Chapter 15
Logan
The trip to Florida seemed to take exponentially longer than Logan remembered. He’d stupidly let Ryan drive so the other wolf could be closer to his mate. Ben had been swayed by Izzy’s newly developed carsickness and relinquished his usual claim on ‘shotgun’. Ben didn’t seem put out by this in the least, though as he and Adam snagged the middle row. This left the last (and most cramped) row for Logan and Jude to share. Logan tried to stretch out the nagging cramp developing in his right thigh once again and groaned aloud.
“How the fuck did the two tallest guys end up getting the last row?” Logan growled to no one in particular. He smacked the back of his brother’s head hard at Ben’s answering chuckle.
“Just take Jude up on his offer,” Adam said, immediately breaking down into body-shaking laughter. Jude snorted at Logan’s responding growl.
“You know they are just trying to provoke you, right?” Jude asked. Logan scowled in response and started to climb the back of the middle seat. Ben and Adam both reared up to push him back, continuing to laugh at Logan’s efforts to claim their space in the vehicle.
“Would you children knock it off?!” Ryan yelled. “I’m trying not to kill us here.” Izzy was staring back from the passenger seat watching their antics. There was more than a hint of panic in the little wolf’s pale expression and Logan froze.
Logan knew this stretch of interstate 75 was terrible from personal experience. He highly doubted Ryan was faking his concern over being unnecessarily distracted. Logan instantly took his seat again. Ben and Adam sheepishly turned back around like children reprimanded by a school bus driver. As if nothing had happened, the pair went back to cuddling, watching something together on Adam’s phone. Logan watched the easy way they found comfort together and felt an unwelcome pang of envy.
Logan’s eyes found Jude as if they had a mind of their own. Jude sat, chin casually propped on one hand as he looked out the window. Logan considered again Jude’s offer of a lap for Logan to prop his feet on. As his thigh tried to cramp again, Logan gave in and swung his feet into position. Jude’s head comically shot up at the sudden weight across his thighs. His mismatched eyes met Logan’s and Logan shrugged. Now that his legs were stretched fully sideways on the bench, he could finally get comfortable. Logan curled his arm under his head across the back of the bench seat and pretended to go to sleep. He might be willing to put his feet in Jude’s lap, but he wasn’t going to tolerate Jude staring at him with googly eyes for the remainder of the trip. He still had his pride to maintain, after all.
When they stopped for gas, Ryan actually asked Logan to take the wheel for the remainder of their trip. The interstate traffic had been harrowing enough that Ryan felt his brain was too frazzled to continue the trip safely. Ryan shoved himself into the middle row so he could at least stay within reach of his mate. Adam and Ben were practically sharing a seat anyway, so they didn’t complain at having to cuddle a little more.
Jude, however, was obviously not happy. Logan could tell he was forcing a blank expression on his face, but Logan was gaining an ability to read the other shifter too well. Jude was close to furious at being relegated to the last row alone. Logan knew it wasn’t the fact that he had no one to share the seat, but that Logan was as far away from him as he could possibly get that bothered Jude the most. Logan continued to glance back at the other shifter in the rear view mirror periodically to see how long it would be before Jude finally broke and said something.
Instead, Logan watched the play of emotions on the other man’s face as he seemed to be arguing with himself. He wished he could read lips as Jude actually appeared to be holding debate with himself silently. A particularly bad stretch of traffic had Logan distracted for several minutes. The next time he looked back, Jude had leaned his head against the back window and gone to sleep. Logan briefly wondered which of his halves had won the argument and steeled himself for a possible continuation of the debate when they were next alone. If Logan had anything to say in the matter, that discussion wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. He’d soon be back on home turf and he knew all the best places to hide, if needed.
Izzy’s sigh of relief as they pulled through the first set of gates had more than one of member of their group agreeing wholeheartedly.
