Chapter 8 Rey
REY
Sighing, Rey pulled the car to the side of the road, put it in Park, and turned in his seat to face Carter.
“I know you haven’t had the people in your life complimenting you or accepting you for you, but you will find I never lie to you, Carter.
Relationships take work, even matings, and I’m sure we will find little things that may irk us, but the rewards of a satisfying mating far outweigh those idiosyncrasies we both have. ”
He saw the downtrodden expression on Carter’s face.
So many people had made him feel bad for being himself.
If it took the rest of their lives, he would teach Carter not to let others drive his self-worth and the viewpoint he had of himself.
Rey leaned over and tugged Carter’s hand away from his face. “Look at me, sweetheart.”
The beautiful hazel of Carter’s eyes, a turbulent brownish green right then, met his.
Rey’s heart thumped at just how gorgeous his true mate was.
He’d been stunned to find Carter amongst the Emerald Lake Hills pack when he’d been so convinced he’d find his mate in another indigenous people’s pack.
But he wouldn’t trade Carter for anyone else.
He hadn’t been lying when he told Carter his voice soothed his wolf.
If his wolf could purr, the massive fucker would be curled up in a ball, motorboating away.
As it was, the beast wouldn’t leave him be when he was separated from Carter.
“You never have to worry about talking too much to me. Whatever you want to say, I will listen, I promise. Okay?”
Carter bit his lip. “Okay,” he said.
“Good,” Rey said, then he kissed Carter lightly. “Let’s go see what this town offers. I’m craving some ice cream.”
He put the car back in Drive and pulled onto the highway again.
Rey asked Carter questions about his life, interested in discovering everything he could about his mate.
Carter relaxed again and chattered away, a bright smile on his lips.
All the tension had drained from Carter by the time they reached Kamas.
Rey kept an eye out at the various stores on the main road through town.
He saw several clothing stores, a diner, a steakhouse, and an art store.
Eventually, he spotted an ice cream parlor and pulled into a parking space in front of it.
“You like ice cream, right? I probably should have asked that first.”
Carter laughed, eyes sparkling. “I love ice cream!”
“Wait right there,” Rey said. He climbed out of the truck and trotted around to Carter’s side to open the door for him. “What’s your favorite flavor?”
“I love chocolate chip cookie dough and anything with peanut butter.”
“I’m partial to pistachio and the three-in-one with the strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla.
” Rey grabbed Carter’s hand and led him toward the front door.
He opened it and urged Carter in first, letting go of Carter’s hand to place his hand on Carter’s lower back.
They approached the counter, where a slightly older woman smiled at them. Her name tag read Helen.
“Hello! Welcome to Biggerson’s Ice Cream. What can I scoop for you today?”
Carter leaned over the glass to peer at the different flavors. “Can I get a scoop of cookie dough and a scoop of peanut butter brownie?”
“Great choice!” Helen replied. “Our ice creams are all made fresh right here in Kamas. Super creamy, and the peanut butter brownie is one of our more popular flavors. Cone or cup, sweetie?”
Rey smiled when Carter flicked his gaze to him. “Your choice, sweetheart. I’m looking at a waffle cone. Love those.”
“We can dip them in chocolate, if you like.”
“Oh, that sounds amazing!” Carter said. “Can I have a waffle cone dipped in chocolate please?”
“You sure can,” Helen said. She stepped away to grab a waffle cone, dipped the first three inches into a vat of chocolate on the counter, and set it in a little rack. “You’re going to have a waffle cone as well, hun?”
Rey nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”
She dipped a second one and set it in the rack next to Carter’s before sticking it into what looked like a little fridge. “Just need to put it in the blast chiller so the chocolate hardens. Your friend wanted cookie dough and peanut butter brownie. What kind are you thinking of, hun?”
“Two scoops of pistachio would be great.”
“Oh, that’s one of my favorites,” Helen replied. “I swear I’ve gained twenty pounds working here.”
Rey laughed and winked at her. “You look amazing, ma’am.”
She blushed and waved his words away. “Thank you, but don’t tease an old woman like me.”
He didn’t push the issue, sliding his hand over Carter’s hip to pull him closer to his side. They watched Helen take out the cones and scoop the flavors they’d ordered. Carter’s eyes lit up when Helen handed him his cone. “Thank you,” he said.
