Man to Man [Wolf Creek Pack 3] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (10 page)

Chase pushed away from the sideboard and rushed forward. “What happened?”

“He’s been shot!”

Chase stared holes into him. Jim could feel it, but he really didn’t want to stand around and discuss what happened. “Where’s the doctor?”

“Dr. Jones is upstairs treating a couple of the men that got hurt on the mission,” Chase said as he gestured toward the stairs. “Come on, you can tell me what happened on the way.”

Jim hurried after Chase, glad that someone was finally listening to him. “I don’t know exactly what happened. Donovan was already shot by the time I arrived.”

“Was anyone else hurt?” Chase asked.

“I don’t think so. Everyone seemed to be fine, and Joe took care of Roger and the Teacher. They won’t be bothering Nate again.”

“Too bad.”

Jim’s eyebrows shot up at the growl in Chase’s voice. “Too bad?”

Chase glanced back toward the living room. Jim thought his eyes might have landed on the little redhead, but he couldn’t be positive. “I would have liked to spend a little time with the Teacher myself. He has a lot to answer for. Death is too easy for him.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Jim said as he started up the stairs. He wouldn’t mind a few minutes alone with the Teacher either. The man had made a lot of people miserable. Death
was
too easy for him.

Chase led Jim into one of the bedrooms and pointed to the bed. “Just lay him down there. I’ll go get the doc.”

Jim nodded and strode over to the bed, carefully lying Donovan down on the bed. Donovan’s eyelids began to flicker as he stood up. Jim quickly sat on the side of the bed and brushed the hair back from Donovan’s face.

“Hey, babe, open your eyes for me.”

Donovan’s eyelids flickered even more until they finally opened. A slow, lazy grin came across his lips. “Hey,” Donovan whispered.

“How are you feeling?”

Donovan started to laugh but suddenly groaned and grabbed his shoulder. “Like I got shot.”

“Well, you did, smart-ass.” Jim grimaced. “And I’d appreciate it if you refrained from doing it again. I’m not sure my heart can take it.”

When Donovan’s hand covered his, Jim turned his hand over and wove their fingers together. “You’ve had a pretty eventful twenty-four hours, haven’t you?” Donovan asked.

Jim felt his lips curl up when he saw the anxiousness in Donovan’s hazel eyes. “It hasn’t been all that bad. There have been a few good points.”

Donovan’s eyebrow quirked up. “Only a few?”

Jim started to chuckle, but before he could answer, Chase and the doctor rushed into the room. Jim gave Donovan’s hand a quick squeeze and then stepped out of the way so the doctor could take a look at his mate.

He clenched his jaw together when the doctor probed Donovan’s wound, making the man grunt in pain as he dug out the bullet. Dr. Jones clicked his tongue as he reached for his black medical bag and pulled a few items out. Donovan’s wound was cleaned, and then the doctor patted Donovan’s arm and stood up.

“He should be fine by morning,” Dr. Jones said. “Once he shifts, the healing will speed up, and I suggest that he do that as soon as possible.”

“Thanks, Doc,” Jim said, feeling like a huge burden had been lifted off his shoulders. He knew, logically, that Donovan’s wound wasn’t life threatening and he would begin to heal the moment he shifted. But seeing his mate shot, with blood all over him, wasn’t something Jim would forget any time soon—if ever.

“Have him shift and keep on an eye on him for the next twenty-four hours. If there’s any problem, the wound doesn’t start to heal or gets red around the edges, call me immediately. Otherwise, just let him rest. I’ll come back and check on him in the morning.”

Jim nodded and watched the doctor walk out of the room before turning his attention back to his mate. He pointed at Donovan, shaking his finger at him. “Shift.” It was a command, clear and simple. He wanted his mate healed.

And then he wanted his mate to fuck him into the mattress. Jim needed to know Donovan was okay. He needed to reconnect with him on a primitive level. He needed to be claimed again.

“If you guys are okay,” Chase said, “I’m going to head back downstairs and keep an eye on things down there.”

“You mean keep an eye on that cute little redhead downstairs.” Jim smirked when he turned to Chase and saw his face flush as the man’s eyes quickly darted away.

