Everything That You Are Page 9

  “Missy!”

  She beamed him her most dazzling smile and gave him large, puppy-dog eyes while swinging her body from side to side. “But I still love him anyway. And you got hurt again. Yesterday it was just the bruise, but now your lip is busted. Was it that same asshole? Henry said he fired him, but I’ll bust his…”

  Kaden clamped his hand over her mouth and sent a weak smile at Michael, whose face had taken on a stoical expression. Great. He was going to have to invest in duct tape and Superglue for Missy for the remainder of their stay here. He ignored his sister’s peeved glare and turned her in the direction of Michael’s mom.

  “See Katherine over there? I happen to know she’s a much better cook than Cheryl Connel and she’s got a whole box full of recipes she can share with you. If you promise to go back to your studies tomorrow, I’ll let you take today off and experiment with her. Deal?”

  Kaden didn’t release her mouth until she was nodding her head in earnest, crossing her heart and bouncing as if her excitement would climb right out of her chest. As soon as he lifted his hand, she was back on track with her incessant chatter. “Can I help you? Really? Do you have a herb garden? I know all of them by smell.”

  Katherine burst out laughing and herded Missy into the house, showing the same wealth of patience with his sister that she had shown him. Sam gave him a nod before slapping Michael on the back and heading in after the women. Kaden was about to thank Nick for bringing Missy to him safely but hesitated when he noticed the man shuffling his feet nervously and hanging his head. He didn’t need to touch him to know something was wrong.

  Michael must have noticed it too, because he asked, “Nick? Was there a problem when you went to pick her up?”

  Nick met their stares with raised eyebrows and shook his head while waving his hands in front of him. “No, no. It went fine. Kid’s almost as sneaky as I was at her age. I don’t think a single person there saw her leaving. I just…” Nick turned his full gaze on Kaden and spoke in a low voice. “I’m sorry. I misjudged you. Your sister’s quite a talker…well, you probably know that more than anyone…but she told me how you’ve been taking care of her. She talked about nothing but you for an hour on the way over here.”

  Kaden felt a flush colour his cheeks and lowered his eyes to the ground.

  “But she never lied, and she never had a bad thing to say. My Alpha is blessed to have a mate that loves and cares for his family that much. I apologise for not giving you the benefit of the doubt, either time we met.” Nick extended a hand and held it a foot away from Kaden. “I’m hoping that you’ll give me a second chance along with this undeserving dog as well.” He jerked his head in Michael’s direction, who actually managed to look offended.

  Kaden glanced from one smirking yet sincere face to the other indignant yet proud one. He didn’t quite understand what had just happened, but judging by the humour dancing in the eyes of each man in front of him, he figured it was a good thing.

  A small smile tugged at his lips before he took Nick’s extended hand and shook it. He felt all the emotions evident in the man’s eyes, with no hint of deception, and decided to let go of the resentment he’d been harbouring for him.

  * * * *

  Their next three days together were spent in relative amiability among the company of his parents and his mate’s sister. The girl had a mind as quick as her mouth, and an eagerness to use her gift of assisting anything that sprouted from the soil of Mother Earth that was nothing short of admirable. She contained a quality of exuberance that he could easily imagine had once thrived in Kaden.

  Though the young man seemed to soak up the happiness of those around him, Michael was beginning to be able to detect the difference between his mate’s genuine emotions and those of the people touching him, and he was saddened to find that it usually took another’s happiness to ignite his own.

  He had tried several times to speak with Kaden privately and, after the third thwarted attempt, had become noticeably frustrated. Fortunately, his father had intervened and it had only taken one look to remind Michael that his mate shouldn’t be rushed.

  His true test of endurance had come that first night when his man—his mate—had chosen to sleep with his sister in the other guest bedroom she had been given instead of with him. It had hurt. More than he would admit. Then Kaden had given him a soft, impulsive kiss goodnight without any influence from his end, and Michael had held on to the whisper of joy he’d felt leap from his mate to him for the rest of the night.

