The Reluctant Wolf (Book 1 Cloverleah Pack) (19 page)

Kane had got up and was pacing by this stage and Shawn took a moment to appreciate his mate’s naked form before allowing a tinge of his own anger to show through.  His mate had some serious trust issues which needed to be nipped in the bud.

“What happened to TRUST, Kane - not only for me but for Troy?  Did you stop and think for ONE MINUTE that maybe Troy was in trouble and that maybe I was trying to help him out?  Are you so jaded by your own sexual experiences, which aren’t meant to bother me at all by the way, that you don’t believe it is possible to touch another person without wanting to fuck him?  Did you ever think for one minute that Troy would do that to you on the night before your mating ceremony even if you believed I would?  God, how could you think that about either one of us?”  Shawn’s voice was low, calm and deadly.

Kane had stopped and stared as Shawn laid into him, but when Shawn stopped talking he started pacing again.  Kane tried to calm his voice as he spoke again.

“I am sorry, I was jealous and I didn’t think when I spoke.  But there is still the matter of people trying to kill you every time I turn around.  You are not safe out here.”

“I haven’t been safe anywhere for more than ten years and the day after tomorrow I will be dead.
DEAD. If you can’t trust me in every way then don’t bother bringing me back.  I don’t need your shit on top of everything else.  I only agreed to stay with you because I believed that you loved me.  Love means trust in my book…and…and after all that I have told you about me and my previous non-existent sex life, you would believe that I would take off with one of YOUR pack members and fuck him just because I had an itch?” 

Shawn’s voice
hadn’t risen in any way but the intensity of the tone increased and his eyes bored into Kane’s. Icy blue they flashed in anger as he continued.

“
For your information, mate,” He spat out. “Claude gave Troy news about his mate.  Troy was upset and ran off out of the house.  You were busy with your family.  I went after Troy because I knew you wouldn’t want him out here on his own.  I knew I could protect him for you if needed. Troy was crying.  We talked.  I comforted him by hugging him.  I was doing magic when you were yelling in my head so I couldn’t answer.  I sent him back to the house because I had given him a picture of said mate that he didn’t want to lose or wreck when he shifted.  He was happy because I helped him.  If this is supposed to be my pack too then sometimes you have to trust me to make decisions to do something for myself.”

Standing up in one fluid movement, Shawn stalked over to Kane and stared him straight in the eyes.
Yep, Kane thought, he is still pissed.

“I am not, and never will be
your pretty boy that sits by your side and waits for you to live my life for me.  I don’t like that you are upset, but you bought it on yourself when you didn’t trust me or Troy. I didn’t do anything wrong and I won’t have you pissed at me just because you can’t control every action I take.” 

Shawn stopped for just a moment and looked Kane up and down, fury in his eyes.

“And the fact that you don’t trust me to be faithful sexually has me more pissed than you could possibly imagine especially given
your
history.  Sorry doesn’t cut it. You. Are. Lucky. You. Are. Still. Standing.”  He spat out the last seven words.

Turning Shawn
walked back to the tree he had been sitting by previously, and then leaned against it, his arms folded across his chest, his legs crossed at the ankles and a mean look on his face. He watched as Kane resumed pacing but he didn’t say anything. 

Shawn
knew enough about mates to know that Kane would be jealous of anyone who came near him, just like he would be.  He knew enough about Kane to know he was probably pissed at himself for being so caught up with his own family he didn’t notice that Shawn and Troy were gone until well after they had left.  Kane had a lot on his plate as well at the moment, still trying to absorb all that the Shaman had told them earlier. 

But Shawn was not going to back down on this.  He wanted Kane more than air but he wasn’t going to be some puppy on the side lines of Kane’s existence.  He had looked after himself for a long time.  He had faced death so many times it was almost second nature.  The Shaman had said that they were to be partners
- that meant equals in Shawn’s mind.  And even though Shawn did not want to be an Alpha in any way, he wasn’t going to let his own Alpha mate bully him, or yell at him because he couldn’t handle his own feelings. So he leaned there in a deliberately casual pose and a wicked mean look on his face and watched as Kane slowly sorted himself out.

