“What about your mate?” Saul asked.
“What mate? I thought Leticia—” Lucas’s nostrils flared as he broke off to glare at Gavin. “I can smell her on you. The only way the scent would imprint like that is if you’ve mated. Bastard…” He moved with preternatural speed, his fist slamming into Gavin’s face.
Pain rioted through Gavin. The force of the blow sent him flying, crashing into the wall. He hit with a dull thump, stunned for a second, although the entire time he kept his gaze on Lucas, his feline straining for release. A growl rumbled deep in his chest, his feline taking exception to the attack. Gavin batted the cat down, forcing himself not to act. Control. He’d allow one free shot. After that all bets were off—he’d strike back and bugger the consequences. Without haste he stood, muscles tensed to spring.
Lucas leapt at Gavin with a loud roar that echoed through the room. Gavin ducked to the side, attempting to avoid another blow. It didn’t happen. Saul jumped between them with a snarl, shoving his mate hard enough to pierce the red rage thrumming though him. Lucas crashed into a chair, his muscular bulk scooting it across the floor.
“Back off, Lucas. Gavin is a valuable member of the shifter community. We need him.”
“That doesn’t give him the right to fuck with Leticia,” Lucas snarled, picking himself up and shaking his head. His blond hair lifted with the movement, looking like a mane.
Gavin prodded his chin with his fingers, decided he’d live and rolled fully upright without taking his eyes off Lucas. Oh he’d like to fuck with Leticia, not that he intended to voice the desire. That would be like poking the big bad kitty with a sharp stick. Time for stating intentions later. And it wouldn’t be Lucas and Saul he stated them to—Charlie and Leticia were the involved parties and they’d know first.
“Gavin is trying to help, numbskull.” Saul shoved Lucas in the middle of his chest, ignoring the lion’s testy growl. “Back off.”
“What’s Leticia meant to do now?” Lucas demanded.
“Gavin will keep treating her as a patient.” Saul strode across the room, pausing to return the chair to its proper place before coming to a halt by Lucas. He squeezed his mate’s shoulder, leaving his hand resting there. The pair glanced at each other and Lucas relaxed. “Gavin?” Saul asked, returning his attention to him.
“Of course I’ll continue Leticia’s treatment. I’m a doctor, not a bloody child intent on revenge.”
“How is your mate going to feel about another woman in the background?” Lucas glared at him, and the tightening of his face told Gavin he’d like nothing better than to pound him into the floor. The low growl rattling in his throat supported Gavin’s theory.
Gavin took the precaution of moving back a few steps so both the chair and the couch were between them. While he wasn’t afraid of a fight, he wanted to remain in top physical shape for the coming night.
“That’s between us.” Gavin didn’t explain. No use adding to the strain pulsing through the room.
“Who is your mate?” Saul asked, his eyes narrowing in a catlike manner, intelligence settling on his face. Gavin could see his mind working while he attempted to match scent with faces.
“Charlie McKenzie.” Gavin waited for the explosion and it didn’t take long.
“You’re a fuckin’ queer?” Lucas asked in a tone of disbelief.
Gavin scowled. “Takes one to know one.”
“I think I’m insulted,” Saul said. Gavin noticed his thoughtful frown. “Was Charlie at the party last night?”
“Yes.”
“A queer! Fuckin’ hell. I could have sworn you were Leticia’s mate.”
Gavin ran out of patience. “I am Leticia’s mate,” he growled. “I’m gonna say this once then you’re both heading home. Leticia is my mate. She refused me. Several times.”
“But what about Charlie?”
“Shut the fuck up and listen, Lucas. I’m trying to tell you. Charlie is my mate. I have two.”
“No one has two mates,” Lucas snapped, his muscles bunching in preparation to spring at Gavin again.
Saul grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and exerted enough pressure to gain his mate’s attention. “Didn’t you listen? Leticia refused to mate with him. You know she refused to go out with Gavin and only saw him for treatment. What the hell would you have done? Think about it, man. You know what it’s like when you see your mate. You want to fuck and you want to mark. In that order. It’s hard to control.”
