Chapter Nine

Alton forced himself to sink into the plush loveseat in his brother’s living room. Austin was five years older than him, but the two of them had always been close, especially since their older brother Antoine had been a strange guy for as long as Alton could remember.

Strange wasn’t a very realistic term anymore after everything they now knew about Antoine, but hindsight was doing no one any good.

Alton was not looking forward to this chat with Austin. Not even close. But he totally understood Nuria’s position. He couldn’t expect her to keep this secret from her mate.

Alton shuddered when he considered how many secrets he was keeping from his mate. A permanent headache had formed behind his right eye as a result. If he didn’t make some serious life changes soon, he would lose his mind.

On the plus side of outing his secret relationship to Austin, perhaps his brother would have some advice. It wasn’t like Alton had anyone else to talk to. He’d been living in a very lonely world for four months. Or, if he was honest, most of his life.

Austin stepped into the room from behind Alton and tapped his shoulder with a cold beer. “You look like you could use a drink.”

Alton took the bottle and glanced at the label. It was a light ale from one of the newer lines. “I feel like I could use a keg.”

Austin lowered himself onto the couch and set his elbows on his knees. “I’ve noticed you’ve been stressed lately. More so than usual, I mean. Is something going on with you?”

Alton glanced at his brother as Nuria joined her mate on the couch. Instead of getting right to the point, he dodged the real question with a plausible answer. “This shit with the new launch is probably getting to me. It seems like every ten minutes Vinson barges into my office to double-check something with me.”

Vinson was their cousin. The man was thirty-six, but most days he seemed significantly younger than Alton, who was twenty-five. He was an uptight sort of guy.

Austin sighed, rubbing his neck and then leaning back. “I hear ya. It’s overwhelming. I’m exhausted.”

Nuria set her hand on her mate’s thigh, but her gaze was on Alton, her wide eyes imploring him to speak.

Austin continued, not noticing his mate’s gesture. “The worst part is keeping this shit from Isaiah. We’ve been friends for fifteen years. Granted, no one knew that until recently, but we’ve never fought. We’re like brothers in some ways.”

Alton stared at his brother. There was no comparison between the relationship Austin had with his friend and the one Alton had with his own mate. For the millionth time, Alton wanted to fall into a crack in the floor and escape.

“Not that I mean to diminish the relationship I have with you, of course, but Isaiah and I are the same age, and he’s always been there for me when I needed him most.”

“Yeah. I get that.” Alton sighed. It shouldn’t bother him that Austin had such a great friend in Isaiah Arthur. After all, the two of them had indirectly and unknowingly bonded over the actions of Antoine fifteen years ago.

What bothered Alton most was that Austin and Isaiah had managed to out themselves as friends recently and now enjoyed the ability to see each other freely in public without enduring too much ridicule.

If it weren’t for the damn family feud, Alton himself would not be sitting in his brother’s home about to spill his inner secrets on a Sunday evening. He’d be in his own home snuggled up on the couch with his own mate watching reruns or old movies on television. A home he had yet to build because he didn’t want to do it without Joselyn’s input.

Alton had declined the offer of moving back in with his parents when he returned from U of C. Instead, he’d gotten an apartment in Silvertip and had lived there alone for the past two years. There was no way he could ever have a roommate. His disposition was often not the best, a product of sexual frustration above all else.

“Tell him,” Nuria urged into Alton’s mind. “It can’t be that bad. Like he just said, his best friend in the world is her brother. He's not going to judge you.”

She had a point. It wasn’t so much that Alton was afraid to tell Austin about Joselyn. It was deeper than that. This would be the first time he admitted the relationship existed to anyone. Earlier in the afternoon with Nuria had been the first time anyone in the world had noticed and approached him.

He was still a little freaked out by her sixth sense. If she, a near stranger, could pick up on his feelings, how many other people had or would in the future?

None. Because he was never with Joselyn in public. The first time in two years they had seen each other when anyone else was in the vicinity had been that day two weeks ago. And neither of them would have chosen to be in the same room that day. It had happened out of their control.

Before Alton had a chance to bare his soul, Austin spoke again. “I’m so worried about what this is going to do to Isaiah tomorrow that it’s affecting my sleep. My hands are shaking.” He held one out to demonstrate.

Nuria wrapped her fingers around his in a sweet attempt to soothe her mate.

Alton couldn’t help but smile at how happy he was for his brother, in spite of his jealousy. Besides, Austin had inadvertently given him the perfect opportunity to segue this conversation into the reason Alton was sitting in Austin’s living room in the first place.

