Chapter Seven
“You know I worship the very ground you walk on, right?” Zeppelin ran a finger through Preston’s hair, his mate’s head resting on his lap. After the long day he had working the grill, Zeppelin didn’t plan to move a muscle.
Unless Preston wanted to have sex or… Nope, that was the only exception.
Turning slightly in bed, Preston glanced up at him. “What did you do wrong? I knew you shouldn’t have threatened Liam in front of Teagan. If you scared the unsuspecting human, you can take your pillow and sleep on the couch, buster.”
Zeppelin loved how his mate had stepped into the role of pack caretaker.
He was always welcoming the new mates, making them feel at home in what had to be a frightening moment for them.
Now, it was like an exclusive club for them, always hanging out in the kitchen, despite being kidnapped and taken to the demon realm.
The house had once been just a structure where a group of men simply lived together. Now it felt alive with warmth and connection, as if the very walls had begun to breathe.
“I offered Teagan a ribeye,” Zeppelin defended. “Why do I have to be guilty of something when all I’m doing is reminding you how much I love you?”
Preston gave him a look that said Zeppelin was full of shit. “Fine. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, but I know damn well you’re smoothing the way for something.”
It was hard to get anything past his mate. Zeppelin hoped he wasn’t about to hurt Preston’s feeling, but someone had to tell him. Bracing for the fallout, he said, “Your deviled eggs are horrible.”
Zeppelin winced—because it honestly killed him to hurt his mate’s feelings—but cracked an eye open when he didn’t hear a peep. Not even an indignant huff.
“I’m sorry, Preston. You know I would never say or do anything to upset you, but you’ve got to stop torturing everyone with those eggs.”
Was his mate fighting a smile? Zeppelin had his answer when Preston burst out laughing. Was his honesty too blunt, or was Preston having some mate-life crisis? Zeppelin was becoming increasingly concerned. “Sunshine? You okay?”
“I was wondering when you were going to finally say something about them.” His mate pushed himself into a sitting position then twisted sideways to face Zeppelin. “I know they suck.”
“Then…” Zeppelin was seven kinds of confused. “Then why do you keep making them?”
Preston crossing his arms never boded well, especially when he added a scowl.
“Because nobody stops me. I knew they were awful the day we had the cookout after Jalen’s recovery.
He told me how my deviled eggs needed an intervention.
That’s why I never make him eat any. I was going to toss out the recipe, but the pack went out of their way to lie to my face.
” He poked Zeppelin in his chest. “And everyone keeps pretending those disgusting things are amazing, so I’ll keep making them until the pack learns to be honest with me. ”
Zeppelin chuckled. “My diabolical mate.”
“And now that you’ve finally admitted how awful they really are, you’re no longer obligated to pretend you’ve eaten a few when I know they end up in the woods fifty feet away.” He narrowed his eyes. “Our pack? They’ll suffer until they fess up, and you better not tip them off, mister.”
Preston’s fiendish grin had Zeppelin ready to screw his mate until he waved a white flag.
Living in a remote mountain town could sometimes drag ass.
He admired his mate for finding ways to entertain himself, and although this was a harmless lesson, he said, “You know they’ll never tell you the truth, right?
” He tucked a strand of hair behind Preston’s soft ear. “Not if they value their lives.”
“You’d kill your own pack just to save my feelings?” Preston’s eyes softened. “That’s so romantic!”
“I knew we were fated together for a reason.” He started to lean in for a kiss, which he planned on leading to an intense, naked workout when his phone rang. “Am I allowed to kill whoever’s interrupting us?”
Preston picked up Zeppelin’s phone and looked at the screen. “Nope. You have to give Liam at least a full day with his new mates before you murder him. Those two are really nice, though I didn’t get a chance to hang out with Teagan. Are they both human?”
“Yep.” Zeppelin retrieved his phone and answered while pulling his sunshine against his chest and curling an arm around him. Cuddling would have to do for now. “Didn’t think I’d hear from you for at least a week, which means something’s wrong. Spill.”
It sucked balls when he was right. Listening to Liam tell him about two convicts after his mates, and why, made Zeppelin bare his canines. “They assaulted and hospitalized Teagan?”
