by Sean Michael
Pack and Mate
Sean Michael
Book 2 in the Kennel Klub series.
Finn never dreamed he’d have a mate of his own, especially not one found at the Kennel Klub, where spankings are optional and encouraged. This young werewolf is a fish out of water suddenly thrown in the deep end.
Cort is immediately drawn to Finn but it is clear they’re very different men. A chance meeting leads to a lust they can’t ignore but soon Finn leaves with his packmates.
Cort is ready to do whatever it takes to find Finn again. Once he does he’ll have to work hard to convince Finn that they belong together.
Inside Scoop: Innocent werewolf meets commanding alpha in this male/male tale.
A Romantica® male/male erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
Pack and Mate
Sean Michael
Prologue
Finn got off the bus with his packmates Nathan, Louis, Little Red and Cillian, eyes searching for his twin as he herded everyone into a group. Pat had gone ahead of them, leaving their heavily forested home to find a job and a place to live then had sent word that it was safe for the rest of them to come to the city.
Thank God, because Dorian, their Alpha, was making it more and more clear every day that they weren’t welcome in the pack any longer. Too many bachelor males were a threat to pack stability, especially Pat who wasn’t a beta wolf like he and his pack brothers. Hell, Little Red and Cillian were omega wolves and therefore just extra mouths to feed. According to Dorian they had nothing to contribute at all. Scary as leaving home seemed, Finn was more concerned about Dorian and the worsening circumstances at home. Well, at what used to be their home.
So here they were, in the city. The big city. They’d chosen this one because they had a cousin here. Jim had said there were places that were good, safe. That they would find a home here. Still, it was nothing like the forests where they’d run together, them and the other pups living and playing together. It felt as though they hadn’t had a care in the world, and now they were on their own in this strange place. It made him feel very little and insignificant.
The others pressed close to him and Finn supressed his shiver. He needed Pat, they all did. His twin would be the Alpha of their new little city pack. Everything here was so close, buildings on top of buildings, the high rises making the sky seem so far way, and there were so many people. He’d seen the buildings as they’d come into the city, his eyes as big as Little Red’s as they went by things they’d only ever just heard of—high rises and houses placed one right next to the other. Grass inside gates and tiny beds of flowers. So few trees—and their numbers had dwindled the farther into the city they got.
For one sheer panic-inducing moment he was sure he couldn’t do this. He couldn’t live here, he couldn’t be Pat’s second-in-command. It was too much for a young beta wolf and he was totally unprepared for it.
Then he heard his name and there was Pat, rushing over to greet them with hugs and smiles and oh thank God. It was going to be all right. Finn got his hug last, his arms wrapping tightly around Pat, his twin holding on just as hard.
They’d made it through the worst part—leaving the pack and coming to the city. Now all Finn and the others had to do was survive it.
Chapter One
“For he’s a jolly good fellow! For he’s a jolly good fellow that nobody can deny!”
The singing was so loud that the walls of the big room vibrated. The scents of liquor and sex hung on the air, and the hint of incense made smoke that shimmered. It was raucous, overwhelming and Finn found himself huddling in the far corner, his hands clenched into fists, noise and pheromones and body heat creating fear inside his head.
He shouldn’t have come. He should have told his cousin Jim no. No celebrations. No groups. Just no. Living in the city was hard enough—several weeks was not long enough for him to be used to this strange place yet.
Jim had been so excited, though, about his mating—his collaring, he’d called it, which Finn found unsettling honestly—about his new man Tip that Finn couldn’t refuse.
“Loud, isn’t it?” The voice was growly, pitched low, and it cut across everything. That voice made Finn want to roll onto his back and expose his belly, his throat.
Finn nodded then looked up with wide eyes. “It is.”
And he wanted to go home but he was here with some of Jim’s friends and his packmates and he didn’t know how to get back to the apartment from here. “Is this your table? I can move.” He didn’t want any trouble and this one seemed like an Alpha.
