The Path's End Chapter 4

The Path's End

Revised Version

By Vic James

vicjames2@hotmail.com

Copyright 2017 by Vic James

This story has been heavily revised, beginning with chapter two.

If you enjoy this story or the other stories at Nifty, please make a donation right now at: http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

This story is fiction. None of the characters are based on real people.

This story takes place in the same universe as my stories Plan of the Shusheen, Son of a Wolf, Being Pack, Protecting Pack, and A Winding Path. It is a sequel to Protecting Pack and A Winding Path. You should read those two stories before you read this one. Plan of the Shusheen explains how three genetically-engineered shifter races were created.

Warning: this story contains incest scenes.

Four

A man walked up and joined them.

"Everyone, this is my mate Rince," Alephin said. "He is also one of my sons." Nicky, Chris, and Bobby were shocked. "Vin-Ta relationships are sometimes quite different from human relationships." They kissed as Rince wrapped both hands around Alephin's cock. Alephin turned Rince around and began fucking him in front of them.

Bobby and the Kostas watched the incestuous scene. Bobby noticed that all three Kostas men remained hard. His stepfather's cock even had precum running down the shaft.

"Well, incest makes all of your dicks hard," Bobby said to Nicky and Chris.

All three of the Kostas blushed. Bobby thought it was adorable.

"Yours is hard, too!" Chris said to Bobby.

"I know. But I already knew that I'm a pervert," Bobby said. "I knew it when I licked your father's cum off that glass plate."

Nicky laughed and hugged his lover.

"Does it bother any of you?" Nick asked his sons and stepsons. "Apparently, incest is pretty common here."

"It doesn't bother me," Nicky said.

Bobby was jacking off while he watched Alephin and his son. Nicky didn't need to wonder whether it bothered him.

"I wonder if that's why I like your cock," Nicky said to his brother. Chris was surprised. "Does that bother you?" Nicky asked his brother.

"No. I just didn't know," Chris told him.

"I figured if you knew, you would get grossed out," Nicky said.

"Nicky, we spend hours every day looking at each other's cocks. Our cocks touch all the time. I fuck Bobby every day when his ass is full of your cum. I think it's hot. It doesn't bother me."

"Does it bother you?" Chris asked Bobby.

"Not a bit. I've...I've wanted to ask you to do things, but never had the nerve," Bobby said.

"Like what?" Chris asked.

"Well, I've thought about having you come on each other's faces and letting me lick your faces clean."

"Oh, fuck!" Nicky said.

Chris grinned.

He turned to Nicky. "And I've thought about having you come on Chris' cock and balls so I could suck all your jizz off him, while you fuck me," he said to Nicky. Nicky growled at his Bobby.

"I think that means he likes the idea," Chris said, laughing. "It's just as well you didn't mention it before. I don't think I was ready for it." Chris heard Alephin cry out as he obviously ejaculated in his son. No one was touching Rince's cock, but cum began shooting on the ground in front of him. Cum that had to be Alephin's ran down Rince's leg. Chris thought it was perverted and very, very hot. He looked at Alephin's face. Alephin winked at him. "I'm, uh, getting more comfortable with all this."

Nicky wrapped his hand around Chris' cock and began jacking off his brother. Chris was surprised, but not upset. Bobby knelt behind Chris and began rimming him while Nicky stroked him. Chris began moaning. Chris moaned even louder when Bobby began fondling Chris' nuts while he rimmed him. Nicky looked at their father. He was stroking himself while he watched them. Nicky reached for his father's cock. Nick moved towards him and Nicky jacked his father off with his other hand. Nick took Nicky's cock in hand and began stroking it.

"I love you, son," Nick said. "And you, Chris. Both of you."

"I love you, Dad. We need to cover Bobby with cum," Nicky said.

Nick smirked. Bobby would love that.

Nicky grabbed his father's hand.

"I want to come in Bobby's mouth," Nicky said. "But first, I want you to come in his mouth, Dad. He's wanted that all along."

"Oh, fuck!" Chris said. Cum shot out of his cock and splattered on the ground at least twelve feet away. Several other ropes of cum shot out of his cock to splatter on the concrete parking lot.

