Glenn, Stormy - Love Sexy [True Blood Mate 3] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) (20 page)

“Sshhh, baby, it’s okay,”
Logan whispered through their bond, which surprised Love. He would have thought that would be the last thing Logan would have done considering what happened when Love used their bond.

“I don’t know what happened, Logan.” Love leaned back so he could look into Logan’s deep amber eyes. “You said I could send you my thoughts. That’s all I was doing.”

“I know.” Logan’s hand stroked down the side of Love’s face. “I don’t know exactly what happened, but for some reason you were able to send your thoughts out to everyone in the room.”

“I’m sorry.” Love swallowed past the lump in his throat that formed when he saw the look of adoration that came into Logan’s eyes. Maybe he hadn’t screwed up that badly. “I won’t do it again.”

“Love, baby,” Logan said softly as he brushed the hair back from Love’s face. “I know you didn’t mean to do anything. Even Asher and Darren know that. This wasn’t your fault.”

“But—”

“No buts, Love. Something significant happened here, and we’ll figure it out together, okay?”

Love nodded and buried his face in Logan’s neck. He didn’t know what happened. He knew his mother could sometimes foresee things. She called it her “gut feeling.” Love didn’t inherit that particular trait from his mother. He couldn’t foretell crap.

And, apparently, he couldn’t talk telepathically with his mate, either. Love felt like crying. It was all he could do to keep his tears locked up inside his eyes. Hearing Logan speak to him in his mind had seemed so intimate. While it kind of scared him, he had also been excited by the prospect. He wanted to be able to have that something special with Logan.

But now he was afraid to use it. What if he hurt Logan again? What if he hurt Asher or Darren again? The big alpha would only take so many of Love’s screw ups before he kicked Love to the curb. Asher had other people to protect.

“Say something to me, baby, but say it softly,”
Logan whispered in his mind.

Love frowned and leaned back so he could see Logan’s face. “What do you want me to say?” he asked out loud.

“No, Love, say something through our bond.”

“No.” Love shook his head. He refused to use something that could potentially hurt someone.

“Love, please.”

“No!”

“Love, listen to your mate.”

Love turned to glare at the alpha. He figured he was in deep enough trouble. A glare would be overlooked. When Asher arched an eyebrow at him, Love knew he had guessed wrong. He quickly turned back to Logan and prayed the alpha would let it go.

“I don’t want to hurt you again.”

“Then speak softly, Love. Don’t yell.”

Love frowned. “Is that what you think happened? I was yelling?”

“Were you?”

Love nodded.

“So.” Logan grinned. “Speak softly to me this time.”

Love drew in a deep breath then let it out slowly. He looked up into Logan’s amber colored eyes and prayed his mate was right. If Logan was wrong and Love hurt him again, he swore he would ever use it again.

“I love you,”
Love whispered through their bond as softly as he could.

Love’s mouth dropped open when his big, strong, dominant mate’s eyes filled with tears. He instantly thought he had hurt his mate again until a brilliant smile began to cross Logan’s lips.

“I love you, too, Love.”

Chapter 14

Logan rolled over and immediately knew his mate wasn’t in bed with him. The mattress beside him was cold. He sat up and looked around the room. Nothing seemed out of place, and he couldn’t hear anything. Panic started to fill him.

“Love,”
he asked through their bond,
“where are you?”

“I’m in the kitchen with Matt, Drea, and Darren,”
Love replied softly.
“Why don’t you come join us? I’ll make you breakfast.”

Logan couldn’t pass up a deal like that. He was a horrible cook. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He quickly grabbed for his clothes and started getting dressed. As soon as he pulled his boots on he headed for the kitchen.

Logan had practiced talking telepathically through the mating bond with Love several times over the last couple of days. Love was getting better at it every day. He just spoke really softly. So far, only Logan could hear Love talking telepathically.

Logan still hadn’t figured out what exactly happened when Love yelled. Logan had felt like his head was going to explode as Love’s scream bounced around inside his head. He just hoped Love didn’t do it again.

Asher was still anxious about what happened and ordered Logan to practice often with Love so it didn’t happen again. Logan knew it was more because of the pain Darren endured and less because of what happened. Asher wouldn’t allow anything to hurt his mate.

Logan could hear laughter from the kitchen as he rounded the corner of the hallway. Love’s voice was high and animated. Logan was incredibly curious as to what the four men were doing that could amuse them so much.

He paused in the doorway, his eyes instantly seeking out his mate. Love was sitting on the kitchen counter, swinging his legs. He was waving his hand in the air for emphasis as he talked.

“No, really, you should have seen this guy.” Love laughed. “He screamed bad wannabe leather daddy, right down to the leather pants and bad pickup lines. He wanted me to exchange the lollipop I was sucking on for his dick.”

Logan frowned. He didn’t like the sound of that. “He who?”

“Mick Red.” Love started laughing harder. “You should have seen him. I mean, I don’t usually mind dancing with anyone. I love to dance. But this guy, he just wouldn’t take no for an answer. If Logan hadn’t shown up, I don’t know what I would have done.”

“And you’re laughing about it?” Logan asked. He didn’t see the humor in the situation. Mick Red had accosted Love. He had tried to drag him away. And that was before he even kidnapped them both.

