Andrew [Whitedell Pride: 9]

by Catherine Lievens

  “Yes, mom. I’ll call you.” Andrew rolled his eyes, clearly annoyed by Soren’s protectiveness. Well, he would have to cope, because they were mated, and Soren watched out for who was his.

  “Don’t joke on this, babe. Promise me you’ll be careful.”

  Andrew sighed and cupped Soren’s cheek. “I’ll stay at home with Finn and Nysys, and if anything happens I’ll have them shimmer me out.” Soren nodded, feeling better. “But I really don’t think you need to worry. The house will be full of people, so I don’t see how the stalker can do anything, even if he tries.”

  “I know, but he got in the house two times that we know of, so I still want you to be careful.”

  Andrew nodded and pulled Soren’s face down for a deep kiss. They were interrupted by a van stopping in front of the house. The driver stepped down and walked to them, but the guy in the passenger seat stayed in, looking at the two of them. He was scowling, and Soren had to stop himself from snarling back. He didn’t know what the man’s problem was, and he didn’t care, but no one should have looked at Andrew that way.

  “Mr. Chevny?”

  “Hey, Clint. How are you this morning?”

  Andrew started chatting with the man, but Andrew’s eyes never left the douchebag in the car.

  “Oh, don’t mind Fred. He’s been in a foul mood for a while now,” Clint said to Soren when he noticed the two men were having a stare down contest.

  “What’s his problem?”

  Clint shrugged. “Who knows? He won’t talk about it, and as long as he does his job, I don’t care.”

  Soren grabbed Andrew and gave him one last kiss before climbing in his car. He backed down the driveway and scowled at douchebag before driving in the mansion’s direction, and he noticed that douchebag got out of the van only once Soren was far enough away. Seemed like the asshole had something against Soren specifically.

  Soren sighed once he got to the mansion’s gates. It was weird coming here knowing that he was going to pack most of his things and take them back with him later, but this was the beginning of a new life for him, and he didn’t regret anything. He loved his pride, but he loved Andrew even more.

  Soren’s foot slammed down on the brake as he realized what he had just thought. The car stopped abruptly sent gravel flying everywhere as the words rose to his lips. “Shit, I love him.”

  Chapter Five

  Andrew couldn’t stay in the living room. He felt very much like the old ladies who just had to hover and check exactly how the guys were working. He couldn’t help it, though. They were talking his life about, his safety, so he had to check and make sure they were doing everything just right. Not that he knew how to install an alarm system, but he asked Clint a lot of questions and the man answered without problems.

  He did stay away from Clint’s help, though. The man kept looking at Andrew in a creepy way and Andrew felt jittery around him, as if he knew deep down that he should turn around and run away, and there was no way he was doing that.

  He was probably imagining the creepiness in the guy’s eyes. It had to be due to the fact that he knew someone was watching him and he looked at everyone as if they were the stalker. He hated it, hated not being able to trust anyone because of it.

  Andrew walked back into the living room and went to the window to look at the flowers he had planted in the garden, in the hope the sight would somehow sooth him.

  “So, are you guys mated?”

  Andrew turned to Nysys. “I don’t think it’s any of your business.”

  “Oh, come on, don’t be so uptight. I’m not asking you for kinky details, although if you want to share those you’re welcome to do it. I was just wondering if the two of you had already mated.”

  Andrew looked through the opened door at where Clint and his helper were working. He didn’t think they had heard Nysys, although the helper was tilting his head as though he was listening. He couldn’t hear anything at that distance, though, so Andrew decided to throw Nysys a bone. “Yes.”

  The sound of something breaking came from where the men were working. Andrew looked over to see Clint yelling at his worker over the window he had just broken. Shit.

  Andrew walked over to them, not really angry for the window, but worried about it. It was an entrance his stalker could possibly use to get in the house.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Chevny. I’ll pay for someone to put in a new window.”

  “It’s okay, accidents happened. Do you think you can have it done for today?”

  “I’ll try. I’ll ask a friend to come by and see if he can do it right away.”

