Little Wolf (69 page)

“It’s not—”

“My fault, yeah, I know,” Tim finished before Nathaniel could. Nathaniel would always say that. Tim just didn’t believe it the way he did. “Doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt, though, does it?” He forced his hands to relax and settled them at the small of Nathaniel’s back. “And it doesn’t mean I won’t do it again.” There was too much Tim didn’t know.

Nathaniel gave him another lick. This one was a lot like when he’d been stoned out of his mind and trying to calm Tim down. Tim’s throat got so tight it took an effort to swallow, then speak. “It’s not enough to say sorry. Or that I wouldn’t have done it if I’d known, because I might have.” He wondered if a part of Nathaniel liked cutting himself on Tim’s sharp edges, then shoved the thought aside. “But, um, I’m here doing this anyway. So relax about that, all right? I’m here and it’s going to be weird, but I’m not going anywhere. Accept that so we can get on with the rest of everything. Going home, screwing around some more, discussing things I don’t want to talk about but which I’ll find myself talking about with you anyway, all of that. Okay?”

Nathaniel moved in that sudden, stealthy way of his. One second Tim thought he had a fairly good hold on Nathaniel, and the next he was facedown over the arm of the couch with both of Nathaniel’s hands holding him open and Nathaniel’s tongue in his ass, lapping at the mess dripping from him.

Tim burned from his head to his toes but slid a hand down to his cock and gave a long, exquisite shiver. He was counting that as a
Yes, I accept that you are staying, Little Wolf, and I want to show you how happy I am before I claim you again
. “Couldn’t let me have my moment, could you?” Tim exclaimed, throat dry, but of course even if Nathaniel thought Tim was funny, he wasn’t going to stop to laugh. Not now. Tim dropped his head and groaned. “Carry on,” he ordered, voice rising, his hand sticking in the drying come painting his stomach. “Nathaniel?” He managed to lower his voice again, for one moment. He shut his eyes and groaned. “Forget me walking out of here,” Tim told him, wriggling his ass until Nathaniel got back to it. “Make sure you have to carry me out.”

The rumble from Nathaniel was loud enough to be heard with human ears. “I will carry you out, wearing my scent and my clothes. Then I will take you home.”

Tim had a feeling he was smiling like an idiot. Thankfully no one could see it. The room was probably soaking in feelings and come anyway, so he doubted Nathaniel would notice his tripping heart and silly expression. “When we’re home, you can fuck me again.”

“When we’re home”—Nathaniel stopped tormenting Tim long enough to murmur the words, to elevate the word “home” to something more than what Tim had made it—“I’ll fuck you again.”

Tim’s heart might have stopped. “I’m dead,” he wheezed. He didn’t know about the people outside, but he was dying, dead, gone. “Because you are mine,” he answered, crowing until Nathaniel took hold of his hips to pull Tim back toward his mouth. Tim pushed his legs apart. Nathaniel’s tongue made him drop his head to speak hotly to the floor. “You have no idea what you’re in for, you”—Tim couldn’t think enough to find an insult and clawed at the couch—“Big Wolf.”

Nathaniel exuded vivid, potent happiness as he leaned over Tim’s body to place a single kiss at Tim’s neck. Terms accepted, deal struck, Nathaniel went back to sucking come from Tim like the porn star he could have been.

Volume levels in the outer room were reaching epic levels. Which meant no one but Tim probably heard the fond “Yes, Your Majesty” murmured against the cheek of his ass before Nathaniel bit it.

“That’s Little Wolf to you!” Tim tossed back, dizzy and gasping for the press of Nathaniel’s teeth. “Now show them what their alpha wolf can do.”

T
HE
TOWN
was buzzing with gossip the next day, but Tim didn’t think all the excitement was because of what had taken place in Nathaniel’s office the night before. Luca was still in jail, and Silas Dirus himself was widely known to be staying down the street. That was news enough, even without tourists and the rumors of
Diedre’s Secret
revelations.

Revelations Tim had learned about from Carl after heading into the café. He’d come into town because Nathaniel, as always, had to work, but apparently no one had expected Tim to do the same. Albert was behind the gift shop counter, taking care of things on his own. Robin’s Egg, after sweeping Tim up in a quick hug, had chided him for coming in, and offered the opinion that Tim looked well when he was blushing and “freshly fucked.” That hadn’t been nearly as stunning as Carl correcting her, saying Tim was “freshly mated” before holding out his cup for more coffee.

