Standing, Slate leaned down and gave his mate’s mother a kiss on her cheek, whispering, “Wake up soon, Hope, your sons are waiting for you.” Grabbing the handles of the wheelchair, he then rolled Dakota back to his room.
~/~/~/~/~
Storming through the great room toward the front door, Hunter’s anger grew with each step, knowing he didn’t deserve the treatment his cousin and mate were giving him.Fucking assholes! Both of them! I’m fucking family and they treat me like shit!
Wait! What about our mate?His wolf was talking to him.
Hunter’s steps faltered for a moment when he heard his wolf. It didn’t happen often, but he knew better than to ignore him.What about him? He’s gone. He doesn’t want us.
Yes, he does. He’s young…you need to give him time.
Right, something my fucking cousin doesn’t want to give me. He’s been hiding Fionn from us since he first figured out our mate was a member of his pack.
Why would he do that? He can’t change that Fionn is our mate.
Because my little cousin is a megalomaniac…obsessed with power, that’s why. You felt his power…it’s not normal.
That’s why we need to protect Fionn. What will happen to him if we leave now? Who will save him from the madman?
How are we supposed to fight that kind of power? You were as helpless as I was. What good will the two of us be if my fucking cousin uses his power against us again? Face it, Wolf, the Fates fucked up when they gave us a mate from my cousin’s pack.
You’re wrong! I won’t leave our mate defenseless.
Sorry, you don’t get a choice in the matter.Reaching the door of the motorhome, Hunter yanked it open and climbed in. Ignoring his brothers who were sitting at the dinette table, he marched to the front, slipping the key into the ignition, starting the engine.
Confused at his brother’s actions, Mason exchanged glances with Mac before asking, “What the fuck are you doing, Hunt?”
“Leaving. I did what Mom wanted, so it’s time to go home.”
Jumping up, Mason reached for the keys and pulled them out.
Snarling at his brother, Hunter tried to snatch them from Mason’s hand. “Give ‘em to me! I said, we’re leaving.”
“You can’t. Quin has…”
“Quin will be happy to hear he won’t have to stay here for two fucking weeks. Give. Me. The. Keys.”
“No. You didn’t listen. Quin has two bear shifters in his bedroom…two bear shifters who are members of the Blackwood Pack,” Mason explained.
Bear shifters? A dragon? In a wolf pack? And who knows what kind of a fucking wolf Jackson’s mate is…certainly not one I ever read about.Fuck it! Fuck it! Fuck it!Hunter stood and headed for his brother’s bedroom, determined to see the bear shifters for himself. Nudging the cracked-open door just a bit wider so as not to startle the bears, he peeked in and stared incredulously at the scene in front of him. His youngest brother—the one who was painfully shy in front of strangers, the one who hid himself from anyone who wasn’t family—was laughing and talking with the two young bear shifters as if he’d known them his whole life. Slowly backing out, he turned to Mason who’d followed him to the bedroom. Hunter’s mouth opened and shut; he was at a loss for words.
“I know…amazing isn’t it?” Mason said, taking his brother by the arm. “Let’s go outside and talk.”
Letting himself be led by Mason outside and away from the motorhome Hunter found himself under a huge pine, staring at his brother. “Why? How? I don’t understand…Quin…our Quin and bear shifters?”
“Their names are Theodore and Norman and they’re engaged to be married,” Mason explained. “Cody and his mate rescued them along with Kieran—the Shaman who saved Aunt Hope—from a prison in a country I never heard of. They were about to be sold at auction as sexslaves and after Jackson found out what they’d gone through, he offered them membership in his pack.”
“But how did Quin meet them?” asked Hunter.
“Theodore’s training to be a chef so he made us some sandwiches and brought them out to us. He found out about Quin and before I could stop him, he was in our brother’s bedroom, chatting about romance novels.”
“How long have they been in with Quin?” asked Hunter.
“Well, almost as long as you’ve been in the pack house. Speaking of which, did you meet your mate?” Mason asked.
“No, Jackson doesn’t want me to be the mate of a member of his pack,” growled Hunter.
“What? Uhmm, sorry to break the news to him, he doesn’t have anything to do with it.”
