To Protect and Mate [Wolves of Emerald Valley 4] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove)

by Jane Perky

  Colton killed the engine and they both got out. “You’re free to come here anytime, too, if you need to run.”

  He noticed Jerry clenching at his fists.

  “I have a problem with shifting,” Jerry mumbled then shook his head. “Forget I said that. Where’s dinner?”

  Colton couldn’t forget though. Had Lee ever mentioned Jerry having a problem with turning wolf? However, despite not knowing Jerry long, he knew by now that pushing the Omega to get answers wasn’t the best solution, so he led Jerry inside. Colton gave a little tour, although the cabin wasn’t that big.

  “I bought this from its previous owner a few months ago,” he explained. “So the place is a little bare. There’s the living room, dining room, two bedrooms, and a shared bathroom at the back.”

  Jerry looked at everything with interest, reminding Colton of an eager pup in new surroundings.

  “I hope you like trout. I caught them just yesterday,” he explained, heading to the kitchen.

  “Oh right. Yesterday was Sunday, and yes, trout sounds good. I’m sick of bacon and burgers.”

  “We can go fishing sometimes, if that’s your interest.”

  “I don’t know how to fish,” Jerry muttered, then looked at him and blurted, “I meant, I want to spend more time with you, but I know nothing about fishing.”

  “I’ll teach you, but some people find it boring. Lee stomps off to hunt for smaller game after an hour or two of not catching anything.”

  “He does?” Jerry asked.

  “Lee doesn’t have plenty of patience.”

  Jerry laughed at that. “That’s true. I think that’s why Magnus suits him. Magnus is exactly his opposite, calm and collected.”

  Jerry lingered by the counter, watching him take out four trout from the freezer and start the stove.

  “Can I help you with something?”

  “Nah. Later. I like talking to you.”

  “Me, too.”

  Were they acting like a bunch of shy teenagers? But Colton didn’t want to screw this up. He was quite aware Jerry could bolt on him any moment, but he needed to find out the extent of the damage those bastard vampires had done to him. Thinking back on his encounter at the park, he’d realized he’d let his baser emotions get the better of him, which wasn’t good. He made a silent promise to be better, because Jerry wasn’t just one of his one-night stands, but something special, a gift he couldn’t let go of.

  Jerry was vital to his present and his future, and his wolf rumbled in agreement inside of him. The wolf wasn’t a patient predator sometimes, but it knew how to be patient when a potential mate entered their den.

  Mate.

  Could a man like him deserve someone like Jerry?

  Time would only tell.

  “Ah. You can help me chop up some vegetables, asparagus in the chiller,” he said.

  Jerry made a face. “Vegetables?”

  “Growing werewolf pups also need other nutrients, aside from red meat.”

  “I’m not a pup.”

  “No,” he said carefully. “You’re so much more.”

  He gave Jerry an appreciative look.

  Blushing, Jerry went to the fridge, and when the Omega stopped to get the asparagus, he couldn’t help but admire Jerry’s tight and perfect ass. He licked his lips and Jerry stood back up, glancing at him.

  “Were you looking at my ass?”

  “Admiring,” he corrected.

  “If you keep doing things like that, we may never get to the eating part.” Jerry’s face turned bright red when he said it, and Colton smirked. Gutsy. Jerry was a complicated puzzle sometimes, shy one moment, bold the next. His wolf liked that a lot.

  “Fine. I’ll admire this, too.” Jerry gestured to Colton’s body, which made Colton furrow his brows.

  “If you like my body so much, I’ll promise you this. Be good and I might let you pet me.”

  Jerry swore but lust burned in his eyes. “Wait. Do you mean that? Because dominant shifters only allow their submissive mates to do that when they’re pleased. Did I do something right?”

  “Oh? You’re more aware of our culture than I thought.”

  “Magnus brings me books. Dating manuals on shifters.” Jerry pretended to busy himself, fumbling under the drawers and finding a chopping and knife before cutting the asparagus.

  Colton didn’t have the heart to point out that the asparagus didn’t need any cutting, so he started on the other fish.

  “Magnus did that? I should thank him,” he remarked.

