When he’d told Aaron what Gill had done to him, all the color had drained from the wolf’s face and he’d looked like he was going to throw up. He’d seemed genuinely upset about what Cary had gone through.
You couldn’t fake that kind of reaction, could you?
Either Aaron was genuine or he was a very good actor. Cary hoped with all his heart for the former. Yes, Gill had lied, but Cary had never felt Gill’s emotions like he could with Aaron’s.
What was it Kelan had said? “It was like finding a part of myself that I never knew was missing.”
That was exactly how Cary felt.
And if Aaron was truly his mate, he would never do the things Gill had done.
Besides, Aaron wasn’t Gill.
Cary lifted his lips into a smile and the one he got in return was brilliant. It lit up Aaron’s entire face and had an immediate effect on Cary. He became painfully hard within moments. He got up then walked around the table to stand at Aaron’s side. Aaron raised a questioning brow at him but Cary ignored it and straddled his mate’s lap.
Aaron gasped. “What are you doing?”
Cary smiled seductively then leaned forward until his mouth was almost touching Aaron’s.
“Quit thinking so much,” he said, repeating Aaron’s earlier words before pressing their lips together gently.
His body melted when their mouths connected.
Aaron groaned into the kiss, returning it with fervor. Cary slid his tongue into his mate’s mouth, tasting a combination of coffee and toothpaste, but it was Aaron’s underlying uniqueness that Cary couldn’t get enough of.
He pressed closer and deepened the kiss, wanting to taste more.
Aaron glided his hands up Cary’s back then over his shoulders until they reached the back of his neck. He slid them higher and entwined his fingers in Cary’s hair. The touch sent shivers of excitement through Cary, and he bucked, grinding his cock against Aaron’s erection.
Aaron gasped and pulled back from the kiss, breathing heavily. When Cary opened his eyes to look at his mate, he saw that Aaron’s eyes had shifted to their wolf form. The sight made him harder—if that were possible—and even more desperate for release.
He struggled to rein in his cat.
Cary was so excited, he lost all rational thought.
He pulled at the collar of Aaron’s shirt and nuzzled against his neck. Snaking out his tongue, he delicately swiped it over every inch of hot flesh he encountered.
Aaron shivered beneath him.
When he reached his mate’s earlobe, he took it into his mouth and bit down gently. Aaron cried out and the sound nearly sent Cary over the edge. He could feel Aaron’s pulse beneath his tongue, hear the increased tempo of his heart—the hitch in his breath each time Cary licked and nibbled his neck.
He couldn’t take any more.
“I want you to fuck me,” he whispered into Aaron’s ear.
“Holy crap!” Aaron blurted.
Cary leaned back so that he could look at Aaron’s face.
He expected to see excitement and desire.
He hoped to see the same lust and need that Aaron had displayed yesterday in the barn and earlier in the corral. But the emotions that shone in Aaron’s eyes were just the opposite and Cary froze, afraid to move even the smallest of muscles in case he’d read the signals wrong.
Aaron cleared his throat and averted his gaze.
When he gazed back at him, his eyes had shifted to their human form. Longing and enthusiasm had disappeared, to be replaced by hesitancy and doubt.
“What’s wrong?” Cary managed to choke out. “I thought you’d want that.”
“I do. Of course I do, but I’ve never done it before,” Aaron replied quietly.
“Never?”
He shook his head. “I made out with a couple of guys in college a while back, but that’s about it. That’s the extent of my practice. You’ve got lots of experience. What if I don’t match up?”
The insecurity his mate showed made Cary want him even more.
Aaron was a tall, powerful alpha wolf and on their previous meeting, he had exuded confidence. But the fact that he was so sensitive and vulnerable now and not in the least bit arrogant made him more desirable to Cary, not less.
Everything about him was a turn-on, including his inexperience.
