“Exactly,” Glenn said.
Alex thought for a moment before saying, “But from what I read, only bear shifters have three mates. Have either of you ever heard of a non-bear shifter having two mates?” asked Alex.
“No, but then I’ve never heard of a shifter having two different animals,” Sawyer said.
Shoving his elbow into Sawyer’s side, Alex muttered, “Thanks for the reminder,” his voice tinged with sarcasm.
“Stop it!” growled Sawyer. “I said it before and I’ll say it again, the Fates gave you two animals because you’re special so don’t go thinking anything else.”
“He’s right Alex,” Glenn said. “The Fates don’t make mistakes. You’re unique and I’m honored to be chosen to be your mate.”
“I feel the same way, sweetheart,” Sawyer said. “And you know what else? I think the Fates gave you double the love, to make up for your childhood. What do you think about that?”
Glancing up at Sawyer, Alex caught his breath when he saw his mate’s eyes dancing in merriment. Snorting, he returned his mate’s smile before saying, “Double the love, huh? Does that mean I get double the fucks?” The laughter from Glenn and Sawyer helped ease some of Alex’s concerns, and he joined in.
When the laughter finally subsided, Glenn said, “I’m sure I can also speak for Sawyer and answer your question with a resounding yes.”
“Absolutely,” Sawyer said. Then giving Alex a soft push with his shoulder, he asked, “Is the three human matesand the four animal mates thingy clear now? I guarantee you, we won’t be fighting each other.”
“Yeah, I get that, but why would the Fates pair my fox with a tiger instead of my dragon?”
Glenn was surprised by Alex’s astuteness. Giving a quick glance at Sawyer, he caught his mate’s short nod, giving him the green light to proceed. “Simple…to provide balance. Your fox always took a back seat to your dragon because he knew the dragon was physically stronger and could overpower him.”
“True…that’s why they fought so much when I was younger,” murmured Alex.
“In actuality, neither is stronger. Both are Omegas, meaning they’re equal, but without any rules, your dragon became a bully.”
“What rules are you talking about?” asked Alex, a furrow creasing his forehead.
“The ones a shifter sets for his animal. It starts when a young shifter is learning to control his animal. That’s when you learn about setting boundaries regarding your animal’s behavior. It’s how all shifters keep their animal under control so you aren’t shifting at inopportune times…like around humans,” Glenn said.
Pretty sure he knew the answer, Sawyer asked, “Sweetheart, did anyone ever teach you about this? What about the headmaster?”
Shaking his head, Alex replied, “No, I told you, he just watched me while I shifted. He never said anything about ‘rules’.”
“Yeah, I kinda figured that out, but just wanted to make sure,” said Sawyer. Turning to Glenn, he explained thefights between Alex’s fox and dragon and the agreement the three of them had come to.
“Well, that’s a start, but your dragon is still controlling you when he gives you a command. He doesn’t have the right to do that…and if I’m not wrong, it makes you feel you have no control…even though it appears your dragon is only protecting you. Am I right?”
Astounded Glenn knew so much about him, Alex could only nod.
“The effect of your dragon’s bullying,” Glenn said, “is that his behavior was negatively affecting your fox, making him retreat more into himself, so you began to rely more on your dragon, which kept you off balance.”
Sawyer spoke up. “I’m sorry, I’m just not getting it.”
Grateful that his mate had given voice to Alex’s confusion, he squeezed Sawyer’s hand in appreciation. What Glenn said did make some sense because Alex never understood why he felt off-kilter his whole life and this might be the reason why.
Glenn continued. “Our animals add to who we are. For instance, Sawyer, your wolf gives you greater strength, more stamina, better hearing and vision, but he also gives you intangible things such as how you react to problems…or more self-confidence…”
“Or, in your case,” Alex said, smirking at Sawyer, “your wolf makes you an adrenaline junkie.”
“Precisely,” Glenn agreed, smiling. “But getting back to your fox, you haven’t been able to use the things he can give you because your dragon has pushed him aside and it’s the reason you feel helpless. The Fates paired my tiger to your fox to provide him the strength needed toassume an equal position with your dragon. When that happens, you will be able to take control of your life…for the very first time ever. I know this sounds like a fairy tale, but believe me, when your fox takes his rightful place next to your dragon, you’ll gain self-confidence enough to tell me or Sawyer to go to hell if you don’t want to do something.”
Alex’s eyes widened and, shaking his head, he said, “I’d never do that.”
Smiling at his mate, Glenn replied, “Well maybe not in those words, but you’ll never have to worry about our ‘Alpha’ power again. Neither my tiger nor Sawyer’s wolf will bow down to it and that means neither will your fox or dragon.”
If only that’s true…I’d never ask for anything else again.Alex gazed at his and Sawyer’s hands. It felt so right. He could already sense the effect his mate’s wolf had on his dragon, making him a lot less aggressive than before.Now if only the tiger could make his fox more assertive…Alex could picture how very different his life could be if his dragon no longer ruled him. Inhaling deeply, he decided to take a leap of faith…faith that Glenn was telling the truth…faith his mates wouldn’t put him in the middle…faith that his world would finally feel right.