“So what will happen with Leticia now? How long does she have?” Lucas’s large frame slumped in defeat.
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” Gavin said with a touch of impatience. “I want Leticia to stay here with me because I suspect Charlie is her mate too. I’m hoping that between the two of us we can help her.” Emotion grabbed at his gut, his throat and crushed the words he wanted to say. He swallowed, knowing he had to give them honesty. “Leticia is sick. I don’t know if I can help her, but I want—need—to spend time with her.”
Saul gave a clipped nod. “All right, but either Lucas or I or both of us will drop in every couple of days. You will keep us up-to-date with progress reports.”
“Every day,” Lucas said, looking as if he wanted to argue the point, but a quick glance at Saul changed his mind.
“Of course.” Gavin dragged in a deep breath. It did nothing to settle the fear gathering in his gut. Losing her… The pain and sympathy on Saul’s and Lucas’s features told him he didn’t need to explain any further. They understood the days with Leticia could be the last.
“I’ll keep in close touch,” he said. “Leticia is asleep in my room. I didn’t have time to make the bed in spare room. You’re welcome to stay until she wakes, although it might take a while since she took a sleeping pill.”
“We’ll stay,” Lucas said.
Gavin nodded, having expected it. “I have to go out to the Miller farm to check on their prize ram and make a couple of other stops.”
“We’ll wait here until you get back,” Saul said.
“Thanks,” Lucas said, his voice gruff with tamped-down emotion.
Gavin knew it was as close as he’d come to an apology. Brother and sister were a lot alike. Stubborn. Short-tempered. Strong. Loyal to those they loved. He prayed Leticia had enough strength left to fight the FIV so those personality traits came into play. He hoped so for all their sakes.
Chapter Four
Saul’s and Lucas’s presence at his house posed a problem. Gavin hurried through his farm rounds. Four hours later, he pulled up outside the police station. He switched off the ignition, hesitating before climbing from his SUV.
No escaping the problem.
Charlie might not understand. They’d probably fight. Gavin sucked in a deep breath, struggling for calm. It did nothing to slow his rapid pulse rate.
Coward.
Gavin strode up the three steps leading into the police station and pushed through the door. To his relief Charlie was alone.
“Hey.” Giving in to impulse and the driving need to touch and reassure himself, he rounded the large wooden desk. Grabbing Charlie, he kissed him. It wasn’t an easy kiss. Noses collided and their teeth clacked together before Gavin managed the right angle. His hands curled into the blue cotton of Charlie’s uniform, acting like an anchor. Passion ignited along with satisfaction at the unrestrained response from his mate. Mouths opened and tongues tangled together, the panic leeching from the kiss to leave need tinged with lust. When they pulled apart, they were both breathing hard.
“You missed me.” Charlie’s grin lightened his blue eyes, and his lips curved upward in a smug manner. “Hell, what is that stink? And what happened to your face?”
Gavin’s nose twitched. He frowned, glanced down at his boots and shuffled from foot to foot. The telltale scent of cow manure rose to float through the police station. “My last stop was to check on a cow. She cut her leg on some wire. Guess I brought a souvenir home with me. She was a feisty thing. Got in a lick or tw
o while I was checking her leg,” he added in a creditable lie. Charlie didn’t need to know Lucas had hit him.
Humor still sparkled in Charlie. “Is this what I have to look forward to?”
“Probably.” Cautious hope filled him at the thought of a future. Despite bestowing the mating mark on Charlie, he knew Leticia and his feelings for the lion shifter would make things difficult. Even with his inner anxiety, being with Charlie soothed his worse fears. Maybe they could work through this dilemma.
“I can deal. I thought we were meeting at your place.”
A reminder of the problem. Shit. Gavin’s smile faded, replaced by fear. He couldn’t lose Charlie too. He prayed he’d find the right words because everything depended on it.
“I have visitors.”
A flash of hurt crossed Charlie’s face, coming and going so fast Gavin would have missed it if he hadn’t watched so closely. “I’ll go home then. No problem.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I need to talk to you about the visitors before you arrive. There’s stuff I want to tell you. I thought I’d have plenty of time…” He trailed off, knowing that no matter how much time he’d had, nothing would’ve prepared him for this moment. Maybe if he explained. “We’re mates. I want you with me. I want to spend my days and nights with you. All day I’ve been off-kilter, craving your presence, your touch.”
