A Cold Winter's Day 25 (13 page)

Malcolm grabbed Luke, steering him toward the door, wanting his mate inside where he could get warm. As he opened the screen door, he threw his last snowball, whacking Chauncey in the head.

“Pa!”

Malcolm snickered as he pushed Luke inside. That’ll teach his cubs. No one got one past papa bear. His hand on the small of Luke’s back, Malcolm guided his mate over to the roaring fire and then sat him on the floor.

“Now I have to finish my work. Stay here and get warm.” He leaned down, kissing Luke before straightening and heading outside with yet another hard-on. He could see Luke staring at his groin, his eyes a smoldering dark brown as a smile tugged at his lips.

This was so not helping.

Malcolm chuckled as he walked past the scowling twins on the porch and headed back toward the barn.
Sore losers.

As he entered the heated barn, he noticed Riley working in one of the stalls, a deep frown pulling his brows down. He knew Riley wasn’t the most happy-go-lucky cub, but he’d never seen him this irritated.

“Something bothering you, son?”

Riley didn’t say a word as he continued to work. That wasn’t like him. They had worked side by side, running this ranch since they settled here. There really wasn’t much they didn’t talk about.

Malcolm stepped closer, resting his arm on one of the stalls as he watched Riley violently pull the hay from the stall. His moves were manic, jerky, and if he didn’t know any better, his son was trying to work out what to say in his head.

He just rested there, waiting for his son to start talking. When Riley still didn’t say a word after a few more minutes, Malcolm stepped between his eldest cub and the wheelbarrow. “Speak your piece, son. Nothing good comes from holding it inside.”

Riley stopped working, keeping his back to Malcolm as he spoke. “Ever since
he
showed up, you’ve been acting different.”

“And that
he
would be who, Luke?” Malcolm was a bit surprised at Riley’s venomous tone. He’d never heard him speak with such unkindness before. It wasn’t like him, and Malcolm couldn’t figure out if Luke was the sole reason behind his anger. His mate had been nothing but sweet and kind toward his sons.

He just didn’t get it.

Riley stood there steaming as he turned around, glaring at Malcolm. He could tell his son had a burr in his ass, but he wasn’t about to let him think he could disrespect Malcolm. “Stand down or you and I will have some heavy problems, son.”

Riley dropped the pitchfork, his eyes blazing. “He steals into the back of your truck with a baby and is carrying a gun in a diaper bag. How do you know he didn’t steal that cub? How do you know his tribe isn’t after him because he kidnapped the little boy? What do you really know about him, Pa?”

Riley spoke his piece. When his lips thinned and no other words were spat, Malcolm knew Riley was finished with his tirade.

“Because he’s my mate, son. You’ll understand what that means when you find yours. I trust Luke. I trust what he tells me.”

“Why?” Riley shot at him. “Just because he’s your mate doesn’t mean he wouldn’t lie to you! You’re a fool for believing every word he tells you!”

Malcolm had Riley pinned to the floor in seconds, his son’s eyes wide as he stared up at Malcolm’s grim face. Their eyes stayed locked as Malcolm reined in his anger. He knew Riley was feeling jealous, and as the oldest, he felt compelled to look out for his family. But Malcolm was
not
going to tolerate his son speaking to him in that manner.

Narrowing his eyes, Malcolm spoke with a calmness that belied the raging storm inside of him. His bear was close to the surface, ready to teach his son some respect. Now Malcolm knew where Luke’s insecure questions from earlier had come from.

He tried hard not to strangle the boy for whatever he might have said or done to make Luke feel the way he had. This was his chance at happiness, and after everything he had gone through in his life, he deserved a piece of it.

Even if things were straining around his home, Malcolm was going to enjoy what little bit of happiness fate had given him.

“Listen to me, Riley Lakeland, and listen close. I love you with every breath I take, but I won’t have you talking to me like a whelp. If you can’t speak your mind respectfully, then you and I have really big problems.”

Riley’s eyes shimmered with tears Malcolm knew he was fighting not to release. He leaned back, holding his hand out. Riley took it as Malcolm pulled him to his feet. Riley dusted himself off, and Malcolm knew he was also taking that time to compose himself.

“I worry about you, Pa.”

And that was the root of the problem.

“Son, do you honestly think anyone could lead me around by my nose and I would follow blindly?”

Riley shrugged as he cleared his throat. “Luke seems to be.”

Malcolm sighed as he cupped his hand behind Riley’s neck and pulled him close. “I love all of my boys, and I love my mate and new son, but no one pulls one over on me.”

Riley nodded his head into Malcolm’s chest, reminding him of when his son was a cub. In some ways, he still was. Riley had never been in love and wouldn’t understand what Malcolm was feeling until he found his mate.

He prayed Riley found his mate soon.

His eldest deserved to feel what Malcolm was feeling inside. To know the joy of having your other half there at your side and knowing no one else in the world would ever take their place.