Nuria knew it too because she shot Alton a wide-eyed look.

With a deep breath, Alton jumped right in. “Hey, at least Isaiah is just a close friend. Imagine if your mate was a member of the Arthur pack.”

Austin laughed. “That would totally suck. I don’t think any relationship could survive the catastrophe tomorrow will bring to the Arthurs. Not even one that was already bound together.” He glanced at Nuria, who stared at him with a solemn expression.

Alton held his breath while he waited for his brother to realize what he’d just heard.

Austin furrowed his brow, still staring at Nuria. “What? Did I say something wrong?” He slid his gaze to Alton and then froze, his mouth hanging open.

Alton didn’t move a muscle. He didn’t even blink. He couldn’t have spoken out loud if he wanted to anyway. He was choked up, emotions bubbling to the surface. The last thing he wanted to do was break down in his brother’s living room.

He hadn’t cried since he’d broken his arm in first grade. Not that he didn’t feel emotions. He felt them deeply, especially when it came to Joselyn, but he always managed to hold them intact. Hide from those around him. Divert his thoughts.

This was huge, though. Revealing a lifelong secret for the first time made the entire thing so real it hurt deeply. An indescribable pain caused a tight knot in his stomach and a lump in his throat. The beer he held precariously in his hand threatened to slip through his grasp and slide to the floor.

Time stood still. Interminable seconds.

Austin finally closed his mouth and licked his lips. “Please tell me I’m misunderstanding.”

“I wish I could.” Alton had no idea how he managed to form those words. They were gravelly, but he spoke them.

“Who?” Austin frowned as Alton imagined him searching his mind for the possibilities.

“Joselyn.” Alton let out a long breath as soon as her name left his lips. Like a huge weight had somehow been halfway lifted from his chest, he felt a new pressure behind his eyes. He set his bottle on the floor with shaky hands and closed his eyes while he rubbed his temples, trying to rein in the need to start crying.

“Oh, God. Alton…” His brother’s voice was strained. Filled with sorrow.

Nuria spoke into Alton’s head. “It’s going to be okay. I promise. You’re doing fine.”

Alton blinked his eyes open to look at her. “Why don’t I believe you?”

“Because you’re scared. It’s like a raw wound. But you’ll get through this.”

Alton tipped his face toward the floor. God, he hoped she was right. It didn’t seem possible at the moment, but he prayed there was merit to her kind words.

“How long?” Austin cleared his throat. “I mean, how long have you known? Oh, shit. We were all at Mom and Dad’s two weeks ago. She was there. Is that when you met?”

The sardonic, horrified noise that escaped Alton’s mouth shocked even himself. “I wish. Things would be so simple if that were the case.” He lifted his face to find Austin’s concerned expression, his brows drawn tight together.

Austin groaned. “Oh, God. I’m so sorry.” He glanced at Nuria. “I’m such an ass. How did I not know this?”

“Wasn’t your fault. Don’t be ridiculous,” Alton added. “I kept it from everyone. The only reason I’m coming clean with you now is because your mate sensed it and didn’t want to keep a secret from you.”

Austin wrapped his arm around Nuria and pulled her closer to his side. At least he didn’t appear to be mad. That was the last thing Alton wanted. “So, it’s been a while? Did you run into her somewhere after you moved back here?”

Alton shook his head. “I’ve known since I was about nine. So has she.” He smiled before adding, “And we both went to U of C together. We enjoyed a friendship of sorts. That’s why I took so long to finish my degree. I was dragging my feet to draw out the time we had.”

Austin’s eyes widened farther. “Holy fuck. You spent all that time with her? And didn’t bind her to you? And then moved back here? How the hell is that even possible? You’ve been back two years.”

Alton sighed. “I didn’t say it was easy. It’s a giant mess. We’re miserable.”

“When do you even see her?”

“Not often. We sneak away. There’s a spot where we meet. Except this time of year, it’s fucking cold, and we can’t stay long. We speak on the phone several days a week…” He let his voice trail off. It was too painful to paint that picture.

Austin’s expression turned to one of sheer horror. He absentmindedly threaded his fingers in his mate’s hair and pressed her head against his chest. Understandable. “That cabin…” His voice trailed off a moment. “That’s why you knew where to find Nuria. You meet Joselyn at that cabin, don’t you?”

Alton nodded. “We used to sometimes. But not since that day. Can’t risk it now that so many people are aware of the place. We have another spot. A small cave higher up the mountain.”

Austin’s eyes were wide as he nodded slowly, obviously stunned. He had to be imagining himself in Alton’s shoes.

