The Northern Pride formed to give some of the female Alpha Hybrids a safe place where they could live, and thrive, away from the aggressive advances of weaker males.

The idea of Mates was like a fairy tale to them, until one of their own finds hers on a business trip.

Agust was happy working as a chef in his mother's restaurant in South Korea, but dropped everything to be with his Mate. After a tense introduction to her Pride, he makes himself at home and finds he fits in with the women his Mate considers her sisters.  

Now that he’s met them, he suspects the females of the Northern Pride might actually have Mates; his brother and friends from his Pride back in Korea.

Chapter 9

  The next morning Seokjin, Namjoon and Jungkook met in the kitchen to start their day. Between the three of them they figured out how to use the fancy coffee maker. They deemed it a pain in the ass, but decided it was worth the work once they got a taste.

“I suppose it’s just a matter of getting used to something new,” Namjoon said in his wise-old-man voice,

“I’m going to head out to the swing by the lake. It looks like a peaceful place to enjoy my coffee and book before everyone else is awake.”

“I think I’ll go have a little run. Check out the area a little and get my blood pumping,” Seokjin said as he stretched his arms over his head.

Jungkook chuckled and said,

“I would give you shit and say that it’s the only thing you’re going to be pumping in the near future, but that would backfire on me.” He stood and finished his drink and put the cup in the sink, “Let me grab my shoes and I’ll go with you.”

  Over in Rayne’s little cottage, she, Rokki and Scarlett were just starting to wake up after a long night of listening to Scarlett complain about her mate not immediately making her scream in ecstasy. But, she took comfort in the fact that he was sleeping in her room. He didn’t want to kick her out of her own bed, but she insisted,

“If we aren’t going to be together for this first night, the least I can do is make sure you are surrounded by comfort. I know your scent comforts me. It’s the least I can do.”

The three women were well accustomed to sharing a bed, and fell asleep watching movies with each other and the others a few times a week, so it wasn’t like they were being put out. In fact, it was comforting for them to be with members of their Pride, and after a day like that, they needed the familiarity of each other. Well. Rayne and Rokki needed it. Scarlett just dealt with it.

“Ugh. I need coffee,” Scarlett said as she stretched from her spot in between the two taller women. Of course, she made sure to stretch in every way possible that would wake up her sisters. Rayne grumbled back at her as she was pushed further into the wall by the woman’s behind, and Rokki threatened violence if Scar actually succeeded in shoving her off of the side of the bed.

“Have I mentioned lately how disgusting it is that you are so chipper in the morning?” Rayne grouched as she rolled onto her back and rubbed her hands over her face.

“Come on, bitches!” Scarlett said with a giggle as she scooted off the bottom of the bed, “The sun is shining and our Mates are waiting!”

Rayne growled in displeasure and rolled back over. Her attempts to pull the covers back over her head were thwarted when Scarlett pulled the blankets off the bed completely.

Rokki sat up and stared at the wall, not at all ready to face the day. She zoned out and was wondering if Rayne might have some juice in her mini fridge when Scarlett let out a startled gasp as she looked out the sliding glass door,

“Um,” she giggled in a very schoolgirl manner, “You two need to see this.”

Rokki sighed and had to fight the urge to stomp her feet as she went to see what could have Scar reacting like that. What she saw when she got there had her choking on her own spit. That was enough to garner Rayne’s attention, so she rolled off the bed and joined the other two at the door.

What she saw had her frozen to the spot.

Seokjin and Jungkook were standing in the grass, sweaty and shirtless. They were both breathing heavily and stretching their legs, having apparently gone for a run that morning.

Scarlett continued giggling while watching her sisters' reactions to their Mates looking so delicious.

Rokki’s eyes got wide and she watched the man that was destined to be hers stretch his muscles. She drank in every dip and bulge, and fantasized about being able to run her tongue along every bit of the exposed skin she saw. She whined, and sent Scarlett into a fit of laughter.

Scar looked at Rayne, positive she’d roll her eyes and laugh along with her at their shy sister’s reaction…

But what she found was Rayne scowling at her Mate. Jungkook was stretching his hamstrings, looking golden and sexy for all to see. How dare he look so damn good? Every cut, every line, every curve of him seemed to be pure muscle, and in the morning light he looked like a God. Even his hair looked magnificent.

Rayne was caught between several emotions. On top of the list was lust and wanting. That was HER man. Then there was irritation, need, possessiveness and anger. In that order.

