by Jana Downs
“Good.” He swigged the rest of the water bottle.
“You’re going to have to get him tattooed sooner rather than later. I suggest making an appointment at the shop for later this week.”
“I don’t know if that’s going to be a possibility to get him in there,” Billy said. He figured honesty was the best policy at this point. “He seemed really scared of what it meant. I’ll talk to him but I can’t make any guarantees.”
Mustang sighed. “I think this could get complicated very quickly if he doesn’t come around soon. After we grab some grub we’ll drive you out to your house so you can grab your spare vehicle. You meeting up with him?”
He nodded. “I figured I’d call him after we finished up here.”
“Good. Tell him things are settled now and that he will be very welcome.”
“It should’ve been that way from the beginning,” Billy rumbled. He was still very unhappy with his pack, as was obvious in all the dissenters getting less-than-gentle needle pokes earlier.
Mustang nodded. “Yes. It should have, but with the new members of our pack, there are going to be some growth pains.”
“Growth pains” was a real nice way of saying some of their new brothers and sisters were genuine assholes.
“I would suggest waiting a while before you go to him though,” Grayson said. “If my Sir came in busted up like you are, I would be making someone pay for it.” The Alpha’s mate had the muscle to do it, too.
Billy inclined his head. “Agreed. Mustang already scares the hell out of him. If he sees what you just did to me he would probably never come near me again.”
“It’s really unfortunate the way this all played out.” Mustang patted him on his leg, the one part of him that felt like it had avoided the road burn from a head on collision.
“That’s one word for it. I’d have a few rougher words for it.” He glanced around. “Where is my stuff?” He’d taken his wallet and cellphone out of his pockets before his punishment. They had been by the sharps container he’d put his syringes in.
“Oh right. I forgot.” Grayson opened up the cargo pocket on his pants. “Here you go.” He handed out his stuff and Billy tried to remember what it felt like to use his fingers to grab it.
Man, I’m sore.
Almost from the second he grabbed his phone, it started ringing. He didn’t recognize the number.
“Go on. I’ll limp over the tables after I finish this call.”
The two nodded before heading out of the back set of doors that faced the field. The mowed area would have rows and rows of picnic tables set up for the pack with one long row of buffet items straight down the middle.
He pressed the send icon. “Hello?”
“Hi, Dr. Carrigan?”
“Yes.”
“This is Richard Starnes from hospital security.”
Billy frowned “All right. What can I do for you, Mr. Starnes?”
“I just wanted to let you know your boyfriend dropped your car keys here with us to keep them safe. He said he would’ve dropped them by your house, but he had to make his flight. We told him we’d keep them for you.”
Every cell in Billy went cold. He didn’t do that. He couldn’t have left the freaking state with things the way they were right this second. Surely.
“Dr. Carrigan?”
Right. He needed to respond. “Right. Thank you. I’ll pick them up this evening.”
“Okeydokey. See you then.”
They hung up.
He was going to kill his mate. He was going to tie his ass to a cross and spank him until he was too sore to sit down. He’d been very understanding of JP and JP’s needs as a human being. Hell, he’d accommodated his need to wait when any other wolf would’ve carted him over his shoulder like a Neanderthal and convinced him the hard way that they were meant to be with one another.
Billy had always chosen the path that was one of diplomacy, kindness, and, most of all, consideration. He’d even taken lashing from his Alpha to spare even a moment’s mental pain for JP. He’d worried about Billy’s punishment for his leaving the house but not the state? What sense did that make?
“All right, JP. I know I’ve been a good guy thus far but I’m losing my patience at this point.”
It was time for JP to see exactly what kind of lover a wolf could be.
Chapter Eight
JP reclined on his parents’ deck, lounging by the pool as he soaked up the California sun. His parents had been surprised when he’d knocked on their door two days previously but they’d welcomed him home with a great show of enthusiasm.
He’d quietly withdrawn from his last semester of classes and headed back home to assess the situation. He hadn’t been a complete asshole about things. He’d shot Billy a text telling him he’d gone to clear his head and that when he got back they’d talk about where to go from there, but the lack of response had bothered him.
He sighed. Billy was probably pissed at him.
Okay.
Maybe he deserved it.
He’d run away like a kid pitching a fit over a toy, but he had a good reason. Pack life scared the hell out of him, and Billy hadn’t been able to do much other than snarl about it.
Granted, it had just been them wanting him to get a tattoo, which was terrifying enough. But what if they wanted something extreme next time? And what was this “turning” business? No one had told him jack shit about that.
He grabbed his book and flipped to the current chapter he was on. It was all about acceptable submissive behaviors at official pack functions, which were designated on another chapter. The information was interesting and all, but it didn’t give him what he really wanted to know.
He wanted to read about mates. He wanted to read about how they were with one another, what his mate expected, all that stuff that made relationships function. This wasn’t human blind dating. There were no discernible rules, and he doubted that even Billy knew them all. He clearly hadn’t anticipated his pack flipping shit.
He reached over and grabbed his phone. There were no new messages and nothing but spam mail in his e-mail inbox. Come on, Billy.