  It occurred to him over the next few days that Kaden’s reluctance to be alone with him was a test as well. He’d initially taken offence at the many guarded looks the man would send his way when he thought he wasn’t looking, as though he was expecting Michael to pounce on him at any moment. Yet the more Michael kept his respectful distance, the more the smaller man seemed to initiate contact with him.

  The nightly kisses grew heated, but always left him with nothing more than his hand for relief. It wasn’t unlike trying to tame a wild, frightened animal, and he amazed even himself with a reserve of patience he’d never known he possessed.

  On the fifth day, Kaden had demurely agreed to accompany him on a picnic.

  Michael couldn’t stop sending sideways glances over at the figure seated next to him during their drive to the lake. He was still trying to process the fact that he had found his mate after living for so long with the possibility that he had blown his only chance at a true mating.

  The jeans and shirt his mom had brought over were from his years as a young teenager, but they were still big on the boy. He’d had to cut a hole in the shortest belt he owned to keep the pants from falling off his slender hips. The overall effect made Kaden look like a kid playing dress-up in his father’s clothes, but there was nothing to do about it until they went to Henry’s ranch to pick up his things.

  Kaden had remained silent since their departure from the house and Michael itched to reach out and touch him, to try to pick up on his emotions, but thought it best to give the man his space for now. Michael couldn’t always feel what Kaden was feeling when they touched. At some times his emotions were loud and clear and at others it felt as though they were just beyond shadows that he couldn’t penetrate.

  He wasn’t sure if Kaden was consciously keeping them from him or not, but he still had time to work on it. When the lake finally came into view, Michael breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there were very few people there. It was used for recreation and could get fairly busy during the tourist season, but it started growing quiet again towards fall.

  He pulled his truck into one of the parking sites and turned off the engine. They both got out, and he grabbed a backpack full of food, water, towels and shorts they could change into in case they decided to take a swim. He walked up beside his mate and took in his look of wonder as he gazed out over the lake. The sun shone down on Kaden’s hair, making it shine so brilliantly it appeared a shimmering white.

  “Beautiful.” Michael wasn’t sure if he was talking about the delicate form beside him or the lake.

  “Yeah,” Kaden breathed. Rays of sunshine danced upon the lake that rippled from the slight breeze in the air and from the small clusters of ducks lazing about in the water. The leaves of the surrounding trees had turned several shades of yellow, red, brown and gold. Those that had fallen to the ground mixed their colours with those of the flowers that grew wildly across the acres of green grass.

  Michael had always loved the many different fragrances that permeated the unspoilt land around the lake but, as he breathed in, the added aroma of his mate made it all the more sweet.

  “Come on. There’s an area over on the far side that has the best view and is closest to the water.” He nodded his head in the direction of his favourite spot and led the way.

  After about twenty minutes, they arrived at a little alcove surrounded by a copse of trees thick enough to hide them from view on three sides. The only other visitors at the lake occupied the mor
e open space on the other side, giving them a little added privacy.

  “During the winter, some of us in the pack like to come out here to hunt. There’s plenty of elk and deer, and the scenery’s not half bad either.” The man was still staring out at the lake when he laid the backpack against the trunk of one of the trees. “If you’ve been living on Henry’s farm, where did you go hunting? I can’t imagine at least one member of the clan not spotting you.”

  Kaden gave him a sharp, quizzical look. He reached up to feel the ridges of the teeth marks at the base of his neck and was silent for a few minutes.

  “Greg… I mean, I was told that I can’t shift. I guess it’s because of my mage blood.”

  Michael frowned at him, noticing the slip, but deciding to file it away for later. “Didn’t your parents ever discuss it with you?”

  Kaden turned so that Michael could only see his profile. From the brief glint of pain he caught on the young man’s face, he knew he was broaching a sensitive subject, but denying one’s true nature, especially when one was a were, could have serious repercussions.

