“Noah, calm the fuck down. Let me pull over.” Beau was speeding back to Arrowtown, having been away from his mate for far too long in his opinion. Okay, it’d been six hours, but that was long enough. He was hoping to catch Liam working, and maybe share a meal with him on his break. He did appreciate a man in uniform. But here he was, two miles from the Arrowtown limits and he had a raving brother yelling in his ear.

“All right. I’m parked. Now start again.”

“Have you seen their video?”

“Who’s video? What are you talking about?”

“The one your mate’s pack did a couple of months ago as a fundraiser at that damn pub in town.”

Beau searched his memory. Liam mentioned something about a strip tease show the men did to help raise money for a charity fundraiser Darwin had organized. That was the night Simon had been taken and Liam met Theo. “I heard about it, but I haven’t seen it. What’s wrong with it?”

“What’s wrong?” Noah screeched. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong. It’s porn, that’s what it is. Fucking porn and what’s worse, is it’s on YouTube. It’s had over fifteen million views.”

Beau suppressed a chuckle. “I’m not surprised about the views but it’s hardly porn if it’s on YouTube. You have to admit the pack are a bunch of sexy looking men. But I’m not worried about what my mate did before he met me. Hell, if I’d have known him then, I would’ve joined in. It was all good fun. They raised a lot of money that night.”

“I can’t believe you’re saying that. They’re taking off their clothes, shaking their booties all over the place, in front of a drunken audience.”

Beau settled his cock that got hard at the visual his brain helpfully supplied. “Sounds like fun. I’ll have to watch it when I get home.”

“Don’t you fucking dare.” Beau looked at his phone, wondering what on earth had shoved itself up Noah’s butt and died. “There’s no way I’m letting you or anyone else see this…this….”

“Sexy shenanigans?” Beau laughed. “Bro, I appreciate the concern I really do. But Liam and I are solid. I’m thrilled to hear he can dance. And as for other people seeing it, why the hell should that bother me? Liam’s mine. Claimed. I’m kinda proud people find him so attractive.”

“He’s taking his shirt off. Fuck, he’s ripped. Slapping his ass. Fuck, look at him.”

Beau growled. “I really don’t think it’s appropriate for you to be watching my mate and thinking sexy thoughts about him even if you are my brother.”

“I’m not watching your mate I’m watching….” Noah stopped suddenly.

“Who?” Dead silence. All of a sudden, a whole stack of jumbled puzzle pieces fell into place. The way Noah disappeared when Beau needed him. The fact that while Noah became a damn nuisance while he and Liam were on vacation, he didn’t once indicate he’d visit Arrowtown. In fact, he’d made it plain he couldn’t go to Arrowtown. “One of those men in the pack is your mate, isn’t he?”

More silence.

“Noah, I’ll beat it out of you if I have to, or even better, I’ll ask one of them. Who the fuck have you walked away from?” Beau’s heart sank as he remembered something Liam had said the night before about how worried he was about his brother. “Please tell me it’s not Lucien. Anyone but Lucien.”

A sigh was his only reply.

Beau’s grip tightened on his phone. “Noah Ferris, you get your ass back to Arrowtown right this second. I don’t give a shit about father’s rules or what’s meant to happen when a phoenix meets his mate. Lucien is fucking pining for you. Liam’s worried sick about him. He doesn’t go out. He barely smiles, he hardly eats, and this is all your fault. I could kick your ass from one end of the fucking country and back again for putting my brother in law through this. What the hell were you thinking?”

“I’m scared.”

Beau flopped back against the driver’s seat. He hadn’t even realized he’d been leaning forward. Calming his breath, he rubbed his baby bump. “What are you scared of, Noah?”

“Look what happened when your mates met and parted and you didn’t wait. Liam killed your other mate.”

“Theo was possessed by a demon. My other mate, as you called him, didn’t exist even before I met him. He was dead the moment he gave up his animal spirit. No one could’ve foreseen that, not even the Fates. I told you all that. Imagine if Liam had to cope with that on his own. If I hadn’t claimed him, he’d be dead and this little one inside of me wouldn’t exist. Can you imagine how horrible my life would be then?”

“It’s still scary,” Noah sighed. “You spend over a century having rules drummed into your head and then bam, a mate comes along and suddenly those ideas should be thrown out the window? How do I know Lucien’s worth the risk?”

“If you have to ask, then you don’t deserve him,” Beau said bluntly. “From all I’ve seen Lucien is a good man. He’s kind, cares for children and fills out his jeans as well as any man. He was the one with the strength to look after Liam when they’d been kicked out of their pride. I owe him a lifetime of gratitude for that.”

“I miss him,” Noah confessed. “I shift at night and fly over the pack house just so I can be close to him.”

“Do you feel a tug towards another mate as well?”

“No, but then Luc would already be with him, if they’d found each other.”

“So, you do know your mate and in that case, you already know you’re hurting him every second you’re away from him. His animal will be pining for you. Think about it, Noah. We’re immortal. Your second mate might not have even been born yet. Are you going to let Lucien spend the next twenty or thirty years in pain, or would you rather have twenty to thirty years of mated bliss with a guy you can’t stop thinking about?”

There was another long silence. “I’ve been an idiot, haven’t I?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

Noah laughed.

“What did you tell Lucien when he sent you the video? How did you respond?”

“I didn’t. I was just so damn jealous seeing him laughing and showing off his sexy body and having fun, I rang the only person I could talk to about it.”

“And what are you going to do now?”

“Tell your mate not to worry if he doesn’t see his brother for a while. There’s no way in hell, I’m claiming him in that pack house. We’ll be going to a hotel.”

Leaning his head back, Beau roared with laughter. “It’s not so bad when you get used it.”

“Yeah, which is why you’ve been looking at houses to buy. Don’t bullshit me, bro.”

“I know, and with Lucien claimed and living elsewhere, I’ll have a better chance of encouraging Liam to do the same. Although, Brutus makes some damn good chicken wings.” Beau’s stomach rumbled. “Speaking of which, I’d better go. I found some great offices in Jackson if you’re interested in sharing, and Noah?”

“Yes.”

“Congratulations on your mating, bro.”

“Thanks.” Noah disconnected the call and Beau saw he’d received a message while he’d been talking. From Liam.

Did you know Noah is Lucien’s mate?

Finger’s flying, Beau text back, He just told me. Leave them alone. Promise all will be well by nightfall. Missing you xx.

Love you xx.

Beau stared at the screen. Two simple words in black and white. Well, yellow and blue because that was his message colors, but fuck! Letting out a loud whoop and a hell yeah, Beau got his car started and took off into town. He wasn’t worried about being pulled over for speeding. In fact, it could be fun. After all, his mate was an officer of the law and Beau was silly enough to do anything to spend time with him. Even pay for a ticket.