USELESS?

10

I return to the bedroom, shift back to human form, and get dressed, as Anthony and my father revive my mother. I return to the sitting room just as she opens her eyes. She stands and shakily makes her way to me, wrapping me in another crushing hug.

"Oh, my beautiful boy," she says "such a beautiful wolf."

We all return to our seats, and I begin speaking. "All my life, I was raised to believe that the rogues who held me captive were my birth pack. But they treated me differently, even from others in the pack. I wasn't allowed to leave the pack house, and if anyone saw me, I'd be punished. I was homeschooled, but most of my 'education' was what Alpha Todd referred to as 'pack law.' They told me my mother died in childbirth, and my father committed suicide shortly after."

Anthony interrupts "Those pack laws are some of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. They almost scared your son away from me."

I roll my eyes at him. "Not the time, love." I continue my story, "I was taught that typical shifting age was when puberty hit, but puberty came and went, and I didn't shift. I was ranked as below Omega status until I was 15, when a 18 year old pack warrior claimed that I was his mate. I was given presumptive status as his future mate, but very little changed until I turned 18."

I take a deep breath as I reach the worst parts. "One of those pack laws I mentioned concerned mates. I was basically forced into a mating ceremony and marking on the first full moon after my 18th birthday. Pack members waited outside the door all night, as I was mated and marked by the warrior who claimed me."

My mother is in tears, of sadness this time. My father's face is red with anger as he realizes what I was put through by the rogues for all those years.

"I lived with the warrior as his mate for three years. I won't go into detail what it was like, but I prayed daily for something to change. On my 21st birthday, as I contemplated my mating, I had the thought that I would welcome an attack if it meant that I could escape." I laugh bitterly.

"The next thing I know, the attack sirens were ringing. I knew that no one would come to take me to the safe room, because my mate was adamant that I wasn't allowed near any other pack members, and our suite was safe enough. As I waited, I felt the fire that signaled my first shift. As it finished, my mating mark disappeared, and I heard my wolf, Angel, introduce himself to me, tell me my own name as well as his, and tell me our mate was coming to release us. Obviously, I was confused, having just felt felt my mating mark unravel. According to my wolf, a Guardian can only be marked by their Goddess-given mate, so my bond to the warrior broke. Angel told me that the warrior wasn't our mate, but that our true mate was coming to claim us."

My mother gasps, looking at Anthony. My father's face is no longer red, but green. I take Anthony's hand in mine, and continue.

"Wait," my father says. "Your wolf told you YOUR name? How did you not know your own name?"

"The rogue pack never called me anything but 'boy' as I was growing up, and once I'd been ranked, the only thing anyone called me was useless." I answered. That brought tears to my mother's eyes again. I continued with my tale, now getting to the best parts. "When my room door opened, and I saw Anthony standing there, I couldn't have been happier. I immediately shifted back to human form, he found me clothes, took me from the pack house, and brought me here. They told me I was a Guardian, and what that meant. Angel told me where I came from, my birth pack, and how I got to where Anthony found me."

Anthony picks up where I pause, "As soon as we knew he came from the Silver Dawn Pack, I had my Beta find a means of reaching you, and letting you know that your son was here, but we figured any more than that was best explained in person."

My father nods his head. "Bad enough rogues had a Guardian for almost 21 years. If anyone else had found him, he could have been killed."

"But," my mother says "your birthday was 3 days ago. You said you were rescued on your birthday, but I see you and Anthony are both marked, which means you completed a mating."

I nod, "Yes, we have, Mother. Anthony was willing to wait until I was comfortable to complete our mating, but I knew after the first day that I didn't want to wait. The man who marked me wasn't my mate, I never marked him, and I definitely didn't grieve the loss of our bond. Anthony IS my true Goddess-blessed Mate, and I'm completely in love with him. I didn't need a ceremony to claim him as mine." I finish, rather stubbornly.

Anthony's eyes widen at what I just admitted, but my father just laughs "Upholding family tradition, son. The firstborn Steele is usually blessed to know their mate on sight, and doesn't waste time claiming what's theirs." He says. "I convinced your mother to accept my mark the day I met her. Our parents were furious. Forced us to do a proper ceremony on the next full moon."

My mother blushes, but smiles. "We won't force you into a ceremony if you don't want one, dear. We're just happy that you're safe and loved."

"Besides," I joke, "You always have Archer for the fancy mating ceremony."

As if my words summoned him, a knock sounded on the outer door of the sitting room, and at Anthony's invitation, the door opens to reveal Jeremiah and Archer, looking tousled and sated, and bearing fresh mating marks. I burst out laughing.