Whatever his mother and Eivind spoke of in the kitchen, the two eventually returned on their own respective times, neither looking worse for wear. Blue sighed as a gentle wave of relief washed over him at the sight of his mother's and boyfriend's faces. No tense jaws, no furrowed brows, no pursed lips. Mom was perhaps slightly stiff, but it was perhaps the most Blue could ask for considering what had happened the last time the two had met.<br/><br/>Blue's family didn't stay much longer; the sun was beginning to set and Katherine didn't want to travel too far on the back roads where there were no streetlights to aid her vision. Animals had a habit of rushing across the road at all hours, but especially in the black of night, and the last thing Blue wanted was for his family to get into an accident because they had been out visiting him in his new remote dwelling. Blue said his goodbyes, thanking his mother for giving Eivind the chance he deserved and asking her to say hello to Papa for him. His sisters each hugged him in turn, Little Bird whispering to him to cut his dark mop of hair before he playfully pushed her out the door.<br/><br/>Eivind had collapsed onto the new couch in a playful slump. Blue couldn't blame him. The wolf hardly interacted with anyone other than Blue, and entertaining his mate's family was most likely exhausting for him. Blue smiled gently as he settled down next to lover, happily receiving the wolf's hungry hands as they pulled and stroked the smooth skin beneath his clothes.<br/><br/>“You? Keep<i>me</i>?” Blue laughed, running his fingers through Eivind's wavy brown locks. “You'd be so lucky. I'm the boss around here.” Blue caught Eivind's lower lip in between his teeth, softly biting into it and growling friskily before letting it go. “I'm glad things went well. I think she might even like you a little bit,” he said hopefully.<br/><br/>A red flush engulfed Blue's face at Eivind's emotional admission. Though he knew Eivind loved him, sentimental words from the wolf were always cherished like precious jewels whenever they were gifted. “Vin...” he began, unsure of what to say. His heart began to pound furiously in his chest, rapid drum beat playing out the song of his emotions, the only one his beating organ seemed to know. He was reminded of that night in the woods, the night after they had escaped from the horror show that was the hotel and his parents' misguided attempts to haul him away from his love. The traumatic event had seemed so final at the time. Unforgivable. But if they could come back from that, perhaps there was still hope for Blue to have everything. His art, his boyfriend, and his family.<br/><br/>“I love you,” he finally sputtered, hands at Eivind's waist as the older male used his lips to paint a constellation across Blue's skin.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center">x-x-x-x-x<br/>​</div>Sig seemed content to spend days roaming around the cave, wandering out on two legs or four, rough housing with Stellan when the mood struck him, fucking when the mood shifted into something more intimate. The big wolf saw no reason to complain. He had promised to bring Sig back to Eivind and Blue, sure, but he had also promised he wasn't going to force the small werewolf if he didn't want to, and Stellan was more than happy to engage in whatever activity Sig craved. Pretenses about safety fell away as Stellan hadn't prepared himself to lounge with Sig for more than a few hours. It seemed neither wolf minded so much this time. Stellan fucked him sans barriers, using only the thick aloe Sig had stored in that parcel from the cave. Though he didn't say it, Stellan hoped as he sheathed himself inside of Sig for what must have been the fifth? sixth time? that Sig wouldn't require him to return to the condoms once they went back. He would, of course, if that's what his new friend wanted, but<i>fuck</i>did Sig feel so amazing without them.<br/><br/>Sig's stories about Eivind and Blue were entertaining, especially with how they met. Stellan had wondered how Sig had managed to make friends with such a cantankerous alpha, but Sig's explanation made sense once the tales were told. Part of him felt even worse for the human. Garlan's attack seemed to cause him all sorts of health problems.<br/><br/>“Must've been hard for 'im. And for Eivind to watch his mate go through all that.” Stellan wasn't sure what he would have done in Eivind's place, and the more he learned the more he understood why Eivind was a bit crazed. The failed alpha had carried around the reputation of being “off” for a long time, even among packs that weren't his own, but his wild nature had a source now. His mate. That pretty, defenseless human boy. In his travels, Stellan had met a few human/wolf couples, fewer who were properly mated by instinct. The wolves he had met who were mated to humans the old fashioned way were always a little more aggressive, maybe to compensate for their partner's inability to protect themselves from other wolves. Blue had found himself perhaps the most vicious mate he could get, and Stellan figured it was most likely a good thing given his history with werewolves.<br/><br/>“I promise, I won't let it slip 'bout Blue still bein' around. If I hear talk from my pack mates, I'll let you know. Don't worry about askin'. I know you care about Blue. I'll do what I can to help you protect 'im.” Stellan sealed his vow with a kiss, covering Sig's body with his own and punctuating his desire to help with another round of semi-aggressive fucking. Making a commitment to Sig was easy for Stellan, especially with his instinct to dedicate himself to Sig growing with each pounding.<br/><br/>Stellan was happy when Sig deemed it the appropriate time to return to the alpha and his mate, though he would have been just as pleased if Sig had wanted to stay in that hidden cave indefinitely. Eivind was waiting for them when the two walked up to the back porch, his superior nose most likely giving away their proximity. Alphas were typically the best hunters and trackers and Stellan doubted Eivind was any different despite his relatively lean physique. Lean for an alpha, anyway.<br/><br/>Watching carefully for signs of guarding or aggression from Eivind yielded very little, and it seemed the alpha didn't mind all that much that Stellan had taken his time returning his friend. The invitation to come into the home was ambiguous, but Eivind did not protest when Sig began tugging Stellan up the porch steps.<br/><br/>Blue appeared at the back door to the cabin in a pair of tight opaque red briefs and a t-shirt, smelling of wine and sex. Stellan could tell via scent alone that Eivind's body was adjusting to the mating process perhaps a bit<i>too</i>well, as the boy's natural odor was completely overwhelmed by Eivind's. A strong signal to any wolf that the human was spoken for. Stellan imagined that if the boy were a bitch, he'd certainly be carrying Eivind's pups by now with seed that strong.<br/><br/>The boy tossed his long, thin arms around Sig, hugging him tightly to his chest. “Eivind was about to go stumble out there and look for you himself,” he chuckled, pulling Sig into the cabin. “Thankfully, he's easily distracted. You guys hungry?”<br/><br/>“Uh, yes, please,” Stellan mumbled, doing his best to respect the alpha's mate and keep his eyes off of him. Sig was trusted, Sig was a friend, and it seemed the little wolf was given carte blanche to look and touch Blue as he wished. Stellan knew he hadn't earned that status yet.<br/><br/>“Go sit at the table. I'll heat up something for you. Don't sit on the couches until you shower, though. They're new.” He waved the two away, not bothered by their nudity. Blue had seen Sig naked more times than he could count, and Stellan was just another wolf. Though Blue still maintained his own bit of modesty (to a small degree, anyway), any discomfort he once felt at seeing nude wolves walking around had dissipated months ago. It was just the way things were.<br/><br/>“Sig, you won't believe what Eivind did,” Blue began, reaching up to grab a few bowls from a cabinet, his small shirt lifting to expose the creamy white skin over his hips and lower abdomen. Stellan kept his head down. “He sneakily invited my family for dinner. My mom and sisters were here. And things actually went well. I think your influence has got him planning all these nice things. What have you done to my wild wolf?”