“Jayden? Is something wrong?”
“Isaiah found Heath’s father. He’s an alpha and lives an hour away from here. I suggested for him to come and spend the night if that’s okay?”
“Of course it is. Just let me know when he gets here.”
“Sure.”
Once that was over with, Jayden pulled Heath along back to his room. Heath looked better and he started talking a mile a minute, something Jayden would’ve been the one to do in any other situation. But he couldn’t, not this time.
He was nervous, yes, but the feeling that dominated all the others was fear, a deep seated fear that he was about to lose his mate just after finding him. He might be Heath’s mate, but they’d really met only the day before. What did he have to offer Heath to make him stay when he had his entire family in another town? Maybe if Heath hadn’t been hurt, if he remembered, but like this... wouldn’t he want to be with people who could tell him about his life and about what he liked and disliked? People who could help him fit in?
Jayden left Heath in his room and went to find Chogan. The man could usually be found puttering around the house, fixing whatever was broken, or in the infirmary with Jared. That, or with his brother in the enforcers’ wing of the mansion. Luckily for Jayden, he found the wendigo in the kitchen, checking the dishwasher.
Darin and Taylor were gone, but the smell of cupcakes was still in the air.
“Chogan?”
The wendigo turned to face Jayden and just like always, Jayden was hit by how gorgeous the man was. In Jared’s place, Jayden didn’t think he’d be able to touch Chogan, let alone have sex with him. He looked like a model, but fiercer, wilder, and it was fucking intimidating.
“Yes?”
“I have a favor to ask. It’s for Heath.”
Chogan smiled. “Ah, your mate. Jared told me about him. I’m sorry he was hurt.”
“Yeah.”
“And what can I do to help?”
“Oh, Isaiah found his family and he needs some clothes. We don’t have the time to go shopping, and you’re about the same height and built, so I was wondering if you could lend him some clothes.”
“Of course I can.”
Jayden followed Chogan to the rooms he shared with Jared and waited in their living room. Chogan came out of the bedroom with a pair of dark jeans and a white button down shirt and handed them to Jayden. “Is this okay?”
“It’s perfect. Thanks. I’ll wash them and bring them back as soon as I can.”
“Don’t worry about that. He can keep them.”
Heath was just coming out of the bathroom when Jayden got back to his bedroom. His mouth dried up at the sight of a half-naked Heath, just like the previous night, but Jayden just handed him the clothes and retreated to the chair. He put the books that were on it under it except for one and curled up, opening it and pretended to be oh-so-interested in what he was reading.
He could hear Heath move around the room but kept his eyes on his book, even if he wasn’t reading a word of it.
Then a hand was on his leg and another was taking his book away. “What’s wrong?”
Jayden looked up at Heath and felt guilty. He should be happy his mate had been able to find his family so easily, that he wouldn’t be alone anymore and that someone would be able to tell him more about his life. And instead, he was pouting.
So he plastered a smile on his face. “I’m fine. Just still tired from last night, you know?”
Heath gently poked at Jayden’s nose. “I might not have known you for long, but I can still tell you’re lying.”
Jayden sighed. “I’m just worrying. I’m happy you found your family so quickly, but I can’t help wondering what it means for us. I guess you’ll want to go back home with them, to be in a place you know. Of course, it doesn’t mean we can’t try to be together anyway, but you’ll be an hour away. It’s not far, but it’ll complicate things. And that is if you even want to give it a try. Maybe you already have someone. Maybe you’re married and even have kids. We can’t know. And if you are, I’ll step aside, but...”
Heath waited for Jayden to run out of words before leaning forward and briefly kissing him. He pressed their foreheads together and Jayden closed his eyes, reveling in his mate’s presence for what could be the last time. “I can’t promise you I’m not married, or engaged, or whatever. I don’t know what I’ll do if I am, or God forbid, if I have kids. But to be honest, if my memories don’t come back, I don’t think I’ll feel comfortable getting back with a hypothetical husband or wife. But I don’t know what’ll happen. I really don’t. What I can tell you, though, is that you’re my mate.”
