by Chris McHart
He couldn’t handle it. “Please, find him. I don’t want anything to do with him anymore. The sooner he gets out of here, the better.” With those words, he turned around and marched back to the house. Anger was still pulsing through his body, even though he had a little more control. Still. What Josh had done was unforgivable. Definitely.
Anthony took a beer from the fridge and dropped on the sofa. What was he supposed to do now? All his dreams had just blown up.
He’d really believed Josh loved him, but it was just a sham. A lie.
The front door opened and closed. When he looked up, Ash stood before him.
Anthony stared at the man he thought was a good friend. Jesus Christ, he was his brother’s partner. Still, he couldn’t help himself. He didn’t know if he was in this with Josh.
“I think we need to talk.”
Anthony made a face. These words meant nothing good in a relationship and they probably didn’t do now either. But he suspected he wouldn’t escape Ash either. He hadn’t tried it, but the wizard could make him listen whether he wanted to or not. He didn’t know how strong Ash’s powers were and he didn’t want to find out. He had enough problems already.
Anthony nodded and took another sip of his beer.
Ash held out his hand and pointed at the bottle. “Give me that. You need a clear head for what’s coming.”
“No.” Anthony growled the word and looked Ash in the eye. He wouldn’t back down on that. He needed a beer to calm down. Who knew what he’d do without it?
“All right. If you say so.” The bottle came loose from his fingers, though he tried to hold it. Within a split second, it landed in Ash’s hand, who caught it. “Now, let’s try again.”
Anthony blinked and stared at his hand, then at the bottle and back at his hand again. “I don’t know whether to be angry or impressed right now.”
Ash didn’t react to the joke, but sat down next to Anthony on the sofa. He deliberately placed the bottle on the living room table. After a short silence, Ash spoke. “Now, let’s start all over again. You’re convinced Josh’s kid can’t be yours, aren’t you?” Ash’s voice was calm, and he talked to Anthony like he was talking to a toddler.
That was one of the facts they’d already established. Why they had to talk about it again now, Anthony didn’t know. It hurt enough already. Ash didn’t have to rub salt into the wound.
Yet he nodded. It wouldn’t help if he didn’t answer.
“All right, so we’ve settled this. Since you assumed the child couldn’t be yours, you concluded Josh had cheated. He was here all the time after your mating and didn’t have a chance to do anything with another man, did he?”
Anthony closed his eyes. Just to imagine someone else touching Josh, tasting him, seeing his beautiful body made him grind his teeth and clench his hands to fists. He couldn’t answer that question. Who knew what would come out if he opened his mouth now?
“I’d like an answer from you. I want to know if you really think Josh had something with a man here. Everyone knows you’re the alpha of this pack. From what D told me, they were terrified of your father. You’ve taken over this pack. Do you really think anyone would do anything with Josh when he was the mate of the new alpha? Do you really think anyone would dare even look at him? No matter what you think of Josh, just think about whether you actually think it’s realistic.”
He had to agree with Ash. How much he’d like a sip of his beer now. He took a longing look at the bottle, saw the drops forming on the glass and could literally feel the cool liquid running down his throat. But no, he didn’t get any beer. This guy, who was a whole head smaller than him, had simply taken it away from him.
“So we agree Josh hasn’t been with anyone since you were mated? I assume you two had fun together? At least that’s what Josh had hinted at.”
Anthony nodded and immediately pictures appeared in his head of how they spent the evenings and nights together. He had taken Josh in all sorts of positions after the house had become quiet. Josh was almost always up to it, except when he was really too tired. He rarely said no and was down for all the fantasies Anthony had. It’d been heavenly.
“Good. Now that that’s settled. You weren’t in a relationship before you mated, were you? I always thought you’d meet only when you wanted to. You said you didn’t want a relationship. Josh said he wasn’t interested either. You fucked, and there has never been any talk of you being exclusive.”
