by Stormy Glenn
Shade burst out laughing. “Oh, I like him.”
Henry beamed.
“Come on,” Shade said as he opened his door, “we need to head in. I imagine Bob and Sinclair are biting at the bit.”
Henry didn’t move.
“Baby, you’re going to have to get off my lap.”
Henry shook his head. “I don’t want to.”
I glanced at Stone for a moment before asking, “Why not?”
“What if he doesn’t like me? What if he says I can’t stay?”
“Who?”
I was so lost.
Henry’s brown eyes were flooded with fear when he turned to look at me. “Your alpha.”
I smiled simply because I found my mate utterly adorable. “You have nothing to be worried about, baby. Sinclair will accept you simply because you’re my mate. And I imagine, once he gets to know you, he’ll like you for yourself.”
Henry shook his head. “I’m not a very good omega.”
That was quite possibly the weirdest statement I had heard come out of Henry’s mouth.
“Why would you say that, Henry?”
“I’m not very omega-ish.”
My eye twitched. “Huh?”
Henry sighed. “One of the reasons I have trouble with people concerning me being an omega is because I don’t act very omega-like. I tend to tell people who piss me off where they can stick it. I’m about as submissive as you are.”
I blew out a breath. “You had me worried there for a minute.”
“I’m serious, Samson.”
“Good.”
Henry blinked at me.
“Henry, I don’t want a doormat for a mate. You’re an omega. Great. I’m not. So what. We’re mates, and that’s pretty much all I care about.”
“Really?” Henry whispered.
“Really.”
Henry narrowed his eyes, but I didn’t think it was in anger. I didn’t get the vibe from him. More like he was confused and trying to understand where I was coming from.
“I would like to introduce you to my alpha,” Henry said. “He’ll be happy for me, even if he gives you the third degree. He always said I would find my mate and he wanted to be there to see how many times I fucked up because of my big mouth.”
“Baby, if your alpha talked about you having a mate, what made you think you wouldn’t have one?”
Henry’s hand stilled. “Other alphas.”
Well, that certainly explained why Henry was so afraid to meet Sinclair.
“So, who would you rather believe? Me and your alpha, or some alpha that doesn’t matter?”
I laughed when Henry’s face flushed. I wasn’t trying to laugh at him. I was simply delighted by my mate.
I just wasn’t about to call Henry cute to his face.
Did I look stupid?
“Come on, mate.” I clutched the blanket with one hand and opened the door with the other before scooting out of the vehicle. I traded hands so I could hold my free one out to Henry. “I have some friends I want you to meet.”
Chapter Eight
Henry
I swallowed hard, trying to rid myself of the fear paralyzing me. It wasn’t easy. I wasn’t sure if my fear was natural or due to being an omega.
I also wasn’t sure it mattered.
I was scared, plain and simple.
Terrified.
I didn’t care that someone might hand me my head. I was more concerned that they would say I couldn’t stay with Samson.
I had no idea when the panther shifter had come to mean so much to me, but the mere thought of never seeing Samson again made me sick to my stomach.
I couldn’t move.
“Come on, Henry.”
And then I could.
I kept a tight hold of the blanket wrapped around me and took the hand Samson held out. My throat still felt as if it was going to close up any second as I scooted out of the vehicle and stood, but being closer to Samson was better than being away from him.
I wished everyone else would go away and it could be just the two of us.
I certainly didn’t want to go up the steps and join the small crowd of people gathered there. It was obvious from the expectant looks on their faces that they were waiting for us.
For me.
I was going to be sick.
“Samson.”
“Henry, it’s okay. I promise. These are my friends, my pride members. They won’t hurt you.”
I wasn’t sure I believed him.
I was positive I didn’t believe him.
“Come inside. We’ll get something to eat, take a shower, and get some clean clothes. If, after that, you want to leave, we’ll leave.”
I felt my jaw drop. “You’d do that?”
