Less than a month earlier, Wesley had been driving to a strange place, feeling resentful and used. Preparing himself for what he had assumed would be a new version of the same battle he had been fighting all his life, he had shored up his defenses for yet another pack that’d keep him at arm’s length. But from the moment he had crossed into Red River territory, he had been treated with friendliness and respect. The genuine smiles and abundance of attention from every shifter he had met, young to old, had erased any doubt he’d had about his welcome. And while he had a lot to learn about his new pack, after only three weeks, he already felt more at home in Red River than in the pack where he had been born and had lived for thirty-three years.
Even more unexpected was the switch in Wesley’s perspective about the person he had agreed to take as a mate. Being accepted by the pack right away hadn’t been on his radar, but he had hoped that with hard work he’d be able to win them over, so the difference between his expectation of their reaction to him and the reality was, in some ways, merely a difference in timing. Conversely, his skin had crawled from the first moment he had understood that in order to give Purple Sky the Alpha they actually wanted, he would have to whore himself out, and he hadn’t expected that reaction to ever change.
Not that anyone had used that word, of course. They’d said Wesley would become Alpha of Red River by mating with the current Alpha’s son. But mates were chosen by fate, and their control over their union was limited to the ways they physically manifested their connection. So the expectation for Wesley was clear—to give his pack an Alpha, he’d have to sacrifice his body and his dignity.
The only way Wesley had been able to keep his foot on the gas pedal as he had driven toward his new life had been to plot an escape from that aspect of the Alpha trade. He was certain that once the previous Alpha stepped down and Wesley established his position in the pack, he would be able to break Red River of their odd succession custom. The only question had been whether he would be able to avoid prostituting himself for long enough to gain control of the pack and cast his fake mate aside.
But the moment Wesley had met Jobe Root, his plan had begun crumbling. For starters, in all his mental wrangling, he had never considered the possibility of being attracted to his fake mate. Yet when the door had swung open, revealing the man inside, the strength of Wesley’s attraction had knocked away every other emotion. Then he had spotted a nude man inside Jobe’s house and his jealousy had risen as quickly as his lust, despite the fact that two minutes earlier, he’d had every intention of putting an end to the pretend mating as soon as possible.
Wesley had told himself that the intense feeling was a return of the anger and resentment he had been grappling with on the drive to Red River, but it hadn’t taken long to admit to himself that what he had felt was jealousy, white-hot jealousy. And that wasn’t the only unexpected emotion Wesley had struggled with that first night. After a few minutes speaking with Jobe, he had calmed down, his anger at what he had mistakenly thought he walked in on abating along with all the negative feelings he had brought with him to Red River, leaving in their place intrigue and simmering arousal, both aimed at Jobe Root.
Wesley’s middle of the night arrival had been his saving grace because he had been able to go to sleep rather than continuing his ride on the emotional spectrum roller coaster. The next day and every day since then had been filled by meeting an endless stream of shifters and learning about his new pack. But even as Wesley internally rejoiced in the acceptance and respect he received from everyone in Red River, even as he reveled at finally being seen and appreciated as an Alpha, even as he recognized that the move away from Purple Sky had been the best thing for him, one worry still plagued him: what did Jobe expect from their mating? Oddly enough, Wesley found himself unsure of what he wanted the answer to be, but he knew it wasn’t the distance he had hoped for during his drive to Red River.
“I have a question,” Wesley said as he stretched his legs out along the length of the couch.
“Hit me.”
They’d stayed out late with the heads of the oil and gas businesses because Wesley was fascinated that the same area could produce such varied substances, so he had dozens of questions and spent longer than he should have looking over documents. Although Jobe was clearly tired, he hadn’t tried to hurry Wesley along and he hadn’t complained about missing their usual dinner alone at home. The man had an enviable ability to roll with whatever came his way.
“The night I got here, Brian Berger was with you,” Wesley said as he turned his head to the side and glanced down at Jobe’s lean form, sprawled on the floor beside him. Despite having comfortable furniture, Jobe often sat or lay on the ground. When Wesley asked him about it, he said the floor was closer to the earth, which brought him closer to Mother Nature. Wesley didn’t understand the comment, but Jobe’s unique perspective charmed him and brought a smile to his face.
