“I guess so,” I really had no idea, but it was the answer Slate wanted.
That was enough to make Slate happy. He climbed under a pile of books and looked like he was going to stay there, re-reading all Gavin Ross' books. I made a mental note to leave him out some food and water before I left for the pack house, just in case he forgot that he needed those to live while he was in the middle of his reading binge.
There went my distraction though. Now fantasies of Nate came back full force.
I couldn't remember very much from the reception. I remembered dancing with Nate. I remembered feeling his gun that-wasn't-his-gun, pressing against me. Then I drank, and I don't remember anything after that.
Seth told me Nate had put me to bed, carried me all the way up to my room and was a perfect gentleman.
Too bad.
I only hoped that I didn't make too big a fool of myself. I was sure Nate would tell me all about it if I was. He would tease me mercilessly. But at least we would be talking. At least he would be laying that killer grin on me. And I could do my usual thing of alternating between babbling incoherently and being silent and tongue-tied.
It was going to be terrible and amazingly exciting at the same time. My only worry was that I might attack him and tear his clothes off.
I left Slate a pile of food and water next to his bookshelf, and walked out to my car to drive over to the pack house. Already I was trying to be cool and calm and not imagine Nate naked. Not until tonight when I got home and I threw some headphones on Slate.
My plan didn't last more than a few seconds though.
The first thing I saw was Nate, waiting outside my house- I couldn't avoid him and he was truly a feast for my hungry eyes. I wanted to get down on my knees, grab his cock, and suck until he came in my mouth. I wanted him to take me from behind, come inside me, fill me with his seed and claim me as his mate.
Damn, my imagination was a pervert!
I’ve never been this horny, the need to have him in me was overwhelming my reason.
I stared at the man I’d been fantasizing about for months. How the hell could he make me so hot from just a look? My body melted as his eyes flickered, there was something intense in them.
Possession.
Nate’s look was sensual and wicked and definitely not PG-13.
He could probably smell my arousal- and I wasn't embarrassed about it. I hoped he could.
My pulse beat erratically and what I wanted, what I needed- really, really needed -was some amazing sex, and after, for him to claim me for his own. For himself and no one else.
I walked up to him, looking at the ground, then tilted my head to look into his eyes and felt the need clawing at me.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to see you. Thought we could ride over together.”
“Sure.” Oh, this wasn't going to be good. Trapped in an enclosed space was going to be amazing, but so hard to control myself. “I’m sorry about being a mess last week. Thanks for bringing me up to my room. If I embarrassed myself, sorry for that too.” I felt better as I spoke, able to ignore him and his effect on me. But then I had to look at him.
He stood in front of me, smiling at me in such a wicked way, I almost drooled.
The breeze picked up, lifting his shirt, to reveal his stomach, chest, and arms.
My fingers itched to touch the golden skin, warm and soft over the bulging muscles.
“You didn't embarrass yourself at all. You were honest for the first time since I've met you. You asked to see my gun, the one you felt on the dance floor. And you kissed me, wet and sloppy and drunk.”
Of course I did. It was all my worst nightmares, all at once. “Sorry.”
“Why? It was the truth wasn't it?”
I mumbled something incoherent. Trying to lie, but my body wouldn't let it come out.
“It was the hottest thing I've ever heard.”
I squeaked as my eyes went to his crotch, the not-his-gun was straining the fabric. And growing. Growing bigger and bigger before my eyes.
Oh yeah.
“Finn, I’ve wanted inside you since I first laid eyes on you and that amazing little body. I didn't think you were interested, I thought I'd have to wait and wait for you to come around. But when I heard you say everything I wanted to hear, drunk and sloppy as you were, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.”
He lifted my face to look in those brilliant eyes. “You're my mate and if I have to wait longer I will. Right now though I don't want to wait. So you’re going to have to tell me if you want this or not, Finn.”
He wanted me as his mate? He actually desired this body, this face, this awkwardness?