  Andrew nodded and walked back to Nysys. Clint was still ranting to his helper, and Andrew thought that if the man was such a problem, maybe Clint should have just fired him, although Andrew knew very well how hard it could be to find qualified help. He’d had a hard time finding a competent secretary when he had first opened his small firm.

  “So you’re mated, huh? Congrats.”

  Andrew wasn’t sure why the man had wanted to know, but he wasn’t blind. He could see the loneliness in Nysys’ eyes and the longing. “You’ll find your mate too.”

  Nysys looked a bit stunned at having Andrew of all people trying to comfort him, and it made Andrew feel bad. He knew he wasn’t exactly the warmest person, or the friendliest, but he did have feelings, even if he didn’t let them show.

  “I don’t know...I think I’m too weird to have a mate.”

  Andrew chuckled. Nysys was indeed particular. “I think you’re hot, even if you’re very...” Andrew gestured at Nysys’ pink hair and red pants, at his piercings and tattoos. “You’re unique. I’m sure there is someone out there who would just love how unique you are.”

  Andrew didn’t know what Nysys’ story was exactly, but he could see the man didn’t have an ounce of self-esteem.

  “Mr. Chevny?” Andrew turned around to see Clint hesitating at the living room’s door. “I called that friend of mine. He said he should be able to come by late this afternoon if it’s okay with you.”

  “That’s perfect. I’ll be home.”

  Andrew didn’t like taking days off at work, but he had to admit that it was nice being able to pass a little time alone with his friends, although he would have preferred having Soren with him.

  It took Clint a few hours to get everything done. Andrew decided that it wasn’t his overworking imagination. But that the help Clint had brought definitely was creepy. The man kept looking his way, and Andrew could have sworn he was angry at him, or at least it looked that way. The man had a permanent scowl on his face, and Andrew thought that maybe he was homophobic or some shit like that.

  Not that he had said anything, but he had seen Andrew and Soren kiss that morning, and he had been that way since then. Of course, it wasn’t like Andrew really cared. He didn’t know the man and he did not intend to get to know him, but it made the atmosphere in the house tense. Luckily, after the window was broken, it didn’t take long for the guys to finish, and after Andrew paid they went away.

  “That was just weird,” Nysys said from the couch. He was watching a cooking channel and even taking notes, and Finn looked very worried about it.

  “You’re not thinking about trying to cook that, right?”

  “Sure, why not?”

  “Because Dominic swore that next time you destroy the kitchen he’ll have your hide!”

  Nysys blushed and Andrew’s eyes hurt from all that color. “It happened only the one time, okay? I don’t destroy the entire kitchen every time!”

  “The entire kitchen, no, but you did melt a pan yesterday.”

  Andrew chuckled. How had Nysys managed to melt a pan? God, he loved the playful banter between the two Nix, and it made him long for friendship. He might consider them friends, but he never had that type of close relationship with anyone, not even his lovers. Maybe that would change now that he had Soren. Hell, it had already changed. Soren was one of the few who handled And
rew’s sarcasm without getting offended and storming away.

  “Okay, but maybe you should try something easier,” Finn said, still arguing over Nysys’ skills in the kitchen. Andrew gave a curious glance to the TV, and sure enough, Nysys couldn’t have chosen a harder recipe. Modestly, Andrew thought he was pretty good in the kitchen, although he hardly ever cooked for lack of time, but even he wouldn’t have attempted to make a Baked Alaska, and for a beginner...he could already imagine the state of the mansion’s kitchen once Nysys was done.

  “Please, tell me you’ll wait for me to light it,” he teased, and while Nysys rolled his eyes Finn looked horrified.

  “He has to light it? You mean, put real fire on it?”

  “Uh, yeah. It’s the last step. He has to pour the liquor on it and ignite the whole thing.”

  Finn looked at Nysys. “There is no way I’m letting you do this!”

  “Try to stop me, shorty!”

  At that, Andrew had to laugh. Finn was about five foot five, and he was actually a tiny bit taller than Nysys.

  “I’ll tell Dominic!”

