Mal

by Catherine Lievens

  Nick laughed. “You’re what? Eighteen? You’re a kid, Mal. Now be good and stay with Will. Get to know him.”

  Nick strode away and Mal looked up. He was still in Will’s arms, and Will had wrapped them around Mal’s back when Mal had stumbled against his chest. Will’s eyes were big and he looked scared. “What?”

  “Are you really eighteen? Because I’m twenty-seven, and I’m not sure I’m comfortable with the age difference.”

  Mal snorted. “No, I’m twenty-four. You’re not robbing the cradle.”

  The pink-haired guy snorted. “Robbing the cradle for ten years? Please. Dominic’s eighty-five and Ani’s nineteen. Now that’s robbing the cradle. Dom’s son is older than Ani. I’m going back to watch TV. Are you two coming?” He grinned. “Or are you still going home, Will?”

  Mal looked at Will again. “You’re leaving?”

  “I was, but I guess I can stay longer.”

  “Aww, you’re too good. Don’t make me feel like you actually want to stay.” Will looked lost, and Mal decided he needed to tone down his sarcasm until Will got used to it. Mal patted Will’s cheek. “I was joking.”

  The pink-haired guy was still there, so Mal looked at him. “You can go. We’ll be there soon.”

  The guy didn’t look happy, and he walked away grumbling about being dismissed like a maid. Mal didn’t care. “So, how does this work? I mean, I know you have to bite me, and that I have to drink your blood, and I’m not really looking forward to that bit, but I do want to mate with you.”

  Will blinked, so Mal took his hand and dragged him toward the chairs against the entrance wall. It would probably be a good idea for them to talk somewhere else, but Mal didn’t know the house, so this would have to do.

  He pushed Will into a chair and climbed on his lap, letting his legs dangle on the side of Will’s legs and looping his arms around Will’s neck. Will wrapped his arms around Mal’s waist again, but he still looked like he didn’t know what was happening.

  Mal sighed. “I’m rushing, huh?”

  Will shook his head, finally reacting. “No.” Mal arched a brow at him and he chuckled. “Okay, maybe a bit.”

  “Sorry. It’s just that all my friends are shifters, and apart from Simon, they’re all mated. I didn’t think I’d be a shifter’s mate, so I’m kind of jacked up about it.” That was an understatement if Mal had ever said one.

  “You’re human.”

  “Yeah. I hope it’s not a problem.” Mal knew most of the pack members didn’t exactly like having humans around, and he knew they didn’t like shifters mating with humans. They didn’t like guys mating with guys either, though, and Mal wasn’t too worried about their feelings on it. He was worried about Will’s, though.

  “It’s not.”

  “So, you’re just overwhelmed?”

  Will smiled. “Yeah, a bit. I sure didn’t expect to find my mate when I came here.”

  “You don’t live here.”

  “No. I live in Colorado, actually.”

  “What are you doing here, then? If I can ask.”

  “You can ask whatever you want.”

  Mal grinned. He already liked his mate.

  “I was here to bring some books I found that belonged to my ex.”

  “I... wasn’t expecting that.”

  “I bet. Things are a bit complicated, but to make a long story short, I was with Heath for two years. He had an accident, hit his head and lost his memory, and found his mate in the process, so when we saw each other again, not only didn’t he remember me, but he was already mated with Jayden.”

  Mal could see how much talking about it hurt Will by the way he was frowning and the way his lips were pressed together. He wanted to soothe Will, and he was stunned. He didn’t know Will, but then, they were mates. His friends always said it like it solved everything, and it had to be why Mal felt so close to Will already.

  Mal kissed Will’s cheek, enjoying the slight blush on Will’s face. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. Did it happen recently?”

  “Not really. It was almost a year ago.”

  “It still hurts, though.”

  “Yeah. I knew that Heath finding his mate was always a possibility, but the fact that he didn’t even remember me... I thought what we had was special.”

  “Well, he took a hit on the head. I don’t see what importance the strength of your relationship has. Does he remember his family? His parents’”

  “No.”

  “There. He doesn’t even remember the people who gave him life. Not that I’m belittling what you had, but if he doesn’t remember the people he spent all his life with...”

