Chapter 19 The Pack Is In On It
THE PACK IS IN ON IT
“I think we made too much cream,” Mathlin said breathlessly.
Titan coughed. “That wasn’t too much cream. It was just the right amount.”
“It’s definitely too much. My legs are shaking.”
“Maybe you should’ve listened to me, and split this load into two.”
Mathlin choked, stumbling a little.
“Math!” Titan yelped.
“I’m fine!” Mathlin hefted the cupcake tray and continued to trudge across the park, to where Yasmin had placed the snack tables.
Titan glanced at Mathlin’s legs. “You know all that sounded real questionable, right?”
“Well, if anyone’s eavesdropping, then they should know that Twin Buns is open for business! Tomorrow,” Mathlin said loudly.
Titan laughed, stepping close to support Mathlin with his own body.
The cupcakes were all in one big transport box because Titan didn’t have any smaller ones, and it didn’t make sense for him to buy new boxes just for one event.
“It’s more efficient to do a big load all at once,” Mathlin said. “Big loads are beautiful.”
“Small loads are just as beautiful,” Titan said dryly. “Even if they contain barely any cream.”
Heat surged into Mathlin’s cheeks. “You’re not talking about me, right? My cream filling is like this sad piping bag that leaked while you were filling it, and now there’s barely anything coming out of the tip.”
Titan coughed, his shoulders shaking. Mathlin wished he had managed to keep his mouth shut, somehow.
“You should plug up my mouth,” Mathlin said. “With something big like—”
“I promise I’ll reward you handsomely when we’re through with today,” Titan murmured, cutting him off.
“Thanks,” Mathlin breathed. “For both the reward and, you know, saving me from eternal shame.”
The alpha’s grin was all sharp teeth. “I don’t think your words are worthy of eternal shame, Math. They’re amazing droplets of... not wisdom, exactly—”
“They’re droplets of mouth jizz, is what they are,” Mathlin muttered.
Titan laughed, nudging Mathlin over to the appropriate snack table. Mathlin set down the heavy box with a thump, flexing his fingers.
At least the decorative tiered plates were already there; Mathlin pulled on some disposable gloves, arranging the cupcakes carefully.
Was it him, or did his body feel heavier and more sensitive today?
“Titan!” said a woman’s voice. “You and Mathlin, huh?”
Mathlin’s heart stuttered. When he turned, he found a short, plump omega with curly grey hair and an easy smile. “Aunt Yasmin!”
Yasmin laughed. “Calling me Aunt already? Has Titan initiated you into the pack?”
She gave Titan a sly smile; Titan turned pink.
“Oops,” Mathlin said. “Uh, Titan initiated some very deep—”
“Some very deep words,” Titan cut in, saving him again. “But nothing quite as weird as you might think.”
“Just the cream filling sort of weird,” Mathlin said, and groaned. “Please shut me up.”
“It’s good to see you both.” Yasmin drew them into a hug. “You made these cupcakes, Mathlin?”
“Titan observed me very closely while I made them, like we were roleplaying teacher and student,” Mathlin blurted. “But he couldn’t smack me with a ruler because he can’t use his hands.”
Titan choked. “Math—”
Yasmin snorted. “Well, good luck with whatever stunt you’re trying to pull.”
Mathlin stiffened in surprise. “You knew?”
“I’ve heard whispers about something going on today.” Yasmin pinned Titan with a look. “You’re lucky I’m looking forward to some excitement not caused by me.”
Titan breathed a sigh. “Thanks. And before you blame me, I’ll have you know it was Mathlin’s idea.”
Mathlin bobbed his head. “It’s going to be a spectacular show.”
Yasmin gave them some serious side eye. “Well, all I ask is no bloodshed.”
“Just other fluids?” Mathlin said.
Titan scrunched up his face. “Math.”
Mathlin froze, and cringed. “Okay, I didn’t mean jizz. Actually, there will not be strange fluids at all.”
Yasmin sighed and shook her head. “I can just imagine how this will go. Well, have fun, boys.”
She kissed Titan on the cheek, then Mathlin, and wandered away. Hamilton had dropped them off before the party officially started so they would have time to set up the cupcakes, but already, a few of the guests had arrived.
“Titan!” someone yelled.
The alpha took a step closer to Mathlin, groaning quietly. “I hope you’re ready for this.”
“Very,” Mathlin said.
