Chapter Fifteen
Matt cursed the O’Connors and their timing. He’d been about to suggest to Sage that they return to the house and complete the mating bond. Instead, here they sat at a large table at Boyd’s surrounded by many of the Stone pack members awaiting Patrick and his kin.
Ordinarily, he’d be thrilled to have Sage at his side.
This time he wished that she’d chosen to wait at home with the other mates.
If violence should erupt, he was confident that Dade and his men would come to their aid.
Still…he hated the mere idea of Sage being in peril.
And it was all because of him. But he couldn’t talk her out of it.
He’d tried at Dade’s house, in the car, and again when they arrived at the bar.
Sage didn’t budge. She was determined to support him.
He found himself tensing every time the heavy wood doors to the tavern swung open.
His food sat untouched in front of him. Though he didn’t grab pizza before leaving the house, his appetite had fled when he learned of this meeting.
Sage had ordered the food for him. He forced himself to take a bite of his burger and washed it down with water.
As he placed his glass on the table, Patrick strolled in followed by Mack and a couple of other O’Connor pack members, Owen and Laura. Patrick glanced around, spotted him, and headed over.
“They’re here,” he announced to their table.
Everyone stood. Dade towered over the older Alpha. Despite his age and close-cropped gray hair and beard, Patrick’s werewolf genes kept him fit. His biceps and shoulders stretched the seams of his leather jacket.
The two Alphas shook hands. Then Patrick turned to Matt and gave him a smile like they were old friends. “Matt. It’s good to see you again, boy.”
Matt gave Patrick a nod of acknowledgement. “Patrick, Mack, Owen, Laura….” He drew to a halt, blinking in surprise.
Laura and Jack stood less than an inch apart. As they watched, Jack shoved aside her thick light brown hair and buried his face in her neck. She grabbed handfuls of his shirt and drew him down and returned the favor. Then they both growled.
“What is happening?” Sage whispered.
“Hell, if I know,” he replied in the same quiet tone, knowing it didn’t matter. They were among shifters, and their enhanced hearing could easily pick up whispers.
As if aware of his thoughts, Travis answered Sage’s question. “They’re mates.”
Jack picked up Laura, and she slung her legs about his waist. Without so much as a backward glance, Jack marched them out of the tavern.
Travis shook his head. “I can’t believe that stupid fucker found his mate before I did,” he grumbled.
Patrick’s grin widened. “Well, isn’t that auspicious? Our pack and your pack, together. Call me a matchmaker. I love uniting mates.”
Matt’s eyes narrowed as Patrick focused on him with that last comment.
“Let’s all sit,” Dade said. The two Alphas sat side by side. If Patrick was expecting diplomacy, Dade’s next words dashed those hopes. “So…what do you want?”
“Well, Matt left us so abruptly. I wanted to see how he was adjusting.”
Matt’s gaze swung to Mack. The other man squirmed under his observation.
The nickname Mack made him think of trucks, giving the impression that Mack was a large man.
He was not. Mack was small and squirrely.
Under his mop of red curls, he resembled an undernourished fox.
That didn’t mean Mack lacked strength. Shifters were strong.
Matt had learned that the hard way. Meredith’s dainty appearance had lulled him into a sense of complacency.
He didn’t realize how dangerous she was until it was too late.
“You’ve been texting me nonstop to see how I was adjusting?
Funny, none of you seemed concerned about my welfare when I was living amongst you. ”
Patrick sighed. “Mistakes were made.”
“And I suspect mistakes are still being made.” Taking his cue from Dade, Matt didn’t beat about the bush. “Where’s Meredith?” Mack and Patrick were her only relatives. With both of them here, that left no one in charge of her care.
“Interesting that you’re concerned about her,” Patrick replied with a smile. “She’s—”
“I asked where she is. Not how she is.”
“She went missing three weeks after you left,” Mack blurted.
Patrick growled at his nephew. “Quiet, Mack. I will handle this.” He turned to Matt. “We underestimated Meredith’s connection with you. If we’d known, we would have asked you to stay.”
“I wouldn’t have,” Matt assured him.
“You’re her mate.”
“We’ve firmly established that I’m not,” he bit out, struggling with an inner primitive fury Patrick for calling the other woman his mate. To claim Meredith was to deny Sage and that was an insult to her and himself.
Dade interjected, “You can’t force a mate bond. We all know that. You’re placing the wants of one family member over the good of your pack and over shifters in general.”
