Tyler's Surrender

Wait For You

We're getting there, y'all. I'm so excited. This story really is taking a life it's own. I'm already working on the next chapter!

Jackson

Two days later I found myself standing on the front porch of my Mate's home, nerves causing me to rethink this whole idea. I knew that he would sense me the moment I stepped into his Pack house and that our bond could be established now.

I wasn't certain how he would feel once I sat down to discuss the situation at hand. Hell, I wasn't sure how I felt yet. My world had been turned upside down with Kira's revelations and it seemed that it would continue to twist. At least it wasn't just me actually, I felt a smidgen bad for Kira. She'd had no idea that the male she'd conceived a child with was supposed to be her brother; the ever honest Amber had conveniently left that part out. While my parents had debated telling her in the beginning I had stopped them. Something about the entire thing hadn't sit well with me, and it wasn't just the brother/sister impregnation idea -- although thinking about it just about made me physically ill. What kind of sick, twisted individual comes up with that?

After talking to my mother and father, we'd discussed the possibility of Kira even being Amber's. From the timing, it would've happened around the time that Nate and my mother had found out they were Mates. Mom didn't recall Amber being gone for any length of time and definitely not long enough to hide a pregnancy during that year. Even looking at her, Kira carried no genetic markers that were even similar to Amber's and as far as any of us knew, Amber and Amelia's bloodline was pure wolf -- Kira would have to be at least half. My sympathy had only grown for her. She so desperately wanted to find the woman who'd given her birth that she overlooked the most obvious clues that said otherwise. The way it was coming together, it sounded as if Kira had simply become a ploy in Amber's, and I suspected Amelia's, plans. They'd taken the opportunity that had presented itself when a young woman with supernatural abilities stumbled in searching for her birth mother. It had been too easy for them, I supposed.

At the moment dad was looking into the adoption agency to find out the truth, we couldn't just base things off of suspicions and guesstimations, although our reasoning was pretty sound. Mom was on the phoen with her own father, who I suspected was hiding away in a bathroom to speak to his only child away from the ears of his bitch of a Mate. Amelia, whom I had met only a handful of times in my entire life, was one of those women who could look you in the face as she stabbed you in the back. Mom was too kind to say anything to her father about the woman and chose to stay away from her.

Back to the issue at hand, I realized I needed to go inside and request a formal meeting with Tyler Parks. I shivered. His name was enough to tie my stomach in knots and create dangerous images in my head. Shaking them away, I lifted my hand to knock only to stop at the sound of vehicles rolling into the drive behind me.

Breath caught in my throat when I turned and my eyes caught his.

In that particular moment I knew my world would never be the same.

Tyler

He was standing on my front porch.

And I could feel him.

I could sense my Mate which meant only one thing. He knew he was mine.

My knees wobbled and threatened to give out under me while Cade was thundering in my head, begging to claim our Mate before he could be taken from us again. I agreed with him but knew that I couldn't just maul Jackson.

We're animals, you can maul him. If we felt so inclined we could mount, mark and Mate him with no objections from our kind, Tyler. Cade rumbled, eyeing Jackson's form greedily. I was inclined to agree with him, but I wasn't going to act.

"Alpha Parks," A voice at my side jerked my attention from my Mate's stare. I fought the urge to growl lowly at the interruption. Meeting the amused green eyes of Alpha Stfan Corditz III, Cade calmed down minutely as we recalled why he was here. Today was the day that the cabinet would make a verdict on my mother. If found guilty we would set her execution date for later in the month after it had been reviewed and signed off by the Council of Elders.

"We should get on with our Tribunal. We are set to start in half an hour and the rest of our panel should be here shortly."

I simply nodded and instructed my newly appointed Beta, Dace, to lead the five Alphas inside. We were still waiting on the other eight. Thirteen judges was standard for a panel, there was no hung jury in this case -- there was a guilty or not guilty, we didn't dawdle with verdicts.

Once everyone had wandered inside it was only me and Jackson. We stared at one another silently for a few moments, soaking in every detail. Just as handsome as I could remember. Muscular, strong and alluring. Dark hair cropped short, refined jaw covered in very little facial hair, lush pink lips and lastly dark eyes that danced with an emotion I couldn't name. My chest ached with uncertainty. I could feel Jackson's unease from here. Was he coming to sever our bond in favor of the one with Kira Malcourt despite knowing what I was to him? The simple thought turned my stomach and drove razors into my heart. Did he want me? Did the idea of being with a man repulse him? I had known about our pairing for years but he'd only known for a short time. When had he found out? How?

"Hello, Mate." His husky words shot straight to my groin. "I think we have a lot to discuss." Dumbly, I nodded.

My body moved on its own accord and before I knew it, I was standing over him, our bodies nearly touching. Electric currents raced up my spine as we stood together, and heat flared in my body. His eyes echoed the same desire I felt, seeing it knocked me square in the gut. Cade was whimpering in my mind, pushing me to close the distance between us. Desperately I wanted to, but not until I knew. I wanted to ask, no, I needed to. But it seemed the words were stuck.

"Do you accept this?" He asked suddenly, his hands moving to lay flat against my pecs. I was a head and a half taller and he had to tilt his head in order to peer up at me. I could see the concern deep in his brown eyes. He was fearful I was going to reject this?

Never. He's our. Do it, show him. Cade encouraged, his excitement buzzing just under my skin. With a soft smile down at my Mate, I shook my head and pulled him to me.

"Mine." I whispered while allowing Cade's voice to mingle with my own. Jackson's eyes widened in surprise and instead of allowing to speak, I took his lips with my own, effectively shutting up any doubts he might still have.

Yeah, he was mine.

And I didn't plan to let go.