Shayne’s gaze meets mine as he gets to the bedroom doorway.
He’s usually an open book, but it’s impossible to read his expression before he leaves the hallway. I can’t help but wonder what the hell happened at that academy as I lead Harper back to the couch. I close the door, but I can hear it when our Alphas start to talk in the other room.
Their voices are too low to make out the words.
I guess, at least, Falcon’s talking.
He wasn’t doing much of that before.
We sit down and Harper rests his head against my shoulder.
I take his hand in mine. Then, I take a few deep breaths, as I try to mentally prepare for bad news. Whatever it is, we’ll survive. I’ve been Harper’s rock since we were teenagers. Nothing could ever change that.
A few minutes go by.
Harper pulls a cushion into his lap and starts to mess around with the zip using his free hand.
He quietly fiddles around with it while I hold his other hand in both of mine.
Shayne would never leave us.
It’s been a difficult month, but he’s shown us time and time again that he wants to be with us, that we’re his and he’s ours, and that nothing would ever change how he feels.
Falcon’s love is a lot less expressive. He has a hard time admitting his feelings.
Before he started to get moodier, I wouldn’t have doubted him.
Now? I don’t want to doubt him, but I don’t know what else to think.
So, I try not to let my thoughts wander. I clear my head, and I focus on my breathing.
It’s not long until I’m hearing all the sounds in the room as if they’re being amplified.
The ticking of the clock starts to seem hideously loud by the time the living room door finally creaks open.
Shayne steps into the room with his shirt sleeves rolled up, Falcon close behind now wearing his usual jeans and t-shirt combo. When Falcon closes the door, Harper pushes the cushion off his lap, and he pulls his hand away from mine.
“Well?” Harper asks, a hint of desperation in his tone.
He needs to know. We both do.
Whatever it is.
Shayne looks at Falcon, and our lead Alpha sighs softly.
“We have another true mate.”
We have another true mate?
I blink at him, the shock of his admission echoing through me.
“I thought … It felt like you were going to leave us,” I admit, frowning. “I don’t understand.”
Now, Falcon looks as shocked as I feel, at least until his shock melts into anger.
It’s a much more familiar expression for him.
Shayne touches his arm. “It’s fair for Jay to think that. You were isolating yourself from us, Falcon, and you weren’t acting like yourself. None of us knew what to think.”
