by Lisa Oliver
The wolf’s woof was closer this time and Devyn froze as a long nose sniffed its way up his sweat pants. “Hey, I’m not into that,” Devyn slapped the nose as it got too close to his erection and then he realized what he’d done. Fuck it, Devyn mentally wailed as his lap was suddenly full of wolf, and the chair went toppling over backwards. His eyes tightly closed, his fists clenched, and a solid weight sitting on his chest that had nothing to do with his heartache, Devyn waited for the inevitable crunch. I never should have opened that damned door.
Chapter Five
You stupid fucking idjit, you’re scaring him. Rex would have happily hit his wolf half over the head if he’d had hands, but all he could do was yell and scream at his animal side to let him take the fuck over. The scent of fear tarnished his precious mate’s unique smell, giving it an acrid tinge and it wasn’t pleasant. Nor was the knowledge that his proud alpha wolf was slobbering all over their mate like a demented puppy, especially when Devyn was clearly expecting a mauling of a different kind.
Let’s go for a run, his wolf had suggested when he was scrubbing the after effects of Sloane’s gropey hands from his skin in the shower. It’ll be fun and it’ll help you sleep. Rex should’ve known then something was up. His wolf and him were on the same page most days, but his animal half had been panting to go and hunt down their mate since he’d walked out of that lovely store. As he’d closed up the bar, Rex had been trying to think of excuses to go back and make a better second impression.
And now here he was, in his two hundred pound plus animal form, trying to stop his over enthusiastic animal side from smothering his poor mate. Sure, having Devyn smell like them was a good plan, and Rex’d be an idiot not to appreciate the powerful effects of Devyn’s scent close up. But they’d tipped over his chair. His poor mate hit his head going down and his legs were flailing in the air.
Let me take over you damn mutt, or I won’t let you run for a fucking month. Now! But, high on the intoxicating scent of their unclaimed mate, Rex’s wolf refused to listen. And, unlike his wolf half who could force a shift if their lives were in danger, or for some other random reason like slobbering over their poor mate, Rex couldn’t make his animal half concede. The wolf would come out happily enough, but stepping back was another problem. Rex saw, through his wolf’s eyes, the tantalizing arch of Devyn’s slender neck and he knew his wolf’s intention before it happened. Don’t you fucking dare…. But it was too late. The wolf tipped back his head and howled his victory for all to hear as Rex felt their bond snap into place.
Fucking brilliant, he thought, furious at his other half for not giving Devyn a choice. We’re now permanently bonded to a man I’ve barely said two words to. In fact, I’m sure I only said two words at the time, and they didn’t make sense even then. You had no right…. But, once again and this time because he was smug and happy, Rex’s wolf didn’t listen. He happily ceded to Rex’s demands to shift forms and curled up for a nap. His human half could cope with whatever it was that humans did in this situation.
/~/~/~/~/
“You bit me.” Devyn nibbled on his lip as the gorgeous wolf morphed into the shape he’d lusted after earlier. Rex’s brilliant green eyes held a hint of panic and he scrambled off Devyn’s body before he could fully appreciate the heat and strength blanketing him.
“I’m so sorry.” Rex seemed to be blabbering as he knelt by the side of the fallen chair. “Did you hit your head? Of course, you did. Fucking klutzy wolf. Damn it. How can I, what should I…?” his hands were flapping everywhere making it difficult for Devyn to concentrate.
“You bit me,” He said more forcibly this time. It might be a trivial matter to a pack wolf, Devyn wasn’t sure, but it didn’t feel like a small thing to him. His pants were messy, his head ached, and it was almost like there was a foreign body taking up residence in his brain. “Why did you bite me?”
“I didn’t mean to.” Rex’s arms were still flapping, reminiscent of those old wringer washing machines Gregor had when Devyn was a child. “Well, that’s not strictly true. I would have bitten you eventually, because it’s part of the claiming ritual, but fuck, I’m so sorry. What can I…? How can I?”
Of course, my damn chair. Renders the most capable of men into complete blathering idiots. Devyn bit back a sigh. “If you could move out of the way, a moment,” although Devyn would miss the sexy view, “I can….”