“Not my table, the quietest corner of the room, though. You look how I feel. We should go.”
“Go?” He nodded, stood. “Yes. I’m new. Where can we go?” His brain was pounding in time with the moving bodies. So many males, so many smells. It would have been overwhelming under the most ideal situations and in a strange place in this big city was not that.
“I have a quiet room.” The big guy wrapped a hand around Finn’s wrist and pulled him toward the door.
Finn followed, ducking flailing arms and writhing bodies. Out. Out. Out. The single thought filled him. Out.
As soon as they exited the room and shut the door behind them, everything—the scents, the sounds, the damn pheromones—eased.
The guy with him took a deep breath and leaned against the wall. “Oh, thank God.”
Finn nodded, sinking to the floor, eyes closing as he just stayed quiet and alone inside his mind for a moment. Oh, so much better. He could breathe. He could hear himself think. He still felt small and insignificant but at least it was quiet here.
Two servers went by on their way to the party with trays of food, the boys giving them looks.
Go away, he thought. Shoo. He didn’t want to have to deal with even more strangers. He was all strangered out.
The servers didn’t say anything and disappeared through the door, the music flaring loudly before it was once again shut.
That big hand wrapped around his wrist again. “Come on.”
Finn stood, his knees trembling underneath him, stumbling along as he followed in the wake of the big male. They went through the halls, his companion stopping now and then to sniff the air.
“Where are we going?” And how did he get out? And why did the scent of sex seem stronger now than back at the party?
“My room. It’s quiet. Safe.”
Quiet. Finn latched on to the word, the promise of it.
They seemed to be wandering but suddenly they turned to a door and the guy opened it, tugging him in and closing it behind him. The quiet was deeper here than it had been in the hall.
Finn stood perfectly still, not even really breathing. Quiet. Quiet. He knew leaving the party with someone he didn’t know wasn’t the brightest idea for a young wolf like himself but he had a feeling he would be okay. He hadn’t had to use it much back in the forest but he trusted his gut.
A low, satisfied growl sounded then the quiet took over again. Finn leaned against the door and focused on breathing, in and out, in and out. His heartbeat calmed, the quiet soothing his nerves.
“So, I’m Cort.” Cort was tall with lots of muscles, light-brown hair and the most lovely light-gray eyes. And he made Finn want to lie down and submit. Finn had never felt this way before.
“Finn. Sorry. I-I’m sorry.”
Cort tilted his head. “For what? Running away with me?”
“Panicking.” He didn’t mind running off from the party. He was pretty sure Jim wouldn’t notice he was gone.
“It was pretty intense. I’m used to open spaces. Less input.”
Yes. Yes, exactly. Finn had only been in the city for a few weeks and he was still learning all the ins and outs.
“Well, come in properly. We c
ould have food. Are you hungry?”
He was, but this wasn’t like being with the pack in the forest. There were different rules, money, complications and he knew he hadn’t learned how it all worked yet. “Please. I can pay you for food. I have dollars.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’m happy to share.”
Finn bowed his head deeply, trilling a soft thank-you. Cort vocalized in reply, the sound deep, sliding along Finn’s spine as if it was a touch. The urge to show his belly grew stronger but he fought it. Still, he made another sound, this one giving Cort his due.
Cort replied again then came to him, arm sliding over his shoulders. “Come sit. Eat.”
He was led to a table in a little kitchenette off the main room and Cort picked up the house phone.
Finn looked around, curious as a cat. They hadn’t gone outside the club Jim had invited them to, how could they be in an apartment?
Cort hung up the phone and gave him a toothy grin. “Food’s coming. Steak.”
“Coming from where?” Finn didn’t understand this place. Of course, lots of things about this city were still very strange to him.
“The kitchens. The club is very well-stocked and serviced.”
“Oh.” So this wasn’t an apartment. It was a…hotel room. Odd.
Cort tilted his head. “You sound disappointed.