Oh shit. Oh fuck. Oh bloody hell.  Kane thought as he paced.  His mate was royally pissed at him, with good reason he admitted to himself quietly and he didn’t have a clue how to fix it.  He was an Alpha
and he was used to getting his own way or walking away from people who were angry at him.  He couldn’t do either of those things with Shawn.   He walked up to Shawn and went to put his arms around him but Shawn put his hand up and just said, “Don’t.”  Yep, still pissed. Kane backed off a bit.

Okay so he can’t kiss his way out of this mess.  That was a real shame because he had always been turned on by Shawn’s own Alpha side.  Shawn’s anger was like frosting on a chocolate cake of arousal for Kane. He decided to take the indirect approach.

“So Troy has a mate.”

“Apparently.”

“Where is he?”

“Just been deployed this morning.  Three months overseas with the military.  Black Ops.”

Ouch, Kane could see why Troy would be upset.

“So when did he meet him and where?”

“He hasn’t.”  Shawn saw the question in Kane’s eyes so he explained.  “The man was one of the Master Doms in Claude’s club when we sent the hunters through.  He recognized Troy’s wolf scent as his mate.  He couldn’t come here himself with Claude, so he sent a note that Claude gave Troy this evening. Troy recognized his scent on the note and agreed it was his mate.”

“Shit, a Master Dom and a soldier.  That would be hard for Troy to deal with.”  Kane knew that Troy wasn’t into
the BDSM scene and the thought of having an active soldier as a mate especially if he had to go away very often could really cause problems for the couple.

“Exactly.”

“So what did you….?”

“We talked.  I gave Troy a bit of advice on the whole Master and soldier combination
and how not to freak out about it. I gave him a couple of ideas on what he could do to keep in touch with this guy for the next three months and then I used my magic and the scent from the note to give Troy a visual of the man he is going to be worried about until said man gets back.”

“Wow you could do that?  That is awesome.”  Kane was seriously impressed by his mate but he knew that he had to address the
huge elephant in the clearing before Shawn would let him close again. The whole sexual jealousy thing. Oh well, thought Kane, better jump in with both feet.

“Look I am really, really sorry about giving you the impression I didn’t trust you or Troy.” Kane caught Shawn’s look and quickly rephrased his introduction.  “I am sorry I got pissed off and jealous because I thought you and Troy were doing something sexually. I will apologize to him later, but right now I am worried that I have given you the wrong impression.
I do trust you explicitly.   I guess it was easier for me to imagine that you were not answering our mind link because you were in the throes of passion, rather than being attacked by hunters.”

“Did it even
cross your mind that there was a third option?” Shawn said with a sigh. Okay this is good, Kane thought. Shawn is not looking as mad now and he is talking. 

Kane had the grace to look embarrassed. “Actually
, tonight, no.  With all that has happened and as you pointed out, my own sexual experiences, it was far too easy for me to imagine you would just hook up with someone. Even though…” he continued as he saw Shawn’s lips pursing, “Even though I know you have had a million opportunities before you met me and never acted on them.”  The last bit came out in a rush.

His face relaxing, Shawn allowed a half smile to show on his lips although his arms were still crossed and he made no move away from the tree.  He waited for Kane to say more.

“Does it bother you that I have been with so many different people Shawn?”

“Yes, if I think about it.  I am your mate, and I am an Alpha too.  I don’t like the thought of all of the people who have shared your body before me.”

Shawn uncrossed his arms and legs and stood upright.  “But I dealt with it by focusing on what happens in the future.  I know you didn’t even really know you had a mate until you met me so of course you are going to explore your sexual nature wherever and with whomever you please.  I can’t do anything about that unless it is pushed in my face like the incident with Saul.” 

