Undesirable Mate

by Oliver, Lisa

  “So are you going to let me look at your leg now?” Phillip knew the shift would have healed it, but Kellen could be sensitive about any new scarring he might have. Phillip could think of all sorts of ways he could show his mate it didn’t matter.

  “I can think of a lot of things you could look at down there,” and yep, that wink was definitely sexy, although the leering face was a little corny.

  “Let me up,” Phillip whispered. “I think maybe it’s time I checked you all over – make sure everything’s working properly.”

  From the speed with which Kellen rolled off him, and got himself comfortable on the bed, Phillip didn’t think there was too much wrong with his mate. Nothing a good blow job wouldn’t cure or maybe more if Kellen’s leg was up to the effort.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “I hate fucking paperwork.” Kellen threw another bundle of forms at the corner of his appropriated desk and scowled when the whole pile teetered on the edge and then flopped on the floor. It’d been five days since Malcom walked into the club with his posse of controlled shifters, and a team from the council was still investigating. Personally, Kellen thought a few of the men who’d been sent in by the powers that be were more keen on the good food, free drinks and lavish accommodations Pearson had given them for the duration of their stay, than doing anything constructive. If anyone was actually doing any work, it was him – miles and miles of fucking paperwork.

  “We can go for a run later, if you’re keen,” Phillip said quietly, bending over, picking up the mess Kellen made. His smaller mate hadn’t said much since the fight, although he’d been closeted for hours with the investigators. Pearson mentioned he identified the collars that Malcom had insisted his enforcers wore. But apparently the investigators were more interested in finding out why an enforcer stayed in human form during a pack fight. Having to defend his actions and his position, despite his smaller stature was playing havoc with his mate’s self-esteem.

  “Where do you run around here? Is it local, safe?” A run might be what Phillip needed to get out of his funk and Kellen never said no to the chance of running about on four legs.

  “The George Washington National Forest normally,” Phillip said, stacking the papers neatly on the desk. “But as there’s only two of us we can always head out to the lake. There’s enough forest cover and land to keep us away from human eyes.”

  “Any chance Cain and Prism can come too?” Kellen felt guilty that he’d barely spent any time with his friends since he’d met Phillip. Before coming to Washington, D.C. the three men had been inseparable, except when it came to bedroom concerns; and although Phillip filled Kellen’s heart, he missed the easy camaraderie he had with his friends.

  Phillip shrugged. “You can go with them on your own, if you think that’ll be more fun. I’m not worried either way. I don’t tend to run as often as most shifters. I work better in my human form.”

  Kellen looked down at the mess of papers he still had to complete, and thought about it. He loved Phillip with everything that he was, but in the past few days Phillip had been quiet, closed off and although he still welcomed Kellen into his body every night and was passionate in his responses, the two men didn’t talk much. His moodiness had put Kellen’s nerves on edge, and between that and the wretched paperwork, he craved something easy, even for five minutes. Being with Cain and Prism was always fun and they had enough shared history to be comfortable around each other.

  But if he did that, he argued with himself, he wasn’t being fair on his mate. Phillip had had a rough time. Apparently Kellen had been out for ten hours after the fight and Phillip stayed by his side the entire time, worrying and fretting. It was Pearson that ordered him; Phillip had to be ordered to shower and have something to eat. The investigators came in later that morning; because apparently even if a council member was an insane asshole determined to wipe out a whole pack, killing him was still a big deal. Despite the praise Pearson heaped on him, Phillip had copped a really hard time from the guys doing the interviews, who for some reason thought he might have his own agenda for wanting Malcom dead. All because he didn’t shift and noticed the collars first.

  No. It wasn’t right to leave Phillip behind. He could have fun with Cain and Prism, with Phillip there as well. His two friends liked his mate so that was a step in the right direction. All four men would go together, and they’d go to the National Park, so that they could run in peace. Pleased he’d made his decision, Kellen looked around for Phillip, so he could tell him.

  The office was empty. Kellen had the sneaky suspicion he’d just fucked up. Again.

