The Reluctant Wolf (Book 1 Cloverleah Pack) (2 page)

She looked up as the kitchen door opened.  “Oh here he is now; it’s the end of his shift.  Hey Shawn come over here for a minute.”

Kane couldn’t see the man behind Trisha but assumed he must be coming over as Trisha was still looking at someone expectantly over her shoulder.  And ‘Shawn’ ha, must be a bloke too right because he had never heard of a girl named Shawn.  What he did notice was that amazing scent becoming almost over powering as the wearer of it got closer and closer.  Kane’s wolf was in a tizzy of excitement frantically trying to get out…get closer to the source of that smell…his mate?  Lord knows nothing like this had ever happened to Kane before in his life. Kane leaned his head back for a moment and closed his eyes - he had to get himself and his wolf under control.

“Is everything okay here?”  The voice was firm and low.  It vibrated down
Kane’s spine and hit his dick with the power of a force ten tornado.  Kane realized if this man kept speaking he could come from words alone.  The timbre, the softness, the way this man’s words reverberated through Kane made him feel like he was being held; that he was safe…what a weird way for an Alpha to feel.

“Sure,” he heard Trisha say.  “These guys were just complimenting you on your stew and I thought it would be nice if you could meet them.”

Kane opened his eyes to look at the man now standing beside Trisha.  To say he was gob-smacked was an understatement. Shawn looked as inviting as a tall drink of spring water after a two day dusty ride. Kane just wanted to drink the man in. He started at the man’s boots which were well worn but clean.  He took in how Shawn’s jeans seemed to fit him, just snugly enough to show off muscled legs and a package that made Kane think of Christmas, birthdays and everything else worth unwrapping.  Shawn’s tight white t-shirt suggested muscled abs and a well defined chest.  His arms were tanned and strong without being overly big. He had to stand at least six foot, maybe a spot more - perfect for Kane’s own 6 foot 4.

Just perfect,
Kane thought again, when he took a look at the vision’s face.  Shawn had a lean triangular face with a straight nose and full pink lips set amidst an awesome tan.  But it was his eye’s that caught Kane’s attention the most.  Crystal blue with shards of ice and framed with gorgeous long black lashes, they were the most intense eyes Kane had ever seen. As Kane watched him those same eyes shifted once to almost fully white and then back to blue chips again. Shawn quickly dipped his head forward so that his long black hair fell forward across his face and Kane ached to tuck it back behind his ears so he could keep looking into those eyes.

It was then that
Kane was aware that the others had been talking and he had been caught drooling like a school boy on heat.  He shifted in his chair and tried to focus on the conversation.

“…a really damn good stew.  Where did you learn to cook like that?”  Thank God for Griff who was at the moment watching
Kane with a bemused expression on his face while holding the conversation Kane seemed impossible to contribute to with his potential mate.

“I get around a lot and cooking is just something I really
love. I am glad you enjoyed it.”  Shawn’s tone seemed almost overly polite and it seemed to Kane that Griff had gotten that idea too.

Now that Shawn was standing closer the faint smell of wolf was more obvious but it was almost as though it was masked by something else. 
Kane could pick up hints of the forest, of rain, of water flowing from a stream but the animal scent itself was so faint.  How did the boy do that?  He was still trying to work out how to work that into the conversation when he heard Shawn talking again.

“…really have to get going
.  Nice to meet you guys.  I’ll see you tomorrow Trisha,” and with that Shawn loped over to the door and was gone.  Moments later the unmistakable sound of a Harley motorbike filled the air, taking with it that delicious smell.  Kane looked up to see both Griff and Trisha looking at him.

“Well you certainly made a good impression
Kane,” Trisha said with a smile in her voice.  “I have never known you to be so quiet.”

Kan
e answered her smile with a weak one of his own. “Just tired I think Trisha, you know how hectic things can get this time of year.  Is there any chance of getting some of your coffee - I might need it if I am going to get any work done this afternoon.”

Trisha bustled off to get the required coffee and
Kane sat stunned at what had just happened.

