“What if you can’t?”
He didn’t want to say it out loud to Erik. Giving voice to it might make it so. It wasn’t an option he favored, but he wouldn’t discount it if it meant doing what was best for the pod. Exiling his son was never something he wanted to vocalize lest it come true. “Let’s just say I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
* * * *
As Joseph put the car in gear and pulled out of the parking lot, Erik did his best to conceal his smile of triumph. He wouldn’t have a problem sharing Emery. Hell, maybe they could find a kinky girl who’d take them both on for the good of the pod. He could still have Emery then, and Joseph would elevate Emery to pod Alpha once Emery had an heir. He could be as good as in charge by Emery’s side. He just needed time to show Emery how good they could be together.
And get that damn monkey man out of his bed.
* * * *
Sean spent his drive to Sarasota thinking alternately about what he had to do that morning and wiggling his ass around on his seat to relieve the pleasant ache from where Emery had fucked him in the shower.
His cock remained half-hard for the entire drive. A few times he’d tried sending silent mental messages to Emery, but didn’t receive a reply.
Must be the distance. Sad panda.
He consoled himself with the thought of getting back home that evening and into Emery’s arms. Even better, he’d checked his schedule and he’d have a rare entire weekend off. Some of their projects had to be conducted on weekends when traffic was lighter. This one, however, had opened up.
The thought of getting out on the water with Emery turned his chubby to a full-on woody. Despite his initial shock and discomfort over the size of Emery’s penis, he had to admit in retrospect he was eager to try it out again.
Soon.
Guess that means I need to accept the whole dolphin thing.
At lunch he called Emery. “My briefs are squishy.”
Emery’s laugh on the other end churned his heart in a good way. “I can’t imagine why.”
“Fortunately, I brought a spare pair to change into.”
“Aww. That’s cheating.”
“No, that’s not wanting to walk around smelling like a cumdump all day.”
“I think you smell delicious as a cumdump. As long as it’s my cum.”
“Oh, look at that. We’re already making romantic small talk like two old fuddy-duddies. Have you talked to your dad?”
* * * *
Emery closed his eyes and conjured the image of Sean’s face in his mind. He wasn’t going to worry his mate about the confrontation with his father. “You mean suffer through a lecture? Yes, but he’s full of hot air. Hey, I hope you come home hungry. Baked ziti and all the trimmings.”
“Yum. It’s not bad enough you fill my ass, you’re gonna fill my stomach, too?”
“One way or another, buddy. Call me when you’re on the way home so I can have it ready.”
“Will do.”
When he got him off the phone he tried to focus on his work and had trouble concentrating. He knew his father prized the pod over all else, but this was ridiculous. He was his son. He couldn’t put the other bullshit aside? Sure, in the old days, when they had to worry about being discovered, it made sense to keep the ranks closed tight. But now, shifters married humans all the time. Even other shifters of different races. They were better off banding together than isolating themselves.
Fuck the pod. If his father cared more about the Alpha position than his own flesh-and-blood, he could have the fucking pod, and Erik.
Now his anger simmered, threatening to boil over. He wanted to beat the crap out of the son of a bitch for sticking his nose in where it didn’t belong. Friends all their lives and then turning on him like that?
Fuck. Him.
By the time four o’clock rolled around, he’d accomplished very little except narrowing the field of possible rental houses to three good choices. He had appointments to go look at them tomorrow.
They all had pools and private, fenced backyards.
That boosted his mood somewhat.
He gathered his things and called it a day. He had to go grocery shopping.
A grin split his face. I get to cook for my mate.
* * * *
Erik watched from the parking lot across the street, where he’d parked in the deep shade under a stand of trees off to the side where Emery wouldn’t spot him. Emery would have to cross the highway and make left-hand turn to head south. Erik could pull out a few cars behind him. Erik suspected he’d be going to his mate’s house again tonight since he hadn’t gone home at all the night before.
