by Skyler Snow
Jade groaned. "I love animals, you know that. The problem I'm having right now is that you've taken on so many of them and have no idea what you're doing.
The thrill and happiness Parker had been feeling slowly drained away, but Jed wasn’t done.
Do you know how expensive this can get? Do you know what to look out for to know if one of them gets sick—before it's too late—or what to do if one of them spreads disease to the others? What if you have to deal with a birth that doesn't go right? Is there a plan for when the cold sets in?" Jed shook his head. "I'm not trying to be an asshole, but I think you’ve bitten off more than you can chew."
Parker stared at Jedediah as irritation boiled in his gut. Of course he had some trepidation about taking on such a huge new venture, but he had expected praise, or at least some friendly advice and a pat on the back.
"Thanks a lot," Parker scoffed.
Jet cocked his brow. "You already know I'm not like other people. I'm not going to piss on a flower and tell you it's raining."
What the fuck does that even mean?" Parker groaned. He hated those small-town, nonsensical sayings.
"It means I'm not going to kiss your fucking ass. I'm happy as hell to see you Parker, and I always will be, especially after such a long time. But this right here? This foolishness that you've jumped headfirst into without asking anyone? I'm not going to applaud it until you show me that you're actually serious about it." He shook his head and scowled. “Let’s not even talk about the fact that I haven’t seen you in so damn long and now you want my help.”
Parker turn to him and folded his arms. "I am serious about this."
"Are you?" Jed asked brow raised."It seems like you don't even want to be back here, so how can you actually take something this big under your belt and be successful if your heart is somewhere else?"
Parker's lowered his hands to his sides and clenched them into tight fists. Why was it that he could go to New York and be popular, celebrated, and damn near worshipped at times—even as a beta—but when he came home, it was like he was a child who still couldn’t get things right. Parker hated that feeling more than anything, and he hated it even more when it came from Jed. Sure, the alpha had never been anything but blunt and straightforward, but Parker figured that he could have at least cut him some slack after ten years.
"Well what the hell am I supposed to do now? I already bought the place. It's not like I can give it back."
"I'm not saying that at all. A place like this could be really good for you”—Jed raised a hand toward Parker—”but you have to put in the work. You can't just half-ass it. You're going to need someone to help you look after this place in the beginning. Someone who knows animals and can actually teach you a thing of two that you need to learn."
"You could teach me," Parker said as he tilted his head. "I mean, who better to help me run this place then a veterinarian."
"I'm already up to my eyeballs in work.” Jed’s chuckle was mirthless as he shook his head. “There's no way I can afford to come here every day and teach you the basics of animal husbandry."
Parker scoffed. "So you can criticize me, but you can't help?" He reached out and grabbed Jedediah's arm, giving it a light squeeze. "I'm willing to put my very strong-willed pride aside and ask you for help. Can't you do that for me? I know I haven't been around in a long time—"
"Yes, and you still haven't explained why." Jed cut in.
"I will explain it. Everything... eventually. I just ask that you show me a little patience for now. Come on, Jed. This would be you and I working together. It will be the perfect way to catch up and get to know each other again."
"And I suppose you want me to do all of this for free?"
Parker shook his head quickly. "Not at all. Like I said, I have some money put aside, and I can pay you for your help. I would never dream of taking advantage of you like that. Unless of course you volunteered..."
"Not a chance in hell, cupcake, but nice try."
The beta chuckled under his breath. Gods, after all these years, they were still the same way they were when they were teenagers. At each other's throats one minute and smiling the next. I guess some things never change.
"If I do this—" Jed started.
"I can already hear the yes." Parker grinned and started bouncing on his feet.
"If," Jed repeated himself louder. "If I do this, then there's going to be some ground rules."
Parker crossed his arms in front of his chest. "What kind of rules?"
"Very specific ones," Jed growled. "You have to listen to me. If you're going to just talk back and argue with me about things, I'll quit and go home. You'll do what I do and listen to what I say, or I'll go home. And you're going to tell me what happened in New York. I'll give you some time, but you owe me that much. You did disappeared off the face of the planet for a decade, and I think I deserve to know what happened."
Parker sighed. "Do most people still not know what a bossy pain in the ass you are?"
"Take or leave the deal. Give me an answer."
"Are you going to drive me insane for this entire experience?"
Jed turned to him, and Parker shuddered under his gaze. When the man was in full-blown alpha mode, it was astonishingly clear. Jed cocked his head to the side, and his alpha voice rumble deep from his chest.
"Is it a yes or a no?"
Parker had absolutely no choice but to answer. It was one of the reasons he both hated and loved alpha voice at the very same time. However, the love part was a secret that no one knew, not even Jedidiah.
"It's a yes," Parker said, barely able to hold Jed's penetrating gaze. "I'll try my best to stick to the rules."
"Good," Jed said as his voice went back to normal. "I'll check my schedule, and I'll give you as much help as I can possibly manage." He put an arm around Parker and yanked him against his side. "It's good to have you back home."
