by Lynn Hagen
Horace already looked afraid and Keller didn’t want to add to the man’s anxiety. Any more than he had, at least.
“I’m so sorry.” Keller shook his head and closed his eyes, wishing to god he hadn’t done that. “My panther struck before I even knew what it was doing.”
“Will someone explain to me what’s going on?” Horace demanded. “A grown man just bit me and you guys are acting too dang strange and I’m seconds away from totally freaking out!”
“That’s how Nash and I got together,” Layne said as he turned to face Horace. “The mark, Horace. It means you’re meant to be a panther’s mate.”
“You didn’t know that?” Nash looked incredulously at Horace. “But you have the mark. No one explained what that meant?”
“I knew being with a panther meant you could get pregnant, but no one said anything about a dang mark.” Horace looked as though he’d be sick at any moment. He pressed a hand to his stomach, refusing to look at Keller.
When Keller fucked up, he went all the way. He’d just irrevocably changed Horace’s world. The human’s life would never be the same again. And it was all Keller’s fault.
“You didn’t tell him?” Nash narrowed his eyes.
“I didn’t know he had the birthmark,” Layne defended. “If I had, I would’ve told him everything.”
“I didn’t know, either,” Stevie said. “You know a guy your whole life and still don’t know him, I guess.”
“What’re you saying?” Stanton asked. “That anyone with that mark can get pregnant?”
Everyone turned to Stanton, expect Keller. He couldn’t rip his eyes from Horace even if he’d wanted to. The guy still looked shocked, his green eyes misting as if he were about to cry, which broke Keller’s damn heart.
He wanted to pull Horace into his arms and tell him that everything was okay, but for one, the guy didn’t look as if he’d accept Keller’s touch. Two, shit, Keller was inwardly freaking out himself.
“Do you have one?” Layne asked Stanton.
Stanton looked away.
“Where?” Stevie asked.
“On the bottom of my foot,” Stanton said.
Just then Keller’s phone chirped. To distract himself, he pulled it out and saw he had a text from Marcus. He groaned and shoved his phone back into his pocket. Now was not the time to deal with this.
“Your birthday is in three months,” Stevie said to Stanton. “You need to protect yourself if you don’t want to get knocked up.”
“Wait the fuck up.” Stanton held up a hand. “I’m not getting pregnant. No fucking way. That shit is just too bizarre, no offense to you or Layne.”
Horace just stood there in a daze. His hand traveled to his shoulder, and he cupped where Keller had bitten him. He swallowed roughly before walking from the room.
Keller wanted to stay put, to leave Horace alone. He’d already done too much damage, but his panther wasn’t having it. Keller’s feet started to move of their own accord, and he found himself following Horace into the living room.
“I know it’s lame to say, but I’m truly sorry,” Keller said. “My panther caught the scent and acted on instinct.”
Keller didn’t say anything, and neither did Horace as Stanton passed them and headed out the front door.
“Horace, say something.” Keller approached, ready to comfort the human in any way he could. He really hadn’t meant for this to happen and felt terrible for what he’d done.
Horace spun and slapped Keller across his face. Keller’s cheek stung, but he deserved no less.
Horace started for the door, but Keller grabbed his arm in a gentle hold. “You can’t leave. If another panther smells the pheromones you’re emitting, they’ll be all over you.”
“Well, I’m not staying here,” Horace snapped. “You just put your voodoo all over me. What happens next? You take me up to your room and knock me up?”
Keller wasn’t sure what to think when Horace started cleaning. Technically it wasn’t cleaning since the room was spotless. Horace just moved things around, making sure the books on the shelf were in alphabetical order, moved the knickknacks an inch over, and then walked around the room.
“Where’s your dang vacuum?”
Keller knew that look. Horace was in shock. “We need to talk about this.”
“I need to vacuum.”
“I don’t know where it is.” Keller moved closer, but Horace backed away. It gutted him to see Horace so upset. He’d caused that and didn’t know how to fix it.