“Hell, I’ve had a jittery feeling in my gut. It’s a vague sensation of something missing or out of place.” Charlie stared at him and it was like a physical touch. Gavin barely resisted a shudder. Damn, having a mate was turning him into a wimp—all soft and mushy. He backed up two steps and yanked an upright chair closer to Charlie’s desk. Straddling it and leaning on the back with his arms, he wondered how to start, how to bring the Leticia subject up without alienating his mate.
“Gavin?”
“Huh?” Gavin slid from his fears to face reality. Charlie…
“Will it be like this all the time?”
“Yeah, from what I’ve seen with other mates. You’ll want to touch and imprint your scent on me. It’s instinct.” A snort of amusement emerged, a release of silent tension. “Like a dog pissing on everything to mark its territory.”
Charlie’s lips quivered, humor flashing in his eyes. “And you’ll want to do the same?”
“I’ll try not to piss on you, but touch. Yeah.”
Charlie slipped into his chair, grimacing before he leaned back, his weight making the springs protest. “Don’t sound so happy about it.”
“I’m trying to work out how to tell you something.”
“Tell me straight out. I prefer honesty.”
Gavin took him at his word. “I’ve known for a while that Leticia is my mate. Possible mate,” he amended, trying to be as factual as possible. “She knows it too, although she’s too damn stubborn to admit it and act.”
“Leticia’s your mate?” Charlie straightened, his gaze intent. “Where does that leave me?”
The flash of pain with its underlying fear and unease arced between them even though a desk separated their bodies. “I’m not explaining this properly. You’re my mate too. For some reason I have two mates. Until I met you I had no idea double-mating was possible. Don’t get me wrong—I’m happy we’re together, but there is a hole in my gut because Leticia keeps refusing to consider anything except friendship.”
“Why? You said she was sick. Isn’t it built into your genes to mate?” Charlie picked up a pen, twirled it once in his right hand before tossing it aside with a grunt. “Hell, I don’t like this. You should have told me. Before.”
Guilt heightened in Gavin, a slash of heat filling his cheeks. Shame. Nothing like kicking a downed man. He inhaled. It didn’t make a difference, didn’t steady him or help him think of a way to explain.
Blurt it out, man. Just do it. “Leticia has FIV, the feline version of HIV. She was doing okay, but she’s under stress at work. It has exacerbated the illness, amplified the symptoms and pushed her to the next level.”
Charlie picked up his pen again, his expression cautious. Watchful. Dissecting. “She’s worse?”
Gavin nodded, unable to speak straightaway. He blinked, struggling for composure. The thought of her dying…leaving… A sharp cough blew the emotional obstruction from his throat. “She’s staying with me while I try to work out how to treat her. Will that be a problem?”
“I don’t know. Will it?”
Charlie wasn’t letting him off lightly, and why should he? He’d lied to him by omission, dragging him into this mess. “Her brother Lucas will be a regular visitor. Probably Saul as well. It might make things tricky for you. They know we’re mates. They also know Leticia and I are mates.”
“Prospective mates since you haven’t marked her.” The taut note in Charlie’s voice spoke of jealousy. Fear. Worry about the unknown.
“Yes.” Gavin faltered before going with brutal honesty. He owed Charlie that much. “I don’t know if I can stop thinking about Leticia—sexually, I mean. It’s funny because I haven’t slept with her even though we’re mates. Not even a kiss.” He sighed and dragged his hands across his face before glancing at Charlie to see how he’d taken the confession.
Bad.
All expression left Charlie’s face, and Gavin couldn’t tell what he was thinking. Not even an inkling. At least Charlie hadn’t bashed him into next week. Yet. Gavin wasn’t sure he’d remain so calm in Charlie’s position.
“If Leticia is your mate, why haven’t you taken things further?”
“Because she’s impossible. Stubborn and bullheaded.” Frustration colored the words he spit out like bullets. They hovered between the two men, powerful and smelling of truth. “She won’t take a chance on me catching the FIV virus from her.”