Patrick bristled. “She claimed him. She turned him—”
“She held me captive and attacked me repeatedly,” Matt ground out. “She did not claim me. She couldn’t because she is not my mate.”
“Listen, she really cares about you. I think having you back is the key to her stability.”
Dade grunted. “You’re as out of touch with reality as your niece. Don’t you realize that his wolf will view her wolf as a threat? If they ever shift together, his wolf will tear hers apart.”
“We’ll protect her,” Mack vowed.
Matt shook his head. He’d been holding hands with Sage beneath the table from the moment they sat. He lifted his arm, displaying their intertwined fingers. “This is Sage, my mate.”
Patrick, Mack, and Owen sniffed. Matt ground his teeth in irritation at other shifters breathing in his mate’s sweet scent. Only the fact that he’d made love to her that morning, mingling their pheromones, made this situation tolerable.
“She smells like you, but you haven’t marked her.”
“I will. Soon.”
Patrick shook his head. “Listen to reason—”
“It seems that you’re the ones who won’t listen to reason,” Dade pointed out with more calm than Matt felt capable of at the moment.
“When I heard about Matt’s attack, I questioned your leadership.
Having met you and sitting in on this conversation, makes me question it even more.
Instead of taking responsibility for your prior mistakes, you seem intent on making a new ones.
What you’re avoiding saying is that you’ve lost Meredith, but you’re hoping that she’s stalking Matt and not out making more werewolves.
But you don’t have a fucking clue what she’s up to since the lot of you couldn’t contain one shifter.
Or take more final steps to contain this clusterfuck.
I understand that she’s family, but you know the rules.
We all live by them.” His tone was without rancor.
He merely stated facts which added weight to his words.
“If you continue on this path, there will be consequences.”
Mack glanced nervously at his uncle before blurting, “She’s my sister. She’s just…having a rough go of it.”
“As rough as what she put Matt through?” Sage asked, her voice trembling with anger.
Matt squeezed her hand. Though they were aware of her presence, he didn’t want the O’Connors focusing on her. “I’ve had enough.” He stood and pulled Sage out of her seat. “I’ve given your family too much of my time. I’m going to enjoy my evening with my mate.”
Mack jumped to his feet. “Matt, you’ve got to help us.”
“Sit down,” Dade ordered succinctly. And though he wasn’t a member of the Stone pack, Mack dropped back into his seat. “Go on, Matt. We’ll work this out.”
“Thank you, Dade.”
Sage halted him at the door. “You forgot your burger.”
“I’m not hungry. I’ve got other things on my mind.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re not hungry? What’s so important that you’re putting off eating?”
He stopped on the sidewalk and turned to her. He cupped her cheeks. “You, my mate. I want to claim you. I want to be completely yours.”
***
When they arrived at the house, they headed straight for the bedroom. Matt crowded Sage into the bed until the backs of her knees touched the mattress. He kissed her, his large palms splayed over her spine to hold her close.
“I’ve dreamt of this since the day we picked you up at the hospital,” he murmured against her lips. “Are you sure? I’d understand if you’d like to wait.”
Sage ran her fingers over his jaw, loving the feel of his stubble. “I’m sure.”
“Because this isn’t like a marriage. You won’t be able to divorce me and walk away.”
“Matt, I’m not going anywhere. My only question is what took me so long to see what was right in front of me.”
Groaning, his mouth crashed over hers again in a deep kiss. Sage ran her fingers through his soft curls as she returned his kiss with equal fervency. They kissed until her lips felt swollen.
Sage began tugging at his clothes. She wanted to feel his skin against her own.
Matt, intuiting her need, grasped the collar of his shirt and yanked it over his head.
“You, too,” he demanded, helping her out of her clothing.
He spun her around with gentle hands at her waist to undo the clasp of her bra.
Once the scrap of lace fell to the floor, his hands dropped to her hips.
He lowered his face to her neck and inhaled.
“You smell so…right. Like mine.” His lips grazed her skin, sending a shiver of need racing down her spine.
He undid the button of her jeans and then shoved them down her hips.
“I’ve loved these hips since the second I laid eyes on you. ”
She frowned. “They’re too wide,” she protested.
He shook his head against her, tantalizing her with the rasp of his stubble. “Never. They’re just perfect for holding.” He flexed his fingers against her. Toying with the edge of her panties, he continued, “Everything about you is perfect.” He nipped the shell of her ear.
Sage inhaled, aroused and nervous all at once. “How…how do we do this?”