Sailing Deep (10 page)

              “Morning,” He said. He showed no signs of being tired. “It’s about time. I was starting to think you’d never wake up.” His lips twitched into a small smile and Blake recognized the teasing glint in his eyes. “You sleep like the dead. The only reason I didn’t think you were was because of your snoring.”

              “I do not snore!” Blake said, indigently.

              “You do,” Dylan was smiling.

              “Whatever,” Blake rubbed his face with his free hand and let his head drop back to the pillow. “How’re you so awake already?”

              Dylan half shrugged. “We learn how to take short naps.” He said matter of factly. “Short naps actually refresh you more efficiently than long naps, especially if you can wake up after a full REM cycle instead of in the middle of it.” His tone turned mischievous. “Plus, I’m a light sleeper.”

              “I do not snore!” Blake threw his free arm up in the air. Dylan chuckled, and Blake felt it as the man vibrated against his side. He had to hide his own smile. “You’re such an army brat.”

              “I am not army,” Dylan said, suddenly very serious. Blake glanced down at him, amused at how offended he looked.

              “Fine, a SEAL brat.”

              Dylan’s eyes narrowed, and he huffed slightly.

              Blake’s smile widened. “You’re adorable when you frown.”

              Dylan sighed, rolling his eyes as he slapped Blake’s chest and pushed himself up. “Oh my god, shut up.”

              “Ow,” Blake said, holding a hand to his chest and looking hurt and offended. “You would hit an injured man? You’re a cruel man, Dylan Harrison.”

              Dylan climbed over Blake’s legs to stand up. “You deserve it.” He stretched, hands high over his head as he went up on his toes, before twisting from side to side to pop his back. “How do you know my full name anyway?” He eyed Blake suspiciously.

              Blake gave him a small smile. “I’m a hacker. I work in gathering intelligence. It’s what I do.”

              “Hmm,” Dylan hummed absently as he shuffled to the bathroom. While he was gone, Blake stretched on the couch. By the time Dylan came back, Blake was standing at the wardrobe, looking for a clean shirt. As he pulled it on, he noticed Dylan trying to look at him discreetly. He turned to hide his small smile.

              The rest of the afternoon was spent showing Dylan around the compound. As they walked, Blake held Dylan’s hand, and he was pleased to find that the man had stopped being bothered by it. In fact, there were several instances where Blake needed both of his hands free, and when he was done, Dylan was already reaching for his hand before he could. He didn’t point this out, however, because he didn’t want to make the man aware of such gestures.

              Blake walked Dylan around all the main halls of the castle. He showed him the residence floors where most of the shifters lived. He showed him the supplies rooms, the gaming rooms, the TV rooms, and all the social places that the castle had to offer. He didn’t take him into the area where he worked, but he showed him the door and vaguely explained what his job was within the Shadow Pack. Blake showed him the kitchens and the dining hall. They left the main building and went inside one of the side buildings where the gym was located. The gym was fully stocked with nearly everything a fitness nut could want. Blake saw a spark of interest in Dylan’s eyes and the energy in his step when he took in everything.

              The entire time he showed Dylan around, they were forced to be social. He introduced Dylan to everyone he saw and recognized. Dylan took it all in stride, smiling shyly and subtly hiding behind him. Blake spent the necessary time to speak with people before gracefully moving on. He knew this game, and he knew these people. The things he needed to say, the smiles he needed to show, the time he needed to spend with each individual. Blake knew it all. It was an art, and he was proud of it. Blake would do this under normal circumstances, to keep up his reputation within the pack, but it was doubly important with Dylan at his side. He needed to cement Dylan’s place at Blake’s side in everyone’s mind. Not to make him memorable, per se, but to establish that they were in a loving relationship, although new, and nothing was strange about his sudden appearance.

              Dylan took it all in stride and Blake was impressed.

              It was truly amazing to watch Dylan digest information. He stayed mostly silent through Blake’s narration and touring of the grounds, but he asked the occasional question. And most of his questions had a  pointed edge that Blake recognized. They were analytical questions, questions that seemed harmless enough, but would give the man valuable insight to the way the Shadow Pack operated. Even when he was silent, Blake could always see the gears turning in Dylan’s mind. His eyes were sharp and saw everything, committing everything to memory. He was trained in surveillance, information gathering, navigating unfamiliar terrain and analyzing situations; and it showed, to those who were willing to pay attention, like Blake.

              He was in awe of his lovely fake mate. Just as much as he had been back when they were young. Some things never changed.

