3

Crispin's POV

I had never seen a house so big and decadent in my life. I knew it was going to but this was a whole other level. It was a beautiful cream, with beautiful molding on the edges. It looked to be a mansion, and it was the classic home style. It was the home of my dreams.

Rena stood beside me, her eyes wide as she stared at it. Carter sitting perfectly on my hip. Moments later the front door swung open and Ben ran out with a giant smile on his face. His brown hair sat messily on his head, and the sun hit his facial piercings and caused them to shine.

"Uncle Ben!" Carter fought out my grip and ran to him, Ben picked him up effortlessly and pulled him into a hug.

"Hey, little rugrat! How are you?"

"Good!" Carter chirped and grabbed Bens's face.

"Crispin, always good to see you of course." I rolled my eyes at him finally acknowledging me. Though there were no hard feelings.

"Oh don't lie, I know you are only excited to see Carter. But it is good to see you." I walked forward and clapped his shoulders as I smiled. "This is Rena." I motioned to her and there was a small smile on her face.

"Yes, Rena, so nice to finally meet you." She gave him a soft smile and turned to walk into the house. "Well, come on in. James is at the packhouse with the other alphas and guests, so we should get ready and head out."

"Can't believe we are the closest pack and still showed up last," Rena said as we all began walking into the mansion.

"And who's fault is that?" I teased her.

Rena had deep brown eyes, and to many she would be deemed a beautiful woman, and I could admire a pretty face truly.

I was lucky to have her mated to me. But there was a nagging feeling that my mate would look nothing like her. And I'm afraid that the thought is going to eat me alive.

"Since it's Friday, we want to have a dinner and bonfire! Then tomorrow it will just be the Alphas and the guests will be with me."

I nodded as I listened though I was very focused on the mansion as we walked through. They led us to a separate wing and the room we got held a bathroom and a small bedroom attached for Carter. I saw that even though it was a California King, there was only one bed.

William growled in my head at the thought of sharing a bed with her. With anyone other than our mate. As days go by he becomes more agitated, but specifically today. He has been pacing nonstop, growling, and saying that her smell is giving a stench.

He was even getting protective over Carter being around her. Not wanting her to touch him, or even look at him. I have never seen him act this way before.

We dropped our bags in the room and Carter ran around already making a mess.

I had given him flat braids on his head so that no one else would touch his hair. Many didn't know how to do his hair.

Plus, I didn't know the activities of the weekend, all I knew was that I and William didn't want anyone touching Carter.

"Daddy, this place is big!" He spun in a circle and his stuffed elephant fell on the floor.

"Come on kiddo, let's go get changed. We have to go to dinner."

"Am I wearing daddy's clothes?" I couldn't help the smile that covered my face as he said that. Whenever he had to dress nicer than his usual jeans and T-shirts he called them 'daddy's clothes' because they looked similar to my everyday wear. I loved it every time he said it.

"Yeah, you are wearing daddy's clothes!" I picked him up in my arms and leaned down and kissed his forehead and he let out a small laugh. Rena was going through her bag and pulled out a sleek black dress which I knew was going to fit all of her curves.

I quickly changed Carter into a pair of khakis and a black polo shirt and black Jordans. "Handsome boy, you are." I kissed his cheek and let him down to run around and play for a bit.

"I like daddy's clothes, I like daddy's clothes." He sang as he got his cars out from his backpack.

Rena was in the bathroom getting ready so I took the time to change. I put on a pair of black slacks and a white button-up with the sleeves cuffed to the middle of my forearms. My usual wear. I styled my short hair so it didn't sit sloppily on my head. I liked to think I was an attractive man, and I kept myself clean and smelling good. I always wanted to make a lasting impression on anyone I met.

Rena opened the door and I was stunned, she looked fantastic. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and he makeup accentuated her face. The smokey look around her eyes made the deep brown look haunting. The black dress was satin with thin straps and showed off her tight body. It had a low back with a criss-cross string, and gold heels to match.

"Rena you look amazing." The words came out easily as she stood before me. But William was fighting me tooth and nail to back away from her. I don't know why he was so active today.

"I have to keep up with you. You always look dashing." She walked forward with a smile as her eyes racked my body.

"Nonsense."

"Rewa, pretty dress," Carter said as he walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her leg.

"Thank you, honey."

There was a knock on the door and it opened within a second, Ben standing wearing something similar to me.

"Are you ready? We should get going to meet everyone." I nodded and picked up Carter before Rena could grab him and held him close to me.

"Daddy, something in my belly tickles. Tatty is very happy." He whsipered in my ear as he pushed his head into my neck.

Tatty was his wolf, it was incredibly strange that he had one so early and made himself known to him. Of course, he hasn't transitioned but it was still strange. To the point where I haven't told anyone about Tatty, well Theodore, but Tatty was easier to say it was an imaginary friend.

But William could sense Tatty and he was just a baby like Carter. William protected Tatty in the way that I protected Carter.

'Tatty senses something,' William spoke but then retreated immediately. His usual thing these days.

"Remember what we said about Tatty?" I whispered to him, making sure Ben and Rena didn't hear our conversation.

"Only for me and you at home." Then he slapped his hand over his mouth and he stayed silent for the rest of the way there.

I thought the mansion was huge but this packhouse threw it out of the water. I couldn't help but be jealous of the wealth James and Ben have.

Rena had wrapped her hand around my bicep and it took everything in me not to rip my arm from her grasp. But we were both nervous as the great oak doors opened and we walked through the grand hallway. The smell of food and liquor hit my nose.

And then there was something else. Something that smelled amazing. It was thick and heavy. It burned my nose the best way and it pulled William from his cave yet again.

'Find it.' He growled out, but I ignored it.

"So this here is the main living room, we also have the library down the hall, game room, movie room. All that jazz. And then the backyard will be where the bonfire is. Oh, and there is a highchair for the rugrat to sit in." Ben kept chatting on and I was listening but my heart was pounding in anticipation. "Dining room is this way."

I also noticed that both Rena and Carter clung to me tighter. Carter buried his head in my neck, and Rena's grip was digging into my arm. But she looked frantic as well. Her eyes were scanning the room and it made me wonder.

As we got closer so did that smell, I needed to know what it was. So did Carlisle.

"Daddy, it smells funny," Carter whispered against my neck, and that raised suspicions. How could he smell that? Then perhaps maybe Rena did?

"You smell that lavender and lemon?" She asked, but that was nowhere near the smell I was focused on. Which meant Rena must have been smelling the flowers.

The one that I smelled was more...masculine.

Ben pushed the door open and the smell hit me like a ton of bricks. My eyes traced the crowd of alpha men, all familiar faces except the one in the back. His black hair was long and cascaded down his soldiers. He had bright hazel eyes, that caught my green ones in an instant. And a scar on his face that only added to the appeal.

He was a tower of a man. It was rare I met men bigger than me, but even from this distance I could see that he was. His muscles were tight in his black T-shirt, they were bulging in it.

The smell was coming from him, I knew it was. And it was making my heart race and my does curl.

'Mate'

"Daddy, who is that man?"

I wish I knew Carter, I wish I knew.