Eric POV

*4 years later*

"Quiet, she'll hear you." I covered my lover's mouth to muffle his moans.

He nodded as we kept going.

"I knew it." I backed away from my lover.

My mother was there in my bedroom doorway looking furious.

"Both of you get your faggot asses out of my house!" She screamed pointing out of my room.

"Don't bother grabbing anything. I have the job so everything in this room is mine. Just get out." She said not even looking at me and I left in my jeans and sneakers.

My lover and I left.

"This may be a shitty situation to do this, but I, Henric James, reject you Eric Chambers as my mate now and forever. Don't contact me anymore. You were a great player but you no longer satisfy me." Henric said getting in a car and kissing the dude in the driver seat and looked back at me.

"I, Eric Chambers, accept your rejection." I said, holding back the tears and he smiled, winking at me and they drove off.

"Get off my property you little shit." The woman I once called mother said pointing a gun at me and I ran.

I was running for a while until my lungs started to burn. I was unfortunate to be born prematurely with underdeveloped lungs and even after I shifted at sixteen they haven't grown.

Where the hell am I going to stay now?

A week later as I was trying to figure things out, that's when I felt the pains of the rejection hit me harder than before, causing me to collapse on the forest ground.

The next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital and saw the hottest guy with blue eyes and black hair in a doctor's coat.

"Morning sleepy head." The doctor said, smiling at me.

"What time is it? What happened?" I asked, groaning.

"You were on my pack's territory passed out so you were brought to the hospital." He said in a soft tone.

"As for the time, it's noon." He smiled

"I slept that long?" He chuckled.

"Technically you slept for two days. When was the last time you ate something? Or even drank something? We ran a few tests and you collapsed from dehydration and fatigue." He looked at me but not as a doctor usually does when they're concerned. It seemed more personal for him.

"I haven't eaten in three days and the same for drinking. I was rejected by my mate so that doesn't help the fatigue." He looked upset.

"Someone very close to me was rejected a while back. Although he's in a wonderful relationship now and going to his dream school in California. You should meet him one day." I nodded.

"Maybe one day but I don't think now is a good time." He chuckled.

"Everything seems normal with your tests, let's get you cleaned up and outta here." He said.

"I'm not supposed to legally do this but considering my family runs this town, here." He gave me a card with his name and number.

"Keep in touch would ya?" I smiled and said sure.

"Take these." He gave me a shirt and it smelled wonderful of rain and fresh blooming flowers.

"They smell really good." I blushed and he looked at me weird but chuckled.

I went to the bathroom, came out, showered, and changed.

"They're a little big but comfortable." I looked at myself in the full-length mirror on the wall.

"You'll bulk up once you get your weight up." He smiled.

"This may be random but seeing what you came here with, I'd like to offer you a job. It's nothing special, just something to help get you on your feet." I didn't know what to say. I have no experience in any field. I'm just a high school graduate.

"I don't know what to say." I stuttered.

"The correct answer would be to accept." He playfully glared at me so I just nodded.

"Good."

After his shift, we went to a little restaurant.

"So I gotta ask first, whose clothes are these? Since I put the shirt on, I felt better and the scent is so calming." I asked and he had that weird look again. We were seated at a table and the waiter came to get our drink order.

"Remember I told you about someone close to me who was rejected? Those are his clothes. He stayed here for the last two years of high school, he moved here because he couldn't handle the pain, his shifter spirit is a tiger God and he felt like living in the same state as his mate was going to kill him, well him and his dad. He moved here and slowly got better, not completely because he is still 'mateless' but as I said he's in a wonderful relationship and they haven't marked one another when his partner is ready they will. So when he left, he gave me some of his clothes he grew out of for patients who need stuff." Whoa, who would reject someone like him? They must be insane.

"It's good he's better, I can't imagine how he feels but I know how I feel and I'd never want anyone to feel like this, and I gotta say since I put the shirt on, the pain is an ache at the moment. It feels nice." It's so strange how the scent of someone I never met can make me feel like this.

