Page 51 of Forbidden Moon
Ben let loose with a frustrated growl.
“Shit. I only want what’s best for him. He’s my brother and an Omega. I’m supposed to protect him!”
“Yes, but he’s a grown man now, and you tend to smother him. He needs the same freedom everyone else in the pack enjoys—to be himself and make his own decisions. He so desperately wanted a mate, and then, amid all our troubles, Luna gave him someone unexpected.”
“A human! What did he think I would do? Scare the guy away? Refuse to help him?”
“Actually, yes. Remember, you weren’t the only one scarred by your father growing up. He has one chance to do this right and needs all of us to help him. You can’t blame him for being cautious.”
Ben’s scent soured as he considered Evan’s words. They not only hurt, they dredged up awful memories.
“I tried so hard not to be like my dad and ended up doing it anyway. Damn! Damn it! Jonah must know I’d do anything for him.”
“I’m sure he does, and now you have a chance to prove it. Actions speak louder than words, but at some point you’ll need to hash this out together.”
“I could have been helping him all this time instead of driving him away. Is he all right? What do you know about his mate? When do we get to meet him?”
Evan nuzzled Ben’s ear with a friendly growl.
“As far as I know, he’s fine and spending the day with his mate. His name is RJ Wilson, a handsome DNR agent who moved here at the beginning of the month. Jonah scented him twice before they met on Wednesday of this week. I encouraged him to spend as much time with RJ as possible, and Robert gave him some dating advice.”
“Robert? Who else knows what’s going on?”
“Robyn knows, of course, along with Jack, me, Donna, and Lou. They saw him at the diner this morning and coaxed it out of him. He’s planning to spend the night with RJ and may not come home until late tomorrow.”
Ben wondered if that was wise.
“They’re moving fast, don’t you think?”
“Not compared with a typical mated pair! Jonah needs to do this the human way, which means winning over his mate gradually. I offered to invite them over for supper so RJ can see how he lives and meet a few of us. It may take a little time for him to fall for Jonah, though who can resist Omega pheromones?”
Amused, both wolves chuffed at the idea. Sufficiently enamored, RJ should be able to accept Jonah’s status as a shifter when the time came to tell him. Ben let the last of his angst and anger go. A genuine interest in human-shifter couples took its place, and a list of questions queued up in his head. As he was about to ask, Evan interrupted him.
“Why don’t we talk about it on the way? Some of our people are worried, and it will help if they see you back in charge. Evie and boys were upset, too, so home first and then the packhouse?”
Ben licked Evan’s face.
“Yes, O wise Alpha Mate. I’m sorry for being so thick-headed, and I’m going to apologize to Jonah as soon as possible. I love you, Evan, so very much.”
Tail wagging, Evan rubbed against Ben’s larger frame, covering his coat with his mate’s scent. With a few joyous yips, they started back for the main compound, ready to make things right and share the news of Jonah’s unconventional mate.
Chapter 21
LA CANTINA TURNED OUTto be a diamond in the rough. The building was certainly nothing to look at, but the excellent menu more than made up for it. RJ watched in amazement as Jonah packed away a prodigious amount of food, especially after admitting he never worked out. They laughed and joked through the meal, comfortable with each other in a way unheard of this early in a relationship.
