Chapter 9 #2
You’re wrong! I won’t leave our mate defenseless.
Sorry, you don’t get a choice in the matter. Reaching the door of the motorhome, Hunter yanked it open and climbed in. Ignoring his brothers who were sitting at the dinette table, he marched to the front, slipping the key into the ignition, starting the engine.
Confused at his brother’s actions, Mason exchanged glances with Mac before asking, “What the fuck are you doing, Hunt?”
“Leaving. I did what Mom wanted, so it’s time to go home.”
Jumping up, Mason reached for the keys and pulled them out.
Snarling at his brother, Hunter tried to snatch them from Mason’s hand. “Give ‘em to me! I said, we’re leaving.”
“You can’t. Quin has…”
“Quin will be happy to hear he won’t have to stay here for two fucking weeks. Give. Me. The. Keys.”
“No. You didn’t listen. Quin has two bear shifters in his bedroom…two bear shifters who are members of the Blackwood Pack,” Mason explained.
Bear shifters? A dragon? In a wolf pack?
And who knows what kind of a fucking wolf Jackson’s mate is…
certainly not one I ever read about. Fuck it!
Fuck it! Fuck it! Hunter stood and headed for his brother’s bedroom, determined to see the bear shifters for himself.
Nudging the cracked-open door just a bit wider so as not to startle the bears, he peeked in and stared incredulously at the scene in front of him.
His youngest brother—the one who was painfully shy in front of strangers, the one who hid himself from anyone who wasn’t family—was laughing and talking with the two young bear shifters as if he’d known them his whole life.
Slowly backing out, he turned to Mason who’d followed him to the bedroom.
Hunter’s mouth opened and shut; he was at a loss for words.
“I know…amazing isn’t it?” Mason said, taking his brother by the arm. “Let’s go outside and talk.”
Letting himself be led by Mason outside and away from the motorhome Hunter found himself under a huge pine, staring at his brother. “Why? How? I don’t understand…Quin…our Quin and bear shifters?”
“Their names are Theodore and Norman and they’re engaged to be married,” Mason explained.
“Cody and his mate rescued them along with Kieran—the Shaman who saved Aunt Hope—from a prison in a country I never heard of. They were about to be sold at auction as sex slaves and after Jackson found out what they’d gone through, he offered them membership in his pack. ”
“But how did Quin meet them?” asked Hunter.
“Theodore’s training to be a chef so he made us some sandwiches and brought them out to us. He found out about Quin and before I could stop him, he was in our brother’s bedroom, chatting about romance novels.”
“How long have they been in with Quin?” asked Hunter.
“Well, almost as long as you’ve been in the pack house. Speaking of which, did you meet your mate?” Mason asked.
“No, Jackson doesn’t want me to be the mate of a member of his pack,” growled Hunter.
“What? Uhmm, sorry to break the news to him, he doesn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Yeah? Well go tell him that.”
“Oh shit, Hunt,” Mason said, glancing at the pack house over his brother’s shoulder. “Tell me what happened.”
~/~/~/~/~
“Oh fuck, babe. I’m sorry,” Steel said after Hunter bolted from the room.
“Don’t be, it wasn’t you. My Alpha power is causing Hunter’s concern,” Jackson said, heading for the door.
“Wait! Where are you going?” asked Steel.
Pausing, Jackson looked at his mate. “I have to find Hunter, so I know what caused his wolf to ignore his commands. If it’s because Fionn’s in danger, I’ll need Hunter’s connection to him to help me.
In the meantime, see if Theo, Norm or Zane know where Fionn is.
” After Steel nodded, Jackson followed Hunter’s scent, tinged with pheromones of fear and anger, neither of which he could blame his cousin for feeling.
Using all his Alpha power wasn’t something he normally would have done, but then, Jackson wasn’t going to take any chances with the lengths a wolf would go to when seeking his mate.
There were others he was responsible for, including Daniel and Jake and Jessica, innocent pups who would never stand a chance against a charging full-grown wolf.
Jackson opened the front door, half expecting to see the motorhome gone but it was still in the driveway.
Sighing with relief, he headed for it, knowing that if Hunter wasn’t in it, he’d be close by since he’d never leave his brothers alone—especially knowing what Jackson was capable of.
After listening to a brief recital from Hunter about the tempest in the study, Mason glanced over his brother’s shoulder and, seeing Jackson coming towards them groaned, knowing there’d be more fireworks and soon.
“Hunt,” he said, “we have to find your mate so forget about the shit that happened.” Holding his hand up to stop his brother from objecting, he continued, “The Fates gave you a freaking dragon as a mate—you, a powerful Alpha in your own right—so there has to be a reason why. If Jackson’s a crazy asshole, then you have to save your mate because you’ll never forgive yourself if something happens to him.
Now, get your fucking wolf and yourself under control cause Jackson’s almost here. ”