by Lisa Oliver
“And while you two are talking, I’ll have a chat with Caden and sort things out,” Sean said, looking to see how Caden would take his news. But it was Felix who answered.
“Oh hell no, I am not leaving Caden with you guys until I know what the fuck is going on. My friend is scared of you and I’m fucking kicking myself I didn’t realize it before now. I should never have brought you here. This is the one place Caden should feel safe. Caden I’m so sorry.”
“It’s all right,” Caden said, his body slumping in defeat. “A couch. I have one couch. Sit on it, say your piece and then if you mean me no harm, leave me to my work.”
Sean looked around the huge space, cluttered as it was with easels, paintings – it was one giant mess, but surprisingly Sean found it didn’t bother his clean sensibilities like he thought it would. Along one wall was a long table that was littered with paints and brushes, glasses of water and other odds and ends that Sean assumed were necessary to what Caden did. On the easel in the center of the room he saw a picture of someone that looked remarkably like himself and his wolf. That raised a few questions but for now Sean settled for following Felix and Liam to the solitary couch that sat along a side wall by the giant windows.
“You seriously need more furniture,” Liam said, attempting to lighten the atmosphere. It fell flat.
“I don’t have visitors, so it’s not necessary.” Yep, his little wolf was holding himself together by a mere thread, and while Sean was worried about the anxiety that was pouring off of Caden in waves, he was impressed at how well his mate could hide it – from humans at least.
Liam and Felix sat on the couch, Caden sank onto the floor in front of the window, sitting with his legs crossed, and Sean settled for leaning against the wall by the couch. This was Liam’s call, at least with regards to how much he told his future mate, but Sean would be supportive wherever possible.
Liam took Felix’s hand in his and tried his best to look as honest as possible. “Felix, hon, there is no easy way to say this. I love you and always will, and before you tell me that’s not possible because we haven’t known each other very long, hear me out. I’m a wolf shifter. I can turn into a wolf. You’re my fated mate, and we are meant to be together forever. I knew all that from the moment we met. I won’t stray, I’ll never hurt you and I’ll protect you for all time.”
Felix regarded Liam for a long moment and then shook his head, looking across at Caden. “Okay, now I have to apologize for bringing crazy people into your home. I can’t tell you how sorry I am.”
“Hear Liam out, Felix. We’ve been friends for three years, so hopefully you’ll believe me when I tell you that weird though it is, he’s telling you the truth.” Caden rose to his feet in one fluid movement. “Liam’s an Alpha wolf shifter, so is Sean. I could smell it on them the moment I met them. Fated mates are real, and everything he said about what that means will be true for the pair of you. I should know because I’m similar, but not.” He flicked the button on his jeans and as they started to fall he shifted. It was super-fast. Sean had never seen any wolf shift so quickly. One second Caden was in the process of getting naked, something Sean would have paid to see, the next a white wolf stood in his place, quietly regarding the three men.
On the couch, Felix yelled, shrieked, and then started babbling something about being sorry he hadn’t believed Liam and how the hell couldn’t he have known his friend could turn into a wolf. Liam was holding it together as best as he could, but Sean could smell the lust rising from the couch. Liam hadn’t dared claim Felix until the human knew the truth, and now the truth was out, his wolf was probably pushing him to get to the good stuff and to hell with where they were.
Their bodies entwined, the two men seemed to have forgotten Caden, but Sean was riveted by him. Never taking his eyes off the white wolf, Sean dropped to his knees, shaking his head in wonder.
“You are so totally beautiful in either form,” he said gravely, knowing he had Caden’s full attention. The wolf paced a bit, not getting any closer, but Sean could see longing in his eyes. “I could tell by your comments earlier that you don’t trust other wolves; I’m telling you honestly my heart is breaking at the thought of the harm you must have suffered in the past. But please believe me, in my pack, where Liam and I were born, Omegas are treasured, cherished and protected. My father is the Alpha and he has been telling me since I was a little boy, that Omegas were a gift from the Fates. Sent to remind us how life wasn’t all about physical strength and Alpha power. They are a constant reminder of the power of compassion and love, gentleness and peace. Liam and I were raised that way and we believe those ideals with all that we are.”
