by Julia Talbot
“Not today. Today I want to relax with you.”
“Okay.” His heart set up a heavy thud. He wanted to spend time too, wanted to know all about Sebastian.
Sebastian wandered over to him, not hovering or looming but staying right there. He loved that he could feel the heat from that big body, that Sebastian was so in tune with his movements.
“I can smell you. It’s better than the food.”
“Is it?” He leaned back for a moment, letting Sebastian support him.
“Yes.” Sebastian’s hands wrapped around his hips, the heavy pressure grounding him. They swayed together to the music that always seemed to play between them.
Sebastian wasn’t trying to seduce him, but there was no doubt his wolf wanted to be close, wanted connection. Jaxon was happy to provide it.
They moved around the kitchen together, Sebastian asking quiet questions about what he was doing, what spices he was adding, or why was he tying up the stew herbs.
Every so often Sebastian would bury his face in Jaxon’s hair or neck and inhale deeply.
He got hugs and touches, just gentle and sweet.
By the time he was done, he wanted nothing more than to curl up with Sebastian and be held, surrounded. The cake was cooling, the stew could perk along, and the bread was rising. “Wanna go watch a movie?”
“Yes. I know I should work, but I need this.”
“Then let’s do it.” They moved together, holding hands all the way to the couch with the nest of pillows and blankets.
Sebastian wrapped around him, mouth on his nape, the soft satisfied sound making his eyes cross. He could get used to this, and it was so dangerous, because he could be asked to leave at any time. The pack could kick him out.
“No. You belong here.”
“I hope so, babe. I want to stay.” In one place. Forever. How weird.
“No hoping.” Sebastian sounded totally sure.
“Then I’ll just believe.” He leaned his head on Sebastian’s shoulder.
“Good.”
Happy pup.
He stroked Sebastian’s belly, not trying to incite anything, just loving to touch.
Sebastian rumbled, handed him the remote, then shifted, the huge wolf cradling him. He moaned, then flipped on the TV, putting on some weird movie before he shifted as well. He curled up, nose over his tail.
Pretty mate.
He heard that, just as clear as a bell.
My wolf. He tried to make the thought as clear as possible.
Yes.
The snow began to fall outside, silent and heavy.
All he had to do was make sure the stew didn’t burn.
“DUDE, IT’S an early winter! It smells good in here!”
Sebastian was working up in the studio, answering emails for Ron, when Alan’s voice sounded.
He heard an answering murmur, possibly Jaxon trying to defend his studio time.
It did smell good. Jaxon had made cinnamon rolls. From scratch.
He liked cinnamon rolls.
A lot.
Way more than emails.
Jaxon was going to make him as big as a barn, but Sebastian just couldn’t care.
He had a treadmill in the basement, right? And some weights. Lifting Jaxon counted as that.
Alan knocked, then wandered into his studio, carrying a cinnamon roll on a wee plate.
“Hey, man. How was your drive?”
“Intense. It’s an early freeze, huh?” Alan grinned at him, settling at the little seating area Jaxon had set up so no food had to be in his work area. Jaxon’s touch was creeping into every area of the house, but Sebastian liked it.
“It is. I’m looking forward to it, being snowed in.”
“Not with me. I’ll wolf out and run back to the city.” Alan took a huge bite of his roll. “Dis n ’mzng.”
“You have chains and four-wheel drive, right? You can get down.” He wasn’t worried about anything but why he didn’t have a cinnamon roll too.
“I do.”
Jaxon tiptoed in, smiling at Alan, then handing Sebastian a plate with a cinnamon roll and some bacon. “You two want coffee?”
He grabbed Jaxon, hauled him in for a warm thank-you kiss. “I would love some, thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Jaxon’s pupils dilated, his cheeks pink.
He rubbed the corner of Jaxon’s mouth. “You want to come up or for us to come down?”
“I can bring it up, but you might be more comfy in the family room.” Jaxon smiled, the look they shared telling him Jaxon was protecting Sebastian’s space.
“Perfect. We’ll follow you down.”
“Cool.” Jaxon kissed him once more before bouncing off.
