He Will Be Mine (New Horizon Book 1)

Thanksgiving Break Reunion

Kane

I can’t keep myself from anxiously checking the screen that shows the arrivals to make sure that Aly’s flight has landed. I saw the indicators change to show that it arrived a few minutes ago, but I’m getting impatient already. I feel Andrea put an arm around my back and lean her head on me, which does help to calm me some.

I have only been on a plane once before myself, and the idea of my little girl at the mercy of one has been making me beyond restless. What really doesn’t help is knowing that she’s bringing that kid with her, the one with the messy hair and the cocky smile. I know you know what I like to do to your daughter, that smile always seems to say, and his hair just adds insult to injury by showing that he can’t even be bothered to take care of himself.

I hear her laugh before I see her come around the bend of the long hallway just ahead of where we’ve been waiting to receive them. Sure enough, the kid is with her as promised, and he’s helping her make a fool of herself.

“Look, Kane,” Andrea insists.

I’m looking where she is looking, but I am apparently not seeing what she is seeing. She sounds like she is looking at some marvel, but all I see are people greeting other people and hurrying off to wherever they’re going.

“No, really look. Look at your girl, and the way she lights up when she is with Tyler,” she directs me.

We’re obviously looking at two very different scenes. Does Aly seem to be enjoying herself? Sure, she’s laughing and goofing off with the kid. I notice her push on his shoulder and it is everything I can do not to charge across the room and see what he did to upset her. As I watch him put an arm around her waist and draw her in to his side, I have to focus that energy into clenching and unclenching my fists.

“She doesn’t seem to know it, but I think we’re looking at her mate,” Andrea declares.

I don’t know why she keeps alluding to that. Aly has a mate already. This kid is just a problem she can’t seem to kick.

“Not if the Elders have anything to say about it,” I reply, and I can tell by the way she looks up and smirks at me that she thinks I sound grumpy. That’s the look she always gives me.

“That’s why I’m telling you to look harder. Look past all that. Look at Aly, not at what the Elders will think. Watch how at ease and happy she is, and don’t think about whether she will be Alpha. Look at your daughter. Do you recognize that look on her face? Is that not how I look at you when you’re being sweet?”

She has somewhat of a point I realize as I study Aly’s face and her body language. I wouldn’t go so far as to say he is mate material, though. It’s no secret that Aly likes him; otherwise, she wouldn’t have told him about us and brought him here. But there’s no way that the same girl who would fight me until she was red in the face about how she will never take a chosen mate would ever turn around and choose some random human in place of her fated mate.

Aly and the kid are getting closer to us now so Andrea switches to mind-link to finish off what she wants to tell me.

She loves him, but she just doesn’t know it yet. And you see it, you just won’t admit it yet. Be nice to him.

The Moon Goddess didn’t choose him, so I don’t know why Aly would, I silently argue back to her just as they approach us.

Aly runs to close the rest of the short distance between us, and I reach out and grab her, pulling her in for a hug and taking a moment to soak in her scent. It’s been too long since she has been home with us, that’s for sure. Andrea joins in on the hug, and the kid with Aly is smart enough to hold back and not try to impose.

Aly pulls back from us and links her arm with his, smiling up at him with those gooey eyes that women get. I realize Andrea might be onto something. Yikes, as Aly would say.

“Mom, Dad, you remember Tyler,” Aly casually reintroduces us to her friend.

I watch him to see what he does and am a little shocked to see that his reaction is to hold his hand out to me.

“Good to see you again, Mr. Bentley,” he says politely.

I’ll give him credit for never showing any fear, though I can’t be certain if it’s bravery or stupidity. Nevertheless, I take his hand and shake it, making sure to make it a bit uncomfortable for him. He only flinches a little, and then turns his attention to Andrea.

“And Mrs. Bentley,” he greets her, leaning in to hug her briefly.

I don’t like seeing his hands on my daughter, and I especially don’t appreciate them on my mate, but with Andrea’s warning in mind, I fight back the urge to growl a warning at him, opting for a glare instead. He notices it. I know he does. He pulls back quickly and straightens himself, clearing his throat nervously.

After our little reunion, we all start making our way to the baggage claim to retrieve their luggage, and I receive another mind-link from Andrea. Apparently, we’re not done discussing things yet.

The Moon Goddess promises to choose someone for us who will guide us to our fate, does she not? Is that not what happened here?

That’s an awfully loose interpretation you’re applying there, I retort.

Thankfully, she seems to drop the topic. I don’t see what point there is in even debating it, since in the end, Aly is going to do what Aly is going to do. Even I know that, as much as I always try to fight it. She’s more stubborn than I am.

-

-

Aly

I keep my attention glued to Tyler as Dad turns into the driveway and we drive past the area Tyler has already seen. I’m curious what his first impressions are, what he thinks when he starts seeing all the residences scattered here and there and as the packhouse comes into view. He seems excited, but other than that I can’t really tell what he is thinking.

“There’s a lot more tucked in back here than I thought just judging from how it looks out by the road,” he leans over and whispers to me.

