Heartsblood (Dark Hollow Wolf Pack 10)

Marco was giving him a stern look that told him to knock off the teasing. He decided he probably should before either of them said too much. Damn this wolf thing was exhausting—he’d never realized before that Marco went around feeling more than half-aroused like this whenever he was around his mate. Little wonder that he’d bent Nicky over the nearest surface whenever he got the chance.

“I don’t like the idea of you being on a work detail with the other wolves,” Marco said quietly.

Nicky slammed down his glass, the ever-present anger he felt lately boiling to the surface. “Do you ever give this jealousy thing a rest? Are your cocks the only things you wolves think about?” The minute the words were out of his mouth, he recognized the unfairness of them. He’d just been thinking about his own cock a few seconds before. He felt petty and mean-spirited. What the hell was wrong with him anyway? Was he trying to start a fight?

A silence had fallen over the table and Marco looked at him strangely. His skin flushed. Marco cleared his throat. “I didn’t mean it that way. I only meant that it would be hard for the others to work with you now. They wouldn’t know whether to take orders from you or the foreman of the crew. They’d be as uneasy around you as they would me or Casey, and it would hinder their work.”

“Okay, message received. I’ll try to keep to myself from now on.” Nicky took another bite of his roll and forced it down. He felt unreasonably angry and he was having trouble controlling it.

Marco’s voice rumbled out low and angry as he replied. “Damn it, do you have to twist everything I say?”

Logan cleared his throat from across the table, as if to remind them they weren’t alone. Nicky smiled at him. “Sorry. But you said you were worried I was acting differently lately. Me and Marco bickering together should be just like old times.”

Casey stood up abruptly with his tray. “I need to get back to work.” He nodded over at Marco. “I’ll talk to you later.”

Ian got up too and touched Logan’s shoulder. “We should be getting back too. C’mon, Logan.”

Nicky reached across the table and put a hand on Logan’s. “Logan hasn’t eaten his lunch—we just sat down.”

Logan glanced uneasily at Nicky and back to Ian before he stood up. “I’ll get something later. Ian’s right, I need to get back to my class.”

Nicky frowned. “Don’t let him boss you around like that. You can sit here and eat your food.”

“Nicky,” Marco said warningly as Ian stiffened.

“I’ll talk to you later, Marco,” Ian said and took Logan’s unresisting arm to lead him away.

Nicky shook his head and glanced over at Marco. “Don’t glare at me like that. Ian still slips into his Neanderthal mode every once and a while. I don’t like it, that’s all.”

“And it’s none of your business either. Or mine. That’s between Ian and his mate.”

Nicky bit his lip. He reminded himself he was supposed to be picking his battles. “Okay. Sorry. It’s just that Logan is a good friend of mine.”

“I know, honey,” Marco said, his voice softening as he leaned closer to him and put an arm around the back of his chair. “But so is Ian. Becoming a wolf doesn’t mean you’re in competition with every wolf in the pack. Ian is a good beta and very loyal.” There was a little silence and then he said quietly, as if it had just occurred to him, “Casey said you were a little hard on Rory earlier today too.”

Nicky pushed back his plate and sat back in his chair. “Did Rory go crying to Casey about that? It was a simple conversation on the stairs. It was nothing.”

“Casey was a little confused by the whole encounter, that’s all. He wasn’t complaining.” Marco ignored Nicky’s snort of disbelief and leaned in closer to him. “I know you’re restless, baby, and that’s partially my fault. Actually, you need to start training with me, and I’ve put it off too long, waiting for you to recover. We’ll start tonight, if you like. We can go out for a run.”

Alarm skittered along Nicky’s spine and he turned his head sharply. Marco’s lips were only a kiss away, and he brushed them against Nicky’s and smiled.

“Go out for a run?” Nicky said. “You mean in our wolves?”

“Yes, of course. You’re becoming an alpha. We’re going to be an alpha pair. We need to learn to work together.”

Nicky shook his head uneasily. “I’m not…I don’t want to. Not yet.”

“I know, baby, but it’s time.” Marco dropped another kiss on his lips and stood up. “Take a rest this afternoon because we’ll be out late. I’ll see you at dinner.” He picked up his tray and left, leaving Nicky staring after him. He felt his wolf stirring restlessly inside, ready to leap out. He pushed the crazy bastard firmly back down and wondered what he could say to Marco to prevent this.

He just wouldn’t shift—that was it. No matter how hard Marco pressed him. The last time it happened…he shuddered at the memory of the yellow eyes shining down in the stream and reflecting back at him. The last time he shifted, all his wolf had wanted to do was find Marco.

So he could rip out his throat.

* * * *

Someone had Nicky’s cock in his mouth, his tongue blood-hot and silky against Nicky’s velvety skin. Prying open his eyes, still sticky with sleep, Nicky saw Marco kneeling over him, the head of Nicky’s cock between his lips.

“M-Marco,” he gasped, still half-believing this must be a sweet dream.