Jonah slowly nodded. “It’s complicated, but yeah. I just hope he’ll still have me once this is done, because I left Keenan without telling him anything, even if I tried to rectify that.”
Ouch. “I’m sure he’ll understand.”
Kameron cleared his throat and they both turned. He smiled at Jonah. “I know Keenan, so I’m sure he’ll forgive you once you go back to Whitedell, especially since I don’t think you’re here randomly.”
“I’m not. I... I know I’ve been less than friendly when you asked me if I wanted to come back—”
“Not a problem. I get it.”
Jonah nodded and seemed somewhat relieved. “Anyway, I left Whitedell soon after and I’ve been looking for Merle, Simon and Elliott since then.”
Kameron sighed. “You know we tried to find them too, right? We just haven’t had success, but I hope you did.”
Jonah looked at them both, as if trying to decide if he could trust them. Something changed in his face, and Andy knew he had made a decision. “I found them. I even liberated Elliott from the man the company had sold him to, but Merle and Simon are in a lab. We’re lucky they’re still together, but I couldn’t get in on my own.”
“Where?”
“No, wait, where is Elliott? You said you already freed him,” Andy asked.
“He’s in a motel not far from here. I know I should have brought him with me, and he wanted to come, but... ”
“You didn’t know if you could trust us.”
“I haven’t been back in a long time, and even if Dominic told me Erskine wasn’t Alpha anymore, I had to see with my own eyes.”
“How is Elliott?” Andy remembered Elliott, although the man was a lot younger than him and they hadn’t had that many interactions. Still, the small, cute, red haired man had stuck with him, and he wanted to know how he was.
“He’s as fine as he can be. The company sold him to a man who wanted a sex slave.”
There was nothing more to be said. The three men all understood what it meant. Kameron nodded. “Bring him home.”
“I will, but we have to free Merle and Simon too.”
“Where are they?” Kameron asked, his hand already reaching for his phone. Kameron was member of the brand new council that had authority over paranormals, although for now it was mostly restricted to shifters. Still, it meant that he had only one phone call to make, and the pack would have the council’s enforcers and probably the cats helping to free their lost wolves. It felt nice.
Erskine had always kept the pack isolated, convinced as that every other Alpha wanted his territory and his pack members. The fool had even attacked the pride in Whitedell, and they were lucky Dominic hadn’t decided to eradicate the pack. Instead, he had helped Kameron challenge Erskine, and the rest was history. Kameron had won and was trying to purge the pack of Erskine’s malevolent influence, although Andy didn’t think he would ever succeed until he got rid of the remaining members of Erskine’s inner circle.
“Close to Lewistown, in Montana.”
Andy didn’t know how far exactly it was, but it had to be at least five hours, if not more. That was going to be a long way back home for two men who were probably wounded and hurt.
Andy listened in on Kameron’s conversation, hoping the man would find a solution.
“I don’t know. You think we should ask them all?”
“We’re all council members,” Dominic answered on the other side of the line, and Andy silently thanked his shifter’s hearing.
“Yeah, but we can’t go in like an army.”
“Kam, we’ve already done this. We’ll all meet, decide how many and who is going. I’ll ask Nysys if he can help us with transportation.”
“That would be great. It would make everything much easier and above all, faster.”
Andy raised a brow. He now knew who Nysys was and what type of transportation they were talking about, but... Maybe he should accept Kameron’s offer to be part of his inner circle. Nick was, and it didn’t seem too bad. Besides, now Andy had something more precious than even the pack to protect, and he wanted to know everything that was happening around them, especially if it had to do with the company or the labs. It was the only way he could keep Xavier safe.
“Nysys is a Nix,” Jonah told him, noticing his perplex expression.
“I know. I’ve, well, not exactly met him, but I saw him yesterday. How do they do it?”
“What? Popping around like that?” Jonah shrugged. “I have no idea, but it’s nice when you’re in a hurry.”
