Aaron wrapped a gentle hand around Marshall’s elbow. Warmth trickled up Marshall’s arm, and he fought the urge to lean into the solid length of Aaron’s body. This close, he could pick up the faint scent of whatever body wash the Alpha used, along with an earthiness that wrapped itself around Marshall, making him think of hidden glades and lying in the sun.
All too soon, they reached the door to the suite where Marshall and Saint were staying.
“Thanks, Aaron,” Marshall said with a nod, his gaze locking with Aaron’s.
“You’re welcome,” Aaron responded and hesitated as if he didn’t want to leave.
“I guess I should….” Marshall hitched a thumb at the door.
“Yeah, I’ll leave you to rest.” Aaron squeezed Marshall’s elbow and turned away. “Night, Marshall.”
“G’night, Aaron.”
Marshall watched the Alpha make his way down the hallway, taking in the tall form and broad shoulders that tapered to a trim waist. If Aaron had lost as much muscle mass as he himself had, then when he was fully healed, he’d be even more impressive than he was right now.
A tendril of desire crept through Marshall at the thought. Maybe there was something to this fated mate thing after all.
Chapter 6
Aaronwokeafterafitful night’s sleep. Not an unusual occurrence, but last night had been different because instead of aching muscles, he’d been plagued with dreams of Marshall Cavendish and the information that Alice had shared.
As he dressed, thoughts of the human who was his alleged soul mate skittered through his mind. He was an attractive man, and Aaron knew that if they had run into each other two years ago like Rafe suggested, he would have been interested in getting to know the man further.
Marshall was around the same height, maybe a smidgen shorter than Aaron’s six feet one, but close enough to look into the deep green eyes. When they’d stood next to each other yesterday, Marshall had an air of solidity that Aaron had found comforting. He, and his wolf, had wanted to lean into the man and be embraced.
Like himself, Marshall had obviously lost a lot of muscle mass, but if Alice was right, then hopefully, they’d both recover quickly. The thought of exploring Marshall’s body had his own warming, and his wolf gave a whine. He wanted to find their mate. Now!
Aaron soothed his wolf with promises of soon and, grabbing his cane, made his way to the family room where everyone was meeting. Josh should have arranged breakfast, and for once, Aaron had an appetite.Bacon, his wolf demanded, and Aaron’s mouth watered at the thought of crispy bacon and soft scrambled eggs.
His parents, brother, and would-be mate greeted his appearance in the family room. Marshall gave him a tired smile from across the room, and Aaron made his way over to where he was standing with a plate of bacon and eggs in his hand.
“Good morning,” he said, scanning Marshall’s face. He was a little pale, and there were shadows under his eyes. “Did you sleep okay?”
“No, not really, but that’s normal. Can’t remember the last time I had a decent night’s sleep,” Marshall admitted. “Woke up hungry though, which is unusual.”
“Same,” Aaron replied with a grin. “My wolf is demanding bacon, so I’d better keep him happy.”
Marshall nudged Aaron’s hand with the plate he was holding. “Here, have this one.”
Aaron blinked in surprise. “No, I can’t do that,” he protested, even as his wolf began wiggling in excitement. Their mate wanted to feed them; take care of them.
“Really, it’s no bother.” Marshall all but shoved the plate into Aaron’s hand, and he had no choice but to take it before it fell to the ground.
Aaron muttered his thanks and noticed the small, satisfied smile Marshall gave before he turned back to the buffet to fix himself a plate.
Aaron took his usual place at the table and greeted his parents. His mother gave him a knowing smile, mischief twinkling in her eyes. Aaron gave her a mock frown in return which had her grinning widely.
“Where’s Saint this morning?” Aaron asked as Marshall joined them.
“He’s gone for a run. If he doesn’t let his tiger out first thing, they’re both impossible to live with.”
“He’s with Sam,” Josh told them. “I was going to ask the twins to go with him, but then thought better of it.”
“Hmm, yeah. Not a bad idea,” Marshall agreed. He winked at Aaron. “Those three probably will need adult supervision for a while.”
“You mentioned yesterday that you know of Rafe and Blake?” Aaron asked curiously, keen to know more about his mate.
Marshall wiped his mouth with a napkin before reaching for his coffee.