Nick gave a stunned nod. Thayne tensed as if he were going to spring himself at Nick. Kasey stepped in between them. “Thayne,” he said sharply. “Don’t. He’s not a Created one.” He turned his head to his mother. “Didn’t you explain to him?”
“Of course! And he said he understood. What is wrong with you, Thayne?” she reprimanded sharply.
Thayne bared his teeth at Nick, dark eyes cold as ice. A low growl rumbled in his chest and echoed off the stainless steel appliances. Seth backed up against Nick, crouching slightly to protect his friend in case the other decided to attack. “Would you like to tell me what the hell is going on?” Kasey demanded.
“Your brother is Nick’s mate,” Seth stated flatly. Kasey’s mother gasped, and Kasey jerked in surprise. “They met last night, and apparently your brother believed Nick is a Created one. They fought.”
“I can’t stay here,” Nick whispered, turning and racing out of the house. He shifted mid-jump from the porch, tearing through the reservation, uncaring that others might see him, his only thought to get away from the pain exploding in his chest.
“You idiot,” Kasey snarled at his brother. “He’s not a Created one. Mom explained already. How can you outright reject your mate?”
Thayne drew himself to his full height, a haughty expression on his face. “You’re one to talk. Mom told me how you rejected yours before you knew he wasn’t a Created. And who says I want a mate? I like being free to do whatever I want.”
Seth interrupted them, suddenly furious on his friend’s behalf. He didn’t care how much smaller than Thayne he was, he pushed himself in Thayne’s face, poking him in the chest. “You are a spoiled, selfish prick. Do you even know how much pain you’ve caused him by rejecting him? You don’t even care that you hurt him?”
Kasey stifled laughter at how fierce his mate looked, despite his size and the expression on Thayne’s face. He reached out and gripped his mate by his shoulders, pulling him back against him and looping his arms around his waist. “I think you should listen to him, Thayne. I made the mistake of rejecting him and just barely managed to scrape my way back into his good graces.”
Thayne glared at Kasey. “I don’t care about him or getting back into his good graces. I don’t want a mate.”
Seth felt sad for his friend. He could only imagine how it would have felt if Kasey had truly rejected him. He shook his head at Thayne. “I feel sorry for my friend to be saddled with you for a mate. I just hope he can accept that you don’t want him, because it looked to me as if he’d just found and lost a part of himself all at once.”
Thayne gave no response for a few moments, then said, “I can’t be here right now. I’m happy you found your mate, bro. You’ve always wanted him.” Thayne darted out of the house, shifting before he’d even reached the forest.
The whole chain of events hadn’t been what any of them expected, and it cast a pall on the joy of the occasion. Emily Whitedove chose that moment to step forward and hug Seth tightly. “Mmmm… I’m so glad my son found his mate.” She pulled back to look at him, her face wreathed in a giant smile. “Especially one as handsome as you. Even when I first brought Samantha into the clinic, I was absolutely amazed by those eyes.”
Seth flushed. “Thanks, Mrs. Whitedove.”
“Oh, pooh on the formalities, dear. Call me Mom,” she insisted, releasing him and moving back over to the stove. “I hope you like meatloaf. It’s Kasey’s favorite.”
Recovering from being told to call her Mom, Seth took a moment to answer. “Yes, I love it.”
“Mom’s is the best meatloaf around,” Kasey said proudly, throwing a loose arm around Seth’s shoulders. “Where’s Dad?”
“Out back with that young one, Chase Hunter. The one that’s always stirring up trouble.” She opened the oven and reached for the pot holders, but Kasey got there first, sliding them on and lifting the pan out of the oven. “Thank you, dear. Why don’t you show Seth around the house while I finish up the mashed potatoes and rolls? Your father should be in soon.”
“Sure thing, Mom.” Kasey grinned, grabbed Seth’s hand, and tugged him out of the kitchen. “She always kicks everyone out of the kitchen. She considers it her domain.”