Jayden smiled weakly. “I already knew that.”
“Yes, but what you don’t know is that I’m not about to let go of my chance at a happy-ever-after. We’ll just probably have to work extra hard on it. I hope hard work doesn’t scare you.”
He leaned away to look into Jayden’s eyes and Jayden managed a small smile. “I’ll be there if you do want me, but I won’t stand in the way if you already have a family.”
Heath opened his mouth to protest and Jayden slapped his palm on his mate’s mouth.
“No. Listen to me. I know some people think I’m a bit scatterbrained, that I’m so lost in my books that I don’t care about real life, but it’s not true. I know it’ll hurt if you decide to stay with your family, but I also know it won’t be the end of the world. You’re not... indispensable to me. I can be happy without you. And I will, if that’s what happens. But if you do want me, then I’m all up to be with you and mate, eventually.”
Heath cocked his head. “Can I talk now?” It came out muffled, so Jayden moved his hand away.
“Yes.”
“We’ll see how this goes first, okay?”
“Not that we have much choice.”
“Okay?” Heath insisted.
“Yeah, okay.” And Jayden hoped everything would be okay.
* * * *
Heath was a bundle of nerves by the time they got back to Isaiah’s office. Isaiah was busy typing stuff and held a hand up to tell them to wait, so Heath tried to distract himself by looking around the room. There wasn’t anything new, of course, so he focused on the small guy working at the other desk.
But after a few minutes, Bradley still hadn’t done anything interesting, so Heath sighed and looked at Jayden. He didn’t know who was more scared between the two of them, even if Jayden’s little speech had managed to somehow make Heath feel more settled.
He wasn’t surprised to realize he really liked Jayden, and not only because since Jayden was his mate it meant Heath had to like him, or rather that he did because Jayden was perfect for him. Jayden was sweet, but more than that, it was his quirks that appealed to Heath. He loved the way Jayden rambled when he was nervous, enthusiastic, or pretty much whenever he talked. He loved the way he could tell something was wrong because Jayden wasn’t talking as much as he usually would.
Heath loved the fact that Jayden loved books so much, because he himself was a book lover, and his family didn’t always understand that.
He frowned. How did he know his family didn’t understand it? And how did he know he loved books?
“Everything okay? You look worried, well, more worried than before,” Jayden asked.
“I’m fine. I just... I know I like books.”
Jayden smiled. “That’s great, because we wouldn’t be perfect for each other if you didn’t.”
“Yeah, but that’s not what I meant. I know I love books. How can I know it if I don’t remember anything?”
Jayden nibbled on his lower lip. “Well, you obviously remember some stuff. Maybe it’s engrained in you? I mean, it’s not memories, but rather sensations. I’m messing this up, but I don’t know how to explain it otherwise. Like, I know I like tea and hate coffee, and even if I lost my memories, I’d still like tea and hate coffee. Am I making sense?”
Heath smiled. “Ye
ah, but it’s not only that. I can get behind what you’re saying, but how do I know my family doesn’t understand my love for books?”
“It’s still more a sensation than anything else. Do you remember what they did to make you think they didn’t understand it? Or who did something?”
Heath shook his head, dismayed. He knew he could try to force himself to remember, but he also knew it didn’t work and that he’d only end up having a headache. Jayden inched closer to him and Heath pulled him against his body. He needed the reassurance, and his bear rumbled in his mind.
The poor thing was as confused as Heath, if not more so. How did Heath explain to his bear part the reason why they didn’t remember their sleuth? But Jayden’s presence soothed him, enough that neither of them felt the need to shift to retreat from the confusion in Heath’s mind and the fear of the unknown.
“Right, I’m done here,” Isaiah said as he rose from his chair. He looked over at Bradley. “Will you be okay continuing the work on the network on your own for now?”
