Mated Hearts (Durant Brothers Book 1) Read online

  “You have me now. Both of you have me, and I will protect you.” Forrest kissed her.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “Yuck! You two really need to get a motel room.” Seth shook his head as he scrunched his face at Audrey and Forrest. “Maybe a motel room in another state or…wait. A motel room on another planet would be even better.”

  Audrey blushed as she quickly broke the kiss. She wasn’t embarrassed about what she had done. She was embarrassed by where the kiss had taken her thoughts, and then there was the fact Seth had caught them making out.

  She sighed.

  Seth was going to have to get used to her and Forrest kissing and touching, because she had a feeling she and Forrest were going to be doing a lot more of it.

  Forrest grabbed a pillow off the couch and tossed it at the teenager. “Just remember, I believe in paybacks, especially when you start dating.”

  Seth caught the pillow and tossed it back at Forrest. “So. Not. Happening. Not with any of the girls in this town. They all have the giggly girl germs. No thank you! I don’t want any part of that.”

  Forrest chuckled as he caught the pillow before it hit him or Audrey. “One day you will change your mind, and you’re going to want to kiss one or two of those girls.”

  “Nope. Don’t think so.” He shook his head. Seth shifted from one foot to the other. Finally, he looked at his aunt. “Audrey, did my dad really believe I wasn’t going to be able to shift?”

  Audrey heard the hurt in his voice as if he thought his dad didn’t want him. “Daniel really wanted you to be able to shift, but he said the odds were stacked against you. He said the children of coyote shifters were being born without the ability to shift. For some reason they didn’t have a coyote in them. It wasn’t anything you or he could control. It has everything to do with some genetic problem that put the odds against you and all coyote shifter children.” Audrey smiled at Seth. “If he was alive, Daniel would be over the moon with excitement that you were able to shift. But even if you couldn’t, he would still have been the proudest father. He loved you and your mother so much.”

  Seth looked at everything except Audrey. “I wish you would have told me.” He finally looked at her.

  “I thought I was doing the right thing by not telling you. I didn’t want you stressing out over something that probably wasn’t going to happen. Daniel told both Ellie and me what signs to look for so we wouldn’t be surprised if you did shift at an early age like he did. He said if you were going to shift, you would do it before you turned a year old. But you never showed any signs that you were going to shift.”

  “But was he disappointed with me because I couldn’t shift?” Seth bit the inside of his cheek.

  Audrey’s heart almost broke when she saw the raw fear of rejection in Seth’s eyes. “He wasn’t disappointed with you. His disappointment was in the fact you wouldn’t share the special ability that he had. It’s like when a father really loves football and he played it in school, but as much as he wants his son to follow in his footsteps, the son has completely different interests and talents.”

  “So he loved me even though he thought I couldn’t shift?” asked Seth.

  Audrey smiled. “He definitely loved you. Even before you were born, he would have conversations with you while you were still in your mother’s womb.”

  Seth nodded.

  “Audrey did what she thought was best for you under the circumstances,” said Forrest.

  “But she should have told me.” Seth crossed his arms over his chest.

  “And you should have told her about what was going on with you.” Forrest looked at the teen. “But you didn’t because you thought you were protecting her, just like she thought she was protecting you.”

  Seth slowly nodded his head after a couple of minutes. He flopped down on one of the chairs across from Audrey and Forrest. “Do you really think Mom and Dad’s wreck wasn’t an accident?”

  “I think someone wanted them dead. I don’t have any proof, or even an idea why,” said Audrey. “It’s just a gut feeling.”

  “What about the pictures you took of the car?” asked Seth.

  Forrest shook his head. Seth wasn’t even trying to hide the fact he had been listening to them. He was going to have to have a talk with Seth about listening to adult conversations though today he was going to give him some leeway.

  “According to the police the pictures didn’t prove anything. The investigators ruled your parents deaths an accident. I probably should have pursued it, but I had you, and you were my main responsibility. I had to make sure you were safe just in case I was right,” said Audrey.

