Love, Always, Promise [Wolf Creek Pack 5] (13 page)

“Nate?” he whispered hoarsely. “What are you doing here? Where’s Jace?”

Panic hit Ethan. His heart thundered in his chest. “Packing? What the hell are you talking about?” he asked as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

“He’s downstairs with Joe right now, packing.”

“Last night was the full moon.”

“And?” Ethan already knew that. It was kind of obvious to shape shifters. He just didn’t understand what that had to do with Jace packing. He knew he pissed Jace off the night before, but he kind of figured they made up. Could he have been wrong?

“It’s also the time of the full moon mating for those who are mated,” Nate explained.

Ethan’s could feel his face burn bright red again. “I know that.”

Boy, did he know that. He felt the effects of the full moon mating in every ache in his body, but they were all exquisite aches, reminding Ethan of how well his mate claimed him the night before. It had been glorious.

Ethan quickly grew concerned when Nate grabbed his hand. Nate’s eyes seemed to be filled with worry, which only increased Ethan’s. Did something happen he didn’t know about? Did Jace decide a mate that couldn’t run and hunt during the full moon wouldn’t do for him?

“Wh—what?” Ethan’s voice wobbled.

“How are you feeling?” Nate asked. “Are you okay?”

As much as Ethan’s face flushed in the last five minutes, he wasn’t sure it would ever go back to a normal color. He wasn’t used to discussing intimate stuff with anyone, especially someone that wasn’t his mate.

“I’m fine,” Ethan replied, still confused and just a little panicky. “What’s going on, Nate? Why is Jace packing?”

“Jace shifted last night, Ethan,” Nate explained. “It was the full moon and—”

“Would you stop beating around the damn bush and tell me what the hell is going on?” Ethan snapped.

Nate heaved a sigh. “Jace thinks he hurt you last night.”

“Jace would never hurt me!”

Nate chuckled, which seemed strange to Ethan considering the circumstances. The situation didn’t seem very humorous to him. In fact, it felt kind of like a disaster.

“I don’t think he realizes that,” Nate said. “He shifted last night into our third form and then I’m assuming he claimed you.”

Ethan rolled his eyes as his face burned yet again. “Yeah.”

And then some.

“You passed out, Ethan.”

“Jace believes he hurt you, that you couldn’t handle him claiming you.”

“Well, it seemed a little intense, but he never hurt me,” Ethan asserted. “Jace would never do anything to hurt me.”

“Then you need to stop being embarrassed and get your ass into the other room before your mate packs all of his stuff and leaves. Right now, he believes that the best way to protect you is to leave.”

“Oh, I swear,” Ethan exclaimed as he dropped the blankets and swung his legs over the side of the bed. “One of these days I’m going to smack that man up side his head so hard his brains will rattle for a week.”

He looked around for his pajama bottoms, only remembering that Jace shredded them when he spotted the wadded up material in the corner. He couldn’t help but smile. He might have to have them framed.

“Can you get me a pair of pants out of the dresser?”

Nate eyed the tattered material on the floor and chuckled. “Yeah, sure.”

Ethan took the jeans from Nate and pulled them up his legs. He was grateful when Nate turned away, giving him a little privacy while he stood up and pulled them the rest of the way up his body.

He grabbed his crutches and started for the door. Screw the shirt and shoes. He needed to get out to the main room and beat some sense into his mate. Ethan didn’t know whether to be pissed that his mate felt he needed to leave or pleased that his mate cared so much about him that he would rather leave than subject Ethan to what he saw as harm from him.

Joe sat at the dining table drinking a cup of coffee. He didn’t say a word, just pointed to the front porch. Ethan rolled his eyes and made his way to the front door, which stood wide open.

He could see Jace sitting on the front steps before he even reached the doorframe. His shoulders looked hunched, his head bent as he held it in his hands. He looked so totally dejected that Ethan’s heart ached for him.

All thoughts of beating Jace over the head with his crutch left Ethan. His mate needed understanding and reassurance, not anger. Ethan rested his crutches against the door frame then carefully shuffled across the space between the door and Jace.

Jace jumped when Ethan leaned down to rest his hand on his shoulder. He looked up and blanched, his face turning pasty white. Ethan ignored Jace’s small gasp and carefully moved around in front of Jace, stepping down to sit on the step below the man.

