“It is not!” Thompson yelled. Fur grew on his chest and arms, showing his agitation.
“Don’t rile him up,” Robin whispered.
“I’m not riling him up, as you put it. I’m telling him the truth so he might re-evaluate his worldview.”
Jay barked out a laugh. “That man is beyond reasoning. He won’t change his worldview for nothing. He belongs to this group of ignorant people who always believe they are right, and it doesn’t matter if there’s evidence to the contrary. They will always insist on being right.”
“I don’t need to listen to this crap!” Thompson blustered.
“You killed children!” Jay shouted, close to tears. “You killed my sister.”
“Your kind doesn’t deserve to live. The people who help your kind survive don’t deserve to live. I will make sure to kill you all. You are the last one from our pack. Yes, I still feel that I belong to your pack, Ralf. I was a good beta, wasn’t I?” He smiled at Ralf.
“He has a much better beta now,” Tim said.
The smile vanished from Thompson’s face. He snorted “Your brother Daniel? Oh please! He’ll never live up to my glorious example.”
“Is he serious?” Robin whispered, looking over to Tim.
Tim shrugged. “I guess so.”
“He’s crazy,” Jay said in a flat voice.
“How dare you!” Thompson was already partially shifted when Ralf knocked him to the ground and ordered him to keep his wolf under control.
Thompson growled but complied. Slowly he stood, a menacing glare permanently edged into his face. He didn’t say a word, but then he didn’t have to.
Ralf waited until everyone was quiet, then dropped the bomb. “Richard, Jay isn’t the last remaining hybrid in our pack.”
“What?”
“I admit I’ve been as prejudiced as they come about hybrids. When Jay came to us a few weeks ago and it became clear he’s Tim’s mate, I had to change my philosophy.” He smiled warmly at Jay. “Paula is able to walk again because he healed the injuries she suffered from the fight with you.”
Ralf’s expression hardened before he continued, “We sent Tim and Jay here because they didn’t just have an ordinary mating; they had an alpha mating. We feared Jay would be attacked because we thought there were still many hybrid-hating people in our pack. When Paula and I brought up the topic of laws against attacking hybrids, we were in for a surprise.”
“You were?” Tim asked. “That’s the first time I’ve heard about it.”
“It was supposed to be a surprise,” Ralf answered, his gaze never leaving Thompson’s face.
“What surprise?” Robin chimed in.
“During our discussion, people came forward and told us their partners and children were hybrids and not humans. They kept it a secret because they feared for their safety. I was shocked. I never wanted to lead a pack where the members were afraid of who they are and who they love.”
“No! No, that can’t be true!” Thompson said.
“Yes, it is. We can’t distinguish a hybrid scent from a human, and as long as the people don’t shift, we can’t tell the difference. The law went through our council in no time at all. I’m astonished at the variety of shifters in our pack. We have several wolf-foxes, mixes between wolf and weasel, and one who is a mix between a wolf and raccoon. He has the strangest fur color I’ve ever encountered.”
“So, there’s no reason for us to hide?” Tim asked, his voice breaking.
“No. You could come back and take your rightful place as pack leader, and I could step back from this position and pamper your mother,” Ralf answered.
Despite the situation, Robin couldn’t stop himself from giggling. “I’m sure she’d love that.”
“No!” Thompson yelled.
He shifted and aimed straight for Tim and Jay.
Robin didn’t think; he just acted on impulse. He shoved his elbow hard in Peter’s ribs, forcing Peter to let go of him. He shifted and headed Thompson off midjump. They collided with a resounding thunk.
Thompson used the moment of confusion on Robin’s side after their collision to sink his teeth deep into Robin’s throat. Robin’s yelp sounded like a wheeze, and his vision dimmed so fast he didn’t know whether he was dreaming or not. From far away shocked gasps, furious barks and howls echoed, and paws scrabbled on the ground.
The pressure on his windpipe was gone as fast as it started, and Robin tried to draw in air. Jay knelt beside him, both hands wrapped around his throat. Robin shifted under Jay’s hands.