“I can feel my Mate,” said Seokjin as he pulled his arm across his body to stretch his shoulder, “She’s watching me. I like it.” He wanted to acknowledge her, but thought she might run again so he chose to bask in her gaze, instead. He even turned to make sure to give a good shot of his backside when he bent to touch his toes.

“I can feel Rayne watching me, too,” Jungkook chuckled knowingly. He worked hard on his body, and it pleased him that his Mate was enjoying it, too.

He, though, didn’t wait. Jungkook turned his head and made eye contact with Rayne. They stared at each other without blinking. She was well aware that he was throwing her challenge back at her, and her independent side decided it would be best to push back.

She was actually relieved when Seokjin finally turned and winked at Rokki, because being caught ogling her Mate like that made the woman jump back and trip over her own feet, which forced Rayne to break the eye challenge -slash- eye fuck she had going with her own Mate to make sure her sister was ok.

Well. She and Scarlett made sure Rokki was fine once they were done laughing, anyway.

“I hate you two.”

“Come on, Rokki! Even you have to admit that was funny! All he did was wink, for heaven's sake!”

“I still hate you two.”

“Rayne! Stop laughing and help me out, here!”

Scarlett tried hard to keep a straight face as she attempted to placate Rokki, but Rayne had no such luck.

She wiped away the tears and crouched down to pat the embarrassed woman on the shoulder,

“It’s ok, Rok. I’ve heard you only jump a little at first.”

Rokki shoved Rayne over, and that sent the woman into a fit of even harder laughter.

Seokjin and Jungkook had gone inside to get cleaned up by the time Scarlett finally got herself together enough to wrangle the other two up and head to the big house for breakfast.

“Come on you two. I want breakfast burritos.”

  Once they were in the big house, though, Scarlett opened the fridge and realized they didn’t have enough eggs to make breakfast for so many people,

“All of that planning and grocery shopping and we forget the eggs,” she sighed in exasperation.

Rayne was fighting a losing battle to ignore her Mate’s scent. It was all she could smell. It felt like it covered her like a cozy blanket she wanted to snuggle into, so when the opportunity to get away for a moment came, she jumped on it,

“I’ll give Bam a call,” she said as she stood, “He always has a ton of eggs on hand.”

Scarlett and Rokki started on the bacon and the rest of the ingredients, and Rayne got to get a breath of fresh air.

Namjoon heard the girls and met Rayne on his way back to the house,

“Good morning, Rayne,” he said with a bright smile, “How are you this morning?”

Although she was hesitant about having all of these males on their property, Rayne was all smiles and happy to be seeing someone other than her Mate at that moment,

“Morning, Namjoon. I’m good. Scarlett and Rokki are getting breakfast started. I just have to run to our neighbor’s to get more eggs. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Namjoon chuckled and looked at her attire,

“Are you friendly enough with this neighbor to be going in your pajamas?”

Rayne laughed, “I’d completely forgotten about that, actually. Honestly, Bam probably wouldn’t even care, but I guess I should throw on something more appropriate.”

Inside the kitchen, Seokjin and Jungkook had reappeared and sat at the little kitchen table with their coffee. Rokki opened the windows before they came downstairs to get some fresh air, and dilute her Mate’s scent, before they started cooking.

“Who’s Bam?” he asked no one in particular as he watched his Mate go into her cottage.

“Bam? He lives down the road. He owns a ranch, and we buy all of our meat and eggs from him. Rayne is going to go get some more eggs for our breakfast.”

This displeased him greatly. Who was this male? Was he unattached? Were he and Rayne more than just business acquaintances? Jungkook’s jealousy led the charge as he got up and went out to wait for his Mate to reappear.

Namjoon smirked as he passed his friend. He could smell the jealousy coming off of him, and could only guess why. But he had his own mate on his mind. As he walked into the kitchen, all he saw was his Mate. His Scarlett. She was bustling around the kitchen in her pajamas, prepping the ingredients they’d need for breakfast with her hair in a messy bun on the top of her head. It was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.

Scarlett stopped dead when his scent reached her. It wasn’t embarrassment that turned her cheeks a pretty pink color. It was feminine knowing. Her body’s way of acknowledging her Alpha.

Namjoon inhaled deeply, taking his Mate’s scent. He was fighting a losing battle with himself to refrain from completing their union until a time he felt was more appropriate, but the longer he was in her presence, the closer that time came.

Rokki was quite proud of herself as she turned the bacon. She hadn’t burned herself or broken anything since her Mate came into the room. He sat at the little table by the windows, sipping his coffee and watching her work. She still felt nervous, but the weight his gaze held was more familiar than it was the day before. She even chanced a peek his way a couple of times.

