Out of Control 4/5 [NC-17] Jared/Jensen, RPS AU
Title: Out of Control (4/5)
Genre: RPS AU
Pairing: Jensen/Jared
Warning: Sex, Violence, Language, a Modified Mythology, never actually using the word werewolf
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 35K, This part 6.5K (I haven't done the maths lately, but I'm pretty sure this story is nearing 40K)
Beta: I’d like to thank
enablelove as the best person in the universe. Who has been kicking my ass all through this one.
-Also special thanks to
ldyghst for the helps where needed! We have details.
Seriously these people made the story so much better.
Summary: Jared Padalecki and his inner circle work hard and play harder, everybody in the territory knows it. Everybody in all the neighboring territories knows it. Everybody knows that he is groomed to be head of the Pack, and he's poised to take over. Jared's father is waiting, though. Waiting to see what Jared will do about his brother, about the neighboring rowdy Pack, about a mate...
Part I|Part II|Part III
PART IV
**
Jensen thought of a lot of things of where he thought of where they would be going. Jared's houses were a modernistic interpretation of a village out in the middle of nowhere. His offices were gothic. There was something about Jared that made him expect something larger than life: traditional, but slightly quirky.
So when Jared directed him to a sub development on the edge of town, full of cookie cutter duplex houses that had probably been erected over night, Jensen was a little surprised.
They had taken the SUV, which was good, as the Humvee probably would have stood out in this situation.
Jared directed him to one of the duplexes at the end of a cul-de-sac.
Jensen parked and then looked at Jared. "How hard did you hit your head?"
“I’m not the best at explaining,” Jared said with a hesitant smile. “So I’m just going to show.”
Jared’s look was quiet, waiting for Jensen to get his hackles in a bunch.
Jensen just nodded, but the tension was still palpatable.
It was six in the morning, Jared got out of the car, looked at the two doors, and weighed his options. He finally chose the door on the left.
He rang the bell and almost instantly, a tiny brunette answered it, dressed in a silky robe and nightgown.
Jensen instantly glared at her. She only saw Jared at first, her face going to genuine concern and then following with a nod.
"Again?" she asked, moving and motioning for them to come in. It was then that she saw Jensen, her expression first confused and then she inhaled as he passed by and her face broke into the most welcoming grin that Jensen had ever seen in his life.
"I'm Sandy," she said cheerfully, although still in hushed tones.
"Jensen," Jared introduced.
“I know,” she said with a smile that made him a little uncomfortable with what she did know.
"Still here," Jared whispered. "Still hurting."
Sandy led them up the stairs with her finger on her lips. "Be as quiet as possible. Sorry, but Sammarie is still not good about sleeping through the night, and let me tell you, that girl has some lungs on her."
Sandy took Jared to the bathroom and began to clean him up. He sat on the closed toilet and Jensen leaned against the doorframe. From the ease of Sandy's hands, it seemed like she had done this often.
She was almost done when an ungodly human wail went through the house. She jumped.
"Sorry, the kraken has woken," she said, running from the room.
Jensen looked at Jared. He seemed to be very interested in the tiles on the wall. Jensen wanted to ask, but he didn’t quite know the words to say.
Sandy came back with a little child in her arms. She smiled up at Jensen.
"Jensen, this is Sammarie," Sandy said formally, something meaningful was in the exchange, Jensen didn’t know if it was for the child or for him.
Jensen's gaze drew back to Jared and Jared nodded. "Yeah, mine."
It wasn't that hard to tell once you actually looked. The little thing was looking up at Jensen with those almost almond eyes, hazel green, and when she smiled and dimples came out on her cheeks.
"Hold her?" Sandy asked. "Just while I finish him up."
Sandy adjusted Jensen’s arms to hold the baby girl. She laughed a little at his awkward movements.
Sammarie’s dimples were carved deep in her cheeks and her little hands started reaching for Jensen. She was comfortable despite his feelings on the situation.
Sandy went back to Jared and finishing fixing him up. It was practiced and didn’t seem like anything new.
“You’ve done this before?” Jensen asked, proud of the steadiness of his voice and the proper conversation, trying to find something a little more neutral than Sammarie Padalecki.
She looked at the mark peeking from his shirt. “Yeah, it isn’t a rare thing. You might want to learn.”
Jensen felt like he was the only one who didn’t know where his place was; everyone else seemed to be placing him just fine.
"Mommy?" A little voice came from the doorway. Jensen was glad that he had the baby settled, because the child at the door was shocking. He was skinny, shaggy hair tousled and Jensen didn’t wait to see his eyes before guessing who he belonged to.
"Hey Jagger," Sandy said softly, finishing Jared up. "Did we wake you?"
"Daddy," Jagger said, going closer.
Jared tousled his hair with his good hand. "Hey, little man."
Jensen swallowed. Sandy came up to him and took Sammarie from him as Jared talked to Jagger.
He smile had a little bit of understanding that this wasn’t easy and she also had a ver sweet welcoming smile.
"Don't pass out now, there’s still more to come."
**
Jensen was having trouble sitting in the kitchen as Sandy fed the baby girl and made waffles for Jagger and Jared. Jensen watched, feeling like an outsider as they talked like a family. Not his family; his family had involved caretakers and his mother had never been in the kitchen in their house. Jensen wasn’t sure she knew where to find it. Some days Jensen question if his mother could identify him out of a line up.
This was what he thought a family should be and he had no idea what he was doing in it.
Jared looked over. “How do you take your waffles?”
The question was simple, but the look on Jared’s face was earnest, as if there were a million pieces of Jensen that he wanted to know.
Sandy smiled and placed a plate in front of Jensen.
“More coffee, Jensen?” she asked, smiling sweetly. “Sorry for monopolizing him, but the roof is leaking and he has to choose between the two contractors I’ve had look at it.”
Jensen just looked at the waffles, having no clue how he was going to get them over the lump in his throat.
That was when another woman came in the back door followed by three very young identical children. They congregated around Jared and Jensen was pretty happy to be on the outside of this group.
Jared sat in the middle of the brood and listened to all of them talk at once. He answered questions and grinned at each one. He put one of the triplets on his lap and laughed at one of the other one telling a basic joke.
"Jagger is seven," Sandy said, with Sammarie on her hip. "The triplets, Jace, Jax, and Jude, major points if you can tell them apart, they even smell the same, are three and Genevieve's and they live next door. Sammarie is four months."
Jensen swallowed.
"And you smell like his sheets," Sandy said with a grin, very obviously overtly hinting.
“Sandy,” Genevieve sighed, coming up with her coffee. “You’ve also been listening to Jared bitch about Jensen since he got here. Stop trying to play coy like he’s a surprise.”
Then she turned to Jensen. “So you’re the one. Maybe.”
“Hey meddling women,” Jared said from his side of the room. “Behave.”
The women just looked at him. He went back to listening to four children at a time, smiling tiredly at them. Sandy turned her sights back on Jensen, but it was Genevieve who spoke first.
"I'm surprised that he trusts you enough to bring you here," Genevieve said.
"Be nice," Sandy commanded. "Jared brought him here."
The bringing of him here seemed to carry some kind of weight that Jensen could only guess about. He just kept quiet.
Genevieve made a face.
"Take Sammarie," Sandy said with a sigh, handing the baby to Genevieve. "Jared looks like he’s about to pass out. I'm going to put him to bed."
Sandy shooed the kids into the living room.
Jared came up to Jensen tiredly. "Can you stay and look out? I'm just so tired."
Jensen didn’t know what to say. “Okay.”
“Sandy can get you a lap top,” Jared said, before turning back to Jensen. “If you want to do work. I know I owe you a lot of explanations and I’m pretty sure that you’ve heard quite a bit already, but, I-“
Something had changed with the claim; there was a tenuous understanding between the two of them. Jensen didn’t expect things to change this easily. If he just said yes the gates were open. The Cub Pack seemed to think that he was going to do a runner at any time, and most of the time he wanted to.
