“Holy shit! That’s awesome.”
“Axel has been collecting us since he became an adult. He left home, left everything behind, to become the alpha he was meant to be. And to get away from his father. Nate was one of the first shifters he came across.”
“The little guy that wears onesies?”
Gavin snorted. “That little guy was a sniper in the military and is still one of the best shots in the world.”
“Fuck me!”
They were really going to have to work on Stryker’s bad language if he was going to hang out with the other boys. “He’s mated to Craig and Bo.”
“The bear shifter and dog. They also disappear into the woods quite often. Portal? Noah told me about those.”
Dog? Gavin nearly choked on his last bite of food. He took a long drink of his water. “Bo is the Alpha of the hellhounds.”
“Hellhounds!” Stryker’s voice rose.
That wasn’t fear he heard. “He has his own pack but oversees all the hellhounds. Craig owns the BDSM club in town. That’s where they all met.”
“Good security. Craig knows what he’s doing,” Stryker stated.
“I’ll pass that along. Nate is a little. He has PTSD from his time in the military, and it helps calm him.”
“Bryce and Anton are littles too. And Lawson is a pup? He’s cute chasing a ball but he and Drake need to learn to shut their curtains.”
“They don’t mind who sees,” Gavin shared. He’d walked in on Drake and Lawson too many times to count. “When Bo showed up, Craig shifted at the club, revealing himself to Lawson, River, and Seb. That was when Drake realized Lawson was his mate. He brought all three into the family.”
Stryker rested his chin on his fist as he watched Gavin closely. “Go on. Please!”
“That was around the time that Anton showed up. At the request of his father.”
“The one in the paranormal council’s custody?”
“Yes. River didn’t want anything to do with Anton when he first arrived.”
“Why not? Even if Anton isn’t my type, the man is attractive.”
“He was also a complete asshole. Under his father’s thumb. It took time for us to really get to know him. For him to trust us.”
“He obviously trusts you now,” Stryker said. “And is an adorable little.”
“That’s a little newer for him. Being little fits him though. River and Anton were dating when Rainier showed up and changed everything for them.”
“The fae king,” Stryker said. “I’ve only seen him once.”
“He spends most of his time in his own realm. He is a king and the fae outnumber both humans and shifters. He is a very busy being. River comes through the portal every day to work. He’ll bring Anton to hang out with the boys or Anton stays with Rainier.”
“And you’ve been to that realm as well?”
“Yes, several times. It’s beautiful.”
“Then why does River come here to work? I imagine being mated to the king must have some perks.”
“River works because he wants to work. Just like the rest of us,” Gavin said. “Forever is a long time to be doing nothing. Also, Shawn hired River before he was mated. Trusted him. Gave him a chance to run his own crew. To be his second. It means something to River.”
“Shawn is the panther?”
“That’s Trevor, who’s mated to Ansley, the author,” Gavin corrected. “Shawn is the wolf shifter. His mate is Sam, who owns the bookstore.”