Chapter Two

Jaytee sprang up from the couch and tore after his mate, his heart pounding with confusion and concern. He couldn't understand why his mate was so panicked, but he had to catch up with him and find out. He burst out of the café and scanned the area for any sign of the tiny guy.

All he wanted was to talk to his moonbeam, to find out his name and why he was so scared.

What could be causing him to run like this? Did he have some kind of trouble on his heels?

Even if that were the case, why would he run from Jaytee?

Finally, he spotted his mate on the side of the café building, peering around the corner with the most striking lavender-gray eyes. His long hair cascaded down in soft waves of warm gold and yellow undertones, framing his delicate heart-shaped face as he bent sideways to look at him.

Moonbeam's attempt at concealing himself was almost comical. Either it was a deliberate gesture to reveal his location or he was simply terrible at hiding.

The air seemed to still momentarily as their gazes locked. Moonbeam flashed Jaytee a look filled with enough pain it would make even the toughest guy drop to his knees. Slowly, the pained expression began to slightly soften.

"Just talk to me, honey. Tell me what's got you so frightened," Jaytee said softly. "I promise that's all I want."

Tell me what put that deep pain in your breathtaking eyes.

But before he could get any answers, his mate suddenly jerked back and disappeared from sight.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, Jaytee turned to face his brothers, who had just spilled from the café. "You're scaring him," he growled out, the warning clear in his voice.

"You definitely have that ass backward, bro," Damon retorted angrily. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"Just tell us what's going on, Jaytee," Jax said cautiously, approaching him like he was a wild animal. "Why did you chase after that guy? Why are you acting so erratic?"

Filled with disbelief, Jaytee spun around to face them. Had their brains gone as numb as their asses on the long ride home? "Because I felt like acting like a crazed lunatic. Did I nail it?"

He heard his mate stifling a laugh, and a small smile tugged at his lips. A warm feeling spread through him at the sound, finally giving him some reassurance in this crazy situation.

Then his mate appeared, exuding more confidence with every step.

"Better than a carpenter," his twin said with a smirk. "If you just wanted to hook up with the little hottie, you need to work on your approach. You're embodying Jack Torrance instead of Rick Blaine."

Motherfuck, the guy was gorgeous. Jaytee's gaze slid over his mate's waiflike body, wondering if his radiant latte-colored skin was as soft as it looked.

"Like anyone even knows who those characters are anymore, old man," Jax replied, rolling his eyes. "Try a more recent reference, fathead."

His mate smirked at Jaytee before his gaze swung toward the two idiots arguing.

"Like your insults from the forties? Who the hell says fathead anymore?" Damon fired back.

Swear to god Jaytee had no clue how he was related to them.

After a mischievous wink at Jaytee, Damon sauntered toward Moonbeam with a confident stride. "Since my twin has clearly lost his touch," he taunted, "I guess I can show the hottie my Rick Blaine side to bring out his kitten claws."

Before Damon could even reach Moonbeam, Jaytee yanked him back with a low growl. Confusion and irritation creased Damon's forehead as he glared at him.

"What the hell is your problem?" he demanded.

They'd shared men a few times before and were as close and protective of each other as brothers should be. But if his twin couldn't read the warning signs growling right at him, they were headed for a knock-down, drag-out fight on the street.

Moonbeam stood nearby with a curious expression on his face, eyes darting between the brothers.

"I think you need to back off, Damon," Jax warned.

Damon just shrugged it off. "Jaytee is just pissed he lost his touch and doesn't want to see me remind him how it's done."

Jaytee was seeing red to the point he found it impossible to utter a single word. Adrenaline surged through his veins, his vision narrowing into a tunnel. As he moved slowly but deliberately toward his twin, his claws slid free. Jaytee's hands curled into fists, his sharp claws digging into his palms as he fought to keep his wolf from breaking free.

"Shut the fuck up, Damon," Jax snarled as he took a few steps in Jaytee's direction, as if to stop him from attacking their brother.