“You’re my mate, Henry. You trump everyone.”
Fresh tears sprang to my eyes. I brushed them away, wishing Samson wasn’t seeing me so weak. I didn’t used to cry at the drop of a hat. It seemed to be a new development.
Go figure.
I turned to climb back into the SUV, but then a voice from the doorway stopped me. I glanced over to see a rather stunning man in a wheelchair.
“Come on, guys,” he said as he spun his chair around. “Food’s hot. Better get it while you can.”
My stomach took that moment to growl.
Well, hell.
I swallowed down my fear and followed Samson up the steps. The inside of the house was a little less ostentatious than the outside, but not by much. The panthers seemed to be doing well for themselves.
I wondered if they all were or just the ones in this house? Back home, the alpha did well, but that was because he worked hard and was educated. If a person didn’t work, they didn’t live well. In that regard, being a shifter didn’t make us any different from humans.
Lazy was lazy. Hardworking was hardworking.
When we reached the top of the stairs, Samson wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I swear his chest puffed out.
“This is Henry, my mate,” he said. “Henry, this is my pride.”
My smile wobbled.
“You already know Stryker, Shade, and Stone,” Samson said to me. “These are Shade and Stone’s mates, Sinclair and Bob.”
“I’m Sinclair.” The guy in the wheelchair raised his hand. “I’m the alpha of this motley crew.”
I think I nodded. I wasn’t sure. I felt frozen in place by fear.
“Hi, I’m Bob.”
My eyes rounded when the little man bounced up in front of me. He was just a few inches shorter than me, but there was an air of innocence about him.
“Hello, Bob.”
The man beamed at me.
“This is Mustachio.” Bob glanced down at the mega-huge cat sitting at his feet.
Damn, he was on a leash.
“We just got back from the park so he’s probably a little tired, but I’m sure he’ll be more friendly once he gets some treats from the cook.” Bob was smiling again when he looked up. He pushed his glasses back up his nose. “He always feels better when he gets treats.”
Who wouldn’t?
I smiled. “I’d love to meet him when he’s recovered.”
I just couldn’t be afraid of this man.
I couldn’t.
If anything, I had an insane urge to protect him.
The cat was on his own.
“There’s a couple more of us,” Sinclair said, “but they’re all out on assignments right now.”
I admit I was a little shocked by Sinclair’s statement. He said it so casually, as if people being sent out to kill other people was normal.
“I didn’t know if there’s anything you’re allergic to,” Sinclair continued, “so I had the cook make a few different things. I hope that’s okay.”
“Yes, thank you.” Considering I had pretty much been eating table scraps for the last few weeks, I’d eat a shoe.
“Here, you can put these on while you eat.”
I took the jogging pants and short-sleeved shirt Sto
ne held out to me. I was actually a little surprised that they were close to my size.
It took a little maneuvering, but I managed to get the pants on under my blanket. Once my bits and pieces were covered, I dropped the blanket and then pulled the shirt over my head.
I picked the blanket up, not quite sure what to do with it.
“I’ll take that,” Stone said. “You go eat before you pass out.”
I handed over the blanket, but my attention was already on the delicious smells coming from the room beyond Stone. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was smelling, but it was fantastic.
“Hungry, mate?” Samson asked.
I nodded. Speech was beyond me at that moment.
Saliva pooled in my mouth.
God, I was hungry.
My stomach growled again.
Samson chuckled and led me into the dining room. My eyes widened at the abundance of food on the buffet. Sinclair simply said he’d had the cook make a little extra. If that was his idea of extra, I couldn’t imagine what extravagant would look like.
There was enough food to feed an army.
Or two.
Three?
I grabbed the plate Samson held out to me and followed along behind him as he moved down the long buffet table, spooning food onto both our dishes. When the damn thing weighed enough that I worried I would drop it, I made a beeline for the dining table.
