wolves. There are definitely very few wolves here,” Mr. Thorne
said. “As far as I know only myself and that arrogant bastard
Samuels who works for the vice squad live in Houston. That
doesn’t give you many options in terms of protection and care
though. That can’t be easy for you.”
“I’m doing okay. I have friends. Plenty of good human friends
who don’t know what I am, but don’t care. And that bastard
Samuels as you called him. He’s my mate,” Terry whispered.
“But he doesn’t want me, and yeah, I can’t do anything about
that. My human friends are good to me. I don’t need protection
or a pack or anything else.”
Mr. Thorne came around the desk, and pulled up a chair next to
Terry, putting a hand on Terry’s knee. Expecting to feel edgy,
like he did when anyone else touched him, Terry felt comforted
instead. He could tell how strong Mr. Thorne’s wolf was, and his
own wolf was happy to belly up in his head. Unlike Zander, this
wolf was compassionate and caring as well, and Terry’s wolf
responded to that, but then his wolf wanted Zander in a big way.
Why the hell couldn’t his mate have compassion and caring in
his DNA? Terry pushed those thoughts out of his head and
focused on the wolf beside him. He needed that contract. The
ache in his heart at any thought of Zander was becoming an old
and familiar friend, and Terry was tired of it. So tired. He just
hoped it didn’t show.
“I think you had better tell me about it.”
Mr. Thorne was a stranger, Terry knew that. But somehow his
wolf knew that the stronger male could be trusted, so he opened
his mouth and it all spilled out. His meeting with Zander and how
the man had sent him away. The visit in the middle of the night,
and how Terry had sent him away. The flowers, the assault, and
how, when Terry needed him most, Zander hadn’t been there to
help him. Through it all, Mr. Thorne kept silent, simply patting
his leg and offering him comfort.
“Terry,” Mr. Thorne said when he’d finally finished. He felt strung
out and anxious and it took all of his strength not to burst into
tears. “There is nothing wrong with wanting a mate who will date
you and take care of you, especially if you’ve never been with
anyone else. Not all wolf shifters want to just jump into bed at
the first sniff. Some of us have values and appreciate getting to
know someone first. The mate pull makes it difficult with the
whole lust side of things, but not impossible. You’re not asking
for too much from your mate.”
“Zander wanted me to be his dirty little secret. He didn’t want
us to live together or anything. He just wanted to visit me for
sex whenever he felt like it. He didn’t want to care for me, or
protect me like you tell me I need. He just wanted sex. My
parents weren’t like that, so why should I be treated that way?”
“Your mate’s problem is that partner of his, Sully Roberts,” Mr.
Thorne said thoughtfully. “The man is a raving homophobe if
ever I saw one. He can’t stand me and fortunately we don’t see
each other that often. But from what I’ve seen since they came
to Houston, they’re virtually never apart. They even double date
for goodness sake, far too often to be considered healthy in my
opinion.”
“I knew the man was fucking straight. Why did the Fates give
me a straight mate?” Terry mumbled under his breath. Mr.
Thorne laughed. It was a pleasant sound, one that Terry
wouldn’t mind hearing again. For a moment he wished that the
handsome looking wolf beside him was his mate instead, but
then he felt a pang at being disloyal to Zander. He wasn’t like
that and he wasn’t about to start being an asshole, just because
that seemed to be the only thing Zander was good at.
“Your Zander is no more straight than I am,” the lawyer said.
“He goes out of town for his hookups though. I know, I’ve seen
him in the past, although I will admit I haven’t seen much of him
lately. I’m guessing that’s because he sniffed you. You’ll be the
only one who can ring his bell from now on. God, I bet he’s going
through hell, especially with Sully by his side.” Mr. Thorne
laughed again, but Terry felt nothing but anger and he let it
show.
The only person he’d been able to talk to about the whole stupid
mess was his mother, and she just kept saying that Zander
would come to him – unfortunately she couldn’t say when, and
Terry privately thought that his mate was just stubborn enough
to go without sex for life, rather than take up with him. And God,
there were the tears again. He was such a wimp. He clung onto
his anger, because that was better than showing his weakness.
“Great, so my mate is a slut who doesn’t do relationships. I don’t
see how that’s going to help me. You know, my mother said he
would come back to me, that he wouldn’t be able to stay away.
I’ve never known her to be wrong before. But Zander is as
stubborn as a freaking ox, and I can’t see that situation changing
anytime soon.”