“No. No, con—curious. I’m curious. We were in a club and then I thought an apartment like the one I share, but it’s a hotel room?”
“It’s an apartment inside the club. You’re not familiar with the club, are you?” Cort asked.
“No. No, I’m a guest. Jim is my cousin.”
An apartment, inside a club. How interesting. Finn had never heard of such a thing.
“Jim was the one getting collared, right?” Cort shrugged. “I’m new here myself—just arrived a couple of weeks ago. I was invited on the spur of the moment when I ran into Tip—Jim’s man.”
“I’m new too. I mean, here, all around. I came from the Eastland Pack up in the mountains.”
“I’m from up north. I don’t have a pack.”
“I don’t either, now. Too many bachelor males. Six of us were sent out.” All six of them lived in a little apartment and four of them had jobs already. Finn was painting houses and his twin Patrick was working at a diner along with Nathan and Louis. Little Red and Cillian, they were shy. It took them longer. Finn was shy too but he knew Pat couldn’t do it all himself, so he was being very brave.
Cort nodded. “I was too strong and my Alpha sent me away.” Cort touched his hand. “I know how you feel.”
The touch sent a rush of warmth up Finn’s arm, the connection odd and electric. New. His fingers curled and goose bumps sprung up.
Cort growled softly. “Oh.”
“Sorry.” Except he wasn’t really. He was curious. And excited by that sensation.
“Don’t be sorry. You feel good.”
“It’s better now. So much quieter and the smell…” It smelled right in here, rich, spicy with something new.
“It smells like me.” Cort’s gaze was intent.
“It smells like pack.”
“A pack of two, maybe.” Cort grinned.
“Oh, I wasn’t trying to be forward. There were so many smells in the big room, so many people, so many men.”
“You weren’t being forward, little one, you were being honest. And yes, that party was too much for loner wolves like you and I.”
Yes. Yes. It felt so good, to be heard, understood. To be in the center of peace.
Cort reached out and touched his cheek. “You could be mine.”
“Your what?” That little buzz, the hum… It was— His phone rang, startling him badly, and he jerked back.
Cort sat back, eyes on his pocket. “Do you need to get that?”
“Probably.” He didn’t, though. He let it ring. He never just let it ring.
Cort smiled and reached for him again.
“I don’t…” The caress eased him, made his eyes cross.
“Don’t what?” The soft touches continued.
He wasn’t sure. He wasn’t sure of anything except being touched.
Cort explored his face, fingers lingering on his brow, his nose and then his lips. All the while the pale-gray eyes stared. He vocalized softly, eyelids heavy, drooping. This felt right, so good.
“You’re not mated, right?” It almost wasn’t a question.
“No. No, I’m a bachelor male.” He’d said that, hadn’t he? Maybe not. He didn’t know. It didn’t matter. Well, it mattered that he was a bachelor but not whether or not he’d told Cort before now.
“I wanted to be sure.” Cort leaned across the table, eyes on his lips.
“Sure of what?” Finn was so confused and almost fuzzy—Cort called so strongly to his wolf.
“That there wouldn’t be an angry wolf coming when I did this.” Cort’s lips pressed against his, the touch starting gently.
Oh. Oh. Oh. His eyes flew open and he stared. He’d never been kissed by someone from another pack. Who was he kidding—he’d never been kissed before period. Not like this, anyway.
Soft as the kiss was, he swore he could feel a tingling from it all the way to his toes. When Cort slid his tongue along Finn’s lips, the sensation increased.
Oh, he shouldn’t be doing this, not with another pack, another male. A stranger. His lips parted though, and Cort’s tongue slipped right into his mouth. He inhaled, his eyes rolling as his lungs filled with new air. Cort deepened the kiss.
A knock came to the door and his phone rang again—the timing so close he thought they happened together. He pulled back, surprised, shocked.
“Damn. This is probably the first and only time I’ll be annoyed streak has arrived.”
