Mark's Not Gay [Brac Pack 11] (3 page)

Mark stopped himself and stepped back.

“Oh, what kind of shop?” Caden slid into a seat at the table, watching Mark as if his every word were gospel.
This isn’t right
was screaming inside of Mark’s head.

“Auto. Trucks and motorcycles. I do specialty work.” Mark slid into the chair across from him. He really did like that someone was interested in his life even if that someone was screwing with his brain patterns.

Isolating himself from everyone around him did get lonely at times, but the fear of them walking away, leaving him, made him keep his distance. Except for Tangee, Mark had let him in, and the guy ended up leaving as predicted. Not that Mark had ever been sexually interested in the guy.

Never a guy—until now.

“We have a bunch of them out front that could probably use a tune-up.”

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Mark threw his hands up, laughing. “Hey, I’m on vacation. No trying to put me to work.”

Caden lowered his head, clearly blushing. “Sorry.”

“No big deal, dude. Just trying to relax a few days before all the craziness begins.” Why did it bother Mark that Caden felt bad? “I’m gonna head up to my room. It was nice meeting you, Caden.” He needed space to breath, to think. Mark slid his chair in under the table and left the man behind that made him feel things he’d never experienced before.

* * * *

“You, too, Mark.” Caden turned, watching as his mate walked away.

The man was a god.

He was big, strong, and muscular. Caden rested his chin on his hand, thinking about those big, dreamy grass-green eyes. What did his mate like? What was his life like? He seemed like a real easygoing person, a real nice guy.

Caden didn’t like the fact that his mate lived in the city and owned his own business there. How would he live here if he had to go that far to work? He shivered at the thought of those big tattooed arms wrapped around him.

He heard a noise behind him, and seconds later Johnny walked into the kitchen. “And what are you doing up so late, Mr. Stone?” Johnny rolled his eyes. “Hawk sent me down for something to drink ’cause sex makes him thirsty.” Caden shook his head as he laughed. “I don’t think he wants you telling people that.”

“Probably not. You meet Loco and Tangee’s friend?”

“I met Mark. He seems like a nice guy.”
Sexy as hell, too.

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“Too bad he isn’t gay. Says he doesn’t have a problem with gay people though.” Johnny grabbed the carton of orange juice and walked back upstairs.

Not gay?
How could that be? Caden sat there feeling devastated.

Mark wasn’t gay? He had to be. Fate wouldn’t do that to him, would it? His heart felt like it was being ripped right out of his chest.

Not gay.

Not gay.

Not gay.

It kept circling around in his head, mocking him. Maybe Johnny had heard him wrong?

Caden was dying to run upstairs, find which room Mark was sleeping in, and beg him to tell him that he was. He wrung his hands in front of him. This wasn’t happening. It just couldn’t be.

Standing, Caden slowly walked up the steps, warring inside on what he should do. His world was crumbling around him. He needed to talk to his Alpha. Maverick would have the answers. Running back down the stairs, Caden ran the halls until he came to stand in front of the door he needed. He knocked, waiting for Maverick to answer.

“Is there a problem, Caden?” Maverick asked as he opened his bedroom door.

Tears prickled his eyes. This couldn’t be. “Can…can I talk to you?” Caden was the youngest of them all at only ninety. He was a pup in comparison to the other warriors. He felt lost, and he needed guidance. Guidance only the Alpha could give him.

“Come on in, pup.” Maverick widened his door, allowing Caden to slip through. His mate, Cecil, was sitting up in bed, watching them.

“Can I talk to you alone?” Caden loved Cecil, but the guy did have a big mouth. With the confusion he was feeling inside, he didn’t want to be on display.

Maverick nodded and pointed toward the door. “Go into my office. I’ll be in there in a minute.”
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Caden nodded, smiling at Cecil before running down the hall. He paced back and forth until Maverick joined him.

“Now, what has you so upset?” Maverick guided him over to his couch and sat him down. Caden twisted his fingers together in his lap as he tried to gather his thoughts. If Maverick couldn’t help him, he didn’t know what he would do.

“Mark is my mate, but he’s not gay. Why?” Caden began in a panic, his voice hitching up to a higher note than normal.

“Calm down, Caden. Are you sure?”

