Page 32 of Unknowingly Adopting the Alpha
“I hope not.” Snuggling into his chest, I felt his arms come around me, protecting me from the world.
“Sorry, hon,” Mary’s frail voice spoke behind us. “I swear my bladder takes ages to empty out.” She then promptly began stuffing a new bag with leaves.
It would seem she was blissfully unaware of what went down just seconds before she arrived.
“We’ll help you fill the bags, Mary, then we need to eat a late lunch,” Jeremy said, taking a bag for himself and stuffing it with ease.
I was starving, so food sounded amazing, even if it meant meeting more of his pack. I just hoped they weren’t as horrible as Marcus had been to me.
As soon as we were back at my place, I would ask him about the mate thing, because I was all in on keeping that title.
Chapter Seventeen
Jeremy
It seemed Dad was already fond of Cass, maybe even more so after being called a jerk by him. At least he knew my mate wasn’t a pushover.
I smiled at Cass as he sat there eating and talking with my packmates. He’d been nervous at first, but now he smiled and laughed with several of them. It filled me with relief.
Slipping away from the table, I needed to grab some fruit for mymate, a thing we would need to discuss later. Cass claiming me as his mate couldn’t be taken back. Even though I knew Marcus would never tell a soul, other than Fillian, what had gone down between Cass and him, I still didn’t want Cass to be called my boyfriend. He was my mate. I needed to explain what that title meant to a shifter.
Milo caught up to me as I put some sliced watermelon on a plate. “How’s it going?” he nodded in Cass’ direction and grinned. “Maybe I don’t even need to ask. They seem to love him already.”
“As they should,” I replied, my voice serious. “He is, after all, their Alpha’s mate.”
Milo’s eyes flashed with something I’d seen in his eyes several times growing up. I didn’t like whatever it was, never had, but until Milo talked to me about it, I would ignore it. My little brother had his issues that now included Darius. They weren’t my issues. If he needed my help, he would need to man up and ask.
“Yes, he is indeed,” Milo stated, his smile gone now.
“How are things with Darius?” I asked, gentling my voice. No matter what issues they had, I hoped they could work it out. Darius was a good guy, which was why I’d fallen for him in the first place. Milo needed to treat him as such.
He frowned before snapping, “That’s none of your business!”
“Wow.” I held up my free hand. “Didn’t realize it was that bad.”
He scowled at that. “Just focus on your own mate,” he leaned in to whisper the next part. “I’ll focus onmine.” He shot me a smirk and it took all the willpower in me not to start a not so brotherly fight right there. That damn smirk and knowing look said everything.
He’d known I liked Darius, and yet he hadn’t told me Darius was his. He’d gone out of his way to hurt me it seemed. With that thought, my anger turned to sadness. In that moment, I realized my baby brother and I likely wouldn’t come back from this. I’d always hoped we could get closer as we aged and matured, but Milo kept pushing me away. He kept trying to hurt me. And looking back at Cass’ smiling face, I realized I needed to protect him from Milo’s games. It hurt knowing that whatever brotherly bond Milo and I had once shared was long gone now. I wouldn’t waste my time fixing it. Time and time again, Milo had pushed my buttons, and I was done getting hurt.
Looking back at Milo, I said the last thing I would to him in a good while. “I will.”
After chatting a bit more with everyone, I left with Cass, wanting some time for just the two of us.
“I got a text from Elias,” I informed him as soon as we were inside his house, greeted by Daisy.
“Oh, anything about my floors?” Cass asked with a hopeful smile.
“He wrote that the floor boards should be delivered in the morning, but that you can’t live here while he works on the flooring. Since he needs to sand it down and stain it, there can’t be any furniture or anything.”
“Oh.” His shoulders slumped as he watched Daisy eat her food.
“You two will move into my house,” I declared, not wanting it to sound like an offer, in fear of him refusing.
“We will?” he grinned, seeming all too pleased by the news.
“Yes,” I replied simply, then took his chin in hand and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “I can’t wait.”
“Then let’s get packed,” he giggled, running up the stairs like he couldn’t wait to live with me.