Then Jared would give him a look, and he was riveted.
He was in this until it was over and there was no use fighting. For the first time in his life, he had been given a place. He was given something without fighting for it; in fact he had been fighting against it.
And this place was open and warm and included waffles.
A few hours ago they were pretty much fucking with their clothes on in the middle of a dark club. Now they were in the middle of Stepford with kids and their moms, and it seemed like Jared was asking permission to sleep.
Jensen couldn’t find purchase on the world spinning around. He was rapidly falling down the rabbit hole.
“Go ahead,” Jensen said, shifting uncomfortably.
Jared gave him a grateful smile and followed Sandy upstairs. Jensen began to drum his fingers on the table.
"Don't worry," Genevieve finally said, giving in a little. "They're not like that, they haven't been for years."
Jensen gave her a withering look and then looked pointedly at Sammarie.
"You've got it bad," Genevieve laughed, her smile was brilliant. "She didn’t give birth to Sammarie. The woman who did wanted Jared, but she wasn’t in the inner circle. She didn’t know. The bitch thought if she got knocked up, Jared would mate her. Stupid cow. We all know Jared isn’t going to mate the mother of his pups, not after how he grew up.”
Jensen thought about his parents, the household that he had grown up in. “It’s a little different here.”
“I guess it would be complicated,” Genevieve said with a shrug.
She didn’t seem to be going on so Jensen stuffed his pride and asked. “What happened in Jared’s family? Where I come from, even if the leaning of the Head Alpha is to the same sex, he still only has one woman and she’s pretty important. You guys seem to be away from the light, and you two haven’t killed each other. It’s just odd.”
Genevieve looked at her coffee, seemingly contemplating what she should share.
“For Jared, his partner would never be a woman,” Genevieve finally said. “Never the mother of his children. He watched his mother be torn in three directions growing up. She couldn’t be mate and mother and her sons seemed to be two factions of their own. Her loyalty was split in three and I think he blames her early death on that. If Jared mates, he wants a partner. He’s selfish in the best way. He also wants kids. He found a way that worked and with the exception of the whore who gave birth to Sammarie, we’re all pretty happy with the arrangement. Jared never actively looked for a mate so we don’t know how someone else will assimilate.”
She looked pointedly at him.
He looked directly back at her. He really wanted to shrug it off, but he could feel his possessiveness, his wanting, his shoulder burning.
“I’m sure he’ll assimilate just fine,” Jensen said just as pointedly. “Just takes a few seconds to get used to.”
Genevieve laughed. "I seriously didn't expect to like you. Katie and Sophia said you were okay, but I didn't expect much."
"Katie likes me?" Jensen asked.
"That’s what you focus on?" Genevieve asked.
"You people and your insults," Jensen said with a shrug. "You know them well?"
"Well kind of," Genevieve said. "I grew up with them. I was the sixth."
"Until you got knocked up?" Jensen asked.
"Yeah," she said with a wide-open grin. “I was just like Sophia and Katie, but something happened, and I wanted more. I talked to Jared for a long time discussing the options. I could look for a mate or he offered me his kids.”
Jensen felt the hairs of his neck go up at the thought.
She grinned again. “Down boy. I’ve got no claim on him besides the kids. He’s never gong to touch Sandy or me again.”
A thought occurred to Jensen. “Have, I mean – the five, do they-”
She raised her eyebrows, obviously knowing what he was trying to say, but enjoying listening to him trying to get it out there.
“We don’t talk about sleeping with the boss,” she said, taking malicious pity on him.
Jensen pressed his lips together.
Genevieve leaned in and whispered. “You’re in the running for mate, but that doesn’t mean bitch. You can put your own standards on him too. He can say no, but by the mark on his neck, which he totally didn’t have to do, it looks like you stand a chance. Tell him no others. Make that your terms. Pretty much all you have to do to end the Jared-wanderlust is to be his wanderlust. You do like sex right? You don’t mind taking it up the ass?”
Jensen’s jaw dropped and he was sure that his face was scarlet.
“Are you a virgin?” she teased.
Jensen glared at her.
Her grin took on epic proportions, and Jensen just knew he was going to come home to find a dildo, or many dildos, on his bed, because that was the kind of friends Jared had.
“Gen,” Sandy said as she came down, looking at her suspiciously. “What are you doing to him?”
**
Having a discussion about sex and Jared and Jared having sex with the two mothers of his children had been informative, uncomfortable, and embarrassingly erotic.
Finally, after they had stuffed him full of food and also detailed sex facts, Sandy took pity on him.
“Jared said you have work to do,” she said. “He keeps a laptop here. We can set you up in his room so you can do what it is that you need to do.”
Jensen nodded gratefully. It would be nice to have some quiet. He did have quite a bit of work to do. She showed him to a room on the third floor, a big wide-open space with sloping ceilings. In the middle of the room was a huge bed. On the bed was a passed out Jared and snuggled into his side were three little wolf pups.
Sandy looked at them with a smile.
“They just figured out how to change,” she whispered. “They can’t shift easily and it takes a lot out of them and forever for them to go back, but they’re so proud they just wanted to show him.”
Jensen just looked. She pointed to a chair. “There’s the laptop, it’s connected to internet, so you can use it up here or downstairs.
Jensen looked at the sight on the bed and spoke to her softly. “I’m going to stay here, just to make sure that everything is okay.”
She grinned up at him and left him in the very quiet room, the skylight offering the morning light.
He sat down in the white chair and gazed at the pile on the bed. One of the little kids was wobbling; Jared stayed asleep, but a hand found the little one and rubbed him.
Jensen couldn’t make heads or tails of how this was this was affecting him just as much as the club last night. Dry humping Jared was as big a thrill as being part of this odd little family. And there was no end to how dirty he felt thinking these thoughts in this clean G rated place.
Jensen tore his eyes from the bed to the screen and started to work. He was so focused that while he felt a little presence nearby, it took a while for his fingers to slow, but he didn’t look up after they had stopped typing away. He wasn’t sure of what to do.
“Whatcha doing,” Jagger said, leaning over his shoulder and looking at the screen.
“I’m putting together a buy-sell agreement,” Jensen said carefully.
“What is that?” Jaime said, leaning in even closer to stare at the screen of numbers and words.
“Um, it’s a binding contract between owners that sets forth when the owners can sell their interest, who can buy an owner's interest, and what price will be paid,” Jensen said automatically.
Jagger’s brow creased.
“I’m helping your dad buy out a company,” Jensen tried.
Jagger peered at the screen like he would easily be able to figure out what was going on by reading the words.
“I’m making rules of how they can sell their property,” Jensen began.
Jensen started to explain, breaking it down. He talked, Jagger asked questions, and it was four hours before he finally looked up.
Jared was watching him when Jensen’s eyes lifted from Jagger and the screen.
Jensen swallowed guiltily.
“Why do you have to put in the rules about spouses?” Jagger was asking.
“Because part of everything is theirs,” Jensen said unthinkingly.
Jared just watched him for a while before he cleared his throat.
“Daddy,” Jagger said, looking away from Jensen. “Jensen is teaching me how to corporate buyout.”
Jared raised an eyebrow and motioned for Jagger. The boy went to Jared, talking a mile a minute.
Jensen stood up and stretched. He looked at Jared and Jagger and immediately snuck downstairs.
Sandy was putting away dishes, but she turned when he walked in.
“You do this all yourself?” Jensen said before thinking.
“Not as glamorous as you thought?” Sandy asked.
Jensen shrugged. “I might have grown up a little differently. It’s kind of cool to see all this”
She laughed.
“I don’t think you remember, but my aunt mated someone in your pack,” Sandy said. “I’ve seen the house that you grew up in, back when I was a kid. I don’t know if anyone grew up the way that you did.”
