“I don’t need saving you know, I can take care of myself and I think we both know I could snap his neck like a twig.” Wyatt leaned against the bathroom wall and took a deep breath.
“It’s not a matter of strength I’m worried about. Sebastian is abusive on so many levels,” Preston sighed and ran his hand up Wyatt’s bicep. He could feel the muscles rippling under his touch. “Come on, let’s get back out there.”
“What did you mean when you said I was always yours?” Wyatt turned and looked at the shock on Preston’s face. “Yeah, I heard that part. I was standing right here.”
“I was just, uh, trying to get him to back off.” Preston cursed under his breath. His lupine side had taken over for a split second. “Come on,” Preston put his hand out to Wyatt.
Wyatt smiled and put his hand in Preston’s. The sudden jarring of a memory had him gasping. He was seven again, the forest was spread out all around and little wolf Wyatt was sitting, protected, underneath a large white wolf. The vision dissipated and Wyatt opened his eyes to see Preston looking at him, concerned.
“What?” “You okay? You kind of went somewhere else.” Preston took a deep breath and pulled his scent back, the altercation with Sebastian had caused him to slip.
“No, I’m good.” Wyatt tried to get a feel for Preston but couldn’t smell anything on him but arousal. Interesting. Very interesting.
They made their way back over to the crowded bar and Wyatt cocked an eyebrow at Kurt. The guy was looking at him like he was some kind of disease. “Problem?”
“Nope,” Kurt looked out over the dance floor. Sean leaned over and looked at Kurt. “I don’t know where you transferred from, but we don’t tolerate homophobia in this firehouse, dude. We are all brothers and we watch each other’s backs. If you can’t be part of the team, we can’t trust you.”
“I’m fine, okay?” Kurt rolled his eyes. “I’m just not used to guys touching each other and shit.”
“Where the fuck are you from?” Preston cracked up.
“Wyoming.” Kurt looked at the group of men.
“Ahhh,” all of them nodded and said together. The rest of the night was spent with Austin, Sean, Kurt and Chaz. They danced until the club closed then went back to the firehouse. Wyatt took a shower and closed his eyes as the water washed the club and Sebastian off of him. It was over with Sebastian and Wyatt had to admit that even though he had been pissed off at first, he felt nothing but relief now. His thoughts went to Preston instead.
Preston Dalton: blond-haired, brown-eyed bombshell. His skin still felt Preston’s touch on him, like it was seared into his skin. Wyatt’s prick was hard and he closed his eyes, stroking himself and thinking about Preston’s hands, the touch of his lips. It didn’t take long before Wyatt was shooting all over the bathroom wall.
He leaned his head against the cool tiles and let a long, deep breath out. He hadn’t cum that hard in a long time; he and Sebastian had played around but it had never gotten past the kissing stage. He had never wanted Sebastian to give him head and Wyatt wasn’t going to go that route with a guy who wasn’t his mate. Some things were best saved for the man he was supposed to be with for life. The halls were quiet when Wyatt finally left the bathroom. He had almost made it to his room when Preston came around the corner and stopped in his tracks. Wyatt realized he was standing in the middle of the hallway in a towel.
“Um, goodnight, Preston,” Wyatt opened the door to his room and paused before going in. “Thanks for what you said tonight.”
“I meant it, Wyatt, you deserve so much more.” Preston made his way past Wyatt to his own room.
“What about you? What do you deserve?” Wyatt looked at Preston’s back. He had stopped walking and now was turning slowly to face him.
“I deserve someone who loves me and only me. Someone I can love with my whole heart above anything or anyone else. It’s the same thing you deserve, Wyatt, someone who brings you up and not down and who takes your needs into account above his own. That’s love, Wyatt, not what you and Sebastian had.”
“I never loved him.” Wyatt walked to Preston and stood in front of him. “There’s something about you, though,” Wyatt whispered. “I don’t know what it is but something’s there.”
Preston looked down into Wyatt’s eyes and saw his hand moving to Wyatt’s cheek; his thumb caressed Wyatt’s bottom lip. “My God, you are so beautiful, Wyatt,” he whispered.
“No one’s ever called me beautiful before.” Wyatt looked in Preston’s eyes. So many emotions flickered behind those brown eyes: need, want, fear. “Why are you afraid?”
