Page 19 of The Beta’s Heart (Five Fangs #5)

Peri

After our showers in the morning, Ty and I realized that all we had with us was our swim gear and looked at each other a little awkwardly. Saying he felt awful for not planning this better, Ty rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and swung the other kind of uselessly at his side. I, on the other hand, was highly aware of everything we did to each other last night—and that everyone we ran into today would know it.

Before we could grow too uncomfortable with each other, my precious, practical wolf suggested we swing by the O for Ty to change and pack his things, then over to my house for me to do the same.

“Good plan, Dove,” Ty praised, “and so sensible when we humans are here worrying about it.”

It’s what I’m here for, she sighed loudly, to be the lone voice of reason.

Oh, hush, you dramatic bitch, I teased her, and she huffed out a chuckle.

Ty didn’t have much to pack, and we were telling everyone goodbye within an hour. Delta Charlie couldn’t stop crying as she congratulated us and wished us well over and over, and her adorable little girl, Honor, clung to Ty all the way out to our car. As for the boys, I knew all of them since they hung out with Wes and had stayed overnight more than once, especially Rook Harrison, who was Wes’ best friend.

As Delta Charlie pried Honor off of Ty, the boys made us promise that we would visit often, especially when River could come out to play, and then we were on our way to my house.

“What are we going to do for furniture?” I asked as we pulled into the driveway. “We have a house and it has appliances, but there’s not one stick of furniture in it.”

“Well, I can afford some things new, but maybe we can get a few things used, too? Just until I get paid again,” he hurried to assure me.

“That’s fine. I love thrifting. I know all the best places in the area!” I grinned, thinking of some of the good pieces I’d spotted recently. “We need to get a brand-new bed and linens, though.”

“Oh, definitely. A new bed is a must,” he agreed, then cut his eyes over to me and winked.

“Too nervous to mate me on the floor, beta?” I teased.

“I’ll mate you in every room of the house eventually. Against the wall, in the shower, bent over the couch—”

“Ty!” I hissed, clamping my thighs together, and he chuckled.

Fortunately, I had the best parents in the en-ti-re world!

Mom and Dad and the boys had gone over to our new place early this morning and cleaned everything, then set up a new bedroom suite for us, including all the linens and pillows we could ask for. They’d also stocked the kitchen and bathrooms with essentials, and Dad told me my oldest brothers had had the utilities turned on and paid for the rest of the year.

“I was… I was going to take care of all that,” Ty said, ducking his head bashfully, which made my heart flip over. “I have enough saved to start us off.”

“Use it for other things you need.” Dad caught my mate in a headlock and reeled him for a noogie, and I rolled my eyes.

Guy affection was always so physical!

“Mr. Barlow!” Ty bawled, wrestling to get out of Dad’s hold.

“It’s Dad now, love,” Mom laughed. “We’re chuffed to bits that you’re Peri’s mate. Welcome to our family!”

She’s what? Ty linked me as he hoisted Dad up— Dad , who was built like a bear and three inches taller than Ty!—and held him in his arms like a groom carrying a bride over the threshold.

It means happy, I told him with a grin. You’ll get used to her funny sayings.

“Where do you want him, Mom ?” Tyler teased her with a wink as Dad spluttered with wide eyes.

“The pool sounds brilliant!”

Next thing I knew, Dad did something that sent them both to the floor, where they wrestled around like two pups in a mudhole, laughing and grunting as they each tried to pin the other down.

That, of course, attracted my younger brothers like moths to a flame, and Archer, Wayne, and Wade jumped into the pile, screaming like banshees, as Mom hurried to move the coffee table out of the way, muttering about her furniture being destroyed again as they wrestled.

“Us, too!” William called as he and his partner in crime came running over, but Wesley grabbed him as I caught Winnie under his arms and swung him up high in the air.

“The big boys are being too rough right now,” I told them both when they whined.

“ You westle us, Sissy!” Winnie squished my cheeks between his palms. “Wes, Sissy, westle us!”

I exchanged a long-suffering look with Wesley, who was no more into “westling” than I was.

“How about a visit from the tickle monster instead?” I offered and tossed Winnie on the couch.

“Not tickle monst-ah!” he shrieked.

“Oh, yes, and here she comes!” With an evil cackle, I descended on him, earning streams of giggles before my fingers even touched his soft little belly.

#

After we recovered, the boys helped Dad and Ty carry my packed boxes out to the vehicles, and Mom motioned me into the kitchen.

“I have something for you.”