“Oh, honey, you don’t understand,” Love said as he gestured for Logan to come closer.

Logan crossed the room and grabbed the chair right next to Love. He swung it around and straddled it. “So, explain it to me then.”

“I was just telling the guys here how I met Mick,” Love said. “He was at Reed’s bar. I was sucking on a lollipop when Mick walked up and propositioned me.”

“And that’s when the fight started,” Matt said.

“Fight?” Logan stared over at Matt. “What fight?”

Love started laughing again. “The one where I kicked Reed for the first time.”

Logan’s mouth dropped open. “You kicked my brother?”

“Yeah.” Love held up two fingers. “Twice, got him right in the shin, too.”

“Why would you kick my brother?”

“He made my ears slip.” Love crossed arms over his stomach as his laughter overcame him.

Logan started to chuckle. Love’s laugher filled him with joy. For a man that had been so sad a few days ago, watching Love laugh now made Logan’s heart feel lighter. He promised himself to try and do everything he could to bring this kind of joy to Love as often as he could.

“You’ve had a busy week then, Love.”

“Right?” Love chuckled. “I just wanted to get away for a few days during spring break. Instead, I meet my mate, get kidnapped by some coyote leather daddy shifter, and killed him. I learned I can talk telepathically and pissed off the alpha of a wolf clan. I’m just waiting to see what next week brings.”

“You’re never boring, Love,” Drea said. “I’ve got to give you that.”

“Boring is overrated,” Love said.

“Well, do me a favor, Love,” Logan said, “and try and be a little boring for a few more days. Until we know this threat from the coyotes is over, I need to have all of my attention on that. No getting into any trouble until things calm down.”

Logan knew he was in trouble the moment Love’s lower lip slipped out. Love slid off the counter and stepped over to Logan. He swung his leg over Logan’s and sat down on his lap, his arms wrapping around Logan’s neck.

“It’s not like I plan these things, Logan.”

“No, trouble is just attracted to you, Love,” Matt said.

Love rolled his eyes.

“Baby, please, just do your best, huh?”

“I’ll try.” Love grinned. “That’s all I can promise.”

Logan’s sigh was interrupted by a loud crash and the sound of voices from the other room. Logan instantly stood up and stepped in front of Love then motioned for the other men to get behind him as well.

He heard another noise and turned to see Love leaning over the kitchen counter to grab one of the cutting knives. He instantly bounded back to stand next to Logan, knife clutched tightly in his hand. When he arched an eyebrow at Love, the man snorted.

“Don’t even think about it,” Love said. “We’re in this together, remember?”

Logan grinned and turned back to face whatever was coming through the door. He wasn’t expecting an older woman with long black hair and skirts that reached the floor and swirled around her legs as she stormed into the room.

He certainly didn’t expect Love to squeal loudly, drop the knife, and run across the room before he could stop him.

“Mom!”

“Mom?” Logan whispered.

Love was bouncing and hugging and talking a million miles a minute. Logan was having trouble keeping up as Love told his mother everything that had happened to him in the last week. Logan winced a couple of times when Moon Star glared over at him.

“Come meet Logan,” Love said as he grabbed his mother’s hand and dragged her across the room.

Logan nodded, trying not to show how nervous he was. Love cared about his mother a great deal. If she disapproved of him, Logan didn’t know what Love’s reaction would be.

Moon star looked him up and down. Logan couldn’t tell from her expression how she felt. “You’re the man that allowed my son to be kidnapped?”

“Mom!”

“Uh, not exactly,” Logan said, ignoring Love’s outburst, “but it was my fault. I didn’t protect Love adequately. It won’t happen again.”

“Hmm.”

That didn’t sound good. Logan took a quick look at Love to see how he was taking his mother’s attitude. Love looked like a ping pong ball, glancing back and forth between them, his lower lip caught between his teeth.

Logan reached into his pocket and pulled out a lollipop, something he carried around with him all the time now. He held it out to Love. “Here, baby.”

Love snatched it up. His eyes were huge as he unwrapped the lollipop and put it in his mouth. Logan waited for his usual groan, frowning when it didn’t come. Logan knew it was because Love’s mother was in the room and turned back to glare at her only to find her eyes on Love.

“You give him candy?”

“Love likes lollipops.”

“He’s a grown man, not a child.” She waved her hand at Love’s head. “And take those ridiculous ears off your head. It’s not Halloween.”

Logan growled when Love’s face paled and he started to reach for the ears on his head. He quickly reached over and grabbed Love’s arm and pulled the smaller man up against his body, wrapping a protective arm around him.

“You’re absolutely right,” Logan said. “Love is a grown man, and as such, he can wear fuzzy ears and suck on lollipops if he wants to. It’s not ridiculous if Love likes it.”

Moon Star arched an eyebrow. Logan glared back. He understood that she was Love’s mother and he loved her very much, but no one got to talk about Love that way or make him feel bad, not even Moon.

“Do you think it’s appropriate for the mate of a beta to be wearing fake ears and sucking on lollipops?” Moon asked. “What will your clan say? Or your alpha?”

“I don’t care. It’s not up to them. It’s up to Love.”

“Or you,” Moon snickered. It was not a good look on the woman.

“Actually, no, it’s not up to me. It’s only up to Love, but if it’s something he wants, I will ensure that he gets it.”