"So, you two a couple then?" Eric asked.
He knew his friend was changing the subject, butthat didn't stop him from letting him. Chris looked over at Manon and smiled. "Maybe. We haven't really discussed it."
"We are a couple, cher," Manon immediately stated. "Make no mistake of dat," he crooned, pressing another kiss to Chris's lips.
"So sure of yourself are you?" Chris replied, a smirk curving the corners of his lips.
Manon smirked. "With you? Oui.I'll chase you if you want, but think of all the lost time when we could already be naked in your bed."
Chris had to swallow to get moisture into his suddenly dry throat before he could respond. "Point taken," he whispered.
After nuzzling his throat for a couple seconds, Manon pulled away. "Since your friends are here to keep you company, I need to run a couple errands and schedule some time off work, cher," he said. "I'll be back."
"Oh, um, okay." Chris nibbled his lip, surprised at how much that concerned him. He vaguely remembered begging for Manon not to leave him the first time he'd woken in a drug induced haze. Damn, he hated meds. He really hated anything that messed with his mind. One or two beers was all he ever drank.
He refused to beg again, but he sure hated the idea of Manon leaving him. Swallowing his courage, he asked, "When-when do you think you'll be back?"
Manon smiled. "I won't be too long, cher. Maybe a couple hours." Manon glanced at his friends. "You be here with Chris, oui?"
Daren nodded. "Yeah. We're not going anywhere. We're still waiting for updates on Remy."
"Good. I be back before you know it, cher." Manon gave him one last kiss, then strode from the room.
Chris met the gazes of his friends. He took in Eric's concerned look and Daren's smirk.
"So," Daren said, "he says he doesn't care that you're a guy. And he certainly acts that way. I'm impressed."
So was Chris.
"You don't think he's setting you up or anything, do you?" Eric asked uncertainly.
Daren snorted. "There's no way a straight man would go through all this trouble just to … to … what?" He shook his head at his lover as he cupped his jaw and tilted his head back. "I know you went through some things in the past, lover, but don't let that cloud what is happening here," he whispered. Daren smiled. "I actually like Manon. I think he's sincere."
"Me, too," Chris murmured.
A nurse entered and finally gave Chris the requested ibuprofen. He drifted off into blessed sleep after that.
Chapter Six
M
anon crouched in front of Demetri. The young shifter blinked, then focused his attention on him. "You doin' okay, cub?" he asked softly.
"Um, sure, I'll be fine," Demetri responded almost vacantly. Gripping Demetri's shoulder, lightly, Manon smiled. "You sleepin' at night?"
Demetri shrugged. "Some."
Manon had hated leaving his mate, especially since they were just beginning to make progress. Unfortunately, he'd been called down to talk to the two men they'd caught, and could no longer ignore the summons from his beta. He'd been striding through the house, heading toward the stairs, when he'd spotted Demetri sitting in the family room, a vacant look on his face. Something in Manon made him stop to speak to the kid.
He had a glazed expression that worried Manon. At least he was speaking. "Your scent has cleared up. That should make you happy," he cajoled.
Grimacing, the youngster rolled his eyes. "Yeah. It took two days and six showers,but I finally got it cleared up."
Manon chuckled. "Yeah. I only ran through it and it still took me two thorough scrubs. I sure hope Lark can figure out what that shit is when he gets back." He shook his head and slapped his hand on Demetri's leg. He rose and said, "You let me know if you need anything, cub."
"I'm not a cub. My name's Demetri Vinetti," the young wolf snapped.
Manon paused and turned back to look at Demetri. His wolf growled in the back of his mind, not liking the challenge. Manon narrowed his eyes and leaned close to the younger man. "I know, pup. Now, you get this through your cute head. I be no one you want to mess wit, mon ami."
Demetri immediately ducked his head in submission. "Yes, Sir."
Manon touched the back of Demetri's neck, signaling his acceptance of the boy's apology. He started toward the stairs, then paused and looked back at the youngster. "You got spunk, Demetri. That be good."
He was halfway across the room when he felt a touch on his arm. He turned to find Demetri standing directly behind him. He lifted a brow, waiting to hear what he needed. Instead of speaking, Demetri slid his hand up his arm, over his shoulder, and to his chest.
Manon's brows shot up when he scented the other guy's arousal. "Demetri? What you playin' at?"
"I already know I'm a bottom," Demetri murmured. "I turned nineteen last week."
He froze, completely shocked by the young shifter's words. It wasn't until Demetri's second hand joined the first, rubbing over his chest, that Manon was able to move. He grabbed Demetri's exploring hands, one in each of his, and held them tight. "Demetri," he murmured, "I be flattered, but I've found my mate. He's a human, so I haven't been able to claim him yet."
Manon saw the shutters descend over Demetri's expression at the rejection. He hated that he'd put it there, but it wasn't like he was going to cheat on his mate. Shifters didn't cheat. And even though he hadn't claimed Chris yet, it made no difference to Manon's thought processes.
Cupping Demetri's jaw, he pressed a soft kiss to the other shifter's forehead. "You are a handsome young man, Demetri. There are many who'd be honored to replace me in your bed," he said.
"But there are few I'd want there," Demetri whispered, dejectedly. He pulled free of Manon's grip, and he let him go. The slender darkhaired teen smiled sadly. "Guys my age don't really attract me. I like older men."
Manon sighed. "You're young. You'll find him," he assured.
"How long did you have to wait?" Demetri asked curiously.
He did something he hadn't done in almost a decade. Manon blushed. "I had my first … encounter when I was sixteen," he admitted.
Demetri's brows rose. "Oh." Then it was Demetri's turn to blush. "I, um, I meant how long did it take you to find your mate?"
"Oh!" Manon's brows shot up. "Ha! Of course. I'm forty-nine, Demetri. I just met my mate last week." He paused then clapped the younger man on the back and said, "And speaking of my mate, I miss him, so, I need to get this talk with the men upstairs over with so I can get back to him."
He was striding toward the stairs once more, when he heard the front door open. Rachel and Paul entered with Caroline and crossed to their son.
Demetri looked startled, and his scent betrayed his anxiety to Manon's sensitive nose. "Mom. What are you doing here?"
"We were looking for you, honey," Rachel replied. "Your father told me you cancelled your date with Carla. What happened?"
Demetri shot a panicked look at Manon, but knew this wasn't something he could really help the teen with. He gave Demetri an encouraging nod. "I be upstairs, if you need me," Manon said.
The young shifter seemed to understand because he swallowed hard and nodded. Manon silently wished him well. Telling your family that you're gay, or even bisexual, was never easy.
Manon headed upstairs and down the hall. He found the room they'd been keeping the men in for the last couple days. They would have just preferred to let the humans go, but first they needed information about where they'd gotten the odd, scent- removing spray and who wanted the wolf. Lark had created something remarkably similar, and if it had been stolen from someone in the pack, or if there was someone in the pack supplying it to others, they needed to know.
Assurances that the men wouldn't share the existence of shifters-not that most people would believe it-was important as well. And who the hell was in the truck that got away? The men had been blindfolded and hadn't been allowed to leave their rooms except for necessities, so at least location wouldn't be a problem. The humans didn't know where they were. A couple of volunteers, including Nick and Cliff, constantly watched them. Manon would have volunteered if he hadn't just met his mate and been in the process of wooing her … him. Guess that was news he needed to pass on to his beta.
Gustav, a massive Rhino shifter, stood outside the doorway as a guard. The six and a half foot tall Caucasian looked huge and intimidating, but he was really a gentle giant. Manon greeted the man before walking into the room.