Robin’s Egg had patted Tim’s cheek then, no longer worried about keeping her hands to herself now that Tim was officially mated, it seemed. Something Tim resolved to ask Nathaniel about later. Anyway, looking well and freshly fucked
and
mated didn’t mean Tim didn’t also look hungry, because Robin’s Egg had then brought over a plate of pancakes and sausage, despite it being close to lunchtime, and Tim had been snacking behind the counter since then.

He wasn’t helping Albert much, but he thought he should be there in case he was needed, considering how Albert had helped him yesterday.

Of course, it might have been simpler to subject himself to Albert’s questions in order to repay him. Albert clearly had some. If Tim hadn’t spent part of his morning unpleasantly recounting what had happened with Luca for his official statement, he might have felt more like allowing an interrogation. But he ate his pancakes, a follow-up slice of pie, and drank a cup of coffee, while Albert’s eyes kept getting bigger, and then Tim couldn’t take it anymore.

“All right. What?” he snapped at last, exasperated. Albert probably didn’t want to know anything the other weres in town didn’t want to know. Fucking loudly on a couch within earshot of most of their local law enforcement evidently excited the people of this town more than secrecy. Tim didn’t think it was a pervy sort of excitement for most of them. It seemed more like a good news sort of excitement, the way humans got for wedding announcements and celebrity relationship news. A bit envious, a touch jealous, but largely shared smiles and knowing glances in Tim’s direction.

The healed bite at Tim’s throat helped with that. Albert’s gaze drifted down to it and then back up.

Carl spoke for him. “We didn’t think you’d be in today.”

Tim agreed. “You’d think for this level of drama I’d get a honeymoon or something.” He paused and put down his coffee. “Okay, let’s pretend I didn’t say that.” He was barely twenty-four hours into this mate thing. One step at a time. “Do not tell Nathaniel I joked about us being married,” he instructed, and waved a hand to indicate that a looky-loo who had come into the gift shop to sneak a peek at him should keep walking. “Uh, waking up with him is fine for now,” he added. “That’s all. I wasn’t sure about anything else. Anyway. I came in to work just in case.” Work was better than going to see Silas. Tim needed clearer thoughts and more sleep before that could happen again, although he would bet Silas would surprise him before then.

He caught Albert staring at his mark again, but this time Albert bent his head and let his hair hide his face before he turned away. He hadn’t stared like that the first time. Tim shot a glance at Carl, who raised both eyebrows.

Tim scanned the café, then remembered it was a weekday and Graham would be in school, at least for another week or so. “How’s your arm?” He could see that Albert was fine, but the question made Albert turn around.

“Oh. Good.” Albert would have a scar too, but he didn’t seem interested in talking about it. He leaned in closer, exploring Tim’s scent, Tim realized. He frowned before his eyes went round. “It’s true,” he exclaimed without explaining himself.

Tim blinked at him.

“So,” Albert began again, as if he hadn’t been staring at Tim the way he stared at his art books for school. “You’re mated.” He smiled. “What’s it like?”

“So far? It’s been one long orgasm,” Tim answered immediately and then considered burying his face in his hands. Actually that sounded great, so he did it. Carl, the asshole, was laughing. “Also, I guess we were mated before, and I didn’t know, so it’s kind of the same, except now I know what I’m feeling. That ‘recognizing it making it happen’ thing is a myth or something.” Tim carried on, mumbling into his hands and barely noticing how tense Albert became. “It happens whether you know it’s happening or not, but I guess knowing is better. And scarier. It’s so much scarier, but then he’s scared too and—” Tim censored himself there, part of his personal policy to keep Nathaniel’s reputation intact. “But he’s there and he, God, he loves me, the fool.”

“You were mated the whole time?” Albert demanded in a rush, then gulped when Tim raised his head. “Did you really have sex in the sheriff’s station?” Albert changed his question hurriedly.

Carl’s laugh turned strangled.

Tim slid him a glance. “Yes. I kind of made a point of it.”

Albert’s mouth formed a soft
O
, but Albert said nothing. Carl rustled the newspaper.

Tim gave him another, longer look. “I know you’re listening, Carl.”

