by Walsh Maggie
But he couldn’t. There was no way he could be with his mate. The man would hate him and never understand what he had done all those years ago. It wouldn’t matter how he tried every day to make up for his sins. What he had done was unforgivable. He knew there was a special place in hell just for him. He had accepted his fate a long time ago, but he would never drag his mate into his mess. He had no idea who this man was, but he knew he deserved better than anything Evan could give him.
His mate crossed the room and stopped a few feet before Evan, their gazes never breaking. Evan stood there, frozen, with a confused look on his face. He knew without a doubt who this man was, but he needed to know his mate’s name.
“Who are you?” Evan asked in a whisper.
“I am Raphael Angel. Your mate.”
A million and one thoughts ran through Evan’s brain at once. Had he heard correctly? Raphael Angel? The Raphael Angel? Maddy’s gramps, the man they’d rescued from Montana? The alpha from the Montana Angel Pack. Alpha Micah’s…father? There was no way he would be accepted as Raphael Angel’s mate. The man was a legend. He was a strong, powerful, and proud alpha. There was no way he would understand or forgive what Evan had done. He was right from the moment he laid eyes on the man. There was no way they could be together. He definitely wasn’t good enough for the man standing before him.
Raphael took one of Evan’s hands in his. “May I know your name, mate?”
“Evan,” Evan answered in a raspy whisper as his voice shook. He cleared his throat and answered again. “Evan Donaldson.”
“Evan Donaldson? Yes. I have heard of you. You are the wonderful man who took in my Maddy and the other boys. Thank you for watching over my grandson and keeping him safe.”
“I really didn’t do anything like that. Maddy was a good kid who just needed to learn for himself how wonderful he was,” Evan answered. He was completely enthralled by the man before him. He couldn’t look away, and he couldn’t let go of his hand. This felt right.
The look in Raphael’s eyes kept Evan’s gaze locked with his. Shit, what was he to do? He was already feeling the pull to be with his mate growing strong, but he couldn’t. Damn, he wanted this. He was so tired of being alone. He wanted to feel a man’s arms wrapped around him again. He wanted to feel the strength that only a male lover could give. He wanted his mate so badly but, at the same time, knew he had to fight it. Evan gently pulled his hand from Raphael’s grasp. He gave him a shy smile as he broke their stare and looked down.
“Dad, this is Evan Donaldson, the man I told you about with the home for boys,” Micah said as he stopped beside them.
“Yes, I know, son, and it is a great honor to meet you, Evan,” Raphael said, his eyes never left Evan’s face. “I’d like to introduce you to my mate, son.”
Evan snapped his head up, and he looked at his alpha. Fear consumed him as he waited for his Alpha Prime to reject him as his father’s mate, but what Evan anticipated hearing and what he actually heard were so far apart that the words didn’t quite register at first. When Micah’s words finally became clear to him, Evan was even more shocked than ever before.
“That is so wonderful, Dad, Evan. I couldn’t have picked better mates for each of you had I tried. You have been a part of this family since you moved to Sanctuary, Evan, and now you’re even more so. Welcome to the family. Hey, wait a minute. Do I get to call you Pops, too now, because there’s starting to be a whole mess of you?”
Micah laughed. Jesse playfully slapped Micah’s arm as he wound his arm through Micah’s and wrapped it around his waist.
“Congratulations to both of you. I am so happy you found each other. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Welcome to the family, Evan. We are happy that you are a part of it,” Jesse offered with an inviting smile.
“Evan? Are you okay?” Syn asked.
Evan turned his head to find all his boys standing there watching him with worry in their eyes. He gave them a soft smile and clasped one of Syn’s hands. “I’m fine, Syn. I’m just…” He looked back and met Raphael’s eyes. “I’m just…a little shocked, that’s all. I never thought I would find my mate. I certainly didn’t expect to find him here at the party tonight.”
“So does this mean we’re all moving into the pack house? Or can we stay in our house?”
Sage’s question was full of worry. Evan looked to Sage, shocked by the tone in his voice. “Of course we’ll be staying in our house,” Evan answered quickly.
“Don’t you think it’s something you should be discussing with your mate, Evan?” Tucker asked.
Just then, Mitchell released a distressed sound, grabbing Evan’s attention. Evan looked to Mitchell in time to see tears brim his eyes, and then the boy turned and ran from the room. Without a second thought, Evan released Syn’s hand and took off after Mitchell.
* * * *
Raphael stood there and watched his mate run after one of his boys. He wouldn’t chase after him like some young pup who’d just met their mate and wanted to pounce on them. Of course, he wanted to pounce on the man, but he was older and wiser than these young pups. He could show some self-control. Well, he hoped he could. Once he saw the stunning man, all thought went to wrapping him in his arms. He wanted to know what it would feel like to hold his mate.
He had hidden his true self from the outside world his whole life until now, and he longed to have what the other mates around him had. The way they all reached out to their mate whenever they wanted, without hesitation. Showing their mate all the love and affection they had for them, openly in front of all to see, was the most beautiful thing he had ever witnessed.
