True Mates: The Beginning (mxm)

Chapter 4: "You Are Insane"

It only occurred later, when dinner was over, that Connor didn't know how old Jamie was. They had said their good nights and everyone went on their way, even though Connor was dying to follow after Jamie. It killed him to know his mate was in his house, but he couldn't' reach him.

He needed to know Jamie knew who he was.

So he went outside and paced the grounds, impatient and frustrated. If Jamie was too young, Connor would have to wait, and he would. Except he had waited so long that more waiting seemed like torture. They didn't have to... do... anything, all Connor wanted to know for now is that Jamie knew who he was. That's all Connor wanted, damn it.

"Do you have ants in your pants or something?" Miguel asked, coming out of the shadows along with his brother.

Connor huffed. "It's none of your business."

"Whoa, what did you do, brother?" Daniel asked.

"Nothing," grumbled Miguel. "He's got issues, this one."

Connor stopped running and started stretching instead. "Shut up you two. I am not in the mood to babysit you tonight."

"Babysit us? The gall!" Miguel protested. "We babysit your ass, brother."

Daniel nodded. "You should be so lucky to have us in your miserable life. Now spill what is making you so lovely."

Connor growled, causing his friends to step away a little.

"Okay, that was no explanation..." Miguel said.

"Gods, just drop it, all right? Not everything's a joke, you two!"

Daniel, as the slightly more sensitive one, approached Connor like he'd spook or something, and said, "Hey Con, maybe tell us what the problem is and I promise I'll keep that one quiet."

Miguel snorted. "You can try."

Connor kept exercising, burning off his anger, but nothing made him feel better or more relaxed. He felt like a live wire.

"Is it the mating thing?" Miguel asked.

"No," Connor growled. "Well, not exactly." He doubled over, sweating, breathing like he'd swam across the whole lake.

"So what is it... exactly?"

Connor wasn't ready to tell anyone, not until he'd spoken to his true mate, and if the boy was going to hide in his room then... Connor would fucking go to him.

"I need some alone time," he said firmly. "Seriously, take the night off."

Daniel's eyebrows shot up. "If the Alpha heard about this..."

"What he doesn't know won't kill him."

The brothers stood their ground as though Connor was going to change his mind, but when he growled at them to 'get lost' they finally scampered away, leaving him alone. He even made sure he was alone by running in a zig-zag manner that allowed him to escape any possible tail he might have had.

Finally certain that he was alone, he headed for his house, where his true mate was. He took the back staircase which only his family knew to use and climbed to the third floor, where the guest bedrooms were located. He was in the West Wing, where his father kept the best guest rooms in the whole palace. They were as good as his own room, if not better.

Connor made sure nobody saw him as he followed the shadows to the rooms, and smelled around the floor, to make sure he got the right room.

When he sensed his mate's scent, just as strong as it was at dinner, he opened the door and closed it behind his back quickly. He just couldn't risk knocking and being heard by his other guests. Inside the room, a startled Jamie sat up on his bed with a book in his hand.