He took a step and almost fell flat on his face as he got tangled up in his jeans. He hastily pulled them up and cleaned up in the kitchen. Leaning on the counter, Dean dropped his head down.
He needed to gain control. He saw how Wyatt reacted when he was around, and he didn’t want his mate to back away from him, but at the same time he wanted to strip him naked and fuck him.
“Shit.” What the fuck was he going to do?
Chapter Two
Wyatt stood at the till, smiling as Edith and Bernice chatted. They were both regaling him with tales of what their grandchildren were up to, all younger than him, and Wyatt had to laugh at some of the things they got up to. Edith’s children and grandchildren were a riot.
Edith’s grandson had been caught with his girlfriend in bed, and even though both of them had been fully dressed, her grandson, Brick, was now grounded for the rest of his life and banned from seeing his girlfriend. His parents had even mentioned a vasectomy. Wyatt hoped they were joking.
“It won’t stop him,” Edith said, waving her hand in the air. “Young love.”
“And hormones,” Wyatt added.
“I remember when my William used to come and see me. My father hated him, despised the look of him, but that didn’t stop me.” Bernice gave them both a shy glance before adding, “I used to meet him in the hayloft. Just the two of us. All alone.”
“Ooh, get you. Very naughty, Bernice,” Edith teased. “Want to tell me what you two did all alone in the hayloft?”
“Edith!” Bernice chastised. “Let’s just say we had fun together.”
Now that Wyatt had gotten to know some of the locals, he knew that William was Bernice’s husband and had sadly died five years previously. She had refused to date anyone else, saying William was the only man for her and no one could replace him. They had five children together, and now Bernice had twelve grandchildren who she doted on.
Edith was on her fourth husband, saying none of them could live up to what she wanted, and each time she settled down only to realize there was better out there. Wyatt had learned early on that she was very forward when it came to certain matters and she had no problems telling him of her sexual exploits. The number of times his eyes widened in surprise and his mouth fell open in shock were too numerous to count. Edith delighted in shocking Wyatt. She was currently dating a man ten years younger than her and was debating whether to propose to him.
“How is Harold?” Wyatt asked.
Edith sighed. “Really don’t know what they teach you men.” She looked Wyatt up and down, before adding, “Straight men, that is. For some reason you just can’t seem to find a woman’s clitoris.”
Wyatt goggled at Edith as she laughed. “Edith!” Bernice gasped.
“Oh, look at your face, Wyatt. Just because I’m old, doesn’t mean I don’t know about sex. Don’t forget, young man, I was young once and, yes, we had sex. I’m sure you young people think that we must hit a certain age and stop wanting sex. If I was to say to you that when you reached forty, you would never want to have sex again, how would you feel? Pretty much like me, I’d imagine. I would tell that person where to go. Age doesn’t stop the want or the desire. Age gives you experience and the courage to take what you want. Harold will do for now until a better man comes along.”
“Edith,” Bernice said, shaking her head. “Poor Wyatt doesn’t need to be hearing about your sex life with younger men. We need to be hearing about his.” Bernice pointed to Wyatt. “So, Wyatt, have you found a nice man to keep you warm at night?” As she spoke, her eyes opened wide, and she grinned at him, and Wyatt was tempted to take a step back.
He knew she meant no harm, and that they were genuinely interested in him and wanted him to find someone to make him happy, but he really didn’t feel comfortable speaking about this to people who were as old as his grandparents. Certainly not in the detail they clearly wanted.
“Well, there might be someone?” His mouth snapped shut and groaned. Why did he say anything? Why did those words just leap out of his mouth? He knew what these two women were like. They were like a dog with a bone and wouldn’t give up until he gave them what they wanted. And in this case, it was to gossip about him and he’d just given them the ammunition they wanted.
“Tell us. Who is it? Do we know him?”
Wyatt choked and was just about to say something when he heard Jeremy speak behind him. “Hello Edith and Bernice. Keeping our Wyatt company?”
“Jeremy darling. Can’t you just go back in there for a few more minutes, so we can get the gossip?”
