Absolution Read Free Page A

he’d helped them move in, not that they had much stuff. Grey and Russ had gone back to the Tyler pack to get what the girls had left there.
    Speaking of Grey, he and Peter weren’t far off and kept peering at him. He grinned and waved them off. He’d have to talk to them later, but for now he had to get the girls to the place where they felt the safest. They would all be shaken up with the appearance of the dude Kitty had called Mr Harrington. It didn’t look like they’d had much luck in the past if that lawyer was there on behalf of their dead parents. Kitty had looked scared before she’d taken charge.
    Everett hoped he could get Kitty to talk to him before the guy showed back up at the pack house, but he didn’t think there’d be time with the meeting after breakfast. If Everett had read the situation right, the lawyer would be back banging on the door first thing, but if the guy touched Kitty one more time, Everett would rip his face off. It was a close call tonight, but he’d managed to keep his wolf at bay. It wasn’t like he and Kitty had bonded yet, they hadn’t had any time. Well, he could have made time, but he wanted her to be secure in her place within the pack before he even looked into them being mates. And now—now he knew she was his.
    Sometimes, being a wolf sucked with all the mate crap. He remembered how it had almost destroyed his cousin, Peter. Of course all of Peter’s ‘I’m gay and can’t have a mate’ thing hadn’t helped the situation. But now he was happy with his mate, and someday Everett wanted that too. It hurt that he couldn’t stay with Kitty, but it was too soon, if her earlier reaction was anything to go by. He’d just take her to the door and drop her off. It would take all of his willpower to back off. His wolf was pissed and wanted to break free, but Everett held himself in check.
    They had a nice walk through the woods to get to Kitty’s house. The pond area was secluded for trysts, more than one wolf got busy there. Maybe—yeah, he wouldn’t think of that. No need to get hard and have his pheromones go all crazy. Not when the girls would have been able to smell him. Earlier it wasn’t such a big issue because the clearing had been full of horny wolves. Here—with just the girls, talk about embarrassing.
    Poppy and Bunny hurried inside, Kitty hovered at the door. “Thank you, again, for—you know—being there.” She gave him a hesitant smile. She played with the knob and nibbled on her lip.
    Everett traced her mouth with his thumb, getting her to release the poor abused flesh.
    “Kitty—” He looked into her eyes.
    “No, please don’t. Not yet.” She stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against his mouth before turning and going inside.
    He stood for a few minutes looking at where a second ago Kitty had stood. He bowed his head and took a deep breath. His mate was on the other side of that door and there was nothing he could do about it. Everett wouldn’t force the issue. It wasn’t in his nature. There was always tomorrow. No matter if he wasn’t in with the core group of the pack, he was going to be at that meeting.
    The walk back to the group didn’t make him any happier. He stood at the edge of the party. The dance from earlier still ran through his mind. They’d had fun. If that lawyer hadn’t shown up maybe he could have calmed Kitty down enough to talk.
    Peter must have seen him because he tugged Grey over to where Everett stood.
    “Hey, cuz, what’s up?” Peter stopped in front of him, blocking his view of the festivities.
    The music was still country and the twang echoed around the clearing.
    “Kitty’s my mate.” Everett blurted it out. Shit, he hadn’t mean to do that, but he needed to tell someone and Kitty wasn’t talking—yet.
    “Okay, then why are you here?” Grey slapped him on the back.
    “I—we…it isn’t time. Not yet.” Everett sighed.
    “Ev—” Peter began.
    “No, Pete, this isn’t like with you.