The Artist And His Alpha

by Lisa Oliver

Sean still didn’t say anything, but Caden felt his feet leave the ground, again, as Sean heaved him over his shoulder and strode into the house. Caden had enough time to register orange patterned rugs, wooden floors, bright yellow cushions, and then stairs framed by ornately carved railings. Sean took the stairs three at a time, and walked into the first door along a long hallway. He slammed the door shut with his foot, and carried Caden through what was clearly a large bedroom, with an equally large bed, and into an attached bathroom. He set Caden down on the sink vanity top and then stood over him, caging Caden in with his arms, his head bowed.

  “Are you okay?” Caden felt he had to say something. For a moment it looked like Sean was going to ignore him, but when he raised his head, Caden was shocked to see real pain in Sean’s dark eyes.

  “My past is really coming back to bite me on the ass, isn’t it?” Sean said, his voice rough with emotion.

  “Hey, I’m the one with the rogue Alpha. That’s the only reason we’re here,” Caden said trying to keep his voice light.

  “None of that was your fault,” Sean insisted. “This,” he waved his hand indicating somewhere outside, “the problems at the club, Patrick’s mouth. He upset you, and that is all my fault.”

  “He’s jealous?” Caden suggested. “I know the men at the club were. They were jealous of me because I was with you. I’m sure it will die down in time.”

  “I’m not sure why you’re being so understanding,” Sean said, standing up and reaching for a washcloth. “If I had put a bit more thought into where I stuck my dick, half of what has happened since we mated wouldn’t have been an issue, and yet you’re just sitting there, as calm as can be.”

  Caden frowned. How was he supposed to act? He couldn’t do anything about Sean’s past, and in his head he had bigger things to worry about like a psychotic ex-Alpha who probably wanted to kill him, not to mention being on pack grounds again.

  “Am I meant to yell at you or something?” he said, trying to work out what Sean was after. “Because, personally, I can’t see how that’s going to make things any better between us.”

  “Oh fuck, I don’t know, but shouldn’t you be upset with me, or something?” Sean had let his head hang down again. Caden looked at the proud man. How anyone could grow up looking like Sean did, and not have a sexual history a mile long was beyond Caden. He gently took the washcloth from where it lay forgotten in Sean’s hand, and twisted around to the sink so he could dampen it.

  When he was satisfied the washcloth was at a comfortable temperature, and damp enough to do some good, he pushed up on Sean’s chin, forcing the man to look at him. Sean stared at him silently as he carefully washed the blood and dirt from his mate’s face. Caden rinsed out the cloth and then took one of Sean’s hands from the counter and washed one set of bruised knuckles and then the other ones. They too were already healing.

  Both hands done, Caden managed a tight smile and slipped out of the cocoon created by Sean’s arms. “I’m going to get our overnight bags,” he said. “Why don’t you get naked and I’ll find you some clean clothes.”

  A big hand caressing his cheek stopped him and Caden looked at Sean in askance. “You are far too good for me, precious,” Sean said quietly. “I will thank the Fates every day that they paired me with someone as beautiful, both inside and out, as you are.”

  Caden blushed under the intensity of Sean’s gaze, pleased when the bigger man brushed his forehead with a kiss before letting him go. He’d never been treated as though he was someone special before, and it would take some getting used to if Sean was going to make a habit of it.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Sean was starting to think he might need some psychiatric help, or at least someone to slap down his wolf. He’d never been possessive, never cared when his friends teased him about his ability to fuck anyone anytime. He was a horny ass, so what? It was almost a golden rule for Alphas. But he’d never cared about any of the men who had gotten him off. The only people he’d ever fought for before were his father and brother and those few occasions didn’t leave him feeling anything like he was now.

  As he gently nudged Caden down the stairs and into the family dining room, he swallowed the urge to growl at anyone who looked at his little mate. For a split second he wished Caden wasn’t so damn…alluring. That was the word, alluring. Caden had shucked off his leather coat, and in his tight black jeans and his white button down shirt he looked so…damn it. Sean mentally slapped himself. He’d be spouting poetry next. But that didn’t stop him glaring at the two strange wolves at the table.