Mr. Thorne looked thoughtful for a moment, and then he said,
“Your mother is right on the one hand, but so are you. Zander is
a stubborn fuck. He’s good at his job, and no one else in his
department would have a problem with his relationship with you,
except his partner Sully. What he doesn’t realize though, is that
if he does stay away then he’ll lose his wolf eventually, because
believe me his wolf will be pining for you and giving him hell. His
wolf will be as stubborn and as pushy as he is.”
“But he’ll go mad without his wolf.” Terry was horrified. Zander
had treated him with nothing but contempt since they met, but
the thought of that proud wolf shifter losing half of his soul was
more than Terry could bear. Not that there was anything Terry
could do about it. He couldn’t force Zander to mate him. He
didn’t even want to. Zander had made it plain that even if he
was claimed, then he would be nothing more than a dirty little
secret, and it broke Terry’s heart to think of living like that. What
a fucking mess, for both of them.
“I don’t think Zander understands the importance of an Omega
wolf, or what would happen to him if you two mated,” Mr. Thorne
said.
“What do you mean? I’m sure Zander thinks Omegas are so far
down the totem pole they don’t even register. He certainly
treated me like I wasn’t important.”
“There’s a part in us Alphas that are hard wired to caring about
their Omegas, especially a mate. That need to protect, to love
and care for someone not as strong as we are. It’s a part of who
we are. That’s why so many lone Alpha wolves end up with
Omega mates.”
“Zander doesn’t feel like that,” Terry scoffed. “If he did he
wouldn’t have allowed me to be handcuffed, or put in a jail cell,
or anything at all. He would have been round t
o see me, at least
to make sure I was okay after I was hurt. He didn’t do any of
that.”
“You just haven’t seen him, little wolf,” Mr. Thorne said kindly.
“He’ll have been around, I can guarantee it. What I do think your
friend needs is a bit of a push to stake his claim and that is
something I can help you with.”
“I don’t want him to claim me. I don’t want to be his sordid little
secret. I deserve better in my life than a mate who hides me
away. I’d rather not have a mate.” Terry felt sick. He’d been
proud of who he was his whole life and the thought of never
having the loving relationship he’d seen growing up with his
parents, was enough to make him want to run off to the
mountains and live alone the rest of his life. At least his wolf
would have somewhere to run free.
“Zander may think that’s what will happen, but that’s not how it
will turn out,” Mr. Thorne said confidently. “Especially not if I’m
around. You need a shifter friend little one, and I want to fill that
position. I don’t doubt that your human friends are marvelous
people, I know some of them socially and they’re a great bunch.
But this is a shifter matter, and has to be solved the wolf way.
So I propose we start again. Hi Terry, my name’s Richard. I think
you are a truly lovely young man and I would really like to take
you out to lunch, just as soon as we get your papers signed. Are
you free?”
“I’m free.” Terry was stunned by the turn of events, but he had
to admit he felt safe with Richard. Somehow he knew that the
Alpha wolf wouldn’t hurt him, even though they weren’t mates,
and Terry wasn’t stupid. If Zander caught wind of him being
with another wolf, even as friends, he would go ballistic.
Unfortunately Terry didn’t think it would make any difference to
his stubborn mate although he felt compelled to try. Knowing
Zander could lose his wolf was making Terry totally revisit the
whole ‘I don’t want to be claimed’ line of thinking.
Chapter Eight
“I don’t know what the hell’s wrong with you, but if you don’t
pull your shit together soon, I swear I am putting in for a new
partner.”
“I told you, I’ve got a lot on my mind,” Zander snapped back
automatically, his attention elsewhere. It wasn’t the first time
his best friend had ragged at him, and it probably wouldn’t be
the last.
“Yeah, shit that for some reason you don’t talk to me about. I
thought we told each other everything,” Sully grumbled,
although he went back to eating his meal. Not that Zander cared.
Sully’s voice had barely registered above the noise in the small
pizzeria they were having lunch at. The food was lovely, as
always, but Zander couldn’t stop looking at the small table in the
back, where that fucking lawyer, Richard Thorne was having
lunch with his mate, again. That had to have been the third time
this week, and for some reason the pesky wolf always seemed
to know where Zander and Sully would be taking a break, and
he just fucking turned up with Terry on his arm.
Every time he turned around, that was all he could see. His mate,
his beautiful shy Terry being escorted around town, Richard
never far from his side. Zander had never even spotted his mate
before he met him at that disastrous bar fight, but now. Lunch,
dinner, movies - Richard had even brought Terry with him down
to the police station when he came to drop off some papers one
time. Zander damn near lost his shit in front of his work mates
at the sight of Richard’s arm casually around Terry’s waist. He
had to disappear into the bathroom until he could get his teeth
under control.
