Glenn, Stormy - Love Sexy [True Blood Mate 3] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (11 page)

Love opened his eyes when Logan’s hands began to rub up and down his arms. “I know this is all confusing to you, Love, but I swear it’s going to be okay. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Love pressed his head sideways into Logan’s chest and closed his eyes again. His life seemed to be spiraling out of control, and he didn’t know how to stop it. Most shocking of all for him was the calm he found just from inhaling Logan’s strong masculine scent. The more he breathed in, the better he felt.

The strength and power he could feel coming from the muscular body behind him just added to the effect. Logan’s body virtually surrounded him, protecting him from the outside world. Love felt like Logan was a barrier between him and anything else. It was an odd feeling but comforting.

Love soaked up as much of Logan’s presence as he could before the questions floating around in his head started to make sense to him again. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly then opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder.

“I don’t want to do this, Logan.”

Logan’s eyes darkened dangerously. “You don’t want to be my mate?”

Love couldn’t honestly answer that. “I don’t know what being your mate means.”

“It means you’re mine, my lover, my mate, my…” Logan’s lips pressed together for a moment. “It means you’re my everything, Love.”

“Yeah, but who else’s?” Love didn’t know what Logan’s stiffening body meant, but he did know he didn’t like the deep frown that came over the man’s face. It made Logan look menacing, and Love didn’t think that was a good thing when dealing with someone that could shift into a two hundred pound wolf.

Love turned in Logan’s arms and started slowly backing away from him. Logan suddenly reached over and grabbed Love by his arms and pulled him closer, giving his body a little shake.

“You belong to me,” Logan snarled through clenched teeth, very long and sharp looking clenched teeth. “No one, and I mean no one, gets to touch you without my permission. And I will kill anyone that tries to take you away from me.”

Love’s eyes hurt from widening so much as he stared at Logan’s thunderous face. He once again felt like prey to a predator. The only thing he could think to do was soothe the beast. Love started patting Logan’s chest, hoping what worked before would work again.

“Yeah, this whole ownership thing isn’t working for me.” Love clamped his mouth shut the instant he realized what he said. Those hadn’t been the words he planned on saying. He really needed to check with his brain before opening his mouth.

“Ownership thing?” Logan snapped. “Is that what you think this is?”

“How in the hell am I supposed to know?” Love snapped right back as he jerked out of Logan’s grasp. He shook his finger at Logan. “You keep saying that I belong to you and no one is allowed to touch me unless they have your permission. That sounds a lot like you believe you have the right to give other people permission to touch me, and I can’t allow that.”

“I should hope not!” Logan’s arms crossed over his chest. “I would be very unhappy if you started allowing people to touch you.”

Love blinked. This conversation wasn’t going quite like he thought it would. Well, it actually was, sort of. It was all going wrong, and that was Love’s usual experience when he liked a guy a lot.

Hell, he could even see himself falling in love with Logan, if he wasn’t falling already. And that scared Love right down to his toes. He didn’t believe for a moment that Logan would ever come to care for him the way Love always dreamed. He wasn’t stupid.

Growing up with a name like Love gave him a very unique perspective on life. He believed in true love, soul mates, and the ability to connect with that special someone on a spiritual level.

And he knew, somehow deep down inside, that Logan didn’t believe the same way. There was something about the rough, dominant male that screamed at Love to run and run fast. He just couldn’t seem to make his feet move.

Love was almost saddened by how much he wanted Logan. Their relationship was doomed from the moment they set eyes on each other. Loving Logan would eventually destroy Love, and he could only walk to his doom with his eyes open.

Love crossed his arms over his chest to match Logan and set his chin. Despite his need to have Logan, he wasn’t going to just blindly give in. He knew if he didn’t give Logan boundaries now, he would never get a word in with the man.

“I refuse to be your little play toy, Logan. If you want me, fine, but I will not allow you to dictate my every move. That includes telling me who I can and cannot touch.”

The wave of heat that came from Logan when he cocked an eyebrow nearly knocked Love off his feet. Logan might not show it, but he was pissed. Well, the small tick in his jaw showed it enough. Most people probably wouldn’t have noticed, but Love’s full attention was on the man.

“If you think for one damn minute that I’m going to allow you to—”

“Allow?” Love gasped. “What makes you think you get to
allow
me to do anything?”

“You expect me to just sit here while you go fuck anything and everything?”

“You—” Love rubbed his hand over his face when words escaped him and turned away, walking back and forth several times as he tried to get his sudden anger under control. Logan seemed to think he was a slut that would sleep with anything that walked. “Is that what kind of person you think I am?”

“Isn’t that what we’ve been talking about here?”

“No!” Love snapped. “We’ve been talking about you thinking you own me.”

Logan suddenly moved over and sat down on the couch. He dropped his head into his hands, rubbing his face then pushing his long golden hair back before lifting his head and looking over at Love.

“I do not, nor have I ever believed that I own you, Love.”

Love blinked. “You haven’t?”

“No, people don’t own other people, Love. It’s wrong.”

“Then what is this all about?” He asked as he spread his arms out. “You keep going on and on about me belonging to you and no one having the right to touch me without your permission. If you don’t think you own me, then what is that all about?”

“It’s about us mating.”

Love rolled his eyes. “You’ve used that word before, and I asked you what it meant. Obviously your explanation wasn’t enough.”

Logan flopped back on the couch and let his head fall back. He stared up at the ceiling, frowning. “That’s because you’re not a shifter, Love. Shifters understand what mating means. Humans don’t.”

Love wanted to growl in frustration, and then he wanted to wail at Logan for pointing out the one thing he could never change. He could never be a wolf no matter how much he wished differently. Not even his fuzzy ears and tail would change that. He would always be on the outside looking in at what he wanted.