"Impressive!" Alephin said. Chris laughed-gasped as his orgasm continued.

Bobby knelt in front of his stepfather. Nick grinned down at him. Bobby swallowed his cock.

"No more plates," Nick said, as Bobby began sucking. Bobby looked so beautiful with his lips wrapped around his cock. They were meant to be together. They were mates. The promise was made before they knew that. Nick wouldn't let anything keep them apart. He cried out as an intense orgasm swept through him. At the same time, he heard Bobby making soft noises of pleasure as he swallowed Nick's huge load. Nick grabbed Bobby's head and held onto it as his legs weakened. Bobby's cock began spontaneously shooting jizz across the parking lot. Alephin watched and was glad. He believed sexual frustration caused a lot, if not most problems and he didn't want to see it in his pack.

When Chris was done, Nicky let go of his brother's cock. He continued stroking his father. Alephin walked over to them. He pressed his mouth to Nicky's and kissed the hot, young pup. Nicky enjoyed the kiss so much, he felt guilty. Alephin pulled away. He rubbed his thumb over Nicky's lips. Nicky smiled at him.

"You're beautiful, pup."

Nicky smiled, shyly.

Alephin kissed Chris next. Then he kissed the father. Nick shot again in Bobby's mouth while he kissed his alpha. Bobby was thrilled. Bobby had lusted after his stepfather before, but he craved him now. He was relieved that he had no choice about the promise. He didn't resent Nick for breaking it. Things were very different. Bobby moved behind Nick and began rimming him. He shuddered at the wonderful flavor. Not only did his mate and stepfather taste terrific, but Bobby could taste Alephin's cum and it tasted incredible.

An armed-guard walked towards them. Alephin turned to him.

Ed looked at the new brother, Bobby, whose face was buried in a man's ass. The man he was rimming looked quite a bit like Ed. And Ed sure wished it was his ass that was getting eaten. Bobby stood up and looked directly at Ed. He gulped. The man was incredibly sexy.

"This is Ed. He is going to be your personal bodyguard. You'll be living with your brothers Tom and Jack, for now, at Tom's house. I don't want you leaving Tom's house without Ed. He works days. When his shift is over, he will tell you who he has assigned to guard you that evening. I don't want you trusting someone who says he's been assigned to you. He could be lying. If Ed is unavailable, I will assign your guard and I will tell you, personally."

Bobby was already nervous about the supposed danger. This was making it worse.

"He's one of the guards I can absolutely trust," Alephin said. "Ed, this is Bobby."

Ed held out his hand and, after a second, Bobby reached out and shook it. Ed introduced himself to Nick and his sons.

Nicky put his arm around Bobby's waist.

"Ed looks a lot like you, Nick," Bobby said to his stepfather. For some reason, Bobby automatically liked the guard. Was it because he looked so much like Nick?

"We know what that means," Chris said.

"Um. I don't," Ed said.

"Wait. I guess that would be sexual harassment," Chris said. "What I was going to say, I mean."

Ed chuckled.

"If you mean what I think you mean, it would only be sexual harassment if Ed's job was threatened. I would guess he thinks it would be a job perk," Alephin said, grinning.

"He could be Uncle Ed," Chris said.

"Do you have an Uncle Ed?" Bobby asked.

"No," Nick said. "But there is a resemblance."

Bobby nodded.

Nicky was admiring Ed's muscular development.

"How did you get your biceps so big?" Nicky asked Ed. "I'd like mine bigger."

"I can show you my workout in the pack gym, if you want," Ed said.

"I'd like that."

"I can show you in the evening, or during the day, if Bobby comes with us," Ed said.

"I'd love to watch!" Bobby said.

Nicky chuckled.

"It will be different working out in public," Chris said.

"Why?" Ed asked.

"Bobby likes to give us orgasms when we work out," Chris said.

Bobby put his face in his hands. How embarrassing! He'd just met the man.

Alephin put his hand on Bobby's shoulder.

"Don't ever be ashamed of making your mates happy," Alephin said to Bobby. "Public sex is not a bad thing. I encourage it. I want you to keep giving your mates orgasms while they workout. You can please your mates in the pack gym anytime you want. It's mostly the younger males who use the gym. Working out sometimes makes them horny. That's why I've got a gloryhole in there. Ed uses it."

