Alpha-mates Chapter-13/ ?
Chapter-13
Summery- What happens when two rivals are compelled into a mating-bond ???
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A/N- Hey guys! I'm posting this chapter in rather a hurry as I'm scheduled to head out in a few days and wanted to upload this before I left. Basically, it means there are probably more typos than usual... Poke me if you find any?(and I'll correct them). Thanks!
Now, on with the story....
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The shadows outside had lengthened to cloak the surrounding woods in the diffused light of dusk when Jared opened his door at a hesitant knock to find Jensen waiting for him.
Jared opened the door wider, moving aside to let the other man in; but Jensen stood frozen at the doorway. After a moment he prompted, “Alpha?”
Jensen visibly flinched at the honorific, “Don’t; please”
“...”
“I uh, I know you asked me not to disturb you; but I just came to...well, to apologise actually... and tell you that umm... there’s lasagne in the fridge, help yourself when you’re hungry... or anything else really and uh... well, I’m heading to my room; feel free to call me if you wa- need anything. Good night, Jared... once again, I’m terribly sorry.” And with a crisp nod, he turned away.
For a long moment Jared stood at the door, staring at the older man’s retreating back, but then he withdrew into his room, closing the door softly behind him.
∞∞\∞‡∞/∞∞Jared rapped softly on the door, a part of him hoping that Jensen would be asleep and not hear the knocking; but the rest of him ornery.
“Come on in, Jay.” A sleepy voice called from inside.
No luck; then.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside, getting a glimpse of the tee-shirt and boxer clad alpha before he dropped his head. “I wanted to apologize for today.”
“Apologise; for what-?” The voice was soft- confused.
He moved forward, trying to control his shaking limbs as he made his way to the bed. Placing a slightly trembling hand on the bed, he risked a glance. “May I?”
“God, Jay- you think you need to ask?”
That wasn’t an outright ‘no’ so he pulled himself up to kneel on the bed, legs splayed wide enough to display himself as he slid the robe off.
“Jared, wha-?”
“I submit to you, Alpha.”
“What the HELL are you talking about?” Jensen didn’t appear to be sleepy anymore, in fact; he sounded wide-awake and freaked. Good.
“I apologise and I-I’m ready; ready to submit to you, Alp-” Jared repeated in a monotone, a detached part of him amused by how by-rote his words sounded.
“If you say ‘alpha’ one more time; heaven help me; I’m going to clock you one!” Jensen growled, clearly irritated; “And what do you mean by ready?”
“I- I prepared myself...” Jared confessed in a whisper, praying the older man wouldn’t ask him to elaborate. He wondered if he should be worried about the fact that he couldn’t feel anything from the other man- nothing of the fury obvious in his words or the exasperation in his sleep-mussed eyes.
There was a moment of silence; then, “Show me.”
Feeling his cheeks burning with humiliation, Jared twisted, pushing himself down on his elbows and knees before reaching behind him and holding himself open. The sharp inhalation told him that Jensen had seen the lube glistening …in him.
He closed his eyes, waiting for his mate’s reaction; but for once he seemed to have shattered the Elder’s steely control. There was still no evidence of Jensen’s emotions (the Pack Alpha apparently too practised to slip like that); but the absolute silence spoke volumes towards what the older man was feeling. He bit his lip, hoping he would be allowed to close himself from prying eyes soon; because as much as he had prepared to permit his debasement; it was mortifying to actually be made to hold himself open for the alpha’s viewing pleasure.
Despite the fact that there was no more reaction from the alpha, Jared felt something change in the room- almost like all the air from the room had been sucked out with a vacuum. Anticipating either a leering comment or a violent claiming, Jared braced himself for either; but strangely the next sound he heard was a forceful exhalation of breath before the alpha- Jensen; his mind protested; patted high on his back, pushing with a gentle but steady pressure till he was flat on his stomach.
“Very pretty; now get some sleep”
For nearly the entirety of a full minute, Jared simply lay there, too stunned by his mate’s reaction to understand; when the words finally sank through; he scrambled to leave- mortified beyond belief by his own actions.
Jensen grabbed at him, neatly encircling his wrist in a manacle-like grip, “You came to my bed, Jared... I was hoping you would have the courtesy to stay.”
Jared gulped in a heaving breath, realising that it was both- a challenge and a punishment; before nodding and sliding back into the bed. Jensen stayed close- one hand coming to rest on Jared’s stomach.
He waited for the fingers to dip lower, but Jensen’s hand remained where it was; the Elder’s thumb tracing invisible, comforting circles around his navel. It was an oddly intimate gesture, reminiscent of strong alpha-beta pairs with the alpha curling his palm around the middle of his/her (expectant) mate in a silent vow of protection; for Jensen to replicate that gesture now- even unconsciously; especially in light of Jared’s performance just prior; was... jarring.
He froze, uncertain and unwilling to react; but Jensen, as uncannily perceptive as he’d proved himself to be, understood; climbing out of bed with a put-upon sigh. A moment later something soft hit his body, making him jerk in surprise.
“Pull that on, Jay... hopefully you’ll sleep better.”
Jared obeyed silently, smelling his alpha’s scent on the pyjamas. His ankles were lefty bare owing their difference in height, but barring that, it fit him remarkably well considering it wasn’t his. It was still embarrassing to lie back, given how his mate’s hand instantly reclaimed its former position... but it was oddly soothing too. He anticipated lying awake for the majority of the night, but sleep claimed him sooner than expected.
