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about her, but Shiloh couldn t quite put his finger on it. He hoped the elder wouldn t try anything funny like he d done with Brody. No bitch was getting her paws on his man. The older wolf offered Brody and Liam a neutral smile. Brody, how nice to see you again. Liam, Soren tells me you ve found a mate. Looking toward Shiloh, he said, And this must be him, isn t that right? Yes, Elder, Liam answered. This is Shiloh. Shiloh made a short bow. It s an honor to meet you. He kept his voice level and polite, and somehow managed to find the cool, neutral façade his mother had taught him. First, be polite, she d said. Then, if they don t listen, you protect what s yours, at all costs. And that was exactly what Shiloh intended. The elder didn t seem hostile. There weren t any other wolves present, save for Soren and the girl. Liam took Shiloh s hand and squeezed it. Come on, baby, he whispered. I want you to meet someone who s very special to me. The two parties walked toward each other, while Shiloh noticed Liam was giving the female werewolf the eye. He frowned to himself, not liking the situation very much. Someone special to him, huh? 66 Scarlet Hyacinth He felt the moment when Liam intended to say something, but all of a sudden, the bitch shot forward and lunged at Liam, hugging him tight. When Liam hugged her back, a little switch snapped inside Shiloh, and he jumped on the two wolves, forcibly breaking them apart. Hey, hands off, he snarled at the she-wolf. Get your own mate. He didn t know what he d expected from her, but it certainly wasn t what happened. She started to laugh, and a mix of fury and humiliation coursed through Shiloh. Before he could scratch her eyes out, Liam held him back and said, Shiloh, this is my sister, Carlie. Carlie, this is my mate, Shiloh. Shiloh s face heated at the realization of what he d done. I m going to kill you, Liam. Why didn t you tell me you had a sister? I was going to. I just didn t realize Soren would bring her along. Shiloh couldn t find an adequate reply and focused on fixing the poor impression he d made on the werewolves. I m terribly sorry, he said. I didn t know Liam had a sister. He tried to hide his embarrassment and convey his utmost regret. Thankfully, Carlie just laughed. That s fine. Anyone who protects my brother like that is okay in my book. I think you and I are going to get along great. She sounded so convinced of the fact that Shiloh found himself smiling. I think you might be right. Carlie took position next to him, and they looked toward the elder and Soren. Well, you re certainly not what I expected, Shiloh, I ll give you that. I don t have anything against you mating Liam. However, I ll ask you exactly what I asked your lamb friend a while back. Do you have what it takes to give Liam a replacement for his pack? It won t be easy, and even with my support, you and he will not be able to live with Soren. The Wolf Who Hatched an Egg 67 Shiloh felt Brody tense up as the elder mentioned Carson. Shiloh spoke before the wolf could do something they would all regret. I think we can build our pack in time, step by step. The most important thing is that we care about each other. As long as no one stands in our way, we ll build our own path. From my part, you don t have to worry, the elder said. Strikingly, Shiloh realized the man was being honest. He and Liam might actually have a chance. But what about your kin, Shiloh? Won t they be angry at you mating a wolf? Shiloh sighed. Truth be told, he d tried not to think about that too much since deciding to attempt a relationship with Liam. His mother would most likely be hurt, his father shocked, and everyone else outraged. They won t be happy about it, he answered, but I ve long ago severed ties with my roots. I don t depend on them. They can t do anything to stop us. Or so he hoped, at least. Swans might be territorial, but they were unlikely to come after him and Liam for something like this. Fair enough. Should you require assistance, you can always contact Soren. Liam, I still consider you one of us, even if circumstances force us to part ways. Thank you, Elder Wade, Liam answered. I appreciate all your help. No thanks are needed, my boy, the elder answered. He then turned toward his son. Now, Brody, could I have a word with you in private? Brody seemed to struggle between agreeing with his father and denying the man s request. Very well, he said at last. I ll be right back, he told Liam and Shiloh. As Shiloh watched the wolf head to talk to his family, he couldn t help an overwhelming feeling of relief. We really can do this, can t we? Liam nodded and grinned at him. Yeah, Shiloh. We can and we will. 68 Scarlet Hyacinth As they stood together, chatting, another car pulled in. Shiloh tensed when a tall, handsome wolf exited it and headed their way. A groan escaped Liam, and Shiloh didn t find that very promising. He frowned, but didn t say anything, having learned his lesson with Carlie. The wolf reached them and immediately bowed his head in front of the elder wolf. Elder Wade, apologies for interrupting the meeting, but I didn t want Liam to leave without me seeing him first. The elder released a sigh of discontent. Fine, Anson. We ll talk about this later. The words seemed threatening, but Anson didn t look deterred. In fact, he grinned and turned toward Liam. Before Shiloh knew it, the wolf wrapped strong arms around Liam, squeezing him tight. To Shiloh, it didn t look like a friendly hug. Liam laughed awkwardly and extracted himself from the embrace. Hello, Sonny. It s nice to see you again. This is my mate, Shiloh Holden. Shiloh, this is a good friend of mine, Sonny Wright. A pleasure, Anson said, and congratulations. Thank you. Shiloh smiled tightly as he squeezed the other man s hand. It s always great to meet my mate s friends. He detected a flash of jealousy pass through Anson s eyes. It was gone so fast that Shiloh might have thought he d imagined it if not for Liam s visible discomfort. Liam, he said through their bond, anything you d like to share? It s nothing, baby. Sonny and I were an item a while back, but it was nothing serious. I swear. Does he know that? Liam didn t answer, and it occurred to Shiloh that they still had many things to sort through. Their pasts would not let go of them so easily. The Wolf Who Hatched an Egg 69 Chapter Seven Hey, baby, Liam shouted. Where do you want the couch? Shiloh considered the question, wondered why Liam was shouting in the first place, then remembered they also had guests helping them with the move. Just dump it in the living room, he yelled back, and returned to sorting all the boxes. Who knew he had so much junk gathered? It almost seemed that he was a magpie or a ferret, not a swan. Sheesh. Over three-dozen boxes filled their new apartment. To be fair, it wasn t all Shiloh s stuff. Liam had brought quite a lot with him as well. Most of the bigger furniture was brand new, since Shiloh had never bothered buying too much for his rented apartment. However, there were all sorts of adornments, things Shiloh had picked up from various antique markets, gifts from their friends, old mementos of [ Pobierz caÅ‚ość w formacie PDF ] |