The room was silent as Elle wiped a tear from her eye. “Then you should find your mate, because for you to feel like that means you must have one outthere.”
Thad’s lips turned up in a small smile. “Thank you, Elle of the fae, mate to Sorin of the Romania pack. I hope that you arecorrect.”
He turned back to Dalton and straightened his shoulders. “How do you propose you will find meamate?”
“I don’t know that just yet, but you aren’t going to find her by sitting in Perizada’s homesulking.”
“I wasn’tsulking.”
“You were totally sulking,” Adirataunted.
He glared down at the small creature. She simply smiled up at him in a patronizing sort of way. “Fine. I might have had a moment of irritation over my circumstances. In my defense, it’s rather irritating watching so many happycouples.”
The whole room broke into grumbles as everyone glared at Elle and Sorin. “What?” Elle asked. “Oh, come on. Sorin and I are the least lovey dovey of allofus.”
Thad shrugged. “Regardless. I want a mate. I am not completely versed in interaction with theoppositesex.”
“And you’re asking Dalton for help?” Dillon asked, soundingamused.
“At the time I asked him, he seemed as if he needed adistraction.”
“There is nothing on earth that can distract a male when his mate is in danger,” Kale said. More grumbles ofagreement.
“Look.” Dillon took a step forward. “We can all appreciate that you want a mate. We are brought into this world knowing that we have a true mate out there, someone who will complete us, and we have no idea where she is. If anyone can sympathize with you, it’s a Canis lupus male. We will all help you. Can you, in return, help us get our people out of the pixierealm?”
Thad met the Alpha’s gaze. “Do you missyourmate?”
Dillon’s eyes glowed briefly. “With every breath,” he admitted. “I’ve been able to have one of the fae take me to see her a few times, but yes, I miss her. Our bond helps, but it is not the same as being able to hold her, or see her facetoface.”
Thad knew Dillon’s history, just as he knew the history of each of them in the room. Dillon bore the weight of more than one love. He had loved another before his true mate. Though the love he felt for Lilly Pierce was real, it did not hold the same intensity found in the love for his true mate. Thad had seen in his mind’s eye the day that Dillon had walked away from Lilly and the unborn child he knew nothing about. It had broken a piece of him, even as he embraced the she-wolf destined to be his. Thad hadn’t fully understood the Alpha’s choice, but he felt his pain and had respected the fact that he’d been honest with Lilly. She’d known that she might one day lose him. He was a man ofhonor.
“I will open the veil,” Thad said finally. “It is against the rules.” He turned back to Adira. “As a being of such power, and a historian, I am supposed to remain neutral in the affairs of othersupernaturals.”
“There is no such thing as neutral,” Adira said as she glared daggers at him. “Those who refuse to stand against evil, claiming that they take no side, are fools. The minute you don’t stand for good, for justice, and for truth, then you have fallen for the lies evil decorates as apathetictolerance.”
“Humans call that a burn,” Elle said as she grinned and winkedathim.
“From up here, it felt more like steam from warm bath water.” Thad straightened the cuffs of his shirt and made sure his collar was straight on his dress shirt as he walked to the door. It wouldn’t do to begin his search for a mate with rumpled clothes. He stopped and turned back to Elle. “Is what I’m wearing presentable formymate?”
Elle’s eyes widened. “Thad, it could take a while to find the right female. You do realize that, right? We won’t find one just as soon as you walk outthatdoor.”
He stood straighter and pulled his shoulders back. “Of course, I knew that. I just need to know if my usual attire is generally acceptable or if I should acquire differentgarments.”
“I think if you have to change the way you dress for her then you’ve got the wrong female,” Elleresponded.
Thad looked at her and then to Sorin. “Is she reallyyourmate?”
“Yes,” Sorinanswered.
“Would you fightforher?”
“Yes.”
“And if you die,shedies?”
“Yes.”
“Thad, I’m not the female for you,” Elle said holding in her laughter at him and herirritatedmate.