Stevie came into the room, as if he’d been eavesdropping, went to the closet by the front door, and pulled the vacuum out. As soon as he did, he went back to the kitchen.
Horace hurried across the room, plugged it in, and the sound filled the air around them, sufficiently cutting off anything Keller might’ve said. Horace pushed the vacuum around as if he had seconds to get it done. His arm jerked back and forth, and sweat glistened on his forehead.
Keller was fighting to keep his panther from going to Horace. He knew that if he touched the human, it would be over. Keller wouldn’t be able to help himself, not when Horace smelled so damn good. He wanted to fuck the guy until neither of them could walk straight.
Horace shut the vacuum off, leaving behind a deafening silence. “It’s not working!”
Was he talking about the vacuum? “What’s not working?”
Tears filled Horace’s eyes. “Usually when I clean, I calm down, but it’s not working.” He looked around, abandoned his chore, and headed for the door.
“Whoa.” Keller grabbed him again. “You can stay the night in my room. I’ll sleep somewhere else. I just don’t want you walking outside when you smell so fucking good.”
Horace blinked up at him. “Good how?”
A rumbling purr worked its way up Keller’s chest. “Good as in I want to fuck you until we’re both exhausted and spent.”
Horace’s eyes widened. “Will I get pregnant if we do?”
Was that excitement in Horace’s green eyes? Keller wished he was thinking with a clearer head, but all he wanted at the moment was to be buried deep in Horace’s ass. Logic be damned. Caution was out the window. His resolve to leave Horace alone was gone.
Marcus who? Keller’s ex was the last thing on his mind. His panther yowled, egging Keller to get closer, to strip Horace out of his clothing and bend him over the back of the couch. His body tightened at the thought and heat gripped his cock. Keller had never fought so hard not to get close to a guy. This wild little creature had flipped Keller’s world upside down and all Keller wanted was to make the guy his.
“It’s possible,” Keller said between clenched teeth, desperately fighting the urge to claim Horace.
Then his canines descended without Keller’s permission. They punched through his gums and ached as Keller’s cock hardened. He gasped and released Horace’s arm, taking a few steps back.
That only happened when a panther found his mate. Keller knew that could happen, but that didn’t stop him from being stunned. All this time he’d been fighting to stay away from Horace, and the human was his mate.
“What?” Horace cocked his head. “Why do you look like I’m gonna slug you, and why are your sharp teeth out?” He narrowed his eyes. “You better not bite me again, or I’ll kick you in the balls.”
“You’re my mate.” Keller dropped to the couch. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He’d waited years for his canines to do this with Marcus, to tell him that the man he’d loved was his mate.
But that had never happened, clearly. He would never be with Marcus again. Not when his mate stood right in front of him.
You weren’t going back to California, anyway. But that option had still been available to him if Keller had changed his mind. There was no going back now, to his life or what might have been.
And he felt like a real bastard for even thinking that, but Keller couldn’t turn his emotions on and off like a faucet. Marcus had cheated on him multiple times, yet h
e still held a piece of Keller’s heart. That wasn’t fair to Horace, and Keller was determined to do right by his mate.
“What does that mean?” Horace asked.
“Jeez, Layne and Stevie didn’t tell you anything, did they?”
Horace folded his arms and glared at Keller. “No, so spill it.”
“It means you’re mine and I’m yours. We’re it for each other.” Keller wiped a hand over his face. Man the fuck up and deal with this the way Horace deserves.
“Come again?” Horace’s arms fell to his sides. “Because you bit me I’m stuck with you?”
“No.” Keller shook his head. “Because fate decided we should be together.” He thought about what Horace just said. “Stuck with me?”
“Just show me your room.” Horace headed for the steps. “This has all been too much, and I need to get some sleep. I have to work tomorrow.”
Keller joined Horace at the steps. “You can’t go to work. I already told you that any panther who smells you will be all over you.”
