“And that’s where Corbin comes from.”
“Kind of. He’s a result of similar experiments, but they used shifter DNA instead of animal, and they knew what they were doing by the time he was born. That’s why he’s normal.”
Jago snorted. “He’s not exactly normal.”
“Well, no, at least not like we think of it. But physically, he’s as normal as you and me.”
“I’ll give you that.”
“Still no results with him?”
Jago shook his head. “I haven’t even seen him since that day. He’s very good at avoiding me.”
“I’m sure we can find a way to get you two together.”
“I’m not sure I want it, to be honest. It’s obvious he wants nothing to do with me, and I kind of get it. I know it can’t be easy for him after the way he grew up, and I don’t want to push until he breaks.”
Zach hummed thoughtfully. “I think you should insist. Of course he doesn’t want anything to do with you—he’s used to being on his own. He’s not used to feelings, or to being able to do what he wants rather than what his master wants. I bet it’s overwhelming. Anyway, that’s not why I wanted to talk to you.”
“What is it, then?”
“You’ve been here for what? A year?”
“Yeah.”
“Why haven’t you contacted your family yet?”
Jago closed his eyes. “What do you know about my family?”
“When you got here, we had background checks for you and everyone else, just to be sure. I know you still have your family, and that they don’t even live that far away from here. I know they’re still looking for you. What I don’t know is how your life with them was, and why you haven’t reached out to them.”
Jago felt a pang of pain and longing. He wanted to see them again—his mother, his brother and his sister. He missed them, so much. “There’s a good reason I haven’t.”
“I’m sure there is. I’m not asking you to tell me if you don’t want to. I just wanted to let you know that I’m here if you want to talk about it.”
“What brought this up? It can’t only be because you’re curious.”
Jago saw Zach grimace from the corner of his eye. “No, it’s not. Your father recently reached out to the council, and since the pack is close to your family home and Kameron is a council member...”
“Are you saying I might have to face my father soon? Is he coming here?”
“No, no. I just wanted to warn you that it might be a possibility one day. For now Kameron’s just talked to him on the phone, but maybe you should take the first step and go see your family.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“Then don’t. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t butt in like this.”
Jago waved Zach’s words away. “It’s fine. I just really don’t want to see my father, and I know that if I went I’d have to, and worse, I’d have to tell the rest for the family what he did. It’d wreck their world, and I don’t know if I can do that.”
“Want to tell me what he did?”
Jago sighed. “I know I had it good next to what other people had to go through. Like you, I mean, you were beaten and you had to stay away from your mate.”
“We’re not playing who’s had it worse, Jago. Even if your father never touched you in anger, it doesn’t mean that whatever he did didn’t hurt you.”
“He sold me.”
Zach stayed silent for a while and they both listened to the sounds of the forest. The sky was almost dark, and the nocturnal animals were coming out. An owl hooted somewhere in front of them and something rustled in the leaves.
“Your father sold you to the company?” Zach asked quietly.
“Yes. From the little I gathered when I overheard him and the man who took me talking, the company threatened to take the entire family unless my father chose one of us.” It had been worse than that, actually. Every single word that man had said was seared in Jago’s brain—how he’d described what they would have done to Jago’s baby sister, what would have happen to his mother.
“Elephant shrews don’t live in big groups but in families, so it was only us, and it was before the council was formed. My father had to make a choice, and he chose to give me to the company. I might even have gone on my own, but he didn’t tell me. He just let in the man who took me and walked him to my bedroom while we were all asleep.”
“He betrayed your trust.”
“Yeah. Yeah, he did. And I don’t think I can forgive him for that, even if I know it was for a good cause.”
* * * *
Corbin tightened his hands in fists and tried to deal with the anger that had risen when Jago had told Zach what his father had done. Corbin had no idea how to do it, though. He’d never felt so angry, so ready to kill someone with his bare hands and hurt them as much as possible. He’d never killed because he wanted to, only after orders, but after hearing Jago’s words, he thought that might change.
“So you’re not going to go see them? I get why you don’t want to see your father, but don’t you miss your mother and your siblings?” Zach asked. “I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have my sister.”
“Of course I miss them. I haven’t seen them in two years.” Corbin knew Jago was smiling, even in the darkness. “Garth is eighteen now. I wonder if he’s going to go to college next year. And Emily... she’s sixteen. She must be so different from when I last saw her.”
“You could go and avoid your father.”
“And how would I do that? Mom would notice if I didn’t talk to him, especially after two years away. She’d want to know why, and I don’t think I’d be able to tell her. I don’t want her to have to choose between me and my father.”
“Don’t you think she has the right to know, though? I’m not a father, but I’m sure I’d choose my son above my mate if something like that happened.”
Jago laid on his back. “But it would still hurt you.”
Zach patted Jago’s thigh and Corbin narrowed his eyes. He didn’t want the alpha mate to touch Jago, even if he knew Zach would never betray Kameron.
“All right. I’m going to leave you to your thoughts. Let me know if you decide to go and you want company.”
“Yeah, okay.”
