Quintus pulled her into a hug.
“You will, mama,” he told her. “You will.”
“Don’t be afraid to love, my son.”
“I won’t.”
He held her and let her words sink in.Could that be why I’m having those dreams? Because I’m afraid of something that might be coming my way.
* * *
Later that night,Quintus pulled up to his house and saw the light on in his kitchen and smiled. His mother was right, Donald would the perfect partner, but Quintus believed in true mates. After he'd left his mom's diner, he'd continued with his day, going from site to site, making sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to. He was trying to be the kind of boss Gabriel was.
Even though he was the CEO, he would always work with the guys on projects and got to know them and their families. Not only that, but Quintus was also in the process of planning the company’s annual summer picnic, which would be happening in a couple of months.
Quintus still had a lot he was processing after the talk with his mother. He was relieved Elizabella trusted him enough to tell him the reasons why she hadn't let Gabriel give her his mating mark. He could understand her fear, but Quintus couldn't help but think his grandfather was an asshole for casting such doubts in his daughter's mind. When in actuality, Nathaniel was an alcoholic that hid it from his mate until he couldn't. Losing his job also didn't help when trying to feed his children and pregnant wife.
Quintus would never make excuses for his father's actions, but Elizabella's blood wasn't cursed. He could only hope his mother would open herself up to the man who truly loved her. Getting out of his car, he walked up to his house and entered the kitchen. He moaned as his stomach growled when the scent of spaghetti sauce hit him.
“Honey, I’m home,” Quintus said when he walked into the kitchen.
“Welcome home, dear,” Donald answered back.
"I thought we were meeting at your house tonight?" he said to Donald who was standing by the stove.
"Yeah, change of plans and I like your kitchen better than mine." Donald walked over to him and kissed him on the forehead. It was comforting without any intimacy behind it. "You look tired."
"I am," he answered and rested his head on Donald's chest. "Thanks for cooking."
"No problem, plus I've got good news."
Quintus stepped back and looked at his friend. "Yeah, what's that?"
"You're looking at the new Deputy Mayor," Donald said proudly.
Quintus knew how stressed Donald was waiting to hear back from Chance about becoming the new deputy mayor. It was sad what happened with Jafaris, he was a good man. But in the end, he went feral all because of a broken heart. Losing Ermaline broke him mentally and physically.
"What, dude, that's fantastic. Congratulations!" Quintus wrapped an arm around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. “I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks.” Donald stepped back from him and over to the stove. “It’s not official yet, so don’t go blabbing it to anyone.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you don’t sound happy about getting the job.” He knew Donald wanted the job, but he could tell something was bothering his friend.
“I’m happy. It’s just...” He stopped talking and turned with the wooden spoon filled with marinara sauce, Quintus leaned in for a taste. “Good?”
“Yeah, it’s delicious,” he said before licking his lips. He could tell Donald had made the sauce from scratch. “So, talk to me.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter.
“I saw someone today I thought I’d never see again, and I guess it kind of shook me.”
Quintus was curious, he knew Donald was outgoing, and the people who’d met him fell in love with his charming personality.
“Who?”
“The guy who turned me into a werewolf.”
“What? He’s in Vale Valley?”
Quintus knew Donald's story of how he got turned into a wolf, but even while he listened to his friend tell him what happened, it sounded strange even to his ears. A man who was not only able to change into a wolf but disappear and reappear in the blink of an eye. Truthfully Quintus figured Donald might have gotten his hands on some really good kush that had made him hallucinate what he saw.
