Jensen was going to continue- because really, what else was left to say? But to his surprise, after a moment the man continued, “They found her car like that- parked neatly to the side... the-the autopsy reported cause of death to be cervical dislocation.”
“Cervical -what?” Jared asked, unfamiliar with the term- his head still playing scenarios of the beta’s car crashing into another and trying to wrap his mind around the fact that that hadn’t been the case.
“Dislocation- Her neck snapped due to the whiplash caused by the abrupt brake...it-it killed her instantly.” The Alpha drew in a gasping breath before adding softly, “Doc said that she didn’t- didn’t suffer.”
Jared closed his eyes- he had not expected that. He tried to picture it and failed. It was easier- so much easier; to imagine her colliding with another car; the lamppost; something- something jarring and cruel and inevitable than the reality of her having successfully avoided that fate only to die because of how she’d avoided it. It was harder to have nothing to blame for the loss of her life apart from her own reflexes.
“I’m sorry.” He murmured, finding the words to be woefully inadequate. “Did- did you ever find out what she’d wanted to tell you... before?”
Jensen nodded, head lifting slightly so that Jared could make out the unseeing gaze, “She was pregnant.”
The words seemed to reverberate inside Jared’s head as he squeezed his eyes closed, unable to comprehend how Jensen had managed to endure that.
“She’d just found out that day.” Jensen continued- voice inflectionless.
“Oh, Jesus!” He couldn’t help but groan- he hadn’t known the older man long, but the single month they had spent together had been more than enough for Jared to figure out that Jensen was the kind of man who revelled in his family. And given how Amelia frequently charged him with the responsibility of her child; Jared suspected that this was something that Jensen hadn’t shared with anybody- hell, by his own admission; Jensen hadn’t spoken about Tracy’s death prior to this; and the fact that she’d been expecting their baby? Jared would bet his company that nobody knew that.
“I- we’d been trying for awhile and the news wasn’t exactly a surprise to me- to either of us I’d guess, but that was the day when she’d gotten the confirmation from her doctor and-” His voice cracked, making him unable to continue.
“Hey,” Jared murmured; feeling completely useless, but recognising that something needed to be done. He gently tugged on the older man’s arm and was gratified when Jensen turned into his shoulder without protest.
“You don’t have to be strong all the time, you know. And it’s just us here... you can let go. It’s- it’s okay.” He murmured softly, hesitantly entangling his fingers in the short hairs at Jensen’s nape.
The Pack Alpha didn’t reply verbally but Jared could feel silent tremors coursing through the broad shoulders as Jensen pressed himself closer. They sat like that silently for a long moment before Jensen shifted to curl on the lush grass with his head in Jared’s lap. Jared froze at the change in position for a minute before resuming carding fingers through the older man’s hair. He glanced down briefly to realize that Jensen had his eyes closed, lashes clumping together wetly even though there was no other evidence of his grief. His breath would escape him in a shuddering gasp every once in awhile; but Jared chose not to draw attention to it.
Sitting there in the quiet morning, running his hands through his mate’s hair as he stared at the simple gravestone was oddly peaceful and he allowed his mind to drift. And it may have been because of their recent conversation but he found his thoughts drifting to the children’s room back at the estate- the obvious thought and care that had gone into its planning and he found himself swallowing past a lump in his own throat, “Jen?”
“Hmmm?”
“Brian’s room back home, was it originally...?” He couldn’t bring himself to finish.
“No!” Jensen’s voice was understandably hoarse, “No... I- uh, I didn’t move to this house till...after. We’d- we’d talked about moving someplace away from the city once we had kids, but hadn’t exactly decided anything.”
He paused for a long moment before confessing, “I couldn’t stand all the memories in our apartment, so I- I moved.”
Jared nodded, grasping at the first thought to distract the older man from the memories which were obviously tormenting him. “So the- the apartment, you still go there sometimes?”
Jared felt the motion as Jensen shook his head, “No, sold it... although I did have the opportunity to...to visit; recently.”
Jared’s brows climbed as he tried to think of another question to make Jensen continue speaking- “How’re the new owners?”
He watched as Jensen cracked a smile at that, eyes still closed, “Owner- not plural; he was single until recently. Nice chap, quite an interesting fellow, actually.”
