Chapter Thirty-Eight
Todd
Revelation
More like the man gets off on sucking the joy out of everyone’s lives.
As much as losing my father sucked, and I obviously wish he were still alive, I’m eternally grateful Mom and I found our way to the Ocala Pack. Perfect case of making the best out of a bad situation.
Because as bad as things were, they could’ve ended up soooo much worse for us.
I wish Mal could’ve found his way here as a pup, grown up loved and safe and respected, and not knowing the kind of fear and assholishness people like Randolph Sterling think is their right to inflict upon others because their egos are so fragile they only feel superior by crushing people under them.
“Let me know when you feel like starting back,” I say, wishing I could run with Mal all night.
“Do we have to start back?” He tries to make it sound like a joke but I can’t let myself get sucked into something that could break both our hearts.
So I do my best to playfully deflect. “I was thinking more time in the hot tub.”
“Oooh, hot tub!”
I nuzzle him with my nose. “Then I’ll carry you back to the house and tuck you into bed. How’s that sound?”
He nuzzles me back and softly sighs. “That sounds good. Thanks.”
What I don’t tell him is, despite how I feel, it’ll be his own bed I tuck him into, not mine.
Not yet.
I can’t.
Not with so many unanswered questions and potentially dangerous situations circling over our heads.
I opt to take the long way around the property, even doubling back a few times, maintaining a slow lope Mal can keep up with because I can tell his gas tank’s near empty.
Good.
I want him so exhausted that, hopefully, he falls asleep in my arms in the hot tub and then I can put him to bed.
Me? I could easily run a few more hours, but I should try to get some sleep. I have a feeling there will be several long days ahead of us with preparations for the arrival of our “guests.” And I’ll be taking sentry shifts, too.
While it wasn’t a “secret” that I deal with vampires, it wasn’t something I wanted widely broadcast to the rest of the pack, either. Knowing the way many shifters feel about them, I felt it was better not to discuss it.
Still do.
Yes, vampires can be—are—dangerous.
So are a lot of humans. And other shifters.
Like wolves.
But the live-and-let-live attitude I’ve encountered so far from my dealings with vampires means I have no personal beef with them. And even if I did…
We’re still talking about kids and innocent people who’ve lost loved ones and friends in the most heinous way imaginable.
I don’t blame those who don’t want anything to do with them, and who especially don’t want them on our land, but that makes it more important for someone like me to step up and set a good example. It’s what my dad would have wanted me to do.
I hope.
We return to the hot tub, and I stretch again after shifting back. Mal takes a flying leap into the hot tub, but he’s on two legs when he lands in the water with a splash, his playful smile making me laugh.
I’m not that agile so I settle for climbing in. He immediately snuggles in my lap and closes his eyes. “That was fun,” he says. “Thank you.”
“You’re very welcome.” I stretch out, Mal perfectly nestled in my arms and along my body. I breathe in his scent, his wolf. At least now I have a better chance I’ll recognize any of Sterling’s people if they try to sneak in here and cause trouble.
He lets out a yawn and looks like he’s about to say something, but a moment later, he softly snores, and I have trouble suppressing my laughter so I don’t wake him. He’s fucking adorable. He damned sure acts like he doesn’t know it, which makes him even more attractive to me.
What would it be like coming out here every night with him after a long day’s work? Chilling out with him, discussing things…
Just being a normal couple. He seems to enjoy the work and he’s damned good with the animals. He obviously wasn’t lying when he said he’d dig in and get dirty.
What would it be like having a trusted partner to bounce ideas off of for new dairy products?
To help me run the place? To expand my marketing and sales outlets.
Not to become some dairy mogul, obviously, but the things I don’t have time to do myself and can’t justify the expense at this time to hire someone to do them.
What would it be like not being alone anymore?
Doesn’t matter how many men have cycled through my bed or my fun room over the years, none of them were mine.
Never felt an overwhelming need for any of them to be mine, either.
Not until now.
Not until Mal.
I wait a good twenty minutes before I grab a towel, scoop Mal into my arms, and climb out. He doesn’t even stir as I hold him one-armed and dry him as best I can with the other.
I don’t bother grabbing our clothes; I carry him to his apartment, tuck him into bed, and stand there for a moment staring at him.
Don’t get your hopes up.
Don’t get your heart twisted in knots.
Those are all logical thoughts.
None of them makes it all the way through to my soul, though.
I lock the door and gently pull it closed behind me before returning to the barn to grab our clothes and lock up. When I return to the kitchen I spot my cell phone on the counter and see I’ve missed a couple of texts from Jax.
Dammit.
He doesn’t say it’s an emergency but he wants me to text him as soon as I read them, so I do.
My phone rings a moment later. “Hey.” He sounds sleepy. “Hold on.” Sounds like he’s getting out of bed and moving to another room so he doesn’t awaken Shawn. “You okay?”