“No, no, I’ll get you up.” Rex rose to his feet and from his position on the floor Devyn had a beautiful view of long smooth legs, low slung balls and a highly erect cock. He turned his head, his cheeks heating. I’ve never seen anything that size. He was still committing the sexy sight to memory when he felt strong arms slide under his neck and butt as he was hoisted out of the chair.
Do not swoon. Do not fucking swoon. Devyn wasn’t someone who felt faint for any reason, and he wasn’t technically sure what the expression meant. But if his romance reading was anything to go by, his lightheaded feeling, the flutter in his chest and the way his stomach was tying itself up in knots, the term ‘swoon’ was applicable. It was Rex’s chest’s fault; he was sure of it. It was right under his cheek – warm, solid and it flexed and rubbed against him with every step Rex took.
“Where are you…?” Devyn swallowed and tried again. “Where are you taking me?” There was still a little matter of the mess in his pants to clean up, but he couldn’t get to the bathroom without his chair, unless Rex planned on going there first. He was too embarrassed to mention that’s where he needed to go.
“You need rest.” After his babbling from earlier, Rex was now abrupt to the point of rude. Devyn realized they were in his bedroom and with far more gentleness than he imagined from a giant alpha, he was laid on the bed.
“Rest.” Thick fingers brushed over the lump on the back of his head and then just as suddenly, Rex was gone.
“Rex?” Devyn called out as the man disappeared down the hallway. “Damn it, Rex!” The slam of the door and the distant howl of a wolf was his only response.
“Well, what the hell am I supposed to do now?” Devyn thumped his mattress. His sweat pants were sticking to his abdomen, a reminder of his reaction to the bite that still ached slightly in the crook of his neck.
Sighing, because he knew there was nothing for it, Devyn sat up, wiggling his ass to the edge of the bed. Gripping tightly to the coverlet, he slid, semi-gracefully to the floor and started the agonizing process of bum shuffling his way back to the kitchen. Dumb as rocks alpha, Gregor had called him, and as Devyn huffed his way back to his chair, he was starting to think the moniker was spot on. The next time a fucking wolf whines at my door, I’ll freaking leave him out there.
Chapter Six
“I panicked,” Rex admitted to his stunned brother. Tony hadn’t been too impressed when he’d dragged him away from his fuck for the night, but Rex had tinged his voice with alpha power and the poor bed buddy had been shoved out the door while Rex got the coffee machine going. Somehow, he felt coffee was appropriate even though he was wondering if whiskey might be a better option. “My wolf bit him….”
“You are your wolf,” Tony was quick to point out. “You can blame your furry side if it helps you sleep at night, but you’re two halves of the same whole so somewhere deep in that foggy subconscious of yours, you wanted to claim that man. I’ve got to admit, I thought you’d wait until after the wedding before letting Sloane know about your wolf tendencies. How did he take it? Wait, wait,” Tony laughed. “I bet he screamed, or no, I bet he fainted. Or better yet, did he pull a gun on you and try and shoot you? That had to be funny.”
“What on earth made you think I bit Sloane?” Rex stirred some sugar into his coffee. He had that nagging feeling, the one a person got when they thought they’d forgotten something important, but they didn’t know what it was. It wouldn’t go away.
“Bro, the man had his hands half down your pants when I left the bar,” Tony scoffed. “Who else you going to sink your teeth into?”
“
My fated mate.” Rex lifted his cup and took a small sip of his coffee as Tony spluttered his all over the table.
“Truth?” Rex looked up to meet Tony’s excited gaze. “Honest truth, you met your fated mate?”
Rex nodded, a smile tugging at his own lips.
“Fucking A, I’m so happy for you.” Tony launched himself over the table and Rex was barely able to hold his chair upright as Tony hugged the stuffing out of him. Chair. Upright. Oh, fuck no!
“You might want to save your enthusiasm, brother,” Rex said, patting Tony’s back, as the enormity of what his ‘helpful’ gesture had done hit him hard. “I’ve fucked up big time, with a capital F and U. My mate is not your typical wolf.”
Their coffees forgotten, Tony listened as Rex poured out the whole story – his meeting with Devyn, the warning from the bear, his talk with his father, and the whole bite situation.
