Hagen, Lynn - Maverick's Mate [Brac Pack 1] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (4 page)

“And what rank do you have?”

Maverick was dreading this. After what Cecil had been through, this wasn’t going to go over well with him. “I’m the Alpha, I rule them all.”

He pulled his mate into his arms as the smaller man began to twist his underwear in his hands. “I won’t hurt you, baby.” He whispered into the shell of his mate’s ear. “Ever.”

Small arms snaked around him, holding on for dear life.

“I have you. He’ll never hurt you again.” Maverick caressed Cecil’s back, laying his cheek on the soft head of hair under his chin.

* * * *

“I’m telling you guys. Maverick scared the shit out of me when he walked into that house. I’ve never seen him like that. That little guy was the only safe one there. I can’t believe he told me to watch him and didn’t mention that I would be guarding his predestined mate. A little inside info would have gone a long way.” Cody tipped back the bottle of beer, taking another hard draft. He still felt like Maverick was going to walk through the door and rip his throat out for letting his mate get attacked. Shit, this was so fucked up.

Hawk wasn’t a happy camper either. Cody spent the better part of an hour having his rear-end handed to him by his Commander.

“Wish I could have been a fly on the wall. Poor Cody, almost getting the Alpha’s mate killed. Might as well hand in your tin star and pop gun, ride out of town on your broken down horse.” The Sentry Remi was laughing hysterically, holding his side.

Shit wasn’t that funny.

“Piss off, Remi.” Cody tossed his empty beer bottle in the trash, twisting the cap off of another one.

* * * *

Cecil would take a leap of faith, praying Maverick caught him. Once he was dressed, Maverick held his hand as they left his apartment behind, left his old life in the bedroom. Taking one last look back, Cecil closed the door.

Starting over was scary.

Cecil held on tight as Maverick left the town behind, riding into the countryside, taking him further away from the only life he had known since moving here. The motorcycle vibrated under him as Maverick rode with skill. The helmet was a little stifling, but Maverick had insisted on it. Cecil turned his head, resting it against the large back as they glided down the one-lane country road.

Maverick turned onto a gravel road that led to a ginormous house. Cecil’s jaw dropped at the sheer size of it.

The bike pulled to a stop next to a row of pickup trucks. All looked brand-new. Maverick cut the motor, kicking the stand down as he removed his helmet. Cecil did the same. Once again, he leaned in to smell the menthol surrounding Maverick’s hair.

“Use my shoulders.”

Cecil did as he climbed down. He tucked the helmet under his arm as he followed Maverick up the front steps and into the house. They were in a large foyer, rooms webbing off in every direction. He followed behind the giant as Maverick led him into a den.

Holy cow! The room swarmed with mountainous men. Cecil stepped behind Maverick, intimidated as hell. Was enormity a prerequisite to be a warrior? If so, these guys passed with flying colors.

Maverick reached behind, bringing Cecil front and center. All eyes turned to him. Cecil gulped, feeling sweat pulse from his pours. Maybe this was a huge mistake. The men looked like they ate kittens for breakfast. Cecil swallowed, praying he wasn’t the next kitten on the menu. They all were staring at him curiously. His midget height probably intrigued them when compared to the vertical galaxy they lived in.

Chapter Four

“Hey, boss man. Who’s the hottie?” Remi teased Maverick.

“This is my mate, Cecil. I know everyone will introduce themselves and make him feel right at home.” Maverick put his hand on the small of Cecil’s back, giving a small amount of comfort to his trembling mate.

“Hey, Cecil. I’m Remi. How’s it going?” Remi extended his hand, winking at his mate. Maverick gave the Sentry a low growl.

“Fine, nice to meet you,” his mate squeaked out. Maverick pulled the smaller man closer to him.

“Hey, Cecil. I’m Cody. We met earlier.” Cody bumped knuckles with Cecil, locking eyes with Maverick. “Sorry, Alpha.”

“No hard feelings…this time.” Maverick’s lip tugged up in a smile. He wasn’t mad at Cody for not protecting him against Jeremy, but it was fun as hell watching him sweat. He had done everything he could, calling Maverick when Cecil went in to that house. How was the warrior supposed to know his mate’s ex was abusive?

“I remember you. Thank you for helping me,” Cecil said.

Maverick slowly stepped away, giving Cecil room to interact with the men who would be responsible for keeping him safe. His mate would have to get comfortable with them because they were going to be a permanent fixture in his life.

“Anytime, little dude.” Cody tilted his bottle at a guy standing behind him. “That redhead standing over there is Jasper.”

“Nice to meet you, Cecil.”

“Same here.” Cecil shook Jasper’s hand.

The rest of the guys introduced themselves. The Alpha knew Cecil was going to have a heck of a time remembering everyone. As if reading his mind, Cody patted Cecil’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry if you can’t remember the rest of these Neanderthals’ names. You’ll get it.” Before letting go, he squeezed Cecil’s shoulder. Maverick watched all of this, gauging his mate’s anxiety level.

Now that they were bonded, he would be able to feel what his mate was feeling when close to each other. So far, all Cecil felt was nervous.

* * * *

“Do you shoot pool?” Cody led him over to the bar, handing Cecil a cold beer. “You are twenty-one, aren’t you?” The warrior pulled the bottle back, waiting.

“Actually, no. I’m twenty. I’ll take a soda if you have one.” Cody handed him a root beer.