“All right, guys. We’re going to do this in a few days.” Kameron raised his hand to stop Jonah from speaking. “I know you’d rather go now, and believe me when I say that’s what I really want too, but I’m a council member. It might seem not useful or even cruel to wait, but we’re trying to organize shifters, and if we don’t stick to the few rules we’ve made, then no one will. Besides, if we wait, we’ll have the help of several Nix and most of the cats, and we need them.”
It all made sense, even if Andy hated to wait. He knew Kameron felt the same as he and Jonah, though, and it helped to know that their leader wanted nothing more than to rush to save their pack brothers.
Jonah quietly said goodbye and headed for the door. He was going to go get Elliott and bring him home. Kameron was going to call Elliott’s parents, and Jared, the pride’s doctor, was being shimmered in to examine him, so Andy got up and decided it was time to go and look for his mate.
“Andy?” Andy turned toward his Alpha. “Thank you for staying.” Kameron rubbed his face with his palms and Andy noticed how tired the man was, how it looked like he barely slept. He knew Kameron had so many things to do. He was Alpha of the pack, responsible for all of them and their well-being. He was part of the council responsible for the well-being of every shifter.
The man was also heartbroken, even if he never talked about that, and Andy promised himself once more that he was going to try and find out what was happening with Zach. He was still convinced the two were mates, but there was something strange there, because Kameron had never actually acknowledged that. Everyone could see they were perfect for each other, though.
“It was nothing. Huh, Kam?” Kameron looked at him. “I thought about being part of your circle, and as long as I can still have the time to work and to be with my mate, I’m in.”
Kameron’s eyes were warm when he thanked him, and more than a little relieved. The man was trying to build his inner circle, his base to make the pack thrive, but so far only two other people had accepted. The Alpha really had to finally decide who his Beta was going to be. He hadn’t done it yet because the old inner circle was giving him problems, and no one had wanted to go against them, but maybe it was time to do just that. Andy thought he knew the perfect man to do it. He just had to convince Nick of that.
Chapter Four
Xavier wasn’t sure what to do with himself now that they were back at Andy’s house. He hadn’t had the opportunity to ask Kameron to find him another place to live yet. Besides, he didn’t really want to live somewhere else. He just thought it would be the best solution. Better not to let Andy think he was okay with them being mates. Not that he wasn’t okay with that—Xavier just thought Andy could do so much better.
“I have to make a phone call. I’ll be in the living room,” Andy said, pointing at the room’s entrance. Xavier nodded, and since it was getting late, he decided he would cook lunch. It was the least he could do to thank the man for letting him live in his house without even paying rent.
Xavier looked through the pantry and the fridge and decided on pasta with a simple tomato sauce. He was quite good at cooking, as anyone with eyes could see just by looking at him. He knew he should try to eat healthier and probably do a bit of exercise, but it wasn’t that he ate sweets or stuff like that. Not much, at least. He just liked to cook, and he liked to eat even more.
He grabbed an apron he’d found on one of the pantry
shelves and put it on, filling a pot with water and putting it to boil. He was busy chopping onions when he heard the front door open and close and a feminine voice calling.
“Andy? Where are you?”
Xavier wasn’t sure if he should go and greet the woman, whoever she was, or if he should let Andy take care of it, but the choice was taken from him when the tall, beautiful woman entered the kitchen.
“What are you doing, hon? Cooking? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you—oh.”
She had seen him.
“Umm, hi. I’m Xavier.” The woman raised a brow at him, clearly asking him a question. “I, uh, I’m here to help Kameron, and he asked Andy if I could stay here for the time being.”
The woman seemed relieved. “I’m Lea.”
They shook hands after Xavier had washed his, and he saw she discreetly sniffed him, probably trying to find out if he was human or shifter. She had probably been worried that he was with Andy, or at least wondering what Xavier was doing in her boyfriend’s home. Sure, Xavier wasn’t sure Lea was Andy’s girlfriend, and while the man hadn’t told him he was bisexual, this woman would be a much better companion for him than Xavier.
