He watched his mate take off, running toward the tree line at a full sprint.
“I’m sorry, Adam,” Rory said. “It’s my fault.”
Adam sighed. “It’s okay.”
Closing his eyes, Adam shook his head. He didn’t understand Nicholas’s behavior, but that wasn’t a huge surprise. Adam was a wolf. Their mannerisms were different.
Why wouldn’t Nicholas shift? Why did he go straight to Kaden’s bedroom? Was it possible? Could Kaden be Nicholas’s second mate? That was the question at the forefront of his mind. Adam was afraid that it might be true. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Damon was right about Nicholas’s behavior.
“Don’t worry. I’ll find him,” Damon said, pulling Adam out of his thoughts.
He pulled off his T-shirt, handing it off to Rory. Damon stepped outside and finished stripping off his clothing before shifting. He followed the same path as Nicholas, following the other jaguar, disappearing past the tree line.
“I’m really sorry, Adam. I didn’t mean to leave the door open. I had no idea that Nicholas would run off like that.”
Adam wrapped his arms around his younger brother’s shoulders and gave him a hug. “It’s okay.”
“What’s wrong?”
“If what Damon said was true…” Adam paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. “I’m not sure how I feel about Kaden being Nicholas’s second mate.” He strolled over to the living room and dropped down onto the couch. “If they are mates, what does that mean? Are we supposed to share him? Is he supposed to split his time between the two of us?”
“It does sound a little strange,” Rory agreed. “I’ve never heard of a mating where all the people involved weren’t destined to be together. I’m not sure how it would work, but the three of you should be able to figure it out. Kaden’s been your friend for a long time.”
Leaning forward, Adam placed his elbows on his knees. “I just never thought I’d have to share my mate with anyone. I’m not too proud to admit that I’m a selfish man. I want to keep Nicholas all to myself.”
“You don’t know if it’s true. This whole thing could be a big misunderstanding or something.” Rory shrugged nonchalantly.
“It’s really hard to ignore what Damon said.”
“I know.”
Adam could only shake his head. Since finding his mate, things had been less than ideal. It was disappointing.
When Damon walked through the front door, Adam rose from the couch in one smooth movement. He looked at the spot behind his mate’s brother, looking for Nicholas, but the man never appeared.
“Where is he?”
“He’s nearby but don’t worry.” Damon chuckled lightly. “He’s napping in a tree. Nicholas won’t leave the property.”
“Well”—Adam sighed—”at least he’s here. That’s all that matters.”
It was all that mattered at this moment. Nicholas was safe, and he was at home where he belonged. There would be plenty of time to find the answers he needed, later.
* * * *
The next morning, Adam woke up early. He got dressed and grabbed a couple of raw deer steaks before heading outside, intent on finding his mate. Now that he’d gotten some sleep, Adam was hoping that he might be able to convince Nicholas to shift. He would beg if necessary. They needed to have a conversation so that he could understand the jaguar’s behavior.
Having Nicholas in his territory was a blessing. He was glad that his mate had finally agreed to come to Virginia, even if it took Adam leaving New Orleans for it to happen. He just couldn’t figure out why his mate wouldn’t shift, which was frustrating.
The questions from the night before kept rolling around inside his mind, causing him a great deal of stress. He didn’t want to share Nicholas. The idea of passing the other man back and forth between him and Kaden was more than he could stand.
Adam strolled toward the tree line. He purposefully made noise, dragging his feet and humming softly. He didn’t want the jaguar to think he was trying to sneak up on him or that he posed any sort of threat. He stepped around fallen trees and around thick bushes, searching for Nicholas.
“Nicholas?” he called out, making kissing sounds. He felt a little silly, calling to his mate as if the shifter was his pet, but Adam didn’t want to spend the entire day traipsing through the woods. “Nicholas?”
Adam glanced, studying the branches, hoping to see the jaguar. When he heard a throaty rumble, Adam stopped in his tracks. The jaguar padded out from behind one of the trees.