"I have more of his shirts if you'd like. If it helps you can have them so you don't feel the pain if his scent is helping you. Caleb would want to help, he's got a good heart." Caleb, I know that name.

"You said, Caleb? As in Caleb Blackstone?" I asked and he nodded.

"Yes, do you know him?" He asked and I shook my head.

"No but he kicked my team's ass at state for soccer. That last play he did was amazing. I heard he got a full ride to UCLA and I'm happy he did, he's one hell of a player."

"We were all at that game, he took his team to nationals and they won. That was his dad's dream, to see his son make his dream come true. Liam's voice was out for a week with how much he was screaming." He chuckled and I smiled.

"I bet that was a game to be remembered." I said and he nodded.

"We have it on DVD if you want to watch it sometime. Liam bought like fifty copies for everyone." He said and the waiter brought our drinks and we ordered. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger with curly fries and he ordered a steak with potatoes.

"Now tell me a little about yourself, Eric." He said and I sighed.

"There really isn't much to tell honestly. My dad died when I was younger, school was school, graduated, had a good life growing up, until my mom caught me and my mate in bed, kicked me out and he rejected me. I left and woke up here days later." I summed up my life in a short version.

"Well you don't have to go back, you're more than welcome to stay here. No one will harm you or kick you out. Everyone here is nice and are treated like family, blood, or not. I can talk to Alpha Zander and he will speak to you and will mark you as a pack member if you decide to stay. It's your choice, Eric." Well, it sure as hell beats living on my own with no way to survive in human form.

"By the look on your face I'm going to assume you want to stay?" He asked after a few minutes of me thinking it over.

"Yes, I'd love to." I said smiling and he nodded.

"Perfect. After we eat I'll take you to meet Zander." He said and our food was brought out and we ate and talked.

Finally, Galen, my coyote, and I will have a home where we can be free. If dad could see us now. He'd be so proud.

When we finished eating and Jaylen paid the bill we drove to the packhouse and he put his thumb on the finger scanner. "Liam's brother had his father in law upgrade our security."

Jaylen smiled and I was falling in love with this Liam guy even more. He sounds a lot like my dad before he died when he was assisting in a bank robbery. He was the best cop and father.

"You ready?" Jaylen asked already out of the car.

"Um, yea, sure." I said nervously.

I got out and followed him and blushed when some guys and girls whistled as they saw me. It's rare that anyone has found me attractive.

"You must be Eric, I'm Zander." I shook his hand.

"We have a room already being set up for you." He smiled. Well they don't waste time here, do they? I smiled at myself.

I shook my head and we took a tour of the lands.

"The ceremony will be held tonight. For now, feel free to socialize or whatever you feel comfortable with is fine too." Zander said.

"Oh, by the way, Jaylen. Caleb and Vince will be here, they need to see you." Zander said looking at Jaylen who was tagging along.

"Do you know why? Is it what I think it is?" Zander nodded but didn't say anything.

"The room is ready, Zander." A girl about seventeen said walking out of a medium-sized house.

We walk into the house.

"Wow..." I said.

"We have houses built for new member. This one was built for my grandson but he's moved out so you're free to stay here if you wish." I looked at him. He doesn't look a day over forty and he has a grown grandson?

"Ok, thank you." I smiled and we took a tour of the house and it was three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

"When we're finished here Jaylen can take you to go shopping for clothes and other things you may need but we supply the necessities such as sheets, pillows, and toiletries, food among other things."

I nodded.

"Ready to go Eric?" Jaylen asked.

"I guess so." I said as we walked back to the car. Zander was doing last-minute preparations for the ceremony.

"What's your style of clothing?" Jaylen asked.

"I wanna know so I can go to the right mall."

"Semi-formal I think? Semi casual?" I just wore whatever.

"Let's play things safe then ya?"

I nodded.