  “No, you won’t! Or I’ll tell him who ate the last of his chocolate cookies!”

  Finn inhaled sharply. “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “Try me!”

  By then Andrew was howling in laugher, but the two didn’t even notice him. Maybe he should move into the mansion just to be there when this kind of stuff happened, but then he wasn’t sure he wanted to risk his life that way. Maybe he would pass on the lighting of the Baked Alaska after all.

  “Okay, guys, stop it.” Andrew so didn’t want to have to separate the two Nix if things got ugly and they got to hands. “Nysys, I really don’t think you should bake that thing. It’s definitely too hard, but if you want I can teach you to cook, at least the basics.”

  Nysys’ eyes brightened, and while Andrew wasn’t sure what the hell had made him volunteer for that particular task and where he would find the time to do it, he knew he would if it made his friend happy. “Really?”

  “Sure. I just think you have to start small and gradually build toward harder things. I wouldn’t even attempt to do that dessert, and I have more practice than you. Now, you know I really like you guys, but I think you can go home. The alarm is set and the guy will be here shortly to repair the window, so I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure? We can stay a bit more if you need us,” Finn proposed, but Andrew wanted nothing more than a few moments of silence and peace before the window guy arrived.

  “I’m sure. The alarm is set so no one can enter, not even through that window.”

  It took a little while longer to convince them to shimmer away, but finally Andrew was alone. He flopped on the couch, leaned his head back, and promptly fell asleep.

  * * * *

  Soren knocked on the door of Dominic’s office. He had already packed what he intended to take away right now, but the rest could wait. Now he really had to talk to his Alpha and tell him he had mated with Andrew and that he was moving out. Hopefully it would go well, because he didn’t know what he would do if it didn’t.

  “Come in.”

  Soren smiled when he recognized Keenan’s voice. The man had become Dominic’s PA, and was wicked good at his job. “Hey, I wanted to talk to Dominic if it’s possible.”

  The Alpha made him a sign to come in, so Soren settled in one of the chairs in front of the desk. The two men were going over something on Dominic’s computer, and neither seemed happy.

  “What are you doing here, Soren? Shouldn’t you be with Andrew?”

  “He’s having the alarm system installed right now, and Nysys and Finn are with him.”

  Dominic shuddered. “Don’t let Nysys get close to the kitchen.”

  Soren could tell there was a story there, but he had to confess first. “Andrew and I are mated.”

  Both the men in front of him looked at him, both with a big smile on their faces, and Soren let out a relieved sigh. Dominic wasn’t going to kill him after all.

  “Well, congrats.”

  “Yeah, congrats. Now that I really have to see, and maybe take picture of the two of you together, just for revenge, you know?” Keenan teased. Or maybe it wasn’t a tease, because god knew Keenan was capable of doing just that. “I could make a poster out of it and hang it in the dining room. That way every single couple you teased would have a reason to tease you back.”

  Soren stuck his tongue out at Keenan. He wasn’t above doing something that childish, and Keenan deserved it. Dominic shook his head when Keenan stuck out his tongue too. “I swear sometimes more than a pride this place looks like a kindergarten. How old are the two of you?”

  “Hey, I’m only twenty-two! I can afford to act like that! Soren is the old one here!”

  “Old? I’m only fifty-six!”

  “That makes you a grandpa in my book.”

  Soren growled at Keenan, but they both knew he wasn’t being serious.

  “Boys, if you’re done playing around, we have to get back to work,” Dominic reminded them and Keenan turned serious once again, even if he did stick his tongue out at Soren again.

  “So, I told you I mated with Andrew. He doesn’t want to leave his house, so I guess I’m going to move out there.”

  “I already knew that.”

  Soren’s brows shot up. “You did?”

  “Remember that I’ve known Andrew a lot longer than you have. I know how he is and that he loves that house, so I knew there was no way he was moving in the mansion, especially not with all the people around. He’s a pretty solitary person.”

  “How do you know him anyway?”

  Dominic smirked. “You don’t know?”

  “Hey, the topic just hasn’t come up yet!”

