La Mexicana was doing a brisk business at that time of day. Still, a path was made as soon as the patrons caught sight of Elias, with his bonding stone flashing like a beacon. No decent werewolf would dream of getting between an Omega and his mate. Whispers spread as people commented on the size of the bonding stone and the fact that the little auburn-haired Omega appeared to already have one mate.

Unmated wolves stepped forward hopefully as Elias approached, but each was passed by. Activity in the usually bustling restaurant was paused as all eyes watched the couple moving through the room, the flashing light of the gem throwing shadows on the ceiling. The stone led them to the entryway of the kitchen.

"What do we do?" Elias asked, glancing at Pax and nodding at a small sign next to the door. "Employees only."

An elegantly dressed woman let out a soft squeak of excitement as she made her way over to the couple. "Hola, my name is Mildred. I'm the owner of La Mexicana," she greeted them. "It's such a precious thing to see an Omega couple in the hunt for a mate. Please, follow me. I'll let you into the kitchen. Síganme." 

She opened the door for them and briskly strolled inside, her heels clicking onto the tiled floor below. "Everyone, slow down to a stop, ahora mismo!" Manager Mildred called out. "We have an Omega and his hunk looking for their mate!"

Pax's hand on Eli's shoulder tightened a bit as werewolves of all sizes and gender began to line up in front of them.

Elias shivered under so many eyes watching him expectantly. He wanted nothing more than to hide behind Pax. They were all staring at him so intensely. It was unnerving.

Eli took a calming breath, squaring his shoulders. He kept his eyes on the bright gem, avoiding the eager eyes watching him. It flashed faster and faster as Elias took tentative steps forward. The smell of delicious food did nothing for the curdling in his stomach. He breathed through his mouth and kept going. Only Pax's hand on his shoulder, holding him back; kept Elias from falling down the stairs he'd unknowingly walked up to.

Elias blinked, looking around. They'd walked through the kitchen and passed everyone there until they were standing in a darkened doorway with a shadowed stairway. Elias knew it was his imagination, but the inky black darkness below seemed ominous and threatening. The Omega startled at heavy footsteps coming from the basement, the thud of boots clanging as they reached the wooden stairs. Elias nearly jumped out of his skin as a deep voice shouted from the darkness.

"Dammit, Mil! I'm going to be late for work! I don't mind being your pack mule, but did you have to turn off the light, too? If we couldn't adjust well in the dark, I'd have broken my neck," the voice trailed off.

Elias was frozen in place as the footsteps grew louder. A hulking form took shape from the shadows and stepped into the light. Elias looked up...and up. He blinked as the bonding stone attempted to put on a chaotic light show. The Omega couldn't take in everything at once and could only seem to make impressions in his head.

Tall.

Really tall.

Dark.

Handsome.

Muscles.

More muscles.

Muscles on those muscles.

Holy crap.

The mountain of a man looked down, appearing utterly shocked. Elias closed his eyes and took that last step, touching the bonding stone to the werewolf in front of him. Lights flashed past his closed lids. There was a heavy thump of something hitting the floor, followed by an odd sound like falling sand. Elias opened his eyes. The gem held a new color. Ruby streaks twisted through the stone, twining with Pax's yellow. The Omega looked to where he'd heard the sound. A massive bag of dried rice the giant had been carrying sat sadly on the kitchen floor, a puddle of white grains pooling next to it. Elias looked back up into the warm reddish-brown eyes of his new mate.

"Hi," the Omega whispered.

Pax tried to take a stealthy step back to give the Hispanic wolf and Elias a little privacy. Still, the movement drew the attention of those amazing eyes. "Ah, I'm Pax," he explained with a touch of nervousness. 

"And I'm Elias," the Omega added shyly. "We're your mates?"

A smile slowly formed on the tall wolf's face, growing until he was beaming. It transformed his face's rugged, handsome lines into something softer, sweeter. Warm reddish-brown eyes twinkled with joy as he looked back from Elias to Pax. The dark-haired werewolf let out a loud whoop, though the noise didn't startle Elias. A laugh bubbled in the Omega's chest as he and Pax were swept into strong arms and hugged gently to a broad chest.

"Mates...my mates..." He pulled back to look at them again, large hands lifting to cup each of their cheeks. "I'm Mateo. Mateo Cabrera." 

