by Marcy Jacks
Maddox nodded, taking that command shockingly well. “I will do my best, thank you.”
Gus smiled, proud that Maddox could handle this.
With the way he lived, no pack and all, Gus worried he might not be able to get along with the people here, that it would be too much for him.
Maybe outrunning wolves and bears, and getting a few of them turned into paste by giant trucks, was allowing him to do a better job of seeing the bigger picture here.
But then things started to go south.
“Why don't you have a pack?” Maxwell stood by the fireplace, arms crossed, staring at Maddox as though he were an unwanted guest.
Gus’ mouth dried.
Noah spoke up for him, sitting in the chair opposite the love seat where Gus and Maddox sat.
“Does that matter right now? Gus needs our help.”
Maxwell inhaled a deep breath, looking very much as though he were struggling for patience.
“It is important. We have no idea who this man even is. He could have been banished from his pack for all we know. Or he could have killed them. There's a reason why lone wolves aren't a thing and why you shouldn't trust those who are.”
Gus’ heart slammed. He didn't like where this was going. He didn't want to talk about his mate any more, and he didn't want to give Maxwell's bullshit accusations any weight.
“Maddox isn't a bad person. I met him because he was fighting with the hunters. That's what you do, isn't it?”
“We do,” Maxwell admitted, though he wouldn't take his eyes away from Maddox. “So what happened to your pack? Were you kicked out because you couldn't control your wolf, or did the hunters take them out? Did you take them out?”
Gus was horrified. “Maxwell! He…he saved me.”
“He put you in danger, if I understood that story correctly.”
Now Gus wasn't horrified. Now he was kind of pissed off.
Before he could blow his top, Maddox spoke up.
“Hunters took out half my pack. I did the other half in a rage. Happy now?”
Gus inhaled a sharp breath. He almost couldn't let it back out again.
“You don't mean that.”
Maddox briefly shut his eyes, and he turned his face away from Gus. “I'm sorry to disappoint you.”
Gus shook his head. “You…you killed your own pack? But…but I thought…”
Maddox sighed, getting to his feet, and even in the state of shock Gus was in, he noticed how the other alphas and betas in the room tensed.
“Noah, come and stand by me,” Maxwell commanded.
“You, too, Sam,” Collin replied.
Both of their mates did as they were told, each giving Gus sorry expressions and Maddox fearful ones.
Gus was still processing what had happened while clenching his hands on his knees.
He wished for the pain in his foot back. Anything was better than having to deal with this.
“Was it…on purpose? Did you kill them on purpose?”
Gus had to know that much.
Maddox growled low in his throat, and for the first time, his wolf really did scare Gus.
“No. It wasn't on purpose, but that would hardly matter to the dead, would it?”
Gus tensed, looking away when Maddox looked at him. “I…I guess not.”
His mate had killed people. People who were not hunters. There would have been some omegas in that half he'd killed. And every pack had a couple of kids.
God. Gus wanted to be sick.
“What happened?” Maxwell cracked his knuckles. “Don't you dare lie to me either. I'll be able to tell.”
Maddox growled a little at that. Gus almost pushed himself away from the other man, but something held him in place.
Much as it hurt him, and terrified him to hear this news, he still…
“The hunters came to my pack ten years ago. I was still a young man then. My wolf, harder to control. It was difficult. My father and my alpha worked with me constantly to get the wolf under control. It always wanted out, was always causing damage, to myself and the property around me.”
Maddox lowered his head, as though ashamed. “No one had ever been hurt, and the damage had always been minimal, so the people of my pack never held it against me. They never sought to drive me out. They were patient and good. Then the hunters came.”
Gus shivered. Part of him didn't want to hear this, but he couldn't stop himself from wanting to hear as much of it as he could, either.
He wanted all of it. He wanted to know every last detail, even if it hurt him to hear it.
“They attacked my pack in the middle of the night. Other shifters were with them. They weren't even the sort of hunters that just wanted to kill us. They were taking money from a rival pack to get our land.
"They came in, dragged us out of our beds in the middle of the night. Shot half of us in front of the other half, forced the alpha to sign over the deed to the territory to our rival and then killed him, too.”
Maddox’s violet eyes glowed again. They shone, too. Gus reached for his hand, but Maddox yanked it away.
That hurt. That hurt so damned much.
“They shot my father in front of me. I wanted to protect my mother. I lost control. The wolf came out. I think it was the smell of all the blood. I wanted their heads, and I was done holding back. So I didn't.”
Gus rubbed his arm. “So you killed the hunters?”
Maddox nodded. “Yes. Them and the shifters who were with them. Most of my own pack, too. I don't know who killed my mother, my wolf or one of the others, but when I woke up, she was mangled, and the few people who were left were terrified of me. So I left.”
Maddox glanced at Gus. “I am sorry.”
Gus had to find something, anything to make this better.
“It probably wasn't you that hurt your mother. And you said some of your old pack were alive right? You don't even know that you killed anyone.”
