by Lynn Tyler
“I think I’m drunk. Is that possible when I haven’t had anything to drink?”
Michael’s chuckle jostled him out of his comfortable spot. He pulled away and glared at the man.
Or he thought he did.
His soon-to-be mate smiled indulgently at him. Wasn’t he scary anymore? Most shifters usually shook in their boots when they saw him coming. It didn’t matter how dominant he was. He had the final say on just about everything.
“Gray called. He told me you’d been a little off since joining the pack. It shouldn’t last long. Come on into the kitchen and sit down. I made dinner.”
He let himself be led through the house and in no time, had a hot plate of food in front of him.
“Eat,” Michael said. “It will probably help.”
He missed his mouth once or twice, jabbing himself in the chin with his fork, but Michael was right. The protein and calories rushed through him, dampening his connections to the pack members until he could barely feel them. “That’s going to take some getting used to. Oh, God, they can’t tell when we’re making love, can they?”
What a horrifying thought. The last thing he needed was for all the teenagers in the pack to know exactly what he and his mate were up to.
Michael smirked. “Making love? Really?”
Justin glared, satisfied when Michael looked suitably chastened. “Yes. Making love. And can they sense it?”
“No. They can tell if we’re happy or upset, but they don’t know why. They will come running if you’re scared, though.”
His stomach settled. “So I guess I shouldn’t watch those horror movies anymore, huh?”
Michael chuckled. “Gray also said you need to talk to me about something. He was a little vague.”
He sighed and pushed his food around his plate. He’d hoped to discuss the whole mating thing with Michael in a more comfortable environment. Like in each other’s arms while they soaked in the new tub. Somewhere where it would be hard for Michael to run from.
“That sigh was pretty serious. What’s going on?”
The meat on his fork tempted him, if only so he could shove it in his mouth to avoid bringing up a sensitive subject, but the nurse had made sure they would have a heart-to-heart.
“Are you having second thoughts about going through with the mating ceremony tomorrow? Because,” he rushed to say when Michael’s eyes widened, “we don’t have to do it tomorrow. We can wait. I can wait. For as long as you need.”
Michael surged to his feet. For one sinking second, Justin thought he was going to bolt.
Instead, the wolf zipped around the table, knocking over a chair in his haste, and knelt at his feet. “I’m not having second thoughts. I promise.”
Justin rubbed a lock of the wolf’s hair between his fingers. “Then what’s going on? I’ve suspected for a while you weren’t quite comfortable with what’s going to happen and now that I can feel you in the pack bonds, I know something isn’t right.”
His heart melted when his mate buried his face in his lap and he felt the heat of a blush emanating from his cheeks.
He had to strain his ears to hear Michael’s whispered response, “It’s because Declan and Quinn will be there.”
Using his hold on the wolf’s hair, he pulled gently until Michael looked up at him. “What’s wrong with Declan and Quinn? You don’t exactly have any qualms about strutting around naked in front of the whole pack. And we’ve been to several mating ceremonies in the last few months. Besides, you have an awesome body.”
“It’s not me I don’t want them seeing. It’s you.”
Justin couldn’t help the smile. “They’ve seen me nude at least once a month at the Pack Run. It’s nothing new, babe.”
Michael opened his mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again.
He took pity on his lover and slid his hand down the back of Michael’s skull and cupped the back of his neck. “Hey, don’t worry. We’ll work through whatever’s going on.”
He jerked back when Michael surged up and pressed their lips together.
Oh, he loved the way Michael kissed. He poured all his emotions, all the words he couldn’t say, into his kisses. He opened his mouth at the wolf’s soft insistence and shivered when Michael sucked on his lower lip before running the tip of his tongue along the inside edge of it.
Talk. He needed to talk to Michael.
He pulled away as gently as he could. “Michael…”
His sentence morphed into a groan when his lover trailed his lips across his jaw and down his neck.
He panted, hardening his resolve even as another part of him hardened. “Baby,” he breathed. “Baby, we need to talk.”
“Talking is overrated,” Michael responded.
Justin let his head fall back as Michael nipped at his collarbone, but he allowed it only for a few more seconds before pushing the wolf back completely. “Please don’t try and distract me.”
His heart stuttered when his lover shuffled back and stood. For one awful second, he thought Michael would make some excuse and leave the room like he’d done so many times when things got too intense for him to handle.
“I’m sorry,” Michael whispered. Justin closed his eyes when the wolf tenderly cupped his cheek. “I’m so sorry I made you feel like I might run and not come back. I didn’t realize. Find me through our pack bond.”
He sifted through the different ribbons of awareness until he found his lover’s and smiled. It pulsed with love and affection. “Sometimes I need time to work through my feelings and I know that if I stay with you while I do it, I’ll end up bending you over the nearest surface instead of figuring out what I need to do. But I will always come back. I promise.”
Justin nodded, still holding on to that warm ribbon with his mind. Pack bonds were incredible. It was no wonder why wolves were the most stable shifters.
“I need to get my baser instincts under control,” Michael continued, gesturing to his crotch. “I’m just going to get some water. Do you want some?”
