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“ Humph. If I didn’t want you to come over here and kiss me so much, I’d probably make you grovel a little more, but okay, I can understand. This time. ” He pointed a finger at Zack. “Don’t ever do itagain. ”
Zack walked over to him and took the finger in his mouth, enjoying the little sigh slipping from Gabe’s lips before he took him next, bending him back in his arms to kiss him thoroughly.
“Am I forgiven then?”
“Only a little. ” He pushed Zack away. “Stand over there,” he said, nodding toward the door. “Your damn bite and blood has me feeling loopy. All I want to do is lick you all over. I can’t think straight with you so close. Go on. ” He made a little shooing motion with his hand and waited until Zack went to stand by the door, smiling.
“Actually, you’re doing very well,” Zack said. “Surprisingly so. I thought you’d still be sleeping. Usually when humans are mated, it takes them days to come out of heat. Your system must be totally different from most humans. It must be because you werealready turned. ”
“When the rogue monster bit me?” He sagged against the sink. “I’ve been running with the full moon for almost a year. Damn, I hope it’s really all over. ”
“It is, honey, I promise. As long as you feed from me occasionally and let me care for you. ”
“Okay, so what happens next? I can care for myself, you know. I keep telling you. We’ve mated, like you said, and you told me I’d be part of your pack from this point on. Right?”
“Yes, we’ll move upstairs to my room, and we’ll need to go get your car soon. I’ve already sent someone out to gather up your camping gear. ”
“My truck, but yeah. I left it in the campground parking lot. Where are the rest of my clothes? And my gun? The shotgun belonged to my dad. ”
“I brought your gun with us. It’s upstairs in our room. I’m having your clothes washed for you. Uh…about that, our new pets usually wear leather pants. Your ass will look fine in leather, baby. ”
“Uh huh…okay, back up. First of all, what the hell is a pet? Second of all, are you kidding me?I’m not your dog, you know. ”
“I know, and I figured you wouldn’t like the idea. We call our non-shifting pack members pets. It’s just a name, though a lot of new pets don’t understand and get all torn up about it. In a mating, it’s a mark of ownership, too, soother wolves will know you’re taken—well, that and the collar. ”
“As in dog collar? So not happening. ”
“Now, Gabe, honey…” Zack began to say, shifting his feet uncomfortably.
“Don’t Gabe honey me, either. I don’t mind the leather pants much, because yes, my ass will look fine in them, but no collar. This is not S&M, or it better not be. I mean, I like a little kink and all, but I’ve never seen the point in a collar. ”
Zack lost his patience, never long to begin with, and shouted. “The point is to let others know to keep their damn hands off you, because you’re mine!”
“I’ll wear one only if you wear one too!” Gabe shouted right back. “And the leathers, come to think of it, sinceI’d like to look at your ass in leather just as much as you like to look at mine!”
“Damn it!” Zack grumbled, turning around to go back and sit on the bed. “I knew you’d be a lot of trouble. ”
Gabe came out of the bathroom and sat beside him on the bed, smiling as he pulled off his towel. “I’m worth it, though. ”
“Oh yeah?” Zack said, snarling and pulling Gabe to him. “Prove it . ”
Chapter Three
Zack sat at the head table, watching Gabe eat. The young
man had a voracious appetite. He dug into his second steak and showed no signs of being full. His metabolism must be amazing to burn off all those calories. Zack almost wished he would put on a little weight, maybe even get a little pot belly. He wouldn’t have to be as jealous all the time of the attention his handsome mate received. From the moment they’d walked into the dining room, almost every eye had been on him and not just from curiosity. What had pissed Zack off even more was the fact Gabe looked back. Not really flirting, he did let his eyes roam more than once to a good-looking young gamma as he passed by, making Zack furiously jealous.
Zack had always considered himself to be nice looking, having been told he was handsome numerous times. Like all the wolves he was large and well built, muscular like a body builder, though Zack’s muscles came from hard work, not from lifting weights. He had the family trait of dark hair and deep brown eyes, along with high cheek bones, supporting the long held family belief that Native American blood ran through their veins. Gabe, on the other hand, was simply beautiful, as different from Zack as night from day. He was smaller, though probably only in relation to the huge wolves roaming around the compound. Probably of average human height, he had a beautiful body, slim, but ripped and cut all along his chest and abs, tapering down to a small waist. His midnight black hair and his icy blue eyes made Zack want to sit and stare at him all night. The combination was striking and beautiful. His lips were full and soft, almost pouty, and his nose was short and straight. Gorgeous, Zack thought, and all mine, though Gabe needed reminding constantly.
The night before had been their mating ceremony. Gabe had actually agreed to wear the white robes, but only if Zack had worn one too. No amount of frowning, growling, or attempts at intimidation worked. Finally Zack slipped a robe on over his bare chest, and Gabe had done the same. No collaring, though. He’d been absolutely adamant on the issue. Zack was still trying to figure out a way to bribe him into that one. He didn’t want to force him so early in their relationship.
Gabe had quickly figured out something it took most pets years to learn. For all their posturing and tough talk, wolves were powerless against their pets. Sworn to protect and serve them, they were completely unable to deliberately hurt them physically or even emotionally. Any pain they doled out would only hurt them just as much, since wolves were unable to stand seeing their mates upset in any way. Most used intimidation and threats as their weapons, even spankings, but with Gabe, these tools didn’t work in the least. Actually, Zack hadn’t tried a good spanking yet. He had the feeling Gabe would enjoy it too much, taking away all its power as a tool of intimidation. Still, sometimes, like tonight, his hands itched to spank that ass.
The night before, they had stood in front of the entire assembled pack, some fifty strong, and Zack had repeated the traditional words as he held Gabe’s hand in his. “This is Gabriel, and I hold him to my heart where he will lodge forever. I pledge to him my love and faith, and my promise to always care for him, always protect him. My soul has found its mate, and I will never forsake him. Even unto death, my heart will follow his. ”
Gabe had dropped his head as he said the words to him, refusing to meet his gaze, yet when he’d finished speaking and tipped up Gabe’s chin to kiss him, his beautiful eyes were suspiciously wet. Zack whispered in his ear as he held him close. “We’re your family from now on, sweetheart. You’ll never be alone again. ”
Gabe had shuddered and wrapped his arms tightly around Zack’s waist. Zack left him then as he and the pack went outside to shift, a tradition after a mating ceremony, and he thoughthe’d detected a tightening of Gabe’s lips and a disapproving glance. He’d been in the throes of strong emotion, though, and by the time he and the pack returned from their moonlit run much later during the night, Gabe was sound asleep. He hadn’t awakened him, just slid in beside him and held him close the rest of the night.
