Sitting, watching Milo roll in the long grass like a pup, Keon couldn’t have been happier and more determined to help Milo feel at home with him, in the pack.
This was one mate he wanted to stay. To claim.
*
KEON POUNCED, HISgreat m’weko knocking the little one over, and a bark escaped Milo in laughter. The white m’weko rolled in the long grass, emitting playful whimpers and sounds of happiness, barely noticing Keon creeping closer to lie on his belly, low in the grass, watching with delight.
Milo was a tiny beast. Graceful, sweet, and fragile. Keon crawled nearer while Milo wasn’t paying attention. A foot away, he readied for a pounce, watching for his moment. When it came, he sprang from his position and landed in empty grass. Confused, he searched the long grass and fell on his ass. His mikha had surprised him, sharp teeth locked around his neck, worrying at his fur.
His inner human laughed at his mischievous mate, while his inner m’weko tossed his massive body onto the grass, in an attempt to trap Milo. Again, he landed on air.
Comfortable, content, and warm in the sunshine, Keon lay sprawled in the grass on his side, enjoying the fun and carefree time they had stolen. Milo flopped beside him, offering a tender lick to the underside of his muzzle and nudging his head against Keon’s. Happy to let their m’weko play and enjoy this rare time alone.
He laid his head over Milo’s and closed his eyes. The sun streamed through the tree canopy, the sounds of nature surrounding them, and the warmth of the sun offset by a breeze offering welcome relief from the heat. He could have slept, except teeth tugged on the bottom of his ear.
Milo’s mind sent waves of affection and comfort through the link they’d been experimenting with. Beyond exchanging words, they shared thoughts and emotions. The most intimate experience he’d shared with another person.This place is beautiful,he whispered in Keon’s mind, a rough tongue brushing over his paw. Ghostly. Tormenting.
Keon hummed, responding where Milo’s mind could hear.This is where I’ve come since I was a child.Whether I was escaping my brothers, alone with my thoughts, grieving, or in hiding, this was a place no one trespassed on. It became my sanctuary from the horrors in life, and a place of contemplation when I felt directionless,he explained, though it had become new and different recently. He couldn’t put a name to what it had become, but it was warmer, brighter.
Is that why you wanted us to come?Milo asked, approval and joy colouring his mental voice, as his m’weko tucked his head into his paws to sleep.
Yes. I’ve always wanted to share this place with my mate. This beauty, peace, and total calmness.Keon was tired, but would never deny Milo the right to know. To deny access to this part of his mind, his life, was to deny the right to be his mate. He couldn’t have a mate who didn’t understand what this place meant or why it was important. He couldn’t have a mate he didn’t share this with.
The fact he’d never brought Vega here remained unspoken. If they shared one unwanted fate, it was having a true mate who could never understand them.
Thank you for sharing this piece of your heart,Milo whispered in his mind, stretching a long leg over Keon’s. A subtle claiming.
Keon nuzzled his ear and yawned.Sleep, heal, and rest. Then we’ll play and run,he promised, intending to make the most of the day. Nothing could ruin the contentment running through his veins, as life-giving as blood. This place was special for a million reasons, and it would be special for a million more, with Milo in his life.
*
Milo
“DO YOU THINKHaley is settling in?” Keon asked, sounding nervous and troubled, after they stirred from their nap to lie in the grass in their human forms.
Milo tipped his head up to offer a reassuring smile. “It’s been hard. A lot has changed suddenly, without anyone consulting her. That’s partly my fault,” he said, bearing the burden of that guilt. While Keon was happy to give Haley leeway and a ‘settling-in period’, Milo hated the mix of screaming tantrums and silent treatment they were subjected to.
Keon hummed. “I suppose Iaman acquired taste. I just wish she’d give me a chance to prove I’m not the enemy.”
“Give her time,” Milo advised, seeing no other way forward. “She’s used to being popular and revered. Everyone worked hard to impress her, hoping it would gain my father’s favour. It will be good for her in the long run to realise this pack doesn’t value the superficial.” His biggest struggle was the pack mentality his father had fostered. When everyone valued looks, power and ego, Milo’s demands for fairness, kindness, and compassion had been lost in the wind, shouting into a storm he could never be heard above.
Here, despite her resistance, Haley could discover who she was beneath the title of ‘Alpha’s daughter’. She could be more than a pretty face and a valuable bargaining chip.
A snort surprised Milo into looking up from where his head rested on Keon’s shoulder. “What?”
“I’m just remembering her face, when we introduced her to the pack,” he mused, lips twitching with the onset of a smile.
Milo didn’t bother trying to hide his. It had been an interesting day. She’d been arrogant, so assured of her welcome that when the pack proved unimpressed by her, Haley had sulked for hours. It was a memory that would live fondly in his mind for years to come, but for an entirely different reason.
The day after Haley bounced onto the bed and announced their father had ‘sold’ her to Alpha Keon, Milo proudly stood on the podium by Keon’s side, nervous and petrified he would do something wrong, or the pack would reject him, yet excited for this new step forward into his future.
With Thatcher and his pack gone, and the Meskli returning to his duties, Keon had insisted they be open and honest with the pack. Something Milo still marvelled at a day later.
“Thank you for coming,” Keon said, standing in the centre of the podium with Milo by his side, while Haley hovered beside Weston at the top of the steps. Milo had argued for standing beside them, until Keon had introduced them, but Keon wouldn’t budge. He was adamant they present a united front. “I hope you’re all recovered from the celebrations, and the storm that raged through here. I have notes on who requires assistance to recover from the storm, and we’ll be tackling that issue in a moment.
“First, I would like to explain the outcome of the challenge.” Keon swung his hands behind his back, looking like a mighty warrior, in his official Alpha gear. The blend of cloth and leather suited him, though Milo liked the casual, laidback Keon just as much. He swept his gaze across the crowd, the same way Milo did, looking for signs of confusion or annoyance, as he explained the legalities of the challenge and its outcome. Milo didn’t see any, but recognised familiar faces who must have defected from Thatcher’s pack.
Had they truly abandoned Thatcher’s pack, or had they been sent as spies?