  “I know.”

  “I’m not saying it shouldn’t hurt, though.”

  Will stared at Mal until Mal squirmed, which wasn’t a good idea—or an excellent one, Mal wasn’t sure—since Mal was sitting on Will’s lap. “I think I already like you,” Will finally said.

  Mal beamed. “I think I already like you too.”

  “So, since we’re already having the ex-boyfriend conversation, what about you?”

  Mal sighed. The last thing he wanted was to talk about Paul, but he knew he had to. If Will was going to be part of Mal’s life, and Mal sure hope he would, he needed to know Mal’s crazy ex was still after him. God only knew what Paul might do when he found out about Will. “I have a crazy ex who’s stalking me.”

  Will blinked. “Are you joking again?”

  “I wish. I dumped Paul some months ago because he was abusive, but I don’t think he got it. He’s still sending me texts, stuff like that.”

  “I don’t even know where to start asking questions.”

  “Wherever you want.”

  “He abused you?” Will’s voice was soft and he hugged Mal closer.

  Mal let him, leaning his cheek on Will’s chest, breathing his scent in. Mal wasn’t a shifter, but it didn’t mean Will’s scent wasn’t calming. “Yeah. He hit me, and I guess he abused me emotionally too.”

  “Hit you.”

  “It’s in the past. I dumped him as soon as Arlen became human again, and I lived with Arlen and his mates for a while, but now I live with Elliott, Mihaja, and Simon. I changed my phone number, but Paul somehow got the new one and he started texting and calling again a few days ago.”

  “I think I have even more questions now.”

  Mal looked up at Will. “Well, don’t we have our entire lives to answer them?”

  * * * *

  Will swallowed. “I guess so, yes.”

  “You guess so? Are you thinking you don’t want me?”

  Will had to think about it. Did he want his mate? Was he ready to fall in love again, to forget about Heath like Heath had forgotten him?

  “Will?” Mal asked in a trembling voice. Will focused on Mal’s face, and Mal was pale, his eyes huge. He wasn’t crying, but Will thought he looked like he might.

  “Sorry. I can’t say I don’t want you, but...”

  “But you’re not sure you want me, either. I understand.” Mal pushed against Will’s chest and tried to get up, but Will tightened his arms around Mal’s waist.

  “Don’t go?”

  “I don’t want to force you to accept me. You don’t have to. I know that me being human might be a problem for you.”

  Will frowned and since Mal didn’t appear to want to look at him anymore, he cupped one of his cheeks and gently turned his face around. Mal kept his eyes low, but at least he was facing Will. “Why would you being human be a problem for me?”

  “I know most of the pack members don’t like humans.”

  “Pack members?”

  Mal finally looked up. “I live in Gillham, with the pack.”

  “I thought you lived here.”

  “No.”

  Will tried to remember what he knew about the Gillham Pack. It wasn’t much, just that their alpha and council member Kameron Rhett hadn’t been alpha for very lon
g. Will guessed that the old alpha hadn’t been accepting of humans from what Mal said. “I don’t care if you’re human, Mal.”

  “You don’t?”

  “No.”

  “Then why?”

  Will sighed. “I’m not the kind of guy who jumps into things. I’ve known Heath most of my life, yet we’d been together only a few years. It took me a long time to decide to take the firsts step, so long that he dated other people before getting with me. I’m not impulsive. I haven’t had anyone else in my life, not since him, because I need time to get to know people.”

  “So you want to get to know me before we get together?”

  “Please. I know it makes me old-fashioned, but I’d like to date you.”

  Mal stared at Will. “It doesn’t mean you’re saying no.”

  “No, it doesn’t.”

  “Then okay. I’d like to date you.” He looked down and chuckled. “I guess I should get up if you want to take things slow, huh?”

  He was still in Will’s lap, and while it wasn’t something Will would have done or allowed normally, he didn’t mind. Of course he didn’t. “No, please. Stay right where you are.”

  “You sure? It doesn’t seem so old-fashioned to me.”

  “You’re already there. Let’s take advantage of that.”