Riley deserved to be loved.

“You’ll figure it all out one day, Riley.”

Riley kicked at the hay as he shoved his hands into his front pockets, looking, for all the world, lost. Malcolm hated to see him that way.

Yes, he knew he was changing with Luke in his life, but he didn’t think it was for the worst. Luke made him feel like a young man again. He made Malcolm smile on the inside. He knew Riley didn’t have a problem with him being happy.

His son had a problem letting him go.

Sharing him.

“Supper will be ready soon. Why don’t you go on inside? I’ll finish up here.”

Riley nodded, walking from the barn like a kicked puppy. Malcolm hated to see him like that. Everyone was finding their mates, yet he was still without.

Malcolm walked to the barn door, the twins still goofing off on the front porch. “Get your asses in here,” he bellowed.

The two came running.

“Finish Riley’s chores.”

“But, Pa,” Chauncey whined until he saw the set of Malcolm’s jaw. “On it.”

Malcolm smiled as he walked from the barn. Those two were born with
trouble
stamped on their foreheads.

Grabbing the reins, Malcolm climbed up onto Lover Lost’s back and headed back to his own work. He tipped his Stetson back, his gaze roaming as he thought about Riley. His son was having a hard time with accepting the fact that no one was out to hurt his pa.

He got that.

But he also knew that sometimes kids had a hard time accepting the new parent, even when they were grown. Riley had always felt compelled to look out for Malcolm, even though he could take care of himself.

Now it was Luke’s job, and letting go sometimes was the hardest thing to do.

“I brought you some coffee,” Pa said as he entered D’s bedroom.

He looked up at Pa, wondering if the man had lost his mind. Since when did Pa voluntarily bring him coffee? He was more likely to take it from D.

“No thank you,” he replied from his bed.

D was curled up, blankets wrapped around him to his shoulders, cocooning in his pain, keeping it from spilling out and taunting him. His heart was shattered and a big, gaping, bloodsucking hole sat in the center of his chest, eating away at him, reminding him of what he had lost.

His mate was dead to him, gone, forever lost.

And Pa was offering him coffee.

How ironic.

“You can’t hide in here forever, D.”

“Wanna bet?” D said as he glanced down at the floor, fresh tears prickling at his eyes. “I have no reason to come out. My mate has disowned me. Why would I want to live?”

Pa set the pot on D’s dresser as he crossed the room and sat on his bed. D didn’t want any company or soothing words.

He wanted his mate.

The pain was so consuming that D was surprised it hadn’t killed him. How could anyone hurt this bad and still be alive? It wasn’t possible. His entire body ached to be held by Sloane, a man that declared his death to D.

What was the point?

“I’ll leave the coffee here for you. Christian sent over some blood. You should drink some. You’re getting too thin.”

D could hear the worry in the bear’s voice, but he didn’t care. Sloane didn’t want him. His
mate
did not want him. D turned over, staring at the wall as hopeless despair filled him anew. He hated himself for what he had done and wished by all that was good that he could take it back. But he knew that some things couldn’t be forgiven.

Placing a hit on his mate’s head was at the top of that list.

“You should shower as well,” Pa said, trying to use levity. D appreciated it, but it was lost on him. He’d never smile again.

He had no reason.

Pa got up from the bed, patting D’s arm as he left him to his wallowing misery. D deserved his misery and so much more for what he had done. He lay there as the tears blinded him, running down in rivulets to drip onto his bed.

His body shook as he cried, holding his midsection and praying the pain would end soon. His life was over because he had been scared of the unknown.

And now he was mateless.

* * * *

Luke grabbed Malcolm’s hand as he walked with his mate to the alpha’s front door. He had never seen Malcolm look so determined before. His thick eyebrows were pulled down into a deep frown, and his lips were so thin that they were almost transparent.

He had to run to keep up. Malcolm’s strides were long, fast, and making Luke pant as he ran alongside him. He had insisted on coming along with his mate. There was no way in hell he was going to allow Malcolm to face the alpha’s wrath alone.

As worried as he was about leaving Cole, the bears had promised to look after his son. It was a small reassurance when the leader of his tribe was out to get his hands on Cole, but Luke couldn’t let Malcolm come here by himself.

The front door flew open even before they climbed the steps. Maverick stood there with his arms crossed over his chest, anger filling his grey eyes. “Did you bring the vampire to me?”

Malcolm kept climbing the steps as he shook his head. “No.”

The alpha snarled but stepped back, allowing them entrance into his home. It was huge! Luke knew for a fact that he would get totally lost in this place. He hurried next to Malcolm as they walked down a long hallway and entered what looked to be an office.

He jumped when the door slammed behind him.

There was another man in the office, sitting stiffly on the leather sofa, scowling at Malcolm and Luke. He wondered if this was D’s mate. The man was handsome as hell. Even his angry look didn’t detract from his gorgeous face.

But Luke only had eyes for one strong, tall bear.