The Mobster's Mate by Kiki Clark

Author:Kiki Clark [Clark, Kiki]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rainbow Publishing LLC
Published: 2024-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

“What are you doing here, Caden?”

He grumbled and pressed even closer, burrowing as deeply into Quinten’s warmth as he could get, wishing he could disappear under his skin and sleep there for days. “Trying to sleep,” he mumbled.

“Caden,” Quinten said slowly, “why are you in my bed?”

“Smells better.” His sleepy brain felt like that answer was obvious, and he almost tacked on a duh but yawned instead.

Quinten didn’t respond right away, and he wasn’t touching Caden back. His body was stiff as a board, arms at his sides, and his scent was fluctuating like crazy.

Caden lifted his head up and squinted at him through bleary eyes. “What’s wrong?”

“You shouldn’t be in here,” Quinten said firmly, but his face softened as he looked at Caden.

Pain twisted in Caden’s chest. “Do you want me to leave?” he asked quietly.

It hoped desperately that he didn’t.

He knew that as soon as Quinten wrapped his arms around him, he’d be able to fall into a deep, dreamless sleep. His nap that afternoon hadn’t been all that restful, awful memories mixing with fears twisting up and producing nightmares that wouldn’t leave him be.

“You have your own bedroom. You don’t need to stay in mine.”

“I know… but I want to,” Caden said, frowning. “Do you want me to leave?”

He repeated the question, studying Quinten’s face, but he wasn’t giving anything away. Inhaling deeply, he did his best to decipher his scent. Quinten didn’t smell angry, just confused and tired with the lightest thread of arousal hidden way down deep.

Was that why he was making such a fuss? Did he think Caden would be upset?

Silly human.

Caden snuggled back down and threw his leg over one of Quinten’s, pressing himself as close as he could possibly get into his warm, fragrant skin and sighing happily.

Quinten groaned, his fingers wrapping around one of Caden’s biceps and squeezing.

For a second, he thought Quinten was going to push him away, that he’d separate their bodies and demand Caden get out of his bed, out of his room, maybe even out of his house. That he’d overstepped and broken some sacred human rule.

In the shifter world, when you needed comfort, you got it from your pack, those you felt safest with. Even if he didn’t have a pack, Quinten made him feel safe, so he’d followed his nose and his instincts and come back to his bed to wait for him.

He didn’t shove him away.

Quinten let out a slow breath, and his fingers relaxed. So slowly Caden thought he was imagining it at first, Quinten’s hand slid up until it crested his shoulder before slipping over until he was cupping the back of Caden’s neck. Then he squeezed.

Caden whimpered.

He couldn’t help it.

He felt like… he didn’t even know. It was almost like a cub being held securely by somebody of authority in his pack. He wasn’t a cub, but… that’s what it reminded him of. The firm hold, maybe a gentle shake for attention. Though there was a possessiveness in Quinten’s grip that didn’t remind him of being a cub at all.

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