∞∞\∞‡∞/∞∞The other side of the bed was already cold when Jared awoke the next morning. Rubbing a drowsy hand through his bangs, he picked up the robe he had discarded carelessly on the floor last night (and Jensen had apparently picked after him because now it was folded neatly and sitting at the foot of the bed) and made his way to the kitchen to find the Alpha making hash-browns for breakfast.
“G’m”, Jared mumbled, sitting at the breakfast island and resting his head on folded arms.
“Morning” Jensen greeted dutifully, snagging a cuppa of steaming coffee from the percolator and placing it next to the still half-awake man. “Sleep well?”
Jared moaned softly in gratefulness as the perfect blend of freshly-ground premium quality cocoa-bean, sugar and cream hit his taste-buds. His eyes closed automatically as he savoured the taste for a moment before his brain woke enough to remind him of the previous night’s fiasco. He considered ignoring the elephant in the room for a nanosecond before admitting to himself that in this particular instance, denial was the way to go (not).
“Look Jen,” he waited until the viridian gaze focussed on him, “I-I’m really sorry about last night...”
“Sorry?” Jensen gave a bark of mirthless laughter, “You’re sorry? Heavens Jared; do you have any idea what could have happened if it had been anyone but me?”
“I’d have gotten exactly what I asked for” the younger alpha admitted in a hoarse whisper, wishing for something stronger than coffee-despite the early hour; “and I deserved nothing less for the way I acted... but Jen, it-it wasn’t anyone else and-and I’m so-so glad that it wasn’t, you know?”
Jensen waited for a moment to see what he else had to say before realising that the younger man was waiting for his reaction. And with an effort, he brought himself under control; “I’m sorry too. I should have told you.”
Jared raised wide hazel eyes to take in the other alpha, a soft smile playing on his lips at the unexpected apology; “Can- may I ask why you didn’t?”
The blond head ducked in an uncharacteristic display of embarrassment, “It sounds so stupid in hindsight...”
“I’d still like to know; ya’know?”
“It- it wasn’t intentional... at first I thought I’d tell you later ‘coz there was just no time... but then- then you were already so damn terrified Jared that I- I couldn’t...”
“Because I was terrified? Of what?”
“Me? The whole situation? ... You’d just been ordered to mate someone you considered your rival-”
“Yeah, about that; how is it that they lobbed us together, Jen? Aren’t Pack Alphas supposed to be above the law?”
Jensen shook his head, “I was asked, before the trial... but that meant the entire blame would’ve landed squarely on your shoulders.”
“So - you just said you’d what- share the blame?”
The man shook his head again, “I waved off any special considerations... it’s not like it’s public knowledge about my status; Derek- as the Chief, was the only one on the council who knew; if I’d chosen different maybe the rest would have been informed but since I didn’t...”
Jared held up a hand, palm outward in the universal sign for ‘wait’, “Okay, interruption; why isn’t it public knowledge?”
“Hmmm?” the Elder’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Why isn’t it public knowledge? Shouldn’t the people know who their Alpha is? I mean, I must have looked up on you any number of times...on the ‘net, newspapers, magazines... the works, you know? And I never found anything even hinting about your status... So, I was kind of wondering...why?
“Security reasons; primarily”
“Security?”
“Yeah, the lesser number of people know who I am; the smaller target I paint-”
“Hold on; you’re telling me you’ve got assassins gunning for you?”
Jensen shrugged, the air gushing out of his lungs in a sarcastic murmur, “Perks of the job”
Jared’s eyes widened even further, his voice dropping another few decibels, “So... have there been- like attempts; on your life?”
“A couple of times”, Jensen nodded
“A couple of times- Couple of times!” Jared spluttered, “And you didn’t think it necessary to mention?”
“It’s been years, Jay; decades even... so relax. Besides, I have an excellent security team.”
“How can you even say that?”
“Say what? -that my security detail is excellent? ‘Coz I know it is! Excellent and discrete... I mean, you didn’t even notice that they’ve been tailing you for the past week, did you?”
But Jared was already shaking his head- the latter part of the statement not even registering yet, “How can you say that I don’t need to worry when at any moment it’s possible for me to lose my mate?”
“Whoa! Relax; it’s not as dire as it sounds... you think I wouldn’t have warned you otherwise? It’s not like I’m directly involved in Pack business anymore- at least, not as much as I should be... and the last attempt was when I’d just taken o’er the reins from Dad. Things have... settled ... since then.”
Jared hummed noncommittally; unsure what to make of Jensen’s reassurance. The older man waited for a moment before rising from his seat, “C’me on; I’ll show you-”
Jared followed silently, not all that surprised to realize that Jensen was leading him into the study but completely taken aback when the Alpha pulled down a map from the shelves, spreading it across the ornate desk.
Jared squinted at the name of the territories, surprised to note that although they were vaguely known, it wasn’t something he recognised.
“This marks all the Pack territories,” Jensen explained, gesturing at the map, “Now, I’m guessing you don’t find the names all that recognizable... but that’s because this map only shows the Pack titles. You’ll be more familiar with this-” And the Alpha placed another map over the first one; this one having the names and details in bold black and red prints on a transparent layout.