Zach left, but Jago stayed on the porch step, looking at the sky. Corbin stayed in the tree he was in and watched Jago. He wanted to climb down and comfort Jago, but he didn’t know why—or how. But Jago had seemed to like it when Corbin had hugged him that day, so maybe Corbin could try that again.
He jumped down and Jago jerked up, his head moving back and forth until he noticed Corbin. He rolled his eyes and relaxed, and Corbin frowned. Why had Jago rolled his eyes? Why didn’t he look more interested in the fact that Corbin was there? And why wasn’t he more interested in seeing his family?
Corbin would’ve wanted to meet his mother if he could’ve, or at least he thought so. He didn’t understand why Jago was so against it. But then again, who was Corbin to judge how Jago reacted to the idea of seeing his family, his father? He had been raised to feel nothing, to deal in logic and facts. Give him a target and he killed it. Give him a man who wanted to love him... and he had no idea what to do.
Corbin walked closer to the house. Jago didn’t move, and Corbin didn’t know what that meant. He stopped at the porch steps and hovered there until Jago sighed and sat up. “Corbin. I didn’t expect to see you so soon, or ever, really.”
Corbin stayed silent.
Jago smiled at bit, then patted the porch floor next to him. “Sit with me?”
Corbin obeyed, and he felt odd when he did. His stomach was upset again, and it became worse when Jago leaned against Corbin’s side. Corbin stayed still and Jago shook his head. He took Corbin’s hand and raised his arm, then leaned against Corbin’s side again, pulling Corbin’s arm around his own shoulders.
Corbin reacted on instincts he didn’t know he had and tightened his arm.
Jago looked up and smiled, and Corbin’s heart skipped a beat. He had the compulsion to lean forward and kiss Jago, and he didn’t understand it. His instincts were honed on combat, destruction, and obedience, not on this.
“Relax,” Jago whispered, a smile still playing on his lips.
“How?”
Jago raised his hand and pressed it against Corbin’s heart. “What do you want to do right now?”
“I don’t know.”
“Forget what you think you should be doing. Do you want to go inside? Or do you want to watch the stars? Maybe you’re hungry, or thirsty?”
“No.”
Jago tweaked Corbin’s nipple and Corbin jumped. He looked at Jago with no idea what to do. “Come on, give me more than that.” He pressed his hand on Corbin’s heart again. “Think with your heart, not with your head. What do you want to do?”
Corbin looked at Jago, at his red hair, at the hundreds of freckles that dotted his nose and his cheeks. He’d never noticed there were so many of them until now, and he raised his free hand without even thinking about it. He paused when he realized it, but Jago didn’t move. He just stayed there, looking up at Corbin, smiling at him and silently encouraging him.
So Corbin gave up. He frowned and thought about what he wanted, even though he knew it went against everything he’d been taught. He moved again and gently placed one fingertip on Jago’s cheek.
Nothing happened. Corbin knew he was free, but he’d still felt like somehow someone would find out about him misbehaving. Instead, his heart beat faster and his breath hitched, and he cupped Jago’s cheek with his entire hand. Jago didn’t say anything. He just kept on smiling, those lips enticing Corbin to lean closer, to taste them.
Corbin leaned forward but paused just inches from Jago’s lips. He frowned. Could he really do this? The glint in Jago’s eyes made Corbin decide yes, he could, and he closed the space still between them.
Corbin pressed their lips together. It was... nice. Very nice. But he still couldn’t see why people liked kissing so much. It was only a press of the lips, and... oh.
Jago opened his lips and flicked the tip of his tongue against Corbin’s lips. Corbin didn’t know what to do, so he stuck his own tongue out and touched Jago’s. Jago chuckled and Corbin frowned, wondering if Jago was making fun of him. He started to lean back, but Jago threw his arm around Corbin’s neck and shifted to his side.
Corbin put his free hand on Jago’s hip. It fit so well, and he wondered if it was because they were mates, or just because it was Jago.
“Pay attention,” Jago whispered, his breath warm on Corbin’s lips.
Corbin nodded and tightened his hold on Jago’s hip. Maybe it was a signal he didn’t know, because Jago twisted and sat on his lap. He pressed their lips harder together and Corbin put his free hand on Jago’s other hip. Jago tightened his arms around Corbin’s neck and Corbin slid one hand up Jago’s body until he cupped his cheek.
He pressed his thumb at the corner of Jago’s mouth, and Jago smiled. He licked Corbin’s thumb, and Corbin felt his dick stiffen in his jeans. He groaned and opened his mouth, and Jago stuck his tongue inside Corbin’s mouth.
Corbin widened his eyes. Jago stroked his tongue in Corbin’s mouth, on his tongue, on the roof of his mouth, and Corbin felt himself relax against his will. He didn’t completely relax, though. His cock was harder than ever in his pants, and Jago wasn’t making things better.
Jago rolled his hips and Corbin felt a hardness much like his own. There was a sound between a groan and a moan, and Corbin realized he was the one making it.
He didn’t know what to do, but he did know that he didn’t want this to end. He closed his eyes and gave in to Jago’s tongue. He let Jago explore and tentatively touched their tongues together. He didn’t know how long they stayed there, just kissing, but when Jago leaned away, his cheeks were flushed and he was panting.
