Hunter fully clothed walked around to where I stood. Wrapping his muscular arms around my waist, trailing his nose up the side of my neck. It was comforting.

'Miss me?' he asked.

Even in my head, his voice was seductive. I was beginning to think he liked conversing with me this way.

And on reflection, I enjoyed it too; It felt intimate.

'Yes, those three whole minutes were torture,' I replied, stopping myself from giggling.

It was extraordinary... his change. Since we marked one another, his transformation from London's hottest bachelor aka man-whore to a sweetheart was visible and indisputable, or so I hoped

'Fucking knew it,' he stated proudly.

"Didn't I tell you, she would pick you!" said Pearl, dragging us from our silent conversation.

"Pearl," said Hunter, lifting his head slightly, and resting his chin on my shoulder. "Everything good?"

"Yes, now that I know Sage is okay." She looked between the two of us. I knew that look; something was about to spill from her lips. "You're a sly devil, aren't you?" She winked at Hunter and earned a glare from me—which she ignored.

"Pfft—you love it cousin; stop behaving like you don't," she quipped.

Hunter's feelings of satisfaction ambushed me, sending my heartbeat into a flurry of excitement "C'mon on. I need to introduce you to Zander... officially."

Nodding my head, he unwrapped himself and took my hand. "Back in a minute Pearl."

"Hmm, yeah. Take your time, but I want details cousin."

Mon Dieu, she had no shame.

Hunter chuckled as my fingers wrapped themselves in his hand, their warmth calming the anxiety building behind my smile.

'Don't worry baby, he'll love you.'

He turned smiling, a gesture that was meant to reassure me and fill me with confidence. If he was worried about his brother's reaction to us; he masked it well.

"Zander, this is Sage. Sage—Zander, my brother."

My blush was inevitable. He'd more or less seen me naked with his brother on top of me, having just finished our open-air lovemaking.

Lovemaking? Doux Jésus.

I needed to stop thinking like that, unsure how the whole mate's thing worked.

Did Hunter feel the same?

And honestly, now I wasn't high on my climax. I was back to the 'love' thing. Did he love me? Was this the start of something that would last a lifetime?

What if he got bored of me?

I knew it would break me, shatter me into a thousand pieces, taking a lifetime to put the pieces back together.

That thought stoked my worries.

Quit it!

It wasn't the time to be thinking how this could end.

My wolf offered her two pennyworths, by showing me Hunter naked in my head.

My cheeks went from warm to melting in a microsecond and a burst of heat erupted between my thighs.

I tried to remain calm It was time to make a good impression—Take two!

′Stop thinking about me naked..." said Hunter. 'On second thoughts—keep thinking about it.′ I heard him laugh in my head.

'Quit talking to me.'

He squeezed my hand, without looking my way. I focused my attention on Zander, who was studying me warily.

I could see their brotherly resemblance, even with his beard and lighter hair colour. The difference in their eyes was however noticeable. Zanders were darker and more questioning. Which didn't surprise me, as an older brother I expected him to worry for Hunter.

He held out his hand. "Good to meet you, Sage."

I reached out and felt his firm hand grip mine. His eyes fell upon my mark before looking at Hunter with raised brows.

"Now the introductions are out of the way. Can we get down to business?" he said matter-of-factly.

"You want to know what happened yesterday?" It made sense to discuss the elephant in the room. No point in hiding.

"You read my mind, Sage," said Zander and I heard Pearl mutter something behind me.

'He has no idea that you can do that.' I heard Hunter through our shared thoughts.

'I thought I told you to quit talking to me, it's distracting!'

'Fine, I will go back to thinking about you naked, and coming on my cock... screaming my name.'

Clench! My body responded.

Mon Dieu, he was going to be the death of me!

Pushing aside the thoughts that Hunter had planted in my head. I retold the events from yesterday but Hunter interrupted when I was just about to tell him how I might be responsible for the death of the pack members.

"Sage, we had better get you back inside; before your brother sends out a search party, yeah," said Hunter.

Why hadn't he wanted me to tell his brother about the pack deaths?

But he was right. I wasn't sure how I was going to explain stepping out for fresh air to clear my mind and returning with a mark and my mate.

"Oui, you're right. I need to speak with Sylar."

"Do you want to give us a few minutes head start so you can give them the heads up about us, yeah?"

That was a good idea. "That would be best. I've barely known them for twelve hours myself."

>>>

Hesitating, I stood at the back door, having walked back to the house with Hunter talking through our link. He was funny, sweet and filthy, managing to switch between three thought streams with ease.

Opening the door, I stepped inside to find Sylar sitting with a coffee in front of him and what looked like a bowl of cereal. My stomach rumbled; I was hungry too.

His eyes lifted, swallowing a mouthful of food. I smiled, momentarily forgetting my mark. His eyes widened; his brows raised and then drew together in a frown.

All his attention focused on my neck. It was times like these when I wished for longer hair.

Sylar stood abruptly, dropping his spoon in his bowl. He pushed out his chair; scraping on the tiled floor. "Sage?" his eyes darkened as he made his way around the table; towards me. A random thought of what his wolf would look like popped inside my head.

"Hi," I said tensely.

Why was I so nervous?

