Page 37 of That's the Way Rejection Goes

Sam just shrugged. “Oh well. He’s coming either way and we’ll be ready for him.” He gave me a wink. “Put your pants back on and I’ll be back down in a minute.”

It was only then that I realized I was standing up with my cock to the wind in the front lobby of the hotel. With an embarrassed gasp, I reached down and grabbed my jeans, tugging them back on as Sam climbed into the elevator, chuckling under his breath.

Chapter Seventeen: Calum

Icouldn’t help staring in awe at the Alpha standing in front of me. He was easily a foot taller than me, jacked from head to toe, and that cowboy hat somehow made him seem even more menacing. However, when he spoke in that quiet, low, soft tone of his, it made all my fears melt away. The man was as smooth as butter and beautiful to boot. If I hadn’t been feeling so strongly about Erick and Sam, I might’ve taken a chance. However, Ace didn’t seem the type to do that sort of thing, anyway. And he was wrapped around Matt’s finger like it was nobody’s business.

Matt, for his short stature and lithe form, was easily ten times more frightening than Ace. I knew the first time we shook hands that he wore the pants in the relationship, and he wouldn’t hesitate to put me back in line should I give him any shit.

However, despite all the quick judgements my brain was making, the two of them were actually really cool. And the love between them was strong. Even though Sam said they’d only been mated for about a year, they gave off the kind of energy that I’d expect to feel from wolves who’d spent their entire lives together. And once in a while, it seemed as if they could almost read one another’s minds.

After Sam dropped me off, Ace gave me a tour of the farm while Matt went to put together lunch for the three of us. We were getting a later start thanks to Sam keeping me and Erick in bed too long that morning, but they didn’t seem to mind. Ace walked me through his frozen gardens, showed me the greenhouse that was still vibrant and full of life despite it being January in Michigan. After that he showed me to the barn that was currently in a state of disarray.

From what he told me, he and Matt had come up with the idea to build in the fall and had gotten started as fast as they could. The materials were delivered in a couple of weeks and then their builder backed out. Not a pair to give up easily, they decided they would just do it themselves. And so far, they’d done a good job. The posts were set, the concrete floor had been poured, and they’d even managed to get the roof on before the snow got too bad. However, now they were running out of drive and energy. The barn wasn’t fully enclosed yet and there was still the entire interior that needed to be put together.

That’s where I came in.

I’d never built a barn before, but I’d helped with plenty of houses. I figured they couldn’t be much different. In fact, a barn should be easier considering that the vast majority of it would remain open and not trapped behind a layer of drywall. Plus, it wasn’t like we were building a giant horse training facility or something. All the barn had to do was house poultry and possibly pigs in the future plus give them access to the outside. Easy enough, right?

“I’m thinking we need to get started on the pens themselves before we put the metal siding on,” Ace said, standing in the center of the open barn with a hand on his hip. Cold wind whipped through, and I shivered despite my borrowed jacket. “Or maybe the chicken enclosures for the spring? I’ll have to start putting in chick orders soon.”

“Are you going to keep the chicks in your tiny house?” I asked, nodding toward the tiny building that he and Matt shared.

“I guess?” he said. “They’ve gotta be kept warm, right?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “And they fucking stink.” I didn’t have a lot of experience with chickens, but of that, I was absolutely certain. “They are gonna drive you two right out of that house in less than a week. And they’ve only going to get bigger and smellier.” I gestured at the open barn walls. “We need to get this space enclosed first. Chicken pens can come later. Right now you need a dry place out of the cold to keep these chicks and work on your projects.”

“I suppose you’re probably right.”

“Believe me,” I nodded. “If you guys are tired now, this cold is only gonna make it worse. But if we can close this off and get out of the wind, maybe get a heater out here to drive away the chill, it’s gonna be a hell of a lot easier to get things done.”

“You seem to know more about this than me,” Ace groaned. “I’m kinda ashamed to admit it, but I think I’m in over my head.”

“It happens. But I’ll help you get out of it.”

“Alright.” He gave me a good long look. “You know, I can see why Sam likes you.”

I felt a sudden jolt of embarrassment. Had Sam already told everyone about us? Did Ace know about Erick too? I thought we would keep everything hush-hush for a while considering how non-traditional our relationship was. But then again, it wasn’t like being a bunch of gay werewolves was exactly traditional in the first place. The whole town was full of outcasts.

“Don’t worry,” Ace replied, seeing the look on my face. “He’s not spreading it around town or anything. He just mentioned it is all.”

“It uh… doesn’t bother you?”

“Why would it?” Ace shrugged. “I’m not one to judge.” However, at that moment he took a step closer, his hulking figure casting a shadow over me. “But if you or your mate hurt Sam, you’ll have to answer to me.”

I swallowed hard. “Yep. That seems fair.”

“Glad we understand one another.” Ace tipped his hat and took a step back. “Why don’t we get started on putting this siding up then?”

He made a move toward the pile of tools and sheet metal on the far side of the barn. I cleared my throat, getting him to stop in his tracks as I figured out how I wanted to word what I was about to say. He stopped and lifted an eyebrow in my direction.

“Do… uh… Do you think Sam is okay with all…this?” I asked, gesturing at myself. “I just… well, he’s been through a lot it seems.” Why was I so fucking bad at talking right now? “I worry about him is all. One minute he seems terrified and the next he’s all over us.” I let out a long sigh. “I’m just worried I’m gonna fuck it all up I guess.”

Ace let out a long sigh. “Sam has a past, just like the rest of us. And his was… well… let’s just say there wasn’t anyone to help him like he’s helped all of us. He had to find his way on his own and that meant there were a few mistakes in the process.” He shook his head, placing a hand on my shoulder. “And in some ways, he’s still getting through it. But as long as you’re honest with him, I don’t think you can go wrong.”

“Do you think his past will ever catch up with him?” I asked, not really sure why the thought was on my mind. “I just want to be prepared.”

“You’ve got nothing to worry about. It’s been over a decade. Those days are long behind him.”

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