No Laughing Matter.

Chapter 24

A/N just a short filler chapter, let me know what you think about it. sorry for being away for so long i had my best friend/ex pass away and i'm not doing too great.

We needed a fresh body, or fresh enough body. That is what the mages told us we needed. Such a simple morbid request, I had no idea how one would acquire a corpse. Thatcher had ushered them out of the room very quickly after telling them our decision and them informing us of our new mission. I was hauled up in my mate's office as he was making calls to the local packs to see if we could have the body of a recently deceased. It was very unlikely when a shifter dies to keep the body, we preferred to be returned to the earth from which we came, we were animals who deserved that right. It was a spiritual thing for shifter, to return to mother earth and be ready to move into the next stage or cycle of life beyond this one. So we would need a non-shifters body and apparently in this area they were hard to come by.

Epiales soul was beyond excited to take the earth once again. I could hear him murmur and buzz about all the things he was going to do and the people he would pay a visit too, I was afraid these would not be friendship reuniting visits. Their soul was moving around so much I was starting to get nauseas. I was happy that he is excited, but I felt like I was moving even when I was stationery.

"Babe, you okay you don't look too happy." Thatchers voice came from right in front of me, I looked up at him from where I was sitting and smiled softly to myself. He was so handsome and made me feel so safe. I loved every single thing about him I was afraid to tell him in case he didn't feel as deeply as I did just yet, but I knew for sure thatcher was it for me not just because we were mates but because he was perfect for me in every way.

"Just a little motion sickness, long story." I laugh softly at how crazy that sounds from a non-moving person. Thatcher cocked his head at me smiling in confusion. He was beyond beautiful. His grey eyes were as deep and dark as the loudest storm clouds, his tan skin always healthy and glowing. His thick beard a little longer now than when I had first laid eyes on him in the forest that time ago. His clothes that little bit tighter as well. he was a beautiful huge mountain of a man and he was all mine.

"What are you staring at?" he asked his voice an octave deeper. He was now kneeling in front of me his fingers grasping my chin making me retain eye contact with him. The little smirk was on his face was intoxicating, I was melting from the inside out. I attempted to stutter out an answer that led to my alpha laughing and kissing me so softly I could barley keep the noises inside.

"You're so handsome Thatch, I'm so lucky to have you in my life." I say pouring my heart and soul into one sentence.

"You're so sweet darling. I'm lucky to have you in my life too, I can't wait till its just the two of us whenever we are going to be alone next, I'm going to show you just how much you mean to me." He starts to get up kissing my forehead on the way and making his way back to his desk the cubs playing around his feet in their animal form trying to coax him to shift and play with them also. They eventually gave up on him and decided that snuggling with me was the next best thig to do, we were all squished onto the couch. My body was covered in little balls of fluff that were beginning their little nap time.

I was curled up watching my little happy family trying to forget what thatcher had been on the phone about earlier. A body. I was still so lost why the mages had decided this was the best course of action. Thatchers phone began to buzz, he answered and spoke some hushed words his back turned to the cubs and I so I was unable to hear him very well over the cub breathing in my ear.

He hung up the phone and turned to me with a profoundly serious expression. "Babe, a pack east of us said they have a body of a trespasser who they are willing to give to us." I was shocked, we had only been looking for half a day and we already had a body. "If we want it we have to send the mages to collect it as its covered in magic chains that we are not able to come into contact with. They aren't shifter chains something older and deeper resided in that form and was returned to where it had come so the shell or body is now available. What do you think?"

WE HAVE TO GO GET THE BODY CAS! NOW! Epiales soul screamed into my mind. I flinched slightly which had Thatcher rushing to my side and asking what was happening, I shrugged it off as a nothing thing not wanting him to be any angrier at Epiales than he already was.

"I think its for the best for everyone if we get this body and have the mages give it to Epiales. I'm ready to have my body be my own again and to get back to living life once again in this pack." I had reached for Thatchers hand needing the comfort only a mate could bring.

"I can't wait for life to go back to normal Cas, just us and the cubs living life once more. When this is all over, we are going to get away for a little while and bond once more a s a family how does that sound?" my heart was so full of love and admiration for my mate, he wants to take our family away and bond, not only does he see us as a family now, but he wants to go on a family trip, he was the best mate I could have asked for to accept my pups as his own.

We shared a kiss before thatcher summoned the mages and told them of the situation with the body and they agreed to leave at first light in of the next day to retrieve the body for the soul removing. It was going to be another couple of weird weeks, I couldn't wait till everything settled down and I could spend more time with the pack and my mate.