The Love of a Mate

by Kim Dare

  “A damn spinning top would take a more direct route,” Gunnar muttered. With a half sigh, he pushed himself off the ground. He’d barely reached his full height when he started to morph back into his lupine form.

  Caden held his brother’s eyes as the more overtly wolfen side of the other man dropped onto all fours before him.

  Gunnar turned away, obviously bored with the topic and intending to resume his run now he’d apparently confirmed to his own satisfaction his little brother wasn’t going to do as he was told without one hell of a fight.

  Caden waited until his older brother was at the tree line before he called out to him. “Gun?”

  The wolf stopped and looked back towards him.

  “You know the interesting thing about spinning tops?”

  The wolf’s gaze remained steady.

  “They never set themselves spinning out of control. It’s other people who do that. The thing itself doesn’t actually have any choice in the matter, does it?”

  Caden took Gunnar’s pissed-off growl as a signal that his words had been heard, even if he was sure their actual meaning had gone straight over Gunnar’s head.

  Pulling his knees up in front of him, Caden drew a line on the bare skin along one of his thighs. His fingertip went around and around in a complex little pattern. His eyes followed its every movement. Just like a spinning top, there was no real way for him to work out in advance where the pattern would go next, all he could do was watch carefully and pray.

  Finally, Caden caught hold of the fingertip with his other hand and held it still, unable to watch its progress for another second. His eyes dropped closed. His grip on his own finger gradually turned painful. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he closed them tighter.

  Perhaps it wasn’t entirely impossible to give the top a little push in the right direction—if a wolf were careful and subtle and…

  Caden opened his eyes. He’d been away from Alfred’s side for quite long enough. Rising gracefully to his feet, he quickly completed his own shift and set off in the opposite direction to his brother.

  Within minutes the farmhouse was within sight. He let his paws carry him straight through the kitchen door without bothering to turn back into his human form. Voices floated out from the main hall as he passed the kitchen table. Tilting his head slightly to one side as he forced his lupine senses to pay attention and make sense of the human words, he made his way forward.

  “…Alfred…”

  That one name came through to him loud and clear. He shifted in the doorway, steadying himself on the frame as he swayed. “Pardon?”

  Marsdon and Bennett both turned to look at him. “What?”

  Caden pushed his hair back off of his face as he cleared his throat. “You were talking about Alfred,” he said, with a respectful little dip of the eyes.

  “He’s gone. Disappeared without telling anyone where the hell he’s going,” Marsdon said, anger clinging to each syllable.

  A shiver ran down Caden’s spine. He practically felt the blood drain from his face, too.

  “We hoped he‘d joined you on your run and forgotten to tell anyone. Hell knows what kind of mischief he’s got himself into now,” the alpha went on.

  Caden turned away from them both without a word. He was back on four paws by the time he reached the door leading to the courtyard. His claws scrabbled against the cobblestones as he tried to rush across them faster than lupine legs could carry him. He vaguely heard someone call out to him, but he couldn’t stop.

  The yells changed to barks and growls. A moment later, Caden felt the unmistakeable sensation of running as part of a pack. Marsdon and Bennett were larger wolves than him, with longer legs. They easily caught up with him. Caden saw them out of the corners of his eyes as they flanked him, running at either side of him as he rushed towards the river works.

  That’s where Alfred would be, Caden had no doubt about that. The only thing he was less sure about was what sort of condition the other man would be in when they found him. A wolf would have to be a fool to try to tackle that sort of work on his own. If he was less than up to his neck in river mud or ice cold water it would be a bloody miracle.

  Caden knew he could make sure Alfred became a good wolf. He could make sure the man he loved found his rightful place in the pack, too. But he couldn’t bring a wolf back from the dead.

  There were some things even pretty blond hair or a charming smile couldn’t achieve.

