Theodore (Xavier's Hatchlings #2) - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,64

some deep hole or in an animal’s den. Patrick would be considered a suicide. All would be well.

“Come and have dinner with us.” She stared up at George, the only brother she was talking to very much. “I’ll even pay. Think of it as a way to pay you back for killing a monster.”

“You think you buying me a steak dinner will be enough payment for killing Patrick?” George asked her if she thought so as well. “Yes. I guess I do. And dinner sounds wonderful. Just not steak. Not yet. I need something less bloody for now.”

He was still laughing as they loaded up in his car. Dover was going with them, as was Hadley. They were good guys to be around, and she found herself laughing more than not. These people were going to be all right to be around, she thought. All right, indeed.

Chapter 10

George and Theo were at the airport when the plane landed. They’d gotten breakfast together, then had gone to a craft store to pick up some things to make some embarrassing signs to welcome their brother home. Sure, he’d only been gone for a few days, but the three of them were closer than the rest of them. As soon as Theo saw his brother, the signs were discarded, and he and George rushed to their brother.

“What’s happened?” Milo told them to just get him home. “Sure. But you’re going to tell us why you look as if you’ve lost everything. Did someone hurt you, Milo? Where are they? Are they still here at the airport?”

Theo was looking around and missed that his brother had stopped moving. Going back to him, he told him he was sorry. George was asking him again what they needed to help him with. Milo said he just wanted to go home. That he was exhausted.

He must have been. No sooner had they gotten his luggage from the jet and Milo into the car than he was sound asleep. They’d planned to spend the day with him, getting lunch with him and hooking up sometime during the day with Jamie, in order to see if the two of them were mates. But this seemed serious enough that Theo debated telling his mom.

I know he’s tired. Theo hadn’t been so relieved to hear his mom’s voice as he was in that second. I spoke to him on the plane. The poor boy has been working double shifts for us in getting some information, and he’s worn out. Nothing more, just exhausted.

I’ve never seen him like this before. For that matter, anyone. She said she’d told him to rest up, but he was stubborn. Yes. I wonder who he might have gotten that from?

Not me. Theo laughed and told George what Mom had said. He thought that Milo was stubborn, but Mom was ten times worse. Anyway. If you’re finished insulting your mother, I’d like for you to get him home and into his bed. Anything you were planning with him can wait until he can enjoy it more. Also, it might be a good time to take Jamie over to see him. While he’s out. It might be sneaky, but you’d have an answer. I want one, too, as a matter of fact.

He didn’t feel good about that, but his mom was right. They’d all know and could move on to the next phase, whatever that would be. Theo did think that Milo could use a mate, if for no other reason than for him to get laid. Also, she’d be there to make sure he didn’t overwork himself like Milo tended to do.

Stopping by Jamie’s house seemed to be the best course of action. While he didn’t want to wake Milo to have him sniff her, George had pointed out that if she were his mate, she could take him into her home instead of them taking him across town to his own. Where someone would have to be there all the time.

“I can tell you don’t have a mate.” George asked him what that was supposed to mean. “You wouldn’t dream of saying something that selfish to your own mate.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Theo told him. “Oh. Well, I suppose I was being selfish, and it was a little sexist of me to want to pawn our brother off on a woman. I didn’t think of it as it being her duty, but I did want to have him well cared for. I guess