| |
Obsidian
I sighed as I watched over my nephews and nieces as they played. They ran about the backyard at my parents’ house laughing and chasing one another. Iver had organized a game of tag and was teaching Drake and Arsen’s daughter, Whisper, to pursue after Bear, who was currently shifted, and let the others chase him. Whisper had just started to walk and watching Iver and how gentle he was with her was so cute.
All of my brothers other than Jericho now had mates and children. Jericho said he didn’t care if he never found someone. But I didn’t feel the same. I’d always wanted a mate. I remembered when Bacchus saw Anghus and how they almost broke apart because they were two alphas. Then when they found Joachim, it seemed to complete them. Apart from the slight hiccup with a thought that Joachim and Anghus could have been related. But once that was found to not be true, they were inseparable.
I remember speaking to Bacchus and being horrified that Anghus would consider walking away from his mate. I could never have done it. I’ve wanted a mate for as long as I’ve known what they were. We had grown up in a fantastic house. Mama and Papa never hid their love. I wasn’t naïve enough to think it was all sunshine and lollipops. I was sure there were times that they had trouble or disagreements. But for the most part, they were happy. Their love was evident.
I desperately wanted it. But I felt like I was never going to get it. Even Macklin, the grumpiest of us all, had found a mate and was in love. I was never hard up for sex, which came easy. But it wasn’t sex that I wanted. I wanted someone that I could call my own. I wanted my mate. I’d asked the creator so often to send me a mate. But still, I didn’t have one.
“What’s crawled up your ass?” Jericho asked as he sat down beside me and bumped my shoulder.
I thought I’d been hiding my grumpiness, but obviously not well enough. But then again, Jericho had always been the most observant of my brothers.
I sighed. “I want that,” I said, nodding my head to the backyard, where my brother Asher shifted into his bear form and allowed the kids to climb over him. Whisper threw her head back and giggled as Iver lifted her onto Asher’s back and held her so that Asher could take her for a ride.
“Why?” Jericho asked.
“Don’t you get lonely, man? I mean, I can’t help but think how much happier they all are with someone they get to come home to. Their kids seem to make them smile a lot more.”
“Yeah, but then they don’t get to go out whenever they want. They have to be responsible and grow up.”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t see the bad side to that.”
“Really? You want to give up all your midnight booty calls to settle with one?”
I sighed and nodded my head. “Yeah, man, I do. Don’t you get tired and sick of chasing tail all the time? Wouldn’t you rather settle down, knowing that the one you love is there for you?”
Jericho shrugged. “Na. Not really. I mean, sometimes I think about it. Especially when I’m by myself at home. But I don’t know. I’m not sure my life is meant for someone to be in.”
“Why?”
Jericho shrugged again. “Dunno. I mean, it’s not like I’m home all that often. I work weird hours. My job isn’t really made for a successful relationship. Lots of the guys have had relationships, and they never end up working because of our hours.”
I nodded. “Yeah, I suppose.”
“Don’t worry so much. You will find someone. I know you will. Have you tried asking Iver?”
I shook my head and chuckled. “Na. I don’t want to use the kid as a party trick for my own use.”
“You know he doesn’t mind.”
“I know. Maybe I don’t want to know if the answer is that I’m never meant to have someone.”
“I don’t believe that. I think there is someone out there for you. They will come when you least expect it.”
I smiled over at Jericho. “You trying to take on Iver’s role?”
Jericho grinned and stretched in his seat. “Someone has to pull you out of this dark cloud you’ve been lingering in.”
“Have I been that bad?” I asked with a wince.
Jericho smiled and shook his head. “Na. Not really. I don’t think the others have really noticed, but I had. You haven’t been as smiley and playful lately. Mama had noticed too.”
I nodded my head. If Mama noticed, that meant she had sent Jericho to give me a slap under the ear and tell me to buck up.
“I’ll give Mama a big bear hug and a kiss and apologize.”
Jericho chuckled. “See to it that you do,” he replied with a wink before climbing off the back deck. He aimed up Anghus and leaped into the air, tackling the gargoyle to the ground. Anghus grunted and caught Jericho as they began to wrestle.
“Go, Dad,” Iver yelled. “Don’t let him take you.”
I chuckled as I watched their shenanigans. I was fortunate to have the family I had. I shook my head. Enough moping. I stripped out of my clothes and called my panther forward. Crouching low, I stalked down the back stairs and moved slowly towards where Jericho and Anghus were still wrestling.
“Go get ‘em, bro,” I heard Asher chuckle through the link. I crept closer, timing my leap.
I got within inches of my brother just as he turned and spotted me. His eyes widened, but they danced with humor as he screeched and jumped off Anghus before landing heavily on my back and clinging to me as I rolled to my side with a grunt. I chuckled and lay in the sun as the kids piled on me.