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Everyone looked at me.When I’d kissed Edie earlier, it had been a message to everyone in the family that she was my mate.I’d wanted them to know that she was trustworthy and important to me.Besides, seeing her with my brothers had made my possessive side rear up.Flint had growled at her, and Micah had taken her hand, for stars sake.They’d seen my heartstone flare, and they had to know what that meant.I’d done it to prove that they could trust her.And I’d done it prove that she was mine.
But there was no way in hell Edie was ready to hear that.
“We’ll leave you to think about it,” Mom said.When she pushed to her feet, we all did.“Please, be welcome here tonight.If you’re still here tomorrow morning, come by my trailer.I would…appreciate the chance to talk to you about my condition,” she said.
Though my mom was glaring at me, a smile of relief split my face.“Thanks, Mom.”
“We’re going to have a talk about the extent of your authority, Jasper,” Mom said.“I am the Alpha, and I don’t accept insubordination, even from you.”
I rearranged my face into a look of contrition.“Yes ma’am.”
“You’re all idiots, and you’re going to get us exposed,” Flint said, slamming his cup down as he rose to his feet.“This is bullshit.”
He stormed out.Dylan, who had been hovering by the door this whole time, tipped his hat to Edie and followed him.
“Shame that I got all the charm in the family,” Micah said into the silence that followed.“And the looks.And the brains.Come to think of it, I’m not sure Flint has any redeeming qualities.”
“He’s concerned about your mother.People aren’t always at their best when they are worried,” Edie said.
“Don’t make excuses for him,” Mom said.“He’s hard-headed and doesn’t like to be contradicted—that’s a family trait, as you can see—but he’s the only one of my sons who tries to get what he wants with vinegar instead of honey.”
“I can see that,” Edie said, looking from Micah to me.
“The difference is, he’s trying to attract you to something, whereas I’m just pure honey, honey,” Micah said, taking her hand again.I rolled my eyes.Shaking hands was taboo for unmated shifters because a single touch could upend your whole life.Micah did it all the time—his personal small rebellion against the idea that he should limit himself to one partner for the rest of his life.But even I could tell he was being friendly rather than flirtatious.“I hope you stick around.No one else gets my Tolkien references.”
“Really?This place has total Middle Earth vibes.There are definitely Ents in the trees.”
“I know, right?”He flashed her a grin, then followed Mom and Dominic out.“Come on, Jasper.”
“I’m coming.”I wanted another second with her, but when she blinked up at me I realized I had no idea what I wanted to say.“Ummm…if you need anything, you can find the information in your welcome folder.”
“Okay.”
“Dinner service starts at five.You’d need a reservation, but just give them my name.Or if you want to order dinner to the cabin, you can do that too.It’s all…”
“In the folder?”
“Yeah.”I bit my lip, then just said what I wanted to say.“I’m glad to see you again.”
She stared at me until I closed the door behind me.
“Duuuuuuude,” Micah said, wrapping an arm around my head.I have never quite gotten over the fact that both my little brothers ended up taller than me.I wrestled my way out while Micah laughed.“Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I wasn’t sure.Or I didn’t want to be sure,” I said.“Now I am.”
He punched my arm jovially as I led him away from the cabin to where Mom and Dominic were waiting.“Are you really, really sure?”Mom asked.“Because I wouldn’t agree to this if she wasn’t your fated mate.”
“I’m sure.But she’s not, okay?This is all new to her.I don’t want to overwhelm her right off the bat.”
Mom frowned.“I assumed you had told her.”
“I need a little time to get her used to the idea.You know humans don’t understand fated mates.If I tell her now, she’ll panic and we’ll lose our chance to get a second opinion on your illness.”
Mom’s eyebrows went up.“Your fated mate isn’t a tool for you to use how you see fit.”
“Of course not.I don’t want to hurt her.I want…” I trailed off, trying to put the enormity of it into words.I was still buzzing from the thrill of our connection.“I want to protect her, and help her.I want to give her everything she wants, including the things that she’s scared to want.I want to be with her every second, even though it almost hurts to feel this much.”
When I saw how they were looking at me—Mom misty, Dominic amused, Micah fluttering his lashes with a dramatic hand over his heart—I cleared my throat.“It’ll be fine.I’m going to make everything work out, I promise.”