To his credit, Seokjin had kept his winking and flirting to a minimum since he and Jungkook sat with them. Even if he found Rokki’s reactions to be adorable, he decided it was safer for everyone around if he didn’t antagonize her while she had sharp things within reach. But, he was on the lookout for any opportunity to flirt with his Mate.

In fact, Seokjin was determined to not spend another night without his woman in his arms.

Jungkook was patiently sitting at the patio table when Rayne came out of her cottage with her phone at her ear,

“Thanks, Bam. I’ll be right over,” she laughed, obviously comfortable with the man she was talking with, “Yes, right now. I’m leaving right now. I swear I’m walking to the car with keys in hand as we speak. Ok. Bye.”

She made eye contact with her Mate as she pressed the end button. Rayne only paused for a moment, but it was long enough for Jungkook to make his move. With a deep, displeased snarl, he jumped up and pulled his Mate into his arms. She barely had enough time to gasp before his mouth was on her neck, spreading his scent and making sure any unmated male would know that she was HIS.

Rayne’s eyes rolled back and she dug her nails into his upper arms. The little touch of pain and the quiet moan she didn’t even know she made spurred Jungkook on. His original plan was only to scent her, but that was quickly morphed into biting and sucking on her skin. And when he moved to kiss her lips, there was no hesitation… she kissed him back.

Rayne’s senses were filled with her Mate. Touch. Smell. Sound. It was natural to add taste to the list, and as their tongues caressed, the carnal urge to scent her Mate moved her without thought.

Jungkook’s hand held the back of her head as she ran her tongue up and down the tendon below his ear. His low, sensual growl vibrated through her body and touched her in places she thought had dried up and blown away a long time ago.

She was lost to instinct.

The hand that Jungkook didn’t have tangled in her hair slid down to her backside where he filled his palm with her ass and pulled her body tight against his own.

Rayne’s body shuddered when he growled again. She pulled her head back and looked her Mate in the eyes.

Jungkook leaned in and rubbed his nose gently on hers before kissing her again, afraid she would regain her clarity and leave if he gave her too much time to think.

It was Luna that inadvertently came to the rescue, though. Excited to see her mom and her new Alpha, the long haired black cat enthusiastically rubbed her body across their legs, only to do the “flop and roll” when they pulled their lips apart to look down at her.

It was that moment of fresh air that brought Rayne back to herself. She pulled away from Jungkook and cleared her throat,

“I have to go get eggs.”

It was the perfect excuse to get away. She was almost to the door of the big house when his curiosity got the better of him,

“Who’s Bam?”

Rayne stopped in her tracks. The pieces suddenly came together, and she knew why he had jumped on her like that. She turned and glared at her Mate,

“All of that was because I’m meeting with a man you don’t know?” she huffed out an unamused laugh, “And here I thought you wanted me. I’ll know better next time.”

She pulled open the door and stomped through the house before he could respond.

Jungkook ran a frustrated hand through his hair as he heard a vehicle speed away. He’d messed that up royally. He didn’t feel too terrible about it though. She still carried his scent, and that satisfied his inner Alpha. Even better than that, he realized as he inhaled, she’d scented him, as well.

He smiled and picked up Luna to give the cat some love, despite her interrupting a stellar make out session with his Mate. Rayne may have stomped away, but Jungkook knew he finally had her emotions in play, and that was a huge step toward claiming his woman.

Next

Bonus Chapter

Written by @roxyjean82​

“There you two are.” Rokki said as she entered the garden. “I’ve been looking every…what is on your face and hands?”

“Strawberries, Mommy!” Jin and Rokki’s daughter turned to face her mother and said in excitement.

“Kim Seokjin. Would you care to explain why Jeanie is covered in strawberries?” Rokki placed her hands on her hips and waited for his answer.

“Nope.” Jin stood up and smiled at his mate.

“You’ve been eating them too! Jin, Scar’s going to have your head when she finds out! You know she was planning on using those for Jeanie’s birthday cake. I’m going to be mateless! All these years and I’m going to lose you because you couldn’t stay away from the damn strawberries.”

“Calm down, Love,” Jin laughed. “It’ll be fine, there’s still plenty left,” He said picking up their daughter. “Now as for her having my head and leaving you mateless, you don’t need to worry. The only one that will be having that is you later.”

“Go get cleaned up before they get home from the restaurant.” Rokki giggled when Jin kissed her on the forehead. It’d been three years and the man could still make her blush like crazy.

