Haven 4: Back Roads Read Free Page A

reluctant mate.
    He briefly considered asking for Raven’s advice, but the man was a complete jackass. Oh, he had a lot of respect for the Enforcer, and liked the hell out of him, but Raven had a tendency to leap into a situation without thinking ahead to the consequences. Asking the man for advice on how to handle the situation with Galen would be murder-suicide for his muddled relationship.
    Then again, he seemed to be doing a pretty good job of screwing it up all on his own.

    * * * *
    Galen sat on the edge of the tub and fisted his hands in his lap, waiting for the snick of the door that would signal Bannon’s departure. He didn’t have to wait long, but he didn’t know if he felt relief or disappointment at the fact. Part of him wanted Bannon to come after him and demand that Galen…well, something. Everything was so confusing, and he really didn’t know what the hell he wanted.
    “I hate this,” he whispered to the empty room. He hated how his feelings were all twisted up in knots—right along with his stomach a lot of the time.
    Bannon Murphy was without a doubt the sweetest, kindest, not to mention the sexiest, man he had ever met. No matter that Galen continuously pushed him away, Bannon never stayed gone for long.
    He was a persistent bastard, but it was just one more thing Galen loved about the guy.
    “Galen?” A soft knock sounded on the bathroom door, followed by Kendall’s voice. “Honey, are you in there?” Leaping up, Galen hurried to the door, jerked it open, and threw himself into Kendall’s arms with enough force that he knocked his friend back several steps. Now that Bannon was gone, he was free to fall apart, and that was exactly what he did. He sobbed and shuddered, holding on to Kendall for dear life as he soaked his friend’s shirt with his tears.
    So lost in his meltdown, he didn’t immediately notice that Kendall wasn’t the only one in the room until two more sets of arms wound around both of them. “Shh, Galen,” Jory whispered. “It’s going to be okay.”
    “We’re all here for you,” Aslan added. “Please don’t cry.”
    Pulling himself together, Galen eased out of the group embrace and wiped roughly at his eyes. “I’m fine, guys. Thank you.”
    “Do you want to talk about it?” Kendall asked, concern written all over his face. “Bannon is your mate, isn’t he?”
    “No,” Galen answered immediately, shaking his head defensively. “I can’t be his mate.”
    “I know it’s scary.” Jory took his hand and led him over to the bed where he urged Galen to sit. Then they all climbed up on the mattress with him, surrounding him in comfort and support. “I didn’t want to admit that Stavion was my mate at first, either.”
    “I almost pissed myself every time Cassius walked in a room,” Kendall added with a light chuckle.
    They were sweet for trying to cheer him up, but it wasn’t the same situation at all. “I love him,” Galen confessed with another sniffle. “I can’t be his mate, though.”
    His friends exchanged looks of confusion, each sporting identical frowns on their faces. “You can’t or you won’t?” Jory finally asked.
    “I can’t. He’s a shifter.”
    “I still don’t get it,” Aslan said with a shrug. The poor guy rarely understood anything, but Galen loved him all the same. What Aslan lacked in worldly knowledge, he made up for in enthusiasm.
    “Shifters have to mate other shifters. That’s what Bannon told me anyway. I don’t understand why that is.” He shook his head as his brow furrowed. “Everyone else can mate whoever they want. Fate doesn’t discriminate for them. Why are shifters different?”
    “Okay, slow down.” Jory scooted around until he could stretch out on his side and prop himself up on his elbow. “Bannon is a shifter, and that means he can only mate another shifter. Is that right?” Galen nodded in defeat.
    “And you’re not a shifter,” Kendall continued.
    “So, you can’t be his mate,” Aslan