He leaned forward, ready to dispute his uncle’s claim. Uncle Joey lifted one dark eyebrow, nailing him with a look that said clearly as words, “Hush.”
Raul subsided.
His uncle tapped a calloused forefinger on the family Bible lying on the table between them. “The good book says a mate is ‘bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh.’ That means she’s a part of me. Lying to her is like lying to myself. It will kill the love, destroy the relationship.”
“Where’s your mate?” The question burst out of Raul, unbidden.
Fortunately his uncle didn’t take offense. “My Lily died, victim of gang violence. She was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and a stray bullet took her life. Because of Lily’s death, I can better understand the pain your father felt at the loss of his mate. But the truth of the matter is that Paul brought it upon himself. In the ten years your parents were together, he had plenty of opportunity to tell your mother the truth. He chose, instead, to live a lie. That lie eventually lost him his mate.”
His steady gaze held Raul’s. “I know you believe it was your fault, but the truth would have come out eventually, even without your help. It’s impossible to live with someone and hide who you are. There will be tells. Son, you were only four. Your mother could have easily believed you saying Paul turned into a wolf was the result of a fanciful imagination, except your words, combined with all those tells your father couldn’t help giving, caused two and two to add up to four in your mother’s mind and she discerned the truth.”
Raul blinked, and for the first time in his life, a bit of doubt crept in. He’d always been so sure everything was his fault, but why had his mother believed him instead of laughing it off? He’d been four, and preschoolers were notorious for having vivid imaginations. Raul had been no exception.
His uncle was still speaking. “Even when confronted with the truth, Paul continued to lie, continued to hide.”
Raul flinched, reminded of Angel’s earlier accusations and his denials.
“No woman will accept being lied to her face, and so she left.”
“Why didn’t she take me if it was Poppa she was mad at?”
“I asked that same question. When she first left, she had no idea where she was going or how she would live. She left you with your father because at least with him you’d have a roof over your head and food on the table. Something she wasn’t sure she could provide. She was just getting on her feet when I brought her news of Paul’s death and well, you know the rest.”
“But you said Poppa wrote to her. That means she had a home.”
“No, son. When your momma first left, she spent some time at a women’s shelter before a good friend agreed to take her in. But that friend had children, a husband, and they were barely getting by. There wasn’t room for the both of you,” Uncle Joey explained.
For the first time, a hint of anger flickered to life inside Raul. “She should have just come on home and worked things out with Poppa like he asked.”
Uncle Joey sighed again. “Believe me, son, that she didn’t, that she chose instead to hold on to pride and anger, was a source of guilt and regret to her for the rest of her life. Between your father’s deception and your mother’s pride, they managed to mess up three lives.”
Raul pushed all that to the side to deal with later. “Your mate, did you reveal to her what we are?”
“Lily was as much a part of me as my wolf. Of course I told her the truth.”
In Raul’s mind, there was no of course about it. “How did she react?”
“With disbelief, initially. Then shock with a bit of fear once I proved it to her. I won’t say things didn’t get a little tense, but she loved me. In the end, that’s all that really mattered.
“This woman of yours, you say you love her and that she’s your mate. Is that the man or the wolf talking?” his uncle asked.
“Both.”
“Then you have to tell her. You won’t have peace unless you do. Mark my words, son. Don’t make the mistake your father did. Tell your woman the truth. Now go on, get outta here.” He made a shooing motion with his hands before rising to stand. “These bones aren’t as young as they used to be. I need my rest.”
Raul rose obediently and went to the door. His hand was on the doorknob when his uncle said, “Bring your woman around here to meet the family. Tell her we won’t bite.” He chuckled a little at his joke.
Solemnly, Raul asked, “Uncle Joey, why didn’t you tell me about your mate?”
Uncle Joey’s expression lost all humor. “How long you been with your woman, son?”
Raul felt the flush rise on his face and neck. His gaze dropped to the floor as he admitted, “Over a year.”
When he glanced up again, his uncle gave him a knowing smile. “I met her while you were in the service. She took me totally by surprise.” He shook his head. “Some things hit so deep there just aren’t words to describe.” In an abrupt change of subject, his uncle asked, “You two living together?”
“Yes, sir.” It wasn’t a lie. They had been and would be again if Raul had anything to say about it.
“Remember those tells, son. Your wolf, he won’t like being hidden away, not from his mate. Given a chance, he’ll force your hand. You tell her the truth and let the cards fall where they may. If she’s really your mate, she’ll accept you—fur and all. Now get on with you so this old man can get some rest.”
That got a smile out of Raul. “You’re not old, Uncle Joey. You’re barely fifty.”
“Well, I feel old dealing with you young pups. Bring your woman. Don’t make me come looking for you, and tell that pack of yours it’s been too long since their last visit.”
“Yes, sir. I will.” Raul shed the sweat pants and tossed them to his uncle before exiting the house.
Once on the porch, he breathed in deep, taking in the scents of the night air. This far out there was no traffic. Just the sounds of nature and all her creatures. When he was sure he was alone, he shifted to wolf and ran to where he’d left his car, stopping once to hunt down and eat a rabbit that had the misfortune to cross his hungry path.
As the wolf ran, the man pondered the advice—order, really—his uncle had given him. Tell Angel. A day ago, even an hour ago, the thought would have been inconceivable. But now…?
Raul could acknowledge, if only to himself, he’d spent most of his adult life afraid of loving and losing the way he’d lost his parents. It wasn’t just the words of warning spoken to him by his father about guarding their secret from humans. His mother may have stopped loving him because of what he was, but in the end it was his father’s desertion that hurt the most. Why hadn’t his poppa loved him enough to stay with him?
He’d never wanted to admit it, but deep in his heart Raul knew the truth. His poppa had been weak, just as Uncle Max had said. He loved Angel with everything that was within him, but when he’d found out she’d left, his first thought hadn’t been to sit and weep. It had been to hunt her down and drag her back where she belonged, by her hair if need be, like some damned caveman. Maybe if his poppa had grown a set of balls and done the same with his momma, none of the rest of this would ever have happened.
I don’t see you running to tell our mate about us!
His wolf spoke the truth. He had been a chickenshit, too afraid to tell his woman the truth about himself. Too scared to claim her the way he and his wolf demanded.
No more! It stopped tonight. Raul was going home to his mate, and before the night was over, she’d know exactly to what she was mated. No more hiding. No more lying, and by God, no more holding back.
Raul arrived back at his SUV, dressed, and cursed when he noted the time. Well after midnight. No wonder his uncle had shown him the door. He picked up his cell phone to call and check in when he noticed ten missed calls, all from Mercer. Not good.