Hunter(Zeus's Pack 5)(26)

Hunter stopped walking and looked down at his slim mate. “Why didn’t you tell us? When?”

“We were standing outside the deli. I thought I was just seeing things. One minute he was getting into his car, the next, he was gone.”

Hunter took Tristan into the bedroom, placing the trembling shifter on the bed. “Close the curtains, please,” Tristan asked shakily.

Hunter closed them, crawling onto the bed and spooning Tristan. “The Alpha has offered refuge at his home until Xavier is caught. I think we should take him up on his offer.”

“He asked you and Quinn, too? I won’t go if you two aren’t there as well, sir.” Tristan turned in Hunter’s arms, pressing their chests close together.

“Wouldn’t have it any another way, rainbow.”

“Why do you call me that? Why does Quinn call me jellybean?”

“I don’t know about Quinn, but you are a miracle to me, like a bright rainbow in the sky. It’s not often a shifter finds his mate, and I found both of mine. How much more of a miracle could that be?”

Yeah, it sounded corny, but that was how Hunter felt from the moment he saw Tristan on that dark country road. Okay, maybe not the first moment, but soon after.

“Wow, that’s so…cheesy.” Tristan laughed. “But I like it, thank you.” Tristan tucked his head under Hunter’s chin and sighed. “Why don’t you have a pet name for Quinn?”

“Do you really think Quinn would let me call him something like that?” Hunter chuckled. “‘Honey buns’ doesn’t seem to fit him.”

“How is he?” Quinn asked as he stepped into the bedroom.

“Getting better.” Hunter held his hand out, Quinn crossing the room to take it. “Come lay with us.”

Quinn walked to the other side of the bed and got in behind Tristan, draping his arm over the both of them. His thumb began to rub back and forth over Hunter’s hip, the contact pleasing to him.

“So when were either of you going to tell me I’m your mate?” Quinn asked. He didn’t sound angry, nor did he smell like that spicy scent anger gave off. But he did sound hurt. Hunter mentally cursed.

“That’s my fault, sir,” Tristan confessed.

“How is that, jellybean?”

“We were trying to figure out the best way to tell you. Although you know about shifters, being a mate is more significant. I suggested we wait to tell you. So don’t blame Hunter, sir. I take the blame for that.”

“How did you find out?” Hunter asked.

“Torem. He was out there with Dino and Sidney in the front yard, helping to track Xavier.” Quinn rolled to his back, staring up at the ceiling.

Hunter watched him closely. His gut tightening the longer Quinn took to speak. This had been major news, and he kept it from his mate. No matter what Tristan said, he should have been the one to stand up and tell Quinn. He was the older shifter, the stronger one. It was his job, and he’d failed at it. Now all he could do was pray Quinn didn’t turn his back on them.

“Alpha Zeus wanted us to move in until Xavier is caught.” Tristan ran his fingers over Hunter’s collarbone. He could feel the tremble in his fingers. “Will you go with us?”

“Sure, when do we go?”

Hunter didn’t like Quinn’s mood swing. He seemed too cheerful now. Something was going on in Quinn’s head, and the construction worker wasn’t sharing. He’d rather Quinn shout, be angry, anything but the avoidance he was showing. How had he fucked this up? Never having been in a relationship before, Hunter was at a loss on how to handle this.

“Whenever you want, sir.” Tristan glanced up at Hunter, his eyes telling him that Tristan felt it, too. He leaned down and kissed Tristan’s fiery red hair, pulling them both closer to him. No matter how long it took, he would fix this.



* * * *



“Is that everything?” Hunter asked as he walked out of the bedroom with Tristan’s bags.

“I think so.” Tristan glanced around, running back over to his drawing table once more and looking around.

It didn’t escape Hunter’s attention that Tristan was using the word sir less and less. He seemed to be getting more comfortable around him and Quinn. It had been a week before they could get things together to move up to the Alpha’s house. But Tristan had spent his days there while he and Quinn worked.

There were some days Tristan spent with him at the hardware store. His rainbow used the time to draw, but he felt bad that Tristan just sat there all day, so he introduced his mate to Sully, asking his friend to take Tristan to Zeus’s and introduce him to everyone.