Page 61 of The Doctor's Wolf: Part Two
Adler tilted his head in a cute, almost dog-like motion.“Uhm, awesome?”
Maxim cackled.“Gordon, the words you need to say are, your sexy back and your firm gluteus are all mine, and no stranger’s eyes may ever taste them.”
Adler’s eyes widened, and his mouth fell open a crack.“Gordon?Is that true?”He sounded ridiculously hopeful.
Gordon shrugged before turning back around and walking after Maxim.“Yeah.Hey, I was going to dye my hair.Something new after the mate bite, you know.Magenta and pink sound okay to you?”
“Magenta and—sweetheart, are you asking me what to do with your hair?”
Adler’s big warm hands came up on Gordon’s hips.
“Yeah.You’re sniffing it all the time, so you should have a say.”
“Sweetheart I… It’s perfect, Gordon.Shades of pink is perfect.I’ll love every color, because all of them are you.You’re a rainbow, sweetheart, you know that?My rainbow.”
“Heath?Yes, we found evidence.Also, the two of them are being delightfully sappy, and I wish you were here with us.Gordon has been declared a rainbow, and I’m left to wonder what his corpses will make of that.”
“Maxim, hang up the phone,” Gordon said while Adler growled.
Gordon could hear Heath’s complaints faintly as they caught up, their work not yet done.
My mate, he makes me so happy.Too happy.I love him.
The thoughts came unbidden into Gordon’s mind, but he decided he didn’t mind them too much, not at all.
Chapter 33
Theirsecondstopwasa hotel.The building was unremarkable, fitting in perfectly among the surrounding structures.Adler didn’t like the thought of their perpetrator being inside a hotel—an old vampire who thought himself cornered could wreak havoc in such a public place.Bringing Gordon along while they were investigating didn’t help much either.
If he thinks he’d have an easier time handling an old vampire like Maxim than I do…
Adler shook his head to clear it while Maxim talked to the hotel manager, explaining that he was here on Forum business, that he needed to see the suites, now, thank you very much.As a beta, Adler could tell that while Maxim was being pleasant, his patience was wearing thin, and his beta nature didn’t like that, wanted to accommodate the hunter.
He’s seconds away from compelling the manager,Adler thought as he absentmindedly placed his arm around Gordon in order to soothe his mate, let him know not to worry even in the face of an alpha’s displeasure.Though I don’t know if he can see it.He’s starting to understand that he has a pack now, but he can’t read people like werewolves can.
Gordon turned his head to look at Adler, his blue eyes thoughtful.He cleared his throat.“I think…I think Maxim is doing a great job talking to the manager, isn’t he?”
Adler cocked his head, ignoring the fake smile the manager had plastered all over her face while she tried to explain about the guests’ privacy.
“Of course he is.Are you worried?”
Gordon looked surprised.“Huh?Worried about what?”
“Uhm.Because…Maxim’s doing a good job.You don’t have to worry about him getting upset with the manager or with you.”
Adler was whispering.They were an arm’s length behind Maxim’s back and the manager was human, but he still didn’t want the woman to overhear.
“Oh.Oh, that’s a worry?Okay.Hmm.Would you protect me?”Gordon pushed a strand of his still-blue hair back behind his ear.He wasn’t trying to be coy, Adler realized.He was asking an honest question.
My silly mate.My beautiful, silly mate.“Of course.Always.But he can handle it.”
In that moment, Maxim leaned in, saying, “Enough with the back-and-forth.Get me all the records I asked for, and get them now, and a keycard for the suites I mentioned.”
The manager’s eyes widened as the compulsion dropped on her.She rushed to comply, hurrying to the nearest computer to get it done.Maxim turned.
“My turtledoves, what are you two whispering about behind my back?”He put a hand on his hip, and Adler could appreciate how it brought out his swords.
“Nothing.Just saying you handled that well.”Whenever an alpha’s competence made Adler flush like now, he was glad for his darker complexion and the way it didn’t show how much he enjoyed watching an alpha in their element.He glanced at Gordon, worried that his mate might get the wrong idea if he saw too much alpha energy in other people, but Gordon didn’t seem impressed at all.