He’d find out where the mate lived and track down more information on him from there.
He hated the shit-eating grin on Emery’s face because he knew he wasn’t the one who’d put it there.
It was that damn human he was grinning for.
When Emery’s car passed, Erik made his move, staying far enough behind Emery’s Mustang that he wouldn’t be spotted. He’d borrowed a friend’s car, because Emery would spot his Cherokee.
The next stop was the Pine Street Publix in Englewood. He was in there over forty minutes and emerged with a cartful of groceries. Then Erik followed him to a crappy apartment complex north of Dearborn Street.
Erik turned a street before the apartment when he saw Emery pull in. He waited, circled the block, and cruised by in time to see Emery hauling a load of groceries into apartment 4.
He didn’t dare risk getting any closer for fear of Emery spotting him. He kept moving, circling around to the Publix where he pulled in and called Joseph Nadel.
“I have an address, but not where he works yet… Yes, sir. I will get that for you soon. Very soon.”
Chapter Eleven
Sean fought the urge to speed on the way home. Then again, his craptastic truck probably wouldn’t have handled it very well. When he pulled into the driveway, relief at seeing Emery’s Mustang parked there flooded through his body.
Part of him, despite their frequent, sexy text message banter throughout the afternoon, and talking to him before he left Sarasota, had worried he wouldn’t be there.
When he walked in the door, the luscious aroma of garlic hit him. “Wow!” He walked to the kitchen where Emery was in shorts and nothing else and preparing a salad. “Something smells delicious!”
Emery leaned in for a kiss Sean didn’t want to end, but had to. “Thanks. Hope you’re hungry.”
“I am. But I need a shower first.” He grinned. “Want to join me?”
Emery looked like he wanted to pout, but then a sexy smile filled his face. “I want to but I can’t. Still need to finish this.” He grabbed Sean by the shirt and hauled him in for another kiss. “I’ll get you at dessert time.”
Dinner was delicious. Sean felt almost too full to do anything but fall over into a garlic bread coma on the couch, but he got up to help Emery clean up the kitchen. “So tell me how things went with your dad today,” Sean said.
He didn’t like the way Emery’s expression darkened, how his brows knitted together. “Let’s just say I don’t think we’ll have any trouble deciding whose house to go to for holiday dinners.”
“That bad?”
“Do we need to talk about him tonight? What I’d really like to talk about are rental houses. I found a couple I’d like to go look at tomorrow.”
“I did mention I’m not rich, right?”
“Well, for starters, they’re not bad. I could afford one by myself if I had to. How much are you paying here a month?”
“$650 plus utilities and cable.”
“That’s nearly half of the mid-ranged one.” He made Sean look at him. “Pool fucking whenever you wanted.” He grinned. “How could you possibly say no to that?”
“I don’t want to be a mooch.”
Emery grabbed him and pulled him close, kissing him, forcing his lips open until Sean wanted to melt in his arms. “You are my mate,” he softly said. “Y
ou are not a mooch. Besides, you have a kick-ass boat.”
“And that reminds me. We can go out in it this weekend. I don’t have to work.”
“Ooh.” He ground his hips against Sean. “I know someone who will be walking funny come Monday morning.”
“I’m walking funny now.”
“Funnier.”
Sean stared into his grey eyes. He knew to the very depths of his soul that he loved this man. He didn’t understand what had happened, and parts of it still felt like a dream, but he wouldn’t question what he felt.
“How do you know you’re going to want to live with me?” he softly asked.
Emery gently palmed his cheek and leaned in for a tender kiss. “I want you for the rest of our lives,” he said. “You’re my mate.” Then he silently added, “We were meant to be together. Otherwise, this wouldn’t be happening.”
Sean’s eyes widened at the sound of Emery’s thoughts in his mind. “Wow,” he whispered.
Emery smiled. “Wow is right.”
