Page 5 of The Return
“You hurt me,” I admitted.
“I can promise you I hurt just as much. Probably more. Please, give me an hour before you decide anything. Okay? Just sixty minutes.”
My resolve was crumbling. He might be in a different body, but the unsure kid I’d known was still there, wanting—needing—affirmation from me.
“Have a seat. I’ll get you a coffee.”
He settled his bulk into one of the way-too-tiny chairs and crossed his arms on the wrought iron table. It was a funny-as-hell picture, like Andre the Giant perched on doll furniture.
“This is a really nice place, you know.”
It warmed me to hear that from Jonas. Why I craved the acknowledgement, I wasn’t sure, but knowing Jonas approved was important.
“What kind of coffee do you like?”
He frowned. “I don’t really drink coffee. Do you have any tea?”
Unbidden, my eyes widened. “This, sir, is a coffee shop. We don’tdotea.”
His forehead crinkled, and I couldn’t contain the laugh.
“Yeah, we have tea of all kinds.” I peered at him. The years had been more than kind to him. “You strike me as a lapsang souchong tea person.”
“I… don’t know what that is. I usually just drink Lipton.”
“Good God, man…. I think you need a new palate.” When he frowned, I had the urge to kiss his forehead to soothe that look. “How about you let me make you a cup? If you don’t like it, then we’ll find you something else.”
His gaze bore into me. “I’ll always trust you, Core. Never doubt that.”
And with those few words, Jonas had once again rocked my world to its very foundations.
JONAS
It wasn’ta surprise to me to see people giving Corey a wide berth. I’d only been back in town a few days, and they weren’t sure how to react to me yet. Still, it nearly killed me to see the hurt expression on Corey’s face as people turned away from him.
The first thing—theveryfirst thing—I wanted to do when I arrived in town was to claim Corey. I needed to have patience. It was the mantra my father drilled into me in the years since we’d left Harken’s Corners and moved to our pack lands—25,000 pristine acres of woods that had belonged to my great, great, ad nauseam grandfather since the pack arrived in what is now Delaware settled the area and named it Harken’s Corners.
What my father had taught me, and then reinforced daily, was that I would be Alpha, and as such, my job was to act as steward of the pack. To make it prosperous, help it grow, keep the members safe. To get me to listen, he would also point out that if—when—I claimed Corey, he’d be pack too, so I was doing this for him.
Instead of following my instincts and grabbing Corey before dragging him off to my place, I forced myself to focus as I went through all the pack financials, learned about the new births and the deaths. Found out who got married, which couples—or more—were expecting. In short, I relearned the pack, so that I could take over as Alpha when my father stepped down next month.
That had been what we were doing for the years we were gone. He was training me, grooming me to take over. Of course, once the changes started, I grew hotheaded, and my dad and I went around and around, with me demanding to be taken back to town so I could see Corey, and him stressing why I couldn’t.
For me, that had been the hardest part. While Corey tamed my lust, he inflamed my protective instincts. After what Adam did—and how I reacted—my father feared that if anyone looked at Corey, I’d fly into a rage. And if I’m honest, I don’t think he was wrong.
But, Dad… what happens if Corey finds someone else?
I have people watching him. As long as he remains in Harken’s Corners, no one is going to get near him. Can you be patient? Can you wait to claim him? The change came on much earlier than expected, and I don’t know that you can handle the stress it’ll put on your body and mind.
He wasn’t kidding. One day, I was indignant over how I was being treated, and the next I made plans to steal away to see Corey with my own two eyes. I was in turns angry, morose, lonely, and missing the fuck out of my mate. He didn’t know it, but before I left his room that day, I’d taken his shirt and stuffed it into my jacket. Even though his scent had long since faded, I still imagined it. That deep, rich, musky scent of a boy on the cusp of manhood.
My mate.
When my mom came to my room one day, I wondered what was going on. Then she took a seat, cleared her throat, and started in.
“So… Corey, huh?”
“Yup.”