Jensen nodded. “Yeah, well, it seems like you have a nice set up here.”
They chatted for a little while longer before Jared finally came down. He looked at Jensen, eyes guarded, before walking to Sandy and kissing her on the forehead.
“We’ve got to go,” he said quietly, eyes back on Jensen.
Sandy looked between them, feeling the static in the air. It was calm, but everyone could see the thunder and lightning rolling in the air.
“Get back to your real life,” Sandy said with a nod to Jared and turned to Jensen. “The boys have soccer on Tuesday. You can bring Jared to the game if you want.”
Jensen nodded, a little numb right now. He picked up the keys on the counter, feeling sluggish and dumb. The air was too heavy, full of so much he couldn’t process. Jared’s hazel eyes seemed to follow him everywhere.
They walked out of the house, and no sooner had the door closed behind them before Jared pulled Jensen to the side of the house. Jared’s hands were in Jensen’s hair, tilting his head, lips descending, crushing his body and his mouth against Jensen; pushing him against the wall.
Jensen just held on to Jared, following the pattern of his tongue. Jensen let out a growl in the back of his throat, but that just encouraged Jared to push him back; to probe deeper into Jensen’s mouth, and for the first time there was no resistance. No pushing.
But Jensen didn’t just let it happen, he responded. He fit in with Jared’s movements, nudging him deeper, pulling him closer.
They were just so needy and wanting; they couldn’t cling enough of each other, to touch. Something seemed to have changed. They had showed it all and the other person wasn’t backing off an inch. It was actually an attraction.
It was Jared who pulled back. Jensen followed the lips and Jared held him away.
“We need to go home,” Jared said with finality.
Jensen nodded.
They climbed in the car, Jared in the passenger seat, head lolling back, and Jensen driving. The noon day sun shone down; the sky was blue and the ground stretched out in front of them.
“You showed me your underbelly,” Jared finally said, looking at the horizon. “I just showed you mine. When the triplets were born, my dad took me aside. I was doing what I needed to be my dad’s chosen son, but I was going out more than taking the reins. I was still more fuck up than future. My dad told me that my brother was gunning for the spot, and that I had an option. I could keep going was or I could buckle down. Those pups in there are the reason that I have to put it on lock down.”
Jensen searched his mind. “If you lose, the kids are the first to go, then the pack, then the women, but the kids will definitely be on that list.”
“Yes,” Jared replied.
“There is a lot resting on your shoulders,” Jensen said.
“Yeah, but I still really want to fuck you,” Jared admitted.
Jensen stayed quiet.
“That is the thing,” Jared said. “I think about all the things I want to do to you and all the pressure weighing on me and the things depending on me, but from the first moment I saw you… well, you’re a distraction, Jensen Ackles.”
Jensen made a right turn towards Jared’s compound. “I won’t beg,”
“But you still need to ask,” Jared told him. “I’m still me and this is still where we meet. You can be whatever you want to be, but I need you to trust my voice. I need you to be willing to be mine. God, I want to fuck you more than ever. I can almost see it and the thing is, I know that you’re going to be prettier sight than I can even imagine in my head. I’m going to ask you to come and you’re going to see stars for years.”
Jensen gripped the wheel tightly and swallowed.
When Jared finally spoke, his voice was low and rough. “But Jensen, you gotta come to me. You’ve gotta ask.”
They didn’t speak for the rest of the ride home.
**
“Fuck,” Jared swore when they pulled up.
Both of the Humvees were in the driveway, but there also was a long black town car.
“Who is it?” Jensen asked.
“My dad,” Jared replied.
Jensen followed Jared out of the car.
“Jim, good to see you,” Jared said with a smile, flinching a little as he shook hands with Jim.
“If you’ve been a fool, you certainly are paying for it,” Jim said. “Is he in his place?”
“Yes sir,” Jared said stiffly. “For now. Does dad want me?”
Jim shook his head. “I’m here for him.”
Jared looked over his shoulder at Jensen in surprise.
Jensen was calm and blank.
“I...” Jared began.
Jim shook his head. “No kiddo. Your father is asking for an audience with Jensen. Whatever is happening with your brother, you know he won’t go into. The thing that is happening with the Baldwins, he will want to talk to you tomorrow, but right now the pressing thing is Jensen.”
Jared nodded.
“Can I shower?” Jensen asked. “I mean...”
“Get in the car, boy,” Jim said. “I’ve already been waiting three hours.”
Jensen nodded and walked towards the car.
Jared snagged his arm. “I meant everything I said. However we got here, whatever is going on, it’s only me and you in this, you’ve just gotta ask. You have a place here, if you want it.”
Jensen nodded mutely and got in the car.
He leaned back and let his thoughts wander. He could still feel Jared on his lips and a ghost weight pressing on his body. He had absolutely no idea what this was all about.
He leaned back and closed his eyes, trying to find a center.
There was the feeling that he never really had a center.
He kept his eyes shut and tried to focus his breathing. He saw Jared in his mind’s eye. He saw the shaggy hair and the blinding white smile.
He opened his eyes and turned to look back at the compound and all he could think of was the way that Jared described it when he first brought Jensen there.
Home.
**
Gerald wasn’t alone when Jensen entered his office.
Sitting in the far chair was Josh, and behind him was Christian Kane.
Jensen walked in and stood by the other chair. He crossed his arms and didn’t say anything.
Gerald sat back in his chair.
“Your brother has come to talk to me about the nature of your stay here in our territory,” Gerald said. “I do appreciate your loyalty to your Alpha by staying without question, and I even more appreciate your brother’s respect of you that you’re more than able to make your own decisions. I would rather force you to mate with my son, I find the match very compatible, however Jared was resistant to the idea. You seemed less than pleased, and there are quite a few issues happening in my territory right now, so if this arrangement isn’t working for you, I feel compelled to let you leave.”
Jensen looked over at his brother.
Josh leaned forward. “I talked to dad. I disagreed with putting you in this situation without speaking to you and without getting the facts. We have checked up closely and there are major faction issues happening here. We don’t want to irratate the situation. I know you can be rather contrary.”
“You are asking me what I want?” Jensen clarified.
He felt his heart beat faster. This was his third offer to leave. This was the third time someone told him that he could be anywhere else. He knew that he wasn’t going to take this offer any more than he took the others.
He was damned. He couldn’t leave, but he was still having trouble submitting to Jared even if he wanted to with every fiber of his being.
Josh leaned back and raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t jumping at leaving.” Josh observed. “Something changed?”
That was when Josh noticed the mark on Jensen’s neck. It was angry and red.
“He claimed you,” Josh said with a raised eyebrow.
Jensen nodded. “And I him.”
Josh got a look on his face.
Jensen knew that look, the one that Josh had his entire life. He wasn’t aggressive, but Josh was confident enough that he didn’t have to be. Josh would wait forever, never flinching for an answer, but Josh always seemed to know what you were going to tell him before you ddi.
Jensen turned to Gerald. “Could I have a place here? If I mind my place, can that place have plenty of room?”
“You want a seat at the table,” Gerald said slowly; then he nodded. “If he chooses you. If he gives his say.”
“In the short time I’ve been here, I’m fairly sure that I’ve earned it,” Jensen told him.
Gerald grinned; it was just like his son’s. “From what I’ve heard, son, I’m fairly sure you have. I hardly expected anything less. I can’t speak for Jared, but you have a place here if you want one.”
Josh nodded. “I came here to let your wishes be heard. I just need you be aware that Gerald has confirmed that there is a rift. He has chosen Jared, but more than likely Jeff is going to challenge the claim, with the Baldwins as his backing. If anything happens, we will take your side, but we can’t promise anything.”
“I understand,” Jensen said.
“Jensen,” Josh said softly, standing to move next to him. Whispering in his ear. “If you choose Jared and Jeff comes at you, you won’t survive a regime change.”
