Pack and Mate Read online

  “If they left in a car, that’s near impossible. I know.” Kyle purred softly, the sound clearly meant to soothe, to ease. “I’ll find him.”

  “I believe you.” Cort needed to, every fiber of his being said he needed Finn and he had to believe that Kyle could help with that.

  “He may come back to you, you know. His first moon in the city is coming soon,” Kyle pointed out.

  “I would like that. If he comes to the club you’ll bring him to me?”

  “I’ll call you immediately, yes. Those pups are going to have a hard time of it, riding out the moon alone. I may suggest that they all come and stay instead of roaming the streets.”

  Cort wasn’t sure he could handle six pups—it had been the noise that had driven him—and Finn—away from the party in the first place. He was very much used to being a solitary wolf—preferred it for the most part, in fact.

  “I could. If there was a place for them I could pay for it.” Money was not an issue. He’d been banished but his Alpha had paid him well to stay away and not come back to fight for the title of pack leader.

  “I’m sorry?” Kyle blinked at him then his eyes went wide. “Oh. Oh, no. I meant here at the club, in guest quarters, not here in your quarters.”

  “Oh, that would be good.” He’d been alone long enough, gotten so used to his own company, that he wanted only his mate now, really.

  “I would never impose upon you, Cort. Never. I simply, well, you know me. I worry. I’d rescue every single one of us in the city if the owner would allow it.”

  “You’re a good man, Kyle.” He’d known it from the moment they’d met. Kyle had a heart big enough for everyone, and doubly so for submissives.

  “Thank you, dearest.” Kyle gave him a quick, hard hug, and he surprised himself by hugging the lean feline back.

  “Thank you, Kyle. I’ll try to be patient.” It was not his strong suit though.

  “Be patient. Plan. I’ll find him.”

  “Good.” He patted Kyle on the back, his feet itching. He needed to shift, to go out and run, but a good long walk on his human legs might do it. He could get out in the city, see if he couldn’t sniff out his pup, pick the trail back up somewhere. It couldn’t hurt.

  Once the pretty kitty was gone Cort grabbed his wallet and a pair of shoes—he’d discovered very quickly that people expected you to wear them in the city—and headed out.

  His pup was out there, unclaimed, unmarked and lovely. Cort needed to find Finn before anything happened to his pup. His protective instincts were on overdrive.

  Out on the street he turned his face to the sky, letting the sun kiss his skin for a moment. Then he closed his eyes and let his instincts guide him. Left. He needed to go left.

  He held the image of Finn in his mind—ginger and lovely, receptive and sensitive with the most amazing emerald eyes. And the taste. Finn had tasted like nothing he’d ever known. Sweet and salty, like the best kind of caramel, the kiss had touched him deep in his soul.

  He strode through the streets on gut instinct alone, nose working overtime for that scent. Pup. Pup, where are you? Where are you?

  He heard soft laughter, deep in the core of his brain, happy and gentle. Oh yes. His pup was out there, waiting for him.

  He swerved right suddenly, chasing down a feeling. Every single fiber of his being focused on this most important hunt, his nose worked overtime and his wolf called out, again and again.

  His nose continued to fail to catch his pup’s scent but he kept following his gut and his heart, moving through unfamiliar streets. He wasn’t sure where he was in relation to the club anymore and he wasn’t sure how long he’d been walking—it felt like hours.

  He stopped in front of a diner, the scent of hamburger and grease and— There. There, sitting and having lunch, head in a book. His Finn.

  Cort spent a long moment just looking, taking in every line. There was a fineness to the pup, a barely held wildness. Finn was compact but not tiny, sensitive but not weak.

  Finn’s head tilted suddenly, his nostrils flaring.

  Yes, pup. I’m here.

  Cort kept staring, watching every single movement in his pup. Long fingers stroked the worn cover of the book as it was closed, then Finn’s green eyes started moving, searching. Cort was grinning by the time Finn’s gaze found him, his whole body tingling.

  Oh. Oh, look at the smile. Finn’s entire face lit up and the pup waved.

  Cort waved back.

