Hooper’s eyes narrowed on her. “Game playing Tay, that is so beneath you.” Hooper half smiled at her.
“I just want to hear you say it.” She replied blowing across her own mug of steaming hot liquid.
“I don’t know that I can. Book’s probably right you know. Just lunar week lust and all that shit, animal shit happening that we don’t grasp, can’t get a hold of. So we roll with it, and get swept up, driven along by the sex.”
Tatum’s eyes widened at his words. “Wow, you really went all in with this guy, huh?”
“Not exactly I mean it’s not like either of us said you know, the words or anything.” Hooper glanced over her. “Do not say, what words.”
Tatum smiled back at him.
“Pregnancy has made you the devil, you know that?”
Tatum patted her bump. “I bet you say that to all the unwed lycan females carrying another wolf’s pup.”
Hooper tilted his head to the side. “You win.”
“Haven’t won yet, you haven’t said the words.” Tatum smirked sipping her tea.
“And I’m not going to.” Hooper replied with a smile that was as sweet as candy. Tatum put her tea down on the desk before her.
“It’s not me you have to say them to Hooper.” He stilled and put the coffee down on the desk abandoning it completely. “How’s he supposed to know? By guessing? Presuming? He’s not psychic right?”
“Uh no, but he is telepathic, runs in his pack’s blood line or something.”
It was Tatum’s turn to look surprised. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“A telepathic werewolf. That’s pretty damn amazing.”
“Yeah he is.” Hooper sighed resting back against the chair. “And I fell for him.” Hooper sighed again and put his hands behind his head as he began to drift in silent thought.
“You know what we do when we fall Hooper?” Tatum asked snapping him out of his haze. He looked back at her, expectantly. But Tatum remained silent, holding his gaze.
“Do not Batman me, you wicked wolf.” Hooper half smiled back her. “I get it.”
“So go get him.” Tatum fired back at him. Hooper pushed his chair out and leaned across the desk at Tatum and kissed her cheek. “Does Wiatt know how bossy you really are?”
Tatum laughed back at him. “Shh, don’t tell him.” Hooper shook his head and waved goodbye as he walked out of her office.
36
He had expected to leave Haven and head back to his apartment, but the reminder that Thane was just a few feet across the hall from him was still to hard to bare. Especially since there were walls and doors between them. He found himself angry with Thane and angry at himself for not being able to move past it. When all Hooper wanted to do was run his hands over Thane’s naked chest, nuzzle his neck, feel the older male’s hands cup his ass, his lips kiss his face.
Instead he’d hoped a train out and just gone with it and kept moving and walking and thinking and getting further and further away from The Bronx. From his brother, from the werewolf who’d held his heart for a week, and made him forget about his anger, the world and everything else in it.
So it was somewhat of surprise to find himself standing out the front of a familiar, but old, starting to look a little run down, house in Philadelphia. He hadn’t seen the old family home in years. Not since the werewolf attack that had changed him into a lycan.
Hooper stood out the front, his hand on the small catch gate at the end of a walkway and neatly kept, small front garden. Unhooking the gate, Hooper lifted it up slightly and walked into the small front yard, as the gate slipped back into place. Walking up the path and up the steps, to the red house.
He loved the look of the old place. It looked quaint and welcoming and familiar. Hooper immediately felt regret wash over himself. He’d done this, walked away from his family, his mother, because he had too much pride to face her as a monster, rather than her son.
Slowly his feet moved forward. Now Hooper was just left being an angry lycan again. The very thing he’d fought being and coming to terms with for so damn long. And he was bringing that wolf, that being home. Because like it or not, it was who he was now. The week with Thane had taught him to accept that not so small fact. The week with Thane had also made him think about life, the good stuff.
Hooper sighed heavily walking up the steps to the front stoop. He’d relayed on Booker for so long after the attack. Booker had always been there to help him out, he’d never left his side. They’d ended up living in New York, different boroughs, but not so far from each other all the same. Booker always made sure he had food, a place to stay, was looked after during lunar weeks.
