Page 31 of Their Marked Mate

They kept their voices low and conversational, trying not to draw attention. They were just a couple of betas on their way to another part of the village. “When did he start acting strangely?”

Hayes thought for a moment then said, “After the birds attacked the mountain stronghold. He was furious that we didn’t go after them, and he’s been pissed off ever since.”

Nate paused and looked at the other beta. “Had Caden interacted with any of the females? He was one of the alphas guarding them that night.”

Hayes’ shoulders lifted in a noncommittal shrug. “He flirted with several, but it didn’t seem serious. If one of them triggered bonding fever, why wouldn’t he just tell Alex?”

“I don’t know, but Alex needs to know that Caden is sneaking around behind his back.”

Hayes tensed, looking intensely uncomfortable. “I told you about this because I’m hoping Alex can snap him out of it. My loyalty is and will always be to Caden.”

“I understand and so will Alex. Alex has always been loyal to Drake and Caden. He knows that he can’t maintain control without them.”

“It’s not Alex’s loyalty that I’m worried about,” Hayes admitted.

“I thought you two were courting Evelyn,” Nate persisted. “Is that not going well?”

“I thought it was.” Hayes raised both his hands. “She seems receptive and Caden seems interested. That’s why Caden’s attitude is so damn confusing. I don’t know what the hell is going on.” A sigh of frustration escaped Hayes and then he motioned off into the distance. “I’m going to head home. Let me know what Alex says.”

Hayes turned down a side street, so Nate circled back around and headed to the cabin he shared with Alex. There were ten packs in the lupine village, which meant there were ten pack alphas with separate agendas. Alex did a damn good job of keeping everyone pulling in the same direction, but an occasional conflict was almost inevitable. The only exception to the dynamic was his cousins. Drake and Caden were a crucial part of Alex’s power structure. If Caden was having second thoughts, it would be disastrous for Alex.

Rather than going straight home, Nate stopped by the lab and picked up Luna. One of her guards usually escorted her, but Nate was seldom able to spend time with her unless Alex was around. “Did your day run smoothly?” he asked as they strolled along the main path.

“There was a minor complication this morning, but the afternoon was routine,” she told him.

“What happened?” Unable to suppress his need to touch her, he reached down and took her hand.

Much to his pleasure, she entwined their fingers and gave his hand a little squeeze. “I injected Shannon three days ago and everything went so well that I scheduled Tianna for this morning. Shannon came in for a series of scans, and we found a cluster of mutated cells. The cells are benign, but I need to understand why they formed before we continue. Needless to say, Tianna is on hold for now.”

“Alex will grumble, but your caution is wise.”

Their gazes met for a second and then she smiled. Her eyes appeared particularly blue in the deepening twilight.

An agile swarmy swooped into view, circling them in an elliptical pattern. It had two sets of wings that fluttered so fast that the image blurred. This one was yellow, green, and gold, but they came in all sorts of colors.

“What the hell are those things?” Luna cried. “They are everywhere.”

Nate chuckled and shooed the creature away. “We call them swarmies for obvious reasons. I’m honestly not sure if they are insects or birds.”

“What they are is annoying,” Luna said firmly. “At least they don’t seem to bite or sting. I guess it could be worse.”

“Very true.”

She glanced up at him then said, “Speaking of things that bite and sting, how did the alpha council meeting go? Was Kai his usual pain in the ass?”

Nate laughed. “Moments after his birth Kai started arguing with his parents. He’s just one of those people.”

“I’m glad I don’t have to deal with him on a regular basis. I’d probably punch him in the face.”

“Trust me, we’ve all dreamed about it.”

They reached the cabin and Nate helped Luna out of her coat. Unsure how much longer Alex would be, they started dinner. Working side by side with her felt so blissfully domestic that Nate couldn’t fight back a smile. Luna was his mate. He’d known it from the start. If he were an alpha, he would have claimed her by now. Of course it felt natural to spend time with her. But he was a beta and betas weren’t allowed to claim mates.

“Oh, my God, you’re smiling,” she teased. “What brought about that expression? You never smile.”

He started to explain, then thought better of it. If Caden had a problem with Alex, he needed to take his concerns to Alex directly. The same held true with this situation. Allowing betas to trigger the mating bond was a controversial idea. He needed to talk to Alex. “It’s just nice to have you here.” The statement was true, but it was also an evasion and her skeptical look warned that he hadn’t been as convincing as he’d hoped.

“Fine. Don’t tell me.” She pouted playfully. “I like you better when you scowl.”