“You guys have given us more than enough already,” I tried to protest as she rooted around in the cupboards.

“Oh, poppycock.” She turned around and held up an empty plastic container that was about two feet tall and shaped like a bear. “The lads finished off the biscuits yesterday, so I gave it a wash and set it aside for you.”

Over twenty years since she moved here from England, and she still calls cookies biscuits, I linked Dove, who snickered.

“I don’t really have a use for it,” I started to tell her, but she interrupted me with a rather ruthless glint in her silvery blue eyes.

“Of course you do, love. It’s your very own swear bear!”

“Oh. Well, thanks, I guess,” I said without enthusiasm.

“Can’t have our first grandpup spouting profanities before he can walk, now, can we?”

“But Ty doesn’t have a potty mouth,” I protested.

“Not. For. Him,” she said very slowly and precisely.

Then she gave me The Look. The one that sent grown men—including my big, burly father and brothers—running, and since I was no braver, I grabbed my new swear bear and hightailed it out of there.

#

Tyler

“You know, son, none of the boys felt like they had to give you the older brother speech.”

I looked over at Nathan as he loaded the last of Peri’s luggage in the back of his pick-up truck.

“Really? Why’s that?”

“Same reason I don’t need to give you the dad talk. Because we know – and have always known – what kind of man you are.” He turned to me, his eyes kind and steady.

“What kind of man would that be?”

Nathan’s face softened with a smile that reached his eyes.

“The good kind, Ty. The kind who will treat my daughter right, who will stand by her no matter what. The kind who makes me proud to welcome him into our family.”

My throat tightened painfully. It had been six years since I’d lost my parents, even longer since I lost the man my father used to be, six years of feeling adrift, and here was Nathan Barlow, offering me something I hadn’t even realized I’d been yearning for.

“I don’t know what to say,” I admitted, my voice a whisper.

“You were always a good kid, Ty, and you’ve grown into a fine man.” Nathan placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, his grip firm but comforting.

“Can I ask you something?” I ventured.

“Of course.”

“How do you do it? Be a father to so many kids, step-kids included, and still have room in your heart for…” I stopped myself from saying, ‘me,’ and finished with, “more?”

“Every day isn’t a fucking picnic, of course,” he chuckled. “There are days when it’s damned exhausting, but in the end, it’s all about love. You make room in your heart because you want to, and it’s easy to love someone like you.”

Tears pricked my eyes, and I blinked them away before he saw them, but he knew, anyway, and pulled me into a hug.

“That means more than you know,” I whispered around the lump in my throat, and he thumped me on the back before turning me loose, but kept his hands on my shoulders.

“You’re my son now, Ty,” he murmured, his gaze locking with mine. “You kind of already were, but now it’s official. I don’t know what the fuck chuffed means, but Evie’s right about one thing. Welcome to the family!”

Well, that sure didn’t help me keep the tears back. One streamed from each eye as I nodded, warmth spreading through me.

Today wasn’t just the beginning of a new chapter with Peri; it was the beginning of a new chapter with this family. A family whose members saw me for who I was and accepted me wholeheartedly.

“Thanks,” I sniffed as I hastily swiped my face with the backs of my hands. “I’m blessed to be a part of it... Dad .”

#

Peri

We spent the day unpacking and settling in, and now, after dinner, Ty and I were relaxing together on a blanket beneath the sprawling branches of an ancient oak tree in our enormous backyard.

My mate propped himself up on his elbow as he lay next to me, his dark blue eyes locked onto mine with a mix of excitement and nervousness. His golden blond hair gleamed in the early evening sun, and I couldn’t help but smile at how handsome he was, my heart swelling with love and anticipation. This was a step we needed to take, a deepening of our bond that would bring us even closer.

“Ready, Peri?” His voice was warm and steady, a soothing balm to my nerves.

“Ready!” I grinned and scrambled up to undress behind the tree.

If I undressed in front of him, we’d fuck like rabbits again—which was my preference—but Ty pointed out that we’d never get around to introducing our wolves to each other.

And he promised we’d give the new bed a good workout tonight.

The second I had all my clothes off, I closed my eyes, focusing on Dove and allowing her presence to envelop me. Shifting was always a strange and exhilarating sensation—bones realigning, muscles stretching, skin giving way to fur as I felt myself shrinking to the back of my mind—all crammed into a fraction of a second.

We’d decided to let Dove meet Ty first primarily because River might get too excited from meeting me to yield control back to Ty any time soon. That was fine with me; I’d heard all about how sweet and fluffy he was and wanted to spend as much time getting to know him as I could.