Rey passed his cone to Carter and took out his wallet, giving Helen his credit card. Once Helen swiped it and gave it back, he took his cone from Carter. “Want to sit outside?”
“Sure!” Carter took a lick of his cone, snaring Rey’s attention.
The rosy silk of his tongue flicking over the ice cream sent tendrils of heat through Rey’s body and straight to his groin.
But it was the small moan Carter gave at the taste of the sweet treat which caused not only his wolf to pant, but Rey’s cock to harden to steel.
He guided Carter out of the parlor, ignoring Helen’s shouted, “Have a nice day!”
Bending to growl into Carter’s ear, Rey slid his free hand down over Carter’s pert, rounded ass. “Little wolf, if you keep making those noises, I may just forget we’re in public and get us both arrested.”
Carter stumbled slightly, a small squeak bursting free. “Rey!”
Chuckling, Rey urged Carter to one of the small tables with umbrellas. He pulled out a chair for Carter. “Can’t help it, sweetheart. You are so fucking sexy. It makes it hard to remember where we are.”
Bright red flooded Carter’s face and trickled down his neck into the collar of his shirt as he sat down. Rey took the seat next to him, draping his arm over the back of Carter’s chair, rubbing between Carter’s shoulder blades with his thumb. “Definitely great ice cream,” Rey said.
A hum of agreement came from Carter.
“What made you decide to work with computers?” Rey asked.
Carter swallowed the small bite he’d taken before answering.
“My dad worked in computers. He had me behind a keyboard from the time I was two, teaching me everything he knew. My mom hated how much time he would have me sitting at his desk with him. Though nothing compares to the day my dad bought me my first computer. I was five. She got so mad.”
Sadness fell over Carter’s features, dampening the glow Rey had seen in him. “I’m sorry, Carter. I didn’t mean to raise such a sad subject.”
“It’s okay,” Carter replied. “I miss them. A lot. They were my best friends.”
Rey’s parents had just been his parents.
They’d had their fights as he was growing up.
But he’d had other friends from school and in the neighborhood where they’d lived.
He couldn’t imagine being close enough to his parents to consider them his best friends.
Carter’s life seemed so lonely since they had passed away.
It also shed light on why Carter had taken up with as many terrible men as Nick had said.
His mate had been lonely. Not anymore. Rey would make damn sure of it.
“You have me now, little wolf,” Rey said. “Just because we’re mates doesn’t mean we can’t be best friends, too.”
Carter looked at him. “Yeah?”
Rey’s heart ached at the obvious loneliness in his mate’s eyes. It made him even angrier at Carter’s home pack and his cousin. Nick should have defended Carter against the pack for treating him the way they did. “Of course. Now that we’ve found each other, you’ll never be alone again, Carter.”
Blinking heavily, Carter gave him a tremulous smile, and he leaned toward Rey to drop a kiss on his cheek. “I’m glad I came this time. I wasn’t going to because of my hand and leg, but Nick wouldn’t leave me behind. If I’d stayed in California, I’d have missed out on meeting you.”
“Me, too,” Rey said, sliding his hand around Carter’s nape and massaging the warm flesh there. “Me, too, little wolf.”
They finished their ice cream and took a walk to window shop, checking out the few stores with displays.
Rey pointed out a few of the businesses, which looked like some back in Senaka.
He would do everything in his power to convince Carter to move there permanently.
Carter had seemed very interested in the idea of starting his own business, and Rey planned on helping him set everything in motion.
“You never told me how you got interested in fixing cars,” Carter said, interrupting Rey’s thoughts.
“Actually, my grandfather on my mom’s side of the family was a mechanic. I used to spend a couple weeks during the summer with him, and he taught me everything he knew.”
“He doesn’t live in Senaka?”
“He passed away when I was fifteen. A few years before my parents. But no, he didn’t live with the pack.
My mom came from a pack in New York. A small one.
My dad was on a trip with some friends after college when he met her.
After they were mated and got married, they moved to Senaka.
When I turned ten, my parents started sending me off to stay with my grandfather for a couple of weeks during summer vacation from school. ”
“What part of New York? I haven’t met any other packs. Just yours. There aren’t any others in California that I know of. Do you still go out there to visit that pack? I’ve never been to New York before. Is it nice?”
Rey laughed gently. “One question at a time, sweetheart.”
Carter winced. “Sorry.”