Jessi & the Hyenas, page 11
part #1 of Book Four Series
“Aw.” She kissed him again. “You’re the sweetest male.”
“Just for you.”
Gavin stood by Jessi and his brothers as their baro trickled in, one clan at a time. He appreciated that his parents had asked the clans not to show up all at once to give Jessi a chance to get individually introduced. The older clans—such as Orion’s, Nix’s, Zack’s, and Jaylon’s—came first, followed by their children. There were three clans from those as well as seven females, not counting Jordyn who was still at the gathering.
“I wish we’d gone to the gathering with you,” Aries, leader of one of the younger clans said. “Maybe we’d have found our truemate, too.”
“There’s always next year,” Thea, Aries’ sister said. “By the way, Jessi, I love your jeans, they’re so cute!”
Jessi looked down at her legs as if she couldn’t recall what she’d put on. She smiled. “Thank you, we got them at a boutique at the mall.”
“Maybe we can go shopping,” Thea said.
“Shopping?” Maya, one of the four daughters of Jaylon’s clan, said, her head snapping up from where she was inspecting the fruit tray.
“I’m in,” Savannah, the daughter of another clan said.
Sydney laughed. “I think all the girls want to go shopping. Maybe we could have a girls’ day next week?”
“I’d love that,” Alyssa said. “Manis and pedis and shopping?”
All the females talked animatedly about a girls’ day.
“What day works for you, Jessi?” Alyssa asked.
“Saturday or Sunday,” she answered. “I’d love to hang out with you all and get to know you.”
“Let’s plan for Saturday,” Savannah said as she swiped a carrot from the veggie tray. “I’ve got a big catering job on Friday, so I’ll be ready for some pampering over the weekend.”
As all the females declared Saturday the perfect day, Jessi smiled and visibly relaxed.
After a half hour of appetizers and chatting, everyone headed into the dining room. It wasn’t big enough to host the whole group, but their fathers had brought in extra tables and chairs which were set up in the family and living rooms and kitchen to make room for all.
Their father Mason had smoked meat for the get-together, including Gavin’s favorite brisket. The tables were laden with side dishes and platters of meat, with pitchers of lemonade and iced tea.
“Where should we sit?” Jessi asked.
“You young’uns can have the other rooms, the adults are all going to be in here,” Dante said.
“We’re all adults,” Gavin pointed out.
“We’re adultier-adults,” Mason said with a grin.
After filling their plates, Gavin and his clan headed to the family room to sit at the large table. They were joined by their cousins, Aries, Dominic, Cody, and Teagan.
“Everything looks amazing,” Jessi said. “I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I smelled all the good food.”
“Our dad’s a great cook,” Gavin said.
Rubin cleared his throat noisily, which made Gavin laugh.
Jessi nudged Rubin. “You’re a great cook too.”
He straightened with a grin. “I learned from the best.”
“So tell us everything,” Teagan said. “I want to know how you all met.”
“We already know,” Dom said.
“We know a second-hand account,” Teagan said. “I want to hear it from them. It sounds so romantic!”
“It was,” Jessi said. “Picture walking out of a house and running right into your mates.”
“Swoon!” Teagan said. “Ack, I should’ve gone to the dang gathering!”
Gavin ate and listened to Jessi talk about meeting them, and the events of the past week. He marveled at just how close they’d come to never meeting her. If she’d gone to the wolf gathering, they wouldn’t have crossed paths. Even though Dalton and Allen weren’t too far apart, they never ventured near there because of the bad blood between the baro and pack. He was glad she’d made the choice to abandon the pack gathering and go to Pennsylvania.
“You know what we should do?” Aries said.
“What’s that?” Rubin asked.
“Go to the Pennsylvania gathering for sure.”
“I think they said they were going to hold it in November, so they’ll have a second one this year,” Jett said.
“Yeah, the owners did mention something to that effect,” Gavin said.
Gianna appeared in the doorway. “Really? They’re going to have another one this year? We’re definitely going.”
