Chapter 11
The night’s darkness was just lifting when Kieran awoke the next morning.
Smiling at the new day, he turned over, gazing at his mate’s face in the soft, dawn light, admiring Logan’s sleep-gentled features.
Placing a hand on his belly as he did every day, he waited to feel some movement, though he knew it was still too early—but he couldn’t help it.
A pup?his pup—one made with the love of his life, one who would bring such happiness to the world and one who would convince his mate’s mother that life could go on, even after losing so much.
A tear escaped, slowly trickling down his cheek as he thought about his own mother.
She’d never see her grandpup. Ever since his spirit told him about squirt, he’d tried so hard to push that thought out of his mind, but in quiet moments like this, it would sneak back in, opening the scar over the crack in his heart.
Her loss had driven him to go further than he should have yesterday, when he kept removing the sorrow and grief from his mate’s mom.
The possibility of resurrecting Logan’s mother was a gift he never thought he’d be able to give him.
As the room brightened, Kieran kissed Logan, whispering, “Macushla, c’mon, we’ve never watched the sun rise here together.” Nudging his mate, he said, “Hey, sleepyhead, wake up!”
~/~/~/~/~
Staring at the ceiling, Hunter tracked the passage of time by the growing brightness of light seeping through the curtains.
Sleep was a commodity that was sparse last night after Jackson showed him to his room and, though he and his cousin talked late into the night, it wasn’t long enough.
There were still so many unanswered questions Hunter had about Fionn, and he was sure his cousin wasn’t telling him everything.
When he’d pushed Jackson about it, all he got was that he’d have to be patient and wait for his mate to return.
That’s when his cousin called it a night and Hunter couldn’t blame him.
Several times during the evening, when he heard how Fionn’s father had abused him, Hunter’s wolf threatened to make an appearance and it was only his cousin’s Alpha power—thankfully, used sparingly—that prevented him from shifting.
Luckily, Jackson was understanding, and calmly helped Hunter stay in control.
After Jackson left, Hunter prowled around the suite, thinking about all he heard.
He needed to talk to someone who could help him make sense of it.
Pulling out his phone, he was about to send a text to Mason about meeting with him so they could talk, but after seeing how late it was, he thought better of it.
After stripping down, he climbed into bed, closed his eyes and hoped his mind would settle down—but that wasn’t to be.
Knowing his mate wasn’t under the same roof with him, Hunter and his wolf remained agitated and that, together with trying to figure out why Jackson was being so reticent about Fionn, kept him awake most of the night.
As the first streaks of pink painted the sky, Hunter knew it would soon be time to get up, dress and appear in the dining room for breakfast, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened to him yesterday.
But it had and he was still coming to grips with it.
Especially worrisome was what to do about Fionn’s relatives and their attempts to rip off his hoard.
Jackson had mentioned an attorney who was representing his mate—he’d talk to him soon—but first he really needed advice from someone he trusted.
Hunter picked up his phone, checked the time, and sent a text to his brother, hoping Mason was up.
~/~/~/~/~
Steel nuzzled Jackson’s neck, inhaling the scent he found there, then, kissing it he moved on, licking and kissing until he reached the part he’d fallen for when he’d first met his mate—those plump, cock-sucking, red lips.
Outlining them with his tongue before gently kissing them, and then feeling Jackson’s response, he pressed against them, wanting to lose himself in those lips forever.
Waking up to a loving mate was the best thing ever for Jackson.
After Daniel was born, mornings consisted of rising quickly to feed and change their pup before spending time cuddling with him.
“Mmmm,” he hummed, sending vibrations to the lips currently ravaging his, wanting it to last forever.
Suddenly, he remembered why they hadn’t had mornings like this since Daniel had arrived and, pulling back, he asked, “Babe, what about Daniel? He needs to be changed, at least.”
“Uh-uh…we don’t have to worry about Daniel today,” Steel replied, rubbing his morning stubble against Jackson’s neck, relishing his mate’s shivering reaction.
“Uhmm, oh god…” Jackson whispered, “I’m getting goose bumps.”
Giving his mate one more toe-curling kiss, Steel rolled over on his side and, propping his head up with his hand said, “Last night I arranged for Cody and Dylon to take Danny this morning so we could have some time alone before the day begins.”
