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. Partof 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.
CHAPTER SIX
Preston
Nightshade Bear Territory
My house looked as if Baby Andy ran the housekeeping routine. The living room was a pile of blankets and toys. Stuffies were scattered here and there and a half-demolished throw pillow lay in the middle of the floor with its fluffy innards scattered all around. I bit back swearing under my breath. If I had thought ahead, I’d have asked Mori to sneak over and clean up. Wess was going to think that I never cleaned the house and let my child demolish everything in his path. The throw pillow was cheap, and little bears were going to chew on something.
“Looks like you two had a lot of fun recently,” Wess said, closing the door behind him.
“I—I usually clean up things before leaving the house, but Andy was so hyper this morning and I needed to get him out into the fresh air, and I wasn’t planning on having guests and---”
“And it’s okay,” Wess said. “Seriously. If I walked in here to a pristine house, I’d worry more. Cubs need to play to learn and grow. They need space to be little hurricanes and hunters. This isn’t mess, mate. This is life unfolding.”
“You’re too good to be true,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck.
“No, I’m not. You just haven’t seen my ugly side,” he chuckled. “How about I straighten up since it’s obviously stressing you out? You can chill or take a shower to relax or---” he looked around the living room and spotted my yarn basket. “Knit.”
“You do know I didn’t bring you home to be the maid, right?” I asked and bit my lip. Yep. He thought I was incapable of taking care of my kid.
“Uh… This is going to sound presumptuous but unless you plan on pawning me off on Lero or making me sleep outside I’m going to be here with you and Andy. Helping inside your own living space isn’t being a maid.”
“You didn’t even make the mess,” I said.
“And you did? Preston, did you chew up that throw pillow?” he teased.
“You know what I mean,” I said and my hands found my hips.
“The thing is you can’t have it both ways. You can’t insist on me being a part of Andy’s life, which I’m happy to do, and then turn around and not let me do it,” Wess said. “So, I’m going to clean this up. I’m going to put everything away and shove the stuffing back into the pillow. We can probably get a few more attacks out of it if we sew it up. While I’m doing that, you’re going to relax however you want to, because I’m not a tyrant. Then when I’m finished, I’m going to make sure you’re relaxed.”
“Are you ordering me to relax?” I arched a brow and tried not to wonder how much like my carrier I looked at the moment.
“I am. What are you going to do about it?”
