Page 14 of Roman
They hadn’t seen me, but I wasn’t going to let that keep me from my mate. With purpose, I closed the distance between us and intersected them before they could reach the rest of the fae enforcers.
I slowed my pace once I was a few feet from them, making sure not to come across as too aggressive. But I was an alpha tiger shifter who was on a mission to intercept his omega mate. Despite the fact that we were now in the twenty-first century, I couldn’t change who I was nor who he was to me.
Evan noticed me about two seconds before Beau did, and when my eyes locked with those warm brown ones, I smiled. I was almost sixty-nine years old and didn’t expect to feel like a teenage shifter with his first crush. But that’s exactly how I felt. My smile faded when Evan stepped in front of Beau and then pulled him behind him. I couldn’t stop the glare I sent the enforcer, even if I wanted to. He’d effectively put himself between me and my mate, even if he didn’t understand what we were to one another yet.
“Excuse us,” Evan said as he tried to walk around me.
“I wished to speak to Beau,” I said, reaching out slightly. At the sound of his name, that adorable head popped out from behind his brother.
“No,” Evan said. He turned slightly, and after grabbing Beau’s upper arm, he started to walk off.
“Hey, wait, Ev,” Beau said as he tugged back.
“No, Beau. We’re not going to do these games. You are not a plaything for the locals.” Evan sent me a glare, which only pissed off my tiger. I was about to growl at the enforcer when unexpected help arrived in the form of my brother-in-law.
“Evan, you might want to let him talk to his mate,” Ramsey said from behind me. Had he and Phineas finished their talk? Where was my brother?
Just as I turned to look at Ramsey, I heard a squeak from Evan and Beau’s direction, and I knew for a fact that sound hadn’t come from the enforcer. The question was—was it a good squeak or one of distress?
Chapter 6
Beau
Did the sexy alpha just say what I thought he said? He had certainly caught my attention earlier, but he had a toddler on his hip, and together, they definitely gave off similar auras. I had taken that to mean he wasn’t who my body had been reacting to and not my mate because he already had one. How else did you get a baby that had a familiar aura to yours? I might have been a virgin, but I certainly knew how things worked and how babies came about.
But the fact that Evan was being a butt about things didn’t help. Why would he say no? Did he know something about the alpha that I didn’t? Actually, if he knew anything about the alpha, that was more than what I did.
When the really tall alpha who had been with the sexy one earlier mentioned mates, I couldn’t keep from squeaking. Could it be? I took a chance and peered around Evan and found myself staring at intense blue eyes. I sighed and then bit my lower lip to keep from making another noise.
“Ramsey,” Evan said. “What are you talking about?”
“Give them a chance,” Ramsey said. “He might not have been my favorite person when I first met Phineas, but Roman is anupstanding alpha, and your brother will most certainly be safe with him.”
“No,” Evan said again, and this time, I noticed he crossed his arms across his chest. I moved out from behind my brother now that he’d let go of my arm and I could step away. I glared at Evan, but he didn’t seem as if he was going to back down or change his stance.
“What? Why?” I asked.
Evan finally looked at me. “Because. You just started your dream. Why would you want to give it up? Why would you run off with the first alpha that shows interest?”
I raised my eyebrows at my brother before I shook my head. “What makes you think that nobody has shown interest?”
“Evan,” Ramsey said as he stepped forward. “Just so you are aware, you cannot interfere in their mating. Even though you are his older brother, you have no say since Beau is over the age of consent.”
I could tell that Evan was going to argue, but whoever Ramsey was, he seemed to have some sort of authority over my brother. Another enforcer, maybe?
“Ev?” I said, hoping to get my brother’s attention. When he finally looked at me, I tried to reason with him. “Why? Why don’t you want me to have my mate?”
“You don’t even know he’s your mate, Beau. He’s just some alpha claiming that. How do you know?”
I glared. “Maybe because he’s near and my body is reacting to him.”
“Can I say something?” my gorgeous alpha said as he held out his hands.
We all looked at my mate. Ramsey had called him Roman. Such a wonderful name.
“I understand. Trust me when I say that I understand more than anyone the role of protective older brother.”
Ramsey snorted. “He really does. You will eventually learn the story, but he’s being completely truthful.” Ramsey looked at Evan. “I think what’s best for these two is to give them some time to be alone and get to know one another.” Ramsey shrugged. “What better place to do that than at a council get-together? They are completely surrounded by others, and if Beau should feel the need, he can call out, and any number of others can come to his aid.”