“Why would you want me? You can have anyone- you've had lots of any ones. I’m nobody. I’m short, and way out of my league even talking to you.”
“First of all, your body is absolute perfection. Believe me, Finn, perfect. You’re the most intelligent man I’ve ever met. You're body makes me want to taste you and your mind makes me proud to know you. You’re beautiful and exactly what I want. I don’t want anyone else. I haven't since the moment I saw you, there hasn’t been an ‘anyone’ since I met you. I only want you.”
There was no joking or laughter in his eyes, just honesty- and lust.
“Please Goldy, my sweet treasure. I need to know you’re with me on this.” His voice was hoarse with need. His thumb grazed my cheek as fire flashed through my body and my cock throbbed with its own heartbeat.
“Yes,” I said, shocked by my own confident voice as I locked eyes with him. “Make me yours, Nate. I don’t want anyone else either.”
He swooped down and kissed me with all the desperation I thought only I felt. A dam of need broke inside me, driving the urge to run my fingers over his skin, to touch every part of him and feel his flesh against my own. I was lost in the blissful sensation being held in Nate’s arms as his warmth surrounded me.
I felt his body stiffen, then a slow, deep growl rumble in his chest. “Stay behind me. There are shifters surrounding us. And they don’t seem friendly. I’m going to have to shift.”
“Uh, what?” Why are shifters ruining my moment?
“Finn, don’t move from this spot. They will have to come through me to get to you.” He tore off his clothes and handed me the pile.
“How many are there?” I was scared for us both, but still ogling his naked form. It was everything I imagined.
“I can sense three, maybe four. Stay here, behind me. My animal won’t hurt you.” He said and started to shift.
I was amazed at the size of his animal. Tall, muscles like coiled rope, gigantic paws, and thick black fur. Suddenly a panther dove through the air and went straight for Nate. The animal was big with black as midnight fur and golden eyes. It was beautiful and terrifying, but thank god Nate was bigger and at least as quick.
Nate leaped, catching the panther in mid pounce, and his jaws clamped down on the panther’s hind leg as Nate used its weight and momentum to swing it around and toss it against a parked car. The panther crumpled against the door and shattered the windshield, but slumped to the ground, not moving as blood pooled around it.
Two other panthers prowled the street in front of us, one was much larger than the other, as big as Nate’s wolf. The big one stopped to sniff at the one Nate just tossed into the car, then turned its head to us, opening its jaws to roar. The smaller one approached Nate wearily.
“Enough,” commanded a human walking out behind the panthers as they stopped their slow progress towards us.
“We just want the omega. Let us have him and we won’t hurt you.”
Nate growled in a way that sounded definitively like a ‘No’.
“What do you want with me?” I asked as I walked up behind Nate’s wolf and placed a hand on his tail to try to stop him from blindly attacking them. It wasn’t a fair fight for him.
The man just stared at me with hate in his eyes, like I insulted him.
Nate bare
d his teeth and growled again, but lowered his hips and used his tail to knock me onto his back, I grabbed a handful of his fur to steady myself and as soon as I did, Nate swung his body under me and turned away from the cats. I clutched fistfuls of his fur as he started to run, holding tight, my body stretched along his back.. I turned my head to see the human shift into a panther and the three of them coming after us.
I buried my head in Nate’s neck and closed my eyes.
4
“Are you alright?” I asked Finn when we were safe and I was back in human form. I knew he was, but he was shaken up, I caressed his cheek with my hand.
I pulled him into my arms and held him for a moment. When he had calmed down he looked up and smiled, then looked around him. “Where are we?”
“My house. Jay and Seth know where to find us if we don’t show up.” I was worried about them and the rest of the pack, but I had to be sure my mate was safe first. We ran for hours and his body was so tense the entire way I knew he must be exhausted.
I lifted him off his feet and he curled into me, relaxing him, but exciting me. I carried him to the bedroom and placed him in my big soft bed. Exactly where I wanted him.