“You do like an audience, don’t you?” Carl was a sarcastic jerk, and if it hadn’t been for him sitting at that same table and bringing Tim’s frantic, panicked fears back to reality with his snark, Tim probably would have run away the first week. Tim opened his mouth to retort, then noticed the faint smirk on Carl’s face and shut up. Carl understood why Tim had done it, or at least didn’t mind that he had. Carl was simply messing with him. “You aren’t going to become one of those handsy couples, are you?”

“Hey.” Tim wrinkled his nose at him. “Cut us some slack. We’re newlyweds here.”

Albert made a delighted noise. Or a possibly terrified noise. It was hard to tell. His heart rate was going crazy. “Newlyweds! But you said—”

“I’m kidding,” Tim assured him, despite the flip in his stomach. “Nathaniel would have mentioned if somehow fucking on his office couch had been some town tradition for a wedding ceremony.” His stomach flipped again. “Right?”

“What about everything else?” Albert didn’t give him an answer. Carl was strategically silent. “Have you thought about seeing your uncle again? I heard he left the hotel this morning. He went and got breakfast with like, three
giant
weres in suits. He didn’t come here, but I bet he knows. He’s… I heard he’s something to look at.”

“I’m sure he’s been plotting.” Tim chewed on his bottom lip, considering Silas wandering around Wolf’s Paw and impressing the populace. “But Nathaniel says I rip through plans.” Tim bit harder at his lip at that, then lifted his chin. “Which I kind of do. Maybe it’s the human in me. Silas probably never had any idea what to do with me.”

That was something else to talk about with Nathaniel later. They’d done more sleeping than anything else last night, surprisingly, and this morning had been busy with other things. But the matter of how to deal with Silas needed more discussion. “He’d better not meet with Silas without me.” The situation was different when Tim did it. Tim knew Silas. Nathaniel didn’t. “When he gets here, if I detect Silas has been anywhere near him, I am going to kick his ass.”

“The sheriff dropping by for lunch?” Robin’s Egg swept by to get Tim’s plates and cutlery. “I’ll have something ready for the two of you. He’s going to be starving.”

Tim turned to stare after her, wondering if he was blushing again. He was pretty sure he was, but he’d been running hot all day. “I had a point to make!” Tim called after her, almost choking for a second. “The office thing! There was a reason!” Oh fuck it. Tim put his face over the cool glass of the counter and took a few deep breaths. Then he remembered the exact sensation of being carried out over Nathaniel’s shoulder, his body aching, exhausted, Nathaniel’s spare uniform shirt scratchy against his stinging skin, and exactly how blissful Nathaniel had smelled.

He grinned. “I had a point and I made it,” he insisted to both of them. “Totally worth the embarrassment today.” He paused, his head still down, and let his grin fade. The truth escaped him in a sigh. “Totally worth everything.” He angled his head toward Albert and looked up. “Where’s Graham today?” Tim knew where Graham was supposed to be, but he also knew where
he
would be, if he were Graham and Albert had been injured. The two of them seemed very obvious in the light of recent events. Tim should have seen it before.

On that thought, as if Tim had summoned him, Graham shoved through the gift shop entrance and didn’t stop until he was at the counter in front of Albert. He hesitated for a moment, almost sparking with energy. Graham always looked young, clean and gangly except for the lingering baby fat in his cheeks, but this was the first time he had ever given the impression of youth. It didn’t last long. He studied Albert with a slight frown and then pulled away so he wasn’t drifting toward the counter.

“You… you’re supposed to be in school.” Albert spoke first. He fixed Graham with a look that wasn’t remotely stern. There was an energy about him too, a buzz on top of Albert’s warmth and tangy sweetness, mingling with something like morning dew on grass. A moment later the second scent was already fading.

“You were in a fight with a criminal yesterday, and you didn’t tell me.” Graham’s frown intensified. “You didn’t tell any of us,” he corrected himself, and in an unprecedented move, he seemed to direct that scowl outward.

Albert took a step back, then returned to the edge of the counter. “I’m fine. It was barely a scratch, and it didn’t do anything anyway.”

“It delayed Luca long enough for Nathaniel to find me,” Tim pointed out to be helpful, and blinked when Graham’s glare landed on him.

“Albert is very involved in your business.” Graham managed to sound unemotional and pissed off at the same time. He could have been studying with Silas. “Your business got him hurt.”

“No, my decision to help got me hurt.” Albert’s eyes were shining, but his tone was wounded. “I was fine with that. And I still am.”