Preston backed away, once again he was letting his emotions out and he couldn’t do that. That led to his lupine side getting out of hand. “I’m not.
Goodnight, Wyatt.”
Wyatt sighed and watched Preston go to his room. God, he had wanted to kiss Preston; why didn’t he kiss him? Jesus, he felt like he was twelve instead of almost nineteen. Something was there, though; he could see it in Preston’s eyes. Preston felt something for him and he knew it. Wyatt went into his room and sat on the bed; his cell phone showed twelve missed calls and a shitload of missed texts. He’d deal with all of it in the morning. He was out before his head even hit the pillow.
~~*~~ Wyatt rolled over to find his phone lit up and sunshine beating on his face through the small window in his room. He grabbed his phone without looking at the caller ID and flipped it open. “Hello?”
“Jesus, you are alive!” Wyatt chuckled and lay back on his pillow; his friend Olivia’s voice was like a screeching car. “Ow, please stop screaming.”
“Are you hung over or something?”
Wyatt could hear her giggling. He had met Olivia his first year of college in English lit, she was outgoing and loud, his perfect match in a friend. They hadn’t spoken much since he had started dating Sebastian. To say Olivia hated Sebastian would have been an understatement. She was a five foot four terror and made it known to Sebastian that she hated him with every snarl of conversation she had with him. Wyatt loved her to death, she had a protective streak a mile wide and he protected her from guys who wanted only one thing from her. Not that he could blame them; if he was straight he would have asked her out. She had long black hair which caressed a beautiful,
cream-colored face highlighted by icy grey eyes. “To what do I owe this lovely phone call?”
“Are you still at the fire station for your community service?” “Yeah,” Wyatt sat up and ran a hand through his unruly hair. “Why? You want to go for some coffee today?”
“I’m at the front door.” “What?” Wyatt jumped off the bed and opened the door, making his way down the hall. He thought about taking the pole down to the floor below but he hadn’t mastered that just yet. He took the stairs two at a time instead. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see my best friend,” Olivia smiled as Wyatt threw open the door. “I think we can hang up now.”
“You look good, Liv,” Wyatt smiled with the phone still up to his ear. “Can I come in or do I have to stand out here all day?” Olivia snapped her phone shut and tapped her foot at Wyatt.
“Oh, yeah come on in. I think it’s okay for you to be here.” Wyatt looked around the mostly quiet firehouse. It seemed as if all the guys were sleeping in. “Let’s go in the kitchen.”
Wyatt led Olivia to the kitchen. He put breakfast in the oven and poured her a cup of coffee. They sat at the table and Wyatt played with his cup not knowing what to say; he had let Sebastian take over his life, pushing Olivia right out of it.
“Liv…” “Don’t say it, Wyatt, I’m still here and I’m still your friend. I don’t care if that jackass hates me. I’m not letting him push me completely out of your life.” Olivia took his hand. “I care about you.”
Wyatt was just about to open his mouth when Austin sauntered into the kitchen shirtless, in sweat pants. He was rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and his mouth dropped at the sight of Olivia seated at the kitchen table.<
br />
“Um, hey Austin, coffee’s on and breakfast is in the oven. This is my best friend, Olivia. Olivia, Austin.” Wyatt smiled at Austin’s shocked look.
“Shit, a chick in the cock house,” Austin looked at Olivia and then back at Wyatt.
“Yeah, well my foot is going to be in your cock if you call me a chick again,” Olivia furrowed her brows and eyed Austin.
Austin’s face broke out into a smile. “Oooh, she’s got teeth.” “Yeah? And I bite,” Olivia winked at Austin and smiled devilishly when his face turned a bright red. “I thought firemen were tough, Wyatt?”
Wyatt smiled as more of the guys started showing up for breakfast, eyeing the petite dark-haired woman at the end of the table. One by one they all sat down and nervously picked at their breakfasts, heads down, trying not to make eye contact. Wyatt almost laughed out loud. You’d think they’d never seen a girl before. Kurt stopped at the doorway to the kitchen and tilted his head looking at Olivia.
“Well that wasn’t there before,” Kurt raised a brow. “Lord, what is that smell? My dick is hard as a rock. Someone open one of those magazines with a perfume thingie in it?” Sean walked into the kitchen and stopped.