              To show him how the dining hall functioned, Blake took Dylan there that night to eat. He explained that most of the shifters living in the main compound had jobs within the Shadow Pack. Because of that, they were given food for free as part of their pay. You work for the pack and the pack provides. Blake made a mental note to look into possible jobs that Dylan could do during his stay.

              After dinner, Blake excused them from the small group of friends that had gathered and ushered Dylan back up to their room. He could see the subtle signs of Dylan tiring. Tiring of the charade and tiring of the constant socialization. He understood. This kind of job wasn’t for everyone.

              When they were safely back in their room, Blake didn’t push Dylan as he might have and as much as he wanted to. He wanted to shower the man with casual touches and casual kisses, but he held himself back. Dylan had done well in front of the others, and Blake had already abused their charade to steal plenty of touches and kisses today. Dylan had dealt with it all wonderfully, and he even returned a few. Blake didn’t want to push him now. No use ruining a good thing.

              While Dylan was in the shower, Blake let himself indulge in fantasies of barging in on the man’s shower, of pushing his wet and naked body against the wall, of taking him roughly under the spray of hot water, and hearing his moans echo off the bathroom walls. When it was his turn to shower, he released his frustrations, and he came quickly. When he stepped out of the shower in nothing but a towel, Dylan was already at his computer playing games. Blake dressed in boxers and sweatpants before lounging on the bed with his laptop.

              He was still browsing the internet, a movie playing in the background on the television, when Dylan turned off his computer and came to bed. He crawled beneath the blankets and watched the movie. They had a casual conversation about it, and the atmosphere was warm and comfortable.

              Dylan was already asleep by the time Blake got a response from his superiors. He sat up straighter and eyed the sleeping SEAL. Dylan looked so sweet and peaceful. Blake decided to read the message first. He was pleased that they had made the exact decision he had hoped for. Dylan was to stay undercover for at least a month and help Blake in his intel gathering operations. In a month’s time, they would review how it had gone and determine whether or not they should pull Dylan out.

              In his excitement, he nearly woke Dylan up to tell him, but then he hesitated. No, he would wait until tomorrow. The man deserved to sleep. He set his laptop aside and crawled beneath the blankets. He managed to slide up behind Dylan and wrap his arms around him without him waking. Blake fell asleep that night with a smile on his face.

             
The five wolves ran up and over the hill that marked the steady decline into the castle’s valley. They ran single file as they followed the thin game trail that they had adopted to their regular route. Their leader, a big black wolf, came to a stop at the treeline and took a moment to survey the valley before them. The others stopped behind him, panting softly.

              Dylan lifted his head, sniffing the wind. Nothing seemed amiss or out of the ordinary, but still, he waited for their leader’s signal before shifting. When it came, they all stepped apart to give each other room. Dylan lowered his head and took hold of the pull tab that jutted out from the strap over his right shoulder. He gripped it with his teeth and pulled. The straps released and Dylan shrugged the pack off his back. Once free, he shifted back to his human form. He dug through the bag and pulled out his clothes and weapons. He got dressed quickly. He was finished and buckling his gun belt around his waist before any of the others were done. He threw the now empty pack over his shoulder and waited.

              It was a very similar system to what he used while running shifting missions with his SEAL team. The shadow guard had been surprised and impressed with how quickly he had learned how to operate the pack and shift between forms. He had just shrugged and smiled and said that he was a quick learner.

              Ignoring the fact that he was also an excellent shot with a gun and knew nearly everything he needed to about them was a little harder, but he hadn’t hesitated. He told them that his dad was a big gun nut and used to take him into the woods to shoot. It wasn’t a complete lie. In fact, it was mostly true. It wasn’t the only reason why he knew how to handle a gun, and they hadn’t questioned it further.

              Dylan had agreed with Blake that in order to keep up their charade, he needed to get a job within the Shadow Pack. While they were brainstorming what would be best, Blake had suggested the shadow guard. Dylan was already trained in everything he’d need to know and would find the work to be easy in comparison. Plus it would give him the chance to get out and remain active, and it even gave him an excuse to use the gym so his body wouldn’t deteriorate in a stationary position.

              Dylan had been a little hesitant at first, but he found the job to be strangely relaxing. He worked in groups of five, typically with other wolves. They were assigned routes to run and keep an eye out for any suspicious or unwarranted activities. Their patrol usually lasted a few hours, and then they spent a few more hours training. They called it a guard, but it looked suspiciously like paramilitary training. Still, it wasn’t nearly as intense as his SEAL training, and so Dylan found the work to be a walk in the park.

