"Remington, where's Nero?" I asked, panicked.
"He went off looking for you," Remington said. "He came to drop off Zak and explained in a hurry that you ran off and disappeared. He looked everywhere but couldn't find you, and then he said he swore he saw you being snatched by a bird of prey."
I let out a wail of frustration. "Oh, Nero..."
"Is that true?" Remington asked.
I sighed. "Yes. I was annoyed with him so I went off by myself, but then…" How could I explain this part of the story without implicating Weston? I didn't want to do that.
Red let out a chuckle. He picked up the fox cub that was wandering around my ankles, probably looking for a place to bite me.
"Let me guess," Red said as he gestured towards Weston. "This newcomer is the aforementioned bird of prey that snatched you."
I blinked at him, surprised. "How did you know?"
Red shot me a wry grin. "Let's just say that wouldn't be the first time that has happened around here." He turned to Weston. "And you are?"
I realized that Weston had been patiently waiting this whole time to introduce himself, and I felt embarrassed that I hadn't done so earlier. I'd been so caught up in the pack’s relieved greeting that I had accidentally lost all my manners.
"My name is Weston," he said. "I'm an osprey shifter. I was the one who was hunting Nishiki before I realized he was a shifter."
"Happens to the best of us," the oldest wolf shifter Dax mumbled with a smirk.
I noticed some of the members of the pack looking at Weston oddly. Not suspicious or cold, but almost in sympathy. I realized a moment later that the ones who had that sympathetic expression were the omegas of the group.
The thought drifted into my mind,Do they know about Weston's heat?
Weston bowed his head in apology. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused. If I had known, I never would've targeted him."
I was too distracted by my revelation to tell him not to apologize again. Had Weston's heat been raging this entire time? If so and it was as potent as he had described it to be, how was he standing it? I suddenly felt like an idiot for not noticing the way he'd been struggling the past few days. The shortness of breath, the increased body temperature radiating off of him... He'd been suffering in a way I couldn't understand.
Why didn't he just tell me?Then I realized why. The explanation from his lesson came back to me.Because for it to end, he needs to be impregnated.
I bit my lip. Did he not want me to? Did he not want it at all? Was I being a burden on him just by being near him?
My brain felt like soup. There were so many things going on and I couldn't focus on any of them. My eyes were glued to Weston, and I couldn't pull them free.
But I forced myself to. There was still one very big problem that I needed to take care of before I let myself return to my Weston obsession.
"Where is Nero?” I asked.
Red spoke up, pointing to the sky. "When he couldn't find you, he came here for help. He took my mate Orpheus—he's a raven shifter, so he's the only one of us that can fly—and went to go look for you."
Weston hummed in thought. "I didn't notice any ravens on our journey here. We must have missed each other."
An idea struck me. Maybe it was the fabled twin connection, but I suddenly had a very clear knowledge of where Nero was. I turned to Weston. “We have to go to the lake."
"Of course," Weston said without question.
"Do you think he's there?" Remington asked, his brow furrowed.
I smiled at Remington. This was my brother's partner—no, his fated mate. Remington and their son Zak were the source of joy in Nero's life. I realized I had never taken the time to thank Remington for being the perfect man for my twin. He must've been worried about Nero, too. Nero was so busy looking for me that he wasn't spending time with his mate or family. It was my fault for separating them, so I would be the one to fix it.
"I know he is," I said confidently to Remington. "I'll go get him and bring him back. I promise."
Remington flashed me a small smile. I could tell it was one he didn't give lightly. "Thanks, Nishiki."
We didn't have a moment to spare. Turning to Weston, I said, "Let's go find Nero."
Weston gave me one of those smiles that made me believe everything was going to be okay, and instantly my heart felt more full. "Lead the way."
