Mate ...s ?!?!
Chapter Twenty-Nine

[Jace’s POV]

The next day

Orion, Jax and I had finished the day out by talking about us. We needed to get to a point where we all understood where we were going. Where we all stood in our relationship and where it was going to go in the future. We had a lot to talk about apparently because it had taken us the entire day. Orion needed to know that Jax and I really did love him. It was hard for our little Omega because he didn’t really know how to handle the kind of love Jax and I were giving him.

You know that unconditional, no holds barred type of love that nothing could break. He had explained that yes, he was abused but it was so much deeper than that one word could really explain. He had been denied the very basic things in life his entire life. Cilla and Justin had kept things from him that most young Wolves or even Humans would know at a very young age. Orion had to learn things on his own and when he did he was beat for learning it. He was only allowed to learn things to better Kinder. Orion never had a childhood, hence his brain needing the age regression. It was his way of escaping to a place where he was free for at least once in his life. He could imagine anything and be anything. Orion could do anything he wanted and there was nothing to stop his mind from imagining it all. We had decided to gently force Orion into another bout of ‘little’ space by just treating him like a ‘little’. We had all gone online and done research to better understand everything that was going on and Jax and I were very surprised by all of it.

Some who had never had a true child hood or just never truly grew up could slip into a headspace that would have them act more like children. Not that they were actual children nor were they any less efficient in most normal things. However, when in their own little headspace, they were a child with the eyes of one and the needs of one. Orion needed a caregiver or ‘daddy’, someone who would always take care of anything he could want or need.

In the beginning that had confused Jax and I until I had thought about the way Cassie had treated Orion. The way she had called him her son and even the way our own mother had behaved with him. When he had been that way, they had let him come to them and do things his way. Telling them how to do it. The way Jax and I had seen it was them spoiling him but in reality, it was the only way to get through to his mind. That was just fine for the two of us. Hell, it gave us a reason to spoil him, I liked that more than anything.

The plan for the day was to allow Orion to just be himself. Jax and I were going to go places that Cassie had taken him too before. I had wanted to take him someplace new but I had read that it would be better to start off with a place the little was more familiar with. It would help to establish that bond the three of us desperately needed.

I sat up to face Orion, but was shocked to not replace him under the covers. I jumped to my feet, throwing Jax to the floor in the process, getting a growl from him. “Get up!” I snapped kicking his foot a little.

“Shhh,” Jax groaned as he sat up to yell at me for being loud. However, when I pointed to the empty bed his face changed quickly. “Where is Orion?!” he demanded glaring at me. Like it was my fucking fault our little Omega wasn’t in bed.

“If I knew moron, do you think I would have kicked you out of the bed?!” I snapped in reply. He was not blaming me for this shit.

Jax sighed as I went to the closet to grab us some shorts to wear. While that was happening Jax was tearing apart the bedroom and bathroom. He was trying to replace Orion but our little Mate was not in our rooms.

WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK!!!!!

What could have gotten Orion out of our rooms? He should have at least woken us up. We had talked about the three of us being together and how Jax and I had just wanted to keep Orion by our sides so we could keep him safe and now he is missing.

Jax and I dashed out of our room and into the house, sniffing at the air to replace Orion’s heavenly scent. It didn’t take long to replace him thankfully and when we did scent him, we took off in the direction he was in.

We stopped at the kitchen to see him with our mother busying themselves around the kitchen. They were cooking and mixing things, streams of giggles and happy laughter in between. It was so nice to see Orion so happy where he was. I stepped into the kitchen cautiously, mom never liked having us under foot. We would try to steal bites of her delicious food while it was still cooking and she would chase us out with her trusty broom. It was always a good morning.

“Orion,” Jax breathed, getting our little Mate’s head to shoot up and look in our direction.

“Jax! Jace! Oh, you are finally awake!!” he said his voice pitched with his excitement. He ran over to us, looking much like a happy child as he looked up at us. He wrapped his arms around me then Jax before rushing back over to the oven. He squeaked in alarm and started to pull at the handle.

“Orion Jewel!! Get away from that.” mom cried when she noticed him reaching for the oven door.

Orion jumped and squeaked with surprised as mom rushed over to him, pushing him back and taking his place. “Now you know better right now. You don’t need to end up burning yourself.” she added much more softly as she brought out the hot pan to place it on the stove top.

“I-I’m s-sorry” Orion said as he hung his head a little. “I-I just w-wanted to h-help.” he added as he leaned against the sink. Looking very much like a scolded child.

