Until Forever

by Lynn Hagen

  With a deep scowl, he slid the packet into his pocket and went back to the door. He handed the keys to Raven. “Let me know what’s wrong with it before we discuss what to do with the Bronco.”

  Raven nodded. “I’ll let you know as soon as I’m done running diagnostics on it.”

  “Thanks.” Mike closed the door and sat at the table, pulling out his container of food. But he was no longer hungry. He wanted answers. Did Kester do drugs? Was that the real reason he’d run, because he’d stolen from his uncle or was deeply in debt?

  Maybe that was the reason he’d agreed to testify. If he owed his uncle a huge amount, what better way to avoid paying him back than by putting him behind bars?

  The longer Mike thought about it, the angrier he became. Then he decided to let his anger go. If Kester was a drug addict, Mike would get him whatever help he needed. Finding one’s mate didn’t always guarantee instant happiness.

  Everyone had some kind of issue they were dealing with. It wasn’t as though Mike’s past was clean. Over the past two hundred and fifteen years, Mike had done some idiotic things and wasn’t too proud of some of them.

  Like the time he’d beaten a man to within an inch of his life for…Fuck, Mike couldn’t even remember the reason. He’d also done some shady things when he’d first struck out on his own after leaving his pack. He wasn’t going to judge why Kester turned to drugs. He would just help him stop using.

  And from Theo’s dark past, Mike knew getting over drug use wasn’t easy or pretty. It had taken some heart-wrenching nights and many months of keeping an eye on Theo to make sure he was clean, but his cousin was prone to relapse, and that was one reason he always kept an eye on Theo.

  The door to the bathroom swung open, and Kester walked out with a towel around his waist. God, the man was so beautiful. Mike almost forgot about the packet as he looked up and down Kester’s naked body. He still recalled the groans and the gorgeous way his mate had looked when he’d orgasmed. His cock got hard as Kester walked toward him.

  “Breakfast!” His mate smiled. “How did you know I was starving?”

  That smile was enough to bring Mike to his knees. He reached out and pulled Kester onto his lap, kissing his neck. “Eat before it gets cold.”

  Kester dug his container out of the bag and popped the lid open. He ate like he hadn’t had a meal in days. How could anyone this skinny devour food like that?

  “This is so good,” Kester said with a mouthful. He grabbed Mike’s coffee and took a drink then coughed. “Yuck. How can you drink it black?”

  Mike tapped the other cup he’d gotten from the diner. “This is yours.”

  With gratitude in his eyes, Kester sucked down some of his coffee. “This is much better.”

  “I had them add cream and sugar.”

  “Just the way I like it.” Kester gave him a quick kiss, and Mike tasted the sugar on his lips.

  He was also trying to figure out a way to bring up the subject of the packet of coke. Kester seemed happy this morning, and Mike didn’t want to burst that bubble.

  Kester got up and sat in his own chair, biting into his toast. “If I keep eating like this, I’m gonna gain twenty pounds.”

  Mike wiggled his brows. “We can always work it off of you.”

  A deep blush stole over Kester’s cheeks. Mike let a little growl rip from his throat as he thought about bending his mate over the table and fucking him until neither of them could walk.

  “Has Russell shown up yet?” Kester shoveled some eggs into his mouth.

  “He’s on his way. He said he has a couple plans to look over.” Mike opened his container and began to eat. No sense letting his food go to waste. And Cyril, the owner of The Diner Train, was an excellent cook. All his food was from scratch, and the bite of waffle melted in Mike’s mouth.

  His appetite was back, because Mike finished his food in a matter of minutes then licked his fingers.

  Now that they’d eaten, he needed to talk to Kester about his drug habit. “Listen, the tow truck driver came by, and when I went into—”

  “What tow truck driver?” Kester set his fork down and used one of the napkins to wipe his mouth. “Is something wrong with your truck?”

  Mike had forgotten to tell Kester about having the Bronco looked at. “I had the town mechanic tow your truck to his shop. He’s gonna call me and let me know what’s wrong with it.”

  Kester seemed shocked. “Why would you do that for me?”