Parker's heart sped up in his chest. Only Jedidiah could make him respond that way. If he had been born an Omega, he would have happily pursued the man. That wasn't the way the world worked, however. He would have to be content with just his friendship.
Chapter Three
Jed
Jedidiah rolled over in bed and stared up at the ceiling. He could hear the distant cries of Emmitt and Nathan's baby. Aiden was a fussy little thing, but Jedidiah didn't mind. He had lived through the era of Payton and Pryce, so he could live through Aiden too.
Even though hearing the crying didn't bother him, it had another effect. Jedediah suddenly had babies on the brain. Having been a little lonely since his other brothers were now mated and starting families of their own, the baby fever was in full force. His thoughts flickered to Parker, his belly round and carrying their children.
Jedediah shot up out of bed. Had he really just thought of Parker pregnant with his pups? Besides being completely insane and totally inappropriate, it was also impossible. Wolves could not mate with humans. Jed had never heard of anything like that. He forced those thoughts aside and decided it was better to not even dwell on them.
He shuffled off to the bathroom to relieve himself and start up the morning shower. First, he had to go into work and see if anyone would be willing to cover his shifts. There was only one full-time veterinarian besides himself; the third was still in training. If they worked together, everything would be fine, but it was extra work, and Jed didn't want to subject them to that.
The water from the shower rapidly steamed up the little bathroom. Jed peeled himself out of last night's clothes and stepped underneath the hot spray. He worked his fingers into his hair and thought about his dinner with Parker.
After a rocky reconciliation, the night had actually been pretty fun. They turned on old action movies on the big TV, ordered in dinner, and laughed just like old times. It was the way things were before Parker decided to up and leave. The only problem was that throughout the whole night, there was tension between them. It was something not quite tangible that made Jed bristle. A l
ittle voice from his wolf said something was up, something was different. The erection that he'd sustained throughout the course of their night together didn't help things.
There is no way in hell I can sleep with Parker. There is no way in hell I can sleep with Parker.
Jed figured if he said those words to himself in his head over and over again, eventually it would stick and his dick would stop being stupid. Of course, he'd had ideas of wanting to sleep with Parker in the past. In his opinion, anyone would be crazy not to want the man, even with his smart ass remarks and tendency to drive everyone crazy. However, that was not a line that he wanted to cross. It was a line that he absolutely could not cross. Jaed didn't want to lose his friend over something as silly as a one night stand.
Jedediah quickly showered and dried himself off before he marched back into his room. Now that he had given himself a pep talk, he was on a mission. He picked himself out a button-up shirt and a pair of pressed slacks from his closet, and once he was dressed, he made his way downstairs.
"You're just in time for breakfast," Emmitt called as he stood at the stove flipping pancakes.
"Morning." Jed nodded at him. "I'll take a few of those if you're handing them out."
Emmett smiled back at him. "Sure thing."
Nathan clapped a hand on his shoulder before he sat down across from him at the table. He still wore that ridiculous grin like he was a teenager, but Emmett apparently saw this as a good thing.
"How did it go with Parker yesterday? I already heard that he's been back in town a while."
Jed groaned. "The man has only been back for a day. I just saw him last night. How the hell are there are already rumors about him?"
Nathan laughed. "You know how this town can be. We love some good gossip. That, and I work in a bar. Alcohol loosens lips. Besides, no one's seen him for years, and there are all kinds of things being said about what he did in New York."
Despite himself, Jedediah's interest was piqued. He leaned forward, hanging on Nathan's every word before Emmett placed a plate in front of him. He thanked him for the food before he turned his attention back to his brother.
"What are they saying?" Jed asked, too curious not to give in.
"A ton of things. I've heard that he embezzled from his last job, that he had a huge drug problem, that he's in debt to a mobster, and even that he has a secret love child back there. Basically, there's this big question as to why he suddenly came back." Nathan leaned forward and peered at Jedediah. "Do you know why he's back?"
Jed shrugged his shoulders. "As far as I know, he wanted to come back and relax. That's all I know about the situation, and I'm pretty sure all those people are just pathetic little assholes who have nothing else to do with their time other than gossip about other people." Jared shoved himself to his feet, and Nathan looked at him curiously. "I need to get to work."
"What are you so pissed off about?" Nathan asked.
"I'm not pissed off," Jed snapped before he turned on his heels. "I just have work to do."
"All right then," Nathan replied as he stalked away. "Your actions are really reading as ‘I'm okay.’"
Heated, Jedidiah snatched open the door to his car and slid inside. He knew that he shouldn't be so upset, but it irked him. No one knew Parker, but they were happy to speculate about his life. And what was that nonsense about him being a criminal back in New York? Or having some secret relationship and a hidden baby?
It's all bullshit. Parker must have a good reason for coming back, and he wouldn't keep things as big as those from me.
The alpha tried hard to convince himself of this, but the truth was that he no longer knew Parker the way he did when they were younger. People change, and usually that happened pretty quickly. He could only imagine the way the man had changed in ten years. This thought unsettled him more than he thought it would, and he suddenly had the most irresistible urge to go and see Parker right now.