“Daddy, basket.” The toddler wiggled in her dad’s arms trying to grab the basket from the small table.

“What’s in the basket?” Rokki arched one eyebrow when Jin picked it up and handed it to his daughter.

“You didn’t think we’d forget you and baby did you?” Jin smiled as he placed his free hand on Rokki’s stomach.

“You got us some?” Rokki pouted.

“Strawberries for Mommy and Brother!” Jeanie giggled.

“Thank you Sweetie.” She smiled at her daughter. “They should be here soon, so hurry.” Rokki said as she gently pushed her mate and daughter out of the garden.

“Did you have a good nap?” Rayne asked Rokki when she entered the kitchen.

“Yes I did. Thank you both for watching her.” Rokki kissed Jeanie on the top of the head before making her way over to sit next to Rayne at the table. “What did you and your Aunties do while Mommy and Daddy slept?” She asked her daughter who was sitting on the counter in front of Scar.

“We made cake.”

“Did you? What kind of cake did you make?”

“Strawberry!” The little girl raised her arms excitedly, making the women laugh. “Aunty Scar said she wasn’t mad at me and Daddy for eating the strawberries.”

“That’s right. How could I be mad at such a cute face.” Scar said, squishing Jeanie’s cheeks and making her laugh.

“What else did Aunty Scar say?” Rayne asked, handing Rokki a glass of juice.

“That she wouldn’t have Daddy’s head because it sounded like Mommy already did.” The room was mixed with the sound of laughter and Rokki choking on her drink.

“Scar!”

“What?” Scar asked between laughing fits. “You’re in a house full of hybrids Rokki. You should know better than to be that loud.”

“I might have momentarily forgotten what it was like being in a house where people could hear everything.” Rokki said, washing the juice off her hands.

“How could you forget?” Scar asked. “Jeanie is a hybrid too. Her hearing is going to get better the older she gets.”

“If we can hear you that well across the house, the poor girl is going to be traumatized.” Rayne added.

“She can’t hear us.”

“What do you mean she can’t hear you? Woman, Alice and Hoseok could hear you and they’re in Korea.” Scar laughed.

“Sound proofing.” The three women looked at the doorway to see Jin, Namjoon and Jungkook standing in.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Well as you know your Pride sister here isn’t the quietest. So while we were having the house built I made sure our room was sound proof.”

“Where the hell did you find some that worked?” Jungkook asked with wide eyes.

“Yeah, we’ve tried all different kinds and nothing works.” Namjoon said.

“You remember that special project I was working on?” The other men nodded their heads. “Lets just say if everything goes right you’ll have enough sound proofing for this whole house and the cottages.”

“Your company made sound proof that even hybrids can’t hear through?” Rayne asked in disbelief.

“I had to do something.” Jin shrugged.

“Ok, enough with this conversation.” Rokki stood up and grabbed Jeanie from the counter. “Let’s go get you cleaned up. You’re covered in cake.”

“Mommy, can we wrestle after I’m clean?”

“Wrestle?”

“Yeah like you and Daddy did while you had his head.”

“Scar!” Rokki growled while everyone else laughed.

“Nope, I’m not taking the blame for that one. That was all Rayne.” Scar said, wiping a tear from her eye.

“So, by the end of the month you say?” Rayne asked, changing the subject.

                                               The End

The Northern Pride formed to give some of the female Alpha Hybrids a safe place where they could live, and thrive, away from the aggressive advances of weaker males.

The idea of Mates was like a fairy tale to them, until one of their own finds hers on a business trip.

Agust was happy working as a chef in his mother's restaurant in South Korea, but dropped everything to be with his Mate. After a tense introduction to her Pride, he makes himself at home and finds he fits in with the women his Mate considers her sisters.  

Now that he’s met them, he suspects the females of the Northern Pride might actually have Mates; his brother and friends from his Pride back in Korea.

Chapter 17

*11 months later*

   SPLASH

     Jungkook quickly turned from his conversation with Yoongi in the driveway to see where the water balloon that just exploded on his back came from, and was not at all surprised to see his mate’s laughing face peeking around the side of the house. He laughed and took off at a run, trying to catch her before she made her escape.

     Ever since they completed their mating, Rayne’s challenges had turned playful, and it was a regular occurrence to see Jungkook heading to their pool house with her over his shoulder, laughing hysterically.