Looking Kane up and down with a smirk on his face Shawn continued.  “I doubt that Saul will be an isolated incident given your obvious attributes, but I would never automatically assume that you were off fucking someone if you were out of my sight for five minutes.  I do trust you in that.
” He thought for a minute and then said in that low deep tone that always had Kane’s cock begging for more. “Of course if I found out my trust in you was misplaced and your dick was somewhere it shouldn’t be, I would neuter you myself.  I don’t share.”

This time when Kane moved towards him, Shawn didn’t stop him.
Cupping his lovers face, Kane leaned in and brushed Shawn’s lips with his own.  “I am so damn lucky to have you,” he breathed against Shawn’s lips before claiming them in a kiss that was both possessive and loving all in one go.  Shawn responded with equal passion bringing one hand up to fist in Kane’s hair while the other grabbed his ass steadying them both as they rocked into each other.

Dropping to his knees, Kane bought Shawn with him and finally had him laid out on the forest floor.  He ran one hand over Shawn’s tight
pecs and abs bemoaning the fact that Shawn had too many clothes on.  When it was clear that Shawn wasn’t going to help him with that little problem he grabbed hold of the neck of Shawn’s t-shirt and ripped it clear down the middle in one smooth move.  Shawn grinned and then a look of lust hit his face as Kane moved down his mate’s body. 

Kane latched onto one of Shawn’s tight pink nipples, sucking and biting until Shawn was arching up into his touch.  He loved the moans his mate was making as he switched his attention from one nipple to the other.  Only when Shawn begged, his “please” rippling through the
trees, did Kane move down to snap the button on Shawn’s jeans. Lowering the zipper carefully he groaned as Shawn’s cock sprung free, hot, purple and leaking.  Kane couldn’t resist a taste and his lick turned into a full blown suck as the delicious taste of his mate hit his tongue.  Shawn rocked into Kane’s mouth, thrusting as he sought relief.  Sucking him up and down, tonguing the underside of Shawn’s cock, Kane nibbled at the head before plunging down again.

As his mate’s moans became more frantic Kane stepped up the pace
licking and sucking until he felt Shawn’s release starting.  Forcing himself, Kane pulled off and used his hand to pump through Shawn’s climax, watching his thick strands of come splatter his mate’s chest in an erotic display. As soon as Shawn had finished Kane moved quickly, pulling Shawn’s jeans off and settling himself between Shawn’s legs. 

Flipping Shawn’s legs up against his own broad shoulders he reached down and scooped up some of the come still glistening on Shawn’s skin.  Coating his fingers he reached under and found Shawn’s
ass, still quivering from his own orgasm. Giving the outside muscle just enough attention to get it to relax he shoved two heavily come soaked fingers straight into the knuckle jolting a long drawn out hiss from his mate.  Moving his fingers he worked Shawn’s tight hole open enough to receive him.  Then without warning he removed his fingers and thrust his own cock deep inside stopping only when he could feel himself fully inside Shawn’s tight warmth.

Leaning over his mate, supporting his weight on his hands Kane
caught Shawn’s lips in his and kissed him hard.  Then he lifted up, pulled out slightly and started to thrust long deep and slow.  Gazing down at Shawn’s face Kane said, “I love you” with every thrust in and “I want you” with every pull out.  Over and over, staring into Shawn’s eyes Kane repeated the litany until Shawn’s cock was leaking and his hands on Kane’s biceps were tightening and clawing at his skin.  When speech became impossible for them both Kane thrust harder and harder until he came deep inside the man he knew he could never live without.  Dropping Shawn’s legs, Kane collapsed on Shawn’s chest feeling Shawn’s own release spurting between them.  He felt Shawn’s arms wrap around his neck holding him and soothing him as they both slowly came down.   When Kane felt Shawn’s breathing return to normal he rolled them over so they were both laying on their side, still entwined.

“Apology accepted,” Shawn said with a glint in his eye.  Kane groaned.

“I know I am an ass and I am sure that won’t be the last time I fuck up big time.”

“Probably not,” Shawn’s tone was dry but he was grinning.  Reaching over he gave Kane a kiss before saying, “But I love you anyway and always will.”

