Smokey was so intent on correcting Theo’s misconception about the cub, it took him a moment to see the fear in Norm’s eyes. His steps faltered after realizing he had caused it. Coming to a stop an arm’s length away from his mate, Smokey closed his eyes and concentrated on getting his bear and himself under control. The last thing he wanted to do was to frighten his mates.
When his bear finally agreed to let Smokey handle the situation, he opened his eyes, locking his gaze with Norm’s. His first thought was how brave Norm was, standing up to a grizzly, and that was quickly followed by how dumb he was for making his mate think he and Theo were in danger. To defuse the situation, he needed to make amends, and quickly. Lowering his eyes, tilting his head and relaxing his shoulders, he submitted to Norm’s bear, before offering an apology. “I’m sorry for startling both of you…I didn’t mean to, but when I heard what Theo said about the cub…well…I just wanted to make sure you both knew it wasn’t how I felt at all.”
Norm’s eyes widened as his bear roared his approval. “You don’t?” Norm asked, his voice breaking. Embarrassed slightly, he swallowed several times before adding, “How exactlydoyou feel?”
“Like I’m the luckiest son-of-a-bitch that ever walked the earth! Not only do I have two brave, amazing mates but we are going to have a cub to boot…a cub who I already love.”
Lowering his blanket and peering over Norm’s shoulder at Smokey, Theo asked, “Really? You mean it?”
“I do. It doesn’t matter who fathered our cub, what matters is that he is loved…and hewillbe by all of us.”
Nodding slowly, Theo whispered, “By all of us…right, pooh bear?”
Turning around, Norm smiled at Theo. “It’s the only thing that matters right now, honey bunch. The cub is ours…yours, mine and Smokey’s…and together we will love him…”
“And protect him…” growled Smokey.
Glancing over his shoulder at Smokey, Norm nodded. “And protect him no matter what.”
“I like the sound of that,” Theo murmured.
“So do I,” Norm agreed, smiling.
Reaching out to Smokey with his hand, Theo whispered, “Thank you.”
“For what?” Smokey asked, clasping his mate’s hand.
“For accepting my…our cub…and pooh bear. I owe Norm my life. If it weren’t for him…”
“Hush, honey bunch,” Norm crooned, rubbing his thumb over the back of Theo’s hand. “You saved me, too.”
“From what Jackson told me, I think you saved each other,” Smokey growled softly, struggling to keep his bear in check. The urge to hunt down Arald and exact revenge for the pain he caused to both his mates had consumed him and it was only Jackson’s words that kept him from doing just that.
Theo’s face brightened. Shifting his glance to Norm, he murmured, “I like that…about us saving each other.”
“Jackson got it right,” Norm agreed. “You were the reason I didn’t give up, Theo. From day one, I promised myself I’d find a way to get you out of there and take you somewhere you’d be safe.”
“And now I am,” Theo replied grinning. “I can’t think of a safer place than here for us to raise our cub.”
Waiting for Smokey’s response, a frown clouded Norm’s face when nothing was forthcoming. The thought he and Theo might have to leave had never occurred to him, but if Smokey didn’t want to stay, they’d have no choice but to go elsewhere.
Seeing the disappointment on Norm’s face when he hadn’t agreed hit Smokey in the gut. That was the last thing he wanted to do, but in this case it would require him to be less than truthful and that was definitely not going to happen. Giving Theo a quick glance, he was relieved to find him smiling as he waited for Smokey’s response. Quickly deciding what to do, he hoped Norm would understand. “I haven’t ever lived in a pack before…especially a wolf pack…so…I’m a grizzly…used to being alone…”
“Didn’t you live with other bears when you grew up?” asked Norm.
“No, just my parents and grandfather,” Smokey replied. “When they died, my best friend’s parents took me in and I stayed with them until I left to find work. Grizzlies are very solitary animals and even as a shifter, we still prefer to be alone. But from what Jackson told me, Ghost bears are different…right?”
“Yeah, Theo and I grew up with other Ghost bear families in a structure similar to a wolf pack but each family had its own home. Not like here where everyone lives in the same house.”
“We even had an Alpha,” Theo said softly, “but he wasn’t very nice.”
Surprised at that bit of news, Smokey asked, “What did he do?”
Waving his hand in dismissal, Norm replied, “It doesn’t matter anymore…Theo and I decided not to dwell on what happened in the past because, bad as it was, it got us here…where we’re happy.”
“I get that,” Smokey murmured, quickly burying his own sorrowful memories before they could consume him once again. Even after all this time, they had the power to bring him to his knees and, for the umpteenth time, he wondered when he would finally be free of them.
Though his new mate tried to hide it, Theo saw the sadness in Smokey’s eyes before it disappeared. Curious as to what caused it, Theo opened his mouth to ask but then closed it when Norm squeezed his hand. Finding out would have to wait—for now.
