It's Always Something - 5. Chapter 5

The Blackstone's home was a cozy, Tudor style, two-story, four-bedroom cottage with a chimney on one corner. The dwelling was nestled way back in the woods, unseen from the main road or highway. The smoke rising from the chimney made the home and its surroundings seem like a picturesque, peaceful scene from a fairy tale.

Mitch smiled as he opened the door of his home and then stood aside to allow the family's guests to enter the domicile. Once everyone was inside, he closed the door and sat on a bench to remove his grey insulated snow boots. The chunky footwear made his size twelve feet look bigger than they were. The raven-haired thirty-six-year-old shifter worked as a clerk at the county's courthouse. He was six-foot-four and weighed two hundred pounds of pure muscle. His legs were sturdy and trunk-like, and he sported bulging biceps. The hair on his body was as black as what was on his scalp and was thick. The smile that usually plastered his face was genuine, as was the warmth and sparkle in his deep brown eyes. However, behind the seemingly docile personality, Mitch was a deadly adversary when it involved protecting his home, family, and friends or seeing justice prevail.

Starla worked from home as a certified CPA. Like her husband, she was tall and muscular with a full head of curly black hair that she kept at neck length for less fuss. Her demeanor was similar to her husband's, except there was more of an outright dangerous edge to her personality that let anyone know this woman would kick their ass or die trying if needed.

The first thing Brandon did was shift to his human form as soon as he reached the doorstep. He pulled on the blue boxer briefs his dad handed him and slipped his size ten bare feet into his gray and white fluffy slippers. The teen had the same raven hair and chocolate brown eyes his parents did. His current height was five-foot-nine, solidly built with the beginnings of a defined six-pack abdomen. The second thing he did was wrap his muscular arms around his two best friends and honorary brothers. "Guys, I can't thank you enough," he softly exclaimed as tears dripped down his cheeks.

"Bran, you're our brother," Fabien said as he rubbed Brandon's back.

"Yeah, dude, we're all family and gotta look out for one another," Rhylan said after kissing the side of the younger shifter's head.

The five parents hugged each other as they watched their boys with loving pride in their hearts and eyes. Mitch and Starla took their turns showing the love and appreciation they held in their hearts for Rhylan and Fabien, who, in their eyes, were as much their cubs as Brandon. Once the adults were satisfied they'd sufficiently embarrassed their teens, Mitch went to the wet bar in the den and fixed spiked eggnog for the adults. Alvora and Starla walked into the kitchen to prepare the food after letting the boys know they could have one alcoholic beverage with lunch.

The teens headed upstairs to Brandon's large cave-like bedroom. The space was intriguing because the walls and ceiling resembled an actual cavern.

"Bros, am I a wimp if I openly admit to how scared I was," the cub asked as he plopped down on the king-sized mattress, his hairy legs hung over the side.

"Nope, I'd be worried if yeh weren't scared," Fabien said as he and Rhylan sat on either side of their honorary brother. "Damn, I hope I get a little taller soon. My feet are the only ones that don't reach the floor,"

The shifters looked down and giggled when they saw the redhead's feet hovering over the Berber carpet that resembled a dirt floor.

Brandon leaned against Fabien with his head on the slightly older teen's shoulder. "Personally, bro, I like that you're shorter because it feels like I've got a for-real leprechaun to cuddle." He giggled as his body jerked and wriggled when his brother's arms wrapped around him and the slightly older teen's fingers pressed between his ribs as if he were typing a document on a keyboard. "Fabien, you know that tickles," he squealed.

Fabien chuckled as he lightly ruffled the bear's curly locks. "I love ya, Bran."

Rhylan loved seeing his mate being so loving with Brandon. He felt Fabien's heart and capacity to love was the witch's greatest strength. He could feel his wolf's protective nature and concern filling him as he thought about anyone trying to hurt either of his pack.

"It's okay to be scared, little bear," Rhylan said as he pulled Brandon onto his lap and rocked them back and forth. "Just remember, you've both got something others don't."

Brandon moved to the other side of Rhylan, so the wolf was now between him and Fabien. "What's that," he asked with his head cocked adorably to the side with a confused expression on his face.

Fabien chuckled and said, "Yeah, what do we have that others don't? Oh, wise wolf of the mountains, please enlighten us."

Rhylan leaned forward, narrowed his eyes, and growled. "You're sooo askin' for it, witchboy."

Boyish giggles flowed from Brandon and Fabien.

"As I was saying... You've both got me. Not everyone has a strong, badass wolf to keep them safe," Rhylan said with his head held high as he posed and showed off his muscles.