"What the hell is going on?" Damon demanded with crossed arms, looking between the two of them in confusion. "Just because some twink is checking me out doesn't mean I won't share him with you two."

No the fuck he didn't just say that.

"He's Jaytee's mate, you idiot," Jax snapped, more fiercely this time. "His claws and shifting eyes should have been a dead giveaway."

Damon's brows shot up. "How the hell was I supposed to know? You didn't say shit to us, Jaytee." His twin walked backward toward Jax, putting some distance between himself and Moonbeam.

"You play too many games," Jaytee growled.

"Jaytee, calm down," Jax said, still wary. "It was just a misunderstanding. Damon's dumb ass just thought we were gonna have some fun."

"A misunderstanding?" Jaytee pointed a clawed finger at his mate, thankful no humans were presently around. "Does he look interested, Damon? What part of his body language made you think it was okay to hit on him?"

"I'm going back inside because I must have lost my mind somewhere in the café. I need to go retrieve it." Damon took a few steps toward the door. "Just, please, don't tell Dad about this."

"Then maybe you should leave your twin's sight," Jax snarled then turned to Jaytee. "And put your fucking claws away before a human sees them."

"If you flirt with my mate again, Dad will be the least of your worries." Jaytee growled the warning.

"Just so you know," Moonbeam said sassily, "I wasn't checking you out because I wanted you to come over. I was trying to figure out what kind of jerk would act like that."

Hell yeah. Jaytee liked the fact his mate had such a fiery spirit. When Moonbeam had bolted from the café, he had thought… Well, Jaytee wasn't sure what he'd thought. He hadn't been expecting to find his mate, but the guy's scent confused him.

Moonbeam wasn't a shifter, demon, vampire, or any other kind of supernatural species Jaytee had encountered before. He wasn't human, either.

The wind shifted, carrying his mate's scent toward him. Jaytee inhaled deeply and let out a low growl as he recognized the same sweet vanilla and sandalwood fragrance from the café, the same scent that had made him feel as if he'd been punched in his chest.

That was how he'd known Moonbeam was his mate.

But there was something else hidden beneath it. In the café, Jaytee had felt a brief hazing of his mind when he first caught a whiff of Moonbeam's scent.

Now the breeze brought that intoxicating aroma straight to Jaytee, filling his lungs and thickening the haze in his mind. His canines throbbed with a strange sensation as they threatened to descend on their own, and his wolf was going apeshit.

Jaytee shook his head, feeling the tension in his body as he tried to clear the fog in his mind. What was happening to him? Moonbeam's scent was fucking with his senses.

At the sound of heavy breathing, Jaytee glanced behind him and saw his brothers' eyes filled with hunger, their pupils dilated and focused on Moonbeam.

Damon shot forward. Jaytee tackled his twin and slammed him against the building. They exchanged ferocious blows, but Jaytee managed to gain the upper hand by pinning Damon's throat with his forearm, cutting off his air supply.

"Don't you dare touch my mate," he snarled through gritted teeth. "Or I'll forget you're my own flesh and blood. Pull your shit together."

Despite his own struggle to control himself, Jaytee had snapped out of the haze as soon as he felt Damon's grip falter. He had to protect his mate, even if it meant fighting against his own brothers.

Jaytee swung his head around, fearing Jax had gone after Moonbeam while he'd been fighting. But Jax seemed to have snapped out of it. His gaze was focused on Damon, not Jaytee's mate.

"You two have drawn a crowd," Jax said. "Police cruiser is heading this way."

Where was Moonbeam? Jaytee looked to where his mate had been standing moments ago, but the guy was gone.

Since he knew nothing about his mate, Jaytee released Damon and sprinted toward the side of the building, throwing over his shoulder, "Clear things up with the deputies."

Moonbeam was already skittish. He'd run from the café, and what had Jaytee done?

Damn near knocked his twin's head off in front of his mate. That was what gutted him right down the middle. Instead of letting his brothers distract him, Jaytee should have given his full concentration to his mate.

The sound of a police siren echoed in his ears, a reminder of the chaos that had erupted only moments ago as he reached the side of the building and looked around.

