Page 49 of Forbidden Moon
“You’re a fine one for secrets! Now I know where you were yesterday instead of at Movie Night. I take it Ben doesn’t know yet?”
“No, but he will soon. I’m afraid he’s going to be pissed.”
“What? Why? The man is gorgeous, and you look perfect together. I mean, he’s yourmate. It’s what you’ve been waiting for! I can’t imagine why he would be angry.”
Jonah apologized for not telling her sooner and then explained Ben’s overprotectiveness through the years and the news about Birdman spying on Gladstone.
“I could show up with Prince Charming, and he’d go all Alpha on the poor guy. It’s even worse with a human mate who doesn’t even know about shifters. Evan and Jack have been covering for me, but I think my luck has run out. I wanted to date RJ for a while before telling Ben about us, but I’ll have to introduce him to the family first. It’s a mess!”
Lilly now understood and reached out to hug him.
“I think you’ve got the right idea. The more time you spend with RJ, the better. He’ll be so crazy about you that finding out our secret won’t scare him off. Luna brought you together, so I have to believe it will all work out. Call if you want me to talk to Ben or need anything.”
Jonah turned to look for his mate and froze. He and Alpha Frazier were having what seemed to be a friendly conversation near the check stand. Shit! Coming here together really wasn’t the best idea in the world. Lilly rolled her eyes and pushed him in that direction. Best to get this over with and make their escape before the whole pack got nosy.
Chapter 20
BEN PICKED AT THE REMAINDERof his lunch, still on the tray perched at the edge of his desk. He’d been so swamped with phone calls, conversations with Caleb, and consulting with Alpha Sheppard, that he’d asked Cody to bring his meal directly to the office instead of eating with the family as usual. Evan and Lance were busy with the kids—upset by the changes and altered scents of their packmates.
He hoped they could all settle into a new normal once the additional security measures were in place, but he knew better. Until they eliminated Birdman and foiled his plans, none of them could truly relax. The risks were considerable, with stakes higher than ever before, and everyone knew it. Though it made him uneasy, Alpha Sheppard strongly encouraged him to form an evacuation plan in case their worst fears came true.
The idea of abandoning their homes to flee for their lives turned Ben’s stomach. Along with many others, he would remain behind to give the others a better chance to escape. In all likelihood, they would be killed or caged—a fate worse than death, though ultimately worth it to know their loved ones were safe. Gladstone had enjoyed Luna’s protection in the past. Could they count on it again?
His phone rang with an incoming call from Weston Frazier. He’d asked the Cooks pack Alpha for help in case of an evacuation.
“Weston. What can I do for you?”
“Andy and I have been discussing your situation, and we’re prepared to provide a safe harbor for your people. The way we figure it, this would be the first stop, and then we’d get everyone out of the area in smaller groups. It’s going to take some coordination with other packs, but I think it will work. We will escort Jack and his family to the Michigan-Wisconsin border. From there, Sheppard’s people will get them to safety in Minnesota.
“Evan and the kids will be taken immediately to Sault Sainte Marie and guarded there until the Canadian delegation can pick them up. As for the rest of your people, we’ll do our best to help them relocate somewhere safer. I already have a half dozen packs lined up to help, even if we have little notice. It’s the least we can do, Ben. You have my word—if Gladstone is exposed, we’ll get them all out.”
Ben struggled to speak, nearly overcome with the magnitude of such a task and the possibility of losing his mate and children. His own life meant nothing if he couldn’t save them.
“Thank you. I’ll explain the plans to my people once we nail down a few more details. Have you told your pack?”
“Only Andy and our mates. We have a meeting scheduled for tonight. By the way, I enjoyed an interesting conversation with Jonah and his human mate at the Market today. Why didn’t you say anything last night while we were all there?”
Ben’s thinking processes came to a screeching halt. Did he say Jonah’smate? Ahumanmate? Suddenly all the odd things going on with his little brother began to make sense. Evan, and presumably Jack, must be in on it too. Weston was waiting for an answer, and he needed to come up with something fast.
“Well... it surprised all of us, and Jonah wasn’t ready to announce it yet. You’re probably one of the first to know.”
“It's gotta be awkward trying to deal with it, especially at a time like this. I don’t envy you, my friend.”
“Let’s say Luna has a bizarre sense of timing. I hate to cut this short, but I have other calls to make this afternoon. I’ll get back to you tomorrow, and we can discuss the nuts and bolts.”
