brought Jes’ attention back to him. “If they leave over your choice of truemate and a prophecy, then you don’t need them in the nest anyway.”
He always appreciated his dad’s straight forwardness. They talked for a little while longer about the lions and the bear den and the potential issues with combining two were-groups. When they’d finished discussing business, his mother appeared on the screen, elbowing his dad over so she could see.
“We want to come up and meet your mate, Jesuit, and her other mate.”
He smiled. His mother was very pushy when it came to her family, but she was one of the most loving women he’d ever known.
“After things are settled with her den, Mom.”
“You won’t marry her legally until we’re there, will you? It’s tradition for the females in the nest to wear their future mother-in-law’s gown.”
“I promise we won’t, Mom.” Behind his mom, his dad rolled his eyes and made faces, causing Jes to have a difficult time keeping a straight face.
She said irritatedly, “I can see your reflection in the computer screen, Brannif.”
“Uh-oh, Dad,” Jes laughed.
His mom cleared her throat. “Feel free to start working on a grandchild for me, though,” she said as she winked, blew him a kiss, and walked away.
Jes said goodbye to his dad and closed out the program, leaning back in his chair and swiveling it side to side with his foot. He hoped that he and Danika would share a love like his parents had someday.
His cell beeped and he answered it. Adriel said, “I hope you are well, Jes.”
“I am, thank you.”
“And your mate?”
“She’s fine, too. Thank you for checking on us. I was just about to give you a call.”
“The den wants to challenge you for Danika. Elizabeth spoke to the King at length about the prophecy, but Kajika is a very honorable old bear, and it’s a blast to his pride that you were able to escape with the girl. Prophecy or not, he wants his son, Mato, to have an opportunity to fight for her.”
“I expected as much,” Jes said, although he would have preferred if the bears had just headed back home without causing a problem.
“You may use our property for the fight. It will be in human form of course, with no weapons. When would you like me to set it up?”
Jes exhaled sharply and said, “Tomorrow night.”
Adriel paused and then said, “I intervened as much as I could, but they are an alliance within our people, and I could only push so much before he threatened the alliance.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As he hung up, he found Chance standing in the doorway. “Are you ready to talk?”
Jes nodded and gestured to two leather overstuffed chairs against the wall. He took one chair and Chance took the other.
“She still asleep?”
“Yeah. Ley is hanging around outside the door and said he would call for us if he heard her wake up. I thought it was as good a time as any to talk.”
“I agree.”
During the hour before the nest meeting, Jes and Chance talked about sharing Danika and what their new family was going to be like. Jes found Chance easy going, but with a subtle savagery that told him that Chance could turn feral in a heartbeat if someone he loved was in trouble.
Running the nest was difficult and time consuming. Knowing that Danika was going to be well protected with Chance set some of his worries at ease. And if something were to happen to him when Mato challenged him for Danika, then he knew that Chance would keep her safe.
He’d never considered dying before, not really. There was the time when he was first learning to fly and his wings wouldn’t expand. He almost crashed into a house. His short life had flashed before his eyes, and he’d been sure he was going to die a horribly painful death. But this was different. This was him standing up and saying that Danika was worth fighting for and possibly dying for. She was still a
He always appreciated his dad’s straight forwardness. They talked for a little while longer about the lions and the bear den and the potential issues with combining two were-groups. When they’d finished discussing business, his mother appeared on the screen, elbowing his dad over so she could see.
“We want to come up and meet your mate, Jesuit, and her other mate.”
He smiled. His mother was very pushy when it came to her family, but she was one of the most loving women he’d ever known.
“After things are settled with her den, Mom.”
“You won’t marry her legally until we’re there, will you? It’s tradition for the females in the nest to wear their future mother-in-law’s gown.”
“I promise we won’t, Mom.” Behind his mom, his dad rolled his eyes and made faces, causing Jes to have a difficult time keeping a straight face.
She said irritatedly, “I can see your reflection in the computer screen, Brannif.”
“Uh-oh, Dad,” Jes laughed.
His mom cleared her throat. “Feel free to start working on a grandchild for me, though,” she said as she winked, blew him a kiss, and walked away.
Jes said goodbye to his dad and closed out the program, leaning back in his chair and swiveling it side to side with his foot. He hoped that he and Danika would share a love like his parents had someday.
His cell beeped and he answered it. Adriel said, “I hope you are well, Jes.”
“I am, thank you.”
“And your mate?”
“She’s fine, too. Thank you for checking on us. I was just about to give you a call.”
“The den wants to challenge you for Danika. Elizabeth spoke to the King at length about the prophecy, but Kajika is a very honorable old bear, and it’s a blast to his pride that you were able to escape with the girl. Prophecy or not, he wants his son, Mato, to have an opportunity to fight for her.”
“I expected as much,” Jes said, although he would have preferred if the bears had just headed back home without causing a problem.
“You may use our property for the fight. It will be in human form of course, with no weapons. When would you like me to set it up?”
Jes exhaled sharply and said, “Tomorrow night.”
Adriel paused and then said, “I intervened as much as I could, but they are an alliance within our people, and I could only push so much before he threatened the alliance.”
“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
As he hung up, he found Chance standing in the doorway. “Are you ready to talk?”
Jes nodded and gestured to two leather overstuffed chairs against the wall. He took one chair and Chance took the other.
“She still asleep?”
“Yeah. Ley is hanging around outside the door and said he would call for us if he heard her wake up. I thought it was as good a time as any to talk.”
“I agree.”
During the hour before the nest meeting, Jes and Chance talked about sharing Danika and what their new family was going to be like. Jes found Chance easy going, but with a subtle savagery that told him that Chance could turn feral in a heartbeat if someone he loved was in trouble.
Running the nest was difficult and time consuming. Knowing that Danika was going to be well protected with Chance set some of his worries at ease. And if something were to happen to him when Mato challenged him for Danika, then he knew that Chance would keep her safe.
He’d never considered dying before, not really. There was the time when he was first learning to fly and his wings wouldn’t expand. He almost crashed into a house. His short life had flashed before his eyes, and he’d been sure he was going to die a horribly painful death. But this was different. This was him standing up and saying that Danika was worth fighting for and possibly dying for. She was still a
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