The Human's Complicated Wolf [Nehalem Pack 5] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (12 page)

“My fiancé, Jay, had gone out to pick up dinner and never came back.” A single tear rolled down Ethan’s cheek. “He got mugged on the way home, and stealing his wallet hadn’t been enough. The bastard shot him in the head so Jay couldn’t report him to the police.” Ethan turned his head to look at Jensen. “You know, the funny thing is the idiot didn’t account for the traffic cameras. The whole thing had been caught on tape. So he killed Jay for nothing.”

Except for that one tear, Ethan looked to have no emotion for what he just told him. It was as if Ethan had grown hollow on the inside like a dying tree left alone to rot in the woods. “Ethan, I’m so sorry.”

“Save it, Jensen.” Ethan waved a hand in the air. “You didn’t kill Jay, and your sympathy only causes me more pain. After all I’ve done to you and Josh, I don’t deserve it.”

Not thinking twice about it, Jensen reached out and grabbed Ethan’s hand. “Yes, what you did to us was wrong, but what happened to you is terrible. I can’t image what I’d be like if I lost Josh. I’d probably be twice as crazy.”

“Thanks.” Ethan chuckled.

“No, seriously, I don’t blame you and I won’t be pressing charges.”

“You won’t?” Ethan’s eyes widened.

“No,” Jensen said more firmly. “I think you need to get some help and commit all your efforts to getting better. I’d like to think the Ethan I met that first afternoon is still inside you, and he’s worthy of finding love again.”

“After everything I’ve done.” Ethan’s voice began to crack. “You truly are amazing, Jensen.”

“No I’m not. I’m just human and believe everyone is deserving of a second chance.” Jensen stood up from his chair and leaned over and kissed Ethan on the forehead. “Once you get better, give me a call. I still owe you a tour around Silver Creek.”

Ethan’s chin began to tremble and emotions overcame the man. “Thank you.”

Jensen patted Ethan’s hand then turned and walked out of the room. He meant what he said.

“Jensen!” Ethan called out. He turned back around to Ethan and raised his eyebrows. “I want you to know Josh’s secret is safe with me.” Ethan smiled. “Besides, who’d believe a lunatic like me?”

Jensen grinned then pulled open the door. When he came out of Ethan’s room, Josh stood lounging against the wall.

“Did you really just offer that to him?” Josh asked.

“You heard that?” Jensen looked over his shoulder then back to Josh.

Josh pointed to his ear. “One of the many advantages of being a wolf shifter.” He smiled and his bright-white teeth nearly blinded Jensen.

“I’ll have to remember that.” Josh opened his arms, and Jensen went into his warm embrace. “So you heard everything Ethan said?”

“I did. Not saying it justifies what he did, but I can understand.” Josh led the way to the elevator, and Jensen stayed tucked in close to his side. “I guess I’d want to escape into some fantasy world if I lost you.”

The elevator doors slid open, and they walked out hand in hand. Jensen noticed some of the nurses staring at them as they passed by the check-in desk. He tried to pull his hand away, not wanting to make Josh uncomfortable. The whole gay thing was still new to him, and Jensen didn’t want the man to be embarrassed.

“Stop it.” Jensen squeezed his hand. “I know what you’re trying to do, and while I appreciate it I could give a fuck what everyone else thinks. You’re my”—Josh grew quiet for a second as if he were thinking about what to say—“boyfriend, and I’m proud of you.” Josh stopped walking as they reached the exit. He pulled Jensen close and kissed him right in the middle of the lobby of the hospital. “I love you, and there is nothing that is ever going to change that.”

Jensen’s face started to cramp from smiling so wide. Josh had come so far from that first time they met. They had a rocky start, but Jensen had a good feeling about their future.

“Are you sure you’re ready to meet my family?” Josh asked his mate for the hundredth time since they left Southaven.

“Yes!” Jensen shouted. “Now if you ask me again, I swear I’m going to punch you in your happy place.”

“You’ll only be punishing yourself if my dick won’t work.” Josh winked over at his blushing mate. He grinned and reached over to rest his hand on Jensen’s thigh as he drove down the highway.