“Damn it, Josh,” Jensen hissed. “I know these things, I’m well aware. Not like you were brought up any more knowledgeable than I was.”
“I hear it in your voice, Jensen,” Josh warned. “Can you know in just a matter of days?”
Jensen looked at his brother in the eyes. “Yes.”
Josh nodded. “Well, dad will be pleased. Chris has asked to stay if you do.”
“Josh,” Jensen started to counter.
“His family has guarded ours since our family took over the pack, it is his right to ask,” Josh said. “He asked and Dad and I have accepted. Gerald has no feelings either way.”
Jensen heckled up to protest.
Josh leaned in again. “Those are the terms.”
Jensen set his jaw and leveled his head. “I’ve chosen. You can make all the rules around it you want, all the deals that you want, I don’t care. But you know that I’m going to be here, and the reason you are being so nice is that you know I’ll be the one here. You don’t want to piss me off, because I’m going to be the one with all the deals in the future.”
Josh laughed. “You’ve always been too smart for your own good.”
Then Josh got serious. “You’re my brother, you’re my blood. You’ve always been looking for something and I hope that you find it. I’m always going to be your brother, and I am always going to have your back.”
Jensen grasped him by the back of the neck, foreheads pulled together.
“You’re my big brother,” Jensen whispered. “You just wait, I’m going to have yours.”
They both lifted their heads and grinned at each other.
“See you, baby brother,” Josh said and looked at Chris. “Thanks man.”
Josh left the room.
Jensen looked at Gerald, suddenly feeling more exposed than when his father had left him here.
There was silence. Jensen realized he was sitting in front of his new leader. Jensen realized he had just changed packs and this man in front of him very soon would ask for allegiance. This was the father of the mate he hoped to have waiting.
Jensen felt the gravity of the moment. He wondered what Gerald would say.
Finally Gerald spoke. “I don’t know what I did to make my boys end up with their fist in each other’s faces and claws in each other’s backs, but they are. I hope that some of your family rubs off on Jared’s boys.”
Jensen wasn’t expecting that.
“Welcome to the family, son,” Gerald said, bowing.
“Not quite yet,” Jensen cautioned.
Gerald shrugged. “See you then. Here’s a present to the newest pack member.”
Gerald threw him a set of keys.
Jensen nodded and walked out of the room, and Chris followed without a word.
Jensen turned and looked at Chris. They had been friends on and off since birth. Chris had taught him to throw a punch and how to play guitar. Jensen watched and learned until he was better than most. Chris had been the only one outside of the family who knew Jensen’s wild streak, and was the only person outside of family who had ever had the balls to pull him out of a melee. Chris had been on his detail and his shadow for most of his life.
“You tired of Dallas?” Jensen asked.
Chris gave a little grin. “It just isn’t as much fun without you.”
“Right, you get tired of getting stuck with the flack from my mess?” Jensen replied.
“I like to call it taking credit,” Chris replied.
Jensen laughed and rolled his eyes. They walked in silence for a moment.
“You forget, though,” Chris said after a moment. “You do it all the time, every time you do something that you see as a mistake. You forget that you have people. Josh and me, we made sure your father got an earful that he can’t do that to you. He can’t just put you out for pack alliance. You mean more than that to all of us. Just because you aren’t future pack leader, doesn’t mean you aren’t important.”
Jensen didn’t know what to say to that. Chris stopped and held Jensen’s arm.
“Does little Padalecki see you or does he just see your face?” Chris asked seriously.
Jensen knew at this moment if he said that there was any kind of pity involved in this on either side, Jared taking in the pretty wayward Ackles pup or Jensen feeling like he had no worth other than this, that Chris would take him away from here.
“He saw me,” Jensen said. “He saw me loose control and he showed me him. This is a two way thing.”
Chris looked at him, reading him and after seeing no deception, he nodded.
“You didn’t have to come, Chris,” Jensen said, voice low. “You can go home. I don’t need somebody to watch my back; everyone here is nice enough.”
Chris studied him. “Jeff Padalecki wants to take over. He is inciting some of the smaller sub-packs to gather forces. You might have your new crew, but you need somebody to guard your back. Plus my greatness is wasted in Dallas, man. You were in an honest to god down and dirty brawl. I heard that and there wasn’t any way I was staying there. This is my shit. No more suits, just beer and my fists.”
“You’re still going to have to wear a suit,” Jensen told him, staring off into space. He hadn’t known how much he had needed someone to watch his back until Chris came. Until his brother told him it was his choice.
It was his choice.
“Chris,” Jensen said, his voice coming from somewhere far away. “Barring him suddenly changing his mind, it’s going to happen. For real.”
When Jensen looked at Chris, he was grinning. “Good thing you’re pretty, cause you’re real slow sometimes.”
“Hey,” Jensen said indignantly. “He’s the one we used to beat up, and I’m slow because it took me four days?”
“Jensen,” Chris said, his smile superior. “You have never paid more attention or spent more time putting in the effort of ignoring anyone more than you have that kid. I’m not surprised. Well, it is you so I’m completely surprised that you let go enough to see the world.”
Jensen raised an eyebrow.
“You’re being nice,” Jensen noted. “You really want to be here so you can punch people without my dad going ape shit?”
Chris grinned. “You know it.”
Then Chris grabbed the keys and looked towards the garage door. “Dude let’s go see what the new leader/father-in-law had bestowed upon you.”
“I hate you,” Jensen muttered.
Chris grinned. “This is going to be awesome.”
Jensen reached for the door handle and paused.
“I didn’t think you were going to be the one doing this with me,” Jensen sighed, moving to where the car was parked.
Chris raised an eyebrow. “You kidding? Of course I was going to be the one to see you off.”
**
Jensen pulled up in the mint as hell ’67 Chevy Impala.
Chris didn’t move a facial muscle when they pulled up to the compound. That was definitely a feat because the place was magnificent in the setting sun. The windows were shimmering in the light, the dusty Texas land spread out and sloping in all directions.
Chris closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened it, he looked at Jensen with happiness. “Goddamned son, well fucking done.”
Jensen looked up and the Cub Pack was coming out to meet them. They were wearing their off duty clothes, maybe a little drunk, and definitely looking pissed when they laid eyes on Chris.
Jensen just looked at them.
They stood in a line. Hartley in the middle, arms crossed. Chad on his right, scratching his chin. The girls were on the left with their hands on their hips and scowls on their faces. Misha stood a little ways away, always watching, face expressionless. He was actually the creepiest of the bunch.
Chris whistled. “This is my kind of place with that welcome. Real sweet people here.”
Jensen just looked at them. He belonged here. He hadn’t put in the time yet, but he belonged here. His people belonged here. He wasn’t going to cower, unless Jared told him to get out, and he had no reason for thinking anything like that would ever happen.
“This is Chris,” He introduced.
None of them moved.
“He’s staying here,” Jensen added.
Jensen was suddenly very grateful for his welcome; these five were a scary barrier when they wanted. He wasn’t all that intimated at this point. They wouldn’t touch him. Chris, however, had his hackles up.
“Really?” Hartley asked with a stony look. “And where is he staying? We’re all full up.”
“He’s staying in my house,” Jensen told them.
Sophia raised an eyebrow. “It’s your house now?”
“And where are you staying?” Hartley spat out vilely.
Jensen just looked at him and the group seemed to deflate as they slowly got it.
Jensen stepped forward.
The stood for a second and then one by one, they parted.
Jensen looked at Hartley as he passed. “Try not to be a dick to him. His family guards my family. If I’m staying here, he’s staying here.”
Hartley’s stance almost instantly became more welcoming, he saluted Jensen. “Have fun. We’ll take care of your boy.”
Jensen looked at the path from his foot to Jared’s house as he passed over the stone.
He thought for a second.
