Trust [The Angel Pack 4] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove) Read online

  “He’s okay,” the little guy announced, and everyone let out a collective sigh. Jesse started to cry and Gabriel closed his eyes and released the breath he was holding.

  “Can I see him?” Gabriel asked, opening his eyes.

  “In a minute. Mr. Evans is making sure he’s comfortable,” the doc explained.

  Raith stood staring at the doc in confusion, he slowly asked, “Who’s Mr. Evans?”

  “He means Doc Evans,” Xander answered.

  “Yeah well if you say so,” the doc said, annoyed. Raith raised a brow at the doc’s attitude. He cleared his throat then looked back at Gabriel. “I was able to get almost all of the tumor out. I then injected your blood straight into what remained and I watched the remaining tumor actually shrink right before my eyes. That’s a very good sign. I closed up and put a small amount of packing in Taylor’s sinuses. He’s resting, but I’d like to start the vein-to-vein drip as soon as possible.”

  “Of course. Whenever you’re ready,” Gabriel said smiling. He started to roll up his sleeve.

  “Just let me grab a quick drink and we can start,” the doc said and walked toward the fridge. He suddenly stopped in front of Raith. His head snapped in Raith’s direction, eyes wide open. The most delicious scent Raith had ever smelled wafted past him. It smelled like hot apple pie and cinnamon. Raith’s nostrils flared and his eyes turned to his wolf. “Mine.” Raith growled. This cute little creature was his, his mate? Gasps went through the room and Micah started to laugh uncontrollably. Raith turned to look at his best friend and Alpha. He pounded on the table as tears from his laughter rolled down his face. He was bent over holding his stomach as he continued to laugh. Jesse looked at his mate with wide eyes, as if Micah had snapped. Raith looked at his best friend in annoyance.

  “What the hell are you laughing at?” he huffed.

  “The doc is your mate. Oh this is gonna be good.” Micah laughed as he wiped the tears from his eyes.

  “Micah, what’s wrong with you? Why are you laughing that Dr. Collins is Raith’s mate?” Jesse asked in confusion.

  “Aaron is Storm’s brother. Who is Bass’s mate.” Micah laughed out.

  “Yeah so?” Raith asked in anger, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Micah, what’s so funny?” Jesse asked.

  “Think about it, baby. Storm is Bass’s mate. Aaron is Storm’s brother. A cat shifter, just like his brother,” Micah hedged. What the hell was Micah’s point? I don’t find anything funny about it. Jesse looked at his mate in confusion with his head tilted. Then what Micah was saying finally dawned on him. His eyes went wide and his jaw dropped open, then he started to laugh, too. Hey, what the fuck? Then Gabriel and Castiel started to laugh. Raith looked at all of them like they had lost their minds. What did I miss?

  “What the hell is so funny? And who the hell is Aaron?” Raith huffed angrily.

  “I’m Aaron. Dr. Aaron Collins, your mate. I am an ocelot. A cat shifter,” Aaron hedged.

  Raith looked at him in confusion. “I still don’t get it.”

  “Let me take Gabriel to his mate and take care of Taylor, then you and I can talk,” Aaron said.

  “I’m supposed to give my Alpha a report. Then I need to go back out. I should be back in a week. I’m sorry, baby,” Raith said to his mate gently. “I promise when I get back I’ll make it up to you and we can talk all you want.”

  “Oh no, buddy. You’re not going anywhere. You are definitely staying home. I’ll call Dante and we’ll have someone else take care of that situation,” Micah said as he laughed. Raith tilted his head as his eyebrows drew down in confusion over Micah’s words. He couldn’t stay home. He had a piece of shit to kill.

  “Gabriel, let me take you to Taylor. And mate”-Aaron spat out the word-“you step one foot out that door before talking to me and you better never come back.” Aaron grabbed Gabriel’s arm and pulled him down the hall. Raith stood there with his eyes narrowed and jaw clenched looking after his mate. How dare he talk to me like that! Who the hell does he think he is? The room broke out into peals of laughter again and Raith turned to them. “What?”