“Shit, you’re probably lucky this Devyn of yours isn’t a typical wolf shifter, bro,” Tony said, breaking the silence that followed. “I’m sure it’s against some council laws or shit, biting your mate without getting his permission first.”
“Didn’t you hear where I said I left him in bed, and forgot to move his chair for him? How’s he going to get around?”
Tony tilted his head, his expression confused. “Are you saying he can’t walk at all? What about when he’s shifted?”
“I don’t know.” Rex buried his head in his hands. “If it was the Mortimer’s son, then he was born with no feet, so walking in any form is out of the question. All I know is that he uses the chair to get around, carves the most amazing pictures in wooden furniture, was culled from our home pack by our fucking father, and smells amazing. That’s it.”
Tony made a non-committal sound as he pulled his phone from his pocket.
“What the hell are you doing now?”
“Google searching the nearest florist shop, bro.” Tony looked up and winked. “You’ve got some major sucking up to do.”
“Do you think I should go back? Make sure he’s okay?” A glance at the window showed it was already light. Devyn would be going to work soon, if he can get out of bed, Rex thought glumly.
“You need to shower, you need to sleep and then you need to eat,” Tony said firmly as he tapped on his phone. Seconds later, Rex felt a vibration in his pocket as he received a text. “Give the young man some time to settle down. When you’ve got yourself looking as good as you’re able, then you go visit your mate, complete with an armload of flowers. No omega will be able to resist an alpha on a mission.”
Rex wasn’t so sure. It wasn’t as though he’d met a male omega before. But as his fuddled brain couldn’t come up with a better plan, he guessed it would have to do for a start. He’d rest and shower, eat, and then get those damn taxes done. That way, when he did go to see Devyn, he could take time off from the bar and really make sure his mate understood how precious he was. Provided I haven’t stuffed things up, permanently, Rex worried, sending a plea to the Fates. Please let him be all right.
/~/~/~/~/
“There’s something different about you.”
Devyn looked up at Gregor, his cheeks heating. Pleading work, he’d managed to steer clear of being too close to his guardian all morning. Wolves had an excellent sense of smell, but a bear’s nose was far superior especially in close quarters. His scent had changed for some reason, something Gregor would surely notice. But no matter how long Devyn stayed under the shower earlier that morning, it didn’t make any difference.
Rex must have claimed me. At least, that’s what Devyn assumed had happened. But as his so-called claiming was nothing like what he’d read about in books, he couldn’t be sure. Gregor would be really pissed off at Rex for biting and leaving the way he did, claimed or not – the bear had always taken his safety seriously. The thing was, he couldn’t lie to his guardian.
“I had a visitor last night,” he mumbled as he looked back at the panel he was carving. “I haven’t had much sleep.” That wasn’t a lie. Apart from the two hours on the couch before Rex arrived, Devyn had spent the rest of the night awake, totally confused.
“A visitor? No one knows where you live except me.” Gregor loomed over him, his nostrils flaring. Devyn cringed, knowing his guardian would scent what he couldn’t voice. “That fucking bastard wolf bit you and ran?” Gregor’s tone dared Devyn to dispute his claim.
“He said he didn’t mean to….” Devyn tried, but Gregor was angrier than he’d ever seen him.
“What then? He was going to treat his mate like a common slut, and then fuck off?”
“No, we didn’t…. He never….” His cheeks flaming, Devyn didn’t know what to say. The breakfast he’d half-heartedly pecked at was threatening a return, and his head was pounding. “He didn’t mean it.”
“I swear by all that’s holy when wolves were lining up at the brain department, they were at the back of the queue,” Gregor fumed. “You can’t not mean a mating. One bite seals the deal – bound for life. One dies, you both do.”
Well, at least that means you can’t kill him then, although Gregor sure looked as though he meant to do someone bodily harm and Devyn guessed Rex was at the top of the list. “I thought a mating required sex and blood,” he offered quietly, trying to find a way to ease the tension. “Maybe it didn’t take? I had my clothes on.”
