“Well, you probably should shift a couple more times to finish healing. But there’s no reason for you to stay in your wolf form. That has its dangers too. You are part of this pack, and we take care of our own. We’ll figure something out.”
Jason patted Charlie’s shoulder, “In the meantime, Doc wants you to start eating and to get plenty of rest for a couple of days. Your last shift healed most of your more serious injuries, but Doc says some of your older scars will remain.”
Charlie shrugged, “The scars are the least of my worries. But thanks for the concern and offer of help. I think it would be better though if I move on, once I regain my strength.”
“The decision is up to you, Charlie. You’ll always have a place to call home here, and we will do what we can to make sure you’re safe.” Jason stood and walked toward the door.
The beta wolf turned, “Oh, I almost forgot. Your brother Artemus said to tell you he’d be up shortly to check on you. He was worried about you, Charlie. We all were.”
“Thanks,” Charlie said softly. As soon as the door closed, he placed the tray on the bedside table. His body and mind were exhausted, and he knew only one way to ensure he’d get the rest the doctor ordered. He closed his eyes and let his wolf take over.
For the first time in a long time, he could sleep without fear and he intended to take advantage of it. He had a feeling he’d need his strength, especially when he tracked down his reluctant mate. He may not want to claim him, but he wouldn’t let the man think it was because he wasn’t perfect—because it was clear Sparky was meant for him. He just couldn’t put his mate in danger.
◆◆◆
Grant walked into his office and sank into the chair behind his desk. It had been a long day and would probably be an even longer night as they planned their attack on Alpha Clifton’s compound. Sammy’s brother Jake had wanted to leave immediately to rescue his sister. Luckily, he listened to Shadow when the man convinced him running into a compound where they had no idea what they were facing, would more than likely get not only Sammy killed but anyone else that was being held.
Truth be told, he was grateful that Blaze and his men had agreed to become part of his pack. If it weren’t for him and his men, Ricky would still be a prisoner and worse, would have been forced to mate with Alpha Clifton. Just the thought of the other wolf having his hands on his mate made his gums ache. He would end the shifter if it was the last thing he did.
“Hiding, son?” Forest Walker asked as he entered the office. His father walked to the sideboard and poured himself a drink before he took a seat.
Even though his father had retired, Grant could still feel the power that surrounded the former alpha. Although the man looked to be around sixty-years-old, his father was actually approaching nine hundred years on this earth. He had hoped his father would have been able to retire and live peacefully for the rest of his years, but it looked like that was not what the fates had planned.
“No, I just wanted to check and make sure nothing else requires my attention before we leave for Seattle.” Grant sat back in his chair, “Can I help you with something?”
Forest chuckled, “I’m here because your mother is worried and when she worries my life is shall we say, less peaceful.”
“She thinks I am failing my mate,” Grant replied. “The daily slap to the back of my head is a big clue, don’t you think?”
“Actually, she is more concerned about you.” Forest took a sip of his drink. He gazed into the amber liquid for a moment, before he looked back up at Grant. “I’m sorry, son.”
Grant sat forward, “What do you have to apologize for? If it not for you, I would not be the man I am today.”
He watched as his father placed the glass on the desk. He stood and walked to the window, his hands clasped behind his back as his father gazed at the mountain. It seemed like time had stopped as the two men sat immersed in their own thoughts. Forest cleared his throat and turned back to gaze at his son. Grant was floored by the regret he saw in his father’s brown eyes.
“You are one of the strongest men I know, and I couldn’t be any prouder of you. It’s why I had no problem retiring as alpha and left you in charge.” Forest held up his hand when Grant opened his mouth to respond.
“Let me finish, son. I did a good job of showing you how to fight, and how to win. I’d like to think I also taught you the importance of being a good and fair alpha for our pack. But the one thing I failed at was teaching you how to live, and how to find happiness.”
“I am happy, Father,” Grant protested but stopped when his father shook his head.
“If that were true, then you would know how to make your mate happy. You would be with your mate right now, instead of coming in here to check on pack business. You would understand that the pack is important, but nothing is more important than the relationship between you and your mate. He is your shelter in the storm of life, and you are his.”
Grant stood and went to the sideboard. He turned his back to his father while he fixed his own drink. “Refill?” Grant asked as he raised the bottle. Forest nodded. He poured some into his father’s glass and then returned to his chair. He gazed down at his drink before looking up into his father’s sympathetic eyes. “How did you do it, father?”
“Do what, son?”
“How did you give mother freedom to be herself and still keep her safe?” Grant took a drink. “I never want to feel the way I did when that bastard kidnapped Ricky and yet if Artemus is to be believed, my mate will always be in harm’s way.”
Forest sat back in his chair. He swirled the drink in his glass before he took another drink. “I learned when I was about your age how fleeting life can be. No matter how hard I tried, an avalanche still took my Semme’ mate from me. So, you can imagine when your mother and I fell in love, I decided to try harder.”
His father paused and smiled softly before he continued, “For a time, your mother wasn’t allowed to go anywhere without me at her side. But eventually, her happiness became more important than my fear. I had a choice, I could keep her safe and lose her love, or I could let her be what the gods meant her to be—I chose to give her freedom.”