Surely, he would be happy for me? I'd found my mate.

"What the?" he barked, stopping directly in front of me. His aura darkened, whilst staring coldly at Hunter's mating mark. His hand hesitantly came up but he pulled it away before touching me. "Sage, what's that?" He motioned with a tip of his head.

I instinctively raised my hand and touched my skin; it was still hot to touch. "Sylar—"

He cut me off. "Who?"

Lowering my eyes to the floor. "Hunter," I mumbled.

"He's here?" his pitch was high and I heard a growl rumble deep within his chest.

I nodded. "Oui. His brother—Zander and our cousin too, Pearl... Oh and Gunner, he works for Hunter." I spoke, almost rambling.

Silence ensued as we both now just stood gawping at one another; his eyes seething with questions.

Misha halted our staring contest, walking into the kitchen. She stopped, looking between the two of us. The tension between us was thick, heavy; almost suffocating.

"What's happened?" she asked.

Neither of us answered. Well, this is going well!

Sylar turned without speaking and stormed past her. "Sylar, please—" I could feel his resentment. It remained with me as I heard his feet on the stairs and a few moments later a door slamming; startling me.

'Sage, are you okay?' I heard Hunter's voice.

'Yes, I'm fine, I can't talk right now.'

I didn't wait for his reply as I blocked him.

Turning my attention to Misha, who had noticed my mark too, smiled guardedly. "My friends have found me, they're outside." I blurted out.

She blinked. "By the looks of it, your mate too, I see." She pushed both hands through her wavy hair, as a weary sigh and forlorn look settled on her soft features. "We're gonna have to leave here; if they found us, then your grandfather won't be far behind, we can't risk it."

Shaking my head. "No, they weren't followed, you can trust them."

She evaluated silently, peering towards the window. "Well, you had better invite them in."

I sent a message to Hunter, instructing him to come up to the house. "They're coming."

She headed for the kettle, nibbling her bottom lip. She was worried about her family's safety.

"I think I've upset Sylar, he's mad at me."

She filled the kettle with water, before sitting it on the top of the stove. "You have to understand Sage, he's just found you and now he feels like he's going to lose you."

What?

"He will not lose me, that's crazy."

"Not to him; Just give him time. He'll come around."

I hadn't even thought about his feelings. She was right. We had just found one another, and he assumed I would leave with Hunter—my mate. The stain of guilt seeped through to my stomach. "I need to go speak with him."

"Room next to yours," she said, her eyes fixed on the view outside the window.

I made my way to his room. Standing in front of his bedroom door, I raised my hand to knock, then dropped it. Misha's words echoed in my head. I had to make sure he knew this wouldn't change things between us. He was my family; my brother. That meant more to me than he realised. I raised my hand again.

The door opened before my hand made contact. "Sylar."

He looked at me for a moment before turning, leaving his door open and sitting on the corner of his bed. I timidly stepped inside waiting for him to speak. Sylar wasted no time in freeing his emotions. Slow at first, the air around me changed, Negativity, primal, strong. Like tiny pinpricks each one stinging with his hurt, his loss. I wanted to cry as his disappointment engulfed me like a blanket but offered no warmth, it clung almost possessively.

"I didn't plan on this happening Sylar. It was never my intention, it—"

"Do you love him?"

What, where did that come from?

He was my brother, but I still didn't know him well enough. And I especially wasn't comfortable talking to him about my feelings towards Hunter.

"Did he force you?" He stood snappishly; hands clasped in fists.

"No—of course not, how can you think that?"

"Why can't you answer my question?"

"Sylar, I'm not... well, that's—" my words stumbled.

"I don't like him Sage, he's not good enough for you."

Wasn't good enough for me?

How could he decide who was good or not good enough for me—he hardly knew me.

I felt a building pressure deep within my chest—like a bomb. How could I make him understand how wrong his words were without triggering an explosion and damaging our newly developing relationship? I softened my tone. "I'm sorry you feel—" he cut me off again.

"Why him Sage? Couldn't you have picked someone who wasn't—" He stopped running both hands through his hair. "Please, realise he's gonna hurt you? You will mean nothing to him. You don't mean anything to him."

My lips parted; eyes widened. The sharp words ignited the bomb; exploding inward, bursting my heart wide open, and spreading doubt through my veins.

"Everyone knows Hunter Stone's reputation. You will be nothing but a trophy to him. A notch on his disgusting belt. He can't love you Sage; he can't love anyone."

I almost stumbled. My stomach tightened as I kept my throat from clenching, holding back the rising dread of my grandfather's words.

Nobody will ever love you, Sage. Like vengeance, they would haunt me till the day I died.

Sylar continued, oblivious to my state. "You hardly know him. You don't know him. But the rest of London knows him. He's fucked most of the women in London and no doubt beyond. You surely aren't that stupid?"

Tears pricked the back of my eyes, his words vicious and cruel. "You sound just like him."

He stopped pacing, turning to face me. "Who?"

"Grandfather. He always said nobody would love me, could love me—accept me for who I was."

His face dropped. The realisation of his words dawned, darkening his eyes.

It was too late to retract them.

"Sage—" he took a step towards me.

I held out my hand, stopping him, instinctively stepping back. "No Sylar, don't."