“So you don’t believe in all this mate bullshit, ha?”  Griff
had a smug look on his face. “I know I’ve never seen you struck dumb before, so come on Kane, tell me what is going on underneath that thick skull of yours.”

“I don’t know my friend, I really don’t.  It can’t be that mate shit because then wouldn’t he feel it too?  You heard him, so damn polite and if I hadn’t have caught that switch in his eyes I could have sworn he was almost human.
But he just walked off like meeting us was nothing but an inconvenient blip in his day.”

“Ha, you’re not as observant as I thought.  Didn’t you notice the change in his jeans as he was looking at you? Man I can’t believe you missed that. He is built.” 
Kane growled at his friend before realized that Griff was just trying to impart information. “And you noticed that eye shift too - your wolfy mate is trying hard to be something he’s not which suggests to me he is on the run from something.  Maybe your boy’s in trouble, Kane.  Important thing is, what are you gonna do about it?”

CHAPTER TWO

Oh shit, oh fuck
, oh fucking shit…

Shawn was panicking. 
It was just before the end of his shift that his wolf had picked up that someone unusual had come into the diner - another wolf.  But Shawn felt safe in the kitchen.  With the varied smells coming from food cooking it was unlikely that one wolf would even notice that he was out the back, especially with the wards he had put in place on his chest.

But when Trisha had opened the kitchen door to yell out an order for the first bowl of stew, Shawn’s wolf had gone into
a frenzy at the smell of rich deep oak and oranges that had wafted in with her.  After she had left he had stolen a peek out of the window in the kitchen door and seen Kane headed over to a booth at the corner of the diner.

Although
Kane had his back turned to him Shawn was quick to note the man’s height and build.  Kane was at least six foot four inches with wide shoulders and thick strong arms.  Shawn could see glimpses of tattoos on the man’s arms - like bands around his skin.  Kane’s shoulder’s slimmed down in a V down a broad back to an ass that was so perfectly encased in denim that Shawn’s wolf whimpered at the sight.

The only other thing that Shawn could see was the man’s hair.  Caught up in a tie at the base of his neck
Kane’s hair fell down below his shoulders in a thick mass of dark, dark brown swirls with flashes of red highlights through it.  Watching him walk Shawn got the impression that Kane was a man who knew what he wanted and had no problems going out and getting it.

This man was his mate - Shawn was in no doubt about that.  As he thanked the Fate’s he was wearing his apron so that no-one else could see the evidence of his arousal and
as he went back to his cooking, he couldn’t help but feel sad that this amazing man, that he had only seen the back of, was the mate he was destined for and couldn’t have.

When Trisha came in to secure the second order of stew Shawn was a little more prepared for the blast of scent that rose above the cooking smells of stew and fried chicken.  While his cock ached, he simply nodded his head at Trisha and went on to prepare the additional order.
But when his wolf acknowledged the smell of a second wolf he started to get really anxious.

Finishing the orders, Shawn had quickly cleaned up his station and grabbed his gear ready to head off.  He noted through the kitchen door window that Trisha was talking to the two wolves in the booth so all he needed was to put his head down and walk out.  Hopefully none of them would notice him leaving.

Pulling out his cell phone and staring at the blank screen as though that would give him something to do with his eyes, he hunched his shoulders and pushed through the doors.  Three steps and he would be at the counter.  Ten long steps and he would be out the door, on his bike and free to leave. Leave the promise of an apparently gorgeous mate and the threat that only two wolves in a diner could give him.

But that didn’t happen; no the Fate’s couldn’t be that kind.  He was caught, called over and when he saw his mate’s face with
ruggedly handsome face, hard chin, full mouth and deep blue eyes, he knew he was in real trouble.  With his wolf going crazy, his magic singing and his cock straining at the zipper in his jeans, it took all of his control to stand still under the wolves scrutiny.  All he wanted to do was throw himself into his mate’s arms and let himself be screwed into oblivion. 

