HIS MATCH

07.

Brotherly Bonding & Truces.

River.

I might have overdone it, and not in the littlest of ways, I had indeed overdone it. Rumbling like a cat Riley held on tighter to my body, his warmth making me feel even more toasty. "You're awake." He whispered and I nodded. "You've been out for a day." He informed making me panic in surprise, I knew I had used back to back powerful spells but they weren't supposed to drain me like that. "That's shocking, I dont tend to reboot for that long." I replied Riley who hummed in agreement, I hadn't used most of my magic or powerful spells in a while so my magic had gone dormant, protecting the pack like that had its cost with limited power, hence why Riley was using our bond to heal me faster. "You're okay now, that's what matters." He responded placing a kiss in my hair, his tired sigh made my heart ache, he had used his energy to heal me but it left him drained.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine, the real issue is you and Julian." He asserted making me blush, all I wanted was to hide away then and never be found. "He chose me." I mumbled and Riley snickered. "I know he did, and then you decided to give the guests a show to how well the both of you could kiss and make actual sparks fly." Riley teased and I giggled like a school girl when he made kissy sounds. "Im happy though, I'm happy he chose me, but he still has a long way to go before I can say we're alright." I added and I didn't need to hear a verbal reply from Riley to know he was in agreement with my decision, he always supported me, even with my worst mistakes, through thick and thin, he would always be there.

"So where will you begin?" Riley asked and I chuckled. "When he comes for me, we'll start there, for now, lets wake up, shower, because we stink and then have breakfast, I'm sure you'd love an omelette or four." I told my brother who groaned like a child then began tickling me. "Stop—Riley, ha—Riley staaaap." I got out of bed running toward the bathroom, he was right behind me tickling me. "Gotcha honey." He growled playfully as he tickled me even more, I waved my hand turning the knob of the shower. "Water fight!" He cried out like a warrior and that's when the whole bathroom ended up looking as if a tsunami had gone through it. We cleaned up in between the splashing and mini tidal waves. "I had missed this." Riley muttered as he tied a towel around my head to dry my hair, he was already in boxers as we cleaned up his bathroom, mostly me using magic to move the water then he would wipe the surface dry. "Me too babe." I exclaimed as we finally finished.

I left him to go change as he went down to start breakfast, inside our home, we could be anything we wanted, away from prying and judgemental eyes. I wore a large sweater, which was definitely Riley's  small shorts and fuzzy socks  I was definitely staying indoors all day. "Honey we have visitors!" Riley yelled ftom downstairs, I wondered who it was until I felt him  just on the other side of the door. "Julian, I can feel you." I called out as I waved my hand and the door opened revealing him in all his handsome glorious splendor. "I asked Riley for permission before I even got on the stairs." He mumbled as he got in making me chuckle. "You smell amazing." He complimented making me blush. "You look dapper yourself." I replied and he smirked, that kind of cocky yet mischievous smirk that had me attracted to him the first time I saw him.

"All compliments aside, I need to talk to you about something." He stated seriously and I nodded gesturing him to the couch, we sat there after I took his jacket and placed it in my closet. "I'm just gonna say it." He mumbled. "I should've treated you better, you shouldn't have been a secret, and I want to promise you, that you'll never be a secret ever again and everyday I'm going to do the best I can, to prove to you that you're the one for me— you should know that I've always kept you in my prayers, hoped I could kiss you in public and claim you at an altar at some point and now I get to do that, because you've always been in my heart, I was just too much of an idiot to notice and act on it." He let out his emotions, this was it again, the confessions I had always dreamed of, the emotional and deeply rooted Julian I could always see that no one did or even knew existed.

"You're well on your way to becoming a poet, but I appreciate this, I appreciate you, for telling me how you feel." I exclaimed as he leaned in to kiss me, I shied away then he groaned, claiming my chin in his slender strong fingers, caressing my cheek then claiming his kiss, I didn't shy away, I gave in, and be ravaged, oh he was good. When we parted, he chuckled. "You're distracting me with all your beauty." He teased and I pouted. "I should look less like me then." I proposed and he grolwed. "Don't you dare apple pie." He whispered making my skin tingle. "Where was I, I don't want you to feel pressured into this, but I want to do right by you, you're my mate and as such I want to do everything that should've been done when one finds their mate." He finally announced and my heart, I knew it skipped a beat.

"What's that?" I questioned with a slight chuckle. "Well  first, being welcomed into the pack, then being welcomed into the pack as my mate, then a few more pack traditions." He explained and it didn't seem as bad, I wanted to do it, not because he was trying to fix our relationship or rectify our past but because I was trying to move on with Julian in my life, he was trying and I had to meet him halfway, that's what mates do, they help carry the burden. "I don't want to pressure you into doing anything, think it over, if you feel you won't do it, its fine." He asserted and I shook my head in refusal. "For a long while I'd told myself that resigning myself to just being your lover was all I could get, never more, and now that everything is changing, that we both know I'm your mate, Julian, I'm claiming what is owed to me, I'm your mate, I have my rights and so I'm going to be given what I'm owed." I replied and his eyes shined with pure joy.

"So you mean?" He breathed out and I nodded. "Bring it on alpha, I'll do it." I stated and he grinned. "Oh sweetpea thank you!" He cheered crushing me in a hug. "Thank you so much." He whispered as I relaxed in his embrace, it felt so right being held by him, it felt so good, when our skin touched sparks went through me, that's how I knew, he was mine. "One more thing, my father wants to have dinner with you and talk." Julian slowly mumbled and I slightly deflated, the man had wanted to attack me a while ago. "Oh, that I have to think over." I replied Julian and he placed kises on both my hands. "I thought as much, so its alright." He asserted as we both smiled, this was right.

"You two done having this mushy heart to heart?" Riley mumbled leaning on the door, he had worn pants still no tee, you could never get him to wear one unless you forced him. "We are never gonna finish." Julian retorted and I chuckled as Riley rolled his eyes. "Im hungry, so—." Riley gestured downstairs and I knew he didn't want to eat anything he made, just what I would cook, he was being a child, and it was somewhat endearing because I loved indulging him. "Come on, I'll make breakfast." I offered and both lycans in the room cheered, family of lycans indeed.

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Saint_Jay