Caden whined and shook his head. He took one step forward and then back again. Sean had a feeling that their mingled scent was pushing the wolf to get closer, the way they normally would in a pack situation, but Caden’s humanity, his memory of past abuse, was clearly holding him back.
“I’d love it if you came closer. I promise you have nothing to fear from me,” Sean said, settling his butt on the floor so he was about the same height as the wolf. He cautiously held out his hand, holding it steady. Caden whined again, lowering his head, he moved to the side, and then back again. Sean willed himself to be patient. To sit still and try and instill some trust in a poor wolf who had none. He could see the fight in his mate. The need to be close that was ingrained in all wolves, warring desperately with the fear Sean could still smell.
“It’s okay, little wolf. I promise I won’t hurt you. I can’t hurt you. We’re mates and even if you never accept me, I would still protect you till the end of time. I will always protect you.”
Sean thought he was making some headway. He was so sure that Caden would come to him. But all of a sudden Caden sat on his haunches and raised his cute little snout. He opened his mouth slightly and howled. The sound cut through Sean’s heart faster than a knife. It was a haunting sound, filled with pain and sorrow. This was the sound of loneliness by a wolf without a pack, a wolf who’d been hurt beyond measure, a wolf whose own heart was broken. Sean would swear that he’d never heard anything so devastating in his entire life. When asked about it later, that was the reason he gave for what he did next. There was no way he could listen to that howl and not respond in some way.
/~/~/~/~/
Caden, the man, always had trouble expressing himself and in a lot of cases, his wolf was no better. Caden’s wolf had spent a lifetime being scared and alone and now, all of a sudden, there was this man, this Alpha, telling him he deserved to be cherished, that his Omega status was something special. In that moment, even though the wolf was torn between wanting to roll in his mate’s scent and being too scared to go near him, it was that frustration, the loneliness and the sheer heartbreak that he’d been through, that allowed the wolf to finally find his voice.
His fur prickled, his skin felt tight, his heart was racing, and he was so damned confused. The feelings got too big for his body; he had no choice but to release them. So he howled, despite being in the presence of others, even though he knew his human friend was wondering what the hell was going on. He howled and howled and howled and howled and as he gave voice to the feelings that had spent so long trapped inside of him, he hoped and prayed that for the first time in his life, someone would answer his call.
And someone did.
A big black Alpha wolf answered; one with an enticing scent that spoke of pine trees and redwoods, of the earth after a soft rain, and the sweetness of the sun on a spring morning; the same black Alpha wolf that had haunted his dreams for the past four years. A strong wolf, with a deep voice howled back promising love, security, protection and safety. A wolf that was happy to lead and be lead, whose deeper tones harmonized so perfectly with Caden’s own. Slowly, as they sang together, Caden felt the shreds of his heart slowly weave back together.
This wolf was not silent; this wolf didn’t sit in the shadows and simply watch Caden’s pain. This beautiful black animal sat shoulder to shoulder with
Caden and howled to the ceiling, just as Caden did. Somewhere in their duet Caden found threads of trust, of hope, and as he sank onto the floor, exhausted from the outpouring of emotion, he felt his mate curl around him, his strong scent like a comforting blanket, and for the first time in a very long time, Caden slept without dreams.
Chapter Five
Sean woke in his human form, in a strange, decidedly messy bed, curled around a small, lithe blond man, feeling surprisingly content. He could pick up the faint traces of his brother’s scent, and as the events from last night came back to him he felt his face twitch into a broad smile. Liam and Felix must have stayed long enough to get them to bed, and then…he took a long sniff…they left, probably, so Liam could get down to the serious business of claiming his mate. As Sean looked at the lovely young man in his arms, he knew he was going to make it his life’s mission to achieve the same goal, although chances are it wasn’t going to be an easy task. Last night’s serenade had been a breakthrough of sorts, but Caden’s distrust of all things pack was going to make the claiming side of things difficult.
