24. Ranger

TWENTY-FOUR

RANGER

"I have. Does that make me a stalker?"

"Maybe." Matt shrugged. He got in and stared out the window rather than at me.

"I was worried about you." Perhaps that was a line used by every stalker.

"Did you hear any of my conversation with Tony?" He rubbed his midsection and asked me to roll down the window. "It's stuffy in here."

I'd been too far away to pick up anything they'd said. He might label me a stalker, but I wasn't an eavesdropper.

I bit back, "I love you," and "I want you to come home with me," and "Can we start again?" Not knowing what to say, I ran my eyes over my mate.

He's lost weight , my wolf noted.

He's been through some things . He still was. My clothes were looser than they had been two months ago.

"Josh needs help."

That was unexpected, but perhaps I was being selfish, hoping Matt would fall into my arms or discuss the possibility of us being true mates.

"I can get him what he needs."

"He's not here."

That I knew, and the only text Matt had responded to over the last eight weeks was to tell me not to track Josh down but to leave him alone. I'd wavered about ignoring his instruction and fibbing but decided to do as he asked. He'd never trust me if I fucked up and somehow hurt Josh more than he already was.

"Yes."

"I don't know how to do this." He sniffed and wiped away a tear.

Hold him . My beast had been mourning the loss of us.

Can't. Not until he gives me permission .

"Do what?" He rubbed his mating mark, and I closed my eyes, summoning the strength to prevent me from dragging him onto my lap and burying my face in his chest.

"Be with you. It's like slapping Josh in the face."

I couldn't convince him he was wrong, but I could tell some home truths.

"Does being with me, loving me and being loved in return, stop you from loving your brother?"

He turned, the tear stains trailing over his cheeks. "Are you in league with Tony? You tag-teaming me?"

I raised both hands, palms up. "No. He told me he was meeting you. That's it."

Matt scrutinized his mating mark. "I've cursed this so many times since that day, wanting it gone, wondering if I could get a tattoo to cover it." His eyes welled up. "But I couldn't."

That was more positive than eight weeks of silence.

"Matt, I'm your ally and Josh's too. When he returns, our family will nurture and protect him. We'll give him whatever he needs."

It wouldn't be easy, because in Josh's eyes, we were the enemy. Dad had been pestering me to find Josh and bring him home, but I kept my word to my mate.

"I'm not Dane and neither are my brothers, my extended family, or our pack."

We didn't count Tony's human dad as one of us. Tony had no contact with him, as the guy had more in common with Dane than our shifters. And Emilio was a one-off. I hoped Matt wouldn't ask me about either of them.

"I don't hate you."

That's good, my wolf said.

We were a long way from good, but it was a start.

I couldn't begin to put myself in Matt's position, but my grandfather and father had been assassinated, so I had an inkling.

"I was very young when our grandfather was shot, but I remember every day that passed while we grieved Papa's death. Dad held the family together, but we all bear emotional scars."

Color drained from Matt's already pale cheeks as he curled up in the seat. "I'd forgotten about their deaths. How did you keep going?"

"By vowing we'd never let anything come between us as a family and making sure that if they could see us, they'd be proud of how we were living our lives."

"I doubt Josh would be proud if he could see what's in my mind." Matt picked at a thread on his jeans. "Not that he's dead, though he was nearly dead."

There was nothing I could say that would resolve his conflict, and trying to see it from his perspective, I understood if he ignored our mating bond.

"But I can't go on like this. I have to make a choice. A or B, though reminding me of the gruesome deaths in your family has me leaning more one way."

I hoped I was A, as I reckoned people would be more likely to choose that than option B.

"How do you propose we do this?" he asked.

"Are you saying?—?"

"Yes, Ranger, but unless you provide an answer, I might change my mind." His lips bore a ghost of a smile.

There was more than a glimmer of hope in my voice as I suggested we go on a date. "Humans do that, right?"

He exhaled and put a hand to his forehead. "No. I mean yes, they do, but I don't want that."

Damn. I thought we were getting close, but we'd just reversed into not being mates but perhaps just friends.

"No dates. No more food deliveries, though thank you for those." He beamed at me. "And I appreciated the socks."

"No more stinky feet for you."

He patted the left side of chest. "I can't deny what's in here."

"Let me guess? A muscle that pumps blood around your body?"

Matt snorted. "You made a joke, Ranger."

"I've been practicing."

He looked at his mating hand. "I told myself many times how I never wanted to see you again, but I grieved the loss of our… what was it… two-day relationship?"

"I'd rather have had those two days than never having experienced love."

Matt choked back a sob. "Don't do that. You're making me cry. Stupid tears."

"Whatever you want, I'll do."

"I love you, but…" He scrunched up his nose before sticking his head outside. "Is there a dead fish in this teeny tiny car?"

