Page 69 of His Temporary Alpha Mate
“Do you not want to go?” I asked him.
“Nah, it feels like a them moment.” Chase felt brittle to me, on the point of breaking. He needed to be with people.
“We need to do something fun. Maybe some drinks and bowling at the center?” Larken suggested. Hemade it crystal clear he was including Chase in the invitation. My mate was very perceptive.
“Sure. We should ask some others. Deke’s been quiet. Want me to ask him?” Chase scanned the thinning crowd for his cousin.
“Sounds like a plan. Roan, Hiroshi, Tate, Asher?” Larken looked at each of them. Roan nodded after a prod from Hiroshi, who declined.
Xavier picked up Maddox. “Go on now, both of you. I’ll have a night with my grandbabies and Hiro.”
Chase returned with his cousin in tow. “Let’s do this!”
We took the celebration to the bowling alley, drank too much cider and rum, ate far too much food when Winter appeared with a bunch of tasty treats. We begged him to join us, more than a little tipsy. Do you know how he repaid our friendly overture? The cook utterly destroyed us in bowling.
Winter cackled mercilessly as he took his winnings with him. “Don’t leave this place a mess!” he ordered.
Roan was practically unconscious on Asher. Tate was picking up empty bottles and plates. Chase was speaking in a quiet tone to his cousin. He had barely left his side all night.
“Come on, time to go home!”
With Larken at my side, I made sure they all got safely home.
“Want to stay with us tonight?” I asked Chase.
“Nah, I’m going to stay with Deke.” Chase dropped his voice. “He’s having a hard time with everyone paired up.”
“I get that.”
Chase hugged me tightly. “Must be hard, with all the babies, but your time is coming, and it’s going to be great, you know.”
“Yeah.” He didn’t know how much I needed to hear that from someone else. Larken did his best to keep me going, but some days it was hard.
“Do you think she’s mad at me?” Chase wasn’t letting go. Damn, he was heavy as he slumped, giving me most of his weight.
“Who?”
“My mom. Because I didn’t want to change.”
Oh, that hit me like a punch to the gut. Chase sounded so vulnerable. I stroked his hair. Larken caught my eyes and nodded. He gave us this moment.
“I think your mom wants you to be happy. Are you?”
“I am,” he said firmly, the shine of tears in his eyes. “A mate isn’t what I want.” He smiled, the threat of tears ebbing. “I want to go from house to house, always having a home with my family. Beingan uncle is the best, isn’t it?”
“It is the best. You’re great at it.” He really was. Chase was always there for his family. For me, too. “Your mom is proud of you. I am too.”
“You’re such a good friend, Dalton. I’m glad you and Lark are mates now. He makes you shine.”
Chase said the sweetest things sometimes. I would tease him about it, but it was too damn cute.
“Alright, I’d like my mate back,” Larken said with a grin as he extracted me from Chase’s hold. “Deke’s waiting for you.”
We made one last check of the building before we left for home.
“I needed that. Thank you.” Larken always knew how I was feeling without me having to say a word.
“Anything for you. You know that, right?”