Crazy, since he hadn’t lived a life true to himself, either. Alton decided to point this out. “You do realize that you spent fifteen years separated from Nuria only to get her back a few weeks ago. I can’t imagine that kind of pain and daily torture any more than you can picture mine. Fate dealt us both a rotten hand.”

Austin shook his head. “Not the same thing at all. I hadn’t slept with Nuria. That’s inconceivable, Alton.”

“You’re right. Even though it is my life, I find it unimaginable most days.”

“Why the hell did you do this? You could have bound together and told the world to go fuck themselves years ago.” In a different situation, it might have been almost comical the way Austin reached across his body with his other hand and wrapped Nuria even tighter against him.

Nuria permitted the odd treatment, probably realizing her mate had no idea he was reacting so violently to the news and expressing it by holding what was most dear to him closer. Her lips were pursed. Her eyes held a slight twinkle.

Alton jerked his gaze back to his brother. “Trust me, I considered it multiple times. It’s complicated, but you have to understand, until recently we never acted on the pull between us. We rarely spoke of it. Joselyn refused. To keep the peace between us, I kept my lips shut most of the time.”

“You weren’t together while you were at U of C? I mean together together?”

Alton shook his head. “Nope. Never touched her. Literally.”

Austin shook his head again. “That’s fucked up. That’s no way to live.”

Alton shrugged. “In the end, we discussed the possibilities. Our parents paid a lot of money for us to go to U of C. We felt we owed them the respect of returning and helping with our respective family businesses. Besides, you also have to realize this decision was made two years ago when neither of our parents was even on speaking terms with the other.

“Since we both felt a strong sense of family loyalty, it would have been painful to lose everyone we loved. We had no way of knowing if we would be entirely banished or not. You know how tight the bond to the pack is. It smothers me most days. Knowing in my heart how hard it would be for me, a grown man, to have Mom and Dad turn their backs on me, I couldn’t begin to imagine what that would do to Joselyn.

“We just didn’t know. We never tested the waters. All we had to go on was instinct. So we made this choice. We moved back here. We rarely spoke of it. Joselyn preferred to pretend we weren’t meant to be together. And now…”

“And now shit is about to hit the fan, and holy fuck, you must be close to pulling all your hair out.”

“Yes.”

“Shit. Does she know about tomorrow’s launch?”

Alton shook his head. “Of course not.” He wiped his hands on his jeans, cringing for the millionth time at the giant secret he kept from her.

So many times he’d wanted to tell her about the plans his brewery had. He’d been working on it for months now, and it would have been nice to share his excitement with his mate, but that was never an option. For one, Joselyn was not bound to him. For two, sharing company plans with the competitor was pure stupidity. But what if that competitor was the most important person in your life?

His loyalty was so conflicted lately that he couldn’t sleep well. It wasn’t as if he was involved in something illegal, but most days he felt like he was strangling himself with the guilt. So what if his brewery was launching an innovative new product? Of course, they wouldn’t share that information with anyone. Of course, the entire plan would be tightly guarded.

But Joselyn was his mate. And this launch would undoubtedly hurt her.

Austin groaned. “I wouldn’t want to be you tomorrow.”

“I don’t even want to be me tomorrow.” Alton picked up his beer and took another long drink. He leaned back in the cushions. That pretty much summed up the entire saga. There was little else to say. It wasn’t as though Austin could solve this problem, and certainly not in the next twelve hours before all hell broke loose.

The sound of an approaching car made everyone sit taller.

“Are we expecting someone else?” Austin asked his mate.

Nuria chewed on her bottom lip. “I might have invited Joselyn to stop by and help me choose what classes to take at university.”

Alton jumped to his feet as the car door opened, confirming what Nuria just admitted. Joselyn’s scent was right outside.

Austin twisted to stare at his mate. “You did what? Why?” His voice rose.

She winced. “Well, I was only thinking of the star-crossed lovers and getting them together and fixing this wrong. I didn’t consider the implications of what your stupid launch tomorrow would mean to the two of them.”

Austin groaned as he too stood.

Alton’s heart pounded. His hands started sweating, and he felt a flush race up his face. Joselyn was getting closer. He could feel her presence outside. He even knew when she hesitated, the moment she undoubtedly realized he was inside the house.

She didn’t communicate with him though, which made him nervous. Although to be fair, he didn’t reach out to her, either.

When her knock sounded too softly on the front door, Austin rushed to answer.

Alton couldn’t move. He remained standing right where he was as the door opened to reveal the reason for his existence standing on the porch.

