“Certainly sir. Will you be eating dinner tonight?”
“I’m not sure. He’s pretty exhausted…”
“I can see that. Might I bring you a plate of sandwiches?”
It didn’t take long for Logan to agree as his stomach chose that moment to announce it was looking for food. “Sure, that’d be great. Thanks.”
Logan went back to his mate and pulled a club chair over so he could be near him, then sat, leaning back, thinking about all that happened since he woke up yesterday morning to discover Kieran had fled. Each of them with secrets, not wanting to lose the other, but for different reasons each unable to be honest.Well that was going to stop. From now on, I’m telling my mate everything and no more hiding.
He must have dozed off because the next thing he knew he was awakened by delicious scents wafting around the room. Thomas had wheeled in a cart filled with snacks causing Logan’s mouth to water and his stomach to growl loudly. Holding a finger to his lips, Logan rose and walked over to the sitting area on the other side of the room and sat at the small table while Thomas placed the food before him.
“If you need anything, just pull on the cord over there, sir.”
“Thanks, Thomas, everything looks fine.”
“You’re welcome, sir,” said Thomas.
Lifting the silver dome cover off his plate, Logan found stacks of rare roast beef sandwiches. Groaning, he picked one up and couldn’t stop eating until the entire plate wasbare. Leaving Kieran’s food covered, Logan poured himself a cup of tea, then moved over to the tall windows that graced the room and sat down. As he looked out into the dark of the night, he smiled as he listened to the mewling sounds his mate made in his sleep. Soon he, too, drifted off.
~/~/~/~/~
Something woke him, and Logan froze, listening for whatever it was that startled him. Concentrating on the noise, he realized it was coming from the sitting area and whoever it was, was trying to be very quiet. Thinking through his options, he settled for the one he felt would give him the greatest advantage. With split second timing, he leaped from his chair and shifted at the same time, landing in the middle of the room with fangs dripping and growls loud enough to be heard at the other end of the house.
Watching a huge wolf land five feet away from him, in a fighting stance with warning growls rumbling out of a tooth-filled mouth caused Kieran to squeal, drop his sandwich, fall to the ground and crawl under the table, trying to hide. Closing his eyes, he called on his spirit to help him and found it chastising the wolf for scaring his mate. Logan’s wolf looked at the tiny spirit facing him down and chuffed as he received the order, lowering his belly to the floor and placing his head on his front paws.
Kieran opened his eyes after hearing the order and seeing his mate’s wolf in all its beauty, slowly crawled out, got up, and walked hesitantly over to Logan. Stretching out his hand, he gently touched the wolf between the ears, loving the feeling of the soft fur under his fingertips. Then remembering what had happened, Kieran bopped Logan on the forehead saying, “Holy shit balls! Do you know you almost caused me to have a heartattack? Wolves don’t even get heart attacks! Or are you trying to scare me to death because I’m pretty sure that can happen to a wolf although I’m not sure when that ever did happen but let me tell you, the way my heart is pounding, I’m halfway there! Before you went all caveman on me, did you think about anything? Like me being hungry? I thought about you, all tired and sleeping when I tiptoed over here to eat. You know, like food? You ate but didn’t wake me, so I could, too! That was nice of you because I was exhausted, and you did save me something, which did surprise me seeing how big your wolf is, but still, you took years off my life or maybe you added wrinkles to my face. Oh shit! Not wrinkles…anything but wrinkles…if I have any, I’m blaming you because you scared the bejeebies out of me.”
Kieran ran to a mirror, carefully examining his face. “Wrinkles will ruin my face and then what, you won’t want me anymore because I won’t be cute…oh my gods…I think I have one.” Kieran turned around, stomping his foot and putting his hands on his hips. “We need to have a talk about you checking with our spirit before you pull a stunt like that again.”
