Page 173 of Labor of Love

“I did, and it was like all the others. Someone in a crowd who was there. I’ve lived for centuries, Kael, and all that time, I have waited for you. I grew tired of it, though. I began to think that you would never appear. Of course, I’ve had sex with others, but the pleasure was fleeting, because there were no emotions behind it. No affection, no attachment. Tonight was the same. I fucked some guy I barely remember.” Anatoly glanced at Kael, noticed him watching. “I’ve been waiting for you, Kael, only I never thought we’d meet and certainly not right after I’d been with someone else. I’m sorry for that.”

“Would you be with others if we mated?”

Anatoly immediately answered. “Not at all. I would never cheat on you. You’re mine, and I’m yours. Just the two of us.” Anatoly watched Kael slowly close his eyes. “Tired?”

“A little, but I want to talk with you more.”

“Tell me about your family.” Anatoly snuggled closer, aware the temperature was dropping as they sat on the ground. “I assume you still live at home.”

“With my parents, Todd and Sherry, and younger brother. Aled, my brother, said we should run away, but Sylvester would hurt my parents.”

“Why don’t you all leave?”

“This is home, and we have friends here. We’d have to travel miles away to another state, or we’d be handed back to Silver Tree. That’s my pack, by the way. If that happened, Sylvester would hurt my parents. I couldn’t live with that, so we stayed.”

“I can make a claim on you.” Anatoly tucked Kael’s hair behind his ear. “We’re mates. I can come and claim you. That would delay your mating to this Nigel.”

“That wouldn’t stop them. A lot of money will change hands once I’ve mated Nigel. Enough to help the pack out. We’re broke, and we’re suffering. I don’t want people to go without because I didn’t mate Nigel.”

“How much money are we talking about?”

Kael bit his lip as he watched Anatoly. “Five hundred thousand after we’ve mated, then another five hundred thousand when I’ve given him an alpha.”

“I’ve been around a long time, Kael, and I have more money than I can count. If it is a question of money, then I can pay for you.”

Kael sniffed and shook his head, then wiped his face as fresh tears spilled. “I never wanted it to be this way. I dreamed of meeting you and it being this romantic event, and here we are on the ground talking about paying for me.”

“Like a piece of furniture,” Anatoly murmured.

“And Matlin wants to fuck me before Nigel. Only I have to keep quiet about that or he’ll hurt my family.”

“And who is this Matlin?” What was it with this pack wanting to have sex with his mate?

“Beta of my pack. He’s creepy and smells of stale cheese.” Kael suddenly laughed. “I hate my life.”

“Your life has barely begun, and I’m here now. You’re my mate. We’ll figure this out.” Kael leaned on Anatoly and yawned. “Rest for a while. I’ll keep watch over you.”

“I should go home.” Kael moved closer, sighing softly when Anatoly turned toward him and wrapped both arms around him.

“Five minutes to relax. You’ve had a stressful day. Let me offer you some comfort.”

“I don’t know you.” The words were soft and low, and Anatoly could hear sleep in them. Kael murmured something, then his breathing evened out, and Anatoly held him. He’d give him these few moments to rest?—

A wolf stepped out from behind a tree and came closer, its snout in the air. Anatoly watched it watch him. Then Kael lifted a hand, and the wolf approached. Anatoly watched the wolf sniff his mate’s hand, then butt its head against it. Kael chuckled softly and scratched the wolf behind its ear.

“Bella,” he whispered. “She’s a member of the wolf pack that lives in the forest. I’ve known her since she was born. I like to come out here to think, so they’re used to me now. I’ve even played with their pups.”

“You like it here.”

“Here is home. Or it was.”

“It can be if you want it to be.” Kael straightened, pulling away from Anatoly. Bella came closer, her head rubbing against Kael. She turned her bright eyes on Anatoly, gave a soft growl, then turned and loped away. “I take it she likes me?”

“She gave you a warning not to hurt me. She must know who we are to each other.”

“I know we’ve just met, Kael, but you have to know I won’t sit back and watch you mate someone else.”

“Can we stop talking about it for now? Please. I can’t.”

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