Hooper looked around either side of him on the front stoop. The rocking chair had been removed, there used to be one, that made sitting amongst the small miniature potted plant garden on the stoop, nice. It was a good spot to sit and watch the world go by.
Relaying on Booker had become an expected behaviour of Hooper’s. He recognized that now, after the week he’d had. He needed to get up on his feet and stand for himself. Dealing with his brother and his deception, was part of that. Sorting out his feelings for Thane was another. Maybe he was just too wrapped up in the thought of having someone. He’d gotten presumptions where he had no right to be.
Thane had never promised him a damn rose garden or a wedding ring. Hooper shook his head. But Thane had said he wanted to collar him and every time he thought of that, a small crossed Hooper’s face. Maybe it was just fanciful talk, nonsense. In the heat of the moment.
Hooper looked at the screen door and the white peeling paint. Returning home, was the start of the healing process though. Where he got to reset everything and be himself, again, whatever that might mean.
Raising his hand, he knocked on the wooden frame loudly and waited. Waited with baited breath for his chance to start again. The faint sound of footsteps could be heard, and Hooper waited for them to get louder as they came to the front of the house. But they were soft, like the woman who lived there. That was what he remembered most about her, her softness, her femininity that was so comforting to be around.
The sound of latches on the back of the door slid back and he watched as if in slow motion therefore greater detail, as the door handle turned and the door pulled back, into the cool dark interior of the home he’d once grown up in and known so well.
He heard her startled gasp of surprise before her face came into view, from behind the mesh screening door.
The screen door pushed out and Hooper took a step back so it could be opened fully so both visitor and host could see each other fully. She was still a beautiful woman. Black hair with some grey at the temples, pulled back into a pony tail. Her face was older than he remembered, but still she looked younger than her age would let anyone know. Hazel eyes with a few weathered lines around them, and long brown lashes, looked back at him in amazement, like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.
“Elisandro?” Mia Parish asked as tears filled in her eyes and she moved, slowly towards the tall male before her.
“Hola Momma.” Hooper replied stepping into her open embrace and resting his head on her shoulder, as arms wrapped around him tightly.
37
Walking down the hallway, made Hooper Parish feel even more nervous than he thought possible. More nervous than he had been when he’d returned home to see his mother for the first time in seventeen years. Home, there was nothing quite like it. And his mother, she knew he was hurting, before he’d even started talking to her. She’d always been able to tell when he was upset without him explaining.
After staying the night at his mother’s house, Hooper promised to keep in contact with her, and gave her all his contact details. Despite her pleas for him to stay longer, she understood he had to resolve his conflict with Thane and Booker.
Stopping outside his apartment door, he looked at it. It was fixed, once again sitting properly in frame and closed. Hooper looked back at the apartment door opposit
e his. The sound of raised voices made him pause. He couldn’t make out what they were saying exactly, but it sounded like Phelan and Thane were arguing, loudly.
“Brothers.” He muttered to himself. “Can’t live with ‘em.” He stepped towards the apartment door with a hand outstretched. But it was the sound of a struggle, as something crashed, that made him throw politeness out of the way, turning the door handle, which was unlocked as he walked into the Cavello apartment.
Hooper frowned, watching as Phelan and Thane grappled with each other pushing and shoving, Phelan clocking Thane’s chin with a tight right fist.
“Oh for fuck sakes.” Hooper muttered storming over to the two fighting males who were growling at one another. “Fucking grow up!” Hooper yelled at them both as he approached and briefly contemplated how to break them up. Deciding there was no good option, he grabbed at Thane who was closest to him, grabbing him around the waist and dragging him backwards towards the front of the room.