That floored me. Why would I have rotting fish in my vehicle?

"It stinks in here." He opened the door and gagged, though nothing came up.

I sniffed under my arms. It wasn't me. Racing around to his side, I offered him a tissue.

"I'll take you home, Matt." And I'd put him to bed.

"I have my car."

"Please let me do this." I didn't want to hurry him, but I had an appointment.

He sat up and fanned his face, wiping sweat from his upper lip.

"I love you." He stroked my cheek. "Love doesn't weigh up the pros and cons. It just throws itself in with everything it has, and that's what I'm doing. I want to live the rest of my life with you… you shitter."

I pulled him onto my lap, not caring that passersby could see us or that my bodyguards were watching our every move. We kissed and suddenly all was right with my world. His lips pressed on mine, his breath on my face, his scent teasing me as I put a hand on his mating mark.

"Would you like to come to the opening of a food truck?"

Matt cocked his head. "Weirdly, that's not what I thought you were going to say. I hoped for, ‘I love you and you make me so happy. Let's fuck.' Though I'm not well enough for fucking."

"I'll say and do all of that but later."

I explained that Uncle Arnie had quit his job. Our uncle worked in the club, named after our pack, La Luna Noir. And though Hunter now oversaw the running of the club, Flint was the Alpha and had given him the okay. Besides, what Uncle Arnie had was his own betting ring at the club, something he'd been doing since he worked with his brother, my grandfather.

Despite the rocky beginnings, my family had warmed to Matt at the cabin. They loved his spunk, bravery, and devotion to his brother, and Uncle Arnie especially adored Matt. They'd be so happy to see my mate.

They'd been tiptoeing around me, asking the occasional question. Uncle Arnie kept making food for Matt and insisting I leave it outside his apartment.

"He's started a food truck and this afternoon is the grand opening."

That cooking was our uncle's special skill wasn't a surprise. He'd been catering our weekly family lunches since forever, and Dad expected us all to be there, even baby Kendric.

"Don't talk about food. My tummy is revolting."

"Is it ready to start an uprising? Are there gremlins with pitchforks in your belly?"

Matt grunted. "Not funny, Ranger."

"You should be in bed. I'll come get you after I've shown my face at the opening."

"Absolutely not. I'm coming. Just don't expect me to eat anything."

Uncle Arnie's truck was outside the park opposite my building in a place designated for food trucks. The area was popular with tourists and city workers who ate their lunch under the shady trees. There were flowers and balloons surrounding the truck and a sign saying, "Congratulations," probably my dad's doing.

Arnie was making burgers, but they were nothing like the fast food variety. I'd eaten his yummy burgers at Dad's. Seemed as though many pack members got the message and many were congregating around the menu posted on the side of the truck.

There were quick glances and murmurs from our pack members when Matt appeared at my side, but everyone knew what he'd done in ending The Obsidian Circle's business, so no one was on high alert.

"I'm having Swiss cheese on mine," one guy said. The aged cheese was a little stinky—my wolf hated it—but that was combined with the best beef, caramelized onions, and truffle oil. Yum.

Matt's cheeks were blanched of color, and he'd hauled up his shirt to cover his nose. Not everyone liked the smell of mature cheese.

I agree with Matt. It's gross. Hurry so we can get out of here .

My mate's knees sagged, and I caught him. "You should be in bed."

"No. I want to say hi to Uncle Arnie and congratulate him."

From the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of Flint and family. My brother held Lottie's hand while Tony pushed Kendric in the stroller.

"Uncle Ranger." Lottie waved, bobbing up and down, trying to grab a balloon.

Flint greeted my mate with, "It's good to see you, Matt."

My mate made an attempt at a smile before he slumped against my chest, and Tony rushed over as I sat Matt on a bench.

"I'm so sorry." Matt sobbed and clung to me. "I so wanted to congratulate Uncle Arnie on his new business."

"Don't worry," Tony told him. "You're not well, and the food truck's a roaring success. You two will laugh about this in years to come when you?—"

Dad appeared and cut Tony off. He hugged Matt. "I'm so happy you're here." He and Tony shared a glance. "You'll remember where you were when you discovered you were having a baby."

"Baby?" Matt sniffed and rubbed his nose, the tip of which was red and raw. "I'm pregnant? How do you know?" He whispered to me, "Is this something else shifters can do? Scent a baby in an omega's belly?"

If it was, no one had told me. I looked at Dad for confirmation. A baby? It wasn't great timing, but we'd made a baby? I considered standing up and shouting the announcement.

"No. Tony told me about the toffee pudding incident," Dad shared.

I looked from Tony to Dad, trying to fathom what toffee pudding had to do with pregnancy.

Matt laughed against my chest. "It was nothing."