“She’s really sweet,” Seth replied softly. He looked around him at Kasey’s childhood home. None of the homes he’d ever lived in were as beautiful. The large wide open spaces and big, comfortable furniture made him smile as he imagined Kasey and his brother chasing each other through the house and jumping on the overstuffed couch. There was mostly wood flooring throughout the house, accented by runners and throw rugs. The living room area had a big mortar and stone fireplace with two wooden rocking chairs in front of it, facing the plush brown couch and loveseat. A dark oak shelf held a multitude of books and knickknacks. On the walls were several seascape and forest paintings done quite skillfully.
But what drew his eye the most was the mantle above the fireplace, filled with dozens of framed pictures, pictures of Kasey’s parents, baby pictures of Kasey and Thayne, Kasey graduating high school, and so many more. It took his breath away and left behind a feeling of melancholy. He hadn’t really had that, even with his parents. A whole lifetime of friends and family sat on that shelf. Something he’d never truly had aside from his parents and Nick. He supposed it was more than some ever had, though. Seth’s eyes zeroed in on one of Kasey astride a black horse, and he moved closer to study it.
Kasey hadn’t released Seth’s hand since he’d taken it, and he pulled Seth closer to him at the wave of sadness he felt coming from his mate. “I was fifteen. Summer camp and the first time I’d ever rode a horse. I fell in love with the sensation of the wind in my face and a powerful body beneath me. Nothing can touch me when I ride. It’s like a whole other world for me.”
“I’ve never ridden a horse before,” Seth said wistfully, staring at the picture and wondering how many friends his mate had before, how many girlfriends had come before him. Such happiness sparkled in those dark eyes that it made his heart ache with it. All these years he’d missed out on experiencing the same things and possibly even sharing them with Kasey.
“Then we’ll have to remedy that. Let me take you riding?” Kasey asked, squeezing Seth’s hand affectionately, trying to distract his mate from whatever thoughts were making him unhappy.
“Really?” Seth’s face lit up at the idea. “When? When can we go?”
“What about this weekend? I’m off from the station on Saturday.” Kasey thought his mate looked so adorable, seeming to shine at the idea of riding a horse.
Seth nodded enthusiastically. “All right. I can’t wait.”
They continued on through the house until they reached Kasey’s bedroom. Seth was too interested in his surroundings to notice Kasey had closed the door and leaned against it, watching him. The walls were a pale blue. One wall had a mural of wolves and horses running together. Seth trailed his fingers along the detailed lines of a large black wolf in wonder. “This is beautiful,” he breathed.
“Thank you,” Kasey replied huskily, hungering to feel his mate in his arms. He moved behind Seth and rested his hands on his slender shoulders. “My friend Max painted it when we were in high school. After summer camp.”
“Your friend is very talented. Does he paint for a living?” Seth wondered if the man would be willing to do something like this on the wall of his clinic. Once it was fixed up and running again, he thought bitterly.
“He does some freelance work, but he actually graduated from Harvard with a degree in law.” Kasey slipped his arms around Seth, resting his chin on top of the dark crown. “Mind-blowing that your friend is my brother’s mate, huh?”
Settling into the light embrace, Seth tipped his head back to look up at Kasey. His eyes were troubled. “Do you think Nick will be okay considering your brother doesn’t want to accept him? I’ve never seen him look so… broken.”
“He’ll be all right, pup,” Kasey reassured him, pressing a kiss to Seth’s temple. “Th
ayne just needs time to think. I don’t think he expected his mate to be male, and it is still fresh that Nick isn’t a Created one. When he’s processed it all, he’ll come around. He might be stubborn and bullheaded, but he’s still wolf. And a wolf cannot deny his mate.”
“Did it… did you feel that way when I pushed you away?” Seth whispered, dropping his gaze from Kasey’s.
Kasey debated teasing his mate but decided it would just be cruel to do so. “No,” he said, noticing with a grin when Seth looked disappointed. “Because I never doubted you’d give in to my charms.”
