Vivian Arend - Black Gold

Gem slipped under his hand and snatched up her clothes, ignoring his protests as she stepped into the bathroom and firmly closed the door on his face.

Shaun spun his spoon between his fingers. Played with his coffee cup. Leaned back in his chair and rocked it precariously on two feet. He’d dressed and paced the room until Gem had basically ordered him to wait in the restaurant for her. It was either follow directions or break down the bathroom door, which she’d locked on him, and since he didn’t think Evan would appreciate him smashing up the hotel, he’d taken his reluctant carcass away and left his mate alone.

As he sat pondering his future, he didn’t know if he should run and hide, or go buy flowers.

“Careful. You break the chair, Evan will charge you to replace it. At least he always charges me.”

A familiar teasing grin poked into Shaun’s line of vision, and he caught himself a split second before tipping over onto his ass.

“TJ, what’re you doing here?”

The lanky young man grabbed the chair next to him, pivoted it to face backwards, and sat, straddling the seat. “Pam’s coming home today for a two-week stint. I’m picking her up at the airport, then we’re doing the four-hour drive back to Haines. Granite Lake pack is holding a celebratory…”

He sniffed the air, and his eyes grew wide.

Oh shit. TJ had the best nose in the north. Shaun figured Gem’s scent was all over him, and not only as a female he’d spent the night with for a bit of slap and tickle. He held up a hand. “I don’t want to hear it.”

As usual TJ ignored him. “Holy cow. Do I smell what I think I smell?”

“Shut it.” Just what he didn’t need. Love advice from someone nearly ten years his junior who until last year was best known for causing natural disasters everywhere he went. Didn’t matter that he and TJ belonged to different packs, there was enough history between them Shaun should have been eager to share his news, but no. Fucking. Way.

His friend paused for a moment then shrugged. “Okay.”

TJ motioned for the waitress, and she zipped over to pour him a coffee and top up Shaun’s.

It was the coward’s path. Shaun took an extra long time adding sugar and cream to his cup in an attempt to avoid having to talk. To justify why he was sitting here by himself when it would be clear to any wolf in the area that he had just found his mate.

The urge to blurt out something—to explain away what he didn’t really understand himself—was so strong Shaun had to bite his lips.

For once, TJ seemed to take the hint and drop the subject.

“You heading to the hangar in Haines Junction soon? Tad had me go get the aircraft ready for the summer season.” TJ grimaced. “The float plane was easy, but I don’t know what the hell you left in the chopper the last time you flew her. There were like a million mice nesting in there.”

“Sorry.”

“You’re worse than the pack kids. You know, when I dropped in at Tad and Missy’s last week I nearly broke my neck, and it wasn’t me being a klutz. Those kids have enough Lego to build a causeway to Russia. Plus, with the balls and stuffed shit there are times I think…”

Shaun pinched the bridge of his nose. Having TJ not ask about his mate was worse than having the discussion.

He gave up and scowled at the younger wolf. “Met her last night.”

TJ thumped rapidly on the chair back in front of him to produce a drum roll. “Now we’re getting somewhere. You work fast.”

Damn wolf genes. “It wasn’t my idea.”

TJ gave him the look . “Believe me, I know about having choices taken out of your hands. You’re a wolf, mating is never completely your decision.” He glanced around before warning, “Just a heads-up. That excuse, it wasn’t my idea ? Like totally gets my ass kicked when I try to use it.”

That was old news. Shaun had never let others get away with that wimpy whine before either, but he still fought the urge to groan. “She’s not from around here.”

TJ whistled, soft and low. “Hmm, that sucks. But, Shaun, while I bet the whole situation looks pretty impossible? Anything is doable. Pam’s south for months at a time as she waits for her transfer to come through. And since having me move to Vancouver with her and bag groceries or pump gas is stupid when I’m needed up here… Yeah, the living-apart thing isn’t fun, but for now it’s the only solution.”

Explaining to TJ what exactly about his mate made his skin itch when he didn’t really know himself made this conversation impossible. “Well, let’s just say we’re working on figuring things out. By the way, you want to pass on a couple of messages to your brother and Tad for me?”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“Tell Tad that I’ve got that flight to the north all taken care of, and let Keil know I’ll be the one guiding the trip.”

TJ frowned. “You want to take over the guiding as well as the flying? But if you’ve found your mate, I’m sure Tad can get someone else—”

“I’ve got it, okay?” Shaun snapped. TJ backed off, his hands raised in mock surrender. Shaun sighed. This emotional rollercoaster was turning him into a psychotic wreck. “My mate is the client, and there’s no way I’m letting her go north without me? So I’ll do the flight, guide her and everyone can be happy. The company, my mate…me. Hurrah. Happy happy happy.”

He forced a grin.

TJ pulled a face. “Don’t push it too hard, dude. I hear you. I mean, I hear more than you think.” He checked his watch.

Shaun did the same, starting to worry if Gem was going to join him or if she had run for the hills after their little enlightening conversation. He’d been a total jerk. Never suspected the extent of an ass he could be, but it was obviously a ginormous one.

TJ finished his cup of coffee and slapped some money on the table. “I need to get going but whatever is bugging you, I suggest you get your head out of the sand quick. This isn’t you. I’ve never heard you whine before in your life. Hell, usually you’re the one telling everyone else to get their act together. Did you wake up this morning and make a shit list?”

Guilt smacked him like an avalanche. Yeah, he kinda sounded as if he’d made a list of everything he thought was fucked up and simply complained about them one after another. “It’s not what I expected to be dealing with this week.”

TJ shrugged as he rose to his feet. “That’s reality. If everything ran according to a plan, life would be pretty boring. Finding your mate is an incredible gift. But even though we’ve got the freaky wolf genes making the decision for us, it’s our human side that lets us work out the details. Just take it one step at a time, okay?”

Shaun stared at the younger man in shock. “When the hell did you grow up? You’ve never lectured anyone before.” He’d certainly never been on the receiving end.

His friend’s grin got wider. “Self-defense. My mate is a very stubborn woman. I’ve learned over the past nine months if I want something, I either need to sweet-talk her into seeing things my way or turn the logic way up.”

Everything in him wanted to laugh at the thought of TJ using logic, but Shaun figured he was far more screwed at this point than TJ, so who was he to argue? “Fine. I get the message.”

Already a couple steps away, TJ turned back. He winked at Shaun. “For what it’s worth, I think you can handle this.”

There was no time to throw anything at him before TJ waved and ducked out through the restaurant doors.

Shaun sat back down, slumping in his chair. Logic? He’d been using none of it, simply reacting. With his dick. His mouth, his attitude.

He had done the deed with his mate, and he couldn’t freaking remember. Why in the hell had that happened? Then there was the whole overreacting thing. Memories flashed of being a teenager and deliberately picking fights with his parents.