Instantly Jared realised that this was the map he had grown up studying and the one commonly found in diaries and atlases. Seeing the names of the Pack Lands over the better-known human demarcations felt like looking through a magic-mirror. His eyes quickly located the portion (done in pale butter tone) designated ‘Ackles Pack’- it was easily one of the five largest territories in the continent.
“Now-a-days of course the actual borders of the Pack Lands hold little meaning as we have turned them all into soft borders. There is nothing to stop the Packs from inter-mingling and moving across territories freely. However, in the event of a dispute- for instance, a case where the Were’s Pack identity is in question; it is generally solved by using the old borders.”
Jared nodded his understanding, fascinated. “You are familiar with both maps?”
“I have to be.” Jensen confirmed.
“Wow” Jared whispered, confessing, “I never had much head for geography- all those names and details confused the hell outta me. And I only had to read one map”
Jensen laughed, low and easy; “Learning them was an arduous process.”
“But you did?”
“Part of being an Alpha-heir; I guess”
“Must’ve been awful?”
“Nah... I mean, yeah; it sucked at times; not to be able to go out and just hang-out with your friends, y’know? But it wasn’t all bad”
“What else?”
“Umm, I don’t know... what would you like to hear about?”
“Pack business? How is it that you don’t sit at the Centre? I mean, I went there once-”
Jensen chuckled at his pinched expression, “Not a pleasant experience?”
“Hell no!”
“I don’t sit there ‘coz like I said earlier; I’m not directly involved in Pack business... I’ve got a team who take care of affairs on my behalf. They’re the ones who handle the day-to-day details... I’ve kind of been remiss since-” Jensen paused, staring through unseeing eyes at the maps still laid out on the table.
Jared didn’t dare interrupt, hoping the Alpha would continue.
Jensen closed his eyes for a moment; blocking out the world- then a deep inhalation as he shot a guilty look at Jared. “I think there is something else that you should know...”
Jared’s brows leaped in surprise, “Another secret?”
“Not exactly a secret,” Jensen hedged, before sighing “but it is something I’ve neglected to tell you”
Jared stared back with a steady gaze, “Okay”
“I mentioned Tracy, right?”
“The beta you lost?” Jared asked, trying to place the name.
The older alpha nodded, “Yeah... thing is; she wasn’t just a beta, Jay... she was my beta.”
“You were mated?” The ‘before’ was unspoken.
“Married” Jensen corrected, picking a framed picture from the desk and handing it to him.
Jared let out a low whistle as he stared at the happy couple smiling in the picture- an attractive red-haired beta in her pristine wedding gown smiling up at the tuxedo-clad, green eyed alpha whose own attention was firmly focused on the girl in his arms. “She’s beautiful”
“She was” Jensen confirmed, his voice breaking on the past tense used.
Jared looked up startled, only to find the shimmery verdant gaze set on the picture in his hands. Although the alpha was in control enough to hold his tears at bay, it was evident that his eyes were wet.
“I- I should be telling you the details, but-”
Jared reached out instinctively, placing a comforting hand on the Elder’s bicep, “It’s alright. You can tell me whenever you’re ready.”
A warm palm covered his hand as the alpha scrunched his eyes shut, “Dammit, it been nearly ten years, Jay! Why can’t I still talk about this?”
Jared said nothing, just left his hand on the alpha’s arm; waiting for the man to re-gain control of his faculties gain.
Jensen sniffed, blushing adorably as he glanced up with reddened eyes, “Sorry”
Jared shook his head, waving off the apology before handing back the picture; surprised when instead of replacing it in its original position; the older male put it face-down in one of the drawers.
“You can leave it out; I don’t mind.”
Jensen smiled, “No, and she wouldn’t have approved either.”
They stood awkwardly in silence for a moment before Jensen moved to refold the maps and return them to their position on the shelves. Jared watched quietly till it was done and then cleared his throat.
“Umm question?”
Jensen turned to face him, surprise written all over his features, “Of course”
“Since you were already mated once before; is - uh, is that why you could promise me that I wouldn’t be turned? ‘Coz you already have a Beta?”
Jensen was already shaking his head before he even finished, “It’s the reason I told the councillor that I didn’t want to be mated to another beta and so would not be turning you; but somehow I doubt that that’s what you meant. Am I right?”
Jared stared back wordlessly.
Jensen gave an acknowledging nod. “My mate is Pack Beta, Jared... and that means that-”
“No, you promised!”
The Elder raised his hand in a placating gesture, “I’m not going to turn you, Jay... a ‘Pack beta’-” he gestured around the title with air-quotes, “is a rank; it has nothing to do what-so-ever with whether you are alpha, beta or hell, even omega. And the Pack beta is higher up on the hierarchy than any alpha, you know... all alpha’s bow to the Pack Beta; not the other way ‘round”
“All alphas; barring one”, Jared scoffed.
“Barring none” Jensen inclined his head in a symbolic gesture.
Jared drew in a startled breath, “that’s - that sounds like a lot of responsibility”
Jensen chuckled softly, “Why do you think the screening for Pack Beta is so stringent, huh? The Beta wields incredible power; Jay. They have unrestricted access to the Alpha, and if they are crafty enough; can be the ones virtually running the pack. Traditionally, the Alpha was the only one not permitted to choose his or her own mate because of this very reason...”
