Authors: Lavinia Lewis
“True enough. Come on, let’s get rid of these tools and get the hell out of here.”
“What? You’re still
gonna
give the tools to Joe?”
“Yes, Luke, I am. I’m helping out a pack member. His beliefs don’t come into this, okay? Now, I don’t want you starting anything when we see Joe, you hear?”
“Okay, fine. Let’s get this over with,” Luke huffed.
Luke and
Kelan
left the truck where it was and walked around to the bunkhouse. Several men were stood outside in the yard, talking with one another. Luke recognised one of the men as Joe. The other three had their backs to him but he didn’t think he knew them. At a guess, he’d say they were all wolves.
Most pack members had wolves working for them, it made life easier when you didn’t have to keep secrets from the people you spent the biggest part of the day with. As they got closer, Luke used his wolf senses to find out.
The scent of the men confirmed Luke’s suspicions but what he could also smell in the air around him was an aroma so rich and enticing it made his cock rock hard within seconds. His face heated from embarrassment when felt his balls draw up close to his body.
What the fuck?
The scent was the most incredible thing he had ever encountered. It was rich and tangy, earthy even. Luke had no personal experience with these matters but from what he’d learned from other wolves, the smell could be coming from only one source. He’d never caught the scent before but somehow it felt as familiar to him as breathing. It was like coming home.
Luke thought he had been in no rush to find this but now that the scent was imprinted on him and burned into his memory, he realised he had been waiting his entire life to find it. The smell could only be coming from his mate.
Excited beyond words, Luke looked around him to see where she was. The doorway to the bunkhouse was open but he couldn’t see any women inside. Luke looked across the yard to the stables but he couldn’t see anyone around that area either. His senses, however, were telling him she was close.
Luke looked around some more in confusion.
Damn it, where was she?
He could hardly wait to see what she looked like. As they got closer to the men, Luke grabbed hold of his brother’s arm.
“
Kelan
, wait.”
Kelan
looked over at Luke’s anxious expression and frowned.
“Luke, we’ve already had this discussion. I’m giving the tools to Joe—now I’m ordering you as your alpha to not give me any shit over this.”
“No it’s not that, it’s… oh God.”
The scent grew stronger, invading Luke’s senses like nothing ever had. His cock was so hard now, it was becoming painful. He shuffled from side to side trying to relieve some of the pressure.
“Luke, what the hell is wrong with you?”
“My mate.”
“
Your
what now?”
“My
mate
.
My mate is here.” Luke said, pleading with his eyes for his brother to understand.
Kelan
looked around the yard and across to the bunkhouse. He turned back to Luke his eyebrows raised in question.
“Where?”
“I don’t know where, but I can smell her. She’s here.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. Her scent, it’s like nothing I’ve ever smelt before. It’s incredible.”
“Well hell, congratulations, bro! I’m real happy for you.”
Chapter Two
Mark Malone stifled a yawn as he listened to his new boss drone on about the ethics of working hard for a living. The man was a dick. Mark was sure Joe had never put in a hard day’s work in his life. He was the type of person to let others do his dirty work for him.
At least Mark had finally managed to get himself a job. Foreman work was scarce in these parts, but it was the only thing he knew how to do. All that remained was to petition to the local pack alpha for rights to stay in the community, although he didn’t figure he’d be staying long. When Joe had told him the reason he’d let the previous foreman go, Mark had almost walked out on him right then and there.
Firing someone because of their sexual preference didn’t sit well with him. Hell, Mark wasn’t gay himself, but he thought what men got up to in the privacy of their own bedrooms was nobody’s business but their own. He knew he couldn’t work for a man like that for long. He’d just have to sit tight and keep his mouth shut until something better came along.
“And if you’re looking to find yourself a fine piece of ass of a Saturday night, there’s always Jessie’s Dance Hall. Isn’t that right, boys?”
Dan and Lyle, two of Joe’s farm hands, enthusiastically nodded their agreement. Mark shuddered. Any place Joe recommended he’d be sure and stay clear of. Besides the man was nearing seventy if he was a day. What in the hell was
he
doing going to honky
tonks
to look for a piece of ass?
Mark tuned out of the conversation once again. He couldn’t listen to anymore of the old man’s ramblings. Unexpectedly he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and a shiver ran over his body. He furrowed his brow in confusion. It was damn near a hundred degrees in the shade.
Mark’s senses seemed to be on hyper alert. He felt a tingling sensation in his stomach and a feeling of euphoria rushed over him. In fact, he felt happier than he had in his life.
What the hell? And where was that damn smell coming from?
It was the sweetest, most fragrant ambrosia he had ever had the pleasure of smelling. It made his cock stiffen inside his jeans until he was so hard he thought his cock might burst
open
his zipper.
Mark tried to pay attention to what the old man was saying, he really did, but that damn smell was intoxicating. Mark was sure he hadn’t had the pleasure of scenting it before, but it seemed familiar to him somehow. The smell grew stronger, and Mark swallowed hard as the realisation of what the scent was hit him like a ton of bricks. Holy shit, his mate was here somewhere. There was no other explanation for the things he was feeling.
Joe stopped what he was saying and his face lit up into a broad grin.
“
Kelan
, Luke, how nice of you both to drop by. Come on over here, there’s someone I want to introduce to you.”
Luke and
Kelan
walked over to Joe and shook the old man’s hand. When Luke looked over at the men, one of them was staring at him open-mouthed. Luke felt a shock like a thunderbolt hit his body when he looked into the man’s eyes. They were the deepest blue he’d ever seen, he wanted to go swimming in them.
What the…
Holy crap! His mate was a man!
Luke couldn’t even manage a hello. Words caught in his throat as he stared back in astonishment. It was little consolation, but the man seemed to be as flabbergasted as he was.
