I will happily take your brothers on as many rides as they want, but first we have to rescue them."
"Right. And let's get going. We have to get home so we can start making plans for tonight. I just remembered, you said you're Alpha of the Tehachapi pack, aren’t you? That's where we live? Alex told me to check for a friend there if we got separated. But then I almost died and… Yeah. Anyway, Ford Silvers. He knows Alex, so he might know where he lives."
While Charlie blithely dropped a fantastic clue, Matt and I shared a look. I nodded and got on the bike. "I'll search for Ford as soon as I get back, Matt. After I get a word with him, I'll give you a call. Hopefully, we can narrow down the location and get a better plan in place before tonight."
"I'm counting on it. Ride safe, my brother." Matt punched a fist against his heart while I did the same. Conversation finished, I fired up the beast and headed home. As we made the ride, I truly regretted not having a speaker system or even a Bluetooth for Charlie. Happiness pheromones poured off him. The faster I went, the more excited he got. The goddess had truly blessed me with a perfect mate.
When it finally occurred to me to speak to him telepathically, we were already rolling up in front of my house. Raul and his parents were sitting on the front porch, which didn’t surprise me. They’d clearly been watching for us, so I was impressed when they visibly restrained themselves from rushing over. As we hit the porch steps, Charlie was holding my hand, still gushing about the ride and planning for me to teach him to drive.
Just like he had in Lucerne Valley, Charlie stopped mid-sentence, distracted by the Ramirez family. His eyes sparkled as he studied them, clearly happy to meet more new people. When Essie arched an eyebrow in my direction, only my poker face saved me from laughing at the not-so-subtle hint.
Essie spoke before I could, staring pointedly at my chest. “Alpha, that’s a nice mark on your chest. Me gusta, now you can maybe start wearing shirts since you’ve nothing to prove, eh?”
Laughter bubbled from my chest as I winked at the fierce lady. "I’ll look into that, Essie. Now Charlie, these are the three most important people you'll meet today. And I say this because they live in our house. This is Essie. She manages the household. Her mate Pedro handles the winery, but we'll save the tour for another day. And Raul is the pack's Beta, which basically makes him my right-hand man. After you, of course. Ramirez family, meet Charlie—your official Alpha Mate."
Shaking his head, Charlie gently corrected me. "It's okay, he can be your right-hand man. Eli says as Alpha Mate, it's my job to rule beside you. To handle the things you might not think about, like celebrating special days or arranging gifts for new parents. I’m sure there's a lot more to it, but Eli promised to help me while I figure it out."
Charlie paused and smacked a hand to his forehead. "Look at me, being rude straight out the gate. You gave a nice introduction, and I totally ignored these lovely people." Shaking his head, Charlie dropped his hand and went to Essie first, greeting her with an expectant smile. "Forgive me. I'm Charlie, and I'm so happy to meet you."
Now that her attention was fully on Charlie, Essie gaped at him like she was seeing at a ghost. Standing, she crossed herself. Then she came forward and brought both hands up to cradle his face, staring at his birthmark. "Raul told me the story of how our Alpha found you and how you'd been kept a prisoner for as long as you can remember. Tell me, mi hijo, do you know where you came from originally?"
Something in her tone, along with her wet eyes and the tension I both felt and smelled coming off her, brought me to full attention. "Essie, is there a reason you ask?"
"Sí, es muy importante. Creo que conozco a su familia." She rattled off some more Spanish, but I was lost. Essie muttered under her breath, then smiled at Charlie. "You will wait here. My Raul will go get Dave and Tina Silvers."
"Silvers?" Charlie went from patiently confused to interested. "Are they related to Ford Silvers? He might be able to help us find where I