Chapter Twenty-Two Sam

I was riding on cloud nine when I kissed Erick goodbye that morning. Slipping on some comfy clothes, I practically skipped down to the elevator and all the way to the lobby. My morning routine went by in a flash as I started up the coffee pot, fired up the desk computer, and unlocked the doors for the day. I even pulled out a new romance book to start reading, one I’d been holding onto for a while about a witch and a mafia werewolf from New York City. I’d been waiting for the right moment to start it and that morning I felt like nothing could go wrong.

Of course, I was only a few pages in when the bell dinged from the back door. Hopping up from my chair, I went back through the kitchen to the rear of the hotel and pulled the door open. I didn’t even have to look to know who was standing there. It was Wednesday morning after all and hardly past dawn. It could only be one person.

“Hey Andy,” I said, holding the door wide. “Come on in.”

“Don’t mind if I do,” he said, hustling inside, a massive box in his arms. He walked over to the stainless-steel bench and put it down, rubbing his hands together. “It’s fucking freezing out there!”

My nose led me over to the box, the scent of cinnamon and sugar far too tempting to resist.

“It’s January,” I said nonchalantly. “Are these Josh’s cinnamon rolls?”

“Who else’s would they be? I sure as hell don’t make them anymore.” He feigned irritation. “Not after he stole all my customers.”

“Oh please. I’m half convinced you mated the guy just for the buns.”

Andy sighed. “He does have a nice ass.”

“I meant the cinnamon ones.”

“Look,” he grinned. “What we do in our own bedroom is none of your business. Sometimes he likes it spicy.”

I put a hand on my hip. “Please tell me you aren’t putting cinnamon on your mate’s butthole.”

“I guess you’ll never know.” He gave me a wink. “Is the coffee on?”

“Of course.”

Andy headed for the pot and I pulled the box open. One of the perks of being the hotel owner was that I always got the first cinnamon bun. It was my prerogative. I was just picking out a particularly juicy one when Andy returned with the coffee pot and two cups. But just as he was about to pour, he stopped and leaned close, sniffing my shoulder.

“Why do you smell like cum?” he asked bluntly.

My heart skipped a beat, but I tried not to show it. “None of your damn business.”

He took another deep whiff. “Why do you smell like cum from two different guys?”

“How about you stick your nose somewhere else, huh?”

“Oh no you don’t,” Andy barked. “You have been meddling in everyone’s relationships for years, including mine. You don’t get to just opt out of the game now that you’re the subject of attention.”

I pursed my lips, and took a bite of the cinnamon roll, making him wait. But he didn’t move until I’d finished chewing.

“Well?”

I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Pour the coffee and I’ll give you the basics. But I have to talk with them before I say much else.”

Andy nodded and began to pour. “Spill it.”

I took a deep breath. There was a good chance I was going to have a lot of conversations like this over the next couple of weeks. Now that I’d mated with Calum and Erick, I was going to smell like them and they like me. In a town full of werewolves, people were bound to notice. I didn’t mind, but I knew there was going to be a lot of explaining. A throuple of werewolves was about as rare as oceanfront property in Arizona.

“So, a little over two weeks ago, these two Alphas showed up at the hotel looking for a place to stay. They got kicked out of their packs for being mated to one another.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Andy said, sitting the coffee pot down and clutching his proverbial pearls. “Two Alphas and they were already mated?”

“Yep.”

“Fuck…” He glanced down at the bench, his eyes wide as if he were realizing something for the first time. I could see that mischievous glimmer in his eye. “That’s kinda hot.”

“They are,” I nodded, acting like it was nothing. “And they’re really good in bed.”

Andy gasped. “Samuel! It’s like I don’t even know you! What happened to not sleeping with the guests?”

“I tried not to!” I shot back. “Really! I even yelled at both of them when they made advances the first time. I really thought they were just trying to get a piece of ass and move on. You know how people can be when their lives are in tatters, they go looking for a quick hit of dopamine so they don’t have to feel so bad for a few minutes.”

“Yeah, yeah. Been there myself. I know the feeling.” He gave me a long hard look. “So what made you change your mind? It’s not like you to give into something like this.”