"Do you really?" Bobby asked.

"Oh, yeah," Ed said. "A couple of times a day. Watching people have sex all day gets me really hot and I don't have a mate and I don't have time to go on dates. Both your brothers suck me there."

Jack and Tom nodded their heads in agreement. Bobby and the Kostas were stunned by that news. But Bobby didn't doubt it. The man was a stud.

"So does my son Les," Alephin said.

Ed nodded. "Yesterday Les rimmed me while Tom sucked me. Then they switched positions."

Alephin was surprised to hear that. Les was a member of his grandson's pack. He didn't think Hephin allowed Les to do anything but suck Alephin's pack members. But then Ed wasn't a member; he was a contractor. Or maybe Les had Hephin's approval. Was Hephin trying to get Ed to join his pack? Alephin needed Ed more, especially now that he had Bobby to protect.

Bobby looked at Nicky.

"That is so fucking cool!" Nicky said. "I love this place!"

Alephin grinned as Jack, Tom, and Rince chuckled.

"And you didn't want to come!" Nicky said to Chris.

"How did I know it's like this? I thought I would be bored!"

"There are daily orgies in the movie theater, too," Ed said. "I get pussy there, every once in a while."

"Chris has made some really hot videos," Nick said.

"Really?" Alephin said. "I'd like to see them. They're gay videos?"

"Uh. Yeah. Of us."

Alephin grinned.

"You should make some of the gloryhole," Nicky said to his brother.

"Yeah!" Bobby said. "How do you feel about being a porn star?" Bobby asked Ed.

Ed laughed.

"He's got the dick for it," Tom said.

"I'll be in it if you'll be in it," Ed said to Bobby.

Bobby gulped. He thought Ed was a very hot man. But he had no idea how Nicky felt. He looked at Nicky who didn't seem upset. But he wasn't sure Nicky had heard.

"Alephin, Jack and I are going to the house. We want to get things ready for the Kostas," Tom said.

"Sure. I don't think we'll be long."

"What sleeping arrangements do you need?" Tom asked Nick. "How many beds?"

Nick looked at Bobby and his sons. Nicky and Chris had been sleeping with Bobby.

"Is there room for me?" Nick asked.

Bobby grinned.

"I would love it if we could all sleep together. One big bed."

"It's fine with me," Nicky said. "But Bobby sleeps in my arms."

Nick shook his head, grinning.

"It's a miracle. Your speaking."

Nicky nodded his head.

"It is."

"Both Jack and I have sex with our mates throughout the house. Will that make any of you uncomfortable?" Tom asked.

Bobby and the Kostas all shook their heads.

"Good."

Tom and Jack turned and walked away.

Bobby suddenly realized he was naked, in the hot sun without sunblock.

"Why am I not hot?" Bobby asked Alephin. "I'm not even sweating."

"Yeah. I was hot when we arrived and the AC was on," Chris said.

"It's another benefit of shifting. You won't get cold easily in the winter, either. Most people don't dress differently unless it gets really cold. Even then, a lot of folks just shift into their wolves when they are outside and they don't get cold then, either.

Chris shook his head in amazement.

"Do we have to worry about sunburn?" Bobby asked.

"No. If you get burned, and this applies to any kind of burn, just shift and it will be repaired," Rince said.

"I want to watch you blow Ed at the gloryhole while Chris films it," Nicky whispered in Bobby's ear.

Alephin heard it. He was pleased.

Bobby looked at Nicky in surprise. He had heard. Nicky was grinning.

"OK. If Nick doesn't mind."

"He won't. He likes watching you have sex," Nicky said.

Alephin moved closer.

"If Nick complains, tell him he can fuck you while you suck Ed," Alephin said, softly.

Nicky grinned and nodded.

"Ed is going to be with you all day, every day. This isn't the human world. If you want to pull his cock out and suck it while he's guarding you, you'll just make him love his job more," Alephin said to Bobby. "And it will give him a stronger reason to protect you."

Nicky nodded his head.

"Blowing the bodyguard," Nicky said.

