Wyatt walked toward the end of the dock, now completely confused. If Draven was in fact straight, he wouldn’t have looked at him like that, would he? Just thinking about it made his cock throb. He’d have to wait and see what happened later. And Wyatt hoped to god he read the signs Draven gave him correctly.
Chapter Two
Draven pushed the power boat to a faster speed as he fought the surging desire that threatened to take him over. Damn, the mating urge rode him hard. Every time he’d looked at Wyatt, he’d wanted to pull the smaller man into his arms and kiss him until neither one of them could think straight. But he just barely managed to restrain himself. He didn’t want to make a mistake with Wyatt. As they’d interacted, Draven had been able to smell his would-be mate’s arousal, but Wyatt had held himself back. As a werewolf, Draven could pick up the scent of mortals’ emotions. Wyatt’s had been that of being unsure.
He drew in a deep breath, trying to tamp down some of the arousal that still heated his blood. Draven had to wonder if some of what Wyatt could have felt had to do with being straight and finding himself attracted to another man. It wouldn’t be the first time Draven had that happen to him. Werewolves were known for their supermodel good looks, which a lot of mortals were attracted to.
After arriving back at his property, Draven parked in the boathouse. He jogged up to the house, wishing he could go for another run in his wolf from to expend some of the pent-up longing the mating urge caused. He couldn’t, though. Going wolf would only make things worse for him. The instinct to claim and take what was his would be harder to resist. Until he figured out how things would go between him and Wyatt, he had to keep himself under tight control.
Having over an hour before he had to return to Wyatt’s cottage, Draven decided a swim in the lake would have to do for now. Since it was the middle of the summer, the water wouldn’t be too cold, but there were spots where the water was cooler than others. He’d find as many of them as he could and see if that would help with his racing libido. He doubted it would, but he’d find it more palatable than a cold shower.
After a forty-five minute swim that did nothing but tire him out a bit, Draven took a quick shower before he dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a black t-shirt. As he walked to the boathouse, the thought of seeing Wyatt again had his erection pressing against the front of his pants. In the throes of the mating urge, he knew he’d be walking around with a hard-on, or at least be semi-hard, all the time until he claimed his mate. If he could claim him, that is. It was already complicated enough that Wyatt was mortal, more than likely not knowing werewolves even existed, but Draven not being sure of his sexual orientation just made it even tougher.
Draven threw his fishing rod and tackle box into his boat before he started it and backed out of the boathouse. His heart beat a little faster the closer he came to Wyatt’s cottage. Thoughts of all the things he wanted to do to him while he explored every inch of Wyatt’s body flashed through his mind.
After securely tying his boat to the dock, Draven headed for the small cottage close by. The building was in need of a paint job. It looked as if the outboard motor wasn’t the only thing the owners had neglected. He didn’t like the thought of his would-be mating staying in a place like this. He had a feeling the inside wouldn’t be much better.
Draven knocked on the door and Wyatt opened it. A smile spread across the other man’s face. “Draven. Come in. You’re right on time.”
He stepped into the cottage as Wyatt backed up to give him room. “I do try to be punctual.” Draven sniffed the air. “Something smells good.”
“Thanks. I have the burgers cooking outside on the portable charcoal grill I brought with me, which I’m glad I did, since there isn’t one here. Would you like a beer?”
“Sure. I could go for one right about now.”
“Then make yourself at home and I’ll get you one.”
Draven walked farther into the large room, which was the combined living room and kitchen. He sat on the couch that had seen better days. He looked around, noting less than stellar furnishings and flooring. There wasn’t even a television. Since cable wasn’t available at the lake, it wasn’t too surprising. At his place, he had satellite TV.
Wyatt returned, carrying two bottles of beer. After he passed one to Draven, he sat next to him. “Just a few more minutes, then the burgers will be ready. Dinner is nothing fancy, since I’m not that great of a cook. But it’s eatable.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Draven took a sip of his cold beer. “So are you ready to do some fishing after we eat?”
Wyatt nodded. “Definitely. I ended up calling the owner of this place and told him what happened to the outboard motor. He apologized, but he won’t be able to get it repaired until after I leave. He’s an older man, and I don’t think he has much interest in this place. It’s probably the reason why he rents it out.”
Draven had never met the owner, and to be honest, he really hadn’t met any of the other people who owned cottages on the lake. He liked to keep to himself. Plus, there was the fact that if he got too friendly with them they’d soon question why he wasn’t aging at all over the years. Werewolves being very long-lived, the oldest his kind reached was three thousand. It was just easier for him to keep his distance.
Wyatt and he drank their beer in silence before his would-be mate spoke. “So you said you just arrived this morning. Was it a long drive for you?”
“Not really. Only a couple of hours. I live in Toronto.”
Wyatt sat up straighter. “I’m in Mississauga, so we’re almost neighbors.”
Draven chuckled. “Yeah, you could say that.” He paused, then asked, “What do you do back in Mississauga?”
“I’m the manager of a small electronics store.”
“I bet that’s an interesting job.”
Wyatt laughed and shook his head. “No, not really. To be honest, it’s damn boring at times. Then there is the whole having-to-deal-with-customers thing. The majority of them are easy to be around, but there are others who have me biting my tongue over their insults. As you can probably tell, this isn’t my dream job, by any means.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” he said with a smile. “It wouldn’t be my choice, since I’m not much of a people person.” Draven sniffed the air. “It smells as if those burgers are done.”
“Crap. I forgot all about them.”
Wyatt shot to his feet and went out the back door at the kitchen area. Draven stood and walked over to where Wyatt had disappeared. Standing at the screen door, he watched his would-be mate take the burgers off the grill and put them on the plate he held.
“Do you need some help, Wyatt?”
The other man looked up from what he was doing and shook his head. “No, I’m good. You can get the door for me, though.”
Draven pushed it open and held it as Wyatt walked by him. It wasn’t long before the small kitchen table was set and they were sitting to eat. He took a bite of his burger, enjoying the taste of it, but would have liked it better if it had been more on the undercooked side. As a werewolf, he liked his beef rare to the point it was basically raw.
After they finished their meal, Draven and Wyatt got ready to go fishing. Draven had left his windbreaker in the boat, so he told Wyatt to meet him at the dock when he was ready.
He’d just finished checking over his rod when a god-awful stench filled his nose. It felt as if it were burning his nostrils. Turning to face the dock, he saw Wyatt walking down toward him. Whatever it was, it came from the other man.