"Are you sure that there aren't too many clothes?" I asked as I didn't mean to have him buy so many clothes. I'm still just a stranger to him and he's spent over three hundred dollars on me.

"This is nothing. There were people in the pack that have spent over a thousand dollars on clothes alone forgetting they needed other things." He chuckled.

"If you say so." I sighed as the backseat is now cluttered with bags.

"We supply food but is there anything you'd like to stock the kitchen with? We can stop at the grocery store."

I hesitated. Should he be spending so much?

"I uh, sure."

"We'll just go from aisle to aisle, grab whatever you want." I sighed but nodded.

When we got back to the pack it was nearing six in the evening. I had my new clothes and shoes put away as well as the food.

I wasn't in the mood or mindset to socialize with the pack so I just decided to watch tv in the living room.

Before it was time for the ceremony I decided to go take another shower, I wanted to also shave and fix my hair. I wanted to look nice in front of everyone, first impressions are lasting impressions.

I picked out a pair of khaki cargo shorts, red briefs and a white short sleeve polo shirt with my new white nikes. After I got dressed I fixed my hair with gel to spike it up in the front. Simple, I'm not out to impress a guy so not going to go all out.

"We're ready for you Eric." Jaylen said after I answered the door when he knocked. I nodded and followed him.

We walked to the stage and all eyes were on me, not in a creepy way though.

"Good evening everyone." Alpha Zander said and everyone got quiet.

"It has been a long time since we had someone join us, to become part of our family. In the twenty-seven years since I have been the Alpha of the pack we have welcomed members throughout the years, be it mates, lonewolves, or rogues looking for a home. We have opened our home and hearts and always will do so and today is no different. Eric would you please join me?" Alpha Zander said and I walked up the steps to join him on stage. He turned to face me so I did the same.

"Please raise your right hand." I did as he said. He was handed some kind of dagger and he cut his palm and mine, shaking my hand as he said something I didn't understand but I felt the pack link snap into place and I could hear everyone in my head and I felt at peace, home. He smiled at me and I bowed my head to my new Alpha.

"Welcome to the New Moon Pack Eric Chambers." He said and everyone cheered and I had to fight back my tears. It has been so long since I was accepted and shown I was welcome.

"Thank you, this means so much to me Alpha Zander." I said respectfully and he smiled.

"Drop the Alpha, no one calls me Alpha unless necessary, we are all family and I don't feel right being called by my title all the time." Wow, he and this pack are certainly different than others.

"Ok Zander." So weird to say his name without Alpha but I'll get used to it.

"Ok, hi I'm Julian, he's my pain in the ass but he's harmless. It's nice to meet you Eric and welcome." Another handsome man. Am I living in a dream?

"No." They chuckled and I blushed. Did I say that out loud?

"No, we can hear your thoughts. Don't worry you'll get used to it again." Another man said and I didn't dare think anything else.

"I'm Kaiden, this is Seth and this is Ian and Zeke. We're all mates." Damn. Six?

"It's nice to meet you all and thank you for the warm welcome." I said and they smiled.

"It's nice to see you up on your feet. You had us worried when you were found." Zeke said and I sighed softly.

"I'm sorry about that, I..."

"It's ok, what matters now is that you're ok. Are you settling in alright?" Ian asked.

"Yea, still getting used to everything but it's nice."

"Caleb just linked me and said he'll be here in a few minutes." Julian said and I felt nervous suddenly with Caleb coming.

"Do you have any idea why he's coming? He doesn't have a break for another few weeks." Jaylen asked when he walked over to us with another man who looked exactly like him and two other men who looked alike but not as much as Jaylen and his look alike.

"All I know is he said he needs something made for Vince. He will tell you when you find out what he needs." The look alike said.

"Hello, I'm Jayden. This is Alek and Alex." Jayden said and we all shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you all." I said and as we were talking, I saw him. Caleb.