Chapter Twenty Four

The morning of the ceremony was crisp and clean and gorgeous.  Cheryl had every one up early and assigned them all tasks in the manner of an Army drill sergeant.  Much to Kane’s disgust.  He had just managed to smuggle Shawn in his room for a quick kiss and what have you when there was a sharp knock at his bedroom door. 

“I swear to God we will have to move house, we never get any privacy here,” he groaned into Shawn’s neck.

“I suppose you should be thankful that you are leaning on the door otherwise they would have just burst in.” Shawn laughed at him and pulled him back from the door.  Quickly straightening their clothing, Kane growled out, “Come in” turning to the door as it opened.

Shawn looked over at the man standing in the doorway.  To say he filled it was an understatement.  As the man stepped into the room Shawn thought, oh fuck.  The man standing in front of them was exactly what Kane would look like in thirty years time.  His hair was shorter, but his hard features and deep blue eyes were exactly
the same as Kane’s as was the scowl on his face.   The man closed the door behind him with a resounding thud. 

Kane moved to stand in front of Shawn, his protective nature in full force.  He met his father’s gaze full on and would not back down.  Shawn could feel the tension oozing from his mate’s back but did nothing to interfere.  This was a matter between two Alphas as well as a father and his son.

“What are you doing here Dad?  Come to beat another mistake out of me?”  Kane was beaten?  Shawn felt his own protective instincts rising but unlike Kane he kept them simmering under the surface, his face as expressionless as ever as he watched the two men in their silent battle - Alpha power rippled through the room.

The silent standoff lasted a good two minutes before the older man broke the gaze and laughed.

“No, son although if you challenge me on my land the way you did just now I will have no choice but to take you down.”

Bristling again Kane stepped forward. “This is my land and my pack.  What do you want dad?”

“I actually came to meet the man that has half of the packs in North America in a tizzy.  The one that is apparently getting hitched to my son today.”

Kane looked over his shoulder at Shawn who shrugged.  He didn’t know what the older man was talking about.  Kane looked back at his father again before pulling Shawn forward and wrapping his arm around his waist.

Indicating to his dad with his other hand, Kane said to Shawn, “Shawn, this is my father Arthur Matthews, Alpha of my home pack.”  Turning to his dad he said, “Dad this is Shawn Bailey, my mate.”

Arthur looked at the smaller man by his son’s side.  He didn’t look all that impressive.  Pretty if you like that sort of thing, which he definitely didn’t, but at first glance Shawn seemed like any other wolf that got in his way. 
Smirking he reached forward with his hand out to Shawn, pushing his Alpha power out at the man.  Kane immediately started to growl but he didn’t step in.  Interesting.

The man, Shawn, looked at him for a moment, his face still expressionless. He didn’t seem phased at all.  Arthur pushed harder putting all of the weight of his years into leading his pack into this one moment.  And in that instant Shawn changed.  Stepping away from Kane
Shawn flicked his fingers at his mate and seconds later Kane was encased head to foot in a blue haze. Only when his mate was protected did Shawn straighten up to his full height his gaze unflinching as he met Arthur’s challenge.  His power oozed out into the room slowly but built with every passing second, building up to the point where Arthur started to sweat and his own ability to think was gone. 

Arthur held on as long as he could but eventually
he broke the eye challenge and then fell back against the door. As soon as his eyes drop he felt Shawn pull back his power and go to Kane.

“Are you okay lover?”  Shawn asked Kane softly. Flicking his fingers the blue haze around his mate dropped and Shawn pulled his man into his arms.

“Yeah,” said Kane with a gasp.  “Thanks for the protection though, that helped a bit.  So was that full power?”

“
No where near it.”  Shawn kissed Kane and then turned to Arthur who was listening in amazement.  This time Shawn held his hand out to Arthur and as the older man took it he said, “Hi Mr. Matthews, nice to meet you, I think.”

Arthur straightened himself up and pulled himself together.

