Haven 4: Back Roads Read Free

a little bit will do. Take Malakai for example. He’s mated to my brother, Flynn, but he’s not changin’ into a beasty. I know what my instincts are tellin’ me, and they’re sayin’ ya belong to me.”
    “I don’t belong to anyone!” Galen screamed. He jumped to his feet and pointed a finger in Bannon’s face. “I belonged to someone for half my damn life, and I won’t do it again. I make my own decisions now. I won’t let someone tell me what to do, when to do it, and how I need to do it better.” When he finally wound down, his entire frame was shaking, and his chest heaved as though he’d run a marathon.
    “Calm yaself, Galen. That’s not what I’m meanin’.” Bannon took a step toward his mate but stopped when Galen snarled at him. “What is all this now?”
    Like letting the helium out of a balloon, Galen deflated and sagged back into his chair. “I can’t do this anymore. I’m already half in love with you, and I’m not willing to fall the entire way.” That was exactly what Bannon wanted, though. He’d known Galen was his mate from the first time he’d caught a whiff of the man’s intriguing scent. Knowing the harsh life Galen had led as a slave, he’d taken things slowly, only befriending him and easing him into the idea of being mated.
    While Galen had seemed eager for the friendship, his stance never changed on the mating part. For months, he’d steadfastly refused to accept the truth. Bannon doubted it was so much that he didn’t believe it, and more that he was trying to protect himself. There were painful secrets lurking in his mate’s past, something beyond even being kept as a slave for years.
    “What are ya not tellin’ me, Galen?”
    “If I pour my heart out will you leave me alone?”
    “No.” There was no sense in lying to the guy. Bannon had no intentions of walking away from his sienota —his fated mate. What kind of man did Galen think he was?
    “I’m begging you. Please, just leave me alone. I thought I could be your friend without wanting more, but I can’t.” Bannon opened his mouth to respond, but his cell phone chose that moment to begin vibrating in his pocket. With a growl of frustration, he retrieved the offending object and answered without checking the ID. “What?”
    “Torren is asking for you,” Raven said on the other end of the line. “I guess The Council has a witch they want you to track down.”
    “Can’t it wait?” Bannon wasn’t conceited, but he knew his skills as a Tracker were unmatched by most in the country. Usually, he didn’t mind being sent out on assignments, but that was before he had a mate who was hiding shit from him.
    “I don’t think so, man. Torren is doing his best to get things settled and ease into his position as elder so he can see his kids. I know I wasn’t too big on the idea at first, but he’s a good guy. He’s not going to take them away from Raina and Teegan.” Maybe it made him an asshole, but Bannon didn’t really care.
    He’d met the females a few times, but he had no real emotional attachment to them or their adopted cubs. He’d only met Torren once, and most of that time had been spent unconscious because of Leader McCarthy’s psychotic brother. The trio’s parental issues were none of his concern.
    “Where’s he stayin’?” Bannon finally asked with a sigh.
    “He’s in Casper right now. You want me to drive?” Bannon gave Galen a lingering look and sighed again. “Aye, I’ll meet ya in five minutes.” He disconnected and turned to Galen once more. “I—”
    “I heard,” Galen cut him off. “Be careful, Bannon.” Then he rose from the chair, went into his private bathroom, and closed the door.
    Unsure if he should go after him or not, Bannon hesitated for a full minute before he finally pushed up from his seat and walked out of the room. Something had to give soon, or he was going to lose his mind. Maybe by the time he returned from Casper, he’d have a new plan to woo his