“But you made an independent call to agree to accept me as your mate, right?”
“Yeah, things have been slowly but surely changing... even then; there are claims and offers between Packs once the Alpha-heir reaches maturity.” He wrinkled his nose, “It’s all very political”
“So you and Tracy-?”
“No, Tracy moved to town when I was in high school... and we fell head-o’er-heels in love. I proposed at prom and we were married before we set out for university”
“Sounds like a fairy-tale” Jared said wistfully; remembering his own college years.
“It was,” Jensen admitted, “at least until I lost her six years later”
Jared watched the fleeting expression of pain on his mate’s face and decided to change the topic; “So I was-?”
“My last ditch attempt at picking a mate of my own choosing..well; almost...I was being requested to find a new mate pretty much since the year after she passed away; and then when the council ordered the ‘forced mating’ I figured ‘why not’?” Jensen admitted honestly.
“’Why not’ indeed.”Jared muttered crossly. He knew the reality of their mating; but to hear the truth was still upsetting.
“Yeah,” Jensen shrugged, “I mean you were a strong alpha in your own right. I knew that you would be fair to my Pack... and the best part was that you held no illusions to the nature of our relationship. Besides, I respected you enough to know that you were someone I could picture myself growing old beside. And the fact that you were being offered to me on a platter was perfect too.”
“Offered on a platter” Jared muttered with no real heat, “compare me to a bunch of grapes, why don’t you”
Jensen laughed, then made a face, “which reminds me that I need to apologise to your Alpha”
“What?”
“We didn’t have any choice, but the fact remains that I pretty much stole you from your Alpha; Jay...shit- I should’ve called him earlier”
“My alpha?”
“Ronald Romanowsky?”
“You’re going to call my Pack Alpha?”
Jensen nodded, amused by Jared’s surprise.
“You-you sure? I mean I doubt he even knows me... of me, I mean and-”
The Alpha chuckled, “It’s expected of me, Jay”
Jared swallowed; abruptly aware that as easy as he was to be around, his alpha came from a different background altogether. “Can I listen in?”
“Sure” Jensen picked up the receiver, quickly dialling the number and waiting for someone to answer the call.
Jared’s hand hovered over the ‘speaker’ button for a moment before punching it in. Jensen grinned at his star-struck expression, quickly sobering at the soft, feminine ‘hello’ from the other end.
“May I speak to Alpha Romanowsky, please?” The Elder’s voice was crisp, confident.
“Just a moment, Sir; may I know who is calling?”
“Alpha Ackles”
Jared watched in silent wonder as Jensen seemed to transform right before him into the Pack Alpha.
“Hello?”
Jared noted with some amusement that Alpha Romanowsky’s voice sounded elderly over the phone; not that it was surprising, considering the Alpha was well past sixty.
“Alpha Romanowsky, how nice to hear your voice!”
“Elder Ackles, you humble me...”
Jared could hear the inherent respect in the words.
“To what do I owe this honour?”
“Ah, please; the pleasure is all mine; Alpha... I actually called to apologise for not seeking your consent prior to mating Jared”
“Oh, please!” the Alpha scoffed like an old friend- Jared wondered if he was; “I know the circumstances of your match. I hope young Padalecki is well.”
Jensen met Jared’s eyes as he answered, “Yes, yes he is... although your letter came as something of a shock-”
The older man chortled, “I can only imagine. How did he take it?”
“Umm about that; I have a request... I haven’t spoken to him about this yet; but if he so chooses... would you permit him to continue as a part of your Pack despite being my mate?”
Jared’s eyes bugged.
Romanowsky sounded equally surprised, “There is no precedent for this, Alpha...”
Jared noted that the older man used the honorific automatically; and Jensen seemed to expect (and accept) it, not reacting like he hated being called that as he had the previous evening.
“I know, Sir... but would you consider it?”
A pause, then; “I would be honoured to host the Ackles’ Pack -Beta in my Pack, Alpha...”
“Thank you, I’ll get back to you once I’ve discussed it with him”
“Son,” for the first time the Alpha’s voice softened with something other than just plain propriety, “as happy as I would be to accept someone as talented as your mate into my folds; think carefully before you make this decision-”
Jensen’s own voice softened in response, “I- I just don’t want to force anything on him; Ronald”
“And you won’t. You’re a good man at heart; Son. I’m sure your mate will see that”
“That’s- Thank you, really. I’ll talk things over with Jay and we’ll make the decision together.”
“Good. And you know you can call me, right... especially now that we’re family? Either of you”
“Thank you, I’ll tell Jared”
“The kid’s had some tough times lately... especially since his falling out with Gerald-”
Jared’s eyes bugged, how did the Pack Alpha know about that, and Dad’s first name? He refocused to hear what else was being said.
“-give him time... I’m sure he’ll come around.”
“I promise I’ll take good care of him, Alpha”
“I know you will, Son. I know you will.”
Jensen chuckled softly, “It was good to talk to you, Ronald, really. And once again, thank you.”
The older man laughed, “Take care, Kid.”
∞∞\∞‡∞/∞∞Jared fixed determined eyes on Jensen the second the phone touched its cradle, “I’m Pack Beta; right?”
“Yeah, of course” Jensen answered, surprised.