  “My father was a wolf. My mom had never known a were before she met him, and he managed to tell her some things about what it meant to be born with a second nature before he was…” Kaden let out his next words on a gust of breath. “Before he was killed.”

  Well, shit. Way to start off the picnic, Michael. “I’m sorry. Was it by a clan member?”

  There was a short burst of sarcastic laughter. “No. My mom’s coven. They didn’t take too kindly to her lowering herself to choose a were over her own people.”

  Despite the seriousness of the story, Michael had to hide a brief grin at the level of bitterness and anger in that one sentence. Kid’s got a bite! “So what happened after that?”

  “She packed me and Missy up and we ran. She wasn’t sure if her family would turn on us as well, but she didn’t want to take the chance. We had to hide and run a lot. My mom… She never did get over the death of my father. I guess she was depressed. I think that’s what killed her in the end.” Kaden suddenly turned back to glare at him, curling his fists. There was defiance shining in his eyes as he said, “I did what I had to do to support my family.

  This time, the boy’s anger was decidedly directed at him, and it took him a few confusing moments before understanding came to him.

  “The club. You were working there to make money for your family.”

  Kaden didn’t answer Michael. He didn’t need to.

  Damn, Michael’s mother had been right all along about his mate doing what he had to in order to survive. Not that he had doubted her, but the woman could be eerily intuitive at times.

  “Kaden, I couldn’t have wronged you more. I know you’re a better man than I am. The fact that you’re willing to give me a second chance proves that. I don’t know exactly what happened after our first encounter, but I do want to make sure it never happens again.”

  He stood facing his mate’s scrutiny for several agonising seconds. No apology could suffice for his embarrassing behaviour concerning the boy, but he had to try. After what seemed an eternity, Kaden’s muscles relaxed and he unclenched his fists, giving a slight nod of concession.

  Michael let out a relieved breath, feeling the tension of the moment pass, but not the shadows from Kaden’s eyes. He wanted to reach out to him, comfort him, and the urge to do so soon became an undeniable need.

  He walked forward, not stopping until he was only inches away and could feel the heat wafting from the younger man’s skin. He could smell his provocative scent, which reminded him of the intimacy they had shared the other morning. Kaden’s eyes widened as he traced the movement of Michael’s hand as it slowly rose to his face.

  Michael hovered his hand just above the man’s cheek for several seconds, wanting to give him a chance to pull back if he wasn’t ready for his touch, but Kaden didn’t move. Finally, he cupped his cheek, marvelling at the softness of his skin and the quickening of his breath. He was able to detect small bursts of emotion, numerous but fleeting.

  Desire was easily recognisable, but the others he found harder to read. He could only liken them to feelings he had experienced during certain periods of his life. One emotion reminded him of the time that he had run off and got lost from the rest of his pack following his first shift. He had been terrified then.

  Oh no.

  “Are you scared of me?” Michael asked gently. The boy ducked his head and his emotions suddenly shifted. They began to fade, and Michael was barely able to make out confusion and…shame?…before they disappeared behind those shadows. He concentrated on filling his being with as much confidence and love as he could. He felt the other man stiffen but Michael pulled him into his arms and held him there before Kaden could move away.

  Their embrace was awkward at first. Michael was finding it almost impossible to radiate feelings of comfort while fighting his own demanding arousal. After a few minutes, however, he gradually began to loosen the restraint he held on his emotions when he realised that the man still wasn’t responding to him.

  He wanted to bring him peace, but they were mates. They should be able to find comfort in their attraction to each other. He wanted his mate to accept all of him, and with that thought, he let go of his inhibitions and poured everything he was feeling into his mate.

  The most amazing little sigh came from the mouth resting on his chest and he almost jumped in joy as thin arms wrapped themselves around his tapered waist and squeezed. His cock jerked against the seam of his pants, begging for attention, but this wasn’t about him.