Jax and I growled a little at our mother for making him sad but we went to him instantly to pull him away from the oven and into the prep area. “Don’t be sad little one. Momma Scar was only trying to keep you safe.” Jax cooed, getting Orion to look at him.

“That’s right little star. I don’t want you getting hurt because you were rushing.” Mom said as she smiled and leaned across the countertop to reach for Orion.

Orion perked up then and nodded his head before reaching for me and Jax, pulling himself closer to us. “I was only rushing so they could eat.” he countered, a little bratty.

Mom giggled a little as she came around the counter to stand in front of us. “Jaxson and Jace will be more worried for your well-being than filling their bottomless pits called stomachs. We were just saying how you like it when they dote on you. Let them child.” mom said getting me and Jax to look down at Orion to see his face flushed almost bright red.

He likes it? That was a step in the right direction at least. “Little one we will always dote on you. For as long as you live.” I said pulling him away from Jax to fully wrap him in my arms. I needed to just hold him myself for a moment.

I released him and let Jax do the same before Jax turned back to our little Mate. “Why didn’t you at least try to wake us up?” he asked curiously, moving a piece of hair out of Orion’s face.

Orion smiled brightly at us, “You were too cute. I wanted to make a special breakfast for my new family and I was making too much noise looking for things when Momma Scar came in and found me.” he explained still trying to hide his blushing face.

Jax and I chuckled a little, Jax pulling Orion in for a tight hug and then letting me do the same before we turned back to the cooking food. It all looked very delicious and we couldn’t wait to try it all.

“When will it all be done our sweet little star?” I asked as I let Orion go so he could help mom out.

Orion looked around, held his little pointer finger up for us to wait a moment as he thought about everything, he had wanted to make for us. It was the most adorable thing I had ever seen. His face was scrunched up in thought as he rushed around the kitchen putting the last-minute touches on everything. Even mom had stopped to just watch our little Mate run around. She was smiling as she watched him, quietly putting things for him to replace where he would need them, just to make sure he had everything he would need.

When he was done checking everything he giggled happily and asked us to set the table. He wanted to bring everything out himself but mom stepped in and said that she would help with the bigger things and the foods that were still a little too hot to carry. Orion had smiled and nodded before carting filled bowls and trays into the dining room. His happiness radiating off of him in waves.

Once everything was set and we were all sitting down, I got to see all the delicious looking foods Orion and mom had cooked this morning. I was shocked to see that dad had actually made time this morning for this. Usually, he was out of the house long before anyone was even awake and running the border. He would come back for a quick breakfast before heading off to the Packhouse to do paperwork and make phone calls.

This morning however, he was still in his workout clothes so he had yet to run the border. He had waited for Orion and mom to finish cooking breakfast so he could eat with the rest of us and it was a nostalgic feeling from when Jax and I were still pups. He had always waited until we had gone off to school until he had run off to do his morning routine and it was very nice to see him this morning.

Once everyone’s plates were filled, we all dug in, moans of delight escaping from everyone as the once packed table was quickly cleared of all food. Jax, myself and dad mowed through everything, devouring every morsel on the table. There was a single roll on the table and the three of us leaped at the chance to take it for our last bite. The three of us more than hungry for more of the delicious food that was no more.

We all chuckled loudly when the handle of mom’s broom came out of nowhere and Orion’s little hands scooped up the last roll. A shy smile on his face as he and mom took off into the kitchen. The three of us after them and the coveted roll. That broom handle was a warding tool and our mother knew it better than anyone.

When we got into the kitchen and found them, there was no roll but two Omegas with shit eating grins on their faces. I love my mom and she has always done right by me and my twin, so when she and Orion leapt out at us we all backed up in faux surprise. The three of us having to pretend to at least be surprised when we had all clearly heard them breathing heavily from where they had been. Jax and I had seen our parents play this game many times and we had always wanted to do it with our own Mate someday.

Orion and mom were full of laughter as mom leapt into dads’ arms and Orion came to stand in front of Jax and I. He was a blushing giggling mess as he stood in front of us as we all laughed at the moment. When Orion came to hug us both I felt something ice cold run down my back causing me to jump away from them, but I was not the only one Orion had gotten. He had done the same thing to Jax. I could tell ’cause we were both doing the same dance, you know the one where you have something stuck in your shirt and you gotta wiggle to get it to move and then it freaks you out cause it’s cold but it’s still moving on your skin. Yeah, that one.

It was now being performed by three Alpha Wolves in the kitchen with our two Omegas hysterically laughing at us.