"Looks like my family isn't the only dysfunctional one," Moonbeam said.

Jaytee stilled at the sweetest voice he'd ever heard. Light and airy, like musical notes floating on a breeze. He drew in a deep breath to calm his racing heart, afraid any sudden movements would cause his mate to bolt again.

Turning slowly around, Jaytee spotted the guy leaning against the brick wall, his hands clasped in front of him.

There were only a few moments in life that had taken Jaytee's breath away. He could probably count them on one hand, maybe two extra fingers if he stretched it. But this moment surpassed all of them.

It wasn't just because Moonbeam was stunningly beautiful but also the fact that Jaytee was staring at his mate.

After a long 1600-mile road trip to visit their cousins, Jaytee was exhausted. Though it had been a fun journey, he'd been ready to head straight home.

But Damon insisted he couldn't drive another mile without some coffee. Despite his twin pissing him off seven ways from Sunday most of the time, if Damon hadn't convinced him to stop, Jaytee wouldn't have met his stunning mate.

His grin widened as he tried to ease the tension between them. "That little beef with my brother?" Jaytee chuckled. "Just a typical Thursday."

"What would you call it on a Friday?" His mate's smile was like a pink rose blooming in the midst of a hurricane, the calm and delicate beauty standing out against the chaotic backdrop of tension and panic.

"Guess you'll have to stick around to find out." The words rolled off his tongue with a playful lilt.

"Okay, I stuck around." His mate's lavender-gray eyes sparkled with mischief.

Jaytee frowned.

Moonbeam spread his arms. "It's Friday."

"That trip took more out of me than I thought." He admitted with a soft chuckle.

Moonbeam snorted. "Traveling can play havoc with you."

The playful banter between them only added to the electricity in the air, making this moment with his mate all the more unforgettable.

"Is your twin always so…" Moonbeam tapped his chin.

"Cocky?" Jaytee filled in for him. "Yeah, but he's usually not an asshole about it. I think all of us are just dog-tired from traveling. Please accept my apology on his behalf, Moonbeam."

That underlying alluring scent was still there, still calling to Jaytee, to his wolf, but he somehow managed to beat it back. He wanted to ask what his mate was, but he was afraid of pushing too hard and causing the guy's tension to return.

"Moonbeam?" His mate burst into laughter, sounding like a symphony in the air. "I forgot you called me that in the café."

Jaytee was absolutely enchanted with him. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that's not your real name." He held a hand over his heart. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Jaytee Frost. My knucklehead twin is Damon, and my other brother is Jax."

Moonbeam's laughter bubbled over again. "Jax Frost? Does he nip at noses?"

His brother's name had been a bane to him many times over his 247 years. While most simply snickered good-naturedly, Jaytee couldn't count how many times Jax had gotten into fights with jackasses who cruelly teased him about it.

"Never made the connection." Jaytee grinned.

His mate brushed his golden hair back when it had fallen forward from his amusement. Jaytee held back a gasp when he caught a glimpse of a pointed ear before Moonbeam settled the strands over it.

He'd heard of wood elves and fairies, just never met one. That was why his mate's scent had confused him. Which species was Moonbeam?

"My name is Raidh." He didn't give a last name. "But I kinda like Moonbeam better."

"Sweetheart, I'll call you whatever you want." Jaytee moved a little closer. The underlying scent grew stronger, but this time his wolf didn't go apeshit over it. Instead, his beast wrapped itself around it, bathed in it.

Jaytee snarled and jerked forward, snatching his mate behind him when a woman appeared out of thin air and yelled, "He's sent your sister to fetch you!"

The woman was tiny, even shorter than Raidh—who looked only around five feet tall—with olive-colored skin and cobalt-blue hair that could rival a unicorn's mane. Were all pointy-eared people breathtaking?

She let out a high-pitched squeak when she saw Jaytee. Then she tugged fiercely on his arm as if she could actually pull his three hundred pounds of solid muscle away from Raidh. With a raised eyebrow, Jaytee lifted his arm, and she dangled helplessly in midair.