  Jerry paused, stared at him, and turned pale. “You wouldn’t.”

  “Do you want to hide the fact we’re dating?” Colton couldn’t keep the anger out of his voice.

  “No. Yes. No.” Jerry set the knife down. Colton gently pried the blade away, took the chopped vegetables, and set them on a baking tray. He drizzled olive oil and some garlic on them before putting them in the oven.

  “Can you get the plates and cutlery? They’re inside the cabinet above you. Oh, and we’re eating outside. Pleasant night for it.”

  “Okay. Good.” Jerry seemed relieved to have instructions. After retrieving the items, Jerry opened the back door and gasped.

  Colton hoped the Omega didn’t drop anything and hurt himself. He knew he had a terrific view. The cabin was built over a cliff overlooking the town. That was the reason he’d bought it in the first place.

  Jerry shuffled outside while Colton finished with the fish.

  After setting the fish on the serving plate, he grabbed two cold bottles of beers and headed outside. Jerry had set a table for two and was staring at the town beyond, then at the moon. Jerry shivered, and he understood. It was close to full moon, mating season, a time where all the frisky shifters came out to play.

  Jerry turned his attention to him as Colton set the plate down.

  “Wow. Fish smells good. Are you really a good cook or pretending to be?”

  “It tastes fine, good even.”

  “That confident?” There was that challenging glint in Jerry’s eyes.

  “Oh yeah. Pretty much. I’m certain we’ll sate our hungers tonight.” Colton smiled and hoped Jerry understood he wasn’t just talking about food.

  Chapter Five

  His heart thundered, or it felt that way anyway, from Colton’s words. Jerry had a feeling Colton wasn’t just talking about physical hunger either, but one of the carnal sort.

  “Okay,” he said, dispersing the tension. “I’m going to take a bite.”

  Lifting his fork, he took some of the fish and vegetables.

  He widened his eyes at the explosion of flavor. God. Part of his mind still couldn’t believe he was actually at Colton’s cabin, with an amazing view of the town spread in front of them, and Colton had cooked him dinner, using fish Colton had caught the day before.

  Jesus. It sounded like a dream date from one of the gay romance books he loved to read during his breaks. He started devouring those books because he’d assumed no one would want him for a mate. As a substitute, he’d just lived in happy worlds with other couples. A poor substitute, he realized, looking at Colton.

  The Alpha was doing it again, watching him with an intensity that made his skin burn a little hotter and his heart start a staccato rhythm.

  “Good?” Colton asked.

  Jerry swallowed and nodded. “I didn’t factor in your awesome cooking skills.”

  Colton laughed. “Being in the army, eating the same shit each day, gives a man the incentive to cook.”

  “I see. I’m not good at cooking, at a lot of things.” Jerry ate more of the fish. It was delicious.

  “You sound sad.”

  “I missed out on a lot of things and wish I didn’t. At the same time, I knew it was the right thing to do, surrendering myself to the vampires. If I didn’t, all the other Omegas would be dead and Lee, too.”

  Colton reached across the table and the mist of depression lifted a little, at the Alpha’s soothing touch. Jerry suddenly wondered why he
wore such restricting clothing. Well, he’d thought Colton would bring him to eat somewhere in town, and he didn’t like people staring at the fading bite marks. Maybe around Colton, he didn’t need to hide.

  “And if I didn’t, Eduardo had a fixation on me, so he would have found me eventually,” he mumbled. Jerry wasn’t sure why he was opening up to a complete stranger when he refused to talk about his past to anyone else. There was Lee and Magnus, but he kept secrets from them because they felt guilty for not finding him sooner. It wasn’t their fault. Eduardo was good at moving around and only made a mistake when he’d moved his coven and slaves back on US soil.

  “It doesn’t matter. We’ll learn new stuff together.”

  Colton’s words made him blink.

  “Sometimes, the little things help distract me, especially when I have nightmares,” Colton said.

  Jerry had a feeling Colton’s time in the army had done a number on Colton, too. Colton admitted to having luggage, but Jerry had a feeling Colton had been doing his own share of private suffering, too. Colton seemed like the kind of man who’d keep his problems to himself as opposed to sharing them with friends. Jerry had been like that, too, but talking with Colton made him feel a little lighter, like the load in his heart had lessened the tiniest bit.