Caden nodded his head in quick bursts. “Uh-huh. I’m sure. I feel the pull toward him. Johnny said he isn’t gay. That can’t be…can it?” Maverick sighed. “Our little warrior had finally mated.” Maverick reached over and pulled Caden’s hand into his. “If he is buried so deep in the closet, he wouldn’t know it.” Caden tilted his head to the side, confused at the Alpha’s words.

“What does that mean?”

“It means that Mark hasn’t acknowledged to himself that he
is
gay,” Maverick said softly.

Caden knew he was the warrior all the others looked out for.

Jasper may have been feminine, but he was strong, tough, and could handle himself, but they looked at Caden as if he was a baby, and that irritated him. He was grown and out in the world on his own. Well, almost. He did have all the other warriors around him. He appreciated Maverick’s fatherly ways, but why couldn’t he speak to Caden like he did the other Sentries?

Caden jumped up as a thought occurred to him, and he started wringing his hands again. “But, Alpha, he’s leaving in a few days.

What should I do? Follow him to the city?”

“No.” Maverick visibly shuddered. Once again, Caden became irritated. Gunnar and Murdock had told him once that he was too trusting, too naïve. He was really tired of being treated that way. He was a warrior. Caden knew with his age he wasn’t at the maturity level the others warriors were, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t handle
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himself. Now wasn’t the time to bring all of that up, though, at least not with the Alpha.

“You will not go to the city. Do I make myself clear?”

“Yes, sir.” Caden sighed in resignation at having to follow the command of his Alpha. He was still worried. “But what do I do, then?”

* * * *

Maverick didn’t have an easy answer. How do you force a man out of the closet?

You don’t.

He has to come out willingly. Caden was about to travel a rough road. Maverick felt for his young warrior. This was going to hurt like a son of a bitch. Caden was young, coming from his old pack to Maverick’s only sixty years ago. The wolf had been caught kissing another boy, and the other boy’s father went ape shit. Caden’s mother snuck him out in the middle of the night, bringing him straight to Maverick. He was still a virgin, for Christ’s sake.

“There’s nothing you can do right now, not until he acknowledges it. Spend time with him, get to know him, and let him get to know you. Take it slow, Caden. I don’t want to see you hurt.”

“Okay, Alpha, if you think that will work.” Maverick rubbed his hand over Caden’s blond hair. “I can’t guarantee anything, Caden. Just don’t push him.” Maverick smiled sadly as Caden padded from his office. If he could pull out a magic wand and fast forward the pup through the pain he was about to endure, then he would.

Unfortunately, no such wand existed.

“Is everything okay?” Cecil asked as Maverick crawled back into bed.

“Mark is Caden’s mate.”

Cecil’s jaw dropped. “But Mark isn’t gay.”
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“And there lies the problem.”

* * * *

Mark decided to get some work done on his bike while the weather held. The thing had been making noises on his ride here, and the weather station was calling for a storm later that afternoon.

“Can I help you?”

Mark looked up to see Caden standing there, his hands behind his back, shifting from foot to foot nervously.

“Sure, hand me that wrench over there.” He pointed to the grass on the other side of his bike where his tools were strewn about.

“This?” Caden picked up the tool and held it for Mark’s approval.

Mark nodded, taking the tool from Caden. He had been up half the night trying to figure out his feelings for this man. The guy seemed sweet, innocent, and excitable. Like a little puppy. Well, he was a wolf after all, a young one if Mark was any judge. It was just the way Caden acted around him that made Mark think that way.

“Maverick says you can take your bike around back and store it with his in the horse’s barn so it doesn’t get wet.” Caden pointed in the direction behind the house.

Mark smiled and inclined his head. “Tell him I said thanks.” Caden sat on the grass close to Mark, crossing his legs and picking at the blades. “So, how old are you?”

“Thirty-three, you?”

“Ninety.” Caden slapped a hand over his mouth, his face turning a beet red. “I mean, twenty,” he said after his hand lowered.

“It’s okay, Caden.” Mark smiled at the wolf. Ninety? Was that old or young for them? It sounded pretty damn old to Mark, but Caden looked younger than the rest of the men in the house.

“You know, don’t you?” Caden whispered.

