Chapter 12
Jude
“Put me down, you son of a bitch,” Logan yelled. Jude tossed him bodily across the king-sized bed and stood with both hands on his hips.
“What the hell?!” Logan exclaimed.
“You told me to put you down, so I did,” Jude responded. Not waiting for Logan’s next complaint, Jude straddled Logan’s hips and pinned his mate to the bed. Jude sat back, arms crossed over his chest and let Logan fight as much as he wanted. Logan’s hands futilely fought to push the tiger off, but Jude knew it was as useless as trying to get a concrete wall to budge. Eventually, Logan gave up and his arms fell out to his sides with a plop. Jude fought not to smirk. He knew Logan would instantly start fighting again if he reminded his mate about the difference in their strength.
Jude put his hands to either side of his mate’s head and closed the distance between them, forcing Logan to accept his physical proximity. Logan refused to make eye contact almost like prey animals did when Jude’s tiger had them cornered. Jude imagined they saw their end coming in the tiger’s hungry expression. Jude simply waited, certain any abrupt movements would only delay the message he needed Logan to hear. When Logan’s breathing finally started to slow, Jude dropped his head and ran his nose up the side of Logan’s neck, inhaling deeply.
“Damn it, Jude. Stop doing that and get the fuck off of me,” Logan complained, starting to fight again. Jude grabbed Logan’s hands and forced them overhead, pinning him even more helplessly to the bed. Jude continued to stare down into Logan’s ice blue eyes. Logan’s heart started thundering, almost tricking Jude’s instincts into thinking Logan was enjoying the moment more than he was. Jude couldn’t stop himself from grinding his hips down onto Logan’s crotch. Logan gasped, whether from surprise or disgust, Jude wasn’t sure. Jude loved the sound, though, so he did it again.
“Fucking get off of me, Jude!” Logan was yelling now. Nope, that was not a gasp of pleasure. Jude forced his hips to still. Logan was looking anywhere but in Jude’s direction, obviously avoiding making eye contact again. Jude internally cursed himself for his lack of patience.
“Okay, Logan. Just look at me for a minute and I’ll get off. I promise,” Jude offered calmly. Finally, Logan’s ice-blue eyes were staring directly into his own, but instead of fondness Jude hoped to see, they were burning with hatred.
“Fine. I’m looking at you. Now get the fuck off of me, Jude,” Logan growled. As Jude stared, he watched Logan’s eyes blacken as his pupils slowly dilated. Logan’s tongue sneaked out and licked his lower lip nervously. Jude groaned as he traced its path hopefully. Jude could feel his tiger’s desire to claim his mate, urging him to force the situation if he had to. The tiger didn’t care what Logan’s human side wanted. Logan’s wolf accepted him already and that was enough for Jude’s more primal half.
Jude closed his eyes, severing their connection before he lost control. He forced himself to sit back, releasing Logan’s hands. Logan clenched his hands open and closed repeatedly as if trying to restart the blood flow. Logan watched suspiciously as Jude continued to straddle his lap. Jude knew he’d come close to losing the tenuous trust he’d developed so far. He better be on his best behavior from now on.
“Sorry, Logan. I really did just want to talk to you, but I lost control for a minute there,” Jude admitted. He shifted slightly, worried he was putting too much pressure on Logan’s hips and froze mid-motion. “What the?” Jude whispered more to himself than anyone else. Logan flushed bright red and instantly started arguing.
“It’s just a physical reaction. Nothing more. I’m a man for god’s sake and you were practically dry humping my dick. Now get the fuck off me, Jude!” Logan pushed hard as he continued yelling. Jude allowed himself to be dislodged, falling to the bed on his side. Logan practically sprinted from the room and Jude let him run with a smile. He was having too much fun savoring the moment of weakness his mate had so unwillingly shown him.
Dinner was almost finished by the time Jude went back to the kitchen. He couldn’t miss the pissed off look Logan aimed his way, his mate’s loaded fork freezing halfway to his mouth. Izzy hopped up and quickly made Jude a plate. The little wolf’s kind gesture briefly earned Jude another suspicious glance from Ryan. Jude did his best to appear non-threatening and thanked Izzy for his hospitality. He took the empty seat next to Logan and nodded in Ryan’s direction, silently letting the other man know he had no intentions toward his mate. Jude waited for Ryan’s answering nod before he took the first bite. He groaned aloud as his taste buds sang with pure pleasure.