              It was pleasant to once again be doing something familiar. When Dylan was with the guard, he felt he didn’t have to hide parts of who he was. He didn’t have to pretend. Dylan was a SEAL. He wasn’t content to sit with others and socialize hours on end. That was Blake’s territory, not his.

              When they had first brought the idea of Dylan joining the shadow guard to Marcus, the man had been skeptical, but willing to put in a good word for him. Marcus was a guard leader himself, and Dylan ended up in his group more often than not. He found that he liked the man. He was a pleasantly tranquil fellow, but he commanded respect and obedience while working. It made him easy to work for.

              Clark, the guard leader who had originally found him, was amused to see Dylan at the guard headquarters. He welcomed him to the guard with open arms. Still, despite their willingness to accept him, Dylan had the distinct impression that they all doubted he could do the job. They seemed to be humoring him and doing it more as a favor to Blake than because of Dylan’s own capabilities. He supposed he couldn’t blame them. After all, he had given the impression that he was shy, and they probably thought he was a little slow. He was well built that couldn’t be denied, but he had a feeling they saw him as a weight lifting country boy, and not as a capable and intelligent member of the guard.

              Dylan found deep satisfaction in their surprised faces when he proved that not only could he keep up with the other members of the shadow guard, but he surpassed most of them. They looked at him and treated him with more respect after that. He quickly became more than just Blake’s mate. He became Dylan, a valuable new member of the guard and the pack.

              Once they were all dressed, Marcus led the group down the path into the valley. It was still a long walk to the castle. The field the castle sat in was huge, giving them a good advantage for any approaching enemies. As they neared the castle, they passed the next patrol on their way out. The patrol routes were long and covered miles upon miles of land around the castle. The patrols were timed so that two were always running at once, and while one came in, another went out. When Dylan had been shown a map of the patrol routes, he was impressed at how thorough they were. He was also relieved that they didn’t extend far enough to reach his SEAL team’s base.

              They entered the shadow guard’s building, located next to the gym building on the castle grounds, and Dylan followed his team to the armory. He returned his guns and his boot knives before going to the locker room to change out of his uniform.

              Dylan dressed in a simple pair of dark blue jeans and a plain black v-neck t-shirt. The shirt was a little tighter than he would have liked, but he was used to that. As long as it wasn’t uncomfortable, he was all right. Lucy had gotten him several similar outfits. After briefly speaking with him, she had gone shopping. He appreciated that she had taken into account that he preferred plain clothes. T-shirts and jeans. She had gotten him v-necks, assuring him that they would be just as comfortable and look a little nicer. He wasn’t sure he agreed with that, but Blake seemed to like it, and it wasn’t as though he had much of a choice.

              “Good work today,” Marcus said, leaning against the nearby lockers and crossing his arms over his chest.

              Dylan was sitting on the bench between locker rows and was busy tying his shoes. He looked up, giving Marcus, a small smile. “Thanks.”

              “I must admit, you picked this up a lot faster than I thought you would.” He didn’t sound accusing, just amused.

              Dylan finished tying his shoes and stood up, straightening his jeans. “I’m just a fast learner.”

              He shook his head. “Nah, man. It’s more than that. You’ve got potential. You keep it up; you could lead patrols of your own.”

              Dylan looked up at him, surprised. “Really?” He had only been working as a member of the shadow guard for two weeks. He was surprised they would trust him enough to give him a leadership position. Especially so soon.

              Marcus chuckled and nodded his head. The sound was deep and pleasant, like his voice in general. “Yes, really. We could use more people like you. Most of our guard are just shifters who have nothing better to do. You really seem to know and care about what you’re doing.”

              Dylan shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. “I just want to keep people safe.” He said unpretentiously. It wasn’t a lie. The whole point of his job as a Navy SEAL was to protect individuals and his nation’s security. Protecting people was drilled into him.

              Marcus nodded. “I’m proud to work alongside you.” He held out a hand, and Dylan took it. They grasped forearms. “We’re talking about altering the patrol routes soon. I’d like for you to attend the meeting. It’s usually just for patrol leaders, but I think we could benefit from your opinion.” His smile was so sincere that Dylan felt a pang of guilt. “And I’d like to start grooming you for a patrol leadership position.”

              Dylan gave him a small smile, trying to hide his guilt. “I’d be honored, Marcus. Really.” Despite his personal feelings on the matter, he couldn’t let such an opportunity pass him by. He would get firsthand knowledge of patrol routes and possibly influence over them. He didn’t want the new routes to go anywhere near his own team’s base of operations. Not to mention he might be privy to other sensitive information that could be useful.

              Marcus nodded, releasing his forearm. “I’ll let you know when the next meeting is.”