Anthony was silent. That was true. Yeah, Ash was right. They hadn’t had a real relationship before they mated. He hadn’t had another man since he’d met Josh, but he couldn’t ask the same of him.
“But that still leaves the problem that he’s pregnant and the kid can’t be mine. This in turn means he may have gotten pregnant before we mated, but he tried to foist the child on me. It can’t be any other way.” He noticed how much he was clinging to straws because, strictly speaking, Josh had never said anything. He’d looked just as surprised as Ash when Ash had blurted out with the news.
On the other hand, how could he not know? How could he be pregnant without knowing anything? And most importantly, it wasn’t his kid. Ash had tried to convince Anthony it was from him.
That was simply impossible.
“Yes, that fact… I told you before, but I’m pretty sure you don’t believe me. His aura has changed, and there’s a new, different one forming. I saw Josh and you after your mating. Your auras bonded as normal. But now there is another one, one that looks very different from his and also from yours. I feel it’s carrying both your and Josh’s energy. If you want, you can call Magnus. He can probably refer you to someone who’s never had contact with Josh before. He may be able to tell you the unborn child’s energy has your two auras. I’m absolutely sure Josh wasn’t pregnant when he mated you. And I’m just as sure the kid’s carrying your DNA. I don’t know how that’s possible, but I know that you probably just destroyed every chance of having a relationship with the man who loves you so much. You accused him of cheating on you. You hurt him more than you can ever imagine because of something he couldn’t control.”
Ash was silent for a moment then seemed to collect his thoughts.
“I don’t think you need to worry about who the kid’s from anymore. I don’t think Josh is gonna stay in this village. I have to say I was hoping to be able to talk to you and make you see reason, but you’re so sure the child can’t be yours and that Josh must have cheated on you. I don’t think you’re a good partner for Josh. I’ve always appreciated you very much, and I really like you as a friend. Besides, you’re my brother-in-law. However, you’re absolutely wrong about this and you really need to think about where your priorities lie. Even if Josh got pregnant before you mated, it wouldn’t have mattered. He didn’t cheat on you. No matter which way you look at it, you weren’t in any relationship. Your feelings may have been the same then as they are now, but that doesn’t change the fact that you both agreed that you could have other partners.”
Ash took the beer bottle and started pulling at the label. He didn’t look at Anthony, but stared at the brown glass.
“I don’t know why you’re reacting so violently. I really, really have no idea. You have agreed to adopt two children who are not related to you. Honestly, if you ask me, I wouldn’t care who the father of my child is. Sam sees Angela as his daughter, although everyone knows she’s Gerome’s. Personally, I’d raise D’s kids anytime, whether they were mine or not. It’d be something else if he cheated on you, but he didn’t. I don’t think Josh would ever do that. He fell head over heels in love with you, and I think you could’ve been really happy together.”
With those words Ash stood up, quietly put the bottle back on the coffee table and walked around Anthony.
Ash carefully placed one hand on Anthony’s shoulder and said, “I’m sorry it came to this. If I’d known what was gonna happen, I’d have kept my mouth shut. Though it wouldn’t have mattered when the truth came out. You wouldn’t have reacted
differently, I guess. We’re gonna go find Josh and help him load his stuff into the car. We’ll take him back with us to the city, where he can stay with us for the time being, until we know what the next step will be. I think it’ll be best if you disappear while we gather his things.”
During his speech, Ash had remained completely calm. He hadn’t screamed, and he hadn’t made any loud accusations. All Anthony could hear was deep, absolute disappointment. And he couldn’t deny that Ash was right. He had no reason to be jealous. Heavens, it was true they had adopted children who weren’t related to them. He still saw Leon and Hanna as his children.
Then why had he reacted like that? He closed his eyes, dropped his head back to the sofa and swallowed as it hit him. It was the fact that he thought Josh had betrayed him. That’s what he couldn’t handle. Why Josh got pregnant still didn’t make sense, but what really upset him was the cheating thing. That was something he couldn’t handle. The thought alone drove him mad, and he wanted to do everything to prevent another man from ever looking at Josh again.
