Page 28 of Fated Protector

Ikneel next to Will’s pallet in the magical bookstore, searching his face for signs that he will wake up soon. His external wounds have all but healed, but he has been unconscious since last night's attack. His body probably wants time to reboot after the beating it took yesterday.

I don't know what I would've done if Will and Jack's parents hadn't shown up last night. There had still been about an hour’s worth of panic where I had both of them lying unconscious and unresponsive. I hadn’t called emergency services because what could a handful of paramedics do with two Rougarous? Instead, I made them as comfortable as I could on the floor and started cleaning and dressing their wounds. As I did, I saw the miracle of Rougarou healing; bones knitting together and straightening, wounds closing without a scar, and a little bit of color returning to those too-pale faces.

Then in a burst of activity, Jack's father, Oscar, and his mother, Hilda, rushed through the door, followed by a gaggle of witches. Jean-Pierre was not among them. The witches acted just like human paramedics, barking orders back and forth and pulling equipment out of matching carpetbags. There wasn’t much they could do for Jack; his body just needed time to heal. On the other hand, they took one look at Will and ordered him to be moved to a different room. I think they feared the worst and wanted him away from Jack, just in case they had to do some sort of radical healing. Or worse.

Once the witches had both men stabilized, they left the bookstore, probably off to save some more lives in the supernatural universe. Hilda and Oscar sat vigil at Will’s side, and I crawled up next to Jack on his pallet in the front room. This wonderful man and his brother had saved me yet again, and I was so grateful they had come into my life.

Now, though, I wanted to throw them both into the nearest garbage dumpster. I knew from experience it was an excellent way to knock someone down a peg.

I'm Jack's mate. Fate has chosen me to be his, and he is to be mine. The concept baffles me, and yet, I think I always knew it would be him, ever since that first day with the key. It was always going to be this way.

That electric jolt I feel every time we’re together, like two magnets spinning towards each other, could only be explained by something otherworldly. But I don't know what I'm going to do about the Mate bond. Our lives are nothing alike. I know that if I were to turn on my laptop right now, I’d have thousands of emails requesting quick decisions on everything from store locations to stock options. Hundreds of people rely on me.

Jack is the same way. It's clear that his father is the Alpha of whatever pack they are in; by the way, everyone deferred to him with unyielding adoration. Not that he would need wolf magic, or whatever it was, to charm those around him. His father was stoic, gentle, and calm – like Jack could be when he isn’t being a snarky bastard. But he isn't going to be around forever, and Jack will have to take his place. I am certain that place isn't New York.

I know I have to make a decision soon, but right now, I'm taking my time being absolutely pissed at these two brothers. No, I'm not from their world, but that doesn't mean they have the right to keep such a big secret from me. Firstly, they didn't tell me what they were. Jack could've let me know that he wasn’t human. It wasn't like I was immune to the idea of monsters. I've been running from them for days. Sure, the image of him in his lupine form will take some getting used to, but so is everything else in this crazy world. I could have handled it. And the Mate thing? Well, I haven't handled it yet, but I will. But I deserved to know.

Will stirs, and I lean forward as he blinks his eyes. "Welcome back to the world," I say, and he lets out a little groan.

"Water," he whispers, and I help him sip from a paper cup. He drinks it down and gradually becomes more alert.

"The swamp monster?" he asks.

"Dead," I say. "The body has already been taken care of."

"And Jack?"

"Not dead," I say, raising an eyebrow at him. "But I may kill him all the same."

Will sighs and lets out a weary chuckle. "So you know now.”

"Yes, I know. Not because Jack told me. Not because you told me. But because yourmotherof all people told me."

Will winces, rubbing at his bleary eyes. "Jack’s an idiot. He keeps things too close to his chest, even when he shouldn't. But he isn't doing it to hurt anyone. He just thinks that's the way to help."

"It didn't help." I sigh, the anger already dissipating. "Have you found your mate?" I don't even know if Mates are designated the way human spouses are. Still, I find myself searching his fingers for a wedding ring anyway. I find nothing.

"No, not yet," Will says wistfully. "But she is out there. I'll find her someday." I don't know if he's trying to convince me or himself.

"Do you feel the same way about the whole idea? The way that Jack does, about how Fate choosing your partner is unfair?”

"His whole free will thing?" Instead of one of his snarky jokes, he looks at me thoughtfully. "I get what he's saying. But at the same time, there's nothing else like the rewards that come with having a Mate; pure happiness and joy in a single person. I see it in my parents every time I am with them. I want it. I crave it. And I'll let Fate direct me any way she wants to if it means having it."

"But what if it doesn’t work?" I ask. What if we will never be truly happy because we don't know where we belong?"

"You belong with each other," Will says adamantly. "Nothing else matters. Trust me on that one."

"Fine," I relent. "But I'm still mad at him. You too, but you get a pass because you almost died."

"Nice," he nods. "I'll keep that excuse in mind the next time you're angry at me." He tilts his head at me, and a wide smirk covers his face. "If you really want to get back at Jack, I have an idea."

"Lay it on me."

"Well, how much do you really know about Rougarous?"

* * *

An hour later,Will is up and about, although he moves slowly with the occasional wince of pain. He dresses in what's left of his clothes after he shifted—not much, but enough that he will be covered to go out in public—and we go back to the front room to see Jack.

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