So much had happened in the past few weeks. Josh had convinced Jensen to stay in Southaven for another week so he could heal up and to allow more time for them to get to know each other better. And they both wanted to stay until Ethan had been taken back home.

He and Jensen both had gone to visit Ethan a few more times since that night. The man was making progress, but he still had a long way to go. Ethan’s parents were beyond grateful that they hadn’t pressed charges and swore that something like this would never happen again.

Josh wanted to tell them that they shouldn’t make a promise like that because they had no control over Ethan’s actions.

Ethan accepted what he had done wrong and wanted to get better. That was the first step.

Josh hated admitting it, but he had really grown to like Ethan. He saw a lot of himself in the man. They both wanted to appear strong to the outside world, but in reality they were scared of what they couldn’t control. He’d like to think he would never go to the extreme like Ethan had, but he wasn’t so sure. If he lost Jensen, he knew he’d give up and just end his own life. That made him weaker than Ethan. At least Ethan was trying to pick up the pieces of his life and carry on.

Curiosity had gotten the better of him on one of their visits, and he asked Ethan why he wanted to be a werewolf. Ethan said after Jay’s death he buried himself in his work and got infatuated with being indestructible. Ethan thought if he did find love again he could turn his lover so he didn’t have to worry about losing him like he did Jay. Josh could relate to that and wished it were true.

Over the past few weeks Josh had managed to avoid calling his brothers. He wasn’t ready to go home yet, and to be fair he didn’t have a home to go home to until now. Jensen had asked him to move in with him and Josh accepted. If Jensen hadn’t offered Josh had planned to just hang around his house until his mate finally gave in. They were mates and belonged together. They had spent enough time apart, and Josh couldn’t imagine waking up every morning without Jensen in his arms.

As they got closer to Nehalem, his heart started to thump harder and harder in his chest. He started to worry the organ would shake apart. He had been in no hurry to see his brothers, not because he didn’t miss them but because he didn’t know what to say to them. He had always been the big brother with all the answers, and after their dad died, he didn’t have any answers to give. After so many years of being in charge, Josh just wanted a break. He didn’t think Cole would have a problem with that since Cole kind of always did what he wanted to do. It was Jake he worried about.

Jake was younger than him by mere seconds. He was quiet and relied on Josh to do all the talking and to make all the decisions. It was time for Jake to stand on his own two feet and live his own life separate from Josh’s. He prayed his brother would understand that.

Josh turned down the paved driveway that led up to the Carsten house. Butterflies swirled in his stomach, and his hands started to sweat.

“Are you ready for this?” Jensen asked.

“No, but if I don’t do this now, I never will.” He put the car in park and sat with a death grip on the wheel.

“Honey.” Jensen shook his arm and he turned to look at him. “Why don’t you introduce me to your family.”

Josh nodded his head then opened the car door. He turned toward the house when he heard the screen door swing open. On the front steps stood Cole, Josef, and Devon. Cole’s lips were pressed into a thin line, and his hands were balled at his sides.

“Hey, Jensen!” Devon called out as he took the steps down toward them. “Josh, it’s nice to see you again.”

“Thanks.” Josh looked past Devon’s shoulder toward his little brother. The wind blew Cole’s blond hair across his forehead, and Josh thought the man looked about due for a haircut. He had always teased Cole about his hair. Whereas he and Jake typically shaved their heads, Cole liked to wear his long. Absentmindedly, he brought a hand up to run his fingers through his hair. It hadn’t been cut in a month. Jensen liked it long, so he kept it that way and it had started to grow on him.

“Cole,” Josh called out in greeting to his brother.

Josef stood behind Cole with his big hands resting on his brother’s shoulders as if he were holding Cole back. His brother’s mate dipped his head down to whisper something in Cole’s ear. Cole nodded his head and Josh could visibly see his brother’s body start to relax. Very slowly, Cole made his way down the stairs.