“Sweetheart, you’ve got a phone call in the guest house,” his mother called. She was back early from yoga and had been working on a veggie roll when he’d gone out to lounge. The saltwater pool was the only indulgence they really had and even that was ecofriendly.
JP smiled. His old friends from high school had been trying to catch up with him since he’d landed.
“Okay, Mom. I’ll get it.”
He rolled to his feet and padded the twelve feet over to the guest house, which was really a glorified pool house that had been converted into a guest house with the addition of a mini-kitchen and bathroom. It didn’t even really have a bed, just a set of hammocks that JP loved to lounge in.
He opened the door and then traversed the hardwoods to the phone hanging on the wall. It hadn’t been updated since 1999 by JP’s estimation, and though cordless, the receiver was at least eight pounds.
“Hello?”
“Two days.”
JP blinked. “How did you get this number, Billy?” He wasn’t upset, merely curious. “Are you turning into a stalker?” he teased.
Billy apparently didn’t find it so funny. “Actually I’m turning into a concerned mate. Have I treated you that terribly, JP?”
“Erm, no. Of course not. I told you that I just needed a couple of days. You said the Alpha wouldn’t hurt you so I figured I could go out and clear my head.”
“Hanging out in your apartment is not the same thing as flying five hundred miles away.”
JP tucked a strand stray of hair behind his ear. “Are you mad?”
“Do I sound happy?”
“No.” JP sighed. “I’m sorry. I freaked a little bit. I relax at my parents’ house. I thought I could work all this out in my head.”
“Okay.”
JP licked his lips, toying with the cord of the phone where it plugged into the wall.
“Come on, Billy. Don’t be like that.”
“Don’t be like what? Angry at you for running away instead of talking to me?”
Put like that… “Okay. I can understand why you might be mad,” he said grudgingly. “When I get back I’ll make it up to you.” If he had to get a tattoo, he would. “If I pass out from getting the tattoo, it’s on you.”
“I’m sure you’ll survive the popping of your tattoo virginity.”
Man, he sounded pissed.
“What can I do to make it up to you?”
“Be ready to leave in fifteen minutes.”
JP blinked. “Excuse me? I can’t get a flight back on that short notice.”
“You’re right. The next direct flight back isn’t for another four days. However, the Alpha of the Seneca Falls pack owes me a favor. He’s agreed to tattoo you for me.”
“I’m not going to some strange werewolf to get a tattoo!” JP’s fear spiked exponentially. “And what is all this ‘turning’ thing Mustang mentioned? Does it hurt?” Perhaps he should’ve stayed and talked to Billy after all. All the questions he had since he left had apparently been bothering him more than he’d thought.
“I’ll talk to you about it when I get there.”
“You’re here?” JP asked, shocked.
“Not yet. I’m fifteen minutes away. Wear something you might not mind me ripping off later.”
JP sputtered. Where had this come from? Billy didn’t get aggressive like that. JP’s cock stirred. He liked it. The submissive part of him settled down at the notion that Billy was really aggressive enough to take control of the situation when he needed to.
“Acknowledge,” Billy rumbled.
“Oh, um, okay. I’ll be ready.”
“Good.” Billy hung up.
Panic immediately settled in. He hadn’t had a shower and his hair needed to be touched up with color. His clothes weren’t washed either, so he had limited choices for outfit. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap.
He replaced the phone on the wall before hurrying toward the shower. He had to book it if he was going to be presentable by the time Billy knocked on the door. Some people might have been upset that Billy had come for him, but he was just flattered. He liked that Billy was willing to chase after him. It was more than any other boyfriend had done.
Tonight I’m going to get my answers from him and make a final decision. The prospect left him oddly jittery like he was amped up for a marathon run or something.
* * * *
Billy tucked the nerves he was feeling into a box inside of another box inside of a locked chest. If he allowed himself to doubt for even a second, he would be too soft with JP and everything would be ruined. His would-be lover deserved him at his best and that meant reassuring him that Billy was the Dom he needed in addition to the considerate mate he needed.
After some contemplation on “why” JP left, he came to the conclusion that JP had most likely fled because when faced with the other pack members, he’d found Billy an unworthy dominant to protect him.
I’m about to rock your world, JP. He wouldn’t be returning to Colorado without his mate knowing that they belonged together and that Billy was capable of taking care of him absolutely.
He turned into an upscale neighborhood that was on the more granola side of town, though who could tell in Berkley. His rental car’s GPS said he was still a quarter of a mile from the Barnes’s residence. It would give him time to collect himself. Sometimes a Dom had to put his foot down with his submissive.
By the time he pulled into the white concrete driveway, he had a deadly calm washing over him. There were two hybrids in the carport, and the landscaping was clearly kept up regularly. It reminded him eerily of his parents’ house, minus the two statues of Buddha that were hanging out among the foliage.
He put the car in park and then reached over to the passenger seat to grab the flowers he’d brought with him as well as the bottle of wine he’d brought to mollify JP’s parents. He hoped JP hadn’t been complaining about him to them. The last thing he wanted was JP’s father getting in his face or his mother being nasty to him. If they were going to make their mating a happy one, they were going to have to talk about involving other people in their problems.