He forced himself to go against every instinct that screamed in his body and the echoes from his wolf to confront Park and find out exactly what the hell was going on. First things first. He had to figure out who was going to cover his shifts and make sure that things ran smoothly at the veterinarian's office. He was by no means a senior vet since he had only been working professionally for the last two years. However, he had been taking care of animals all of his life, and it felt like second nature.
"Good morning, Jared," a cheery voice greeted him when he walked through the door.
Cherry was a peppy little thing with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She ran the front of the veterinarian's office while he and Mel ran the back. Melody was the senior veterinarian on staff and had about eight years on him. Jed loved working with her because as no-nonsense as he was, she was the light-hearted counterpart that helped him to relax and not take everything so seriously.
"Morning. Is Mel in yet?"
"She's in her office having her morning coffee. She should be just about medicated enough to talk to other humans by now."
Jared chuckled despite himself. Mel was an absolute nightmare without her morning coffee. He waved to Cherry before headed back to the office and drummed his knuckles against the wood. A “Come in” rang out through the door, and he pushed inside. Melody sat behind her computer, her glasses perched precariously on her nose as she sipped from her coffee mug while soft music played in the background
"Good morning," she called. "I haven't seen that serious of a look on your face in a long time. What's going on?"
Leave it to her to cut right to the chase.
"I actually have to ask you something pretty serious. An old friend of mine came back into town recently and purchased a ranch. It's more work than he knows how to handle, and I want to make sure those animals are getting the best care they can have. I know it's kind of shitty of me to run off and work for someone else, but—"
Mel raised a hand, stopping him. "Jared, you do amazing work here, and that's all I need to know. You've been here steadily without using any vacation time or sick days. So go ahead and help your friend. I'm sure I can handle things until you get back, and if I need an extra pair of hands, I'll call you."
Jed smiled at her. She was one of the most uncomplicated people he’d ever known, and he appreciated that about her. It reminded him that Parker was on the other end of that spectrum. That man was about as complicated as they came.
"Well, I wasn't going to leave you high and dry today," Jed said as he nodded his head toward the hall. "I figured I would come in to work and help you out."
Mel waved her hand. "Don't worry about it. Like I said, I've got it. Besides, I know you're worried, so why don't you go ahead and check out those animals and make sure they're all right? Everything will be fine here."
"Seriously, I can't thank you enough." The appreciation was clear in his voice.
"I'm sure you'll find some way," she said with a wink at him. "Call me if you need anything."
"Will do," he replied levely as he turned and left her office.
Jedediah was ecstatic that he didn't have to stay, but he didn't want to show that. Instead, he walked out as quickly as he could while keeping his face straight. Every step that took him back to his car echoed Parker's name over and over again. He wanted to see him—no, he needed to see him right now. At least it was still nice and early. Together, he knew that they should be able to check out all of the animals and make sure everything was okay, and at the same time,he would get to spend time with Parker.
He drove to Parker's place and pulled into the long, winding driveway. The doorbell sank in under his finger, and he could hear its melody echo throughout the house. The world went quiet for a moment, but he did know that it might take Parker a minute to get to the door in such a huge place. When several minutes passed and nothing happened, Jedediah push the button again.
Did he leave? Maybe he's out running errands or something.
Jed frowned as he tried to figure out what to do. He dug into his pocket and called P
arker's phone twice before it went to voicemail. He was pretty sure if he was out and about, he would have picked up his call. The night before he reminded Parker to be up bright and early just in case he stopped by. There was no way he was still asleep, was there?
The alpha search around the area until he located the plastic rock tucked against the house. He picked it up and found the key inside with no problem before he let himself into Parker's place. The big house was eerily quiet, but he heard the faint distance snores of Parker upstairs.
Thank the goddess for wolf hearing.
Jed trudged up the stairs and pushed open one of the doors. Inside, Parker lay stretched out on his bed, cock out and in the open for all the world to see. The scruff on his chin had gotten a little thicker, and his full pink lips were slightly parted.
The picture before him was almost enough to make him want to reach out and touch Parker's entire body. His hand twitched and his fingers itched just to have one feel of the beta stretched out before him. Quickly, he crossed the room and yanked the blanket up over Parker's body.
Just like that, the spell was broken enough for Jedediah to replace his lust with irritation that Parker was still snoring away when he had a ranch to run. He shook Parker’s shoulder, but the groggy beta only growled under his breath and rolled away from him.
"Parker," Jed growled. "Move your lazy ass and get up. Parker!"
The man snoozed on like the dead, and Jed's patience was at an all-time low. Without thinking, Jedediah climbed on top of Parker, but before he could shake him or yell at him the way he would do to one of his brothers, Parker's cock pressed against his body. The man groaned, his fingers wrapped around Jedediah's waist, and he thrust upward desperately.
"Jed," he moaned deep in his throat. "Hurry up and fuck me."
For the first time in recent memory, Jedediah was completely lost for words. He had no frame of reference for his best friend moaning for him in his sleep and thrusting his hard cock against his body. He tried to move off Parker, but the beta’s grip tightened, and he emitted a sound that came out almost like a whine.