  Someone bumped into him, breaking their locked gazes and he snarled. When he looked back at the window Finn was gone.

  No. No. Pup.

  Cort ran for the door, meeting Finn as he came out. “Cort. Cort, hi!”

  He couldn’t contain his smile and he wrapped his arms around Finn, giving him a hard hug. “Hi, Finn.”

  “Oh, I thought I’d have to wait to come down until the weekend. It’s good to see you.” Finn beamed.

  “I had to come find you,” Cort admitted.

  “I’m glad you did. I didn’t even get your phone number.”

  “I didn’t even get your last name. And you didn’t get your steak.” Or me.

  “I didn’t. Everyone was waiting and, well, we’re not pack, you and me. I don’t want to get anyone in trouble.”

  “Of course we’re pack. I know you feel it too.” Cort nodded toward the diner—Finn had known he was outside.

  “I thought… I thought for a second that I heard you.”

  That made him smile. “Not with your ears.”

  Finn shook his head. “No. Not with my ears.”

  “Come back to the club with me.” Now that he’d found Finn they could be together.

  “I have to go back to work after my lunch break or I’ll get fired. The Alpha—no, no the boss is very strict.”

  Cort growled at the word Alpha—he was Finn’s Alpha. He would accept the word boss for this other man though.

  “You won’t need to work when you come live with me.”

  His pup looked confused. “Do you need something painted?”

  And now he was confused. “No.”

  “Then how would I work for you?”

  “No, you won’t need to work at all when you come live with me. We’ll be pack.” He had enough money for them both. There was no reason for Finn to have to leave him every day and work for a strict boss.

  “Pack.” The word seemed to warm Finn all through and the smile Cort got was blissful.

  “Come with me,” he said again.

  Finn reached for him and a couple of pups barreled up to them. “Finn. Finn, the Alpha’s waiting. We have to work. The payment for the den is today. We have to pay that before the moon.”

  God, they were adorable pups, all of them, so earnest, so worried. Cort had to smile.

  It also reminded him of Kyle’s offer to house the pups during the moon. “I need your numbers for your den. Kyle wishes to speak to you about the moon.” Kyle would be pleased he’d made contact, had found them.

  The boys looked to Finn, who nodded. “He’s a good wolf.”

  “He’s not the Alpha.” That from the tiny pup, a worried one.

  “Boss. Here Alphas are called bosses.”

  Finn’s twin popped his head out of the diner. “Boys, you can’t stay there! My Alph—boss will be mad. Go. Work.”

  Cort growled. He didn’t like this at all. He needed a phone number or house number for the other pups and for Finn to come home with him.

  Finn grabbed Cort’s phone, punched in numbers. “Our den, my phone. Call me? I stop work at six.”

  For a moment Cort considered grabbing Finn, tossing him over his shoulder and taking his mate home. Then the sounds of the city reminded him that this wasn’t where he came from. There were different rules here. And doing that probably wasn’t allowed.

  “I’ll be here.” He nodded to the address Finn had given him. “At six.” Then he would convince his mate to come home with him.

  “At six.” The smile he got star
ted a fire in his belly.

  “Six.” He watched as the pups all raced off together, his Finn in the middle of them.

  He checked his watch. He had five hours to make his home ready for Finn. He looked around, trying to figure out where he was so that he could find the club and get ready.

  Chapter Three

  “You did a good job today. The boss was pleased and said you can come back all week.” Finn was the one who had convinced the boss to let Little Red and Cillian work for the day.

  Little Red beamed, even though the pup was filthy and exhausted. “And we can pay for den now?”

  Finn nodded. “We can pay for the den now.”

  Living in the city was hard, but new and sometimes fun. And now there was Cort. Right here in the city.

  “Is that big male going to live in our den too?” Cillian asked.

  “I don’t think so. There’s not room and he has his own place.” A quiet place.

  They turned the corner onto the street where their den was and right there, out in front of it, were Cort and another man.

  Little Red pressed close against his side. “Are they going to bite us?”

