Page 18 of Sigma
“Mating,” Ty reasons.
Mase nods. “Yup.”
Concern hits Linc’s eyes as I request, “Explain, please.”
Mase elaborates. “You grow from a boy to a man, yeah, but for alphas, the final piece of full maturity comes when you claim your mate.”
“Exactly,” Tyson agrees. “He could be stronger. We won’t know if the irons will hold until we see for ourselves.”
“Good point,” Linc states. “Especially if you’re here.” He’s talking about me. “Do me a favor and go home until we can at least have a conversation with him and check his overall pulse.We’ll step out, leave the outer door open and watch. Then if he breaks these irons, this door could hold him and if not, we’ve got weapons to disable him through the bars. I’ll call and you can come back as soon as–”
“Absolutely fucking not!” I deny. “We’re not leaving him in a fucking cage!”
“Sis…” Linc grumbles, looking at me like he’s had enough of my shit. “Work with us here.”
“Oh, like you worked with me? Fuck, Lincoln. I can’t believe you said nothing and just avoided me like that.”
“Stop, honey,” he demands and tugs my hand, pulling me outside.
“No wonder you haven’t been able to look me in the face,” I add, ready to fight, ready to fight for my life here if he thinks he’s going to force me to go home.
But he stops outside and takes my face in both hands, looking like he’s searching for words.
“Best not touch me. I have the plague, remember?”
“I’m sorry,” he says. “Really fucking sorry. My hands were tied. It cost me sleep. It hasn’t been easy. I know it’s not easy for you but believe me when I tell you I don’t want this for you. You’ve been in my head and in my heart from the minute we figured it out.”
I lose it. Tears pour out of my eyes and I’m making ugly-cry sounds, falling into him. Linc’s arms wrap around me, and I’m relieved he’s not refusing to touch me. He holds me tight in a perfect Linc hug, letting me cry it out like I need to. And fuck do I cry. Maybe even harder than when Mom died.
He strokes my hair, moving his mouth closer to my ear where he softly says, “He’s gutted, Sis. He was gonna leave to keep you safe. He left as soon as he could settle after we figured out whoyou are to him. He left and I asked for help with Silver Hills, and he was right there, helping us out, no questions asked. He only came back for his RV, since Wyatt Meadows stole it. He would’ve stayed gone if not for that. He has no control over his wolf, blacks out. He’s lived on his own since forever. Don’t know all the hell he’s been through but one look in that shifter’s eyes when his guard is down and you see the demons. So many of them. So much pain. He’s a solid fuckin’ guy. Saved my life. Works jobs helping other packs straighten their shit out, babe. But he lives alone to protect the world from his wolf. He’s fuckin’ gutted about this, about you. Saw him last night. He caught your scent in his RV and we had to lock him down. He checked into a motel after I gave it a cleaning. He was supposed to come this morning to hook up and leave and we were gonna meet him here and have a chat, brainstorm on some ideas, but guessin’ he showed early to avoid all of us and head out. And you were there waiting when he got there.”
I nod, sniffling. It hurts so much to think of the pain he’s in.
Linc keeps talking. “You were drawn to figure out what was what with him based on what you heard from Stacy? Maybe by Fate, too.”
I nod again.
He continues. “I’m convinced Fate brought him around me first so I could help, so we’d know how good of a guy he is, and so he could find you and fix what’s wrong in himself. So, we can give him a pack. I’m sure of it. We just don’t know how yet and he won’t listen; thinks he has to leave to protect you. I only leveled with these guys yesterday. Been carrying this burden for the last while trying to suss it out, but we had Grey’s mating drama.”
I sniffle.
He presses his lips to my forehead. “We all caught that scent and heard his howl. Grey went to Rye and Erica’s to get on the phone with some of her sisters, tryin’ to see what can be done. Gonna ask Cat to reach out to Dr. Blakely, too. Jared didn’t want that, doesn’t trust the SCC, which we can hardly blame. But we’ll ask Cat not to reveal who she’s asking for. Rye’s with your father now, explaining, because the village smells like you.”
The tears come harder.
“But honey, please listen to me.” He pulls back and holds my face again, his thumbs wiping tears away, and all that Linc warmth I’ve been missing right here in his eyes. “When he’s awake, it’s gonna make it worse that you’re here. Please, work with us. I need to go shower to get your scent off me. He’ll lose it. It’s a direct challenge that I’ve even touched you, especially given he knows you and I have history.”
I shake my head. “I am not leaving until I talk to him. I need to talk to him when he wakes up. Need to, Linc.”
He grinds his molars.
I add, “If you’re worried about how he’ll take me being here with you all, then the solution is for you guys to leave instead of me.”
Linc fires back, “And if Ty’s right about the fact the irons might not hold him? He could wake up and immediately shift. He could break through those irons and maybe even through the barred door.”
Fuck.
“What happened?” Linc asks. “Need you to tell me.”