Seth’s head jerked up at his words, and he opened his mouth to make a smart remark but didn’t have the chance. What he’d been about to say was cut off by Kasey’s mouth on his. The words flew from his mind as he became lost in the pleasure of his mate’s kiss. Dazedly he felt Kasey turn him in his embrace and start to move them toward the bed. Their lips never parted as they fell across it. Seth nearly groaned when the weight of Kasey’s body pressed him into the mattress. Common sense kicked in at a sound from the hallway, and he broke the kiss with a gasp. “We should… ah… go back downstairs,” he panted, his head lolling to the side as Kasey blazed a wet trail down his throat.
“I’d rather have you for dinner,” Kasey murmured, sucking hotly at Seth’s neck just over where the pulse beat beneath it. The scent of Seth’s arousal called to his wolf, sending a rumbling growl through his chest. “You taste so good.”
Hands entwining in Kasey’s hair, Seth pulled him tighter into him. If they’d been anywhere else, he’d have lost all self-control by then and started tearing at Kasey’s clothing to be closer to him, skin to skin. But they weren’t somewhere else, and he didn’t want to disrespect Kasey’s parents. “Kasey… stop,” he begged. “You’ll embarrass me in front of your parents.”
Reluctantly, Kasey released the bit of skin he’d been nibbling on. Rising onto his elbows, he gave his mate a rueful smile as he brushed a strand of hair from Seth’s cheek. “You make me forget anything else exists, pup.”
Blushing, Seth wrinkled his nose up at Kasey. “If we were anywhere except here, I’d forget anything else exists, but I can’t forget we’re in your parents’ home. But we most definitely will continue later when we get home.”
Groaning at his mate’s lusty expression, Kasey stood abruptly, holding out his hand. “Come on, pup, before I forget my resolve and take you right here, my parents be damned.”
Seth laughingly took Kasey’s hand and allowed him to pull him from the bed. “I don’t think your mom would be too happy if we made love in her house when she only invited us over for dinner.”
“Made love?” Kasey asked in a soft tone, a question buried in its depths.
But before Seth could answer his question, Kasey’s mom shouted up from the bottom of the stairs, “Dinner’s ready, boys.”
Kasey almost growled at the interruption but managed to stifle it. They’d continue the conversation later. “Come on, pup. She’ll get real impatient if we don’t show up immediately.”
Seth breathed a sigh of relief inwardly, thanking Kasey’s mom silently for the excuse to not answer. He followed Kasey down the stairs to the dining room, where a man, presumably Kasey’s father, sat at the head of the table. The man looked young enough to be Kasey’s brother, not his father! The same strong chin, the high cheekbones that seemed to be a signature of the Cheyenne, and well-defined nose made him the spitting image of Kasey and Thayne. Shyness overwhelmed Seth then, and he looked at the floor. “Hey, Dad,” Kasey bid from beside him before making his way around the table to give his dad a hug.
“So this is your mate,” Jeremiah Whitedove said, staring with shrewd eyes at Seth. “My wife tells me your father was Eric Hawthorne.”
Looking up in surprise, Seth stared at him. “I told Mom,” Kasey explained at his mate’s reaction. “Come have a seat and talk to my father. I’m going to go help bring dinner to the table.”
Seth swallowed a sound of protest at Kasey leaving him alone with his father. He nervously moved to the seat beside the imposing Alpha. “Ye—” His voice cracked, and he cleared his throat. “Yes, my father was Eric Hawthorne.”
Jeremiah sensed the same thing Charlie had reported almost immediately after tending to the pup. The boy was a Rho. Peace and healing exuded from the young wolf, tangible, almost. “Your father told me there were others out there like himself.”