“Mmm hmm.” Jobe’s voice was thick, his eyes closed.
They’d each bathed when they’d gotten home and then, in an unspoken agreement, met in the living room. Wesley had been glad for the opportunity to learn more about his unique new pack, but he had missed the part of the evening when he got to unwind with Jobe. He had gotten used to going over the events of each day with Jobe, talking and learning, so he had been secretly thrilled when, despite being visibly exhausted, Jobe came to chat with him after his shower instead of going to bed.
“It was Brian’s last night in Red River and he spent it with you instead of with his family,” Wesley pointed out, watching Jobe’s expression closely.
Chocolate-colored eyes fluttered open. “He was with his parents that morning and his sister that afternoon.” Jobe stretched his neck from side to side and combed his fingers through his brown hair. “Then we had the big dinner for him, where everyone had a chance to wish him well.”
Still not getting the information he sought, Wesley cleared his throat and tried again. “The two of you are close?”
Jobe nodded. “Brian’s a good guy and a strong wolf. I’ve talked to him a few times since he left and you don’t need to worry about Purple Sky. They’re in good hands.”
That actually hadn’t been Wesley’s worry. Not at all. A month earlier it would have been, but after being embraced by Red River, he realized how disconnected he had been from his old pack. Purple Sky had needed a different Alpha and Red River was now his home. But his question had nothing to do with his new pack either. With the exception of one short break he had taken from Purple Sky over a decade earlier, Wesley’s focus every minute of every day of his life had been on his pack, not on himself. Until now.
Understanding that if he wanted to know the nature of Jobe’s relationship with Brian, he would have to be much more direct, he said, “Were you sleeping with him?”
“What?” Jobe jolted to a sitting position, his previously soft, relaxed posture turning rigid. “No!”
While Wesley was happy with the answer, Jobe’s affronted tone wasn’t what he had anticipated. Having now met everyone in Red River, Wesley knew there were more same-sex matings in his new pack than he had heard of elsewhere, and as far as he could tell, people viewed those pairings identically to those between males and females. Brian Berger was a handsome man, an Alpha wolf, and, according to Jobe, a good guy. Having sex with someone like him was nothing to be ashamed of, so the vehemence of Jobe’s denial implied that either he was in a relationship with someone else or he had no sexual interest in men.
Wesley had spent every waking hour for the past three weeks with Jobe, and while he was unquestionably close with his pack, Wesley hadn’t seen an indication of intimacy with anyone. And he had been looking. That eliminated the possibility of another relationship as the reason for his negative reaction to Wesley’s question.
“What about other males in the pack?”
“What about them?” Jobe asked, his lips thinning and his eyes narrowing.
Although discussing Jobe’s previous sexual partners made Wesley decidedly uncomfortable, he needed to gauge Jobe’s interest in men because, after nearly a month with Jobe at his side, he vibrated with the need to touch him, to taste him, and to hear him moan in pleasure. But no matter how fervent Wesley’s desires, he wouldn’t be able to fulfill them if Jobe wasn’t attracted to males.
Trepidation straining his voice, Wesley asked, “Have you had sex with any of them?”
“I can’t believe you’re asking me tha…” Jobe swallowed hard, shook his head, and through gritted teeth said, “No, I haven’t.”
Red River was too remote for pack members to interact with outsiders unless they traveled several hours, and even then, the nearest towns were tiny, way too small for a gay bar or another obvious place to pick up men. Regardless, with as tied as Jobe was to his beloved pack lands, Wesley couldn’t imagine anything being important enough to pull him away. So if Jobe hadn’t been sleeping with males in Red River, he hadn’t been sleeping with males period, which meant he wasn’t likely to want to sleep with Wesley.
“I see,” Wesley said quietly. He draped his forearm over his eyes and sighed. He had left Purple Sky despondent that he’d never be able to fulfill his purpose as an Alpha wolf and worried that he’d be forced to all but sell his body to a stranger in order to provide for his old pack. Now he found himself at the center of a pack rich with resources, shifters, and community, a pack overjoyed to have him as their leader, and all he could do was yearn to meld his body with that no-longer-stranger.
“Talk to me,” Jobe said, his voice soft, coaxing.