Another deep breath. “Honestly? I wasn’t sure at first. The only thing I knew was that I couldn’t stop thinking about them. And then, as time went on… I found myself talking to them and enjoying their company. They invited me up to their room for drinks after the poker tournament and I fully intended on telling them that I wasn’t interested.”

Andy smiled. “But you didn’t?”

I shook my head. “Before I knew what was happening, we were laughing and carrying on. Then there was a kiss, another kiss, some groping…”

“Oh my god… you little minx!”

“And then I panicked. And I ran.”

“How did they react to that?”

“The worst way possible,” I sighed, shaking my head. “They apologized.”

Andy smiled, realizing my sarcasm.

“I explained to them how much baggage and damage I have from my old life and why I’d been avoiding men for so long. I told them about things in my past that I haven’t shared with anyone except maybe Ace. And even he doesn’t know the half of it. I’ve always been pretty light on the details because honestly, I’m not proud of that time in my life. It was rough and I made some bad choices. I’m lucky I wasn’t put in prison.”

“I feel like I’m learning so much about you,” Andy muttered, his eyes wide as he sipped his coffee. “You’re like a whole new person.”

“So, I did what any emotionally compromised man would do when shown an ounce of kindness,” I sighed. “I let them suck me off and then we became a regular thing. And now… well… they might have mated me last night.”

Andy nearly dropped his coffee. “Shut the fuck up! No way! Did you really? To two Alphas at the same time! My god, how can you even walk?!”

“ That’s the part you’re focusing on?” I laughed. “Not the fact that it’s only been a couple of weeks or that these two were already mated?”

“Sam,” Andy said, placing his hand on my shoulder. “You’re the most level-headed person I know. You run this whole business by yourself, you manage half the damn town, and you’ve practically created this werewolf haven with your own two hands. If there’s anyone in the world I trust to make a smart decision, it’s you.” He gave my shoulder a squeeze. “So I’m not worried about this being fast or intense. However, I am worried about your poor butthole.” He took another sip of his coffee. “So was it a one-at-a-time deal or did they just double stuff you like an Oreo and tell you to deal with the consequences? I’m not one to brag, but with Josh there is not room for another dick in there. I don’t care how stretchy people claim buttholes are.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “It was one at a time,” I said at last. “And thank you for telling me your mate’s cock is huge.”

“You’re welcome. And I’m glad to see you don’t need a wheelchair after last night.” He gave me a sly grin. “There’s always time though. If I was getting twice as much good dick as I am now, I’m sure I could give up walking.”

“Oh my god.”

“So, I need more details! Tell me where they’re from, what they do, and how they make you feel good. I want to know everything!”

I just shook my head. “Nope. You got more than I intended already. I need to talk with them first before I go telling everyone our business. They may want to keep things quiet for now while we work through the first couple of months of our relationship.”

“A couple of months ?!” Andy scoffed. “You fucking tease!”

“Sorry. I gotta keep my boys safe until they’re ready.”

“Always the savior,” Andy nodded. “I hope they know how lucky they are to have you.”

“I’m lucky to have them ,” I corrected.

“I’d say it’s mutual.” The watch on Andy’s wrist vibrated, and he turned it over as the screen flashed a message. “And it looks like my own mate is wondering where I ran off to.”

“Go help him,” I said, shooing Andy away. “You can’t make him do all the work just because he fucks you.”

“First off, yes I can. And secondly, I hardly make him do shit. He doesn’t like to share tasks, so I have no choice but to let him do it alone.”

“Go help him anyway.”

“Fine, fine.” Andy put his coffee cup back on the counter and pointed back at me as he headed for the door. “But I want more details! And I want them soon! Also, you need to throw a small get together or something so we can meet them. I have questions!”

“Goodbye Andy,” I said, pushing him out the door.

“When y’all have the wedding, you better use the bakery for the cake!”

I just laughed as Andy got back in his van and pulled out of the alley, heading back toward the bakery. He was a great friend, if not a little nosey. Then again, how could I judge him for that? He was right, I had a reputation for being a meddler.

Pulling the door closed, I gathered up the box of pastries and my coffee before heading back out to the lobby. There were a handful of wolves who had jobs that started early, and they always stopped for snacks and coffee on the way out in the morning. I didn’t want to disappoint them.