Thane threw him off with one violent shake out of his hold, storming back towards Phelan who was panting and licking a split lip. “Stop it!” Hooper yelled at them both, as Phelan raised his fists readying for another fight. “You’re brothers! The same blood!” Hooper yelled racing to intercept Thane, getting himself between Phelan and Thane.
Thane stopped immediately as his eyes landed on Hooper’s face. His shoulders relaxing as he dropped his hands. “Elie?”
“Yeah, the one and only. Now what the hell is going on here? What could you possibly be fighting over that is so bad, that two brothers who love each other, have to lay into each other over? Let me guess, one of you killed a bunch of werewolves who turned someone into a lycan? Hmm? No? Well then what the hell is going on?” Hooper turned side on and looked from Thane to Phelan.
Phelan was panting heavily and putting his hands on his hips, his head down low, eyes looking back up at Hooper. “You, actually.” Phelan panted turning around and walking into the kitchen.
“Me?” Hooper asked perplexed and looked back at Thane.
“Beer, Hooper?” Phelan asked opening the fridge door.
“I think we could all use one by the look of things.” Hooper replied as Phelan pulled out three bottled beers and uncapped them quickly. Thane stood opposite Hooper, looking away from him as Phelan walked back over and handed him two beers.
“You’re going to have to come to the party if you want the beer.” Hooper directed at Thane, who lifted his head and looked back over at Hooper. Holding at his hand, he accepted the beer silently and downed a fast mouthful.
“Now, one of you tell me what the hell is going on here.” Hooper demanded before taking a mouthful of beer.
“Thane’s not so good with his feelings when he really likes someone. I was helping him, express them.” Phelan smirked looking back at his brother.
Hooper looked back at Thane and tried to quell the small feeling of hope that was flittering around in his chest.
“Thane? Do you have something to say about that” Hooper asked feeling like the person with the most sense in the room as he played intermediary.
“What, no baby nicknames?” Thane tried with false bravado that fell flat amongst them. “I’m sorry I lead you on Elie.” Thane blurted out in earnestness and Hooper tried to not let the little hope he had, get crushed under a new weight of emotion at hearing Thane’s words. “I never meant to be dishonest with you.”
“But you weren’t.” Hooper said turning to face Thane completely. “It might have been unclear and miscommunicated a bit. But you never lied to me, right?”
Thane sighed and bent down, putting the beer down on the ground beside him. “I messed it up between us and I didn’t want to. Don’t want to.”
Hooper let out a little gasp of surprise. “What do you want baby?” Hooper saw the light come back into Thane’s eyes as they locked their gaze onto one another so solely it was like the world outside of their personal space ceased to exist.
“I want you. You and me.” Thane said without hesitation as he walked up to Hooper. “I’m not good at relationship stuff. I’ve only ever had one relationship before and that one kind of uh, crash and burned.” Thane said reaching out to Hooper, his hands resting on the other males hips as he spoke.
Hooper nodded his head slowly. “That uh, that sounds nice.” He said licking his lips quickly. “But how is this going to work? You live in Canada I live in New York, if you expect me to just be available every few months when you come down to check on your brother, that isn’t going to work for me.” Hooper replied softly. “The last twenty four hours have been very enlightening for me. and I know what I want now, out of this life.”
“What’s that?” Thane husked up at him, running his hands up Hooper’s arms softly.
“I want what I just had all week with you. I want a mate, a relationship, something that makes sense to me in this lycan lifestyle.” Hopper smiled back at him.
“So, help me out here, just so we’re both on the same page.” Thane said awkwardly. “You’re saying you want me, right?”
Hopper laughed at him. “Yeah, you lug, I want you! I want you to tell me I’m yours, like you did last night” Thane dove at his mouth quickly. His tongue diving and stroking its way inside Hooper’s mouth as he pulled him in close to his body, hands slipping to the backside of his jeans and cupping Hooper’s ass in his hands.