“You’ve got ears like a bat,” Teagan said.
“Only when it concerns potentially finding my truemates,” Gianna said, sticking out her tongue and then laughing as she walked away.
Jessi was smiling at Gavin, and he gave her a quick kiss. “Something on your mind, sweetheart?” he asked.
“I’m just so happy to be here. With you guys.”
“We’re happy you’re here too.”
“Let’s toast!” Teagan said.
Everyone lifted their glasses. Teagan said, “To new matings.”
“To new love,” Gavin said.
“To everyone finding their mates,” Jessi said.
There was a chorus of “Hear! Hear!,” not only from the room they were in, but the other room as well.
As their glasses clinked, Gavin gave Jessi another kiss as the perfect idea for a proposal came to mind. He just needed to talk to his brothers first.
Then, Jessi would be theirs in every possible way, and they’d be hers.
Rubin watched the scenery pass as Gavin drove through Allen on Saturday evening. On the way to her parents’ home, Jessi pointed out the various landmarks like Jake’s bar, which her grandparents managed, Pete’s Garage, run by her Uncle Jason, and Lonestar, the restaurant run by Karly.
“She’s an Angel Mate,” Jessi said.
“What’s that?” Rubin asked.
“It’s a supernatural female who’s meant to be the perfect mate for a wolf. They come into the ability to find their mate when they’re twenty-one, and they usually leave home and move from pack to pack until they find their mate. If they have boys, they’ll be alphas, and if they have girls, they’ll be Angel Mates.”
“That’s pretty cool,” Jett said. “I didn’t know there was such a thing.”
“Karly was the last Angel in her family line, but she has three girls and two boys, so she’s not the only one anymore.”
“Are the girls all out looking for their mate?”
“No,” Jessi said, shaking her head. “Dakota and Brenna are over twenty-one, but Kendall is only twenty, so they decided to wait until she was twenty-one to leave together.”
Rubin hummed. “So Angel Mates and Alphas, what else is there in the pack?”
“We’ve got some fairies, wulfen, a combination wolf-fairy, and healing wolves called Apexes.”
“Dang we’ve just got hyenas and wolves,” Gavin said. He stopped at a stop sign then turned right onto Jessi’s parents’ street.
“The mountain lion pride that my cousin Lyric lives with has other shifters like a falcon and a couple of bears, and some others. It’s pretty neat to meet different types of supernatural creatures.” She pointed out her aunt and uncle’s house.
“Is the alpha elected?” Rubin asked.
“No, it’s hereditary to the oldest son. I expect my cousin Bram will take over when Uncle Jason is ready to step down, but I don’t think that will happen anytime soon.”
She talked about their pack hierarchy, with the males fighting for rank. Eventually the current ranks would shift as the older males retired and the younger ones took over. She wasn’t part of the female ranks because she couldn’t shift. Judging by the tone of her voice, he could tell it bothered her, and that irritated him.
He certainly didn’t think that anyone should be treated differently because they couldn’t shift. It wasn’t as if she was able to shift and chose not to; she was physically incapable of it.
“I think about that sometimes,” she said quietly.
Gavin pulled into the driveway where she indicated and turned off the engine. He turned to face her. “Think about what?”
“Whether our kids will be able to shift or not. Because I’m only half wolf.”
Gavin looked thoughtful. “Well, theoretically, hyena genes are dominant so I would expect that our children would be able to shift and that they’d be hyenas. But whether they can shift or not, we’ll make sure they know that they’re included in everything our clan and baro does, and that they never feel left out.”
She bit her bottom lip. “It wouldn’t bother you?”
“Not in the slightest,” Rubin said sincerely. “Character doesn’t come from the ability to shift. We know plenty of assholes who can shift and plenty of amazing people who can’t. We don’t care that you’re not able to shift.”
She let out a breath, like she’d been holding it in while she waited to hear what they would say. “I can’t get out of my head sometimes. I grew up hearing from the pack kids that I wasn’t worth anything because of my lack of shifting. And I went to plenty of gatherings and had males cut me off the moment they heard I wasn’t full wolf.”