Jared narrowed his eyes, “Interesting, huh?”
“Yeah,” Jensen answered, one eye sliding open to peer up at him, “You might know him, used to live in the penthouse at CityView Heights.”
“Penthouse at CityView...” He repeated dumbly before realization hit, “Jensen, that’s where I live!”
“Used to, now you live at the estate with me; remember?” Jensen corrected lazily, stretching as he moved to sit up.
And it was like some huge cosmic joke, Jared thought- he’d been unknowingly chasing after Jensen for most of his life: the choice of his Major, becoming one of Boyle’s Boys, the apartment... If he’d been the kind of Were to believe in such things, he’d have said they were destined to be together.
He opened his mouth to share his observation with Jensen but was interrupted b y the mellifluous trilling of Jensen’s cell-phone.
“Hello?” Jensen’s voice was crisp- confident; no sign of his recent breakdown.
Jared watched as the Elders brows furrowed more as the call continued till finally the man agreed to whatever was being said with a sigh.
“What?” Jared asked as soon as the alpha hung up.
“Work,” Jensen rolled his eyes, “Ruining my plans like always.”
“What happened?”
“Apparently our shares have taken quite a considerable hit- I need to head back and do some damage control...” He shook his head, “I’d hoped that for once I would have been able to stay for Mom’s birthday; but no-”
“When’s her birthday?” Jared interrupted.
“Tomorrow.”
“Okay then,” He nodded to himself, quickly going through all possible scenarios, “You should stay.”
“Huh?” Jensen glanced at him as though he’d grown a second head, “Did you hear a word of what I just said? I can’t stay, man!”
“Stay,” Jared repeated more firmly, “I’ll fly back tonight. You can come in tomorrow evening or the next day. I’ll handle it.”
“Jay...”
“Dude,” The younger man interrupted, “The merger’s been finalized; it’s both our companies now. Let me take care of this.”
Jensen still looked uncertain, “You’re sure?”
“Positive.” Jared confirmed before nodding towards the grave, “Say your goodbyes, I’ll see you back in the room, okay?”
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Previous Chapter
Masterpost
Next Chapter (coming soon)
Jensen stared at the shopping bag Jared dropped in his lap, “Jay?”
The younger alpha plopped down on the bed, grinning at the surprise in his mate’s expression, “What? Surely you didn’t think you were appropriately dressed today, Jensen.”
“I-”
“Looked completely out of place in your elegant suit? Yep!” Jared finished for him.
“This is your solution?”
“Um-hmmm... why don’t you try it on?”
The elder obeyed grudgingly, and Jared had to admit that Jensen looked rather fetching in the plain-tee and leather jacket combo.
“It’s not too casual?” The alpha enquired, surveying himself in the mirror.
“It’s perfect.”
And Jared’s verdict proved right on target when the next day’s local papers all had an image of the Pack Elder in said outfit. He hoped no one noticed him tucking a copy of the same in his bag as he packed for their departure.
“Hey, Jared?”
“Hmmm?” He asked, not glancing up from the shirt he was folding.
“How do you feel about a little detour on our way back?”
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Jared could only stare as the entrance to what Jensen introduced as his childhood home loomed closer: the stone steps were lined on either side by flowering plants in full bloom, making the entry-way resemble a painting he had seen at some exhibition once. In fact it was so much like the painting- or at least his memory of it; that he wondered if the painter had actually been inspired by this house. He was no longer surprised by how massive the ranch house was: apparently sprawling or small didn’t change the fact that Pack Alpha’s as a rule preferred houses to apartments.
Maybe it had something to do with how they were closer to their Lupine heritage than other Weres.
And Jensen’s mom was every bit as maternal as his mate had promised. She greeted them both with warm embraces and Jared was pleasantly surprised by her warm welcome after Alpha Beaver’s reticence. He privately wondered if the older Alpha had found him lacking of the potential to fill Tracy’s shoes.
However, most of his worries were forgotten by the ease with which he fitted in with the Ackles’.
