“Another Alpha thing?”
“Yup…but there’s more than just that. Jackson has more resources at his fingertips, which, if he decides to use, will help avoid any fighting with the Ghost Bear’s Alpha and his enforcers.”
“Ooh…color me intrigued!” Ollie exclaimed. After giving Mac’s nipple a small bite, he giggled at his mate’s growl while climbingout of bed. Looking over his shoulder at his mate, he playfully clicked his teeth together several times, mimicking biting, before adding, “That’s only an example of what I’ll do later.”
Mac’s mouth watered watching Ollie’s sashaying ass disappear into their bathroom. It took a moment before he regained his voice and remembered what his mate had said. “You have a biting fetish?” he yelled, quickly sitting up. When all he heard in reply was the sound of water, he shook his head in amusement before picking up his phone to send a message to Jackson. The sooner he and Ollie could rescue Theo’s parents, the quicker he could find out exactly what his mate had planned for their mating.
~/~/~/~/~
Smokey’s bear raced through the forest, growling at everything and nothing at all. His paws thudded softly on the pine needle carpeted trail. Jackson’s question kept running on an endless loop through his head…How would you feel if Norm kept something this important from you?He knew the answer and knew without a doubt his mate would feel the same way, which just made his bear angrier—hence the endless growling.
Now, nearer to the mountaintop, the pine needles had thinned, giving way to bare ground and rock. The trees had become sparser, and Smokey had a clear view of the early morning sky. After reaching the crest of the mountain, his bear finally stopped and flopped down under an outcropping of rock. Shifting back to his human form, Smokey lay panting on his back, his eyes staring blankly at the streaks of early morning color in the sky, while he thought about Norm.
Shame coursed through Smokey at the thought of the piss-poor excuse he gave Jackson for keeping the threat to his mates asecret from Norm—the one responsible for protecting Theo and keeping him alive during their time as prisoners. But what made his action so much worse was that he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Norm would never do anything that might harm Theo—no matter what it might cost him. “Gods…I’m a fucking shitty mate,” Smokey yelled in frustration, closing his eyes.
“No, you aren’t.”
Startled, Smokey sat up abruptly, banging his head on the rocks above him. Blinking at the sudden pain, it took a moment before the owner of the voice came into focus. “What are you doing here? Where’s Theo? Did something happen to our cub?” he asked.
Norm sat down in front of Smokey and crossed his legs. Leaning forward, he buried his fingers in his mate’s hair, feeling around to find a bump. “Damn, that’s big,” Norm murmured. “You might want Ian to check it to make sure you didn’t crack your skull.”
“I’m fine,” Smokey muttered.
“Maybe…but if Theo finds out about it, you know he’ll worry until Ian gives you the all clear.”
Smokey nodded, then winced as the movement agitated his pain. Refusing to give in to it, he looked at his mate. “Are Theo and the cub okay?”
“Yeah…he’s still asleep,” Norm answered. “But what I want to know is why you left our bed and disappeared into the forest by yourself without letting me know where you were going?”
“I needed to think…”
“About the threat to Theo and myself?” asked Norm.
Smokey opened his mouth quickly to deny it, but then he remembered Jackson’s words. Dropping his eyes, he stared at the rocky ground and muttered, “Yeah.”
“And…?”
“I was wrong not to tell you about it.”
“True…but I knew shortly after Ghost told you,” Norm said. Tapping his head, and grinning slightly, “Mindlink…remember?”
Surprised, Smokey raised his head and stared at his mate. “Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because I figured you needed to think about it before you brought it up,” Norm replied. “In the meantime, I stayed close to Theo.”
“You are so fucking amazing,” Smokey growled, his eyes glowing with admiration for his mate. “I don’t deserve a mate like you.”
“Bullshit!” Norm exclaimed. “It’s not a question of whether any of us deserve each other, but whether we love each other…and I do love you, just as I love Theo. Each of us reacts differently to a situation, but it doesn’t mean any of our reactions are wrong. Love doesn’t come with conditions…nor does it give someone the right to demand that a person change. None of us is perfect, but when you love someone, that doesn’t matter.
“I never told you this, Smokey, but when I found out you were my mate, it was the first time in my entire life that I finally could breathe…that I knew no matter what happened, you would move heaven and earth to make sure Theo was safe from all who would seek to harm him. And that same protection would envelop our cub when he entered the world. So, thank you…thank you for giving me room to breathe and enjoy life, for once.”
Norm’s words moved Smokey, and tears filled his eyes. Reaching out, he tugged Norm into his arms, hugging him tightly. “I love you so much, Eagle Feather, and I will always have yours and Theo’s back…always.”
“I know,” Norm whispered, kissing Smokey’s cheek. Then, pulling back, he brushed a stray tear from his mate’s face before saying, “Let’s go home.”
Chapter 9
After reading the text, Jackson headed for Mac and Ollie’s room, wondering what problem required his presence, especially since he hadn’t expected to see or hear from them for the next few days. When he reached their suite, he knocked once, but before he could knock again, the door swung open.