You know, the poor kid has only been on one real date with you. He’s probably not thinking about forever like you are. He’s not a wolf yet. He won’t have the same instincts. His conscience needed to hush for now. He needed to make sure he was as confident as possible in the wake of his mate’s uncertainties.
He opened the door and then rolled out of the car. With sure, firm strides, he made his way to the front door. He took a deep breath and knocked twice.
The sound of shuffling inside made his heart start to pound. He felt like a teenager picking up his prom date. Not that he’d gone to prom, mind you. He’d just heard about the intensely uncomfortable phenomenon.
The yellow door swung open to reveal a very hairy gentleman with a full white beard. “Hello, how can I help you?” he asked.
Billy mustered up a smile. “Hi. I’m here to pick up JP.”
“Oh?” The man sounded skeptical. Why did he sound so skeptical? “Maggie,” he called over his shoulder. “I have a very smart-looking young man out here claiming he’s here for John Patrick.”
“Oh?” a feminine voice called back.
“Yes. He doesn’t look the sort John usually brings home though.” The furry man’s attention returned to Billy. “Are you in a gang?”
Billy blinked. “No.”
“Is that your natural hair color?”
This was the strangest interrogation he’d ever had. “Yes.”
“Any strange piercings?”
“No.” God, no. He shuddered at the thought.
“Are you employed?”
“Of course.”
The man tapped his ample stomach. “What do you do?”
“I’m a doctor.”
JP’s father’s eyes narrowed. “Do you believe in holistic medicines?”
“Certainly. Sometimes nature does it best.” Where was this going?
The bearded man grinned broadly and gave a whoop that startled Billy. “Honey, he’s a doctor!”
A squeal answered the pronouncement. “I knew working at that hospital would pay off! I have to see him!”
Oh, Jesus. The human reached for him and grabbed his arm, tugging him inside quicker than Billy could put up any sort of resistance.
The door shut behind him in an awkward finality.
The Barnes’s home was a combination of National Geographic spreads and Zen yoga studio. Earthy colors, African tribal masks, and statues of various eastern gods lined up on shelves stuffed to the brim with leather bound books with titles like Namaste Pants were the entirety of the living room he walked into. The furniture was a lovely supple suede that probably was very expensive imitation if the things JP had said about them were as severe as he’d claimed.
A woman with long brown hair that fell all the way to her butt approached them as JP’s father pushed him down onto the recliner.
“I, uh, brought you both wine. I wasn’t sure of your preference, so I got a nice supple red. It’s a nice vintage. Not too dry.”
“Oh isn’t he lovely!” JP’s mother proclaimed. “Are those flowers for our John Patrick?”
Billy nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
“They’re lovely. He’ll love them.” She took them from his grip and checked the florist’s card. “Oh no, dear. You really should buy from organic florists. Ones like this are covered in pesticides.” She sighed. “No matter. They’re lovely to look at.”
JP really hadn’t done them justice. They were batty and strange and wonderful all at once. He smiled. His own parents were a bit conservative, a bit more formal. He loved them, but JP’s just seemed like fun.
“I’ll just put these in some water and go get John Patrick. He was frantically getting ready when he dashed into the bathroom earlier. I guess that explains why.” She flounced off
in a flurry of flowing rainbow skirts, and he turned his attention back to the patchouli-smelling hairy human.
“My name is Billy, by the way. Billy Carrigan.”
“Well, Billy Carrigan, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Mr. Barnes said. “My name is Michael Charles—” That explained the two first names thing. “And the lovely woman who just ran away was Maggie. I have some ground rules if you’re going to take him out.”
“I’m listening.”
“I don’t care what time you get home. He’s a grown man and so are you. However, I would ask that you two go around to the guest house through the backyard. Maggie has terrible insomnia and wakes up at the least little thing. Do you have condoms on you?”
Billy sucked in a breath and nearly choked on his own spit. “Jesus!”
“I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. I’m just trying to make sure my son is protected. I was around during the start of AIDS in San Francisco. You have no idea what happened to those boys, my friends.” He shook his head, eyes actually tearing up for a brief second. “I want to make sure my boy is safe.”
“I understand, sir,” he said solemnly. Even if he was completely safe, there was no harm in reassuring a worried parent.
“Good. I’m glad we understand one another. Other than that, treat him properly and if you hurt him, I know ways to make you regret ever meeting him.” Michael Charles smiled. “I stayed half of year in the African Congo with a tribe who taught me how to do terrible things to a human body. It was saved for war time, you see. They took this serrated knife made of animal bone and—”
“Dad!” a hysterical sounding voice snapped. “No stories about the Congo!”
Billy turned his head to find his mate standing at the entrance of a hallway, his mother slightly behind him. His purple hair looked freshly washed and brushed back from his face. His tight blue jeans and rock band printed T-shirt looked appropriate for a tattoo shop.
Good boy.
He pushed himself to his feet. “Hi, sweet. Are you ready to go?”
JP nodded. “Yeah. Do I need anything else?”
Billy shook his head. “No. I think yourself will suffice.”