“So, tell me what it means for a shifter then.”

“I suppose it’s different for other wolf shifters than it is for me. I’m the beta of my clan.”

“The beta?”

“The beta is the second in command of the clan. I take over when my alpha is away like he is now. Asher and his mate are away on business. When that happens, I temporarily become alpha. Other times, I’m like the vice president. I still take orders from the alpha, but everyone else is beneath me in rank, well except for the —”

“Logan!”

Logan chuckled. “Sorry, I guess I got carried away.”

“You think?”

“Let’s just say I’m second in charge. My clan answers to our alpha and then to me. In return, I am responsible for them. I keep them safe, fight for them.”

Love inhaled suddenly. “Those blood drops on your arm.”

Logan nodded. “They stand for the shifters I’ve killed while protecting my clan. You have to understand, Love, I don’t like killing people, but I will do whatever I need to do to ensure my clan’s safety, even kill.”

Love walked over and sat down next to Logan, pushing his hand through his hair. “Fuck, Logan, this shifter stuff is pretty scary shit. How do you live with it day in and day out?”

“It has its upsides.”

“Like what?” Love snickered. “An addiction to puppy chow? Doggy bones?”

“No, but peanut butter is an aphrodisiac for wolf shifters, strangely enough.”

“Great, I’ll remember to put some in your stocking at Christmas.”

Logan chuckled. “Just remember, Love, small quantities or you won’t be sitting down comfortably for a week.”

“Yeah, yeah, get back to the upside to being in a clan.”

Love’s face flushed when Logan arched an eyebrow at him. “You don’t think a frisky wolf shifter with an attraction only for you is an upside?”

Love swallowed. “Only for me?”

“That’s part of the whole mating thing, Love. We’ve bonded, and I’ve claimed you as my mate. That means I won’t ever look at another person, human or shifter, for my sexual needs. You’ll have my full attention until the day we die.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad.” It actually sounded pretty fabulous to Love. He couldn’t think of anything he would like more than to have Logan’s full attention. The dire look on Logan’s face said he thought otherwise.

“It also means that me and my wolf feel threatened by anyone that touches you, stands to close to you, and in some cases, looks at you cross-eyed. And we will protect what is ours because you are our mate, Love, the mate of a beta wolf.”

Chapter 8

Logan left Love sleeping on the couch. He knew his mate needed some rest after the eventful time he had during the last twenty-four hours, hell, the last twelve hours. His life had been turned upside down. Love had to be confused and exhausted. He’d certainly fallen to sleep fast enough once Logan got him settled on the couch.

Logan walked into the kitchen and skidded to a stop, his eyes widening in surprise to find his brother lip locked with Love’s friend, Drea. He waited for a moment for the two men to acknowledge his presence, but when they didn’t, he cleared his throat.

Reed and Drea jumped apart, their faces filling with color. Reed chuckled nervously. Drea wiped his lips and glanced over at Reed then quickly away. He looked anywhere but at Logan or Reed.

“Hey, Logan,” Reed finally said when the silence in the room became overwhelming.

“Reed.”

Logan pressed his lips together to keep from laughing outright when Reed casually stepped between him and Drea. His brother was protecting the man. An odd thought suddenly entered Logan’s head and made him smile. He needed to test out a theory.

“I didn’t have much time to meet you properly, Drea,” Logan said as he held out his hand. “My name is Logan
Stone
.”

Drea started to step around Reed. Logan smirked when Reed’s eyes darkened and a low growl emanated from him. Logan wasn’t stupid, though. He quickly stepped back and dropped his hand back down to his side.

Logan tilted his head slightly and regarded his brother until Reed dropped his eyes. No matter what was going on, he was still the beta, and Reed owed him his deference. His wolf demanded it as a beta of the clan.

“Asher and I will expect a proper introduction at the next moon festival, Reed.”

“Yes, Logan.”

“Make sure he is prepared.”

Reed’s head tilted up, a small smile coming across his lips. “I’ll make sure of it, Logan.”

Logan knew he had guessed correctly. Drea was the man his brother had been waiting for all of these years. Reed must be ecstatic. Logan was happy for him. He reached over and patted his brother’s shoulder.

“I’m happy for you, brother.”

Reed cast a quick glance over his shoulder. Logan looked over just in time to see Drea’s face flush before Reed turned back to him. Reed was grinning. “Thank you, Logan.”

Logan grinned back then remembered what he had come into the kitchen for. “I’m going to take Love back to my place. We still have some talking to do, and I want to introduce him around. Why don’t you and Matt come to dinner tonight and bring Drea. I’m sure Love will feel more comfortable if he sees some friendly faces.”

“We’ll be sure to be there.”

Logan nodded and grabbed Love’s backpack. He heard Drea start questioning Reed before he even reached the doorway that led to the living room and knew his brother wouldn’t have an easy time of things. Drea didn’t seem like the easygoing type despite the blue hair.

It made sense considering Drea was friends with Love. Somehow, Logan knew his mate would never be friends with someone that wasn’t just as crazy as he was. Love needed people around him that swam in the same psychotic circles.

Logan was chuckling to himself by the time he walked into the living room. Love was still curled up asleep on the couch, just where Love left him. He looked adorable with his hand curled under his cheek and the couch throw pulled up to his chin.

Logan slid his hands under Love and lifted him up into his arms. Love whimpered for a moment then turned toward Logan, burrowing into his chest. He let out a soft sigh of contentment when he buried his face in Logan’s neck.

Logan shook his head and carried Love toward the front door. He needed to get Love back to his place where he could start showing him what was required of the mate of a beta wolf. Once the clan learned of his mating, and that wouldn’t take long, Love would be thrust into the role whether he wanted it or not.