“You’ve mated with him.” Alan stared at him.
“Yes.” He wouldn’t deny Jaxon, dammit.
Alan blinked a couple of times; then the bastard broke into a grin. “Fucking-A, man. Congratulations! Can I give him hell now that he’s family?”
“Like you were easy on him before?”
“No, I was trying to steal him before. Now I can treat him like a little brother.” Alan fist-pumped.
“Fair enough. No hurting or I’ll bite. Deal?”
“None.” Alan stood, grabbing his cinnamon roll. “I need him to be around to cook, because OMG.”
“Right? And he likes it.” He was stupidly lucky and he knew it.
“That’s amazing.” Alan bumped shoulders with him on the way down the stairs. “Maybe I’ll find someone someday who makes me feel like that.”
“You will.” He had no doubt. “This one’s mine.”
“Oh, I can see that.”
The smell of coffee met them at the bottom of the stairs. Jaxon was good with that espresso machine.
“God, I love that smell.” Alan groaned softly. “You’re sure I can’t have him?”
“Nope. Not even a little. But you get to visit.” Pride swelled in his chest. His mate was beautiful, hot as hell, and valuable to the pack. His.
“Maybe I’ll ask him.”
Sebastian snorted. “Alan wants to know if you want to leave me for him, Jaxon.”
“Not one bit. Too corporate.” Jaxon winked at Alan, softening the words.
Sebastian reached out with his heart, sending a wave of love.
Jaxon glanced at him, eyes dark as holes in the snow. “Coffee. For you.”
“Thank you.” Mate.
Jaxon’s eyes crossed for a moment, which was cute as hell.
Alan groaned. “You guys are tossing pheromones around like mad. I don’t suppose—”
He growled low. “Not a chance, you shit.”
Laughing, Alan shrugged. “Gonna go get another pastry, then. Is there more bacon?”
“A whole pan. It was in the oven when you got here.”
“Thanks, man. Congratulations, by the way.”
“Thank you.” Jaxon drifted close to Sebastian, wrapping an arm around his neck, and he nuzzled, breathing Jaxon in.
Alan left them for a moment, so Jaxon bent to kiss him.
He held on, humming softly, wanting nothing more than to hide away from the world. Including Alan, who he adored, but damn. He and Jaxon were still new enough to savor.
“You have company.” Jaxon moaned and bit his bottom lip.
“Mmm-hmm.” He pinched Jaxon’s ass.
“I’m serious. Be good.” Jaxon cupped his balls and rolled them through his loose sweats.
“That’s not going to help.”
Alan came in, humming, a huge plate in his hands. “The other plate was too small…. Uh, am I interrupting?”
“Nope.” He did back off, though, because he wasn’t an asshole. “We were going to make coffee.”
“Uh-huh. Is that like making the doughnuts?” Alan winked. “I can go be alone with my pastry if I need to.”
“No. No, come on. We’re just basking.” Sebastian grinned at his best friend, two of his favorite people right there.
“Cool.” Alan
wandered in to plop on the couch, and Jaxon moved away to actually serve coffee.
Sebastian made another big plate of goodies, and they all settled, getting the pleasantries and the munchies out of the way.
Alan was pretty shrewd, so once they were all full as ticks, he caught Sebastian’s gaze. “So, why have I been summoned, man?”
“‘Summoned’ is a strong word. You said you wanted to come out.”
“I did. I do.” Alan chuckled. “Still, you sounded like you had an agenda.”
“I want to talk about the Alpha.”
Alan tilted his head. “Are you going to make a play for the position?”
Sebastian stopped, blinked, just horrified. “What? No! I’m not interested. I never have been.”
He loved his life on the edges, working and surrounding himself in art and nature.
Alan nodded, looking relieved. “That was what I thought, but I had to ask. I would do it, but he would kill me. Not enough of the bloodline.”
“That’s bullshit,” he snapped. Alan was one of the best—smart, sure, kind. “You’re more than qualified. I would have your back.”
“Thanks.” Alan smiled wryly. “Okay, so what, then?”
