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“No, Khan. He’s not,” Kontra replied calmly. “But I don’t think you expected him to be.”
Sighing, Khan shook his head. “No, I suppose not.”
“So, we have coffee, cocoa, and hot toddies.” Kontra pointed at the offered drinks. “Help yourself.”
Khan hesitated. He’d lost the taste for coffee while in captivity. But if he were to get through any type of question and answer or explanation with Kontra, he wanted the comfort of a hot drink. Khan also knew it would warm him up fast.
“Um, are the hot toddies in here?” Khan asked, pointing at the lid-covered pot that had a dipping spoon beside it.
“They are,” Kontra confirmed.
“I’m all for that,” Vail stated with a grin. He squeezed Khan’s shoulder in reassurance. “I’ll get the mugs.”
While they chose that, Ishmael went with a hot cocoa with a dash of mint-flavored Irish cream in it. When they filed into the living room, the others were met with their mates. They offered hugs and kisses of welcome.
After Ishmael softly asked Khan if he was going to be all right and received his assurance, Madagascar wished everyone a good evening and took him up to bed.
Kontra turned to Khan and swept an assessing gaze over him. “Did you want to talk about any or all of what happened tonight, Khan?” The big grizzly shifter kept his voice low and soothing.
“Not really,” Khan admitted. As Kontra nodded, still staring at him, Khan got the impression that the alpha would have let the matter drop. Except, Khan had given his word to Payson, and afraid little wolf or not, he still kept his word. “But I told Payson I would try.”
Nodding once more, Kontra rumbled, “Okay.”
Vail scoffed softly, his smile turning wry. “Yeah. We saw Payson all serious and shit.” Blinking wide eyes, he added, “It was seriously messed up.”
“That would have been something to see,” Draven claimed with a twist of his lips.
Kontra remained focused on Khan. “Would you like to sit here before the fire?” He indicated the warm and comfortable seating. “Or would you prefer the seclusion of the front den?”
Khan hesitated, glancing at the others. Movement to his left told him Sam and Mutegi had arrived. Payson also leaned against the wall, now wearing sweats and a very satisfied, relaxed expression.
Huh. That didn’t take him long.
What would it be like to get a quickie from my mate anytime I wanted?
Bowing his head, Khan knew that to have any chance to experience anything like that with Nathan, he needed to do this.
And I only want to do this once.
Indicating the seating before the fire, Khan murmured, “Here is fine.”
Khan knew that by choosing the great room, he was silently saying that anyone from the inner circle was welcome. Evidently, others had been listening in the wings. Several other pack members entered, drinks in hand, and everyone made themselves comfortable.
Sitting as close to the hearth as possible, needing the heat to keep a chill from settling in his bones, Khan decided where to begin.
“I was the youngest child of my parents. I have an older brother and sister,” Khan told the others haltingly. “In my birth pack, weakness was not an option. You were strong or it was beaten into you.” He heard a couple of swiftly indrawn breaths, but he didn’t look up from his drink to see who it was. Instead, Khan continued, “I learned two valuable lessons. How to hide that I’m not dominant in any way, shape, or form, and how to run from a situation when I knew I’d be found out.”
Lifting his gaze, Khan focused on Kontra. “It worked until my alpha made a deal with the witches, and I was the payment.”
Chapter Seven
Nathan had always known where Declan McIntire lived, but he’d never had cause to go there before. He’d talked to him on the phone several times, though, and met him in passing while working together. As Nathan parked before the house, he wondered what the wolf shifter would do with him turning up at his doorstep at—
Geez, is it already ten-fifteen at night?
Damn.
Unwilling to back out, Nathan climbed out of his truck. He hesitated, then removed his service weapon and locked it in the glove box. Then he took off his utility belt, rolled it up, and placed it on the floorboard.
