***
“We can’t have the son of a seasoned warrior looking untrained in a fight.” Philip grinned. “Definitely not my mate.” He gave a mock growl. “But with the way I’m feeling about him right now, I’m not in the position to teach him how to fight. What I want to do to him has nothing to do with…”
“Aw shut up, Philip.” Gloria tried hard to suppress her laughter but couldn’t. To say she was impressed by Philip’s self-control was an understatement. But she knew for a fact that the only reason Philip hadn’t yet consummated his mating with her son was his feeling of guilt at that premature marking and the council. “I could train him if you don’t mind.” She shrugged.
“I don’t,” Philip said quickly. Apart from the fact that training her son would help Gloria bond more with Troy, his mate would be receiving his training from one of the best…if not the very best warriors that the pack had ever had.
A brilliant smile appeared on Gloria’s face. “Thank you, honey. But brace yourself for when you come before the council. I’m going to give it to you real good.” She purred.
“Aw come on, Ma…” Philip trailed off when he heard Camille calling his name. “Cami. I thought you said you have to work today.” His eyebrow shot up in surprise.
“Got another doctor to cover for me.” Camille grinned as she made a beeline for Troy.
“Where’s Paul?” Troy asked.
“He’s with Clara,” Camille said as she hugged Troy. Her knowing grin was totally lost on the alpha’s mate. “Oh boy, you…”
“Camille.” The warning in Philip’s voice could not be ignored.
The half-wolf, half-warlock lady doctor grinned even harder as she focused on Troy. “In fact, our Paul was charming the pants off Clara as I was leaving.” She chuckled. “I told him you were going to have your first run. He said you should take a picture for him.” She told Troy with a laugh as she moved to hug Gloria too.
“I don’t have a phone.” Troy spread his hands. “Maybe later I can shift for him to see the wolf.”
“Not a good idea,” Philip muttered.
“Why not?” Troy asked with a curious look.
“You’re still fresh,” Philip explained. “Your wolf can hurt people it’s not used to.”
“Oh.” Troy sounded so disappointed.
“I’ll get someone to take your picture for him,” Philip said softly. “How about that?” But Troy only shrugged, clearly not happy about the fact that his wolf could actually harm his best friend. “Listen…”
“Alpha?” Stan called. “Look who decided to join us. He says you’re expecting him.”
“Finally,” Philip called out with a grin as he started towards the well-built black guy walking towards him with Stan. “You made it.” The two men hugged when they met.
“Finally.” Alpha Agyemang laughed heartily. “Thanks for having us.”
“It’s an honour to have you run with us, A. G.” Philip addressed the alpha by the name they all affectionately called him. They’d been in college together and had remained good friends. “I wish it was your entire pack though. It would have been more fun.”
“Maybe another time.” Agyemang chuckled. “This time it’s going to be just me and two of my betas like I told you last night.”
The Stanwood Pack was used to having other packs join them during their monthly runs. But they had never had the pleasure and honour of being joined by Alpha Agyemang, one of the powerful and revered alphas. The six-foot ‘six, dark-skinned, muscled alpha was fierce and a force to be reckoned with. Due to his ferocious nature, he’d become one of the alphas who was targeted and captured by the warlock, Reynard Wyatt.
Agyemang was, however, the only alpha to have successfully escaped from Reynard’s clutches. That alone was proof of how strong, smart, and fierce the alpha was. Just a mere scowl from him had people scrambling away in fear. But despite his fierce nature, he was also noted for his glamorous, self-indulgent, and promiscuous lifestyle.
“We’re getting ready to head out,” Philip said. “Would you want to…”
“Damn, he’s a dish,” Agyemang murmured, looking beyond Philip at Troy.
“Don’t even think about it, you horndog,” Philip growled low in his throat when he followed the alpha’s gaze.
“Playing on that team now?” Agyemang drawled, his eyes not leaving Troy for even a second.
“That’s my mate, fucker.” Philip muttered.
“A guy?” Agyemang exclaimed.
“Shhhh…” Philip shushed as he steered Agyemang away.
“Oh boy.” But in spite of his shock at the news, the alpha looked genuinely happy for Philip. Most werewolves never found their soul mates and had to eventually settle for anyone they were compatible with. It was, therefore, a joy to hear that someone had found theirs. “He’s cute. Wait…is that why you were sounding so down when we spoke last night?”
“Just some issues between him and I,” Philip murmured. “I’m handling it.”
“Why does the lady keep doing this to you guys?” Agyemang asked in surprise. “I mean I’m bi and totally down with a male as a mate. But I’m very sure that if she ever decides to give me one, it’s going to be a female.” He laughed.
“Yeah, tell me about it.” Philip snorted. It was an open secret that Agyemang actually preferred males to females.
“But it can’t be that bad. I mean look at Jeremy. He loves his man to bits now.”
“Oh, that’s not the problem at all.” Philip breathed. “Hell, I like the guy already.”
“So…”
“I fucked up, A. G.” Philip sighed. “Between threatening to kill his human pal and marking him without even telling him he was my mate…”
“You did what?” Agyemang bellowed. “Fuck! What’s your council saying?”
“Nothing for now. Only two of them know what I’ve done. Jeremy’s mum and my dad. I wanted to get the run out of the way before I approach the council.”
“Shit! I’m guessing his human pal knew about us huh? Gotten rid of that silly human yet?”
“He knew nothing, after all, A. G.” Philip muttered. “So he gets to live.”
“So the mate’s pissed huh?” Agyemang chuckled. “He should forgive you already. Who doesn’t love being handled by an older, experienced guy? Just show him a good time. Give him some good dicking. That should take care of his mood. It always works. After all, not only is he your mate and already has the hots for you, he’s also a guy. And god knows we’re always ready to go.”
“I wish it were that easy.” Philip chuckled. “He’s stubborn as fuck.”
“You should know how to handle stubborn by now, Lip. I mean no one can possibly be more stubborn than Jeremy. But you’re an expert at handling him. Your mate is certainly no Jeremy.”
“Try Jeremy’s brother.” Philip drawled.
“What?”
“He’s Jeremy’s brother.”