  “Sean, Caden, take a seat,” Ian said, his booming voice as happy as ever. “This is Matt Gordon and Josiah McKinley from the Shifter Council. Matt, Josiah, this is my son Sean and his mate Caden Wolfe, the Omega I phoned you about.”

  Both men dipped their heads slightly at Sean, but he barely noticed. Caden was gripping his hand like a lifeline, his fear evident to everyone at the table. Sean pulled out a chair for him, and encouraged Caden to sit, then reached over and started making up a couple of plates of food. Caden needed to eat and Sean didn’t think his mate was capable of serving himself right now.

  “Caden, I must say for a lone Omega, you are looking very well.” The interest in Matt’s voice immediately got Sean’s hackles up and he looked across the table, lifting the corner of his lip slightly. Matt simply grinned and shifted his eyes back to Caden.

  “Felix has been looking out for me for the past three years, and now Sean takes perfect care of me,” Caden said, his voice trembling.

  “Oh yes, the human in our midst. I certainly didn’t expect that.” Josiah didn’t sound complimentary and Sean wasn’t surprised to hear Liam give a warning growl. Thank goodness for his father, who spoke quickly.

  “The council doesn’t have a problem with human mates, Josiah, as I am sure you know. Felix is Liam’s fated mate and as such is welcome in this pack. You will watch your tone when you speak about them.”

  “Of course,” Josiah nodded his head at Ian. “I was just surprised to see how liberal you are here, given that both of your sons are Alpha born, yet mated to men.”

  “I don’t believe the Fates make mistakes.”

  Sean caught his dad’s eye and the older man winked. He’d never doubted his father’s love and support, and now it was showing in spades. He finished plating the food and put one in front of Caden before taking a seat beside him.

  Ian kept the conversation general as the men around the table finished their food. There were no women present, which surprised Sean. His dad was known for entertaining more than one woman in the pack, and usually had three or four at his dinner table. But maybe his dad was worried about the council members, because three of his enforcers – George, Matthias and Raoul - had been invited to eat with the Alpha, and that was something else out of the norm. Liam was sitting so close to Felix that the man was almost on his lap, and Sean could understand the feeling. He did not like the way Matt’s dark eyes gleamed when he looked at Caden – something he did often throughout the meal.

  Caden didn’t seem to want to join in the conversation at all and he kept his head down, refusing to meet anyone’s eye. Sean ate quickly. His earlier fight had left him ravenous, but he could see from the way Caden moved his fork around the plate, his little mate was barely eating anything. As soon as Sean had finished his food, he pulled Caden onto his lap, ignoring the surprised looks from the others at the table. Instinctively he knew Caden was a bundle of nerves and Sean hoped that his scent would help.

  When Ian had finished eating, he said to Matt and Josiah, “we can talk about your reasons for being here in my study. My men will see to it that we are not disturbed.”

  “Actually,” it was that slime-ball Matt that replied. “We would like to speak to the Omega alone first. The young man appears fearful and we need to ascertain that it has nothing to do with his Alpha mate.”

  “No!” Sean had spoken without thinking, but to his surprise his voice was joined with Caden�
��s who continued with more spirit than Sean had ever seen.

  “I’ve got no reason to trust you. Sean is my mate. If he can’t be with me, then I won’t talk to you, at all.”

  “Caden,” there was a definite growl in Josiah’s voice, designed to intimidate and Sean could feel his wolf respond to the challenge. “We are council members, above reproach. You will do as we say or I’ll take your mate into custody and hold him until I know he’s done nothing to you.”

  “Now just a minute,” Ian protested from the other end of the table. “You know damn well that an Omega is to be treated with respect. You’re on the Omega committee; surely you know threats will just intimidate him. I can vouch for Sean and Caden’s relationship.”

  “What made you think we’re on the Omega committee? We’re troubleshooters sent to find out about this mythical pack the Omega claims he comes from. For all we know this Omega is a lying little shit who is on the run from his home pack, and should be in custody himself. This could be nothing more than a ruse set up between Caden and his human friend to infiltrate this pack.”