The guy was no bigger than a hobbit. There was nothing Zeppelin hated more than a bully, except a bigoted one.
Preston sat forward, taking his warmth with him. “Someone hurt Teagan? Tonight?”
Zeppelin shook his head and held up a finger.
“As soon as I walked in, I scented them,” Liam replied with a hard edge to his voice.
“Bring your mates home. We can better protect them under our roof.” He put the call on speaker when Preston leaned in so close his ear pressed against Zeppelin’s lips.
“I don’t want to risk driving through the mountains at night with my mates.” The snarl in Liam’s tone was a clear indication of how frustrated he felt. “If those bastards are staking out the house, they could follow us and try to run us off the road.”
Valid point. Shifters had excellent night vision, but they were cautious driving those treacherous roads after sunset. If Liam was forced to outrun someone pursuing him, he would be putting himself and his mates at risk.
“I’m sending backup your way. They’ll keep an eye on the house while your mates are home. I already talked to Ash, by the way. Even though he’s not happy his brand-new employees are taking their honeymoon period after only one night, he said he’ll make do until they get back.”
It might’ve been presumptuous of Zeppelin to schedule the two off, but he’d gotten the distinct impression Liam’s humans needed some breathing room.
Zeppelin knew trouble when he saw it, and despite Hayden and Teagan having a good time, they’d looked like the kind of exhausted you only got from living under extreme pressure.
It was the same look Preston had worn when they’d met. Bone-weary tired.
“Thanks,” Liam said.
“You’re welcome.” Zeppelin kissed the tip of Preston’s button nose.
“I was being sarcastic,” Liam growled. “Just one more thing I have to explain to them. They’ve already had a trying night.
Teagan passed out when I revealed I was a wolf, and Hayden used me as target practice with amazing accuracy.
Follow that with explaining what a mate is to one confused human and one who thinks I’m now his personal…
never mind. Just when I think I have a handle on tonight, my alpha takes it upon himself to make a decision involving my mates without consulting them, which will only make them feel like they have no say in their own autonomy.
I’m probably going to end up sleeping with a dozen weaponized throw pillows after I tell them you’ve done. So, like I said, thanks, asshole.”
“He’s right,” Preston muttered.
“By the way…” Liam continued. “Preston, I love you like a brother and would lay down my life to keep you safe, but you need to burn that deviled-eggs recipe. Just sayin’. Peace.”
He hung up.
Zeppelin would’ve been out for blood at being called an asshole if Liam hadn’t sounded at his absolute limit. Fortunately for him, everyone in the pack got one free pass.
And Liam had just cashed his in. If the wolf stepped out of line again, Zeppelin would remind the guy why he was alpha. If he didn’t, his pack would lose all respect for him.
Including Liam.
And then Zeppelin would have complete anarchy on his hands.
Pack life was sometimes harsh, but the benefits included, but not limited to, ride-or-die loyalty, a family that would throw down for you and with you, no questions asked, and an alpha who made the difficult decisions and took responsibility for his men when they screwed the pooch with anyone outside their pack.
The burden of leadership wasn’t easy, especially when you led a pack of deadly wolves, but Zeppelin wouldn’t trade his life for anything.
And he was a big enough man to know when he was the one who’d messed up and crossed boundaries he had no business crossing.
Come tomorrow, Zeppelin would talk with Liam, let the wolf know his mates could take their two weeks whenever they decided to, and to show Hayden and Sasha he’d learned his lesson, he’d kill the son of a bitches hunting them.
“You done?” Preston studied him in a way that said he knew to give Zeppelin a moment.
“Digging around in my head? Yeah. Now where were we, sunshine?”
Preston’s soft laugh echoed through the room as Zeppelin wrapped his arms around the very beat to his heart.
Chapter Eight
Hayden watched as Liam moved quietly through the house, testing each window lock and securing both doors. Gone was the flirtatious guy from earlier who’d coaxed a kiss out of Teagan and made Hayden blush.
This was the wolf that moved with predatory focus, his broad shoulders tense as he double-checked the back door’s deadbolt, nostrils flaring every few minutes to sample the air.