“Mark, I’d like you to meet
Kelan
Morgan. He’s our pack alpha, so it’s him you’ll need to be speaking to about staying in these here parts.
Kelan
, this is Mark Malone, my new foreman.”
Luke looked on in utter bewilderment as Mark reached out and gave
Kelan’s
hand a firm shake. Throughout the action Mark didn’t take his eyes off Luke. Luke blushed under the scrutiny.
“Then this here is Luke,
Kelan’s
youngest brother.”
Luke reached out his hand tentatively and the minute his fingers touched Mark’s palm, he felt tingles over his entire body and his hard-as-steel cock twitched inside his pants. The smell of arousal coming from Mark filled his nose and set him on fire—he sure as hell hoped none of the other men could smell it. He was dimly aware of his brother talking to Joe but he had no idea what they were talking about and quite frankly, he couldn’t care less.
“Pleased to meet you, Mark,” Luke managed to choke out.
“Uh, likewise,” Mark said, swallowing hard.
Luke looked over at his brother, who was now regarding him curiously. He tried to subtly nod in Mark’s direction but
Kelan
just pulled his eyes together in a frown.
“Well thanks for the tools
Kelan
, I surely appreciate it. Why don’t I get Dan and Lyle here to come give you a hand with them? I need to be getting back to the house myself. Alice will have dinner ready about now, I reckon.
Boys?”
Dan and Lyle started to follow
Kelan
to the truck while Luke looked after them hopelessly. He really should go help his brother, but all he could think about was the fact his mate stood in front of him.
His
male
mate.
“Mark, why don’t you stay here and get acquainted with Luke until Dan and Lyle get back? Then I’ll get the boys to show you around the place.”
“Thank you sir.”
Mark said.
Joe nodded and followed
Kelan
and the hands to the truck. Luke watched him walk away then turned to Mark and stared at the man, not really knowing what to say. He felt his cheeks heat up when Mark’s eyes travelled down to the bulge in his crotch and widened. His cock jerked at the scrutiny of the larger man.
“Shit. I think you and I need to have a little chat.” Mark finally broke the silence. “But we can’t do it here. Come, let’s go to the bunkhouse.”
Luke nodded and followed in Mark’s wake. Mark’s commanding tone had him practically panting. He trailed behind the man as they walked to the house, eyes never leaving Mark’s firm ass which swayed seductively with each step he took. He shook his head incredulously. He couldn’t believe he was staring at a man’s ass.
When they were inside, Mark closed the door behind them and began to pace. Luke crossed the room and stood in front of him. Someone had to say what was clearly on both their minds.
“You’re my mate.” Luke said simply.
“It would seem so, yes,” Mark said, avoiding Luke’s eyes. “Look, before you say anything else you should know I’m not real happy about this situation, Luke. Hell, I
ain’t
even
gay
.”
“Neither am I.”
Mark’s head jerked up and he stared at Luke open-mouthed. “You aren’t?”
“No, I’m not. You thought I was?”
“Well yeah, it’s just that you’re so…
pretty
.”
Luke felt his face heat up from Mark’s compliment, but at the same time, he wasn’t happy with what Mark was insinuating.
“I’m pretty so I must be gay—is that what you’re saying?”
“No, I just…”
“Are you homophobic?”
“Hell no, no way. That wasn’t what I meant. It’s just that destiny put us together, so I assumed at least one of us had to be gay.”
“Well I’m not, okay? Not that I have any problem with it. My older brother is gay.”
“Okay. Look, it’s not only that, there are a whole heap of reasons why this can’t work. I mean, for starters I’m thirty four and you’re, well, you’re just a kid. You can’t be any more than, what, nineteen?”
“For your information, I’ve finished university. I’m twenty-two, hardly a kid, and what the hell has that got to do with this anyway?”
Mark sighed. Arguing was getting them nowhere. He couldn’t deny he was attracted to the young man, but that was their damn pheromones. There was nothing he could do about that. There had been no doubt in his mind when he’d looked at the young man that he was his mate. Luke was the prettiest man he’d ever laid eyes on, and he had never thought of men as pretty before, but Luke sure was. His sky blue eyes were utterly beguiling and his pale blonde hair looked so soft, Mark had to shove his hands in his pockets to stop himself running his fingers through it, just to check.
Shit. What was he thinking? He couldn’t do this.
“Look, Luke, under the circumstances I think the best thing would be for us to forget this whole thing.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we are the only two that know we’re mates, right? Neither of us is gay, so we don’t have to go along with it.”
“You mean you want to pretend we’re not mated?”
“Well yeah, no one else has to know. This way we could
both meet
women if we wanted to and settle down with them, raise a family. No one but us would know they weren’t our mates.”
“Is that what you want?” Luke asked quietly.
“Yes. Shit, I don’t know.
Maybe.
Yes.”
Luke nodded. There was really nothing left to say. He had been in no rush to find his mate and he certainly hadn’t wanted a male mate. But a man had been what he’d got. Even though Mark was not what he’d expected or hoped for, his mate’s rejection hurt.
Luke could feel a lump form in the back of his throat and tears begin to well behind his eyes. He had to get away before the floodgates opened and he embarrassed himself in front of this man. His pride was all he had left.
“Right.
Well, if that’s what you want then I guess there’s nothing left to say. I’ll go. Goodbye, Mark.”
Luke turned and walked towards the door. He could feel his heart breaking with each step he took away from Mark. The pull to be with his mate was so strong, he wanted to turn around and throw himself into Mark’s arms, but he knew there was no point. He had to face facts. Mark didn’t want him. Luke forced himself to keep walking until he had made it through the door. He closed it behind him without looking back.