He was extremely happy for his boys, Micah, Raith, Gabe, Raffy, Fallon, Trevor, and Maddy for finding their mates, but he was even prouder of the pack they had formed here. The love they shared with everyone they considered family made it possible for everyone to feel comfortable in being who they truly were and free to shower their mates with their love, no matter who was around.
He felt proud to be a part of his son’s pack now and looked forward to many more years here. There were times he wished that Alessandro were here with him. He would have loved this family their boys had formed. If they had been able to openly show their love for each other and not been forced to hide it, even in front of their sons, it would have been too much to wish for, but here, it would have been possible.
That was the past, and this was now, and now he had met his mate. He had seen the sheer terror in Evan’s eyes. He had also seen the longing, the want, and the need, but he couldn’t ignore the fear. Something inside his mate was causing him to want to run the other way. Something from his past, maybe? Something he didn’t think Raphael could deal with? He didn’t know what it was, but he needed to find out, and he needed his mate to know that no matter what it was, Raphael would never turn his back on Evan.
He needed to show his mate patience and understanding. He would give Evan time with the boy, but then he would go to him and begin to get to know him. Even though he wanted to grab hold of his mate and love on him, he would go as slow as Evan needed.
“You okay, Dad?” Micah asked with concern.
Raphael turned to his son with a big smile on his face. “Of course I am, son. I just met my mate. Right now, I think he needs to give his young man some attention. You all go back to the party. I will give him the time he needs to help the pup, but I think I will go check on them and make sure everything is all right.”
“I’m here if you need me, Dad,” Micah offered in a whisper as he placed a hand on Papa Angel’s shoulder. “I saw the fear in Evan’s eyes. I don’t know what it’s from, but I’m here if or when you need someone to talk to.”
“Thank you, son. I’ll remember that.”
“I know you’re the wiser old man and have seen a lot more in life than I have, but I do know some of the pitfalls of finding your mate. Just because fate made the two of you to be a perfect fit and to spend eternity together, it doesn’t mean insta-love. Besid
es the problems I had with my own mating in the beginning, I also had a front-row seat to all of these matings and the different problems that came up. There is nothing that patience and an open, willing heart can’t overcome.”
Papa Angel gave Micah a proud smile. “I think you are wiser than I am sometimes, son. Thank you for saying that, and I will remember your advice.”
“Evan is a really good man. I’m happy that he is your mate and that you are his. Sometimes I see this emptiness inside him that fills him with pain. I have hoped that being here in our pack and finding people who accept him would help heal some of what haunts him. Maybe now that he has found you, that can happen.”
Papa Angel swallowed around the lump in his throat. His son may be a hundred years younger than him, but he was a lot wiser. Of course, he would never admit that to the whelp. “Thank you, son.”
Papa Angel gave Micah a wistful smile and turned. He headed out of the room in the direction his mate had disappeared. Now he just needed to figure out how to get Evan to open up and tell him what his fears were so that they could work on it together. Maybe he needed to share his pain over losing Alessandro? Or maybe bringing up a man that he had a loving relationship with for over a hundred years, and his heart was still mending from the loss, was a bad place to start? Maybe he did need to talk to Micah about what to do and how to do it.
Raphael sighed heavily as he followed his mate’s scent through the house and found him sitting outside in the cold with the young man. His mate had an arm wrapped around the boy’s shoulder, and he could tell that Evan was speaking calmly to him. Not that he could hear them through the glass, but he could just tell that his mate was a good soul, a soft soul who cared about his boys as much as Raphael had cared about all his boys over the years.
How perfect was it that fate had matched him with a man who also took in boys who needed love, understanding, patience, and guidance? They really would make a good pair once they were able to break through the walls that Raphael knew were there. Raphael smiled as he thought about their future together and how bright it would be. He knew it would be once they got to it. He couldn’t wait to get started.
* * * *
“Mitchell, I promise you that no one will take me away from you, or you away from me.” Evan comforted.
“But you’ve found your mate now, Evan. What if he doesn’t want the rest of us around? Matings are hard enough to begin with without having all this extra baggage around,” Mitchell cried.
“First of all, none of you are extra baggage. You are my boys, my brothers, and if my mate can’t accept that, then he’s not welcome.”
“He’s your mate, Evan. You can’t just deny him or the mating pull. We only get one mate, and you can’t turn your back on him.”
Evan pulled Mitchell closer against his side and sighed heavily. “You’re right, but that still doesn’t mean that I am letting any of you go. We’re a family, and we always will be.”
“I’m scared, Evan. I never had a family before you all came along, and I know technically I’m a man and should be out in the world making my own way, but I love it here, with you and the others. Our home, this town, this pack.”
“I know, Mitchell, and I promise you that you will always have a home with me. Do you remember that day I found you?” Mitchell nodded. “You were so scared and looked at me like I was going to eat you.”
“Well, you are a bigger wolf than me, Evan. Well, sort of. What else was I supposed to think?” Mitchell asked with a shy smile.
“Once you decided to trust me a little, you realized I wasn’t fucking with you, and I’m not now. You will always have a home with me, Mitchell, for as long as you want it. I don’t care how old you get.” Evan gave him a squeeze.
