“We haven’t had a female in heat in a while. It’s going to take a week for her to get out of it,” Caden said, frowning at his daughter, who was in pain.
“Not if she accepts her mate,” Adam said quietly. Sam and Caden snapped their gazes at Adam.
“Are you saying she’s your mate?” Hunter asked, watching Adam nod in response. He then looked at Freja. “How did you manage to get him under control? I’m not even sure I could control a mate draw when one is in heat.”
Freja bit her lip and looked down at the ground. “I, um … I sort of beat him up.”
Adam chuckled. “Sort of? Look at the indentation on the ground! That’s from her slamming me into it.”
Hunter beamed proudly. “You did that? That’s my tough luna! You’re awesome.” He walked up to Freja and pulled her into his chest.
“Umm … Hunter, what now?” Caden asked as he stared back at Adam with hesitation.
Hunter noticed Adam standing nearby, his brow furrowed and eyes fixed intently on Susan. She lay in a ball on the ground, her face contorted in agony, clutching her side as she struggled to breathe. “Wait here, Adam.” His eyes flickered with his wolf as he used his alpha authority to hold him at bay. He then walked up to Susan, with Freja by his side. “Sues? Sues … I know it hurts, but I need you to talk to me, okay?”
She looked up and nodded her head, a small whimper leaving her throat. Adam shifted uncomfortably from the sound, barely managing to obey his alpha.
“Sues … Adam says he’s your mate. Does your wolf also claim him?” Hunter watched as she slowly nodded. “How about you? Do you accept him as your mate, then?”
“Y-yes,” she whispered.
“Susan. You understand how this works. I know you’ve studied this. You know what needs to happen to make the heat stop. You can either wait a week, or you can complete the mating bond. I need to know what you’re going to choose.” Hunter was there to be the mediator between friend, father, and brother. If two mates accepted each other, then he expected Sam and Caden to back down and let everything happen naturally.
Susan nodded her head. “I accept Adam and the bond.”
“Okay, Sues.” Hunter wiped her forehead and smiled. He then looked at Caden and Sam. “I’m going to give her to Adam now. He’ll be able to take her pain away.” He looked at his beta and his father’s old beta. He wanted to make sure that they were okay with it. Not that they had a choice, but he could talk with them if they needed him to. Both men nodded in understanding.
“Adam.” Hunter said his name normally, not using his alpha tone, but he was there instantly. “You can take care of your mate now.” He stood up and patted him on the back, then leaned in close to his ear. “Gently, Adam,” Hunter said in quiet warning. Susan was like a sister to him, too.
Adam smiled and looked at Hunter. “She’s my gem. You don’t have to worry. I’ll take good care of her.” He knelt down beside Susan. His eyes watered up, seeing her in pain. He reached out and brushed his fingers through her hair. “It’s okay, Sues. I’m here.” He felt her relax under his touch, and he smiled, the tiny sparks tingling at his fingertips. He reached around her and lifted her into his body. It was a powerful feeling, holding his mate in his arms. He felt her curl up into his chest, seeking the comfort of her mate. He leaned his head down and kissed her glistening forehead. "I'm happy it's you, my Sues." She smiled at him weakly, and he felt her tremble. He couldn't stand seeing her in so much pain. He needed to mate with her. It was the only way for her heat to go away. He held her delicately against his chest and turned to Hunter, nodded, and then left, carryingSusan away. The sooner Adam took care of the mate bond, the sooner she wouldn’t be in pain anymore.
“Well, that was eventful.” Hunter sifted his hand through his hair.
“So much for all that planning we just did. Freja handled it all on her own.” Chasen chuckled. That whole hour they were away, they were planning how to handle Susan coming into heat. In the end, it happened while they were still planning—and Freja had taken care of it.
“You should have seen her. She ordered a group of wolves to leave while she was holding Adam down. She was amazing. Good thing Adam’s a werewolf and can heal quickly.” Jin giggled as she bounced at Chasen’s side.
“You were able to order unmated wolves away from a female in heat?” Hunter was impressed. Sure, she was their luna. But when it came to a female in heat, it was hard to control unmated wolves. Even as an alpha, he would have struggled.
“Luckily, I had Jin here with her wind for backup. Adam was the tough one, though. I’m lucky I was able to snap him out of it.”
“You’re lucky. With Susan being his mate, that was an almost impossible situation. I’m proud of you.” Hunter looked at Freja with admiration. She had no idea how impossibly hard it was to do what she just did.
“Okay, I’m going to go speak to Rosa. I need to let her know that her baby has found her mate,” Caden said with a sad smile. He was happy for Susan, but his baby girl had found her mate. His kids were now officially adults, with lives of their own.
“I’ll come with you, Dad. I’ve got to get Renee, and she’s on the way,” Sam said as he trotted after his dad.
Jin giggled and looked at Freja. “Talk about a trial by fire. I guess you passed.”
Freja yawned and shook her head. “I’m exhausted now.” She felt the warm tingles as Hunter lifted her into his arms, holding her bridal style against his chest.
“How about a bath and a good night’s sleep?” Hunter smiled as he held her close.
“I can walk,” Freja said in minor embarrassment.
“Yeah … but I can run,” Hunter said mischievously as he took off running with her toward the pack house, leaving Chasen and Jin behind. The two laughed together as he effortlessly ran with her in his arms. His heart was swelling for her more and more. His beautiful, powerful mate. Damn … he was falling for her already. The mate pull was something he understood and expected, but the pull from his heart was something else … and entirely wonderful.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
