Everything That You Are (13 page)

Michael let out a relieved breath, feeling the tension of the moment pass, but not the shadows from
Kaden’s
eyes. He wanted to reach out to him, comfort him, and the urge to do so soon became an undeniable need.

He walked forward, not stopping until he was only inches away and could feel the heat wafting from the younger man’s skin. He could smell his provocative scent, which reminded him of the intimacy they had shared the other morning.
Kaden’s
eyes widened as he traced the movement of Michael’s hand as it slowly rose to his face.

Michael
hovered
his hand just above the man’s cheek for several seconds, wanting to give him a chance to pull back if he wasn’t ready for his touch, but
Kaden
didn’t move. Finally, he cupped his cheek, marvelling at the softness of his skin and the quickening of his breath. He was able to detect small bursts of emotion, numerous but fleeting.

Desire was easily recognisable, but the others he found harder to read. He could only liken them to feelings he had experienced during certain periods of his life. One emotion reminded him of the time that he had run off and got lost from the rest of his pack following his first shift. He had been terrified then.

Oh no.

“Are you scared of me?” Michael asked gently. The boy ducked his head and his emotions suddenly shifted. They began to fade, and Michael was barely able to make out confusion and…shame
?…
before they disappeared behind those shadows. He concentrated on filling his being with as much confidence and love as he could. He felt the other man stiffen but Michael pulled him into his arms and held him there before
Kaden
could move away.

Their embrace was awkward at first. Michael was finding it almost impossible to radiate feelings of comfort while fighting his own demanding arousal. After a few minutes, however, he gradually began to loosen the restraint he held on his emotions when he realised that the man still wasn’t responding to him.

He wanted to bring him peace, but they were mates. They should be able to find comfort in their attraction to each other. He wanted his mate to accept all of him, and with that thought, he let go of his inhibitions and poured everything he was feeling into his mate.

The most amazing little sigh came from the mouth resting on his chest and he almost jumped in joy as thin arms wrapped themselves around his tapered waist and squeezed. His cock jerked against the seam of his pants, begging for attention, but this wasn’t about him.

He could wait. This was about the hesitant creature he’d longed for over countless nights. He never wanted the moment to end but, all too soon, he felt those arms loosen and slip down, and he reluctantly stepped away, relinquishing his hold.

 
As empty as his arms suddenly felt, the sight of the bulge in the front of the jeans
Kaden
wore more than made up for it. A becoming blush and a sexier-than-hell innocent glance of violet eyes through long, blond lashes almost had him coming in his pants. Damn, his mate was gorgeous!

Michael turned swiftly around before he did something a little less than chivalrous and bent to rummage through the backpack. He tossed
Kaden
a bottle of water and said, “Okay, enough of the past. I only have one and a half more weeks to win you over. Time’s a-
wastin
’.”

Kaden
let out a burst of laughter as Michael grinned lecherously at him.

“So…what do you have planned now?”

Chapter Five

“Has anyone taught you about Mother Earth yet?” Michael took
Kaden’s
frown as a ‘no’ and grabbed a bottle for himself. He spent the next several hours exploring the landscape with his mate.

He explained to him that all
weres
felt a pull to commune with Mother Earth, to establish a relationship with her that would seal a bond that went soul-deep. Once Mother Earth accepted them, became familiar with them, she would give a piece of herself to allow for the shift, just as the shifter gave up a part of his being when he took his other form.

He questioned
Kaden
as to whether he’d felt urges similar to those that plagued all
weres
upon reaching adulthood. From his halting admission and description of what he’d experienced in the past, Michael felt confident that the man could indeed shift but wasn’t quite ready for it yet.

He told him that they didn’t always hunt when they took their wolf forms. Sometimes, when Mother Earth called too strongly for them to resist, they would go on treks that could last days, or even weeks. Most werewolves would remain in their wolf forms for the entire duration, but it was necessary to be aware of which plants could be used for medicinal purposes and how to find fresh water.

At first, Michael was afraid that he might overload his mate with information, but there was quite a bit he was already familiar with, thanks to his sister’s power and her insistence that she share her knowledge with him. The enthusiasm with which
Kaden
seemed to soak up everything else, though, was encouraging.

Michael recalled the endless summer days his father had spent with him, teaching him the same lessons, going over the uses of each plant time and time again, until he had them memorised. Although most of those times had been good, they were nothing compared to the excitement he took in teaching his mate.
Kaden’s
eagerness and innocence made each lesson a new experience for him as well.

And his intelligence was astounding!

Michael supposed that if
Kaden
had been around seventeen while working in that club, chances were he’d never finished high school. The fact that he now sacrificed so much of his time and money to ensure that his sister received a proper education at home spoke volumes about his dedication to family.

On their hike back down to the little alcove, Michael began to point out plants and berries he had identified on the way up and felt his chest swell with every correct answer
Kaden
gave. On his best day, when his father had been teaching him, Michael couldn’t have retained as much information as his mate had. He complimented
Kaden
repeatedly and would occasionally touch his arm or cheek to let him know that his words were sincere.

Kaden
seemed to glow from the praise. He was once again the kid that had danced with his mom, so carefree, the other morning.

Michael hadn’t realised how happy he was that this time
he
had been the one to cause his mate to show so much exuberance until
Kaden
caught him with a huge, sloppy grin on his face. They had just arrived back when
Kaden
turned to look at him with a frowning smile.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

Michael felt his grin stretch into a full-fledged smile and shook his head. “You’re beautiful. And smart. And this has been the best day of my life since my mom introduced me to her double-chocolate brownies when I was a kid.”