Zander knew enough about the mating curse to know that
Richard was playing with him. He knew that the only other lone
Alpha wolf in town wouldn’t be having actual sex with his mate.
Although any human seeing the two men together would
certainly think they were fucking like bunnies. Terry would never
be aroused by that arrogant son of a bitch, or by anyone but
him. The mating curse bit both ways. But lately a more
disturbing thought had been teasing Zander’s brain. There was
nothing to stop Richard claiming Terry through a bond mating if
he cared about him.
Zander didn’t think the man was heartless enough to try and
have sex with Terry when Terry would never be able to feel any
sense of arousal, but if they exchanged bites, the two men would
still be mated. Richard would be the one looking out for Terry.
Shit, Terry would probably move in with him, which would mean
Zander would never ever have a chance of getting close to him.
Every time the idea of Terry wearing a mating scar that didn’t
result from Zander’s teeth hit his head, his own teeth clenched
and his wolf was getting right stroppy about the situation. For a
wolf the case was simple – Terry belonged to them and that
meant any other wolf that went within ten feet of the little man
was fair game for teeth in his throat of a different kind. Zander
was worn out simply trying to keep his other half under control.
What Zander didn’t expect to feel was the pain in his heart when
he saw how Terry seemed to be responding to the attention from
the other Alpha wolf. He positively glowed, chatting away to
adoringly like Terry was the best thing since raw steak. It was
making Zander sick as he battled his own feelings of
possessiveness, and anger. But it wasn’t as though he could say
or do anything, because Richard seemed to only turn up when
he was with Sully, and Sully, his best friend and work partner,
was totally oblivious to everything that was going on. Zander
was trapped, and hurting and that was not a good way for a wolf
shifter to be. Someone was going to get really hurt if something
didn’t change soon, and Zander had a horrible feeling it might
be his mate.
Zander watched as Richard excused himself and disappeared in
the direction of the bathrooms. Finally, an opportunity to talk to
the bastard alone. Standing up, Zander ignored the shocked look
on Sully’s face, as he headed towards the back of the restaurant.
He didn’t dare look at Terry. Although the urge to talk to his
mate was so strong it was almost unbearable, with Sully in the
restaurant, he couldn’t do it. But he could deal with that swarmy
lawyer who seemed determined to stake a claim on his mate.
Slamming open the bathroom door, he wasn’t surprised to see
Richard leaning against the sink bench, his arms crossed and a
smug smile on his face. Yeah, the asshole knew exactly what he
was doing. What Zander wanted to know was why.
“What the hell are you doing with my mate?” Zander growled,
keeping his voice low. Even now he was conscious of the fact
that Sully could follow him at any minute, and that was the last
thing he
wanted. Plus which there were humans around, lots of
them, so Zander had to keep his claws and teeth under control.
“Looking after him, caring for him, taking him out on dates
because that’s what he likes to do. What’s it to you? You’ve
already made it plain you don’t want him. Someone should be
caring for him, why not me?”
“You can’t touch him, you can’t have sex with him, so why are
you wasting your time with him?”
Richard shook his head and stepped closer, lowering his voice.
“You don’t know anything about Omega wolves do you, you
stupid smuck? You don’t understand how it makes me stronger
just being with him, caring for him the way an Alpha should.
There’s a whole lot more to being mates than sex, my friend.
Warmth, companionship, caring. Terry’s a fun person to be with
and my wolf wants to look after him. I’m spending time with him
because I want to claim him as a bond mate. And when the time
is right, I will. You’ve had long enough to make things right.”
Zander was stunned for just a moment. The thought of someone
else marking his mate’s beautiful neck, when it should be him,
had the hairs growing longer on his arms, and he felt his teeth
drop. “You’ll find your own mate. What will happen to Terry
then?” He said, desperately trying to control his shift.
Bond mates were common in a world where fated mates were
hard to find, but if a fated mate did come along, they trumped
everything. That was a sacrosanct wolf law that no pack ever
broke. Mates were the most important aspect of a shifter’s life.
A flash of pain crossed Richard’s face but he quickly collected
himself and his handsome face was an impassive mask once
more. “My mate’s been dead some ten years now. Our bond
broke with his passing, and I know I’ll never have another one.
Terry will make the perfect companion and my wolf would never
forgive me if anything happened to him, I want to keep him safe,
and you won’t do it.”
Zander felt a momentary pang of sorrow for the other wolf. It
was never easy losing a mate, and the fact that Richard survived
meant that he had to be stronger than he looked, which did not
auger well for him.
“But he’ll never be able to get a hard-on with you. Don’t you
care?” Zander understood the need to take a bond mate, but at