“I say we get you two unpacked and have some lunch then go looking for my uninvited guest.” Seth opened his front door and they filed into the house behind him. “There’s no telling what they’ve been up to since I’ve been gone.”
Jake dropped his bag in an empty chair. “What are you so worried about? I think there’s enough animals on this land for you to share,” Jake said more as an afterthought. He didn’t mean for it to come out sounding judgmental but he didn’t see what the harm was if these two young wolves lived on Seth’s property. He was only one man. It wasn’t like he used up every square inch of the land all at once. Jake couldn’t grasp why the man couldn’t share with the less fortunate.
“Because, I’ve been worried about them, you prick.” Seth spun around and stormed toward him. “You didn’t see them. They look so young and sickly that I hated having to leave to come ask for help.” He pointed a finger into Jake’s chest. Jake swatted it away. “You don’t know me and don’t pretend you know what I’m thinking. Got it?”
Jake narrowed his eyes and took a tiny step forward until he bumped chests with Seth. A growl seeped past his lips.
“Cool it, you two.” Holden pushed between them. “We’re all on the same side here.”
Jake pulled his steely gaze from Seth to look at Holden. He nodded his head. “You’re right, Holden. I’m sorry, Seth. I didn’t mean to offend you like that.”
“It’s okay.” Seth ran a hand down his face and Jake could see the tension cording his muscles. “Like I said I’m not good with people and I didn’t mean to give the impression that I didn’t care about these young men. I’m just not comfortable having them here. I feel responsible for them and that’s a feeling I don’t like having.”
“Understandable,” Jake said.
Jake walked around taking in his surroundings. The cabin only had two bedrooms which meant Jake and Holden had to share a room. Not a big deal. The bed was a queen and had plenty of room for them both. It might be a little close for comfort but nothing that bothered either of them. They both had siblings and were used to sharing.
Once they had their stuff put away they headed out to the kitchen. The kitchen wasn’t very big and with three grown men in there it was a little crowded. Jake took a seat at the small table so that he wasn’t in the way and watched as Seth and Holden made lunch. Seth prepared the soup while Holden made some grilled cheese sandwiches.
As he waited for Seth and Holden to finish lunch Jake felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and saw Cole’s name flash across the screen. He opened the message and smiled.
Did you make it there okay???
Of course, Jake typed back.
Cool. If you need anything just call me, okay?
I will.
Talk to you soon, Jake. Love you!!!!
I love you too. Jake added a smiley face at the end of the message. Ever since Cole started dating Josef he’d been more open with his affection and Jake liked it. It made him feel good to know someone loved him. Subconsciously he knew his dad and his brothers cared for him but it never hurt to hear someone express those feelings out loud.
He quickly put his phone away when Seth brought over the bowls of chicken soup. Holden followed behind him with a platter of sandwiches. His stomach growled loudly and he moved a hand over his belly in hopes of masking the sound. He grabbed up a sandwich and soaked it in his soup then took a bite. His stomach sighed in relief to have substances filling it.
As he sat there and ate, Jake kept glancing looks at Seth. Something about the other man told Jake to keep his guard up. He didn’t think the man was a threat to him but his father had taught him to keep his eyes and ears open at all times. A threat could come from anywhere or anyone when he least expected it.
Chapter Three
A few hours later Seth led them through the woods toward where he spotted the young wolves that had been squatting on his land. The sun hid behind the clouds and the temperature began to drop. Jake took out his gloves and pulled them on.
“About how much further?” he asked.
“Ten maybe fifteen more minutes,” Seth answered. The man kept trudging forward.
“As long as we get there before dark we’re good,” Holden chimed in. “If we approach these wolves in the dark it might look suspicious and they might go into attack mode.”
“It’s survival mode, Holden,” Seth corrected as he turned around to face his friend. In that instant Jake saw something flash before the other man’s eyes but Jake wasn’t quite sure what it was, fear or understanding.
As they made their way up a small embankment there was a break in the trees. Sitting in the center of a small clearing was a little cabin that looked like it had seen better days.
“That’s it,” Seth whispered.
“I can’t smell anything but the smoke coming from their chimney.” Holden pointed to the roof.
Jake took a deep breath and pulled on every wolf instinct in him to try and make out a scent. His eyes watered from the brisk, cold air. Just as he filled his lungs for a second time a man stepped out of the house. The sweet aroma of freshly baked bread and honey fanned under his nose. His eyes fell shut as the smell took control of his body and his dick twitched in his pants.
Shaking off his arousal, Jake opened his eyes. The young man
