“I will…I promise,” Reif said, his eyes tearing up.
“Oh…be sure you explain your lack of knowledge about claiming a Fated Mate. Because when you left without saying a word, Brian thought you rejected him. He thinks you knew exactly what would happen to him the moment you kissed him and deliberately did not allow him to claim you. My recommendation? Be prepared to eat shit,” Kieran grinned, sassily.
Reif grinned back. “I’m kinda good at doing that.”
“I’ll bet. C’mon, let’s go and get your mate.”
“Kieran? Thanks for everything.”
“No problemo but just know this…if you hurt Brian, youwillanswer to me.”
“Trust me, I won’t,” assured Reif.
“Good,” Kieran said, opening the bedroom door and walking out to the living room. Looking around, he asked, “Macushla,where’s Brian?”
“He went outside for some air,” offered Theo.
“Slate, would you get him. Tell him Kieran wants him,” Logan said.
“How long has he been gone?” asked Reif, concern reflected in his voice.
“Uhmm, ten, maybe fifteen minutes. It was right after you were yelling,” replied Norm. “He said he was still tired and just needed some fresh air.”
Reif gave Kieran an anguished look as he said, faintly, “He heard me…my mate heard me say I didn’t want a mate. He’s gone. I can’t feel him anymore.”
“How do you know he heard you?” asked Theo. “And if he did, that was a stupid thing to say in front of your mate.Brian’s a nice person…you don’t deserve him after hurting him that way.”
“Hush, honeybunch. I’m sure Reif didn’t mean it,” replied Norm.
Just then, Slate came in through the back door. “Brian isn’t out there. He’s gone.”
Chapter 19
Brian strode quickly to the marina, his mate’s words playing on an endless loop in his head—‘This is the worst thing ever!’ He knew those words would be the last thought he’d ever have because they were indelibly etched in his heart and soul. Though devastated, he wasn’t surprised; who’d want an old sea dog like him—regardless of what the Shaman thought.
Now, his last bit of hope gone, there was only one place he wanted to be so he could die in peace, with no one around to see him pass into the world beyond. Reaching his boat, he climbed onboard and, after grabbing a few items, locked the cabin, and stuck the keys inside a hidden compartment on deck. Then jumping off, he took off heading for his friend’s helipad.
~/~/~/~/~
“Soooo…when are you going to tell Hunter about the trip you’ve been planning…for what…months, years?” asked Mason.
Sawyer was bending down to check out the space under the dinette bench when his brother’s question registered. Surprised, he stood quickly, hitting his head on the edge of the table. “Fuck! Why did you do that?” he said, rubbing the spot where he was sure to have a bump.
“Do what? I just asked you when you planned on telling Hunter you were leaving,” replied Mason.
Sawyer looked at his brother, trying to decide if Mason knew or was on a fishing expedition. Since he hadn’t told anyone except his twin, he picked the latter. “What trip would that be?”
“Really? You’re choosing that one?” Mason chuckled, then shaking his head, he decided to play along. “Onlythe trip you talked about since you were twelve.” Then in a falsetto voice, Mason said. “I want to travel around, free to go wherever I want with no one telling me what to do. Sound familiar? The way I figure it, you plan to take off as soon as we return from seeing our cousins. So, I’ll ask you again…when are you going to tell Hunter?”
Shit! Leave it to my brother to remember what I said back then.“I don’t know…eventually…but he has so much on his plate right now, I thought it would be better not to add to it.”
“So, you admit you’re leaving…is that why you rejected the first three RVs we saw today? Because they aren’t right for you?” asked Mason.
Grinning at his brother, Sawyer said, “Well, you wouldn’t want Hunter to worry about me when I’m on the road, would ya?”
Batting his brother’s chest, Mason said, “You are so full of it. Now, what do you think about this one? Willitmeet your needs for your road trip?”
Looking around, Sawyer grinned. “I’d have preferred a couple more bedrooms but I can make do with two.”
