“Well, maybe it’ll work…why don’t you try it?”
Indulging his mate, Hunter set Fionn down, then stepped back several steps. Murmuring “White Knight,” he waited but nothing happened. Shaking his head, he said, “Nope, not working. I’ll just have to wait till we get home.”
“Hmmm, you know, Ki told me how Logan shifts back to his self and maybe that’ll work for you?”
Shrugging, Hunter replied, “Sure, worth a try. What does he say?”
“He doesn’t say anything…just thinks ‘me’.”
Nodding, Hunter did as Fionn suggested.
Fionn watched in awe as the shift occurred, returning Hunter back to his beloved mate. Clapping his hands, he bounced on his toes, exclaiming, “Mate, it worked!”
Glancing down at himself, Hunter grinned; he was stark naked. “Shit, I don’t know what those assholes did with my clothes.”
“That’s okay,” Fionn grinned, “they’re only gonna get in the way for what I have planned.”
“And what’s that, my pet?” Hunter asked, moving so close to Fionn, his cock was firmly pressed against his mate’s bulge.
Eyes darkening with lust, Fionn asked, huskily, “Have you ever fucked on a bed of gold coins?”
“Can’t say I have,” Hunter growled.
Fionn shivered. His mate’s low, rough voice forcing his cock to harden even further. Grinding his hips against Hunter’s, he moaned as exquisite pleasure rushed through his body. “Mate,” Fionn keened, “I need you now.”
Placing his hands on Fionn’s perfect bubble butt, Hunter squeezed it briefly, before lifting his mate up in his arms. “Take me to your golden bed, pet, and I will give you exactly what you need,” he crooned.
Whispering some words, Fionn summoned forth the portal. “Entré…my mate,” he smiled, making a sweeping gesture toward the entrance, “and when we exit, we’ll be at my hoard…where my golden bed awaits.”
Within seconds, Hunter, carrying his mate, stepped into the cavern, its glowing walls reflecting the gold within it. Then, spying the pile of coins shaped like a bed, he carefully placed Fionn down upon it, before joining him. Staring deep into his mate’s eyes, Hunter whispered, “I’mnotgoing to fuck you on this golden bed…” Hearing his mate’s disappointed whimper, he continued, “I’m going to makeloveto you on this golden bed, my pet.” Then, lowering his face until his lips met Fionn’s, Hunter groaned as his mate’s scent overwhelmed his senses.
Chapter 43
As evening gently descended on the forest outside Jackson’s study, the tired Alpha gave a sigh of relief; everyone was safe despite the many things that could have gone wrong. Smiling, he remembered the joy on Quin’s face when word was received from Dylon that Hunter was rescued and would be returning soon. He’d watched as David, Adam and Quin hugged each other, laughing in relief at the good news. He texted Oracle, Maximus and Steel before sitting back and waiting for everyone’s return…which couldn’t be soon enough. Though he wished it hadn’t happened, Fionn’s uncle had done him a favor by kidnapping Hunter; it stressed the importance of being proactive when it came to protecting his pack members, not just reacting when the shit hit the fan. The trouble was Jackson wasn’t sure what changes he should make.
Now, as he sat waiting for Fionn and Hunter to return, his thoughts went back to those childhood summers when his cousins stayed with his family. Memories of how much he admired Hunter, even copying him down to the way he walked, flooded back. His cousin, who was all Alpha, was born to lead a pack, unlike himself, always torn between his Alpha and Omega sides.
As it turned out, the Fates had dealt a different hand to the two Alphas—one who always knew he’d lead a pack and the other who never wanted to—swapping their destinies.Why did the Fates bring us together?It can’t have been only to return my mother.By claiming Fionn, Hunter was now a member of Jackson’s pack. Leaning back in his chair, he mulled over why the Fates wanted his cousin here.Just as a protector for Fionn? Maybe…but maybe not.Of the two of them, he had no doubt his cousin was better suited to lead thisextraordinary pack. Still, Jackson couldn’t rid himself of the nagging feeling he was missing something—something involving him—and something so obvious he was going to kick himself when he finally figured it out.
~/~/~/~/~
Running his fingers through his sleeping mate’s hair, Hunter smiled when Fionn rubbed his cheek against Hunter’s chest while shifting in his sleep. He’d have to wake him so they could go home; his brothers were waiting to see him, especially Quin, who relied on his big brother to keep him safe. Yet he wasn’t quite ready to leave the security the cavern offered him and his wolf when it came to protecting their mate—no one could find them here. The privacy and intimacy of it was intoxicating; Hunter felt they were the last two souls on earth when he made passionate love to Fionn on the golden bed.
Staring up at the stone ceiling, Hunter still felt pangs of guilt about not thwarting the attack on Fionn. No matter how long he lived, the image of the wolf shifter standing over his fallen mate would be etched in his mind, reminding him of the worst day of his life. He owed Dylon and Cody a lot for saving Fionn. But if there was one bright spot in the whole mess, it was that Hunter now knew, without a doubt, he’d never hesitate again when it came to his mate’s safety.
“It’s not your fault,” Fionn murmured, now awake and guessing what his mate was agonizing over. His sleepy, husky voice sent mini shock waves throughout Hunter’s body.
“Sorry, pet, but it is. My wolf told me you were in danger, but I allowed my human half to override him and, for that, I’m sorry. But I swear to you, it’ll never happen again.”
“It’s okay, mate.” Fionn grinned. “I should have warned you about my family. Except for my mum, they’re all assholes.”
“Yeah, I get that now,” Hunter snorted. “It’s just that I’ve been trying to figure out why I reacted the way I did…why I didn’t believe my wolf’s warning…and the best I can come up with is my ignorance of the evil inside many shifters. The closest I came to dealing with it was after my father died.”
“What happened then?”
Closing his eyes against the memory, Hunter said, “When my father died, I called his council together…shifters I’d known since childhood…to formally assume the Alpha position. My father thought highly of them…shit, one of them was even my uncle. When I entered the council room, my wolf snarled because none of them looked at me, but I thought it was just a sign of respect.”
“But it wasn’t, was it,” Fionn said, softly.
