“Hunter, may I speak with you outside?” asked Jackson.
Snorting at the thinly veiled order, Hunter turned, heading to the front of the motorhome. “Stay here guys,” he said to Robin and Sawyer. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Once outside, he walked far enough away so his brothers couldn’t hear anything, then turned around to face Jackson, crossing his arms defiantly in front of him. Hunter knew what was coming next and he’d be damned if Jackson interfered with his mating.
“Look, I know one of my pack members is your mate, but I’m asking you to back off for a while until I handle this thing about my mother,” Jackson said.
“Why should I? My mate isn’t one of your brothers.”
“I know that, but the news of our mother surviving when we all thought she was dead will be earthshattering to them and I need to concentrate on that first. I give you my word, once this crisis is over, I’ll introduce you to your mate.”
Hunter studied his cousin, the cousin who worshipped him when they were children, but unlike him, had risen to the role of an Alpha with unbelievable power. Now instead of using it to force his way, Jackson was asking him nicely—which didn’t make sense at all considering how he’d used his Alpha power to put him down, before.Why the about-face?Another question without an answer.Hunter was at a decided disadvantage since he didn’t know the name of his mate nor what connection he had to the Blackwood Pack. Swallowing his anger at the whole mess, he nodded. “Fine, I’ll wait.”
“Thanks. One more thing, would you keep an eye on Logan and Kieran? If anything happened to Kieran, my brother would die.”
“Sure.” Hunter pushed past his cousin as he headed back to the motorhome, bumping Jackson’s shoulder but not caring about it. All he wanted to do was to take his mate and head back home as soon as he could and, if it required babysitting Logan and his mate, he’d swallow his pride and do it.
As Ian opened the door of the motorhome to leave, he nearly smashed Hunter in the face. Apologizing but getting no response other than a grunt, he smirked and, walking over to Jackson, asked, “What’s got his panties in a twist?”
Chuckling at Ian’s apt description of Hunter’s persona, Jackson said, “Who knows? Hunter’s always kept his motives hidden. Let’s go. Tell me how you want to do this.”
~/~/~/~/~
Their spirit helped Logan dissipate the blackness in Kieran. Slowly, he felt their bond grow stronger, allowing his mate to breathe easily again. He’d never forget seeing his lifeless mate on the floor and he owed Dr. Mac Evans an enormous debt for keeping Kieran alive until he and their spirit could take over. Watching the doctor check his mate’s pulse, he said, “Thank you for what you did. By saving my mate, you saved me because he truly is my life. If there’s anything within my power I can ever do for you, please let me know…no matter what. I swear it will be done.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t stop him,” Mac said. “But he is a Shaman…a powerful one at that…and I assumed he knew what he was doing.”
Shaking his head, Logan said, “Kieran has the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever met and when he found there was a chance to save my mother, he was determined to do it for me; no one could have stopped him so don’t blame yourself. However, he and Iwillbe having a conversation about his refusal to use my strength to boost his power.”
“I’ve never heard of a relationship like you have with the Shaman,” Mac said.
“No, you probably haven’t. What we have is unique to us,” Logan replied, then, wanting to change the subject, he asked, “How’s Mom?”
“Doing amazingly well, all things considered. You know, your mate really did save her. When we arrived, Aunt Hope was barely alive, and I told Hunt to tell Jackson quickly because I didn’t think she’d last very much longer.”
“What happened with Mom? Why was she near death?” asked Logan.
“It’s not my story to tell. I’m sure Hunter will answer all your questions once we get her settled. By the way, did I understand you correctly? There’s a hospital here…in the pack house? A real hospital with all the necessary equipment?” asked Mac.
“Yes, my brother designed it along with Ian. It’s small, but it’s a fully functioning one,” Logan replied.
“Wow! I can’t wait to see it. I’ve never heard of that before. Usually, the best a pack can hope for is a clinic.”
“I’m sure Ian and Colton will be happy to show you around.”
“Maybe. I’m not sure how long we’re going to stay, and I don’t want to get in their way,” Mac said, thinking about the anger Ian directed at him.
“I thought you guys were going to stay two weeks?”
Shrugging his shoulders, Mac didn’t want to say anything more, but if the tension in Hunter was any indication of how soon they’d be leaving, he’d be surprised if they stayed the night. “That’s up to Hunter.”
“Macushla,”Kieran whispered, unable to open his eyes because they were so heavy.
Shocked at hearing his mate’s voice, Logan gazed at his mate. “Babe, I’m here. How are you feeling?”
“Sore, like I’ve been kicked by one of my parents’ cows. How’s your mother?” Kieran murmured.
“Shaman, it’s Mac. She’s much better and resting right now You need to focus on getting some sleep yourself.”
“Perfecto, because that is exactly what I want to do.Macushla, can you carry me to our bedroom…I’m too tired to walk.”