“Because of the biting,” Charlie guessed. “Gutsy lady. You could have sex though. Use condoms and stick to a no-biting rule.”
A self-deprecating snort escaped Gavin. “You saw how successful I was with you. I don’t think I could make love to Leticia without marking her. It’s all I’ve thought about and is why I marked you. I shouldn’t have, not straightaway. Saber will be pissed with me if he finds out. I…I didn’t want to risk losing you.”
“I’m still here, Gavin. How are you going to cope with Leticia living in the same house?”
“I don’t know. All I know is that I can’t turn my back on her, not when she’s sick. I have to do everything in my power to give her a good quality of life.”
Charlie nodded. “You don’t need me hanging around. I’ll head home to my place tonight.”
“No, dammit. Don’t do this. I need you.” Gavin leapt to his feet and rounded the desk, grabbing him with a low growl. Charlie’s chair flew backward, and he staggered off balance. Gavin shoved harder, his feline strength forcing Charlie toward the nearest wall. He hit with a startled oomph.
They stared at each other.
“Fuck off,” Charlie growled.
“Make me.”
Charlie snarled and pushed him. Gavin didn’t budge. Instead, he kissed Charlie, pouring every bit of his frustration and anger into the kiss. Charlie continued to fight until Gavin played dirty, grabbing him around the shoulders and letting his fingers press on the mating mark. Charlie turned his head, pulling his mouth away from Gavin’s and breathing hard. When Gavin’s fingers moved, he shuddered, his body relaxing in defeat.
“Kissing me isn’t gonna make this go away.”
Gavin’s breath came in harsh pants, his pulse rate slowly returning to normal. “It’s all I have. I want you in my life. It’s selfish. I know it, but I can’t do this alone.” He took a deep breath and admitted the truth—one he’d never verbalize to anyone else. “I’m scared, dammit.” The rough sound of his voice echoed between them. He met Charlie’s gaze, frightened of what he might see in the other man’s eyes. Derision. Disgust.
“Everyone is scared at some time in their life. Admitting it doesn’t make you any less a man.”
Gavin
blinked and knew in that moment what Charlie feared. Losing him. Losing a mate. It put them on level ground and steadied him. Marking Charlie and acknowledging the mate’s bond came with responsibilities. Charlie needed him, and he owed his mate loyalty. He could do this—give it his best shot. He couldn’t do anything less. “Will you help me?”
“I want to say no,” Charlie murmured. “You don’t know how bad I want to tell you to go to hell.” His sigh tickled across Gavin’s cheek. “Yeah, I’ll help.”
“Good. I need you in my bed.”
A quick grin flashed across Charlie’s face. “Sex? Is that all I am to you? A sex toy?”
“No, you’re a fuck buddy too. Kiss me.” It was an order, and Charlie obeyed without hesitation.
This time they took their time, leaning into each other, chests touching, groins brushing. Gavin licked across Charlie’s bottom lip, breathing in his scent and luxuriating in the firm arms holding him. He sighed, soft as a whisper, when their lips moved together, the lazy stroke of tongues, the taste and scent of Charlie sending urgent signals to his cock. With a subtle twist of his hips, he rubbed against Charlie, the jolt of pleasure making them both groan.
Skin. Damn, he needed to touch Charlie’s chest. Breathing hard, he pulled away enough to jerk open Charlie’s shirt or at least the top three buttons. He slipped his hand beneath the fabric and downward until his fingers moved over one flat nipple. Charlie hissed, so he repeated the move, scraping his fingernails back and forth. He lowered his head again, seeking Charlie’s lips.
Behind them, the station door flew open. Charlie made a low sound of protest when he lifted his head and turned.
“Um…” Laura, the other Middlemarch police officer, stood frozen in the open doorway. “Should I come back later?”
Under different circumstances, Gavin would’ve laughed at the shock on Laura’s face and the dismay and desperate arousal on Charlie’s.
Charlie shoved him away and fastened his shirt with jerky movements. Color crept into his cheeks. “No. Of course not.”
My Second Chance Page 6