Blue Mountain (Pack 1)
Page 23
“I thought it was your pack, Alpha.” Mitch said, curling one side of his lip up and arching his eyebrows.
“You know you’re not supposed to listen to anything I say when I’m having a tantrum.” Frederick squeezed Mitch’s arm. “It’s our pack.”
Done with conversation, Mitch grunted and then stepped toward the door. He opened it and looked back at Freddy over his shoulder. “If any pack members have questions about my mate, tell them to come talk to me. I don’t think it’ll take more than one or two conversations before people realize anything related to him is off limits.”
Frederick threw his head back and laughed. “Fun as that sounds, I’ll pass. I can deal with the pack without bloodshed.”
Shrugging, Mitch said, “Offer’s on the table.”
“Mitch?”
“Yes?”
“Don’t forget the door’s always open for you and your mate. Pack curiosity isn’t the only reason I want to get to know him. He’s family now. The sooner he realizes that, the sooner I can spend more time with both of you.”
“Is everything okay?” Simon asked as soon as Mitch walked into the house. “You’re back earlier than you said you would be.”
During the first week Simon lived with him, Mitch had rarely left the cabin. But on those rare occasions, he had to search out his mate when he returned because Simon stayed wherever he was and didn’t acknowledge his arrival. Though Mitch didn’t enjoy being ignored, he took his own advice and concentrated on his mate’s non-verbal cues.
He noticed that when he walked into the room, Simon’s breath came a little faster and his cheeks turned a shade redder. He noticed that Simon no longer tried to get away from him. He noticed that Simon always had a question for him or a story to share, which led to conversations and time spent together. And he noticed that Simon often stared at him when he thought Mitch wasn’t looking. So even though Simon didn’t acknowledge his return home, Mitch was certain he was pleased to be with him.
As more time passed, Simon warmed up. First, he started calling out a greeting when Mitch arrived. Then he began walking up shortly after Mitch got home. And now he was by the door so fast, he must have rushed over the instant he realized Mitch was coming.
“Everything’s fine,” Mitch said, desperately wanting to pull Simon into his arms to soothe away his worries and to enjoy the feeling of that no longer bony body. He refrained from touching, sticking to his promise to respond only to Simon’s words. But there was no rule against looking, and look he did.
The clothes in Simon’s backpack had been so old and worn-through that some had disintegrated in the wash and the others weren’t far behind. Knowing Simon would protest any offer of assistance, Mitch didn’t tell him before he stopped by a store in town and picked up some basics. The clothing wasn’t fancy or showy but it was soft and well-made. Mitch could tell Simon loved it because he only gave a perfunctory protest before he took the bag into the bedroom and tried everything on.
Mitch had shopped with his goal of getting Simon to a healthier weight in mind, so the clothes were baggy at first. Now, after a few weeks of regular meals and lots of rest, Simon filled them out more, his backside pushing against the fabric of his jeans in an enticing curve and his T-shirt accentuating his lean chest rather than hanging off him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Simon asked.
“How am I looking at you, pup?”
Rather than answering the question, Simon bit his lip, lowered his gaze, and then glanced up at Mitch from underneath his lashes and said, “You, uh, didn’t say why you’re home early. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” Mitch raised his hand to caress Simon’s cheek but then remembered himself and lowered it. “Thank you for worrying about me.” When he wasn’t on guard and defensive, Simon’s true nature came through and he was incredibly sweet.
“Um.” Simon’s cheeks reddened and he cleared his throat. “How was your morning?”
“It was okay.” Mitch smiled. “It’s better now.”
Another deep blush and then Simon turned around and walked toward the kitchen. “Are you hungry? I made banana bread if you want a snack before lunch.”
“Can’t turn down one of your creations.” Mitch followed his mate, his gaze glued to that pert, round ass. His fingers itched to touch, and he had to squeeze his hands into fists to keep himself in line. “Is this one of the recipes you’ve already made or a new one?”
Simon had decided it would be fun to test out a bunch of banana bread recipes to see which one they liked best. It didn’t escape Mitch’s notice that he’d come up with the idea after Mitch told him it was his favorite treat.