  Chapter Four

  Caden’s paws slipped and slithered beneath him. He clawed at the mud, but there was no way he could gain any sort of purchase. On either side of him, he saw brief flashes of fur and dirt as the alphas skidded to undignified stops alongside him.

  His own momentum pushed him on farther, until he finally stopped just short of tumbling into the deep trench. Perched right on the edge of the scar being cut across the field, Caden found himself completely unable to move. All he could do was stare.

  Alfred!

  The younger wolf was plastered in mud from tip to toe, but that barely registered in Caden’s mind. He’d never seen anything more glorious in his life. The man he loved was unharmed. That was all that mattered.

  Panting for breath, he ran his eyes over Alfred’s form. One or two parts of him decided they were willing to believe there were other things that always mattered, beside the fact he was healthy and well, hard at work repairing the damage his lapse had caused earlier in the day. For one, Alfred’s sodden clothes were clinging to his skin in a very interesting way.

  As Caden dragged his attention back to the other gamma’s face, Alfred’s eyes went from him to each of the alphas and back again, obviously trying to work out what the hell was going on.

  While Caden remained trapped in his lupine form, unable to pull himself together enough to complete a shift, the alphas deftly transformed into their human shapes on either side of him.

  “So this is where you disappeared to,” Marsdon said, pushing muddy blond hair out of his eyes.

  “You were right,” Alfred said, his gaze now fixed firmly on the shovel in his hands. “It was my fault it overflowed. I should have been paying more attention. So it’s only right that I should be the one who fixes the damage.”

  “In the middle of the night?” Marsdon demanded. “Without telling any of your pack where you were going?”

  As Caden watched through lupine eyes, Alfred opened his mouth to respond—and no doubt to point out that it was far from the middle of the night, it was barely dusk. Or perhaps to inform the other man it wasn’t exactly uncommon for wolves to leave the house without their alphas’ permission. At the last second, Alfred turned his attention back to Caden.

  Their eyes met. Caden held his breath. Alfred lowered his gaze for a second. He seemed to think very carefully before he finally spoke up.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, without even the slightest hint of his usual recalcitrant attitude in his voice. “I should have thought about that before I came out here. I didn’t intend to worry anyone. Next time I’ll…” He hesitated for a moment as if he really had to think about what he should have done differently. “Tell someone where I’m going?” he hazarded.

  To his left, Caden was vaguely aware of Marsdon opening and closing his mouth a few times. The entirely appropriate response was obviously the last thing he expected to hear falling from his cousin’s lips.

  Bennett quickly stepped forward on Caden’s right, to fill in for his baffled mate. “That would be a very good idea. This kind of work can be dangerous to do on your own. It’s always best to have another wolf working alongside you, just in case.”

  Alfred slowly nodded his understanding, his eyes politely lowered in due respect for a more senior-ranking wolf. “I won’t make the same mistake again.”

  Still sitting in the mud on the edge of the bank, Caden barely held back a whimper as he fought against the desire to leap forward, pounce on Alfred and lick him all over like an excitable little puppy. His tail wagged back and fo
rth in the mud as his enthusiasm got the better of him.

  Bennett smiled his approval as he stepped forward again. He ruffled Alfred’s hair as he moved past him to inspect his work. “You’ve done a lot already.”

  Alfred said nothing. He didn’t even seem to know how to react to that sort of praise. Caden whimpered very quietly. No one seemed to hear him.

  “Did you intend to do more tonight, or are you ready to come home?” Bennett asked.

  “I want—” Alfred cut himself short. He didn’t look towards Caden right then, but Caden could almost feel the other wolf’s consideration wrapping around him while he debated his next move—while he tried to figure out what a good wolf would say in that situation.

  “With your permission, I’d prefer to finish this section this evening?” Alfred eventually suggested.

  Bennett nodded his approval. “I’ll send someone out to work on it with you.”

  Alfred opened his mouth as if to protest, but Bennett held up a hand.