The evening was going surprisingly well considering this was the first time he was meeting Jensen’s mother and he found himself relaxing in the warm feelings till unexpected guests came calling. Mary Ackles went to open the door as the boys hurriedly moved the little castle of soda cans they had made on the living room table. Jared was putting the cushions back in their designated places -from where they’d ended up piled on the floor in front of the couch; when he heard Jensen curse under his breath, “What?”
“It’s Tracy’s parents.” Jensen whispered back, rising as the senior couple entered the room. Jared tried to blink back his shock.
“Colonel.” Jensen nodded, extending his hand for a shake.
The older man laughed as he neatly side-stepped the hand-shake and moved in for an embrace, “You haven’t called me that for years; Kiddo. Don’t start now.”
“Sorry... Dad.” Jensen murmured with a brief hesitation as he accepted the hug.
“That’s better.” The man thumped him once on the back before releasing the Pack alpha and glancing at Jared, “And you are-?”
“Jared... my- my mate.” Jensen answered for him; and the younger man could feel the shame in the words.
And Jared knew that Jensen wasn’t embarrassed of him and it was just the situation... but hell if that didn’t sting!
The colonel’s eyes narrowed and for a moment Jared was afraid the older man was going to lash out but he only grabbed Jensen’s shoulder, “Hey, no; none of that now. There’s no sin in finding happiness again, son. Tracy would have wanted you happy.”
The alpha nodded and Jared could see his throat working as he tried to speak past the lump in his throat at the mention of his late-wife.“I-”
This time it was Tracy’s other parent who stepped up; “We know; son. We know. You two had some great years together and we couldn’t have asked for more, and ... and it hurts to admit this; but you made her happier than we ever did, Jensen. So while we’re always going to miss her, it’s okay to want to move on. You’re still young, Kiddo.”
Jensen nodded gratefully, his expressive eyes brimming with unshed tears, “She made me happy too; she-”
“Sshhh...” The beta whispered; drawing the grieving widower in a brief hug in an effort to comfort- Jared was not too sure it worked.
“And you deserve to be happy again; you’ve gone too long without another beta-” The colonel added.
The pack alpha shook his head as he straightened- his eyes still red, though dry now; “Not taking another beta. Jay’s an alpha.”
The two older men smiled tenderly, “its okay... whatever you choose; as long as you’re happy, alright?”
Jensen managed to pull up a smile as he reached out to Jared; discretely wiping at a tear in the corner of his eye, “S’rry.”
“C’mon,” He rolled his eyes. “...It’s cool man, I-... I just wish I could have met her too, you know?”
Jensen ducked his head but moved to sit next to Jared as everybody moved to sit. They exchanged small-talk for awhile before Jared excused himself- it was incredibly nice of Tracy’s parents to accept and actually talk to him, but he didn’t want to stretch their kindness too far.
It was a couple of hours before Jensen returned to the room and Jared couldn’t help but smirk at the red that suffused his skin when his eyes fell on what Jared had been reading.
“Please tell me you’re not-“
“’Course not;”He laughed, “reading the other articles... not my fault if your face graces the cover.”
“I’m sorry about earlier-” Jensen began.
Only for Jared to cut him off with “I told you that it’s fine... besides, s’not like I didn’t know about Tracy earlier... just-” he paused, continuing only at the older man’s questioning look; “You could have told them that you didn’t actually choose me; that it was a compulsory mating.”
Jensen shook his head, “Mom was there too, remember? Didn’t want her to know.” He mumbled.
Jared nodded. He could understand that even if he couldn’t relate.
Jared woke sometime near dawn feeling inexplicably cold in the early morning air, and for once he wasn’t surprised to note that he had curled into the older man in sleep- his head fitting in comfortably just under the Elder’s chin. Once he had pulled the blanket back over himself from where he’d (apparently) shrugged it off in the night, he paused to take in the peaceful expression on his mate’s face; his fingers tracing the contours of one defined cheekbone of their own accord.
Jensen scrunched his face adorably at the touch, making Jared repeat the gesture in a childish need to see him react again.
“Ugh,” the alpha mumbled, still partway asleep and ineffectually trying to bat the exploring fingers away, “Trace... le’mme sleep...”
Jared froze, heart constricting painfully at his mate’s sleep-addled words. “Not Tracy,” he ground out, “Jared.”
And whether it was the wrong baritone or whether it was his words, he would never know; but Jensen’s eyes flew open, “Jay...what?”
