Chapter 13
Looking at himself in the mirror, Quin’s hands floated down to his skirt, attempting to smooth out any wrinkles left over from being jammed into the tiny closet. Accepting Theo’s invitation yesterday to have breakfast with him and Norm in the pack house seemed like a good idea, especially after enjoying the time they spent together, but now Quin wasn’t so sure. Rubbing his temples, feeling the beginning of a tension headache, he contemplated the consequences if he backed out.
After leaving his bedroom, he walked over to Mase and Hunt who were talking at the dinette table. Waiting for a break in the conversation, he tried to figure out how to refuse his friend’s invitation without losing Theo’s friendship.
“And he’s positive there isn’t any way to reach him?” Mason asked Hunter.
“Only Fionn can go there,” Hunter replied, shifting his gaze over his brother’s shoulder and noticing Quin dressed and apparently waiting for him. “Quin, honey, you look very pretty today.”
Turning his head, Mason’s eyes widened when he saw what his brother was wearing. “Oh wow! You look fantastic!” he exclaimed. Then a frown appeared on his face. “But I thought you were saving that outfit for Las Vegas.”
Smiling and forgetting for a moment why he was wearing it, Quin twirled around, relishing the feeling of the skirt fluttering on his legs. Stopping, he bit his lower lip as his fear rose again. “I was, but Theo invited me to breakfast…”
“Uhmm, breakfast? Inside?” asked Hunter.
“Yes, my friend is training to be a chef…our cousin Dakota is teaching him and so he asked me to come…” Quin’s voice trailed off.
“And you decided to dress up,” Mason finished for his brother.
“Yes, but now I don’t think I should go,” Quin said in a rush. “Would you apologize to Theo for me, Mase?”
“Uhmm, are you sure?” asked Mason.
“Uh-huh.”
“Hun, why don’t you want to go?” asked Hunter. “Don’t you like Theo?”
“I do. He’s the first friend I ever had,” Quin said quietly.
“So now why don’t you want to go?” asked Mason.
“Because…”
“Because of all the new people that’ll be there?” asked Mason.
“Ye-e-s-sss.”
Hunter looked at his youngest brother, seeing how much he really wanted to go, but given what happened to him in the past, couldn’t get over his fear. Setting his anger aside at the assholes who’d done this to Quin, he thought of what he could say to change his brother’s mind. “Hun, are you worried our cousins won’t like you?”
Staring at his oldest brother, Quin never understood how Hunter always knew what he was thinking. Nodding, he bit his lip, hating himself for being scared of other people’s opinions, but then, Quin knew the damage those opinions could do to him.
“I understand,” Hunter said, “but in this case, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about, hun, cause I spentsome time with our cousins, especially Jackson, the Alpha, and they all strike me as good guys.”
“Then why are you so angry with Jackson?” asked Quin.
Choking back his laughter, Mason asked, “Yeah, why are you?”
Giving Mason a kick under the table, Hunter said, “I’m not angry exactly…more like frustrated, but he’s a good Alpha. He won’t tolerate bullying from any pack member. And besides, I think it’ll hurt Theo’s feelings if you don’t show up.”
“Why are you frustrated if he’s so nice?” asked Quin.
Smirking, Mason said, “Yeah, good question.”
Scratching his head, Hunter gave Mason a dirty look, hoping it would shut him up, but he wouldn’t bet on it. During their discussion this morning, Mason advised him that keeping his mate a secret from the rest of his brothers would only end up biting him in the ass and now it was obvious what Mason was trying to do. Inwardly groaning, hoping he wasn’t making a huge mistake, Hunter asked, “Can you keep a secret from your brothers?”
“Even Mase?”
“No, he knows, but I haven’t told your other brothers.”