“Can’t complain about that,” grinned Jackson. “What do you have in mind?”
“Not that…at least not now,” Steel smiled, running a finger down Jackson’s chest, prompting his mate’s nipples to pop up. “How did it go with Hunter last night?”
“Oh, that. Okay, I guess,” Jackson sighed. “I don’t get it. I worshipped Hunter when I was young. Used to follow him around everywhere, but now, it’s different. I can’t figure it out…did I change so much or did he?”
“Can’t answer that, but if you want my guess, probably both,” Steel replied. “A lot has happened to you since you were a child, as it has to him. The trouble is, neither of you know what the other went through when growing up.”
“True, but he does know about what Josiah did to us…so why is he challenging me at every turn?”
“Did you ever find out why he gave up the Alpha position?”
“He still claims it has nothing to do with Mom, so it’s not my business.”
“And that pisses you off?” Steel asked.
“He’s keeping a secret, just like he kept my mom a secret,” Jackson growled. “That’s a problem for me. How can I advise Fionn if I don’t know everything…well, everything important about his mate?”
“You know, I’ve been thinking about that,” Steel said. “Hunter was raised to be the Alpha so everyone in his pack would have expected him to become it when his father died, right?”
“Right. The only way it wouldn’t happen is if he was challenged and lost. But according to Dylon, that didn’t happen.”
Nodding, Steel said, “Exactly! So what would make him walk away? It had to be something important and, after meeting Hunter, the only thing I can think of is a threat to his family.”
Pausing for a moment before responding, Jackson said, “But what could it be?”
“Maybe the question should be who…who threatened his family?”
“Makes sense, but it doesn’t help me. Hunter made it clear the subject is off limits.”
“Maybe it’s that he doesn’t trust you right now.”
“Shit, the feeling is mutual…how can I trust him when he kept Mom a secret all those years, only to spring it on me when he arrived. What kind of person would do that?” complained Jackson. “And his excuses weren’t convincing—to me, anyway. He just rubs me the wrong way.”
Chuckling, Steel replied, “I think the feeling is mutual, babe. As for keeping your mom a secret, I thought he gave some pretty legitimate reasons why he did that, but maybe you’re pissed off because he didn’t trust you enough to tell you earlier.
And maybe that’s why every time you’re with him, you turn into someone else. ”
“I know, I know. Fuck!”
“Well, maybe when Fionn returns, things will get better.”
“I hope so, but…” Jackson said.
~/~/~/~/~
Crawling out of bed at the crack of dawn wasn’t what Mason thought he’d be doing after what had gone on yesterday, but Hunter’s text woke him up; his brother said it was urgent they talk.
Slipping on sweatpants, he padded out to the motorhome’s living room, flopping down on the sofa.
He needed coffee but was too tired to make it—Hunter could do it if he expected Mason to be coherent.
Tilting his head back, he closed his eyes, hoping to get some more shuteye before his brother showed up.
Surprised that Mason was awake, Hunter was nevertheless relieved, knowing he’d be able to pick his brother’s brain about what to do next.
The great room was empty at this early hour and Hunter hurried through it to the front door.
Slipping outside, he stood on the porch inhaling the morning air, feeling it infuse his soul and calm his disquieting thoughts.
When they were finally in order, he headed for the motorhome.
Mason groaned as the cool air hit him when the door opened, knowing his chances for more sleep were gone. “Make coffee,” he ordered, his voice raspy.
“What?” asked Hunter.
Cracking one eye open, he stared blearily at his brother. “Make some fucking coffee if you want me to be awake for whatever you have to tell me that can’t wait for later.”
Snorting at his brother’s order, Hunter complied.
Leaning against the counter, he glanced at his recumbent brother who’d been his confidante for so many years—that was, until he refused the Alpha position after their father died.
When Mason confronted him privately, he should’ve explained why he’d done it, but he couldn’t take the chance the rest of his brothers might find out.
So he kept quiet, driving a wedge between the two of them until the closeness they once shared was all but gone.
Looking back, Hunter now clearly saw he was wrong; he should’ve trusted his brother.
He’d thought many times about making amends, but any hope of repairing their relationship ended the night their mother died.
