Chapter 8

“Honey, I’m home,” I yelled from the front door. I tugged Corbin in after me and down the hallway. I knew everyone would be in the kitchen area.

“No one’s here,” Nox called.

Laughing, I glanced back at my mate to see his scowl. My fox and I really loved how protective he got. My brothers were like that, but nothing like Corbin since he also wanted to save me from my annoying brothers.

I would have loved to have thrown them under the bus some more for shooting and stabbing me, but I really was at fault and had been looking for a fight at the time.

Hmm, maybe I should have told him that.

Stopping, I turned and pushed against his chest. “I should have maybe mentioned that it wasn’t my brother’s fault for stabbing and shooting me. I pushed them to react by talking about their fated.”

He dipped down where his nose touched mine. “No fuckin’ excuse, Riker.”

“But I’m a shifter. We heal super speedy. I can show you. I’ll go get one of my knives and?—”

My hair was pulled back so fast, it stung.

My body melted and I grinned up at him.

“You ever think about stabbin’ or shootin’ yourself to prove somethin’ to me, I’ll be livid, sunshine. And when I’m filled with fury, it means we ain’t fuckin’ or suckin’. But also, no huggin’, no touchin’, no kissin’.”

Pouting, I added in a glare since I was melty, wanted my way, but also annoyed he would keep those things from me. “Fine. I won’t. Just don’t be peeved at my brothers for something I led them into.”

His jaw clenched.

“Please?” I tried.

He sighed. “I’ll try not to be.” He released his grip, and I hugged him close.

“Thank you.” I took his hand again and we walked into the kitchen. Nox, Kieran, Deacon, and Rio were all there. “Hi, everyone. This is my fated, Corbin. But you have to call him Razor. Only I get to call him Corbin because it’s something special. He’s the one who kidnapped me to save me.” I stepped to the side, holding his arm up so he was on display more. “Isn’t he hot and awesome?”

Kieran cleared his throat and pushed his eyeglasses up. “I don’t think we’ll comment on his looks or awesomeness, Riker.”

I hummed and nodded. “Probably best. Corbin won’t like it if I get stabbed or shot again.”

“Maybe it’s also best if we don’t keep bringing up the….” Rio made a gun with his hand and then stabbed himself with his invisible knife into his chest.

I looked back to Corbin to see he was having a stare down with my brothers. I nodded. “True, true.” How did I defuse this situation? Did I really want to? Maybe it would be best if they just fought it out.

No. I didn’t want my mate hurt.

I wasn’t so worried about my brothers.

I mean, I was. I never wanted them dead. Never. We were a family.

Sighing, I moved into Corbin, and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders while I circled both of mine around his waist. I glowered at my brothers and mentally told them to quit looking at him with their coldness. If not, I’d let Corbin stab and shoot them.

“What’s for dinner?” I asked.

Food was always good to lessen tension. It did for me anyway.

“I have something to say first,” Corbin said. He glanced from Deacon, who sat at the table, to Nox, who stood behind Kieran where he sat at the counter. “Either of you injure Riker in any way, I don’t give a fuck if you and your animals can rip me apart, I’ll still be comin’ for you and I’ll have your blood.”

When Deacon and Nox kept silent, I looked to Rio for help. He stared at us blankly before he went back to cutting some meat.

Great, he was too interested in getting dinner ready than assisting in stopping a slaughter. I mean, usually I would like a bit of murdering before dinner, but not when it came with my mate.

Kieran clapped his hands. “Nox” was all he said.

Nox sighed. “Welcome to the fucking family. Threaten me again and I’ll—Jesus.”

Kieran elbowed him in the gut. “You were doing so well.”

Deacon snorted as he picked up a dinner knife and touched the pointy end with his finger before he waved it around. “Welcome, Razor. It’ll be good to get to know you.”

“Yay, everyone is getting along extremely well. This is a splendid time. I think I’ll grab my clothes and we’ll go?—”

“Sit down and eat with us.”

Spinning, I launched myself at Mom. “Mom.”

She cupped my cheeks and smiled down at me. “Hello, sweetheart. I’m so happy for you, and he is very handsome.”

“How long were you listening, Ruth?” Nox asked.

Mom ignored him and turned to Corbin, holding out her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Razor. I’m Ruth, the mother. Please ignore the other two idiots I raised and stay for dinner.”

Corbin smirked. “Sure. I’d like that as long as Riker wants to.”

Oh my God.He wanted to check with me. We were a partnering pair. An amazing fated mate bond. I couldn’t wait for us to connect.

“I’d like to,” I told him. He nodded.

“No knife throwing or shooting at dinner,” Rio announced.

“After dinner?” Deacon asked with a grin.

“No. Besides, I doubt Riker will get as bored as usual. Which always led him to look for a fight to begin with.”

Corbin turned back to me. “You stirred up trouble because you were bored?”

“Didn’t I say that before? I’m pretty sure I mentioned something like that. And you were like, ‘Oh, Riker, I don’t mind as long as you keep staying as cute as you are.’”

Corbin scoffed. “Yeah, that sounds like me.”

I nodded. “It really was.”

“What else do you know, Razor?” Mom asked as we went to the table to sit down.

Corbin sat at the other end of the table with Mom and me on each side of him. “Only that Riker and his brothers are shifters. I’m Riker’s fated mate like Rio is for Deacon, and Kieran for Nox.”

“Sweetheart, do you mind if I tell Corbin a little more?” Mom asked.