Bradley nodded without looking away from his monitor, and Isaiah shook his head before turning back to Heath and Jayden. “I called your father about, mmm, forty-five minutes ago. He said he was leaving right away, so he should be almost here, especially if he drove fast, which I’d do in his situation. So what do you think of starting to head to the living room?”
Heath nodded, unable to say anything. He followed the other two men to the living room and sat next to Jayden while Isaiah went to get coffee. He bounced his knee, unable to stay still, and closed his eyes. He leaned against the back of the couch and tried his best to calm down, but the empty feeling in the pit of his stomach wasn’t something he could make go away.
“It’ll be fine.”
Heath opened his eyes and looked at his mate. “I know. I just can’t help it.”
“Do you want me to stay with you when he gets here?”
“Please. I don’t think I can do it without at least one familiar person with me. I mean, I know he’s my father, but I don’t remember him.” He rubbed his hand over his face. “This is so hard.”
Isaiah came back in and put a pot of coffee on the table, along with a few mugs. “I don’t know if he’s coming alone, but Jayden knows where the mugs are if you need more.”
Heath nodded. “Thank you.”
“I’m going to tell Dominic it’s almost time. I’ll be the one to open the front door, if you don’t have anything against it. I know he’s your father, but I was the one to talk with him, and Dominic needs to greet him, since they’re both alphas.”
“It’s fine with me.” Anything to delay it, and wasn’t that fucked-up.
A buzzing sound echoed in the house and Isaiah looked at his watch. “Yup, just as I thought. Early. I’m going, okay?”
He looked genuinely worried about Heath, and it puzzled Heath since they’d met only an hour ago, but he shrugged it off. He had more important things to be nervous over at the moment.
He felt Jayden move a bit away from him and rolled his eyes. He hooked his arm around Jayden’s waist, and ignoring his mate’s yelp, pulled him closer again.
“But what if—”
“I know. But I need you close. Please.”
Jayden slumped against Heath’s side, seemingly resigned, and Heath felt instantly guilty. He knew what Jayden had meant, but he couldn’t bring himself to care at the moment.
Voices came from the entrance and Heath tensed. He straightened against the back of the couch and looked at the living room’s open door. He cleared his throat and swallowed, trying to quiet the butterflies in his stomach.
“Can I see him?” a man asked. “Please.”
“Of course,” Dominic answered. “He’s in the living room.”
“Are you sure it’s him?”
“We think so, yes.”
The sound of steps coming closer made Heath’s heart beat faster. He blinked, and suddenly there was a man standing at the door, looking at him. The moment lasted only seconds, because then the man was throwing himself at Heath, pulling up and away from Jayden, and hugging him tight.
“God, Heath. I thought we’d lost you.”
Heath hugged the man—his father—back, and it was a strange mix of awkwardness and familiarity.
When his father finally let go, his eyes damp, someone else grabbed Heath to hug him, a woman, Heath’s mother, because he recognized himself in her crying face. Heath wanted to tell them he didn’t remember, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it, at least until another man pulled him close and pressed their lips together.
Heath heard a gasp, and he knew it could only be Jayden. He gently pushed the man kissing him away and took a step backward. He couldn’t bring himself to look at anyone, because he knew both he and Jayden had been right. He’d obviously had someone in his life, someone who’d missed him enough to come running with his parents as soon as he was found.
Heath gulped and retreated to the couch, feeling like a bastard but needing Jayden’s presence. He was scared to look at his parents, and most of all, at the man who’d kissed him. He sat next to Jayden and hesitated. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, but he was panicking, so he blindly reached for Jayden and was relieved when his mate slid closer on the leather couch and took his hand.
That is, until a voice asked, “What’s happening? Heath? Why are you holding that man’s hand?”
