While all the ladies in the room fawned over little Xavier and made plans for playrooms and nurseries in everyone's house all the men made their way over to the bar.
Where my dad played bartender letting the alcohol flow freely while telling jokes and keeping the mood lighthearted. But never did he miss an opportunity to gain more information from Damien.
" So Damien" my dad started "how's Jack feel about Xavier's unique living arrangements and background?" My dad ask nonchalantly while making Damien another Crown and coke making sure to go heavy on the whiskey and light on the coke to loosen Damien's tongue.
Damien took the drink my dad passed over to him swirling the mixture around and glanced back up with a smirk "Well at first Dad was furious,not because Chloe's part witch. Dad didn't care about that,you know yourself my family don't really care that much about who or what someone is." Damien summarized reminded my dad that his sister is mated to a human. "The reason dad was so bent out of shape was because Chloe wasn't my fated mate. I thought he was actually going to go off the deep end over that part. And the fact that Chloe was a Hunt," Damien shook his head "don't get me wrong dad likes Alpha Lucius. His problem was the fact that there was no way he could coerce Chloe to live on pack land. Hell he fussed and cussed called me irresponsible and everything else he could think of." Damien chuckled a bit and continued "He even said if I was just going to go around having Alpha pups with random girls I should at least make sure it was with a money hungry bitch so that I could buy them from her. He even refused to retire for awhile and let me take over the pack .But after he settled down and called Alpha Lucius they both came up with an agreement that Chloe and I was both comfortable with. Now he's so enthralled by Xavier he doesn't care anymore that Chloe wasn't my fated mate . Just as long as his little fishing buddy is there with him every weekend."
After Damien's long winded explanation Dad nodded seemly satisfied with Damien's answer but I guess something Damien said stirred Skyler up.Who had been calmly setting on the sidelines nursing his drink while absorbing all the information dad was casually pumping out of Damien about this unique situation.
Then out of the blue Skyler called out "Damien" with a serious tone to his voice gathering everyone's attention around the bar." I don't really know anything about the contract that you and Chloe have together regarding Xavier or anything about how your relationship is with her. But I do hope we can be friends and there's no animosity between us." Skyler then sighed running his fingers through his hair obviously frustrated as hell and just blurting out " Fuck! Damien What I'm really trying to say, well not say, ask, it's a goddamn question okay? Do you have romantic feelings for my mate that could cause trouble between you and me?"
Damien's jaw dropped for a moment I guess he was taken aback by Skyler's question like everyone else was around the bar. Except me of course, I can totally understand why Skyler would ask this question. Especially since I know about how Penny and her family was affected by squabbles between her parents. Even though werewolves usually don't harbor such emotions for someone who isn't their fated mate. I can't blame Skyler for his concern in this situation.
However Damien's response wasn't what I expected either. He chuckled a little bit and shook his head " No man, I don't have romantic feelings for Chloe. Chloe and I are nothing more than friends. I respect her, she's the mother of my son. She also gave up a very promising modeling career to raise him. She didn't have to. I told her I would hire a nanny for him while she continued to model.But Chloe refused she said that she rather take care of Xavier herself. Chloe also has refused to take child support. We just have an agreement where I put money in an account for Xavier every month,something like a college fund I guess. We really haven't discussed what it's for ." Damien paused a moment to take a drink then continue to ramble on, as Skyler and everyone else at the bar listened intently to what he was saying.
" As I was saying I just put the money in an account under Chloe and Xavier's name and don't ask any questions. She doesn't ask me for anything and don't make any crazy demands like I can imagine some chicks would. So I have nothing but respect for Chloe. I know it doesn't seem like it from the way I acted this morning and I apologize for that." Damien said sincerely as he solely focused on Skyler's reaction to what he was saying.
But Damien wasn't done just yet . He took another drink from the lose lip concoction dad gave him and babbled on "And just to let you know Xavier wasn't conceived from some romantic fling or a causal hook up. I don't know if you are aware of it or not but my sister owns the molding agency Chloe worked for. That's how we met,it was just before my dad was supposed to retire. I had been so busy studying and training to take over the pack. That I had never got to travel or even take a short vacation for that matter. So when my sister said she was going to Paris I ask if I could tag along with her. She agreed to let me travel with her and all those gorgeous models. But only if I work for her like a stage hand helping her set up for fashion shows." After saying this he paused for a moment finishing the contents of the glass sliding it over to my dad for a refill, which my dad was happy to oblige. I believe dad and the rest of the old timers around the bar was as interested to know about Chloe and Damien's relationship as Skyler was.
