Page 36 of Broken Bonds

I wonder how long it’ll be before Shawn starts introducing him around, and before I can even ask that, my question is answered.

We’ll give him a couple of days to settle in. Give me your impression of him. Shawn will be in touch in a day or so to coordinate.

Well, darn.

I look down at my lap. “Guess you’re out of luck tonight, buddy.”

But since I’m not an asshole, I text Jax a thumbs-up in reply.

And that means I can take the pup shopping after work so he can get what he needs. If he’s still willing to work here.

I hope he is.

Mal isn’t the first wayward one I’ve hosted, but there’s just…something about him. I’d like to spend more time alone with him to get to know him better. Find out what makes him tick.

Watch it be just my luck some guy in the pack pings on him with a mate bond.

Then the rational part of my brain kicks in and takes over.

The last thing that pup needs right now is trying to figure out a relationship. He’s got a bunch of emotional shit to work through.

Trying to shove that out of my brain, I slide my phone into my pocket and resume my task.

Chapter Fifteen

Jax

Self-Doubts

When I awaken the next morning, I immediately go check on Shawn just to find the guest room door open and he’s not there.

He’s not anywhere.

His car’s gone, and he hasn’t left me a note.

Inside me, my Alpha rears up, wanting to take control of this situation, and I mentally smack it on the snout with a rolled-up newspaper.

I’ve unintentionally caused my mate enough pain because I was too wrapped up inside my own head.

Removing my phone from the charger, I check for texts from him, and of course I don’t.

My suspicion is he headed out for a long run because that’s what he does when he’s upset or needs to burn off energy. Also, the travel mug he prefers is gone, and there’s half a carafe of still-warm coffee.

And if the past is any indicator, I need to let him do this. He’ll come to me in his own time. Times like these, he absolutely does not want me chasing him down and forcing him to talk.

Been there, done that, touched that stove. I’m not perfect, but I try to avoid making the same stupid mistakes twice.

We haven’t hit many bumps in the road in our relationship. This is the worst by far, and I hate that he thinks I’ve been lying to him about wanting pups.

I hate that I made him cry.

Not liking myself very much right now.

As stupid as this sounds, I tend to forget he’s older than me, and I genuinely hadn’t considered that issue within the greater equation. Neither of us looks a fraction of our ages, thanks to shifter genetics. Shifters, and humans born of them, or mated to them—especially Alpha mates—don’t age as rapidly as normal humans. Hell, Dad and Pops look like they could be my older brothers instead of my parents.

I pour myself a mug of coffee and grab my shower because the only thing I can do right now is go to work. The pack depends on me, and with the new pup potentially joining us, I need to put out feelers to other packs and see what kind of gossip I can catch up on.

Rudolph Sterling is an asshole. A potentially dangerous asshole.