“Amen to that,” Ryan said, squeezing his mate’s shoulder in comfort. “This trip has truly sucked. Wonder why the traffic was so bad this time.”
“The snowbirds are moving south for the winter,” Logan guessed. He put the SUV into park near the second gate and they all slowly pulled themselves free of the vehicle. Logan raised his arms overhead in a stretch. His spine popped audibly and he felt his back muscles loosen in response. Jude was just extricating himself from the back when the rest of the group passed them on their way to the checkpoint. Logan let the rest of his small pack go on ahead, not wanting to drag them into any more drama where Jude was concerned if he could avoid it.
“You okay?” Logan asked. Jude nodded as he finally pulled his tall body free and stretched, as well. Jude’s shirt rose with the motion, exposing a strip of golden skin studded with coarse reddish blond hairs. Logan’s eyes focused on the strip of skin briefly and quickly dragged them away, cursing himself for the lapse. Logan knew anything that even hinted of interest on his part would only hurt the tiger more in the end. He shook off the momentary confusion he felt from his wolf and shouldered his duffle bag, heading for the gate.
“You coming?” Logan asked over his shoulder. Jude shouldered his own bag, which was stuffed full of the clothes Logan had supplied and followed. The rest of their group had already made it through the gates and headed off on their own errands when Logan finally arrived, Jude in tow. Logan’s pack mate, Kieran, leaned on both elbows looking down from the top of the wall, a huge grin on his freckled pale face. His red hair stood up in disarray just as Logan remembered.
“You gonna let me in, asshole?” Logan glared up and asked.
“I don’t know, Logan. Who’s that you brought with you?” Kieran asked, still grinning. He made no move to trigger the gate’s release. Logan looked over his shoulder to where Jude stood and shrugged.
“Not sure. Some guy we picked up hitchhiking. He looked harmless enough so I thought I’d bring him for tonight’s sacrifice.” Kieran and Logan both laughed at Jude’s answering scowl. Logan’s eyes slammed shut and he cursed internally when Jude spoke up, apparently refusing to take the joke lying down.
“I’m Jude Hawkings. Logan’s mate,” Jude announced, squaring his shoulders and emphasizing his physical prowess. Logan felt the tiger’s arm as it wrapped around his lower back, one hand possessively squeezing Logan’s hip.
“Well, fuck,” Logan groaned as he felt himself flush in embarrassment. He did not flush or blush or anything of the sort. Ever. Especially in public. He was a future alpha, for fuck’s sake. Alphas did not show their discomfort in such a manner.
Kieran’s laugh ratcheted up to what could only be considered a cackle and he waved over several of the other guards manning the wall. Logan looked up to find five of his pack mate’s grinning down at him now, apparently enjoying his humiliation.
“He’s not my mate, damn it. It’s complicated. Now open the fucking gate, Kieran. I’ve got shit I need to do,” Logan growled, crossing his arms tightly over his chest and refusing to meet his friend’s gaze directly any more. He shifted until he was free of Jude’s attempt at staking territory. Logan practically sighed in relief when the gate creaked open and he was once again safely inside home pack. Unfortunately, Jude followed him inside as expected, putting a damper on his homecoming.
“We’re going to talk about this some more before you leave again, Logan. Mark my words,” Kieran jokingly called after him as Logan continued to widen the distance between them. He could still hear the muttering and laughs of the guards he’d once considered friends. Doing his best to ignore Jude, Logan stalked off to the cabin he shared with his brother. Without thinking, he burst in through the front door. He quickly backpedaled at the sight that greeted him, covering his eyes with one hand in self-defense. He pushed a confused Jude behind him and out the door, as well. He kicked it shut behind him, cursing about patience and his brother’s lack of said virtue.
“Problem, Logan?” Jude asked, his brows furrowed in concern.
“Ben and Adam are obviously happy to be back home and are christening the couch again, if you get my drift,” Logan said, disgust evident in his tone. When Jude didn’t respond, Logan looked up to see what had Jude so obviously distracted.
