by Stormy Glenn
“My own mother didn’t want me. How can I expect you to want me?”
Boone pressed his lips together instead of shouting out his anger. His brothers would laugh themselves silly if they knew just how patient he had learned to be over the last week. His usual practice was simply to bite. He couldn’t do that with his mate. Jackie needed careful handling or he’d freak and run.
“I’m sorry,” Jackie whispered in a little voice. “I didn’t mean to make you mad.”
“I’m not mad at you, Jackie. I’m mad at the circumstances.”
“Since I caused the circumstances, isn’t that pretty much the same thing?”
A small chuckle escaped Boone. Jackie sure was going to make his life interesting. He pulled into the driveway of the pride compound and parked his truck. He could see a small crowd gathering on the porch and knew they were all anxious to meet Jackie.
He just had something to settle with the man before then. He wanted them on the same page before they stepped out of the truck. If they couldn’t settle it, he’d turn the truck around, take Jackie home, and fuck his brains out until they did.
Boone kept a hold of Jackie’s hand as he turned to face the man. He needed that connection to his mate. He felt as if he was walking along the edge of a cliff with Jackie. One false move and he’d fall over that edge.
“I can talk about being mated and what it means until I’m blue in the face,” he said. “I don’t think you will accept it until you’ve fully experienced it. All I ask is that you give us a chance, a real chance. If you have to run because you’re scared, run to me.”
Something glittered in Jackie’s eyes before he leaned in and pressed a kiss against Boone’s lips. “I promise.”
“Thank you, baby.”
Boone couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he hopped out of the truck and went around to the passenger side. It might have seemed odd to open Jackie’s door for him, but the smile that greeted him when he held out his hand to his mate told him he’d made the right choice.
Jackie was every bit a man. The ache still in his ass from the pounding he’d received the night before proved that. But there was a gentler side to him that enjoyed silky underwear and painted nails.
Boone enjoyed it all.
“Ready, mate?” Boone asked as he tucked Jackie’s arm through his. He could feel Jackie shaking as they turned toward the crowd gathered on the porch and started toward them. “They’re all pussycats, baby. Just pussycats.”
His brothers would kill him if they heard that.
They stopped at the bottom of the steps. Boone grinned big as he looked up at his brother and alpha. “Alpha Hugh Marshall, I’d like to formally introduce you to my mate, Jackson James Lee.”
Hugh looked foreboding. He was standing above them on the top step, his muscular arms crossed over his broad chest. Boone didn’t know what kind of game his brother was playing, but he was scaring the hell out of Jackie.
“Hugh.”
“Have you claimed him?”
Boone pulled the edge of his collar to one side to show off the bite mark on his neck. “We’re double claimed.”
Hugh raised an eyebrow even as his gaze went to Jackie. “You claimed each other?”
Jackie swallowed so hard that Boone heard it. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” A smile began to spread across Hugh’s lips. “I highly recommend it.”
“Hugh,” Boone said again.
Hugh rolled his eyes. It looked kind of like when Jackie did it, except Jackie seemed to do it with more flair, and a bit of eye makeup. “Jackie Lee, welcome to the Potter’s Creek Pride.”
About damn time. Boone was ready to strangle his brother. Jackie was nervous enough. He didn’t need Hugh intimidating him and dragging this out on top of everything else.
Boone winced when Kye squealed and rushed down the steps. He felt Jackie press into him. He knew it had to be fear. Kye was a quiet, demure man when they met. Since mating Hugh and Neumus, he’d allowed his inner diva out, and now he was hell on wheels…and eardrums.
“I’m so glad you joined the family,” Kye started. “Now we can do crafts together. Hugh has a shop out back, and oh, I have to show you the sewing room he made me. It has everything. I have so many projects I’m working on, Yuji, too. Kumiko still makes pottery, just not like he used to. He’s too busy being beta of Otto’s pride. You’ll like Kumiko.” Kye frowned as he took a breath. “Well, maybe not. He can be kinda scary. But Trevor, his mate, is nice. Quiet. He won’t go anywhere without Kumiko.”