Bobby laughed, nervously.

"There's a lot of sex in my future, I think."

"I know there is," Alephin said. "Enjoy it."

Alephin's phone rang.

"Sir, Lobo is here. He's at the front gate."

"Well, let him in," Alephin said.

Alephin hung up. Lobo. He wondered how Jack would react. He called Jack.

"Hi, Alephin. Is everything alright?" Jack asked.

"I just got word that Lobo is back," Alephin said.

"Shit!" Jack said.

That answered Alephin's question.

"Do you want me to introduce him to Bobby?" Alephin asked. "He might get a warmer reception."

Jack gasped.

"You'd do that?"

"Do you want me to?" Alephin asked.

Jack sighed. "I know it's terrible—"

"It's not terrible, Jack. Especially if Lobo and Bobby hit it off."

"Please Alephin."

"OK."

They heard the motorcycle before they saw it. Everyone turned to watch a Harley-Davidson head slowly towards them.

"It's Lobo," Alephin said to Rince.

"Really?"

Bobby watched a huge man climb off the motorcycle. The man pulled off his helmet and looked directly at him. It was the biggest man Bobby had ever seen. The man put the helmet down and walked over to Alephin. His eyes stayed on Bobby, though.

"Alephin, Edvard Cucco is dead."

Alephin grinned and hugged Lobo.

"Fantastic news!" Alephin said. "Thank you, Lobo."

"It is!" Ed said. His job just got a little easier. Cucco was their greatest threat.

Alephin turned to the Kostas.

"Edvard Cucco was an extremely wealthy lowlife who was trying to get Tom and/or Jack to sell them to the highest bidder."

Nicky was shocked. He got angry until he remembered that the big guy said he was dead.

Lobo walked up to Bobby, picked him up, and swung his around, grinning. Bobby's mouth hung open.

"Did you miss me?" Lobo asked Bobby.

"Uh. No."

Bobby watched the man's face fall. He'd made him unhappy, unintentionally. The man smelled wonderful and Bobby felt bad that he'd hurt him.

"I'm glad to see you," Bobby added. The man cheered up.

"How big are you?" Bobby asked.

Lobo burst out laughing.

"I think he means how tall are you," Alephin said.

Lobo frowned.

"Six-eight. Still."

"Wow!" Bobby said.

"I need to explain something to you folks," Alephin said. "Lobo, these are the Kostas." Lobo nodded at them. "They just joined the pack. This," Alephin said, putting his hand on Bobby's shoulder. "Is Bobby Mitchell, Jack's twin brother, and your mate."

The Kostas all looked at each other. Lobo frowned. Alephin took Lobo aside.

"You'll be happier with Bobby, Lobo."

"But—"

"I know. But look at how Bobby is looking at you. In Jack's head, you are all mixed up with the unpleasantness that happened to him when he arrived here."

Lobo sighed. He knew it hadn't gone well. He'd tried to take Jack to another pack without asking. He left to kill Cucco in the hopes that it would make up for it and make his mate happy.

"None of that is an issue with Bobby."

"You think it's best?"

"Yes."

Lobo nodded.

Nick was listening. He got angry.

"I don't understand! What is going on? First I find out Bobby is my mate and now another mate appears? What is this? How many mates does he have?"

Chris was wondering the same thing.

Alephin put his hand on Nick's shoulder.

"Calm down. Let's go back inside and I will answer all your questions."

They walked into the hospital. The group was Alephin, Rince, Nick, his sons, Bobby, Ed, Lobo, and one guard. Alephin led them to the room Nick had been in before. They sat down. Lobo looked at Bobby, who smiled shyly at Lobo. His anger about Jack diffused.

"Normal Vin-Ta have one mate," Alephin said.

"If they're lucky," Rince added.

Alephin nodded. "Not all Vin-Ta meet their mate. As I explained, Tom, Jack, and Bobby are not Vin-Ta. Or at least not mostly Vin-Ta. They are descended from the second Shusheen race. They have different capabilities. That is why they are valuable. But they also seem to be able to attract more than one mate. Possibly this is because they are extremely fertile, more fertile than humans, even. Vin-Ta sense this somehow and they smell like their mates. He can give each of you, including Lobo, babies."