Grant smiled as he remembered the love that was clearly visible between his parents. It was something he had always secretly wanted for himself. His father was right, he had to get past his fear and let his mate become the man he was meant to be. Grant was interrupted from his thoughts by his father’s next question.
“Do you love him, son?” Forest asked softly.
Grant glanced toward the window for a moment. Did he love Ricky? He thought back to the time he first met his mate. The man had nearly died trying to save his brother. When he was kidnapped and once again almost died, he’d managed to come back.
No matter what challenge life threw at his mate, he managed to survive and grew stronger. He admired so many things about his mate and had tried to show him how deeply he felt when they made love. But he’d never actually said the words, I love you.
The alpha looked back at his father and nodded, “Yes, I love him.”
“Then you have all that you need to win this battle,” Forest said softly.
Grant tilted his head, “What battle?”
“The most important battle of your life, son. The battle all those who mate have, you must win the battle for your mate’s heart. Once you have that, everything else will fall into place.” Forest answered.
Chapter 7
Grant walked into his bedroom and quietly closed the door. For a brief moment, he panicked when he didn’t see his mate sleeping in their bed. But then he heard the shower start in the bathroom. It seems he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t sleep tonight. A smile formed on the alpha’s face as he realized one way that might help tire them both out.
He quickly removed his clothes and placed them in the hamper in the room. Grant stopped outside the closed door and knocked lightly before entering. He’d learned early in their relationship that not doing so cau
sed his mate great fear.
Although Ricky hadn’t told him the cause of the fear, he could guess. Even after all these months, the internal scars his mate carried from his years of abuse at the hands of his former pack sometimes surfaced. Yet his mate had come a long way from the first time they had met.
Grant paused inside the door and glanced at the frosted shower door. He could see his mate bend as he continued to wash. The graceful movements fed his imagination as his cock grew painfully hard. “I am glad to see you are doing your share to save the environment, Ricky.”
“What?” Ricky’s voice echoed from the shower stall.
The alpha opened the door and nearly swallowed his tongue at the sight that met him. Creamy white skin, dotted with golden freckles glistened in the soft lighting. One drop rolled slowly down his mate’s chest. It paused briefly before landing in the strawberry-gold happy trail. Grant moved forward slowly until he was inside the stall. His hand traced the same path the drop of water had just taken.
He could hear the quick intake of his mate’s breath as he took a step back. But Grant wasn’t going to let him escape that easily. “Taking a shower instead of a bath is a great way to save water,” Grant paused. He gently touched the weeping tip of Ricky’s cock, “and if two of us shower together, just think how much more water we can save.”
Ricky swallowed, “Uhm, save water…yeah, we really need to save the planet.”
His mate watched him as the alpha placed his finger in his mouth. He sucked on the digit and groaned at the taste that belonged to his mate alone. Ricky continued to watch him, his eyes filled with the same need Grant felt. Without saying a word, Grant dropped gracefully to his knees and used his tongue to continue the path of the water droplet down to the mushroom-shaped head of his mate’s cock.
“Oh, God!” Ricky cried, as he placed his hand on Grant’s shoulder.
Grant looked up and winked, “No, just me handsome and in a moment, it will be my name you scream.” The alpha swallowed his mate’s slim cock down to the root, his nose buried in the wonderful musky scent. He pulled back and used his tongue to lap at his lover's slit before he swallowed him down once more. Ricky’s hands had moved to either side of his face, guiding him as he began to move his hips.
Grant smiled as he continued to lick and suck his mate’s cock. As he felt it growing in his mouth, he knew it wouldn’t be long before Ricky would come. He gently began to use his other hand to squeeze his lover’s balls, rolling the softly furred sacks as he increased the pressure on the member in his mouth.
He loved the fact that Ricky was no longer hesitant to take what he wanted from him. It was another way the human showed his strength. Not many would have been able to get past the sexual abuse he suffered while a member of the Willow Creek Pack.
Ungh…Grant, please,” Ricky groaned.
Grant grinned around the cock in his mouth. He let his finger wander further back, past his mate’s balls to tap at his back door. The wrinkled skin pulsed, as he gently pushed his finger inside. He quickly found his lover’s pleasure button and began to stroke it in time to his movements as his mouth slid up and down the man’s shaft. He heard the quick inhale of breath from his mate and felt the inner walls clench around his finger before his mouth was filled with his lover’s seed.
The alpha licked the softening member a few more times while he held his mate’s hips; waiting to make sure he was steady before he leaned back on his heels. Ricky’s eyes were still closed, as the water continued to sluice down over both of their bodies. Grant picked up the washcloth his mate had dropped and slowly began to finish washing his mate. As he began to wipe himself, he smiled as Ricky grinned and took the cloth from his hand.
“Let me,” Ricky said softly. His mate proceeded to wash him from head to foot. Grant’s cock was hard enough to pound nails, and he hissed as the soft washcloth ran over the purple head. “That looks painful, let me take care of it for you” His mate whispered before he slowly drew the alpha’s member into his mouth.