  “Are you upset that I’m a shifter?” asked Seth.

  Audrey shook her head. She realized this was the biggest worry Seth had. “Why would I be upset?”

  “Because I’m not normal. I can turn into a coyote.” Seth’s face didn’t reveal any hint of emotion as he watched his aunt.

  “You may not be normal according to what humans consider normal, but in my eyes you are special. You are more than human. You can shift into a coyote. I think you’re freaking awesome. You can do something most people only dream about doing.” Audrey glanced at Forrest.

  Understanding what she wanted, Forrest helped her stand up, and then he got up too.

  Audrey walked over to Seth and knelt down next to the chair. “I wish Ellie and Daniel were here to see you. They loved you so much, and they would be proud of you.” She ruffled his hair. “I love you…all parts of you. Maybe one day you will show me your coyote. I would very much like to meet him.”

  “Quit! You’re messing up my hair.” Seth laughed and playfully batted at her hand. “What about Grandmother and Grandfather Thomas? What are you going to tell them?”

  Audrey sighed and shook her head. “I’m not telling them anything. Yes, they are my parents, but they are snotty jerks. They are not welcomed here and you know that.” Her parents had made it very clear they didn’t want anything to do with Seth, and she had made it clear to them they weren’t welcome in her life.

  Seth nodded. “Good.” Her answers seemed to satisfy his questions. “I’m hungry. What’s for supper?” he asked, changing the topic.

  Audrey rolled his eyes. “I have a feeling the food bill is going to double.” She grinned at Seth. She had noticed food was disappearing a lot faster than it did a couple of months ago.

  “I can’t help it. I’ve been a lot hungrier lately.” Seth shrugged his shoulders. “Could we have pizza?”

  “Shifters need a lot more calories than humans because the shifting process takes a lot of energy,” said Forrest.

  “And boys in general seem to eat a lot.” Audrey nodded her head. “Seth has always had a huge appetite for meat. I take it he’s not just feeding himself but his coyote too. What kind of pizza do you want?”

  “A pepperoni, hamburger, and Canadian bacon pizza sounds really good right now.” Seth grinned.

  “And I take it you want extra toppings?” Audrey rolled her eyes. “Do you have any questions you want to ask?”

  “Extra toppings would be great. Is Forrest staying for supper?”

  “That’s up to Forrest.” She looked at her mate. “Would you like to have some pizza with us?” she asked.

  “I would like that.” A huge grin spread across Forrest’s face. He was going to have his first meal with his mate…with his family. He pulled out his cell phone and opened the app to the local pizza place in town.

  Audrey turned back to Seth. “If you have any questions, ask. I will answer them the best I can. But if they are more shifter specific, I will have to defer to Forrest because there is a lot I don’t know.”

  Seth nodded.

  “While I’m ordering the pizza order, you need to take care of whatever homework you have from the classes you attended. No arguments. We still have to deal with the fact you skipped school, and the principal called.”

  “That’s just f—”

  “Seth!” Both Audrey and For
rest spoke at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

  Seth shook his head. “I know. I know. I need to not cuss, but the principal is out to get me for some reason.”

  “Let me deal with him. Go take care of your homework.” Audrey gave him the look she used when she meant business and didn’t want any argument. “And no more cussing.”

  “I’ll go take care of my homework, and I will work on the cussing.” Seth picked up his backpack from where he had dropped it earlier and went back to his bedroom.

  “I’ve ordered two pizzas with the toppings that Seth wanted. What do you like on your pizza?” asked Forrest.

  “I asked you to stay for dinner, not to order it.”

  Forrest grinned at her. “It’s my first meal with my beautiful mate. Besides, it’s my job to take care of you. Now, what would you like on your pizza?”

  “Is being pushy and stubborn typical shifter traits?” asked Audrey.

  “When it comes to our mates, the answer is yes.”