Xavier turned back to his onions, trying to understand why the thought of Andy with the woman was making him ache inside. He had known the man for one day, damn it! He could not be falling for him this fast, even if Andy was gorgeous, friendly, funny, caring, and a whole lot of other adjectives he didn’t have the time to catalogue right now. Andy was the perfect man in Xavier’s eyes, and it made it extra difficult to remember why he couldn’t be with him, especially when he turned those forest-green eyes on Xavier. They were like a beacon, and Xavier wanted to follow them and burrow into the man’s arms. He couldn’t do it, but he also wasn’t sure he would be able to resist for much longer.
Lea sat at the table, her gaze never leaving Xavier. He could feel them on his back, and it made him uncomfortable. “So, what does Kameron need from you?”
Xavier hesitated. Kameron hadn’t told him what he was doing was a secret, but it didn’t seem like a good idea to tell everyone. “Since he has so much on his mind, he decided to hire me to help with the pack’s accounts.” It would have been hard to be vaguer than that.
“But why are you staying with Andy?”
“You should ask Kameron. I was just told to stay here, but I’m sure I’ll be able to find myself a place once I get settled.”
“You’re not going anywhere, sweetheart,” Andy’s voice said as he entered the kitchen. Xavier blushed, especially when Andy came up to him and kissed his cheek. He heard Lea gasp behind them, but Andy didn’t seem to care. Okay, so obviously she wasn’t Andy’s girlfriend. Good to know.
“I, uh, I think we’ll need to talk about that.”
“We sure will, but I can already tell you that while I’m willing to give you all the time in the world to get used to shifters and wrap your mind around the mate thing, I’ll try my best to convince you that you can do that from here.”
“Andy?” Lea asked, and Xavier wasn’t sure if her voice was more surprised or angry. The fact that she clearly wasn’t Andy’s girlfriend made him feel marginally better, though.
“Lea. What are you doing here? I thought I told you not to come by unannounced, and I certainly haven’t received a phone call from you. I also didn’t hear the bell when you arrived.”
Xavier did his best to concentrate on what his hands were doing. It would be just his luck to hack off a finger as he tried to cook and listen at the same time.
“Come on, Andy. I’m your sister.” Xavier felt his knees buckle in relief. He hadn’t even known he was that worried at the idea that Lea could be Andy’s girlfriend, but he now felt as if a weight had been lifted from his heart. He felt light—well, mentally, at least.
“That doesn’t mean you have the right to barge in like that, and you know it. The only person who has that right is Xavier.”
Xavier’s breath hitched. Was Andy really saying that... ?
“Why, because you think he’s your mate?” The word mate was said with such disdain that Xavier couldn’t have any doubts as to what Lea thought of him.
“I don’t think he’s my mate, I know he is. I just have to convince him of it.”
“But... can we go talk in the living room, please?”
Xavier somehow knew that Andy was about to refuse, so he said, “Go on. I’m sure you don’t want strangers hearing about your family’s business.”
He could see he was going to pay for that sentence later just by the way Andy’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t—”
“Just go. I have to finish cooking lunch anyway.”
Xavier turned and did his best to ignore Andy, as hard as that was. He seemed to always be aware of where the man was, and his body longed to reach out and touch Andy, just to reassure himself that the man was indeed there.
“Fine,” Andy huffed, looking as adorable as a five-year-old as he stomped his foot. “But you and I are going to have a little chat after I send Lea on her way. I don’t know what I have to do to convince you that I really want you.”
Xavier shrugged. There really wasn’t anything he could do, but he didn’t have the guts to just tell him to stop trying. It was... nice to feel as if someone really cared for him that way, even if it was induced by the pull they felt toward each other.