Logan’s wolf tilted his head, wondering why his mate was so upset before finally deciding to put his head back down and whine to tell Kieran how sorry he was. Logan was in full agreement with his wolf, deciding not to shift back since his mate didn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon.Gee, he’s cute when he gets angry.
“Listen to me you big oaf…our spirit will tell you where I am. All you have to do is ask. If you had, I wouldn’t have a wrinkle or years taken from my life. Honestly, am I going to have to train your wolf too? I mean really, Logan, my looks will be ruined if you keep scaring me half to death. I mean I’m already halfway there, so it would only take one more time for you to scare the other half and I don’t want that at all. It’s so final and with my luck, I’ll die with my face all screwed up with an ugly look and then what are my mourners going to think? ‘Fuck, what an ugly wolf’ and I’mnotugly. I’m very cute and you have to make sure I stay that way. So. Control. Your. Damn. Wolf.”
Unable to hold back anymore, Logan’s wolf was chuffing hard now at Kieran’s tirade including the final pose of his hands on his hips and his foot tapping the floor in frustration.Damn, my mate is so cute!
“Shift, dammit! We need to talk, and you better not be laughing at me or you’ll be sleeping in the woods!”
With that warning, Logan shifted, but couldn’t stop smiling at his mate. “I’m sorry, babe, I was trying to protect you. I didn’t know our spirit would know where you were, and I was worried about you.” Logan walked closer and stared at his mate’s face. “I don’t see any new wrinkles…”
“Oh. My. Gods!” Kieran cried, turning back around to look in the mirror. “Whatoldwrinkles are you talking about? I don’t see any.” Concentrating on his face, he didn’t see his mate come up behind him, until Logan turned him around and picked him up, rubbing their cocks together as Kieran’s legs wrapped around his mate’s waist.
“Now, that’s more like it,” said Logan, as he headed over to the table and sat down with Kieran in his lap. Picking up his mate’s half-eaten sandwich, he tore off a piece and held it up to Kieran’s mouth, popping it in when it opened. Without talking, Logan continued to feed his mate until the food was gone. Smirking, he said, “Glad to see you can be quiet long enough to eat.”
Kieran giggled, feeling much better with a full stomach and his fear gone. “Thanks for trying to protect me,” he said as his hands played with the hair on Logan’s chest. “But I meant what I said. Our spirit will always know where I am.”
“I’m sorry for scaring you, but I didn’t even think…I just heard something and the last I knew, you were dead to the world…well not dead, dead…but…you know what I mean,” Logan said. “Let me look closely…I don’t want anything to mar the cutest face I ever saw.”
Kieran’s cheeks turned pink as he felt Logan’s admiring gaze directed at him. Swatting at his mate’s chest, he said, “Stop it. Now you’re teasing me!”
“What? You don’t think you’re cute? Because you are,mo anan cara,” Logan said, kissing Kieran’s nose before moving to the full pink lips that had haunted his dreams, lightly caressing them with his tongue for a taste before pressing his lips firmly against them, savoring their softness as Kieran returned the kiss. Breaking it off, Logan knew his mate needed more sleep. “Babe, as much as I would love to continue this, I think we both need to get more sleep. But I promise you, I’m not finished.”
Kieran yawned. “I think you’re right, but will you sleep with me? I know I will sleep better if you are with me…for protection.” Kieran giggled and then tweaked Logan’s nipples. “You’re ready for bed but that reminds me…look at what you did to your clothes, although personally I think it was a good thing, if you catch my drift. But I did love that green shirt because it brought out your eyes. I love your eyes, all brooding-like. But don’t worry about that, I can make you look better. We’ll have to do some shopping because I don’t want you going to Scotland looking the way you do.”
“You mean naked?” Logan smirked.
“Don’t you dare even think that! Nobody sees you naked but me! You belong to me!” exclaimed Kieran.
Leaning in to his mate’s ear, Logan growled, “Ditto for me! I don’t want anyone to see your delightful sweet ass but me, understand?”