He was walking with a man who was smiling and greeting people as they made their way over toward us. Caleb was looking at me the whole time and I felt Galen moving toward him without my moving my body and when we were face to face, his eyes were glowing a beautiful neon blue and I felt myself shiver at his low growl and he grabbed me and hugged me, I was frozen, I couldn't move with the way his body felt, the amazing sparks that were going all through my body and I was hard.

"You're my mate." I said and he tightened his hold on me.

"You're my mate." He repeated my words and I wrapped my arms around him and inhaled his scent of rain and fresh blooming flowers, the same scent I fell in love with only much stronger now with him holding me.

"Caleb?" I heard someone and he let me go slightly to look at the person. He smiled and grabbed the person and pulled him into us.

"My two mates." Well this just got interesting.

"I'm Caleb, may I know your name handsome?" He asked and I felt my cheeks heat up.

"I'm Eric, I know who you are. We played against you in states for soccer a few years ago. It is very nice to meet you though Caleb." I noticed he shivered when I said his name.

"Hi, I'm Vince. I hope you are happy with having us." Wait what?

"I think maybe you three should go talk." Julian said so we walked away from everyone and I showed them where I was living and we went inside.

"Would you like something to drink?" I asked them and got three glasses down.

"Sure, anything you have is fine." Vince smiled at me and his smile is beautiful. I poured some tea and sat at the table and we just looked at one another.

"Listen..." We all three said at once and chuckled.

"Go ahead, you go first." Caleb said to me so I nodded and sighed.

"I heard about you and Vince when I was talking to Jaylen and he told me about your rejection because I told him about mine. I was rejected a week ago and my mom kicked me out and I was on my own, passed out on the packlands, woke up this morning actually and ah he gave me one of your old shirts and your scent was calming and I wondered why it made me feel like I did but now I know. I don't want to come between you even though we are mates, you two have been together for a long time and you just met me so if neither of you want to have a three way relationship, I'll let you go Caleb so you can be happy with Vince." I said and the thought of losing Caleb hurt like hell.

"Are you crazy? Two hot men for me to love, count me in." Vince said so we looked at Caleb and he was smiling.

"Count me in as well." He said and I sighed happily and Vince got off his chair and walked over to me and sat on my lap.

"Now, who is the bitch who hurt you?" Vince asked seriously and Caleb chuckled and Vince glared at him.

"It doesn't matter, he's a distant memory for me now that I met you two." I said and he smiled.

"Well if we ever see him again just know I'll handle it just like I handled the bastard who hurt Caleb." He said and I was a little worried about that guy.

"Don't worry I didn't kill him. I'm not that violent." He snickered when Caleb nodded.

"He's a firecracker. You grow to love that about him." Caleb said and I smiled.

"It seems like it. So we accept this, us three?"

"I do, with my whole heart accept you Eric." Caleb said and Vince smiled.

"I accept as well." Vince said.

"I accept with everything in me." I said and Caleb got up and knelt in front of me and cupped my cheek and licked his sexy lips and looked at mine and we moved in and stopped an inch from each other's lips and I put my hand on the back of his neck and moaned at the sparks and that's all it took for him to place his lips on mine in a sweet slow kiss. I felt my body relax and I was getting turned on with his kiss and Vince grinding his hips on me.

"Stop. We should stop." I said when we pulled apart. Caleb nodded and kissed me again for a few seconds and Vince kissed me right after Caleb and I am so going to need a cold shower tonight.

"You and us." Caleb whispered and I looked at his lower body and saw he was hard and Vince.

"I don't know how long I'd wait with you two as my mates." I said and they smiled and we ended up kissing again, moving from the chair to the couch, where I was feeling really hot as they were kissing all over me

"Do you want to stay the night?" I found myself asking them.

"Only if you want us to." Caleb answered and I nodded.

"Very much so." I said and Vince bit his lip. I gently removed it from his teeth and smiled at him.

"What has you so nervous? I wouldn't hurt you or do anything you don't want to do."

"I'm not nervous, I'm just trying to think of a way to ask something." He said and looked at Caleb.