Boone chuckled when Jackie glanced up at him with a dazed glint in his eyes. “Kye, why don’t we let the others meet Jackie? He can talk crafts later.”
“Oh.” Kye glanced over his shoulder. “I guess you want him to meet your mom and everything.”
“I do.”
“Okay.” Kye smiled widely. “I’ll go check on lunch.”
Jackie waited until Kye bounced up the steps before leaning back to whisper, “Is he always like that?”
“Yes!” came the reply from almost everyone standing on the porch.
“Kye feels safe here,” Hugh explained. “He’s free to be himself.”
Boone knew Hugh was trying to make a point. He wasn’t sure Jackie got it. It had taken Kye a while to open up. Boone suspected the same would be true for Jackie.
“Jackie finally shifted last night.” Boone couldn’t keep his chest from puffing up. “His lion might actually be bigger than Benji’s.”
Hugh lifted his eyebrow again. “You don’t say.”
Boone smiled down at Jackie. “He’s beautiful.”
Hugh chuckled. “I suspect we all think that about our mates. Kye is a Bengal tiger. I don’t think I’ve seen one prettier. And I’m kind of partial to Neumus’s lion.”
“Does that mean I can’t shift if he likes Neumus’s lion better?” Jackie whispered to Boone.
“No, it means Hugh thinks his mate is gorgeous, just like I think you are gorgeous.”
Hugh’s lips twitched at the corners, so Boone knew his brother had heard Jackie’s whisper. It kind of made sense. Shifters had great hearing, and Jackie wasn’t used to that yet.
“You’ll have to come out for one of our sunbathing parties,” Hugh said. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”
“I’m sorry,” Jackie said. “Did you say sunbathing parties?”
“I did,” Hugh affirmed.
“What is that?”
“Cats of any size like the sun. They like to lie around in the sun and sunbathe.” Hugh smirked. “Once a month or so, we have a party where the whole pride comes out and lazes around in the sun. Hence, a sunbathing party.”
“Don’t you worry about people seeing you?”
Hugh shook his head. “We’re far enough back from the road that people don’t see us. We also tend to stick to the back of the house that faces the forest.”
“And you all just shift and bake?”
Boone burst out laughing.
Even Hugh smiled. “It’s good for the pride to bond and for the cubs to experience being in the pride. It creates stronger bonds.”
“Our father never allowed us to spend time with the others in our pride when we were growing up unless punishments were being administered. He felt the ruling family was above mingling with common folk.”
“Well, that’s stupid,” Jackie snapped out. “Even I know a family needs to spend time together in order to stay close.”
Hugh’s smile grew. “Exactly.”
“I’m sorry your father died, but I’m glad I’ll never have to meet him. He sounds like he was not a nice person.”
Just that fast, Boone saw the smile fall from Hugh’s face. “He wasn’t.”
“Come on,” Boone said to change the direction the conversation was headed. “Let’s go inside so I can introduce you to my mother.”
Jackie shuddered. “I think I’d rather meet Neumus’s lion.”
Chapter Eleven
Jackie smiled as Marsha
Granger told yet another story about Boone and his brothers when they were growing up. There were quite a few, and Jackie enjoyed hearing about every one of them. Boone was mortified. Jackie imagined that shoe would be on the other foot once his father arrived.
Watching Boone with his family and pride members was showing Jackie a whole other side of the man, one he hadn’t known existed. He was friendly with everyone and affectionate with his mother and the cubs.
He was a littler sterner with several of the single men who seemed to be hanging around. It took Jackie a while to figure out there was a pecking order, and they were lower on that order than Boone.
Hugh seemed to be at the top, which didn’t surprise Jackie. He had felt the need to bare his throat to the larger man since he walked in. Jackie just couldn’t figure out why he hadn’t felt it before. Hugh had always been intimidating, but Jackie never felt the need to go belly up before.