  /~/~/~/~/

  Phillip knocked on Pearson’s office door. Technically he was still on the clock and although he’d spent every spare minute he had with his mate, he still had responsibilities as an enforcer. When Pearson bid him enter, he went in, closing the door behind him, and went to stand in front of Pearson’s desk at parade rest. Pearson’s smile was warm and welcoming and Dante flicked him a quick smirk and then returned his attention to the tablet he was holding.

  “Phillip. I’ve been meaning to talk to you and Kellen. I take it you’ve come to ask for the three days off to spend some time bonding with your mate. I appreciate you sticking around for the investigation, but hopefully these guys will be out of our hair by tonight, and life can get back to normal.”

  Shit. The last thing Phillip felt like doing was spending time with a man who didn’t want to spend time with him. But Pearson’s comment gave him the excuse he’d been looking for to leave the club.

  “Actually yes,” he said, glad it wasn’t a total lie. “I wanted to ask if it was okay to move back home. I haven’t been there in a while, and I’m sure there’re things in the fridge that are probably breeding by now.” None of that was a lie and Pearson obviously didn’t pick up on the butterflies Phillip had in his stomach, because he laughed.

  “Yeah,” the big Alpha said. “I imagine our fridge is in much the same condition. You can have the rest of the week off. That’ll give you and Kellen a chance to talk about your future and where you plan to live – all those petty details that need sorting after a mating.”

  “That would be good, Alpha,” Phillip said, although he didn’t plan on talking to Kellen anytime soon. Mates stuck together through thick and thin; and the fact that his arrogant mate even thought about going out without him had ravaged Phillip, heart and soul. Thinking of Kellen, he added, “Kellen was hoping to go for a run tonight. Cain and Prism were quite keen too. I told him that we usually run in the National Forest; I hope that was all right?”

  “Don’t see any reason why not. You know the trails and I’m sure the four of you know enough to stay away from human scents. Sounds like fun.” Pearson exchanged glances with Dante and then looked back at Phillip. “We might go up there one night this week, but not tonight.”

  Phillip knew what Pearson was implying, and he managed a tight grin.

  “Did you want to take off now?” Pearson asked.

  “Kellen still has some paperwork to do.” Not a lie. “I thought I’d head home and tidy up the place a bit.” Not a lie either. Pearson didn’t know that he’d walked out on Kellen, and had no intention of being around if the man came looking for him. Phillip seriously needed some alone time. Kellen might not be in New York, but he had council responsibilities, and the paperwork to prove it. Phillip figured he could spend at least the remainder of the afternoon trying to get his head together; and if Kellen was off having a good time with friends, then probably most of the night.

  “I don’t think Kellen will care too much about the state of your house,” Pearson said cheerily. “Go and get things set up and enjoy some down time. You seriously deserve it. You and Kellen know where to find me when you’ve made some decisions about your future.”

  What future? Despite his nagging inner voice, Phillip managed to smile, say a few pleasantries and leave the office. He waved to Sebastian as he left the building, heaving a sigh of relief that his truck
had been left undisturbed in the parking lot. He was surprised to see it’d been cleaned and had a full tank of gas. Cain and Prism must have been trying to make a good impression on their boss. Still, Phillip wasn’t going to complain. He started the truck and peeled out of the parking lot, hoping Kellen’s sense of duty would stop him from trying to follow.

  As Phillip steered his truck on the route home, his mind went over the last few days. The investigators he’d been stuck with, Brian and Colin, were assholes of the highest order. Wide faces, straight noses, tawny eyes and long blond hair, the handsome pair of lion shifters let their distrust of wolves show in every question they asked. Steel had given the council all of the surveillance footage from the fight, and the case should have been closed on day one. Either the lion shifters were on Malcom’s butt-fuck list, or they simply wanted to cause trouble.

  Even the knowledge that Phillip had been a Navy SEAL and been with the pack for three years, hadn’t swayed their opinion that Phillip had to have been in on some conspiracy to defame Malcom. It hadn’t helped that Phillip had allowed himself to be attacked by Tristan either. Phillip wasn’t sure how the lion shifters had gotten hold of that information but the taunts and rude remarks were never ending.

