Chapter 21
Jude
When they reached the cabin Logan shared with his brother, Logan knocked loudly this time. He should have announced they were coming in last time. If he had, he wouldn’t still be trying to scrub the image of his brother and his naked mate humping each other out of his brain. Jude followed and started to sit on the sofa, then thought better of it considering the recent action the benign-looking furniture had reportedly seen. He found a place on the wall to lean instead and crossed his arms to wait. Logan stalked off to drag Ben and Adam out of bed.
Audible complaining and cursing echoed from the hallway and Jude settled in for the duration, figuring it was going to be a while before the pair was ready to go. Jude scanned the room, taking in his mate’s style of decorating. He was pleased with the heavily masculine features, easily seeing himself settled into the small space. The sofa and arm chair were both chocolate leather and a huge flat screen TV huge hung on the opposite wall. Several video game consoles rested on the entertainment center underneath the giant television and Jude wondered who was the game player…Logan, Ben, or both? The kitchen sat at one end of the open space. Glass-front cabinets displayed a collection of bright blue earthenware plates and bowls that Jude could easily see himself purchasing for his own home.
Jude crossed the room to examine a hodgepodge of pictures hanging on the living room wall. He grinned as he found several of his mate in various stages of his childhood, often seeming to be more limbs than anything else. Jude suddenly wished he could share pictures of his own awkward phases with his mate but knew it would never be.
Through each stage of Logan’s development, his black hair got darker and his blue eyes shone more like ice. Jude was focused intently on one family picture in particular when he felt Logan standing silently behind him. In the photo, Logan and Ben appeared to be in their late teens. They were standing with what must have been their parents between them. The entire family was beaming as they smiled for the camera. Instantly, Jude felt Logan’s loss hit him like a bullet through the heart.
“What are you doing?” Logan asked faintly with just a hint of accusation in his tone. Jude slowly turned; making sure his mate could see his face before he answered. Jude wanted there to be no doubt about his intentions any longer, especially now that he’d been in Logan’s home. He’d seen firsthand how important the concept of family was to Logan. Jude hoped his mate could finally accept how desperately the tiger yearned to be considered a part of Logan’s.
“I’m trying to get to know you better, Logan. I love your home, by the way. It’s very comfortable. I could easily see myself here,” Jude said, intentionally pushing Logan past his comfort zone. Logan’s nostrils flared and his answering tone was anything but accepting.
“That’s impossible, so don’t start getting any ideas. This is wolf territory. You might be welcome to visit this time, but you’ll never live here,” Logan practically snarled. Jude snarled in response and echoed Alpha Leikos’ words from earlier.
“We’ll see about that, won’t we?” Before Logan could argue, Jude looked over his shoulder and plastered on a fake smile.
“Oh good, you guys ready? Come on, Logan. Ben and Adam are ready to go. We don’t want to keep your alpha waiting.” Jude motioned with one hand for Logan to lead the way. Logan continued to glare momentarily before he shook his head and charged off. Logan quickly followed the others out the front door, making no effort to hide his attempt to put some distance between them. Jude smirked and trailed his mate closely all the way to the alpha’s house. Jude strongly suspected if he took his eyes off Logan for a second, his mate was going to run. His tiger purred deep in Jude’s chest, excited at the possibility of such an exciting chase.
Jude would have to be deaf, dumb, and blind to miss the suspicious looks aimed his direction throughout the virtual feast the alpha and his mate had prepared. He refused to show any weakness, though, knowing that the alpha would sense even a hint of trepidation on his part. If he had any chance of getting the alpha’s blessing to claim Logan as his mate, he had to prove himself above question.
Lucy seemed to be adept at steering the conversation to safe topics throughout the meal. Ben and Adam were forced to dole out the details of their coursework while Ryan and Izzy were peppered with questions about their plans for the future now that they were expecting. By the time Lucy seemed to run out of interrogation material, Jude almost felt sorry for the little wolf he’d come to consider a friend. Izzy’s color was paler than normal and he was pushing the food around on his plate after eating his fill.
“I think I better put my mate to bed before he turns into a pumpkin,” Ryan said. The alpha and his mate doled out the expected pleasantries while Ryan guided an obviously exhausted Izzy out the front door.
