Tobias
"Are we there yet?" Gill whined for the hundredth time.
"Not quite, love." I chuckled and kissed the top of his head.
We were finally going to visit the council. My father was driving while Gill and I cuddled up in the back. I was pretty nervous... Whatever the council said determined our whole future. I could tell that Gill was quite anxious as well from the way he was biting his lip.
"Tobias?" I snapped out of my thoughts and glance at my mate, who was staring up at me.
"Yeah, love?" His gaze faltered slightly and he took his bottom lip between his teeth.
"What if the council says there's nothing we can do? Will something happen to us?" My grip tightened on him as I pulled his body closer.
"No, not at all. We won't be leading the pack, but we'll always be together, okay? Regardless of what the council says." He blushed and nodded, sending me a shy smile.
"Good." I smiled back and pressed a quick kiss to his lips.
"I love you." His grin widened and his cheeks grew darker.
"I love you too."
"Okay, as cute as you two are, you're still my son and future son in law. I don't need to see all that mushy shit." My father joked from his spot in the front of the car.
"Sorry sir." Gill giggled, nuzzling his face into my shoulder.
"It's alright kiddo." He suddenly pulled over the car at the entrance of a large forest. "This is as far as we can drive. We'll have to run the rest of the way. Gill, you might want to bundle up. It'll be quite cold." Gill nodded and practically leaped from the car in excitement to retrieve his coat. I chuckled and pulled myself from the car as well, shivering instantly at the temperature. I ignored the feeling of goosebumps rising on my skin and stripped down to my boxers before shifting. My body instantly warmed up and I trotted over to my mate. Gill pulled his coat on quickly and picked my discarded clothes up off the ground. Soon, my father appeared from the other side of the car in his wolf form as well. Gill grabbed my father's clothes as well and made his way back to me. I crouched low enough where he could climb on my back and we were off.
"It's really pretty out here. Freezing, but pretty." Gill sighed, nuzzling his face into my neck, gripping my fur tightly. I let out a soft purr and continued trotting along behind my father. It took us about an hour of walking through the thick forest before we finally reached a large clearing, a gigantic castle-like structure right in the middle. A group of guards approached us quickly, two in wolf form, and two in human form. They all wore thick armor with the council's emblem displayed on them.
"Shift, now." One of the human guards demanded. Gill slid off my back and hid nervously behind my tall figure. I closed my eyes and let my bones shift back into place before turning to my mate and taking the clothes from his arms. I chuckled at his blushing face and quickly tossed my father his clothes as well.
"State your name, rank, and pack." My father stepped up to the guard.
"I am Paul Greene, alpha of the Crimson Lake pack in Washington. This is my son, Tobias, future alpha, and his mate Gill, future Luna- err... Second alpha?" The guards nodded and stepped aside.
"The council is expecting you, Alpha Greene." My father nodded and quickly pulled on his clothes, as did I. I took Gill's hand and pressed a light kiss to his knuckles, making him smile at me.
"Are you nervous?" He asked as we made our way toward the castle.
"Yes and no." He gave me a confused look.
"Huh?" I chuckled.
"I want to lead the pack with you and eventually grow a family with you, for sure. I'm nervous that it might not happen the way we might want, meaning we can't lead the pack, but I'm not nervous because I know no matter what happens, whether we become alphas or we pass the title, I have you beside me, and that's all I need." He blushed and smiled at me.
"I feel the same." I kissed his head, making him sigh contently.
The large stone door opened by itself right as we arrived in front of us. My father led us into a large lobby area. Although the outside of the castle was old and mideval-esque, the inside was modern. There was a large aquarium on the far wall, a group of chairs and sofas in the corner, positioned in front of a wood-burning fireplace and a television mounted to the wall. Massive paintings of who assumed to be council members were hung on the walls, as well as ancient maps, yellowed and torn at the corners.
"You must be Alpha Greene," a soft voice said as a petite woman approached my father. She appeared to be in her early thirties. Her skin was pale and freckled, and her hair was as black as a raven.
"Yes, and this is my son and his mate." My father replied. The woman turned to Gill and I and bowed.
"It is lovely to meet you, my name is Paulina. My father and uncles are waiting for you in the meeting hall. Right this way." She turned on her heel and began walking away toward a long hallway. We followed Paulina for a while before we reached a set of doors.
"The double doors at the end of the hall leads to the meeting room. It was lovely to meet you all." Paulina bowed again and scurried off before we had a chance to respond. My father shrugged and opened the doors, leading to a shorter hallway. My heart seemed to beat faster with every step. I wasn't lying when I told Gill that he was all that mattered, but for the well-being of my pack, I knew my being alpha was the best. My brother, though he is a wonderful guy, is not meant to be a leader.
"Well, here we are. Would you like me to go in with you or wait outside?" My father asked. I looked to Gill and studied his nervous face.
"I think maybe you should sit out here. I'll link you if we need anything." He nodded and stepped toward me, placing his hand on my shoulder.
"Remember, the Goddess plans everything for a reason, so whatever happens in there, is meant to be. And alpha title or not, you two are true mates. As long as you have each other, your life will be full of love and happiness." I smiled and pulled him into a hug.
"Thank you, dad." He clapped my back before pulling away and giving me another smile. He left us alone by the door, heading toward the lobby.
"You ready for this, love?" Gill looked at me and anxiously bit his lip before nodding.
"I think so, but can I ask for something first?" He blushed a little, making me tilt my head curiously.
"Of course, beautiful."
