“Yup.” My wolf pushed to get out again, and I clenched my fists as I pushed him back down.
My brother’s gaze drifted down to my hands, and his wolf flashed in his dark orbs when he saw how white my knuckles were. “Maybe you should give him what he wants. Go for a run or something.”
I considered his suggestion before shaking my head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. If I give him free rein, I’m not sure I can hold him in check. The last thing our pack needs is for my beast to draw the wrong kind of attention if he does something stupid.”
“Yeah, Kace may have forgiven us for being idiots back when he met Larissa, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t kick your ass if your wolf fucked up,” Cason agreed.
I cringed at the reminder of how we’d first reacted to our alpha’s human mate. My brother and I had still been reeling from Aaron going lone wolf after he’d been rejected by the only woman he could ever love. The wound had been too fresh for us to think clearly. When a young female member of our pack who’d looked up to our brother had tried to turn our pack against Larissa, we’d said some stupid shit before we’d come to our senses. Cason and I were damn lucky that Kace had been willing to forgive us for being dumb asses. His ability to empathize with what we’d been going through—even while experiencing the early stages of his mating, which messed with any shifter’s ability to think clearly—was one of the many things that made him such a great alpha. “So we’re in agreement; letting my wolf out right now isn't an option.”
“Yeah.” Cason scrubbed his hands over his face before leaning his head back to stare up at the ceiling. When I walked past him to put the leftovers in the fridge, he patted my shoulder. His touch was meant to be supportive, but I barely held back from flinging his arm away. A deep growl rumbled up my chest, and every muscle in my body tensed up as I fought my wolf for control. My brother stepped back and held his hands up in surrender. “Shit, you weren’t joking when you said you’re on edge.”
“Not even a little bit,” I gritted out before taking a deep breath. I’d expected it to help relax me, but as I dragged air into my lungs, my wolf gave another hard push for freedom. “Something’s very wrong with me, Cason.”
“Then there’s only one thing to do.” He pushed off the counter and headed toward the kitchen door, pausing to look at me over his shoulder and gesture ahead of him. “Let’s go to Kace’s house to see if he has any ideas about what’s going on with your wolf.”
His suggestion made sense. Our alpha was the only person who’d be able to keep my wolf contained if he was able to break my control. “Good call.”
“You never know. Maybe being outside will do your wolf some good,” my brother added after I passed him, and he followed me through our house.
Cason couldn’t have been more wrong. My wolf went crazy when we stepped on the front porch. I caught the faintest trace of a scent that made my heart race. “Not fucking likely.”
He stuck close to me while we walked down the street but remained silent, which was a good thing because I wasn’t sure I could speak. It took every bit of my concentration to keep my human form as we made our way to the street where our alpha lived. My wolf was frantic to get out by the time we were in front of Tane’s. I didn’t recognize the car parked in his driveway, but something about it made me stop. The license plate holder marked the vehicle as a rental, and I recalled Tane saying something about one of his sisters coming to watch his kids while he and Calliope took a trip to celebrate their anniversary.
“You okay?”
Cason’s question pulled me from my visual inspection of the car. “No.”
“Is your wolf unhappy about having another tiger in town?” He jerked his thumb toward the front door of Tane’s house. “Maybe he’s feeling protective because he senses Trinity’s dislike for our pack or something?”
“Trinity?” I echoed softly, my wolf perking up at the name.
“Yeah, she’s Tane’s other sister. The one who almost never visits because she blames us for him leaving New York,” he explained.
My wolf’s attention shifted from the car to my brother, and he wasn’t happy that Cason seemed to know her when I didn’t. “Have you met her?”
“Yes,” he confirmed with a nod. “I bumped into her at the hospital after Rush was born. It’s one of the rare times she’s come to Timber Ridge.”
I took a deep breath, and the scent that had been teasing my nostrils while we walked became stronger. The reason behind my wolf’s attempts at breaking through my skin finally became clear. My mate was close.
Shifting my gaze to the house, I stalked away from the car. I didn’t stop when Cason called, “Where are you going? Kace’s house is the other way.”
I ignored him as I stormed up the steps and pounded on the front door. With my wolf at full attention, my senses were in hyperdrive. I heard Tane mutter something about motherfuckers waking up his babies as he stomped over to open the door.
“Where is she?” I demanded, pushing past him into the house. My mate’s scent was stronger here. For the first time in my life, desire coursed through my veins. As I dragged her fragrance deep into my lungs, my cock hardened and pushed against my zipper.
Tane grabbed my shoulder, twisting me around until I was facing him again. “What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Where. Is. She?” Being this close to my mate pushed me to the edge of my control, and I had to force the words out.
Before he could answer, Calliope and another woman rushed into the foyer. My gaze focused on the brunette at Tane’s mate’s side. She was fucking gorgeous with her long dark hair flowing down her back. Her brown eyes were wide, a startling contrast to her pale skin. Even though she must have spent the day traveling, her expertly applied makeup still enhanced her beauty. Her lips were painted red and formed a perfect O. I couldn’t tear my gaze away from her.
“I know you aren’t talking about my sister, Damon,” Tane snarled. “She’s just here watching the kids while Calliope and I take a brief trip. Then she’s leaving.”
No fucking way was that ever going to happen. Not unless I left with her. “Like hell.”
“Who do you think you are?” My beautiful mate’s eyes practically sparked with indignation, and it only made my cock harder. I fucking loved how fierce she was, but I didn’t like how high her walls against me seemed to be.
As a shifter, she would know the answer to her question if she pulled my scent into her lungs or touched me. But her body language was closed off, and her expression was blank. Obviously, she didn’t want to discover what I already knew to be true, and it freaked me the fuck out. I’d thought I understood the pain Aaron had gone through when he’d been rejected by his fated mate, but now that I’d met my own, I finally got how much deeper his soul had been wounded. The pull to her was strong, and it felt as though I was being drawn toward her as I stepped forward. Keeping my eyes locked on hers, refusing to let her drop her gaze and deny what we were to each other, I growled, “Your mate.”
Two shocked voices echoed my announcement while Trinity’s hand came up to cover her mouth. She held utterly still while we stared at each other.