Page 7 of Shifters Unifying

Me: Hey, Mom. I’m fine, and I love you. More than anything.

She tried to call immediately, but I declined it.

“Love you, Mom,” I whispered. “But I can’t yet.”

A moment later, she answered via text, typing what had to be the quickest reply I’d ever gotten from her.

Mom: Where the hell have you been, young lady? Foolish sheriff won’t let me file a missing person’s report because you weren’t missing, at least according to Shannon and Riley. You’re an adult, and you can make your own decisions. Blah. Blah. Blah.

Me: I told you I was fine, and I was working on some training.

Mom: This isn’t like you at all. What’s wrong?

Me: I’ll explain everything soon, Mom. Just trust me a little while longer. I love you.

Mom: I hate this.

Me: I know. Ily.

Mom: I love you, too.

All the talking and texting weren’t as strong of a mood killer as a blast from a cold shower or a firehose would have been. Yet they’d dulled the drive enough that I wasn’t worried about jumping Logan the minute I strolled back into the study…

Until I strolled back into the study, and he was still as gloriously naked as he’d been when I left. I stopped on the threshold.

“Would you put some clothes on?” I snapped.

He turned toward me. “No place for modesty…”

I turned to Olivia. “Did you figure out where we’re going?”

“We cross Red Tail, so Jasper will be joining us,” she answered.

Logan’s mouth pressed into a tight line.

“Aye, I’ll be going with ye,” Jasper confirmed. “It helps your case that me brother is the alpha of the territory. Otherwise, ye’d have to go around Red Tail to get to Bear Trees.”

“After we attend the gathering of the alphas, we’ll check on the Acheron’s hidden site.”

“And check on the people in Willow Creek,” I added. “Shannon, Riley, Sheila, Callie, and I need to see them face to face, and I need to tell Mom what’s happened, so she quits harassing the sheriff.”

“That, too,” Logan agreed.

“We pulled the four-wheelers around,” Olivia said. “We each get our own.”

“Oh, I saw those parked out front,” I said. “I’ve never ridden one before. Is it hard?”

“Emma can ride mine,” Logan said. “No need to take four.”

Jasper’s laugh burst through the study. “Aye, she can ride yours. We all know what that means, and we’re going to have ahard enough time keeping the two of ye apart as it is. That’s why there’s four.”

“We each get our own ATV,” Olivia repeated, more firmly. “I’m your beta, and you made me your keeper for the obsession phase with your fated mate. You know what that means, Logan.”

“Does that mean you have to listen to her?” I asked, guessing.

“That’s exactly what she means, lass,” Jasper interjected. “And I wouldn’t put it past Olivia to drag yer mate before the councils, if he doesn’t.”

“Good to know,” I murmured. That threat might be enough to keep us apart.