Thanking Cody for the drink, he looked around. Maverick had disappeared. “I’ve never played pool.” Damn, he didn’t see a game system anywhere. This was going to be torturous. Who didn’t have one in their home that could afford it?

“What do you do for fun then?”

“I play video games.” Cecil’s cheeks pinked. He waited for the guys to make fun of him. Most adults did. He loved his job, but sometimes he was embarrassed to admit where he worked.

“I was thinking about getting one for here. What do you recommend?” Cody asked.

Cecil and Cody engaged in a long conversation about different systems and their pros and cons. They talked about the new games out and the best vintage ones. The guy was more knowledgeable than Cecil thought he would be. He couldn’t believe Cody was going to go out and just buy one. Cecil had been saving up to get one for home.

“So which system do you rock at home, Cecil?” Cody was reading his thoughts. Cecil kicked his toe at the floor, shoving his hands into his pockets. It was embarrassing to tell someone who had money that you couldn’t afford one even though you worked at as video store.

“Hey, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. It’s cool. Come on, let’s go raid the fridge.” Cody led him into the kitchen as Cecil watched for Maverick. Where did he go?

“Looking for me?” Large arms came from behind him, circling his shoulders, lips kissing him on the neck. Cecil smiled, laying his hands on Maverick’s arms, enjoying the feeling of having Maverick surround him.

The feeling of being safe cocooned him. Cecil felt his face flush when Maverick chuckled in his ear. “Hungry?”

Cecil nodded, too flustered to speak. He turned in his wolf’s arms, not wanting Cody to see his erection pressing against the front of his jeans. God, he wanted the wolf again. Cecil tilted his head back as Maverick tucked a knuckle under his chin, lifting his head for a kiss.

“Should I leave and come back later?” Cody chuckled while setting everything out for the sub sandwiches. The guy with the silver eyes came in the kitchen, grabbing items to make his own sandwich. Cecil thought he remembered the guy being called Remi.

“Hey, that’s for the Alpha’s mate. He eats first. You should know that, Remi.” Cody narrowed his eyes as he knocked Remi’s hands away. Cecil watched as Remi quickly took a step back, glancing over at Maverick nervously.

Cody took the attention off of Remi. “Okay, little dude, what do you want on it?”

“I can get it.” Cecil stepped up to the table, grabbing items and making his sandwich. He caught the look Cody gave Maverick. “Did I do something wrong?” he stepped from the table, the knife smeared with mayo still in his hand.

“No, baby, make your sandwich. Come to my office when you’re done.” Maverick kissed him on the lips then left.

Once they were alone, Cecil turned on Cody, “Okay, Cody. What did I do wrong?” He wasn’t stupid. He felt the vibes.

“I, uh…shit. Don’t tell him I said anything. The big guy is already pissed at me. An Alpha’s mate always eats first and
never
prepares his own food.” Cody looked uncomfortable.

Cecil didn’t want to come into Maverick’s home and become a nuisance. How was he supposed to know? “Sorry, no one told me. Is there anything else I should know?” Cecil set the knife down, pulling the chair out and sitting. Cody immediately began to prepare his food. Cecil didn’t know if he could get used to someone else serving him like this.

Cody explained it as he made his sandwich. “Well, you are never to go anywhere unescorted. That’s only because we have rival packs and kidnapping an Alpha’s mate is considered a trophy catch. Wars have started because of that. I think the one about us bathing you is outdated. At least, I hope it is. No offense.”

“Yeah, you’re a cutie, but I ain’t scrubbing your back.” Remi chuckled.

“Believe me, none taken. I don’t know if I can get used to this. I’m very independent. I even have a job.”

Cody and Remi glanced at one another, and then Cody went back to his task.

“What?”

“Nothing. Here’s your sandwich. Want something to drink? Soda?” Cody leaned into the fridge, avoiding Cecil’s question.

“Fine, I’ll ask Maverick.” Cecil ate in silence, trying to absorb everything that had happened so far. Today was one for the books. Now Cody was telling him there were rules to this mating? What other surprises would he discover?

“Okay, Remi. Eat.” Cecil and Cody watched as Remi laid waste to the cold cuts. Man, could he eat. Remi had a sandwich stacked so high. There was no way the guy could open his mouth that wide. He watched in fascination as Remi devoured it.

Guess the guy had a detachable jaw. Cody cleaned up the mess, storing everything back into the fridge.

“Wanna ride with me to go check out a game system?” Cody asked as he wiped the table down then tossed the towel into the sink.

Was Cody serious? Even if it wasn’t for him, Cecil would still love to help him pick out everything he would need to set up a cool “play-room.” “Let me let Maverick know I’m leaving. I’ll catch up with you.” Cecil headed down the hall where he had seen Maverick disappear. He tried to guess which door was his office, finding bedroom after bedroom. How many bedrooms did this house have?

“Can I help you?”

Cecil swung around to find a tall, wiry man standing with his hands behind his back. He had beady eyes and slicked back brown hair. He did
not
look like he fit in with the rest of the guys here. “Yeah, I’m looking for Maverick’s office.” Did the guy actually sneer at him?

“And you are?”

Yeah, he didn’t like him already. “Cecil, Maverick’s mate.” That was definitely a sneer.

“Hmm. This way.” The man looked Cecil up and down with a disapproving look. Cecil pushed his bangs back from his eyes as he followed the guy down the hall, paying attention to the door he stopped at. He made a mental note of the location. That way, he wouldn’t get lost again.