“Yeah, sorry. Introduced Mal to the fun room, then we took a long night run.”
“Ah.”
“And no, I didn’t fuck him. But he is already on the way toward smelling more like me because he swallowed a couple of loads.”
Jax chuckles. “You have pretty good self-control.”
“I try. What’s up?”
“I talked to Marchman a few hours ago. It’ll take longer to move everyone here than he first anticipated. They’re worried they’re still being hunted and don’t want to risk their safety or ours.”
My blood chills. “Okay?”
“Father and Dad will stay with Marchman’s group, both as advisors and as security, but they’re sending Elliot and Bobby out to Owen’s ranch in Montana.”
Those are Jax’s two youngest brothers, who still live with Mike and Pavin. Elliot’s a gamma, and Bobby, the youngest, is an omega. Owen is an Alpha and Jax’s next youngest brother.
“That doesn’t sound good,” I say.
“It’s not. I don’t like that this means extra risk to us, but I still believe this is the right thing to do.”
“I agree. So…where do I come in?”
“Can you come over tomorrow and help me and Shawn at the rec hall?”
“What?”
“Yeah. We need to start prepping it and I only have a couple of other Alphas who’ve volunteered to help, or who are available to help. I don’t want to be scrambling at the last minute. And I could use your presence tomorrow night at the open pack meeting.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll announce their arrival and ask for volunteers for sentry duty. If they see you on board, it might help sway others.”
I scrub my face with my free hand. “Can we not advertise that I’ve been doing business with them? I’d rather that info get out on my terms.”
“Sure.”
“Do you want me to bring Mal?” I’m hoping the answer is no.
“I don’t want him anywhere near here,” Jax says, relieving me. “In fact, I want him confined to your property for the duration. Which leads me to my second ask, that you bring clothes and shower at my house first before coming to the rec hall tomorrow.”
“Why—oh. So his scent’s not around the building.”
“Exactly. I don’t know that we can protect him if they scent him. Unless we’ve managed to destroy his father first.”
I think about that for a moment. “Are we sure Sterling’s behind all this?”
“I’ve seen enough proof that yeah, I am.”
I slump against the counter. “Crap,” I mutter.
“Yeah. And that’s another reason I don’t want to send Mal away. If I do, and he accidentally crosses paths with any of the people amassing to deal with this, then he’s probably dead.”
“Fuck.” I sigh. “That means I need to bring a few changes of clothes over to your place and keep and wash them there for the duration, if I’m having contact with the vamps and others.”
“Not a bad idea.”
“What about my truck? Mal rode in that.”
He grumbles. “Shit. Thanks for reminding me. Mal rode in my truck when we brought him over. You can borrow Shawn’s car and I’ll have him take our trucks into Brooksville tomorrow and get them detailed, have them completely gone over.
Pack’s expense. That should be enough to disguise Mal’s scent.
But don’t let Mal ride in your truck again until this BS is over. ”
“No problem.” I have a thought. “Did Marchman scent him on you when he was in your office?”
“No, but Mal rode in the backseat, not the front.” Jax sighs, and it sounds weary in a way I rarely hear in him. “Will Mal give us any problems about being restricted to your property?”
“I doubt it.” Finally, something to chuckle about. “He asked me after we finished in the fun room if he could stay here even after initiation.”
“What’d you tell him?”
“I told him yeah, duh. Like I’m going to run the kid off.” I laugh. “And when we had our run we were talking and I might have wound him up a little about sampling your knot.”
Now Jax snorts. “How’d that conversation go?”
“Long story. We were taking a water break and the subject of doing it shifted or not came up.”
“I’m surprised you guys weren’t shifted for your run.”
“We were.” When Jax goes quiet, I check to make sure the call hasn’t dropped. “Jax?”
“You…were?” he asks in a weird tone.
“Were what?”
“Shifted. You were running shifted?”
“Uh, yeah. Kid loved the fuck out of it.”
“You were both shifted?”
“I know you’re tired, dude,” I say, “but yes. We were both running shifted and stayed that way the whole time. We didn’t shift back until we returned and took a second dip in the hot tub.” I laugh again. “He loves my rack.”
Another long silence. “You aren’t processing what you just told me,” he flatly says.
Now he’s starting to freak me out. “I don’t get your point. I mean, he was telling me how in his old pack they don’t fuck while—”
“Todd. Listen to me. How many times have we run together since we were kids and you couldn’t hear me or Shawn? How many times have we had group pack runs, and you couldn’t communicate silently with anyone else?”
“I—” My mouth snaps shut with an audible click.
Fuuuuuck.
Fuuuuuuuuck me.
“Todd?”
“Jax,” I whisper, barely able to force the words out. “I think…” My pulse hammers in my chest. “I think maybe I have a mate bond with Mal.”