“I wouldn’t know aside from my parents, my friend, and everyone I have met since I came to Senaka. They never told me about others. Not even the Created.” Seth felt slightly bitter about it. It should have been his choice to hide. They had taken away part of who he was by hiding him all those years, and if he’d known of the Created, been educated about them, perhaps he would have been able to prevent his mistake in believing Taggart to be his mate.
Reaching out, Jeremiah set his hand on top of Seth’s. “I may not have known your father long, but I do know he was a great man. A great wolf. And he did what he thought best, trying to protect you. You are a Rho, Seth. Do you know what that is?”
The warmth of Jeremiah’s hand on his reminded him of his own father, and it sent a shaft of longing through him. He missed his parents. “Only what my friend Nick told me. I’m supposedly something special among a pack, and there are many who would try to claim me against my will.”
“Rhos are very rare. They are only born every so many generations, and each is born with a unique ability. My son tells me you have a healing capability beyond anything he’s ever seen. This is an amazing gift, son. And many would try to take advantage of such a gift. Your father must have known this, and though keeping you in the dark about your heritage was not something I agree with, he did it to protect you.”
The bitterness melted away, and Seth felt chagrined that he’d thought so negatively of his parents. He knew they loved him and never would have done anything to hurt him. “Thank you, sir,” he murmured.
Jeremiah waved away the respectful title. “There is no need to call me sir. You may call me Dad if you wish, or Jeremiah, as you are my son’s mate. Sir makes me feel old and stuffy.”
“Will you tell me everything you knew about my father?” Seth sat forward eagerly, like a child waiting with bated breath to hear a great tale of heroism.
“First you need to eat,” interjected Kasey, a steaming plate of meatloaf in his hands, which he set in the middle of the table. His mother stood just behind him, holding a bowl of mashed potatoes and a plate of biscuits. Kasey gave a stern look at Seth, who rolled his eyes.
“Yes, Dad,” Seth replied sarcastically.
“Impertinent pup,” Kasey drawled at him, earning a glare. He settled his long frame into the chair next to Seth’s and, after placing a couple slices of meatloaf on his plate, passed it to Seth.
Jeremiah hid a grin behind his glass of water, and Emily gave the two of them a knowing look. It warmed her heart to see her son so happy, and though Seth might not have accepted him at first, it clearly showed that Seth had grown fond of her son. The only concern she had now was the Created one terrorizing her new son-in-law.
For the next hour Jeremiah regaled Seth with tales of the interactions between him and his father. Eric Hawthorne had been sent by his pack to seek out others. They were having the same troubles with finding their true mates. Jeremiah had refused the request of having some of the others in his territory, believing it would stir panic and fear in his pack, but it had pained him to do so after getting to know Eric.
“Your father was certainly an Alpha. I am surprised he didn’t go off and start his own pack. But I suppose it wasn’t possible after you were born,” Jeremiah mused.
“Had he already met my mother by the time you met him?” Seth barely noticed Kasey sliding his arm along the back of his chair or the way his fingers teased the strands of hair brushing his collar.
“He hadn’t met his mate yet, but about six months after he left, I received a letter from him. I still have the letter if you’d
like to see it.” Jeremiah could see Seth’s adoration for his father. The man would have made a wonderful leader for a pack, kind, generous, and strong.
“Oh yes! I would like to very much.”
“You miss your parents.” It was a statement, not a question. “If you don’t mind my asking, how did your parents pass?” Jeremiah’s voice held a sympathetic tone.
Seth’s face went void of emotion, and his tone was flat when he said, “They were on a road trip for their anniversary. It was just before Christmas, and they were on their way home. They hit a patch of ice and spun out of control. A witness said my father tried everything to stop the car, but there was nothing he could do to keep it from going over the edge. They were in the mountains in North Carolina. The car exploded on impact.”
Kasey stroked the side of his mate’s neck in sympathy. The anguish Seth felt rolled off him in waves. Wolves might be able to heal more quickly than humans, but even they could not survive something like that. “I am very sorry to hear it,” Jeremiah said solemnly.
Chasing Seth Page 18