“Umm, why invisibility? Why not flight or super strength?” Oh, how I now wish I hadn’t asked that question.

  “Ha ha, well, honestly, I’d love to be invisible in the room when Bear brings in one of his conquests. I’ve heard stories about the size of that man’s cock. Holy shit. I’ve heard some screams and seen a few run from it, but to see it firsthand…” He got a dreamy look on his face. Do you know how confusing it is to stifle a giggle and try not to dry heave at the same time? Bear’s cock was so far down on the list of things I wanted to see in this world. Mako’s, on the other hand… yes, please. My giggle then broke free.

  Once we both calmed, Owen finished, “Last, the forced mate claim thing. In books and movies, the bad alpha decides he wants to own the omega, so he holds him down and ‘takes’ what he wants while forcing a claiming bite. The omega is then ‘stuck’ with the alpha until one dies. Yeah, NOPE. Just like regular mates, the claiming bite only takes and forms a mark with intent on both parts. The biggest difference is that with fated mates, the claim is permanent until death. With a regular claim, it’s kinda like marriage used to be. It can fade and, if not reinforced with intent, it dwindles to nothing. Fated pairs can still break up, but it still stands that both will carry misery and the claim mark will never fade. They’ll always feel one another, no matter time or distance.

  I found my silver lining in all this, though. “Well, at least Mako won’t die if he won’t forgive me. I’m not sure I could live with that in my soul.”

  “Sweetie, if he doesn’t come tomorrow morning and beg your forgiveness, he will definitely die.” A look of horror and confusion marred my face. “Because I’ll fuckin kill him. He’d be too damn stupid to live.” He shrugged his shoulders and reached for my hand. “Let’s go to bed. It’s late. You wanna sleep in the guest room with me?”

  I shook my head and turned towards the master. “I’m gonna sleep in our bed. I need to feel him, to smell him.”

  Owen hugged me tight. “I get it, I really do. Sleep well Theo.”

  “Nite Owen, thank you for being my friend.” A bright smile broke out on his face as he headed into the guest room.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Mako

  Morning came, and I missed it completely. Well, not completely. Usually, I was up either with or just before the sun. A habit I got into when I was younger. Both Pops and Gramps were early risers, no matter how late the night went. I remembered many a day in my youth forgoing sleep because the night went too far into the morning and sleep would have been a wasted effort. With the emotionally draining day yesterday, especially after spending two days with my Theo in heat, I wouldn’t beat myself up.

  I hadn’t even opened my eyes, but I could see and feel the light through the window. It had to be closer to eight or nine as compared to my usual five of six. Even though I was alone, the bed was comfortable, and I had no intention of moving yet. Church wasn’t due until later in the afternoon. I doubt anything could get me out of this bed at the moment. Except…

  “Dammit, Bear, get the fuck outta my way. Where the fuck is he? Which room? I swear to fuckin Goddess, if you don’t let me go, I’ll kick you so hard in the nuts you’ll cum blood for a fuckin week!” Only Owen could promise to maim a man like that and make it sound funny.

  I wasn’t laughing long before the door to the room burst open with a furious omega staring me down. “Goddess damn you Mako, president or not, you’re a son of a bitch, bastard. If I thought Bear wouldn’t kill me before I finished, I’d kick your ass all over Misty Pines, you fucker.” Every bit of a smile dropped from my face as I saw Bear and Teach standing behind him, both with mouths dropped wide.

  A deep growl reverberated in my chest. “Boy, you better remember who you’re speaking to. I don’t know who you think you are, but I can promise you you are not him. You will NEVER speak to me like that again. NEVER. UNDERSTAND!”

  “Fuck you, ALPHA! He’s my friend, MY FUCKIN FRIEND! Do you know what you did to him? Do you care how he felt when you walked out on him? Do you even care what he’s b-b-been through?” Owen broke. Sobs wracked his body, and he held onto the door frame to stay upright. Bear stepped forward and picked him up, swinging his head towards the sofa so I knew to follow. Every bit of anger at his outburst drained from my body.