His choice. Where his feet went, it was his choice.
He couldn’t get to the front door fast enough.
Part V
Genre: RPS AU
Pairing: Jensen/Jared
Warning: Sex, Violence, Language, a Modified Mythology, never actually using the word werewolf
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 35K, This part 6.5K (I haven't done the maths lately, but I'm pretty sure this story is nearing 40K)
Beta: I’d like to thank
-Also special thanks to
ldyghst for the helps where needed! We have details.Seriously these people made the story so much better.
Summary: Jared Padalecki and his inner circle work hard and play harder, everybody in the territory knows it. Everybody in all the neighboring territories knows it. Everybody knows that he is groomed to be head of the Pack, and he's poised to take over. Jared's father is waiting, though. Waiting to see what Jared will do about his brother, about the neighboring rowdy Pack, about a mate...
Part I|Part II|Part III
PART IV
**
Jensen thought of a lot of things of where he thought of where they would be going. Jared's houses were a modernistic interpretation of a village out in the middle of nowhere. His offices were gothic. There was something about Jared that made him expect something larger than life: traditional, but slightly quirky.
So when Jared directed him to a sub development on the edge of town, full of cookie cutter duplex houses that had probably been erected over night, Jensen was a little surprised.
They had taken the SUV, which was good, as the Humvee probably would have stood out in this situation.
Jared directed him to one of the duplexes at the end of a cul-de-sac.
Jensen parked and then looked at Jared. "How hard did you hit your head?"
“I’m not the best at explaining,” Jared said with a hesitant smile. “So I’m just going to show.”
Jared’s look was quiet, waiting for Jensen to get his hackles in a bunch.
Jensen just nodded, but the tension was still palpatable.
It was six in the morning, Jared got out of the car, looked at the two doors, and weighed his options. He finally chose the door on the left.
He rang the bell and almost instantly, a tiny brunette answered it, dressed in a silky robe and nightgown.
Jensen instantly glared at her. She only saw Jared at first, her face going to genuine concern and then following with a nod.
"Again?" she asked, moving and motioning for them to come in. It was then that she saw Jensen, her expression first confused and then she inhaled as he passed by and her face broke into the most welcoming grin that Jensen had ever seen in his life.
"I'm Sandy," she said cheerfully, although still in hushed tones.
"Jensen," Jared introduced.
“I know,” she said with a smile that made him a little uncomfortable with what she did know.
"Still here," Jared whispered. "Still hurting."
Sandy led them up the stairs with her finger on her lips. "Be as quiet as possible. Sorry, but Sammarie is still not good about sleeping through the night, and let me tell you, that girl has some lungs on her."
Sandy took Jared to the bathroom and began to clean him up. He sat on the closed toilet and Jensen leaned against the doorframe. From the ease of Sandy's hands, it seemed like she had done this often.
She was almost done when an ungodly human wail went through the house. She jumped.
"Sorry, the kraken has woken," she said, running from the room.
Jensen looked at Jared. He seemed to be very interested in the tiles on the wall. Jensen wanted to ask, but he didn’t quite know the words to say.
Sandy came back with a little child in her arms. She smiled up at Jensen.
"Jensen, this is Sammarie," Sandy said formally, something meaningful was in the exchange, Jensen didn’t know if it was for the child or for him.
Jensen's gaze drew back to Jared and Jared nodded. "Yeah, mine."
It wasn't that hard to tell once you actually looked. The little thing was looking up at Jensen with those almost almond eyes, hazel green, and when she smiled and dimples came out on her cheeks.
"Hold her?" Sandy asked. "Just while I finish him up."
Sandy adjusted Jensen’s arms to hold the baby girl. She laughed a little at his awkward movements.
Sammarie’s dimples were carved deep in her cheeks and her little hands started reaching for Jensen. She was comfortable despite his feelings on the situation.
Sandy went back to Jared and finishing fixing him up. It was practiced and didn’t seem like anything new.
“You’ve done this before?” Jensen asked, proud of the steadiness of his voice and the proper conversation, trying to find something a little more neutral than Sammarie Padalecki.
She looked at the mark peeking from his shirt. “Yeah, it isn’t a rare thing. You might want to learn.”
Jensen felt like he was the only one who didn’t know where his place was; everyone else seemed to be placing him just fine.
"Mommy?" A little voice came from the doorway. Jensen was glad that he had the baby settled, because the child at the door was shocking. He was skinny, shaggy hair tousled and Jensen didn’t wait to see his eyes before guessing who he belonged to.
"Hey Jagger," Sandy said softly, finishing Jared up. "Did we wake you?"
"Daddy," Jagger said, going closer.
Jared tousled his hair with his good hand. "Hey, little man."
Jensen swallowed. Sandy came up to him and took Sammarie from him as Jared talked to Jagger.
He smile had a little bit of understanding that this wasn’t easy and she also had a ver sweet welcoming smile.
"Don't pass out now, there’s still more to come."
**
Jensen was having trouble sitting in the kitchen as Sandy fed the baby girl and made waffles for Jagger and Jared. Jensen watched, feeling like an outsider as they talked like a family. Not his family; his family had involved caretakers and his mother had never been in the kitchen in their house. Jensen wasn’t sure she knew where to find it. Some days Jensen question if his mother could identify him out of a line up.
This was what he thought a family should be and he had no idea what he was doing in it.
Jared looked over. “How do you take your waffles?”
The question was simple, but the look on Jared’s face was earnest, as if there were a million pieces of Jensen that he wanted to know.
Sandy smiled and placed a plate in front of Jensen.
“More coffee, Jensen?” she asked, smiling sweetly. “Sorry for monopolizing him, but the roof is leaking and he has to choose between the two contractors I’ve had look at it.”
Jensen just looked at the waffles, having no clue how he was going to get them over the lump in his throat.
That was when another woman came in the back door followed by three very young identical children. They congregated around Jared and Jensen was pretty happy to be on the outside of this group.
Jared sat in the middle of the brood and listened to all of them talk at once. He answered questions and grinned at each one. He put one of the triplets on his lap and laughed at one of the other one telling a basic joke.
"Jagger is seven," Sandy said, with Sammarie on her hip. "The triplets, Jace, Jax, and Jude, major points if you can tell them apart, they even smell the same, are three and Genevieve's and they live next door. Sammarie is four months."
Jensen swallowed.
"And you smell like his sheets," Sandy said with a grin, very obviously overtly hinting.
“Sandy,” Genevieve sighed, coming up with her coffee. “You’ve also been listening to Jared bitch about Jensen since he got here. Stop trying to play coy like he’s a surprise.”
Then she turned to Jensen. “So you’re the one. Maybe.”
“Hey meddling women,” Jared said from his side of the room. “Behave.”
The women just looked at him. He went back to listening to four children at a time, smiling tiredly at them. Sandy turned her sights back on Jensen, but it was Genevieve who spoke first.
"I'm surprised that he trusts you enough to bring you here," Genevieve said.
"Be nice," Sandy commanded. "Jared brought him here."
The bringing of him here seemed to carry some kind of weight that Jensen could only guess about. He just kept quiet.
Genevieve made a face.
"Take Sammarie," Sandy said with a sigh, handing the baby to Genevieve. "Jared looks like he’s about to pass out. I'm going to put him to bed."
Sandy shooed the kids into the living room.
Jared came up to Jensen tiredly. "Can you stay and look out? I'm just so tired."
Jensen didn’t know what to say. “Okay.”
“Sandy can get you a lap top,” Jared said, before turning back to Jensen. “If you want to do work. I know I owe you a lot of explanations and I’m pretty sure that you’ve heard quite a bit already, but, I-“
Something had changed with the claim; there was a tenuous understanding between the two of them. Jensen didn’t expect things to change this easily. If he just said yes the gates were open. The Cub Pack seemed to think that he was going to do a runner at any time, and most of the time he wanted to.