He rubbed his hands over his face, then his hair. What did it mean that he was so possessive about Josh? Where did this feeling come from?
The solution was obvious, but he wouldn’t think about it. It hurt too much, now, after he’d destroyed everything.
Josh had every right never to forgive him if what Ash had said was true. And there was no indication it wasn’t true.
Fucking hell.
Had he really reacted that way? Had he really been such an ass? Had he driven away his own mate because he’d been jealous?
He didn’t know what to do. He knew where the jealousy came from, even if he wouldn’t acknowledge it. He’d fallen in love with Josh.
What was he supposed to do now? Try to get Josh to forgive him? Acknowledge that Josh got pregnant for some reason? Figure out how it was even possible that Josh got pregnant?
He still doubted he was the father. After all, no one ever heard male shifters could father children. On the other hand, he believed Ash and Josh. He couldn’t imagine Josh would’ve lied if he’d been pregnant when they mated. Now, after Ash had spoken to him, the thought seemed impossible to him. On the other hand… The whole situation was impossible. If that came out, he’d be the mockery of the whole village, because no one would assume he could be the father of the child.
Even if his village would accept that Josh was pregnant, he’d hurt his mate so badly that he’d never speak to him again anyway. He wouldn’t even blame Josh if he left him. How could he?
He closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, he looked around and hoped to see Ash. But the house was quiet, and Ash and D were probably on their way to find Josh.
That should be his job. He’d driven his mate away. He had to bring him back before it got dark.
A tingling sensation began in his neck, and he paused briefly.
Josh wasn’t here with him, and that worried his cat. It wanted its mate by its side, just like he wanted Josh with him. Mate or not, he had to find Josh, had to try to fix things with him, then they could sort out the pregnancy thing. He reached for a jacket to wrap Josh in when he found him. Then he stormed out the front door.
Chapter 22
Josh
* * *
It took Josh a long time to stop sobbing. He’d never been so hurt, so humiliated. He didn’t know what had happened, and he didn’t know how it could’ve happened. He only knew it was the truth.
Thoughts turned wild in his head and he tried to grasp them, to force them to make sense. No success.
He didn’t know how long he sat there until he finally forced himself to stand up.
He had to go back to the village, face Anthony, then pack his kids to go back to the city. There was nothing else he could do.
He stumbled through the forest, trying to orient himself, but he hadn’t paid attention to where he’d run to.
Where the hell was he? Which way was the village?
Everything around him looked the same, and somehow he hadn’t noticed how deep the sun had sunk. Either it was because it got dark much faster in the forest, or it was already later than he had thought. In any case, he had to try to get to the village as quickly as possible. Just… which way? He still didn’t know.
He looked around, trying to find something: smoke, buildings, noise. Nothing. All he found was forest and silence. Depressing silence.
Josh listened even closer, trying to hear anything, but everything around him was completely silent.
Even when they’d sneaked through the forest before arriving in the village for the first time, he’d heard something. Birds, trees, noises, sounds that showed the forest was alive. But now? Everything was quiet.
He shuddered. Something was wrong here.
Josh looked around wildly, trying to find something that would allow him to find his way home as soon as possible.
But he saw nothing. Just trees, not even a path he could follow. Of course, in his panic and grief, he’d just run. Now what? Now he didn’t even know which direction he had come from. Fucking hell.
He placed one hand on his stomach and rubbed it. There wasn’t much to feel yet, but still. It was his child he had to protect, even if he’d probably spend the night somewhere in the forest.
Walking slowly, he picked a direction. He had no idea if it was the way back to the village or if he was walking deeper into the forest, which seemed to go on forever.
The territory of the pack was large, so he didn’t have to worry about crossing any borders. But it also meant he could walk on for miles without getting anywhere. Nowhere but woods. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to get at least some comfort. Not that it helped.