I was eating, not talking, so it took me a moment to realize the room was silent. I had a forkful of mashed potatoes halfway to my mouth as I glanced up and saw everyone staring back at me.
I swallowed tightly as I lowered the fork back to my plate. “I’m sorry. That was very rude.”
Samson chuckled as he shook his head. “Just eat, baby.”
I waited until everyone else had started eating before picking up my fork again. I also kept a wary eye on the guy in the wheelchair. I knew from experience that the alpha always ate first, and then everyone else. I had been so hungry I hadn’t even thought about it. I had just started eating.
I was waiting for someone to hand me my head for disrespecting the alpha.
No one did.
“So, Henry.” Sinclair smiled brightly. “Tell us about yourself.”
One of these days, I needed to remember to stop letting my guard down. I got suckered in every time.
“Well, um, I own a catering company.” I had exactly one employee—me—but I didn’t have to admit that. “I specialize in small intimate gatherings, dinner parties or birthdays, that sort of thing.”
My left eye twitched when I thought about the last birthday party I had thrown. It had been for an eight-year-old kid and all his little rabid buddies. Where I had been used to serving lobster thermidor at the parties I worked, I’d ended up making hot dogs and potato salad.
They’d served Kool-Aid.
Technically, I didn’t have anything against Kool-Aid. I had something against twelve eight-year-olds hyped out of their minds on sugar. I was still trying to get the cherry Kool-Aid stains out of my clothes.
Bob’s eyes widened. “Oh, do you bake?”
“Yes,” I answered hesitantly.
“Chocolate?”
“Depends on what you want in chocolate.”
“Anything.” Bob groaned. “The new cook is good, but he doesn’t make anything desserty like. It’s all healthy stuff, and while I understand the need to eat healthy, sometimes a guy just needs chocolate.”
I glanced down at the food left on my plate.
This was considered healthy?
Granted, it all tasted good, but mashed potatoes, fried chicken, heavy cream gravy, stuffing, some rather massive turkey legs, and three different baskets of bread were not exactly on the top of the health food list.
“Your cook makes food like this all the time?”
“Pretty much every night. We did have lasagna the other night, but only because I asked for it. I think Cook was angry I wanted something other than fried chicken.” Bob leaned closer as if imparting a great secret. “I was afraid I was gonna sprout feathers.”
I smiled, because how could I not? Bob was adorable.
“Maybe I can teach you how to make your own chocolate desserts.”
Bob’s eyes rounded. “Really?”
When I nodded, Bob turned to smile up at the large man sitting at his side. “See, I knew he’d fit right in. Fate wouldn’t give Samson a mate who didn’t fit in, not when he belongs to us.”
My jaw dropped as I watched Shade melt. The man leaned down and brushed a kiss over Bob’s lips. “You were right, love.”
Bob beamed.
I promised myself I’d bake him the biggest chocolate decadence cake I could just to see that smile on his face again. It suddenly made breathing a little easier.
“I’m human,” Bob said as he looked back at me. “What are you?”
“Bob,” Shade admonished. “It’s rude to ask someone what they shift into. I’ve told you this.”
“Well, sure,” Bob replied. “But Henry is pride. It’s okay to ask him.”
I squirmed in my seat when all eyes turned to me.
“Technically, he’s not pride yet, Bob,” Sinclair explained. “Remember that little finger thing?”
Bob nodded. “Oh yeah.”
I squinted. “Finger thing?”
“The blood exchange.”
“Oh, right.” I remembered that. Shifters were accepted into the pride when they were born, but officially became an adult member when they shifted for the first time and exchanged blood with the alpha. I had been fourteen.
“Well,” Bob said. “You’ll just have to do the blood exchange with Sinclair.”
Huh.
“We need a little time to recover first, Bob,” Samson said. “You have to remember, neither Henry nor I have even had a shower in weeks. We need food, a shower, and some rest. Everything else can wait.”