“Go for it. He’s accepted everything else really well. We haven’t completed the bond yet, but I’m sure we will soon. He wants me for as long as we live.”

“I can’t say enough how happy I am for you.” Mom smiled.

“Riker, why don’t you go and pack some of your things,” Deacon suggested. “Not everything. You’ll want to come back here to live eventually.”

“Of course….” I slouched. “Well, that’s if it’s okay with Corbin.” I shifted my attention to him. “I know we haven’t spoken about living arrangements, and I can understand why you wouldn’t want to with Deacon and Nox here. But things will get better. I won’t annoy them as much now that I have you.” I frowned. “I could annoy you, though.” I didn’t like the thought of being annoying to the one person I’d love with my whole heart and soul.

“Riker, come here,” Corbin ordered. As I got up, he scooted his chair back and pulled me onto his lap. I didn’t straddle him or my dick would get ready for some action. Only now that I was thinking of action with my mate, my prick jerked under my jeans.

Corbin cupped the side of my neck. “We’re a team, which means we’re in this together, and the key is communication. I know there’ll be times I annoy you. When I do, I want you to come to me to talk about it. Vice versa. Now, I ain’t sayin’ you will get on my nerves. But there’ll be times when tension is high, and shit can happen. No matter what it is, we can work around anything that comes our way as long as we’re honest. I never want you to change, though. Being you and stayin’ you is important to me. If I do or say anything that hurts you in here”—he pressed a hand against my rapid heart—“tell me. Honesty, yeah?”

It made sense. I’d heard my brothers with their mates have heated conversations when they didn’t agree on something. I’d just have to try my best not to take things to heart if we did get into an argument and he said something that upset me. I already knew he wouldn’t mean it, and if something did happen, it’d be in the spur of the moment when things could get crazy.

I leaned my chest into his. “I promise to always be honest.”

He smiled, running a hand through my hair. “Thank you, sunshine.”

My body tingled at his petting, and I wanted to relax into him more, but I also had to talk about where home would be for us. I didn’t mind if he wanted to stay at his house. I would miss my family like crazy, and sometimes it was easier to leave for work with them or on missions. But I didn’t have to be here if my mate didn’t want to be. “Um, what about the living arrangements?”

“I like where I am, but you work closely with your brothers, so I get why it’s convenient. Plus, this place is big enough that I won’t have to see them all the time. I’m happy with wherever you want to live.”

“Really?”

He grunted with a nod. “Really.”

So many emotions slammed into my chest, and I buried my face into Corbin’s chest with a sniffle. I wouldn’t cry. I didn’t cry. The last time was after….

Yet my face felt wet.

Corbin’s arms tightened around. His chin brushed over my hair. “What’s this, sunshine?”

I shook my head.

I couldn’t say it. I wouldn’t.

But I had to.

He needed to hear it. He needed to understand that he meant so much to me.

“I never thought I could have something so precious, so special because of the things I’ve done, because my family never wanted me. They hated me. They showed me that hate through harsh words and punishments that messed with my mind. Torture that continued daily until I was six. That’s when I killed them all. And for ending their lives, I thought I wouldn’t be lucky enough to have my very own fated mate. Someone who would be just for me. A person who would see me as me and accept everything I am now. When my brothers met their fated, I hoped and hoped and hoped. Then you walked into my life. I know we might fight. I know things won’t be perfect, but to me, they already are because you’re here.”

I fisted my hands into his tee, under his vest, and pushed my face into his neck.

A trickle of fear raced through my veins at the thought of Corbin shoving me aside after learning I killed the family I’d been born to.

I wouldn’t do it to the one I had now. I loved them. They loved me. But most of all, I loved my mate with my whole being.

His arms loosened from around me, his hands ran up my back, and he threaded some fingers through my hair.

With a tug, my head was away from his chest, and I blinked up at him.

“There’s no one left to kill in your family?” he asked, low and harsh. The anger burning within him had my heart racing.

Mom sniffed off to the side.

Deacon grunted.

“No one,” I told him.

His jaw ticked. “Know you can take care of yourself, sunshine, but know that from now on, I’ll have your back. No one will get to you through me. You call me comin’ into your life a gift and somethin’ precious when it’s the other way around. My life was dull compared to the night I swept you outta that place, and you graced me with your color. I ain’t givin’ that up for anythin’.” He tugged me closer, nose to nose. As I exhaled, he added, “Nothin’ you’ve done in the past will change this for me. And we’ll work on our future together to make sure we have as much time with each other as possible.”

My stomach fluttered. “Corbin,” I whispered, trying to control the burst of devotion inside me as I glided my palms up his chest.

His gaze flicked to my family while he said, “Thanks for the offer of dinner, but I’m changin’ our minds, we’ll do it another time.” His attention went back to me. “Go pack, sunshine. I wanna get goin’.”

Nox snorted, clearly reading what I already had with his luscious scent of arousal.

He didn’t care my family was there witnessing this. He drew me in and kissed me. I opened up to him, needing his taste. His tongue slid, swiped, and tussled with mine.

A whimper escaped me, and someone cleared their throat.

Corbin pulled away and glared to the left for a moment before his attention was on me again.

He squeezed me to him, and ordered, “Pack your shit.”

Grinning, I nodded. “You got it, Sir.” I slipped off his lap and skipped out of the room quickly because I had a feeling our bond would be completed at his house.

Yay!