Chapter 8
The exhaustion on Fionn’s face when they arrived at his hoard had Hunter kicking himself for not realizing his mate needed help. But first, he needed to rest. Pulling his mate down onto Fionn’s favorite gold bed, Hunter held him in his arms, humming the same songs he’d sung to Quin when he was a child.
As morning arrived, Hunter tightened his grip on Fionn who, thankfully, was still sleeping. Ever since his mate found out about Alex, Hunter had remained silent, not wanting to influence Fionn’s decision. But now he could see what a mistake that was; all it did was to leave his mate adrift, unsure of which way to go. And as last night proved, it wasn’t good for him at all. So while Fionn slept, Hunter spent time organizing his thoughts, planning how to help his mate reach a decision they’d both be happy with. Feeling a soft burst of air as Fionn sighed, Hunter looked down, locking his eyes with the now opened ones of his mate. “Good morning, pet.”
“Mornin’ mate.”
“Better?”
Nodding, Fionn sat up. “Thank you for…”
Leaning over, Hunter’s lips found his mate’s, devouring them with an intense kiss before gentling it. Finally letting go, he smiled at Fionn, his lips puffy and red from their recent workout. “Pet, I’m sorry for not being there for you. I left you to make a decision alone that will affect both of us and that was very wrong on my part.”
Fionn’s eyes grew round. “You want to talk about Alex?”
“Yes…if that’s okay with you.”
Nodding vigorously, Fionn’s face broke into a huge smile. “It is…I’m so confused…I don’t want to hurt you…my dragon wants to shift and find his brother…and…and…”
“Pet, stop,” Hunter commanded. “Let’s take it one step at a time. What’s the biggest issue you’re dealing with concerning Alex?”
“That’s easy…you. I need to know what will happen between you and Sawyer if I decide not to have Alex in my life. See what I mean? I’m not really free to choose because one choice would hurt you and I can’t do that. I love you too much.”
“I can see that, but let’s take me out of the equation for now. Let’s talk about you. What’s your biggest fear regarding Alex?” asked Hunter.
“He’ll hate me for killing his father,” Fionn murmured.
“That’s a possibility, but I don’t think he will,” Hunter replied.
“Why?”
“After Sawyer found out that Artur was his mate’s father, Sawyer sent me an email, telling me about Alex’s childhood…about how lonely it was. Then he went on to describe the man Alex grew up to be…someone who didn’t dwell on the past but spent every moment enjoying the freedom he found after his father died. I know you were protecting your friends the night you went to see your father, but pet, you also saved your brother. For eighteen years, his dragon was a prisoner, unable to fly free. Can you imagine how your dragon would feel if that happened to him?”
A shiver consumed Fionn’s body at that thought.How did my brother survive?He knew from the time his father locked him in the cave, his dragon’s will to live grew weaker each day. Unable to shift, to escape, to feel the wind beneath his wings as he soared over the glorious Scottish mountains; his dragon had cried until his tears ran dry. It was then, Fionn realized, he’d given up. It was only through Kieran’s efforts that he and his dragon survived. “How did Alex do it?” Fionn whispered, as tears rolled down his cheeks.
“I don’t know,” Hunter murmured, brushing the tears from his mate’s face.
“What else did Sawyer say about Alex?” Fionn asked, sniffling.
“He has a great sense of humor…loves action movies especially spy ones…is pregnant with their son…”
“Wait! Alex is pregnant?”
“According to Sawyer who, I might add, is freaking out about being a father.”
“You mean, I’m going to be an uncle?” asked Fionn, unsure how he felt about that.
“Do you mind?” asked Hunter.
“Uhm…maybe…I don’t know. What if I’m not good at it?”
“Pet, being an uncle is way easier than being a parent. You’ll be great. Trust me.”
“Oh, my gods!” Jumping up, Fionn began to wander around, occasionally picking up a precious object before rejecting it.
Watching his mate’s curious behavior, Hunter asked, “Pet, what are you doing?”
Turning to his mate, Fionn said, “Duh, finding a gift for the new baby. It’s very important to pick the right thing for my nephew’s hoard. I’m just not sure…”