  Josiah sounded so smug, and hadn’t even tried to hide his insults. Sean couldn’t help himself, he shifted, leaving his clothes in shreds and Caden crouching on the floor beneath him. To his left he saw that Liam had done the same thing and was pushing Felix back against the wall, his huge body providing a solid defense between the council members who had both stood up, and his mate. Caden was whimpering, curled in a ball, absolutely terrified and Sean’s wolf was enraged. He curled his lips right back, showing his massive teeth and defied anyone to come anywhere near him.

  “The council sent troubleshooters? I told the council the situation. My son is mated, there’s no deceit here. You would smell it if there was. I told them I needed an Omega representative because Caden’s been without a pack for years. He escaped, and when I saw his pack wasn’t listed, I thought you guys should know about it. How dare you come onto my lands and insult my family.”

  Ian was holding his own, his Alpha power resounding around the room, but Sean was more worried about Caden who was a shivering mess. He couldn’t comfort him as a wolf, and protect at the same time. He tried to nudge Caden across towards Felix and Liam but Caden was frozen in fear and didn’t seem capable of moving at all.

  “The only pack in that area was wiped out more than thirty years ago,” Matt said, edging closer to Sean, who couldn’t stop the rumblings in his chest if his life depended on it. “If this Omega is telling the truth then he could be a vital witness to what might have happened there.”

  “And you want to treat that witness as a threat? You’re terrifying the boy.” Sean knew his dad was deeply upset. He hated the thought of smaller, weaker pack members being treated badly and Sean was surprised his father hadn’t shifted himself.

  “We have orders to talk to him in private. He’s an Omega; he should do as he’s told. Look at him; he’s a sniveling mess on the floor for fuck’s sake. He’s not fit to be around decent wolves.”

  Josiah’s demeaning tone hit every possessive nerve in Sean’s body and he had had enough. He leapt over the table, hitting the man directly in the chest and taking him to the ground. His wolf wanted this man dead. Josiah had too much hate in that muscle filled body of his, and Sean was more than happy to prevent the man from ever opening his mouth again. From the ruckus around him Sean was aware that George and Matthias had shifted and had Matt pinned against the wall but his focus was on Josiah who was frantically trying to reach his gun. Well, that just would not do. Sean snarled again, his mouth open wide as he slowly bent his head to take out the man’s throat. He wanted Josiah to see his death coming.

  “Sean, for the love of your mate, don’t do it.” Ian’s voice, the voice of his dad, the only man in the world Sean had ever obeyed, cut through his wolf consciousness and made him stop for just one second. His teeth were lightly grazing Josiah’s throat, and he flicked his ears indicating he was listening, but not prepared to move away.

  “Sean you can’t do it. Your mate needs you. You kill that idiot and they’ll take you away and lock you up for sure. Caden needs you, do you understand me; Caden needs you.”

  That was something both man and wolf could understand and with a final growl and a snapping of teeth mere inches above Josiah’s face, Sean stepped back. He padded over to where Caden was crying on the floor, Raoul standing over him, providing protection. In a quick and fluid motion, Sean had shifted and he bent low, scooping his arms under Caden’s trembling body, bringing him up and cuddling him close to his chest.

  “You’re not fit to kiss the ground this man walks on.” Sean glared at a white-faced Josiah. Matt seemed to get off on being threatened by wolves because he still had lust written all over his movie star face. “Caden’s fear is learned behavior – learned from assholes just like you, who think the measure of a man has got something to do with how tall he is. My mate has built a life for himself, on his own. He makes more money in a year than you ever will. He’s a respected artist, with people clamoring for his work. Felix, the human you despise was his only ally, his only friend. This man in my arms has more talent in his little finger than you will ever have. What’s more, he is strong. He had the strength to survive without his pack, when others like you would have fallen. You have no right to suggest he’s weak in any way. Now get the fuck out of my way, my brother and I have somewhere else to be and mates to take care of.”