     That day, she had her paddle board out and ready to make her escape on the shore. She was nowhere near as fast as he was, but she had a little bit of a lead on him by the time he got around the side of the house. Once he hit the back lawn, though, he exploded with a burst of speed and had his arm wrapped around her middle just before she made it to the sand.

    Rayne shrieked with laughter when he pulled her against him, and shrieked even louder when he continued to walk into the water.

“You want to go swimming?” he laughed, “You should have just said something!”

Their laughter echoed off the water as he dunked them both into the lake.

Rayne never could have guessed how happy she would be in her life with Jungkook. Never would she ever have imagined that she would resurface from being dunked in the lake by a man, only to turn and wrap herself around him for laughing kisses. But there she was.

He made her feel safe and cared for. Loved.

  Even when they had disagreements or were just in bad moods, there was always the security of belonging and knowing that, no matter what, there was never any need to be on guard or fear her partner. Jungkook used his power and strength to protect and take care of those around him. Rayne sometimes even annoyed herself with how much of a fangirl she was of her mate. 

They truly were made for each other.

   Over the last year, their Pride more than doubled in size. Not only did they all have their mates, but Taehyung and Ana welcomed their first born just 6 weeks prior. Ana jokingly complained often that Tae was trying to get her pregnant from the beginning, and he never said otherwise. It was fun having a little one around, although his daddy was a tad bit over protective, and it could be a little difficult to hold him if Tae had anything to say about it.

Ana, on the other hand, would walk into the big house and hand the infant off to the first Aunt or Uncle she saw so she could raid the refrigerator with two available hands.

    Between Ana’s pregnancy and her work, the couple had only been able to make one trip back to Korea to meet Tae’s family and pack more of his things. But, with so many of the men deciding to stay, it was a regular occurrence to have their friends and family travel over to visit.

    So far, work had only forced two of the couples to make Korea their full time residence.

   Alice threw caution to the wind and left with Hoseok just two weeks after they met. She was making huge strides in learning the language and finding her place there, but she was definitely looking forward to the visit they had planned in just a few days.

   Rokki let Seokjin go for a short business trip by himself one time. But when the need for him to travel came again, she pulled a packed suitcase and passport out of the closet and made it clear he wouldn’t be going anywhere without her. She missed him too much, and would much rather travel with him than dutifully wait at home. Though they did come back to the commune as often as possible.

  Although he enjoyed cooking at home, it didn’t take long for Agust to get restless. With some encouragement from Natalie, he and Yoongi started drawing up plans for a restaurant while they sat having a beer one afternoon. Next thing they knew, the others were involved and it was a go.

   Scarlett’s greenhouse doubled in size with that plan. She and Namjoon got to flex their green thumbs to grow most of the vegetables the restaurant would need. They say that your plants respond and flourish to happy sounds… The greenhouse saw and heard a lot of ‘happy’ sounds while the couple was in there, and everyone knew not to barge in without knocking first. Not that they were bashful. No. In fact, they were both well known for wandering around watering and replanting without a stitch of clothing on.

   Yoongi was right in the kitchen with his brother. They developed a full menu of food they missed the most from home, and added a few more things to cover all kinds of taste buds. Fae took over the paperwork, though. She ran the back of the house, keeping track of inventory and hours while putting her foot in the ass of anyone that needed it.

    Jimin took on the responsibilities of hosting and serving. Though everyone seemed to wander in and help from time to time, it was his baby. He took great pride in making it a great experience for everyone that came in the door. Angel was always there to help, too. Though Jimin made it known that he would rather she spent her time planning the wedding of their dreams.

   Taehyung was tasked with the theme and decorating. His designs were so popular that the locals were clamoring to hire him to give their spaces a fresh look, which changed his original plan of being an at-home-dad. Although he had full control of his schedule so childcare wasn’t an issue with the little Bean.

   Jungkook was able to get over his jealousy and became good friends with Bam. He even started helping out around the ranch when Bam agreed to provide the meat and eggs for the restaurant. Although, a Lion Hybrid helping care for prey animals did make for a bit of a struggle at times. Bam regularly teased Jungkook about the days it took them to find all of the chickens and cows the first time a pig bit his thigh and he responded with a growl that was loud enough to scare the entire ranch into running for cover, and the weeks after that that it took for the chickens to calm down enough to start laying eggs again.

  Rayne spent her days painting. Or helping Angel plan. Or, more recently, watching the baby. Life in the Pride somehow found a new normal that was far more than any of them could have imagined.

   With Jimin and Angel’s wedding coming in just a few days, chaos reigned. They brought in a dozen travel trailers for traveling friends and family to stay in around the compound, and worked on the finishing touches on the ceremony site on the sloping back lawn.