He shook his head and watched Michael’s tight ass as he crossed the room.
Perhaps talking was overrated.
Chapter 4
Michael tried his best to keep his link with Justin full of love and not to taint it with the guilt he felt.
He’d never stopped to think about how his tendency to kiss Justin senseless when they were talking might make Justin think he was distracting him on purpose. He just couldn’t help himself. When Justin got all serious, his lips pulled into a small moue, a dimple appeared in his chin and he was too damn adorable for Michael to think of anything else. It had taken him a while to get used to the fact that he was allowed touch and kiss them man whenever he wanted and perhaps he’d gone overboard taking full advantage of the situation.
He downed the entire glass of water without pausing, and then filled his glass again, using the time to think about his words.
There really wasn’t a good way to explain his feelings, not without coming across like a jerk.
Taking a deep breath, he set the full glass on the counter and walked back to his lover.
It was tempting to sit at Justin’s feet and let him soothe everything away. It was more tempting to scoop the man up and settle him into his lap.
Both situations would probably end up with him trailing his lips over some part of the eagle’s body though and, mindful of Justin’s request not to distract him, Michael chose a seat at the opposite end of the table.
He smiled at Justin’s pout. God, the man really had no idea how cute he was. “If I get any closer, I won’t be responsible for my wandering hands. And you wanted to talk.”
“Right,” Justin muttered. “Talk. Why did I think we needed to talk?”
Ooohhh, dangerous territory. If he hadn’t had the new pack connection with his lover, Michael would have taken the hint and kissed the daylights out of Justin. But he’d seen the need in their faint bond, the quiet desperation to understand.
And he never wanted
his mate-to-be to doubt his importance in his life.
He sighed and rubbed the center of his forehead.
“I’m a jealous bastard,” he finally said.
Justin cocked his head. “Have you always felt this way about me being naked in front of the pack?”
Michael closed his eyes at the thought of a nude Justin. God, the way his skin glowed in the moonlight always had time wondering if he actually needed to hunt. Even his wolf, who really didn’t care that much about sex, agreed that their mate’s body was stunning.
He cleared his throat. “Not naked. Your pleasure.”
“Sorry, babe. I’m really confused.”
A little growl of frustration rumbled in his throat. Why couldn’t he just find the words to express his feelings?
He suddenly found himself with a lap full of cooing eagle shifter. “Shh, babe. Take your time. I’ll wait. For as long as you need, remember?”
His heart had started beating for Justin long ago but the man never failed to remind him how much he was loved. No one had ever loved him as much as Justin, not the former Alpha, not Declan and certainly not his parents. Heat pushed at the back of his eyes, warning him that any moment, tears might start to flow.
Justin must have seen a shimmer of them because his crooning increased and his arms tightened around Michael’s neck. “Don’t cry. Please don’t cry.”
Michael let out a rusty chuckle. “Happy tears. God, I’m such a girl.”
Justin sniggered and squirmed in his lap until his dick sat up and paid attention. “While there’s nothing wrong with girls, you, my love, are very definitely all male.”
There was no point in holding back on his explanation any longer, especially if it meant Justin would help take his mind off it. “I have to share you with everyone. Not just the pack, or with the eagles, but with every shifter in North America who has a dispute.”
“I’m sorry,” Justin said, snuggling close.
He shook his head and pulled the eagle against his chest. “I don’t mind sharing some of your attention. But your pleasure, it’s only been mine for so long. I don’t want to share that with anyone. I don’t want Declan or Quinn seeing you like that.”
The hollow of Justin’s neck looked like an inviting hiding place, so he buried his face in his mate’s skin, breathing in his comforting scent.
“Oh, Michael. I didn’t know.”
“I know,” he mumbled. “It’s not like we have much choice, but it’s been bugging me.”
Justin didn’t say anything else. He simply held Michael close. It was one of the things he loved most about Justin. He didn’t try to fix Michael. He just gave him what he needed without making a big deal.
Eventually, someone knocked on the door.
He raised his head, grimacing when a familiar scent tickled his nose. “It’s your brother.”
“Do you want me to tell him to go away?”
The prickle of tears pressed on him again, but he blinked them away. He knew with absolute certainly Justin would send the Eagle Elder on his way if Michael said the word. “No. He would simply force his way in anyway.”
Slipping out of his lap, Justin padded to the door. Michael ground his palms against his eyes and tried to pull himself together.
“You do know it’s bad luck for the grooms to see each other before their mating, right?” Rylan’s voice echoed through the house.
“You don’t really believe that,” Justin said.
“Nope. But it’s tradition, or at least I’m told it’s tradition by Declan. So I’m here to take you away for the night. Hey, Michael,” Rylan said as he stepped into the kitchen.
“Hello, Elder.”
He smirked at the man’s snort of derision. “How many times have I told you to call me Rylan?”
“Too many,” Michael responded. He stood up and shook the eagle’s hand. “Still, you are an Elder, and you deserve that respect.”
“True. But I’m soon going to be your brother-in-law, so I think we can do away with the formalities.”
Michael grinned, relieved that Justin’s brother seemed happy enough that they were mating. “Where are you taking the man of the hour?” he asked.