  “Teach? Mind grabbing me a cup of coffee? I got a feeling this will not be a simple conversation.” Bear sat down with Owen in his arms, holding him like a child while he sobbed into his chest.

  I rubbed my hand over Owen’s back, trying my best to soothe him. I hadn’t seen him in a state like this since just after he arrived here. It brought up memories best left in the past. “Owen?” He pulled his face from Bear’s chest to look in my direction, although with his eyes swollen and glazed over, I wasn’t sure he was actually seeing me. “What did Theo tell you?” I kept my voice steady; not really sure I was prepared for what I was about to hear.

  Owen turned away from me as if he couldn’t look at me. Yeah, I got it. I wouldn’t want to look at me either. I still felt like shit over what I’d done. I didn’t deserve anyone’s forgiveness, much less their love. “Everything, Boss. He told me everything.”

  “Owen, baby boy, that’s vague. Bear, Teach and I know a lot, but that doesn’t cover everything. What do you mean?” Owen continued to focus on fisting Bear’s shirt like it was the only thing holding him to the earth.

  “He knows nothing about the shifter wars or fated mates. Any mates, really. We were going to kill him, he thought. During his heat, he felt the bond with you and that overrode his fear. He believed you were going to kill him when it was over.” He sobbed again. Nothing he said was shocking. “The things his parents said to him, the things his brother made him do. He only went so far because his father had the doctors check him regularly to make sure he didn’t seduce one of the staff to help him escape.”

  Anger edged my voice. “Owen, what did Gavin make him do?” Owen just shook his head and curled further into Bear’s chest. Bear wrapped protective arms around him and rocked. “Owen, baby boy, I can’t fix it if I don’t know.”

  He shuddered with a deep breath. “He told me as a friend, I can’t really tell you. You won’t look at him the same way again and oh Mako, he loves you so much, he needs you. You can’t turn him away. He won’t survive.”

  I growled out, “I’m never turning him away. He’ll be wearing my mate mark before church tonight if he’ll have me. Nothing and I mean NOTHING you tell me will EVER change that.”

  Owen looked at me, really looked at me. I guess he saw my truth. “Be careful with him, Mako. There are things he can’t and won’t do and you can never ask him to. It’ll break him.”

  “You can never ask him for oral sex. Gavin forced him to do it to him and a few of his friends, sometimes cutting off his air until he passed out. They wanted to rape him too, but Gavin stopped it cuz their father had the doctor check on Theo every month when he made him take the heat suppressant. They beat him up and sometimes broke bones. That made his father mad, cuz he had to call the doctor early to s-s-set the breaks.” Owen’s voice slipped into his Little space. We all knew he was a Little, but no one ever brought it up because it rarely happened anymore. Only when he was really hurt or scared. I had a feeling it was a bit of both this time.

  I shook my head at Bear. I knew he could see the rage simmering just below the surface, so he took over speaking to Owen. “Come on baby boy, let’s get you settled for a nap in Uncle Bear’s bed. When you wake up, we’ll have Bethie make you some pancakes.” Owen just nodded and gripped tightly around Bear’s neck as he rose off the sofa.

  I watched them move across the room towards Bear’s master. Owen looked over his shoulder at me. “Uncle Mako?” My rage was too close to the surface, and I didn’t trust myself to speak. “I know I don’t get a vote in church, but here is different, right?” I just nodded my head. Owen’s eyes cleared completely for a moment, “I vote they DIE.” Again, I nodded my head ‘Me too buddy, me too’.

  Once Bear was in his room putting Owen to bed, I looked towards the kitchen. Teach stood frozen with what I assumed was my coffee in his hand. “You heard?” He, too, just nodded his head. He put the coffee on the table and walked over to me, laying his hand on my shoulder. Without a word, we walked out Bear’s front door.

  Once we were in the hall Teach spoke. “I’m sorry, Mako. I suspected, but it wasn’t something I could prove. I wish I could have done something sooner, saved him somehow.” The man was hurting. Hurting for Theo, feeling every ounce of his pain.