A small omega came charging up to them. She was red-haired and red-faced, her chest puffed out.
“Titan Whiteclaw,” she said furiously. “You broke my brother’s best friend’s heart! Not only that—you had to smash his bedroom window bloody with three of your limbs to make him sea monster bait! They’re going to eat him tonight!”
Mathlin stared. And tried to swallow the urge to laugh. “Did... Did Mrs. Everdin tell you this?”
The omega looked slightly more hesitant when she admitted, “Yes. But she said it so urgently that it must be true!”
“Kelly,” Titan said slowly, his eyes twitching. “I’ve never spoken to your brother’s best friend outside of Twin Buns, and I most certainly am not leading sea monsters to him. Have you checked in with either of them?”
She frowned. “You haven’t? I thought you were hounding him because he’s an omega!”
Titan’s eyebrows crawled up. “I already have an omega I’m crazy about, and it’s not your brother’s best friend.”
Butterflies surged into Mathlin’s stomach. This thing they were doing right now, it wasn’t real.
But Titan turned and gave Mathlin a fond, warm smile. Then he leaned in, pressing their foreheads together.
Mathlin stopped breathing.
Their mouths were so close, Titan’s breath puffed onto his lips.
“Oh,” Kelly said awkwardly. Mathlin didn’t even look at her; he was lost in the blur of Titan’s hazel eyes.
“Is this what people usually do?” Mathlin blurted.
Titan laughed, his breath slipping into Mathlin’s mouth. “Who cares? We do it. That’s good enough for me.”
“Sometime, you should show me your wolf,” Mathlin said. “I know it’s hard to right now because both your arms need to heal before you can start shifting and messing with them.”
Titan sighed, nudging his forehead more firmly against Mathlin. “Yeah. I can feel the full moon approaching in my bones. It’ll suck not being able to shift that day.”
“I can shift, if it helps you live vicariously through me.”
“You haven’t showed me your—”
“If you say ‘pussy’, I’m going to bite you,” Mathlin said.
But Titan only rumbled. “Bite me where?”
“Wow, yeah, don’t mind me over here,” said a voice. Mathlin blinked, turning slightly when he saw movement at the corner of his eye.
“Oh, Kelly.” Titan leaned away from Mathlin—slowly, as though he didn’t want to. “I don’t think I’ve introduced you to my omega. This is Mathlin. Math, Kelly. She lives near Twin Buns.”
Kelly looked between them uncomfortably. “So this thing about my brother’s best friend...”
Titan sighed. “It’s completely false. How many times has Everdin embellished everything she hears?”
“Well, I moved here not too long ago, so I wouldn’t know,” Kelly admitted.
“She does this all the time. Salem and the others are too trusting,” Titan muttered.
“I don’t mind,” Mathlin blurted. “We’ve been changing everyone’s minds.”
And touching each other in good places, he almost said aloud.
Titan snorted. “Yeah, if the ear-fucking is any indication.”
“Ear-fucking?” Kelly took a step back, looking green in the face. “Never mind. I’ll check with my brother and get back to you.”
“Twin Buns will be open for business tomorrow!” Mathlin called after her. “Text Titan if there’s something you want him to bake!”
She gave them a thumbs-up and hurried off.
Titan shook his head. “That went well.”
“I’m enjoying it,” Mathlin said.
“Yeah? I couldn’t tell,” Titan said dryly.
Mathlin grinned, slipping his arm around Titan’s waist. He hadn’t had the chance to just hold Titan; all he wanted was the freedom to lean in and snuggle with the alpha—except these confrontations were always too short for Mathlin to get more than a quick nuzzle.
Now, he carefully laid his hand over Titan’s clothed abs, rubbing them.
“What are you doing?” Titan asked.
“I’m feeling up the individual buns of your abs.”
Titan laughed, his mouth curving into a rakish grin.
“Why are you laughing? This is what mates do,” Mathlin protested. “Mates check that you have the right number of abs.”
“What happens if I have too many?”
“I’ll eat them,” Mathlin said. Then the words sank in, and he groaned. “Not again! I didn’t mean that in the flesh-eating way.”
Titan nudged their sides together, his shoulders shaking. “And would you make muffins on me?”
“Of course! You’re a baker. You need all the baking puns. I would call you the bread man but that sounds like ‘bred man’, and you’re not the one with a bun in your oven.”
“Not just one bun in my oven, no,” Titan said with a completely straight face. “On a regular day, I’m the person with the most buns in my oven, out of anyone in town.”