“The pack situation in Canada,” Thane sighed heavily. “I earned pack leader status, but honestly, I don’t want to be a pack leader, I’m not looking to join a pack again. Especially that one. They might have been my pack once before, our pack.” Thane said nodding his head in Phelan’s direction. “But they’re not the pack we remember growing up with. But I do have some responsibilities to them. In taking over the leadership role, I made a commitment to sort the pack out. My strategy was always to spend time helping the North West pack become self governing. I never saw myself being their leader permanently.”
“So what does that mean for us?” Hopper asked softly placing a hand on Thane’s chest.
“Well, for now, I have to return to Canada to the pack. But you could come up with me. I’m not saying abandon everyone and everything you know down here in New York.”
“Wouldn’t be that hard if I had to.” Hooper muttered. “I’m a mechanic, it’s not like I can’t do that shit anywhere for work. Booker’s got his own life happening in Brooklyn. But my mum, that would be,”
“I’d never ask you to abandon you’re mother, even if you’re not talking to her. I get that.” Thane replied kissing him again.
“Actually, I uh, went and saw her, yesterday.” Thane’s eyes widened in surprise. “Seemed like the time, with everything going on in my head at the moment. I just uh, needed my mom.”
“Oh Ellie, that’s huge. How’d it go?”
“She cried. Said they were happy tears. Hugged me, told me she loved me. Made me feel like a complete heal for staying away for so damn long.”
“I’m so happy for you.” Thane smiled at him.
“So, enough about me, continue with the plan about us.” Hooper said snaking his arms around Thane’s waist.
“Uh the plan, right. The plan,”
“You could follow Thane up to Canada, treat it like a holiday, spend some time with him, if you didn’t like it, you just come back here.” Phelan interjected quickly, seeing his brother was fast loosing his focus as he enjoyed having his lover back in his arms again and talking to him again.
Hooper looked over at Phelan and back at his brother. “Thane’s due to come back in about two weeks anyway, to check up on me.” Phelan went on.
Thane looked at Hooper. “What do you say, wanna give us a go?”
“How long have I got to pack my bags before our flight leaves?” Hooper grinned at him. “Time enough for a quickie? I hear make-up sex is the best after all.” Thane groaned deep in his throat as Hooper pressed his jean covered crotch harder into him and moved rubbing himself against Thane’s hardening erectio
n.
“You’re a bad, bad wolf.” Thane uttered heatedly.
“All the better to blow you with.” Hooper grinned, as his fingers danced along the waist of Thane’s jeans. Phelan rolled his eyes and sculled the rest of his beer, slamming it down on the kitchen counter. Hooper jumped and glanced over at Phelan.
“We’re gonna have to talk.” Phelan muttered at him with a wry grin. “About the whole, no sex in front of the baby brother, kind of thing.”
“Phelan!”
Hooper blushed and stepped further back from Thane. “Welcome to our little wolf pack.” Thane said picking up his beer and chinking the bottle with Hooper’s.
“Hope you know what you’re in for.” Phelan said with a chuckle at Hooper. Hazel eyes stared into brown eyes and Hooper opened his mouth to speak.
“All you really need to know,” Thane replied cupping his face “Is you are mine.”
The Novels:
Wolves Love
Wolves
Red White and Werewolf
Werewolf Storm
Wild Life
Lunar Night Stand
The Pack
Revenge
Reasons
Of Wolf and Male
Beasts of Burden
Nature of the Beast
Alpha
Lycan La Vida Loca
Perception
Growing up Werewolf
Other Breukelen girl (werewolf) novels
Lunar Nights
Bleeding Hearts
The Shadow trilogy:
Shadow Aspect – Book 1
Shadow Games – Book 2
Shadow Boxing – Book 3
Red White and Werewolf
A podcast series and novel
The free prequel podcast can be found on www.itunes.com and www.sticherradio.com and www.talkshoe.com
The day before her twenty ninth birthday Bg Sommers is kidnapped before the eyes of her pack mate lover Paris D’arenberg.
Wolves At The Door Page 15
