A weight lifted off his shoulders with Michael’s pack’s full support. He turned to Declan with a smile. “I’m ready to swear loyalty to you. What do we need to do?”
“We need to do blood exchange. It will add you to the pack bonds. Well, it should. I’ve never added an eagle to the pack before.”
It should?
He didn’t wait to question Declan’s hesitant words. He seized one of Shannon’s knives and sliced open his palm, offering it to the Alpha. “This good enough?”
Declan rolled his eyes and placed his daughter gently on her feet. “It’s fine. But you didn’t need to cut so deep.”
He probably should have waited for instructions. His palm would heal, but it was starting to throb.
The Alpha grabbed his hand and ran his tongue over the incision. Justin shivered as something tugged in his chest.
“It’s okay,” Quinn murmured. “It’s almost over.”
A bloody wrist pressed against his lips. The blood flowed over his tongue and down his throat.
The tugging turned into a yank. Ribbons of awareness wrapped around him, slithering into his brain and settling into the back of his mind. Declan was the loudest, followed by Quinn, but if he concentrated enough, he could feel everyone, including Michael.
Approval shot through him and he suddenly understood why Michael preened under his Alpha’s praise. He was Justin’s Alpha now, too.
Something cool and soft wiped over his forehead and he jumped, surprised to find himself seated on the floor and slightly dizzy. “Wow.”
Gray chuckled and stroked the cloth over his head again. “You okay?”
Justin stared at the nurse. The man in his head. He could actually
feel
Gray’s affection for Michael, but more, he saw the affection the wolf had for
him
.
“Is it always like this?”
Gray pushed a glass of orange juice under his nose, encouraging him to drink. “Like what?”
“Crowded.” It was the only word that came to mind.
“I don’t know. I was born into the pack. They’ve always been in my head.”
Justin looked over at Shannon, who leaned on the counter looking thoroughly amused. He frowned. Try as he might, he couldn’t find the tiger anywhere in the bonds. Maybe he couldn’t sense the tiger. “Was it disconcerting for you?”
The amusement faded somewhat. Shannon crossed his arms and shot a look at the Alpha, who nodded.
The tiger cleared his throat. “I’ve never formally joined the pack.”
“He’s too dominant,” Quinn murmured. “It would have thrown the pack into uncertainty. His promise of loyalty is enough for Dec.”
The awareness began to settle to a faint buzz and he pushed to his feet, allowing, even enjoying, Declan’s steadying hold on his arm.
So this was what it’s like to be a wolf.
“Thank you,” he whispered, knowing full well the whole room could hear him. “Thank you for letting me in.”
Declan smiled. “Just love Mikey. That’s all I ask.”
“You’re a good Alpha,” he said, blinking back a sudden flood of tears.
The Alpha’s smiled turned cocky. “Aren’t I just?”
Chapter 3
The hum of so many people in the back of his mind was slightly distracting, but Justin made it back to the house without tripping over himself.
Mostly.
The lock didn’t seem to be quite in the right place and he frowned when his key scuffed the paint on their new door.
Suddenly, it swung open, revealing Michael in all his barefoot glory. God, the man made ripped, paint splattered jeans and a simple t-shirt look sexy.
“Hi.” He stumbled forward, heading straight into his lover’s arms. He buried his head in the crook of Michael’s neck and wrapped his arms around his waist. The scent he’d come to love enveloped him and he sagged, relaxing completely against the wolf.
“Whoa.” Michael grunted and shifted positions.
Justin simply nuzzled closer. “Hi,” he said again.
“Hi.” Michael slipped his arms around his hips and hefted him up. “You okay?”
It was on the tip of his tongue to say that, yes, he was just peachy-keen. Until he realized he’d actually considered using the word peachy-keen. Or was that two words?
“Justin?”
“I think I’m drunk. Is that possible when I haven’t had anything to drink?”
Michael’s chuckle jostled him out of his comfortable spot. He pulled away and glared at the man.
Or he thought he did.
His soon-to-be mate smiled indulgently at him. Wasn’t he scary anymore? Most shifters usually shook in their boots when they saw him coming. It didn’t matter how dominant he was. He had the final say on just about everything.