“Can’t breathe,” Robin choked out; each in-draw of breath was a struggle.
The air he sucked in so eagerly didn’t seem to come anywhere near his lungs, and panic lurked just beneath the surface.
“Shh, I’ll help you. Bastard nicked your windpipe,” Jay said.
The panic burst through, engulfing Robin.
Peter! Robin called out.
He needed Peter to calm him down, needed to know Peter was close and would protect him, just like he’d promised. Instead, his world was filled with grunts and pained cries.
“Peter,” Robin whimpered.
“Peter is here,” Jay tried to soothe him.
Robin pried his eyes open but couldn’t detect Peter anywhere close. All he could see were masses of furred bodies tangled together.
Peter!
Jay tightened his hands around Robin’s throat. Robin kicked his legs and flailed his arms, hoping to dislodge Jay’s hand. The pressure on his throat was too much!
Someone grabbed his hands and held them down. Robin spiraled into a full-blown panic attack, wondering if that was it.
“Will he be all right?” Tim asked.
It was the last thing Robin heard before unconsciousness claimed him.
WHEN ROBIN came to, the first thing he noticed was how easily he could breathe. He inhaled and exhaled deeply several times, just to enjoy what he previously had taken for granted. He brought his hand to his throat and touched the skin, searching for a scar, but found none. Had it all been a dream?
Slowly, he opened his eyes and blinked against the brightness around him.
“There you are,” Peter said.
Robin turned his head and found Peter sitting in a chair next to Robin’s bed. Peter’s skin color bordered on gray, and his eyes had sunk deep into his sockets. He smelled like terror and grief.
“Wow. You look like crap,” Robin croaked. His voice had a raspy edge to it. He coughed to clear his throat, then added, “I hope my voice won’t sound like this for the rest of my life.”
“We will have to ask Jayden about the future tone of your voice. How do you feel?”
Robin took a minute to catalog how every body part felt. When he was done, he scooted up the bed to a sitting position. He patted on a spot next to him, and Peter practically jumped from the chair. Smiling at Peter’s eagerness, he held out his arms.
Peter yanked him into a body-crushing embrace that threatened to crack his ribs. “I was so scared.”
“Me too,” Robin whispered.
Peter pushed him to arm’s length, a scowl on his face. “Why did you attack Thompson? I forbade you to endanger your life. You were injured badly only a few days ago! My angel, you almost died today! And for what?”
“He was going for Jay,” Robin replied.
“Tim stood next to him. Your father had already shifted by the time you and Thompson collided. There was no need for you to endanger your life. I will not have this ever again, is that understood?”
Robin waited for anger to flare within him, but to his utmost surprise, nothing happened. Instead, he meekly nodded his head. “I won’t. I promise.”
After all, he hadn’t acted because he wanted to get hurt. It had just seemed like the logical thing to do.
Peter peppered his face with small kisses before he cupped Robin’s chin and tilted it up. “I will be very, very angry if you don’t keep your promise.”
“I’d ask what you’d do in that ca
se, but I don’t think I want to hear it aloud. What happened while I was unconscious?”
Peter’s expression shuttered. “I pulled Thompson off you, but he tried to get at Jay and you again and again.”
“Why me?”
Peter laughed, a cold, harsh laugh that chilled Robin to the core. “He shifted back and told us he knew you’re a healer and a senser. He claimed you shouldn’t be mated to a freak, you should be mated to a pure werewolf, a pure female werewolf, so you could breed and raise children with the same abilities.”
“What?”
“His reasoning was very skewed.”
“Where is he now?”
Peter slid his hands from Robin’s face to his shoulders and pulled him back to his chest, then wrapped his arms around him. With his heart in his throat, Robin asked, “Did you kill him?”
“No.”
“But he’s dead?” Robin asked.
“Yes.”
“Someone killed him?”
“Yes.”
“Peter, come on, tell me!” Robin begged.
“I don’t know if it’s my place to tell.”
