The Triplets' Rejected Disabled Mate Chapter 79

Catherine POV

"What is taking so long?" I yelled out, worried, as I pushed the wheelchair up and down like a crazy person. "Do you think they are lost? Did they get hurt? Did they find her?"

Sam and I were outside on the porch under the cover, overlooking the forest. The weather had turned for the worse, and it was now difficult to see anything with all the rain.

"They are fine," Sam said, unconcerned. "Listen!"

The sound of wolves howling in the distance echoed over the valley, sending shivers down my spine.

I turned my gaze to Sam, asking the unspoken question.

"The first howl was Ray calling Grey," Sam said. "Duke answered, saying they were okay."

"How do you know that?" I snapped, not believing him.

Sam chuckled, amused, finding my reactions funny.

Why did he think everything was so funny?

Nothing about Ellie's disappearance and my mates—his brothers—being out there in the wet and cold is funny.

Why wasn't he freaking out about his brother's being out there?

Does he know something I don't?

"I can sense when they are in trouble," Sam said, giving me a crooked smile. "And so far, nothing interesting is going on except that they are cold and wet, and maybe even covered in mud."

"And you are not worried that they would get hypothermia?" I snapped, irritated at Sam's attitude.

Why couldn't he be serious for once?

"Because you told him to be himself," Kia yapped from the back of my mind.

That made me angry and snap at her.

"How dare you comment now, after being absent at such a critical time?" I snapped and growled at her. "Our mates are out there!"

"Yeah, looking for your sister!" She shot back. "Don't you think I am worried too?"

I ignored her, turning my attention back to Sam.

"No," he said, "I am not a bit worried about them!"

"You are unbelievable!" I lashed out.

"I know, unbelievably sexy," he said, laughing.

I rolled my eyes at him, shaking my head, frustrated at him.

Arguing with Sam was like arguing with a 2-year-old.

Sam sighed.

"Grey and Colt can take care of themselves," he said. "We have gone through much worse than just a bit of rain."

My gaze snapped back at Sam.

What was he talking about?

Sam must have understood my confusion, and he pulled my chair closer to where he was sitting.

He lifted my gaze to look at him.

I wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he cocked his head to the side, and worried lines followed on his face.

"I understand you are worried, but don't be," Sam said tenderly. "We have a lot of experience in such circumstances."

"I don't understand," I said. "Tell me why I shouldn't worry about them. They could get hurt, or even worse, die!"

"Remember our first meeting?" He asked, searching my gaze.

I nodded.

How could I forget? I had just come back from rehab and was excited to see my family again when I met them.

A smile formed at the corners of my lips, remembering Colt's bewildered reaction when I told him to reject me.

"Latinos," I said. "I remember."

"We were traveling for months in search of our mate; that was until we found you," Sam said.

"I heard something about that," I said, not knowing where he was going with it.

"Now," Sam said, shifting his body forward. "We visited dangerous places where no man has ever traveled before, looking for our mate, you. If Colt had his way, we would have traveled to every corner of this planet until we found you—even the deep blue sea."

Is this how important the mate bond was for Colt? And his brothers?

"We have been to and seen places with worse weather than this. We have lived through hurricanes, earthquakes, landslides, floods, and the list goes on and on. But the point is, we are still here. We have a lot of experience with such weather. We know what to do. We know what to look for, and we know what kind of trouble we can get into. My brothers will be fine; I will tell you if they are not, and then I will go out looking for them."

"It doesn't make it any better," I argued. "They are still outside, and we are in here. I can't help but worry."

"I know," Sam said, pulling me from my chair and into his lap.

I took a deep breath of Sam's intoxicated summer breeze scent and enjoyed the feeling of it moving down my nostrils into my lungs. It was slowly calming my insides, making me think more positively.

"That is how mates are hot-wired. But," he said, tapping my nose. "Getting frustrated and moody is not going to bring them home any faster."

I sighed, knowing Sam was right.

"Colt didn't leave you here because of your shifting, did he?" I asked.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "He left me here for two reasons."

"What is the first reason?" I asked.

"To be back up," he said. "As I explained, if something happens, I will be ready to go out and help..."

"And the second?" I asked.

"He told me to stay with you and make sure you didn't do anything stupid," he said seriously, poking me in the ribs.

"Stupid like what?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

Sam chuckled at my facial expression.

"Princess, if I hadn't stayed with you," he said, getting serious. "You would have been outside in the pouring rain with your wheelchair chasing after us."

I dropped my gaze.

That thought did cross my mind a few times.

Was Colt able to read me now?

A long and heartbroken howl sounded in the distance, breaking my chain of thoughts, and Sam's gaze snapped toward the forest.

"That was Ray," Sam said, getting up and carefully setting me down in my chair. He walked to the end of the porch, getting soaked.

Grey answered Colt's call just a few seconds later.

"What?" I asked, worried. "What are they saying? What is going on? What is happening?"

Sam turned his attention to me, and a smile followed on his lips.

"They found her, and they are returning home."

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