Roan was carefully folding clothes into a suitcase that Shane loaned him, when he heard Kalel come in.
“You’re really leaving us then?” Kalel didn’t sound happy about it. Roan quickly put down the shirt he was folding and pulled his friend into a hug.
“You know I have to be with my mate,” Roan explained, pulling Kalel to sit with him on the bed. “Mace has his own house. He’s not used to staying with the pack full time, but I’ll still be here so often you’ll get sick of me.”
“It’s just been nice having you here,” Kalel said. “We both like to cook, and you’re great at keeping the place tidy. I….”
“What’s the matter?” Roan stroked Kalel’s hair. He wasn’t used to being affectionate with others, but he’d learned quickly that Kalel liked it and it was in his Omega nature to want to help others any way he could.
“I get lonely in the house by myself sometimes,” Kalel said quietly. “Peter’s been so busy, and I know he wants to be with me, but with exams and everything….”
“So it won’t be for too much longer then,” Roan soothed. “I don’t know what’s going to happen after Mace’s holiday, but if he goes back to work, then I’ll come over as often as I can, and you can come visit me. We can both learn to drive.”
“Oh, is Mace going to teach you?” That idea seemed to put a smile on Kalel’s face. Maybe no one offered to give Kalel a spot of independence before.
“He said he would and I’m sure Peter would teach you, but if he hasn’t got the time, then I’ll get Mace to do it.” Roan hoped he wasn’t promising more than Mace could deliver, but he didn’t see the harm in asking. Someone in the pack should be able to teach Kalel to drive.
“It would make things a lot easier,” Kalel said. “I’m not that keen on going out by myself, what with the way I look and everything, but in a car it’d be okay.”
“You look amazing,” Roan said, because he knew Kalel expected it, but he continued. “If guys can’t get past your awesomeness, then that’s their problem, not yours. You’re pretty, sexy and dress to impress; you’re intelligent and one of the best cooks in the universe. If people give you a hard time it’s just because they’re jealous of how wonderful you are.”
“I get picked on because I’m short and nothing’s going to change that.”
“So do I, or at least I did,” Roan said. He took Kalel’s hands in his and stared at Kalel’s lovely face. Kalel was angelic in his beauty and Roan couldn’t imagine what might have happened to him if Shane hadn’t found him. “But us, you and me,” he said pointing to Kalel’s chest and his, “we’re stronger than we look. We’ve come through a lot and we’re still here, still standing, and we both have mates who care for us. How lucky is that?”
“Do you ever think of getting in touch with them, your old pack, I mean?”
Roan shook his head, wondering why Kalel even asked. “Dimitri asked me if I wanted to make a case with the council, have my Alpha investigated and bring charges against him for selling me, but what would be the point? It wouldn’t change my past, and I refuse to let it have anything to do with my future.”
“But he may be doing this to other people.”
“Yes, he probably is,” Roan agreed. “Look, I know the right thing to do would be to go to the authorities, lay a case against the Alpha, and get him stopped, but I don’t have proof. It would be my word against his. I suppose you think it’s weak of me, but I just don’t care anymore. Nothing is going to change what I’ve been through and this is the first time in my life I have the chance of happiness. I don’t want anything to take that away.”
“I understand, I really do,” Kalel said staunchly, wonderfully loyal even though they hadn’t been friends for very long. “And you’re not weak. No one who’d survived like you did could ever be considered weak, so don’t go thinking that about yourself. That ex-Alpha of yours will get his comeuppance once day – the bad guys always do.”
“Do you believe that?”
“Absolutely,” Kalel said. “We know the Fates are real, because we have our mates. So why should we imagine that they are just some glorified dating service? They might not interfere with our day-to-day lives, but I know someone as evil as your ex-Alpha is going to get his. You can count on it.”
Roan had never thought about things like that before, but he did feel comforted by his friend’s strong words. He wasn’t one for revenge – it took far too much energy to hate someone and what Roan had told Kalel was true. He had a chance of happiness with Mace and he wanted to grab it with both hands and never let go. He looked at the clock on the wall and saw that Mace was late, again.