Then Jared would give him a look, and he was riveted.
He was in this until it was over and there was no use fighting. For the first time in his life, he had been given a place. He was given something without fighting for it; in fact he had been fighting against it.
And this place was open and warm and included waffles.
A few hours ago they were pretty much fucking with their clothes on in the middle of a dark club. Now they were in the middle of Stepford with kids and their moms, and it seemed like Jared was asking permission to sleep.
Jensen couldn’t find purchase on the world spinning around. He was rapidly falling down the rabbit hole.
“Go ahead,” Jensen said, shifting uncomfortably.
Jared gave him a grateful smile and followed Sandy upstairs. Jensen began to drum his fingers on the table.
"Don't worry," Genevieve finally said, giving in a little. "They're not like that, they haven't been for years."
Jensen gave her a withering look and then looked pointedly at Sammarie.
"You've got it bad," Genevieve laughed, her smile was brilliant. "She didn’t give birth to Sammarie. The woman who did wanted Jared, but she wasn’t in the inner circle. She didn’t know. The bitch thought if she got knocked up, Jared would mate her. Stupid cow. We all know Jared isn’t going to mate the mother of his pups, not after how he grew up.”
Jensen thought about his parents, the household that he had grown up in. “It’s a little different here.”
“I guess it would be complicated,” Genevieve said with a shrug.
She didn’t seem to be going on so Jensen stuffed his pride and asked. “What happened in Jared’s family? Where I come from, even if the leaning of the Head Alpha is to the same sex, he still only has one woman and she’s pretty important. You guys seem to be away from the light, and you two haven’t killed each other. It’s just odd.”
Genevieve looked at her coffee, seemingly contemplating what she should share.
“For Jared, his partner would never be a woman,” Genevieve finally said. “Never the mother of his children. He watched his mother be torn in three directions growing up. She couldn’t be mate and mother and her sons seemed to be two factions of their own. Her loyalty was split in three and I think he blames her early death on that. If Jared mates, he wants a partner. He’s selfish in the best way. He also wants kids. He found a way that worked and with the exception of the whore who gave birth to Sammarie, we’re all pretty happy with the arrangement. Jared never actively looked for a mate so we don’t know how someone else will assimilate.”
She looked pointedly at him.
He looked directly back at her. He really wanted to shrug it off, but he could feel his possessiveness, his wanting, his shoulder burning.
“I’m sure he’ll assimilate just fine,” Jensen said just as pointedly. “Just takes a few seconds to get used to.”
Genevieve laughed. "I seriously didn't expect to like you. Katie and Sophia said you were okay, but I didn't expect much."
"Katie likes me?" Jensen asked.
"That’s what you focus on?" Genevieve asked.
"You people and your insults," Jensen said with a shrug. "You know them well?"
"Well kind of," Genevieve said. "I grew up with them. I was the sixth."
"Until you got knocked up?" Jensen asked.
"Yeah," she said with a wide-open grin. “I was just like Sophia and Katie, but something happened, and I wanted more. I talked to Jared for a long time discussing the options. I could look for a mate or he offered me his kids.”
Jensen felt the hairs of his neck go up at the thought.
She grinned again. “Down boy. I’ve got no claim on him besides the kids. He’s never gong to touch Sandy or me again.”
A thought occurred to Jensen. “Have, I mean – the five, do they-”
She raised her eyebrows, obviously knowing what he was trying to say, but enjoying listening to him trying to get it out there.
“We don’t talk about sleeping with the boss,” she said, taking malicious pity on him.
Jensen pressed his lips together.
Genevieve leaned in and whispered. “You’re in the running for mate, but that doesn’t mean bitch. You can put your own standards on him too. He can say no, but by the mark on his neck, which he totally didn’t have to do, it looks like you stand a chance. Tell him no others. Make that your terms. Pretty much all you have to do to end the Jared-wanderlust is to be his wanderlust. You do like sex right? You don’t mind taking it up the ass?”
Jensen’s jaw dropped and he was sure that his face was scarlet.
“Are you a virgin?” she teased.
Jensen glared at her.
Her grin took on epic proportions, and Jensen just knew he was going to come home to find a dildo, or many dildos, on his bed, because that was the kind of friends Jared had.
“Gen,” Sandy said as she came down, looking at her suspiciously. “What are you doing to him?”
**
Having a discussion about sex and Jared and Jared having sex with the two mothers of his children had been informative, uncomfortable, and embarrassingly erotic.
Finally, after they had stuffed him full of food and also detailed sex facts, Sandy took pity on him.
“Jared said you have work to do,” she said. “He keeps a laptop here. We can set you up in his room so you can do what it is that you need to do.”
Jensen nodded gratefully. It would be nice to have some quiet. He did have quite a bit of work to do. She showed him to a room on the third floor, a big wide-open space with sloping ceilings. In the middle of the room was a huge bed. On the bed was a passed out Jared and snuggled into his side were three little wolf pups.
Sandy looked at them with a smile.
“They just figured out how to change,” she whispered. “They can’t shift easily and it takes a lot out of them and forever for them to go back, but they’re so proud they just wanted to show him.”
Jensen just looked. She pointed to a chair. “There’s the laptop, it’s connected to internet, so you can use it up here or downstairs.
Jensen looked at the sight on the bed and spoke to her softly. “I’m going to stay here, just to make sure that everything is okay.”
She grinned up at him and left him in the very quiet room, the skylight offering the morning light.
He sat down in the white chair and gazed at the pile on the bed. One of the little kids was wobbling; Jared stayed asleep, but a hand found the little one and rubbed him.
Jensen couldn’t make heads or tails of how this was this was affecting him just as much as the club last night. Dry humping Jared was as big a thrill as being part of this odd little family. And there was no end to how dirty he felt thinking these thoughts in this clean G rated place.
Jensen tore his eyes from the bed to the screen and started to work. He was so focused that while he felt a little presence nearby, it took a while for his fingers to slow, but he didn’t look up after they had stopped typing away. He wasn’t sure of what to do.
“Whatcha doing,” Jagger said, leaning over his shoulder and looking at the screen.
“I’m putting together a buy-sell agreement,” Jensen said carefully.
“What is that?” Jaime said, leaning in even closer to stare at the screen of numbers and words.
“Um, it’s a binding contract between owners that sets forth when the owners can sell their interest, who can buy an owner's interest, and what price will be paid,” Jensen said automatically.
Jagger’s brow creased.
“I’m helping your dad buy out a company,” Jensen tried.
Jagger peered at the screen like he would easily be able to figure out what was going on by reading the words.
“I’m making rules of how they can sell their property,” Jensen began.
Jensen started to explain, breaking it down. He talked, Jagger asked questions, and it was four hours before he finally looked up.
Jared was watching him when Jensen’s eyes lifted from Jagger and the screen.
Jensen swallowed guiltily.
“Why do you have to put in the rules about spouses?” Jagger was asking.
“Because part of everything is theirs,” Jensen said unthinkingly.
Jared just watched him for a while before he cleared his throat.
“Daddy,” Jagger said, looking away from Jensen. “Jensen is teaching me how to corporate buyout.”
Jared raised an eyebrow and motioned for Jagger. The boy went to Jared, talking a mile a minute.
Jensen stood up and stretched. He looked at Jared and Jagger and immediately snuck downstairs.
Sandy was putting away dishes, but she turned when he walked in.
“You do this all yourself?” Jensen said before thinking.
“Not as glamorous as you thought?” Sandy asked.
Jensen shrugged. “I might have grown up a little differently. It’s kind of cool to see all this”
She laughed.
“I don’t think you remember, but my aunt mated someone in your pack,” Sandy said. “I’ve seen the house that you grew up in, back when I was a kid. I don’t know if anyone grew up the way that you did.”
Jensen nodded. “Yeah, well, it seems like you have a nice set up here.”
