Chasing Seth (22 page)

“Oh, no. No. I can’t let you do that,” Seth protested, sitting straighter in his seat.

“Don’t argue with me, Seth. Your clinic is your livelihood, and you are my mate, which means what’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours. Understand?”

Scowling, Seth slumped down in his seat with his arms crossed. “Well, I don’t have to like it,” he said petulantly.

Kasey ignored him, flipped on his turn signal, and pulled into the reservation. When they pulled up in front of his parents’ home, he looked at Seth. “Stay in the truck. I’m going to come around and practically lean on you, just in case.”

He jumped out of the vehicle and raced around to the other side in seconds. Seth took the hand Kasey offered to him and allowed himself to be pulled into the larger man’s side, almost completely swamped by his mate. Of course his wolf didn’t mind. The energy inside him hummed at being so close to him. Seth twisted one of his hands in the hem of his shirt in nervousness.

“There’s nothing to be nervous about, pup. My mother already considers you her new son-in-law, and my father is eagerly waiting to meet you.”

“They… they don’t care I’m a man and not a woman? I can’t give you children,” Seth mumbled.

Kasey stopped, waving Nick up onto the porch with one hand while looking down at his mate. “You are my mate, Seth. Man, woman, it doesn’t matter.” He used the tips of his free hand to tilt Seth’s face up toward him. “I would want you no matter what.”

Seth blinked furiously. If he hadn’t already been in love with Kasey, his declaration would have cemented it. His heart swelled so big it could have burst from his chest. “Thank you,” he whispered.

The half-smile Seth adored twisted up one corner of Kasey’s mouth. “Anytime, pup. Just don’t ever forget and never ever doubt it.”

“It mattered to you when you thought him a Created one,” Nick’s voice came from the darkened porch, a pained quality to it.

Frowning, Kasey turned to look at Nick, but his face was shadowed. “Yes, it did, because he would have been a danger to everyone. You know what the Created are like, Nick.”

“You didn’t even give him the chance to explain anything,” Nick snapped angrily. “You spout pretty words now, but I know what it did to him when you rejected him.”

Seth gave Nick a warning look to try and make him stop, but he plowed on. “Whether you care to know or not, Sheriff, you devastated him with the way you treated him at the beginning. He was nearly in tears when he called me to come home. You’re lucky I didn’t beat your ass for the way you’ve treated him.”

Kasey stiffened against Seth, his face seemingly made of stone. “You think I don’t blame myself for the way I treated him at first? Or it doesn’t haunt me that I’ve hurt him? I’ve damned myself more than you ever could for what I did to him. I can only pray he forgives me, and do whatever I can to make it up to him.”

Shock kept Seth silent. It never occurred to him Kasey felt that way. Tension and anger radiated from his mate. It washed over him, bringing his inner wolf alert to his mate’s distress. A low sound rumbled in his throat as he glared at Nick. “Stop it, Nick,” he managed to force out, but it was deep, harsh, and unforgiving. “Leave him alone. You don’t have the right to take the pain of your mate rejecting you out on him.”

Nick stepped back as if stunned Seth would turn on him, considering their friendship and how long they’d known one another. In fourteen years, they’d never argued or disagreed. “Seth, I….”

Seth’s features softened as he realized how he’d sounded. “I’m sorry, Nick. But things are better between me and Kasey. It’s not like that anymore. I know you’re hurting right now, but please don’t make him feel any worse than he already does.” His gaze turned to the tall Cheyenne still wrapped around him. “I don’t blame you, Kasey. I know you were upset that I might be a Created one, and I know better than anyone here exactly what the Created are like. I forgive you, Kasey.”

Humbled by his mate’s easy acceptance of his early treatment, Kasey kissed him, hard but only briefly. His voice sounded a little ragged when he said, “I think we’ve lingered out here enough. Let’s go inside.”

Chapter Eleven

A wonderful
smell immediately flooded their senses when Kasey opened the front door. Seth felt his mouth water hungrily. “Mom, Dad,” Kasey called, shutting the door behind them.

“In the kitchen, sweetheart,” his mother called.

