Blind Date With A Bear(47)
An hour later he was pacing inside the small construction office waiting for news of Marcum. He threw a stapler across the room. With his shifter strength behind it, it tore through the trailer’s aluminum siding with ease. At least he didn’t have to worry about hitting someone on the outside. Marcum had effectively shut down Blackwood Construction. No one was on site except him and his Dad. With the discovery of the impostor inspection, the real inspector had pulled the permits and shut Blackwood Construction down until everything could be re-inspected. Quinn had sent his crew home, promising them a paycheck until everything was clear. He wasn’t going to punish his men for something beyond their control. Hell, it was beyond his control. His brothers were on the hunt for Marcum. He couldn’t wait to get his hands on the slimy son-of-a-bitch. Not only for the trouble he’d caused on the site, but for the setbacks he’d caused in Quinn’s relationship with Paige.
“Okay, son, tell me what’s wrong.”
Quinn gave his father an angry glare then immediately regretted it. It wasn’t his father’s fault everything had landed on his shoulders at once. “Paige doesn’t believe she’s my mate.”
“I take it you told her then.”
“Yeah, this morning.”
His father’s face was solemn. “When this morning?”
Quinn hadn’t blushed in a very long time, not since the time his other sister Molly had run to their mother complaining he’d locked himself in the bathroom and wouldn’t let her in. His mother, never one for drama, had simply crushed the doorknob and broken the lock. He’d been twelve years old and just discovering girls. That night his father had had the talk with him. “After.”
One of his father’s dark brows rose. “After breakfast?”
“You know damn well when,” Quinn muttered.
His father laughed. “Did you mark her?”
“Yeah. Twice.”
“And was this, um, the first time you—”
“Yeah, Dad.”
“And how long have you known her?”
“What the hell has that got to do with anything,” he grumbled.
“Humor me.”
“A week. I’ve known her a week.”
“Mmm.”
“Dad!” He was really reaching the end of his patience with everything and everyone.
“Well, you know there is a lot of misinformation out there about shifters even now.”
“And?”
“I once had a friend who mated with a human. She didn’t believe in true mates either. It took him some time to convince her.”
“Why, why didn’t she believe him?”
“It seemed she didn’t believe she could possibly be his true mate because he hadn’t thrown her down the first time he saw her and fucked her.”
His father’s crude announcement left him speechless for a moment. “It’s the twenty-first century, Dad, we aren’t controlled by our animals.”
“What do you think a female shifter would have done if you’d found her and not carried her off to your bed as soon as you caught her scent?”
“Well, damn.”
“Exactly.”
If a male shifter didn’t immediately acknowledge the mating heat, the female shifter would be pissed as hell and probably knock the male on his ass, for being such an ass.
“Did you feel that pull with Paige?”
Quinn spun around, fire in his eyes. “Are you doubting my claim that Paige is my true mate?”
His father didn’t respond to his anger. “No, but mating a human female is different.” He paused for a moment. “What do you think would have happened if you had carried Paige off that first night?”
The reality of his situation hit him hard. He sat down with a thud. “I’d be right where I am now. She still wouldn’t have believed I was her true mate. She would have thought I’d just wanted a one-night stand.”
“Yep.” His father just smiled. “And what do you think she wants you to do?”
“Toss her over my shoulder?”
“Yep.” Another annoying grin from his parent.
“I’m fucked.”
“Yep.”
“So what do I do?”
“Your bear will do what’s right. When the time is right.”
Quinn wasn’t so certain. His bear had been after him to carry Paige off since day one. And he, the man, had dismissed the animal, wanting to give Paige time. Wanting to make her feel cherished and loved. Had he waited too long? And why the hell were women so damn confusing?
The annoying ringtone from Jungle Book that Ryland had programmed on his phone sounded from his desk. A two year old was more mature than his brother sometimes. He pitied the woman his brother finally mated. She’d have to possess the patience of a saint to put up with his shenanigans. Ryker’s would have to have a will of steel to stand up to him. Quinn considered himself a very dominant man, but Ryker was off the charts.