The best way to start earning his mate’s trust was to provide for him; Sean carefully eased himself off the bed and found the bathroom. He was momentarily stunned by the lavish fittings, especially in light of how the rest of the apartment was furnished. He made a mental note to ask Caden about it later and shoved any thoughts of what could be done in that decadent-looking tub to the back of his brain. The only reason Caden slept naked with him was because they had gone to bed as wolves. As much as he wanted to, Sean wasn’t going to take advantage of the nakedness that was natural to shifters.
Padding quietly around the screen, Sean found his clothes and then the kitchen area at the back of the open plan space. There was plenty of food, although little evidence that Caden cooked. Either that or the young man was scrupulous about cleaning up after himself. After seeing the state of the bedroom, Sean wasn’t sure that was likely.
Sean set about making his favorite, pancakes with maple syrup and crispy bacon. As he cooked he pondered his decision to take Caden as a mate. Even as he’d climbed the rusted fire escape to Caden’s ledge, Sean had been in two minds about it. Yes, he had an Alpha imperative to ensure that Caden was okay – protectiveness in an Alpha didn’t only apply to mates, although it applied tenfold for them. He’d been stunned by the erotic picture Caden presented as he defended his territory. He’d been blindsided and almost crippled by the pain he felt from Caden’s wolf when the white beauty had finally found his voice. But none of those things were enough on their own to make a serious decision to mate the man. After all, that would mean he could never indulge in casual sex again, and over the years Sean had gotten used to the variety among human males.
But as he whisked the pancake batter, Sean realized there were countless reasons for taking Caden as a mate and only a few against. A mate was a mate, no matter what, and someone to be cherished. On the negative side Caden was territorial, and messy. Very messy in his home environment. Sean’s need for clean, neat and tidy spaces was going to be sorely tested. However, on the positive side, Caden had been strong enough to survive so long without a pack, talented enough to make a reasonable income, pretty enough that Sean knew he’d have no problems with the physical side of their relationship, and his wolf adored the little Omega already. That was without the whole fated mates’ business.
Putting bacon under the broiler and dropping batter into a fry pan on the stove top, Sean knew that he could pro and con all he liked, but when it came right down to it, Caden was picked by the Fates for him. The Omega was territorial, scared, vulnerable, and he desperately needed the security of an Alpha who would care about him. That was the one aspect that made Sean pause. Caden would be hard to win over, it’d be difficult to gain his trust, and after the life Caden had clearly had, the man deserved to be positively adored. Sean wasn’t sure he had an adoration gene. In fact, he was fairly sure that side of him was non-existent. He was used to being adored, not lavishing the same emotion on someone else.
But by the time he was filling the plates, Sean decided it didn’t matter. He would learn how to care for his Omega as time went on. His wolf would help him, and Sean had plenty of experience in being guided by his animal spirit. The first thing he had to do was win the guy’s trust so that he would be allowed to claim him. Because no matter what else might’ve been spinning through Sean’s mind since he’d woken, one fact was overwhelmingly clear. He didn’t want to leave Caden’s side ever again. The thought of being without his little mate, of going another five days without seeing him at all – Sean couldn’t handle that. And if that wasn’t a good basis for mating, then he didn’t know what was. It was certainly enough for him.
/~/~/~/~/
Caden woke to the delicious scent of bacon cooking, and his stomach rumbled appreciatively. But this was a situation Caden hadn’t been in before, and he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. From the scent on his sheets he knew Sean had stayed the night – the lack of sex in the air made it plain they just slept, although how they got to bed was beyond Caden’s guess. He remembered falling asleep on the floor, but as he stretched out his tired limbs, he realized he’d had an amazing sleep. So amazing in fact, Caden felt horny, and he couldn’t remember the last time that happened.
Hungry. Horny. Should he get up or stay in bed? Get up, he decided. If he stayed in bed, then Sean might take that as an invitation that Caden was hesitant to offer. He might be horny, but he was also a virgin and he wasn’t sure he was ready to give that up to the first good looking Alpha that came along, even if the man was his mate. He scurried out of bed, and dashed into the bathroom, determined to be dressed before Sean had finished in the kitchen. He was pulling on his jeans when he heard Sean call out, “Caden, I’ve got breakfast for us on the fire escape. Come and get it.”