  He could wait. This was about the hesitant creature he’d longed for over countless nights. He never wanted the moment to end but, all too soon, he felt those arms loosen and slip down, and he reluctantly stepped away, relinquishing his hold.

  As empty as his arms suddenly felt, the sight of the bulge in the front of the jeans Kaden wore more than made up for it. A becoming blush and a sexier-than-hell innocent glance of violet eyes through long, blond lashes almost had him coming in his pants. Damn, his mate was gorgeous!

  Michael turned swiftly around before he did something a little less than chivalrous and bent to rummage through the backpack. He tossed Kaden a bottle of water and said, “Okay, enough of the past. I only have one and a half more weeks to win you over. Time’s a-wastin’.”

  Kaden let out a burst of laughter as Michael grinned lecherously at him.

  “So…what do you have planned now?”

  Chapter Five

  “Has anyone taught you about Mother Earth yet?” Michael took Kaden’s frown as a ‘no’ and grabbed a bottle for himself. He spent the next several hours exploring the landscape with his mate.

  He explained to him that all weres felt a pull to commune with Mother Earth, to establish a relationship with her that would seal a bond that went soul-deep. Once Mother Earth accepted them, became familiar with them, she would give a piece of herself to allow for the shift, just as the shifter gave up a part of his being when he took his other form.

  He questioned Kaden as to whether he’d felt urges similar to those that plagued all weres upon reaching adulthood. From his halting admission and description of what he’d experienced in the past, Michael felt confident that the man could indeed shift but wasn’t quite ready for it yet.

  He told him that they didn’t always hunt when they took their wolf forms. Sometimes, when Mother Earth called too strongly for them to resist, they would go on treks that could last days, or even weeks. Most werewolves would remain in their wolf forms for the entire duration, but it was necessary to be aware of which plants could be used for medicinal purposes and how to find fresh water.

  At first, Michael was afraid that he might overload his mate with information, but there was quite a bit he was already familiar with, thanks to his sister’s power and her insistence that she share her knowledge with him. The enthusiasm with which Kaden seemed to soak up everything else, though, was encouraging.

  M
ichael recalled the endless summer days his father had spent with him, teaching him the same lessons, going over the uses of each plant time and time again, until he had them memorised. Although most of those times had been good, they were nothing compared to the excitement he took in teaching his mate. Kaden’s eagerness and innocence made each lesson a new experience for him as well.

  And his intelligence was astounding!

  Michael supposed that if Kaden had been around seventeen while working in that club, chances were he’d never finished high school. The fact that he now sacrificed so much of his time and money to ensure that his sister received a proper education at home spoke volumes about his dedication to family.

  On their hike back down to the little alcove, Michael began to point out plants and berries he had identified on the way up and felt his chest swell with every correct answer Kaden gave. On his best day, when his father had been teaching him, Michael couldn’t have retained as much information as his mate had. He complimented Kaden repeatedly and would occasionally touch his arm or cheek to let him know that his words were sincere.

  Kaden seemed to glow from the praise. He was once again the kid that had danced with his mom, so carefree, the other morning.

  Michael hadn’t realised how happy he was that this time he had been the one to cause his mate to show so much exuberance until Kaden caught him with a huge, sloppy grin on his face. They had just arrived back when Kaden turned to look at him with a frowning smile.

  “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Michael felt his grin stretch into a full-fledged smile and shook his head. “You’re beautiful. And smart. And this has been the best day of my life since my mom introduced me to her double-chocolate brownies when I was a kid.”

  Kaden rolled his eyes but kept smiling, which was all that mattered to Michael. He started pulling their shorts from the bag and asked, “Ready to go swimming? The water should be great about now. Afterwards, we can…” Michael cut off his sentence as he saw Kaden hugging himself with a look of fear in his eyes. He immediately dropped the clothes and walked over to him but the man side-stepped out of his reach. “Kaden, what’s wrong?”