Monogamy wasn’t natural for an Alpha without a fated mate, so Wesley should consider the current situation a positive development—he could keep Jobe as his mate, thereby fulfilling Red River’s strange succession custom, and suggest they take other sexual partners. If Jobe wasn’t attracted to men, he’d likely jump at the chance to continue sleeping with women. But no matter how hard Wesley tried, he couldn’t make his mouth utter those words.
Jobe was sharp, kind, and charming, and his knowledge of Red River’s lands, soil, and plant life was second to none. Every pack member adored him and Wesley understood the sentiment. From his first night in Red River, Wesley had realized Jobe would be a wonderful person for an Alpha to have by his side. Now he realized Jobe would be a wonderful mate for an Alpha, a wonderful mate for him. Despite their mating being created by circumstance rather than fate, Wesley would happily give up the opportunity to have sex with others if it meant he could physically connect with Jobe.
“Wesley?” Shuffling sounded and then Jobe’s warm hand curled around his wrist.
Without opening his eyes, Wesley said, “There’s nothing to talk about.”
Or rather nothing he could bring himself to say. Monogamy might not be natural for an Alpha wolf, but possessiveness was, and regardless of how their mating had come about or what that word even meant in relation to what essentially had been a business deal, Wesley couldn’t stand the thought of anyone touching Jobe. Or rather, anyone other than him touching Jobe. The intensity of his desire for Jobe was foreign and as disconcerting as it was euphoric.
“You’re upset,” Jobe said, moving his fingertips over Wesley’s skin in a soft caress.
There was no point in denying it because Wesley’s scent would give him away as a liar. Jobe, on the other hand, had no scent, so Wesley couldn’t use that sense to decipher his feelings. Thankfully, Jobe’s gentle voice and tender touch told him enough—Jobe was worried about him. Surprisingly, Wesley had no urge to dismiss the concern by demonstrating his strength and power. He felt comfortable with Jobe, secure.
He also felt as if he would break apart from the inside if he couldn’t have the other man. Wanting more time to establish himself before showing his scarred stomach, Wesley hadn’t shifted into his other form since his arrival at Red River. His wolf half had been clawing at him to get out and explore the new pack lands, to run with Jobe and rut with him. An Alpha had to hunt with his pack so Wesley wouldn’t be able to keep hiding that part of himself for much longer, and Jobe would be the first person he’d show. But for right now, he couldn’t bring himself to reveal his shortcoming for fear it’d evoke disgust or pity in the brown eyes that so far looked at him with fondness and admiration.
“I’m your mate.” Jobe’s quiet voice held a husky note Wesley found sexy. “You can talk to me about anything.”
Moving his arm off his face, Wesley opened his eyes and looked at Jobe. “Why didn’t you take a female Alpha for a mate?”
Alphas were predominantly male, but not exclusively. In fact, Jobe’s own mother was an Alpha wolf. Surely a pack as established and prosperous as Red River could have found a female Alpha to lead them.
“What?” Jobe reared back, looking shocked.
Eran Root, Jobe’s mother, radiated immense power despite her older age, and Wesley had witnessed the pack’s respect for her, so he hadn’t considered the possibility that they would have balked at her leadership merely because she was a female. But maybe he had been wrong. Reflecting back on the conversations he’d had with his new pack members, Wesley remembered hearing about how long Eran had waited for her Alpha mate.
“Do they insist on a male Alpha?” Wesley asked, rising to a sitting position. “Is that why they made you mate with me even though you’re not into guys?”
“Insist on…” Jobe blinked. “Nobody made me do anything. What are you talking about?”
“I’ve heard the little comments everyone makes, Jobe.” More than one person had grinned and whispered when Wesley and Jobe ended their evenings early to go home together, or teased them about being tired in the mornings, implying they’d been up late doing what new mates did. And while Jobe hadn’t told anyone that they spent those evenings cooking and sharing a meal and those late nights talking, neither had he made any physical overtures toward Wesley. “They all think we hole up in here every night and…mate, but we don’t. Why is that?” Wesley snapped at Jobe, unreasonably angry that he wasn’t wanted by the man he’d had every intention of rejecting only weeks earlier.
“A mate is a person not an action. We’re mates.”