“I booked him a room at the hotel I’m staying at. I figured we could order in and catch up. Talking on the phone is nice, but I always find it easier to carry on a conversation when I’m face-to-face with him. Don’t worry, I’ll have him back in time for the ceremony.”
Justin looked like he wanted to protest but Michael snagged him around the waist and pulled him close. He kissed him full on the mouth, even going so far as to trace the seam of his lips with the tip of his tongue. “I’m not worried.”
His mate’s smile would be more than enough to keep him going for the rest of his life.
“By the way, I stopped over at Declan’s before I came. He asked me to tell you to go over to his place.”
And since it was never a good idea to say no to an Alpha, Michael kissed Justin one last time before leaving.
***
Quinn greeted him at the door with a smile, a beer and a handful of chocolate chip cookies. “Um, thanks?”
The omega laughed and led him inside. “I know, I know. Cullen has been laughing at me for about an hour now. I figured cookies are always a sure thing and a bachelor party should always have some kind of alcohol.”
Quinn’s enthusiasm was infectious and he smiled back. “I agree.”
The little wolf’s face pulled into a pout. “With Cullen?”
“No, you nut. You.”
“Oh. Well, I always knew there was a reason I love you the most.”
Declan’s low growl was playful. “You’d better not love him the most.”
The omega immediately abandoned Michael’s side and wrapped himself around the Alpha. “Okay. I love him second best. Come on, we’ve got food and poker.”
The evening passed quickly enough. Declan had invited the betas, Gray and Shannon, and Micah and Shea had shown up about an hour later, Shea looking utterly mussed and blissed out.
“Where are all the kids?” Micah asked.
“The twins are with Trina for the night and the girls are with their grandmother,” Quinn answered.
“So it’s just us, beer, and the poker table.”
Michael grinned and grabbed a sandwich from a platter. “Let’s get this bachelor party started.”
He played with them until midnight. Declan had disappeared for about an hour halfway through the game, presumably to take a phone call from a demanding client, but he’d come back just as Quinn was pushing the last of his Oreo cookies in Michael’s direction.
“You lost?”
Quinn nodded glumly. “I wanted to eat those, too.”
One of the other wolves snorted. “Then we shouldn’t use your favorite cookies to bet with.”
“It’s not like Declan will let me play strip poker with you lot.”
And that’s my cue. “It’s been fun guys. But I have a mating ceremony tomorrow, so I really should get some sleep.”
“Yep,” Declan said with a smile. “You should get some sleep…upstairs.”
Michael frowned. Upstairs? He wanted to go home and sleep. In the bed he shared with Justin. Surrounded by blankets and covers that smelled like his lover.
His foster brother had always been able to read him like a book, even when he’d tried his best to close himself off from everyone, and grabbed his elbow to redirect him toward the staircase. “Humor me, just this once.”
The room was exactly how he’d left it. Declan’s parents had insisted on brand new everything when he’d moved in and, apparently, the Alpha made a point to make sure the room was kept clean when he’d taken over the pack.
He crawled under the covers. Instantly, memories of his first night here assailed him. Every joint in his body had ached from his father’s beating. But it was nothing compared to the gaping hole in his chest where his heart had been ripped out. Figuratively speaking, of course.
&nbs
p; He lay in the dark and searched his mind for the pain he usually kept buried. It was so well hidden, only the omegas Quinn and Pierce, and occasionally Declan, knew it was there.
And Justin.
Once Justin had moved in with him, he’d taken that plunge and shared his heartbreak with his lover.
The eagle had held him through countless nightmares, through bouts of self-pity, and through episodes of insecurity.
Unable to find the pain, he thought about the mating ceremony he was about to have and waited for the shame his parents had instilled in him.
He waited until his eyelids were heavy and the digital clock flipped to one o’clock.
Instead of pain and shame, all he found was peace and love.
Chapter 5
“It’s just the gym, Dec, I swear.”
The Alpha shook his head again. “Not going to happen, Mikey. We have a treadmill and some weights in the basement you can use if you want.”
Michael swallowed a groan of frustration. All of the equipment Declan had in the basement was probably top of the line. And Quinn was no doubt a riot when exercising.
But despite the peace he’d felt when falling asleep, he was still a little jealous that the two of them were going to be witnesses to Justin’s pleasure. All he wanted to do was get away for a while and exercise the unwanted emotions out of his system.
Quinn popped his head in and smiled. “Breakfast. Come and get some before the heathens get here.”
Breakfast consisted of cold cereal and coffee.
“I haven’t mastered breakfast yet,” Quinn admitted.
It was better than the protein bars he usually wolfed down in the morning at least. He’d finished his first bowl when he heard the front door open and the little footsteps sounded on the hardwood floor.
Two blond toddlers skidded into the kitchen and headed straight for Quinn, who bent down and caught them easily. They took turns babbling at him, squishing his cheeks between their tiny palms and kissing him.
“Hey,” the Alpha said. “Don’t I get a hug?”
The look the two children gave their father could curdle milk. As one, they turned their faces into Quinn’s neck, completely ignoring Declan.