Kaden
rolled his eyes but kept smiling, which was all that mattered to Michael. He started pulling their shorts from the bag and asked, “Ready to go swimming? The water should be great about now. Afterwards, we can…” Michael cut off his sentence as he saw
Kaden
hugging himself with a look of fear in his eyes. He immediately dropped the clothes and walked over to him but the man side-stepped out of his reach. “
Kaden
, what’s wrong?”

Kaden
hid his face behind his long fall of
bangs,
a pose Michael was beginning to realise was his way of hiding from the world…or from difficult questions. Michael stepped closer and gently placed two fingers under his chin, lifting his face, but
Kaden
stubbornly kept his eyes lowered.

“Baby, if I say anything wrong, you’ve got to let me know. I want to know everything about you, including what you don’t like.”

“Including my scars?”
Kaden
whispered.

Michael tried to understand what his mate was getting at, when the answer came to him. “You don’t want me to see your scars.” Michael could see the barely restrained tears held back by his thick lashes, and pulled him into a hug. “There is nothing about you that I don’t find attractive. Those scars may have been made in pain, but they’re part of who you are, and I want all of you, not just the good aspects. Besides, if you got those scars because of my neglect, then they should be on my body. Would you think any less of me if they were?”

“No!” The response was immediate. “But you would never let someone do this to you. You’re not weak like I am.” His soft-spoken words held a wealth of self-contempt and Michael had to rein in his temper, afraid
Kaden
would mistakenly perceive his anger as directed at him.

Michael pulled away to grip his mate’s shoulders.
Kaden
still refused to look him in the eye.
“You.
Are.
Not.
Weak.
You’re one of the strongest men I’ve ever met, and you didn’t
let
someone do that to you. There will always be another who is stronger and meaner than any of us. It doesn’t make us weak, and everyone needs a little protection every once in a while.
Even me.”

“I’m not strong…”

“Really?
How many people do you know can grow up alienated from those that should have protected them, support their families, raise a teenage girl, survive a hell no one should have to endure only to do something productive and kind with a gift that was abused, and still be able to smile? If you think that kind of strength can be found in just anyone, you’re wrong.”

Kaden
shuffled and squirmed out of his grasp. “Please, I just…I can’t.”

Michael relented, not wanting to push his mate too far. “Okay, no swimming.
At least not today.”
He stepped forward again and bent to kiss
Kaden’s
forehead, then took his hand and led him over to the tree the backpack was laid against. He put the shorts back in and took out the sandwiches he’d packed, handing one to
Kaden
before leaning back against the tree and starting in on his own.

They ate in comfortable silence, enjoying the heat of the sun and the sound of the wind blowing through the trees.
Kaden
had only taken four bites when his eyes began to droop closed. Michael suppressed the urge to tell him to eat more, not wanting to take the chance of breaking the pleasant mood, and opened his arms in invitation.

Kaden
hesitated at the gesture and chewed adorably at his bottom lip before setting aside his food and laying his head down on Michael’s lap. The moment the man’s head grazed his crotch, fire raced through his body and he could feel his cock come to life.

It took him several moments to breathe through his sudden arousal, which he was sure
Kaden
was fully aware of, before he could relax again and enjoy the feel of the slight weight pressing into him.

“Thank you,” he said.

“For what?”
Kaden
asked sleepily.

“For giving me this.
For giving me you.”
He stared down in wonder at the young man he was beginning to admire more and more, for both his strength and his courage. He stroked the blond locks away from his beautiful face and became fascinated with the soft texture of the strands.

After a while, he felt
Kaden’s
breathing even out, indicating he had fallen asleep. He wanted to stay awake to revel in the feel of his mate lying so restfully in his lap, but soon his own eyelids began to droop, and he gave in to the tranquillity of the moment.

* * * *

The sun was setting by the time they arrived back at the house, lighting the clouds afire in vibrant shades of purples, pinks and yellows. He’d kept in constant physical contact with
Kaden
during the return trip, delighting in every peek of emotion he was able to discern.

It was becoming easier now, but he wasn’t sure if that was because of their growing bond or because the smaller man was consciously letting his guard down. Either way, he was grateful for it.

His hand now rested on
Kaden’s
forearm and he squeezed it gently to wake him up as his driveway came into view. The pup must have been exhausted from the past several days’ events.

“Wake up, sweetheart. We’re home.” It felt so good to say that, even if it was a little pre-emptive. Michael parked the truck just as
Kaden
opened his eyes and blinked blearily at him. “Feel like going to bed, or do you want to stay up and watch a movie? I can order some pizza if you’d like.”

The young man furrowed his brow, then opened and closed his mouth several times.

“
Kaden
?
What is it?”

Kaden
hesitated for a few more seconds before asking, “Why are you being so nice to me?”

Michael was slightly taken aback by the question, but quickly recovered. “You’re my mate.” He continued hastily before
Kaden
could get out the argument he could see forming on his face.
“Because you make me feel good.
I was a fool when we first met. I thought that being mated would take my independence from me, force me to take on responsibilities I didn’t think I was ready for yet, and I didn’t give myself the chance to realise what a great person you are. Wait!” he said before the man could voice his next objection.