Jude took a deep, calming breath in and out, instinctively knowing his time of reckoning was likely at hand. His suspicions were more than confirmed with Ben and Adam hopped up eagerly to clear the table. He couldn’t blame them. He wished he could leave the room with them and avoid whatever unpleasantness was about to happen. Jude knew he couldn’t or he risked losing his mate for good. To a pack wolf, an alpha’s acceptance or refusal of your mate had to be close to law, Jude suspected. When Alpha Leikos returned alone, Jude was ready.
“So what do you do for a living, Tiger?” Alpha Leikos asked. Logan’s alpha casually kept his back to the table as he filled a tumbler with ice and an amber liquid. He held up the half-full glass, obviously asking both Jude and Logan if they cared to join him. Jude declined, intent to keep a clear head, but was surprised when Logan also passed on the offer of a little liquid fortification.
“He must be more nervous than he’s letting on,” Jude thought.
“I’m between jobs at the moment as I’m sure you’re aware, but I used to manage a nightclub. Several in fact. I have no trouble providing, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Jude replied.
“Logan doesn’t need to be provided for. He’s pack and the pack will always provide for our own,” Alpha Leikos almost growled. The alpha had turned to face the table, but he still leaned against the bar glaring. The alpha swirled the amber liquid around in his glass thoughtfully before he took a small sip. Jude took note of Logan’s smirk at the Alpha’s ready rebuttal.
“Everyone needs someone to take care of them sometimes. Isn’t that what the mating bond is all about? If not, why would anyone choose to tie themselves to another person for eternity?” Jude began. As he continued, he forced more confidence into his tone.
“You can get sex anywhere. You’re part of a pack, to, so I know that you can get food, shelter, companionship…practically anything…as part of the pack. But can you honestly say there is another person out there that would do anything to keep you happy?” Jude’s gaze shifted from the stoic alpha to Logan directly. He needed Logan to hear him this time.
“You can’t even be sure about your brother anymore, can you? He has a mate that will always take precedence over you now. That’s what I’m offering, Logan. I’m offering you everything that I am, everything that I will ever need to be, everything to keep you happy. If that’s not enough, then you’re right, we aren’t meant to be together.”
By the time Jude had finished speaking, Logan’s expression shifted to one of bewilderment. Jude sat back, hands clasped together on the table and waited for a response, any response from his mate. Logan simple stared for several moments before looking over his shoulder at his alpha.
“Don’t look at me, son. You’re screwed,” Alpha Leikos said through a smirk. “That pretty speech had shivers running up my spine and he wasn’t even looking at me. If you still can’t see the connection there, then I think your receiver’s broken.”
Alpha Leikos tossed back the remainder of his drink and the heavy crystal made a dull thump as it connected with the bar. Alpha Leikos blew out a breath, as if still sensing Logan’s stubborn refusal.
“Why don’t you take the night to sleep on it, Logan? In the morning, show Jude the rest of the grounds, too. You’re all expected back for dinner again tomorrow. Lucy will have my head if she doesn’t get to smother Adam a little more before he heads back to school,” Alpha Leikos said. “Now get out of here, both of you. I’m going to try to use some of Jude’s honeyed words on the little woman. See what kind of a reaction I get with that.”
“Good luck with that, Alpha!” Lucy’s voice sounded from the other side of the door that led into the kitchen. Several sets of snickers faded off in the distance as the eavesdroppers realized they’d been blatantly outed.
“Motherfucker! I’m telling you, Jude. You better make sure you’re ready for this. Kiss your privacy goodbye once you join a pack,” Alpha Leikos said in his deep baritone that steadily ratcheted up into a boom. “Woman! How many times have I told you not to listen in on my private meetings?” The alpha pushed through the swinging door and Lucy’s answering squeal could be heard for miles.
“Oh, it’s a chase tonight, huh? Perfect,” Alpha Leikos growled, his tone becoming more animalistic. The faint sounds of bones popping and rearranging announced the alpha and his mate were moving this discussion on social niceties to their furrier halves.
“Um, should we be worried about her?” Jude asked. Logan’s answering eye roll was another juvenile response Jude hoped he’d get to see more of once his mate had gotten the chip off his shoulder.
“Oh, please. I guarantee they’re fucking on the back porch right now. That woman has him totally whipped,” Logan replied. “But he’s right about one thing. I’m too tired to talk any more tonight.” Logan stood and Jude followed, not sure if he was welcome but still unwilling to let Logan out of his sight.