Glenn, Stormy - Love Sexy [True Blood Mate 3] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (9 page)

“I’ll bet,” Love snorted.

“We know our time is coming before we shift. Our muscles start to cramp, and our bones pop.”

“And that doesn’t hurt?” Love gasped.

Logan shrugged. “It’s not exactly comfortable, but it doesn’t hurt. It feels kind of like a growth spurt.”

“And when you shift?” Love asked. “What’s that like? Are you aware when you shift?”

“Aware?”

“Did you know who I was?”

Logan could see that the question was important to Love, but he wasn’t sure how to answer. Things seemed to be going pretty well between him and Love at the moment, and he didn’t want to do or say something that would send his mate back into a panic.

“Yes, I am fully aware of you, but it’s also like things are muted.”

“Muted?”

Logan chuckled. “We believe that our wolf is a separate entity from our human side. When the wolf takes over, our human side is pushed to the back. We’re still aware, but the wolf is in control. It’s the same when our human side is at the forefront. I can feel my wolf side, but right now I am in control.”

“Does your wolf know who I am?”

Logan patted Love’s hand where it rested on his thigh. “Oh, yeah, my wolf is very aware of you.”

Logan couldn’t even begin to explain how aware his wolf was of Love. They were mates, and his wolf was fully aware of that fact.
To mark Love as his mate, Logan had to claim him in werewolf form. It was the only way the mating mark would remain.

He hadn’t taken Love in that form yet because Love had to give his consent. At some point, if Logan could get Love to agree to their mating, he would take Love in his werewolf form
.
It was the only way that their telepathic link could be created between them.

Logan’s third form was that of
wolf
and man, a werewolf. He’d have the body of a man, only bigger and more muscular, covered in fur. He’d also have ears, claws, and long canines to bite Love with and claim him again.
It was his most powerful form.

“If that’s true then why did you attack me?”

“I can’t attack you, Love.”

Love leaned back, his eyebrow arching. “Really, ’cause it sure as hell didn’t look that way when you had me trapped in the bathroom. It pretty much seemed like you were going to try and kill me.”

“I told you, Love, you ran and I chased you because that is what I do. It was as simple as that. I wasn’t trying to hurt you or scare you. I never would have hurt you.” Logan shrugged, not really knowing how to explain it to Love. “I was just doing what was natural.”

“Natural?” Love snorted. “You call scaring me out of my mind natural?”

Logan could feel Love pulling away from him in his mind. The man was throwing up wall after wall to separate himself from Logan. It hurt, like a knife in his heart. Logan had no idea of how to get through to Love.

He leaned back against the edge of the recliner behind him and drew his knees up to his chest. Being naked in front of Love suddenly felt uncomfortable. “Do you remember when we met at the moon festival?”

“What?” Love looked confused by the sudden turn in the conversation.

“Do you remember when we met at the moon festival?” Logan asked again. “Dick head was trying to drag you through the crowd.”

Love frowned. “Yeah, why?”

“Him, I could have easily killed and never gave it another thought. He was trying to harm you.” Logan clenched his jaw as he remembered Mick Red’s hands on his mate. “He was touching you.”

Love’s head cocked to one side, and a strange look Logan couldn’t identify came over his face. “That bothered you, didn’t it?”

“Yes,” Logan growled. His hands clenched as a streak of rage flew through him. “He had no right to put his hands on you.”

“And you did?” Love snapped, though there wasn’t any fire in his words, just accusation. “I don’t exactly remember you asking either.”

“And I don’t remember you complaining,” Logan said. “In fact, if I remember correctly, you were begging me to fuck you.”

Love’s brow flickered a little as he flushed. He bent his head and studied his hands. “I didn’t know what you were then.”

“But…” Logan frowned, “you were at the moon festival.”

“Yeah, and?”

“Surely you knew what kind of festival it was.”

“Yeah, a party.” Love chuckled. “Matt said there would be food and dancing and stuff like that. He never said anything about it being some sort of shifter gathering.”

Damn Matt!
Logan thought as he rolled his eyes. His nephew was getting him into more trouble with his mate than he ever expected. Of course, Matt had brought him his mate, too, so he couldn’t be too upset.

“Okay, so you didn’t know what you were getting yourself into when you went to the moon festival. I’m sure you understand the need to keep certain things, like our ability to shift, secret from the world in general.”

“Yeah, I can see that.”

“So, knowing what you know now, how do you feel about things?” When Love’s eyebrows shot up, Logan realized his question sounded odd. He just didn’t quite know how to ask Love if he would stay. “Does my ability to shift change how you feel?”

“I don’t know how I feel.”

“Are you still afraid of me?”

Logan held his breath as he waited for Love’s answer. It could make or break him. He could force Love to stay. It had happened in the past with his ancestors when they found human mates. It wasn’t unheard of. But Logan didn’t want a mate by force. He wanted one that stayed because he wanted to stay.

Love tilted his head to one side and stole a slanted look at Logan. “I’m not afraid of you exactly but…”

“But?”

Love shrugged and looked back down at his hands again. “I wasn’t afraid of you before at the...well, when we met, but then you did that growly shit and…” Love glanced up, biting his lip.

“And?”

“I just get the feeling that if I say anything, you’re going to take over my life. Nothing I said back at the guest house seemed to make a difference to you, like my wishes weren’t important. You just assumed that I would do everything you wanted without talking to me about it first.”

Logan leaned back and closed his eyes. He knew his behavior with Love was going to come back and bite him in the ass. He also knew he couldn’t stop his behavior. He was possessive. He wanted Love with him.