Mathlin gaped. Then he snorted so loudly that several people looked over.
Some of those people were part of Titan’s pack.
For the past few days, the pack had hugged Mathlin and snickered every time he showed up at their dinner table. Now, they smiled and waved, some of them smirking knowingly. Mathlin groaned.
Four wolves broke away from the pack—Crush, Gavric, Ottis, and one of their alpha brothers, Vigil. Vigil was Titan and Crush’s littermate; he was out of town more often than not. Right now, Vigil was the most well-dressed out of all of them.
Crush and Gavric had their phones up like they were hoping to record something.
“Did we miss it already?” Gavric asked worriedly.
“No, we’re waiting for the right time,” Mathlin said.
“Awesome.” Gav did a fist pump.
Crush elbowed Gavric. “That isn’t going to help you attract more omegas.”
Gavric rolled his eyes. “Do you see any omegas around here looking for a mate? ‘Sides, they’re gonna go for Vigil rather than lil ol’ me. Vig’s dressed to impress. I’m just here for the live updates.” He gestured at his own T-shirt and jeans.
“If Everdin tries to hit on me again, please hold her off so I can escape,” Vigil said flatly.
“We’ll protect you, oh great alpha,” Crush drawled. His omega Killian came up to them, tucking himself against Crush’s side. Crush’s smile softened; he pulled Killian closer and slipped his fingertips under Killian’s shirt, stroking his baby bump.
They had such an easy intimacy, familiar and trusting. Gavric and Vigil watched them, something like hunger in their eyes.
When Mathlin turned, he found Titan watching him instead.
He startled. “Um!”
“I don’t think we’re acting boyfriendly enough,” Titan said in an undertone.
Mathlin blinked. Then he realized that Titan was handing him the perfect excuse. His heart leaped. “No, we’re really not. We need to make sure everyone knows we’re dating. Here, I know how to make it better.”
He turned and pressed himself fully against Titan’s broad chest, rubbing his face between those lush pecs. “Mmmm! Your boobs are so big, it’s like they should be making milk but somehow they’re not.”
Titan snorted. “Yeah?”
“Mm-hmm,” Mathlin said, reaching up to squish those muscles against his own face. “You could squeeze these together like in those soft-porn magazines, maybe you can put a thin baguette between them, really sell that baker image.”
Titan laughed, the sound vibrating into Mathlin’s face. “Is that something you’re into?”
“Oh gods! Uh. Maybe. I think omegas in general would like to see a naked baker,” Mathlin said, still hiding his face.
“I’m just saying that you could have a whole photo series.
Or book series. It would be called The Baker’s Breading, but not like that dark book out there. Yours would be the wholesome version.”
“Hmm,” Titan rumbled.
“Yeah, that looks legit,” one of Titan’s brothers said. “All you’re missing is the bare chest, and you could turn this into a porno right here in the middle of the party.”
Titan hummed. “We should make this more wholesome. Math, sweetheart, back up a little.”
Mathlin reluctantly pulled away.
Titan snorted at Mathlin’s expression—whatever it was. “Here, why don’t we actually kis—”
Before he could complete his sentence, someone else came up to them.
Someone who was hopping mad.
“Let me guess, Mr. Benley. You heard a rumor from Mrs. Everdin,” Titan said dryly. He was angling Mathlin away, putting himself between Mathlin and the stranger.
Benley was a man who looked like he had woken up on the wrong side of bed. He jabbed a finger at Titan. “You! You summoned my late wife from her grave so she would marry you and do your laundry!”
“Did you even check her grave?” Mathlin blurted. “I know this sounds like a serious crime, but do you have actual photo evidence?”
Benley looked angry enough to pop. Mathlin eased around Titan to put himself between them instead; Titan didn’t need more of his limbs broken right now.
“Math!” Titan hissed. He stepped in front of Mathlin and towered over Benley. “No, I did not summon your wife. You would know if you actually checked her grave. Besides, I don’t need to raise the dead. I already have an omega.”
Benley scowled. “Well, prove it!”
Titan turned to Mathlin. Mathlin was about to suggest more lovebites, or maybe some cheek rubbing. Except Titan leaned in, his face coming closer, his eyes blurring.
“Sorry,” Titan whispered, just a puff of air against Mathlin’s lips.
Then he slotted their mouths together in a rush of friction and bliss.