“Seems like my mate’s been held up at work. How about we hop into the kitchen and make the guys lunch. Have you ever made Tiramisu?”
“No, what’s that?” Kalel said hopping off the bed. “Is it sweet or creamy?”
“Both,” Roan said, following his friend. His packing would only take another five minutes; he’d rather spend time with Kalel than worry about what held Mace up at the office.
/~/~/~/~/
Trent wasn’t in the office and he wasn’t answering his phone, but as Mace was under orders, he headed to the only place he knew Trent would go if he wasn’t at home. Sure enough, when he pushed open the doors of the “Devil’s Rest,” he saw Trent sitting in his usual spot at the back of the room, a glass of scotch in his hand. Given it wasn’t lunchtime yet and there were three empty glasses sitting in front of him; Mace was sure Trent was well on his way to getting hammered.
Mace grabbed a soda from the bar, and made his way over to Trent’s table. His partner hadn’t even noticed him and that was a worry in itself. Since being stabbed, Trent was usually hyper-vigilant about his surroundings.
“Hey, bud,” Mace said, sitting down. “You okay?”
“What do you want Mace?” Trent had always been a little shorter and smaller than Mace, but now that he was up close and paying attention to his friend; Mace could see his face was thinner, and there were black circles under his eyes.
“I wanted to tell you I was sorry for being such a fucking douche to you the other day,” Mace said. “I only want to do this once, so I’d rather you were sober first. What the hell man? You don’t drink during the day, and definitely not on duty.”
“You’re not my keeper, Mace. It doesn’t concern you.”
“Like hell.” Mace had been in the wrong, he knew that; but there was no reason for Trent to run off and get drunk. Maybe something else was going on. He stood, grabbed the glass out of Trent’s hand and slammed it on the table. “Come on, I’m taking you home and I’m going to sit with you until you fucking tell me what’s going on.”
Trent didn’t say anything, but he didn’t fight Mace either. The drive was a short one and within ten minutes they were on the porch of Trent’s place, the man fumbling with his keys. Mace wanted to take over, he had his own key to Trent’s place, but without knowing what was going on with his oldest friend, he waited and finally Trent had the dexterity to get the door open. Pointing his friend in the direction of the couch, Mace headed for the kitchen. A pot of black coffee was in order.
Trent was still silent when Mace brought the coffee in, although he took a cup and sipped it slowly. Mace got comfortable on the couch – it was more than big enough to hold both men without them invading each other’s personal space. He’d spent many an hour on that couch; watching games, shooting the breeze with Trent. Hell, he’d even slept on it a time or two. Mace didn’t want to lose that, and that’s what prompted him to speak.
“Look, I’m the first to admit I was an ass to you, and I’m fucking sorry. I never meant what I said. I was just losing my mind over Roan and my mouth ran away on me. But no matter what, I’ll always be your friend, and I’m worried about you.”
“Bet that wasn’t easy for you to say.” Was that a hint of a smile on Trent’s face? Mace wasn’t sure.
“It wasn’t,” he replied, “so don’t make me say it again. Now what’s got you drinking before lunch?”
“I’m fucking lonely, Mace,” Trent admitted quietly. Mace immediately felt guilty. He hadn’t been spending much time with his friend, and most of it in the past two weeks had been tied up with him worrying about Roan. He felt he should apologize again, but it seemed Trent hadn’t finished.
“I see you guys, well the guys in the pack, and they’re all so solid you know? They never stray from their partner; don’t even look at anyone else. It’s supposed to be easier for straight guys, you know. So many possible partners to choose from, and yet I can’t find a woman who understands my hours, and shit, it’s gotten to the point where I almost expect them to cheat on me after the first date.”
Mace knew exactly what Trent meant. The women in Trent’s life were one of the reasons he never seriously dated. Hours were long, dates were interrupted with calls to go into work, and it wasn’t as though the money was that good. It wasn’t surprising that most women figured they could do better with someone else a little more reliable and with regular hours.
