~/~/~/~/~
Shifting back after his brother left the room, Steel pulled on the sweatpants Jackson handed him before exploding at his mate, “What the fuck were you thinking, being in here without backup. It was sheer luck my mother told me to get in here. And why the fuck was my brother attacking you?”
Jackson walked over to Steel and, laying his hands on his mate’s bare chest, softly said, “Thank you, babe.”
Wrapping his mate in his arms, Steel bent down, burying his nose in Jackson’s hair, closed his eyes, and then drew in the scent that always calmed him.
It would be a long time before he would forget the frightening scene that greeted him as he entered the study—his brother looming over Jackson, jaws snapping between snarls. Thank the fucking stars, he got here in time.
After his heart had slowed down and was no longer in danger of leaving his chest, Steel opened his eyes, and finally was able to speak calmly. “Mo chroí,why did my brother attack you?”
“He wasn’t though I can see it looked that way. Let’s sit down and I can explain.” Leading his mate over to the love seat, Jackson pushed Steel down on it before sitting next to him, snuggling into the side of his mate. “Babe, please don’t be angry at Slate…I know he wouldn’t hurt me.”
“I’m trying but I…what I saw…how could my brother do that? Put you in danger?”
“Babe, Dakota is your brother’s Fated Mate. I’m not sure how they each found out but when they did, Dakota ran from Slate, shifted and is now in the woods, at least I hope that’s where he is.”
Steel was gobsmacked.My brother’s mate is Dakota? Oh shit, that means Dakota is getting the same gift my mate got.Sitting there, he was trying to picture his brother mated and a parent but couldn’t. As the reality of what this meant sank in, Steel was able to put the pieces together. “My brother knows what it means if Dakota rejects the mating, doesn’t he?”
“Yes, I told him and it caused him to shift. His wolf wanted to make sure their mate was okay. I just happened to be in the same room. But I’m glad you came in or Slate might have cut himself smashing through the window.”
“Shit, does my brother want to claim Dakota?”
“He said he did…both to me and your mother.”
“So my brother isn’t the problem but Dakota is reluctant. That surprises me, because he supported you at the pack meeting when everyone found out you were pregnant. I always viewed him as a nurturer, you know what I mean? Look how protective of Lizzie he was when she first cooked for us. Theo has blossomed under his tutelage. I know he views finding a Fated Mate as something to be celebrated because of the special mating breakfast he does for each couple. And…”
“Babe,” Jackson interrupted him, “everything you said is true, but on the other hand, ever since his childhood, Dakota has been…well the best way to describe it…remote. Even here, how much interaction do you have with him other than at meal times?”
Steel thought about it and realized Jackson was right. “Why is that? Why does Dakota shut himself in the kitchen, away from everyone?”
“Dakota feels safe there. You know how Colton always said he wasn’t looking for a mate?” Jackson paused, continuing after Steel nodded. “Well multiply that sentiment a thousand times and that is not even close to how Dakota feels.”
“Fuck! Why does he feel so strongly about it?”
“I don’t really know, but that’s why he ran after finding his mate.”
“So if he rejects my brother…”
“Yup, you know what that means.”
“We need to talk to my mother!”
~/~/~/~/~
Dakota’s flight from the house was driven by panic—panic caused by Slate finding out he was his mate. Now he would have to make a decision since he could no longer hide.Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!And for the hundredth time since scenting Slate he asked himself ‘why’.Why didn’t the Fates respect my decision? After all, I have two other brothers who could have mated Slate. Carson! He would be perfect…they both love business. Or Zane? That would work too.Unable to answer his own questions, Dakota gave up asking, instead letting his mind go blank—the way his mother taught him. Running at full speed, his wolf headed to a place he felt safest, a small cave high up on the side of a mountain. Dakota had found it one day when his wolf had been restless and needed a run.
There, it was quiet and isolated, a place his mind could rest and recharge to handle his curse—at least that’s howDakota viewed it. No matter how many times his mother told him he was special, he never believed her. The noise in his head had brought him to tears so many times as he was growing up that it wasn’t until his mother taught him how to get rid of it—at least for a short while—that he could have some respite.
That quietness in his mind was what was needed now. Somehow Dakota had to figure out what to do with the mess his life had become.Fuck! Double and triple fuck!He wished his mother was still alive—she would know what he should do. But his uncle took away his lifeline, almost killing Dakota in the process. Looking back, he honestly didn’t know how he survived the death of his mother. She kept him focused, calmed his mind when nothing else could, and surrounded him with a love that protected him from all evil.
But her death brought real evil into his life and he was woefully unprepared to handle it. Step by step, he found a way to survive and he was now able to find a little piece of himself. He slowly realized none of his brothers knew what he could do and he was able to use that knowledge to build a life—narrow as it might be—finding happiness once more in cooking. There wasn’t any amount of thanks he could give his brother and Steel for allowing him to be the chef. Shut away in his kitchen all day, it kept his interactions with the rest of the pack to a minimum and that meant the noise he lived with on a daily basis was manageable.
Finally reaching the cave, Dakota’s wolf sniffed around, then lay down after finding no traces of other occupants. The shock was gone and Dakota could think about his choices without any noise in his head other than his own thoughts. He figured out what gift he would get from the Fates if he mated with Slate—which caused him to whimper. No matter how hard he tried to imagine himselfhaving a pup, the picture never materialized in his mind. The need to protect his pup would drive him insane with all the noise that would be flooding his mind.
Maybe Oracle could help or Lizzie…she is as close to a mom as I have now.Thinking about how to approach her gave Dakota hope that Lizzie would be able to sort through his thoughts and help him see the right path to choose. Finally with his panic gone, he found the quietness necessary to gain control again. Exhausted by the emotional events of the day, he fell into a deep sleep, trusting his wolf to protect him.
~/~/~/~/~