Grant groaned as he took a handful of the strawberry blonde curls. The sight of his mate’s lips around him added to his need until with a large howl, the alpha came. Ricky swallowed it all before he finished the cleaning job with the washcloth. His mate sank back on his knees and grinned, “So much for saving the planet.”
Grant chuckled, “Come here.” He pulled his mate up and captured his lips, savoring the taste of himself on the man’s tongue as he ravaged his mouth. He continued the kiss for a few more moments before he pulled back and gazed into the lust filled eyes of his mate. “I love you my mate, and I thank the fates every day for sending you to my door.”
Ricky’s eyes widened for a moment, his mouth opening and closing before he glanced down. A soft blush covered his chest and neck. Grant tilted the man’s head up gently. “You don’t have to say anything, but I just wanted you to know how much you mean to me. If anything ever happened to you,” the alpha gently flicked away the lone tear on his mate’s face, “I’d never survive.”
“I…I love you too Grant,” Ricky whispered. He placed his hand over Grant’s heart. “I’ve known for a while now, but I thought,” his mate paused, “well, I guess I just don’t understand how someone like you, could ever want me. You’re so strong, and you know who you are while I’m-”
Grant pressed his finger against his mate’s lips, “Stop. You are one of the strongest men I know, and I’m honored to have you as a mate. But I think we should continue this conversation in our bed. I don’t know about you, but a cold shower isn’t one of my favorite past-times.”
Ricky blushed as he nodded. Grant quickly turned off the water and tossed a towel to his mate, before he grabbed one for himself. It only took a few moments for both men to dry off and get into the large bed. Grant smiled as Ricky nestled next to him without any hesitation. The alpha pulled him closer and kissed him on the nose before he continued. “I’m sorry, Ricky.”
Ricky glanced up, “Why?”
The alpha sighed, “I think you have noticed that I’m not exactly the most open person. I’ve always worked hard to make sure my pack was strong and secure. They always came first, and my own needs had to wait.”
“I know Grant, and you’ve done a wonderful job. Even members of my old pack respect you,” Ricky swirled his fingers on Grant’s chest. “I understand that you are busy and your pack has to come first.”
“No, you do not understand my mate,” Grant tilted his mate’s head upward. “You will always come first. When that bastard Clifton took you, I was willing to give it all up. I would have done anything to get you back by my side.”
“Even though I’d only known you for a short time, I already had deep feelings for you. Love was inevitable not because you are my Semme’ mate but because of who you are,” Grant lightly kissed his mate’s forehead. “You took on the responsibility of raising your little brother when you were little more than a child yourself.”
“You did what you had to, even enduring years of abuse at the hands of a cruel alpha to keep Sandy safe. When you realized the danger to him, you once again did what you had to and escaped. I know you struggle with the destiny the fates have decreed as being yours, and yet here you are trying to learn how to fight and how to harness the powers that Gaia has seen fit to give you.”
Grant traced the tattoo on his mate’s arm, “This mark is not given lightly. From what Artemus has told us, only those who have the internal strength to not only use their power wisely but also are able to guide the omega on the right path, receive it.”
Ricky sighed, “But I’m only human.”
“You are so much more my mate. It took me awhile to understand what was always right in front of me,” Grant smiled softly. “The goddess is never wrong when it comes to selecting her champions.”
His mate snorted, “You’ve got to be kidding me. I don’t know what she was smoking, but there is no way I can be the one to stand against those who would use Sandy for their own selfish needs…”
Grant shook his head, “But you are not alone. As my father reminded me, mates are not only bound by the love between them. They become each other’s strength. I believe that fate knew we would both be needed to stand against what may come.”
The alpha could see the disbelief in his mate’s eyes. He pulled Ricky closer and kissed him again. After a few moments, he stopped and gazed directly into the hazel eyes of his mate.
“I can’t promise that I won’t try to protect you or that I will always handle things wisely. However, I vow that I will be by your side to support you, to love you, and to give you my strength whenever you need it. I will listen to your counsel and will believe in you even when you cannot believe in yourself. I accept Sandy and will treat him like my own son, and I will protect both of you until my last breath.”
Ricky’s eyes grew misty, “I promise to respect your decisions and to try to be there for you when the load becomes too heavy. I’ll always fight by your side, even if that means sometimes I have to step back. I’ll never stand between you and your pack, and I will try to help you in any way I can. I’ll love you with all the breath in my body until I can no longer breathe.”
Grant captured his mate’s lips and began to devour him. He rolled Ricky to his back and reached for the lube they always kept handy. While he continued to kiss his mate, he placed first one and then two fingers into Ricky’s chute. He smiled as his mate’s legs spread wider to give him the access he needed. “I’m going to claim you again my mate,” Grant rasped as he broke the kiss. “This time, there will be no doubt that I want you and that I love you with all that I am.”
“Claim me, Grant,” Ricky said simply, as he wrapped his legs around Grant’s hips.
The alpha quickly lubed his cock before he began to push into his mate. He tried to be slow, but Ricky had other ideas as he pushed, impaling himself further. With a final thrust, Grant was balls deep into the velvet glove he’d come to crave.
Battle for a Mates Heart Page 7
