Chapter Twenty-five
Brady
Brady waited for the wolves to eat their fill and trot back off before making his announcement. "I'm ready to try," he said nonchalantly as he packed up their lunch.
Glenn's hands froze in the air in the act of shaking the blanket and Parker squinted, confused. "Try what?"
"For what we were meant for, why we feel this…what we feel. I'm ready to start a family. That is, I mean, if you two are. It wouldn't feel right unless everyone was on board."
Parker reached out and grabbed Glenn's hand, together, they walked within touching reach of Brady. "You don't even have to ask," Parker said, pulling Brady into their trio. "I can't one hundred percent speak for Glenn, but mating with you, without barriers, it's been hard to hold back. I would like nothing more than to see you pregnant. Are you serious? You've thought about it?" Parker could barely talk he was laughing with joy.
"I have, and the only thing holding me back was thinking about what other people would think. Fuck them. Fuck anyone who doesn't think the three of us are awesome."
"Yes," Glenn agreed, he made a low rumbling noise in his chest, like a purr. It made Brady happy to hear. "Fuck anyone who doesn't accept us." He stopped and frowned. "But not literally."
Brady laughed and let his body be hugged. He wasn't sure when it was Glenn with his arms around him or when it was Parker, and that was how he liked it.
"Well, if you think I am letting you anywhere near that land of deathtraps, you are already crazy from the hormones. You and Parker will go home now. I'll clean up a few more things and will come after."
Brady scowled. "Why do you have to stay? Why not just come?"
"I haven't given this land my full attention and I still don't plan on it, you two are too important to me. But, I'd like to get a little more work done. Now, don't argue," Glenn said louder as he saw Brady opening his mouth to argue. "I won't be long. Parker, back me up."
Brady spun to Parker who was always on his side. Parker wouldn't look at him. "I agree with Glenn, darlin'. What if you hurt yourself?"
"Ugh!" Brady said, disgusted with how quickly they'd turned against him now that he was ready to start their family. "Fine, but I'm carrying the heavy pack home."
"Sure you are, sweet thing," Parker said, but in a way that made Brady think he was winking at Glenn behind his back while removing the heavy items out of Brady's pack without his knowledge.
Once they had everything but the items Glenn was going to tote all packed up, Brady kissed Glenn goodbye, sure to make it a deep, soul wrenching, dick stroking kiss as a punishment.
It isn't quite a punishment if you plan on relieving him of those blue balls and then some later on.
Brady decided it was the thought that counted and when he pulled away, he caught Glenn's expression and second guessed his original plan. That face said he was going to pay for his little stunt.
Parker chuckled. "See you at home," he said to Glenn. "I'm sure it will be an interesting reunion."
Brady waited for Parker. He bounced once, testing the weight of his pack and sure enough, Parker had slipped something out. He shook his head. "You two. Ever heard of killing someone with kindness?"
"Yes, and that doesn't apply here. So, shush," he said while smiling. Parker leaned forward and gave him a pecking kiss on the tip of his nose.
The two men walked through the forest silently. Every time Brady got a chance to go deep out into the forest, he always thought about how much more often he should do it. But then he would get back to the clinic and have to take care of animals or care for his mother. "Parker, when your mother died, how did you handle that?" Brady asked.
Parker didn't stutter in his step, despite how out of the blue Brady's question was.
"I sort of saw it coming, as much as I could any of the deaths that year. She wasn't one of the first to get sick, wasn't one of the last. That was the worst part for me, I didn't feel like I could be sad about it since so many people were losing their loved ones. Some of them lost many members of their family and here I was, only losing my mom. How selfish was that for me to spend my time bawling?"
"That isn't fair, your sadness is just as valid."
"I see that now. But not at the time. How about you? I've never wanted to bring up you losing your mother, not since I saw you get that haunted look when that sheriff brought her up. Like it didn't just hurt emotionally, but physically."
Brady thought he'd hidden that. "It was really hard. I was in a dark place for a long time. My mother was the only person who knew about me, knew I was gay, and still loved me. She wasn't just my mother but my best friend, my only family, my only friend. She was sick too, cancer. I felt like instead of losing one person, I was losing every person in my life."
Parker grabbed his hand squeezed it comfortingly. His warmth filled Brady and it wasn't tinged with pity as it was when others tried offering condolences.
"I hope that Glenn and I have helped fi--" Parker stopped speaking so suddenly, Brady turned to look at him to see what was wrong. He stared at the path ahead of him, his body flexed, ready to act.
At the same moment that Brady heard a twig snapping, Parker shoved him behind him. "Stop," Parker called out loudly. He did not sound scared in the slightest. His voice was deep, steady and authoritative. "I know you're up there."
Brady peered over Parker's shoulder at the spot ahead where a handful of people appeared seemingly out of nowhere in the forest. They were of varying ages, and the older ones appeared to be mostly female. Despite their torn and well-worn clothing and thin bodies, they held themselves tall and proud, looking at Parker and Brady with sharp, clever eyes. Clever, hazel eyes.
"Parker, is this your pack?" Brady asked on a whisper.
"Yes, though they are not my entire pack, just a portion," Parker replied grimly.
The oldest of the women stepped forward. She had long, brown hair pulled back in a thick braid. "We hadn't heard from you in weeks, Clyde went missing and your uncle is still recovering and unable to shift. The food ran out a week ago, Parker. We don't know what to do."
Brady understood immediately that they didn't mean harm. Their pack master was still incapacitated so they went in search of the next best thing.
Except, Parker would be directly disobeying Glenn if he helped them. That would cause a fight that Brady did not want to see. "Come with us," Brady said, moving around Parker. "We have food and clean water. I'm afraid we don't have a lot of space, but if you don't mind close quarters and the smell of hay, there is room for everyone."
Parker spun from the small pack of refugee shifters. His hands shook as he grabbed Brady by his upper arms and pulled him in, whispering. "What are you doing, Brady? What do you think Glenn will do if he comes home and there are coyotes in our house? And the people of Riverside? They already ostracize you, what will they do if you bring in a group of strangers?" Despite his questions, Brady could tell that it was hurting him to see his pack this way. His hands weren't shaking from anger at Brady. He was mad, but not at him.
"These people are your family, they are special to you. That means they are special to me and Glenn. He'll understand. And as for the rest of the town, what did we just say?"
Parker gave him a small smile, like he didn't quite want to believe what Brady was saying was true. "Fuck them."
"But not really."