The Winter Moon's Wolf Part 3

"He said he was going to be at home for the next three days, watching TV. Alone."

"Why do that when we have this?" Ed motioned over his head, getting a scoffing laugh from people.

"You're only here because you want the rest of the ham, Ed. Don't think I don't know that," Jamie pointed out good-naturedly.

"Busted!" Maya cried.

Ed arched an eyebrow at her where she snuggled up against Quade's front. She stuck her tongue out at him. She knew she was safe.

He faced Duncan. "And that that is why I'm gay." is why I'm gay."

"b.u.t.thead."

"Gee, she does fit in, doesn't she?" Cade shot to his brother, snickering wholeheartedly.

"If we ever played football, it wouldn't be shirts and skins. It would be smarta.s.ses and the men men." Ed grinned right at the fiery redhead.

"Okay, now wait a minute." Jamie stood, scowling. "Which team would that put me on?"

Chris encircled him from behind around the waist. "Baby, if you have to ask," he teased.

Maya started giggling behind her hand.

"Just you wait, fur ball," Jamie groused, but not too threateningly. It was pretty clear Chris would never hurt a hair on Jamie's head.

"Are we getting fed this morning or what?" Quade asked.

"Yeah, yeah." Jamie sighed and Chris let him go. "Set the table. It's ready."

"Your wish," Chris said, not terribly loud, but Dean caught it. It came across like a sensual caress.

Dean bit his lip. d.a.m.n, being alone sucked. Being lonely in a room full of people, especially when one of those people really turned him on and was utterly off limits, sucked the hardest.

Chapter Three.

Cade was fighting his wolf's insistence. Since he'd opened the door to the man, his wolf had been pacing inside, determined and almost aggressive with his adamancy. All Cade knew was it was wrong. He was being a friend. Dean was not his mate.

He couldn't be.

"Oh, man. This is good."

Cade peeked to his side. Dean was in epicurean heaven. His eyelids hovered half-closed, slowly enjoying what he was eating. The sheer pleasure on his features said everything.

"The ham?" Ed asked.

"Mm hm," he replied, too engrossed to actually speak.

Ed smiled smugly. Cade spotted Jamie's satisfied pleasure accompanied by a light blush on his face.

"Thanks, guys."

"What did you do to it?"

"What? And give away my secret?" he said mysteriously, ruining it by laughing. "It's actually something simple. I injected it."

"With what? Pork crack?" Ed stuck a thick slice on a biscuit and tore into it. "I'm addicted."

"It's a broth injection. The details will go to the grave with me."

"d.a.m.n." Maya sighed. "Can't I bribe you? This beats my Nana's and that's hard to do."

Dean shifted on his chair following conversation and his leg brushed Cade's under the table. Cade swallowed abruptly at the contact, the food on his tongue becoming a sudden lump. It went down feeling like a rock as it hit his stomach. Heat flashed and burned. He knew it was innocent. They were side by side. It wasn't like he was playing with Cade under the table. Tremors shook his frame with the force of a small electrical current. He had to move. Suddenly he had to get away.

"Excuse me?" He jerkily stood and rushed from the room. Unsure where to go, he blindly opened the rear door. Once outside, he fell to the side of the house against his back, sucking hard breaths to clear his senses. The man's scent was infiltrating his pores. He scrubbed his hands over his face, clawing with mental fingernails to find his balance.

He was failing so badly, it wasn't funny.

"Hey, you okay?" Chris stood holding the door, watching with clear worry. "You hurt Jamie."

"What?" The rush of his heart was making his ears ring.

"Running out like that. He's been working for days for last night and this morning."

"No. No, no. It's... It's not him. Not the food." f.u.c.k. f.u.c.k. He covered his face. "I'm okay. Just...give me a minute." He covered his face. "I'm okay. Just...give me a minute."

Chris studied him, doubtful. "If you want to talk about something, you know Quade and I are here for you."

Cade nodded, staring at the tips of his shoes, at nothing. "Yeah." He shoved his fingers into his jeans pockets. He'd forgotten it was freezing out there. "I'll be there in a minute."

Chris waited for a drawn out moment then, thankfully, went inside without demanding explanations. He knew he didn't have one to give. Cade knew he was being an a.s.s. There was no reason for him to act this way. He didn't know how to explain it. How to describe the heat. The need... He groaned, his head resting with a dull thud against the outer wood. Yes. Need Need. He had no idea what it was or what to do about any of it. He'd never even kissed a man. He repeated the cranial thwacks against the side of the house. He didn't know how to deal with this, or his wolf.

So he ran.

It wasn't like Dean was throwing himself at him. For all he knew, the man was straight. Accepting, but straight. He hadn't given any signs otherwise. His breath left him to make a bl.u.s.tery cloud on a harsh exhale.

This was so wrong. He liked Dean. As a friend. Only Only as a friend. as a friend.

The door opened. Expecting Chris again, or Jamie, he couldn't have been more surprised to see Dean.

"Look, if my being here is that much of an issue-"

"f.u.c.k." It was a growl. "It's not- They all like you." It would have been so much easier if they hadn't.

Dean closed the door to stand with him, to talk privately. "You don't."

Cade felt two feet tall hearing the man say that. He'd never wanted to make him think he wasn't welcome, wasn't liked. Dean seemed to be a great guy. But he was still a guy guy. Cade was fighting against his wolf, horns locked liked two bulls, when there was no question. Not to his mind.