Mateo pulled them close, leaning down to nuzzle into Elias's throat, breathing in the Omega's heady scent. Peaceful calm settled into him, seeming to seep down to his bones. Tense muscles loosened and unknotted. A warm sense of contentment and belonging bloomed in his chest. Mat leaned back slightly and tipped his head, allowing Elias to press his face to the taller man's throat. The gesture was repeated with Pax, each taking in the other's scent. It felt like coming home.

Everyone watched, spellbound, as the three mates bonded. People crammed into the kitchen's entryway to catch a glimpse of a sacred moment gifted by the goddess. When Mateo finally straightened to his impressive height again, the moment's intensity ebbed. Everyone took a breath, smiles on their faces.

And that was when Pax realized that they had made the right decision. Mateo didn't seem like the kind of guy that deserved to feel unwanted. The werewolf was taller than him by a few inches, but he didn't feel intimidated in the slightest. On the contrary, the same protectiveness he felt upon coming across Elias again bubbled to the surface regarding their new mate. Something inside him recognized their new mate as a Beta.

"Oh man," Mateo realized with a soft snort. "Looks like I have to call work and let them know what's happened."

"Work? Córcholis, I have to call the whole family! Mom, dad, Jose, Ana, Yasmin, our cousins..." Mildred mused aloud.

Pax shook his head in amusement but turned his gaze toward Elias. "Should we get our meals to go and take him home?" He asked.

"Home?" Mateo asked with a grin. "You have a place?" He turned in his sister's direction. "Mil! You can have your guest room back!" Mat herded his mates to a table in the corner of the kitchen scattered with salt-shakers waiting to be refilled. He shooed them into seats and reached over their heads to grab menus off the shelf, handing them over with a grin. "Order anything you want. I'll pack it up." Mateo put a hand over his heart, wonder in his eyes. "Then we can go home."

"Don't forget to pack something up for yourself, as well," Pax told Mateo with a sly smirk. "You'll need the energy."

Mateo was related to almost half of the employees at La Mexicana, as it turned out. Mildred ran the restaurant like a jovial general. Everyone wanted to take a moment to congratulate Mateo and greet his new mates. Mildred finally stepped in, holding off the well-wishers and waving the trio out the back door with their arms loaded with foam food containers. They had to promise that she would call the family and tell them the good news. The russet wolf didn't want to be separated from his mates for a moment, deciding to pick up his car another day. He tucked himself in Pax's backseat with takeout boxes stacked around him.

The conversation on the ride home was warm, if occasionally a bit awkward. They talked about their families, hobbies, and work. Mateo worked as a guard for his large pack. He'd been groomed to be an enforcer, but as a Beta, he didn't have the stomach for it. Elias was embarrassed to have to admit he had no job. Omegas rarely worked, and he had only graduated high school the past spring. Pax and Mateo nearly fell over themselves, assuring Eli that he had no reason to feel less than anyone else. The Omega had pink cheeks, but a pleased smile when they pulled to their home.

Pax himself was a financial manager for his pack. He worked at a small building downtown and spent most of his time advising businesses of all sizes on the best way to cut costs and prevent loss. Most of his family were quite business savvy. His uncle had helped him sell his father's company so he could use the funds to go to college, get his house and car, and start his own business practice. His intentions had always been to simply pay his aunt and uncle back for all of their help. However, his aunt and uncle had plenty of funds themselves. The fact that he graduated and found a career for himself was payment enough for them.

The golden-eyed werewolf was never more grateful to have a steady and profitable job. Pax was able to provide for his mates, however many there were. He glanced briefly at Eli's stone and wondered just how many mates they had. Tatiana said at least three or four. If the number reached the double digits, then he might worry. But, he figured that even if they ended up with eight mates...

"Pax?" Elias called, pulling Pax from his musings.

"Ah, sorry, I was lost in my thoughts..." Pax apologized. "Let's go inside."

Mateo smiled as he stepped out of the car, taking in the single-story house. It wasn't huge, but definitely not tiny. At least three or four bedrooms. It was painted a soft brown with cream shutters. Tall, mature trees with mounding green and white leaves around the bases threw gentle shade on the yard and house. Mateo wondered if the others would mind if he planted flower beds someday. Something to attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

"Can I help you carry the food?" Elias asked sweetly, pulling Mateo from his imaginings.

