Read Riley's Downfall [Brac Pack 29] for Free Online Page B

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And Riley couldn’t imagine a day of working without his pa somewhere close by. He was his pa’s right-hand man, his best friend. “Why would he do that?”
Malcolm shook his head, the worry in his eyes deepening. “No, son. Maverick wants you to be their temporary leader.”
Riley sat there stunned.
“He wants you to settle them down and let them know that they haven’t been abandoned. It was my mate who took their leader away, no matter how much Shanta deserved to die. So if you don’t want to do this, I understand.” Pa reached over, laying his heavy hand on Riley’s shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “I created this mess, so I should be the one to clean it up.”
Riley couldn’t let his pa shoulder such a big responsibility. The man had already raised seven sons, on his own no less. And now he had a mate, and a new son, who wasn’t even a year old yet. He knew that if his pa went to the village, so would Luke and Cole, and that would defeat the purpose of Luke running from them in the first place. Shanta may be dead, but Riley was quite sure there was more than one fey harboring ill feelings toward the elf.
“No,” Riley shook his head, balling his fists up in his lap. “I’ll go.”
“What about Sterling? He has never lived in a tribe, Riley. He wouldn’t know how to live without modern conveniences.”
“My mate is stronger than he looks.” Although Riley wasn’t sure he wanted to take Sterling. It was hostile territory over at the wood elf tribe. He didn’t know one person over there and wasn’t sure he could keep his mate safe. Sterling was safest here where Riley’s family could watch over him.
Pa grinned. “So you finally admit he’s your mate.”
Riley blew out a long breath, running a hand over his head. “Yeah, I just don’t know what to do with him, Pa. He’s the opposite of everything that I am.”
Malcolm stood, patting Riley on the shoulder.“You just have to love him, son. Everything else will fall into place.”
It couldn’t be that easy. Riley had seen how his brothers were total goobers around their mates, and he wasn’t going to fawn after Sterling. Just because Riley had found his mate, it didn’t mean instant love or instant trust.
And it especially did not mean instant dick-whipped.
His pa leaned his hip into the counter, taking a drink from his coffee before speaking. “And if you don’t let Sterling in, Riley, you are going to lose the best part of your life. Trust me, I know.”
Riley didn’t know about that, but he had to admit, he had been a little standoffish with the man. Maybe he should get to know the peculiar human. There had to be something they had in common.
Riley left his pa in the kitchen, going in search of his mate. He still felt like he was too old for the guy, but Riley wasn’t stupid. Stubborn, but not stupid. He didn’t want to lose his mate.
He just had to figure out what to do with the man.
Riley knocked on Sterling’s bedroom door. He heard his mate talking quietly, so he opened the door and stuck his head inside. To his amazement, and utter disbelief, his mate was reading to the damn pig. And it honest to god looked like the pig was listening. Its little head was tilted up toward Sterling as his mate read.
Riley listened for a moment and realized that Sterling was reading a book about how to care for pigs.
He stood in the doorway for a moment, watching his mate. A slow, warm tingling sensation started in his gut and reached up, the feeling wrapping itself around Riley’s heart. He felt a small smile tugging at his lips as he listened to his mate read.
His mate had changed shirts, and was wearing one without sleeves. Riley had never noticed how tanned Sterling’s skin was before, or how well-defined his upper body looked. He didn’t have huge muscles like Riley, but he wasn’t a runt either. The man had a gorgeous six-pack from what he could see behind the tight ribbed tank top.
Sterling may only be twenty-one, but as Riley