Before Weston could launch into his honest recollection of events, which would include telling Nero that he was the one who snatched me, I rushed over to Weston and put my hand affectionately on his shoulder. If it didn't make it clear that we were together, it was at least a friendly gesture to try and pre-emptively defuse some tension.
"Weston is awesome," I said. "I don't know what I would've done if he didn't help me travel through the woods and stuff. I would've gotten even more lost."
Nero smiled appreciatively. "Thank you, Weston, really." He snorted. "I've been lost in the woods with Nishiki while camping as kids before and let me tell you, it was not pretty."
"Actually, Nishiki held his own quite well," Weston said. "He should give himself more credit. Aside from getting his hair tangled a few times, he was quite the natural."
Nero fake gasped at me. "Who are you and what have you done with my brother?"
I rolled my eyes and shoved him. Strangely, I didn't feel the need to self-deprecate. Before I met Weston I probably would've joked along with Nero, saying something like I would've starved to death on the first night alone. But I didn't do that now. Weston was right. I didn't really dothatbadly. He taught me that I was more capable than I thought.
"There's something else I should tell you," Weston said.
Oh no, I thought.
Weston put a hand to his chest. "I'm an osprey shifter. I'm the one who took Nishiki away."
Nero shot him a confused glance. "What?"
To prove himself, Weston took a step back and shifted, doing a brief loop in the air in his osprey form before landing back by my side as a man. "I was hunting in the area when I saw Nishiki in his koi form. Obviously, I didn't know at the time that he was a shifter. I never would've done that otherwise. The realization came too late." He briefly nodded his head in apology. "I'm sorry for causing such a mess. It wasn't my intention."
As Nero processed this information, I felt a sudden protective urge come over me. I pushed Weston back gently, putting myself in between him and Nero. It was the same fierce feeling I got when I thought about Weston's past shitty partners. It was the confident, intense knowledge that I knew I would do anything to protect him.
"Don't be mad," I said firmly. "It was an honest mistake."
Nero looked even more confused, glancing back and forth between us. "Mad? Why would I be mad?" He gave me a lopsided smile to appease me. "It's not like that's the first time that's happened around here. Remmy's told me about similar things happening in the pack before." He shrugged. "Don't worry about it, bro."
The sudden rush of ferocity dwindled away, leaving me more relieved than anything else. I let out a big sigh. "Oh, thank God. If you were mad at Weston, I don't know what I would've done."
Weston chuckled. "I told you there was no reason to be so nervous. If Nero is anything like you, he's reasonable. I knew he would understand if we told him the truth."
"I know," I said. "I just couldn't stand the thought of you two not getting along…"
Nero slowly raised one eyebrow and his mouth curled into a grin. His gaze flitted back and forth between us. I could practically see the gears turning in his mind, figuring out our true relationship before either of us could say anything.
"Is there something else you want to tell me?" he asked.
Of course my brother already had suspicions. I sighed, then laughed. No point in hiding it any longer.
I wrapped my arm around Weston's lower back, possessively pulling him closer. I noticed Weston smiling widely from the corner of my eye. "Well, Detective Nero, since you've apparently done such a good job sleuthing it out, I guess I should tell you that Weston and I are mates," I said.
"Fated," Weston added with a smile.
Nero's eyes lit up, brighter than the sunlight on the water. He laughed and gave both of us another quick hug.
"Ha! I knewsomethingwas up between you," he said. "I've never seen Nishiki this happy before."
I blushed. "Yeah, yeah."
"Seriously, bro, I'm happy for you. I know what it's like to find your fated mate. There isn’t another feeling in the world like it."
I smoothed back my hair, feeling too giddy to contain myself. I noticed Weston watching me with a warm look on his face.
"Oh, right," Nero said suddenly. "I have a feeling someone else has been waiting for you, too."
I gazed out over the water. I didn't see anyone or anything, yet I knew Nero was talking about our father.
"How do you…?" I asked.