“My mate reminded me that whatever caused you to take off like that isn’t important.” Cole looked to his mate, and Josef nudged his chin forward, and Cole turned back to him. “What is important is that you’re back, and I’ve missed you.”

The cement that had grounded Josh to the spot he stood in crumbled to dust. He rushed forward and wrapped his baby brother in a hug and held him so tight he heard the other man’s bones pop. But he wasn’t the only one holding on for dear life. Cole might be his little brother, but the man stood just as tall and wide as him.

When he pulled back from Cole, he quickly wiped away his tears. He hadn’t even realized he’d been crying. “I’ve missed you, too, little guy.”

Cole laughed then looked to Jensen then back to him. “Is there something you’d like to tell me?”

“Oh yeah.” He motioned Jensen forward. “You remember Jensen, right?” Cole nodded. “Well, he’s my mate,” Jake said with every ounce of pride in his voice. He loved Jensen and wanted everyone to know.

“We know,” Cole and his mate, Josef, answered simultaneously.

Jensen looked from Cole to Josef with confusion.

“The night Jensen brought me home, we saw the way you reacted to him and him to you, and we kind of put it all together,” Josef said.

“But I have to admit”—Cole squinted an eye as he looked at him—“I didn’t know you were gay.”

“I’m not.” At Cole and Josef’s confused expressions, he tried to explain. “Well, I guess I sort of am, but only for Jensen. Other men do nothing for me. I only have eyes for my mate.” He wrapped an arm around Jensen’s shoulders and smiled down at his mate.

“I guess that makes sense.” Cole stepped forward and hugged Jensen. “Welcome to the family, Jensen. I know we kind of started off on the wrong foot, but I think we can get past that.”

“What are you talking about?” Josh asked his brother but looked at his mate.

“Um, well you see,” Jensen said, stammering his words, “the night you and I met, I was sort of on a date.”

“With who?” Josh was starting to wonder who hadn’t his mate dated.

“Josef.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” He pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “Son of a bitch.”

Jensen explained how he had known Josef and the Carsten family for years. That they worked on a lot of the same projects. Jensen admitted he had a small crush on Josef, but the night he met Josh, all those feelings disappeared as if they were never there to begin with.

Josh listened, and a part of him still wanted to punch Josef, who just so happened to be his brother-in-law, in the face. He didn’t like to think about his mate being involved with anyone else prior to Josh meeting him.

“Small world, huh?” Devon stood leaning against Jensen’s car.

Devon was the alpha of the Nehalem pack and also the man who helped try to save his father’s life. Josh would forever be grateful to the man.

“I guess so.” Josh nudged his mate in the shoulder with his own and smiled as the blush brightening Jensen’s cheeks deepened.

“Josh, I’m not sure what your plans are now that you are back, but I’d like to extend the offer I’ve given to your brothers. You are more than welcome to stay here and join our pack.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the smile on Jensen’s face fall. Still, after everything they’d been through and all the talking they’d done, his mate still thought he’d leave him. Silly man. “I appreciate the offer, and I’d love to join your pack, but I’m going to have to decline on the offer to live here.” He pulled Jensen closer until they stood face-to-face. “See, I have this mate and he lives in Silver Creek, so I’m afraid that’s where I’m going to be.” His mate grinned up at him with love in his eyes, and Josh felt like the luckiest man in the world to have found a love like Jensen. Being with Jensen made him a better person. Josh didn’t feel lost or alone, and the anger he felt after his father had been killed seemed to lessen every day, and that was thanks to Jensen.

“That’s what I thought, but I wanted you both to know you’re always welcome.” Devon patted him on the shoulder as he walked back toward the house.

“Silver Creek , huh?” Cole asked.

“Yep,” Josh said.

“Cole.” Jensen moved to stand in front of Josh. “You and Jake are always welcome at our home, and we’ll come visit as often as we’re invited. I really want us to be a family.”

“Now that I know you’re not trying to bang my mate, I’d like that, too,” Cole teased.

“Hey, stop talking like that.” Josef waved his hands in the air then pointed a finger at Josh. “You keep that up and I think your brother is going to hit me.”