Mateo frowned. He wouldn't dream of burdening an Omega with carrying things around. Mildred and his mother would blister his ears if they thought Mat treated any Omega with anything less than the care, respect, and deference they deserved. Much less his own mate. This was a test, then, he concluded. Mat's little mate was checking to see what kind of man Mateo was. The burly wolf became determined not to let Elias or Pax down. He wanted to be worthy of them, of the gift the goddess had bestowed on them.

"No, that's alright," Mateo deduced with a smile. "I worked at the restaurant for years. Juggling containers of food is practically second nature."

Elias accepted the explanation, a bounce in his step, as they followed Pax to the door. So far, Mateo seemed lovely. Pax had been fantastic, better than Eli had imagined he would be. The Omega would give Mateo a chance. Their bond felt right, sitting inside him like a calming warmth. It made him feel safe.

Despite his attempts to thwart him, Pax grabbed half of the containers when Mateo stepped through the door and set them down on the table. "Welcome home, Mateo," he said softly, a smile on his face.

Elias watched, suddenly anxious and excited to see what Mateo thought of the house. Eli had only been there briefly, but it already felt like home. Though not many of his things were in it, a bag of clothes had been dropped off while they were at the buffet some days ago. Elias would still be upset if the Beta didn't like it. The auburn-haired man wondered if it was another Omega thing but pushed the distasteful thought aside.

"I love it," Mateo said with a bright smile. "The colors are very soothing." He looked at Pax and Elias. "I'll try not to break anything."

The silver-haired werewolf let out a hearty laugh. "If you break anything, we'll replace it with something sturdier, don't worry!" Pax replied as he reached over to ruffle the top of Mateo's hair. He curled a finger under his chin in thought. "My king-sized bed should be big enough for all three of us, but I'll have to order double grand kings tonight."

"Double...why so big?" Mateo questioned. "I don't kick or steal blankets."

Pax shook his head. "No, it's not that," he countered immediately. "Well, I think it's better if Elias shows you the size of his stone."

Mateo looked at Elias expectantly, causing the Omega to flush crimson at the sudden attention. Eli looked down, fishing his necklace out of his shirt and holding it in front of him.

"Wow, that's the biggest bonding stone I've ever seen," Mateo said in amazement, stepping closer. "Can I touch it?"

Elias nodded, a pleasant shiver running through him as Mateo ran his finger slowly along its length. It almost felt like Mat was touching him and not the gem.

"Is that me?" Mateo asked softly. "The red?"

Elias nodded.

"It's beautiful," Mateo whispered as he stroked it again.

"It's not complete," Elias admitted quietly.

"What do you mean?" 

Pax placed a hand on Mateo's shoulder and gently squeezed it. "That means we have more mates to find," he explained. "At Elias's pace, of course."

"More?" Mateo asked, amazement covering his features. "How many more?"

"We don't know," Elias admitted with an awkward shrug. "I know Pax said it'd be at my pace, but I dunno..." He looked between his mates. "You guys seemed so happy to be found. Your reactions were...it was such a big deal for you. Tell me if I'm wrong, but would you have wanted to wait longer than you had to?" As Mateo shook his head, Elias bit his lip, trying to work out what he wanted to say, fiddling with the bonding stone in his hand. "I was scared, terrified, about who my mates would be. I thought it was going to be like a cage or a trap." He let out a gusty sigh.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know you." Elias peeked at the men with a hesitant smile. "Pax has been amazing and...well, I am more than happy with you, so far, Mateo. You seem great, too." He shook his head. "I'm trying to say that I'm starting to think maybe having an unusual amount of mates won't be a bad thing. Maybe it's going to be amazing." Eli's smile grew stronger, surer. "The Goddess wants us together, and I think I should trust her more. I'm happy with you both, but I don't want to make them wait for us any more than they have to, whatever other mates we're supposed to have."

The golden-eyed werewolf puffed up his chest in response, feeling incredibly proud of Elias for having come to that conclusion on his own. "I absolutely agree," Pax replied. "Mateo?"

"Yes, I agree." Mateo cupped Eli's cheek. "You're amazing. At some time, I really want to talk to you about the fears you had or have. I know I hardly know you, but I want to. And I never want you to be afraid. Yeah?"

Elias blushed and nodded, unable to stop himself from snuggling his cheek into Mateo's broad palm. He liked their new mate's warmth already.