“I always thought mating was a shifter thing,” Trent went on. “It wasn’t so bad then, you know. You and me, we’re human, and fucking lucky those guys even shared their secrets with us.”
“They didn’t have much choice,” Mace said, thinking about how Dimitri shifted and ripped out their now-dead lieutenant’s throat when he’d shot Shane in the leg.
“You know what I mean, they didn’t have to take us in, make us honorary pack members, but they did. I used to envy them having their permanent mates, and shit, when Sin turned into a bear after being claimed I used to dream that maybe I had latent shifter genes somewhere.”
“You’d be a pretty skinny wolf,” Mace teased. Trent hit him, which was a good sign. It meant his friend was feeling a bit better.
“They were just dreams,” Trent said. “Fantasy stuff, but I never imagined the mating bug could happen to us…until you met Roan.”
“Bug?”
“Well, what else would you call it when someone gets under your skin; turns your sexual orientation upside down; and becomes the only person you want to be with?”
Mace felt that Trent had a point. “So I was right in a way,” he said slowly, not wanting another row with his friend. “You are jealous, in a sense, but not of Roan exactly, but that I’m human and I found a mate anyway.”
“Yes,” Trent said, pouring himself another cup of coffee. “Wouldn’t you be if the shoe was on the other foot? You weren’t even looking for a relationship. I’ve always wanted one. And I can’t believe how you got past the fact that Roan has the same bits you do. I’ve never known you to look at another man before, but you don’t seem to have any problems kissing Roan and making out with him.”
“I guess I don’t.” Mace shrugged. “When we’re on our own, it just doesn’t seem to make any difference. Roan is who he is and I care about him. I never thought, oh my God, he’s got a cock. I was worried about people at work learning about it, but that’s just because of the shit Shane went through when he first joined up. I’ve always wanted to fit in you know; I thought that meant dating women.”
“And then you met Roan, and bam, suddenly you’re taking to man-on-man sex like a pro, and don’t seem put off by it at all.”
“It’s not that much different,” Mace said, hoping his face wasn’t getting too red. “Well, it is, but it isn’t, and there’s still a lot of stuff I haven’t done yet, but I’m getting there. Shit, I don’t know. Talk to Dimitri about that stuff. He and Peter used to date women before they met their mates. All I know is that since Roan bit me, I don’t like women looking at me with their fluttery eyes and sticking their chests out at me. It used to make me uncomfortable, but now it gives me a full body shiver, and the smell makes me want to sneeze.”
“You did get enhanced senses,” Trent said leaning forward and looking excited. “Because of the bite; I bet you’ll get stronger too and Dimitri said your life threads are entwined now so you won’t get old like I will. Man, you’re so lucky, you have no idea.”
“It’s to do with the mating thing, yeah,” Mace said. “But it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. That woman Patty, that we had to attend to. Imagine the smell of death up to one hundred times worse. I don’t know how Shane and Dimitri cope with it all the time.”
“They’re used to it, I suppose,” Trent said, slumping back on the couch. “I’m not being selfish or anything, fuck I’m happy for you, I really am.”
“But you wish it would happen to you too; a female version this time.”
“Hey, I meant what I told you. I’ve never looked at another guy and thought, yeah I could get into that. But if it was a shifter and we were mates, I honestly wouldn’t care. I’ve got internet, I can learn what to do.”
“I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you, buddy. Maybe there’s a wolf out there with your name on it, or a bear,” Mace said, wondering if it was really possible. “Are we done with the heart-to-heart, or can I add one more thing to the list while we’re being all confiding and shit?”
“Confide away,” Trent said. “I’ve had just enough booze I could listen to anything, and just enough coffee so you’ll actually make sense.”
“I’m thinking of quitting my job and going private.”
“Well, shit.” Trent sprayed a mouthful of coffee all over himself and the coffee table. “You’d better make another pot of coffee, and order a couple of pizzas. I’m nowhere near sober enough for that conversation.”