The jealous feeling consumed him and made him want to kill every panther in town.
“We need to renegotiate this,” Horace said, as if that were even possible.
Keller showed Horace to his bedroom. “For now, just sleep on it. We’ll talk in the morning.”
It took every ounce of willpower Keller possessed to walk away from Horace. The male looked good standing in his bedroom, and Keller was so fucking horny that his dick ached.
He turned to leave, but this time it was Horace who reached out and stopped him instead of the other way around. “Wait.”
Keller ground his teeth. “It’s taking great effort not to fuck you, Horace. I need to go, or you could end up pregnant.”
Horace’s grip tightened. He cried out, released Keller, and dropped to his knees. Keller cursed and turned around.
The change was starting.
* * * *
Horace wasn’t sure how much more of the pain he could take. It had lasted all night, even after Keller had given him two baths to try and cool him off.
Horace was curled into a ball in the middle of Keller’s bed, sweating like crazy and wishing the feeling of being stabbed in the gut would stop.
Keller sat on the side of the bed, rubbing a cool cloth over Horace’s face and neck. He kept saying he was sorry, and Horace was ready to shove that cloth into the guy’s mouth just to shut him up.
Neither of them looked up when someone knocked on the door. It was early morning, dawn making the room a bit lighter.
Nash walked in with a tray in his hands. He set it on the bed. “It’s Aunt Beatrice’s soup. It helped Layne and Stevie with their pain when they were going through the change.”
At this point Horace was willing to try anything. He’d drink a bowl of dumpster water if it stopped him from feeling as if he were dying. Keller helped him sit up then took the bowl from Nash.
“Thanks,” Keller said.
“Let me know if you guys need anything.” Nash looked at Horace with sympathy in his gray eyes before he left the room.
“I never knew about this soup,” Keller commented as he held the spoon to Horace’s lips. “Let’s see if it works.”
“I can feed myself.” But Horace didn’t uncurl his arms from his stomach. He was terrified and pissed and his emotions were all over the place. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to shout, cry, or laugh. This was too crazy to be real, yet he knew Stevie was pregnant and Layne had already given birth.
“I know you can, now open up.” Keller fed Horace the first spoonful, and Horace gagged.
“That tastes bad.” He turned his head when Keller held the spoon up again. Maybe his willingness to drink dumpster water was a bit outrageous. The soup tasted like gritty sand and Horace loathed finishing it.
“You have to eat this.”
“No I don’t,” Horace said as if he were five and refusing to eat his vegetables. “It tastes nasty.”
“Please?” Keller gave him a pouty-lip look. “Just a few more sips.”
With a groan and a wrinkled nose, Horace ate as much of the soup as he could stomach. The grit was awful, and the soup tasted like the inside of his stinky shoe. To his surprise, Horace ate all of it, even though he wanted to throw it back up.
“Happy?”
“Delighted.” Keller helped Horace lie back down. He slid the now-warm cloth over Horace’s forehead. “Have I told you that I’m sorry in the last five minutes?”
Horace snatched the cloth and tossed it to the floor. “First, that isn’t even cold anymore. Second, tell me you had any control over this situation.”
Keller brushed the hair from Horace’s face. “Even though I didn’t, that still doesn’t make it right.”
Horace’s brows drew down. “Is it because you didn’t have any control or that you lost your control with me?”
Keller scratched at his bearded cheek. “I’m not sure I’m following.”
“Are you mad because you couldn’t hold your control or because I’m the one who you bit? It’s a simple question, Keller. You’re upset because you’re stuck with me.”
“Wait.” Keller chuckled. “I thought it was the other way around. You were pissed because you were stuck with me.”
“I’m getting a freaking headache,” Horace groaned.
“It’s not you,” Keller said. “I just wasn’t expecting this.”
Neither had Horace. He wished Layne or Stevie would’ve told him about the birthmark. That would’ve saved him a lot of confusion. “If you’d known I had it, would you have steered clear of me?”