  “Okay. I’d like that, doing activities together.”

  “Even couple shit?” Colton looked amused.

  “I saw an interesting book in the back seat of your car,” Jerry said.

  Colton growled at him. Jerry would have been scared of a big terrifying Alpha not long ago, but he knew Colton would never harm him. Well, his heart was another matter. Instinct told him this Alpha werewolf brought another kind of danger, and Jerry knew he was falling fast and hard for a complicated man.

  He said they suited each other, but what if their personal problems would one day get in the way of them moving forward?

  “What are you thinking about?” Colton asked, once they finished their meal. Colton cleared the plates and got them another round of beer. Jerry liked it out here, loved the breeze on his face and the quiet. Occasionally, he heard the soft sounds of the forest. An owl hooted from somewhere nearby and a wolf howled somewhere in the distance, but he wasn’t worried. No one would trespass on an Alpha’s territory.

  “Jerry?” Colton prodded, reminding Jerry that the Alpha had asked him a question, an important one.

  Jerry felt a little tipsy, but it wasn’t the alcohol. Werewolves absorbed alcohol far too fast to get drunk, but it was possible to get intoxicated with massive amounts. Jerry knew, because he once tried to see if alcohol could give him the numbness he needed on his really bad days.

  Jerry told Colton about his fears, about their problems getting in the way of their relationship.

  Colton gave his hand a squeeze. “One day at a time, little Omega. Whatever wounds we carry, they’ll heal in time.”

  At his silence, Colton asked him, “Do you want me to drive you home now and let you think some stuff over?”

  Jerry pulled his hand away, surprising Colton. “I don’t want to think. Don’t ask me to head home either. I want to stay.”

  Colton blinked. “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. It’s nice out here, and besides, where’s that kiss you promised me?” Jerry rose abruptly to his feet and finished off the beer. Shit. He wasn’t drunk at all but quite aware, because the temperature seemed to go up suddenly and Colton was beside him, standing shoulder to shoulder.

  “Don’t tempt me, Omega. We’ve covered a lot of things tonight and—”

  “Shut up and kiss me. Please.”

  He tugged at Colton’s muscled arm. Wow. It felt like steel. A warning growl tickled from Colton’s lips. He looked his Alpha in the eye. My Alpha. Jerry liked the sound of that. He wanted to stop pussyfooting around, because he certainly didn’t want to go slow or to go back home and think.

  He wanted to be ravished by this powerful but unexpectedly thoughtful Alpha. To see what it was like, being wanted for a change by an amazing man he wasn’t sure was even real yet.

  Colton banded a muscled arm around his waist and tugged him so suddenly Jerry’s body touched the Alpha. He swallowed. Both of them burned fever hot, and there were still clothes in the way. Colton gripped the back of his neck, and there was absolutely zero fear in him, only expectation and eagerness.

  Jerry wanted Colton to wipe away all his horrible memories of vampires feeding on him with new wonderful memories of being together. Before Jerry could utter the word ‘please’ again, Colton slammed his lips over Jerry’s.

  The world blacked out, until all Jerry was aware of was Colton’s lips nipping, biting, and sucking at his. He responded, and although he didn’t have much experience when it came to kissing, he made do with enthusiasm. It seemed to work, because Colton started touching him, as if the Alpha had been holding back before.

  Colton slipped a tongue between his lips and deepened the kiss. Jerry rubbed his groin furiously against Colton. He could smell their need in the air, sense their animals urging them to do the inevitable. Clothing ripped, distracting him a little. They parted and Jerry heard that sound again. He felt air on his bare skin, and when he looked down, his shirt fell to tattered heap on the floor.

  Colton panted, and Jerry saw the sharp flash of wolf teeth. “I’ll buy you a new one.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he managed to say. Feeling bolder, he began tugging off Colton’s jacket.

  “Eager little thing, aren’t you?”

  Jerry snarled in response, which only made Colton chuckle.

  “Here, let me help you.”