“Why cats? Why attack us? What the fuck is going on?” Sebastian leaned over, holding Alan’s gaze. “Seriously, we do good business.”
Alan sat for a long moment, chewing his lower lip. “I’ve thought a lot about this recently. We have a few choices. Ron did something to someone. They want revenge.” Alan held up a hand and began ticking off fingers.
If that was it, then they needed to double Ron’s security. Had they come after him because he was rattling cages? Why had they stayed in Texas? Ron was vulnerable and hurt….
Of course, packland was packland and the house was a fortress. In Dallas, Ron was another wealthy wolf, a stranger.
“It could be an up-and-comer who wants to horn in on our business. That speaks to how disorganized they are.”
Jaxon shook his head. “Ron knows something. He wouldn’t be so reluctant to talk if it was just a random competitor.”
“What do we know about the cats? These guys were definitely felines.” Maybe that was the secret.
Alan shrugged. “Matrilineal. Solitary. Huge territories, mostly north.”
“Huh.” Sebastian shook his head, then looked to Jaxon.
“I haven’t had time to research, but I will.” Jaxon scowled.
“Be careful. They’re strong and vicious. They can take on a handful of us alone.” Alan sighed. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’ve met some great cats. Incredibly fun and smart, but….”
“But the fact that they’re coming after Ron indicates badness,” Jaxon intoned, making them both chuckle.
“Indeed. And we don’t need a war.” Sebastian didn’t need that shit.
“No.” Alan shook his head vehemently. “No, we don’t.”
“Of course not. You two need to breathe. No one is going to war.” Jaxon always seemed to be the peacemaker and the voice of reason.
“Maybe a tiny private war.” A one-on-one war.
“Nope.” Jaxon glared at him. “No looking for trouble.”
“I would never.” He went wide-eyed.
“Uh-huh.” Alan hooted. “You can’t lie worth a shit.”
“You’re supposed to have my back, Alan.”
“He’s supposed to be a friend.” Jaxon was teasing, but worry lurked just under the surface.
“He is. We just have to find the threat and eliminate it.”
Now Jaxon and Alan both nodded. “We keep this between us?” Alan asked.
“Yeah, until we know what’s what.” If he couldn’t figure it in Dallas, maybe he could do it here.
“Sounds good. God, Jaxon, these rolls are the bomb.” Alan just stuffed half of one in his mouth.
“You’re a pig.”
Alan nodded, his dark eyes twinkling. “Mmmph.”
“You’re sure you both came from the same pack, Sebastian?” Jaxon teased.
“Maybe he’s a changeling.”
Alan rolled his eyes. “Your plate is empty, bossman. You’re stress eating.”
“Don’t make me bite you. I had a thousand emails to answer.”
“Yeah, yeah. I think Jaxon has been the one making calls, though.”
Jaxon ducked his head and chuckled. “A few.”
“I’m not slacking, though. I’m not.”
Now Jaxon came back to him, wrapping around him again. “Never. You work hard.”
“You two are saccharine.” Alan gagged.
Sebastian snapped his teeth together, then buried his nose in Jaxon’s hair.
Jaxon laughed out loud, hugging him close. “We’re in the first bloom. You’ll see. You’re very young.”
“I’m just unlucky in love. Weird, because I’m way better looking than Seb, there.”
Jaxon was the one to growl now, and that was the cutest sound ever. Kind of like honking the horn on a Fiat. Meep.
“You are. You’ve got that weird metrosexual thing going on, Alan. Half wolf, half Victoria’s Secret model.”
“Ha-ha.” Alan sighed dramatically. “So, what’s the plan for today?”
Jaxon drew away from Sebastian, stroking his hair. “Sadly, I have about eight of those calls to make. I’ll leave you two to plot world domination.”
Sebastian waited until Jaxon left; then he shot Alan a grin. “Want to run? There will be rabbits out there.”
“Hell, yes. I haven’t hunted in ages.” Alan hopped up, grinning like a fool.
He worried about hunting with Jaxon. Wolves and foxes weren’t on the same food chain, not really. What if he hurt his lover by accident? What if he bit?
What if Jaxon ran from him?