As soon as Dove was in her fur, she gave a shake and lolled her tongue with excitement as she trotted out to where Ty sat waiting for her on the blanket.

“Hello, Dove,” he murmured as he held out one fist for her to sniff.

She did, then licked his knuckles with a happy hum before settling down next to him and laying her head on his knee.

Hello, Tyler , she linked him, her voice smooth and her words as articulate as always. It’s good to finally meet you properly.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, his voice filled with awe, and Dove’s tail wagged with pride and affection for him. “May I pet you?”

Definitely.

His hand was gentle as he stroked her gray fur, and Dove leaned into his touch, her eyes closing as she basked in his attention.

As they shared their moment, I was both happy and grateful for the connection they were forging. Dove wasn’t the most affectionate wolf, even with members of the family, so it was nice to see her actually enjoying Ty loving on her.

Mates really make a difference , I thought to myself.

The two talked for a while before River’s impatience leaked into the mate bond, and both Dove and I realized how hard Ty was straining to hold him back.

We can talk all the time now, Dove told Tyler with a smile, and we’ll do this again soon, but for now, I think my mate might have a stroke if he doesn’t get to meet Peri.

Ty’s face held a mix of amusement and exasperation, and Dove assured him that she was fine and not to worry about it. When he nodded, she trotted back to the oak and shifted, leaving me to dress as she gabbed on and on about how handsome and kind Ty was.

And she complains about my word vomit , I snickered as I rejoined Ty at the blanket.

The second I was close enough, he pulled me into a tight hug, burying his face in my neck and inhaling my scent as if we’d been apart for a year. I wasn’t any better, though; I dug my face into his chest, seeking the steady rhythm of his heart, and sighed with contentment when I found it.

“Your turn,” I finally whispered against his t-shirt.

“Yeah.” He nodded, getting up and heading for the oak. “All right, River, this is your moment. Don’t mess it up.”

Me good boy, Ty-Ty! I heard his wolf through the mate link as he disappeared around the tree trunk.

Not even ten seconds later, River stood before me, his gray fur much, much longer than I’d expected, and I understood why so many people called him the pack’s resident floof.

Mate! Mate! Hi, mate! He looked at me with excited eyes.

“Hello, River! It’s nice to finally meet you. You’re so handsome and fluffy! Can I pet you?”

Yes, yes, yes! He bounced on his paws, unable to contain his energy. Me love pets!

With a big grin, I ruffled my fingers through his fur, and River nuzzled his snout into my belly, his tail wagging furiously.

Ty-Ty say me has ice cream! Where ice cream, mate?

Did you promise him ice cream? I linked Ty.

Maaaybe . He drew the word out. Well, I had to bribe him to behave! He’s been so excited to meet you, and I didn’t want him to bust over here and tackle you!

Ice cream? River repeated when I didn’t answer him fast enough, looking at me with hopeful eyes.

“Sure. Why not?” I couldn’t help but smile.

Yay! Ice cream! he yodeled as he bounced around in a circle before he suddenly stopped, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air. What dat, mate? Smell funny!

Lifting my nose, I drew in the scent and didn’t even need Dove to tell me what it was. Feeling mischievous, I sank my hand into River’s ruff.

“Come on! Let’s go find out!”

Peri , Ty cautioned me.

It’s okay, baby. I know what it is. I won’t let it hurt him.

I’m more worried about him going into ultra-protective mode and ripping it to shreds in front of you, Ty teased.

At least, I thought he was teasing.

Nevertheless, I led River over to the treeline that surrounded us in a wide circle, and his keen nose took us right to the small porcupine trundling through the undergrowth.

What dat? he repeated, his eyes lit up with curiosity.

“A porcupine,” I explained, trying to stifle my laughter. “They’re harmless, but don’t get too close. You never saw one before?”

Porky pie? No, never saw! River’s ears perked up, and he took another step closer, clearly fascinated. Why it has pokey fur?

“Those are quills, not fur, and they protect it. They’ll stick in you if you touch them, so don’t because it hurts.”

Porky pie smart. River tilted his head, pondering something. Why porky pie not run? Me big wolf!

“Because it’s not afraid of you. It knows you won’t hurt it.”

Me take home? River looked at me with big, pleading eyes. It be fun! New fend!

“No, sweetie, porcupines belong in the wild,” I shook my head, smiling. “We’ll visit your fun new friend again sometime.”

River pouted for a moment, then perked up again when Ty reminded him about his promised treat.