That was good, right? Sean didn’t want to come back to bed, he wanted them to eat outside. But weren’t true mates supposed to want to fuck and claim and do all of those other things that Caden had only heard about and never actually done? Maybe Sean wasn’t his true mate – maybe Caden’s reaction was because Sean was an Alpha. Although, as he hurried through the studio Caden knew he was barking up the wrong tree. Liam didn’t arouse any feelings in him whatsoever, except the innate distrust he had for all things wolf. So did Sean’s actions this morning mean that he wasn’t wanted? And why did Caden feel disappointed at that idea? Gods, he was so confused.
Sean certainly looked good in the early morning light. His short blond hair sparkled, and although the man wore his shades, his smile wasn’t hidden at all. Caden decided then and there that a smiling Sean was definitely drool-worthy.
“Good morning. Thank you for cooking, although if you had woken me, I could’ve done it,” he managed to say without blushing.
“It wasn’t a bother at all,” Sean said. “Given your lack of chairs I thought we could eat out here with our plates on our laps. What do you think?”
Think? Another wolf was asking him what he thought? Wow, that was different. “Good idea,” Caden managed to say as he sat and swung his legs over the side of the ledge as Sean had suggested. He’d never been afraid to sit on the fire escape – he felt safe above the ground. Sean handed him a plate and some cutlery before sitting down beside him. Not wanting to be caught ogling the Alpha, Caden looked down at his plate instead, and gasped at what he saw.
“You made pancakes.” Caden felt like he was going to cry. These were proper pancakes, made from scratch, and Sean made them for him. Caden had only had homemade pancakes once in his life – when a kindly woman had given him a meal and a bed for the night in return for chores she wanted done.
“I hope you like them,” Sean said with a little frown. “I probably should have asked you what sorts of things you like to eat.”
“I eat anything,” Caden assured him, cutting into the fluffy pancake. “After being on the streets for so long, and not getting much to eat before that, I tend to scoff
down anything that is put in front of me.”
Crap. The moment the words left his mouth, Caden knew he should have kept his lips shut. Sean had asked if he liked pancakes. He didn’t want, or need to hear Caden’s life history. But Sean didn’t comment, or act like he thought Caden was strange, he simply indicated Caden should eat while the food was hot.
It was oddly peaceful sitting with his legs swinging on the fire escape. Caden’s loft was in an industrial district and around him were mostly storage units and warehouses. He liked the fact that the area never got particularly busy, just the odd truck now and then. Caden had a beautiful view across rooftops, which made for an interesting vista, and in the far distance were the Hollywood Hills. The sky was blue, this time of the morning the air was clean, and all Caden could smell, apart from the bacon, was the enticing scent of his mate.
“So tell me, what do you do, apart from cook delicious pancakes?” he asked, after he’d demolished most of what was on his plate. If Sean did nothing but cook delicious pancakes, he’d still be a keeper in Caden’s books. He couldn’t remember the last time someone cooked for him in his own kitchen. In fact, he was fairly sure this was a first.
“Liam and I run a club downtown, a club that could really benefit from a gorgeous wolf painting on one of the walls.” Sean’s plate was empty, although he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to go anywhere. But Caden’s heart dropped into his stomach.
“Is that why you stayed last night?” He said hesitantly. “You want me to do a painting. Is that it?” Caden wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer, but at least he would know if it was true or not. He just…he was sick of people only after him because they wanted something. But then why else would someone as gorgeous and self-assured as Sean want to hang around with the likes of him?
“Liam wants the painting,” Sean said, his mouth down turned. Still looked good, Caden noticed. “I thought he’d mentioned that the night we met. No, me, it’s simple. I stayed because you’re my mate. I want to claim you as soon as you’re ready. But I figured you’d want to get to know me first. You can’t do that if I’m not here. So I’ll be sticking around for a while.”