Robin pondered Peter’s words. It couldn’t have been Jay or Tim because he remembered hearing them. It left only a few possibilities. Robin asked, “My dad?”
“I don’t think your father intended to kill Thompson.”
“They have a long history, I guess, and my father is alpha of our pack. It makes sense for my father to be the one to end Thompson’s existence,” Robin said. “I also don’t think he liked Thompson trying to kill one of his children.”
“No, he didn’t,” Peter agreed, then added, “but he won’t stay alpha for long.”
Epilogue
Two weeks later—At the Evanses’ house
“I REALLY don’t understand why Dad couldn’t stay alpha for longer. He’s been our alpha for more than thirty years!” Robin’s sister Debra complained while she perched on the edge of an armchair in the Evans’ living room.
“I believe he has done his duty,” Peter said, “and he explained his reasons very often in the last two weeks. I am really astonished by your lack of understanding.”
Robin leaned against the doorframe, observing the verbal exchange between Debra and Peter. He clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle his giggles after Peter’s last remark. Peter gazed at him from dark brown eyes as he waved him over.
Robin ambled toward Peter, who was occupying the other armchair, when Debra shot Peter an annoyed glare.
“I do understand my father’s explanation,” she ground out.
“Then why do you repeatedly ask the same question?”
“I am not repeating the same question all the time! Why do you put words in my mouth? Mom! Tell Robin’s mate to stop teasing me!” Debra screeched.
Peter winced, then opened his arms for Robin. “I’m not teasing her. I really don’t understand your sister.”
Robin plunked down on Peter’s lap and kissed him. “Welcome to the club.”
“Mom! It’s bad enough half of my family has turned out to be gay, but do they really need to make out in our living room?” Debra spat.
“Make out?” Peter whispered.
Paula, Robin’s mother, hobbled into the living room, her left arm linked with Ralf’s. “Debra, stop it, right now! This is not your living room; you have your own apartment. As far as I can see, Robin is enjoying some time with Peter, who, by the way, must be a saint for not laying into you.”
Debra put her hands over her chest, a wide-eyed look on her face. Scandalized, she uttered, “Mom! What’s the matter with you?”
Robin snickered and curled up on Peter’s lap. Peter engulfed him in his strong arms before he rested his head on top of Robin’s hair, sniffing.
Debra pointed a finger at him, opened her mouth, but never got around to saying anything because Tim interrupted. “Shut the hell up!”
“Mom. Dad! Do something! Everyone is picking on me.” Debra’s eyes filled with tears.
“Not this,” Robin said.
Debra pulled out a tissue from her purse to dab her eyes while she rambled on and on about how unfairly everyone treated her.
Paula exchanged a look with Ralf, who shrugged. He helped Paula to sit down on the sofa, then laid an arm around her shoulders. His parents’ energy lines sparkled in bright colors. Their lines were the size of thick branches, and all seemed to be intertwined with each other with no apparent beginning or end.
Peter squeezed Robin’s hip and murmured, “Your parents’ connection is extraordinary.”
“Will ours be like theirs?”
“I don’t know.”
“But we could try?”
“Of course, my angel.” Peter kissed the tip of his nose before he proceeded to press a kiss to his dimples, which set another series of giggles off. Robin loved Peter’s affectionate gestures.
Except for Debra, none of his siblings teased him about his overbearing and openly loving mate, either. They all congratulated him for finding Peter so early. Daniel, being Daniel, had had the audacity to wish Peter good luck in taming Robin. Peter had just smiled and thanked Daniel for the warm welcome into the Evans family.
All those thoughts and recent memories flitted through Robin’s mind as he gazed up at Peter, as usual enjoying the strength and security of Peter’s arms around him.
He’d completely tuned out Debra until she screamed something, then stomped out of the house, banging the front door behind her with a resounding snap. Startled, he said, “Wow. Does she ever need to get laid.”
“Robin!” his father admonished, though there was no heat behind his words.
“What? Maybe it would actually help her chill out,” Robin replied, fluttering his eyelashes innocently.
