Page 3 of The Fated Mate Bandit

Or maybe he didn’t. He complained about them all of the time.

“Have you filed a police report about that bruise?” Silver asks.

I shake my head.

“Do you want to?”

I shake my head again. What would be the point? I learned a long time ago that there are crimes the police care about and crimes they don’t. An alpha abusing his family is firmly in the latter category.

“Did he hurt you anywhere else?” Silver asks.

“No.” Not this time. But there’s no need to say that part out loud.

Silver flips the French toast. They’re perfectly brown, which comes as no surprise. Ruby, his omega mom, taught all her sons to cook. Even her honorary son. I missed her almost as much as I missed Silver at first. That’s why I spent so much time in the kitchen during my first year with Daryl. I felt closer to her when I made her tuna casserole or spaghetti with her signature meat sauce.

“Can I tell my family that you’re here?” Silver asks.

My heart aches for the sense of belonging I left behind all those years ago. Back in high school, it was far too easy to become attached to Silver and his family. His moms bought me Christmas presents and washed my clothes. His brothers showed me their raccoons and I showed them my wolf. I didn’t see how fragile it all was until it was too late.

“No,” I say.

Because I’m not Ruby’s son. I’m not Coin’s brother either. Fate didn’t choose that family for me, just like She didn’t choose Silver as my mate. I can’t let myself get wrapped up in the cozy ease of Silver’s world without remembering that I don’t belong here.

I’m just a lone wolf passing through.

3

SILVER

The fragile man shaking with sobs that I found on the doorstep has transformed into someone reserved and careful. He answers my questions with one or two words as he eats his French toast and calmly thanks me when I show him to the guest room where my brothers sleep any time they stay the night.

Holding him while he sobbed was easier than leaving him in that room all by himself. Maybe that’s because I still want him, and I’m a selfish person. Or maybe it’s because the sobs seemed more honest. There’s a wall between us now—a coldness that’s foreign after how close we were in high school. I don’t know what to make of it.

I wander back to my bedroom and close the door. My first instinct is to call Link. He’s shit at giving advice, but he’s a good listener. The problem is, I think I need advice.

I call my omega mom instead.

“Hello?” Her voice is throaty and confused. “Are you okay?”

I glance at the clock. It’s three in the morning. I got so caught up in what’s going on with Lucas, I forgot what time it is.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Do you think I’m normally up at this hour?” she asks, a teasing lilt to her voice.

“No. I just lost track of time.”

“What’s going on, sweetie? Is something wrong?”

“No, I mean, yes, but I can’t tell you what it is,” I stammer. God, I should have thought this through before I started making phone calls.

“Okay,” she says patiently.

I know what question I want to ask her. It’s incredibly stupid, and she’ll probably be able to figure out exactly what’s going on based on my question, but I have to know.

“Do you remember when I asked you about putting my paws on someone who already had a fated mate?” That’s how raccoon shifters claim their mates. We put our paws on their chest while in our raccoon forms.

“Yes, I remember.”

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