              “Sounds good.”

              He turned and started to walk away. Then he paused and turned back around. “Oh, before I forget. Lucy wanted me to ask if you and Blake wanted to go on a double date sometime?”

              Dylan tried not to cringe. He liked Marcus and Lucy. They were friendly people. He also liked Blake, most of the time, but in any situation where he could get away with being overly affectionate, Blake did. It was almost like a game to him. To see how far he could go before Dylan would push him away. And Dylan hardly ever did, far too conscious of keeping up appearances. A double date would no doubt give Blake more than enough opportunities to get on his nerves.

              “I’ll talk to Blake about it.” He said, and Marcus nodded and gave him a thumbs-up before turning on his heel and striding away. When he was around the corner, Dylan sighed. He knew Blake was going to say yes. There was no point in trying to hide it from him. He would figure out eventually.

              He closed his locker and left the shadow guard headquarters, headed back toward the main building. It was another cloudy day in Scotland, but it didn’t threaten rain. There were people of all ages in the field, relaxing or playing games, enjoying the hour before sunset. He climbed the steps to the front doors quickly and took the grand staircase steps two at a time. He paused at the floor where Blake worked and pulled out his phone. It was a hand me down smartphone Blake had gotten for him.

              Blake’s shift ended in about ten minutes.

              Shoving the phone back in his pocket, he headed down the halls toward the surveillance room. He passed a few people, giving them a half smile and a small nod as he passed. He wasn’t sure if they knew him or if he knew them, but Blake had taught him that it never hurt to give casual greetings and make small eye contact. It did wonders for making himself more likable and less suspicious, and so far he found it to be true.

              He stopped outside the door marked “security” and unclipped his ID badge from his belt. His ID doubled as a security card that granted him access to several places that were off limits to the general public. Being a member of the shadow guard had its perks. One of those perks was having access to other aspects of security, including surveillance rooms. He swiped his card through the scanner and heard the deadbolt unlock. He pushed the door open.

              The room was, as usual, somewhat dark. He waited a moment for his eyes to adjust. There were several consoles around the room, but they were all empty. The main console was at the far end of the room, where a wall of screens was displayed. Each screen showed a feed from a different camera. At the large console sat two men: Blake and the smaller, red-haired fox shifter named Reggie.

              Reggie glanced up, smiled, and went back to his laptop. “Hey, Dylan.”

              At that, Blake glanced up briefly, a wide grin spreading across his lips. “Hey, babe.”

              Dylan moved across the room and came to stand behind Blake’s chair. He was playing some fast paced Tetris game. His fingers darted around the arrow keys and his other hand occasionally slapped at the spacebar.

              “Are you winning?” Dylan asked as he leaned over the back of the hair. He rested his elbows on the back of it and leaned down, so his head was resting atop Blake’s. Dylan crossed his forearms over Blake’s shoulders, letting his hands hang loosely clasped over his chest. He was watching the screen, so he noticed when the man’s efficient and calculated movements hesitated. That hesitation was enough to cause a few bad moves, and the board started to stack up.

              “I was.” He said. Though Dylan couldn’t see his face, he heard the slight grimace of concentration in his voice. “You smell like wet fur.”

              “Our patrol took us by the beaches today.”

              “So you ran through the water?”

              Dylan shrugged, the movement causing his arms to move on Blake’s chest. “Maybe.”

              The man chuckled. “You’re all a bunch of pups.” Dylan watched as he struggled a little longer. Before actually losing, he sighed and stopped playing. He closed his laptop and relaxed back into his chair. “You’re very distracting, you know.”

              “I wasn’t doing anything,” Dylan argued.

              “You don’t have to.” Blake tilted his head back, looking up at him. Dylan lifted his head and glanced down at him. He was smiling that small, serene smile that he tended to get when they were alone. Well, they weren’t necessarily alone now, but close enough. Reggie wasn’t paying them any mind. Dylan knew the movement was coming long before Blake actually moved. Still, the man moved slowly, giving Dylan plenty of warning as he reached up and gently ran his fingers through Dylan’s hair. Blake pulled him down to press their lips together in a gentle and quick kiss.

              As much as Dylan hated to admit it, he was getting used to the small kisses and the soft touches. Part of him realized that Blake had been conditioning him to readily accept such shows of affection, but he was also logical enough to understand that it was for the best. It was necessary for their charade to keep going, and although he had been reluctant at first, Blake was a good kisser. He was also more handsome than Dylan wanted to give him credit for. If he was going to be stuck in a fake relationship, he could have done worse. It was easier to accept it whenever Blake kissed him than to fight it.