“Figured it out a while ago with Tangee.” Mark volunteered as he pulled the spark plugs out. He wiped them down as he studied the
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wolf sitting next to him. If he was gay, and that was a big if, Mark would have to say Caden was a very handsome man. He was slim and tall, his features soft.

“Are you mad?” Caden bit his lip and looked away.

Mark wiped his hands on a shop rag and reached out, tucking his index finger under Caden’s chin, tugging at it until he turned his head back around. For some reason, Mark didn’t like the fact that Caden was so nervous around him. “Why would I be mad?” he asked in a gentle voice.

“I don’t know. You seem to handle it pretty well.” Caden twisted the green blades between his fingers as Mark released his chin.

“So, is ninety old or young for you guys?” Mark rested his hand on his legs, his hands dangling loosely between his legs as he watched the wolf. He had been instantly attracted to Caden and still couldn’t figure out why after tossing possibilities all night.

“We live to be a thousand, so…” He shrugged, once again blushing.

“So you’re a baby.” Mark finished the sentence.

“Am not!” Caden pouted.

Mark raised a brow as Caden blushed for the third time. He was really starting to like that color on Caden’s cheeks. Mark was surprised by that thought.
Where the hell had that come from?

“We’re mature at the age of eighteen and are ready to mate at the age of thirty. I’m not a baby,” Caden mumbled.

“So who’s your mate?” This question had been eating away at Mark. Why? He hadn’t the foggiest. All he knew was he was drawn to the pup. He wanted to find him as soon as he woke up, and that scared the shit out of him.

He glanced up when Caden hadn’t answered him. “Caden?”

“Will you take me for a ride?” Caden asked.

Avoidance. Mark wanted to know but let it go for now. “I usually don’t ride guys on my bike.” He watched as Caden’s face fell. “Just a
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quick one,” he added on after feeling a twist in his heart at the look of disappointment.

The pup beamed up at him. “Do I need a helmet? Maverick has one. I could borrow his.”

“Go get it.” He watched Caden race into the house, and Mark chuckled. The man really was excitable.

Mark finished replacing the spark plugs with new ones as he thought about Caden. He was a nice looking guy. Those big brown eyes focused on Mark every time he spoke.

He grinned when he saw Caden racing from the house with a burgundy helmet clutched to his chest, his cheeks pink from running.

“That was fast. Did you run the whole way?” he asked as he tightened the last spark plug.

“Uh-huh. I didn’t want to keep you waiting.” Mark cleared his throat, that uneasy feeling surging through him once again. “Let me clean this up and we can go.”

“I can help. What do you want me to do?” Caden sat the helmet down and looked at Mark expectantly.

Mark watched as Caden followed his exact instructions, having the area cleaned in no time.

“Ready?” He saw Caden’s hands shake as he put his helmet on, chalking it up to nerves about riding. There was no way Caden was reacting to him like that.

“Climb on back.” Mark’s eyes closed as Caden climbed on and circled his arms around Mark’s waist. It felt too right. What the hell was wrong with him? “Have you ever ridden on a bike before?”

“No, sir.”

Mark growled.

Fuck if those words didn’t make his cock hard.
Knock it off!
He took a few moments, explaining to Caden how a passenger rode and getting his libido back under control, and then he started the bike. It roared to life. The sound was music to his ears. Mark rode out onto the paved road, Caden holding his waist tight. There was a hard bulge
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behind him. Mark excused it as the thrill of the ride and not anything sexual toward him.

Why did that feel disappointing?

They took the back roads, Caden laughing excitedly as Mark went over a bump, sending them inches into the air. He got a warm feeling from Caden’s laugh, and he wanted to hear it again. Mark shook his head. Those thoughts should
not
be there.

Mark pulled over when Caden tapped his abdomen. The pup pulled his helmet off. “I, uh, gotta go.” Mark chuckled. “Bushes right over there.” He pointed behind the smaller man.

Caden grabbed his shoulders, climbing off, and handing his helmet to Mark.

He looked to the sky as the wolf tended to his business. The rain was coming faster than predicted. They would have to cut their ride short. Although he had said a quick one, Mark and Caden had explored the back roads for hours. He enjoyed the man’s company.