Chase fidgeted for a moment, rubbing his hand down his face. He looked somehow…lost, something Jim would never have thought to see in the large man. Chase seemed too self-confident to ever look so confused.

“I think he’s my mate.”

Jim’s jaw dropped as shock rolled through him. It was quickly followed by a deep sympathy for the other man. He knew what it was like to discover his mate out of the blue. Jim was still totally bewildered by finding and claiming his mate, and he imagined he would be for days to come.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want Donovan because he did, a lot. But he was also so confused about his new relationship with the man he didn’t know what to think. They hadn’t even had time to really get to know each other, and Jim was already so attached to the man that if Donovan left him, Jim didn’t think he would survive.

Jim glanced back toward the bed, unable to not search out his mate. He was glad to see the man’s light-brown fur covering his wolf body. His breath caught in his throat as he took a long look at his mate. Even in his four-legged form, Donovan was the most gorgeous thing Jim had ever seen. He had a deep need to sink his fingers into the fur and rub his face over it.

“If he is your mate,” Jim said to Chase without taking his eyes off of Donovan, “claim his as fast as you can. Don’t let him get away, Chase. You’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”

“And he might regret it if I do claim him.”

Jim’s eyes snapped over to Chase at his sadly spoken words, but the man was already walking out of the room. Jim looked back at Donovan, gesturing toward the door with his thumb. “Do you have any idea what that was all about?”

Donovan was shaking his head even as he shifted back to his human form. One moment he was covered in light-brown fur with a muzzle, ears, and a tail, and the next moment, he was all darkly tanned, slick skin.

Yum.

“How’s the shoulder?” Jim asked as his eyes strayed to the spot where Donovan had been shot. The bullet hole had closed and knitted back together and was even now just a knot of pink, puckered skin. Jim heaved a sigh of relief. Donovan was healing.

“Why don’t you come over here and find out?”

Jim didn’t miss the twinkle in Donovan’s eyes, but he wasn’t about to start anything with his mate that Donovan was in no condition to finish, no matter how much Jim wished otherwise. Still, that didn’t mean he couldn’t hold his mate, and that would have to satisfy both him and his wolf for now.

Jim shed his clothes, dropping them carelessly on the floor, and then walked toward the bed. He grabbed the edges of the blankets. “Let’s get you under the covers.”

Donovan scooted to one side and allowed Jim to draw the covers down and then scooted back into place, wincing a couple of times when he had to use his abused muscles. Jim waited until his mate was settled and then climbed into the bed beside him, snuggling up to Donovan’s warm body.

“So, we’re not doing this again, right?”

“Huh…” Donovan blinked wildly at Jim.

Jim rolled his eyes. “I mean the getting-shot thing, Donovan.”

“Oh, yeah.” Donovan grinned. “We’re not doing that again.”

Jim’s arms tightened around Donovan as the man faded off to sleep. Somehow, he suspected that they had not seen the last of dangerous situations. Life just wasn’t that easy. Hell, he still had to tell the rest of his family he mated a man.

And wasn’t that going to be fun?

* * * *

“Hey, babe, where are you?” Jim called out as he set the grocery bag in his hands down on the kitchen counter. He reached into the bag and started emptying the contents when heard footsteps coming in his direction.

“What’s in the bag?” Donovan asked as he walked into the kitchen.

Jim felt Donovan’s arms wrap around his waist, a chin resting on his shoulder as Donovan hugged him from behind. “Our dinner, dessert, and a few other things.”

“Dessert? I like dessert.” Donovan chuckled mischievously. “Just what did you have in mind?”

“Well, I pretty much have us covered for the next twenty-four hours, which is the amount of time we’re supposed to be alone with no interruptions.” Barring any emergencies, which had better consist of aliens landing on the planet or something just as severe, everyone was supposed to leave them alone.

“So, what’s in the bag?”

Jim grabbed a bottle of wine and set it on the counter. “Wine to go with dinner, fresh garlic, cheese bread, and a complete Italian dinner. Sorry, it’s frozen. Unlike Nate, I’m not much of a cook.”

