MATE AND HIS LOVER 9

#22 For better or worse

Patrick paces in front of Ian's desk. "You have no idea how humiliated I feel. That bastard left me in the dust!"

Ian drums his fingers against his wingback chair's armrest, preoccupied with thoughts of his own problem - Daisy. He's in no mood for Patrick's tantrum.

"Your guy was useless," Patrick continues. "How was Nate able to track down all the rogues in such a short time when you couldn't?"

Ian stops drumming. That's a question Ian had asked Liam. And Liam didn't have an answer. Which mildly intrigues Ian.

From what he had heard over the years, the image Ian has of Nate is that Nate is a virtuous, strong, and amiable guy. However, 'resourceful' is not something Ian would've guessed Nate could be, given Nate is known to be uptight to a fault.

How did a guy like that manage to round up about twenty runaway rogues on his own? Ian wondered.

Patrick stops pacing. He goes over to Ian's desk and pushes everything on the table to the ground. "I fucking lost because of you!"

Without batting an eyelash, Ian calmly stands up and walks over to Patrick.

An angry Patrick continues to talk. "You worthless piece of sh-"

Suddenly Patrick finds himself on the floor. Dazed, he tries to gather himself up. He feels warmth on his nose, and then the pain comes. When he touches it, his fingertips become red with blood.

Patrick looks up at Ian, scared.

Ian had grabbed Patrick's neck and thrown him towards the desk. Patrick's nose hit the edge before he fell down to the floor.

"Anyone ever told you how annoying you are? Like a yapping bitch?" Ian says, squatting next to Patrick.

Patrick slides back quickly.

"Why don't you just man up and kill that guy?" Ian says.

Patrick wipes his nose off the blood. The injury had started healing. But the pain remains. "That will only get me in trouble," Patrick says.

"Then how about I finish him off for you?" Ian says.

Patrick looks up, surprised.

Ian seems serious. "There will be no competition. You will win without a fight. After I make you the Alpha, you will be working for me."

Patrick continues to stare at Ian in shock.

FOUR JEEPS STAND at the mouth of the Varthrow Cave that's surrounded by the rampant evergreen forest. Their passengers are inside the grotto, swimming in the lake and soaking the sun that peeps through the oculus in the cave's roof.

Nate dries himself off and settles on the deck chair next to Frank who is making out with his mate, Lily, who is propped up on Frank's lap.

Nate keeps glancing their way, then back at the lake.

After Lily leaves to join her friends for a swim, Frank says to Nate, "What is it?"

"Nothing," Nate says, thinking it might be a bad idea to ask Frank the question in his mind.

"What's nothing?" Drey says, who had just come out of the water. Grabbing a towel, Drey takes a seat next to Frank on the other side.

"Nate was watching me and Lily making out," Frank says.

Nate makes a face, disgusted by the accusation. "Like I have nothing better to do. I was going to ask you to get a room."

"Didn't look like that," Frank says. "You looked like you had something important to ask."

Nate turns away from Frank, upset.

Frank shrugs, turns the other way and starts talking to Drey.

After a few minutes, Nate slowly says, "What's it like?"

Frank and Drey stop their conversation and turn to Nate. "What what's like?" Frank says.

"You know... Being with your mate... Like... intimately."

"Are you asking me how it feels like when I fuck Lily?" Frank says.

Nate sighs. "Something like that."

"Why?" Drey says. "Thinking of doing it with Daisy?"

"What? No!" Nate says. "...I don't know."

"Oh, you will be hooked," Frank says. "It's like a fourth of July fireworks that goes off in your dick, throughout your entire body."

Both Drey and Nate laugh. "Dude, a firework, really?" Drey says.

"Well, it is kinda hard to explain. And you know, it's not just about the physical thing. You just feel this high like you have never felt before. It's not like a normal hook up."

Nate scratches his temple with his finger. "...And what about the other party?"

"She will also enjoy it," Frank says turning all the way to Nate. "When you start to play with her and she gets into the mood, and is just losing herself to your touch, you'll feel that too. And man, sometimes that feels even better than your own fucking hot shaft."

Nate thinks of the way Daisy looked when he pulled her up to his lap. Her hair was stunningly messy. Her lips were red and plump from his deep kisses. She looked irresistibly sexy.

"Are you really thinking of sleeping with her?" Drey asks.

Nate shakes his head and sinks back onto his chair. "I can't risk it. I can't get distracted from my goal."

"But she's the one who helped us catch those rogues."

"I know. But I can't afford to be careless at this point. Patrick nearly beat me at the beginning."

"You know..." Frank says a little thoughtfully, "You also have the option of not going all the way. I mean... it might be risky against you accidentally marking her. Even so, that's something you can try."

"I don't think I can risk it," Nate says. "I also don't want us to do anything we might regret later. There's still so much to figure out between us. I still have the title to focus on. Then there's her... work? I suppose. Also, she hasn't really gone in depth in explaining me this trouble she got herself into with the Stantons. It's better if we take one step at a time."

"Suit yourself," Frank says. "But I'm guessing this all means rejecting her is off the table?"

Nate bites his lips to not smile and mutters, "Just between us guys, I'm beginning to think it never really was on the table for me."

Drey says, "Oh, we knew that already. Wondered how long before you realized that."

"And, her?" Nate says. "Think she wants it?"

Frank sighs. "She is... hard to read. She likes you, that's for sure. She also seems to like what she does for a living. And then there's her past with the Stantons. I'm afraid you've a lot things to learn about her."

"So there's a chance she might never change her mind about the rejection?" Nate says.

Frank smiles. "I'll be honest with you. At this point, I don't care about where she stands on the whole rejection thing."

"Why not?"

"Because, for better or worse, in spite of what she wants, I've a feeling you'll never let her go."

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