Chapter Four
The tea was still steaming.
Tristen stared at it, wondering if he should put it away or just leave. He hadn’t expected that Serena would move so fast with Robert. The way she had acted when she came to him that day… He thought it was something that she was going to delay, to get to know him better. It really shouldn’t have taken him so long to figure out what they were doing… And in all honesty, he shouldn’t even be here while they were upstairs.
It would be so easy, though, to call them down claiming to have important information about security. After all, Serena had asked him to stick around until the games were over. It was reasonable to assume that he was still interested in her safety. Which he was…
What the hell had he been thinking?
Tristen pressed his fingers to his temples. After the games and celebrations were over, he had considered that his presence here might be unwelcome. But he had come, thinking that it might help Serena to have a more familiar face with her. Now he couldn’t help but think this whole thing was a terrible idea. Not just coming over here, but encouraging Robert to fight in the games in the first place.
He knew it shouldn’t matter. He should just be glad that she was with someone who was a good kid, someone who would treat her with respect. Not have this tightness in his chest, trying to breathe through the knots.
Serena’s feelings for him were just a crush. She didn’t have the experience to know what to do with relationships, or even what to do with a crush. It was the right decision, not to act on what she had asked of him. To let her discover this with her mate. It was what was best for her.
But the thought of Robert and her twined together made the tightness in his chest squeeze his heart. His bear snarled and paced. It wanted to go up there, drag Robert out and tell him never to come back. The stupid beast. Serena wouldn’t be up there if she hadn’t already decided that she wanted to be there. With him.
My little brother, he reminded himself.
There was a loud bang from upstairs, making him jump. His bear let out a plaintive moan as he looked up. He could just see him, lying in bed, giggling after Serena accidentally kicked the lamp over. Then he thought about where Robert’s head would be and where their clothes wouldn’t be and his bear roared. He clenched his fist, nails biting into his palm.
This was for the best. Robert was her age. He was a good kid and would treat her with kindness and respect. He’d protect her. He’d keep her safe and serve as an emotional support. Tristen couldn’t think of anybody better to do the job. This jealousy was ridiculous. What he was feeling was just protectiveness. It wasn’t that he wished he had accepted her request to teach her about sex and men. It was just that he’d spent months working to protect her and her family, and those protective feelings were still there.
It was just that he thought of Serena as a little sister and wanted to protect her.
His bear snorted. Yeah, he didn’t believe it in the least. There was nothing brotherly in his feelings towards her. It was jealousy, pure and simple. He wanted to be the one with his hands caressing her velvet skin, to have his tongue flick over her nipples to harden them, his touch making her back arch and pulse flutter.
And he couldn’t. Even if she didn’t have a mate now, he couldn’t ever be like that with her. If he was capable of taking a mate, he’d have one already. No, all his bear wanted was a quick romp and Serena was worth far more than that.
And he had no right to be here, either.
Tristen turned his back on the steeping tea. It had been a mistake to come here in the first place. The new mates should be given space to get to know each other, and having him there wasn’t going to help at all. He headed for the door, shaking his head at how stupid he had been.
When he yanked open the door, someone stood on the other side. Tristen jumped. He cursed, pressing a hand to his chest. Marcus Haught, who was head of security for the matriarch’s detail thanks to his connections with a motorcycle club that could serve as unofficial and official security, stood on the other side. His eyes widened.
“What are you doing here, Cade?”
“I… came to check on Serena and my brother. I wanted to see if there was anything that they needed.”
Marcus grunted. He pushed his way in. Tristen narrowed his eyes but didn’t comment on the other bear’s rudeness. Marcus had a new tattoo on his forearm, a picture of himself, his mate, and their little girl. Another stir of jealousy. Tristen never thought he’d want a mate… so why was he jealous that someone else had a mate and child when he didn’t?
“I need to talk with Serena and her new mate,” Marcus said. “Where are they?”
“Upstairs.”
Marcus headed for the stairs, but Tristen jumped in front of him. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I said I needed to talk with them.”
Tristen rolled his eyes. Even though his bear roared at him to let Marcus go ahead and interrupt, he wasn’t going to give into base instinct. No, this was what he could do for Serena. Give her the time and space to claim her own mate. “They’re new mates. Why do you think they’re upstairs? They deserve privacy.”
Marcus paused a moment. “If you’re so concerned with their privacy, then what are you doing here?”