But he snuggled into my pillow and I covered him in a blanket as I lay next to him, listening to him sigh contented, then drift off to sleep.
I watched as Finn slept, then remembered to text Jay about what happened. Seth and Jay were at my house faster than I expected.
After Seth was satisfied Finn was unhurt and safe, we went to talk in my kitchen downstairs.
I sat on a chair and asked Seth, “Is there any reason why someone would want to kidnap Finn?”
“No. He's awesome, but kidnap? No one but me.”
“And Seth has an alibi, we both do.” Jay added. “You should have Eli look into it.”
“He's doing something for Gavin. I don't want to bother him until I know.” Eli Stone was the best investigator in White Rocks, and anywhere else too. He could help, but I wasn't sure what the hell we were even dealing with right now.
“Talk to Gavin then. He’s at the pack house.”
“I think you should be careful too Seth. Both of you.”
“I'm claimed,” Seth answered, and Jay wrapped his arm around him to prove it. “Maybe you should claim Finn, make him safe.”
It was more of a challenge than a blessing, Seth being protective of Finn, not exactly approving of me as his mate, but I was happy nonetheless. “I plan to, but still, be careful. I'm not sure being mated is enough for whoever wants Finn.”
“You’re certain it wasn’t just a group of rogue panthers after a random omega?”
“Yes, I’m sure. Finn asked the one in human form why they wanted him. That pissed him off because he was too unimportant to know the reasons.” I smiled, proud of Finn. I was about to pounce at the three of them, but that question and the hatred in the silent answer changed everything. They were sent by someone and killing those three wouldn’t stop the threat to Finn. Only stopping whoever commanded them to get him would.
“I’m going to talk to Gavin. Anything you can think of Seth, you too Jay. And be careful, look after Finn while I’m gone.”
I told Gavin everything in private, and cautioned him against letting Dillon and Caden know about it. That advice was taken in stern silence.
But I was happy that after our talk, Gavin asked Caden to send for Eli Stone, and then closed the door on Caden when he asked why. I couldn’t suppress my smile.
“Don’t gloat.” Gavin warned gruffly. “Caden and Dillon are still my security now that you have to stay and look after your mate. I trust them, but I know how you feel too. I don’t need you to tell me again.”
Caden was the one I really had reservations about. Dillon wasn’t smart enough to be treacherous, but he was all wrong for Gavin. Dillon and Gavin were not mates, Gavin hadn’t found his yet. Dillon wasn’t even a member of our pack, not officially, but since he and Gavin had begun seeing each other, he was starting to believe he was going to be the alpha-mate. Dillon didn’t pretend to have power over me, but he had no trouble treating the rest of the pack like they answered to him. Gavin needed to throw Dillon aside before he ruined him.
Gavin was still my alpha, and nothing was going to change that, ever. But some of the pack were less loyal than me. They didn’t see how Dillon was making Gavin miserable and eroding his discipline firsthand the way I did, but what they saw they didn’t like any more than I did.
“I think you’re right that Seth may be in danger too. Other packs have been talking about missing omegas too- it’s not only White Rocks.”
“This is the first I hear of that.” I didn’t mean it to sound like an accusation, but there had never been very many things that Gavin kept from me.
“You didn’t need to know before right now.” He snapped. He took a seat next to me and sighed, “Other alphas and other packs aren’t so open about these things as I am so don’t spread that around. Not to anybody, not even your mate, if you can keep a secret from him,” he smiled, teasing me.
Knowing the magnitude of this weight Gavin had been carrying around made me feel slightly better. It wasn’t just Dillon that was turning him sour. But this was twice the reason why he couldn’t afford Dillon and his anchor dragging him down. He must have seen that in my face because he cut me off before I could speak.
“I want you to get me a list of the omegas at the wedding. Your mate’s friends. If Finn is part of the pack, then we’ll need to look after his people too. The council of alphas has been talking about sending each other soldiers to help out and strengthen how we work together. After what you told me, we’re going to stop talking and start doing it. Those exchanges will be perfect to watch over omegas that aren’t part of our pack.”