* * * *
They made slow, gentle, tender love. When they finished, Sean lay nestled in the crook of Emery’s arm. Emery loved rubbing his face along the top of Sean’s head and feeling his soft hair brush against his flesh.
“I’m going to look at houses tomorrow for us,” Emery told Sean. “I want to be moved out of my place this weekend.”
Sean let out a sigh. “Okay. Just make sure I can park my truck there. Some places around here have deed restrictions.”
Emery smiled and kissed the top of his head. Sean sounded like he was already well on his way to falling asleep. “I will. I love you, Sean.”
Sean tilted his head to look at Emery. Yep, a sleepy smile pulled his lips into a delicious, kissable curve. “I love you, too.”
He lay there listening to the sound of Sean’s breathing as it lengthened and settled into the slow rhythm of sleep. Only then did he allow himself to think about the confrontation with his father. He knew the old man had deeply entrenched views based on their family history, and the history of the pod. And yes, their pod still thrived while others had been destroyed or absorbed over the years.
He couldn’t believe his father wouldn’t recognize a mate-bond, however. Human or not.
Maybe I can talk to Mom. He’d give it a few days, though. Let the old man have a chance to settle down. Hell, if having an heir was his only issue, he’d even agree to donating sperm and using a surrogate to have a baby. He wanted kids. He’d always wanted kids. Then his father would have an heir, and he and Sean could have a baby. There was nothing in the traditions that prohibited that.
But he refused to sacrifice true love just to have kids for his father’s reasons.
He closed his eyes and took another deep breath, inhaling Sean’s shampoo, a little leftover garlic breath, and the uniquely spicy scent of his mate’s skin combined with the smell of their lovemaking.
This. Is. Heaven.
* * * *
Sean had once again forgotten to set the coffeepot up before he fell asleep. This time, however, he’d ended up on the correct side of the bed to roll over and slap the snooze button without falling on Emery.
Emery hooked an arm and a leg around him and dragged him back to him. “I hate that damn thing.”
“So do I, but I have to get up.” After giving him a good-morning kiss, he managed to extricate himself, shut off the alarm, and head out to the kitchen. After he got the coffee going, he stopped by the bathroom to pee before returning to the bedroom. Emery had turned on the bedside lamp and wrapped himself around Sean’s pillow. He cocked an eye open at Sean.
“Yeesss?”
Sean’s cock viciously throbbed, his heart pounding at the sight of Emery’s delicious ass and thigh on top of the covers. He didn’t understand what deep, primitive need had come over him, but he did remember his promise to return the favor.
He strode over to the bed and picked up the tube of lube. Before Emery could react, he’d grabbed him and pulled him around so his legs were off the bed and his ass at perfect fuckable height. He slicked himself and lined up his cock with Emery’s rim.
“I did say I would return the favor,” he rumbled before sinking his cock deep into his lover.
Emery thrust his hips back against him, letting out a pleased growl of his own. His hands fisted the sheets. “Fuck, yes!”
On blind instinct, Sean fucked him, hard and furiously, throwing in a few hard ass slaps for good measure. As he grew close, he reached around and found Emery’s cock hard, throbbing, and leaking generous amounts of pre-cum. He fisted it, stroking. “You’d better come before I do or you’ll not only spend the day with my cum in your ass, but horny, too.”
Emery threw his head back and let out a deep moan as his cock exploded in Sean’s hand. Grinning, Sean fucked him harder until his balls emptied deep inside Emery’s ass.
Gasping, Sean collapsed on top of him as his brain started functioning again and the smell of fresh-brewed coffee filled the apartment.
“Wow!” Emery said.
Sean laughed, now feeling a little self-conscious. “Sorry.”
“No, don’t be. That was…fuck. That was amazing.”
Sean pushed himself up and off of Emery so he could stand.
Emery turned and hugged Sean, kissing him. “Good morning.”
“Just returning the favor.” He didn’t understand, but he liked the look in Emery’s eyes as they searched his face. Amusement? Happiness? Satisfaction?