Heat started to rise in Tristen’s face, but he shoved those feelings aside. “I stopped by to see if they needed anything. They didn’t. Except for privacy. You and I both have to go, okay? Whatever this is about, it can wait until tomorrow.”
“You’re going to declare that without even knowing what it’s about?” Marcus crossed his arms, making his biceps bulge. “This is a matter of great importance.”
Serena’s voice came from behind him. “What is?”
Both men turned. Serena came down the stairs, followed by Robert. There were several things that Tristen observed at once. Serena’s dress was in perfect order. No sign of it being rumpled at all. Her hair was still up in the elaborate style it had been put in for the earlier celebration. Her makeup, smudged. Robert was likewise in the same condition he had been in when they had first come here. No, nothing had happened.
His bear grunted in satisfaction, but Tristen wished he could kick himself. Serena wasn’t his. This possessiveness was going to cause him trouble unless he cooled his jets and put her from his mind. Perhaps he needed to start dating. The thought of being with anybody but Serena, though, made him feel physically ill. What was this? Why couldn’t he just get a handle on himself?
“Well?” Serena stopped a few feet from them and looked between him and Marcus. “What are you discussing? You said it was a matter of great importance.”
Marcus nodded. “Sawyer’s group has issued a threat to your safety and this one seems credible. It’s something that you and your new mate need to hear about so you can make your decision on how to proceed from here.”
Tristen growled. Dwayne Sawyer had been an anti-shifter terrorist who killed several shifters decades ago. He himself had been killed as he attempted to kill Isaias Durant and his mate Becky. It seemed that he had followers, though. There would always be people who wanted to kill shifters, but seeing them organized and, frankly, as well armed as the Sawyer group was… it was enough to set his nerves on edge.
“We should discuss this, then,” Serena said. She nodded and glanced at the brothers. She nibbled on her lower lip before nodding at Tristen. “Thank you for stopping by. But as you are going to be returning to your division soon, I think that Marcus, Robert, and I could discuss this in private.”
“Actually,” Robert broke in, “I’m pretty new with this whole protective thing. I’d like it if my brother could stick around and help me learn the ropes… unless you have to get back?”
He didn’t think that his commanding officer would care if he never came back. Tristen’s nostrils flared for a moment, but in the end, he shook his head. “I can still have another few weeks of leave.”
This was killing his bank account, but Clifford did offer to pay him for his services. He might have to talk to him about it again, even though Tristen hated accepting money for this. Still, he was going to have to do something. His savings were nearly blown through already.
Serena led them to a small living room. Potted plants covered every available surface, even blocking the TV. She only ever had it on the weather channel, anyway, listening to the reports while putting together puzzles. One such puzzle was half done on the coffee table. Robert sat next to Serena, and she folded her hands on her knees. Tristen remained standing, while Marcus took a seat in a sturdy, vintage armchair.
“We have been hearing a lot of chatter about threats on your life,” Marcus started without preamble. “We’re not entirely certain when they are going to strike, but it’s clear that they are going to go after you. This is a turbulent time for the clan, and if anything happens to you, then we will see things grow even worse.”
Serena nodded. “I’m well used to death threats, Mr. Haught. I’ve been getting them since I was a little girl.”
Death threats as a child? Tristen clenched his hands. If he had his way, every person to have ever made Serena feel unsafe would feel that fear themselves…
“We’ve got tea,” Robert said suddenly. “I’m going to get it. Tristen, will you come help me?”
Tristen startled. He stared at his brother, wondering if he was serious, but it appeared he was. With a sigh, Tristen followed after him. Serena gave him a small smile as he passed. She didn’t look frightened. If anything, this was the calmest she had appeared all day.
Once in the kitchen, Robert turned to him. “You’ve got to help me.”
Tristen arched a brow.
“Death threats!” Robert threw his hands into the air. “Ever since she was a little girl! I don’t know how to handle this. I don’t know how to protect her. I need to get her away from here. Hide her away in a cabin in the woods. Somewhere she’ll be safe. But what the hell am I actually meant to do?”
Tristen put a hand on his shoulder. “First off, calm down. Second, you take that tea back in there and you listen. You get Marcus’ suggestions and you stick by your mate in situations where she might be in danger. Okay? This is a learning process, and if you panic you’ve already failed.”
Robert nodded. Trust shone from his eyes and another hit of guilt for his jealousy hit Tristen. His brother left, without the tea, and Tristen stood for a moment, calming himself. A cabin in the woods. That sounded like a good idea to him. Perhaps there was merit to it…