He felt the same with Boone, except he wasn’t intimidated by Boone. He just wanted to go belly up for the man. It really was quite odd.
Jackie glanced up when he felt a hand on his shoulder. “We should be heading home, baby,” Boone said. “We both have to work tomorrow.”
“Okay.” Jackie smiled as he stood. He glanced toward the end of the dining room table where Hugh sat with his mates. “Thank you for inviting me to visit. It was…interesting.”
Kye wiggled his eyebrows. “We’re fun, aren’t we?”
Jackie chuckled. “You are.”
He’d actually enjoyed himself, and he hadn’t thought he would. He had been positive he would be miserable. Before Boone, he hadn’t wanted anything to do with shifters. He still wasn’t sure he was comfortable being bosom buddies, but he was no longer frightened by the idea of being friends.
“Weather permitting, sunbathing day is next week,” Hugh said. “You’re welcome to join us.”
“Thank you,” Jackie said. “Maybe I will. Boone and I will discuss it.”
He didn’t want to commit if he couldn’t promise he’d be there. He hated it when people broke their promises. “My father is flying in, so I’m not sure if he’ll still be here then or not.”
“I take it he doesn’t know?” Hugh asked.
“No. Until yesterday, I actually hadn’t spoken to him since I was kidnapped.” Jackie shrugged. “I just didn’t know how to tell him.”
“Do you need help?” Hugh asked. “I would be happy to—”
“No, but thank you. I think this is something I have to do.”
Boone grabbed his hand. “We, mate. This is something we have to do.”
“You’re not alone anymore, Jackie,” Hugh added. “You belong to a pride now, and we take care of our own.”
Jackie blinked rapidly when moisture filled his eyes. He had been alone for so very long. Even with Boone in his life, he still felt as though something was missing. Maybe it was being part of a pride with other people who were like him, shifters.
“Thank you.”
Hugh nodded.
Jackie still wasn’t sure what to think of the guy. Did he actually smile?
“I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Boone said. “Jackie and I have a few things to discuss.”
Okay, Hugh did smile, but it was a knowing smile that made Jackie’s cheeks heat up. “We’ll see you tomorrow, brother.”
“What do we have to discuss?” Jackie whispered as they headed for the front door.
“Where we’re going to live, for one.”
Jackie stopped walking and just stared at Boone.
The man chuckled. “You haven’t thought of that yet, have you?”
Jackie shook his head. He really hadn’t.
“Baby,” Boone said as he drew Jackie into his arms, “we’re as good as married, and married couples live together.”
“We’re not married.”
“No, we’re mated, and that’s better.”
Jackie frowned.
“Oh, come on,” Boone said, “you know it is. Mating is for life. Human marriages don’t last that long.”
“A year ago, I was human,” Jackie said as something cold curled up in his gut. “I may be a shifter now because some asshole thought it might be a good idea to play god, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still believe in human practices. We’ll discuss moving in together when there’s a ring on my finger.”
Jackie pulled away from Boone and marched out the front door. He was so angry he could punch something, preferably Boone. He had been dreaming about walking down the aisle with the man he fell in love with since he was a kid. Just because he was a shifter didn’t mean he didn’t still want that dream.
“Jackie.”
Jackie ignored Boone and kept walking. It would keep him from following up with the thought raging through him and punching Boone square in the jaw.
“Oh, come on, Jackie. I didn’t mean it like that.”
Jackie climbed into the truck and slammed the door closed before Boone could reach it. He’d walk if he had to. He refused to discuss moving in together until Boone understood he was just as human as he was shifter.
Boone climbed into the driver’s side and started the truck. He didn’t start driving. He just crossed his hands over the top of the steering wheel and stared out the front window. After a moment, the silence became uncomfortable.
Jackie started to wonder if he should have kept his mouth closed. He was putting Boone in the same position he was arguing against. He was sure Boone’s traditions were as important as his own. He didn’t have a right to disparage them.
“What’s your ring size?”