  “Not a thing you could have done. I’m stubborn and set in my ways. If you would have come to us with this when you joined, we would have blown you off and made you bide your time. No one knew Theo was my mate, no one. Hell, I didn’t even believe I had a mate. You did everything you could. Given the circumstances, you probably saved yourself. Now you’re here to help eliminate this shit once and for all.” I doubt he thought so, but every word I said was true.

  “Yeah, I get it, I do, man, but I still feel as though there was more I could have done.” He just stood staring at the wall. “None of us will ever mention this in front of the others. It stays between the four of us, OK? I’m not sure how Theo would react to this shit being common knowledge. Hell, he may be really pissed that Owen told us anything.”

  “You let me handle my mate. I got a feeling that you and Clip just bonded without him even knowing. He’s the one who beat the shit out of that little bastard and laid him up.” There ya go, silver linings.

  “Yup, I’m buying that fucker anything he wants tonight, from alcohol to ass.” Teach cracked a grin.

  “Man, that shit’s all free here, brother.” I had to laugh.

  Teach headed down the hall towards the stairs. Over his shoulder, he shouted, “It’s the thought that counts!” That got us both laughing.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Theo

  I should have never let the bowls sit in the sink overnight. Damn dried ice cream had to be the hardest thing to scrape out without damaging the dish. A bit of hot water and letting them soak helped, but not enough apparently. I heard the click of the front door, and I called out to Owen. “Owen, where did you go? Mako has coffee here. No need to go downstairs, it’s all made. Grab a cup.” I turned off the water and placed the dishes in the dishwasher. Wiping my hands on the towel, I froze. That smell… it wasn’t Owen.

  “Don’t mind if I have a cup. I never got mine before. The almighty sprite reamed me a new asshole. Little fucker got me out of bed just to yell at me… about you, no less.” I couldn’t even turn and look at him. All I could see was the look of hurt on his face when he turned his back on me yesterday.

  “Why would he yell at you about me? I can stand up for myself, you know.” No part of me was really offended. Owen stood up for me like a loyal friend, and it made me love him for it. “Is he alright? Is he in trouble for yelling at you? Please don’t be upset with him. He did it for me. I’ll take his punishment if I need to.” I heard Mako’s boots scuff across the floor and suddenly he was standing so close to me.

  He reached over my shoulder into the cabinet, pressing his chest against my back. As he picked up his cup, he leaned into me and whispered in my ear, “No one’s in trouble and no one’s getting punished. Unless you want me to punish you… do you want me to punish you, baby? Just how bad were you last night?” With that, he licked the shell of my ear and my whole body shuddered. I couldn’t breathe. So, I leaned back into his chest and a deep moan escaped me.

  Placing one hand on my hip and using the other to put the cup on the counter, Mako turned me to face him. I looked at his chest because I couldn’t bear to see the hurt still in his eyes. A tear ran down my cheek and he used his free hand to wipe it away. He put his finger under my chin and tried to pull my face up to look him in the eyes. I just shook my head and closed my eyes. “I’m so sorry Mako, I never meant to hurt you. Before you left, I tried to explain. I’d never reject you. It’s all new to me. I didn’t know.” I tried my best to hold in the sob and failed.

  “Nope, we’re not gonna do this through tears, baby. The one who is sorry is me. I got stuff in my past that reared its ugly head and caused me to doubt both of us. I sorted it out and I’ve no intention of letting you reject me.” After opening my eyes, I looked into his. I saw no pain. Only love and understanding. For me. Owen was right. He was mine, and I was his.

  Reaching up, I put my arms around his neck. “I know we need to talk, but will you kiss me, Mako? I missed you more than I thought possible.” He wrapped his arms around me and consumed my mouth. Starting slowly and softly, growing more firm by the second. By the time I parted my lips and let him in, he was growling possessively from his chest.

  As quickly as it started, it ended, leaving me breathless and leaning on the counter to stay upright. Goddess, my mate could kiss. “You’re right, we need to talk. If we keep this up, the only talking that’s gonna happen is you screaming my name while I’m buried in you.” He grabbed the cup from the counter and went to the coffeepot.