Brandon and Fabien sat quietly for a few seconds before launching a double-sided tickle attack on the unsuspecting wolf. Rhylan's boisterous laughter bounced off the walls as his sock-clad feet kicked against the side of the bed, and his body writhed and wriggled under the weight of his mate and brother. The younger teens high-fived each other after their ticklish victim hollered uncle. Rhylan lay on his back as he panted from the physical exertion. The raven-haired young man smiled as he was hugged and kissed by the giggly ticklers. When Brandon got up to go to the bathroom, he and Fabien shared a look of happiness, knowing they helped to lift their cub brother's spirit.

Lunch was multiple twelve-inch Italian subs with barbecued venison, smoked cheeses, and copious amounts of other toppings. Everyone chose to have a bottle or glass of Bud Lite with the meal. The laughter and topics of conversation never stopped as everyone enjoyed the time together and thanked the Gods and Goddesses for Brandon's safety.

At one point during the meal, Fabien and Rhylan kept glancing at one another as if telepathically asking each other questions. This didn't go unnoticed by the others at the table, except Brandon, who was more involved with his second sub not being in his stomach.

George gave voice to the question in the adults' minds. "Sunshine, Rhy, what's on your minds, my sons?"

Starla shook her head in amazement. "I think it's incredible those two are so connected and can silently communicate as if they'd been together their entire lives."

Mitch swallowed the food he was chewing. "Just think, that bond will strengthen when the boys are fully mated."

The bears gazed into each other's eyes. They softly chuckled as their fingers touched and their cheeks gently nuzzled together. Declan sipped his beer and lovingly touched Alvora's cheek, and she gently rubbed George's back, knowing he was thinking of and missing his wife. George smiled and whispered a thank you for the support as he kissed his witch sister's cheek and patted Declan's arm. Brandon, Rhylan, and Fabien watched their parents be the perfect role models with tears of joy in their eyes. The teens were happy to witness the five elders of their blended family or pack sharing the intimate and heartfelt moment.

Rhylan looked at his younger brother. "Ian and I were wondering how you got in the hole."

Fabien put his bottle of ale down, then wiped his mouth with his napkin. "Yeah, little bear, that was a pretty big hole. You had to have seen the opening."

The gears in the parents' heads started turning as they began to ask the same question. At the time, the need to rescue their trapped cub dominated everyone's mind, and none of them even thought about how Brandon fell in there.

Brandon shifted in his chair and gazed into everyone's eyes before answering. "It was the weirdest thing. I didn't even see or know there was a hole in the ground," he paused and sipped his beer. "I heard Ian and Rhy playing in the clearing and was gonna join them. The spot where I fell looked like everything else around it."

Declan, Alvora, George, Rhylan, and Fabien stared at each other. "Glamour spell or hologram," they responded in unison, much to the amusement of the bears.

"That means this might not have been poachers, right," Starla asked.

"Maybe no, and maybe yes," Alvora responded.

"We hafta do somethin' before one or more of our boys gets seriously hurt. This could become very dangerous. I don't like having bad guys in our backyard, and I'll damn fuckin' sure kill any bastard who tries to hurt our children or die trying anyway."

The fire and determination in the human's eyes and the fierceness of Declan's declaration sent shivers down the spines of the shifters and his wife. It also left them with no doubt that the man meant every word. Everyone pitched in to clean the kitchen and dining room, then the parents relaxed in the family room and continued their discussion.

The teens headed back upstairs to Brandon's room. Along the way, Fabien stopped at the bathroom between the stairs and his brother's room. Rhylan sat beside Brandon on the bed. He chuckled when the tip of Brandon's tongue rested on his upper lip, something the younger teen always did when he tried to figure something out, and the wolf thought it was adorable.

"What's on your mind, little bro."

Brandon blushed as he looked at Rhylan and grinned. "Was I doing the tongue thing again," he asked.

Rhylan nodded, then giggled as he wrapped his arms around the younger boy and kissed the side of his head.

Brandon closed his eyes and sighed. He felt loved and protected in the older teen's embrace. "I just realized Ian didn't get tickled. He tickled me, and then we tickled you."

Just then, the door opened, and the subject of the conversation walked into the room. Seconds after the door closed, Fabien's boisterous laughter and squeals blended with his mate's and brother's giggles and bounced off the bedroom walls. An hour later, the O'Leary and Stormcloud clans hugged and kissed their hosts, then headed home. Rhylan went with his dad to see the Golden Eagle and retrieve his truck. He and Fabien were spending the weekend with their brothers.

Declan and Alvora stood on their front porch, kissing their boys before the pair ran to Rhylan's brown and tan Nineteen-Eighty GMC 4X4 K25.

"I'm worried about them not being home right now, Vora," Declan said as he opened the door and followed his wife inside.

"I am too, love, but they're pretty much full-grown. Those two are smart, strong, and tough as they come. Anything they can't handle, they've got their brothers to rely on, and they've got us." Alvora stood on her tiptoes and kissed her soul mate. "I love you and how much you care about our children, Dec."

"I love yeh more, my better half.