Page 74 of The Return
“I think your dad will disagree. He wants to get on to the next phase of his life with your mom, and we can’t begrudge him that. We have to let him do that.”
No, fuck that. “Dad!”
“What are you doing?”
I ignored him.
Dad came around the corner and locked eyes with me. “What’s up?”
“Corey says we have to let you get back to your life.”
Dad growled, and it went right through me. I hadn’t heard him do that in years. He stormed over to us and got his face near Corey. “Donotthink I’d be leaving while you’re in danger, you idiot.”
Core’s eyes widened and he glared at me. “Are you going to let him call me an idiot?”
“Uh, yeah, because he’s not wrong.” I nuzzled his throat and found myself calming. “I told you, you’re the heart of our pack, and the longer you’re gone, the more everyone will suffer. Wanna know something? Dad will back me up on this. The Alpha is secondary to his mate in terms of pack cohesion.”
“Hell, yes,” Dad echoed. “Without Marta, everything would fall apart. My pack didn’t need me nearly as much as they did her. I was good for bringing in money to keep everything running smoothly, but Marta? She counseled, she brought the pack together. That’s going to be your job, Corey. You will be the person that binds everyone.”
“That’s… a lot of responsibility.”
Dad chuckled. “Marta said the same thing, but you need to realize that Fate brought you together with Jonas. The two of you, with your separate halves, form a perfect pair. Marta isn’t my true mate, but as an Alpha mate, she was a force to be reckoned with.”
“What’s the difference between a mate and a true mate?” Corey asked.
“There isn’t an easy answer to that,” Dad said. “Marta and I work together well, because we communicated every night. Even on days when we fought, we still talked in the evenings. That usually settled us both and ended the disagreement. Usually. There were times I was a stubborn ass, and we didn’t settle the argument—which she was always right—until a day or two later, but that still didn’t stop us from discussing things at night, because we needed to come together for the pack.
“The two of you, as true mates, have a bond that transcends any normal marriage. You get each other on a level we can’t attain. Given time, you’ll be able to intuit how each other feels, speak without using words, and more. You’ll be more like one person, instead of two separate individuals. What Marta and I have to discuss, you two will know inherently.” He reached for Corey, who grasped his hand. “I know a true mate couple, and although I believe Marta and I are happy, we’ll never bethatkind of happy. Emon and Dara have six kids, and they’re all like one entity.”
“So they’re like Borg?”
“Oh, you’re funny. Jonas, are you sure this is your mate?”
“Dad, don’t tease the mate. He’s sensitive.”
He gave me a wink. “Oh, right, sorry. No, they’re not Borg. What they are is mind-touched. Even the kids. Did you ever rebel against your parents? Like, you were so mad, you could have spit nails and wouldn’t tell them why?”
Corey nodded.
“Well, their kids don’t ever have to worry about that. Emon and Dara know what’s wrong with them, and they talk about it. They don’t let secrets fester, and in their family, misunderstandings don’t exist.”
“Sounds like perfection,” Corey said.
“Yes and no. There’s such a thing as too much closeness, in my opinion. Never having private thoughts? Never enjoying a good snit, just because? Not for me.”
“You’d feel differently if you found your true mate, Dad.”
He cocked his head. “I don’t think so. See, your mother and I? We have to work at what you will be able to do naturally. I believe it brings us a lot closer, because we put more into it. We never take for granted that the other person will justknowhow we’re feeling, and in order to maintain that, we work extra hard at it.”
It made sense to me logically, but Corey was my true mate. He was the one I would always know, always love.
“Can true mates break up?” Corey asked, which shook me to my core.
Dad stroked a hand over his chin. “I’ve never heard it, so I can’t answer you for certain.”
“Would you… break up with me?” I asked, hating that I had to do it. I knew Corey, but the one from my childhood. Things and events shaped the person who stood before me now. Just because he loved me didn’t mean he’d be willing to stay with me.
His jaw dropped. “What? Hell, no! I just got you back, and I am not going to let you go without a fight. If I have to tie you down to keep you here, that’s what I’ll do. I’m only asking because I want to know everything about being your mate and being part of the pack.”