A low rumble coming from the corner of the living room alerted him of someone who was pissed off. Tim was partially shifted: his canines had dropped, his eyes glowed, and fur peeked from his collar. Jay stood in front of him, both palms pressed against Tim’s chest, and was probably talking to Tim telepathically.
Robin concentrated on Jay’s and Tim’s energy lines and discovered that several of Tim’s lines erupted into small fireworks while Jay sent soothing vibes through to him.
It took Jay almost five minutes to calm Tim down. When Tim had himself under control again, Jay took his hand and towed him over to the sofa standing opposite of Ralf and Paula’s.
“She’s driving me insane,” Tim said.
“So everything’s like it’s always been,” Robin said.
A second later heat rolled through him and brought high color to his cheeks. Aware of his less than tactful remark, he stuttered, “That’s not… I don’t mean… damn, I’m sorry. I know nothing is like it’s been before, I just meant with Debra and….”
Jay gazed at him, the scrutinizing look causing Robin’s testicles to shrivel and retreat into his body. He leaned more heavily against Peter, his eyes burning under Jay’s intense stare. Pleadingly, he added, “I’m sorry.”
Jay was the first one to look away. “I know you didn’t mean it that way.”
“But you’re mad at me?”
Jay shrugged. “No, not really.” He lifted his head and absently tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “And anyway, everyone knows I get mad over nothing at the moment.”
“Not over nothing,” Tim interjected.
“Then let’s say I’m not the most reasonable and rational-thinking person at the moment.”
“Jay, you’ve been through a lot. In less than two months your whole life has been turned upside down,” Paula said softly.
Robin was glad for Paula’s intervention. He squirmed into an even more comfortable position on Peter’s lap, earning him a few grunts and finally a firm embrace that kept him pinned to Peter’s chest.
“I don’t mind living here,” Jay replied, a small smile appearing on his face. “I couldn’t have lived in our house anyway. I would never have been able to set a foot in the kitchen or the pantry again.�
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Jay’s complexion turned pale before he continued. “It’s like a completely new beginning. But the good thing is I don’t have to give up the horses. Well, and I guess I’ll get used to being the alpha’s mate, huh?”
Even though Tim had always claimed he didn’t care that the clan elders deemed him unsuitable as alpha, it had irked him. Ralf had a heart-to-heart talk with the elders last week, and albeit reluctantly at first, they had agreed to Tim taking Ralf’s position.
As soon as he’d been declared alpha three days ago, even more pack members came forward, admitting their mates were hybrids too. It seemed only a minority of their pack were pure werewolves. Peter had commented on this revelation in his usual dry way. “Maybe it’s the evolution’s way of telling the world pure werewolves will be extinct soon.”
“You will. Get used to everything, I mean,” Tim said to Jay. “We will all help you to adjust.”
Jay’s smile faltered, then was replaced by a deep scowl.
Robin pushed himself up. “What? Why are you glaring at Tim? You know he’d give up being alpha in a heartbeat if you asked him to.”
“I’d never do such a thing. He’s a born alpha—in every way,” Jay said.
“Uh-oh, I don’t think I’ve recovered enough from all the events lately to want an in-depth discussion of what you’re implying,” Robin teased.
Tim slumped back against the sofa, pulling Jay with him. Jay thumped Tim’s thigh, then crossed his arms over his chest, wearing a petulant expression. “Fucking overbearing wolf.”
“Hey! That’s my brother you’re talking about!”
Peter rubbed slow circles on Robin’s fluttering belly muscles when he said, “My angel, calm down. I might not always understand when you’re teasing, but even I can see that Jayden isn’t seriously angry with your brother.”
Robin looked from Peter to Jay and Tim. “Okay, would anyone enlighten me?”
“Jay is mad at me because I made him go to a grief counselor.”
“It’s a waste of time!” Jay exploded. “And I only agreed on one appointment! He’s not playing fair!”
Secret Energy (Shifters Book 2) Page 25