Page 35 of Unbreakable Bond
Chapter 15
“Michael.”He stepped outside rather than inviting his brotherin.
“Rafe.”
He raised an eyebrow when his brother refused to step back and give him room. Tension swelled in the small space between them. Two born Alphas going head to head and refusing to be the one to give first. As the younger, it should have been Michael that blinked but Rafe had given the pack to his brother. This was his land. Besides, Rafe knew Zoey wouldn’t like it much if they came to blows so he did something he’d never thought he woulddo.
He lowered his eyesfirst.
Michael stepped back and he glanced up quickly enough to catch the look of shock that flashed on his brother’s face before he masked it. Michael studied him momentarily and then he too looked away. Two Alphas that couldn’t look each other in the eyes. Two brothers that couldn’t find the words to mend all that had beenbroken.
Rafe cleared his throat, “Why don’t we have a seat andtalk?”
He motioned to the patio set on the other end of the porch. The one he figured Michael had bought and put out here. For him and Zoey. Rafe stepped past his brother, giving him his back to show he wasn’t scared of an attack. For all that Michael had given Zoey, this was what Rafe could startwith.
Michael didn’t say a word, simply stomped over and dropped himself into one of thechairs.
Rafe glared at the man standing a hundred yards from the house between two cars. On the left was a silver Jeep. On the right, a jacked-up truck. The man glared right back at Rafe and crossed his arms over hischest.
He dropped into the chair nearest the door, “Was the Enforcer reallynecessary?”
Michael shot a look over his shoulder and shrugged, “He drove my truck out for me so I’d have a ride back. I drove Zo’s Jeep. I thought she’d want it so she could get back totown.”
“She’s not going anywhere.” Rafe growled awarning.
Michael only leaned back in his chair and scrubbed a hand over his face, “I didn’t mean today. Just… whenever.” He shifted again, clearly uncomfortable, “I’m not stupid. Far from it. I know it’s too late to stop you. I just have one question for younow.”
“Okay.”
“Are youstaying?”
Rafe flinched at the question, “What?”
“Are you staying? Here. In Noir. Are you coming home to the pack? Because she’s pack. She’s family. She’smyfamily. And whatever life you’ve been living out there on your own, you can’t drag her away from the only home and family that shehas.”
Rafe stared at his brother for a long moment, trying to figure out where they’d gone so wrong. It was his fault. He knew. He had left without any explanation. He’d stayed gone because he’d thought it was for the best. Not just for him but for Michael too. Now that he was back, now that he had Zoey to think of, he knew just how badly he’d screwedup.
He’d left his brother behind. He’d been so messed up about losing his family that he hadn’t given much thought to the family he had left. Michael. He’d left behind a scared teenage boy to run a pack all by himself after burying his parents and olderbrother.
What the hell had he been thinking? The truth was. He hadn’t. His wolf had been crazed and feral. He’d been in shock and grief. And he’d run. He’d run away thinking it would solve his problems but it had only createdmore.
It had created this rift between him and his brother that he wasn’t sure anything could bridge, but he had to try. Not just for Zoey’s sake. For his and for Michael’stoo.
Rafe dropped his head into his hands and his wolf whined, “I’m so sorry,Michael.”
Nothing but silence greeted his apology. He’d expected that. In the face of everything, all the years and time he’d stayed away, it wasn’t much. Not nearlyenough.
“I’m sorry I left. I’m sorry I left you behind. I was… so messed up. I wasn’t thinking straight. Hell, I still don’t think straight most days. My wolf is feral. Practically uncontrollable. But I always thought when I got my shit back together I’d come home. I just… I never got ittogether.”
He glanced up and saw that Michael’s jaw was twitching. He was grinding his teeth together. He was also staring off into space instead of looking at Rafe and he felt the refusal to even acknowledge him like a punch in the gut. Even if he deservedit.
“So,” Michael finally gritted out, “You came back for a reason. You said on the phone there was an issue I needed to know about. What wasit?”
“Michael…”
“No.” His brother snapped his eyes back to him and they glowed gold again, “No. We’re not talking about her. Not yet. Right now, you tell me why you came back tomypack, tomyland, to talk tome. You didn’t come back for her so you don’t get to talk to me about her. Notyet.”
Rafe’s wolf bristled at every word. He wanted to bare his teeth. He wanted to remind Michael that he was the elder, that he was the rightful Pack Alpha. But he didn’t. Because he didn’t want to be Pack Alpha. Had never wanted it. Michael was better at it than he ever could have been and the proof was right there in hisstatement.
