Page 85 of His Impossible Elf Mate
“Huh. I know plenty of alphas who wouldn’t see this as their job.”
“I plan on being a different breed of alpha. My mating with Axel is a partnership, which is why he is working right now, benefitting our pack, because I understand his need for independence. Money is no issue for either of us. He likes to be needed.”
“The Luna did good work with you and Kade, I swear. I bet if I’d wanted a mate, she would have given me someone great.”
“Teagan is just waiting for you to decide—“
Chase’s laughter cut me off. “Nah, we would be a wreck. Teagan needs someone more dominant than me. She’s so beautiful and strong. Smart, too. She would walk all over me, which she thinks she would like, but she’d get bored in a heartbeat.”
Something told me Chase understood my friend’s needs better than I did. “We’ll just have to find her a powerful alpha.”
We ate together in the kitchen before Chase helped me situate the living room in a better way, so my reading corner made the best of the fading winter light. There wasn’t a TV since neither of us had the time, nor the inclination for one. Something Chase had very strong feelings about.
“I can’t believe you don’t have a TV!”
“You can have one in your room.”
“My room?”
“Yes, it is over here.” I led him to the addition to our two-story home.
On the ground floor, on the other side of the utility room, was a small apartment. It had a spare bedroom above it and its own staircase, which led to the upper floor. I had asked about the need for it. Axel explained it was another method of security. Chase had his ownexit and his bedroom was next to the staircase, so he could guard the children.
Axel never had to ask about adding the apartment for Chase. We both did not want him remaining in the mansion, which was basically a bunk-house for single alphas now. The offices and a large dining hall remained there, but the important people to the pack lived elsewhere. Deke even had his own small home.
Chase belonged with us, his family. If, at any time, he wanted a house of his own, we would help him get settled.
His eyes went round with surprise when he saw the room. He pushed back any other deeper emotions he was feeling.
“You didn’t have to do this for me. I was okay where I was,” he said quietly.
“You’re family, Chase. You belong with us. I want to do the baby’s room with Axel, but I’d like to help you settle in, if you would like that?”
“I’d love that, thank you.”
Helping Chase really did not take that long. A couple of his enforcers carried his bed to the house, and he did not have much in the way of belongings. Somehow, part of what he owned was already at our house.
He hugged me briefly after we unpacked the last box, then returned to work just in time for Axel to come home.
“The house looks great.” Though he had a smile on his face, it was stiff.
“I did not do the baby’s room. Just all the others.”
“Why?”
“I thought it was something we should do together.”
“The rest of the house wasn’t?” I got the feeling he was genuinely curious about my reasoning.
“Not really. I know how you like things ordered. It was very dull unpacking rooms such as the kitchen and bathrooms. If you do not like where I placed things, we can change them. I mainly did the heavy lifting for you. I didn’t want to have you tire yourself out. Plus Chase helped.”
“He did?”
“Yes. I showed him his apartment. Should I not have done that?” I worried I had overstepped.
Axel smiled wide, relaxing fully. “No, I’m glad it was you. Sounds stupid, but he’d believe you wanted him here over me. If I’d told him he’d have said I wasn’t obligated, with you, well, I think he would’ve figured out he was a part of our family.”
“So I did well?”