"Kiss me?" He whispered shyly.
"It would be my pleasure." He giggled as I pulled his body closer to mine and pressed my lips softly to his pillowy soft ones.
"I love you, Toby." He said sincerely, cuddling his face into my chest.
"I love you too, Gill. More than anything," and with that final statement, I pushed the doors open, leading us to discover our future.
Gill
Tobias pushed the doors to the meeting room open and pulled me inside. There was a long table surrounded by chairs, but only three of them were occupied. The men at the table practically oozed with power, and I'd be lying if I said it wasn't very intimidating. They were all very tall, but the one in the middle was the tallest. They were dressed in tailored suits, and their salt and pepper hair was slicked back.
"Welcome, you must be Alpha Greene's boy." The tallest of the men, the one sitting in the middle, stood and stretched his arm toward Tobias.
"Yes sir, I'm Tobias. This is my lovely mate, Gill." I waved shyly and blushed, shielding myself slightly behind my boyfriend's tall figure.
"It's lovely to meet you two. I am Atticus, the leader of the council, and these are my brothers, Viktor and Hugo. Please, sit." Atticus smiled and gestured toward a pair of chairs in front of him. Tobias an I sat in front of the men and Viktor cleared his throat.
"So, I assume you are here to discuss this mating pair?" He asked as he sat back down.
"Yes, sir. I am meant to be the next alpha of my pack, but as you know, an alpha must be able to produce an heir, which we cannot do since we are both male." A solemn look crossed Viktor's face.
"Yes, I see..." On of the other men, Hugo, leaned toward his brother to whisper in his ear. Atticus sighed and nodded.
"Yes, I suppose you are right." Hugo pulled away from his brother and cleared his throat before addressing us.
"What we are about to tell you mustn't be taken lightly. There is a reason it is not common knowledge among the packs." My eyes widened and I looked up at Tobias.
"Yes sir, what is it?" Tobias gripped my hand tighter.
"Long ago their was a pack in Southern Canada called the Locke Ridge pack. Their alpha, Alpha William Locke, and his mate, Vivienne, gave birth to a baby boy, Antony. Little Antony grew up, and awaited the day that he would meet his mate and become alpha, and on the eve of his nineteenth birthday, he did. A young human man named Lionel who lived in another pack's territory. They married and became alphas very quickly. They were the first same-sex mates ever recorded, but obviously not the last. The news of their mating travelled quickly among the packs, and they were faced with war and hatred. Allies turning on them, sometimes even members of their own pack. Eventually, the entire pack was killed off. That is why same-sex mates is not widely known, even though it is more common than you'd think." I could feel my hands shaking as Atticus finished the story.
"B-but why?" The three councilmen seemed shocked at the sound of my voice.
"They thought it wasn't fair. That mating was something sacred, and somehow their bond destroyed that."
"But how did they become alphas?" Tobias asked. Atticus looked at his brothers before sighing and turning back toward us.
"Shortly after they met, Lionel fell pregnant with their only son, Samuel." I practically choked on my spit.
"He...what? But he was a boy!" I shouted. Hugo cleared his throat and stepped into the conversation.
"Mates are meant to reproduce. It's how our kind have stayed strong for so many centuries. This is no different."
"So you're saying...he can get pregnant?" Tobias gripped my hand tighter, but was careful not to hurt me.
"The probability of getting pregnant is a bit lower in males, but yes, it is possible."
"But you must be prepared for there to be conflict. Much like in the human world, homophobia is less common, but it is very much alive," Viktor added. "Have you already addressed your pack?" Tobias nodded.
"Yes, and they all seemed accepting."
"Good. Now, is that all you wished to discuss?"
"Actually, I think it might be a good idea to address some safety concerns of my pack." Tobias replied. "Recently, here has been a dramatic increase in hunters camping in the territory. We believe they're spying on us. One of them attacked mate before I even made the announcement. Now, I don't want to go around accusing our kind, but do you think it's possible that another pack is behind this? I don't see any other reason why a hunter would attack my human mate." The three brothers frowned.
"It is possible, yes. If I were you I'd keep at least one wolf you trust around him at all times. Gather your allies and prepare them for anything." Atticus answered.
"Yes, sir. Thank you for meeting with us." Tobias stood, pulling me up with him, and shook the council members hands.
"Our pleasure, and Tobias?"
"Yes, sir?"
"I you need any help in this situation, please do not be afraid to contact any one of us. Our warriors would be honored to fight alongside you." Atticus gave us a warm smile as we left the meeting room. Once the doors shut softly behind us, I was pulled up into Tobias' arms and spun around in circles,making me laugh.
"I love you so much! I'm so happy!" He burst. I wrapped my legs around his waist so he could hold me better and he just smiled up at me.
"I love you too," I said softly. Our lips pressed together in a gentle kiss and ny heart soared, as usual.
"I never asked though, I'm sorry. I just got excited... But do you want to have kids? Don't say yes just because of the alpha situation. I'd give it up in a heartbeat if it made you comfortable."Â I chewed on my lip anxiously.
"I'm not gonna lie, the whole thought of it scares me. I mean, I'm just assuming I uh... That I would be the pregnant one, and that terrifies me, but when we are both ready... I would love to have kids with you. And not just because of the alpha thing." His smile grew impossibly wider and he peppered kisses across my face.
"I will spend the rest of my life thanking the Goddess for sending you to me." I blushed an pecked his lips. He sent me down gently and kissed my nose before leading me down the hallway.