“Yeah, we basically have a whole village of people living back here,” I agree. For some reason I feel kind of proud about how we live as such a close-knit group. I guess it’s that pack pride my dad always says is an important quality for an Alpha.

He’s quiet for a few moments taking it all in, and then when Dad pulls us up closer to the packhouse he asks, “Is that your house? It’s huge!”

“We live there, but it’s not just us. You’ll see when we get inside,” I promise.

After we’re parked and have unloaded our stuff, Tyler reaches over to take my hand, which he seems to do instinctively whenever I’m near him. He flinches, though, pulling back at the last second as he remembers where we are. He’s been careful about touching me since we left the airport, I’m guessing because of the looks my dad keeps giving him whenever he does. At least Dad didn’t try to attack him on sight as soon as we got off the plane.

I warned Tyler ahead of time that being in such close quarters will mean having to deal with my dad’s attitude and whatever sadistic ways he comes up with to try to scare Tyler off, including my mom’s warning about the training. Amazingly, Tyler is in good spirits about it. He seems hopeful that if he can handle everything my dad throws at him, then maybe it will be enough to get Dad off his back. I haven’t had the heart to tell him that’s not how it works with Alpha Kane Bentley.

Instead of holding my hand, Tyler settles on taking my bag from me so that he is now carrying both of ours. I don’t need the help, but I know he can use whatever brownie points he can get with Dad, so I plan to let him do all the gentlemanly things his heart desires.

I lead him through the side door to the packhouse, the one that connects to the parking garage and leads into the back of the kitchen. I suppose for maximum impact I could have taken him around to the front and led him in formally as though he were any other guest, but I know he wants to get a real inside look at my life. Well, this is my life. I rarely ever enter through the front door.

Henny, this older, grandmotherly woman who heads the service staff and whose real name is I think Henrietta, is just inside the kitchen when we step in and her eyes light up when she sees me. She gestures to the young man near her to take our bags from Tyler and charges at me with her arms open.

“Miss Alyssa is back!” she shouts, practically right in my ear as she engulfs me in one of her powerful hugs. “I’ve missed you, girl,” she says as she pulls away from me and seems to look me over.

“Missed you, too, Henny,” I say after I can breathe again, chuckling. “But you know, I haven’t been gone that long.”

“Oh, nonsense. Even a day is too long,” she insists, and then shifts her attention to Tyler. “So, this is the college friend we’ve all heard so much about,” she gushes, reaching out to hug him too.

He seems pleased by such a warm welcome. “Yep, I’m Tyler,” he introduces himself while returning her hug.

Just then, Mom and Dad enter from the side door and surprisingly, they seem to be laughing together. I had assumed Dad would be a sourpuss for at least a day.

“I see you’ve met Aly’s Henny,” Mom says cheerfully. “She’s a good person to know around here. If you need anything, she’ll make it happen.”

Before Tyler can respond to that, Dad cuts in. “Aly, I’ve been told Ryan is out back helping your uncle. I’m sure he would love to see you, so why don’t you go say hi?” he suggests, his gaze locked on Tyler.

He’s still got a faint smile and doesn’t seem upset, but I don’t like it. He has something up his sleeve, I can just tell.

“Sure, Dad. Tyler and I can head out there as soon as I’m done showing him around.”

“I’ll give him a tour. You go on ahead, Aly girl,” he insists.

I give him a look that shows I am not pleased and decide to send him a quick mind-link.

He just got here. Don’t be abusing him already.

I’m just going to show him around and set some ground rules, and your mom thinks I should talk to him man-to-man, he explains.

It sounds reasonable enough, but I still don’t like it. Tyler chimes in that he really doesn’t mind going with my dad for a bit, to which Dad gives me a smug smile. Then he nods his head toward the door on the far end of the room, inviting Tyler to follow him. Tyler shoots me one last sideways grin and shrugs, then follows him further into the house.

Henny takes off to finish doing whatever she was in the middle of before we showed up, leaving just me and my mom in the kitchen. I look over at her warm, smiling face and find myself crushed against her body a second later. I’m not entirely sure which one of us caused it.

“It’s good to be home, isn’t it?” she asks with her soothing, motherly tone.

“So good,” I agree. “I’m worried for Tyler, though.”

“I’ve been talking to your dad about it. He’s resistant, but I think he will be good to him. Tyler is safe, for now.” She chuckles softly and places a warm kiss on my forehead as she breaks away from me. “Ryan really is out back, though. You should go see him.”

I take her advice and head outside after giving her a few more hugs and promising that we can have a real mother-daughter chat soon. I spot Ryan and Uncle Max around back working with some other guys cleaning some fresh game, probably spoils from a recent hunting party, likely in preparation for the pack-wide feast we will be hosting tomorrow.

Ryan sees me approaching and starts making his way around all the other guys and running toward me. I crash into him and throw my arms around his neck, not caring about the mess all over him because it’s just so good to see him again. He smells exactly how he has always smelled, and it hits me again just how good it feels to be home.