  I shrugged one shoulder and mumbled, “I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”

  “I heard that, and I wholeheartedly agree, so we need to get this out of the way.” Taking my hand, he pulled me over to the sofa and into his lap. “Need you here, need to touch you.”

  I turned in his lap so I could lean into his shoulder and look him in the face. “Owen explained to me a bit of shifter history and about fated mates. Everything in my soul tells me you’re mine and I’m yours. I just don’t know what to do about it. I don’t think I want to live without you and I’m not sure I can stay in this town with the Mossdales here. I don’t think they’ll ever let me go, even if I offer to sign over everything I’ll have. Please tell me you have an idea.”

  “I do, baby, and it doesn’t involve you losing anything, including me. I KNOW you’re my fated and that scared the shit out of me last night. There’s stuff I need to tell you about my past. It’s not all good, but it’s stuff you need to know before you decide if you want to be tied to me for life. You willing to listen?” I kissed his cheek and nodded. “Well, first off, I hate myself for it, but you’re not the first man I’ve ever been in love with.” My breath hitched. “Nope, it happened years and years ago, baby. It’s long over and done with.”

  “Where is he now?” I needed to know if some man was going to return and try to rekindle Mako’s feelings for him. My heart couldn’t take it.

  “I don’t know. I’ve had Gates looking for him for years and as good as he is, he’s never been able to find where he went.” My heart squeezed tight in my chest.

  “Why look for him if he left you?” I needed to know.

  “Well, what happened is…” The longer Mako talked, the angrier I got. By the time he finished his story, my fists were balled in rage, and I was ready to take it upon myself to find this Pacey fucker and destroy him. “Calm down baby, Pacey better hope I find him before Bear does. I’ll just end him quickly. Bear would make him suffer in unimaginable ways before he let him die. Then he’d try to revive him so he could do it again and again.” He let out a laugh.

  “Well, I wasn’t completely sure, but now I’m positive I like Bear. Him and me could be great friends.” I giggled into his chest.

  “Yeah, if you woulda seen Owen going after me this morning, you’d think you have your own Bear wrapped in a tiny package. That boy was vicious. I was a little scared.” I giggled even harder. “Bear’s more than my friend though baby, Bear is my brother in every way but blood. We’ve been together since 6th grade.”

  I thought on that a moment. “Is he another fated to you?” Not that I had seen any attraction when he spoke of Bear or when they were around one another.

  “Nope, nothing like that. We’ve been apart for weeks at a time and there is no pull beyond missing his friendship. Pacey tried his hardest to drive a wedge between us for a while. Bear never liked him and never trusted him.” So, Bear was just my mate’s best friend. I’d make him one of mine, too. I prayed to the goddess that he liked me. “I see that look on your face. Bear is gonna love you. Not as much as I do, of course, but almost as much.”

  Shock hit my senses, and I froze. “Y-y-you love me?” Running his hand along my jaw, he nodded his head, and I cried.

  “Baby, I’m sorry. I know it’s too soon, but it’s how I feel, and I’ll hide nothing from you. I won’t say it again until you’re ready to hear it, I promise.” I couldn’t speak. I just cried and shook my head. “Calm down Theo, it’s gonna be OK, baby. Breathe for me. In and out, in and out. That’s it.” Slowly, I calmed enough to speak.

  “Ten years Mako. It’s been ten years since anyone said that to me. Poppy was the last one to say it to me before he died. I know it’s fast, maybe too fast, but… I love you too. I think I did the first time you kissed me.” He kissed me again. There was no gentle this time. It was deep and rough. He was pushing every bit of love into his lips and tongue. “Show me Eddie, show me how much you love me.” I moaned between breaths.

  “Theodore Mossdale, if I show you, it won’t be gentle. I’m not sure I can hold back. I’m going to claim you and make you mine.” Well then, he made his intentions clear.

  I pulled away and shook my head at him. “Not a Mossdale, never felt like one. I’m a, wait, what’s your last name?” I cocked my head to the side and giggled. We were doing this backwards, but it felt right.