“Stay away from him,” Brian growled under his breath. “He canna be trusted.”
His mate’s response told Reif there was more to the story and, while he was pleased that he had penetrated his mate’s defense shield, he kept his face expressionless. “Okay…then I think you should tell the Shaman about that…you know, better to be forewarned.”
“Ay.”
“You should also tell me so I can make sure our Nessies are safe.”
“They’re safe.”
Reif had had it. “Why? Because you say so? Not good enough, Nessie. I deserve to know what set you off when the Shaman mentioned the Alpha of the English and Welsh Wolves. What’s his name and how do you know him? Why shouldn’t the Shaman or me, for that matter, trust him? Does he hate you? And if so, does that mean he’ll also hate our sons? And if that’s true, what will he do when he finds out about them? Should I prepare for an attack from an army of wolves? See? Justsayingour Nessies are safe won’t work.”
Sighing, Brian stood up and gestured for Reif to follow him out of the nursery and into the next room. Shutting the door after his mate had joined him, Brian leaned against it and said, quietly, “When I first got to England, I asked the Alpha for permission to stay in his territory.”
“He refused,” guessed Reif.
Snorting, Brian said, “He did more than that, he sent his enforcers after me…to kill me. Luckily, a witch warned me and I escaped. I ended up in Scotland and got permission to stay here.”
Appalled at how close his mate came to death, Reif reached out and pulled his stoic mate into his arms, hugging him tightly. “So that’s why you didn’t want to go to London with my fathers?”
“I canna go in his territory.”
“Why didn’t you tell me this?” asked Reif.
“I dinna want ye to get killed,” Brian murmured against his mate’s neck.
“Wait a second,” Reif said, pulling back from his mate. “This happened before you came to Scotland? That’s a long time ago…surely that Alpha is dead by now.”
“Ay…he is.”
“Did the new Alpha ban you from his territory too?”
“The witch who helped me escape told the old Alpha I was dead. I canna take the risk, because of our sons, that the current Alpha finds out I’m alive.”
Nodding, Reif murmured, “Nessie, you have to tell the Shaman and Logan about it…otherwise who knows what might happen if the current Alpha is like the old one.”
“I know…” Brian replied, his voice fading as his mind went back to the night he nearly lost his life. He owed the witch everything—not only his life that night but the life he had now. Coming back to the present, he looked at Reif. “I’ll tell the Shaman…I promise.”
“Okay,” Reif murmured, tugging his mate close to him again. “But I swear if the current Alpha turns out to be as big an asshole as his ancestor, then I intend to kill him because I won’t put our Nessies at risk.”
“No!” Brian exclaimed. “I dinna want ye to get hurt!”
“I won’t, trust me. When I tell my fathers about the threat the Alpha poses to their grandsons…well, don’t be surprised if a hundred sea dragons show up, ready to fight for our sons.”
Brian’s lips twitched. “A hundred, ye say?”
Shrugging, Reif replied, “Maybe more. You met my fathers…do you honestly think either of them would stand by while someone is threatening their grandsons?”
“Naw…but ye better make sure Angus dinna find out or ye be dealin’ with a very angry Scottish wolf. There’s nothin’ he likes more than a guid fight.”
“Duly noted,” Reif replied, grinning. “Now since we’ve handled that, are you ready to go back to our sons? Or is there another dark secret you’re keeping from me?”
Chapter 24
Dumbfounded, Cain slowly approached the bed in the room the Alpha Mate told him was his. “Are you sure this is mine?” he whispered.
“I’m sure,” Steel said, amused at Cain’s reaction. “There’s also a bathroom and a sitting room connected to the bedroom.”
“I’m gonna get lost in here,” he muttered to himself, finally finding the courage to touch the comforter on the bed. It was softer than anything he’d ever felt before in his life…Well, not as soft as my teddy bear.But that was a long time ago when it had gone missing in one of the many foster homes he’d spent his childhood in. Crying himself to sleep every night for the longest time, his foster mother finally took pity on him and gave him a ragged stuffed dog. From then on, he never let it out of his sight until it was stolen, along with all of his other stuff, one night after he’d aged out of the state’s care.