  And through it all, Phillip had sat and taken it. His teeth clenched, his fists hidden by a table, clenched, but through it all he never said anything that could be considered disrespectful or challenging. He could have gone running to Pearson or Kellen about it after the first day; but that would’ve cemented the lion shifters’ opinions that he was weak, worthless and not worth a slice of bread. After three days of constant verbal abuse, Phillip was inclined to believe them. Kellen’s actions, his desire for them to spend some time apart were the icing on Phillip’s despair.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Kellen’s eyes roamed the restaurant area. Two of the investigators, Brian and Colin were sharing a booth, apparently having finished another free meal. Kellen hated the two men. Simply because they were lion shifters, the men acted as though their shit didn’t stink and yet they were the laziest, meanest investigators Kellen had ever met. He ignored their yell of greeting, searching the remaining patrons for anyone he recognized. He saw Devin and Ace sharing a meal, and hurried over.

  “Hey guys, have you seen Phillip?” Kellen had already been to their suite, but there was no sign Phillip had been there since breakfast. He’d spoken to Kyle, and stuck his head in the computer room, but Roger hadn’t seen Phillip either. Kellen knew he wasn’t on Ace’s and Devin’s favorite people list, but they were Phillip’s friends.

  Devin shook his head. “No, I haven’t seen him since yesterday. I figured with you being newly mated and all, you’d have him shackled to your bed, or at least by your side. It’s not a good sign if you lost him.”

  “He’s probably down with the ferret getting his ass kicked again,” Brian’s voice came over Kellen’s shoulder and he turned, his face twisted into a scowl.

  “What did you say about my mate?” He growled.

  “You heard me,” Brian said, leaning back on a chair, his arms folded across his broad chest. “The little faggot is probably getting his ass kicked by the ferret again. God knows how the man ever got an enforcers position. Must have good oral skills, get what I mean,” he nudged Colin who was lounging beside him. Both men laughed while Kellen fumed.

  “I thought you were here investigating the death of Councilor Malcom,” he managed to say through his tight jaw.

  “We are,” Brian said, with a shrug. “But honestly, there’s something fishy about your mate man; I feel sorry for you being stuck with someone like him. I know you wolves are all about pack and shit, but what type of enforcer doesn’t shift in a pack fight? I mean, I ask you. And to be beaten by a ferret - he didn’t even defend himself. He’s a fucking wimp. Still, any hole’s good in the dark. Keep the lights off and your eyes closed and I imagine it’s just like fucking pussy. Not like you got any choice with the whole mating curse and everything.”

  Kellen saw red. His teeth dropped, his claws dug into his palms, and with a growl he let his shift fly over him. Now he knew why Phillip had been so quiet the last few days and while he felt like a fucking prize idiot for giving his mate further reason to doubt himself, he would take care of a pair of assholes before he found his mate and fixed things.

  “You can’t attack us, we’re with the Council,” Colin yelled, trying to get his shirt off, so he could shift. But Kellen’s focus was entirely on Brian and he leaped free of his pants and boots, flying for the man’s throat. He missed, but managed to knock Brian to the floor, and yeah, now the man was babbling. Kellen stood with his huge front paws on the man’s chest, his lips curled and he knew his teeth were a menacing sight. With his hackles raised, and the murderous glint in his eyes, Brian had every reason to be shitting himself.

  “Kellen, you can’t…I’m on your side…we work together…man, I was only teasing him…he’s a little guy…surely you can see he had to be banging someone to get his job….”

  “Kellen, don’t kill him.” Pearson’s powerful voice bounced around the room and Kellen growled, but didn’t move an inch.

  “Alpha, thank the Fates. Get him off me man, he needs some serious counseling. I think his mating addled his brain.”

  “If you were insulting my mate like you were Phillip, your guts would already be coating the floor. I gave Phillip his job after he won his position fair and square, so you’re fucking insulting me too,” Pearson said harshly. “Kellen, stand down. I know you want to kill him and you’ve every right, but I swear to God if I have to put up with these assholes for another week on yet another investigation, I’ll be the one spilling blood. Now let him up.”