“We won’t ever do that,” Jett said. “With you or our kids, no matter what.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment, and then she smiled. “I know. I don’t want to wallow in the past. We’ve got an amazing new future ahead of us, and I want to focus on that. I also don’t want to pass down my insecurities to our kids.”
“We’ll make sure you remember how amazing you are all the time,” Rubin said. He leaned over and kissed her cheek.
She smiled, and it was the smile he loved the most, when her eyes crinkled at the corners.
“Are we ready?” Gavin asked.
“Nope,” Jessi said. Then she laughed. “But I’ll never be ready sitting out here, so let’s go. I’m going to hope for the best, but not expect it.”
That was pretty smart in Rubin’s book. He was also going to hope for the best.
They got out of the SUV. He and Gavin took Jessi’s hands with Jett walking behind them as they made their way to the front door. The two-story house was surrounded by big flower beds and tall, old trees.
“This used to be my grandparents’ home. When my parents mated, my grandparents moved to the retirement community and let them have the house. Jason and Cades’ house is next door, and the pack has weekly gatherings there—mostly cookouts—and also the full moon hunts.”
She lifted her hand to knock when the door swung open and a tall male wearing a mildly irritated look stood in the doorway.
“Hi, Dad,” Jessi said.
“Hello.” He softened a little and smiled. Stepping aside, he held open the door. “Come on in. Mom’s in the kitchen. We can save introductions until we’re all together.”
Jessi nodded and led them down a short hallway to a big kitchen with a table large enough to seat ten. It was done in farm decor, from red gingham curtains to cow and rooster figurines.
Michael joined the female at the island counter. No one said anything for a long, tense moment, and then the female broke away from Michael and hugged Jessi.
“It’s so good to see you, honey,” she said. “Introduce us to your mates.”
Jessi hugged her, then stepped back. “These are my parents, Michael and Shyne. Mom, Dad, these are my mates: Gavin, Jett, and Rubin.”
Shyne shook their hands, and then cleared her throat at Michael, who joined them and shook their hands. He also gave Jessi a hug.
“Let’s sit, dinner is ready,” Shyne said.
“Can I help?” Rubin asked.
“Oh, no thank you,” Shyne said. “Everything’s on the table but the meat.”
Michael sat at the head of the table. Jessi sat next to him, then Rubin and his brothers took up their seats. “Rubin’s the clan caretaker,” Jessi said. “He’s a great cook.”
“I don’t understand half of what you just said,” Shyne said as she brought a large platter over to the table. It contained a big roast and was surrounded by potatoes and carrots.
Gavin said, “Each clan has three members: the leader, the protector, and the caretaker. It’s generally arranged by age, although there are clans where it’s set up differently. I’m the oldest, so I’m the leader. Jett is the protector.”
“Which leaves me as the caretaker,” Rubin said. “I love to cook. I’m the baro handyman, so I fix things at the gym and also in the clan houses.”
“The baro is what?” Shyne asked.
“The collection of clans in our group,” Jett said. “We have seven clans in our baro including our own.”
“Wow,” Shyne said. “I didn’t... well, I guess I never asked any questions about the hyenas and their living arrangements.”
Michael grunted. He picked up the platter and held it for Shyne, who filled her plate, and then he filled his own. He passed the plate to Jessi, but Rubin grabbed it to hold for her so she could fill her plate before he and his brothers did.
When their plates were filled, Rubin set the platter in the center of the table and picked up his knife and fork. The food looked delicious, but he wasn’t really in the mood to eat because of Michael’s bad attitude. He wanted her dad to like them, but it seemed like he’d already made up his mind.
When the meal was over, with the conversation straying to easy topics and not her mating, Jessi was ready to explode. Her dad didn’t say much at all, and although her mom was animated and chatty, there was a tension between her parents that she didn’t like at all. She didn’t want to be the reason they weren’t happy with each other.
