Chapter 15
Sawyer’s jaw dropped at Alex’s question to Glenn since he couldn’t figure out how his mate knew. He’d made sure his thoughts concerning Glenn’s broken promise were not broadcast through their mind link. Burying hurt was no stranger to him; he’d done it ever since childhood when his parents would single out his brothers for their achievements at the dinner table. But his accomplishments, whether learning a new skill on his skateboard or conquering a difficult climb, were only met with faint praise—if that.
Sawyer lost count of the number of times his attempts to impress his parents ended up with “that’s nice, dear” while his more-talented brothers’ basked in his parents’ adulation. It wasn’t that his parents didn’t love him—he knew they did; what hurt was their lack of pride in what he’d done. Only Mac knew how slighted he felt, and while his twin tried to make up for it, in the end Sawyer just buried the pain deep within him.
“Don’t be so surprised,” Alex said, using a finger to push Sawyer’s mouth closed.
“How can I not be? I never told you.”
“Wolf mate, you didn’t have to. My dragon was angry at Glenn’s tiger for hurting you, so he told me what happened,” Alex said.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” asked Glenn.
Before Alex could get a word out, Sawyer growled. “Does this sound familiar?” Then making air-quotes with his hands, he mimicked Glenn’s voice. “‘I promise, from now on, you and Alex will be involved in everything I do’.”
“You did say that, tiger mate…I heard it,” Alex confirmed.
“Last night,” said Sawyer, “you called Riley and Ghost about the men who are after Alex but you didn’t say anything about it this morning. Instead, you sent me and Alex to see the new pups while you met with Dylon. And then I gave you another chance when I asked you how the meeting went and once again, you shut us out.” Sawyer’s voice had risen until he was nearly shouting.
“Hey,” Mac said, shutting the door to the nursery behind him. “Keep it down out here. The pups need their sleep.”
Embarrassed at the rebuke from his twin, Sawyer shook his head in frustration before mumbling an apology. Then spinning around, he headed outside, wanting to be alone.
“Oh for fuck sakes,” Glenn muttered.
Mac gazed at his retreating twin, sensing the familiar pain in him once again. Then shifting his eyes, he frowned at Glenn. “What the fuck did you do to my brother?”
“It’s what he didn’t do,” Alex said, trying to be helpful.
“Buttercup…”
“What? It’s true and you know it. You broke your promise to our wolf mate and it hurt him.”
“What promise?” asked Mac.
“It doesn’t concern…”
“Our tiger mate promised to always include us in on everything pertaining to my safety,” explained Alex.
“So, Glenn,” Mac said, “instead of treating my brother as an equal, you decided he wasn’t capable. Correct me if I’m wrong, but did he or did he not save your furry ass in LA?”
Nodding, Alex said, “He’s got you there, tiger mate.”
“Yes, but…”
“But nothing. What else does my brother have to do to prove he’s more than capable of standing by your side to make sure Alex is protected?”
“Dammit! Don’t go putting words in my mouth. Of course he’s capable…I never said he wasn’t.”
“But you treat him as if he isn’t,” Mac growled.
“He’s right, tiger mate,” Alex said, quietly.
“Bullshit! You’re wrong…I’m trying to protect him. Do you know what’ll happen to Sawyer if the word gets out about his cloaking and other powers? It’ll be a fucking shitstorm! Every nutcase in the world will be coming after him.”
“And you think my brother doesn’t know that?” Mac asked, softly.
“Yes…no…maybe he has an idea it might happen, but me…I have intimate knowledge of the dark underbelly of the world we live in. I’ve seen things that would turn your…it doesn’t matter, but trust me, that’s what I’m trying to protect my mate from ever experiencing.”