The three of them headed toward the kitchen, stopping in the doorway. Kasey’s larger form blocked both Seth and Nick from sight. “Well, would you look at what the cat dragged in,” Kasey drawled when he saw his brother lounging in one of the chairs at the kitchen table.

“Right before I ate it,” Thayne Whitedove replied with a big grin. “How’s it going, big brother?”

Seth felt Nick stiffen behind him and turned to see his friend’s face ashen. “Nick? Nick, what’s wrong?”

Then he heard a cry of “You!” come from behind him.

Seth turned to look at the man Kasey had greeted as his brother. Although a couple of inches shorter and not quite as muscular, he could have been a mirror image of Kasey. He asked Nick, “That’s him?”

Nick gave a stunned nod. Thayne tensed as if he were going to spring himself at Nick. Kasey stepped in between them. “Thayne,” he said sharply. “Don’t. He’s not a Created one.” He turned his head to his mother. “Didn’t you explain to him?”

“Of course! And he said he understood. What is wrong with you, Thayne?” she reprimanded sharply.

Thayne bared his teeth at Nick, dark eyes cold as ice. A low growl rumbled in his chest and echoed off the stainless steel appliances. Seth backed up against Nick, crouching slightly to protect his friend in case the other decided to attack. “Would you like to tell me what the hell is going on?” Kasey demanded.

“Your brother is Nick’s mate,” Seth stated flatly. Kasey’s mother gasped, and Kasey jerked in surprise. “They met last night, and apparently your brother believed Nick is a Created one. They fought.”

“I can’t stay here,” Nick whispered, turning and racing out of the house. He shifted mid-jump from the porch, tearing through the reservation, uncaring that others might see him, his only thought to get away from the pain exploding in his chest.

“You idiot,” Kasey snarled at his brother. “He’s not a Created one. Mom explained already. How can you outright reject your mate?”

Thayne drew himself to his full height, a haughty expression on his face. “You’re one to talk. Mom told me how you rejected yours before you knew he wasn’t a Created. And who says I want a mate? I like being free to do whatever I want.”

Seth interrupted them, suddenly furious on his friend’s behalf. He didn’t care how much smaller than Thayne he was, he pushed himself in Thayne’s face, poking him in the chest. “You are a spoiled, selfish prick. Do you even know how much pain you’ve caused him by rejecting him? You don’t even care that you hurt him?”

Kasey stifled laughter at how fierce his mate looked, despite his size and the expression on Thayne’s face. He reached out and gripped his mate by his shoulders, pulling him back against him and looping his arms around his waist. “I think you should listen to him, Thayne. I made the mistake of rejecting him and just barely managed to scrape my way back into his good graces.”

Thayne glared at Kasey. “I don’t care about him or getting back into his good graces. I don’t want a mate.”

Seth felt sad for his friend. He could only imagine how it would have felt if Kasey had truly rejected him. He shook his head at Thayne. “I feel sorry for my friend to be saddled with you for a mate. I just hope he can accept that you don’t want him, because it looked to me as if he’d just found and lost a part of himself all at once.”

Thayne gave no response for a few moments, then said, “I can’t be here right now. I’m happy you found your mate, bro. You’ve always wanted him.” Thayne darted out of the house, shifting before he’d even reached the forest.

The whole chain of events hadn’t been what any of them expected, and it cast a pall on the joy of the occasion. Emily Whitedove chose that moment to step forward and hug Seth tightly. “Mmmm… I’m so glad my son found his mate.” She pulled back to look at him, her face wreathed in a giant smile. “Especially one as handsome as you. Even when I first brought Samantha into the clinic, I was absolutely amazed by those eyes.”

Seth flushed. “Thanks, Mrs. Whitedove.”

“Oh, pooh on the formalities, dear. Call me Mom,” she insisted, releasing him and moving back over to the stove. “I hope you like meatloaf. It’s Kasey’s favorite.”

Recovering from being told to call her Mom, Seth took a moment to answer. “Yes, I love it.”

“Mom’s is the best meatloaf around,” Kasey said proudly, throwing a loose arm around Seth’s shoulders. “Where’s Dad?”

