MATE AND HIS LOVER 9

#33 About time

Nate and Drey drive to Lily and Tim's place for the night. Frank had called Nate before and told him it's best if he doesn't come home tonight — Daisy needs some time alone.

Halfway through their route in the forest, they come across a giant fallen redwood. There are men around it, assessing the situation. There was a heavy downpour last week — Two months' worth of rain fell in less than two hours.

Most of the small plants had already taken the hit. This big one, however, took a few days before giving up.

When Nate and Derek get off the car, they see Patrick and his goons are also there.

"What happened?" Nate asks the couple of men who are standing on top of the fallen trunk, stomping their boots against the damp wood to see if it gives away anywhere.

"Got the call ten minutes ago," one of the men says. "Some kids found it. By the amount of water pooled under, I say it's been down since morning."

Nate bends down and checks the bottom. The trunk had sunk into the wet mud a little. "Called Saul yet?" Nate asks.

"Yeah, I think someone did. Think he's on his way with the tools and a truck."

Nate takes quick headcount around him. There's fourteen of them — more than enough men to clear off the path.

"You want it moved?" The man standing on the trunk says to Nate.

"No. Let's wait for Saul. I want it gone."

Nate turns to Drey. "Call Frank. Ask him to send some of our boys to take a look around the woods for any fallen trees or ones that look like they might fall soon."

Drey steps out of the road to make the call.

Patrick comes over to Nate. "I know you are Castino's favorite nephew, but he had no right to put an accusation like that on me."

"You have a problem with what he said, you take it to him."

"Yeah, but I wonder who put that thought in his mind."

"You know what Patrick, I don't give a damn who sent those rogues after me. I don't have time to spend thinking about cowards. All I care about is getting that title. There's no army of wolves that's gonna stop me from it."

Most of the men have stopped looking around and are staring at the half brothers, hoping no fight breaks out.

Drey has come back from making the call and stands behind Nate with some courteous space between him and the siblings.

Patrick says, "You don't deserve the title. I've worked for it all my life! You don't know what I wouldn't give for it."

"Oh yeah? Well, I have already given everything I have for it. So much so you can't even imagine a shit about. So don't fucking talk to me about sacrifice," Nate says and walks away before he loses himself to anger.

Nate and Drey go and wait at a distant from the others. "Fucker doesn't know what he's talking about," Nate says. "He isn't the one who had to fucking hide his own mate, fucking hurt her."

Drey places his hand on Nate's shoulder out of sympathy.

"What am I saying?" Nate continues. "For the first time it wasn't his fucking fault. I shot down on my own foot by pushing her away when we met."

Drey keeps his hand on Nate's shoulder, unable to do and say anything to help his friend. He's not good with advices like Frank.

But there is one thing Drey wants to remind Nate about. Something important. Something that might make Nate realize it's all not that big of a deal, really.

"She loves you, man," Drey says. "She just doesn't like you very much. That's all."

Hearing Drey's unorthodox counsel, Nate starts to laugh. Drey laughs with him.

"Is that so, Yoda?" Nate says. "I suppose you also know what I should do to make her like me then?"

"Of course I do. I'm the only one of us three who is still single and has to keep his skills sharp enough to score a girl."

"Let's hear it."

Drey taps his hand that's on Nate's shoulder.

"Be nice to her."

Just as then the truck arrives.

The floodlight perched on top of the truck hood is turned on to lit the workspace.

Everyone grabs a chainsaw or an axe from the back of the truck and start cutting the redwood to smaller blocks.

The cut blocks are then quickly loaded on the truck.

In a few minutes the path is cleared. Including Nate and Drey, everyone climbs into their cars and drive away to their destinations.

IAN'S MEN NERVOUSLY wait around for him to talk. Before talking, however, Ian makes sure to throw one of the chairs through the wall of his office.

"Thought I was clear: send our best guys," Ian says to one of his men, Karl.

Karl thinks that they did send their best men, but he keeps that thought to himself.

"Well, if you guys can't take care of it, I'll just do it myself," Ian says.

His men worriedly look at each other, before Karl musters enough courage to say something. "Boss, it might be best if we keep out of it for now."

"And why is that?" Ian says.

"They increased their security. Not only because of the attack, but I believe they have decided to hold the fight for the Alpha title soon. There's been some talk about it."

Ian looks at the man. "When is the fight?"

"There's no date yet."

"But soon enough?"

The man nods. "It's not long before it happens."

Ian walks up to the hole on the wall that he'd just created and stare into the darkness for a moment.

A thought comes up to him.

He smirks. "In that case, I think I have a better idea to deal with him. Call up Raketrope and tell them I want to speak to Alpha Christopher."

Everyone looks at Ian, shocked. "But b—"

Ian raises his hand to shut his men up. "Do what I say."

Everyone leaves his room, except Karl. "Boss, why meet with them? They'll know it was us who attacked them."

"Doesn't matter," Ian says. "They can't do anything against us, anyway. That pack has been causing me a headache for a while. It's about time I at least make a visit." 

🗳 Don't forget to click on the ☆!  And, until next chapter, how about some walk down the memory lane by revisiting one of the previous stories? How about ML2? :)