by DJ Bryce
Knowing it would probably be in my best interested to avoid Tash and Mateo, the two people who knew me best and would be most likely to see into my soul and discover my secret, I came up with a plan of avoidance.
“Hey, ah, Maximus stopped by last night,” I began, hoping my tone hadn’t wavered at the utterance of his name. “And, uh, Mateo wants us to round up some welcome dishes for the new pack down the way… Threehorn, I think. So, I, ah, figured I’d get a jump on that this morning. Can you handle things around here for a while?”
Natasha turned her head from side to side, taking in the empty room, before looking at me blankly.
“I think I can handle it.”
I knew she could, since we didn’t open until lunch, but that didn’t make me feel any less guilty for wanting to get the hell out of there.
“Okay, thanks, I’ll be back before we open.”
Natasha’s attention was already back on her coffee mug, but she lifted a hand and waved me away in response.
Before there was a chance she would come out of her fog and fully wake, I scooted out of there as fast as I could, practically running around to the bag of the building, where my trusty little Honda CRV waited.
I drove into town, trying to ignore the pain in my chest and the panicked thoughts fleeting through my brain.
Everything is going to be fine, I assured myself. Mateo never needs to know, and Max and I will go back to being his best friends and nothing more.
I chanted this to myself on repeat, knowing that it was the best course of action, but I couldn’t help but wonder, if that was true, why did I feel like crying again?
When I pulled up to the small, tidy ranch home and parked, I took a deep breath before exiting the car and going up to knock on the door. Within seconds, the door swung open to reveal the already perfectly coifed and made-up owner.
“Gilly, what brings you by so early in the morning?” Heidi, one of my oldest friends, and most anally organized people I’d ever met, asked.
“Hey, Heidi, sorry to bother you, but I’m here on Pack business,” I replied, knowing that would get her attention right away.
Heidi was a human, but still very loyal to the pack. Her goal in life had always been to marry someone on the pack council and be an important member of the pack. That’s why she was always the first to volunteer for everything, was a fixture at every pack event, and not only looked flawless at all times, but kept an impeccable home.
She wanted the wolves in our pack to know she was terrific wife, and mate, material. Sadly, no one had taken the bait… yet. That didn’t stop Heidi from trying.
I’d tried to talk to Mateo about having the guys give her a chance, even if it was just for one date, but he refused to butt into the personal lives of his pack, which I guess I understood, even if I didn’t agree.
As I suspected, Heidi immediately opened the door and ushered me inside.
“What do you need me to do?” she asked hopefully, and my heart ached at her eagerness.
Chapter 7
Maximus
Fuck.
I was sitting in my truck in the parking lot of our office building downtown, knowing I needed to go inside, but still needing a few moments to lick my wounds.
I’d never had a problem being the Bravo to Mateo’s Alpha, it’s just the way things were. The way they’d always been, and I’d grown up feeling pride at holding that honorable position. I’d never thought of myself as lacking, that is until Gilly had said her parting shot.
Now, suddenly, the position I’d always been so grateful for, being second only to the Alpha, my best friend and brother of the heart, made me feel like I wasn’t good enough. And, I guessed I wasn’t, at least not in Gillian’s eyes.
Was she really so shallow? Had I kept her on a pedestal all of these years, thinking she was unattainable, and therefore not seeing her flaws?
Yesterday, I would have said, hell, no, but this morning? After she’d so callously disregarded everything that had happened last night? Maybe I did need to take time to think and reevaluate my feelings.
My wolf started pacing, pissed by the emotions rolling through me. He was certain that Gilly was our mate and didn’t like me even thinking bad things about her, but what was I supposed to feel?
“Fuck,” I muttered, then opened the door with a shove, slamming it shut behind me.
I took a deep breath as I looked at the small, unimpressive office building that was Pack Headquarters. Back in the day, all business had been conducted at Howlers, but when Mateo pushed for us to do more than sling liquor, he’d bought this place.
I walked into the building, heading straight to the coffee pot to grab a cup, then paused. Usually, in the mornings I went straight into what I’d always thought of as the bull pen. Not that we were even close to being cops, although we did enforce pack law, but because it was a large open room with five desks. One each for Bryan, Calin, Gregory, and Kevin, and an extra for the last remaining position on council. The one we’d had yet to fill.
I liked to go in and catch up with the guys, and see if anything was going on, before heading to my own, private office, but on that morning, I didn’t feel like hanging out. So, rather than walk toward the sound of raised male voices and laughter, I walked down the corridor to my office, which was right next to Mateo’s larger one.
I shut the door softly behind me, so as not to alert anyone to my presence, then moved to sit behind my desk. Staring blankly at my unlit computer, visions of last night flitted through my brain.
The way she’d looked, felt, smelled… so amazing. The way everything had felt just right, as if I’d been waiting for that moment all my life… Because I had been.
Fuck, I thought again, realizing that I wasn’t going to get shit done if we didn’t sit down and talk this out. I couldn’t believe that she was so willing to throw what we had away because of tradition.
