“Are you offended by this?” Hunter asked as he looked from his timid mate to Quinn.
Quinn shrugged, a wickedly sexy smile playing at his lips. Hunter’s cock was getting hard just staring at the gorgeous man. “Nah, live and let live.”
His mate’s laidback approach set Hunter at ease. Should he reveal to Quinn that he also had two mates? The guy seemed to accept things pretty well. Maybe later. They needed to get Tristan off of this dark country road.
Hunter didn’t like either of his mates out here. They still had threats of rogue shifters and vampires, and it hurt Hunter’s stomach to think of anything happening to either of them. Even though Quinn looked like he could hold his own. Hunter wasn’t going to chance his human mate. “We should get him home.”
“He lives with me,” Quinn said over his shoulder to Hunter as he guided Tristan toward the car.
“I can’t go, sir. What if…things happen and one or both of you gets hurt?” Tristan pulled his arm free of Quinn’s grasp and backed away.
Hunter really hated to do this considering the wolf seemed so fragile. “Get in the car now,” he commanded gently but firmly. It was better than the alternative, which was leaving him out here to fend for himself. There was no way in hell Hunter would even consider that possibility.
Tristan clutched some kind of notebook to his chest, and with tears in his eyes, walked over to the car. God, the man looked so damn hurt. Hunter hated that he had to resort to commanding his mate, but again, he couldn’t risk him being out here on his own.
“Don’t talk to him like that. He’s already been through enough. I told you that.” Quinn snapped at him and then ran after Tristan.
That didn’t go as planned. Hunter ran his hands through his hair, at a loss of how to handle this situation. He’d never been in a serious relationship before and wasn’t sure he was doing the right thing. The only thing that eased his conscience was having the knowledge that Tristan wasn’t going to be out here all alone.
“I wasn’t trying to be an asshole,” Hunter told Quinn when he caught up with him, laying his hand on his mate’s arm. “But if I hadn’t commanded him to do as told, we could have been out here for hours trying to convince him. And if someone is really after him, then that wouldn’t be wise.”
“I understand why you did it. I just don’t want him talked to that way.” Quinn’s eyes looked disapproving as he climbed into the driver’s seat. Hunter slid into the back. This was going to take a lot of work.
“I’m sorry, Tristan.” Hunter felt terrible. Tristan’s face was stained with tears, and he refused to look at Hunter. What a way to start off with his newfound mates.
“It’s okay, sir.” Tristan wiped his face and began to sing. “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine…” Hunter tilted his head and stared at Tristan for a moment before turning to Quinn for an answer.
“He does that when he’s nervous.” Quinn reached over and ran his hand up and down Tristan’s arm. “Stop singing, jellybean. Hunter won’t harm you.” Quinn shot a glare at Hunter from the rearview mirror.
Hunter sighed as he sat back. Quinn turned the car around and headed back to town with Tristan still singing. This was the most bizarre shit Hunter had ever witnessed. He kept his thoughts to himself the whole ride back. It seemed he wasn’t doing too well with these two, and he didn’t want to rack up more shit points with them.
Quinn palmed the wheel, pulling the car into a driveway, and cut the motor. “I want to get Tristan settled before I take you home.”
Hunter didn’t want to go home. He wanted to be with his mates. But since Quinn was unaware of the fact of their status, Hunter could only nod in agreement as he followed them inside.
Quinn walked Tristan into the house and down the hallway, into a bedroom. “You two share a room?” Hunter looked around and noticed a drawing table off in one corner. It must be for Quinn’s work.
“No, ever since Tristan showed up, I’ve been sleeping in the guest bedroom,” Quinn informed him.
Hunter leaned against the doorframe as Quinn guided Tristan to the bathroom. “Get into something more comfortable, jellybean.” He removed Tristan’s hat and took the notebook. When Tristan gave a noise of protest, Quinn ran his hand over the smaller guy’s back. “I’m going to put this on your drawing table. It’s not going anywhere.”
Tristan’s eyes darted to Hunter and then he disappeared into the bathroom.
“Is he mentally slow or something?” Hunter asked as he watched Quinn set Tristan’s things on the table. It wouldn’t have mattered to Hunter. He knew finding one’s mate was a rare thing, and he’d take them any way he could get them.