“Okay, for starters I haven’t got lots of experience. Some, sure, but that doesn’t count for much. And for what it’s worth, none of my encounters were all that great so you don’t have a lot to match up to.
“Besides, I like that I would be your first. It makes me feel…I don’t know…special.”
“What about Gill? You thought he was your mate. You must have had some good times with him.”
Even though Aaron had asked the question, the look in his eyes told Cary he didn’t want to hear the answer. And in all honesty, Cary didn’t want to talk about it, either, but maybe it would be better if they got this conversation out of the way.
“Gill was kinda rough with me during sex. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I don’t like it that way sometimes, but Gill only ever thought of himself. You know?”
When Aaron next looked up, there were tears in his eyes. “I wish you’d never had to go through any of that with him. I wish you’d met me first.”
Cary swallowed hard.
He wished so too, but what did it matter? He couldn’t change what had happened. He could only move forwards, concentrate on the future.
“All that is in the past and, from now on, that’s where it’s going to stay, okay?”
Aaron hesitated at first but then nodded his agreement. “Okay.”
Cary was about to lean forward and kiss Aaron again when there was a knock on the bunkhouse door. He frowned, fully intent on ignoring the caller, but when a second knock came—louder than the first—he grudgingly got up from Aaron’s lap.
“Who do you think that could be?” Aaron checked his watch. “Everyone on the ranch is busy working.”
“I don’t know but whoever it is has lousy timing.”
Cary left Aaron in the kitchen and went to answer the door. He was just about to pull it open when someone pounded on it again, rattling the old, rusty hinges. The hammering was so loud and forceful, it made Cary jump. He put his hand to his heart and tried to steady his breathing.
“Damn it. Hold your horses, I’m coming!”
He swung open the door, surprised to see Gregory Hale standing on the porch.
“I thought we were going to meet later?” Cary crossed his arms and threw Gregory a sideward glance. “Why the change of plan?”
Gregory sighed and scrubbed his hand over his face. “I’m sorry for the intrusion. Something’s come up I need to attend to. I’ll be leaving town this afternoon, and I need to speak to you before I go. Can I come in?”
Cary glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the kitchen. If he could get this over and done with quickly, he and Aaron could pick up where they’d left off before he went out to ride fence with Nate.
He nodded, pulling the door open wider.
“Sure. Come in.”
He stepped aside to allow Gregory entrance.
Once inside, Gregory began to pace the living room floor.
“Please take a seat, before you wear a hole in the rug.”
Cary sat down on the sofa and motioned towards the armchair opposite.
Gregory’s mouth lifted into an amused smile and he sat.
“Are you always so direct?”
“Best way to be, I’ve found.”
Cary’s gaze flickered to the kitchen door then came back to rest on Gregory.
The man nodded. “I find it refreshing, actually. You seem to be coping with what happened to you just fine. It can’t have been easy for you.”
“It wasn’t,” Cary admitted. “I don’t know if I’ll ever fully recover from what Gill did to me, you know? But I’d come to terms with not being with Gill months before he died.
“I had to for my own sanity. If I’d have stayed with him, I’d probably be the one dead now.”
“I realize that, but Gill didn’t just die, did he? He was killed…by Kelan—a wolf. How do you feel about that?”
Cary shrugged. “I have no ill feelings towards Kelan, quite the opposite in fact. I owe Kelan my life and a lot more besides. He’s been like a father to me. More of a father than my old man was anyway.
“He’s helped me so much over the last six months. I don’t know how to repay him. He took me in, gave me a job, a home. He didn’t have to do any of that but he did. He’s a good man and he’s become a friend.”
“So, you’re happy?” Doubt was written all over Gregory’s face. “Living here…with wolves?”
Cary thought about the question.
The wolves who lived and worked on the ranch were some of the finest people he’d ever met. But was he truly happy? Certainly more so than he’d been with Gill—maybe more than he’d ever been.
