RHOGON ||
I roll my eyes when I hear multiple knocks on my office door, knowing all too well that my mates were listening the whole time.
"These men disobey every command we give them." — Ace hops in. I ignore him to respond to the incessant knocking.
"Come in, you disobedient delinquents!" I call out to them, trying to stifle my laughter as I watch the door swing open and four grown men pile in.
Mateo walking in first with Zayne right behind him as usual.
"Que pasa? Did you just call us delinquents?" Mateo asks smiling as he walks to one of the seats in front of my desk.
"I'm pretty sure he wasn't talking about me or you." Zayne shrugs, taking the seat next to Mateo.
"Wait, what the fuck are delinquents?" Hendrix asks as he comes in next, a frown plastered on his face.
"It's what you and Jett are." Zayne answers. "And watch your fucking mouth, shit."
"Oh, well then it must mean awesome." Hendrix smiles at me before turning his lip up at Zayne. "You do realize you just cussed too right?"
However with one look from me, Hendrix quickly quiets down, his smile falling as he ducks his head and takes a seat. Zayne wasn't an Alpha male who liked to be challenged. His temper rivaled my own and I was in no mood to break up a fight right now.
"And good looking! Don't forget good looking!" Jett sings, being the last to walk into my office.
When he notices my lap is empty, he looks at Hendrix, who notices my lap at the same time. Then they both rush towards me, Hendrix running around the desk, but Jett beats him as usual by completely jumping over the thing and falling onto my lap. Landing pretty damn hard on precious cargo.
"Fuck!" I curse, lifting Jett off my lap to rub my jewels for a little while, sending him a glare that he ignores before climbing back onto my lap.
"Aww come on Jett, you get to sit on him everyday," Hendrix whines. "You need to fucking share."
"Don't be a sore loser. Next time think smarter, not harder. Obviously jumping over the desk was easier than going around it." Jett teases, wrapping my arms around his waist and leaning into me, his back flush against my chest.
"I can't stand you sometimes. You're always hogging Rho," Hendrix growls, walking back around my desk and taking the seat next to Zayne who pulls his chair closer to try and quiets down our emotional pup. "He's our mate too."
"Well you've been with him longer Hendrix, so it's only fair that I get to have more of his attention now." Jett argues back before rubbing my arm. "Right baby?"
I stay completely silent on the matter, not just because we're all Alpha males and we're all bound to argue and duke it out every now and then, but also because Jett was right and I didn't want to say anything for fear of riling up Hendrix.
Hendrix didn't have the most patience, although Zayne out beat him in that department, he still was the most short tempered of all of us and he has a tendency to let his emotions get the best of him. The last time he wanted something and didn't get his way, he challenged Jett and Zayne had to step in and force him into a mate submission while Mateo and I were at the office.
But Jett was right. He'd been here with us for the least amount of time. So it did seem fair to give him more attention right now.
Four years ago, Mateo used to be the Alpha of the Crescent pack, which bordered mine, but he lost his packhouse along with majority of his pack and both of our parents while mine were visiting his pack, due to a wildfire.
It devastated both of us to lose our families in such a terrible way, but Mateo was a lot worse off than I was. I mean I loved my parents with everything I had in me, but Mateo lost his parents along with his brothers and majority of his pack.
It's harder for an Alpha to lose their pack members because we can feel every tether snap, hear their screams, feel their pain, their despair, everything and Mateo was a wreck after that. But because our parents were so close, we ended up comforting each other, which in turn, ended up with us sleeping together.
A year later, he asked me to mark him and I didn't hesitate in doing so because at that point he was not only my bestfriend but my heart belonged to him. Claiming him as my chosen mate took little to no thought.
We merged what was left of our packs after that with Kano's blessing and then claimed to the Council that Mateo was now to act as my Beta, although Kano knew the truth.
Zayne joined our bond later that same year. Mateo and I were attending an Alpha meeting and while Zayne was newly coronated into his position, his eyes locked onto Mateo's and that was it. They found out they were fated mates, but I didn't fear anything because I knew Mateo wouldn't leave me. So, it didn't surprise me when he asked if we could add Zayne to our bond. I said yes for him because I wouldn't deny him access to his fated, so I marked Zayne first then Mateo did and they both submitted to me, making me their Alpha of Alphas.
Jett and Hendrix weren't supposed to be apart of our bond though.
Mateo, Zayne and I were making pack rounds, introducing ourselves per Kano's instructions to have harmony under his ruling.
Well when we got to the Red Stone pack, Jett and Hendrix were infatuated with us. Except I didn't know this until the night we were leaving because they practically threw themselves at us.
Of course I denied them because that would have tainted the bond between myself, Mateo and Zayne, but because Hendrix had no obligations to the Red Stone pack, he asked if he could come with us. I didn't think it was a good idea, but Zayne had taken a liking to him and his personality.
Hendrix was of Alpha blood as well and orphaned by that same fire that took mine and Mateo's parents. Jett's pack took him in after he stumbled onto their borders and because he didn't have any blood ties to them, Kano agreed for him to come back to the pack with Mateo, Zayne and I if I wanted it.
Apparently my heart is larger than what it should be and I allowed Hendrix to come with us, but we had to leave Jett behind, which really affected my pup.