“Yes.”
Talk about hurting a guy’s feelings. Horace turned over, giving Keller his back. He wasn’t sure how he felt about all this, yet he fought not to let any tears escape.
“I’m being honest.” Keller laid a hand on Horace’s shoulder. “I just got out of a relationship and wasn’t looking to get back into one so soon. Would I have preferred to have time before this happened? Yes. Do I regret it happening? Not really. I’ve always wanted a family but never thought I would have one.”
Horace turned back over and shoved at Keller with his feet. “Get out of here. You’re not helping my sour mood. Bring me the vacuum before you sleep on the couch.”
“What did I say wrong?”
“Are you really that dense?” Horace struggled to sit up, refusing Keller’s help when he offered it. “You just got out of a relationship. Fine. I can deal with that. You’ve always wanted a family. A lot of people want that. But nowhere in there did I hear anything about you wanting to be with me. Go screw yourself, Keller, ’cause you ain’t screwing me.”
“Will you be reasonable?” Keller asked. “We just met. I was trying to get to know you as a friend. I wasn’t ready for any of this, but it happened. Now you act like I’m supposed to fall deeply in love with you just like that. Does that sound sane to you?”
It didn’t, but Horace’s feelings were hurt, and he didn’t want to hear Keller’s deep, sexy voice or drool over someone who was now “stuck” with him.
Keller wasn’t it for Horace, no matter what the guy said. He could go fly a kite because Horace was determined not to be mated to him. Every time he thought Keller wasn’t a jerk, the guy kept proving him wrong. He’d heard that doctors had huge egos and were jackasses, and Keller was proving that rumor right.
He cringed when he cursed, even though it had been in his head. Sheila had taught him better, that a person could get a point across without having a foul mouth.
“Nope,” Horace said. “You don’t have to fall deeply into anything except a black hole. Now can you bring me a vacuum or, at the very least, some cleaning supplies?”
Horace managed to get up but swayed as his knees buckled. Keller caught him and put him back to bed. “Why’re you trying to get up and do shit? You need your rest.”
“I need to clean, and where is Buttercup? He must be worried sick about me.” Horace wasn’t sure if that was true. The dog was probab
ly chewing the couch apart.
Or marking it with his urine.
“He’s around here somewhere.” Keller headed for the door and Horace didn’t want him to go, but he wasn’t dealing with the jerkface a second longer.
If he’d just broken up with someone, didn’t that mean Keller still cared about the person? Horace’s heart twisted at the thought as he pulled the covers over his head and forced himself not to scream in frustration.
Chapter Six
Keller sat on the front porch and watched as the sun rose. Already the day was heating up, and he would’ve preferred to be inside, but he needed time to think, to absorb what had happened last night.
His mate.
Wow. He scrubbed a hand over his head, wishing he could’ve taken things slower with Horace. The guy deserved so much more from Keller than this.
He grabbed his phone from his pocket when it rang. It was Marcus. Keller was so not in the mood for this. “Hello?”
“Tell me you weren’t ignoring my calls on purpose,” Marcus demanded. “And you said you would be gone for only a few days. When are you coming back?”
Keller watched as Hayward pulled into the driveway and parked his Jeep. He got out, and Keller wondered where his brother had been all night. Had he been hunting down that cythraul? Was that thing still in town, or had it moved on?
“Stop ignoring me,” Marcus snapped. “You owe me an answer.”
“I might have owned you one if you’d been a decent boyfriend.” Keller knew Marcus hated that word. He’d said on more than one occasion that the word boyfriend sounded like teenagers in love, and they weren’t teenagers.
“I already told you that was a mistake,” Marcus bit out. “We’re adults and can get past this. Get back here and stop acting so damn childish.”
Hayward nodded at him as he passed Keller on the steps and went inside. Keller thought of Nash and Layne and how happy they were. How Quinn seemed to be at Stevie’s beck and call. He wanted what they had, and he wanted it with Horace.