He knew his mate wanted him.  He could smell
Kane’s arousal coming off him in waves of heat.  He could see it in the man’s tight jeans and the tension in the man’s jaw as he met Shawn’s eyes.  In that one split second Shawn lost control and felt his eyes change.  Just as quickly he got it back, but it was too late. Kane had seen it and so had his friend.

Thank the lords for this man Griff who seemed to take over the conversation while
Kane just sat there silently staring at him like he wanted to have him for breakfast. Shawn held onto his control long enough to make a few polite answers while his head was screaming at him to get away - pack wolves were everything that Shawn feared - everything he tried to stay away from. 

It might not have been as bad if
Kane had seemed to be a rogue wolf, but no, this man was an Alpha, and if he was an Alpha then he had a pack.  The last pack Shawn had been actually in had tried to kill him and he vowed he would never go back to that type of set-up again.  Packs were dangerous; they didn’t understand wolves like Shawn; they didn’t want wolves like Shawn and he wasn’t going to get caught again.

Shawn realized he had arrived at his driveway.  His small furnished cottage was right on the edge of town, set down a long driveway that couldn’t be navigated by car.  All around him was bush and trees which hid the cottage perfectly from the road and tourist eyes.  As he chucked the bike into low gear he negotiated the pot holes and undergrowth that gave the driveway an unused appearance.  Shawn preferred it this way
.

Moments later he came up to the small clearing where his little cottage stood
in a large grass clearing.  Riding the bike right up to the porch steps, he reversed the bike so that it was parked ready to head off at the first sign of danger.  He got off the bike, smoothed his hair and looked around, searching the encroaching trees and darkened shadows for anything out of place.

Only when he was satisfied that he was alone did Shawn go up onto the porch.  Reaching under his t-shirt he took out a shimmering piece of
blue crystal that he wore around his neck.  Kneeling on the porch he tapped the crystal in three different places across the top of the steps releasing the wards that had protected his home during the day. 

Standing up again he walked over to the big heavy door and pressed his finger on one of the many knots in the wood.  A small electronic keypad slid out and he tapped in a sequence of eight characters, allowing the door to open. 
He quickly stepped inside closing the door behind him.

The house itself was very small.  Just one main room that served as a kitchen,
living room and dinning area, with a separate bedroom and en-suite set to the left. There was one other small room set out the back of the kitchen through the pantry and it was there that Shawn was headed.

As he walked through Shawn made sure that nothing appeared out of place.  He kept his rooms’ deliberately tidy and neat at all times.  Although his small collection of ornaments and books on the bookcase appeared randomly placed he knew exactly what was there and where
each piece was supposed to be.  The room itself was comfortable enough, but it didn’t have a lived in feel. The cottage was furnished when he rented it and the furniture was well worn from years of use. Shawn snorted at himself - he had never lived anywhere long enough to call the place a home.

The backroom was totally out of character to the rest of the house and it was one of the main reasons Shawn had taken this place.  Outfitted simply with a
rug that covered most of the floor, a large desk, chair and a row of computer monitors, from this room Shawn could see every angle around his house, out to the woods and down the driveway.  The small room had no windows and anyone looking at the house from the outside would not even know it was there.

Sitting at his desk Shawn quickly accessed the motion detection videos that had recorded whilst he had been out.  Flicking through the videos carefully Shawn could see that the only visitors he had during the day had been a couple of deer that had wandered across his grass from the forest.  A few taps of the screen and the videos were wiped from his hard drive and the system activated again. 
Walking back through the pantry and closing the door he went into the kitchen searching for a much-needed beer.

Taking a
chilled bottle from the fridge, he threw the cap into the tidy bin and went back out the front door to sit on the porch.  He sat heavily in the chair nestled in the corner of the porch, and put his head back, eyes closed with his beer resting on his knee. What to think, what to think.

Kan
e, wolves, Kane, his pack, Kane, his father trying to find him - trying to kill him for the abomination he was, Kane.  His mate was definitely the most pleasant thing he had to think about he thought with a grin to himself.  He allowed himself to picture Kane as he had sat in that tiny chair in the homely diner. 