So, for the next few hours, I sipped, munched, and read as the morning slipped by. I helped myself to a second cinnamon bun because I was the owner after all and that came with privileges. Plus, I’d been having a lot of sex lately, so I needed the carbs. There were a few passing conversations as well with tenants. Liam and Cory passed through around ten as they headed out for the day. Apparently, they had some sort of hiking trip planned with David, our resident human who knew our secrets. I wasn’t sure why anyone would want to hike in a foot of snow, but at least it kept them active.

By the time afternoon rolled around, I was starting to get hungry. I was just about to abandon the front desk and slip into the kitchen to make some lunch when the lobby door opened. A blast of cold air filled the room, and I shivered as a figure stepped inside that wasn’t one of my tenants. He was bundled up in a hoodie that didn’t look nearly thick enough for the weather. I could see the trembling in his hands as he reached up to pull the hood back. His shoulders were hunched and although I could tell he was well built, he looked sort of defeated . I knew right away he had to be the rogue wolf I’d been waiting for all week, the one who’s name Erick forgot.

“Welcome to Shifter Grove,” I said, putting on my best customer service voice. “You must be the one I’ve been…”

My voice trailed off as the hood fell back onto his shoulders. Underneath was short sandy blonde hair, a sharp stubbled jawline, and a pair of pale gray eyes that I would recognize anywhere. My heart nearly stopped in my chest and my stomach twisted into a hard knot as I stared at the last man in the entire world I ever expected to see again. I felt like I was falling.

“R-Roger?”

He looked up, his gaze landing on me for the first time since he stepped inside the hotel. His eyes lit up, he let out a choked sob, and he rushed me. Before I knew what was happening, his arms were around me, pulling me into a tight hug.

“Sam…” he whispered against my neck, as if he could barely believe the words on his own lips. “It’s really you…”

I was too stunned to speak. After all, what should I say to the man I just spent that last decade trying to forget? He’d renounced me to keep his place in the pack, turning his back on our mate bond that we’d already solidified in our secret moments together. He was the reason I had to struggle to survive, had to turn to doing illegal things on the streets just so I could eat. And now he was here, holding me like I was the most important person in the world to him.

Roger pulled back, placing his hand on my cheek. “God… you’re just as beautiful as I remember.”

His gray eyes sparkled as he rubbed his thumb over my cheek. The touch was pleasant, but mostly I was in shock. It felt like a cold hand was gripping my heart, making it hard to breathe.

“Roger, I–”

I didn’t get a chance to finish my sentence as he leaned forward, pressing his lips to mine. And this time, the shock really set in. I just froze up. I didn’t kiss him back, and I wasn’t sure I even wanted to. Instead, my brain filled with a thousand different thoughts, each of them more confusing than the last. I didn’t understand what was going on or how it was even possible. At this point I was half convinced I’d fallen asleep at the desk and this was all some sort of fever dream.

But that’s when I heard the front door open again, the little bell tinkling. Without a hint of regret, I pulled away from Roger and held him at arm’s length. I looked up to see who was coming through the door and to my horror, it was Erick and Calum’s faces that I saw staring back at me.

Had… Had they seen Roger kissing me? Their expressions were mostly blank, although they seemed a bit fidgety. Granted, that could have been the cold. Erick was carrying a large box under one arm and Calum had his hand stuffed in his pockets, his shoulders hunched like the cold was getting to him. They didn’t seem upset, but usually they were smiling when they saw me. And right now, they were not .

“We… uh… brought you lunch,” Erick said, gesturing to the box. “But you look kinda busy.”

I nodded, my brain still a whirlwind of confusion. “Uh… yeah.” I cleared my throat. “This is the new wolf that’s getting a room here.” I glanced nervously between them all. “Let me get him settled in and I’ll come up to your room so we can eat.”

“Sure,” Erick replied, all emotion missing from his voice. “See you up there.”

Calum, on the other hand, didn’t say anything. He only shot a dirty look at Roger before turning his gaze on me. A jolt of anxiety shot through my system as I saw the hurt in his eyes. It broke my heart to realize that yes, they had seen Roger kissing me. And Calum, being the sensitive boy he was, was far too hurt to even speak.

Together they crossed the room and got into the elevator, both of them making a point not to make eye contact with me. As soon as the door closed, that anxiety in my chest turned to anger. Heat flooded my system as I turned on Roger, my brows knitted together in fury.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!”