  * * * *

  Raith stood under the spray of water in the shower and let the hot water relax his muscles. What the hell was so funny? He found his mate. That was supposed to be a good thing, not a humorous one. And what the fuck was that, with his mate ordering him to stay? He was a wolf, not a dog. This was the man Micah was talking about on the phone, the pain in the ass? That’s probably what they were all laughing at. He was driving them all crazy and they couldn’t stand him and now Raith was stuck with him as a mate. A cat shifter no less. “Really, Fate? Like my life hasn’t been fucked up enough already, you had to give me this for a mate?” Raith whispered in frustration. He sighed heavily and grabbed the soap. He lathered up his hands and started to scrub his hair, then down his face, neck, chest, and the rest of his body. “Stupid bastards. Don’t they realize that if this little fucktard is my mate then he will be here permanently? Because hell will freeze over before I leave my home, my pack. Not happening. This is where I belong. I’m a Beta of one of the biggest and definitely the best packs in the northeast United States.”

  Raith put the soap down and stood under the spray of water again, washing the soap off. He reached out and turned the water off and opened the shower door. He grabbed a towel off the warming rack and started to dry himself. He wrapped the towel around his waist and went to the sink. The mirror was fogged, so he wiped his hand across it the clear a spot. He looked at himself in the mirror. “He’s your mate. Give him a chance. He just got out of a stressful surgery. He looked wiped out. Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt.” He sighed. A doctor? My mate is a doctor? But not just any doctor. A brilliant one.

  What was fate thinking? They were so totally opposite. This cute little kitty saved lives. Raith took lives. Yes, he was Micah’s Beta, his second-in-command, but that wasn’t all he was. He was the equivalent of a mafia hitman. That’s what his birth pack raised him to be and he was good at it. He had no problem with what he did. He didn’t just go out and kill innocent people. He killed those who were a threat to his pack, to paranormals. All the enforcers were trained to kill. But he, Lexi, and Xander were the big guns. They were professional killers. How would his mate take that news?

  And his mate was so small. What the hell? Yes Micah and Jesse had their difference and he didn’t see the problem, but what was he gonna do? His mate was maybe five five and he was six six, so okay it was about the equivalent of Micah and Jesse’s difference, but he didn’t want to hurt the little kitty. The man was about 120 pounds to his 240. He was a whole other person over his mate. “Why, Mother Fate? Why?”

  * * * *

  “Why? I don’t get it. Why would fate give me a mate who was so much bigger than me?” Aaron said as he scrubbed his hands in the sink of the bathroom of the room he was staying in. It was across the hall from Taylor so he could be close to his recovering patient. “And a dumb one at that. Really, Fate? I thought for sure my mate would at least be as smart as me.” He was hot as all hell though. Long dirty- blond hair, beautiful emerald-green eyes. Strong square jaw, chiseled cheekbones and as wide as a truck. What was it with the long hair and the muscles on muscles around here?

  “Not that I’m complaining. I love me a big strong man.” Not all of them had long hair, but a lot of them. Just like his butthead brother Storm. Was it something to do with the power they thought they had? Or maybe they were in touch with their feminine side? Aaron laughed at that thought as he stepped into his bedroom. Yeah, not a one of them looked feminine. They were all male. Yum. When he first saw them all, his dick got hard instantly. He was hoping to play around with a few of these wolves before he left for home, but now that he found one of his mates, that wasn’t going to happen. The Alpha, Micah, really got his blood moving, but then he met his mate. “Damn lucky bastard.” Aaron just wanted to climb the Alpha and ride him like a cowboy. He would have thrown his hand
up in the air and yelled yahoo, too. And Castiel, ummmm, don’t even get him started. Damn.

  Aaron went into the walk-in closet and stripped out of his scrubs. He ran his hands down his stomach and wrapped a hand around his growing erection. “Now’s not the time, old friend. Soon. The mating heat has started and I don’t care if I have to jump on the man and rip his clothes off and fuck him. We’ll be getting us some ass soon, don’t you worry,” Aaron said and walked across his room naked. He went into the bathroom and started the shower. He stepped in and relished the feel of the cool water cascading over his heated skin. “No, old friend, I’m not going to touch you. You know the pleasure is much better when we deny ourselves a little. Our big mate will take care of us in just a little while. We have to get all clean and smelling yummy first. Maybe he’ll let me ride him. Ummm. Damn Aaron, Seth was right. You are a slut. Yes, yes I am, and I’ve always been proud of it. But how will my mate feel about it?” Aaron grabbed the shampoo and squirted some on his hands. He worked up a lather and then started to scrub his hair. He rinsed and then reached for his body wash. He loved the smell of it. It smelled like sandalwood with a hint of cherry. Aaron froze when a thought occurred to him. “It smells like my mate.” He started to wash his body. “Gods I need to get fucked. It’s been a week since I got laid and I can’t take it. My mate better be here and waiting when I get out there.”