Shyne stood to clear the table, when Michael grabbed her hand and said, “Let’s chat outside first. The dishes can wait.”
“Sure,” Shyne said.
The group headed out to the back deck where a wicker couch and loveseat sat around a small table with a propane firepit in the center. Her parents sat on the loveseat. Jessi and her mates took the couch, which was just barely big enough for the four of them.
“If I’ve been quiet tonight, it’s because I’ve been internally wrestling with how much your life has changed in just a week. You’re already mated, and we didn’t even get to meet them first. Granted that was my fault, because I shut you out after I heard about the gathering, and you know that your mom and I have issues with the Stone family. But that aside, I decided that I’m not going to let our past with their fathers get in the way of us being close. I’m happy for you, because I can tell that you’re happy.”
“So you accept us?” Jessi asked.
“I do.” He nodded to her mates. “I appreciate you bringing her here. I was just so damn shocked by what happened that I reacted badly. It’s hard as hell for me to wrap my head around my little girl with three big males. I mean, you were just in pigtails and making mudpies in the backyard yesterday!”
“Dad that was like fifteen years ago!”
“In my head you’re this tall,” he said, lowering his hand to how short she was when she was little. “You’re always going to be my little girl and my favorite daughter.”
“Only daughter.”
“The best,” Michael said.
Jessi stood and Michael did as well, the two embraced next to the firepit. Shyne joined them, the trio hugging tightly.
“I love you, Dad.”
“I love you too, honey.”
“I love you, Mom.”
“I love you too.”
Jessi wanted to cry at her dad’s admission, but she didn’t want to get all teary-eyed and blubbery.
Everyone sat again.
“I wanted to apologize, again,” Jessi said. “I’m sorry that I took off.”
“You’re an adult,” Shyne said. “You’re allowed to make your own choices.”
Michael cut in before Jessi could answer. “In the pack it can often feel like the opposite of that.”
“Yeah,” Jessi said. “I thought you’d say no, so I went with the ask-forgiveness-later plan.”
Michael snorted.
“Well, I understand why you left,” Shyne said. “Because of me.”
“What are you talking about?” Jessi asked with a frown.
“Because I’m human, you can’t shift. The pack treats you differently because of my half of your genetics. The pack doesn’t really treat me differently because my mate is second ranked in the pack and your dad would knock someone’s head off if they pulled that kind of behavior with me. But with you? You were on your own because your generation has to work out its own hierarchy, and that meant you were treated differently. By the males and the females.”
“You never told me you felt that way,” Jessi said. “Did you think I blamed you for my inability to shift?”
Shyne shrugged. “A little? How could you not?”
“Mom,” Jessi said, feeling the weight of her mom’s words. “I never blamed you for that. You gave me life! Not shifting sucks super hard, and I never felt like I belonged in the pack. But I get so much wonderful stuff from you—my gorgeous hair, fashion sense, cooking skills, and I think I lean a little bit more toward your sense of human than dad’s.”
“That’s a good thing,” Shyne said. Her eyes were bright with unshed tears. Jessi’s stung with fresh tears too.
“Mom,” Jessi said, her mouth going salty. “I love you so much. I promise I’ve never thought anything bad about your genetics. I wish I could shift, but it’s okay that I can’t.”
“I need another hug,” Shyne said.
Jessi practically leaped across the short distance to hug her. “It’s okay, it’s all okay.” Jessi leaned away and smiled. “I found three amazing males who love me and don’t care about my non-shifting. I had to leave the pack to find them, and I don’t regret that. I do regret that I wasn’t honest with you about where I was going. I’m sorry for deceiving you and Dad.”
“Forgiven and forgotten.”
Jessi never knew her mom had blamed herself for Jessi’s inability to shift. She wished she’d known because she would’ve told her she didn’t, even when she was a young teen and praying on the full moon to be able to shift like her friends and family. It had never crossed her mind to be angry with her mom.