“I never would have believed it,” Cary said at last. “If I hadn’t experienced it firsthand I probably still wouldn’t believe it, but the wolves here have been so welcoming and kind to me. They treat me like I belong.”
Cary had intended to tell Gregory about Aaron and his discovery about Gill, but he held his tongue. It would be best to see where things led between him and Aaron before he made any such announcements.
Gregory raised his eyebrows, seemingly surprised by Cary’s praise of the wolves. “Okay. When I give my report to the council, I’ll tell them I don’t think they have anything to worry about where you’re concerned. But there’s something else I need to talk to you about.”
Cary nodded. “Go on.”
“It’s about what I saw earlier, between you and the wolf.”
“What about it?”
“It was inappropriate.”
Cary started to shake his head.
The disapproving tone in Gregory’s voice made Cary sorry he hadn’t mentioned their mating. His relationship with Aaron might have nothing to do with the council but after years of Gill’s tyranny, when someone told him he shouldn’t do something, it made him all the more determined.
“Aaron’s my m…”
“His friend,” Aaron interjected. He strode into the room and sat down on the sofa next to Cary. “Everything okay?”
Cary’s eyes shot to Aaron’s.
He frowned.
What the hell?
Was Aaron embarrassed to tell people he was mated to Cary?
Well, if that was how this was going to be—
“As Cary’s friend, aren’t you at all concerned about his safety?”
“Of course. You don’t have anything to worry about. I’d never hurt Cary.”
“See that you don’t. It wouldn’t be good for Cary to get personally involved with a wolf…on many levels.”
Aaron sat up straighter. “Do you have something against wolves?”
Gregory shrugged. “You’re not known for your gentleness. Most of the wolves I’ve come into contact with have been overly aggressive and unpredictable.”
“Oh, and cats are perfect? Correct me if I’m wrong but wasn’t it a cat shifter that hurt Cary before—nearly killed him, in fact?”
Gregory’s eyes darkened and he let out a low hiss. “That was an exceptional case, highly unusual. Wolves are coarse, unrefined creatures by nature.”
“You sure you met one before? Because you’re not describing any wolves I know.”
“You’re young,” Gregory scoffed. “Naive. Cary needs—”
Cary had heard enough. “Will you both just shut the hell up? I am in the room, you know. Don’t tell me what I need. And what is this anyway—some sort of pissing contest?
“If you’ll just give me a moment, I’ll fetch a ruler so you can measure your dicks.”
Aaron’s jaw fell open but Gregory merely chuckled. “On that note, I’d better be going.”
Gregory got up from the sofa and walked to the door. Before he left, he bent over and conspiratorially whispered in Cary’s ear.
“Be careful. There will be other council members checking up on you from time to time and you stink of wolf. The next council member might not be as understanding as me.
“You have my card, so call me if you need anything.”
Gregory shot one last glance at Aaron then let himself out.
Cary watched Gregory go, open-mouthed. What the hell difference did it make what or who he smelled like? It wasn’t the council’s business who Cary was seeing. He stiffened when Aaron tried to pull him into his arms. He was majorly pissed at him.
“What’s wrong?” Aaron scrunched his eyebrows together in confusion.
“What’s wrong?” Cary repeated. “Are you ashamed of me?”
Aaron blinked and cocked his head to the side. “Huh?”
“Why wouldn’t you let me tell Gregory you’re my mate?”
“I’m not ashamed of you.” Aaron took Cary’s face in his hand and made him meet his gaze. “Nothing could be further from the truth. I think you’re incredible.”
“Then why?”
“My dad told me last night that the council have strict rules against cross-species mating. That’s why Gregory just warned you to stay away from me, and why my father was so upset yesterday when he discovered we were mates.
“I was praying you wouldn’t say anything to Gregory. We could get in a lot of trouble if the council find out about our mating.”
Cary couldn’t believe what he was hearing. His shoulders slumped and he let out a long breath. He didn’t need this added drama on top of everything else.
