Jackson thought for a moment as to how much he wanted to reveal before replying, “It’s because his father tried to kill him. A friend of mine created a space for Fionn’s hoard…a place only he can access…a place he feels safe in.”
“Hunt,” said Mason, “I think it’s time for you to listen to what our cousin has to say about your mate.”
Nodding in agreement, Hunter swallowed the bile that had filled his throat after hearing about what happened to his mate. Making a vow with his wolf, he intended to kill anyone who dared to threaten his mate. He understood, now, why Steel had reacted so violently in Jackson’s office. Turning to Steel, Hunter said, “Sorry about before. My wolf was frantic to find our mate and I lost control of him, but believe me, I had no intention of hurting your mate.”
“I figured that out afterwards, but I can’t take any chances. Jackson is my life—my everything, so please forgive me if I overreacted,” Steel said, gazing lovingly at Jackson.
“I get it. It’s how I feel about Fionn and I haven’t even met him yet. No one will ever make my mate feel unsafe again or they will answer to me,” growled Hunter.
Giving Steel a knowing smile, Jackson said, “Babe, would you show our cousins to their rooms?”
Mason spoke up, “Quin and I will be sleeping out here.”
“Are you sure? We have plenty of room,” Jackson said.
“Thanks, but we’ll be fine out here,” replied Mason. “I’ll go get my brothers.”
“C’mon, Hunt,” Jackson said, then after giving Steel a kiss, he led his cousin back to the pack house.
Chapter 11
The night’s darkness was just lifting when Kieran awoke the next morning. Smiling at the new day, he turned over, gazing at his mate’s face in the soft, dawn light, admiring Logan’s sleep-gentled features. Placing a hand on his belly as he did every day, he waited to feel some movement, though he knew it was still too early—but he couldn’t help it. A pup?his pup—one made with the love of his life, one who would bring such happiness to the world and one who would convince his mate’s mother that life could go on, even after losing so much.
A tear escaped, slowly trickling down his cheek as he thought about his own mother. She’d never see her grandpup. Ever since his spirit told him about squirt, he’d tried so hard to push that thought out of his mind, but in quiet moments like this, it would sneak back in, opening the scar over the crack in his heart. Her loss had driven him to go further than he should have yesterday, when he kept removing the sorrow and grief from his mate’s mom. The possibility of resurrecting Logan’s mother was a gift he never thought he’d be able to give him.
As the room brightened, Kieran kissed Logan, whispering, “Macushla, c’mon, we’ve never watched the sun rise here together.” Nudging his mate, he said, “Hey, sleepyhead, wake up!”
~/~/~/~/~
Staring at the ceiling, Hunter tracked the passage of time by the growing brightness of light seeping through the curtains. Sleep was a commodity that was sparse last night after Jackson showed him to his room and, though he and his cousin talked late into the night, it wasn’t long enough. There were still so many unanswered questions Hunter had about Fionn, and he was sure his cousinwasn’t telling him everything. When he’d pushed Jackson about it, all he got was that he’d have to be patient and wait for his mate to return.
That’s when his cousin called it a night and Hunter couldn’t blame him. Several times during the evening, when he heard how Fionn’s father had abused him, Hunter’s wolf threatened to make an appearance and it was only his cousin’s Alpha power—thankfully, used sparingly—that prevented him from shifting. Luckily, Jackson was understanding, and calmly helped Hunter stay in control.
After Jackson left, Hunter prowled around the suite, thinking about all he heard. He needed to talk to someone who could help him make sense of it. Pulling out his phone, he was about to send a text to Mason about meeting with him so they could talk, but after seeing how late it was, he thought better of it. After stripping down, he climbed into bed, closed his eyes and hoped his mind would settle down—but that wasn’t to be. Knowing his mate wasn’t under the same roof with him, Hunter and his wolf remained agitated and that, together with trying to figure out why Jackson was being so reticent about Fionn, kept him awake most of the night.
As the first streaks of pink painted the sky, Hunter knew it would soon be time to get up, dress and appear in the dining room for breakfast, acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened to him yesterday. But it had and he was still coming to grips with it. Especially worrisome was what to do about Fionn’s relatives and their attempts to rip off his hoard. Jackson had mentioned an attorney who was representing his mate—he’d talk to him soon—but first he really needed advice from someone he trusted. Hunter picked up his phone, checked the time, and sent a text to his brother, hoping Mason was up.
~/~/~/~/~
Steel nuzzled Jackson’s neck, inhaling the scent he found there, then, kissing it he moved on, licking and kissing until he reached the part he’d fallen for when he’d first met his mate—those plump, cock-sucking, red lips. Outlining them with his tongue before gently kissing them, and then feeling Jackson’s response, he pressed against them, wanting to lose himself in those lips forever.
Waking up to a loving mate was the best thing ever for Jackson. After Daniel was born, mornings consisted of rising quickly to feed and change their pup before spending time cuddling with him. “Mmmm,” he hummed, sending vibrations to the lips currently ravaging his, wanting it to last forever. Suddenly, he remembered why they hadn’t had mornings like this since Daniel had arrived and, pulling back, he asked, “Babe, what about Daniel? He needs to be changed, at least.”
“Uh-uh…we don’t have to worry about Daniel today,” Steel replied, rubbing his morning stubble against Jackson’s neck, relishing his mate’s shivering reaction.
“Uhmm, oh god…” Jackson whispered, “I’m getting goose bumps.”
Giving his mate one more toe-curling kiss, Steel rolled over on his side and, propping his head up with his hand said, “Last night I arranged for Cody and Dylon to take Danny this morning so we could have some time alone before the day begins.”
“Can’t complain about that,” grinned Jackson. “What do you have in mind?”
“Not that…at least not now,” Steel smiled, running a finger down Jackson’s chest, prompting his mate’s nipples to pop up. “How did it go with Hunter last night?”
“Oh, that. Okay, I guess,” Jackson sighed. “I don’t get it. I worshipped Hunter when I was young. Used to follow him around everywhere, but now, it’s different. I can’t figure it out…did I change so much or did he?”
“Can’t answer that, but if you want my guess, probably both,” Steel replied. “A lot has happened to you since you were a child, as it has to him. The trouble is, neither of you know what the other went through when growing up.”
“True, but he does know about what Josiah did to us…so why is he challenging me at every turn?”