“It’s Jared.” He repeated helplessly.
The alpha’s brow scrunched up, confusion clear in their green depths, “Hmm?”
“You called me 'Trace'...” Jared whispered.
Jensen’s eyes closed guiltily, “S’rry...”
“Its fine,” The younger man dismissed the apology, wanting to erase that look off his mate’s face, “At least it proves that you’re not cheating on me.”
Jensen’s eyes widened in remonstration, “I wouldn’t!”
Jared stretched forward to press his lips against the alpha, murmuring “I know.” He pulled back as he felt the man stiffen, “Jen?”
But the older man simply stared back at him for a moment before arching his head and stretching to continue the kiss. Jared responded enthusiastically, crowding closer till he was almost on top of the other man and despite his willingness to continue the make-out session, Jared could feel Jensen’s muscles clenching and unclenching under him as the man fought to relax. He knew that every instinct in the alpha had to be screaming to roll over and pin Jared under him and yet, Jensen remained pliant in his hold, not fighting his dominance.
“You’re allowed to say no, you know?” He whispered; nuzzling against the hollow in the alpha’s neck not sure if the Alpha really wanted this or if Jensen was just playing along.
“No...” Jensen hesitated, “I mean, I... It’s not that I don’t want this-”
“But?” Jared prompted.
“Mom’s two doors down, dude.”
And that was the equivalent of a bucket of cold water.
“Damn!” he whispered, rolling away and collapsing on his back next to the (now chuckling) alpha.
“I could-?” Jensen offered hesitantly after a minute, but Jared waved him off, panting harshly as he fought to bring himself back under control. He thought he would find it hard to reclaim sleep after what happened but within a few minutes, he was already half-way to dreamland as he burrowed into his mate’s side.
The next time Jared awoke, he was alone in bed; the covers neatly pulled over him and Jensen’s pillow pressed against his side in a poor substitute for the other alpha. Huffing incredulously, he made his way to the kitchen; blinking around blearily as he waited for the caffeine to hit his system.
“Slept well?” A female voice enquired and Jared turned to find Jensen’s mother watching him.
“Yeah,” He answered, grinning as he caught the time on the wall-clock behind her, “A little too well, judging by the time.”
He watched her putter around the kitchen as he finished his coffee and was about to pick up the morning’s newspaper when he saw her pick up some clippers and a sunhat as she headed outside. Following uncertainly, he watched as she tended the flower-pots he had admired on his way in the previous day, realizing that the beta was responsible for their upkeep herself.
“Can I help?” He offered, feeling ridiculously useless as the older woman worked expertly on her garden.
She glanced up, peering at him thoughtfully for a moment before musing, “Maybe you could help me trim some of the higher branches.”
Jared nodded enthusiastically and set to work; realising within a few minutes that the task was much more difficult than it looked. For a while they worked in silence, then; “Tell me about the first time you two met.”
Jared nearly clipped his finger in surprise but managed to bring himself under control when he turned to glance at her, “Uh- what?”
“C’mon now, don’t be shy... how did you two meet? Was it love-at-first-sight like last time?” Mary coaxed.
“Last time?” He repeated blankly.
“Oh, Jensen didn’t tell you? He was a goner the first time he saw Tracy- with reason, I might add; that girl was something else. He didn’t talk about anything else for weeks after. Harold and I teased him about having already found a mate before even playing the field, you know? Little did we know how right we were...” She smiled, shaking her head wistfully, “They made a lovely couple.”
For a moment, Jared felt like he was the nameless second mate from ‘Rebecca’- forever overshadowed by the brilliance of his husband’s first wife. Shaking his head to dispel the feeling, he muttered softly, “It wasn’t quite like that with us.”
“Tell me.” Mrs. Ackles cajoled.
“I- I’d read about him before I ever met him, actually. My business Studies class had been asked to prepare a report on some company and I’d picked Ackles Corp... Jensen was... rather... inspiring- if you will; in paper at any rate...then we met.”
“And you thought he hung the moon and the stars.” She finished, smiling.
Jared shook his head, “Quite the reverse, actually... I found him arrogant and condescending.”