  “Fine.” She sighed. “No anchovies or jalapenos. Those are the two things I hate on pizza. Any of the other normal toppings are fine with me. My favorite is pepperoni. Can I at least help pay for the food?”

  Forrest shook his head. “I’ve got this.” He quickly tapped the phone screen with his fingers. “It will be here in about thirty-five minutes.”

  “I’ll make us some tea, or would you prefer something else to drink?”

  “Sweet tea would be good. I’m not much of a beer drinker.”

  “I’m not either. I don’t like the way it tastes. I don’t care much for alcohol in general.” She told Forrest as they walked into the kitchen.

  “Why did you call your parents snotty jerks?” Forrest ask Audrey as he watched her put water on to boil for the tea.

  “Because it was the nicest thing I could think of instead of what I really wanted to call them. I’m trying to be a good example for Seth and not cuss, but when it comes to my parents, it’s very difficult not to call them every bad name in the book plus a few I’ve made up.”

  “I can’t quit see you cussing. Maybe a few dirty words in the bedroom.” He waggled his eyebrows at her. “I can think of several you can use.”

  “Ha. Ha. You’re funny.” She pulled a large plastic pitcher out of one of the cabinets. “For some reason they took an instant dislike to Daniel” She paused. “Correction. They hated Daniel. They forbid Ellie to have anything to do with him. They refused to have anything to do with Seth when he was born. They even boycotted Ellie’s funeral.” She put water into a small pot and put it on the stove. “They cut her out of their lives.”

  Forrest could smell the anger rolling off of Audrey. He watched her hands ball into fists. “Are you okay?”

  She turned and looked at him. “They said that Ellie got what she deserved, and if she had listened to them she wouldn’t have died. When they found out I was Seth’s guardian, they told me that I had to put him up for adoption or in the foster care system. They didn’t care as long as he was gone. When I refused, they told me I was no longer their daughter. Then they said something about how I had made my choice and I was going to have to live with the consequences just like Ellie did.”

  Forrest felt like someone had just sucker punched him. The threat to his mate was loud and clear. His bear growled. It wanted loose so it could go after the threat to Audrey and rip it apart. It didn’t care that the threat was her parents or not.

  “Forrest.” Her voice was low, but he could clearly hear her as she touched his arm.

  The warmth of her touch spread through him, helping him to calm his bear. He put a hand over hers.

  “I’m not exactly sure what they meant, but I know they were threatening me. It’s just a gut feeling, but I think they had something to do with the car wreck. They hated Daniel, and they have no feelings for Seth. And before you ask, as far as I know, they had no clue Daniel was a shifter.”

  He was stunned by her revelation even though he had already come to the same conclusion. Where her parents just anti-shifter or were they in league with the hunters. Either way it was dangerous for Audrey and Seth to be without any protection. The sooner they were mated and he had Audrey and Seth in his den, the better he could protect them. “I want you and Seth to move in with me.”

  Audrey frowned slightly. “I realize we are mates but everything is going a little too fast. I have a feeling if I was a shifter, fast would be normal, but I’m not a shifter. Though I sense you’re a good man, I don’t know you. I need to take things a little slower. I want to get to know you before we move to the next step.”

  Forrest pulled her into his arms. “I’m worried about your safety. From what you’ve told me, I think you and Seth are in danger and probably have been for years. I need to protect you. I’m struggling with my bear because he wants to rip apart anyone who has even looked at you wrong. Having you near me is the only thing keeping him calm enough for me to control him.”

  Audrey wrapped her arms around Forrest’s waist. “How are we going to make this work?”

  “We just will. I understand you need to get to know me. We are starting here. Give me your lips.”

  Audrey tilted her head to look up at him.

  Forrest leaned down and captured her lips with his. Desires fueled the kiss, making it more intense until it felt as his skin was on fire. Forrest ended the kiss. He turned his attention to her neck and slowly nuzzled the soft skin as she caught she breath.