Andy quietly slipped out of the kitchen and Xavier reached for his phone. He knew only one person he could ask about this and not feel too uncomfortable.
“Xavier?”
“Hey, Andrew. How are you? Is everything fine, with, you know... ”
“We’re getting there. I’m having an alarm system installed at home in a few days. That’ll help, I’m sure.”
“Just... be careful, okay?”
“I just want all this to end, you know?” Andrew sighed. “Anyway, what about you? How are you settling in with the wolves?”
“I, uh, well... Denver drove me here yesterday, and I met the guy I have to live with. He’s, uh, he says he’s my mate.”
“What? That’s wonderful, Xav! I would never have thought that you of all people would mate with a shifter.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m not... well, I’m not going to mate with him.” Xavier checked that the sauce was doing well and sat down in one of the chairs.
“What? Why?”
“I’m just... I know he wants me only for the pull, or whatever it is. I mean, he’s tall, and gorgeous, and so nice... ”
“And you think you don’t deserve him.”
“Not really. He could have so much better.”
Andrew sighed. “We already talked about this, even if I was the one concerned then. You don’t see yourself as everyone else sees you, Xav. You really should let him decided what he wants, and if he wants you... ”
“But, the pull—”
“He can’t want you only for that. The pull is just that, a pull toward another person. You can ignore it if you want, and nothing will happen. He doesn’t have to mate with you, but if he wants you, give him a chance.”
They hung up soon after, but Xavier didn’t feel better. His problems, his questions, were still there, and he still didn’t know how to solve them.
* * * *
Andy was angry. He had always had these kinds of skirmishes with Lea, but he could see from her face that this time it was more serious, and he knew it was centered on Xavier and his being Andy’s mate. Andy loved his sister and the rest of his family, and they loved him, but he knew Lea and his father didn’t fully accept that he was gay, not like his mother and his other sister and brother did. They thought that once he found the right woman, he would stop being with men, and he knew they’d hoped that right woman would be his mate. Xavier had ruined that plan, though.
“So? Want to explain what you’re doing here?”
“Can’t I want to see my brother?” Lea was trying to keep her cool, but Andy could see it was difficult for her
not to ask right away the question.
He snorted. “Sure, sure. But next time you decide to come by without calling I’d advise you to at least knock. You never know what you can walk on in now that I found my mate.”
“You can’t seriously think that... that man is your mate!”
Andy had to stop the growl from escaping his throat. He wanted to keep his relationship with his family at least courteous—that was, if they behaved in a courteous way, and Lea surely wasn’t for now. “Yup. Xavier is definitely my mate.”
“But he’s a man!”
“Thank god! I wouldn’t have known what to do with girly bits.” Andy was enjoying teasing his sister. He'd had a few girlfriends when he was a teenager, before figuring out he preferred cock, but the redness on her face and the way Lea’s eyes bulged were kind of funny.
“You... ”
Andy sighed and leaned against the back of the couch, sitting on it as best as he could. “Look, I know you thought I was going to miraculously become straight and that my mate was going to be a woman, but clearly he’s not, and I couldn’t be happier. Xavier is a very sweet man, and I know he’ll make me happy.”
Lea opened and closed her mouth a few times before finally saying, “You could have better. He’s just a fatty little human.”
This time the growl did escaped Andy’s throat, and he had to stop himself from clawing his sister’s face off. Sure, they had never had that good a relationship, but he had thought she would have been happy for him, at least. “Get out, Lea. Until you accept my mate and stop thinking those... things about him, you’re not welcome here.”
She hissed. “You’re choosing a stranger, a human, over your family?”
“I am. Xavier might be human, but he’s my human, my mate. I’d choose him a hundred times over you and your venom.”
She straightened. “I’ll tell Kameron.”
At that Andy couldn’t help but laugh. “You go ahead and tell him. Apart from the fact that he already knows, do you really think he has something against it? He’s not Erskine, for god’s sake!”
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