CHAPTER FIVE
Mori
Nightshade Bear Territory
Everyone looked towards the living room when the door slammed shut but my brother and his mate were already gone before they could ask any questions.
Baby Andy giggled in my lap. He was in on his daddy’s escape mission, but he wasn’t telling anyone about the secret game.
He dipped his hand in my meat loaf again and licked off the tomato sauce.
I tore off the tiniest piece of beef and set it on his tongue.
He growled and shook his head as if he had to tear into the cow haunch for this bite.
All heads turned back towards us, and I gave them all a look that dared them to ask questions.
If anyone deserved a lucky break it was Preston.
He’d been through enough since he got pregnant with Baby Andy that sometimes I was surprised that he was up on his feet and still kicking it.
“So… I guess we won’t see them for a while,” Colton said in an earnest attempt to break the tension.
I hadn’t seen Lero or his parents in awhile and I’d definitely missed out on something. One or more of them had a secret or something had unfolded that no one told me about.
“Are you feeling okay about all of this, Lero?” I asked, trying to prod gently without seeming too nosy.
“Eh, it would’ve been nice to have company for a while, but I think this is one of those fate things. Like it all lined up so that Preston could meet his true-mate. And, Mo, if you ask how I feel about that I’m going to kick you under the table and act clueless when you say ‘ouch.’”
“Fair,” I blinked. “I was going to ask because I’d be really disappointed if it happened to me and I’m used to fate using me as its pawn.
I’m used to being the one kicked around and---” the words died in my throat because my nephew chose that exact moment to whomp me with a tomato sauce covered hand on the chin.
“That belongs on meatloaf. I am not a loaf of meat, young man,” I said, but couldn’t even sound firm behind my laughter.
Baby Andy laughed and tapped me again. Usually, I’d take him home to clean up but home was occupied by my brother and his true-mate.
Lero was family and probably wouldn’t care if I gave the baby a bath here but then he’d want a nap and after my trip, I wanted one too.
So, my parents’ house it was. Besides, if they hadn’t already felt Preston’s true-mate response to Wess over the family or group link, someone needed to tell them.
Plus, it was pie season, and I wanted to see what sort of pies they made.
Nothing like a pie as a consolation prize when you mess up a chance to meet your true-mate and then your twin gets his through a mail order catalogue and delivered to someone else’s house.
I wasn’t mad at Preston. I wasn’t even jealous of him.
Not in the way one might be under the circumstances.
Wess looked like he’d have the same problem Teddy Moonscale and me would’ve had.
We’d never have been compatible. Teddy was my best friend’s mate and a great guy but he wasn’t the great guy for me.
I didn’t want a ‘great guy.’ I wanted my guy.
I hugged everyone goodbye, half-trying to not get tomato sauce on them and half not caring whether I did or not.
Part of me wanted to run off and tell Dern everything new but I’d promised myself – no dead men this holiday season.
If I didn’t get my feet back on the ground…
Well, I wasn’t sure what would happen, but I didn’t want to lose myself again.
I wanted to trust the world to work out for the best as I once had but now, I knew too much.
Yeah. I definitely needed a slice of pie and Baby Andy needed a bath before the eggnog and tomato sauce started fermenting.
“Are you going to take his stuff over?” Lero called after me as I stepped outside.
“I think he can come back and get it,” I said, walking off. I already had my own stuff to levitate. Surely, a snow demon could come back for his own belongings.