Jeremy chuckled and walked over to them. “You harassing poor Wyatt over his sex life?”
“Of course we are,” Edith admitted. “He deserves to find a man to keep him happy, or if not happy, then one who will fuck his brains out.”
Wyatt spluttered, and Jeremy burst out laughing. “Edith, what are you like? I’m sure Wyatt doesn’t want us poking into his love life, do you, Wyatt?”
Wyatt stood frozen to the spot, making like a fish as he stared between Edith, Bernice and Jeremy. He slowly shook his head, muttering, “No.”
“Look what you’ve done, Edith. He doesn’t know what to say now. Anyway, ladies, what did you come in for?”
Wyatt took a step back as Jeremy took over, dealing with Edith and Bernice’s orders, taking their money and doling out their change. The ladies waved and said goodbye as they exited the shop. Jeremy turned to face Wyatt, leaning his hip on the counter. A grin was plastered on his face as he chuckled softly. “Well, it seems the ladies do like you.”
“Huh?”
“Just to let you know, Edith will be on a mission now to find you a nice young man.”
“She mentioned lady bits to me,” Wyatt muttered. “Clitoris’? Why would a gay man want to hear about a woman’s clitoris?”
Jeremy burst out laughing, his hand slapping on the counter. “Yeah, she did that to me the first week I opened and apparently I passed the test because she comes in here every week now, as you know.”
“Think I passed some test?”
“Oh, definitely. They’re going to get you a man,” Jeremy said, wiggling his eyebrows at Wyatt.
Wyatt snorted and quickly covered his mouth with his hand. Shaking his head, he moved his hand away and said, “This isn’t going to end well.”
“Probably not if Edith is involved, but you could always speak to Dean. Sure he could help you out.”
Wyatt winced when he heard Dean’s name. “No, everything is fine.”
Jeremy tilted his head, staring intently at Wyatt. “Want to tell me why Dean is so interested in you? Why he can’t stop coming around, even though you give him no reason to? Is there something that we should know?”
Wyatt winced again, shaking his head. Busted. If Jeremy suspected, then Donnie suspected. Sighing, he rubbed the back of this neck, glancing at Jeremy.
“Okay, there is something.”
Jeremy fist pumped the air. “Yes! I knew it. The fact that Dean can’t stop coming around, the fact that Dean wants to know everything about you and spend as much time with you as he can. He’s your mate, isn’t he?”
Wyatt shoved his hands in his pockets, his sneakers scuffing the floor. “Yeah, he is, but I don’t want one. You need to stop him coming around, it makes me uncomfortable.”
Jeremy stared at him, then blinked once slowly. “What? You don’t want your mate?” He shook his head vigorously. “No, no, no. I’m not doing this again. It was bad enough with Ale and then Tank. I’m not doing it with you.”
Wyatt frowned, staring at Jeremy. Ale and Tank? What the fuck did they have to do with him? “What are you on about? What about Ale and Tank? They’re both mated.”
“Ale didn’t want Troy because Ale’s twenty years older or some shit, and Tank didn’t want Niles because—” Jeremy started counting on his fingers, “—one, he’s black, two, he’s a vampire, and three, he’s male. His family are the worst kind of people you could ever possibly meet. If the perso
n doesn’t fit in with what they believe is acceptable, then they’re out. Niles was a big no-no for Tank’s family.”
Wyatt’s mouth opened and shut as he slowly shook his head. “Seriously?”
Jeremy nodded vigorously. “Oh yeah, seriously. I’m not going through that again. Dean is your mate, you only get one, and he is the other half of you. Yin and Yang. I had an abusive ex, Patrick, and when I met Donnie, he was the last person I wanted. But he’s the best person for me. He knows me inside and out, and I couldn’t ask for a better mate. He has been there for me every step of the way, even if some of those steps were backwards. He completes me in a way that I can’t explain to you, and I’ll be forever grateful that he’s in my life.” Jeremy stepped forward, his hands gripping Wyatt’s shoulders. “I know you’re frightened. I know you’ve had a shitty experience where relationships are concerned, but give Dean a chance, that’s all I ask. If after that, you’re still certain you don’t want to mate, then explain it to him and walk away, but leaving him in this place where he doesn’t know what’s going on and he doesn’t know why he’s feeling the way he does, is unfair to him. Be honest with him, explain your reasons, and see where it goes from there.”