I was glad Samson had said something so I didn’t have to. My mind wasn’t ready to deal with transferring prides and all that it entailed. I was exhausted. I stank. And I really wanted some quiet time in a real bed with my mate.
The rest of the world could go screw itself.
By the time I laid my fork down, my eyelids were drooping. I was so ready to be horizontal. A bath—a real bath with hot water and soap and stuff—sounded even better.
Hell, it sounded like nirvana.
“Come on, baby.” Samson stood. “Let’s get you upstairs before you fall asleep on your feet.”
I needed Samson’s hand to get up, and his arm around my waist to walk down the hallway and up the stairs.
“Let’s get you into bed,” Samson said once we entered a room.
I assumed it was Samson’s room, but I was too tired to take it in. “Shower.”
“Henry—”
“Please.” I would so beg. “I haven’t had a shower since I was taken.”
Samson sighed. “Okay, baby.”
I might not have taken in Samson’s bedroom, but his bathroom made me gasp.
I might never leave.
“This is your bathroom?”
“Our bathroom.”
I liked that.
I especially liked the clear glass walls that opened into a shower big enough to fit my car inside. It had showerheads on both sides, coming out of the wall, and one really huge rain showerhead hanging from the ceiling.
I briefly acknowledged the pleasant aesthetic of the white subway tiles on the shower walls. The plumbing fixtures were all in a dark brushed metal color. It was a nice contrast to the subway tiles.
“I want to live in here.”
Samson chuckled as he started stripping my clothes off of me. I admit I was pretty useless. I just stood there and looked around with a sense of awe as Samson undressed me.
I whimpered when he stepped inside the large shower and turned the water on.
I wasn’t so out of it that I missed the fact that he was naked.
Man, was he naked.
Yes, we
’d had sex. Yes, we’d spent the better part of several hours walking around naked. No, I hadn’t really had time to appreciate how truly impressive the man was.
“Sweet Jesus, you’re beautiful.”
Samson’s grin was pure arrogant macho male. “Yeah? You see something you like, Henry?”
I nodded vigorously.
I was frozen in place.
“You know.” Samson grabbed a sponge off the shelf and poured bodywash out on it. “If you come in here, you could soap me up, make sure I don’t miss any spots.”
That was quite possibly the best damn offer I’d ever had.
I stepped into the shower.
Chapter Nine
Samson
My face was going to break if I smiled any wider. My mate was staring at me as if he wanted to lick me from head to toe. I knew Henry was tired, but the second he stepped into the shower, he seemed to perk up.
I leaned closer and sniffed at Henry’s neck. The tip of one of my fangs appeared through my lips. Those dark brown eyes looked at me as if I were everything he had ever dreamed of.
Right there and then, I vowed to never let Henry down.
“My mate,” I whispered as I leaned in and rubbed my face against his bare shoulder. I sniffed and pressed my nose into the crease of his neck, licking and growling as I pressed closer.
Henry yelped when I picked him up and pinned him against the shower wall. I reached down and grabbed his ass, making sure my fingers pushed against his tight hole.
“Do you want me to claim you, Henry?” I whispered.
“Yesss,” Henry hissed. His hands came up to grab my head, and he fisted his fingers in my hair as he pulled my head down to his neck. “Now, Samson, do it now!”
I nipped the skin of Henry’s neck with my teeth before plunging my fangs in. When Henry cried out, arousal flooded every nerve ending in my body. My cock hardened to tempered steel in a millisecond.
My eyes drifted closed as I savored the sweet taste of my mate, mine forever. It was a delicious flavor that I knew I would be obsessed with for the rest of my life.
I opened my eyes as I lifted my head. I leaned down and stuck my tongue out, then circled one taut nipple before sucking it in between my lips. Henry’s needy cry brought a smile to my lips. I pulled the nipple into my mouth again and gently bit down. It was like turning on an electrical switch. Henry went wild. His hips began thrusting up against me. The harder I bit down, the wilder Henry became.