“Then I’d better start accepting my Pack, Jen. I’m staying an Ackles”
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Previous
Masterpost
Next
Summery- What happens when two rivals are compelled into a mating-bond ???
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A/N- Hey guys! I'm posting this chapter in rather a hurry as I'm scheduled to head out in a few days and wanted to upload this before I left. Basically, it means there are probably more typos than usual... Poke me if you find any?(and I'll correct them). Thanks!
Now, on with the story....
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The shadows outside had lengthened to cloak the surrounding woods in the diffused light of dusk when Jared opened his door at a hesitant knock to find Jensen waiting for him.
Jared opened the door wider, moving aside to let the other man in; but Jensen stood frozen at the doorway. After a moment he prompted, “Alpha?”
Jensen visibly flinched at the honorific, “Don’t; please”
“...”
“I uh, I know you asked me not to disturb you; but I just came to...well, to apologise actually... and tell you that umm... there’s lasagne in the fridge, help yourself when you’re hungry... or anything else really and uh... well, I’m heading to my room; feel free to call me if you wa- need anything. Good night, Jared... once again, I’m terribly sorry.” And with a crisp nod, he turned away.
For a long moment Jared stood at the door, staring at the older man’s retreating back, but then he withdrew into his room, closing the door softly behind him.
∞∞\∞‡∞/∞∞Jared rapped softly on the door, a part of him hoping that Jensen would be asleep and not hear the knocking; but the rest of him ornery.
“Come on in, Jay.” A sleepy voice called from inside.
No luck; then.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside, getting a glimpse of the tee-shirt and boxer clad alpha before he dropped his head. “I wanted to apologize for today.”
“Apologise; for what-?” The voice was soft- confused.
He moved forward, trying to control his shaking limbs as he made his way to the bed. Placing a slightly trembling hand on the bed, he risked a glance. “May I?”
“God, Jay- you think you need to ask?”
That wasn’t an outright ‘no’ so he pulled himself up to kneel on the bed, legs splayed wide enough to display himself as he slid the robe off.
“Jared, wha-?”
“I submit to you, Alpha.”
“What the HELL are you talking about?” Jensen didn’t appear to be sleepy anymore, in fact; he sounded wide-awake and freaked. Good.
“I apologise and I-I’m ready; ready to submit to you, Alp-” Jared repeated in a monotone, a detached part of him amused by how by-rote his words sounded.
“If you say ‘alpha’ one more time; heaven help me; I’m going to clock you one!” Jensen growled, clearly irritated; “And what do you mean by ready?”
“I- I prepared myself...” Jared confessed in a whisper, praying the older man wouldn’t ask him to elaborate. He wondered if he should be worried about the fact that he couldn’t feel anything from the other man- nothing of the fury obvious in his words or the exasperation in his sleep-mussed eyes.
There was a moment of silence; then, “Show me.”
Feeling his cheeks burning with humiliation, Jared twisted, pushing himself down on his elbows and knees before reaching behind him and holding himself open. The sharp inhalation told him that Jensen had seen the lube glistening …in him.
He closed his eyes, waiting for his mate’s reaction; but for once he seemed to have shattered the Elder’s steely control. There was still no evidence of Jensen’s emotions (the Pack Alpha apparently too practised to slip like that); but the absolute silence spoke volumes towards what the older man was feeling. He bit his lip, hoping he would be allowed to close himself from prying eyes soon; because as much as he had prepared to permit his debasement; it was mortifying to actually be made to hold himself open for the alpha’s viewing pleasure.
Despite the fact that there was no more reaction from the alpha, Jared felt something change in the room- almost like all the air from the room had been sucked out with a vacuum. Anticipating either a leering comment or a violent claiming, Jared braced himself for either; but strangely the next sound he heard was a forceful exhalation of breath before the alpha- Jensen; his mind protested; patted high on his back, pushing with a gentle but steady pressure till he was flat on his stomach.
“Very pretty; now get some sleep”
For nearly the entirety of a full minute, Jared simply lay there, too stunned by his mate’s reaction to understand; when the words finally sank through; he scrambled to leave- mortified beyond belief by his own actions.
Jensen grabbed at him, neatly encircling his wrist in a manacle-like grip, “You came to my bed, Jared... I was hoping you would have the courtesy to stay.”
Jared gulped in a heaving breath, realising that it was both- a challenge and a punishment; before nodding and sliding back into the bed. Jensen stayed close- one hand coming to rest on Jared’s stomach.
He waited for the fingers to dip lower, but Jensen’s hand remained where it was; the Elder’s thumb tracing invisible, comforting circles around his navel. It was an oddly intimate gesture, reminiscent of strong alpha-beta pairs with the alpha curling his palm around the middle of his/her (expectant) mate in a silent vow of protection; for Jensen to replicate that gesture now- even unconsciously; especially in light of Jared’s performance just prior; was... jarring.
He froze, uncertain and unwilling to react; but Jensen, as uncannily perceptive as he’d proved himself to be, understood; climbing out of bed with a put-upon sigh. A moment later something soft hit his body, making him jerk in surprise.
“Pull that on, Jay... hopefully you’ll sleep better.”
Jared obeyed silently, smelling his alpha’s scent on the pyjamas. His ankles were lefty bare owing their difference in height, but barring that, it fit him remarkably well considering it wasn’t his. It was still embarrassing to lie back, given how his mate’s hand instantly reclaimed its former position... but it was oddly soothing too. He anticipated lying awake for the majority of the night, but sleep claimed him sooner than expected.