Bobby shook his head. He had a lot of trouble believing that. Nicky was seated next to him. He took Bobby's hand and held it.

"It's true," Rince said to him.

"The day Jack arrived here at Techupawa, he—well, it was a very, very bad day. First, he was attacked outside the pack. He got here and was attacked, again."

"Attacked?" Nick asked. "I thought their lives weren't in danger."

"They were attempted violent abductions," Alephin said. "Meanwhile, one of Jack's mates tried to kill another one. Jack almost died trying to save him." Nick, Bobby, and his sons were all shocked. "Then Jack met Lobo, who was his mate. Lobo tried to take him from here." Lobo looked down at his feet. "His motive was understandable. He didn't think Jack was safe here. Lobo is a good man, but I'm not sure Jack is ever going to forgive him." Alephin sighed. "I might as well tell you this. You, Tom, and Jack are clones." The Kostas mouths dropped open. "But you are different ages. Apparently, the second race the Shusheen created are very easy to clone. From what I can tell, you were all cloned by a man named Baron, for specific Vin-Ta individuals. We don't know whether Baron is a first name, a last name, or a title. At some point, Baron was killed and we think the couples that adopted you must have been killed as well. You and your brothers were rescued and you were put into human families. We don't know why, but I suspect it was to protect you from whoever killed Baron. We don't know how many clones were made. There could be more. But I expect that, like Bobby, they are in human families. Since you are clones, you are genetically identical. That means Jack's mates are your mates, Bobby. Nick, you noticed how good Jack smelled. He is your mate because you are Bobby's mate. The same with your sons. Now Lobo here believes you are his mate. You could reject him, the way Jack might, or you could recognize that he is an incredible asset as your mate. He can keep you safe."

Alephin stopped speaking and gave them time to think about it.

"Is he going to keep finding mates? If so, is there any way to prevent it?" Nick asked.

"He can reject a mate," Alephin said. "But the mate is unlikely to take it well."

"How many mates does Jack have?" Chris asked.

"Three."

Lobo decided to try another tactic. He stood up, unfastened his pants, and pulled his erection out. The Kostas and Bobby gasped. Lobo was hugely endowed. His erection was over fifteen inches long. Lobo moved next to Bobby. He pulled Bobby's head to it. The smell was incredible. Bobby's mouth actually began watering. Bobby began kissing it.

"You'll have my love and this," Lobo said.

Nicky began stroking himself as he watched his Bobby.

"I love this place!" Nicky said.

Several of them laughed.

Lobo bent down and kissed Bobby. Bobby melted as Lobo's tongue filled his mouth completely. As they kissed, Bobby held Lobo's cock with both hands, possessively. Lobo was happy. This was the kind of reception he'd hoped for. Alephin was right. He was better off with Bobby. Lobo pulled away from the kiss and smiled at Bobby.

"Please be my mate," Lobo said. He stroked the hair on the back of Bobby's head.

"I will be," Bobby said. "If it's OK with Nicky," he added, quickly.

Nicky nodded.

"You'll never have to work," Lobo said. "I am very wealthy."

"Did you get the bounty from Dag?" Alephin asked Lobo.

"We were a team of two. We split it."

"Bounty?" Nick asked.

"We killed Edvard Cucco, who was trying to capture Jack and Tom to sell," Lobo said.

"He would have gone after Bobby, too. He didn't care how many people he had to kill to get them," Alephin said to Nick. "The man was more ruthless than you can imagine."

Nick didn't know how to respond to that. Death and killing. Murder.

Bobby could tell how unhappy Nick was. So could Nicky.

"What do you want to do, Nick?" Bobby asked.

"I...don't know. It's all too..."

"You're overwhelmed," Alephin said.

Nick nodded his head.

"Dad, I remember when I was little, you told me once that you wanted a large family. But Mom died," Nicky said. "You have a really big family now."

Alephin grinned at Nicky. Way to go, pup!

Nick frowned. He supposed Nicky was right. You don't choose your family.

"Have you killed anyone else?" Nick asked Lobo.

"Yes. In the American civil war. In both world wars. Also during security operations."