“I obviously did. I was soaked in blood. The only reason why the wolf let me have control again was because the sun was up by the time it stopped. It had been hours of fighting and feeding. For the first time, I tired the damned thing out.”
“It wasn't your fault though.”
Maddox turned those angry purple eyes onto Gus, and this time Gus had to look away, afraid of what Maddox would do if he kept staring at him.
Maddox reached for him then pulled back, seeming to think better of it.
Things were quiet for a while. Gus’ mind raced, but he couldn't hold on to a single thought for as long as he wanted to.
He just wanted this to be over. He wanted to be happy with his mate. He thought they'd made it somewhere they could be safe. He'd thought they were going to have a chance to start building something, anything, but now he was sitting here, listening to all of these horrible stories about his own mate.
He didn't like them. He wished he hadn't heard them. He wished he and Maddox hadn't stopped here and they'd just kept going, kept running.
Now he had to look at his mate and wonder what the hell he was in store for for the rest of his life.
Because this was for life. Gus felt it in his bones. He didn't want to be parted from the other man. He didn't want to spend a minute of his time away from Maddox, and he didn't want his mate to leave him alone because he worried Gus would be disgusted with him.
It couldn't have been his fault. It was the wolf that had done it, and Maddox had said himself that the hunters and other shifters had done most of the killing. The smell of all that blood would set off most wolves, let alone a shifter who already struggled for control.
“I don't blame you for this.”
He felt Maddox looking at him. Gus swallowed hard and pushed ahead.
“Whatever happened, that's in your past. You couldn't have controlled that. The hunters did that. Even if the wolf was set off from all the violence and the smell of blood, that's still on them because they did it.”
Not to mention Gus wasn't even sure Maddox ha
d killed anyone, but if his mate wanted to wallow in his own guilt and punishment, there was nothing Gus could do about that.
For the moment.
Maddox sighed. “Gus, I appreciate your words, but you can't defend me from this.”
“Yes, I can. You're my mate.” He reached out and took the other man by the hand, gripping it tight. When Maddox pulled back, he refused to let go.
“Stop fighting me on this! I won't let you blame yourself, and I'm not going to let you leave me here because you have a heavy load to carry. That's not what a mating is supposed to be.”
“You're right. I'm the one who is supposed to carry your load. I'm the one that is meant to be strong for the both of us. It's not supposed to be you that bears this burden.”
“Yeah? Well, too bad. I'm bearing it, and you're not going to abandon me here so you can martyr yourself, so get that idea out of your head right now because I know you're thinking it.”
Maddox's eyes widened. He stared at Gus as though he'd never seen him before, as if this whole thing was new to him.
Gus wasn't sure if that was good or not, but he was determined to not let Maddox do this to himself.
To do this to the both of them before they had a real chance to get to know each other. To be with each other.
“Looks like your mate has made up his mind.” Maxwell pushed himself away from the wall, pushing his fingers through his hair. He sighed.
“Why the fuck does everything have to be so complicated all the time? It's like the world decided it was pointless to let things be simple for too long. I don't know…I guess it's no fun that way.”
Gus was still scared, scared of what this could mean. “Maxwell, there's still one wolf and bear shifter out there and the hunters who are with them. I can try to keep Maddox's wolf in control, but can we…I know it's asking a lot, but can we stay, at least for a little while? Until we find another place to go?”
“If anyone leaves here, it will be me,” Maddox said quickly, looking back at Maxwell. “This is your territory, your people. I respect that. If anyone is to leave here, let it be me. I'll go quietly so long as Gus has a place to stay and recover.”
“So you'll just leave him here full time, that it?”
Gus snapped his attention to his mate. Maddox's jaw clenched.
Gus was quickly learning that happened when Maddox wasn't pleased about something.
“If he’ll have me, then I'll come back for him when he can walk again. If he won't, then, yes, it will be nice to know there is a place for him to rest his head where he won't be ambushed by my enemies.”
Maxwell narrowed his eyes. “Let me guess, the part in that huge story you left out was that you were hunting those bastards before you caught the scent of your mate and went on the warpath. Am I right?”
Again with the jaw clenching. “You're right.”
“Wonderful,” Maxwell deadpanned. “All right, whatever. We've got to deal with this shit now. Might as well get to it. There's a spare cabin you can stay in for the night. When morning comes, you'll know what we all voted on, but either way, Gus will have a place to stay.”
Gus didn't like the sound of that. “You mean…you're going to have a vote on whether or not Maddox can stay? You're not just going to let him?”
Maxwell didn't look too happy about it either.
“I admitted to being a killer, Gus. Even if you want to believe the best in me, at the very least, I still brought those hunters down on your head. The rest of the pack will have the right to know about it, and the betas and alphas have the right to cast their vote.”
“But—”
“No buts. It's done.”
Maddox's voice was so harsh that Gus found himself snapping his mouth shut without another word.
He didn't want to be so quiet about it, but when put like that…
Maddox put his hand behind Gus’ neck, shocking him.
“Come on, they gave me a place to stay for the night. That's more than enough. Let's go. I'm tired, and I know you are, too.”
