“Thank you for trusting us enough to tell us.” Hunter smiled at her and watched her give him a weak smile back. “We’ll leave you to get changed.” He turned and walked out. Chasen’s gaze lingered on Jin for a moment longer before he followed Hunterout, shutting the door. The two men walked down the hallway together until they reached the top of the stairs.
Hunter turned and looked at Chasen with a smirk.
“What?” Chasen said with mild annoyance.
“Don’t what me. You already know what.” Hunter grinned widely.
“You’re getting ahead of yourself, pup.” Chasen growled in irritation.
“Uh huh. Sure I am.” Hunter jogged a few steps downward, then turned to look at Chasen. His gaze was suddenly very intense and serious. “Chase, I’m on board. One hundred percent.” Then he flashed him another cheesy grin. “Good luck, Romeo.”
Chasen growled and shook his head as he trotted down the steps after Hunter. “It isn’t like that. I don’t want that. I already decided what I want. I don’t want a family.”
Hunter’s stormy eyes met with his brother’s. “Yes you do. Don’t lie to yourself, Chase. And don’t you dare lie to me. You know you want it. You actually want it bad. And I’ll be damned if this stupid guardian thing keeps you from having it. It’s one thing if you strike out. I mean, you aren’t much of a looker,” Hunter teased. “It’s another thing to not even try at all.” His voice then dropped to a low whisper. “I can feel it, Chasen. I see it and sense it. You like her, and that’s okay. Just promise me to be open-minded and to give it a chance.”
Chasen stood there, shocked. He felt like his ideal life had been shattered. He had planned to be just like his uncle Grayson, always dedicated and at Hunter’s side. Now he really didn’t know what he wanted. Or at least that’s what he told himself. Internally, his animal was snarling at him. Werebears didn’t have mates in the same way werewolves did, but once they found someone they deemed as theirs, their animal instincts broke loose. The small, silent voice from earlier was his feral animalalready claiming her as his. It knew deep down what Chasen was refusing to admit.
“I promise I’ll at least think about what I really want. I will put real thought into it. For now, I’m just trying to get along and make her feel comfortable here. This is her home now.”
Hunter smiled at his brother’s denial. That wasn’t what Chasen was doing. He never cared about making anyone feel at home. Even the way he was constantly holding her close to him was something Chasen would never do for anyone. The sooner he admitted it to himself, the better. It was obvious to Hunter. He just hoped his bonehead brother didn’t screw everything up.
“Besides, I couldn’t possibly think about something like that now.” Chasen looked out the window, frowning. How could he think about having a relationship when his brother had just been betrayed by his mate? He rationalized this thought, giving him another reason why it wasn’t a good idea.
“Don’t. You. Dare,” Hunter growled, enunciating every word. “This isn’t about me. This is about you. Don’t project not taking a mate for yourself on me. That is not the real issue you have and you know it. The real problem is you know deep down that you like her and that scares the shit out of you, because you’ve wiped the idea so far from your mind that now you’re lost.” Hunter lowered his voice to just barely above a whisper. “Chasen, we’ve got one chance in this life. One. Make the most of it. Enjoy it. Live it. No matter what, we’ll always be together. Nothing else changes that.” Hunter straightened up and leaned against the counter casually.
“Does this outfit work?” Jin said as she walked down the stairs.
Chasen turned and gazed at her. He felt his heart rate begin to pick up as his eyes trailed over her.Shit. Get a hold of yourself.He turned back to see Hunter’s eyes laughing at him.Damn, he can see right through me.Chasen sighed. Hunter was right.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Hunter straightened up and walked over to Jin. She was wearing a black floral sundress that accentuated her figure and showed off her toned legs. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail. It was the first time seeing her in such feminine clothes. “You look splendid,” Hunter said. “In fact …” He smirked. If his brother was going to pretend he wasn’t interested in Jin, then he was going to have some fun with it. “I would be honored if a pretty girl like yourself would let me escort her to the pack meeting.” Jin giggled, nodding up at him. Hunter wrapped his arm around her and gently pulled her along with him. “Too many savage animals out there. I need to keep you close.” He turned slightly so he could see his brother’s dark glare. He winked at him and flashed a bright smile. Chasen’s grip on the counter tightened, his veins slightly protruding and his jaw set tight.No feelings my ass.
Hunter led Jin out onto a raised platform. It was only a few feet high, just enough that the whole pack would be able to see him easily. Long enough to fit ten people comfortably, it was specially made for addressing the pack during the last few years his father was Alpha. Sam was already standing up there, and the pack had assembled, waiting to hear from their alpha.Hunter noticed the curious glances from his pack as they looked at the girl tucked into his side. He sighed. He knew they were thinking he was introducing them to their new luna.
“I have asked you all to come today because there are a few things I wish to talk about,” Hunter said in a clear, definitive voice. Chasen walked up, standing slightly behind him on the side where Jin stood. “Before anything else, I need to make an announcement of monumental significance. Brace yourselves, for it turns out that I am the Alpha King of the Werewolves!” The crowd murmured quietly among themselves. “I don’t think this is going to affect us as a pack too much. Our day-to-day lives will still be the same. This will mean more for me and my pack officers as we do the best we can to lead all werewolves into prosperity.” He listened as his pack members whistled and cheered.
“Congratulations, Alpha!”
“If anyone deserves this, it's you.”
“We have the best alpha ever!”
“Werewolves are now in good hands!”
Hunter smiled. “Thank you all. I’ll do the best I can as I navigate this new role. Now, there is one more reason why I wanted you gathered here, and that is to introduce you to the newest member of our pack.” He chuckled. “No, folks, she’s not my luna.” He listened as some of the pack members let out a sigh. It was obvious they were anxious for him to find his luna. He knew it would be on their mind and went ahead and nipped that thought quickly. “Like the previous luna, who was gifted with the element of fire, and my sister the element of water, this is the person who has gifted me with the element of air. Please welcome Fujin, or just Jin, as we call her.”
“Is she a deity too?”
Hunter cleared his throat and squeezed Jin a bit more into his side as he felt her tense up. “No. Jin is a wind demon.”Immediately, gasps echoed through the group, and he could feel the uneasiness from his pack.
“Alpha, aren’t we at war with the demons?”
“We are at war with a group of demons, but not all demons. Just like if we went to war with a werewolf pack, it wouldn’t be with all werewolves.” Hunter tried to alleviate their nervousness.
“Of course, we wouldn’t be at war with any werewolf pack now, since our alpha can order them around,” Sam chimed in, trying to bring some humor to the situation.
“Our alpha has said that it’s okay, so it is,” Caden yelled from the crowd, showing his support.
