His Apprehensive Mate - Brea Alepou Page 0,37
Ava. If you want to wait, that’s fine,” Kenny said.
Ava looked up at Kenny. “I can join even if I haven’t shifted yet or felt my wolf?”
“Yes,” Dezi said.
Ava looked around the room, looking unsure. Morgan moved toward her.
“You don’t have to make a decision now.”
She looked at him with pleading eyes. “I’m not ready.”
“And that’s okay. You join when you are ready.”
She nodded. “Can I still be here—I mean, to stay?”
“Yes.”
Kenny ruffled her hair. “You have a dream that you want to achieve.”
She smiled shyly up at Kenny, and it was the most adorable thing ever.
“You know what would be good right now? A joke,” Dezi said.
Morgan stifled his laugh as Logan and Kenny both groaned. Dezi turned toward Ava with the biggest smile on his face. He was different than Morgan’s old alpha.
“Now this has to be one of my favorites, so if you don’t laugh, I might cry.”
Logan laughed. “Don’t worry, Ava, if you don’t laugh. Most of us don’t.”
Kenny nodded. Ava looked to Morgan, and he shrugged. “Sometimes they are funny.”
“Hey, I find all of my mate’s jokes funny. He’s just so adorable when he tells them with such excitement,” Kash said.
That got everyone laughing in the room.
“I haven’t told my joke yet,” Dezi said.
Morgan caught the way Ava smiled from ear to ear as she watched them all.
“Okay, so what do you call a dinosaur that is asleep?”
Ava was the one to ask. “What, a dinosnore?”
Dezi’s mouth hung open in shock. Laughter filled the living room.
“That was the funniest one yet,” Logan said.
Dezi crossed his arms. His muscles made him look intimidating, but his smile softened the edges.
“You’ve been reading my dad joke books, haven’t you?”
Ava chuckled. “No, I just guessed.”
“Kenny, Dad Jokes 101 won’t work for you—Ava is way too smart. I’ll have to let you borrow Advanced Dad Jokes.”
Kenny shook his head in disbelief. Morgan watched Ava’s reaction, but she seemed to either not notice Dezi’s words, or the thought of Kenny being a father figure to her was okay with her. Morgan made a mental note to talk to her about it later.
Dezi moved to stand next to Kash. Morgan shook his hands out, trying to shake the nerves off.
“Shouldn’t everyone be here?” Ava asked.
Everyone looked quickly at Ava. Morgan hurried to explained.
“In our old pack, acceptance and pledging yourself to the pack was a big deal. There was a huge ceremony, a feast, and it would end with a big hunt with the new wolves and alpha.”
Dezi scratched at his ear. “We’ve never done any of that.”
“If you want that, I’m sure I can get started on the feast if Logan goes to the store.”
Morgan waved his hands frantically. “No, I don’t need anything like that.”
“Are you sure?” Dezi asked.
Morgan nodded.
Kash and Dezi shared a look, and then Morgan took a step forward. He stood before the two alphas of the Bliss Pride, knowing they were about to become his alphas. He tilted his head to the side and bared the side of his neck that didn’t sport his claim mark. He cast his gaze down to their feet and pulled his wolf to the forefront of his mind. It was a struggle—it always felt as if he had to trudge through muddy water to reach his wolf. Sweat prickled the back of his neck. He wanted to wipe it but stayed perfectly still.
“I, Morgan Gavis, wish to submit to the Bliss Pride alphas and join the pride.”
Dezi’s warm heavy hand landed on Morgan’s neck, a weight like no other. When he’d pledged himself to the alpha of his old pack, it had been out of pure fear, but with Dezi there was no fear, just love and acceptance. The members of the Bliss Pride were more like a family to him than Morgan’s birth family.
Kash’s hand joined Dezi’s, and a rush of power ran through him at an unsettling speed. Morgan’s wolf rolled over, baring their underbelly to their alphas. Morgan had never felt so close to his wolf, so close to other shifters, as a link was subtly formed inside of him.
He was home and he was Pride.
Morgan smiled brightly at Kenny, and he looked happier than ever. To be part of a pride or pack was a necessity for all shifters. Regardless if they had solitary animal counterparts, as shifters they thrived on contact. And who better than other shifters to give that type of solidarity.
“I’m going to go try and solve for some more stupid x’s,” Ava