As his inner eye wandered over the picture he noticed a couple of new things about the man.  Shawn knew
Kane was tall, he was dark and he was definitely handsome but as Shawn allowed himself to take notice of smaller details he knew that Kane would not only be a good fit in bed, but out of it as well.  The way Kane held himself indicated strength of character; the light in his eyes suggested there was more to Kane than just a man with a job - this man had lived life.  It was almost as though Shawn could see the hint of pain in the soul of a man he was destined to love and who he could never be with.  “Who are you Kane, and why did you have to come into my life now?” He whispered to himself.

As he thought about
Kane he thought too of his own wolf who had to remain hidden for so many hours every day.  As he had rode away from the diner his wolf had howled in his head that he had to go back, he had to be with that gorgeous man, but Shawn knew he couldn’t do it.  Even now he watched his wolf inside his heart pacing and whining, longing for something they would never have.

Making a decision, Shawn opened his eyes, sat back up and put his beer on the porch.  Dusk was closing in and now would be a perfect time for a run.  He didn’t have to work at the diner until the late shift tomorrow so he would take his wolf for a long run in the woods, shower and then head off to bed.  He could sleep in, in the morning and maybe by then his head would feel a lot clearer.  But even as he started to take off his clothes for the shift he had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that if
Kane pursued him he would have no choice but to leave town and head off again. Moments later a lone silver white wolf sprinted across the lawn and melted into the dark cover of the trees.

Chapter Three

Anyone who was a regular customer of Custom Rides knew that going in the smart clean and small shop front was not the way to attract attention from the men who worked inside.  All of the action was around the back - in a huge workshop that could hold up to six cars and a larger number of bikes.  Custom Rides dealt in all aspects of customizing vehicles, both 2-wheeler and four.   The place was usually a hive of activity as the five men that made up Kane’s pack worked on their own and customer projects.

So if any customer had bothered to call into the shop after Kane and Griff got back from the diner they would have wondered what on earth was wrong.  All
the men were in the break room listening to what Kane and Griff had to say about the newcomer in town, Shawn - the wolf that didn’t smell much like a wolf and the man who could be Kane’s mate.

Kane had been totally honest with the way he felt both before and while he was meeting Shawn.  Because his pack was so small - five members including himself, made up entirel
y of gay wolves who like him had been evicted from their own packs and who landed up in Cloverleah, any possible threat to their existence had to be explored.

Shawn was not the first shifter to wander into Cloverleah, although he was one of the few that had stayed longer than a day or two.  The fact that he had been in town for more than three weeks and none of the men from Custom Rides had picked up on it made Kane wonder if he needed to be more vigilant about their own security. 

“Oh come on Kane, you know it’s not like that.  When would we have had the chance to see him?” Troy spoke up first.  “We have barely had a lunch break in the last month and if this Shawn is the unsociable type then we wouldn’t have picked up traces of him in town either.”

“Yeah, you know we have been heads down and bums up finishing these orders that keep coming in - I haven’t been laid in months.” His twin, Scott spoke up with a hint of a smile.

Kane looked at the twins.  Troy had been with the pack about two years after he had wandered into Custom Rides looking for a job.  When he learned Kane’s attitude to gay shifters, he was happy to join up with both the pack and the business although he hated leaving his twin.  Scott was apparently better at hiding his sexual orientation from his pack but when Troy got in touch with him six months after he had left town Scott had gladly abandoned his pack to be somewhere where he didn’t have to lie about who and what he was.

Both boys were great mechanics and could fix anything with a motor.  Although smaller than Griff or Kane at
a flat six foot tall they both had sun kissed blond hair and tanned, fresh features.  Not big by wolf standards both males were fierce fighters and they were staunchly loyal to Kane. As indicated by their comments Troy was the quieter one while Scott thought with his dick more often than not.

“You boys complaining I have been working you too hard?” Although Kane’s tone was teasing there was the underlying whip of the Alpha underneath it.

“No.”

“No.”

Both boys were quick to pick up on the seriousness of the situation but Troy felt he had to make his point.