  “There’s still the matter of the Cannon Falls pack. We need to talk to Caden about that. Where will you be?” Matt spoke up quickly, the effect of his words undermined by the fact he couldn’t stop looking at Sean’s crotch. For the first time ever, Sean felt dirty under a hot gaze and couldn’t wait to get away.

  “Anywhere you aren’t.” Sean snapped as he strode out of the room, Liam’s hot breath on his heels.

  /~/~/~/~/

  Caden was sure he’d never been so embarrassed in his life. But from the moment he laid eyes on Matt and Josiah he knew the day was going to turn to shit. Matt wanted to fuck him and Josiah seemed to have so many hate issues, it was hard to know what to start with. Even so, Caden had lived as a wolf for most of his life, and he knew struggling with a panic attack, in a heap on the floor, wasn’t the way to handle any situation as man or wolf. Shifting and biting the pair would have made a better impression, but as an Omega, Caden didn’t have that in him.

  It was the threat of someone taking Sean away that had broken him. As soon as Josiah had said that Sean could be taken away and locked up, Caden couldn’t think of anything else. His anxiety overwhelmed him. He couldn’t breathe; his heart was pounding out of his chest. Black spots appeared in front of his eyes and he couldn’t stop the shivers that were running through his body like wildfire. His nervous system, already on overload through being in a strange place, with a strange pack, had just run amuck and Caden was so stressed he honestly thought he was having a heart attack.

  He was aware of Sean picking him up – something that was becoming a bit of a habit. He knew that his man was naked, and there were others around, but he couldn’t even care about that. He could hear Sean’s heartbeat, running a little fast, but solid under Sean’s muscles and that was all he wanted to focus on. That, and Sean’s scent. He knew Sean was talking, he was aware of movement and then being laid on a soft mattress. Someone tugged off his boots. Then he felt Sean move away and a soft “hush, I’ll be right back,” was the last thing he heard as his body gave up the fight completely and he slipped into darkness.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Those fucking assholes!” Felix was angry and Liam was doing his best to calm his mate while Sean found sweats for them. Fortunately, his dad was well-prepared for shift emergencies, and there was a chest of clothing in every room in the house. He cast a worried look at Caden who appeared to have passed out, probably from the stress, as he pulled on a pair of pants that were a bit too small for him.

  “Babe, please, lower your voice,” Liam urged.

  “
Are you trying to shush me?” Yep, Felix had balls all right. “I. Am. Pissed. Off! It was bad enough those two fucking idiots insulted me for being a mere human, but look at what they’ve done to Caden. I can see why he stays away from wolves now. They’re nothing but a bunch of arrogant fuckwits.”

  “You don’t mean me and Sean too, do you, babe?” Ouch. Sean could feel his brother’s pain.

  Apparently Felix could feel it too, because seconds later he was hugging Liam close. “No of course not, hon, you guys are fine, as far as shifters go. I’m just angry, okay. You both assured me those council fuck-wads were supposed to help Caden and I’m not seeing any evidence of that. What the hell were they thinking, threatening to lock Sean up if Caden wouldn’t talk to them?”

  “God only knows,” Sean muttered, falling down on the bed beside his mate. He was tired too, but his nerves were still on edge. It seems the threats to his mate’s safety were growing by the day and he was going to have to pull out everything he had to keep Caden from harm. Sean pulled his mate into his arms, checking his pulse and listening to his breathing. Both his pulse and his breathing seemed slower and more normal, and Sean hoped it meant that Caden was sleeping, rather than unconscious. He didn’t really know, but his wolf assured him that Caden would be okay.

  Liam came and plopped down on the other side of the bed, pulling Felix with him. Sean looked at his brother, the man he trusted over all others. They had been together since Liam’s birth, a birth that took the life of their mother. With their dad always busy running the pack, the two boys were often left to their own devices. The two men had grown up to look a lot alike – Liam’s hair might be longer, his body slightly smaller, and he was about two inches shorter than Sean, but anyone looking at them could see the family resemblance. Liam was also the more laid back of the two of them as was evidenced when he opened his mouth.

  “Well, those two dickheads were a riot. What’s the plan now, bro?”