“Morning, Sean, this is Olivia. Olivia, this is Sean but everyone calls him Big Red.” Wyatt watched Olivia checking Sean out.
“Um, yeah, hi, they call me Big Red cuz I’m tall and well …” Sean shuffled his feet running his hand through his hair.
“Big?” Olivia smiled and eyed Sean from head to toe. “Yes, I can see that you are.” Olivia’s eyes settled on Sean’s hard on, tenting in his sweat pants.
“Aw, shit man,” Sean turned around and faced the counter. “Um, excuse the language. So what brings you to the house, Olivia?”
“Well, Big Red,” Olivia enunciated ‘big.’ “I came to see my best friend and make sure he threw his trash out. Mainly an asshole named Sebastian.” Olivia heard gasps all around the table. “What? Did I say something?”
“Well, you said, and pardon my French,” Austin stammered, “Asshole,” “Well, shit, none of you have ever heard the fucking word or what?” Olivia cracked up when the whole table erupted in laughter. “My dad is military. I heard the word ‘fuck’ like five hundred times a day.”
“Oh, I like her,” Austin smiled and sat forward, clasping his hands together. “Probie!” Sean’s voice boomed in the kitchen. “Get yer ass down to the rig and wash it.”
Austin frowned, looking at Sean. He looked back at Olivia and smiled. “Maybe I’ll see you again?”
Olivia looked at Sean and saw him looking at her; his eyes darted between her and Austin. “Oh, you will see me again,” Olivia smiled at Sean and winked. “I love gingerbread.”
Wyatt and Kurt spit their coffee out, as did three others at the table; the loud coughing covered up the laughing at the color on Sean’s face - it matched his hair.
“Holy hell, Liv,” Wyatt cracked up. Whistling could be heard down the hall and Wyatt recognized the tune; it was Preston. The first lyric came out of his mouth as he came into the kitchen.
The whole table fed him the next lyric: “Up in here, up in here!” Preston’s eyes fell on the woman at the end of the table and he smiled. “Well now, it looks like there’s a hen in the fox house.” Preston smiled at Wyatt, as he grabbed his cup off the counter and filled it with coffee.
“What is with the chicken
references?” Olivia sighed. “A mare in the stallion stable?” Preston offered. “A goldilocks in the bear house?” Preston sat at the table, and put his feet up on the chair across from him. “I thought it smelled too good in here.”
“No shit,” Sean sighed and realized he had said it out loud. “Fuck.” Olivia giggled and looked at Preston, putting her hand out. “Olivia Stetson, and no, I don’t know anything about the cowboy hats.”
“Good, I hate country,” Preston put his hand out. “Preston Dalton, to what do we owe this wonderful visit, Miss Olivia Stetson?”
“Well, like I said to Sean and Austin and well, the rest of the guys, I came to make sure my best friend had gotten rid of some nasty baggage. I haven’t seen him for a while because said baggage made sure Wyatt never got my calls.” Olivia arched a brow at Wyatt.
Preston nodded in agreement. “I have seen said baggage and I agree, the set does not match and the one piece needs to go.”
Wyatt sighed and sat back in his chair. “I am not a piece of luggage, besides, Sebastian was cut loose
remember?” Wyatt glanced over at Preston.
Olivia watched Preston’s eyes. They were looking at Wyatt with what could only be described as love. Olivia cleared her throat. “So anyway, I thought we’d take one of our famous walks along the beach today with an ice cream. What do you say, Wyatt?”
Wyatt looked at Preston, his eyes were smoldering and Wyatt felt dizzy. “Is that okay? I mean I have dinner and stuff already done.”
“Go on and have fun,” Preston smiled and turned his attention back to Olivia. She seemed to really like Wyatt and it was obvious she cared about him. “It was nice meeting you, Olivia. I hope to see you again soon.”
“Oh you will.” Olivia shot a mischievous smile at Sean. “Bye-bye, boys.”
Preston watched as Wyatt and Olivia left holding hands and laughing. He was happy Wyatt had a good friend to be there for him. He was going to follow them nonetheless, he didn’t trust Sebastian and even though Wyatt was strong and could take care of himself, Preston wasn’t taking any chances.