"Civil war? How old are you?" Nick asked.

"Just over two hundred."

Nick gasped. The man looked like he was about thirty!

Bobby shook his head. He didn't know how to get his mind around that. Lobo's stiff cock was still inches from his face. He leaned forward and smelled it. He looked up at Lobo's face.

"Are you a virgin?" Bobby asked Lobo.

The whole room burst into laughter. Nick laughed along with the others.

"Uh. Practically," Lobo said, laughing.

"I'm practically a virgin, too!" Bobby said.

"You're more practical than I am," Lobo said.

Bobby kissed Lobo's erection, again. Lobo moved the head to Bobby's lips. Bobby began licking it.

Nicky thought Lobo's cock was beautiful. He reached around Bobby and wrapped his hand around the shaft. He began stroking it.

"Fuck that's nice," Lobo said. "You like that big thing?" he asked Nicky.

"Oh, yeah!"

"Milk it. Make me feed our mate," Lobo said. Nicky groaned. He stroked himself with his other hand. Chris started stroking himself. Nick did, too. Alephin bent Rince over the table and pushed inside him. He fucked his mate slowly. Ed began groping himself.

Alephin motioned for Ed to come to him. Even though Lobo was back and could protect Bobby, it didn't mean Alephin didn't need Ed in his pack. And Bobby still seemed like the easiest way to get Ed to commit. Especially now, when the room was saturated with the scent of lust. Nick's inhibitions were lowered.

"Richard has the door. Take your clothes off and show Bobby what you've got. Rub your cock on him."

Ed was shocked. He wasn't sure why Alephin was suggesting it, but he quickly pulled his clothes off. He moved behind Bobby and rubbed his erection on Bobby's shoulder. He was shocked, again, when Bobby turned his head and swallowed half his cock. Nicky took his hand off Lobo and began stroking Ed. Ed groaned loudly as he came. Bobby gulped down his semen. Ed looked at Lobo, expecting him to be furious. But Lobo was stroking himself, watching Bobby. He didn't seem angry at all. Then he realized that Lobo didn't know that Ed hadn't ever had sex with Bobby before. He'd just met him. He didn't look forward to the time when Lobo found that out.

Nicky was about to come. He stood up, pulled Bobby's mouth to his cock and shot his load. It was an intense orgasm.

"I never dreamed sex could be this fantastic," Nicky said.

Alephin grinned at him.

"Enjoy it, pup. You can do this all day long, every day."

"Of, fuck!" Lobo said. "I can't wait! I always dreamed of finding my mate and being able to come thirty times a day."

"No waiting required!" Alephin said.

"How about you, Nick. Are you still upset?"

Nick frowned.

"I'm not upset Alephin. It's just a lot to absorb. Is Ed Bobby's mate, too? I heard him say he's having sex with Jack and Tom every day. Are Ed and Lobo my mates?"

"They may not want to share Ed with Bobby," Lobo said.

Ed stood there, uncomfortably. He wondered if he should say he wasn't their mate, Ed didn't have a mate. But Alephin knew that and he wasn't correcting Nick. Ed looked at Alephin, who winked at him. Ed laughed, nervously. Lobo was going to beat the shit out of him when he found out. Bobby had pulled Ed and Lobo's cocks together. He was lapping at both cock heads. Lobo looked delighted.

Alephin thought he might as well take advantage of the situation, of the confusion of who was whose mate. He needed Ed in his pack. He could make it happen today. If it didn't work out, he could unmate them.

"Alephin?" Ed asked.

"Bobby, what do you think of Ed?"

"He's great!"

"Do you want him with you?" Alephin asked. "Do you want that pretty cock of his inside you all the time?"

Bobby was burning with lust. He kissed the drooling head of Ed's cock. Then he kissed Lobo's.

"Yes, Alephin."

"Ed, is Bobby the mate you've always wanted?"