"I don't know why you invited me if you can't stand me."

Cade raked a hand through his hair, hitting the band and tugging against it. "I'm sorry. I swear..." He cleared his throat when it tightened, making him sound raw. "You're fine. It's me."

"Prove it. I almost didn't come because you gave this same vibe last night right before you left. I'm not stupid. You regretted it for some reason as soon as you offered. So let's cut through the bulls.h.i.t. Get your insane a.s.s back in here and finish." He sighed. "Then we'll leave and you'll never see me again."

With that parting message, he opened the door and went inside. Where it was warm. Where his brothers were probably wondering what had crawled up his a.s.s this morning.

Ed thought he'd been messed up last night.

Last night had nothing on today.

He had to get through his morning. He would drive Dean to his car and that would be the end of it. He'd never see the man again.

The echoing howl that decision produced almost drove him to his knees. He clutched his head. "No," he snapped. "You are wrong."

Battling his instincts and his wolf back into the shadows, he finally began to feel marginally in control again. He wiped a hand over his face, feeling the sheer cold on his skin. It bit at him, sharp and insistent.

Clouds of ice formed on the air with each panted breath. He shoved off the wall and reached for the doork.n.o.b. He didn't want to ruin the morning for anyone. Jamie had worked his a.s.s off to see last night's Christmas party a success. This morning was about family.

It was time he acted like he was a part of it.

He walked up behind Jamie's chair and leaned close enough to kiss his cheek. "I'm sorry, baby bro."

Jamie wrapped a hand upward to curl over his head. "It's okay. Go finish up." He nudged Cade to take his seat.

Next to Dean.

He nodded to Dean as he did, glancing around the table. "It's all good. Something I had to deal with."

Those at the table who knew, would suspect his wolf, but they would be so far off the mark guessing what what had agitated the beast. The question in Dean's gaze was the one that killed him. had agitated the beast. The question in Dean's gaze was the one that killed him.

No. Cade didn't dislike him. Didn't hate the man. Dean's opinion was so wrong, it was almost laughable.

He knew he should say something, but he couldn't, and not in front of a dozen eyes. Hopefully, he'd be able to find the right words by the time they were leaving, because it wasn't that long of a drive from Chris' to Cade's to try to correct the problems he was creating.

Dean relaxed on his chair, stuffed to his eyeb.a.l.l.s. He sipped on his coffee. "This was amazing. If this was some part of what you had last night, I'm jealous." He'd had a cold burger for dinner.

Jamie ticked off items on his fingers. "There was the ham sliced with cheese and crackers, sandwiches, bacon bombs, fruit slices and dips."

"Fudge and cookies," Maya offered.

"And don't forget the cider." Ed drained his mug with an appreciative slurp.

"Stop!" Dean held up a hand, laughing. "You're killing me."

"What happened last night? You said Cade helped you out." Chris pushed his cleaned plate forward.

"I own a bar in Ca.s.san, Gemini's. A birthday crowd showed up about ten thirty and refused to leave at close."

"So Cade growled at them, right?" Jamie teased, ducking when Cade tossed a bread crust at him. He pressed into Chris' shoulder, making a missed me missed me face in Cade's direction. face in Cade's direction.

"No. One of them tried to start a fight, and Cade shut it down. By the time Sheriff Archer arrived, he had all but three out in the parking lot. We straightened up the mess they'd made in trying to cause the fight, and then he asked me to come here this morning."

"We're glad nothing serious happened," Maya said with a generous smile.

"Any friend of Cade's is welcome here," Chris interjected.

Dean nodded, knowing it was the polite thing to say. He wasn't disillusioned enough to think he was really a friend. Cade had made it perfectly clear. He should have paid better attention and heeded the warning signs when he saw them last night, rather than doubt his own tired judgment.

"I appreciate that," he replied, keeping to the script. "I have to admit, you've got a good family here." That he did mean. He studied the table. "Brothers, friends, husbands, and girlfriends. Well, one girlfriend," he amended, tipping his head toward Maya. "How do you put up with all of them?"

She batted her lashes. "Practice. Lots and lots of practice."

Snickers and guffaws circled the table.

She squealed when Quade goosed her. At least he guessed that was what made her bounce like a rabbit on her chair.

He wasn't sure what was next, but there was definitely a laid back air to the morning.

"Cade, why don't you give Dean the tour?" That was Chris.

Cade sat a little straighter. "Oh, um. Sure." He faced Dean at the table. "Want to? You can meet the horses."

"Sure."

"Go ahead," Chris nudged, sharing a look with Cade that Dean couldn't decipher. "We'll clean up. Fresh coffee and cider when you come in should hit the spot."

Dean tipped his mug, getting the last drops. "If there's more of this, I'll do anything."

"Anything?" Ed mused, rubbing his chin with pure contemplative villainy.

Dean quickly lifted his hands. "Okay, maybe not quite anything anything."

"Nice save," Duncan murmured, humor coloring his words.

"C'mon." Cade tapped his shoulder. "We better run while the getting is good. I'll grab our coats."

Dean waited for him to return, b.u.t.toning up before he popped open the refrigerator to grab a few carrots. He followed through the rear door, both sauntering for the barn. Heavy clouds were building. It looked like the threat of Christmas snow was going to become a reality.