Scarlett and Namjoon created a living vine and flower-covered archway near the water where the couple would exchange their vows, and cream and gold colored accents were popping up all over the place.

   With so much family flying in to attend, they naturally wanted to help. Between the Korean cooks and the local extended family members, the amount of food that was being prepared was ridiculous, but those that didn’t cook much knew that the leftovers would be glorious.

Namjoon, Rayne and Taehyung were especially thrilled at the impending banquet, and shared many high fives and bottle clinks to celebrate.

   The wedding was beautiful. The couple opted not to have bridesmaids or groomsmen, but asked that everyone in the Northern Pride dress in their colors.

   Jimin stood at the front with the officiant dressed in a simple white button down shirt and linen pants, barefooted, just like the bride.

Angel’s dress was lovely. Simple and sweet. Cream colored with gold accents threaded throughout, and the flowers adorning her head were a delicate mixture of white and gold flowers, grown in the greenhouse just for her.

  Although weddings are not necessary for the hybrid community to acknowledge a mating, the emotion and meaning was clear. Jimin and Angel both had tears of joy the moment their eyes met at opposite ends of the aisle, and their self-written vows were so sincere and personal, you couldn’t help but feel like you were intruding on a deeply intimate moment. Their love for each other shone even more brightly that day, bolstered by the love of their friends, family and Pride that gathered to support them.

     Once all of their out of town visitors left a few days later, the members of the Pride laid like actual lions in the shade on the back lawn, relaxed and enjoying some rare down time with each other.

“Thank god everyone is gone.” Yoongi grumbled from where his head lay in Fae’s lap, “If we had to listen to our mother complain about wanting weddings for us, too, one more time…”

He looked at Jimin,

“This is your fault, you know. That woman is not going to stop until both of us give in.”  

Jimin and Angel chuckled at Yoongi’s distress.

Agust yawned, “It’s really easy to get out of, man. Just do what I did. I told mom that my woman has exquisite, expensive taste, and that if she wanted us to have a full wedding she’d have to pay for it.”

Natalie agreed, “it’s true. I do enjoy nice things.”

Scar looked calculating as she watched Rokki play with the baby on the blanket. She and Seokjin only arrived a few days before the wedding, and she hadn’t had a lot of time with her nephew yet.

“Rokkiiiiiiiiii,” she whined, “When are you just going to announce it already? I'm tired of waiting. We can all smell it, you know.”

Rokki side-eyed the woman, “Are you sure you're a lion? You definitely don’t have the patience of a cat. I think you’re more hyena than anything.”

Scarlett gasped dramatically and Alice’s “ooooooooh SNAP” was heard over the rest of the women’s chuckles. It was just like old times.

“Why do I have to announce anything if you can smell it, anyway.” Rokki shrugged, “You already know, why make a big deal?”

Rayne turned her head and laughed into her mate’s chest, thoroughly enjoying the verbal sparring of her Pride mates she hadn’t realized she’d missed.

Scarlett reached out and slapped at Rokki’s leg, “Quit being a bitch and just say it.”

Rokki just stuck her tongue out at her and went back to cooing at the baby.

Seokjin laughed,

“Hey guys, guess what?”

The collective played along and answered in unison, “What?”

“We are having a baby!”

They all cheered and rejoiced at the addition to their family.

And as Rayne snuggled in closer to her mate, she couldn’t help but think about where life had brought them all. If anyone would have told her any of this was coming a year ago, she would have laughed them off. This was a direction she never would have taken if her stubborn self was given the choice.

She had to be forced.

But, now that she was there. She couldn’t believe how happy and complete she felt, and the joy that radiated from her sisters and their mates.

It turns out, all she had to do to get there was to get out of her own way, and get over her own pride.

Next

The Northern Pride formed to give some of the female Alpha Hybrids a safe place where they could live, and thrive, away from the aggressive advances of weaker males.

The idea of Mates was like a fairy tale to them, until one of their own finds hers on a business trip.

Agust was happy working as a chef in his mother's restaurant in South Korea, but dropped everything to be with his Mate. After a tense introduction to her Pride, he makes himself at home and finds he fits in with the women his Mate considers her sisters.  

Now that he’s met them, he suspects the females of the Northern Pride might actually have Mates; his brother and friends from his Pride back in Korea.

Chapter 15

Back out in the darkness, away from the quickly dwindling group around the fire, Jungkook and Rayne stood sharing their first true moment of mutual togetherness. She didn’t feel the need to push him away, or challenge him in any way.