“My God,” he said. “With your power you could take on any pack anywhere.  Who the hell are you? What are you?”

“I told you.  I am Shawn Bailey and I am your son’s mate. That is all that is important here.”

“Are you going to meet Xavier tomorrow?”

“Yep.”

“Are you going to take over his pack?”

“Actually Dad,” Kane said, “It is already Shawn’s pack.  Xavier is his uncle that took over the pack after Shawn’s father, the Alpha, died.  But since
Shawn left his pack more than ten years ago, Shawn’s pack has been trying to kill him, using human hunters.  Shawn got Xavier to challenge him according to pack law to put a stop to all of the hassle.  He is protecting me and my pack.”

“And no, Mr. Matthews, I have no intention of taking over Xavier’s pack.  I didn’t want it when I was a teenager and I don’t want it now.  But I will go through with this challenge so that none of Kane’s pack gets hurt.”

“But you could take over any pack you wanted.”  Arthur was struggling to understand.

“Now you see my problem.”  Shawn said quietly.  “I can but I don’t want to.  I never did.  I wouldn’t have gotten involved in Kane’s pack if it wasn’t for the fact that he is my mate.  His
pack has accepted me as I am and I am going to protect them.  It is that simple.”

“Well that explains a lot.”  Arthur sat down on the edge of Kane’s bed.

“What do you mean dad? And what did you mean when you first came in about the packs getting in a tizzy about Shawn.”

“Well it seems that Xavier visited a lot of packs to recruit trackers before he came to mine.  Everywhere he went he spouted on about how his nephew was a freak of nature and a danger to any pack he came across.”  He looked at Shawn apologetically before continuing.

“It seems that packs that had already met Shawn were not prepared to help Xavier in any way.  The general consensus was that Shawn was a really decent, quiet man, who kept to himself and who would help anybody that needed it.  By the time Xavier came to us he was getting really pissed at the fact that nobody seemed to take any potential threat Shawn might pose seriously.”

“I have never been a threat to the packs I have encountered in the last ten years.  I have only ever defended myself when it has been n
ecessary and I worked really hard over the past years to stay away from packs so this type of situation didn’t happen.”  Shawn really wanted the older man to understand, but Kane had a more pressing problem.

“So why did you send Michael and the crew down with Xavier.  Did you agree with the man?”

Arthur looked at Kane and his expression softened.  “No son, I didn’t and to be honest when Xavier first came to me I turned him down too simply because I didn’t think other pack concerns were my business.  But when Xavier said that Shawn was in Cloverleah, where I knew you were based I felt I had to do something in case Shawn here threatened you.  I am sorry Kane.” 

He turned to Shawn.
“I am sorry for what I did to you too.  Even facing me, you protected Kane first if that is what that blue haze thing was all about.  Your mating marks clearly show you have claimed each other and Kane wouldn’t be going through this ceremony today if he wasn’t deadly serious about you.  You could have killed me today, I do realize that, and yet you only applied enough power to make me back down.  I know that and I appreciate it. I won’t challenge you or your right to be with my son ever again.”

“Thank you dad.  That means a lot to
us.  So are you staying for the ceremony?”  Kane looked at his dad expecting him to say no.

Genuinely smiling for the first time since he came into the room Arthur smiled.  “Yep and I have bought your brothers and a few of my other fighters and we will all be staying until after the challenge tomorrow to offer any support we can.”

“Wow dad, I didn’t expect that at all.  Thank you again.”  Kane went to shake Arthur’s hand, but Arthur pulled his son into a huge hug slapping his back the way all heterosexual men hug a guy they know is gay.  Shawn smirked to himself before he suddenly said, “Oh shit.”

Both men pulled apart.  “
What?” said Kane.

“Your mother.” And sure enough seconds later Cheryl barreled into the room taking in the scene in front of her.

“Great, male bonding when there is work to be done.  Come on out now Arthur, these men need to get dressed. You get downstairs and make sure that everyone has drinks before getting them all outside for the ceremony.”  Grabbing hold of Arthur, she tugged him out of the room, before leaning back in. 