  Mal settled his face against Will’s chest again and sighed. He didn’t say anything else, didn’t ask more questions, and Will let himself be lulled by the silence. The only sounds came from the living room, where Nysys and Keenan were still watching TV, but it was easy to ignore, especially with Mal in his arms.

  Will’s feelings were all over the place, and he didn’t know how to deal with it. Most of his life was placid, feelings-wise. He’d lost his family when he was a teenager, but he’d been taken in by Heath’s parents, and he loved them as much as if they were his real parents. Even the love he felt for Heath was tranquil. It had grown over several years, and it had seemed natural to go from being friends to being lovers.

  The only time when Will had really reacted to something had been when he’d come to Whitedell to find Heath mated to Jayden, but even then, he knew his reaction had been mild. There hadn’t been a good reason to make waves. The only person who’d been hurt by the situation had been Will.

  Even though Will and Heath had been together for two years, Jayden was Heath’s mate. Will couldn’t compete with that, and he knew it. He’d cried and yelled, but he’d quickly stopped. After that, he’d tried to avoid Heath as much as he could, hence why he’d ended up in Whitedell instead of taking the books to the Bear Creek Ranch.

  Mal, though, was different. The situation was different, because Mal was the one person who was supposed to be able to get the most vivid reactions from Will. They were mates. Mal was Will’s perfect other half, his soul mate.

  Momentarily forgetting about his dating rule, Will kissed the top of Mal’s head. He smelled of vanilla and coconut, and Will didn’t know if it was his normal scent or his shampoo, but he didn’t care. It was heavenly, and Will loved it.

  Mal tilted his face upward and smiled, the gesture soft, peaceful. Will couldn’t resist and leaned in, skimming his lips against Mal’s. Mal followed Will when Will moved away, and Will cupped the back of his head and held him in place as he deepened the kiss.

  It was only a kiss, but it was sweet and warm, and reassuring. It made something settle inside Will, something he’d never realized was out of place, didn’t feel right.

  The kiss felt comfortable, as if Will had been kissing Mal for years, and he almost couldn’t believe he’d be able to do it for the rest of his life.

  The front door opened, but Will didn’t pay attention to it, at least not until someone asked, “Is that Will?”

  Will leaned away from Mal, but he gave him several more pecks before turning to look at the man who’d talked. Of course, it had to be Jayden, and Heath was right next to him.

  Will groaned and wished he could hide. Mal looked at him, slightly shaking his head in question, and Will sighed. There was no way to avoid this. “Mal, this is Heath and Jayden.”

  Mal’s eyes widened. “Heath, like, Heath?”

  “Yes, him.”

  Mal got up from Will’s lap but didn’t go far. He stayed by Will’s side when Will rose and straightened his back to face his ex-boyfriend and his mate. Heath and Jayden came closer, Heath looking more reserved, Jayden beaming.

  “When did you get a boyfriend, Will? And why are you in Whitedell? Is your boyfriend a pride member? What kind of shifter is he? Wait, is he a shifter? I don’t care, you know. I’m Jayden, and I’m a weasel shifter. I used to live here, and I’m still a pride member, even though I live in Heath’s ranch now. Where did you meet? When? How long have you been together?”

  Will’s head hurt just listening to Jayden. He could count the times he’d talked with Heath’s mate on the fingers of one hand, and all of them had had the same result—a headache for Will, more questions for Jayden. The man didn’t seem to be able to stop talking, not unless someone told him to. Will wasn’t sure how Heath managed, because he was ready to bet that Jayden talked even in his sleep.

  He wasn’t careful of what he asked, either. Will would never forget the conversation he’d had with Jayden about Heath and his sex life with Will. Will had answered most of Jayden’s questions just because he didn’t think Jayden would leave him alone if he didn’t, but he’d ran away as soon as he’d been able to.

  Mal looked at Will, his eyes wide, and Will shrugged. “He talks a lot.”

  Jayden snapped his mouth shut. “Right. Sorry. I’m going to tell you this too. If I talk too much, interrupt me, or kick me, whatever works. I don’t mind,” he told Mal.