∞∞\∞‡∞/∞∞The other side of the bed was already cold when Jared awoke the next morning. Rubbing a drowsy hand through his bangs, he picked up the robe he had discarded carelessly on the floor last night (and Jensen had apparently picked after him because now it was folded neatly and sitting at the foot of the bed) and made his way to the kitchen to find the Alpha making hash-browns for breakfast.
“G’m”, Jared mumbled, sitting at the breakfast island and resting his head on folded arms.
“Morning” Jensen greeted dutifully, snagging a cuppa of steaming coffee from the percolator and placing it next to the still half-awake man. “Sleep well?”
Jared moaned softly in gratefulness as the perfect blend of freshly-ground premium quality cocoa-bean, sugar and cream hit his taste-buds. His eyes closed automatically as he savoured the taste for a moment before his brain woke enough to remind him of the previous night’s fiasco. He considered ignoring the elephant in the room for a nanosecond before admitting to himself that in this particular instance, denial was the way to go (not).
“Look Jen,” he waited until the viridian gaze focussed on him, “I-I’m really sorry about last night...”
“Sorry?” Jensen gave a bark of mirthless laughter, “You’re sorry? Heavens Jared; do you have any idea what could have happened if it had been anyone but me?”
“I’d have gotten exactly what I asked for” the younger alpha admitted in a hoarse whisper, wishing for something stronger than coffee-despite the early hour; “and I deserved nothing less for the way I acted... but Jen, it-it wasn’t anyone else and-and I’m so-so glad that it wasn’t, you know?”
Jensen waited for a moment to see what he else had to say before realising that the younger man was waiting for his reaction. And with an effort, he brought himself under control; “I’m sorry too. I should have told you.”
Jared raised wide hazel eyes to take in the other alpha, a soft smile playing on his lips at the unexpected apology; “Can- may I ask why you didn’t?”
The blond head ducked in an uncharacteristic display of embarrassment, “It sounds so stupid in hindsight...”
“I’d still like to know; ya’know?”
“It- it wasn’t intentional... at first I thought I’d tell you later ‘coz there was just no time... but then- then you were already so damn terrified Jared that I- I couldn’t...”
“Because I was terrified? Of what?”
“Me? The whole situation? ... You’d just been ordered to mate someone you considered your rival-”
“Yeah, about that; how is it that they lobbed us together, Jen? Aren’t Pack Alphas supposed to be above the law?”
Jensen shook his head, “I was asked, before the trial... but that meant the entire blame would’ve landed squarely on your shoulders.”
“So - you just said you’d what- share the blame?”
The man shook his head again, “I waved off any special considerations... it’s not like it’s public knowledge about my status; Derek- as the Chief, was the only one on the council who knew; if I’d chosen different maybe the rest would have been informed but since I didn’t...”
Jared held up a hand, palm outward in the universal sign for ‘wait’, “Okay, interruption; why isn’t it public knowledge?”
“Hmmm?” the Elder’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“Why isn’t it public knowledge? Shouldn’t the people know who their Alpha is? I mean, I must have looked up on you any number of times...on the ‘net, newspapers, magazines... the works, you know? And I never found anything even hinting about your status... So, I was kind of wondering...why?
“Security reasons; primarily”
“Security?”
“Yeah, the lesser number of people know who I am; the smaller target I paint-”
“Hold on; you’re telling me you’ve got assassins gunning for you?”
Jensen shrugged, the air gushing out of his lungs in a sarcastic murmur, “Perks of the job”
Jared’s eyes widened even further, his voice dropping another few decibels, “So... have there been- like attempts; on your life?”
“A couple of times”, Jensen nodded
“A couple of times- Couple of times!” Jared spluttered, “And you didn’t think it necessary to mention?”
“It’s been years, Jay; decades even... so relax. Besides, I have an excellent security team.”
“How can you even say that?”
“Say what? -that my security detail is excellent? ‘Coz I know it is! Excellent and discrete... I mean, you didn’t even notice that they’ve been tailing you for the past week, did you?”
But Jared was already shaking his head- the latter part of the statement not even registering yet, “How can you say that I don’t need to worry when at any moment it’s possible for me to lose my mate?”
“Whoa! Relax; it’s not as dire as it sounds... you think I wouldn’t have warned you otherwise? It’s not like I’m directly involved in Pack business anymore- at least, not as much as I should be... and the last attempt was when I’d just taken o’er the reins from Dad. Things have... settled ... since then.”
Jared hummed noncommittally; unsure what to make of Jensen’s reassurance. The older man waited for a moment before rising from his seat, “C’me on; I’ll show you-”
Jared followed silently, not all that surprised to realize that Jensen was leading him into the study but completely taken aback when the Alpha pulled down a map from the shelves, spreading it across the ornate desk.
Jared squinted at the name of the territories, surprised to note that although they were vaguely known, it wasn’t something he recognised.
“This marks all the Pack territories,” Jensen explained, gesturing at the map, “Now, I’m guessing you don’t find the names all that recognizable... but that’s because this map only shows the Pack titles. You’ll be more familiar with this-” And the Alpha placed another map over the first one; this one having the names and details in bold black and red prints on a transparent layout.