He settled his body back against Jace’s, grabbing the man’s arms and wrapping them around his body before leaning his head back against Jace’s rigid body. He could feel the heavy thud of Jace’s heartbeat. The man was terrified.

“I know we’ve only been in the new place for a couple of weeks,” Ethan said. “Is it too soon to get a dog or should we wait until we’re a little more settled?”

When Jace didn’t say anything, Ethan tilted his head back to look up at his mate. Jace’s face seemed frozen in shock, his mouth hanging open. Ethan reached up and lifted Jace’s chin, closing his mouth.

“Should we get a small puppy or a full grown dog to start out with?” Ethan looked forward again, shrugging his shoulders. “I’m not sure we’re up to puppy training just yet.”

“Puppies are nice, though,” Ethan continued as if Jace didn’t speak a word. “If you get a dog when they’re young, you can train them the way you want. Of course, there are a lot of homeless dogs out there that need good homes, too.” Ethan tilted his head back again. “What do you think?”

“Oh, Ethan, I—” Jace murmured softly, tears in his eyes.

Ethan leaned into the hand his mate cupped around his cheek. He wanted Jace to know that he wasn’t afraid of him, that he wasn’t even angry with him. He wanted his mate to know that he was loved.

Ethan grabbed the hand cupped around his cheek, pressing it tighter to his skin. He reached up with his other hand and wiped Jace’s tears away with his thumb. He detected a slight hitch in Jace’s breathing.

“Love you, Jace.”

“Oh, Christ, Ethan,” Jace whispered as he gathered Ethan into his arms.

Ethan wrapped his arm around Jace’s neck. He could feel Jace pepper his head with little kisses. Jace’s breathing came in rapid gulps, his body shaking. Ethan just held him tighter as he murmured sweet words to the man.

“I knew right after you left last night that I should have gone with you, Jace,” Ethan said. “I’m sorry I didn’t. I’m sorry I acted like such an ass about it, too. I could have handled that a whole lot better.”

He pulled back enough to look up into Jace’s face. “But I enjoyed it when you came to find me.” Ethan’s eyes dropped. He smoothed down the material of Jace’s shirt, feeling a little embarrassed to be talking about the intimacies of the night before.

“I really enjoyed what happened after you found me,” Ethan whispered.

“You passed out, Ethan.”

Oh hell, there went his face again. “Yeah, but I’ve done that a time or two in the past, haven’t I?” He looked up at Jace, wanting the man to see his eyes when he spoke. “You didn’t hurt me, Jace.”

“You swear?” Jace whispered, his eyes looking desperate.

“I wouldn’t lie about something like this, Jace.”

“I’d hope you wouldn’t lie to me about anything, sweetness.”

“I haven’t yet,” Ethan replied. “Don’t really intend to start now.”

Ethan turned around again and cuddled back against Jace’s bigger body, tucking his head into the crook of the man’s neck. He smiled, wiggling a bit when Jace lifted him up and settled him more comfortably on his lap.

“So, dog or puppy?” Ethan asked.

“Maybe we should start out with a dog,” Jace replied. “Like you said, there are a lot of dogs out there that need good homes. Besides, if we got a full grown dog, maybe he could teach a puppy a thing or two.”

“Two dogs?” Ethan asked, excited at the prospect. “Do you think we can do two dogs?”

“Ethan, I think we can do anything we want.”

* * * *

Jace watched Ethan sleep. He fell asleep in Jace’s arms while they sat peacefully on the front porch looking out over the farm they now owned. It gave Jace a sense of peace to hold his mate while he slept.

He was stunned beyond words that he had been granted such a wonderful gift. And that was exactly what Ethan was, a gift. He was everything a mate could ever hope for and then some.

To hear Ethan say he loved him was almost more than Jace could handle without breaking down like a little baby. While he knew he cared greatly for Ethan, adored him even, he never thought to hold his mate’s heart, not after the things he did.

It was the greatest gift he ever received. While he never questioned his decision to give up his position in his old pack, knowing Ethan loved him made everything he gave up worth it.

Jace just wished he could express to Ethan how much the man meant to him. Saying
I love you
just didn’t seem adequate for the feeling Jace experienced every time he saw his little mate.

He needed to think of a bigger way to do it, something Ethan would never forget. He needed to show his mate beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved and adored him. Jace wanted Ethan to know that he was exactly where he wanted to be.