Logan just now noticed how Jude’s eyes shifted almost constantly, as if scanning for an oncoming threat. He imagined being on another pack’s home turf wasn’t comfortable at all, especially when you weren’t even the same species of shifter. Logan placed a hand on Jude’s shoulder and squeezed in sympathy, dragging the tiger’s gaze back to meet his own.
“Jude, look at me. It’s okay. You’re safe here. No need to get your tiger all freaked out, okay?” Logan said. Jude licked his lips nervously and Logan stepped closer, squeezing his hand on Jude’s shoulder again. While he refused to admit it, Logan knew Jude would be comforted by their proximity.
“I mean it, Jude. You’re completely safe here. I won’t let anything happen to you. This is my home and I would have never brought you here if I couldn’t guarantee your safety,” Logan calmly reassured.
Jude took a breath and stepped back slightly, letting Logan’s hand fall free. He nodded once in apparent acceptance and adjusted the strap of his backpack. The bag shifted slightly where it rested on his back. Logan almost said something snarky about Jude being a scaredy cat after all, but realized it would only make him look like an asshole of the highest form. It wasn’t fair to kick another shifter in their moment of weakness.
Besides, Logan really liked breathing. While the tiger would definitely be outnumbered on Logan’s home turf, he was more than capable of making quick work of Logan’s wolf before anyone else could get there to offer support. Apparently, Jude was becoming able to read Logan’s inner thoughts pretty well, too. Jude smirked and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring daggers at the other shifter.
“What?” Logan asked defensively.
“You were just about to make some snarky comment about me being a fraidy cat or something, weren’t you?” Jude accused. Logan tried to deny it, but his answering flush was confirmation enough for Jude. The other man laughed and pushed Logan’s shoulder playfully. Logan stumbled, caught momentarily off balance before he righted himself and stuck his tongue out. Jude laughed aloud at the childish maneuver, which even left Logan wondering where it came from.
“Did you really just stick your tongue out at me? What are you five?” Jude asked, still chuckling. Logan flipped Jude off with both hands and turned, tossing his duffle on the front porch. Sounds of sexy fun times could still be easily heard from the other side of the door. Logan motioned for Jude to add his bag to the pile.
“Our stuff will be fine here. Come on. Let’s go see how the checkup is going. My alpha is probably going to be there, too, so it’ll kill two birds with one stone,” Logan said. Jude dropped his bag and quickly moved to catch up, striding alongside as they headed for the clinic. Both men shoved their hands deep inside their front pockets as they walked. Logan suspected they looked as ridiculous as he felt, as if they were each doing their damnedest to avoid touching the other. While Logan knew his own reasons for keeping his distance, he wondered once again at Jude’s.
When they reached the healing center, Logan knocked on the sturdy wooden door. The door opened almost immediately and Logan was surrounded by small female arms. Jude’s possessive growl would have been funny if it hadn’t been the Alpha’s dainty mate and Adam’s mother, Lucy, he was threatening. Lucy pulled back after another quick squeeze and peered curiously over Logan’s shoulder. Logan wanted to hide while he watched Alpha’s Mate scan the shifter behind him from head to toe slowly in obvious appreciation.
“Damn, Logan. Where’d you find this tall drink of water?” Lucy asked. She may have become Alpha’s Mate, but Adam’s mom still showed her human beginnings with the way she talked sometimes.
“Woman! How many times do I have to tell you not to ogle other men?” a deep baritone boomed from inside the room. Logan contemplated telling Jude to run, but before either could step away, Alpha Leikos was in the doorway and pulling his giggling mate tight into his side. The joking smile melted from the alpha’s face as he noticed Logan’s companion.
“Logan,” Alpha Leikos said in terse greeting. “Are you going to introduce me to your guest?” The alpha’s perusal of their visitor was not near as welcoming as his mate’s had been. The alpha even blatantly sniffed the air, advertising he was memorizing the other shifter’s scent for future reference. Jude stepped forward with his shoulders squared.