Jackie’s jaw dropped as he turned to look at Boone. “What?”
“I need to know your ring size. If I’m going to propose, I have to have a ring, don’t I?”
Jackie nodded absently. “Seven.”
He was going to propose?
“Gold gold or white gold?” Boone asked as he put the truck in drive and started down the driveway.
“Either?”
“Gem?”
“Depends on the setting.”
Boone chuckled. “No, I mean what kind of gem?”
“Oh.” This was a very weird conversation. “I don’t have a preference.”
Boone glanced at him. “I wonder if they make a gem the same color as your eyes.”
“There’s a tiger’s eye.”
“Be better if it was a lion’s eye.”
Jackie laughed, the heavy feeling that had been pressing him down fading away. “I don’t think they make lion’s eye gems.”
“They should,” Boone insisted.
“Will you wear a ring?”
“I can’t.”
“Oh.” Jackie dropped his gaze to his fingers.
“I could cut off a finger if I shift—shit! You could, too.”
Jackie hadn’t thought of that. “What about a ring on a necklace?”
“That might work if I can figure out how to rig it so it expands when we shift.”
“Tattoo?”
Boone glanced at him. “On our ring fingers?”
Jackie nodded.
“That might actually work.”
Jackie grinned.
He screamed a moment later when the back window shattered.
“Get down!” Boone shouted as the truck swerved.
Jackie dropped to the floorboards, pulling his knees up to his chest. He tried to stay quiet so Boone could concentrate, but when the truck swerved again and Boone started swearing, Jackie couldn’t hold his fear in anymore.
His scream of terror was cut off by an impact that shattered the windows and brought the truck to a sudden stop with a loud crunch. He cried out when his head slammed into the glove box. Pain stole his vision for a moment.
When everything came into focus, Jackie noticed the quiet first. He could hear steam hissing from the engine and some sort of ticking noise, but that was it.
“Boone?” Jackie tried to look up to see his mate, but the dashboard had been crushed in and he was
pinned under it. He pushed at the dashboard, trying to get free. “Boone, I’m stuck. Boone?”
Jackie started to panic when Boone didn’t reply. Fear had a hold of him, stealing the air in his lungs and the wetness in his throat. “Boone! Answer me, damn it.”
“Stop yelling, baby. You’re making my head hurt.”
“Boone?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m stuck.”
Jackie’s heart jumped when he heard a metallic wrenching noise, and then suddenly he was free. His eyes rounded when he turned and found the seat ripped up.
Damn, his man was strong.
It took a little bit of maneuvering to squeeze out through the opening Boone had created. He couldn’t exactly sit on the seat because Boone had ripped it up, but he could sit on the center console.
Jackie sucked in a breath when he saw Boone. The man was pinned to his seat by a piece of metal sticking out through his shoulder. Well, that explained why he only pulled the seat up instead of ripping it away.
“Oh, Boone.”
Boone sent him a weak smile. “Hey, baby.”
“You’re hurt.”
Boone glanced down at the metal sticking out of his chest. “Yeah. I think it’s part of the doorframe.”
Jackie winced when he looked at the doorframe. Boone was probably right. The damn thing was torn to shreds. The glass was gone, and the window frame looked as if it had been through a meat grinder.
“Can you call Hugh?”
Jackie winced. “I left my cell phone charging on the counter at home. Since you were with me, I didn’t think I’d need it.”
He’d never make that mistake again.
Boone’s painful chuckle made Jackie’s gut clench. “You’re gonna have to go for help, baby.”
“No, I can’t leave you.”
“You have to, Jackie. I don’t have the strength to pull this thing out.”
Jackie started to reach for it. “I can—”
“No!” Boone grabbed his wrist before he could reach it. “It’s embedded in the back of the cab, Jackie. It’s going to take more than one person to pull it out. I’m going to need you to go get Hugh and Neumus.”
“I can’t leave you here,” Jackie cried out.
“Jackie, you have to go.”
Tears flooded Jackie’s eyes. “But—”