Alan was his equal as a wolf. Strong, adventurous, maybe a little reckless… which he knew Jaxon also disapproved of.
“The snow’s not even got a real crust yet.” It was still melting, mostly, in the sun.
“I know. That will make it easier.” Alan drifted toward the door.
Sebastian started stripping, folded his clothes, and set them on a chair there by the door.
Alan hooted and got naked, flinging clothes all over.
“Jaxon’s gonna yell,” Sebastian warned.
“Nah. He understands hunting.”
“He doesn’t understand mess.” Sebastian stared at the clothes pointedly.
“Oh.” Alan swept them all into a pile with his foot. “Ta-da!”
“Very nice.” At least he wouldn’t be in trouble.
“Cool. Can we run now?” Alan leaned from foot to foot, clearly eager.
“Yes. Open the door flap.” He wasn’t going to call it a doggy door.
Alan unlocked the latch on the little flap, then chuckled before beginning the shift. Alan was good at it, not even howling a little.
He went second, shaking off his skin and heading into the cold. His wolf’s fur protected him, and he found a crust of snow in the shade to roll in; then he rolled up and shook, flurries going everywhere.
Alan barked, then took off running, leading him away from the house. They had learned to run together, to hunt together, and this was easy as breathing. He chased Alan’s tail, his breath visible in the cold air. His nose worked, trying to find prey.
They headed straight up the mountain, claws digging in as they chased and played, both of them stopping to nose through the pine needles, exploring. They sent small prey scampering but let them go for now. They would hunt until the time was right.
Suddenly something crossed his nose, making him stutter, stop. What the fuck was that? Musky and sour, the scent stopped Sebastian in his tracks, and he lifted his nose to smell.
He barked, warning his packmate. Danger. Danger. Danger.
Alan stopped, tail up, ears up.
Danger.
Someone was on his territory. Someone unknown to him, and not… natural.
Whining low, Alan moved closer to him, letting him k
now he smelled it too.
They followed the trail, heads down, shoulders together.
Stranger. Stranger. Stranger.
The attack, when it came, slammed into him first, knocking him off his feet. There had been no sound, no warning. Nothing.
Sebastian rolled, and he heard a sharp bark of alarm from Alan, who leaped into the fray.
One huge paw slammed into his head and he went flying, tumbling until he crashed into the base of a tree. Claws and teeth flashed, and he curled, protecting his belly, his throat. The attacker was a cat, a huge, ragged, tawny cat, and those claws were like razors.
Another short bark sounded, this one of distress. Alan landed hard against a rock, and he was slow to rise. The cat turned on Sebastian, strong hind legs pushing it in over Sebastian in a single leap so it had the high ground.
He forced himself to stand, growling deep in his chest. This was his packmate. His.
The cat lashed its tail, and he could see the muscles in its forelegs tense as it prepared to pounce.
He bared his teeth and lowered his head. He would defend or die trying.
A shot rang out, the acrid smell of gunpowder reaching him almost at the same time as the sound. The shot hit the ground two inches in front of the cat’s lead paw.
The cat screamed, the sound vast, wild, and he refused to look away, trusting that the shot had come from pack.
Another shot echoed through the trees, and this one nicked the cat, bright red blood flowing from a crease on his chest.
The huge golden beast took off like a bat out of hell and he followed, blood pouring from a dozen deep wounds.
Alan’s pained cry slowed him, and he stopped when he realized the cat had him beat in sprinting speed. He had to protect his pack, not get drawn away from them.
He headed back, his paws heavy, cold, too thick. Blood stained the snow, running in watery rivulets downhill as the snow melted. Sebastian went to Alan, who lay on one side, his ribs heaving with his labored breath.
Then he heard running footsteps and whipped around toward the house, ready to defend.
Jaxon appeared, blankets in his arms, concern creasing his face. “We need to get you both warm. I can pull Alan back to the house with a blanket.”
He blinked, staring at his mate, trying to understand, to think.
“Sebastian. We need to get you back to the house.” Jaxon touched his ruff. “I can get Alan, but I can’t drag both of you.”