Chapter 14
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
GLENN
“You sure you want to head up north with me?” Forest asks as he tosses his bag into the back of my truck. “You sure you don’t mind driving?”
I stare at my brother and sigh. “I’m here, aren’t I?”
Forest arches an eyebrow. “Yeah, well, just making sure. And like I said, I’ll pay for gas and food.”
“Sounds good. Let’s go. We have a long drive.”
My phone pings as I pull out of my driveway, and I see Arbor’s name pop up on the truck’s screen. I hesitate, unsure if I should respond right now. Not sure if Forest was about to open up or some shit.
But instead of spilling his secrets, he just arches an eyebrow at me.
“Go on. Text him back. You know how needy omegas get.”
I huff and grab my phone, seeing Arbor’s sweet text. He’s wishing me a good trip, saying he misses me already.
I miss him too, especially since we’ve been spending all our free time together recently.
It happened naturally. He followed me home when we got out of work the day after our run-in with Vince.
I said nothing about him wandering into my place, stripping off his clothes, and sliding under my covers.
So, I did the same to him the next evening, driving my truck into the city, following him up to his apartment, and fucking him against the door as soon as it shut.
I want to spend the weekend with him, getting high off him.
I wasn’t lying when I said I could bathe in his scent.
It’s so delicious. But he said he was overdue for a visit with his foster brother.
In the end, it worked out really well, because I am loath to leave him.
So much so that I almost canceled on my brother.
But Arbor insisted it was fine, that he was busy anyway.
So here I am, spending the next few days away from Arbor. Fucking hate it. I feel unusually despondent over it.
Not that I say that, but Forest must read it on my face. He scoffs and runs a hand over his mouth.
“You’re so fucked.”
I sigh loudly. “Yeah.”
He chuckles and turns his gaze out to the road I turn onto.
“How does it feel to be in love?”
“Don’t know if I am.”
“You totally are, dude.”
I mull that over and then discard it for the time being. Realizing I’m in love with Arbor is not something I want to decide when I’m on a trip away from him.
“So, what are you going up north for? Did the clan invite you back?” I ask my brother, trying to turn the subject away from me.
Forest huffs. “Is that why you offered to drive me? Wanted to start an interrogation with me while I’m stuck in the car with you?”
“No, just curious about what’s been going on in your life.”
He stares out the window as we drive down the highway. “Yeah, well, I’ve been visiting the shaman. He’s been…helping me out with a few things I need.”
My fingers flex on the steering wheel. “What stuff?”
“Nosy much?”
“It’s a long drive. Humor me.”
“You don’t need to know, just that what he provides makes my life easier.”
I want to press, want to know what he needs so badly, but I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want me to know. And that’s fair. It’s probably something he’s not comfortable sharing.
“Can’t believe you’re going back to the Crimson Howlers. All I heard was the bad shit.”
Forest shifts in his seat and shrugs. “They’re not so bad.”
I eye him. “Guess not, but I remember how miserable Skye was after the unbonding.”
“Me too.”
He eyes me and then adds, “You gonna bond with Arbor?”
I feel my heart flutter in my chest. “He’s part fae. Not sure how that works.”
“Hm.” He pulls out his phone and starts typing a text. He taps his foot a few times and then lets out an amused sound.
“Just so you know, they can bond. The fae part of him will also need to accept it.”
“Who told you this?”
“The shaman.”
“Fuck him. I don’t trust that piece of shit.”
“Well, he seems to know things, as weird as he is.”
I eye my brother and let his comment simmer in my mind. The fae part of Arbor needs to accept my mark, my bond. I wonder if he even wants it, wants me.
He hasn’t used the stone on me again, that enchanted Petoskey that knocked me out. I half-expected he would, and hoped he wouldn’t.
And, surprisingly, he’s been next to me each morning I’ve woken.
It’s the best fucking thing.
I love it.
Yeah, all right. I may even love him, too.
I have to think about that a little more, but the longer I spend with him, the more I get to know him, and the more I like him. He may have fucked up, but haven’t we all? And it seems he’s eager to make amends… in more ways than one.
My cock twitches in my pants when I think about last night. The way he rode me, the way his neck arched back, his vein throbbing as he took me.
I wanted to bite down on it, to mark him.
To make him mine.
But I didn’t. I just held on to those slim hips and slammed him onto me over and over.
The orgasm that erupted from me made my ears ring, and Arbor must have felt the same because he flopped onto me and shivered.
“Best sex ever. Like, no one compares, Glenn,” he’d said.