  Mike had dropped the ball in many places. He’d yet to tell Kester that he was a wolf shifter and that the little human was his mate. It seemed he had a lot to talk to Kester about, but Mike grinned, deciding to shelf the serious conversations for later.

  He wanted Kester to have a good day. Mike would also check his mate’s things when Kester wasn’t in the room to make sure no other drugs were stashed in his bag.

  “I’m just a nice guy.” He grinned, feeling guilty that he hadn’t told Kester about the bond between them. There wasn’t anything Mike wouldn’t do for Kester.

  Including being a complete sucker for the guy.

  Chapter Six

  “I like this one.” Kester tapped the plans on the far right. The design had eliminated the room behind the counter. All that would be built was a small office and restrooms.

  The other design had an elaborate room with fancy windows and a patio. Kester didn’t plan on living there, but maybe that room would be nice for whoever took over. Now he wasn’t sure.

  “I mean,” he said,” unless you plan on hiring just one person and that was where they were going to live.” He looked at Mike. “Do you plan on hiring more than one person?”

  “I’m not sure.” Mike scratched his jaw. “It might be cheaper to hire a few clerks instead of having someone here full time. I don’t want the room to end up like it did the last time.”

  Mike had finally told Kester about Ms. Doyle and how she’d died and the state of her room. Kester was glad he hadn’t seen it. He had OCD when it came to cleanliness. He hadn’t wanted that image in his head.

  Mike slid his arm around Kester’s shoulder. “You really like this one?”

  Kester nodded as he leaned into Mike. Ever since that amazing blowjob, he’d wanted more from his boss. And Mike was technically his boss since Kester worked at the front desk. But what did he care if he was an employee? It wasn’t as if Kester was staying in Maple Grove.

  Why not indulge in a fling while he was here?

  “The design is more clean and symmetrical,” Kester said. “You wouldn’t have to tear down any walls to expand like you would with the other plan. You don’t need that much space.”

  Plus it would save Mike a ton of money—money he could use to add on more rooms and update the existing ones. Kester still couldn’t believe Mike was gonna drop that much cash. The project would cost a mint by the time it was complete. Even so, Kester wanted to help save the guy as much money as possible.

  “I think you’re right.” Mike kissed Kester’s temple. “But I’m gonna make the private office as comfortable as possible. Large windows, a light color for the walls, and maybe even a fireplace for the times when it’s freezing outside.”

  “And a fireplace would offset the heating cost,” Kester added. His excitement was growing the more they talked about the plans. Too bad he wasn’t sticking around. Kester would’ve loved sitting in the private office with a roaring fire and gazing out over the scenery. With Maple Inn so far from town, there was nothing but woods surrounding them.

  “Okay, then it’s decided.” Mike rolled up the plans they wouldn’t be using and set them aside. “What kind of flooring do you think we should go with?”

  “Large tiles,” Kester said. “It’ll be easy to clean, and we can pick a neutral color that’s soothing. Maybe marble. That would look nice.”

  “Self-shading windows so we don’t have to cover them,” Mike said. “Ones that open so in the spring we can let the fresh air in.”

  Kester didn’
t remind Mike that he wouldn’t be there in the spring. If the feds captured Strabo, Kester planned on going back to his old life. His mom was in Arkansas, and his job, if he had one to go back to.

  Although the quietness of a small town was alluring.

  “Potted plants,” Kester said. “But I would recommend fake ones. Whoever you hire after I’m gone might not know how to care for real ones.”

  Mike removed his arm and walked from behind the counter. He appeared bothered at Kester’s statement. “Look, you know I’m just passing through, right?”

  “Yeah, I know.” Mike placed his hands on his hips and seemed engrossed in an ugly painting hanging on the wall. “We’ll need new artwork, too. Something modern.”

  Okay, so Kester would play along and pretend he hadn’t said anything about leaving. Mike sure was acting as if he hadn’t heard it. “We can find some knock-offs that’ll make this room seem more elegant.”

  Mike looked over his shoulder and smiled at Kester. “I like how you think.”

  That smile had Kester five seconds away from offering to suck the guy’s cock. “Do you have any lobby furniture at your furniture store?”