“No making out you two.  You have ten minutes and I want to see unwrinkled suits on those bodies of yours.  I will be coming back to get you if you aren’t downstairs in ten.”  She winked at Kane and Shawn and then scurried out of the room slamming the door behind her.

“She will be back you know.” Shawn said as Kane advanced on him, pushing him back up against the door.

“How long will it take you to get us both dressed and ready?” Kane growled against Shawn’s neck.

“About two seconds.”

“Then we
’ve got at least nine and a half minutes.”  And leaning into Shawn he started kissing him like his life depended on it.

/~/~/~/

The boys were heading downstairs just as Cheryl was coming up to get them.  Her eyes welled with tears at the sight of them.

“Oh you boys look lovely.  So handsome in your suits.”

Shawn looked at Kane.  He was wearing tailored black pants with a deep blue shirt and a black suit jacket that fit his shoulders perfectly. A pair of polished black biker boots and a thin black leather tie completed the outfit.  With his hair in waves down to his shoulders and the cocky grin on his face Shawn thought his mate looked perfect. Shawn was dressed in identical clothing except his shirt was a paler blue.  He had pulled his hair back off his face and it hung long and straight down his back.  Kane’s hand was tucked underneath it, pressing slightly against his back.

“Glad you approve Mom.  Is everything ready out there?”

Cheryl seemed to collect herself for a moment and then nodded, “Yes.  Everything is ready, no thanks to you two.”  Then she smiled.  “Come and make this old woman happy and give me a kiss both of you and then you can head out.”  She reached up to kiss Kane first and then Shawn before scurrying out of the door, her eyes already leaking down her face.

“Any doubts lover?”  Kane looked worried as he looked across Shawn.

“None at all.  Is that what all that kissing and groping was upstairs?  You think I am going to change my mind?” Raising his eyebrow, Shawn looked at Kane and grinned.

Laughing Kane pulled Shawn close for another quick peck.  “Nope just love kissing you.  Boy, you look amazing in that suit.”

“Yeah well no wrinkling it or your Mom will kill us both.”

“I will hold off until after the ceremony but then all bets are off.”

Laughing Kane pulled his mate out of the door and onto the porch.  There spread below them in the grassy valley a large pack circle had been created with white rocks.  His pack, Claude’s friends and Kane’s immediate family and ex-pack members were all arranged around the circle, standing just on the inside of the rocks.  In the middle of the circle stood Shaman Paul, dressed in a long blue robe and watching them expectantly.

Holding hands the two men walked towards the circle, passing
through Griff and Troy and in moments they were in front of the Shaman.  Paulo smiled at them and then indicated they should stand and face each other. They smiled at each other as the Shaman’s voice rang out, the love evident in their eyes.

“
We have come together today to witness the Alpha mating ceremony between Kane, Alpha of the Cloverleah pack and son of Arthur the Alpha of the Denver, Colorado pack and Shawn, Alpha of the Spokane Pack and son of the late Alpha of the Spokane Pack.”

“This is not something that is undertaken lightly as this bond is permanent and something that cannot be broken by any other person, shifter, or wolf.  Therefore I have to ask before I start, is there any person present who objects to this union and who would fight Shawn for his right to join with Kane?”

Kane looked around at his circle of friends who were all smiling.  He looked back at Shawn who was watching something over Kane’s shoulder.

“I
object,” a loud voice rang out.  Kane turned and saw a young man, he hadn’t seen for at least three years come flying out from the forest.  He strutted towards the circle.

“Micah.”  Kane’s father roared. “What is the meaning of this?”

This is another one from your pack Kane
felt Shawn’s question through rumble through his head.

Yeah, um sorry hon, I was a bit wild in my youth.

Fuck, if I have to fight off everyone you have been with I will be here until dinner time.  And your Mom is going to be pissed if I wrinkle this suit.
Kane couldn’t tell if Shawn was serious or not.  He didn’t dare look at his face.