* * * *
Jayden had known it was a possibility, but watching another man kissing his mate was like a kick in the guts. Jayden wanted to run away and hide in his room. His weasel’s instinct almost overwhelming, but Heath needed him. It wasn’t Heath’s fault, and it wasn’t the man’s fault, and Jayden hoped things would go well, even if he knew it was an empty hope. How could they go well?
He prayed his mate status would be enough to keep Heath by his side, but he also felt guilty for thinking that. Gosh, this was a mess, and he didn’t know how to solve it.
Heath’s boyfriend—or his husband? Jayden didn’t even want to think Heath was married—had a hurt look on his face, and Jayden was grateful for the way Dominic guided their guests to sit down.
“Please, sit down. Isaiah told me about your conversation on the phone, and I know he didn’t go in details about what happened to Heath.”
“What happened?” Heath’s father growled, looking both angry and worried.
“First of all, why don’t we all present ourselves?”
“Because we already know you.” The man was clearly losing his patience, and that was one thing Jayden didn’t want to see, so he went first, hoping no one would kill him.
“I’m Jayden.”
Heath’s father sighed. “Fine. All right. I’m Alpha David Jensen, and this is my wife, Judith. We’re Heath’s parents.”
Jayden looked at Heath’s boyfriend and tried not to feel like crap.
“I’m Will. I’m Heath’s boyfriend, and I want to know what’s happening. Is this why you disappeared, Heath? Because you had someone else?”
“No!” Heath’s head snapped up. “I... no. I don’t know what happened.”
“Heath lost his memory,” Dominic explained. “We don’t know what happened, and he doesn’t remember anything before waking up in the woods around the house a few weeks ago.”
Heath’s mother sobbed. “So he doesn’t recognize us?”
“I’m afraid not. Our doctor already checked him, and I’m afraid there isn’t anything to do but wait.”
“But why are you holding hands with him?” Will insisted, and shit, Jayden almost didn’t want him to know.
“Heath found me in the woods a few weeks ago,” he explained. “I was looking for a plant, and suddenly a bear was right in front of me, and I thought it was about to kill me, but it stopped and... well, the bear, Heath, realized I’m his mate, so it didn’t hurt me.”
Jayden clamped his mouth together when an incredulous sound came from Will. “His mate? You’re He
ath’s mate?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, we didn’t know about you, and—”
“Just... shut up. Please,” Will snapped.
“Don’t talk to him like that,” Heath snapped back.
Will snorted. “Don’t—don’t talk to him like that? How do you think I should talk to him, then? We’ve been together for two fucking years, Heath. We were planning to live together starting next year.”
Heath straightened next to Jayden and held his head high. “Look, I’m sorry for your situation, but what do you expect me to do?”
“To come back home with me! Where you belong, where your family is!”
“I can’t. I don’t remember any of this. I don’t remember you.”
Will jerked up from his seat. “So you’re going to trash two years together for someone you met two weeks ago? For him?”
Dominic cleared his throat and everyone looked at him. “I understand this isn’t easy for you, but Jayden is a member of my pride, and I consider Heath one too.” Nothing more needed to be said.
Heath’s father nodded and put a hand on Will’s arm. Will obeyed the silent order and sat back, breathing hard.
“Sorry, Alpha Nash,” David said.
Dominic nodded. “It’s fine. And it’s Dominic, please.”
“Dominic. Right.” David looked at Heath again, and damn, it hurt Jayden to see his expression. Jayden didn’t have his family anymore, and he wished he could have someone as concerned and loving as Heath’s family clearly was.
“Putting aside your situation with Will—” Will whimpered, and David patted his knee. “Putting that aside, what are you going to do?”
Heath’s shoulders slumped a bit. “I don’t know. I realize you’re my family and that you love me and want me home, but I... like I told Will, I don’t know you, any of you.”
A sob escaped Heath’s mother and she pressed her hand on her mouth. Jayden’s heart broke and he wanted to hug her so badly. He would have, if he hadn’t thought Will would tear him apart for it.
Jayden Page 5
