The Mountain Man's Mate(15)

Michel completely understood. He'd felt the same way. Once more, his   thoughts turned to Jason and he had to drag them away to focus on his   friends.

Laramie-the black wolf-had found his mate over a century before, right   after they'd come over from Ireland. He'd gone through his own time of   exile almost twenty years ago, with his sweet blond woman-Denise. They   had two cubs together, and since they were both grown, were making   sounds as if they planned to try for a third.

He wished them both all the best.

Preall had just come out of their kind's self-induced exile a year   before, and Michel still kicked himself for not joining his long-time   buddy. It wouldn't have been the end of the world to go into hiding   early, but he'd wanted a few more years to be Josh's   grandfather … something else he'd need to discuss with Jason. Michel had   kids.

If Jason ever returned his calls.

Michel had agreed to take things slow, even though leaving his mate with   a concerned Raul and Sean had been the hardest thing he'd ever done in   all his life. He'd called Jason the next day, but Sean had informed  him  that his mate had needed a couple days to decompress and accept and   hadn't wanted to speak with him.

That had been four days ago.

Of course, that didn't stop Michel from texting Jason's phone several   times a day. However, the lack of response was getting old. It took   every bit of self-control Michel possessed to keep from hunting Jason   down and demanding to know when slow had turned into silent treatment.

A nip to Michel's haunch brought him whipping around and snarling. Jamie   whined and dropped to his back. Michel immediately felt bad. He knew   his friend was near bottom on the totem pole that made up their pack,   but he hadn't meant to make him feel like he had to show his belly.

Michel softly bumped Jamie with his snout, encouraging him back to his   feet, then nuzzling his neck and shoulder. Quick to rebound, Jamie   nudged him back, then bounced away.

Amused, Michel initiated his shift. Once human, he pulled the wolf into   his arms and ruffled his fur. "Ye silly, pup," he murmured   affectionately.

Jamie licked Michel's neck and the chin of his beard.

Laughing, Michel shoved him away. "Shift already. We have a deer to   skin. Congrats on the kill, by the way," he added, knowing his friend   could always use more praise.

After one more yip and wriggling wolf prance-really, Michel had no idea   when his friend would grow up-Jamie initiated his shift. After a  moment,  a grinning, slender, light-brown haired-and surprisingly short  for a  shifter at only five foot nine-man knelt nearby.

Jamie jumped to his feet and rubbed his hands together, completely   comfortable with his nudity, as all of them were. "I call dibs on the   liver. I plan to make liver and onions," he announced.

Michel opened his mouth to contest the claim. Liver and onions was damn   good. He thought better of it and huffed a laugh. "As long as I get   invited to that meal."                       
       
           



       

"Sure. You and yer boy toy," Jamie replied. He winked. "I heard he's   really cute. How'd ye let that little morsel slip through yer fingers?"

At that, Michel couldn't control his growl of anger and annoyance. He   didn't know what bothered him more-the fact that Jamie, and evidently   some others, were checking his mate out, or that Michel really had   somehow allowed Jason to slip through his fingers.

He repeatedly racked his brain, trying to figure out what he'd said to   make his mate run. He just couldn't figure it out. He thought he'd been   clear. He needed Jason, wanted to please him, care for him, and make  him  happy. What the hell more could someone ask for? Even someone as  young  as Jason should appreciate that.

Michel's eyes opened in shock and he felt the blood drain from his face   as it suddenly hit him. "Oh, shite," he hissed. "Fuck, I'm an idiot."

Laramie plopped down next to him, a knife in hand, and started working   on the carcass. "Aye, but we don't mind ye anyway." He paused and   glanced over his shoulder. Upon seeing Michel's pale face, he cocked his   head. "What is it?"

"I finally figured out why me mate wanted a breather," Michel whispered.

"Last I heard, he took a big-arse needle in the arm for ye," Preall   commented from where he, too, wielded a knife. "Ye wouldn't catch me   doin' that, for ya. I'd a let ye take that one on yer own."

Jamie scowled around the group. "Come on, guys. Michel is hurtin' here."   The shifter came over and wrapped his arms around him from behind and   rubbed his cheek against Michel's. "Tell us what happened. We'll help  ye  out."

Bowing his head, Michel sagged against the smaller man. He and his wolf   appreciated the support and camaraderie. "I essentially accused Jason  of  being a fickle party boy who doesn't know what he wants out of  life."  He cringed at his own words, knowing how brutal that could be,   especially considering how sweet, kind, and open the young man had been.   "In retrospect, just telling me that we didn't know each other and   needed to slow down was … kind."

Preall glared at him. "I'd say so. I would have boxed yer ears for an insult like that, even if it were true."

"Now, he won't talk to me," Michel told them. "How can I fix this if he won't talk to me?"

"It sounds like ye need to ambush him," Laramie stated, not missing a   beat as he peeled off the hide and tossed it over his shoulder. He stood   and, cocking his head, focused on Michel. "Can ye enlist the aide of   Sean? He had to wait months before trying to find his mate, surely he'd   understand the strain ye're in."

Michel felt hope blossom in his chest. "Aye. Although, when he had to   wait, they hadn't been mated. Carson knows what it's like though, and   his mate is friends with Raul. I could go talk to them. Mayhap they'd   help, too."

The more he thought about it, the more excited Michel became. He was   part of a wolf pack. They were his family. They'd help, wouldn't they?

"That's the spirit," Jamie urged. "Get off yer arse and fight for yer mate."

Michel's wolf snarled at the weaker wolf's mild criticism, but he   managed to keep it off his lips. The younger shifter was right. He   needed to stop wallowing. He had to prove to Jason that he could keep   him happy even though he couldn't accompany him to town, or on dates, or   anywhere not pack related … but there were plenty of pack locations he   could take Jason to.

He would show his mate that he could please him when they were   together … and when they weren't, well, he'd have to trust his mate to   return to him. Trust was key in any pairing.

Feeling more confident than he had in days, Michel leaped to his feet. "I gotta go."

"Not so fast," Preall called. "If ye want Jamie to invite ye to his liver and onion supper, ye have to help us finish this."

Michel lifted a brow and turned back to his friends. Spreading his legs   and crossing his arms over his chest, he scowled at his two friends.   "Oh, really? It's not enough I let ye hunt on me land, now I have to   clean yer kill for ye, too?"

"Aye!" Jamie punctuated his word by leaping up onto his back, his naked   front flush to Michel's back and his legs wrapping around his waist.   From the way Jamie tilted and jerked his body, he was obviously trying   to take Michel down.

Rolling his eyes at the playful shifter-aye, Jamie needs a keeper-Michel   frowned over his shoulder at his friend and lifted a brow imperiously.   "That all ye got, cub?"                       
       
           



       

Jamie growled, which surprised Michel enough that he didn't notice   Laramie running at him from his left … until his friend wrapped huge arms   around both him and Jamie and took them both to the ground. Seconds   later, Preall howled and leaped on the pile.

Michel let go of his worries, his fears, and his tension, and lost   himself wrestling with his best friends. He didn't know how long they   rolled on the ground, limbs tangling, chests heaving, as each attempted   to pin another while avoiding being tackled and pinned by still someone   else.

His cock thickened. Michel jerked away from his friends in alarm. Never,   never had he reacted like that, and since he was mated, it shouldn't   have happened now.