Gus was more than tired. He was kind of angry, but he knew it would do no good.
He was going to be forced to wait until morning to discover the fate of his mate.
Chapter Ten
The cabin was described as being small, with not much to offer within, but Maddox looked at it from the outside, noted the lack of rotting wood, and stood inside, noting the perfect insulation, the light switches that worked, the heating and plugged-in television, working refrigerator…and he knew that even if he were to leave Gus here, he would be a thousand times better off than if Gus has stayed with him.
Maddox held his mate around the waist, helping him to the couch, where he sat with a sigh.
Maddox stood, an awkward feeling coming over him that he couldn't quite place.
He needed to put some distance between them. “I'll get a bath ready for you.”
There was no way a place like this didn't have running water.
“I don't think I can take one. You know, without ruining my new bandage.”
“I'll help you to keep your foot elevated if you need.”
A hot bath made everything better. Even Maddox knew this.
He went to the bathroom. Tiny, but the water worked, was clean and indeed very hot.
He started filling the tub.
Regret pooled into him as fast and hard as the water filling the tub.
He wished he hadn’t had to reveal those things to his mate. It wasn't right to dump all of that in Gus. None of it was his fault, and Maddox didn't want him to know…
But it would be wrong to keep all of that from him.
It wasn’t right.
“Maddox?”
He turned, seeing his mate standing in the doorway. Maddox stood, shaking his hand out from where it had been resting in the water. “You shouldn't be walking around right now.”
“I'm staying off it.”
He looked to be telling the truth. He was definitely hopping up on one foot there, his hand on the doorjamb to keep his balance.
Maddox felt something coming. Something he didn't like and wouldn't be able to control.
“You should be resting.”
“I want to do that with you.”
Maddox looked back down at the water filling the tub. “You can't. This isn't something I should be giving to you. It's not your burden to bear.”
“Yes it is.” Gus started to hobble into the bathroom. “You're my mate.”
He put his arms around Maddox's waist, leaning in close and holding on tight.
Maddox wanted to push him away. This wasn't right. This wasn't something he should be giving to anyone, let alone a mate.
Let alone a wolf soul.
“You can't let me do this to you. I'll ruin you.”
“Come on. Since when do you talk like that? I'm a grown man. I can take care of myself.”
“Your injured foot says otherwise.”
He heard Gus release a little growling noise at that. It was kind of cute, actually.
“Right, well, fine, besides that, and the situation at hand, I don't want you babying me. If this…” he groaned. “If this is what you come with, then so be it. I can handle anything you throw at me.”
“You don't know me well enough to be making that kind of decision.”
“I won't have the chance to get to know you if you run away from me. You can't just leave me here and expect me to not want to go after you. I'll want to find you. I will find you.”
Gus seemed to think about that last sentence. “But, you know, not in a creepy stalker sort of way.”
Maddox's shoulders shook as his chest rumbled.
Gus’ voice turned incredulous. “Are you laughing at me right now?”
“I might be. You're ridiculous.”
Gus scowled. Maddox smiled at him, and he leaned in, stealing the kiss he'd wanted ever since they’d narrowly missed being hit by those trucks.
Gus tensed but quickly melted into it. He li
fted his hands up, wrapping them around Maddox's shoulders, and Maddox was only too happy to be held by his mate now.
He knew he wasn't supposed to, but he couldn't help it.
He really couldn't. Lust and strength surged through him as Gus playfully flicked his tongue against Maddox's lips.
He had to let the man in. Maddox opened his mouth. He wanted to know what Gus would do when given just a bit of control.
When he was the one who made the decisions.
He was shockingly talented. It reminded Maddox, in a strange way, that Gus had actually been a virgin until last night.
To know he'd learned so much already felt amazing. Maddox put his hand behind Gus’ head, yanking him closer, thrusting his tongue between those willing lips, drowning Gus’ moan when Maddox took what belonged to him.
He licked deep, stopping only when Gus quickly pulled back.
“The water!”
“What? Oh shit.”
Maddox spun around to the tub and quickly shut off the water. Not a moment too soon. Filled to the brim. He might have to empty a little out before reaching his hand to the drain and opening it a little.
“That was close.” Gus laughed.
“Yes it was,” Maddox replied, reaching for his mate again.
He didn't care how close it was. He needed to fuck.
Maddox spun Gus around so he faced the bathroom mirror, his hands pressing against the counter, holding himself steady while Maddox used one hand to get into his pants to find Gus’ cock, already hard and throbbing.
It jumped when Maddox took the length in hand, and he groaned as he stroked Gus’ hard prick.
“I need to fuck you.”
And it was a need. Not a want.
Gus nodded, cheeks already pink, but he stunned Maddox as he thrust his ass back against Maddox's crotch.
The friction against his cock felt good.
Why the hell not? Maddox leaned in, his mouth kissing and sucking on the sweet flesh of Gus’ throat while he thrust against the man's ass.
Dry humping his mate while he jerked Gus off, forcing the man to watch in the mirror.