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his mate think that, not even for a moment.
“No, Brigden,” he said as he knelt beside the makeshift bed. “It’s not like that. I wanted—”
But Brigden cut him off.
“You were protecting me,” he said in a tone of wonder. He carefully moved away from Suzanne, and then practically crawled onto Gideon’s lap and curled into his embrace.
“Is that very surprising?” Gideon asked, feeling maybe just a little bit hurt himself. He’d always protected Brigden in one way or another. Even if he couldn’t claim him openly, they were still mates.
“Not surprising,” Brigden said, reaching up to press a kiss to his jaw. “I’ve always known you were a good man, ever since that first conversation so long ago. It’s just…” He hesitated as if he couldn’t quite find the words to explain. After a moment he smiled shyly, pressed a kiss to Gideon’s lips and whispered, “I love you.”
“I love you, too, baby.”
* * * *
Suzanne couldn’t explain the pain that lanced through her upon hearing those declarations of love. She should have known that they were involved with each other. The instant attraction she’d felt for them both was obviously one-sided.
It was high school all over again.
Tears pooled behind her eyelids as she struggled to comprehend the feelings of loss. She’d only just met these men. She shouldn’t be so invested in what they thought of her.
“Come here, baby girl,” Gideon said in a tone of voice that proved he knew she was awake. Hell, he probably said those words to Brigden just so she’d know to drop her silly instant crush on two very different men.
“Suzanne,” Brigden said nervously as he moved away from Gideon, and then reached over to pull her in between them. “Please don’t be mad, but it’s very important that you don’t say anything to anyone else.”
“Why?” she asked, still trying to explain away her hurt feelings. She’d only just met these men. None of her emotions were making any sense.
“Because werewolf society doesn’t accept same-sex relationships.” Gideon looked very tense as he said those words. “Please understand that if anyone was to learn that Brigden and I are mates it could be a death sentence for all of us.”
“They’d kill you…us?”
“No,” Gideon said quickly, confusing her even more. “They’d banish us from the pack.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” she asked. She’d never bothered joining a sorority in college, so she really didn’t understand the whole group mentality. She’d lived on her own for a long time, and couldn’t imagine it being a problem for either of these men if it came to that.
“Baby girl,” Gideon said as he pulled her onto his lap and into his embrace, “that’s a very bad thing. Look at your skin. You and Brigden would never be able to safely blend into human society. Without our pack we’d have to spend most of our time in wolf form and that brings a whole new set of dangers.”
“Who would I tell anyway?” she asked, trying to sound casual. She’d kept her best friend’s secret for years. Of course, she hadn’t expected him to fall in love with her high-school sweetheart and for them to run off together and live happily ever after without her. It was strange how much this felt like the same scenario.
“Thank you,” Brigden said, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. “We promise to do everything we can to keep you safe.”
“Um…sure,” she said as the bleakness of her future threatened to overwhelm her. When she’d woken this morning she’d despaired that her career was taking her nowhere. Less than eight hours later, her life had changed dramatically.
So how could it be that she was still in the same lonely place?
* * * *
Gideon heard the muddled thoughts going through Suzanne’s head. He caught glimpses of memory as well. He could feel her fear that she’d be used as the camouflage to hide his and Brigden’s relationship with each other,
“No, Brigden,” he said as he knelt beside the makeshift bed. “It’s not like that. I wanted—”
But Brigden cut him off.
“You were protecting me,” he said in a tone of wonder. He carefully moved away from Suzanne, and then practically crawled onto Gideon’s lap and curled into his embrace.
“Is that very surprising?” Gideon asked, feeling maybe just a little bit hurt himself. He’d always protected Brigden in one way or another. Even if he couldn’t claim him openly, they were still mates.
“Not surprising,” Brigden said, reaching up to press a kiss to his jaw. “I’ve always known you were a good man, ever since that first conversation so long ago. It’s just…” He hesitated as if he couldn’t quite find the words to explain. After a moment he smiled shyly, pressed a kiss to Gideon’s lips and whispered, “I love you.”
“I love you, too, baby.”
* * * *
Suzanne couldn’t explain the pain that lanced through her upon hearing those declarations of love. She should have known that they were involved with each other. The instant attraction she’d felt for them both was obviously one-sided.
It was high school all over again.
Tears pooled behind her eyelids as she struggled to comprehend the feelings of loss. She’d only just met these men. She shouldn’t be so invested in what they thought of her.
“Come here, baby girl,” Gideon said in a tone of voice that proved he knew she was awake. Hell, he probably said those words to Brigden just so she’d know to drop her silly instant crush on two very different men.
“Suzanne,” Brigden said nervously as he moved away from Gideon, and then reached over to pull her in between them. “Please don’t be mad, but it’s very important that you don’t say anything to anyone else.”
“Why?” she asked, still trying to explain away her hurt feelings. She’d only just met these men. None of her emotions were making any sense.
“Because werewolf society doesn’t accept same-sex relationships.” Gideon looked very tense as he said those words. “Please understand that if anyone was to learn that Brigden and I are mates it could be a death sentence for all of us.”
“They’d kill you…us?”
“No,” Gideon said quickly, confusing her even more. “They’d banish us from the pack.”
“And that’s a bad thing?” she asked. She’d never bothered joining a sorority in college, so she really didn’t understand the whole group mentality. She’d lived on her own for a long time, and couldn’t imagine it being a problem for either of these men if it came to that.
“Baby girl,” Gideon said as he pulled her onto his lap and into his embrace, “that’s a very bad thing. Look at your skin. You and Brigden would never be able to safely blend into human society. Without our pack we’d have to spend most of our time in wolf form and that brings a whole new set of dangers.”
“Who would I tell anyway?” she asked, trying to sound casual. She’d kept her best friend’s secret for years. Of course, she hadn’t expected him to fall in love with her high-school sweetheart and for them to run off together and live happily ever after without her. It was strange how much this felt like the same scenario.
“Thank you,” Brigden said, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. “We promise to do everything we can to keep you safe.”
“Um…sure,” she said as the bleakness of her future threatened to overwhelm her. When she’d woken this morning she’d despaired that her career was taking her nowhere. Less than eight hours later, her life had changed dramatically.
So how could it be that she was still in the same lonely place?
* * * *
Gideon heard the muddled thoughts going through Suzanne’s head. He caught glimpses of memory as well. He could feel her fear that she’d be used as the camouflage to hide his and Brigden’s relationship with each other,
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