He was beginning to realize that Love was high maintenance just like he originally thought, but he was starting to like it. The man was spunky, intriguing, and downright drool worthy. He’d be stupid to lose Love now because he couldn’t learn to compromise.

Logan opened his eyes and looked back at Love. He was surprised by the anxiousness on Love’s face. He couldn’t have that. Logan reached over and patted Love’s hand to reassure the man he wasn’t angry.

“You’re right, Love. I made a lot of decisions for you without talking to you first. That was wrong of me.”

Love’s mouth dropped open. “You’re agreeing with me?”

“I am.” Logan breathed in deeply then let the air in his lungs out slowly. “But I’m also not sure I can change that part of my personality. In my world, I’m in charge. I’m used to making decisions for myself and everyone else. It’s second nature to me.”

Love frowned. “There’s that nature thing again.”

Logan chuckled. “I am a wolf at heart, Love, with an animal’s instincts.”

Logan was tickled pink when Love rolled his eyes. He adored the exasperation on Love’s face when the man was fed up with him. It was sexy as hell. He hunched over, his arms resting on his thighs, and cupped his face on his hands.

“You’re cute as hell when you do that.”

“Do what?”

“Roll your eyes when you’re fed up with me.”

Love’s lips started to twitch then he sighed before giving into the laughter that Logan could see building in his face. “You’re a pain in the ass.”

Logan’s inner self crowed with joy as he pushed himself forward and crowded Love back against the couch. Their mouths were only inches apart. Logan could feel Love’s breath blow out against him.

“You didn’t seem to have any problems with me in your ass last night,” he murmured.

Love’s eyes widened, and a small pant came out of his mouth. The smoky gray in Love’s eyes started to darken as desire filled them. Logan knew Love wasn’t as unaffected by him as the man wished.

“Lo–Logan.”

“Yes, Love?”

Love’s hand fluttered at his throat for a moment before moving to press against Logan’s collarbone. “You…” Love swallowed hard. “You are—”

“Hot? Sexy? Irresistible?”

 
Love’s head fell back against the couch as he laughed. “That wasn’t exactly what I was going to say, but I’ll go with it until I can find a better word.”

“Yeah?” Logan raised his eyebrows. “Just what exactly were you going to say?”

“Uh-uh.” Love shook his head. “My lips are sealed.”

Logan’s eyes dropped down to look at Love’s plush lips. “Pity, there’s so much I could do with them.”

“Logan!”

Logan could tell that Love wasn’t really upset with him. There was a delightful little twinkle in his eyes as he laughed.

“You’re too much.”

“Too much for you?”

Love blinked, and the smile slowly fell from his lips. His expression grew serious. “I don’t know. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that you’re a wolf shifter. The rest of this…” Love shook his head. “I haven’t even begun to process the rest of this.”

“Is there anything I can do to help you process it?”

Love’s nearness was overwhelming. Logan suddenly had the urge to rub himself against Love and mark the man with his scent again. But he also didn’t want to frighten Love. His chest rumbled in a soft purr, and he rubbed his cheek over Love’s.

“God, I love it when you do that,” Love whispered as his head dropped back.

“Do what, Love?” If he knew, he could do it again.

“When you purr,” Love moaned. “It’s fucking hot. I didn’t know wolves could purr.”

“There are a lot of things we can do, Love.”

Logan increased the volume of his purr as he continued to rub his face over Love’s face. When he turned into the crook of Love’s neck and the man arched back even more, Logan groaned. Love’s sweet scent was stronger at his neck.

“Love,” Logan said quietly, “baby, you really need to not do that.”

Even as he said it and advised Love not to arch his neck, Logan was pushing his face closer, pressing his nose against Love’s soft skin and inhaling deeply. A delicious shudder rippled through his body as the sweet musky fragrance filled his senses.

“Do what?”

“Love, I told you, I’m an animal driven by instinct,” Logan said as he forced himself away from Love’s neck and the most alluring scent he had ever smelled. “And you smell really, really good.”

“Yeah?”

“I want to bite you, Love.” Logan licked a line up the side of Love’s throat. His hands started moving over Love’s body. “I want to sink my teeth into your neck and claim you as my mate again.”

Love stiffened. His eyebrows were drawn down in a confused frown when he pulled back to look at Logan. “Again?”

Chapter 7

Love knew something more serious than just a quick fling beside the side of a building was going on. Logan looked like a deer caught in headlights. Love wasn’t even sure if the man was breathing. He didn’t move. He didn’t even blink.

“Logan?” Love was surprised when Logan suddenly pushed away and sat back, avoiding his gaze. Love moved his head around until Logan met his eyes. “I asked you a question.”

“And I’m trying really hard to come up with an answer for you.”

“You don’t have one?”

Logan inhaled slowly and shook his head. “Not one you’re going to like, no.”

Love arched an eyebrow. “Tell me anyway.”

Logan’s face paled like a kid caught with his hand in a cookie jar. His eyes kept darting around. Every few seconds they would meet Love’s then dash away again. Love almost felt sorry for the man, almost.

“You were at the moon festival, Love.”

“And?” Love didn’t quite understand what his attendance at the moon festival had to do with anything, but apparently it was important to Logan.

“I thought since you were at the festival that you knew…” Logan gestured to himself. “You know, about us.”

“Shifters?”

“Yeah, right, shifters. The moon festival is a monthly get-together for my clan. Sometimes humans that are not mated attend, but they usually know what we are, Love. It kind of has to be that way because if one us shifted and a human was there who didn’t know, well, I’m sure that you can imagine what would happen.”

“Okay, so you assumed I knew you were a shifter.”

Logan nodded.