And he needed help to do it. Jace cradled Ethan to his chest and stood to his feet. He smiled as Ethan snuggled closer to him before turning and walking back into the house. Joe and Nate sat at the dining table together, Nate curled on Joe’s lap.

Jace nodded as he passed them and carried Ethan into the bedroom. He carefully laid Ethan down on the bed then reached for the buttons on his jeans, pulling them off his legs. Ethan squirmed a bit as Jace tucked him into bed.

“Jace, Jace,” Ethan whined.

“Ssshhh, sweetness,” Jace murmured back. He smoothed the sandy blond curls back from Ethan’s face. “I’ll be right out in the other room when you wake up, Ethan. I’m not going anywhere.”

His words seemed to settle Ethan down. The man smiled then rolled onto his side, tucking his hands under his cheek. Jace’s heart pounded in his chest. There wasn’t a more beautiful sight in all the world.

Chuckling at his reaction to Ethan, Jace walked back into the other room. He grabbed a soda out of the refrigerator and went to sit down across from Nate and Joe. Both men seemed pretty satisfied with their day’s work if the grins on their faces were anything to go by.

Jace knew they could rightly feel that way. They essentially saved Jace from making a colossal mistake with Ethan. He had been all ready to leave, his bags packed and sitting by the front door.

Not wanting Ethan to be on his own when he woke up, Jace called Nate and Joe and asked them to come over. It was probably one of the smartest moves he ever made, next to coming back for Ethan.

“So, I need your help with something,” Jace said after a few minutes of silence.

“Sure,” Nate said. “What’s up?”

“I need to do something for Ethan,” Jace answered. “Something to show him how much he means to me.”

“Marry him,” Nate said simply.

Jace gapped, his mouth dropping open.

He and Ethan were mated. They would celebrate with the rest of the pack in a mating ceremony, but he never considered actually marrying Ethan. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to. Simply that he never thought about it.

However, the more he did think about, the more he warmed to the idea. Marrying Ethan in an actual wedding ceremony would show not only his mate but the world he committed to the man.

Jace began to grin as he pictured Ethan’s face when Jace proposed and asked the man to spend the rest of his life with him. He’d definitely need a ring, something special that was unique to Ethan’s personality. Just any old ring wouldn’t do, not for his mate.

He glanced up when Joe chuckled, curiosity filling him. The man just waved his hand at Jace.

“Be sure you know what you’re getting yourself into, my friend,” Joe remarked. “When Nate planned our wedding, I swear I didn’t see him for days on end. He practically lived at my mother’s house.”

“Hey,” Nate grumbled, swatting Joe’s arm. “It was a damn good wedding, and you know it.”

“True.” Joe laughed. “And I wouldn’t change anything about it, but you have to admit it, you and Mom lost your minds when you planned the ceremony.”

Jace shook his head, chuckling as the couple continued to argue over what happened while they planned their wedding. While it was cute to watch, Jace sincerely hoped that Ethan wouldn’t go crazy.

He envisioned a quiet, peaceful ceremony. Of course, if Ethan wanted all the hoopla involved in a big fancy wedding, that’s exactly what he’d get. Jace wanted to give Ethan everything he ever desired.

“Okay, guys,” Jace said, breaking into the two man conversation. “You think we could get back to talking about my wedding plans?”

Nate’s face flushed. Joe laughed. “Sorry, Jace.”

Jace waved his hand at Joe in a dismissive gestured. “Don’t worry about it. It was kind of cute to watch, but I could really use some help with Ethan. I want to plan something he’ll never forget.” Jace grinned. “Any ideas?”

* * * *

“Jace?” Ethan called out as he walked into the large main room of their house. Nate ran him into town on some errands, and he just dropped Ethan off. Ethan set his bags down on the dining table and went in search of his missing mate.

“Jace, where are you?” Ethan asked as he walked into the empty bedroom. He searched the bathroom, the office, and the rest of the first floor. Not finding his mate, he started toward the stairs, assuming his mate must be upstairs, when a sheet of red paper caught his eye.

It was taped to the refrigerator. Ethan frowned and pulled the paper off the fridge, scanning it quickly. He laughed softly when he read the words Jace wrote for him.

Roses are red, violets are blue.

Follow the trail, sweetness,