“Thank you, Evan, and thank you for taking me in to begin with. I know I was a little older than the usual strays you take in.”
“Age has nothing to do with it. You needed help.”
“Do you still think the others wouldn’t get mad if they knew I was really twenty-five instead of eighteen?”
“As I told you from the beginning, Mitchell, I don’t think any of them would care how old you are. They love you. You’re their brother now.”
“But they may get mad at me now for lying to them this whole time about my age and who I really am.”
“I don’t think so. Who you are and what you have been through is your story to tell to whomever you wish, when you’re ready. Until then, it’s our secret, and no one else needs to know.”
“Not even your mate?”
“Not even my mate.”
Chapter 2
Evan tucked the dust rag into his back pocket as he opened the closet door and grabbed the vacuum. He rolled the machine into the front room and plugged it in. Grabbing the stereo remote, he clicked it on, found some music, and turned up the volume. He started the vacuum and began to clean. As he made his way around the room, he swayed his hips to the music.
Raphael closed the door and stepped around the car. He shook his head and smiled as he heard the loud music coming from within the house. He missed having young ones around. They were always so full of life and enjoyed the small things. For months before his escape from the attacks of his home, the laughter had left. He and the boys were always so worried about what was coming next that they had forgotten how to just have fun, but being with Micah and his pack was bringing a lot of that joy and happiness back.
The men who lived at Micah’s pack house were so vibrant and full of life. They laughed and joked with each other constantly, and Taylor, damn, that boy was a pistol. Raphael would have loved to have had someone like Taylor around the house all these years. He couldn’t be happier for Gabriel to have been blessed with Taylor as his mate. Taylor was exactly what his nephew needed to show him what love really was, especially after the shitty father he had.
Raphael made his way up the front porch and smiled at how comfortable the area looked. This old Victorian was under construction, but Micah was making sure it stayed true to the original design. The rocking chairs and the old wooden swing hanging from the rafter were right out of an old Norman Rockwell painting. Raphael stared at the swing and smiled, recalling a recent vision in which he had seen himself with his mate cuddled up on that swing during a warm summer night as they watched the sun set.
He had had the vision while he was back in Montana helping Fallon and Trevor. He didn’t know where or when the vision would take place, but it brought him great joy and peace. Now here he stood, looking at the very swing from that vision, and the warm feeling he’d gotten at the time of the vision engulfed him.
Raphael moved closer to the door and wondered if anyone would even hear him knock with the music being on so loud. He stopped in front of the door and lifted his hand when movement through the window to his right caught his attention. He turned his head and peered into the window, and his breath caught in his lungs. The beautiful man that fate had made just for him was on the other side of the glass, and he was vacuuming, but that wasn’t what made Raphael’s heart beat faster and his cock twitch. His mate was swaying his hips to the music and dancing as he went. Evan’s tight, sexy ass moving back and forth made saliva build in his mouth.
Raphael shook the naughty thoughts from his head as he adjusted the hardening cock in his pants. He was too old to be a peeping Tom, and he needed to get his libido under control. He didn’t want his mate to open the door and find him with his trousers tenting. Raphael turned back to the door, raised his hand again, and knocked on the screen door. After a few seconds and the music still didn’t shut off, he tried again, but a little louder this time. There was still nothing, so he stepped over to the window, ignoring the sexy sight on the other side, and knocked on the glass.
His mate jumped and spun around to face him. He looked scared for a moment until he realized that Raphael was there, then Evan’s face relaxed, and his eyes brightened. He put up one finger, indicating to Raphael to give him a moment, and then Evan turned off the va
cuum. He grabbed a small remote from the table, clicked the music off, and then placed the remote back on the table. He turned and gave Raphael a smile and headed for the door.
Raphael went back to stand before the door and waited. When the door opened, his mate stood there looking at him shyly. Gods, the man was beautiful and sexy as hell in his tight blue jeans and black T-shirt. “Hi,” Evan said, greeting him.
“Hello. Have I come at a bad time?”
“No, it’s okay. With all the boys out of the house, it gives me an opportunity to get the floors done.”
“I remember days like that back home. It seemed like the only time I could get anything cleaned was when they all left for the day, but five minutes after one of them walked in, it looked like I hadn’t touched the place. I was always grateful to have Elaine, our housekeeper, come in three days a week to help me keep up with them.” Raphael laughed.
“I know what you mean. Some days I wonder why I even bother.” Evan gave him a genuine smile.
“I hope your boys at least help you around the house to take some of the load off you. I always insisted my boys had chores to do.”
“Yes, they do. I really shouldn’t complain. They all do their fair share. It just seems like the dusting, floors, and windows get neglected.”
Raphael chuckled lightly and smiled. They both became quiet then and looked around nervously. After a few minutes, Raphael cleared his throat. “I was hoping maybe we could talk?”
“Of course,” Evan answered quickly.
“May I come in, or would you feel better coming out here? Although, it is rather cold.”
Evan’s eyes widened. “Oh shit. I’m so sorry. Yes, please, come in.”
He reached for the door, unlocked the screen, and held it open. Raphael stepped in, and Evan closed the door behind him.