In fact, they looked like they were about to get in trouble for slow dancing too close at a middle school sock hop.

“I’m looking forward to when you let me sleep in your cabin,” he said with a smirk, “It’s going to be difficult to sleep in that house with three newly mated couples in the rooms around me.”

Rayne, not quite ready to give in completely, smiled at his unfortunate circumstances,

“I’d sleep down in the basement, if I were you. That couch is extremely comfortable.”

Jungkook expected her hesitance and laughed. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and pressed a quick kiss to the tip of her nose.

Rayne’s heart gave a little flutter. If she was a cartoon character, she’d have hearts in her eyes. The term “Twitterpated” came to mind.

She was not the praying sort, but sent up a quick one to whatever deity might be listening, “Please, let him be a good one. I don’t know if I could handle my Mate being another Dick.”

Jungkook hadn’t heard the story of Dick yet. All he really knew for sure was that his Mate was a strong willed woman that was making him prove something. He suspected she’d been hurt in the past, but as angry as that idea made him, he knew himself and he knew his heart. He knew he wanted to love and cherish her. He knew he wanted to help her heal. Be there for her. And maybe find out who hurt her so he could take care of it and know that she will never be hurt by them again.

Later that night, as Jungkook relaxed into the cushions of the couch and turned up the volume on the television to cover the sounds of the couples upstairs that were still noticeable, he thought about the feeling of Rayne’s lips on his, and the look in her eyes just after he kissed her goodnight at the door to her little cottage.

There was no anger or defiance there. The look she gave him was soft and sweet. It made him yearn for nights of being twisted in the sheets and days wrapped in each other's arms. He wanted her head resting on his chest while he sang her to sleep. He wanted his Mate. Plain and simple.

Rayne would never tell anyone, but as she lay on her bed that night she held her shirt to her nose, breathing in the remnants left of her Mate’s scent on it. It made her feel… safe. She couldn’t believe that he didn’t even try to make a move. He didn’t try to guilt her about not inviting him in.

He simply walked her to her door and gave her a sweet kiss goodnight. His full lips sipped at hers just long enough to not be considered indecent before he pulled back and slowly swiped his thumb across her bottom lip.

He smiled sweetly and said,

“Sweet dreams, my Mate,” before he turned and headed for the big house.

Rayne whispered, “Sweet dreams,” as she watched him walk away. She stood, transfixed. She couldn’t look away until he was through the kitchen and out of sight of the windows.

The moment he was out of sight, she let go of a breath she hadn’t known she was holding, and in a dramatic display she never would have thought she was capable of, Rayne collapsed against the sliding glass door behind her and giggled.

For the first time, maybe ever, Rayne was up first in the morning. She made herself a coffee and grabbed a pastry to nibble on before she took herself out to her bench swing by the lake with Luna on her heels.

The two sat and filled the air with happy purrs. Rayne, feeling calmer than she had in ages as she drank her coffee, and Luna thoroughly enjoying chin scratches in the sunshine.

“Mind if I join you?”

Rayne wasn’t terribly surprised to see Jungkook approach with his own coffee. As far as she knew, they were the only mated pair that wasn’t currently actively...Mating.

Luna perked up from her spot on Rayne’s lap when her new favorite person sat down next to them. The cat stood and stretched before moving to his lap, where she tried her best to show her love by rubbing her face all over his.

Jungkook laughed, “I was told that you don’t like anyone but your mom.” He vigorously stroked the furball’s back and whispered conspiratorially, “Seems you like your dad, too.”

Rayne huffed out a laugh and took a sip of her coffee.

Jungkook smiled the cutest bunny smile like he just got away with something. She laughed, but she didn’t deny it. He was feeling optimistic after their alone time the night before.

“Do you want to do something together today?” he asked, looking out at the lake.

Rayne raised her eyebrows, and he laughed, “I mean go out on the paddleboards or something! I went out for a little while yesterday. I’d love to go with you, though.”

She gave him an appraising look for only a moment before nodding her head,

“Sure. I need food first, though.”

Their morning together was a lot of fun. Rayne relaxed enough to be herself while she led Jungkook around the lake, pointing out her favorite landmarks and telling him stories about growing up in the area.

He was disappointed she didn’t wear the same bathing suit she wore to do yoga the day before, though. As much as it pissed him off, she looked sexy as hell in it.

It made him want to jump on his Mate and make sure she knew who her Alpha was. But, Jungkook understood that this time they were spending getting to know each other and just being in each other’s presence was equally as important as being physically intimate.