“Well, she seemed sweet.” Preston had to smile at the look on Sean’s face. He seemed to be in a daze. “She seemed to really like you, Sean.” The whole table erupted in laughter and Sean flipped Preston the bird. “Oh come on, Red, she took a liking to you.”
“Well I acted like a fool,” Sean sat back and crossed his arms. “You’d think I’d never been with a woman.”
“Maybe you haven’t been with the right one.” Preston stood up and looked at the table of men. “Well, let’s get a move on before we can’t.”
~~*~~
Wyatt watched the water lapping at the shore and realized just how much he had missed their walks along the beach. Boats were all over the Sound today with their passengers either fishing or just lounging around taking in the warm Seattle sun. Wyatt had always loved Seattle, it wasn’t that he hadn’t loved living on the reservation, but it was its own world and Wyatt wanted to see what was beyond it. He smiled as Olivia licked her ice cream, she had her shoes in her other hand and was scanning the beach for shells. He really had missed Olivia. They had clicked from the first day they had met when she had said he had a fantastic ass. He in turn had said he was gay and she had then said it was a shame because he could stop traffic.
“I really did miss you, Liv. I’m sorry that I let Sebastian keep us apart but it’s over now and for some reason I’m not even sad about it.”
Olivia stopped and turned to face Wyatt. “I know what that reason is. Preston Dalton.” Olivia saw Wyatt’s face and had to smile, he was blushing all shades of red. “He’s gorgeous.”
“I know,” Wyatt sighed and sat down in the sand. “He’s so…God, I don’t even know how to explain Preston, he was such an asshole to me when I first showed up at the firehouse, but then when
Sebastian showed up I saw another side to him, you know? He knows me in a way I didn’t think anyone would.” Wyatt leaned back on his elbows and crossed his legs at his ankles. “We were dancing the other night at the club and I had all these feelings.” Wyatt remembered Preston’s hands on his skin, the way it felt to be in his arms. “Can you fall in love with someone in under two months? Is that even possible?”
“I think it is.” Olivia smiled and licked the side of her ice cream before it dripped on her shorts. “I believe in love at first sight, though. I’m a hopeless
romantic.”
They sat and talked for hours about everything and Wyatt couldn’t have been happier to have his friend back. It was one of the things he had been mi
ssing for months. When the sun was starting to set, Wyatt walked Olivia back to her car and kissed her cheek. He invited her to the firehouse barbeque and Olivia jumped on it. Wyatt knew that was because of Sean, he watched her drive away and made his way back down to the beach watching the sun set over the water. Pink and purple hues fell over the rippling water and Wyatt sighed at the simple beauty of the setting sun. The hair on the back of his neck stiffened and he turned to see Sebastian walking towards him. The guy just didn’t get a fucking clue.
“Go home, Sebastian, I said we were done and I meant it.”
“Not until I talk to you.”
“Look Sebastian…” Wyatt cocked his head to the side. And then there it was; that scent he had smelled so long ago, but this time his body’s reaction was much different. His cock was hard in seconds flat and his eyes went
monochrome. His mate was nearby. Wyatt pivoted in the sand and that’s when he saw him; the white wolf was behind him, teeth bared and fur rising on his haunches as he looked at Sebastian.
“Um, I think you better go
Sebastian.” Wyatt turned to see
Sebastian’s back as he ran. He hadn’t even said anything, why would he? It just showed Wyatt he had made the right decision. Wyatt turned to see the wolf backing away from him. “No, please don’t leave!” Wyatt made his way closer and felt his teeth elongating. The white wolf took a tentative step closer and Wyatt crouched down looking at him. “Please don’t leave, I know it’s you - the white wolf I saw when I was seven; you protected me, shielded me. You are my mate. Please don’t run away.”
The wolf came closer and Wyatt put his hand out waiting for the wolf to nuzzle him. He needed that contact, needed to know he wasn’t seeing things, making them up and when the wolf’s fur finally touched his fingers Wyatt knew. This was indeed his mate. The tears flowed as Wyatt wrapped his arms around the wolf.
“I knew it, I knew you were real.” Wyatt had no concept of time as he cried into the fur of his mate. Years of
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