  “I’ll have to look.” Mike returned to the counter and grabbed the plans they were going to go with. “I’ll get these to Russell. I want to get started as soon as possible.”

  Kester watched as Mike walked out, letting a cold whip of air into the room. Did it really bother the guy that much that he was leaving?

  Did it really bother Kester that much that he was leaving? It shouldn’t, so then why was he ready to run after Mike and tell the guy he was staying?

  They’d fooled around once. That didn’t mean Mike was falling for him. That didn’t mean Kester was falling for Mike. Was he? Kester wished he could talk to his mom. She would know what to say to him to help clear up his confusion.

  Maybe one short conversation wouldn’t hurt. As long as he didn’t stay on the line too long, no one could trace the call. Kester waffled on what to do and finally decided it wasn’t worth the risk. He’d need more than a minute or two to explain what was going on and to ask her advice.

  Saddened that he couldn't hear her voice, Kester headed to his room. There wasn’t anything for him to do in the office, and he really needed time to himself to think about…crap, everything.

  Mike had definitely thrown a wrench into Kester’s plans. The first thing he needed to find out was how serious Mike was about him. If it was a casual thing, then Kester needed to guard his own feelings, because he was falling for the guy, and that might not be a good thing if the feelings weren’t mutual.

  * * * *

  Mike stood outside Kester’s room with containers of dinner in his hand. Tonight would be the night that he told Kester that they were mates. He would lay things out nice and simple and hope like hell Kester didn’t call him a liar or freak out.

  “Here goes nothing.” Mike knocked as he looked around the deserted and frozen parking lot. Not entirely deserted. The dark sedan was there, along with Mike’s truck.

  The guy who’d been in room six had checked out as soon as Kester had gone back to his room earlier that morning. Mike had tried to get Smitty to leave, but the guy insisted he needed another night.

  What was Mike supposed to have done, put the man out on his ass? He’d also discovered while talking to the guy that Smitty was human.

  The door swung open, pulling Mike from his thoughts. Kester stepped aside and let him in.

  “Listen,” Kester said when he closed the door. “I’m sorry about earlier.”

  What did his mate have to apologize for? He’d been speaking the truth, and it was Mike who had a hard time dealing with it. Or more to the point, a hard time not telling Kester that they were mates and Kester wasn’t leaving town.

  But that had sounded more like a kidnapping plan, so Mike had kept his mouth shut and left the office because his mate looked at him as some deranged stalker.

  He held up the bag. “I brought a peace offering.”

  Mike still needed to talk to Kester about the drugs he’d found that morning. There was a lot they needed to discuss, but once again, Mike got sidetracked by Kester’s gorgeous smile.

  “Great. I’m starving.” Kester snatched the bag from Mike and unloaded the contents onto the table. “Oh my god. Is that fried chicken I smell?”

  “I figured we could lay off the greasy burgers for one night.” Though Mike didn’t need to worry about clogging his veins or his health. He was a shifter, after all. They didn’t suffer from human ailments like heart attacks or high cholesterol. And once Mike claimed Kester, his mate wouldn’t have to worry about that either.

  That didn’t mean Kester couldn’t gain any weight from eating those types of food, but Mike didn’t care if his mate gained a few pounds.

  He’d still want him regardless.

  “Lay off the grease and eat fried chicken,” Kester teased. “Such a healthy swap.”

  “I try.” Mike winked as he took a seat. “You have to taste Cyril’s chicken and you’ll understand why so many people are addicted to it.”

  Kester opened the containers of food, set the sodas out, and handed Mike his plastic packet of silverware. Next time Mike would bring bottled water instead.

  “Then let’s dive in.” Kester sat and used his fork to scoop some mashed potatoes into his mouth. His eyes rolled back as his jaw moved.

  Mike sat there mesmerized by that look. He wanted his mate to wear that same expression while he fucked him.

  “Why aren’t you eating?” Kester asked when he swallowed his mouthful of potatoes. “This meal is amazing.”

  Mike grabbed his fork but didn’t eat. “We need to talk.”

