The Mountain Man's Mate(18)

"Oh, uh," Jason wasn't certain how to respond to that. He glanced behind   Michel and swept his gaze over the three men behind Michel. Now that   they were human, he realized they were the men he'd been wrestling with   yesterday. "Your buddies?" he mumbled.

The shortest man-a slender guy with light brown hair, appeared to be in   his late thirties, and stood perhaps an inch or so taller than   Jason-stepped forward. His expression tentative, he twisted his fingers   together in front of him. "I'm really sorry about yesterday. It was all   me fault. Michel had been gettin' set to come track ye down when I got   it in me hair-brained head to tackle him." He grimaced and, glancing  at  the ground nervously, added, "It's me fault ye found us like that.  We  were just wrestlin', ye know?"                       
       
           



       

"Heads up!" Sean's holler caught everyone's attention just as sweats   started flying through the air toward the various naked men in the   clearing. "Why don't you all come inside. You can help us fix more food,   and we can leave Jason and Michel to, uh … talk."

Jason's jaw dropped as Sean winked lasciviously at him, then motioned   toward the sliding door that opened into the dining room. Jason watched   as the other two men, a big dark-haired fellow and an even bigger  blond,  patted Michel on the shoulder and gave him encouraging smiles.  The  other guy, the one who'd spoken, gave Michel a hug, then offered  Jason a  nervous smile as he hustled inside past them.

Uncle Raul turned and gave Jason a searching look. "You gonna be okay?"

Knowing he really needed to get things straightened out between them, Jason nodded. "Yeah."

After his uncle gave him an encouraging nod, Raul frowned at Michel. "Don't fuck up again," he warned coldly.

Jason bit back a smile, pleasure filling him at his uncle's   protectiveness. As Uncle Raul sauntered back into the house, Jason   turned to find a now partially clothed Michel-too bad, since they were   now alone-stalking toward him.

"M-Michel," he squeaked, unable to keep the needy whine out of his voice.

How did I stay away from him so long?

Then he remembered. His lover had been tangled up with those three men who'd disappeared into his uncle's house.

Jason took a step back and held up a hand. "I need to know what the hell you were doing rolling around with three naked men."

Having just stepped onto the deck, Michel froze.

"Y-you said I'm your mate, then … " Jason grimaced and waved his hand   between Michel and the doorway, vaguely indicating the guys who'd walked   through it. "It fucking hurt," he whispered, swallowing hard, blinking   hard to fight back the moisture threatening the backs of his eyes.





Chapter Ten





Watching Jason blink back tears, Michel swiftly closed the distance   between them and wrapped his arms around his mate. He held him close,   tucking the top of Jason's head under his chin-where he belonged. Seeing   his sweet, young human fight his sadness, and scenting the desolation,   the betrayal Jason felt, almost caused Michel to tear up as well.

Michel ignored the man's stiff posture and kept his hold on his   sweetheart, knowing he deserved nothing less after what his confused   human mate had walked in on. "Those are me friends … only friends," Michel   whispered into Jason's ear. "They'd come over to cheer me up, since I   hadn't heard from ye in a while."

Grimacing at how accusatory that sounded, Michel slogged ahead. "I was   depressed, so they took me for a run. I caught a rabbit and returned to   me cabin. While eating it, they brought me a deer."

Pausing, Michel tried to figure out if that would sound gross to a   human. Realizing he couldn't really help it, Michel finished, "We were   skinning the deer and shit when I realized I shouldn't have insinuated   that just because ye're young, ye didn't know what ye wanted or how to   remain, well, faithful."

Michel felt his lover tense in his arms, and he rushed forward. "I   should have had more faith in ye … trusted that ye felt our bond." He gave   in to his urge and rimmed the top of Jason's ear with his tongue for   just an instant, momentarily satisfying his craving to taste his mate.   "I realize now why ye needed time to think, to be away from me. Please   know, I'll do anythin' to make it up to ye."

Gently cupping Jason's jaw, Michel tilted his mate's head up so he could   peer into his lover's beautiful green eyes. "Gods above, Jason. When I   smelled ye, and me prick got hard while wrestlin' with me friends … it   shocked the hell out of me. Then to find ye standin' there, so sexy in   yer indignant rage … it took me breath away."

He pressed his forehead against Jason's.

"I never meant to hurt ye, mate. I'd never intentionally do that. Ye're   everythin' to me." Michel fell silent, pleading with his gaze, knowing   there wasn't much more he could say at that point.

Jason would either forgive him, or he wouldn't.

Finally, finally, Jason's arms came up and wrapped around Michel's   torso, completing the embrace. Jason sagged against him and rubbed his   cheek against his chest hair. Michel sighed and kissed the top of his   head, nuzzling the soft red and brown strands. Closing his eyes, Michel   relished the quiet moment.

"So, those are your friends?" Jason asked tentatively, his words muffled.                       
       
           



       

"They are," Michel confirmed. "I've known them for centuries."

"Centuries?"

"Aye. I grew up in Ireland. That's where the pack originated. We moved   here about a century ago when superstitions abounded and the fears they   created threatened the safety of the pack," Michel explained. "Laramie   has a mate, Denise. They met right after we moved to the United States.   The other two, Preall and Jamie, are still searching for their mates."

Michel's admission was met with silence for a few seconds. Jason tilted   his head back and Michel looked down to meet his young lover's worried   gaze. "And you don't have anything, um-" He paused for a second and   nibbled his lip.

"Ye can ask me anything. To the best of me ability, I'll tell ye the truth," Michel vowed.

"You don't have anything going on with any of them?"

Taking advantage of their position, Michel pressed his lips to Jason's,   licking along the seam and nipping lightly on his mate's plump lower  lip  before sucking it gently. He lifted his head just enough to whisper   against Jason's lips, "Nay. Never. I'll admit to having relationships   over the years." Knowing he couldn't hide anything from his mate,  Michel  added, "I've even been married. Her name was Kelly," he told  him.

Bittersweet emotion filled him at the memory of his late wife. They'd   had a good, long run together and had been mostly happy. "We had three   kids." He'd gotten tired of waiting for his mate, and wanted a stable   relationship. "She knew about shifters, knew about mates, and she knew   she wasn't mine, but we loved each other."

Michel stared into Jason's eyes, relieved to find no condemnation, only   concern. "Kelly was a good woman. She died almost ten years ago."

"Your last relationship?" Jason asked, his brows lifting, quickly putting two and two together.

"Aye. Two of our kids moved on to other packs," Michel explained. "But   our youngest son, Darcy McTiedry, he lives locally with his mate, Leia,   and their son, Jonathan. Me grandson is the one who normally brings me   supplies, since I can't go into town quite, yet." Michel really hoped   Jason would eventually volunteer for that duty … mayhap once he convinced   his mate to live with him.

Jason's brows furrowed. "I'm not sure I understand that. Could you explain again?"

"Sure."

Taking advantage of his mate's willingness to talk and clear the air,   Michel led the way to one of the wooden gliders on the porch. He sat   down and pulled Jason onto his lap, pleased his human didn't resist.   Once situated, Michel started to explain.

"Because shifters live so long, every once in a while, we go into   hiding. Our pack-mates help us arrange for our old identity to die, and   we live away from any humans that don't know about paranormals. We can   still interact with pack-members, so we're not completely cut off,"   Michel told him, idly slipping his hand under the hem of Jason's shirt,   having missed getting to touch his mate.