we need to talk.” He squeezed her fingers and led the way out of the tent.
A hemlock and Douglas fir grove at the tree line provided shade from the afternoon sun.
Finding a flat piece of ground, she sat down beside him and waited. The light teased red glints from her rich brown hair. Her nose and cheeks were pink from sunburn.
After a second, as peace seeped into him, he realized she’d taken his hand again. He could feel how much she loved him.
The knowledge might break him into pieces.
“Can you tell me what’s wrong?” she asked softly.
“There was a two-car accident last night…” He went through the injuries. The whole mess.
“Oh, Donal, did one of them die?” Her hand tightened on his.
His unhappiness had led her to believe he’d lost someone.
In a way, he had. He might lose her.
“No, but it was far too close. You know I get power from females I’ve mated with—which is why I mate a number of females at every Gathering.”
She nodded briskly. “Right.”
Then she realized exactly what he was saying. Her expression went blank in a way he hadn’t seen in a while—because it was a defense she used when she was afraid.
He grimly continued, setting it out for her. Eliminating his own happiness. “There are times I need power from more than one female. When there are multiple injuries, if I can’t get enough power, then shifters will die.”
She swallowed. “You saw me talking to Gawain.”
“Yes.”
“Lifemates don’t attend Gatherings because they mate only with each other. If you lifemated, you’d have only one female for your source.”
Unable to speak, he nodded.
The pain growing in her eyes was echoed by the pain in his heart. The bond between them—and it was there—felt as if it was being pierced by sharp fangs.
“What the fuck is going on?” Tynan’s voice was the harshest growl Donal had ever heard.
Pressing a hand to the ache in his chest that had drawn him to this spot, Tynan looked at his brother and saw only misery. He turned to their female and saw the same expression in her face.
“What’s happened, little wolf?” Going down on a knee, he reached for her hands. The soft little hands that had been all over his body last night even as she’d giggled and told him they were ummming. Drunken ummming, no less.
He’d never laughed so hard during a mating before.
Now, she looked as if someone had gutted her. Instead of taking his hand, she rose and backed away. From him. Tears filled her eyes. “To see you two with others… I don’t think I can handle that.”
“Handle what?” Rising, Tynan saw her gaze was on Donal. “Donal?”
“I had to explain.” Donal stared at the ground.
“Explain what?” By Herne’s hairy hocks, someone had better—
“I…I need to think.” And Meggie fled as if a grizzly was on her heels.
Tynan turned to his littermate. “What did you say to her?”
The way Donal rubbed his cheek with his palm said he was equally distressed. He pushed to his feet to look at Tynan. “We had a two-car accident last night. The cars skidded off the road and down a steep ridge. Multiple breaks, lacerations, internal injuries. I ran out of power, brawd.”
Tynan winced, a sick feeling in his gut. Donal worried about losing his patients. Tynan worried about losing his littermate. Last time that’d happened, Donal had almost joined the dead.
“Besides Margery, I only mated two females last Gathering. Neither of them were available—they’re here.” A muscle jumped in Donal’s cheek. “I got help from a female I’d mated two Gatherings ago. But drawing power from her was like pulling a tooth. It didn’t flow. I only got drops instead of a lake.”
“Because it’d been too long since you’d mated her?”
“I don’t think so.” Donal’s mouth compressed. “I think my…feelings…for Margery are affecting the bonds to other females. I’m getting too attached.”
Wait, wait. Tynan stiffened and asked again, “What did you say to Meggie?”
“I told her about the accident and lack of power.” Donal pulled in a breath. “And I explained I couldn’t lifemate anyone. Her. Ever.”
What the fuck?
Anger was a sharp blade severing the control of his temper. “You made a decision that affects both of us without talking to me first? Without any discussion or having me present?” The memory of her face, of the tears in her eyes stabbed into his heart. “We found a female we both love, and you tossed her away?”