Wyatt stared at Jeremy, seeing the strength of the emotion behind the words in his eyes. Slowly, he nodded, saying, “Okay, I’ll try, but I’m not making any promises.”
Jeremy dropped his hands, nodding at him. “That’s all I ask.”
Jeremy took a couple of steps towards the back, then turned and grinned at Wyatt. “Donnie says congratulations, and he’s inviting Dean over for dinner.”
Wyatt groaned, dropping his head into his hands. “Why?”
He heard Jeremy approach and slowly lifted his head. “Because he’s your mate and you only get one. Don’t throw him away, Wyatt. I understand how you feel, I really do. Give him a chance.”
Wyatt didn’t say anything. His mind was in turmoil. He kept replaying everything Jeremy said to him and he didn’t know what to do. He knew Jeremy was right, he knew he should tell Dean the truth, but it seriously scared the shit out of him. He didn’t want a mate, he was nowhere near ready to have a mate in his life, not after everything. He wanted to live again, go out again and experience life, not get tied down. How would he be able to do that if he was mated?
There was no denying the attraction though. He only had to look at Dean and he was hard. He wanted to touch and lick his skin.
He heard a timer go off and went into the back of the shop where the ovens were kept. He silenced the alarm and opened the large oven, pulling the tray out. He inhaled and moaned at the delicious aroma. Small, individual cheesecakes. Wyatt’s mouth watered, and he wanted to take the tray and sit in Jeremy’s office eating them all until he was too fat to move.
He had a sweet tooth and working at Jeremy’s bakery was both heaven and hell. Pretty much how he felt when he thought about or was around Dean. Dinner. Dean was coming for dinner tomorrow and Wyatt wasn’t sure if he wanted to be there.
He was sliding the cheesecakes off onto the cooling rack when Jeremy came in. “Forget about dinner. They’ve just had a call and are heading out. Might be gone for a few days.”
“What is it?”
“Two brothers went out camping or something and neither of them can be reached. The local authorities have called them in.”
Wyatt had learned early on how Donnie being gone affected Jeremy. “Take out and a film?”
Jeremy smiled gratefully and nodded. “Yeah.”
Jeremy left, and Wyatt turned back to the cheesecakes. No dinner and no Dean. Why did that leave him feeling disappointed?
Chapter Three
Damn, he should have been sitting with Wyatt having dinner, not flying out on a search and rescue. He loved his job, but he really wanted to spend time with Wyatt and see his beautiful green eyes cloud with lust.
It wasn’t long before they landed at the closest airstrip and quickly disembarked. Making sure all their gear was with them, they made their way over to the vehicles waiting for them. Another thirty minutes and they were at the scene, speaking to the sheriff as he updated them. When Dean heard the word caves, he glanced over at Miguel, catching the wince on his face. The entire team knew Miguel had a fear of caves and enclosed spaces.
The area they had to search was heavily forested with some logging trails winding throughout. Dean stood back as Ale and Chester took control of the situation, assessing the location they needed to search and any potential hazards. He was on a team with Hunter and Euan and it wasn’t long before they were heading out towards their designated location.
The weather was calm, the sun shining, and if the circumstances had been different, Dean would have enjoyed walking through these woods. The area was peaceful, and he could easily understand why people came out here, but they weren’t here for a sight-seeing trip.
Two brothers were missing, apparently experienced hikers, but they hadn’t been heard from for over twenty-four hours and the family was concerned. They always checked in every evening and every morning, but they hadn’t heard anything since they had left the day before. It usually took longer for rescue services to be called in, but it turned out that the brothers were the sheriff’s sons and he knew their routine and knew there had to be something wrong if neither of them contacted anyone. It was apparently a routine they’d followed since they were teenagers so when they failed both check in calls, everyone became worried.