“Done.”
Eli Stone came in and sat down across from us. He was an enforcer, as well as our investigator, and his strict, military personality was perfect for what we needed him to do.
Eli leaned forward, “You needed to see me?”
Gavin had both of us spill our stories. Eli had been quietly searching for the panthers I met today, and was very interested in the description I gave him of the human.
“So you’ve mated this Finn?” Eli asked me.
“I haven’t claimed him, but I will. Will that protect him?”
“No,” he looked me straight in the eye, eyes narrowing. “But don’t worry Nate, I will find out who’s behind this.” He put his hand on my arm, a crack in his machine-like personality.
I left, feeling good about how Gavin was handling everything, my alpha was going to lead us and all the other packs into a better place. I was sure of it.
As good as it felt to have Gavin back, I was feeling even better that I was about to claim my mate.
For good and forever.
5
“Where’s Nate?” I asked Seth immediately when I woke up and found him and Jay downstairs.
“He went to talk to Gavin, our alpha. He’ll be back soon.” Seth held my hand, his eyes wet.
“Good.” I relaxed immediately. “What’s with you?”
Jay spoke for him, “He’s sad that he’s going to have to be nice to Nate from now on.” He squeezed Seth and brought him close.
“Why?” I doubted there was any reason for Seth to warm up to Nate. He never had to my previous boyfriends.
Seth laughed a little and wiped his eyes. “I ran a bath for you earlier. It’s probably still warm.” Seth stood up and wrapped his arms around me, for a surprisingly tender hug until Jay pulled him off.
“Come on Seth, let’s wait for Nate outside. We’ll be back tomorrow Finn, and Seth will be acting normal again, I promise.”
The water was still warm. It eased my tired muscles, and it felt like I could fall asleep again, but I decided I shouldn’t be a prune when Nate gets back.
I toweled off and threw on some clothes from Nate’s closet, hoping he wouldn’t be mad. It’s not like I was going to stretch out his cl
othes or anything, they were way too loose on me.
Feeling good, I explored the house that belonged to him. It fit with everything I knew about Nate. It was comfortable and stylish and very cool. I loved it, but felt the same way I did in his over-sized clothes- like I didn’t fit.
I didn’t even hear Nate come in. When I saw him watching me, my heart beat wildly at the sight of his body wrapped in a clingy a-shirt, and jeans that hugged his powerful legs. The flash of the naked body I knew was under it made me blush. Instead I walked over to him and combed my fingers through his hair as I pulled his lips onto mine for a hungry kiss. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me lovingly as I felt his grin spoil the kiss.
“It’s good to see you too.” He said.
God was he sexy right now. I loved the hungry way he was grinning at me, but I needed his tongue in my mouth more. I could look at him all I wanted later, when he was asleep and satisfied and I gave him something to grin about. I was going to do what I wanted to the last time I saw him.
I slid my tongue along his, then nipped at his lips. I started pulling off his clothes and he didn’t try to stop me when I pushed him to sit down on a chair and I straddled his hips.
His hands caressed my back in soft circles, trailing down to squeeze my ass cheeks as I focused on his lips, and the swelling of his cock against my hips and ass. I kissed his neck and slowly licked my way down to his nipples, circling my tongue over them and hearing his groans and growls from deep in his chest. I moved down his body, licking and sucking my way to his hard cock. I was on my knees, my face was inches from the thick, velvety length of him. I glanced up at his face to see him watching me rapturously, and digging his fingers into the fabric of the arm rests.
I smiled up at him, loving the heat in his eyes as I wrapped a hand around his hard cock and slowly pumped until a bead of liquid trickled from his slit. I couldn’t resist tasting it, the penny flavor of his precum hitting my tongue made him moan and made me hungry for more. I ran my tongue in a slow circle over the head of his cock. My mouth was hungry to take the rest of his hot flesh.
Golden Boy: True Colors #1 Page 2