  Heath stepped forward and slid his arm around Jayden’s waist, narrowing his eyes at Will and Mal in a clear don’t even try it expression. Not that Will would ever kick Jayden. Probably not.

  Mal stuck his hand out. “I’m Mal.”

  Instead of shaking Mal’s hand, Jayden stepped forward and enfolded Mal into a warm hug. Mal looked a bit wild when Jayden finally let go, and when Jayden looked at Will, Will looked away. He might have found his mate, but there was no way he was hugging Jayden of all people.

  “How long have you been together, then?” Jayden asked again.

  Mal looked at the watch on his wrist. “Mmm, about ten minutes.”

  “Ten minutes?” Jayden eyed Will. “You don’t lose time.”

  “I’ve been single for almost a year,” Will snapped. He regretted it when Jayden looked hurt, but really, who was Jayden to talk? “Anyway, we’re not moving fast. Mal’s my mate.”

  * * * *

  Mal didn’t have anything against Heath and Jayden since he didn’t know them, but he enjoyed the stunned look on their faces anyway. He knew neither of them had wanted to hurt Will, but they had. And why was that suddenly so important to Mal?

  He shrugged and watched Jayden’s mouth open and close, very much like a fish. “You have a mate?” Jayden asked Will.

  Will grinned at Mal. “Looks like I do.”

  Jayden shook himself. “I meant, of course I knew you had a mate. You’re a shifter. I’m just surprised you found yours.” He beamed. “But that’s great! Congrats!” He jumped forward and hugged Will, who looked like he’d rather be anywhere but in Jayden’s arms.

  Heath snickered and Mal finally turned his attention to him. So that was Will’s ex.

  Mal wasn’t sure he could compete. They were so different, it wasn’t even funny, and if Heath was the kind of guy Will liked, Mal was in trouble.

  Heath was taller, and he was dark. Dark hair, dark eyes, dark beard. Mal could see his muscles flex when he moved his arms, and he peeked at his own. He was skinny in comparison.

  He didn’t usually compare himself to anyone, because he didn’t care about that kind of stuff, but what if Will wanted him to be more like Heath? Mal looked at them. Heath was shaking Will’s hand, and Will lo
oked at least as uncomfortable as he’d looked when Jayden had hugged him. Heath, well, he just looked pleased. There was nothing more, and it made sense if he didn’t remember Will.

  Mal sighed. Who cared if he wasn’t like Heath. Maybe that was exactly what Will needed. He obviously hadn’t been able to get over Heath in the time since Heath had met Jayden, so maybe someone different would help. He sure intended to do whatever he had to do to obtain that.

  Mal’s phone rang and he frowned. He took it out, peeked at the screen, and silenced it before putting it back in his pocket. Or course, Will noticed, and he moved closer and wrapped his arm around Mal’s waist, making him shiver. Damn, it’d been too long since he’d been this close to another man, a man who wasn’t one of his best friends.

  “Everything okay?” Will asked in a soft voice.

  “Yeah.”

  “Paul?”

  Mal nodded. “It’s fine.”

  “It’s not.”

  Will gently moved Mal until they were facing each other. “I’m not saying it because I’m jealous. I’m worried.”

  “So am I, but there’s nothing I can do. Maybe I should go back to Gillham. He can’t get to me when I’m there.”

  “Whoever can’t get to you if you’re here,” Jayden said. “The mansion is one of the better protected places around. It beats even Gillham.”

  Mal opened his mouth to protest, if anything because Gillham was his home. He didn’t know much about how it was protected, except for the patrols. Nick spoke from behind him before he could talk, though. “He’s right. The mansion is better protected, because everyone’s in one place. It’s easier to keep things under control.”

  “Not that it helped us when it came to the mole,” another man said, and Mal turned to look at him and Nick.

  The other guy was huge, much like Nick, and he was blond. He looked like a guy with power, and Mal didn’t doubt he was. He had a way of holding himself that said he wouldn’t have any problems ordering people around and obtaining want he wanted with just a few words. Since Nick had dragged Mal’s ass to Whitedell to talk with the alpha, Mal guessed he was in front of Dominic Nash.