Ed's eyes widened. Alephin was offering to make Bobby his mate! He'd done it to Ed's friend Howard. Ed knew it would only work on him if he was a member of Alephin's pack. That meant Alephin would have to fuck him, first. This is it, Ed told himself. He didn't know Bobby, but he knew Jack and Tom. They were a lot alike, and Bobby would be like them. While Ed thought, Lobo kissed Bobby. Ed was torn. Just then, Bobby's hand found Ed's cock and wrapped around it, while he continued to kiss Lobo. Bobby thought Ed's cock belonged to him. Ed decided to give it to him. Ed pulled away and walked over to Alephin. He leaned over the table, next to Rince. Everyone had stopped whatever they were doing to watch.

Alephin grinned. He pulled slowly out of his mate's ass. He moved behind Ed. Alephin caressed Ed's back and shoulders.

"That's it, pup. Calm down."

Ed felt his muscles relax. He felt Alephin move his cock between his cheeks.

You can do this, Ed said. Howard had told him it was the best decision he'd ever made. I'm yours, Alephin, he told himself. Alephin pushed inside him. He thrust twice and pulled out. He pulled Ed up and spun him around. He hugged his newest pack member. Ed hugged him back.

"When I think how much safer you will be when you have Lobo and Ed as your mates, it makes me really happy," Alephin said to Bobby. Bobby smiled.

"Will Ed still be Jack and Tom's mate?" Nick asked.

"No. Ed will just be Bobby's mate," Alephin said. "Bobby, Ed is your mate. Love him and cherish him," Alephin said, in his Alpha voice.

Bobby shivered and nodded.

"Ed, Bobby is your only mate. Love him and cherish him," Alephin commanded.

Ed felt the command in his bones.

"I will, Alephin."

"This is a happy, happy day," Alephin said. "Lobo and Ed, I want you to take over security operations here at Techupawa. Lobo, you're chief. Ed, you're his second."

Lobo looked at Ed. He seemed as surprised as Lobo was.

"Yes, Alephin," Lobo said. "I'm surprised you trust me so much, but you aren't making a mistake."

Alephin nodded.

"I don't want contractors heading teams. You can start thinking about how you will do that," Alephin said.

They both nodded.

"Alephin, I spoke to a lot of people while I was looking for Cucco. You are probably aware of this, but you are getting to be as big a target as the people you are protecting. You're making a lot of enemies."

Rince looked at his mate.

"Maybe you'll listen to him," Rince said to his father.

Alephin sighed.

"What would you have me do?" Alephin said to Rince. "I'm doing everything in my power to increase security. As you've just seen."

Rince shook his head.

"Why is Alephin becoming a target?" Nick asked Lobo.

"Because he basically fully controls the next generation of Vin-Ta," Lobo said. "Your son, Bobby—"

"My stepson," Nick interjected.

"—And his brothers are creating the first ever Vin-Ta baby boom. The other packs are shrinking, while Techupawa grows. And the other Alphas know that it will continue to grow. When the next generation reaches breeding age, in a few years, some of them will be as fertile as their mothers. When word gets out that you now have Bobby, anger will increase."

Alephin sighed, again.

"I'm aware of this."

"Nelson Lombardy told me his second asked to join Techupawa," Lobo said.

Alephin nodded.

"Along with a lot of other oldtimers. I haven't accepted a single one."

"That's what I heard. And their old Alphas won't take them back," Lobo said. "They consider them traitors. Those people are pack-less."

Alephin looked down and rubbed his forehead.

"You know, if they weren't so homophobic, some of those Vin-Ta men could probably get pregnant," Alephin said. "We have four Vin-Ta males who can give birth. Rince, his son Hephin, and two of Jack's mates, Jerry and Keith. They aren't the second race, like Bobby, Tom, and Jack. They are Vin-Ta."

"I thought Rince and Hephin were unique," Lobo said.

"We don't know how unique they are. Vin-Ta men usually don't like to get fucked. And when they do, they don't wish for babies," Alephin said.

"You need to let them know this," Lobo said to Alephin.

"It would make Jerry and Keith targets. Besides, do you think any old-timers would allow themselves to get fucked?"

Lobo thought about it. Would he have allowed another man to try to get him pregnant? Not if it wasn't certain, and maybe not even then. He didn't want to be a mother.

Alephin didn't know what to do about the building animosity towards him. He'd been aware of it for several months. But what could he do? Accepting those people would disrupt his pack. And why should he give them babies when his own pack members wanted them just as badly.

