“Uhm…yeah, we better. If he and Logan make up, then he’ll want to go dancing and if he doesn’t have it…”
“I hear ya!” said Norman, folding up the kilt and shirt. “Boy, I never realized how much pink stuff he has. I wonder why?”
“I don’t know, but I like it. Maybe I should wear something pink. Would you like that?” Theo asked, holding up a pink t-shirt of Kieran’s.
“I love anything you wear and really love it when you wear nothing at all,” Norman said, wrapping his arms around his lover, kissing the beautiful lips he’d dreamed about for years.
A knock at the door broke them apart as Cody stuck his head in. “Hey, is Kieran’s case packed?”
“Just a few more things and we’ll be finished. Should I take it downstairs?” asked Norman.
“Yup, and thanks guys,” Cody said, before closing the door. He paused outside Kieran’s room, trying to keep his laughter silent, then quickly left and made it to his bedroom before collapsing on the bed and letting it burst forth.
Dylon came in from the sitting room after putting the twins down for their morning nap and found Cody laughing, trying to muffle the sound with a pillow.Plopping down next to his mate, Dylon pulled the pillow away and asked, “What’s so funny?”
Cody finally was able to describe Theo and Norman’s guilty faces after he had interrupted their sexy time. “They stood there, hands behind their backs, faces red and lips puffy.”
“Did you say anything?”
“Of course not! I thought it was so cute, but now I’m wondering if the guilty looks came from what happened to them when they were younger.”
“Possible. If we get a therapist, maybe he can help them accept they’d done nothing wrong. I’ve been wondering…you know, bears mate in threes…if Theo and Norm will ever find a third or whether they’ll buck that, and it’ll just be the two of them.”
“A third? I never thought about that. They’re so close and have been through so much…how could a new bear possibly understand what they’ve been through?”
“I don’t know. I guess time will tell, but I sure would hate to be their third.”
“What about Logan?” asked Cody. “Are you willing to admit I was right?”
“That he’d hurt Kieran? I think it was me who said that.”
Jabbing Dylon in the ribs, Cody exclaimed, “Fuck off, you know I meant Kieran being his Fated Mate.”
“True, but I told you your brother would hurt him.”
“Okay, okay…it’s a draw. But I hope Logan doesn’t fuck up his second chance. C’mon, grab the baby monitor and let’s head to the great room.”
~/~/~/~/~
After showering and carefully packing his suitcase, Logan made his bed, checked that his dirty laundry was in his hamper, and that his bathroom towels were hung up to dry. Then he sat on the bed and looked around his room—finding it to be cold and lifeless without Kieran’s light. A sob escaped as he tried again to talk to the wolves and spirit in him but found only deadly silence. Sighing at the mess he’d made of things, he grabbed his suitcase and stood, determined to try and fix it.
“Come in,” Logan called after hearing a knock on his bedroom door and Steel walked in.
“Hey, everything is arranged. Robert will pick you up and take you to our jet which will fly you to Ireland. Once you land, a team of Slate’s enforcers will meet you along with a driver and a car to take you to the Hill of Tara. The enforcers will follow you but will stay out of sight once you find Kieran…”
“You mean…ifI find him, don’t you?”
“Keep the faith, Logan. We all had problems with our mating so why should it be any different for you? I’ve rented a private home for you and Kieran, so you can have some privacy. Don’t worry about the enforcers…that’s also been taken care of. All you have to do is find Kieran and iron out any misconceptions either of you have. If you need anything, call me or Jackson, though I think I have everything covered. Good luck!”
“Thanks Steel. Take care of everyone for me, okay?”
“Will do. If you’re ready, Robert will have the chopper here shortly and I know Jackson wants to say good bye. Be prepared for tears.”
“His or mine?” asked Logan as he walked to the door. He felt like his entire future hung in the balance. Once hewas downstairs, Steel took his suitcase, as one by one Logan’s brothers came up to hug him and wish him luck. What really touched him were Theo and Norman who hugged him and whispered their support. By the time he got to his twin, Logan was a mess. The stress of finding his mate gone, the fear that Kieran had really rejected him—or worse, that he wouldn’t be able to make amends had overwhelmed Logan’s defenses and he was now on the brink of becoming a major basket case.
Jackson immediately assessed his brother’s feelings and enveloped him in a hug, holding him tightly as possible while whispering in Logan’s ear. They stood there together…twins who looked so different yet were so alike…responsibility, loyalty, duty, and love for their family governing their entire lives. Finally, when he felt Logan had drawn from his deep reserves of strength that Jackson had relied on so much during the days after the massacre, he whispered his final words, “I love you, Logan and I know you’ll find Kieran and make everything right. Now, go and do it. Don’t make me a liar.”
Logan snorted. “I wouldn’t do that to you. I’ll call you as soon as I find him.”