  “That’s not up for debate,” he said, with more gentleness in his voice than dominance. “I wouldn’t be acting like a good alpha if I left any wolf from my pack out here on his own. Someone will come out and help you. Until they get here, I want you to take a break.”

  Caden barked excitedly. All three shifters turned to face him. Mentally reciting all the curses he could think of, Caden clumsily morphed back into his human shape. Scrambling backwards, he just about stopped himself from falling into the ditch.

  Clearing his throat, he tried to speak again. “I’ll stay and help!” There was still more than a hint of excited yap in his voice, but at least he had made himself understood.

  Bennett seemed to think about that suggestion carefully, but when Caden looked towards Marsdon, the other alpha’s brow was creased into a deep frown. He obviously wasn’t thinking about anything of the kind. After the way Alfred had welcomed Bennett to the pack, he was probably still far more interested in trying to work out what mischief Alfred was plotting.

  Caden bit his tongue hard enough to draw blood. The bitter metallic taste filled his mouth, but it did little to temper his desire to howl that if he just gave Alfred a chance, Marsdon might see just how wrong he was about the gamma.

  “Fine,” Marsdon finally sighed, after some silent message passed between him and his mate. “Try to keep your minds on the work and not get each other killed. If you’re not back within the next two hours, we’ll send someone to find you.”

  Alfred nodded. “Thank you.”

  Marsdon gave them both one more suspicious look before turning away. Caden was only vaguely aware of the alphas leaving them alone alongside the river works. He couldn’t take his eyes off Alfred for long enough to actually watch them leave.

  Alfred turned away first. His gaze went back to the shovel in his hands. That finally freed Caden to snap out of his day-dream. Stepping forward, he clumsily reached for one of the other shovels with hands that were still half sure they were paws.

  “No.”

  Caden’s fingers had barely brushed against the handle before the word made him snatch them back and hide them guiltily behind him.

  “Don’t,” Alfred said, just a fraction more gently. “If our alphas want someone else to stay here in case I fall in the damn river, I’ll accept that. But I don’t want your help. I broke it, and I’ll fix it.”

  Caden let his hand fall back to his side. Stepping forward, he closed the gap between them until he stood directly in front of Alfred.

  “You’re a good wolf,” he said softly, and pressed a little kiss against his somewhat muddy cheek.

  Alfred coughed and cleared his throat. Caden was pretty sure that, beneath all that mud, the other wolf was blushing very prettily.

  “You can sit over there until I’m finished,” Alfred informed him, apparently not willing to give in to the temptation of an enjoyable distraction right then.

  The confidence and dominance that flooded into his voice in response to another wolf’s gentle praise made Caden smile as he quickly obeyed his lover’s command. Moving back to the same patch of muddy ground where he’d first sat staring at Alfred, completely unharmed and hard at work, Caden rested his elbows on his drawn up knees and resumed his observations.

  Alfred had obviously walked out there in his human form. He was still wearing his jeans and his T-shirt, although all they seemed to be doing right then was soaking up more and more mud and water and making it ever harder for him to complete the task he’d assigned for himself.

  His wet jeans had moulded themselves to his arse perfectly, and it didn’t matter how much Caden preferred to bottom, every single time Alfred bent over, there was nothing he wanted more than to pounce on his future mate. If Alfred would quickly roll them over and reverse their positions, and if Caden himself would be the one who’d end up pinned against the muddy floor while the other wolf pounded into him with increasingly harsh and frantic thrusts, then that would be just so much the better.

  Caden licked his lips at the very possibility. It was all he could do not to slip his hand down and wrap his fingers around his erection. It would feel so wonderful, with his hand all slicked with river mud, and he needed to come so badly he could barely hold back a howl of frustration. But he didn’t have permission.

  Looking down his body, at both the streaks of mud and at his rising shaft, Caden didn’t move a hand to deal with either. Right there, right then, he belonged to Alfred—it felt safe and right that he should belong to Alfred. And, while that was the case, it wasn’t his place to lay a hand on his own body, for any reason.