She looked shell-shocked but somehow managed to keep her gaze on Austin as she spoke in a choked voice. “Hi. Uh, Nuria asked me to come by. She said she needed help making university choices?” Obviously, Joselyn hardly understood the reason for her visit.

Even though Alton couldn’t see his brother’s face, he still knew he rolled his eyes as he opened the door wider. “Come in.”

Nuria stood. “Hey,” she said.

Joselyn looked like she might faint. He couldn’t blame her. She’d been ambushed, and so far she didn’t even know it, so she was trying to pretend she didn’t know Alton as anyone more than a passing relative of Austin’s.

Alton needed to fix the imbalance of knowledge first and foremost. “Baby, we’ve been tricked.” He swallowed to clear his throat before continuing. “I think Nuria believed an intervention was needed to get us together.”

Joselyn’s face turned a darker shade of red than what Alton felt his own skin must look like. She stood two feet inside the house without moving while Austin closed the door.

Alton found his feet and raced across the room to pull her into his arms.

She slumped against him. He tugged her coat off her arms and dropped it on the floor at their feet before cupping her face and holding her a few inches back.

She blinked huge, questioning eyes.

“They know.”

“How…?” She cleared her throat. “How did they find out?”

“Nuria must have some sort of mate radar or something,” he teased, trying to lighten the mood in the room. “She saw us looking at each other two weeks ago at my parents’ house. She was the one who confronted me earlier today when I had to hang up on you.”

Joselyn still looked shocked. She didn’t speak. Finally, her hands wrapped around his middle and squeezed as a tear slid down her face. “I’m sorry.”

Nuria interrupted the moment. “Oh, God. Please don’t apologize. You misunderstand. I was only trying to help. Nothing leaves this room.”

Austin spoke next. “She’s right. You two obviously need a safe place to meet, and you need to figure out a way to move forward. This has to stop. It’s unnatural. It hurts me just hearing about it. Nuria and I will go out for a while, shift and go for a hike, and give you a chance to talk…or, uh, whatever.”

Without taking his gaze off Joselyn, Alton sensed his brother and Nuria shuffling around the room until the sliding door off the kitchen opened and closed quickly.

Austin reached out to Alton. “Guest room. First door on the right.”

Alton wanted to smile at the implication, but the moment was too serious for that yet.

“Are you mad?” Joselyn finally asked, tentatively.

He flinched. “God no. Baby, no.” He held her head tighter and kissed her lips, forcing himself not to devour her just yet. They needed to talk first. Fuck after. “First of all, this isn’t your fault. Secondly, I trust my brother and his mate to keep this under wraps until we’re ready to tell everyone. And thirdly, he’s right. We can’t live like this.”

“Okay, that last part isn’t news.” She lowered her hands down his back and slid them under his shirt. When her palms flattened on his skin, he sucked in a breath. Even though her hands were cold, her touch was welcoming. It never failed to calm him.

“So Nuria isn’t going to university?” she asked out of left field as if the reason for her being there hadn’t fully sunk in.

Alton chuckled. “I’m sure she is, but I don’t think she needs your help.”

Joselyn nodded. “It’s not like she would move to Calgary and leave Austin here working in Silvertip. I should have realized how stupid that sounded.”

Alton’s cock stiffened more by the second. He wished he could keep the little head from taking over. It wasn’t reasonable for Alton to continually fuck the living daylights out of Joselyn the moment they got together as if she meant nothing more to him than a good lay.

But that was usually what happened. They had so few precious hours together, and they wasted none of them. This unexpected bonus union had Alton bursting with the need to be inside her.

And God bless his brother for thoroughly understanding and getting out of the house so Alton could have sex with his mate.

He tried to tamp down the arousal by gritting his teeth. So many things needed to be said. He didn’t even know where to start.

Joselyn tipped her head to one side, a renewed flush creeping up her cheeks. “Do you think you’re the only one who feels the need to fuck first and talk after?”

“What?” Her words shocked him.

She rolled her eyes. “Alton, I’m as horny as you are when we get in the same space. You don’t need to hold back on my account out of some misplaced desire to be chivalrous. Before I can concentrate, I need your hands on me. Everywhere. Now.” She gripped his back with her fingertips to emphasize her words.

Relieved, Alton swung her up into his arms and plodded toward the guest room without taking his gaze off her. She was here. In his arms. In real life. He could enjoy at least a few hours with her before he had to let her go again.

He stuffed his concerns for what the future held for them to the back of his mind. Their problems could wait. Although he knew the fork in the road was wide and dismal, all that mattered at the moment was making love to Joselyn.