For the past year, we've stayed in contact with our little green eyed beauty, but after a short conversation on the phone five months ago, he begged Mateo to come and join our bond because he missed Hendrix and couldn't handle being in his home pack without him.
After that phone call, I agreed to go and get Jett, which his older brother, Bryson, the Alpha of Red Stone, didn't agree with. Alpha Bryson never outright protested about my mate bond, but I think we became enemies because of the fact that I took Jett. Even though it wasn't a malicious act. His little brother wanted to come with me, it wasn't my fault that I draw men in like a moth to a flame.
"Rho." One of my mates' voices brings me back to reality as I force the memories of the past back into the shadows.
"What did Kano say?" Mateo asks and my eyes find his to see the rays of the sun bouncing off that hazel hue his eyes took to them during the day.
"Same old thing," I shrug. "Making sure I know the Laws and the punishments if I break them."
"And then you guys talked normally right?" Zayne asks, a knowing smile on his face.
To which I nod. "Yeah, you know he has to put on a show for the Council and his grandfather, but as soon as he's alone, everything's good."
"Did he say the Council would accept our bond?" Hendrix asks, a hopeful glint behind his gaze but when I shake my head, all hope fades.
"No Hendrix, you know the laws Pup. We're not supposed to be together and I'm supposed to have the promise of a Luna and an heir by now."
"We can father heirs with you." Jett says, squeezing my arms that were still wrapped around him.
"I know you can, love," I nuzzle my nose into the back of his neck before lightly nipping the flesh there. That makes him shudder. "But I don't think the Council will accept an heir from two Alpha males."
"What if one the parents wasn't an Alpha male?" Jett questions, just as eagerly.
But that makes me frown. "We don't have the funds to contact one of the surrogacy banks."
Mateo scoffs, hating the things more than I did. "Please don't mention those. They're barbaric."
He wasn't wrong. I didn't like the idea of mixing my sperm with my mates' sperms only to have them fused and a random embryo implanted into a surrogate Shewolf.
Sure the Lab had found a way to only ensure the pup's DNA would be that of the two parents - or five in our case - but something about our pup being created in such a way that seemed aggressive, didn't sit well with me.
"Well what if the female that carries our pup isn't a shewolf?" Jett asks again and that pulls my attention back to him.
"What do you mean?" I shake my head, not completely understanding. "Males can't get pregnant and the Council won't accept any other species to carry the title."
"Well you can always take an Omega breeder right?" Jett's suggestion irritates me and I narrow my eyes at him but he keeps pushing it. "Like we can mark them first. Then we won't taint our bond and you can have heirs with her and then present them to the Council and then we can just reject her after."
"Now that's barbaric." Zayne shakes his head while Hendrix was nodding his and Mateo had now found his fingernail interesting.
And my frown deepens. "No Jett, I'm not taking a breeder. Even if I wanted to do that, it has to be approved by the Council first and I'm definitely not marking another creature. I have enough mates."
"But, what ab-" He starts but I cut him off by grabbing his chin and forcing him to meet my eyes.
"No Jett, end of discussion."
My mate frowns but nods his head after a moment of silent scolding. Jett may win a lot of arguments with him because I had a soft spot for him but he definitely wasn't winning this one. Although by the look in his eye, I could tell he wasn't done arguing about this. If it was one thing I knew about Jett, it was his ability to push boundaries.
No longer wanting to sit in my tension filled office anymore, I tap Jett's thigh, signaling for him to get up.
"Babe, just a few more minutes." He whines, but I shake my head.
"No pup, I have to get up and I don't know how you're going to stay on my lap if I'm standing." I chuckle, not missing the moment when Hendrix rolls his eyes.
"I'm sure he would find a way." Hendrix mumbles. I shoot him a look that instantly shuts him up before standing and setting Jett on his feet and Hendrix adds, "Freaking crybaby."
Hearing him muttering under his breath, Zayne gets up. "Alright, that's enough out of you, let's go."
Grabbing Hendrix's hand, Zayne pulls him to his feet before he starts shoving him out the door. "Come on, I'll let you sit on my lap."
"Really?" Hendrix practically squeals. "You never let me sit on your lap!"
"That's because I like sitting on Mateo's lap." Zayne chuckles, shoving Hendrix completely out of the office now with the rest of us right behind him.
Feeling something tug on the back of my pants, I look down to see Jett holding onto the loop of my jeans as usual. While Mateo slid his hand into mine.
His touch reminds me of the letter I'd received and how I'd forgotten to talk to them about this. We all were expected to be present at this hearing and I hadn't mentioned it to my mates yet.
"I would wait for a few days. We aren't expected to be there for another week, Rho. Now probably isn't the best time to worry them." — Ace suggests and honestly, I couldn't agree more.
"Bebe, let's go eat, I'm starving." Mateo groans, suddenly feeling very irritated through the bond.
That makes me smile as we all walk down the hallway and for some reason the image of Mateo in his robe, flinging that damn wooden spoon across the room at anyone who dared enter the kitchen while he was cooking, enters my mind and I find my smile growing.
As much as I wanted to object because I wasn't hungry, I knew that a family meal was something that we all could use right about now. Something I knew for sure would take our minds off the fast approaching issues involving our bond yet again.