Chance Lakeland answered the door, a sweet roll in his hand as he chewed. One brow lifted as though the man were asking what he needed.
A mate who didn’t reject me would be a good start. “Is Ahm available?” he asked as he shoved his hands into his worn work coat.
Chance stepped back and allowed Winter to enter. He stood in the entryway and waited. Chance finally finished his treat. “What do you need with Ahm?”
“I have to ask him something,” Winter said. “It’s personal, if you don’t mind.”
All the Lakeland men were mated. He doubted they knew anything about being rejected. Besides, Winter’s business was his own. He wasn’t the type to pour his heart out, not even to men he considered friends. But he did need answers, and since Ahm was the only Shadow elf Winter knew, he’d have to do.
Chance invited him to have a seat in the living room, but Winter politely declined and stayed by the front door as the bear went to get the elf. Winter mulled over his mate’s words, turning and flipping them over in his mind as he tried to understand why Dasani had said those things. There was no way the elf could know about his past. That couldn’t be the reason for rejection.
He glanced up when he heard approaching footsteps. Ahm always reminded Winter of royalty. It was the way the man carried himself. Even though he no longer led the Shadow elves, he still stood as proud as a warrior. It was hard to believe this man had given birth.
“Is something wrong?” Ahm asked as he stopped a foot away from Winter. The man was in Ultionem mode. Winter could see that in the man’s dark-blue eyes. But this visit had nothing to do with needing help from the leaders of the preternatural world.
“This is more of a personal matter.” Winter glanced at the men who sat in the living room watching television. They were shifters, and he knew they would be able to hear even if Winter whispered.
Ahm nodded and grabbed a coat from the pegs on the wall. He pulled one on and then slipped his feet into a pair of boots. Once they were laced, he waved his hand for Winter to step outside. The cold air blew past him as he opened the door and stepped out onto the porch.
When Ahm closed the door, he turned to Winter.
“I have a question about your race,” Winter said. “More particularly, one of your members.”
“I’ll try to answer,” Ahm said as he took a seat on the railing. “But you are aware that I don’t go there too often these days.”
Winter nodded. He removed his Stetson and ran his hand over his short hair. “Do you know someone named Dasani?”
Ahm appeared as though he was searching his memory, and then he nodded. “I do. He’s the son of Egbar. Dasani is a sweet man. Why do you ask about him? Has he done something to offend you?”
Winter let go of an uneasy chuckle. “Not quite. I saw Chauncey in his bear form earlier, walking the woods behind the ranch. Then I saw him change into his human form and an elf shimmer away with him.”
“But he’s inside,” Ahm said, seeming confused.
“Yeah, I know. By the time I reached the woods, the elf was back, but not Chauncey. I questioned him, and his friend knocked me out with… I’m not really sure. He didn’t use his fists. But I knew it was a Shadow elf because of his blue skin and long black hair.”
Ahm’s eyes remained wary. “This elf and his friend harmed Chauncey? I just saw Chauncey and Curtis, and the bear said nothing about being harmed.”
“I don’t think Chauncey was hurt,” Winter said. “I’m still a little confused on what happened. But I do know that I scented my mate, and it was Dasani. But he—” It was hard for Winter to confess that he’s been rejected. That was a blow to his ego that hurt like a bitch.
“He rejected you,” Ahm supplied. “There would have been no other outcome.”
“Why?” Winter asked. “From what I hear, Rakeym is changing the Shadow elves’ way of thinking. They no longer consider outsiders a bad thing.”
Ahm pressed his hands on his bent leg and shook his head, his long, snow-white hair moving slightly with the wind. “Not all are willing to change, Winter. There are some who believe the old way is best. Dasani’s father is one of those people. Egbar is a strong and proud man and doesn’t believe we should let outsiders in.”
“So Dasani rejected me because of his father?”
Ahm’s smile was warm and filled with sympathy. “In the human world, a child grows up and moves on, making a life for himself outside his parents’ home. If that grown child rejects his parents’ way of thinking, he has that choice. But not in my world. The child remains with the parents for many years after he or she has reached adulthood. Dasani’s father holds much sway over how his son behaves, his decisions, and his actions. I know Egbar. He isn’t going to allow his son to mate outside our race.”