After passing the empty glass oven to dad Damien waved his hand dismissively and dove right back into what he saying "Long story short, Chloe and I just happened to be the only werewolves around the fashion industry at the time except for my sister. So Chloe and I hung out together just taking our wolves out for runs in the country side and sneaking out to eat. You see Chloe had to pretend to stick to the same diet as the rest of the models did. You know, just to appear human. And let me tell you those skinny bitches don't eat anything except rabbit food.That's how I found out the rumors about Chloe and her mom was true. Chloe would zap us out of the hotel right to some of the best French restaurants in Paris." After saying this part Damien took the drink my dad made him, nodded a thanks to my dad and twisted his whole body towards Skyler as he explained further " Now don't get me wrong it definitely wasn't like a date or anything we usually just split the tab.We would chow down every night and zap back before anyone ever figured out we were gone. Nothing romantic, just hanging out together both of us just happy that we didn't need to fake who we were."Damien shrugged I guess satisfied with Skyler's reaction to what he just said and continued "So I guess you can say Xavier was conceive out of friendship because Chloe and I never even kissed before." Damien chuckled again " Or maybe drunken recklessness. I don't really know, nether one of us can remember much about what happened that night. It was like we were drugged or something,everything was just a hazy fog .All we can remember is that we got some fancy champagne at this French dive and found out we were parents three weeks later."
After Damien finished his story Skyler was quite agine as he eyed Damien suspiciously for a moment " You mean to tell me you didn't even try to get in my girl's panties. Are you gay?" Skyler ask making everyone at the bar crack up except Damien who just shook his head.
" No man,I'm not gay. It's just I was surrounded by models all the time and every time I took my shirt off one of them was crawling all over me but they were all human. Very generous humans." Damien grinned and lifted a brow suggestively "So I guess the reason I didn't even try to hook up with Chloe is because I didn't want to take the chance of pissing her off.Since she was the only one I could be myself with. I really can't explain it. But I can tell you when you're among only humans the need to have another wolf around out weights getting laid. Especially if your sexual needs are already being taken care of."
"Pack instincts" My dad stated, glancing around the bar at Damien,Skyler and me."I know all three of you boys have heard the term before.It's in the book about the first formation of packs from your first year of your young Alpha studies. Wolves are pack animals and what Damien was feeling when he was trying to live around a bunch of humans is the need to be part of a pack . But since he's an Alpha wolf his instincts was to form a pack and have their trust. That's why his need to have Chloe's trust was stronger than" dad paused a moment and spun his head around towards Skyler " what did you call it? Oh yeah, getting in her panties." Dad laughed and poured everyone another round of drinks.
" I remember that term and and if that is truly what I feeling at the time I can assure you it's one hell of a strong instinct.Most of the time I felt restless and kind of agitated but going out on a run with Chloe helped to calm me down for a little while."
" Truly instinct Damien, it's just who we are. And now that we are on the topic about instincts.Let me explain to the three of you boys why it's in the contract that Chloe and Skyler need to live in their own house. Skyler you may feel like Damien was just being unreasonable with his demands and Damien am I correct in assuming that Jack and Lucius are the ones who insisted on that part of the contract?" My dad ask just to make certain.
Skyler shrugged " Kinda of I guess."
" They did,it's one thing that both of them insisted on,that and the only pack link Xavier can ever have is with my pack." Damien replied honestly.
" That's what I thought and while we're on the topic we'll address why Xavier can't ever have another pack link also. Because I don't want any misunderstandings or hard feelings between you three in the future. I know things are different for the younger generation but our instincts are the same. Damien you have experienced the power of your Alpha instincts in Paris and the two of you have both experience the power of your instincts from your mate bond." My dad explained sweeping his gaze over the three of us just to make sure we were still listening and understood what he was saying.
He waited a few seconds taking in our expressions,his eyes landing on Damien as he spoke "Alpha wolves are born to be leaders and at the time Jack and Lucius was forming this contract for you and Chloe to sign neither one of them knew who Chloe's mate would be. So in Xavier's best interest they decided that he should never be subject to a situation where he would be forced to submit to another Alpha male his age. Hypothetically let's say Chloe's mate was the Beta of another pack and their Alpha already had a little boy around Xavier's age. Now let's say everyone in this pack was forced to submit to the Alpha family then little Xavier would be forced to submit to the Young Alpha of that pack. So other than the fact that it could teach Xavier that it's okay to submit to another Alpha and endanger his pack. It could actually harm Xavier's wolf, if an Alpha wolf is suppressed it could go feral. Now if you boys don't have any questions about that we'll move on to the reason Xavier can't have any other pack link."
"I have a question" Damien said right away.
" Go ahead," My dad nodded towards Damien to ask his question.
" So does that mean Xavier can't play with Andie and Zack's little boy?" Damien ask Kinda confused.
My dad grinned " Well as much as I would love for Andie and Zack to have a son of there own they don't. But to answer your question by the time they do have a baby Xavier will probably be about five years old. And have you forget they will be blood related? Xavier's natural instincts will be to protect him. Thank about Damien what Alpha don't want to protect his family? So I believe it'll be perfectly fine for them to be together."
"So does that mean Chloe and I don't have to move to the retirement subdivision?" Skyler blurted out.
" That's up to Damien, now if he's fine with it we may also have to get Jack and Lucius to sign something for the council." My dad explained turning his gaze on Damien.
" That's fine with me. Like I said before I had totally forgot that Andie is Zack's Luna." Damien was quick to say throwing his hands up palms forward.