  Jerry felt like he was sliding down an icy road, a path of no return, but strangely also one with no regrets.

  Chapter Six

  Colton couldn’t believe this was happening, that he was violating the dating rule, according to the book at least. Shit. But no way did Colton plan on stopping, especially once Jerry begged for that kiss. His wolf howled inside of him, pushing him to claim Jerry, mate the Omega, so no one else could take Jerry.

  Who knew one little gesture could turn out to be a major game changer?

  They tore at each other’s clothes until they were both nude, and he spent a couple of seconds admiring Jerry’s slender body. He noticed Jerry giving him a once over, gaze lingering on the package between his legs.

  Jerry swallowed, arousal thick in the air. “You’re much more massive than I imagined,” Jerry whispered.

  “Don’t worry, little Omega. I know. That’s why I’m going to prep you carefully—unless you changed your mind?”

  “No way!”

  That was good enough for him.

  He pushed Jerry backward, until the Omega’s back hit the wooden table. Jerry let out a breath but didn’t speak as Colton planted a hand on his belly.

  “Lie down, because you’re going to be dessert.”

  Jerry shuddered but sat on the edge of the table and lay down. Colton licked his lips at the feast in front of him.

  “I thought you were just being nice about being attracted to me,” Jerry whispered.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Colton ran his fingers down Jerry’s hairless chest. A few old vampire bite marks littered Jerry’s skin, but he knew they would be gone soon.

  “You’re not…disgusted.”

  He growled. “What?”

  “That I’m second—”

  To shut the foolish Omega up, Colton kissed him again. It was a quick rough one, leaving both of them craving more.

  “You can’t do that,” Jerry whispered. “Kiss me all the time to make problems go away.”

  “The only problem I see right now is the way you perceive yourself. To me, you’re fucking perfect.” To make his point, Colton nipped at Jerry’s neck, which turned out to be a massive mistake. Jerry’s pulse jumped, and he had the sudden urge to unsheathe his canines and bite down really deep, hard enough to leave his mate mark. That way, no one would bully or tease Jerry without facing hi
m first. Besides, it felt so right, to make Jerry his.

  My Omega. My mate.

  But that would also bind Jerry to him until death to them part. Mating between shifters was for life. He fought an internal struggle and moved his mouth, kissing Jerry lower. Reaching Jerry’s chest, he took Jerry’s right nipple into his mouth and sucked hard until Jerry cried out above him. He reached for Jerry’s dick at the same time, beginning to stroke it.

  His own dick started to thicken, too, and he pushed aside the urge to sink his prick inside Jerry. Omegas were self-lubricating, but he wanted a little foreplay first, to taste Jerry and take his time.

  “Oh God,” Jerry whispered. “It’s too much, your hand and your mouth.”

  “Baby, we’re just starting. Take what I have to give you.”

  Jerry moaned as Colton worked Jerry’s dick faster and took Jerry’s lips again. The Omega eagerly thrust his hips, and he vaguely wondered if the table could take both their weight. Otherwise, he’d have to explain to Dante, who’d gotten the table for him, what had happened to his latest gift.

  “I’m so close,” Jerry whispered, as they pulled back from the kiss.

  “Go ahead, baby. Come for me.”

  At his urging, Jerry groaned and Colton pinched his leaking tip. That did the trick. With a cry, Jerry came, squirting his cum all over his hand and splashing some over his abs and ribs. Jerry’s eyelids fluttered and the Omega screamed out his name. Shit. That was unbelievably sweet, and he wanted to do it all over again, just to see that expression of euphoria on Jerry’s face, knowing he was responsible.

  “That was amazing,” Jerry whispered.

  “What about my turn?” he teased and Jerry looked at his dick.

  Jerry smiled up at him. “My, Mr. Wolf, are you thinking of putting that big dick inside me?”

  He returned the smile and Jerry shivered.

  “Please,” Jerry murmured. “Oh hell, why am I so horny again?”

  “Because we haven’t completed the dance.” He kissed Jerry on the nose and helped the Omega turn, so Jerry lay on his stomach. He didn’t even have to command the Omega, because Jerry pulled his legs open and thrust his ass up at him in offering.