Chasing Freedom

XXVI

Myles was lighting the gas to turn on the grill plate as his father came out onto the second-level patio with a tray of meat. Having just gone past five, the distant tree-line outside were beginning to shadow in dusk light.

Their meeting about the pack had finished more than an half an hour ago, but Myles had been in no rush to go. Time with his father to simply bond and set aside pack politics had become rarer as Myles grew older, so he never took these moments for granted.

Tuesday nights also happened to be their regular family dinner night, where everyone set aside work for the night to make time to attend. If the rest of the pack could take time out of their days for family, his parents logic was that for one night they could survive without their Alpha pair, their healer and their Second. Unless an emergency came up, attendance was mandatory. It sounded juvenile, considering they were all grown-ass adults, but even Myles had had his share or moments where he'd almost skipped out because he was busy.

It all came down to one thing: family was more important. Always. The pack might be as close as family—most members, at least—but this was different.

"Has Mira responded yet?" asked his father, standing at his side and laying down the steaks on the heat.

"No." Myles walked way from the grill to open the louvers, as the smoke rose. "Sunset is in less than half an hour. She's probably gone out to watch it and forgot to bring her phone with her."

"How is she doing?"

That was a loaded question if he'd ever heard one. "As fine as she can be," he said. "Has there been any backlash?"

Despite how vague he'd been, his father knew what he was referring to. "The council are up in arms, of course. Not that I give a damn about their opinions. From the rest of the pack I haven't heard a peep. Which is either a good or bad thing. Based on what I've heard from your mother and aunt, I'm leaning towards the positive end of that spectrum. Mira making all the effort she is to slowly assimilate into the pack. That she wears your scent like a second skin might also have something to do with it. The pack might respect your mother and I, but they also fear us. You fall into that by extension."

Myles considered that, replying, "Mira was approached with a mating offer a couple of days ago."

When she'd come home, her scent spiked with anxiety, he'd gone on edge instantly. Only to relax when she shared what had happened. Lying with her on the lounge, he explained it all in layman's terms to calm her down. In hindsight, he should have explained it all to her far sooner, seeing as the offers were always going to happen eventually. Out of selfishness, he'd chosen to enjoy his time with her alone, not wanting to even mention the idea of another.

Because he was falling in love with her.

Even if she didn't feel the same. A month, after all, was what she'd agreed to. Nothing more. That time was nearly over. If at the end she decided to go her own way, he'd respect the decision. The heartbreak on his side wasn't her issue.

"She'll need to get used to it very quickly. Once others find out one offer has been made, they'll want to throw their own in."

The blunt statement had Myles raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"

"Your mother was hounded."

He'd known his mother had received mating offers, but not the extreme extent of them. If one offer made Mira uncomfortable, he hated to think about what "hounding" would look like. She could take care of herself, but that didn't mean he wouldn't step in if it became necessary.

Before he could respond, his father said, "To the lower ranking members of the pack, Mira included in the inner circle, alongside you, as my daughter-in-law. Others will seek her out for that reason. There's also the fact of you superseding me as Alpha. There's status in being a member of your mating circle. Now and in the future."