“Tell that to your mother. Or did you think I couldn’t hear her asking you why we hadn’t consummated our mating?”
“That isn’t what she meant.” Jobe stood up and glared at him.
Wesley scoffed. “Fine. Have it your way.” He rose to his feet and stepped toward Jobe, bringing them toe to toe. “Why don’t we fuck? Is that a clear enough action for you?”
His eyes meeting Wesley’s and his tone calm and even, Jobe said, “Are you feeling frustrated? Is that what all this anger’s about?” He leaned forward and lowered his voice to a rough whisper. “Are you looking to get fucked, Wesley?”
“I’m the Alpha.” Wesley wrapped his hand around the back of Jobe’s neck and tugged him closer, bringing their torsos together from chest to groin. The contact sent his heart banging against his ribs and his lungs into overdrive. “If anyone’s fucking someone, I’ll be the one fucking you.”
“You’re the…” Jobe’s nostrils flared and he sucked in a long breath. “I seem to have taken some things for granted. I’ll rectify that mistake later. Right now, we have plans that don’t involve talking.” He thrust his hips forward, pushing a sizeable erection against Wesley’s hip. “You want to fuck me? Let’s do it.”
The sudden change in circumstance and the proximity of the sexiest person he had ever seen made Wesley’s head spin and his skin tingle, especially the sensitive scar on his stomach. “This is what you want?” he asked, needing to be certain. They’d both agreed to concessions in their personal lives for the good of the pack, but that didn’t have to mean sacrificing their bodies. Wesley wouldn’t do that to Jobe.
“You’re my mate.” Jobe placed his palm against Wesley’s chest and rubbed his nipple through his shirt.
The motion caused the cotton to rub against Wesley’s belly and he nearly gasped at how good that felt. “That isn’t an answer.” He grabbed Jobe’s wrist, stilled his movements, and growled, “Do you want me to fuck you?” Because no matter how much Wesley wanted that, no matter how heavy his balls or distracted his brain, he wouldn’t force Jobe to do the very thing he had dreaded before he had met him.
“I want you.” Jobe raised his face and brushed his lips against Wesley’s, the touch gentle in comparison to the testosterone-laden shouting match from moments earlier. “The position doesn’t matter.”
After being with Jobe nearly nonstop for three weeks straight, Wesley had gotten a good sense of his character. Jobe was an honest man. And if that hadn’t been enough to confirm the truthfulness of his assertion, the hard dick pressing against Wesley’s hip would have done the job. Confident about Jobe’s desire, Wesley had no other reason to wait so he cupped both sides of Jobe’s face, tilted his head back, and slammed their mouths together.
The kiss was electric, obliterating the tight reins Wesley’d had on his libido since he had met Jobe. When Jobe moaned and parted his lips, Wesley thrust his tongue into his mouth, drawing in a rich flavor that was somehow already necessary and familiar.
“Jobe,” Wesley rasped, tangling his fingers in Jobe’s hair to keep him as close as possible. “Why is it I feel like I’ve known you forever?”
Apparently seeking the same closeness, Jobe clutched at Wesley’s shirtfront. “Because you have,” he whispered against Wesley’s mouth before slipping his tongue past his lips again.
The answer didn’t make sense, but then neither did a lot of Jobe’s spiritual talk. Usually Wesley asked him for clarifications, and with every passing day he spent with Jobe, he became more and more aware of an energy in Red River, a force that flowed through him. But none of that mattered when his need for Jobe swirled higher and higher.
He gripped Jobe’s hair, sucked on his tongue, and rocked his groin against him.
“Mmm,” Jobe moaned, shifted his stance, and thrust his erection against Wesley’s hip and lower belly.
“Jobe,” Wesley cried out, his passion rising to a fever pitch so quickly he nearly came in his pants. He forced himself to pull away. “We need to slow this down or it’ll be over before the clothes come off.”
“Then let’s take them off.” Jobe rucked Wesley’s shirt up his chest.
“Not out here,” Wesley insisted breathlessly. They were both running on adrenaline and arousal, but once they sated their lust, the long day would hit them and they’d crash. Wesley wanted to do that in a bed, so he could spend all night with Jobe’s warm body pressed against his. “Bedroom.”