“Gray called. He told me you’d been a little off since joining the pack. It shouldn’t last long. Come on into the kitchen and sit down. I made dinner.”
He let himself be led through the house and in no time, had a hot plate of food in front of him.
“Eat,” Michael said. “It will probably help.”
He missed his mouth once or twice, jabbing himself in the chin with his fork, but Michael was right. The protein and calories rushed through him, dampening his connections to the pack members until he could barely feel them. “That’s going to take some getting used to. Oh, God, they can’t tell when we’re making love, can they?”
What a horrifying thought. The last thing he needed was for all the teenagers in the pack to know exactly what he and his mate were up to.
Michael smirked. “Making love? Really?”
Justin glared, satisfied when Michael looked suitably chastened. “Yes. Making love. And can they sense it?”
“No. They can tell if we’re happy or upset, but they don’t know why. They will come running if you’re scared, though.”
His stomach settled. “So I guess I shouldn’t watch those horror movies anymore, huh?”
Michael chuckled. “Gray also said you need to talk to me about something. He was a little vague.”
He sighed and pushed his food around his plate. He’d hoped to discuss the whole mating thing with Michael in a more comfortable environment. Like in each other’s arms while they soaked in the new tub. Somewhere where it would be hard for Michael to run from.
“That sigh was pretty serious. What’s going on?”
The meat on his fork tempted him, if only so he could shove it in his mouth to avoid bringing up a sensitive subject, but the nurse had made sure they would have a heart-to-heart.
“Are you having second thoughts about going through with the mating ceremony tomorrow? Because,” he rushed to say when Michael’s eyes widened, “we don’t have to do it tomorrow. We can wait.
I
can wait. For as long as you need.”
Michael surged to his feet. For one sinking second, Justin thought he was going to bolt.
Instead, the wolf zipped around the table, knocking over a chair in his haste, and knelt at his feet. “I’m not having second thoughts. I promise.”
Justin rubbed a lock of the wolf’s hair between his fingers. “Then what’s going on? I’ve suspected for a while you weren’t quite comfortable with what’s going to happen and now that I can feel you in the pack bonds, I know something isn’t right.”
His heart melted when his mate buried his face in his lap and he felt the heat of a blush emanating from his cheeks.
He had to strain his ears to hear Michael’s whispered response, “It’s because Declan and Quinn will be there.”
Using his hold on the wolf’s hair, he pulled gently until Michael looked up at him. “What’s wrong with Declan and Quinn? You don’t exactly have any qualms about strutting around naked in front of the whole pack. And we’ve been to several mating ceremonies in the last few months. Besides, you have an awesome body.”
“It’s not me I don’t want them seeing. It’s you.”
Justin couldn’t help the smile. “They’ve seen me nude at least once a month at the Pack Run. It’s nothing new, babe.”
Michael opened his mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again.
He took pity on his lover and slid his hand down the back of Michael’s skull and cupped the back of his neck. “Hey, don’t worry. We’ll work through whatever’s going on.”
He jerked back when Michael surged up and pressed their lips together.
Oh, he loved the way Michael kissed. He poured all his emotions, all the words he couldn’t say, into his kisses. He opened his mouth at the wolf’s soft insistence and shivered when Michael sucked on his lower lip before running the tip of his tongue along the inside edge of it.
Talk. He needed to talk to Michael.
He pulled away as gently as he could. “Michael…”
His sentence morphed into a groan when his lover trailed his lips across his jaw and down his neck.
He panted, hardening his resolve even as another part of him hardened. “Baby,” he breathed. “Baby, we need to talk.”
“Talking is overrated,” Michael responded.
Justin let his head fall back as Michael nipped at his collarbone, but he allowed it only for a few more seconds before pushing the wolf back completely. “Please don’t try and distract me.”
His heart stuttered when his lover shuffled back and stood. For one awful second, he thought Michael would make some excuse and leave the room like he’d done so many times when things got too intense for him to handle.
“I’m sorry,” Michael whispered. Justin closed his eyes when the wolf tenderly cupped his cheek. “I’m so sorry I made you feel like I might run and not come back. I didn’t realize. Find me through our pack bond.”