"Can I help?" Bobby asked Alephin.

Alephin smiled at him.

"Thank you for offering. You are as kind and generous as your brothers."

"Do you want us to move to a different pack?" Nick asked.

"Absolutely not!" Alephin said, as he slapped the table. Everyone jumped.

"There's one more thing to consider," Lobo said.

"Go ahead," Alephin said.

"As the pack gets bigger, it's more likely humans will wonder what exactly is going on here."

"I pay a lot of money to keep curiosity down."

"Still, it's starting to look military and that could make humans nervous." Lobo pointed. "There's a man with a missile launcher a few yards away."

"Do you have any suggestions?" Alephin asked.

"Yes."

"Do they involve sending Bobby or his brothers away?"

"No. I believe they are safest here," Lobo said.

Alephin smiled. "Excellent! Let's meet tomorrow to discuss them. Now, I think it's time to show Bobby and the Kostas around. Then we'll get them settled in at Tom's.

"I'd like to build a house for Bobby and our family. What about directly behind Tom's house? We can connect them," Lobo said. "I don't want to live in my in-law's home."

Alephin nodded his head, slowly.

"Space is one thing we have plenty of. I can't see why not. Tom may be disappointed. But he can think of it as an addition, if they are connected."

"That's what I thought," Lobo said.

Nick began to get angry. He decided where his family lived. He forced himself to keep his temper. He remembered how angry he got when he was young.

"You can't make decisions for us," Nick said to Lobo. "We were a family long before we met you."

To Nick's surprise, Lobo nodded.

"I had to get Alephin's permission before we can even discuss it. Right now, we have no choice where we live. Tom's house is the only place safe enough for us. But we will be houseguests there. I want us to have a home of our own. One that is just as safe as Tom's, but will belong to us. One we design ourselves."

Nick calmed down.

Alephin looked at the Kostas. Only Nicky seemed happy.

"Lobo and Ed. I would like to make a suggestion. Bobby and his original family need to adjust to this life. I think he should sleep with the Kostas, as he has been for a couple of days."

Lobo could tell they weren't thrilled to have him there. And why should they be? He was inserting himself into their lives.

"I understand," Lobo said. "I think it's a good idea. But it doesn't have to be for just a couple of days. Bobby, if you want me to sleep with you, let me know. We have to share you, and if you feel most comfortable sleeping with them permanently, I will understand."

Bobby nodded at him.

"Thank you. I think I would like to sleep with just the Kostas most of the time."

"Well, we can't fit in one bed, anyway," Ed said. "I'm just happy to have a mate."

"I agree," Lobo said.

Nick smiled. Finally, some good news! Chris was happy, too. He was afraid he was being forgotten.

"Alephin, we brought nothing with us," Nick said.

Alephin nodded.

"We did," Chris said. "We brought changes of clothes and our toothbrushes."

"Why?" Nick asked him.

Chris shrugged. "We didn't know how long we would be here. We brought things in case we finished late and decided to spend the night here."

"Well, I don't have anything," Nick said. "Not even the clothes I arrived in."

"I'll take you to the camp store. They sell just about everything, food, clothes, electronics."

"I'll pay for everything," Lobo said. "It's the least I can do. And I just earned twenty-five billion dollars."

Bobby and the Kostas gasped.

"You're a billionaire?" Bobby asked him.

"It's a surprise to me, too!" Lobo said.

"Is everyone wealthy here?" Nick asked.

"No. I'm not," Ed said.

"You have to understand that when you live as long as we do, compound interest and even small investments can do wonderful things," Alephin said. "You've got money in the bank, I'm sure. There's not a lot to spend it on, here. Imagine how it will grow over the next hundred years."

Nick shook his head. It was hard to absorb.

"Plus, Bobby can earn money like that, if he wants."

"How?"

"Giving birth to rich people."

"Oh, yeah."

Bobby had trouble believing he could get pregnant. He had lots and lots of questions. Fortunately, he could ask Jack, his—brother? It was so strange! Did his mother know he was—the way he was? He had never gotten the impression she thought he had weird abilities.

Nicky looked at the two security guards who were now part of his family, at least that was the way he understood it.

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