They chatted for a little while longer before Jared finally came down. He looked at Jensen, eyes guarded, before walking to Sandy and kissing her on the forehead.
“We’ve got to go,” he said quietly, eyes back on Jensen.
Sandy looked between them, feeling the static in the air. It was calm, but everyone could see the thunder and lightning rolling in the air.
“Get back to your real life,” Sandy said with a nod to Jared and turned to Jensen. “The boys have soccer on Tuesday. You can bring Jared to the game if you want.”
Jensen nodded, a little numb right now. He picked up the keys on the counter, feeling sluggish and dumb. The air was too heavy, full of so much he couldn’t process. Jared’s hazel eyes seemed to follow him everywhere.
They walked out of the house, and no sooner had the door closed behind them before Jared pulled Jensen to the side of the house. Jared’s hands were in Jensen’s hair, tilting his head, lips descending, crushing his body and his mouth against Jensen; pushing him against the wall.
Jensen just held on to Jared, following the pattern of his tongue. Jensen let out a growl in the back of his throat, but that just encouraged Jared to push him back; to probe deeper into Jensen’s mouth, and for the first time there was no resistance. No pushing.
But Jensen didn’t just let it happen, he responded. He fit in with Jared’s movements, nudging him deeper, pulling him closer.
They were just so needy and wanting; they couldn’t cling enough of each other, to touch. Something seemed to have changed. They had showed it all and the other person wasn’t backing off an inch. It was actually an attraction.
It was Jared who pulled back. Jensen followed the lips and Jared held him away.
“We need to go home,” Jared said with finality.
Jensen nodded.
They climbed in the car, Jared in the passenger seat, head lolling back, and Jensen driving. The noon day sun shone down; the sky was blue and the ground stretched out in front of them.
“You showed me your underbelly,” Jared finally said, looking at the horizon. “I just showed you mine. When the triplets were born, my dad took me aside. I was doing what I needed to be my dad’s chosen son, but I was going out more than taking the reins. I was still more fuck up than future. My dad told me that my brother was gunning for the spot, and that I had an option. I could keep going was or I could buckle down. Those pups in there are the reason that I have to put it on lock down.”
Jensen searched his mind. “If you lose, the kids are the first to go, then the pack, then the women, but the kids will definitely be on that list.”
“Yes,” Jared replied.
“There is a lot resting on your shoulders,” Jensen said.
“Yeah, but I still really want to fuck you,” Jared admitted.
Jensen stayed quiet.
“That is the thing,” Jared said. “I think about all the things I want to do to you and all the pressure weighing on me and the things depending on me, but from the first moment I saw you… well, you’re a distraction, Jensen Ackles.”
Jensen made a right turn towards Jared’s compound. “I won’t beg,”
“But you still need to ask,” Jared told him. “I’m still me and this is still where we meet. You can be whatever you want to be, but I need you to trust my voice. I need you to be willing to be mine. God, I want to fuck you more than ever. I can almost see it and the thing is, I know that you’re going to be prettier sight than I can even imagine in my head. I’m going to ask you to come and you’re going to see stars for years.”
Jensen gripped the wheel tightly and swallowed.
When Jared finally spoke, his voice was low and rough. “But Jensen, you gotta come to me. You’ve gotta ask.”
They didn’t speak for the rest of the ride home.
**
“Fuck,” Jared swore when they pulled up.
Both of the Humvees were in the driveway, but there also was a long black town car.
“Who is it?” Jensen asked.
“My dad,” Jared replied.
Jensen followed Jared out of the car.
“Jim, good to see you,” Jared said with a smile, flinching a little as he shook hands with Jim.
“If you’ve been a fool, you certainly are paying for it,” Jim said. “Is he in his place?”
“Yes sir,” Jared said stiffly. “For now. Does dad want me?”
Jim shook his head. “I’m here for him.”
Jared looked over his shoulder at Jensen in surprise.
Jensen was calm and blank.
“I...” Jared began.
Jim shook his head. “No kiddo. Your father is asking for an audience with Jensen. Whatever is happening with your brother, you know he won’t go into. The thing that is happening with the Baldwins, he will want to talk to you tomorrow, but right now the pressing thing is Jensen.”
Jared nodded.
“Can I shower?” Jensen asked. “I mean...”
“Get in the car, boy,” Jim said. “I’ve already been waiting three hours.”
Jensen nodded and walked towards the car.
Jared snagged his arm. “I meant everything I said. However we got here, whatever is going on, it’s only me and you in this, you’ve just gotta ask. You have a place here, if you want it.”
Jensen nodded mutely and got in the car.
He leaned back and let his thoughts wander. He could still feel Jared on his lips and a ghost weight pressing on his body. He had absolutely no idea what this was all about.
He leaned back and closed his eyes, trying to find a center.
There was the feeling that he never really had a center.
He kept his eyes shut and tried to focus his breathing. He saw Jared in his mind’s eye. He saw the shaggy hair and the blinding white smile.
He opened his eyes and turned to look back at the compound and all he could think of was the way that Jared described it when he first brought Jensen there.
Home.
**
Gerald wasn’t alone when Jensen entered his office.
Sitting in the far chair was Josh, and behind him was Christian Kane.
Jensen walked in and stood by the other chair. He crossed his arms and didn’t say anything.
Gerald sat back in his chair.
“Your brother has come to talk to me about the nature of your stay here in our territory,” Gerald said. “I do appreciate your loyalty to your Alpha by staying without question, and I even more appreciate your brother’s respect of you that you’re more than able to make your own decisions. I would rather force you to mate with my son, I find the match very compatible, however Jared was resistant to the idea. You seemed less than pleased, and there are quite a few issues happening in my territory right now, so if this arrangement isn’t working for you, I feel compelled to let you leave.”
Jensen looked over at his brother.
Josh leaned forward. “I talked to dad. I disagreed with putting you in this situation without speaking to you and without getting the facts. We have checked up closely and there are major faction issues happening here. We don’t want to irratate the situation. I know you can be rather contrary.”
“You are asking me what I want?” Jensen clarified.
He felt his heart beat faster. This was his third offer to leave. This was the third time someone told him that he could be anywhere else. He knew that he wasn’t going to take this offer any more than he took the others.
He was damned. He couldn’t leave, but he was still having trouble submitting to Jared even if he wanted to with every fiber of his being.
Josh leaned back and raised an eyebrow. “You aren’t jumping at leaving.” Josh observed. “Something changed?”
That was when Josh noticed the mark on Jensen’s neck. It was angry and red.
“He claimed you,” Josh said with a raised eyebrow.
Jensen nodded. “And I him.”
Josh got a look on his face.
Jensen knew that look, the one that Josh had his entire life. He wasn’t aggressive, but Josh was confident enough that he didn’t have to be. Josh would wait forever, never flinching for an answer, but Josh always seemed to know what you were going to tell him before you ddi.
Jensen turned to Gerald. “Could I have a place here? If I mind my place, can that place have plenty of room?”
“You want a seat at the table,” Gerald said slowly; then he nodded. “If he chooses you. If he gives his say.”
“In the short time I’ve been here, I’m fairly sure that I’ve earned it,” Jensen told him.
Gerald grinned; it was just like his son’s. “From what I’ve heard, son, I’m fairly sure you have. I hardly expected anything less. I can’t speak for Jared, but you have a place here if you want one.”
Josh nodded. “I came here to let your wishes be heard. I just need you be aware that Gerald has confirmed that there is a rift. He has chosen Jared, but more than likely Jeff is going to challenge the claim, with the Baldwins as his backing. If anything happens, we will take your side, but we can’t promise anything.”
“I understand,” Jensen said.
“Jensen,” Josh said softly, standing to move next to him. Whispering in his ear. “If you choose Jared and Jeff comes at you, you won’t survive a regime change.”