  * * * *

  Aaron paced back and forth in the den as he waited for his mate. Where the hell is the man? Just then the door opened and his mate walked in. He looked good enough to eat. He was freshly showered and dressed in a black skin-tight T-shirt that showed off every muscle and loose-fitting faded jeans that were hanging off his hips, and holy hell, bare feet. Aaron loved the look of a strong man in jeans with his bare feet peeking out. Something about it made his heart speed up and his cock fill.

  His mate’s eyes were hard, but he could see the lust in them, too. His jaw was tight and he didn’t look happy. Well too bad. “So, you’re one of my mates, huh?” Aaron asked with fake indifference.

  Raith sighed heavily. “I guess I am,” he said tightly. Then his eyes opened wide. “One of your mates? What does that mean?”

  Aaron rolled his eyes. “It means, you. Are. One. Of. My. Mates,” he said slowly, like Raith was a child. “I. Get. Two. Mates.”

  Raith narrowed his eyes at the little asshole. “I. Heard. You. I just was surprised that you get two. I don’t like it. Why do I have to share and no one else does? What makes you so special that you get two mates?”

  Aaron flinched a little at the slight venom in his mate’s voice. My mate doesn’t think I’m special?

  “I’m a cat shifter. We get two mates because of the mating heat. And it won’t be just my mate. They will be your mate as well. We get two mates,” Aaron said as he pointed between then.

  “Well, damn. That’s news to me,” Raith said with a smile as he walked further into the room and stopped a few feet from Aaron. His mate smelled nice, fresh, but not like he did before. He liked the other smell better. “So, why do you have a stick up your ass?” Raith asked with a smirk.

  Aaron narrowed his eyes at his mate. “Maybe because you’re not what I was expecting for a mate.”

  “And what were you expecting? A cold, self-important, know-it-all prick?” Raith smirked.

  Aaron raised his chin and held his head high. “No, I was expecting someone with more than one brain cell.” Aaron smirked back. Raith stared at him for a minute and then turned and headed back the way he came. Aaron’s eyes went wide and his jaw dropped. “Where are you going?”

  Raith stopped in the doorway, but didn’t turn around. “I have more important things to do than stand here and be insulted. I have a job to get back to. I’d like to say it was nice meeting you, but I don’t lie. Good luck with finding your other mate.” Raith left the room, slamming the door behind him.

  Aaron stood there frozen. He didn’t know what to do. “Shit!” He took off after his mate. He stepped into the hallway and found his mate in a heated discussion with the Alpha.

  “I don’t give a rat’s ass, Micah. I lived fine this long without my mate. I can go on just like I always have. Nothing’s changed except for now I know Fate does fuck up,” Raith said angrily.

  Micah sighed and ran a hand down his face. “You don’t understand, brother. It’s not that easy to forget a mate. To walk away from them. I know you better than anyone else and this isn’t you. You would never treat a mate with such disregard.”

  “If I may interrupt?” Aaron asked quietly. Both men turned to look at him. “It’s my fault, Alpha. I treated…?” he looked at Raith in question.

  Raith rolled his eyes and huffed. “Raith.”

  “Yes, that’s it, Raith. I treated Raith poorly. But we really do need to talk, mate. There’s so much you don’t know and don’t understand,” Aaron started to explain, but Raith cut him off.

  “Of course I don’t understand. I only have one brain cell remember?” Raith said, his voice tight.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that out loud,” Aaron started, but stopped when Raith turned and started to walk away. “Wait a second. That came out wrong,” Aaron said as he walked after his mate.

  Raith got to the bottom of the stairs and Jesse stopped him. “Hey friend,” Jesse said with a warm smile. Raith looked at him and his face and eyes softened.