“That’s what microwaves are for, baby,” Donovan said as he patted Jim on the ass. “Now, what else is in that bag?”

“Ahhh, stuff for a bubble bath for relaxing after dinner and a toothbrush for you since you lost yours, waffles for our breakfast. And those can be cooked in the toaster, thank god. Last, but not least, chocolate syrup.”

Jim snickered at Donovan’s confused look. He watched as Donovan reached over to look in the bag, then at him. “Where’s the ice cream? You can’t have chocolate syrup without ice cream,” Donovan said.

“You can if you don’t plan on pouring chocolate syrup over ice cream.” Jim laughed as he arched an eyebrow and waited for his mate to connect the dots.

“If you’re not going to pour the chocolate syrup over ice cream, what are you—oh!”

“Now you’re catching on,” Jim said as he watched Donovan’s hazel eyes turn deep copper brown. “Want to skip dinner and go straight to dessert?” he asked, waving the bottle chocolate syrup at Donovan.

Donovan grabbed the bottle out of Jim’s hands so fast, Jim couldn’t help laughing at his mate’s eager enthusiasm. A moment later he let out a yelp as Donovan grabbed him and dragged him up the stairs.

Guess Donovan liked their dinner plans.

* * * *

Donovan let out a loud groan an hour later as Jim pounded his thick cock deep into his ass. Jim had said it felt good, but Donovan had no idea that it felt this good until he had tried it for the first time. He thought he was going to lose his mind as pleasure overwhelmed him.

“God, Jim, fuck me harder,” Donovan demanded as he felt a small tingle go up his spine. He started stroking the cock in his hand even faster as Jim’s thrusts increased in speed. “I’m so fucking close.”

“Then come for me, baby,” Jim panted. “I’m right behind you.”

“I’d rather you went with me,” Donovan yelled as he came, white pearly seed spurting up from his cock to splatter all over his abdomen and hand. He tightened his muscles down as much as he could, hearing Jim cry out above him just before he felt warm liquid fill him.

Donovan grunted as Jim collapsed down onto his chest. “Damn, you’re heavy.” He chuckled as he wrapped his arms around Jim’s chest.

“Want me to move?” Jim mumbled against Donovan’s chest.

“No, I like you right where you are.”

“Hmmm,” Jim mumbled.

Donovan felt Jim plant a couple of kisses along his collarbone. He returned the gesture by kissing Jim’s head, rubbing his hands up and down Jim’s back. “Feel better?”

“Not yet,” Jim chuckled as he folded his hands over Donovan’s chest, resting his chin on his hands. He chuckled lightly and licked a spot of chocolate off of Donovan’s chest. “Give me forty or fifty years together, and I’ll let you know.”

“I’m okay, Jim. I’ve been okay for over a month now. Stop worrying,” Donovan admonished.

Jim grunted, pulling free of Donovan’s body so he could roll off onto the mattress. “You have your hands covered in your mate’s blood and see how fast you get over it.” Jim growled as he flung his arm over his eyes.

Donovan rolled to his side and pulled Jim’s arm down from his face so he could look into his beautiful gray eyes. “I’m okay, James, I swear,” Donovan said as he reached up to cup Jim’s face in his hands. “Never better.”

“Donovan—” Jim began only to stop speaking as Donovan laid a finger against his lips.

“The bullet passed right through me, and my werewolf DNA healed me right up. There are no lasting effects. I’m not even sore anymore. At least, my chest isn’t.” Donovan chuckled.

In the weeks since he had been shot, he and Jim had spent a lot of time in bed fucking each other until they could barely walk. They had also done a lot of talking between sexual marathons.

With the Teacher and his goons dead and Chase rescuing all of Nate’s friends, there hadn’t been much need for them to do more than get to know each other.

They still hadn’t decided where they were going to live or which one of them was going to join the other’s pack. For now, they were just taking things day by day. And that was just fine with Donovan. He liked the slower pace with his mate by his side.

Donovan thought Jim was getting used to being by his side, too. He was no longer embarrassed when someone caught them kissing or holding hands. The unconditional acceptance of Jim’s family had gone a long ways toward Jim being comfortable being in a gay relationship.