“Damn it, Josh,” Jensen hissed. “I know these things, I’m well aware. Not like you were brought up any more knowledgeable than I was.”
“I hear it in your voice, Jensen,” Josh warned. “Can you know in just a matter of days?”
Jensen looked at his brother in the eyes. “Yes.”
Josh nodded. “Well, dad will be pleased. Chris has asked to stay if you do.”
“Josh,” Jensen started to counter.
“His family has guarded ours since our family took over the pack, it is his right to ask,” Josh said. “He asked and Dad and I have accepted. Gerald has no feelings either way.”
Jensen heckled up to protest.
Josh leaned in again. “Those are the terms.”
Jensen set his jaw and leveled his head. “I’ve chosen. You can make all the rules around it you want, all the deals that you want, I don’t care. But you know that I’m going to be here, and the reason you are being so nice is that you know I’ll be the one here. You don’t want to piss me off, because I’m going to be the one with all the deals in the future.”
Josh laughed. “You’ve always been too smart for your own good.”
Then Josh got serious. “You’re my brother, you’re my blood. You’ve always been looking for something and I hope that you find it. I’m always going to be your brother, and I am always going to have your back.”
Jensen grasped him by the back of the neck, foreheads pulled together.
“You’re my big brother,” Jensen whispered. “You just wait, I’m going to have yours.”
They both lifted their heads and grinned at each other.
“See you, baby brother,” Josh said and looked at Chris. “Thanks man.”
Josh left the room.
Jensen looked at Gerald, suddenly feeling more exposed than when his father had left him here.
There was silence. Jensen realized he was sitting in front of his new leader. Jensen realized he had just changed packs and this man in front of him very soon would ask for allegiance. This was the father of the mate he hoped to have waiting.
Jensen felt the gravity of the moment. He wondered what Gerald would say.
Finally Gerald spoke. “I don’t know what I did to make my boys end up with their fist in each other’s faces and claws in each other’s backs, but they are. I hope that some of your family rubs off on Jared’s boys.”
Jensen wasn’t expecting that.
“Welcome to the family, son,” Gerald said, bowing.
“Not quite yet,” Jensen cautioned.
Gerald shrugged. “See you then. Here’s a present to the newest pack member.”
Gerald threw him a set of keys.
Jensen nodded and walked out of the room, and Chris followed without a word.
Jensen turned and looked at Chris. They had been friends on and off since birth. Chris had taught him to throw a punch and how to play guitar. Jensen watched and learned until he was better than most. Chris had been the only one outside of the family who knew Jensen’s wild streak, and was the only person outside of family who had ever had the balls to pull him out of a melee. Chris had been on his detail and his shadow for most of his life.
“You tired of Dallas?” Jensen asked.
Chris gave a little grin. “It just isn’t as much fun without you.”
“Right, you get tired of getting stuck with the flack from my mess?” Jensen replied.
“I like to call it taking credit,” Chris replied.
Jensen laughed and rolled his eyes. They walked in silence for a moment.
“You forget, though,” Chris said after a moment. “You do it all the time, every time you do something that you see as a mistake. You forget that you have people. Josh and me, we made sure your father got an earful that he can’t do that to you. He can’t just put you out for pack alliance. You mean more than that to all of us. Just because you aren’t future pack leader, doesn’t mean you aren’t important.”
Jensen didn’t know what to say to that. Chris stopped and held Jensen’s arm.
“Does little Padalecki see you or does he just see your face?” Chris asked seriously.
Jensen knew at this moment if he said that there was any kind of pity involved in this on either side, Jared taking in the pretty wayward Ackles pup or Jensen feeling like he had no worth other than this, that Chris would take him away from here.
“He saw me,” Jensen said. “He saw me loose control and he showed me him. This is a two way thing.”
Chris looked at him, reading him and after seeing no deception, he nodded.
“You didn’t have to come, Chris,” Jensen said, voice low. “You can go home. I don’t need somebody to watch my back; everyone here is nice enough.”
Chris studied him. “Jeff Padalecki wants to take over. He is inciting some of the smaller sub-packs to gather forces. You might have your new crew, but you need somebody to guard your back. Plus my greatness is wasted in Dallas, man. You were in an honest to god down and dirty brawl. I heard that and there wasn’t any way I was staying there. This is my shit. No more suits, just beer and my fists.”
“You’re still going to have to wear a suit,” Jensen told him, staring off into space. He hadn’t known how much he had needed someone to watch his back until Chris came. Until his brother told him it was his choice.
It was his choice.
“Chris,” Jensen said, his voice coming from somewhere far away. “Barring him suddenly changing his mind, it’s going to happen. For real.”
When Jensen looked at Chris, he was grinning. “Good thing you’re pretty, cause you’re real slow sometimes.”
“Hey,” Jensen said indignantly. “He’s the one we used to beat up, and I’m slow because it took me four days?”
“Jensen,” Chris said, his smile superior. “You have never paid more attention or spent more time putting in the effort of ignoring anyone more than you have that kid. I’m not surprised. Well, it is you so I’m completely surprised that you let go enough to see the world.”
Jensen raised an eyebrow.
“You’re being nice,” Jensen noted. “You really want to be here so you can punch people without my dad going ape shit?”
Chris grinned. “You know it.”
Then Chris grabbed the keys and looked towards the garage door. “Dude let’s go see what the new leader/father-in-law had bestowed upon you.”
“I hate you,” Jensen muttered.
Chris grinned. “This is going to be awesome.”
Jensen reached for the door handle and paused.
“I didn’t think you were going to be the one doing this with me,” Jensen sighed, moving to where the car was parked.
Chris raised an eyebrow. “You kidding? Of course I was going to be the one to see you off.”
**
Jensen pulled up in the mint as hell ’67 Chevy Impala.
Chris didn’t move a facial muscle when they pulled up to the compound. That was definitely a feat because the place was magnificent in the setting sun. The windows were shimmering in the light, the dusty Texas land spread out and sloping in all directions.
Chris closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
When he opened it, he looked at Jensen with happiness. “Goddamned son, well fucking done.”
Jensen looked up and the Cub Pack was coming out to meet them. They were wearing their off duty clothes, maybe a little drunk, and definitely looking pissed when they laid eyes on Chris.
Jensen just looked at them.
They stood in a line. Hartley in the middle, arms crossed. Chad on his right, scratching his chin. The girls were on the left with their hands on their hips and scowls on their faces. Misha stood a little ways away, always watching, face expressionless. He was actually the creepiest of the bunch.
Chris whistled. “This is my kind of place with that welcome. Real sweet people here.”
Jensen just looked at them. He belonged here. He hadn’t put in the time yet, but he belonged here. His people belonged here. He wasn’t going to cower, unless Jared told him to get out, and he had no reason for thinking anything like that would ever happen.
“This is Chris,” He introduced.
None of them moved.
“He’s staying here,” Jensen added.
Jensen was suddenly very grateful for his welcome; these five were a scary barrier when they wanted. He wasn’t all that intimated at this point. They wouldn’t touch him. Chris, however, had his hackles up.
“Really?” Hartley asked with a stony look. “And where is he staying? We’re all full up.”
“He’s staying in my house,” Jensen told them.
Sophia raised an eyebrow. “It’s your house now?”
“And where are you staying?” Hartley spat out vilely.
Jensen just looked at him and the group seemed to deflate as they slowly got it.
Jensen stepped forward.
The stood for a second and then one by one, they parted.
Jensen looked at Hartley as he passed. “Try not to be a dick to him. His family guards my family. If I’m staying here, he’s staying here.”
Hartley’s stance almost instantly became more welcoming, he saluted Jensen. “Have fun. We’ll take care of your boy.”
Jensen looked at the path from his foot to Jared’s house as he passed over the stone.
He thought for a second.
His choice. Where his feet went, it was his choice.
He couldn’t get to the front door fast enough.
Part V