If she was my mate, there was no way she was Mateo’s, so what did that mean? That they’d been faking it this whole time? That would mean someone else was his intended, so why was Gilly so fired up to live a lifetime of lies? Why was Mateo?
I wasn’t going to get answers from my computer, and I couldn’t say anything to Mateo, at least not yet. Not until Gilly and I were on the same page. So, I pushed back from my desk, intent on going back to Gillian’s and really talking this out.
I wasn’t going to accept her reasoning. I may only be the Bravo, but I the Bravo who was going to spend his life happily with his mate. I just needed her to realize that.
I was almost to the door when it flung open and Mateo ducked his head and stepped inside.
Shit.
“Hey, Max, I saw your truck out front, but didn’t see you with the guys, so I came to see what’s up.”
That was the problem with having your Alpha know you better than anyone else.
“Oh, ah, morning, Mateo,” I stuttered, mentally slapping myself. I needed to snap out of it and act normal. “I actually just stopped in to pick up my… uh, the keys to the warehouse. I was heading there now to do inventory on supplies.”
Mateo watched me quizzically, his eyes roaming my face while he sniffed lightly at the air. Shit, I wasn’t exactly a stumbling and muttering kind of guy, in fact, I’d never sounded so ridiculous in my life.
Way to act natural, asshole.
“You’ve claimed your mate,” Mateo stated after a few more seconds of sniffing.
Nothing he could have said or done would have shocked me more.
“Wh-a-t?” I stammered.
“Did you think, as your Alpha, I wouldn’t know?” he demanded, watching me suspiciously, probably because I was acting suspicious.
“Uh, I don’t know, I never really thought about it,” I admitted, realizing no one had mated since Mateo had been Alpha, so I hadn’t thought about it. No one on the council had mates yet, and all the elders were already mated, so it had never come up.
Mateo shrugged, “Yeah, me neither, it hasn’t come up yet
. But, I can smell it on you.”
“What does it smell like?” I asked, curious in spite of my growing despair at being caught.
Mateo looked thoughtful, then replied, “I don’t know. A mixture of wolf and human, of happiness and rightness… I don’t know how to explain it. I just immediately understood the scent, and see it in the way you look.”
“The way I look?”
“Yeah, you’re carrying yourself differently. Standing a little taller, your heartbeat is slightly more rapid, and you look… satisfied.”
“Huh,” I said dumbly, not sure what to do next. “So, ah, I’ll just get to it.”
“Seriously?” Mateo laughed. “That’s it. You’re the first one of us to claim your mate and all you want to know is what you look and smell like? You have to tell me everything. Who is it? How did it happen? Did you know beforehand, or did something just click?”
“Look, Mateo, I hate to ask this of you, but… can you give me some time? Let’s just say, there’s already some confusion, and although, I swear, last night we both knew we were mates and the claiming was mutual, there was some… panic this morning. I promise I’ll explain it all when I can.”
“Of course, Max, whatever you need.”
I sighed, even though, if I’d taken the time to actually think things out rather than freak out, I would have known Mateo would react in exactly that way. He never pried, and trusted with his whole heart. He’d give me the time I needed.
“Thanks, brother,” I said, then moved to walk around him.
“Hey, Max,” he called, and I paused. “I’m happy for you.”
I managed a small smile, even as my heart lurched as I wondered for the first time if going after my own happiness would hurt my best friend.
Chapter 8
Gillian
After spending an hour feeling guilty for using Heidi’s eagerness to do anything for the pack in order to avoid being around my sister or running into Mateo, I left Heidi’s knowing the Threehorn Pack would probably end up with more welcome dishes than they could handle.
Heidi had already activated the phone tree and put me down for my famous cheesy tater tot casserole. I didn’t cook a whole lot, what with living alone and working full time at a place that served food, but I had gotten the recipe from my mom when I moved out.
Sometimes, a girl needs her comfort food. In fact, a big helping of cheesy potato goodness sounded fantastic right then.
I pulled around the back of Howlers into my spot, and was about to sneak up the stairs to my apartment, when the sight of Max sitting on my stairs stopped me in my tracks. My heart started galloping, my stomach started fluttering, and I swear, my palms started to sweat.
God, did he look better than usual?
Doubtful, since I’d just seen him a couple of hours ago, and I was pretty sure he was still wearing the same clothes he’d left in. But, I guess my body didn’t get the memo, because my breasts felt full, and my clit swollen and achy, at the sight of his scruffy face, messy hair, and biceps busting out of his shirt.
“What are you doing here?” I managed.
“We need to talk,” Max urged.
“I already said what I needed to say,” I argued, trying to figure up how to get past him without accidently brushing up against him, then humping him until this ache went away.
“Well, I didn’t,” he countered, then stood up and gestured up the stairs. “Please, can I have a few minutes?”
Even though I knew it was a bad idea, I caved. The look on Max’s face made it impossible for me to hurt him, again. I’d already done that once today.
“Fine, but just for a few minutes, I have to get back to work.”
I felt his warmth behind me as we walked up the stairs and I opened my door. I may have shoved the door open harder than necessary in order to get quickly inside, but I swear, I could also smell him, which only made the memories start to torture me.