He sifted through the different ribbons of awareness until he found his lover’s and smiled. It pulsed with love and affection. “Sometimes I need time to work through my feelings and I know that if I stay with you while I do it, I’ll end up bending you over the nearest surface instead of figuring out what I need to do. But I will always come back. I promise.”
Justin nodded, still holding on to that warm ribbon with his mind. Pack bonds were incredible. It was no wonder why wolves were the most stable shifters.
“I need to get my baser instincts under control,” Michael continued, gesturing to his crotch. “I’m just going to get some water. Do you want some?”
He shook his head and watched Michael’s tight ass as he crossed the room.
Perhaps talking
was
overrated.
Chapter 4
Michael tried his best to keep his link with Justin full of love and not to taint it with the guilt he felt.
He’d never stopped to think about how his tendency to kiss Justin senseless when they were talking might make Justin think he was distracting him on purpose. He just couldn’t help himself. When Justin got all serious, his lips pulled into a small moue, a dimple appeared in his chin and he was too damn adorable for Michael to think of anything else. It had taken him a while to get used to the fact that he was allowed touch and kiss them man whenever he wanted and perhaps he’d gone overboard taking full advantage of the situation.
He downed the entire glass of water without pausing, and then filled his glass again, using the time to think about his words.
There really wasn’t a good way to explain his feelings, not without coming across like a jerk.
Taking a deep breath, he set the full glass on the counter and walked back to his lover.
It was tempting to sit at Justin’s feet and let him soothe everything away. It was more tempting to scoop the man up and settle him into his lap.
Both situations would probably end up with him trailing his lips over some part of the eagle’s body though and, mindful of Justin’s request not to distract him, Michael chose a seat at the opposite end of the table.
He smiled at Justin’s pout. God, the man really had no idea how cute he was. “If I get any closer, I won’t be responsible for my wandering hands. And you wanted to talk.”
“Right,” Justin muttered. “Talk. Why did I think we needed to talk?”
Ooohhh, dangerous territory. If he hadn’t had the new pack connection with his lover, Michael would have taken the hint and kissed the daylights out of Justin. But he’d seen the need in their faint bond, the quiet desperation to understand.
And he never wanted his mate-to-be to doubt his importance in his life.
He sighed and rubbed the center of his forehead.
“I’m a jealous bastard,” he finally said.
Justin cocked his head. “Have you always felt this way about me being naked in front of the pack?”
Michael closed his eyes at the thought of a nude Justin. God, the way his skin glowed in the moonlight always had time wondering if he actually needed to hunt. Even his wolf, who really didn’t care that much about sex, agreed that their mate’s body was stunning.
He cleared his throat. “Not naked. Your pleasure.”
“Sorry, babe. I’m really confused.”
A little growl of frustration rumbled in his throat. Why couldn’t he just find the words to express his feelings?
He suddenly found himself with a lap full of cooing eagle shifter. “Shh, babe. Take your time. I’ll wait. For as long as you need, remember?”
His heart had started beating for Justin long ago but the man never failed to remind him how much he was loved. No one had ever loved him as much as Justin, not the former Alpha, not Declan and certainly not his parents. Heat pushed at the back of his eyes, warning him that any moment, tears might start to flow.
Justin must have seen a shimmer of them because his crooning increased and his arms tightened around Michael’s neck. “Don’t cry. Please don’t cry.”
Michael let out a rusty chuckle. “Happy tears. God, I’m such a girl.”
Justin sniggered and squirmed in his lap until his dick sat up and paid attention. “While there’s nothing wrong with girls, you, my love, are very definitely all male.”
There was no point in holding back on his explanation any longer, especially if it meant Justin would help take his mind off it. “I have to share you with everyone. Not just the pack, or with the eagles, but with every shifter in North America who has a dispute.”
“I’m sorry,” Justin said, snuggling close.
He shook his head and pulled the eagle against his chest. “I don’t mind sharing some of your attention. But your pleasure, it’s only been mine for so long. I don’t want to share that with anyone. I don’t want Declan or Quinn seeing you like that.”