Maybe the sheriff was taking liberties, liberties other families didn’t have, but that wasn’t Dean’s concern. He was here to find the two missing men and bring them back home, one way or the other. Someone else could deal with the fallout from not following procedure.
Hunter walked ahead with Euan behind and when Hunter chuckled, Dean grinned knowing he was talking to Carter.
“How is he? Carter? Has he fully recovered?” Dean asked.
“Yeah, he has. He’s happy. He finally has his family safe with him and I couldn’t be happier for him. They’re all living at my place for the time being.”
Dean raised his eyebrows. “All of them? At yours? And everything’s going okay?”
“Surprisingly well actually. His parents have made me another son. I thought it would be hard at first, given the fact I’m a vampire, and it was vampires that kept them hostage for years, but it’s fine. We discussed all options and when we realized the severity of the situation and that there was nowhere else to go, it was a no-brainer. It’s nice knowing that Carter has his family with him when I’m not there and I like the fact that I’m going home to my mate and my family.”
Dean nodded and glanced at the ground, checking where he was walking. So far, they hadn’t picked up any trail. “Can I ask you something?”
Hunter glanced over at him, nodding. “Sure. What do you want to know?”
“How did you know that Carter was your mate? What is it that lets you know? Is it a scent, a feeling in your chest?”
Hunter rubbed his jaw, a frown on his face. “It’s hard to put into words. Yes, scent is a part of it, but if you think about Niles, he sensed Tank before he saw him. It was the pull towards Tank that he followed. It was the same with Carter. I knew there was something there in that motel room, and when I stepped into the room and saw him, it clicked into place.”
“Do you think it’s the same for humans?”
Hunter shook his head. “Not really, ask Carter. Why the questions? Just come out and tell me what it is.”
Dean sighed. “It’s Wyatt.”
“You think he’s your mate?” Euan asked as he walked next to him.
“I don’t really know, but I can’t stop thinking about him and I need to be near him constantly.”
“Sounds like he is,” Hunter mused. “You’d have to speak to him and find out, but if he is and he hasn’t said anything to you, then he has to have a good reason for not wanting to have a mate.”
“He’s had a pretty fucked up time, hasn’t he?” Euan said. “From what
I’ve heard, his family kicked him out because he was gay and so he’s had to fend for himself.”
“Yeah, they did. And then there was the whole business with the Corporation. Maybe he doesn’t want the added responsibility of having a mate.” Hunter shrugged. “He’s young and had to manage by himself for a long time now.”
“So, what should I do? Everything in me is pulling me towards Wyatt and I get nothing in return. Could this just be some attraction gone overboard?”
“Sorry to say but I don’t think it is,” Hunter muttered. “I think your mate might have some issues and you are going to need to address them first before you can make progress in any relationship you want to build with him.”
Sighing, Dean nodded. “They kicked him out when he was eighteen and he’s had to fend for himself since then. What’s that, eight years or so?”
“He was a kid when he had to look after himself. That’s a long time to be on your own doing everything for yourself with no support from anyone.”
“You’ve got a long road ahead of you, Dean,” Euan added. “But, knowing you as well as I do, you’ll do whatever is necessary to make this right. He seems nice, your mate.”
“I’ve been to Donnie and Jeremy’s a few times now, and he does seem nice, but I don’t think he’s spoken more than ten words to me at a time. I just don’t know what to do.”
Hunter gripped Dean’s shoulder and smiled at him. “You do what you need to do. Follow your gut because it would lead you in the right direction.”
Dean gave him a close-lipped smile. “Thanks, Hunter. I’ll try.”
“He’s a cutie, I’ll give you that.”
Snorting, Dean said, “Hands off, Euan. He’s mine.”
Euan chuckled. “I know he is. I’ve seen the looks he gives you when he doesn’t think anyone is looking at him.”
Rescue Inc Collection Vol 4 Page 12