Instantly Jared realised that this was the map he had grown up studying and the one commonly found in diaries and atlases. Seeing the names of the Pack Lands over the better-known human demarcations felt like looking through a magic-mirror. His eyes quickly located the portion (done in pale butter tone) designated ‘Ackles Pack’- it was easily one of the five largest territories in the continent.
“Now-a-days of course the actual borders of the Pack Lands hold little meaning as we have turned them all into soft borders. There is nothing to stop the Packs from inter-mingling and moving across territories freely. However, in the event of a dispute- for instance, a case where the Were’s Pack identity is in question; it is generally solved by using the old borders.”
Jared nodded his understanding, fascinated. “You are familiar with both maps?”
“I have to be.” Jensen confirmed.
“Wow” Jared whispered, confessing, “I never had much head for geography- all those names and details confused the hell outta me. And I only had to read one map”
Jensen laughed, low and easy; “Learning them was an arduous process.”
“But you did?”
“Part of being an Alpha-heir; I guess”
“Must’ve been awful?”
“Nah... I mean, yeah; it sucked at times; not to be able to go out and just hang-out with your friends, y’know? But it wasn’t all bad”
“What else?”
“Umm, I don’t know... what would you like to hear about?”
“Pack business? How is it that you don’t sit at the Centre? I mean, I went there once-”
Jensen chuckled at his pinched expression, “Not a pleasant experience?”
“Hell no!”
“I don’t sit there ‘coz like I said earlier; I’m not directly involved in Pack business... I’ve got a team who take care of affairs on my behalf. They’re the ones who handle the day-to-day details... I’ve kind of been remiss since-” Jensen paused, staring through unseeing eyes at the maps still laid out on the table.
Jared didn’t dare interrupt, hoping the Alpha would continue.
Jensen closed his eyes for a moment; blocking out the world- then a deep inhalation as he shot a guilty look at Jared. “I think there is something else that you should know...”
Jared’s brows leaped in surprise, “Another secret?”
“Not exactly a secret,” Jensen hedged, before sighing “but it is something I’ve neglected to tell you”
Jared stared back with a steady gaze, “Okay”
“I mentioned Tracy, right?”
“The beta you lost?” Jared asked, trying to place the name.
The older alpha nodded, “Yeah... thing is; she wasn’t just a beta, Jay... she was my beta.”
“You were mated?” The ‘before’ was unspoken.
“Married” Jensen corrected, picking a framed picture from the desk and handing it to him.
Jared let out a low whistle as he stared at the happy couple smiling in the picture- an attractive red-haired beta in her pristine wedding gown smiling up at the tuxedo-clad, green eyed alpha whose own attention was firmly focused on the girl in his arms. “She’s beautiful”
“She was” Jensen confirmed, his voice breaking on the past tense used.
Jared looked up startled, only to find the shimmery verdant gaze set on the picture in his hands. Although the alpha was in control enough to hold his tears at bay, it was evident that his eyes were wet.
“I- I should be telling you the details, but-”
Jared reached out instinctively, placing a comforting hand on the Elder’s bicep, “It’s alright. You can tell me whenever you’re ready.”
A warm palm covered his hand as the alpha scrunched his eyes shut, “Dammit, it been nearly ten years, Jay! Why can’t I still talk about this?”
Jared said nothing, just left his hand on the alpha’s arm; waiting for the man to re-gain control of his faculties gain.
Jensen sniffed, blushing adorably as he glanced up with reddened eyes, “Sorry”
Jared shook his head, waving off the apology before handing back the picture; surprised when instead of replacing it in its original position; the older male put it face-down in one of the drawers.
“You can leave it out; I don’t mind.”
Jensen smiled, “No, and she wouldn’t have approved either.”
They stood awkwardly in silence for a moment before Jensen moved to refold the maps and return them to their position on the shelves. Jared watched quietly till it was done and then cleared his throat.
“Umm question?”
Jensen turned to face him, surprise written all over his features, “Of course”
“Since you were already mated once before; is - uh, is that why you could promise me that I wouldn’t be turned? ‘Coz you already have a Beta?”
Jensen was already shaking his head before he even finished, “It’s the reason I told the councillor that I didn’t want to be mated to another beta and so would not be turning you; but somehow I doubt that that’s what you meant. Am I right?”
Jared stared back wordlessly.
Jensen gave an acknowledging nod. “My mate is Pack Beta, Jared... and that means that-”
“No, you promised!”
The Elder raised his hand in a placating gesture, “I’m not going to turn you, Jay... a ‘Pack beta’-” he gestured around the title with air-quotes, “is a rank; it has nothing to do what-so-ever with whether you are alpha, beta or hell, even omega. And the Pack beta is higher up on the hierarchy than any alpha, you know... all alpha’s bow to the Pack Beta; not the other way ‘round”
“All alphas; barring one”, Jared scoffed.
“Barring none” Jensen inclined his head in a symbolic gesture.
Jared drew in a startled breath, “that’s - that sounds like a lot of responsibility”
Jensen chuckled softly, “Why do you think the screening for Pack Beta is so stringent, huh? The Beta wields incredible power; Jay. They have unrestricted access to the Alpha, and if they are crafty enough; can be the ones virtually running the pack. Traditionally, the Alpha was the only one not permitted to choose his or her own mate because of this very reason...”