“You’re incredible.”
Heat filled Sean’s cheeks. “I just saw you lying there and… I don’t know. You do something to me.” He caught sight of the bed and laughed again. “Um, I guess we need to do laundry. Those were my last clean sheets.”
“I’ll add sheets to the shopping list.”
“Maybe we just need plastic ones.”
“Or puppy pads,” Emery said.
Chapter Twelve
Emery followed the property manager through the house as she showed him around. He surreptitiously adjusted his slacks when she wasn’t looking. He couldn’t stop thinking about how Sean had jumped him earlier, and it left him with a perpetual chubby.
Human or not, he definitely has an Alpha streak in him.
He loved it. They would have some interesting times ahead.
This was the third house he’d looked at this morning, and he liked it the best. When they returned to the kitchen, he pulled out his phone. “Let me make a quick call, please, and I’ll give you my answer.”
“Sure.”
He stepped out onto the lanai and closed the sliding glass doors behind him. Sean answered on the third ring. “How’s your ass?” Sean asked by way of greeting.
Emery’s chubby went full wood. “Good,” he growled. “And so’s my cock.”
Sean laughed. “We’re going to fuck each other to death at this rate.”
“But what a way to go. Listen, back to serious for a moment. I like this house the best.” He described it to Sean.
“It’s your call. I don’t care. It sounds fine to me.”
“Do you want to see it first before I sign a lease?”
“No. I trust you.”
Now Emery thought his heart would explode. He’d never had any kind of relationship remotely approaching what he had with Sean. Despite what he’d promised Sean Tuesday, that he’d make him forget any other man, now it was Emery who had trouble remembering what it was like to ever be with someone besides Sean. “Thanks,” he said. “I’ll call you later, once I’m done.”
“Okay. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” He hung up and returned to the kitchen. “We’ll take it.”
* * * *
Emery stopped by his place to pick up a few more things on his way back to his office. He now had keys to the rental house. He’d get the utilities, cable, and Internet set up that afternoon. It felt surreal, but in a good way. As he stood in the living room of what would soon no longer be his place, he now understood why
despite living in the duplex over four years, it had never truly felt like home.
It was Sean who completed his heart. Even Sean’s apartment already felt like home. Stopping by his place now felt like visiting some sort of temporary hotel room.
He didn’t expect the knock on the door.
He opened it, enraged to see Erik standing there. “What the fuck do you want?” He should beat the crap out of him, but he didn’t want to ruin his work clothes and he had to get back to the office.
“I want to talk.”
“We have nothing to talk about. You went behind my back to my father, asshole. We’ve been friends since we were kids. I thought that meant something.”
“It does mean something. You’re not thinking clearly. I’m worried about you.”
“I have a mate-bond. I don’t see what’s so hard about that to understand.”
“Emery, I love you. You and I are good together. We could have a really good thing together.”
Emery let out a snort. “No, we couldn’t. I’ve never lied to you. We’re friends, and we’ve known each other a long time, but I don’t love you like that. I never have. And I damn sure don’t trust you now.” At the look of pain and fury on Erik’s face, Emery tried to hold on to what few charitable thoughts he could. “Erik, even if I hadn’t met Sean, it never would have worked out between us as anything other than friends with bennies. You know that.”
“No, I don’t know that. You never gave me a chance.”
“And I’m not going to. I love Sean. He’s the man I’m going to spend the rest of my life with. You know, if you’d come to me and told me you found a mate, I’d be happy for you.”
“How can you expect me to be happy for you?”
“Because I thought we were friends.” He closed the door in Erik’s face before he was tempted to slug him again. He didn’t want their friendship to end like this, but it was obvious Erik had hid the extent of his feelings from Emery. Had he known Erik felt like that, he would have distanced himself sooner, not fooled around with him. He felt badly about that, and it did explain why Erik was acting like this, but it didn’t change the way he felt about Sean.
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