  “Hi, Jess.” Raith smiled.

  “Can I talk with you for a minute?” Jesse asked and stepped down the last step.

  “Of course. What can I do for you, brother?” Raith asked as they started walking down the hall toward Micah’s office. Micah and Aaron followed silently.

  Once they were all in Micah’s office, Jesse closed the door and turned. “Raith, not too long ago, you stopped me from making the biggest mistake of my life. And then you helped me, you helped to save Micah and you have become one of my best friends. So I’m going to do the same for you,” he said and grabbed Micah’s hand. “It worked for Taylor and Gabriel and it can work for you, too.” He withdrew a key from his pocket and held it up. Micah started to laugh.

  “Oh, baby. You are too much,” Micah said and kissed Jesse on the head.

  “What?” both Aaron and Raith asked at the same time.

  “A cat shifter needs two mates because when they find their mate they go into heat. The heat gets worse and worse the longer they wait to have sex. If they wait too long it can make them go feral and then die,” Jesse explained calmly. Raith’s eyes went wide in horror. “The only thing that helps the heat, is sex, and lots of it, for three days.” Raith’s jaw dropped, and he looked at Aaron. “Then once a month during the full moon, for three days, they go into heat again. And only a mate can help it. So either you two do the horizontal mambo, and soon, or Aaron will only get worse. The heat started the moment you met and it’s just getting worse. So suck it up and listen to your arrogant mate or lose him for good, and in a way you can’t get him back. And Aaron, stop being a dick. We all know how smart you are, but that doesn’t mean the rest of us are stupid. You are a really lucky fuck, to get such a wonderful mate with Raith. Don’t let your huge ego destroy it. That is all. Work it out. Goodbye.” Jesse pulled on Micah’s hand and opened the door, they left the room, closing and locking the door behind them.

  Raith walked over to the door and tried the knob. It was locked. He grunted and turned. He walked to the French doors that led to the outside. He grabbed the handles and twisted. They were locked. He huffed and raised his hand to smash the glass, when Xavier, Christian, and Crew appeared on the other side. Arms crossed over their chests and smirks on their faces as they all shook their heads no. He narrowed his eyes at them and let out a heavy sigh. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He turned to face his mate.

  “So, you’re my mate huh?” Raith said in resignation.

  “You don’t have to sound so thrilled about it,” Aaron said with sarcasm.

  Raith ran his
hand down his face and stepped away from the door. “Okay, look. I’m going to go with we started off on the wrong foot. So let’s just forget everything up until now and start over. Sound good?” Raith asked.

  Aaron looked at him for a moment, then took a deep breath and let it out slow. “No.” Raith started to interrupt him, but Aaron held up his hand to stop him. Raith shut his mouth and nodded. “Okay. I said no because I want to clear something up first. You insulted me first by saying I was a cold, self-important prick, so my claws came out and I lashed back by insulting your intelligence. I’m sorry,” Aaron said, strained.

  “That took a lot out of you didn’t it?” Raith smirked.

  “What do you mean?” Aaron looked at him in confusion.

  “Apologizing. You’re not used to doing that. I can tell it took a lot for you to do that,” Raith said as he stepped closer.

  “No, I’m not used to apologizing because I’m pretty much always right.” Aaron shrugged.

  “Wow, are you always this cocky?” Raith’s brows dropped in a frown.

  “Not cocky. Confident. I know I’m a genius. And I have yet to meet anyone as smart as I am.” Aaron shrugged one shoulder as he walked around Micah’s desk. “I know people get put off by my brilliance, and label me as arrogant or self-absorbed. But this is who I am. I’m smart, very smart and I know it. I’m the best at what I do and I know that, too. People walk around criticizing themselves for things they do or are good at. Comparing themselves to everyone else. Why? There is no comparison to oneself. We are each awesome in our own way. No one compares to anyone else. Everyone needs to start realizing that and concentrate on their own strengths. Then maybe we would have a whole generation of humans and shifters alike who are confident. The world would be much better that way, simpler.” Aaron stopped and looked at Raith.

  “Wow. That was some ramble. You don’t actually believe all that crap you just vomited out do you?” Raith moved to stand in front of Aaron.