Page 60 of His Treasured Mate
“Love you too, tiger.”
He groaned. “I don’t want to ruin the weekend, but I promise I’ll tell them soon.”
“I’m going to hold you to that, you know.”
He rolled his eyes. I never realized just how annoying that could be till I had little ankle biters mimicking me with it. I hated eye rolls now.
“Hi, Oscar,” a voice called, and I looked up to see a pretty blonde girl wave our way. She looked to be about sixteen or seventeen and was obviously happy to see my nephew.
“Who’s that?” I asked. “She certainly doesn’t seem to mind that you’re a . . .”
“I get it. I’ll tell them. Mind if I bail and go hang out with Bailey?” he asked.
“Bailey, huh? She’s cute.”
He grinned, looking back at the girl and waving. “Yes, she is.”
“Go on. I’ll cover for you.”
He gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. “That’s why you’re my favorite,” he said as he ran off to catch up with the girl. I smiled after them. I always knew I was his favorite.
“Where is your mother?” I heard Thomas ask one of the girls.
“Lily?” he called.
Where the hell did she go this time? I clearly heard him say, but I was staring right at him and his lips never moved.
Thomas? I thought, and he turned my way.
“Oh, there you are. Kelsey needs you to help Peyton set up for dinner. Something about Zander daring little Jason to climb a tree and now he’s stuck.”
We walked back over to where the group was congregated. I laughed as Kelsey passed by.
“You know how many times I’ve told him wolves don’t climb trees? He looks up to Z so much, but all Z wants to do is terrorize his little brother. Be thankful you have girls,” she murmured.
“It really doesn’t help that the twins take after their mother and taunt him from above,” Chase added proudly.
I looked up, and sure enough, Charlotte and Victoria were on the limb above Jason, heckling him. Poor kid was getting it from above and below.
Thomas? I thought in my head as he turned around to face me.
“Yeah? What is it, Slugger?” he asked, still using the nickname he’d granted me since our initial mating. All these years and he still wouldn’t tell me why he called me that.
“Why do you call me that?” I asked him aloud.
He smirked, giving me that sexy crooked grin that could still melt my panties or piss me off at any given time.
As if I’d ever tell her. My little Slugger, whose mere words could cut me down and smash my heart into a million pieces. Man, if she knew what kind of power she truly had over me, I’d be screwed! It would tear her up if she ever learned just how bad her initial rejection of me had hurt during our mating period . . . so bad that I granted her the nickname that I still use just to bug her.
He called me Slugger because I’d hurt him? Did I say something to hurt him every time he used it? I thought back through the years. No, that wasn’t possible. He used it too frequently and usually with a smile on his face. But knowing it all stemmed from me hurting him was too much to bear. I started to cry and walked away, hoping he didn’t notice.
Shit! Damn pregnancy hormones. What’s wrong with her this time? Thomas thought, and once again I heard him loud and clear.
He walked up behind me and hugged me. I turned in his arms and cried into his shoulder. I’m sorry. Stupid baby hormones. Before I could stop myself, I thought, I never wanted to hurt you.
“What are you talking about?” he asked, pulling me back so he would look at me. “You could never hurt me, babe. What’s all this about?”
I looked at him and without opening my mouth to speak, I said, Because now I know why you call me Slugger. I never wanted to hurt you, not even all those years ago. I’m sorry.