“You had your fucking clothes on,” Gregor repeated as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “And I bet they were in a fine mess when the bastard left. Are you scarred, from where he bit you?”
Devyn nodded, tears filling his eyes. He hated disappointing Gregor. If only I hadn’t opened that door. “I thought it was a stray dog, at the door I mean….”
“I wish it had been a stray dog,” Gregor snarled. “Instead you got a mangy no-good fucking wolf who couldn’t keep his teeth to himself. I’m not surprised he ran off, flea-bitten bastard.”
Letting out a long breath, Gregor shook his head. “It’s okay, boy. I’m going to make this right. If that mongrel thinks he can attack you in your own home, and then run off like a rogue, he’s got another thing coming. I’ll fucking sort him out.”
“No, Gregor, please. He said he didn’t mean it.” Devyn’s heart sunk as Gregor stormed out the door, just like Rex had done the night before. Will none of these alpha types ever listen to me? Devyn had never felt so alone or useless in his life.
Chapter Seven
Rex felt the presence before he heard the roar. “Where the fuck is he?” He shot up out of his office chair and ran to the door.
“There are humans here.” Rex could hear Tony whispering urgently.
“I don’t give a fuck.” Shit, the bear was really pissed off. “You get that asshole out here right now, or I’ll tear this place apart looking for him.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Tony must have been reassuring their clientele. While most of the customers to the “Bar” were rough and ready, they were honest tradesmen who probably thought the bear was on a bender. Someone would be calling the police. “Rex, it’s for you.”
“I could hear that.” Rex stepped into the main bar, a scowl on his face. The menace the bear threatened the day before was in full force now. “Can we take this into my office, do you think, like respectable people might do?”
“Respectable?” The bear’s eyes looked as though they were going to bug out of his head. “You call what you did….”
“The next round’s on me, gents,” Rex interrupted smoothly, glancing around the bar. “Enjoy your lunch. As for you,” he met the bear’s eyes stare for stare, “follow me, or get the fuck out of here before I call the police.”
“You’ve got fucking balls, I’ll give you that,” Rex heard the bear mutter as he deliberately turned his back on the menace and went back to his office. The bear was breathing down his neck and the door was barely closed before Rex was thrown up against it, a thick forearm wedged like a steel bar around his throat.
“You want to explain yo
urself wolf?” Yep, the bear was pissed off.
Rex tried swallowing and waved his hand to indicate the pressure on his throat. Black spots were appearing before his eyes, and while his claws were out, he didn’t think it would help his future relationship with his mate if he hurt the man who raised him.
Unfortunately, the bear didn’t seem to have the same concern. If anything, the pressure on Rex’s throat increased as the man snarled right in his face. In desperation, Rex brought his knee up, smashing it into the bear’s groin. The guy barely grunted, although it had to hurt. However, the pressure on his throat eased slightly, and Rex used that opportunity to spin out of the bear’s grasp. Rubbing his throat, Rex stumbled over to his chair and fell into it.
“Have you got steel balls or something?” He gasped, when the bear turned but stayed upright. Any other man would be hunched over, cradling his jewels and crying for his momma.
“You missed the best bits,” the bear said smugly, cupping his generous package. “I hang to the right.”
“I’ll keep that in mind for next time.” Rex coughed and looked up. “Look, you, take a fucking seat. Fuck, can you tell me your name at least, seeing as we’re basically related. I can’t keep calling you bear.”
“Our being related is still a point of contention.” The bear swung into the nearest chair, his anger tinging his scent with spice. The man was a true bear in every way. His thick dark eyebrows hung over dark, almost black eyes. His beard was well trimmed, but thick, and matched his hair.
The bear wasn’t pretty by any stretch of the imagination, but Rex could see the man would have no problems getting a partner for the night. His tee-shirt was stretched over bulging muscles that put Rex’s to shame, and at over six foot five, the guy had intimidation down to an art form.
“My name, seeing as you want to be polite about this, is Gregor Vanin, the guardian of one Devyn Vanin. Now, do you want to tell me, Rex Michael Loupe,” Rex was sure the emphasis on his full name was deliberate, the bear had done his homework, “Why my ward is wearing a permanent mating scar on his precious neck?”
