Mated

Eight

We almost crossed paths with a bear on the way back from the woods, but James disappeared ahead of us, drawing it in another direction.

"Don't worry, there's nothing James can't handle," said Nad proudly with a half smile. My heart warmed. He was so confident in his brother, his adoration for him was unmistakable. I wondered how James handled not being able to see him often, I wouldn't have liked it. We made our way to the house where we broke off.

After washing up, I dried my hair then met the younger Evers brother and Mike in the living room where they were putting together some electric train and tracks. He looked up when he saw me come into the room and I sat down next to him on the couch.

"Hey," Nad greeted me, his face scrunched up in concentration as he tried to force a large piece of a train track into another that was obviously not a match.

"I don't think anything could've prepared me," I said to Mike, staring out of the windows and into the woods. He once told me all the windows of the house were specially made to be looked through from the inside but not from outside, to protect us from intruders.

He didn't say anything. Probably sensing that I was collecting my thoughts before continuing.

"Or maybe it's different for Lunas because we're Luna," I frowned. "You hear other people's stories about what it would be like...and you know it happens quickly, but you don't really know how fast until it's happening to you. Probably I just didn't give much consideration that I would be starting a new life."

"Are you saying you're not siked about living with a bunch of guys? Surrounded by masculinity." I made a face at him.

"Don't be ridiculous, I'm talking about being mated."

"I wouldn't know. I never had to think about it." For a second, I considered that my thinking out loud had been inconsiderate considering his circumstance, but I let go of that thought. Mike could easily be mistaken for serious, but I had learned that the kid spoke as if he was amused by the topic of every discussion.

Should I be talking to him about any of this? I didn't know if he would oblige to enlighten me on anything James, but I also thought we built enough of a relationship that he would consider telling me what I needed. As little as it may be, it may well be enough. And he was often the only one around during the day, it seemed he didn't have to patrol as often as the others, maybe because of his age or he was asked to keep an eye on me. He talked to me most. Were the others afraid to talk to me?

I focused on the matter at hand.

As if understanding what I was referring to all along, he chuckled at himself then added, "James is a tough guy."

"Mmm," I mumbled. Nad stood from his seat and reached his arms above his head in a stretch.

"Bathroom," he said and left the room. When his footsteps sounded far enough, I turned to Mike once again.

"I need to ask you something."

I waited until he stopped reading the instruction manual to look at me. He dropped the manual on his lap and stretched out his left arm so that it rested on the back of the couch, his fingers stopping near my head.

"Nad said something the day he came. When I told him I'm James' mate, he started to say that James told him he would never mate because of Evangeline or something like that. Do you know why he would say that? Or what he meant?" Had they been together before I arrived? I felt a clenching in my chest as my suspicions grew to the surface. My wolf hadn't reacted to it because I pushed it down as quickly as I had felt it.

He scratched the back of his head. "Hmm...it might be because they were mated some time ago," he finally said, lowering his voice.

"What?!"