"This may seem strange to you but Vince usually sleeps in well in panties of different kinds and nothing else." Caleb said and my eyebrows shot up to my forehead.

"I'd have to see before I can decide." I winked and Vince blushed. He got up and took his shirt off showing me a nice firm chest and stomach. He swayed his hips as he slowly pushed down his pants revealing him in a pair of red lace thongs and I felt my mouth go dry at the sexy sight in front of me.

"Holy shit." I couldn't stop looking at him, he was so sexy.

"Exactly why I have no problem with it." Caleb whispered in my ear and licked my neck as he kissed his way down. Vince was dancing sensuality as Caleb was rubbing my leg close to my inner thigh and I bit back a moan. He moved his hand up and was about to unbutton my shorts when my door flew open and six men walked in.

"Caleb!" One said and Vince grabbed his clothes and ran down the hall and Caleb growled.

"Oh shit, sorry. We didn't know you had company. We were told you were here but didn't know with someone else besides Vince." Another said and Caleb groaned.

"Even if it was just Vince and I, you should knock on the door and wait for an answer dad." That's his dad?! Fuck!

"It's only eight son, didn't think you would be going to bed so early." He smirked at Caleb.

"Not to sleep." Caleb mumbled and I chuckled, not to mate yet either my darling mate.

"Dad, pop, dad's, this is Eric, my mate." Caleb said after we calmed down in our shorts enough to stand up.

"Mate?" One said.

"Yes mate. You don't need to worry about anything bad happening dad, we talked and accepted each other. Vince as well." Caleb said and they all sighed in relief.

"It's nice to meet you Eric. I'm Liam, this is Sebastian, Adler, Gabriel,Thayne, and Weston." Liam said and hugged me.

"It's nice to meet you." I said to them and Vince came back into the living room looking more relaxed, hmm seems he was able to take care of his issue.

"So Eric, how do you like it here so far?" Liam asked as we all sat down. Caleb wrapped his arm around me and gently pulled me into his strong chest and I sighed, loving this feeling.

"I love it. Even more now that I met Caleb and Vince." I said and his dad looked worried.

"You do know they don't live here, right?" He asked and I nodded.

"I'm aware. I knew before we even met again."

"Again?" They all asked.

"Yea, we didn't actually meet per say before just in passing on the field a few years ago."

"If you met before, how come you didn't know you were mates?" Sebastian asked this time.

"I was with my mate who rejected me at the time, that's the only thing I can think of."

"All that matters now is that you found one another." Liam said and Caleb smiled.

"That's right. Dad does bring up a point though, Vince and I live in California and go to college there. You just got here and are settling into your life here, I don't want you to have to move again with nowhere to stay. We live in the dorms on campus, we don't live together, we have roommates so there wouldn't be a way for you to live with us even if you came back with us." Caleb said and I felt torn and I knew he did as well.

"It will be hard and it will suck monkey balls but you will be ok and get through the distance and separation until Caleb and Vince graduate and Vince finds a job and Caleb goes to play professional soccer, and settle wherever they decide. Just because you're mates doesn't mean you can't follow your dreams. You can go and do whatever your dream is Eric, we all have our own careers and have to be apart but we make it work, you three will as well." Yea, he definitely reminds me of my dad. I wiped my eye at the thought of him and I felt my throat get tight.

"Are you alright Eric?" Adler asked.

"I'm fine, just taking it all in what Liam said. Also thinking of my dad and how you remind me of him Liam."

"Well I may not be your dad but I can be a dad to you if you'd like." He said and I got up from my comfy spot on Caleb and went to Liam and hugged him.

"Thank you, I appreciate that very much." I went back to my spot and Caleb's hold on me tightened a little.

The rest of the evening we talked until it got late and they left to go to Julian's house with a promise to be back tomorrow so we can have breakfast together.

My life yesterday may have royally sucked but today, I have two mates and a pack, and a family.