Dean stared for a moment before nodding.“I get it.”
“You do?”
“When I mentioned it to Jasper, he said it wasn’t a bad idea.I threatened to kick his ass.”
Mackenzie winced.“What did he think about that?”
“He apologized and agreed that I knew better than anyone what I should do.”
“I completely agree.”
Dean snorted and stepped to the side.“Of course you do.Come in.Food is almost ready.”
Mackenzie obeyed.He was relieved that his brother seemed to have forgiven him, but Jasper?There was no way to know.“Is he angry at me?”
“Why would he be angry?If it’s because of telling me leaving the forest thing, I just told you that he tried to get me to do just that.No, he’s not angry because you suggested it.He might actually be your biggest fan right now.”
“I’m pretty sure he’syourbiggest fan.”
Dean’s cheeks flushed.“Maybe.You don’t need to be afraid of him.He’s not going to do anything to you.He understands that you were trying to protect me, and he tried to do the same.There’s no need to worry, so stop freaking out and come eat.”
The house looked nice, but that wasn’t what Mackenzie was most interested in.“How are you feeling?How’s the baby?”
“We’re both perfectly fine.The skunk healer has been keeping an eye on me, so you don’t need to worry.”
“I’m always going to worry.”
“And you’re not the only one,” Jasper said as Dean and Mackenzie entered the kitchen.
His attention went straight to Dean.That was fine with Mackenzie.He didn’t care if it was rude.He cared that his brother was loved and cared for, and it was clear that Jasper did that.
Dean made a beeline for him, and Jasper welcomed him with open arms, pulling him into a quick hug.He didn’t let go, but instead, he murmured something close to Dean’s ear.Dean’s skin flushed a deeper red, but he nodded and pressed a hand against his stomach.
Mackenzie looked away from what was clearly a private moment.He shouldn’t have worried.From the way Jasper looked at Dean, it was clear that he would burn the world down if it meant keeping Dean safe.Mackenzie had always felt it was his role, even though Dean was more than capable of defending himself.He was still Mackenzie’s brother, and it had been ingrained in Mackenzie since they were kids.
It was time for him to give up his role as Dean’s protector, and as far as he could see, Jasper would be the best person to pick it up.
Chapter Five
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NICO WAS NERVOUS.ITwas one thing to meet Mackenzie at the coffee shop to talk about Mackenzie’s brother, but it was an entirely different thing for them to meet at Mackenzie’s house for dinner.
Because Mackenzie had a house now.He’d been hesitant to move after what had happened to Jasper, but Mackenzie had kept his word.His entire family had moved into fox territory, and Mackenzie had his own house.
Going there made Nico nervous, and not only because he was about to spend the evening with Mackenzie, a man he was attracted to and enjoyed spending time with.He was also about to sneak into fox territory.
There was no way he could tell Jerome he was here for a date—not that he and Mackenzie had agreed it was a date.Mackenzie had asked Nico to come over so they could celebrate him having his own place, and Nico had been more than happy to say yes.They hadn’t defined it, but he suspected they both knew itwasa date, which was one more thing that made Nico nervous.
He really hoped no one would notice him coming into fox territory.His father was friendly with Jerome, and Nico didn’t think that the fox alpha would kick him out or anything like that, but at the very least, he’d demand to know why the future bobcat alpha was there without telling him about it, and that wasn’t a conversation Nico was ready to have with Mackenzie.
Mackenzie still didn’t know that Nico was his father’s heir, and Nico hoped to keep things that way for a bit longer.He’d have to tell him eventually, and he would, but it was nice to be with someone who didn’t care about anything but him as a person.He wasn’t sure how Mackenzie would take it when he found out, but he was going to enjoy the time they would share until then.
He glanced at the passenger seat of his car.He’d asked his mother to prepare something, just so he wouldn’t show up empty-handed, but it had been complicated to convince her without telling her exactly why he needed it.He’d eventually had to tell her he had a date, but he hadn’t told her with whom, and he wasn’t planning to.She was way too happy about it, but she wouldn’t push until he was ready to tell her.He wasn’t sure he ever would be.It all depended on how Mackenzie reacted when Nico told him who he was.
But for now, Nico was headed to Mackenzie’s house with two pies he was eager to share.He’d overcome the first hurdle of telling Mackenzie that he was a carrier.He was sure he’d find the right moment to tell him who his father was and what it meant eventually.
He had to be careful when he entered fox territory.He took a back road so he wouldn’t have to pass by the guards, relieved to find it was unguarded.It probably wasn’t the smartest idea since Silas was around, but it played to Nico’s interests.He wasn’t sure that Silas knew about the secondary roads.Besides, it wasn’t as if Silas couldn’t find a weak spot in the patrols that Jerome had no doubt set up.The territories in the forest were vast, and it was impossible for the alphas to cover every inch of them.