"I got him, Raidh. Run!" she yelled frantically.

Jaytee looked at the petite woman dangling precariously from his beefy wrist. Demons were known for their ability to teleport through shadows, but there weren't any shadows on the side of the café. Neither the female nor Raidh were demons, which only added to his confusion. Could wood elves or fairies teleport?

Raidh just blinked at her. "What exactly do you have, Elvine? A wolf-sized pull-up bar?"

"Why did you attack me?" Jaytee asked, perplexed. "Raidh and I were just talking. I wasn't hurting him or anything."

Elvine's reaction had been too swift and fierce, leading him to question the nature of her relationship with Raidh. Were they friends, family, or something more? If they were involved romantically, it would complicate the hell out of things.

Although preternatural looked for their mate throughout their existence, because they never truly felt whole until they found their other half, they didn't just sit around waiting. They became involved in relationships or started families. Shifters lived for a thousand years, and that was one hell of a long time to remain single.

But Jaytee never understood the ones who chose to start a family with a human. To watch their loved ones grow old and die? To outlive generations of descendants?

Raidh placed a delicate hand on Jaytee's broad shoulder, making physical contact with him for the first time. The touch was electrifying, igniting a longing within him that he'd never felt before. "Elvine is just a bit...overprotective."

"I am not overprotective!" Elvine protested as she dangled. "You just have a knack for getting into trouble."

Jaytee laughed, and Raidh smiled at him, a warm and genuine smile that made his heart race.

"What was I supposed to think when I saw a beefy tattooed giant towering over you?" she asked. "His long beard is probably full of crumbs from snacking on guys like you."

Okay, now she was just being insulting. Jaytee lowered his arm and gently placed her on her feet.

"Elvine!" Raidh scolded with a cute little snarl. "You hate it when people judge you, so why would you do it to someone else?"

"Toadstools," she grumbled. "Sorry."

"What are you two, exactly?" Jaytee was unable to hold back his curiosity any longer.

The answer didn't bode well when Elvine and Raidh exchanged uneasy looks, both refusing to look at Jaytee.

"I think I hear an excuse calling me away." Elvine took a step back then vanished, startling Jaytee just as much as her arrival had.

Raidh began walking toward the street.

"Let's not start this running-away shit again," Jaytee growled as he followed close behind.

When they reached the sidewalk, Jaytee was relieved to see it empty. No deputies, no onlookers, and no sign of Damon and Jax, who must've gone back inside Bluebird Café since their motorcycles were still parked out front.

Raidh twirled around suddenly, causing Jaytee to almost collide with his small frame. "What I am doesn't matter," he snapped.

"You don't have to be defensive with me, sweetheart," Jaytee replied calmly. Unable to resist, he reached for Raidh's ear and traced the pointed tip. His mate flinched at first but relaxed as Jaytee continued, this time slower and gentler. He smiled when the ear wiggled in response to his touch.

"I wouldn't suggest doing that in public," his mate warned with a shudder.

A low growl rumbled in Jaytee's chest as he pulled Raidh into his embrace, savoring the warmth of their bodies pressed together. "And what will happen if I do?" he whispered.

His mate still in his arms, Jaytee quickly covered the pointy ear when he saw a couple heading their way while walking their dog.

"Can I be honest with you?" Raidh asked.

"Always." Jaytee had no choice but to let the guy go when Raidh stepped from the embrace.

"I'm in need of lodging for the night." He held up his hands, palms out. "I know we're mates"—that was the first time he'd verbally acknowledged their connection—"but I just need a bed, not an interrogation."

Eyeing his mate closely, Jaytee reached into his pocket to retrieve his keys. What species did Raidh belong to that made him feel the need to hide the truth—even from his mate, the one person he should trust above all others.

Raidh's lavender-gray eyes still held traces of fear, but Jaytee didn't know if that was from the news that someone was trying to "fetch" his mate or fear of Jaytee discovering the truth about him.

More than likely both.