Yay! Walkies now, den ice cream time!

You can go for a run later, Ty tried to tell him, but he shook his head fiercely.

Not later. Me need a pee now, Ty-Ty.

Covering my mouth with my hand, I held in my giggle as best I could and followed River as he bounded a little further into the forest before finding a tree and lifting his leg.

Don’t watch him take a whiz! Ty scolded me with a little scowl, which made me giggle harder. He didn’t really have to pee, you know. He just wants to start marking all this property as his territory.

Well, that’s natural. I shrugged and let River explore a little more, entertained by his energy and curiosity.

He darted here and there, taking time to examine anything that caught his interest, and his enthusiasm was infectious. I told him and Ty that I could see us making lots of trails through our woods. They both agreed, and Tyler shared that he enjoyed hiking, which was good because I did, too.

Eventually, we turned back to the house and, true to Ty’s promise, I treated River to his long-awaited ice cream, thanking my lucky stars that Mom and Dad had thought of it when they stocked the freezer. Otherwise, we would have had to make a trip into Greenville, which was almost an hour away from our new place.

Yummy! River crowed as he licked the bowl clean as a whistle. Tanks you, mate!

“You’re welcome, sweetie. I’m glad you enjoyed—

Ty-Ty, me give Dovie mate box now? he interrupted, and Ty scolded him for being rude.

Sorry, mate , River’s ears drooped.

“I know, honey bunny. You’re a good boy.” I dropped a kiss on his nose. I had lots of experience communicating with little males and knew that Riv was just overly excited. He really wasn’t that much different from William and Winnie, to be honest. “What’s a mate box?”

You’ll see! he said in a sing-song, so I linked Ty the same question.

Like he said, you’ll see, he linked back, which was ever so helpful, but added, Riv will need to use my body. Are you comfortable with Dove using yours?

He’s not going to try to mate her, is he? I asked hesitantly, knowing Dove would not appreciate that in either body.

Goddess, no. I doubt he’ll ever want to mate her. That, um, might be a problem later.

Not at all, I assured him. She has no interest in physical intimacy.

Wow. Two wolves who are … non-sexual? Asexual? Dissexual? Aromantic? I’m not quite sure what the word is, but don’t you think it’s weird they ended up together?

Hardly. Dove would have hated to be with a male that demanded she mate with him, and I bet it would have been the same for River.

Yeah, you’re right, he agreed after he thought about my argument for a moment. Riv would have been scared and confused, and if she persisted, he’d have shut down and withdrawn into himself, and his interactions with her would have been minimal at best.

Right. This way, they can build the relationship they want without hurt feelings or anger or the risk of alienating their mate. I was happy for my wolf. River really was going to be her perfect companion. And to answer your question, Dove would like to be in my body if her mate is in yours.

All right, then, let’s give them their moment . Ty flashed me a wide grin. You’re going to love this, too, Per. Riv’s been working on it for years.

Curious now to find out what the mate box was, I closed my eyes and let my wolf ascend.

#

Dove

The second Ty gave River control, his blue eyes flashed to gold and his face relaxed into a boyish grin.

“Dovie, you wait. Me back soon!” River-in-Ty’s-body yelped, then raced into the house.

Smiling at his enthusiasm, I sat down on the blanket and watched the colors of the sky as the sun set. It was so different looking at it through Peri’s eyes, which could see reds and greens, and I enjoyed the view until River returned.

Holding a wooden box in his big hands, he ran over, threw himself down beside me on the blanket, and gave me a huge grin. I couldn’t help but grin back; his innocent and playful nature brought a special joy to my heart.

“For you, Dovie.” River nudged the box towards me, his eyes bright with anticipation.

“Thank you, River,” I said softly. “Should I open it now ?”

“Yep-yep! Ty-Ty make box. Me fill wif treasures for Dovie!”

“I’m so lucky to have a sweet and thoughtful wolf for a mate.”

River’s chest swelled with pride, but I meant every word.

Sitting next to him, I unpacked his treasures from the mate box one by one. Each item held a story, and he told me all of them. There were a few instances when words were too hard from him, so he used the mate bond to share what he couldn’t vocalize.

When I opened the lid on a tiny white box, I found a preserved Rosy Maple Moth, its pink and yellow colors unfaded even in death, and my mate shared his fascination with the soft fuzz, but his feelings were tinged with sorrow that such a pretty creature was no longer alive.

As I held the delicate scales of a magnolia bud in my palm, he sent me a wave of awe at nature’s creation, marveling at its softness and amused by its resemblance to mouse skin.