“You’re joking, right?”
Aaron shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
“But how can we hide it? We can’t keep something like this a secret.”
“I’m afraid we have to. I don’t know what they’ll do if they find out, but trust me, it wouldn’t be good.”
Chapter Eleven
“Where is Cary now?” Kelan frowned and looked out of the window into the yard.
“He’s out riding fence with Nate. I thought you’d want to know the council has been here,” Aaron replied.
Kelan nodded. “I wouldn’t worry about it. Now that one of their representatives has seen Cary, we most likely won’t hear from them again for some time. But we need to figure out what to do in the event that they do come back.”
“Maybe it would be best to be open about everything. What’s the worst that could happen?”
Kelan’s eyes darkened. “You don’t want to know. Let me make some inquiries. I know some wolves on the council. The law is antiquated—it was only set up to prevent mating between men and women.
“The children that were born from those pairings were most often deformed in some way. That would obviously be irrelevant to a bonding between two men.
“I’ll get them to look into it. We’ll see what they come back with.”
“Thanks, Kelan, I appreciate it. I guess I’d better pack up my stuff to move into the bunkhouse.”
Aaron turned to leave.
He was almost out the door before Kelan addressed him.
“I take it you and Cary have sorted everything out?”
Aaron beamed at Kelan. “Yeah, we’re good now. I think Cary is starting to believe things could work out between us.”
“I’m happy for you both. Cary deserves someone good in his life after everything he went through with Gill. Treat him well.”
Aaron wasn’t surprised by Kelan’s warning.
He was glad that Cary had someone looking out for him.
“I intend to.”
If only Aaron’s father would be as accepting as Kelan.
Stefan hadn’t been at all pleased about his mating with Cary. Aaron knew it was because Stefan was worried about him, but he hoped his father could get over his anxiety and see how good they could be for one another.
“Do you know where Dad is?”
“Yep, he’s gone in
to town to run errands with Cody. I’m not expecting them back until early afternoon.”
Aaron thanked Kelan again then left the room. Telling his father would just have to wait. When he was done collecting his belongings, he carried everything over to the bunkhouse. He didn’t like Cary being out somewhere on the property where he couldn’t keep an eye on him, but he supposed it was something he’d have to get used to.
He couldn’t spend every minute of every day with Cary, after all. It surprised him that he wanted to. He couldn’t believe how protective he felt of his mate and they’d only just got together. If he felt that way know, how would he feel after they’d been together for five years, or ten?
Aaron needed to be careful because he didn’t want to be that man—the jealous and over-protective boyfriend that smothered his partner. Cary had already had one man like that. He didn’t need another. Aaron needed to give him room to breathe. If he wanted Cary to see how perfect they were for one another, he needed to be everything that Gill wasn’t—everything that he admired in a man.
Aaron transferred his belongings to one of the spare rooms in the bunkhouse. He would have preferred to stay in Cary’s room but he didn’t want to pressure his mate. Cary had been through a lot and it would take a while for him to trust again. That was fine with Aaron—he had all the time in the world, and he’d happily spend it proving himself to his mate.
When he was done, he began working on his chores around the ranch.
Kelan had given him a long list of things to do, but Aaron wasn’t afraid of hard work, and by throwing himself into the job, it helped to keep his mind off his worries over Cary.
He couldn’t wait to see his mate again.
Just being in Cary’s presence put a smile on his face and made him happier than he could remember being. Aaron got so engrossed in his work, he lost track of time. When he next checked his watch, it was past four and he realized he’d missed lunch. His stomach growled loudly, proving just how hungry he was, so he put away the tools he’d been using and made his way back to the bunkhouse.
As he crossed the yard, his father and Kelan were talking with two sour-faced, burly men. Stefan’s features were stoic but Kelan looked pissed off. As he neared, Aaron scented the air. One of the men was human but the other was a shifter—some type of cat if Aaron’s senses were correct.
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