He smelled divine, like woods and, well, Max. I didn’t know how to explain it, but if he could bottle that scent, women around the world would flock to the store to purchase it.
Hold it together, Gilly…
I crossed to the kitchen, dropped my keys on the counter, and went to busy myself by getting a drink of water.
“Gillian,” Maximus said softly from behind me, his tone full of emotion. Hope, fear, frustration, and love.
I turned slowly and tilted my head back to look up at him.
“I know this isn’t what you had planned for your life. I know you’re scared of what your family will think, what the pack will think, what Mateo will think… and I am too, even though, I’m not,” he stated, confusing me even more. “Nothing has ever felt as right to me as last night, and I don’t want to lose that… I don’t want to lose you. I want to be that happy for the rest of my life, to make you that happy for the rest of yours. I think your family, the pack, and Mateo will want that for us too. They’ll understand that you’re my mate.”
I knew that he was right, that if anyone would understand that we were meant to be together, it would be this pack, this community that we lived in. Still, I hated the thought of disappointing my parents, of causing possible conflict in the pack.
“What if people think I betrayed Mateo? And, what about Mateo himself? I could never hurt him,” I whispered, hoping Max could hear the sincere concern in my voice. I hated that I hurt him this morning, but in this situation, someone was bound to get hurt. I lowered my head and muttered, “I’m so confused.”
“It’s okay to be confused,” Max replied, his hand coming to my chin and lifting so I would face him. “And, it’s okay to be worried about Mateo, but please, don’t push me away… There’s really nowhere for me to go. I’m yours, whether you decide to lay claim to me or not.”
“Max,” I whispered, guilt and need warring within me.
I stopped breathing as I watched Max bend slowly, giving me time to put a halt to the kiss that, even though I knew I should stop, I really didn’t want to. Instead, I let me eyes flutter closed, and I sighed at the first, achingly soft brush of his lips.
Max kissed me slowly, sweetly, as if he had all the time in the world and all he wanted to do with that time, was worship my mouth. He made me feel a myriad of things… loved, cherished, wanted, and I knew I’d never be able to let him go, even though I’d made a valiant effort just that morning.
After he pulled back, it took me a moment to get my bearings, then I opened my eyes and looked up at his handsome face.
“Shit’s about to get really complicated, but as long as we’re open with each other, trust each other, lean on each other, we can get through anything,” Max promised, then asked, “Okay?”
“Yeah, Max,” I said with a small smile.
The grin he gave back was enormous, and so happy it made my heart flip in my chest.
“Okay,” he repeated, then dropped a soft kiss on my nose and moved through the room toward the door. “I know you have to get to work, and so do I,” Max stated, opening the door as he spoke. “You talk to Tash, and I’ll talk to Mateo, everyone else can come after, sound good?”
Before I could respond, I heard Mateo’s voice ask, “Talk to Mateo about what?”
Chapter 9
Maximus
I swung my head from Gilly, to see Mateo standing behind me right outside the door.
He looked confused, but there was a small smile playing on his lips, until he saw the shocked look on my face and the smile dropped. Mateo pushed past me into the apartment, probably worried that my expression meant there was something wrong with Gillian.
But once he got inside, he stopped in his tracks and I saw his head tilt back as he scented the air.
Eyes wide with shock, Mateo’s head swiveled between Gillian and I, a sight that would have been comical, if I wasn’t scared to death that we were about to break my best friend’s heart.
Mateo’s gaze landed on Gilly, so his back was to me when I heard him say, “It’s you… You’re Maximus’s ma
te.”
It sounded more like a statement than a question, but still, Gillian answered softly, hesitantly, “Yes.” Then she rushed to him, her hands coming to rest on his arms, and I struggled with the jealousy that roared to life within me. “We had no idea, Mateo… we never meant for this to happen.”
I staggered back into the room and shut the door, completely unprepared for what happened next.
I watched as Mateo crushed Gilly to him in a tight hug, before releasing her and turning to give me the same treatment. When he pulled back, he clapped me hard on the back as he grinned down at me.
“This is fantastic,” he exclaimed. “The two most important people in the world to me are mated, it’s unbelievable.”
“Uh, Mateo,” Gilly started softly.
When he turned that grin back toward her she asked, “Aren’t you… upset?”
“Why the hell would I be upset? This is the best news ever. We need to throw a party, a bonfire, a sort of Mating Reception, as it were,” Mateo bellowed, his excitement getting away from him.
“But, what about the pack?” Gillian asked. “I’m supposed to be your intended, not Max’s mate, won’t they be upset? Think that I betrayed you? Don’t you feel that way?”
“Gilly, baby,” he began, cupping her face in his large hand. I clenched my fists at my side, knowing there was no time for my jealousy right now, especially since it looked like Mateo was completely cool with this new and unexpected change of events. “You and I have always known that we aren’t actually meant, we just kept up the façade to placate the pack, and would have continued to do so, but that’s only because we didn’t think either of us were meant for anyone.”
“What?” I asked, when Mateo’s words sank in. “You’ve both always known, and have just been… pretending?”