There was a coin stamped, “Confederate States of America Half Dol.” and had “1861” on the front with a lady holding a flag, for which he played the memory of a day out with Sid, Alpha Ash’s wolf. They were teasing crawfish in the creek, turning over rocks and exposing their hiding spots, when the two wolves spotted the shiny metal. They wrestled over it, splashing in the water and disturbing more rocks, until a crawfish latched onto Sid’s nose, making him cry uncle.

I forgot he found that, Ty told us.

Maybe it has some serious value since it’s from the Civil War era and in good condition, Peri chimed in with wide eyes. I’ll ask Mase to find out.

River and I shrugged. We didn’t care about money. The coin was a reminder to my mate of a wonderful, fun afternoon he’d spent with his best friend—and he’d saved it to share with me so I could know that moment, too.

The rest of the items in the mate box were more of the same: The fragment of a robin’s eggshell carefully stored in a small glass vial, an ornate gold button, dozens of colorful feathers from a variety of birds, and rocks.

Lots and lots of rocks.

Peri exclaimed over each one, naming the ones she knew and speculating on the ones she didn’t, and I tuned her out after her third squeal. Her ass got so annoying when she fan-girled over her damn rocks, and I was trying to listen to River!

As we examined the final one—a piece of sparkly quartz—my mate’s emotions shifted. He sent me a shiver of fear blended with respect for Quartz, Alpha Jay’s wolf, while also admiring its beauty and strength, qualities he also saw reflected in Q. Nodding in understanding, I touched his cheek lightly with my fingertips.

“It’s beautiful,” I said sincerely, and River leaned closer, his golden eyes shining with happiness.

“Love you, Dovie. So much.”

“I love you, too, River. You are my life now. I don’t have a box of treasures to give you, but I do have something else I want you to have.”

“A surprise? For me ? From Dovie ?” His face morphed into pure happiness, making my heart clench in my chest.

“If you want it. You can say no if you don’t.”

“Me want! Me want it, Dovie!”

“You don’t even know what it is yet, my love,” I laughed.

“If from my Dovie, is good. Is wonnerful!”

That made my smile grow, and I made sure Peri and Tyler were both good with what I wanted to do. Getting their consent, I told him that I wanted to mark him. He blinked at me several times, and Peri told me he was talking with Tyler, who was explaining that, by marking him, I was binding him to me for the rest of his life.

“Already am,” he said, his face wrinkling up in confusion. “Me is Dovie and mate’s til last breaf, Ty-Ty.”

“It would deepen the bond between us,” I told him, unsure now if this was a good idea, “and it’s a symbol of how honored I am to be your mate.”

“Honor? Honor wif Charlie at dah O.”

The feeling we had when the alphas asked us to be luna’s beta, Tyler jumped in. That is what it means to be honored. She is proud to be your mate.

“More than that, I respect you and the love and commitment you are offering me, and I want to recognize that with my mark, but I don’t have to if you don’t want me to,” I added quickly.

“No! No, Dovie!” His brow lowered and his eyes flared even brighter gold.

Nodding, I started to move away, thinking he might want or need space, but the next thing I knew, he was pulling off his shirt. Now I was the confused one, especially when he clumsily tugged me into a hug and angled my face to press right above the scar on his chest. I have to admit, I wasn’t much for physical contact, but the mate sparks made me feel nice and warm, and he smelled so very lovely.

“River?” I murmured, taking a deep inhale of his lilac scent.

“Dovie mark me. Honor me wif mark.”

Oh. Oh!

“Is this… Is this the right spot?” I wasn’t really interested in kissing around to find out, and Peri giggled at my distaste.

“Yep-yep! Right spot! Ty-Ty go all shivy when mate kiss it!”

Thankfully, Peri guided me to the exact location, and I glanced up at my mate to make sure he was really okay with this, and his brilliant smile convinced me. Dropping my canines, I plunged them in, purring as the moon magic flowed between us, then withdrew and lapped up the tiny dots of blood.

Examining my handiwork with a satisfied grunt, I pulled back and used the link to show River—and Tyler—the rather simple line drawing of me walking along the top of his scar as if it were a path I wanted to follow. Riv, I knew, would need the symbolism explained, but I was sure that Tyler would appreciate it.

“Wonnerful, Dovie,” River rasped, his eyes glittering with tears, as Tyler voiced his compliments and gratitude to Peri. “So nice. Tanks you. Me love it.”

“You’re welcome, and I love you .”