I couldn’t agree more. But here I am, leaving him alone for three whole days and missing him like hell.
I should text him again. Make sure he doesn’t forget about me.
“Why the frown? You miss him already?”
“Fuck off. So what if I do?”
He shoves me lightly. “Just teasing you, man. Never seen you like this. Makes sense you’d go for a dude who smells like cake. You always did like food.”
I sigh, and my dick twitches again. He does smell like cake, like the best fucking birthday cake. And without that pendant on, the scent of him seeps into my skin. I can still make out his fragrance now.
Not to mention the way he tastes when he’s embracing his fae side.
The way his skin shines and glows, the way his cum reminds me of cake batter and vanilla ice cream.
It’s fucking delicious.
I reach forward, turning on some music to help distract me from the boner I’m getting just thinking about my omega.
“You can put on whatever you like,” I tell Forest, and he eyes me.
“You hate my music.”
“Maybe, but if you’re not going to tell me all the details of your life to keep me entertained, I guess I’ll just have to listen to it, won’t I?”
“Fuck you, you nosy bitch.”
I laugh, and he turns the dial, bobbing his head to the beat. We drive like that for a while, fueling up when my tank gets low and grabbing lunch before heading back on the road. It’s a long drive, boring at some points, scenic at others.
But when we finally arrive at the compound, I see the rickety wooden gates and a sign hammered into it with the etched name Crimson Howlers. Never been here before, but I’ve heard things. Things from when Skye and Maverick made this trip to Red’s pack.
To undo their bond.
I shake my head, not wanting to think about that. I wasn’t around a lot, working far too much at the time, but I remember how sick Skye was after it, how much I hated this pack and the people in it for allowing him to go through with it. I know it was ultimately his decision, but still.
It angers me that it was even allowed. A fucking dangerous practice, if you ask me.
I drive us down the unpaved road, Forest perking up more the farther into the compound we get. His eyes swivel back and forth, landing on the alphas that step out onto the creaky patios as we pass. This place is a shithole, I think.
Not anywhere I want to be.
“Who’s the pack leader?” I ask Forest, wondering if they’ll appear to greet us.
“Never met him. Name’s Zed, though, so if you run into him while you’re here…”
“I’ll make sure to let you know.”
He rolls his lips between his teeth. “Just so you know, everyone here has a three-letter name, so it can get confusing, but…” He lets out a soft exhale when he sees someone jogging alongside the car. “Sometimes…some make more of an impression than others.”
“Who’s that?” I ask, taking in the lean man with shaggy hair and ripped jeans.
“Jex.”
“Seems to like you. Can’t stop staring.”
“Yeah,” he says and then points his hand forward. “Anyway, Attie’s place is just up here.”
Attie? That name rings a bell, and I try to figure out why, but as I approach, I see a familiar car and those butterflies I had earlier when thinking about Arbor take a slight nosedive.
“What the fuck?” I murmur as I park the truck, and Forest hops out.
Jex, the alpha who was pacing us as we drove, moves in on my brother, pushing him up against the car and running his nose up his neck. Forest’s cheeks redden, but he doesn’t push him away.
I turn my head away and glance at Arbor’s car sitting right there in the drive, next to the small trailer on the far end of the compound. As I approach, I see odd little trinkets hanging in trees. Runes and doll heads, and I’m pretty sure that’s a dildo.
Why the fuck is Arbor here? Did he follow me?
I ponder that when I hear a laugh from inside. His laugh.
My feet carry me forward, and I push the door open to the old trailer. The laughter stops, and I catch sight of him. Radiant, glowing. And he’s sitting right near the shaman.
Attie.
Oh.
Attie.
The stepbrother. No, the foster brother. The one he told me about.
My eyes take Attie in—backwards baseball cap, shirtless, a large wolf tattoo across his right pec, and a moon over the other.
Well, at least he’s wearing pants. I stop in the doorway, unable to speak, but needing Arbor to know I’m here. His gaze turns toward me.
“Oh!” Arbor says, his mouth opening and closing, as surprised as I am. “Why are you here? Did you follow me?”
“Thought the same thing,” I murmur, my gaze moving to Attie, who is sipping on some beer, his lips twitching slightly. “But then I realized this is your brother.”
“Damn right I am,” Attie says and then stands up. “You must be Glenn. The alpha Arbor hasn’t shut up about.”
“Oh my gods, Attie. Fuck you.” Arbor looks at me sheepishly. “I wasn’t talking that much about you.”
Attie grins and then burps. “Lie all you want, brother, but I’ve got news for you. You like him.”