  “Fine, fine. I’m a family friend, so I saw him grow up, that’s all.”

  “Uh, okay. So, you don’t have a problem with me moving out?”

  Dominic crossed his arms on his chest. “No. I would have preferred to have the two of you near, but I can understand that not everyone likes living in a big group, especially humans. I actually expected people to start moving out a while back, but it seems the cabins have solved that.”

  “You’re still planning to enlarge the house?”

  “Yup, but since you’re moving out I’m taking your suite,” Keenan said with a grin. “My room is sooo small, you know?”

  Soren scoffed. There were no small rooms in the mansion. Even the smallest ones like Keenan’s had a sitting area and a private bathroom. “Sure. I understand that you’ll need space when your mate comes back.”

  Keenan’s eyes darkened. “Yeah, well, I’m not holding my breath on that.”

  Soren wanted to insist, but he didn’t know Jonah, so his not coming back was a possibility. It was a pity, because Keenan would make a perfect mate. “You can have my suite anyway, that is if Dominic doesn’t have anything to say about it.”

  They both looked at the lion shifter. “No problems. Now, since you’re moving out, we have to talk a bit about how to organize. Do you still want patrol duty and to help for the labs?”

  “Sure. I’m moving out of the house, not of the pride. I’m still a member and I’m still going to pull my weight. Maybe I can have fewer patrol shifts, but I’m definitely in for the labs. How’s that going, anyway?”

  Keenan and Dominic both looked frustrated. “You wouldn’t believe how stupid some of the Alphas are,” Keenan said, and while Dominic didn’t seem to like the words Keenan used, he didn’t deny them, either. “I mean, one would think that it would be a priority for them to take the company out since it’s a danger for all shifters, but nooo, they’d rather discuss about who should have a council seat, who cannot afford to give money to help build the hospital and whose dick is bigger.”

  “I sure hope they don’t really talk about that last one,” Soren said with a chuckle.

  Keenan waved at him. “Not really, but that’s what it
seems like. Only a handful of Alphas have already agreed to help, and they are all members of the council except for a few.”

  Dominic straightened. “We’re going to have to abandon the idea of raiding all the labs together and probably the one of eliminating Glass. I can’t leave people in those labs until everyone finally decides what they want to do, so we’ll divide the men we have and do what we can.”

  “Well, count me in.”

  “Thank you. I’ll probably call you in a few days if everything goes well. We’re going to take care of the two labs closest to Whitedell, the one in Cody and the one in Craig.”

  “Where are you going to put the survivors?” Because that was what all those people were. They had survived horrors Soren couldn’t even begin to understand, and most of them were coming out of it with their minds intact. That made him wonder about Adan, the bobcat shifter they had rescued from the lab in Fort Collins. Soren had taken the habit of going to sit with him every day. He talked about a lot of things, most of them probably of no interest for Adan, but the man was still catatonic, and Soren felt the need to do at least that. It wasn’t much, but he hoped it would help in the end. Maybe he would go and have a chat with him, since he was already at the mansion.

  “The hospital isn’t finished yet, but we’ve been working on the smaller clinic on the edge of town. It should be enough for the number of people we think are in the labs.”

  Soren left them soon after and headed to the infirmary. Adan was there, sitting in his bed. His gaze was fixed on the window, but Soren wasn’t sure he really saw anything. “Hey, Adan. I’m sorry I haven’t come by the last days, but I had an outside job. I’m playing bodyguard for one of Dominic’s friends, and imagine that, turns out the man is my mate.”

  Soren sat down on the chair next to Adan’s bed and grabbed his hand, squeezing it. “His name is Andrew, and he’s a spitfire. He actually orders me around, or at least he tries to, but you know me. I’m just having fun teasing him.”

  Soren thought he saw Adan’s lips twitch, but it was so fast that he couldn’t be sure. Still, he decided to sit with his friend for a while, talking to him about anything, from Andrew to the weather. Adan didn’t seem to react, but Soren felt that he was doing the right thing anyway. It was the only thing he could do for the man, and he promised Adan he would come back every day once Andrew’s stalker was caught.