“Out back with that young one, Chase Hunter. The one that’s always stirring up trouble.” She opened the oven and reached for the pot holders, but Kasey got there first, sliding them on and lifting the pan out of the oven. “Thank you, dear. Why don’t you show Seth around the house while I finish up the mashed potatoes and rolls? Your father should be in soon.”

“Sure thing, Mom.” Kasey grinned, grabbed Seth’s hand, and tugged him out of the kitchen. “She always kicks everyone out of the kitchen. She considers it her domain.”

“She’s really sweet,” Seth replied softly. He looked around him at Kasey’s childhood home. None of the homes he’d ever lived in were as beautiful. The large wide open spaces and big, comfortable furniture made him smile as he imagined Kasey and his brother chasing each other through the house and jumping on the overstuffed couch. There was mostly wood flooring throughout the house, accented by runners and throw rugs. The living room area had a big mortar and stone fireplace with two wooden rocking chairs in front of it, facing the plush brown couch and loveseat. A dark oak shelf held a multitude of books and knickknacks. On the walls were several seascape and forest paintings done quite skillfully.

But what drew his eye the most was the mantle above the fireplace, filled with dozens of framed pictures, pictures of Kasey’s parents, baby pictures of Kasey and Thayne, Kasey graduating high school, and so many more. It took his breath away and left behind a feeling of melancholy. He hadn’t really had that, even with his parents. A whole lifetime of friends and family sat on that shelf. Something he’d never truly had aside from his parents and Nick. He supposed it was more than some ever had, though. Seth’s eyes zeroed in on one of Kasey astride a black horse, and he moved closer to study it.

Kasey hadn’t released Seth’s hand since he’d taken it, and he pulled Seth closer to him at the wave of sadness he felt coming from his mate. “I was fifteen. Summer camp and the first time I’d ever rode a horse. I fell in love with the sensation of the wind in my face and a powerful body beneath me. Nothing can touch me when I ride. It’s like a whole other world for me.”

“I’ve never ridden a horse before,” Seth said wistfully, staring at the picture and wondering how many friends his mate had before, how many girlfriends had come before him. Such happiness sparkled in those dark eyes that it made his heart ache with it. All these years he’d missed out on experiencing the same things and possibly even sharing them with Kasey.

“Then we’ll have to remedy that. Let me take you riding?” Kasey asked, squeezing Seth’s hand affectionately, trying to distract his mate from whatever thoughts were making him unhappy.

“Really?” Seth’s face lit up at the idea. “When? When can we go?”

“What about this weekend? I’m off from the station on Saturday.” Kasey thought his mate looked so adorable, seeming to shine at the idea of riding a horse.

Seth nodded enthusiastically. “All right. I can’t wait.”

They continued on through the house until they reached Kasey’s bedroom. Seth was too interested in his surroundings to notice Kasey had closed the door and leaned against it, watching him. The walls were a pale blue. One wall had a mural of wolves and horses running together. Seth trailed his fingers along the detailed lines of a large black wolf in wonder. “This is beautiful,” he breathed.

“Thank you,” Kasey replied huskily, hungering to feel his mate in his arms. He moved behind Seth and rested his hands on his slender shoulders. “My friend Max painted it when we were in high school. After summer camp.”

“Your friend is very talented. Does he paint for a living?” Seth wondered if the man would be willing to do something like this on the wall of his clinic. Once it was fixed up and running again, he thought bitterly.

“He does some freelance work, but he actually graduated from Harvard with a degree in law.” Kasey slipped his arms around Seth, resting his chin on top of the dark crown. “Mind-blowing that your friend is my brother’s mate, huh?”

Settling into the light embrace, Seth tipped his head back to look up at Kasey. His eyes were troubled. “Do you think Nick will be okay considering your brother doesn’t want to accept him? I’ve never seen him look so… broken.”

“He’ll be all right, pup,” Kasey reassured him, pressing a kiss to Seth’s temple. “Thayne just needs time to think. I don’t think he expected his mate to be male, and it is still fresh that Nick isn’t a Created one. When he’s processed it all, he’ll come around. He might be stubborn and bullheaded, but he’s still wolf. And a wolf cannot deny his mate.”