“I’m Jude Hawking, sir. I believe Logan has told you about me. I’m Logan’s true mate. His sufletul pereche, I believe your pack calls it.” As introductions went, Logan thought Jude had nailed it, even if he still didn’t completely believe the mate part himself.
“Hmmm. Is that so?” Alpha Leikos responded. “Well see about that, won’t we, Tiger?” The alpha stepped back inside the clinic, pulling his mate along beside him.
Lucy had obviously picked up on the tension between them as she shot a questioning glance in Logan’s direction. Logan dropped his gaze slightly, signaling his own unwillingness to discuss the situation further in their present location. Thankfully, Lucy took the hint and turned back to focus on their patient as Izzy was poked and prodded on the examination table.
“Ryan, make her stop. She’s going to hurt the baby,” Izzy nearly whined as the pack healer, Sylvia, poured cold, blue goop on his still flat abdomen. Ryan squeezed Izzy’s hand and soothed his anxious mate while Sylvia ran the sensor through the transducing gel covering Izzy’s belly. Rhythmic whooshing sounds echoed through the room and shades of grey popped up on the monitor, too blurry and confusing to be deciphered if you didn’t know what you were looking for.
“Is that him?” Izzy asked excitedly, instantly forgetting his previous complaints of discomfort.
“Not yet,” Sylvia responded, moving the sensor around as if searching for something. “That’s your heartbeat we’re hearing right now. It’s too slow to be your baby’s.”
A faster, harsher rhythm started and Sylvia’s movements froze. She smiled like the cat that ate the canary and pointed at a blurry rounded object on the screen.
“There’s your baby, Izzy. But I won’t call it a him yet. It’s too early to tell,” Sylvia explained. Sylvia spent the next few moments taking pictures of the bean-shape that she swore was going to be a pup one day. Logan had no clue how. Sylvia cleaned the goop off Izzy’s stomach with a towel and handed out the pictures. Logan almost laughed as she made sure everyone in the room, even Jude, got one. Logan caught Jude staring down at the fragile print several times and wondered what the tiger’s expression could possibly mean.
“I think this calls for a celebration. Let’s head back to our place and see what we can round up for dinner,” Alpha Leikos said. Lucy shook her head as her mate steered her toward the door.
“Don’t let him fool you, boys. We’ve been planning this meal for a week. We both spent all day in the kitchen slaving over a hot stove, but this meal’s going to be worth it,” Lucy said.
“Woman! How many times have I told you not to tell people I help out in the kitchen? Don’t you know an alpha has to maintain his pride around other men?” Alpha Leikos joked in his booming voice again. Lucy laughed and slapped her mate on the chest playfully.
“I’m sorry, dear. I just keep forgetting about the image you have to maintain. I promise I’ll do better to remember next time,” Lucy said, laughter still obvious in her tone. Alpha Leikos smacked a kiss across her lips and pretended to snarl.
“See that you do, Mate,” the alpha said, all his emphasis on the word ‘Mate’.
Ryan and Izzy followed close behind the alpha, hand in hand. Izzy clutched the picture of their still-developing fetus tight in his other hand and wouldn’t stop smiling. Izzy’s gaze repeatedly returned to the picture and each time, Logan saw Izzy’s happiness grow. Ryan looked more than a little dazed, but in a calmer way than the last time they were here. Logan suspected now that he could see their developing child, Ryan would settle into being a parent in no time. Logan turned back toward his cabin at the next bend and Ryan aimed a questioning look his way.
“I’ll go get Ben and Adam and meet you there,” Logan explained. Ryan waved his free hand overhead in agreement and kept following the alpha to the main house. Logan was unsurprised to find Jude had turned along with him without being asked. He suspected he’d better get used to having the tiger trailing his every move for the foreseeable future.