Page 38 of In The Shadow of The Wolf

Never again would he make light of the emotions that existed between a mated pair. He learned firsthand the depth of feeling that came with the first sight and the first scent of one's mate, and it was overwhelming and glorious. The fact that Henry was human was no longer an issue for him. He wouldn’t care if Henry had the face of a horse and the body of a duck; he would love him and cherish him because he was his mate. Henry belonged to him, and he planned to make that clear; he had to make that clear and soon.

Henry moaned and pressed his face into Terry’s impressive chest. He wanted to stay there the rest of the night and wake up in Terry’s arms in the morning, but he knew the phone call was probably important and they would be leaving soon.

“We need to get up and shower, honey. That call was my boss, and they need me at the station.” He sounded sad, and Henry hoped he was. He hoped that Terry wanted him as much as he wanted Terry. “I’ll drop you at the Ranch on my way, okay?” Terry cupped Henry’s chin and raised his face so he could give him a good and proper kiss. Henry nodded and shifted to get up. Terry followed him as he entered the bathroom. They had a quick shower together.

Henry entered the Ranch quietly, since it was past two in the morning, and he really didn’t want to discuss his evening with anyone. He hoped he could disappear into his room and just go to bed. He’d enjoyed his evening with Terry, the man was loving and attentive, and the sex was off the charts. He’d never come so hard in his life, and he wanted more, much more. But whether Terry could overcome his prejudices was still unknown.

Terry wasn’t comfortable letting people know he was gay and didn’t care for humans. Not a recipe for a happily ever after, but Henry was falling fast, and he feared for his heart. He fell into a fitful sleep and woke the next morning groggy and conflicted.

...

“Hey Terry, was that Henry I saw you dropping at the Ranch last night?” Kelvin came up to him at the counter at the Black Bean while he was getting a morning coffee to take back to the office. Terry liked the coffee at the Black Bean better than the pot at the office and usually started his day with a cup. Terry turned to eye him suspiciously.

“Yeah, what were you doing there so late?” He turned the question to Kelvin.

“Miriam was having one of her episodes. You know when she won’t stop screaming about having kids, so I shifted and went for a run.”

“That’s a long way to run. You live miles from the Ranch.”

“Miriam’s whining has a long reach,” Kelvin complained and rubbed his hand through his hair. “Why are you hanging out so much with that human?”

Terry moved away from the counter, angling to get out of the shop and away from Kelvin. “I like him, Kelvin. Henry is a good man.” He moved quickly towards the door, and thankfully Kelvin did not follow.

When he entered the office, he was deep in thought and nearly ran into Jamie. “Watch where you’re going, man,” Jamie stated, joking. “Just go claim that mate of yours and get your head on straight.” He laughed and patted Terry on the shoulder. Terry sat down at his desk and did not respond. “What’s the matter?” Jamie became concerned and stooped down with one hand on Terry’s desk and the other on the back of Terry’s chair and waited.

“Kelvin stopped me at the Black Bean. He asked why I am spending so much time with Henry.” Terry just stared at his coffee cup.

“What did you tell him?”

“I told him I like Henry and that he was a good man.” Terry sounded distant.

“That sounds fine; why are you upset about it?” Jamie wasn’t following. He didn’t deny or diminish his mate in any way, so what’s the problem?

“I like him, and he is a good man! Why didn’t I tell Kelvin that Henry is my mate, and I need him like I need my own heart?” Terry choked a little on his words. “I’m still pretending, Jamie! I’m still hiding who Henry is.” Terry dropped his head into his hands and groaned. “I’m nothing but a horse’s ass, and that’s all I’m ever going to be.” Jamie rubbed his shoulder, reassuring and comforting him as best he could.

“You’re not a horse’s ass, you used to be, but you outgrew it.” He chuckled softly, gave Terry a quick pat on the shoulder, and stood back. “Now come on, stop moping, and let’s get to work. I have no doubt that you and Henry will work out your lives together.”

Terry felt better, but not perfect. He decided that the next person to ask him about Henry would get the whole truth. He had to stop playing games and make his claim, or he could lose the best thing ever to come into his life.

His biggest problem with Henry had been the fact that he was human, and humans were weak. Humans were a liability to a wolf. But after seeing Henry in action at the gas station, willing to risk his life for his cousin, it became obvious that his Henry was not weak and would never be a liability.

As far as being gay, that really was a non-issue considering their Alpha was gay and mated. It wasn’t how Terry had anticipated his life would go, but he wouldn’t trade Henry for the world. He was done hiding his love for his human boyfriend. He smiled to himself at the silent declaration.

“I hear Detective Ivan Rand, the Beta from Michigan, was pretty impressive.” Jamie broke into Terry’s thoughts. “I also heard that he is doing further investigation into others that Randal may have blackmailed.”

“You heard correctly. Also, he said he would be back, so you will be able to meet Ivan yourself.”

“Why is he coming back?”

Terry didn’t have an answer for him. “I don’t know. He just said he would be back, and that he looked forward to meeting you.” That had Jamie’s eyebrows shooting to his hairline.

“Hum, must have heard about my crack police work and wants to get some pointers.” Jamie laughed, and Terry joined.

“Yeah, crack police work,” Terry stated sarcastically.

…

Henry was on the front porch with a cup of coffee as usual. He loved the view from the porch with the mountains and the trees. The color in the morning was breathtaking. It wasn’t long before Dean came out to join him. Henry realized that Dean was turning into a rather thoughtful friend, and he was beginning to enjoy his advice and support. They sat there in companionable silence for a while, drinking coffee and enjoying the view.

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