  The sparkle in Kester’s eyes faded. “About what? Did you change your mind about the design plans?”

  If only their conversation would be that easy. “No, I like the one you picked out.”

  Kester set his fork aside, and it looked as though he was bracing himself. “Then what is it?”

  “Us…you…me…” Mike ran a hand through his hair.

  “I apologized for earlier,” Kester said in a clipped tone. “Why’re you bringing it back up?”

  This was not going how Mike hoped it would. He didn’t want tempers flying or strained silence. He didn’t want any kind of argument with his mate. “Let’s just eat, and then we’ll talk.”

  “No.” Kester closed the lid to his container. “You brought it up, so let’s get this out in the open. We fooled around once, and now I’m feeling some sort of vibe from you. Are you falling for me?”

  “Wow.” Mike leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. “You’re pretty blunt.”

  “I like to see all the cards I’m dealing with,” he said. “I’m dealing with confusing feelings, too. But I don’t want to go down that road unless I know you feel the same way. Or is this just having fun until I leave?”

  “No.” Mike shook his head. “You pretty much nailed it. Feelings are involved. It’s called the pull, and you’re my mate. I’ve been dying to tell you that, although I’m pretty sure you have no clue what that means.”

  Kester paled slightly as he got up and crossed the room. His lips were parted as he kept staring Mike’s way. “Did you say mate?”

  “Do you know what that means?”

  “What are you?” Kester moved another step back. Mike saw a visible vein beating a heavy pulse beneath Kester’s skin. He looked around, his gaze landing on the door.

  Mike got up. He wasn’t letting Kester run from him. He also wanted to know why his mate looked so terrified. “I’m a wolf.”

  A whimper escaped Kester’s lips. “Loup Garou?”

  “What?” Mike had no idea what Kester was talking about. “A werewolf.”

  His answer didn’t seem to satisfy Kester. “The kind that stand on two legs and can talk in your shifter form?”

  Mike slowly shook his head. “No. Furry, on all fours, howling but incapable of speech in that form, although I�
��m cognitively aware of who you are.”

  He wanted to pull Kester into his arm, to soothe the terror evident in his mate’s eyes, but Mike kept his distance until they’d cleared the air. “What’s a Loup Garou?”

  “Let m-me see you s-shift.” Kester hugged himself tightly around his midsection, his back pressed into the wall. “I need to s-see for myself.”

  With very slow movements, Mike undressed. He kept his hands up, palms out, then shifted into his wolf form.

  Kester visibly relaxed and pressed himself against the wall. “A wolf.” He gave a nervous laugh. “An ordinary wolf.”

  Mike shifted back into his human form. “I wouldn’t call my wolf ordinary.”

  “But not on two legs.” Kester started laughing, but Mike could tell his mate wasn’t far from freaking out. He crossed the room and pulled Kester into his arm, holding him tightly.

  “Tell me what’s going on, Kester.”

  Kester pulled back and looked into Mike’s eyes. “Mates? Are you certain?”

  “As certain as I’m standing here.” He rubbed his hands up and down Kester’s arms, fearing his mate would react like he had yesterday in the office. “Now tell me what’s going on with you. I already know plenty, so don’t try to give me some bullshit story about you needing to rush to the bathroom.”

  Kester let out a big sigh. “I need to talk to someone about it. I hate all this secrecy. There’s so much weight on my shoulders that I feel like I’m going to crumple at any second.”

  Mike pulled the packet of drugs from his pocket and held it up. “And you use this to help you cope?”

  A frown puckered between Kester’s eyes. “Yeah, so?”

  Mike had to count to ten. His mate had answered him so casually, as if using drugs was no big deal. “How long have you been hooked on them?”

  “Hooked?” Now Kester appeared even more confused. “I wouldn’t exactly call it hooked. I just use it when I need it.” His color had returned, only now Kester looked pissed. “You’ve been going through my things?”

  “I found this packet when I was looking for your keys to give the tow truck driver.” Mike stuffed the packet back into his pocket and placed his hands on Kester’s arms. “Look, I can get you the help you need. My cousin went through the same thing. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”