  Audrey recovered quickly and kissed him back. In seconds, they were kissing again.

  “I think they have motels in Alaska. Also,I’m going to check on Saturn. There has to be at least one motel there that I can book a room for you two because you really need to check into one.” Seth stood just inside the kitchen with his arm crossed over his chest. “If you two keep this up, I’m going to have to ground both of you.”

  Audrey buried her face in Forrest’s shirt to hide the deep red blush that was burning its way across her cheeks. “Go away,” she muttered.

  “I just wanted to get a drink and find out what time the pizza was going to get here. And what happens? I catch you two sucking lips again.” Seth slowly shook his head. “I think we are going to have to set some ground rules.”

  The doorbell rang.

  “Pizza’s here!” Seth turned and headed to the front door.

  Audrey blinked. “That was fast,” she said. She glanced at the stove clock. Her cheeks turned pink when she realized she and Forrest had lost track of time.

  “Seth, wait before you open the door.” Forrest turned to Audrey. “We’ll be right back.” He kissed her on the forehead, as she let go of him. He immediately missed her soft body. Seth was standing by the front door when Forrest walked. “Good. You waited.”

  Seth rolled his eyes. “It’s just the pizza delivery guy.”

  “We need to talk about why you need to be more cautious.” Forrest took his wallet out of his back pocket and pulled out a ten. He opened the door and greeted the delivery person. After signing the receipt and giving the delivery guy a tip, Forrest handed the pizza boxes to Seth.

  “How many pizzas did Audrey order?” asked Seth as he put the pizzas on the dining table.

  “You need to thank Forrest. He ordered them, not me,” said Audrey as she walked into the room with paper plates napkins and a pitcher of tea. “Would you grab the cups I set on the counter?”

  Seth nodded and went to the kitchen. He returned with cups filled with ice. He grabbed the pitcher of sweet tea and filled them.

  “Here.” Forrest held out a pizza box to Seth.

  “Is this mine?” Seth’s eyes widened. “I don’t have to share it with either of you?”

  “I can hear your stomach growling.” Forrest laughed.

  “Cool.” Seth didn’t wait for them. Using the box as his plate he grabbed a slice and took a huge bite. “This is so good,” he said in between bites.

  “By the way he’s devouring that pizza, you wou
ld think I never fed him.” Audrey just shook her head.

  “That’s why I ordered two large pizzas for him. I figured he would be starving by now. Shifting uses a lot of calories. He will be eating a lot more than he used too.” Forrest held an open box filled with the pepperoni pizza.

  Audrey took a large slice. She took a bite before she put it on her plate. Chewing, she watched as the two most important males in her life attacked the pizza and grinned. She liked sitting at the dining table as a family. She liked having Forrest as a part of her family.

  CHAPTER SIX

  By the end of dinner, Seth had devoured a whole large pizza and half of another. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach. “That was really good. I think I’m going to go play some video games.”

  “Don’t stay up too late. You have school tomorrow,” said Audrey. She was shaking her head, wondering where he put all the food he ate.

  “You just had to ruin my night,” groaned Seth. “Can’t I just stay home sick tomorrow?”

  Audrey smiled. “Sure.”

  Seth grinned. “Yes!” He did a fist pump.

  “But if you don’t go to school tomorrow, you’re obviously too sick to go anywhere this weekend.”

  His face fell. “You’re joking?”

  Audrey raised an eyebrow. “Do I sound like I’m joking?”

  “Fine. I’ll go to school tomorrow.” He got up. “And I’ll put my cup in the sink. You play dirty. Just thought I should let you know.” He grabbed the cup and disappeared into the kitchen.

  Forrest chuckled. “How did you do that?”

  “Years of practice. Plus, he will have a list of chores to do, which includes cleaning his room, when he returns home Saturday from his overnight stay at his friend’s house.” Audrey smiled. She quickly covered her mouth to hide the yawn that snuck up on her. “Sorry about that. It’s not the company.”