Chapter Nineteen
Asher scowled at Caleb as Glenn, Stella, Conner and Zeke shifted into their human forms and changed into the clothes they'd had tied around their legs. Caleb moved toward Zeke, but Asher held him back, his body vibrating with unused energy and distrust.
"This is my pack, Asher," Caleb tried to explain quietly. "They won't hurt me."
Asher's jaw clenched and Caleb could see he would make no headway this way. He stopped trying to go around his mate and smiled over his shoulder instead. "Zeke, I am so glad to see you!" he called out. While Caleb knew now that the kids had gotten off the mountain and to safety as Asher had originally told him, he was still relieved to see one of them standing in front of him, healthy and unharmed.
Zeke's face fell, he avoided Caleb's eye contact. "We are so sorry," he mumbled.
"Sorry?"
"For leaving you up there. Up here. We were scared but that is no excuse."
"That's enough," Conner said not unkindly. "It is obvious that this isn't a rescue mission. Or as we feared, a body retrieval."
Asher tightened further at that, reminding Caleb of a coil that was about to either spring into action or snap.
"What is this?" Stella asked, her eyes narrowing on Asher's protective stance in front of Caleb. He winced against her unfriendly tone. Stella had quickly become like an older sister to him in the pack and she was looking from Asher to Caleb with suspicion.
"We just got back from town. Why don't you all sit, make yourselves comfortable and we'll make something for dinner. Maybe one of you can make a fire in the outdoor pit?" He doubted they would all fit in the cabin and besides, he needed to get Asher there now. "If you'll excuse us?" He grabbed Asher's hand, pulling him to the cabin. He waited before the door shut before whispering. "What is wrong? Those are my people and you are acting like they are coyotes."
"I'm your pack," he replied simply.
Caleb's chest warmed. "Yes, you are, but you always knew they were a part of my life. Are a part of my life. I don't expect you to be best friends with them but at least be nice. I mean, if I managed to be friendly to your old sexy time friend I think you can extend the same courtesy."
Asher palmed Caleb's waist. The contact seemed to comfort and ground him. "They want to try and take you away," Asher said so quietly, Caleb almost didn't hear him. "What if they make you want to leave?"
Caleb's heart clenched for this surly, brooding, sexy man. "You are my mate, Asher. How could I ever leave you? Would you be able to leave me?"
Asher wrapped more of his body around Caleb, his arms circled all the way around him and he squeezed lightly as their lips found each other in the darkness of the cabin. When Asher's tongue slipped in, he kissed like a promise for more. Caleb sighed in anticipation, wondering if they could be quiet enough in the cabin for his pack mates not to hear them having sex. Asher chuckled as if reading his mind. "You invited them to dinner. It has been a while since I have been in a situation like this but I am pretty sure that means you have to go out there and feed them."
Caleb leaned into Asher, absorbing his heat and strength. "Thank you," he mumbled against Asher's chest.
A few hours later, they all sat around a glowing campfire. Caleb leaned back into Asher who sat behind him. The older man wrapped his arms around him, still tense with all of these new people in his home, but doing better than when they first got there. Zeke yawned and Caleb didn't want to think about what time it was. Glenn and Conner were finishing up the last of the fish while Stella still stared at Caleb and Asher, the red of her hair matching the flames.
"How is Pippen managing?" Caleb asked. Pippen was the co-pack master, Conner's mate, but he was also the head chef in the kitchen of the restaurant the pack owned. Stella was his right-hand woman in the kitchen.
Conner set down his plate. "Pissed he didn't get to come, to be honest. He was just as worried as the rest of us."
Caleb crumpled further into Asher, his cheeks burned but he doubted it was because of the fire. "I'm sorry," he said as Asher tightened his hold. Caleb got the idea Asher was one wrong word away from whisking him away from the conversation.
"Oh, it's not you, Caleb," Conner said. "He couldn't bring Felicity and who would look after the kitchen? Besides, I think Felix would go a little crazy leading the pack by himself. He does the business side of things great, but the interpersonal pack conflicts are not his forte. With my little Pips there, everyone is too afraid to approach him." Conner started laughing like it was the funniest thing in the world that half of the pack was terrified of his mate.
"What were you doing up here that kept you from coming down to tell us you were alive?" Stella asked. She hadn't touched her food and while the other three had been endlessly impressed by Asher's fishing abilities, she had sat back with her arms crossed, staring at the two of them.
"The coyotes almost killed me. They would have if Asher hadn't of found me when he did. They almost got me again a few days ago."
"And he just happened to be up here?" Stella asked, ignoring the coyote information entirely. "That was opportune, wasn't it?"
"Stella," Caleb tried again, keeping his voice light as his mate tensed up behind him. "Asher is my mate. We were lucky to find each other."
"Isn't he a little young for you?" Stella directed her question to Asher.
Conner stood. "That is enough, Stella," he commanded.
Caleb wouldn't cry and would blame his desire to on the new hormones racing through him. He sat with his back straight, knowing if he let it show how much her comment had hurt his feelings, Asher would probably explode. Zeke stared at them all, no longer tired looking, his eyes wide. Caleb felt Asher's rumbling growl begin to build. "I don't expect you to understand our connection, Stella," Caleb said. "Your acceptance or lack of doesn't change what Asher and I have. Yes, he is older than me, but that hardly precludes me from a happy ending, does it? I find your behavior extremely hypocritical given that your other pack master Felix is with a mate younger than him. Your brother Oscar is with a man who couldn't be more different and they make it work because they are mates and they love each other. Like I love Asher." When he ran out of air to speak with, Caleb looked around the campfire, somewhat shocked at his own outburst. Oddly, Stella smiled.
"Fair enough," she said, picking up her plate of food that was surely cold. Caleb couldn't help but think she deserved cold food. She made a noise of disgust and Caleb thought she was going to start complaining about the food now too. "Ugh, I was just thinking about how you were likely to get pregnant. I am surrounded by so many pregnancy hormones and these baby showers are making me go broke!" Her tone sounded like she was irritated but there was a mischievous glimmer that told Caleb she was mostly joking.
"Well, actually, I…" Caleb stuttered, not sure if this was the right time. He took the last of his roll to keep from telling any more secrets. The bread hit his stomach weird and the next thing he knew, he had launched up, barely making it outside of the circle of logs around the fire before throwing up everything he had eaten. Asher was by his side in a second, rubbing his back and shoulders, despite Caleb trying to wave him and everyone else away. When it was all done, he straightened, reaching for the glass of water Asher gave him he swished it around and spit out the contents. He stood, turning back to the other four. "Maybe you can afford one more present?" he asked Stella sheepishly.