“I’m not.Trust me, there’s nothing I want less than to think of you and Chance doingthat.”
“Then don’t.But, Seth, no one’s perfect.Even if Ryan ends up being the love of your life, he’ll hurt you.He might even break your trust and your heart.You won’t know until you give him a chance, and I hope that you will.You both deserve to be happy, but you especially.”
“You only think that because you’re my brother.”
“Maybe, or maybe I think that because it’s the truth.We’ve been through enough.Don’t allow our parents to ruin your future, Seth.They don’t deserve to have that kind of power over you.”
Seth agreed.He just wasn’t sure how he was supposed not to give them that power.
* * * *
THE IMPATIENT KNOCKon Ryan’s bedroom door didn’t bode well.He’d been avoiding his parents since the pack meeting, and he wanted to continue doing so.They wanted answers, but he had none to give them, or rather, none that would make them happy.Their family was here because they needed to be safe.
They’d left the coven so they wouldn’t have to worry about something happening to them ever again, yet here they were.It probably wasn’t smart of Ryan to hide the truth from his parents, but he didn’t think anything else would happen.Chance had been clear during the meeting.If the pack members wanted to continue being pack members, they’d have to leave Ryan and the other mages alone.
“I know you’re in there,” Madeleine called out.
Ryan relaxed.His sister knew what had happened, and she’d already told him what she thought of it, so it was safe to talk to her.“What?”
“There’s someone at the door for you.”
That wasn’t what Ryan had expected.“Who?”he asked as he pushed up from his bed.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?”
He swung the door open and glared at his sister.“Yes, that’s why I asked.Who is it?”
“You wouldn’t happen to have made friends with a certain polar bear shifter, would you?”
Ryan blinked.“I’m sorry?”
Madeleine rolled her eyes.“It’s the alpha mate’s brother.”
“Well, I didn’t think it was the alpha mate since I’ve never talked to him.What does Seth want?”
“Oh, we’re calling him by his name now?”
“What else am I supposed to call him?Alpha mate’s brother?”
“I don’t know what he wants.Except to see you, of course.”
But why?Seth had been nice yesterday, and Ryan couldn’t say he was sorry to have the opportunity to talk to him, but he didn’t understand.
Maybe Seth was here for his brother and his brother-in-law.Maybe he wanted to talk to Ryan about Tim and his friend.Ryan wished he never had to talk about those two assholes again, but he was a pack member now.He had to obey his alpha, and if Chance had sent Seth to talk to Ryan about the attack, he’d talk about it.
“Well?”Madeleine asked.“Are you going downstairs to talk to him?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“Good because mom is freaking out.She doesn’t like that no one warned her that the alpha mate’s brother would be visiting.”
“Please tell me you didn’t leave him with her.”
Madeleine grinned.“Fine.I won’t tell you that I left Seth with her.”
“He’s not going to survive it.”
“He’s going to have to learn to deal with her eventually.”