  “No. No, Cort is…” Well, Finn would let Cort bite him but Cort had better not be biting anyone else. “No.”

  Cort caught sight of him and Cort’s whole face lit up. Oh. Finn’s heart started pounding, beating faster.

  Cort started walking toward them. Little Red whimpered softly, hiding. The little pup was the runt of his family and had been bullied and pushed away all his life. It left him timid and worried all the time.

  “It’s okay, I promise. I swear,” Finn reassured Little Red as best he could.

  The man with Cort was walking toward them too. He was different from Cort, thin and slinky where Cort was big and solid. All those muscles and the lovely eyes and—

  “Finn.” Cort took his hand.

  “Cort, this is Little Red and Cillian. They’re not mean and I told them you wouldn’t bite either.”

  “I’m not going to bite anyone. At least not them.” Cort gave him a wicked smile.

  The slinky man cleared his throat at that and Cort nodded toward him.

  “This is Kyle. He’s from the club.”

  “Hello, Kyle,” Finn, Little Red and Cillian all spoke together, as polite as could be.

  “Hello, boys.” Kyle’s voice was soft and easy, his smile friendly.

  “He has a proposition for the pups,” Cort told them.

  “Would you like to see our den? We have soda and coffee.” That was polite, right? Finn had been brought up right.

  “Okay. If you come home with me after.” Cort wasn’t looking at anyone else, just Finn.

  Kyle nodded. “I’d like to, very much. Then I can talk to you all about the moon.”

  “We’re on the third floor.” They headed upstairs, the tiny, dark stairwell smelling like smoke and old booze. Everyone else would be home now, and when Finn opened the door Pat was cooking, Louis was folding clothes and Nathan was standing on his head.

  Cort stared and Kyle tilted his head.

  “What’s he doing?” Kyle asked.

  “Standing on his head.”

  Cort chuckled.

  Kyle rolled his eyes. “Yes, sweetie, but why?”

  “I’m going to learn yoga things so we can pay for our den,” Nathan announced. “I don’t like washing dishes.”

  Well, that was an answer.

  “How…interesting.” Kyle kept watching Nathan. “So this is the first moon in the city for most of you, isn’t it?”

  “All of us.” Patrick came out of the kitchen, sniffing. “Finn, what’s going on?”

  Finn wasn’t sure he knew, honestly. “Cort is my friend.”

  “This isn’t about Cort.” Kyle smiled at Little Red. “We understand at the club what it’s like to be a were. We want all of you to come and spend your first moon with us, where it’s safe. What Cort and Finn want to arrange between them is of course up to them.”

  The pups all spoke up at once and Finn moved to his twin, who came to him, the questions flying like crazy.

  “Jim’s club?”

  “The club?”

  “Why?”

  “Is it safe?”

  “Pat?”

  “Finn?”

  “Of course it’s safe,” murmured Kyle. “It’s a good place. We’re all weres there. Come on, pups, it’s better than spending your first moon holed up here.”

  Cort cleared his throat. “It’s safe. You’ll all come.” Cort’s voice was firm, sure. As though it was an Alpha’s, and it sent a pleasant shiver down Finn’s spine.

  “How much will it cost?” That was practical Pat. “We had to pay for this den today and I have to make food for everyone. We appreciate the offer but it will depend on the cost.”

  Kyle shook his head. “It won’t cost anything. I have discretionary funds that I’m going to use to pay for the room and board for three days.”

  “Why?” Pat looked at Kyle.

  “Because I was once where you pups are and I won’t have any of our own at the mercy of the moon and this city.”

  Pat frowned. “I take good care of them. We’re trying to do the right thing.”

  Finn thought, quite privately, that there was no way he and Pat could take care of the other four during the moon. He would never say it to Pat though. His twin had enough pride for an Alpha.

  “Oh, darling, I’m not saying that you don’t. But there are six of you who have never had a moon here in the city. It can be scary.”

  Cort growled. “I’m taking Finn home with me. You’d get to see him during the moon if you come.”

  “You can’t take Finn anywhere.” Pat growled right back, stepping in between him and Cort.