The beta raised a questioning brow, making him continue, “There was a trade-fair... more of a conference, actually,” He amended at her confused expression; “I was there with my aide and busy discussing our upcoming presentation, I-” he blushed, “I literally walked into him...”
“I’m sorry...I- you’re Jensen Ackles!”
Cool green eyes lifted to meet his gaze, answering despite Jared’s exclamation being impossible to mistake as a question, “Yes.”
“I’ve read so much about you... and it’s so nice to finally meet you in person, Sir. I’m Jared-”
“Padalecki- the kid who thinks he’s big enough to join the big boy’s sandbox. I know.”
“You don’t think I qualify?” Jared hissed, Jensen’s dismissive manner rubbing him wrong.
The first hint of a smile tilted the corners of the older man’s lips, “You’ll be the best judge of that, Kid.”
Jared bristled at the teasing and somehow that exchange was what settled the tone for their future interactions.
“So when did that change?”
“Hmmm...?” Jared questioned, having gotten lost in his memories to forget his audience. Hindsight proved that despite its packaging, Jensen’s criticism had always been positive; even though he hadn’t realized it at the time. Speaking of-
“Hey, do you know where Jen is? I haven’t seen him all morning.”
Jared found Jensen sitting with his knees drawn up and legs crossed at the ankles in front of the grave-marker. He didn’t look up when Jared sank down Indian style on the grass next to him- shoulders brushing, but he didn’t shift away either. For a long moment, neither of them spoke and Jared was beginning to wonder if he was intruding when the alpha began speaking.
“It was an automobile accident.” Jensen whispered so softly that for a moment Jared wasn’t sure that the older man wanted him to hear; irrespective he pressed his palm against his shoulder in a move he hoped was comforting but not really having much confidence.
“She’d said she wanted to tell me something... I was caught up in work all day, so I told her I’d meet her at Flame n’ Grill.”
“On Moore Avenue?” Jared asked when the older Were lapsed into silence yet again.
“Yeah,” Jensen nodded, “She never made it... It- it had been snowing lightly; and the tyres lost their traction on the slippery road. She braked- hard...” For a moment Jared wondered if Jensen was going to continue- because really, what else was left to say? But to his surprise, after a moment the man continued, “They found her car like that- parked neatly to the side... the-the autopsy reported cause of death to be cervical dislocation.”
“Cervical -what?” Jared asked, unfamiliar with the term- his head still playing scenarios of the beta’s car crashing into another and trying to wrap his mind around the fact that that hadn’t been the case.
“Dislocation- Her neck snapped due to the whiplash caused by the abrupt brake...it-it killed her instantly.” The Alpha drew in a gasping breath before adding softly, “Doc said that she didn’t- didn’t suffer.”
Jared closed his eyes- he had not expected that. He tried to picture it and failed. It was easier- so much easier; to imagine her colliding with another car; the lamppost; something- something jarring and cruel and inevitable than the reality of her having successfully avoided that fate only to die because of how she’d avoided it. It was harder to have nothing to blame for the loss of her life apart from her own reflexes.
“I’m sorry.” He murmured, finding the words to be woefully inadequate. “Did- did you ever find out what she’d wanted to tell you... before?”
Jensen nodded, head lifting slightly so that Jared could make out the unseeing gaze, “She was pregnant.”
The words seemed to reverberate inside Jared’s head as he squeezed his eyes closed, unable to comprehend how Jensen had managed to endure that.
“She’d just found out that day.” Jensen continued- voice inflectionless.
“Oh, Jesus!” He couldn’t help but groan- he hadn’t known the older man long, but the single month they had spent together had been more than enough for Jared to figure out that Jensen was the kind of man who revelled in his family. And given how Amelia frequently charged him with the responsibility of her child; Jared suspected that this was something that Jensen hadn’t shared with anybody- hell, by his own admission; Jensen hadn’t spoken about Tracy’s death prior to this; and the fact that she’d been expecting their baby? Jared would bet his company that nobody knew that.
“I- we’d been trying for awhile and the news wasn’t exactly a surprise to me- to either of us I’d guess, but that was the day when she’d gotten the confirmation from her doctor and-” His voice cracked, making him unable to continue.