Grief isolated each from the other and Hunter watched helplessly as Mason chose to suffer alone, rebuffing all attempts by Hunter to comfort him.
Sighing, Hunter poured the coffee into two mugs, setting them on the dinette table.
Loathe to wake his brother who’d dozed off again, he kicked himself for being so thoughtless; Mason deserved better.
Even after Hunter shut him out, he was always at his side, always helping, always providing the counsel he needed.
Shaking his head, he headed for the door, deciding to let his brother sleep.
“Where in the fuck are you going?” growled Mason.
“I was going to let you sleep,” Hunter replied. “We can talk later.”
“Fuck you!” Mason sat up, rolling his head, in an effort to get the kinks out of his neck.
“Sit your ass down. I’m up and obviously whatever you have to say is important, so go ahead.
” Rising, he made a beeline for his coffee, deciding to drink it black, knowing he needed a maximum caffeine fix.
Grabbing the steaming mug, he took a mouthful, savoring the heat and the flavor.
Then he sat down at the table. Looking at his brother through clearer eyes, now, Mason said, “Now tell me what happened last night with Jackson.”
Hunter took a sip of his coffee, before setting the mug down as he thought about where to begin.
Finally, he said, “Fionn’s father tried to kill him and would have been successful if Logan hadn’t saved him in time.
According to Jackson, even though the High Council gave guardianship of Fionn to Cody and his mate Dylon, my mate’s father continued to pursue him. ”
“Cody is the guardian of Fionn? I don’t understand, Hunt,” Mason said. “Is your mate underage? If so, shouldn’t you be talking to Cody instead? You know, getting his permission?”
“No, he’s not…at least not anymore. After Fionn’s father died, his uncle tried to get custody. Not that he was close to my mate but, according to Jackson, he was after Fionn’s hoard.”
“I’m a little confused. Does he still have a guardian or not?”
“He doesn’t have one anymore. Last week, there was a court hearing and the judge found my mate to be of legal age.”
Smiling, Mason said, “That’s good, right? Your mate is free to go home with us.”
“Yes…no…I don’t know. Jackson told me Fionn has the right to reject me as his Fated Mate. Did you ever hear of bullshit like this? I never did.”
“What the fuck is Jackie smoking? If this is his attempt to keep you from your mate then we need to hire a lawyer,” growled Mason.
“He claims it’s his rule and Fionn will be given the choice to accept me or not. According to him, he’s adamant about respecting individual rights and personal decisions about how pack members want to live their lives.”
“I don’t get it. Has all his Alpha power gone to his head?” asked Mason.
“I don’t fucking know. Last night, at times, he seemed almost like the Jackie I knew and then he would come out with shit like this and I wondered who the hell I was talking to.”
“Have you checked to see if Fionn is still with his hoard?” asked Mason.
“No, I promised Jackie last night I wouldn’t do it again and I won’t. After listening to all the crap Fionn has gone through since his mother died, I respect his reason for going to the one place no one can reach him.”
“But that doesn’t allow you to protect him. Your wolf must be going crazy.”
Taking another sip, Hunter swallowed before answering. “Last night, after Jackie told me what Fionn suffered, my wolf tried to gain control several times and only Jackson’s Alpha power stopped it.”
“Holy fucking shit! That is not good.”
Smirking, Hunter said, “Try telling me something new. At least this time Steel didn’t make an appearance.”
“What’s with Steel? Do you know what kind of wolf he is?” asked Mason.
“A fucking big one, who can partially shift!”
“I know that but what kind of wolf shifter is he?”
“Not a clue, but then, I wasn’t going to stick around and ask him after he released me,” Hunter said.
“But getting back to my mate, I don’t think Jackie told me everything.
When he was telling me about Fionn, there were questions I asked that he refused to answer.
Like how did Logan find out Fionn was being held a prisoner?
And who killed Fionn’s father? Not that I have a problem with that one since I would have done it myself if the asshole was still alive. ”
“He told you he wouldn’t answer your questions?”
“Well, not exactly, but all he would say in response to my questions was I would have to wait until Fionn came back.”
“Why couldn’t he tell you? I don’t get it,” Mason said.
“Well, I don’t either and that’s why I need your input on all this.”
“You better start again from the beginning,” Mason said, now wide awake.