In fact, he found his senses completely wrapped up in her at all times. When she wasn’t around, it seemed his nose was always trying to find her scent, and his eyes were always on the lookout for her to appear.

“I noticed you were trying to do a headstand on your board yesterday. Have you ever been able to pull it off?” He genuinely wanted to know. But he also genuinely wanted to watch her body move.

Rayne laughed, “No. I’ve tried many times, but can’t seem to stay balanced for more than a few seconds.”

Jungkook stopped paddling and thoughtfully looked around at the calm water,

“I wonder if I can do it. Never tried a headstand on water before, but I do have decent balance…”

He slowly knelt down and copied what he saw her do the day before, using his forearms to balance and hold his weight while he slowly tried to lift his legs. Rayne stood on her board and watched with great humor, knowing exactly how it was going to end.

The wave the splash made when he inevitably lost his balance also sent her into the lake. The couple’s laughter echoed off the water as they repeatedly climbed back onto their boards, only to lose balance trying to accomplish a headstand and fall back in.

Neither one actually pulled it off for more than a couple of seconds, but as menial as it was, the experience helped them turn a corner in their budding relationship.

Rayne was suddenly comfortable in his presence. No more fear, no suspicion, no need to run and push. It seemed she was willing to let the budding relationship grow. Though she still tried to hide the massive crush she’d developed on him. She couldn’t give Jungkook all of the cards in this game they were playing.

After putting away the paddle boards, the couple walked into the big house to find Natalie and Agust elbow deep in some cooking project.

“Food porn day?” Rayne asked, fully accustomed to her pridemate’s occasional cooking splurges.

Natalie was up to her elbows in dough and fully focused on her task,

“I hope you’re hungry. I’m showing Agust how to make homemade pasta. OH!” she looked up at Rayne, “I’m running low on eggs again, so I sent Bam a message. He said he has eggs and our meat order ready. He should be stopping by with the delivery in a little bit.”

Jungkook stood close behind Rayne watching Agust and Natalie knead the dough,

“Do you need help? I’ve never made homemade pasta before, but I’d love to learn!”

   Natalie soon had both men working hard on the dough, but refused to let Rayne anywhere near their project,

“Go make us a cooking playlist. Something fun.”

Jungkook, though, was curious why she wouldn’t let Rayne help.

“Oh, honey,” Natalie said with a chuckle, “You will soon find out that your Mate is unfortunately limited in her cooking skills, and sometimes it’s just safer to keep her out of the kitchen.”

Rayne laughed from where she was creating the “Pasta cooking playlist” on the laptop in her comfy chair in the living room, “You can’t say I don’t try occasionally, though!”

The other couples filtered in and out as their hunger for food took over their hunger for each other.

Hoseok and Alice were sitting with Rayne when the doorbell rang. Rayne opened the door to find a smiling Bam holding eight egg cartons,

“You guys are definitely giving my chickens a run for their money!” he handed the eggs over to her, “Thankfully the ladies have been laying like crazy.”

Alice and Hoseok followed Bam out to his truck to help unload, and Jungkook stopped kneading to wash his hands so he could help.

Most of the work was done by the time he got out there, though, and the group was just standing by the truck talking.

Jungkook walked up and introduced himself. The scent was familiar, but he couldn’t place it until Rayne came out from storing the last box of meat in the freezer and hugged this unfamiliar male,

“Thank you so much, Bam! You are a lifesaver!”

This small act of innocent gratitude was the straw that broke the camel's back.

“Nope.”

Was all that Jungkook said before he grabbed Rayne and threw her over his shoulder. His large hand smacked her butt and made her growl as she wiggled and tried to get down.

“Is she ok?” Bam asked in concern as he watched this stranger walk away with his struggling  friend over his shoulder.

Alice and Hoseok were all smiles as they assured him that she was fine.

“Don’t worry, Bam,” Alice said, voice full of mirth, “We won’t be needing your pigs this time.” Bam laughed good naturedly,

“Well, my pigs are always available, if you ever need them again.”

Hoseok wrapped his arms around Alice after the couple waved their guest off,

“He’s a good friend.”

“That he is.”

“You are a scary group of women. You know that, right?”

“That I do.”

He cupped her cheek and looked deep into her eyes,

“You know I will never treat you in such a way that will force you to feed me to the pigs, right?”

Alice smiled and lifted herself up on her tippy toes to give him a quick kiss,

“I should hope not. That was a lot of work.”

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