“Hey,” Jared murmured; feeling completely useless, but recognising that something needed to be done. He gently tugged on the older man’s arm and was gratified when Jensen turned into his shoulder without protest.
“You don’t have to be strong all the time, you know. And it’s just us here... you can let go. It’s- it’s okay.” He murmured softly, hesitantly entangling his fingers in the short hairs at Jensen’s nape.
The Pack Alpha didn’t reply verbally but Jared could feel silent tremors coursing through the broad shoulders as Jensen pressed himself closer. They sat like that silently for a long moment before Jensen shifted to curl on the lush grass with his head in Jared’s lap. Jared froze at the change in position for a minute before resuming carding fingers through the older man’s hair. He glanced down briefly to realize that Jensen had his eyes closed, lashes clumping together wetly even though there was no other evidence of his grief. His breath would escape him in a shuddering gasp every once in awhile; but Jared chose not to draw attention to it.
Sitting there in the quiet morning, running his hands through his mate’s hair as he stared at the simple gravestone was oddly peaceful and he allowed his mind to drift. And it may have been because of their recent conversation but he found his thoughts drifting to the children’s room back at the estate- the obvious thought and care that had gone into its planning and he found himself swallowing past a lump in his own throat, “Jen?”
“Hmmm?”
“Brian’s room back home, was it originally...?” He couldn’t bring himself to finish.
“No!” Jensen’s voice was understandably hoarse, “No... I- uh, I didn’t move to this house till...after. We’d- we’d talked about moving someplace away from the city once we had kids, but hadn’t exactly decided anything.”
He paused for a long moment before confessing, “I couldn’t stand all the memories in our apartment, so I- I moved.”
Jared nodded, grasping at the first thought to distract the older man from the memories which were obviously tormenting him. “So the- the apartment, you still go there sometimes?”
Jared felt the motion as Jensen shook his head, “No, sold it... although I did have the opportunity to...to visit; recently.”
Jared’s brows climbed as he tried to think of another question to make Jensen continue speaking- “How’re the new owners?”
He watched as Jensen cracked a smile at that, eyes still closed, “Owner- not plural; he was single until recently. Nice chap, quite an interesting fellow, actually.”
Jared narrowed his eyes, “Interesting, huh?”
“Yeah,” Jensen answered, one eye sliding open to peer up at him, “You might know him, used to live in the penthouse at CityView Heights.”
“Penthouse at CityView...” He repeated dumbly before realization hit, “Jensen, that’s where I live!”
“Used to, now you live at the estate with me; remember?” Jensen corrected lazily, stretching as he moved to sit up.
And it was like some huge cosmic joke, Jared thought- he’d been unknowingly chasing after Jensen for most of his life: the choice of his Major, becoming one of Boyle’s Boys, the apartment... If he’d been the kind of Were to believe in such things, he’d have said they were destined to be together.
He opened his mouth to share his observation with Jensen but was interrupted b y the mellifluous trilling of Jensen’s cell-phone.
“Hello?” Jensen’s voice was crisp- confident; no sign of his recent breakdown.
Jared watched as the Elders brows furrowed more as the call continued till finally the man agreed to whatever was being said with a sigh.
“What?” Jared asked as soon as the alpha hung up.
“Work,” Jensen rolled his eyes, “Ruining my plans like always.”
“What happened?”
“Apparently our shares have taken quite a considerable hit- I need to head back and do some damage control...” He shook his head, “I’d hoped that for once I would have been able to stay for Mom’s birthday; but no-”
“When’s her birthday?” Jared interrupted.
“Tomorrow.”
“Okay then,” He nodded to himself, quickly going through all possible scenarios, “You should stay.”
“Huh?” Jensen glanced at him as though he’d grown a second head, “Did you hear a word of what I just said? I can’t stay, man!”
“Stay,” Jared repeated more firmly, “I’ll fly back tonight. You can come in tomorrow evening or the next day. I’ll handle it.”
“Jay...”
“Dude,” The younger man interrupted, “The merger’s been finalized; it’s both our companies now. Let me take care of this.”
Jensen still looked uncertain, “You’re sure?”
“Positive.” Jared confirmed before nodding towards the grave, “Say your goodbyes, I’ll see you back in the room, okay?”
∞∞\∞‡∞/∞∞
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