  His more dominant mate would decide what was to be done with him, all Caden would have to do was obey and enjoy. And until Alfred was ready to turn his attention to him, all Caden could do was squirm in the mud.

  His breaths sped up as he realised he might actually be able to hand over just a little bit more control to the other wolf in good conscience. A strange little mew of anticipation escaped from the back of his throat.

  Alfred immediately turned to face him. “What’s wrong?”

  Caden swallowed rapidly. “I’m fine.”

  Alfred frowned. “Are you cold?”

  Caden shook his head. He was pretty sure if he got any hotter his blood would start to bubble and boil inside him. If anything, he was so feverish with desire he was in danger of drying out the mud he sat in, but he couldn’t say that.

  Sex was his one bargaining chip—and it would stay that way until it was completely safe for him to give it up forever. It was far too soon for him to admit he was just as desperate to get screwed as Alfred was to screw him. Once they were mates, then maybe the truth could come out, but until then…

  Caden looked down his body once more. His gaze settled on his erection. Of course, it was just possible that the other man would notice how turned on he was without either of them saying a word.

  “I like watching you work,” Caden offered.

  Alfred gave him a strange look.

  Dipping his gaze, Caden smiled up at the other wolf through his lashes in practiced flirtation. “It makes you look more dominant than ever…”

  Alfred turned away from him, a slight frown marring his brow as he returned his attention to his task. It was only a few minutes before he stopped again and glanced at Caden once more.

  “This section is finished. I’ll leave the rest until tomorrow when there’s better light. I don’t want you sitting out in the cold any longer than you have to.” He walked across and set his shovel neatly with the others leaning against an old tree stump.

  “There are other ways you could warm me up, if you wanted to,” Caden offered, doing his best to keep a complete over-abundance of enthusiasm out of his voice.

  Alfred was standing almost directly over him. From that angle he was huge and powerful and completely faultless in the more submissive wolf’s eyes.

  “Such as?” Alfred asked.

  “I’ve heard that combining body heat can be a lot of fun,” Cad
en suggested.

  “Oh?”

  Caden nodded coyly, as if it didn’t really make that much difference to him if Alfred took him up on his invitation or not.

  Crouching next to him, Alfred pushed Caden’s hair back from his face. His hands were coated with mud. Caden felt dirt smear across his temple. Alfred stilled for a moment, as if something so insignificant could actually be considered a problem, but Caden quickly leaned in to his touch, desperate to make it clear he didn’t mind getting a little bit messy in both a very good and potentially very erotic cause.

  A touch to his other wrist caught Caden’s attention. Glancing down, he saw Alfred’s fingers trace a line over his skin, leaving a ring of mud around the joint. Lifting his hand, Caden offered his entire arm to Alfred and nodded his acceptance.

  The other wolf quickly took hold of him. His other hand immediately copied the action around Caden’s other wrist. Success radiated from Alfred’s eyes in the darkness as he leant forward and brought their lips together.

  Their balance was precarious to start with. The moment Alfred dipped his head to deepen the kiss, they toppled, their bodies skidding in the wet mud. Caden gasped as his back hit the ground, Alfred landing on top of him and pressing him down into the soft earth.

  Clothes made rough and cold with mud rasped against Caden’s body, but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was the friction they provided against his cock. Moaning his complete approval into the kiss, Caden parted his lips and hurriedly gave the other man whatever access he wanted.

  Caden tried to reach out and pull the other man down harder against his body, but Alfred wouldn’t allow it. His hands tightened around Caden’s wrists, demanding they stay exactly where he wanted them to be.

  Temporarily freed from any responsibility to pretend that was anything other than exactly what he wanted, Caden bucked his hips and rubbed their bodies together. Alfred’s erection pressed back against him through the other wolf’s clothes, but it wasn’t enough. He wanted skin against skin.