“So, what do you think?” he asked in a husky voice that made Corbin want to push him back on the porch and do... something.
“I don’t know.”
“Aww, come on. Did you like it? I sure hope you did.”
Corbin considered his options. He could tell Jago the truth—that he’d liked it more than he probably was allowed to. He could lie and say he’d hated it. Or he could kiss Jago again, to see if the second time was as good as the first one.
Corbin chose option three.
Chapter Three
It was only half an hour later that they came up to breathe, and Jago was flabbergasted. Who’d have thought Corbin could be so passionate under his icy manners? “That was...”
“Yes,” Corbin answered.
Jago arched a brow at his mate. “Yes what?”
“What you said.”
Jago grinned and didn’t push. Corbin had already abundantly stepped out of his comfort zone that night, and Jago didn’t want to ruin the results. He was way more relaxed than he’d been before, and he was glad Corbin had noticed Jago needed to talk, or to do whatever else he could to take his mind off his family.
He settled deeper in Corbin’s arms and felt Corbin tense. He frowned. He knew they were making progress, but it’d been six months. He couldn’t help but wonder when they’d finally be together, and not only in the sex sense. Jago was a tactile man, and an emotional one. He needed more than a few kisses from Corbin.
Jago knew he wouldn’t get more though, not any time soon, and he decided kisses were better than nothing—at least until Corbin tried to dislodge him from his place against Corbin’s chest. Jago narrowed his eyes. “Why are you pushing me away? Are you going to run like the last week? You can’t keep on running away when things become uncomfortable for you, Corbin.”
There was a moment of silence, then Corbin said, “I was trying to get my cell phone out of my back pocket because sitting on it is uncomfortable.”
“Oh.” Now Jago felt like a prick. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
Silence again, but Jago felt the need to fill it. He had so many questions, and he knew that while Corbin might answer them if he dared ask, there was no way Corbin would volunteer information.
“Why did you change your mind?”
“About what?”
“About me. About us.”
“I didn’t.”
Jago frowned and moved away. He turned until he could more or less face Corbin. “What do you mean you didn’t? You’re here with me. You kissed me, more than once, might I add. That doesn’t look like you still want nothing to do with me.”
“You looked distraught.”
“Huh?”
“After Zach talked to you about your family. You looked distraught.”
Well, shit. Jago had almost managed to forget the conversation he’d just had with Zach, and Corbin had reminded him of it. “I wasn’t distraught, just... sad, I guess. I still don’t get why you climbed down your tree.”
Jago couldn’t be sure because there wasn’t much light, but he could’ve sworn he saw Corbin blush. “I remembered how you liked it when I hugged you the other week, when I killed the creature, and I thought you might want me to do it again. I wanted to comfort you and make you feel better.”
Jago laughed. “You did. And I did like it when you hugged me, even though the circumstances weren’t nice. I just wish you’d hug me even when I don’t need comfort. And I’m pretty sure you didn’t need to kiss me to comfort me.”
“I hadn’t planned to.”
“Why did you, then?” Jago wanted to hear it. He wanted to hear Corbin say he liked him, and that he’d wanted to kiss him. Heck, he’d take whatever Corbin would tell him. He just wanted to hear that Corbin was slowly thawing toward him.
For the first time ever since Jago had met Corbin, Corbin looked hesitant and... flustered? He looked away from Jago, but Jago had the time to see the turmoil of emotions in his mate’s eyes. He suddenly felt guilty for making Corbin uncomfortable when Corbin had just wante
d to make him happy.
“I don’t... I’m not sure.”
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”
Jago started to move away, but to his surprise, Corbin grabbed his hand and stopped him. He looked like he was thinking hard about something, and Jago didn’t know whether that was a good or a bad thing. He gave Corbin all the time he needed to think and put his feelings into words, though.
“I don’t know how to behave in occasions like this one. I don’t know what’s acceptable and what’s not, and I don’t want to hurt you.”
Jago’s heart melted. “It’s true that sometimes your words are awkward because of the situation, but you don’t have to worry about that with me. Just tell me what you’re feeling and what you want to tell me, and I promise you that even if I don’t like what you tell me, I’ll respect it.”
Corbin looked at Jago like he was trying to read him, and Jago tried to relax. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” Corbin finally said. “I’ve never had the occasion of seeing people together. The only times I came out of the lab that was my home were for missions. I didn’t have the time to try to analyze people and their behavior. I went out, did what I’d been ordered to do, and went back to the lab. Inside the lab, things were cold and unfeeling. I didn’t have friends or family. Just a master, and master didn’t want me to feel.”
Jago swallowed loudly. “Why not?”
Corbin’s lips twisted. “Would you want your best weapon to have feelings? To be able to understand that what he’s doing is wrong?”
Jago reached out and cupped Corbin. “I’m so sorry for what happened to you.”
Corbin pressed his lips together and didn’t answer.
“But that’s the past. You’re free to do whatever you want now. Even if it doesn’t include me.”
“Elias told me I’m lucky.”
“For what?”
“For finding you.”
Jago Page 4