Page 4 of My Pucking Mates (Pucking Werewolves #4)

Present

I lift my head from the back of the couch where I was resting it and maybe eavesdropping a little on Khaos and Eris.

We…I mean, I…may be a goof, but that’s far from all I am.

Eris and I are Roman’s spies for a reason.

When he needs someone to slink around, get answers, and follow people, that’s our job.

I had to learn to control my energy and distractions at a young age, or everyone in our home would pay for it.

Mama got the worst of it, but Eris would always step in to save both Mama and me from Pop’s wrath.

I wish I could have been a stronger kid, but once we grew into the men we are, I was determined to never feel that way again.

I hadn’t thought about that night in ages…

Mama ended up sleeping for four days before she finally woke up, sad and weak. By the time she came to, Eris had returned to his jovial self, seeming to match my happiness and energy as usual. It made me wonder if I had imagined the events of that night.

I feel like I’ve always known that the way twelve-year-old Eris acted that night was who he really was. I vaguely remembered him being that way when we were much younger, but again, I left it in my imagination.

With everything that’s happened recently, it’s clear my intuition was right this whole time. I just don’t understand why. Why would he put on a show for everyone? Why would he put on a show for me? There were so many things I needed answers to, but my questions would have to wait.

The most important thing was getting through to Eris enough for him to see what’s right in fucking front of us. Our mate.

Does sharing our mate make things different?

In some ways, yes, but not the ones you’d think. We often shared our women anyways. We’re identical twins that play hockey. If a woman—or puck bunny—likes one of us, she will usually like the other.

But with a mate, things will be so much different.

We never had a “relationship” last longer than a month. People get tired of our liveliness and antics easily. The men—and now, women—who live in this house are the only beings that have ever truly cared for us—other than Mama, of course.

Not only are we fully unprepared for a solid relationship, but sharing a mate means we must be on the same page.

I’ve been ready to complete the bond since the second her scared, bright green eyes met mine.

When her eyes didn’t stay on mine and instead bounced between mine and Eris’…

I knew…and it just made sense to me. I found myself feeling… relieved.

Why would the Goddess grant us different mates that could pull us apart when she could provide us with a mate to share?

What I didn’t expect was Eris’ total shift in…well, existence. We’ve been the wild, crazy, fun twins for centuries.

Is this new Eris the real one? Why has he been…pretending for so long?

Shaking away all the thoughts clouding my brain, I hop off the couch and head for my twin.

When I reach him, I wrap my arm around his shoulder and pull him towards his room. “I don’t—”

“Oh, trust me, I know. You don’t want to do anything, and you most certainly don’t want to talk about it…

but it’s time, big brother.” I put the silliness away and let the feelings coursing through me show on my face as I shut his door.

“I deserve to know what’s going on in that big brain of yours.

We deserve to know what’s going on and what comes next,” I say, slumping onto the trunk at the end of his bed.

He begins pacing the space in front of me, running his hands through his hair.

I try to stay patient, I do, but after..

.I don’t know how many minutes, I can’t help myself.

“Look, I know we did some shit for the armies. I know we indulged in our fair share of women. And I know we’re not the easiest people to deal with…

but I don’t know what any of that has to do with not accepting our mate, Eris… ”

He stops and stares at me long enough that I think he won’t speak.

I’m having to learn my brother all over again, and I fucking hate it.

I can see for certain in his eyes that this is the man that’s been beneath his skin the whole time.

This is my brother. While I don’t yet understand why…

it also settles something within me. Maybe my wolf? Shit, I don’t know anymore.

His mouth opens and closes a few times like he’s trying to decide how to communicate what he needs to say and stills when he settles on, “Do you remember the night Pop left?”

I jerk slightly where I sit, having just thought about that night. Without knowing what to say, I nod while he paces.

“He was her fated mate,” he begins, his voice laced with frustration and anger.

“He was mean to her. He was mean to you. What kind of fated mate treats his life partner and children like that?” His voice begins to rise as though these feelings have been simmering since that night and are now boiling over.

“She deserved to be happy. You deserved to be yourself!”

He stops and stares at me and…what the fuck am I supposed to say? All I can do is watch him unravel.

“I didn’t have a choice! He hurt her again, and it had to be the last time! I wouldn’t let him hurt either of you ever a-fucking-gain!” He shakes his head, both hands in his hair, and when he raises his face back to mine, his eyes are red and full of tears I’ve never seen in my brother’s eyes.

Rising from the trunk, I intend to move towards him, but he backs away from me just as the door bursts open.