“But you made an independent call to agree to accept me as your mate, right?”
“Yeah, things have been slowly but surely changing... even then; there are claims and offers between Packs once the Alpha-heir reaches maturity.” He wrinkled his nose, “It’s all very political”
“So you and Tracy-?”
“No, Tracy moved to town when I was in high school... and we fell head-o’er-heels in love. I proposed at prom and we were married before we set out for university”
“Sounds like a fairy-tale” Jared said wistfully; remembering his own college years.
“It was,” Jensen admitted, “at least until I lost her six years later”
Jared watched the fleeting expression of pain on his mate’s face and decided to change the topic; “So I was-?”
“My last ditch attempt at picking a mate of my own choosing..well; almost...I was being requested to find a new mate pretty much since the year after she passed away; and then when the council ordered the ‘forced mating’ I figured ‘why not’?” Jensen admitted honestly.
“’Why not’ indeed.”Jared muttered crossly. He knew the reality of their mating; but to hear the truth was still upsetting.
“Yeah,” Jensen shrugged, “I mean you were a strong alpha in your own right. I knew that you would be fair to my Pack... and the best part was that you held no illusions to the nature of our relationship. Besides, I respected you enough to know that you were someone I could picture myself growing old beside. And the fact that you were being offered to me on a platter was perfect too.”
“Offered on a platter” Jared muttered with no real heat, “compare me to a bunch of grapes, why don’t you”
Jensen laughed, then made a face, “which reminds me that I need to apologise to your Alpha”
“What?”
“We didn’t have any choice, but the fact remains that I pretty much stole you from your Alpha; Jay...shit- I should’ve called him earlier”
“My alpha?”
“Ronald Romanowsky?”
“You’re going to call my Pack Alpha?”
Jensen nodded, amused by Jared’s surprise.
“You-you sure? I mean I doubt he even knows me... of me, I mean and-”
The Alpha chuckled, “It’s expected of me, Jay”
Jared swallowed; abruptly aware that as easy as he was to be around, his alpha came from a different background altogether. “Can I listen in?”
“Sure” Jensen picked up the receiver, quickly dialling the number and waiting for someone to answer the call.
Jared’s hand hovered over the ‘speaker’ button for a moment before punching it in. Jensen grinned at his star-struck expression, quickly sobering at the soft, feminine ‘hello’ from the other end.
“May I speak to Alpha Romanowsky, please?” The Elder’s voice was crisp, confident.
“Just a moment, Sir; may I know who is calling?”
“Alpha Ackles”
Jared watched in silent wonder as Jensen seemed to transform right before him into the Pack Alpha.
“Hello?”
Jared noted with some amusement that Alpha Romanowsky’s voice sounded elderly over the phone; not that it was surprising, considering the Alpha was well past sixty.
“Alpha Romanowsky, how nice to hear your voice!”
“Elder Ackles, you humble me...”
Jared could hear the inherent respect in the words.
“To what do I owe this honour?”
“Ah, please; the pleasure is all mine; Alpha... I actually called to apologise for not seeking your consent prior to mating Jared”
“Oh, please!” the Alpha scoffed like an old friend- Jared wondered if he was; “I know the circumstances of your match. I hope young Padalecki is well.”
Jensen met Jared’s eyes as he answered, “Yes, yes he is... although your letter came as something of a shock-”
The older man chortled, “I can only imagine. How did he take it?”
“Umm about that; I have a request... I haven’t spoken to him about this yet; but if he so chooses... would you permit him to continue as a part of your Pack despite being my mate?”
Jared’s eyes bugged.
Romanowsky sounded equally surprised, “There is no precedent for this, Alpha...”
Jared noted that the older man used the honorific automatically; and Jensen seemed to expect (and accept) it, not reacting like he hated being called that as he had the previous evening.
“I know, Sir... but would you consider it?”
A pause, then; “I would be honoured to host the Ackles’ Pack -Beta in my Pack, Alpha...”
“Thank you, I’ll get back to you once I’ve discussed it with him”
“Son,” for the first time the Alpha’s voice softened with something other than just plain propriety, “as happy as I would be to accept someone as talented as your mate into my folds; think carefully before you make this decision-”
Jensen’s own voice softened in response, “I- I just don’t want to force anything on him; Ronald”
“And you won’t. You’re a good man at heart; Son. I’m sure your mate will see that”
“That’s- Thank you, really. I’ll talk things over with Jay and we’ll make the decision together.”
“Good. And you know you can call me, right... especially now that we’re family? Either of you”
“Thank you, I’ll tell Jared”
“The kid’s had some tough times lately... especially since his falling out with Gerald-”
Jared’s eyes bugged, how did the Pack Alpha know about that, and Dad’s first name? He refocused to hear what else was being said.
“-give him time... I’m sure he’ll come around.”
“I promise I’ll take good care of him, Alpha”
“I know you will, Son. I know you will.”
Jensen chuckled softly, “It was good to talk to you, Ronald, really. And once again, thank you.”
The older man laughed, “Take care, Kid.”
∞∞\∞‡∞/∞∞Jared fixed determined eyes on Jensen the second the phone touched its cradle, “I’m Pack Beta; right?”
“Yeah, of course” Jensen answered, surprised.
“Then I’d better start accepting my Pack, Jen. I’m staying an Ackles”
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