Josh stumbled on, trying to see something, but it was getting darker and darker. Damn it. How had he managed to get into this situation? He didn’t know if there were any wild animals, if wild boars dared to go into the woods. It was dangerous to run into one of them because they could attack even if they weren’t provoked.
He should’ve just stayed in the village and handled what had happened.
Even if Anthony didn’t want to see him anymore, he should’ve just gritted his teeth and stayed. He could’ve packed his things, gone into town with D and Ash, and that would’ve been it. He could’ve started a new life with his kids.
But now? Now he was trapped in the forest, with no exit he could find, while it got darker and colder. He didn’t know what else to do.
How could all this have gone so wrong?
He stumbled on, his arms tightly wrapped around him, looking around more or less in panic. He just wanted to get out of here, never wanted to–
Something cracked next to him. Much too loud. Much too close.
Josh looked around, squinting, trying to see anything. What the hell was that? Was that D and Ash? Had they come for him? It shouldn’t be a problem for D to track down the trail Josh left behind. He had to smell where Josh had gone. He didn’t know if Ash could find him. He had no idea how good his best friend’s abilities were.
He swallowed and looked around as cold sweat broke out on his body. He saw nothing. If it was one of his friends, he’d show himself, wouldn’t he? He stumbled even faster, tried to find something that looked like a path. But nothing. The forest here was untouched and wild as he’d never seen it before, like no one had been there in years.
It cracked again, this time on the other side. His heart was beating so fast, and he could hear the noise in his ears. How could all of this have happened? Who was following him? He turned around again, looked at the trees, tried to spot movement, but nothing. He just didn’t see anything, no matter how hard he looked.
“Hello?” he shouted. “Anyone there?” No answer. That didn’t surprise him. A boar wouldn’t answer.
He didn’t see anything, couldn’t find any indication of what was following him. But his neck didn’t stop tingling. Something was wrong. The forest was still completely silent and still. None of th
e trees even seemed to move, yet branches had cracked, and he felt observed.
A soft growl sounded, this time in front of him.
That certainly wasn’t a boar. That was a shifter.
“Hello?” he called again. “Who is it?”
No answer. Whoever it was didn’t want to be recognized. But why not? Who’d refuse to show themselves?
The villagers all liked him, as far as he knew. None of them had a reason not to show themselves. He came to a stop, shivering. That brought him to one conclusion.
Josh froze when dark eyes suddenly looked at him. A huge panther stared at him like he was a mouse in a deadly game.
The comparison wasn’t that far-fetched.
Goosebumps formed on his arms and he stumbled backwards. That was Anthony’s father. He’d seen him when Anthony had fought against him. There was no doubt. What was he supposed to do now? He’d been the one who’d been chasing him. This man had followed him through the forest to track him down. What did he want from Josh?
Probably nothing good. He’d heard so many stories during his time with the pack that he knew his appearance didn’t mean anything good. This man had terrorized his own pack, sold his own people, and enslaved them.
He wasn’t good, and he’d never be a good person.
Now Josh stood before him, all alone and defenseless. He had neither Anthony nearby, the only shifter who could take him, nor anyone else. He was on his own, and he’d lose before the alpha even took one step. This wouldn’t end well, no matter what happened.
He wouldn’t leave this forest alive, he realized at that moment. If he did, it would be as a prisoner of a completely deranged man. Who knew what he was going to do to Josh? And, worse, what would he do to his child? He was the mate of the ruling alpha, and he carried his child – even if Anthony didn’t want to admit it. He’d be worth a hell of a lot if the old alpha found out.
“What do you want from me?” He managed to speak in a calm voice, making himself proud. Not that it’d do any good, but still. He wouldn’t give up without a fight. The whole situation reminded him of how his own uncle had treated Ash and how he’d sold him, Josh, to Gerome’s father.