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establishing a meeting for later that day. On impulse, Soren pressed one on his speed dial. He knew he should be more careful, but his father would find out about Daniel anyway. He might as well indulge himself in one phone call.
    The phone rang once, twice, but Daniel didn’t pick up. That was strange. A feeling of anxiety filled Soren. Daniel always took his calls. What could have happened?
    Cold fear coursed through him as the phone continued to ring. At last, Daniel picked up. “Hello,” Daniel said, panting. “I apologize. I can’t talk right now. Could I possibly call you back later?”
    A male voice sounded in the background. “Dani, who’s that?”
    The panic from before was replaced by pure jealousy. “Daniel, where are you?” he asked in a growl. “Who’s there with you?”
    “I can’t talk right now,” Daniel repeated stubbornly.
    “Fine,” Soren shot back. “I’m coming there. If you don’t want me to track you down to your house, meet me in the park in three hours.”
    Soren ended the connection and left the room. He hastened through the house, passing by confused pack members, and entered the garage. It was just as he entered his car that he remembered his meeting with his father.
    Cursing, Soren used the hands-free option and dialed the elder wolf once again. As soon as the other man picked up, Soren said,
    “Father, I apologize, but something’s come up. I can’t meet you now.”
    “Excuse me? What can possibly be more important than meeting your elder and sire?”

    The Love He Squirreled Away
    37
    Soren had not intended to simply blurt out the secret he’d kept for so long, but he found himself speaking before he could stop himself.
    “My mate.”
    “Your mate,” his father repeated. He didn’t sound shocked in the least. “So what’s the big problem with this so-called mate of yours?”
    Soren wouldn’t have known how to explain his jealousy without starting a long, complicated story that might just make him look bad.
    “He needs me,” he said simply.
    “He. Your mate is a man.” A deep sigh. “Why am I not surprised?
    I don’t suppose he’s a wolf.”
    “No, he isn’t.” He paused, considering his next words. “You’re being quite understanding with this.”
    “Well, I tried forcing things once, and it didn’t work.” He paused.
    “I admit I might have had a different reaction if not for Carlie, but it seems you thought of everything.”
    Soren remembered the male voice coming from Daniel’s cell phone and wondered. “Maybe not,” he whispered, more to himself, than to his father.
    “I’m sorry, what was that?” the elder wolf asked in his ear.
    “Nothing, Father. Look, I have to go. Just one more thing. My mate will be there at the meeting with Brody and Carson.”
    “I see. Well then, I’ll be sure to make time for this little reunion of your brother’s. Good-bye, Soren.”
    Before Soren could say anything else, his father hung up. Soren would have felt relieved or pleased, but he could only think about his mate. He didn’t believe Daniel would cheat on him, and yet, he couldn’t help but remember all the stories about a squirrel’s promiscuous nature. The trip to LA had never lasted so long.

    * * * *

    “So, then, he’s going to be all right?” Daniel’s mother asked Dr.
    Jenkins.

    38
    Scarlet Hyacinth
    The doctor removed his eyeglasses and started to clean them. He was a handsome, tall man, taller than most squirrels at least, and the gray of his hair had less to do with age than with the species of squirrel he belonged to. As a teen, Daniel had quite a crush on him.
    Now, he only felt genuine affection for the man.
    Daniel suspected the only usefulness the glasses had was just that—being cleaned. Their kind had excellent vision, and it was quite unlikely for any member of their species to actually need seeing aid.
    But like all squirrels, Jenkins was fidgety, and it translated into a number of behavioral tics that both amused and