Page 137 of The Good Boys Club

“Who is?” Nana said.

“Cian. He’s gone. I don’t know where.” Shit, fuck, bollocks, what had I said? He probably hated me. “There’s no note. Nothing.” I scrubbed away the tears with the back of my hand.

“He wouldn’t have left like that,” Mam said, taking the bacon off the heat and turning the gas off. “A mate . . . can’t just leave. It’s not in their nature.”

Oh, boy, here went nothing. I pulled a chair out and sat down. “Mam, Nana, I need to tell you something.”

“Of course, sunshine. You can tell us anything,” Mam said.

Okay, okay, okay, okay. I could do this. I took a deep breath in. Let it out slowly. “Cian and I were . . . never pre-mated. We were faking it.”

I waited for either woman’s reaction. They side-eyed each other but kept silent, obviously waiting for some kind of explanation.

“I only said that we were pre-mated because I didn’t want you to set me up with Dee-Dee.”

Nana’s mouth formed a tight little O, but no words came out.

Sure, they needed more details. “I didn’t want to mate with Dee, because . . . well, because I was in love with my best friend.” My head fell to the table. “So fucking ironic, I can’t even. I’m still in love with him.” My breath fogged on the lacquer.

There was quiet in the kitchen. Nobody spoke, and I couldn’t bring myself to look at anyone. I’d lied over and over again to the people I loved, and I’d fucked everything up in the process. Every fucking thing.

After a few minutes, Mam placed a plate next to my filthy face.

Bacon buttie, with ketchup oozing out the sides. The butter had melted, turning the edges of the bread yellow. I lifted my head, released another sob. They still cared about me. Even though I’d been the worst son, grandson, and alpha successor ever. Even though I had taken everything they valued and loved and shat all over it.

“Eat,” Nana commanded. I took a bite. It was so fucking good.

“Let me get this straight,” Mam said, sitting in the seat between Nana and me. “You told Nana Rita you were already pre-mated so that you could wriggle out of Harvest Fest, but when she refused to let you ditch, you brought him here to pretend to be your boyfriend.”

“So far, so accurate.”

“What was your plan, Mash?” Mam wasn’t angry, obviously, but there was an edge to her voice. One I wasn’t familiar with. “Were you expecting to return to Remy after the holidays? Are you still going back? Don’t forget you promised Nana you wouldaccept the call of the alpha. Mashew, did you really mean that? Or was that another of your inventions?”

I clutched my chest, my hand hitting the spot of my Good Boys Club tattoo. It hurt they thought I was still lying to them, but it was nothing less than I deserved.

“No, I promise I will accept the call. Next full moon, you have my absolute word,” I said. Mam’s shoulders relaxed. “I think I always knew I would stay, knew it was my time. I . . .” Ah, I might as well come clean. “I got fired from my job at uni.”

“Oh, Mash.” Mam’s arms were around me. Her chest heaved with sobs. “Why the hell do you keep all these secrets from us?” She combed my hair with her fingers. Began picking out twigs and leaves and clumps of dirt and placing them on the table. “All you’re doing is delaying your own happiness. Maybe you think you’re protecting us, or yourself, but sunshine, if you’d been honest from the start, we could have helped you with all of this.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

After a few moments, Nana drummed her fingers against the table. “Let’s go back to your shifter mate.”

“He’s gone. I don’t even know what hap—” Wait. Shifter? I stiffened. “How do you—”

“The boy is very good, I’ll give him that. But goodness me, it’s like asking someone to hold their breath for twelve hours a day while maintaining conversations and doing everyday tasks. At some point, he’s gonna slip up. Besides . . . Bane Thornhelm?” Nana laughed, and even Mam joined in.

“Cian has obviously never grown up around werefolk,” Mam said. “When Nana Rita offered him the name Bane Thornhelm it had been, well—”

“Oh my gods, you were testing him from the moment we arrived.” I pushed Mam off me. “And he failed, and you said nothing?”

“Of course we were testing him. You’re the alpha successor. Any mate you choose needs to be worthy. This is the Cassidy pack, after all,” Nana said.

Mam had sensed my irritation. She placed her hand on my forearm and used her thumb to rub away dried mud. “Bane Thornhelm was your Nana’s boyfriend before your grampy. He was . . . what’s the polite way to say . . . stark raving bonkers.”

I allowed myself one moment to become distracted. “Is that the guy with the pergola in the shape of a fanny?”

“That’s the one,” Mam said.

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