“Fuck, I may have to reconsider stealing his mate if Izzy cooks like this all the time,” Jude thought to himself. When the table froze and Logan aimed another hateful look in his direction, Jude realized he’d accidentally said that out loud.
“Oops, sorry. Just a joke. Really good food, though,” Jude said quietly, refusing to make eye contact with anyone, Ryan and Logan most especially. Jude continued shoving bite after perfect bite into his mouth, forcing himself not to be too obvious in his enjoyment of the meal. Jude figured if his mouth was full, nothing else stupid could come out of it. After several moments, Adam started to laugh and the rest of the table gradually followed.
Everyone, but Logan, of course. How Logan could scowl so loudly, Jude didn’t know; but his mate could express his displeasure better with silence than anyone Jude had ever had the misfortune to meet before. Logan finally took his last bite and, thanking Izzy for the meal, pushed back from the table. Jude watched while Logan stalked rigidly to the sink and rinsed his plate before putting it in the dishwasher.
Saying not another word, Logan grabbed his keys off the rack and headed for the front door. Jude pretended to ignore his mate’s continued refusal of him, but the almost pitying expressions the rest of Logan’s pack wore around him was going to grate on his nerves before long. When Izzy and Ryan started whispering heatedly, Jude put down his fork with a clatter and sighed.
“I can hear everything you’re saying, you know,” Jude said. Izzy blushed which made a startling contrast to his platinum hair. Izzy started to speak but stopped several times, his mouth opening and closing comically. The pierced shifter finally settled back in his chair and started flicking the small silver hoop in his lower lip with one finger.
Ryan watched his mate as if waiting for him to say what was on all their minds. When Izzy shrugged his shoulders and refused to talk, Ryan apparently took pity on his mate and brought up the elephant in the room instead.
“So what’s your plan, Tiger? Logan’s obviously rejected you more than once. Add to that, you’re in foreign territory hanging out with a pack of wolves. Just how do you see this playing out here?” Izzy put a hand on his forehead and dragged it down his face, apparently more than a little embarrassed by Ryan’s lack of subtly.
“What?” Ryan asked his mate directly.
“What Ryan means to say,” Izzy added, “is what’s your plan, Jude? I, for one, can see how much Logan means to you. I think I always felt it, even when you were trapped in cat form. But you have to admit, you’re fighting an uphill battle here. Logan’s never even looked at another man that I know of. And he’s always voiced intentions that his mate would be another wolf, no matter what. Even though he’s accepted Adam and me as members of the pack, I know he was confused by Ben and Ryan’s choice at first.”
Ben’s sigh drew everyone’s attention, but the way he sat staring down at the table with his arms crossed tight over his chest didn’t improve the worsening mood.
“Logan’s also always been very serious about continuing our family name. While Izzy’s currently carrying Ryan’s pup, male pregnancies are almost unheard of in our species. According to our healer, Izzy is the first male bearer in over two centuries. That almost rules out pups for Adam and I no matter how much we might want them. Logan’s the only one left that can carry our family into the next generation.” Ben looked directly at Jude and delivered another blow.
“If he mates with you, our family line is over. I don’t think he’ll ever be willing to take that risk, even if fate wants him to.” Jude doubted Ben meant to be hurtful, but the facts were the facts. Jude felt a lump the size of the moon settle in his chest as he digested this new information. Suddenly he regretted his second helping of dinner.
“Wait a minute, guys. I can vouch for the Sterling men’s willingness to be flexible when it comes to their mates,” Adam interjected. Adam laughed aloud at Ben’s answering squawk.
“Oh come on, Ben. Admit it. You’d never looked at another man either before me and look where we are now. You can’t just say Logan would never decide to change teams if the price was right. If Jude really is Logan’s sufletul pereche, his fated mate, then he’ll eventually come around, won’t he?” Adam asked almost as if he were pleading for leniency on Jude’s behalf.
“And give up being a father? Let his family name die with him?” Ben asked dejectedly. He shook his head slowly and said, “I don’t know, but I really, really doubt it.” The air of finality to Ben’s words was undeniable.
Jude pushed away from the table, abandoning his empty plate and ran for the front door. He barely made the tree line before he shifted, shredding his borrowed clothes as he let his tiger take over to deal with the pain.