  Kellen wavered. He didn’t have to follow Pearson’s orders. He was an Alpha in his own right, and he and Phillip hadn’t talked about their future plans yet. But it was those thoughts of Phillip, and the plans they needed to make, that allowed him to snap his teeth inches from Brian’s face before stepping off his body, and sniffing for his clothes. Devin handed them to him after he’d shifted, a smile on his pretty face.

  “Nice to see you’ve got the right instincts,” the vampire said. “Phillip will be thrilled you stuck up for his honor.”

  “Yeah, well I’d just be thrilled if I could find him,” Kellen growled, fumbling with the button on his jeans. He slipped on his boots, and straightened out his shirt before running his fingers through his hair.

  “Phillip went home,” Pearson said. “He said something about getting the house ready and that you guys wanted to go for a run tonight. I assumed you were meeting him there.” Kellen’s lips twitched. Pearson hadn’t let Brian up and had an elegantly booted foot resting square on the man’s chest. Kellen had a feeling Brian and Colin’s free ride just came to a screeching halt.

  “We hadn’t made plans; I put my foot in it again.” Kellen made a decision, the right one he hoped. “I’m going to find Phillip. If you see my friends, can you let them know where I am and that I’ll get in touch with them tomorrow.”

  “I don’t think they’ll miss you.” Ace spoke for the first time, and Kellen wasn’t surprised to hear the man’s voice was as deep as the man was big. “They’re in a back room with a couple of subs, a tray full of food, and a crate of beer. It seems they don’t have a problem making new friends.”

  Kellen shook his head at the antics of his friends. Cain and Prism didn’t go out much, preferring each other’s company to anyone else. But every now and again they decided to break out and let their hair down. He knew he wouldn’t be seeing his friends for at least three days. That was three days he could use to convince Phillip that he was loved, cherished and wanted – permanently. He gave sketchy goodbyes, not caring what happened to the arrogant lion shifters, his mind fixated on his mate. Three days to woo his mate; so that Phillip understood for now and all time, he was more than worth the feelings Kellen carried in his heart. He was going to need every minute.

  Chapter Twenty
-Seven

  Phillip banged his head on the kitchen counter and then winced. The counter was solid granite and connecting with his forehead didn’t do his brain any good. He was so sick of himself, sick of the way his inner voice would jump on him every time he felt tired, or sad. He was sick of the way he automatically assumed the worst of people and their intentions towards him – he desperately needed to get over himself.

  Kellen didn’t mean anything when he wanted to invite his friends. He didn’t know you wanted to show him your wolf form first, away from the other pack members. You could have said something, should have said something. Should have done anything rather than slink off like a…a…a sneaky ferret. Phillip didn’t want to be thinking about Tristan, as that thought did nothing to improve his mood; but the fact of the matter was Tristan wasn’t important. The man had been let go and had hightailed it back to New York as soon as he could. Phillip’s logical brain knew that Kellen never loved the man – they’d shared spit and semen, big deal. He hadn’t been a virgin for more than fifteen years and many of the subs still gave him a friendly wink and a wiggle, despite him not being with anyone else in the six months before Kellen arrived.

  And as for everything Brian and Collin said or implied. So what? They were arrogant jerks, too lazy to do a decent job, and wanting to cash in on Pearson’s hospitality because it saved them doing proper work out in the field. Phillip knew his fighting skills were solid. He may be small as a wolf, but he’d beaten Sebastian and Farren and given Kyle a run for his money. In his human form he’d been trained by the best and could easily kill a man in less than ten seconds. A wolf he could manage in thirty seconds.

  “So you should just shut the hell up and get out of my head! I’m not worthless!” He yelled, his voice loud in the silent house. Okay, maybe he was going crazy. It probably wasn’t normal behavior, to yell at the voices only he could hear. At least the voices were his own, not somebody else. Otherwise he’d be really worried.