  Cort, considerably taller than Pat, puffed his chest up and stepped forward, right into Pat’s space. “He’s mine.”

  Finn could smell Pat’s stress but his twin didn’t back away. “I promised to take care of all these guys.”

  “You’re not their Alpha,” Cort shot back.

  Kyle cleared his throat and put a hand on both Cort’s and Pat’s chests. “Now, now. We all want the same thing here, boys. We want everyone safe and healthy and happy.” Kyle smiled at Pat. “Your cousin Jim is a good man and a member. We’d love to have you as guests, like part of the family. Somewhere warm and safe.”

  Cort took advantage of Kyle having Pat’s attention, slipping around his twin to come sidle up next to Finn. “Hey.”

  “Hi.” Finn’s nostrils flared and he inhaled Cort’s scent.

  Cort put a hand on his lower back, tingles emanating from the spot where they were touching.

  “Would you like to stay for supper?” Finn asked. “It’s pasta.”

  Nathan moaned. “It’s always pasta.”

  “Pasta is cheap,” Pat snapped.

  “We’d love to stay,” murmured Kyle. “Thank you. You’ll come back with us after, though, yes?”

  Cort looked as though he was going to refuse the supper offer but Kyle touched his arm, one eyebrow rising and Cort stayed silent.

  “The moon is Thursday.” Little Red looked worried. “I don’t want anyone to bite me.”

  “No one is going to bite anyone.” Pat was about to yell, Finn could tell. “Everyone sit down. Right. Now.”

  The only reason Finn didn’t obey was because Cort’s arm was wrapped tightly around his waist. The other four all sat though, right there on the floor.

  “Impressive.” Kyle smiled. “Can I help you in the kitchen, Pat? I’m not a total waste at the stove.”

  Pat nodded and he and Kyle disappeared into the kitchen.

  Cort turned to him, smiled. “I’m trying very hard not to just put you over my shoulder and carry you back home.”

  Finn didn’t think that was the worst idea he’d heard. And he wanted another of those kisses, another touch.

  “You will come with me, no matter what the others decide, won’t you?” Cort asked.


  “Can you help me find my way back to work?”

  “You don’t need to work. You can stay in my den with me.”

  “But they told me you have to work for money, Cort.” And Little Red and Cillian worked because the boss—Alpha—liked Finn.

  “I have money. Enough for both of us.”

  A tug came to his coveralls. “You can’t go. The Alpha is scary.”

  “Boss.” Finn corrected Little Red.

  “The boss is scary.” Little Red pressed close, eyes wide.

  Cort held him a little tighter. “You can’t make Finn stay if he doesn’t want to.”

  “But we’re pack. Our own pack.” Little Red pushed up into his arms, holding on tight.

  Nathan groaned. “You need to do yoga.”

  “You need an Alpha,” Cort suggested.

  “Don’t you mean a boss, Cort?” Finn asked.

  “No. I mean they need a Master, or an Alpha. Someone to organize them, keep them from worrying about scary bosses.”

  “That’s my job,” Pat said, coming out of the kitchen with a big bowl of food. “Pasta is ready.”

  Cort turned toward Pat then looked back at Finn, one eyebrow raised.

  “Pat is the older twin. He sort of gets to make the rules.” It was how it had always worked ever since they’d been small.

  “This is crazy. Let’s eat so you can come home with me.”

  “The spaghetti is good. Pat’s a good cook.” Finn didn’t want fighting.

  Kyle came out with garlic bread. “Everyone sit.”

  They all fit around the table, barely, and Little Red and Nathan had to share a chair. Cort let Finn sit on Cort’s lap. It was more than big enough for him. Almost as if it were made just for him. One of Cort’s arms wrapped around his waist, keeping him close.

  “Is this good?” He was happy, warm.

  “It’s perfect.” Cort pressed his nose against Finn’s neck and breathed in.

  Finn hummed softly, his body heating all the way to the bone. This was way better than sitting on a chair.

  “So hungry,” murmured Cort.

  “The pasta is good.” He’d already said that. “You can even have mine.” His hips started to rock.