“I—Yes.” He stood, grabbed his phone, his twin’s face on the screen. He answered it. “Pat.”
“Where are you? You were here and now you’re gone.” No hello, just “Where are you?”—that was so much like his twin that it made Finn smile.
“It was loud. I came to rest with a friend.”
Pat gave an annoyed-sounding growl. “You don’t have any friends except us and we’re all about to head home.”
“Now?” Already?
“Well, yeah, that’s what I said. Where are you?”
The smell of steak filled the air as Cort wheeled in a table with two plates on it. Finn’s stomach growled.
“I’m having a snack. Can’t you wait for an hour? Please?”
“An hour? Finn, we need to go.”
“Oh.” His shoulders slumped and he sighed. “Okay, give me a couple of minutes.” He slid his phone back into his pocket.
“Finn.” Cort put a hand on his arm. “You can stay.”
“I want to. I want to stay and…” And what? Smell? Touch? Eat? Do more? This wasn’t his home, his pack, his life. “I have to go. My twin needs me, so do the others.”
He pushed close, kissed the corner of Cort’s lips hard. “Thank you for saving me. It was magic.”
Then he went, running hard, knowing if he stopped, even for a second, he’d be lost, and happily so, and he couldn’t do that.
Chapter Two
Cort paced, waiting for someone from the club to arrive. Instead of calling as soon as Finn left he’d waited until morning, being hugely patient, only then calling the office and demanding someone come help him. He was all worked up over that sweet pup he’d met last night and needed to find Finn as soon as possible, if not sooner. He’d never felt the pull of another wolf before and while it was a new experience, it was intense.
A soft knock came to his door. “Cort? Cort, it’s Kyle. I understand there’s a problem?”
Finally. Which wasn’t fair, he hadn’t been waiting long, really. At least not since he’d called. It wasn’t Kyle’s fault he’d been waiting all night. Or that he was impatient by nature.
He opened the door and indicated Kyle should come in, the kitty slinky and fine. “Thank you for
coming.”
“Anytime. What seems to be the problem?”
“I met a pup last night and I need to find him.” Needed to do so quite desperately.
“Is he a member?” Kyle asked.
“No, but he was at that party last night. He was related to the boy getting collared.”
“O-kay.” Kyle pursed his lips, and then his face settled back into the calm expression he usually wore. “Do you have a name? A phone number? Anything? Jim and his Master are on their honeymoon.”
“His name is Finn and he has a twin. Lives in an apartment, I think with a half-dozen pups.” And the boy had smelled like his. Had felt like his. Cort had to find him but he didn’t have the foggiest idea how to start. Which was why he was enlisting Kyle’s help. It was frustrating though, not to be able to take charge, to just go out and find the pup and drag him back to his den, which was what his instincts were telling him to do.
“Finn. A twin. He’s a wolf I’m guessing?” Kyle typed on his phone. “Anything else you can tell me?”
“He’s lovely. A ginger—I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ginger wolf.”
“Finn and Patrick McGee.” Kyle’s eyes lit up. “Oh, excellent—they’re on the guest list from last night. At least I have names to start with.”
Finn McGee. Now Cort had a full name too. “Can you find him?”
When he’d first come, Kyle had said they’d find his sub, his mate here at the club. And it had been true. At least it would be if Kyle could help him locate Finn.
“It may take a few days but we’ll find him.” Kyle’s lips pursed, the expression the picture of frustration. “Jim brought the twins to his bachelor party. Lovely lads—totally fresh out of the woods and very worried about the rules of the city. I believe he’s found work as a painter.” Was it any wonder Kyle was in charge of the club? He was the man with the information.
“Yes, he said something about a job.” Honestly, Cort had been caught in those eyes, in the scent of the pup and he wasn’t entirely sure what all had been said. “I appreciate your help. I tried going out and following his scent but…” He’d lost it outside the club, the city so full of scents and noises and it had been impossible.
