True Mates: The Beginning (mxm)

Chapter 5: "I Mean The Ones That Are Still In Diapers"

Connor found his mate in the library, which was not a big surprise. He had noticed piles of books in Jamie's room the previous night. The boy had this way of quietly melding with his environment, but for Connor, that would never work because he couldn't see anything other than his mate.

Connor cleared his throat.

Jamie looked up, surprised to see him there.

"Hi Jamie," Connor said.

"Um, hi."

Connor sat on a nearby chair and took a glance at what Jamie was reading. "You know Sander knew a lot more about Pack Leadership than Moss. They just use Moss in schools because he was the better speaker."

Jamie bit his lip. "I already read Sander, and Sash, and Tanner, and now I'm reading Moss. Anything else I should add to the list?"

Connor chuckled. "Maybe you should tell me what to read next."

Jamie shrugged a shoulder. "I read a lot."

"I noticed."

Connor leaned forward, his muscles bunching up. Jamie leaned away from him, looking uncertain.

"Do you want to go get ready and come shadow me today?"

Jamie frowned. "You're still up for that?"

Connor smiled and said truthfully, "Jamie, I don't care if you're my mate or not, I'll make damn sure that you have everything you want."

Jamie stood still, speechless. "I..."

"You don't have to say anything, just go get ready," Connor reminded him and stood up, heading out of the library. At the big mahogany door, he stopped in his tracks and looked back at his mate. "And by the way, you can have any book you want. Anything you want, Jamie, it's yours."

Jamie swallowed.

Connor nodded, happy that his mate was close by, and he went to get ready for a day out with his mate. Anything Jamie gave him, or not, would be better than wondering where he was or what he was doing.

This was good, Connor kept thinking.

It could only get better.

***

"Bossman, thank gods you're here," Earl said when he saw Connor. "You gotta tell the pups that it's not okay to play with the merchandise."

"Don't we have Sara for that?" Connor grumbled, then remembered that Jamie was literally behind him. "Oh Earl, this is James Flick, he's of the Southwood Pack, and he's here to learn the ropes."

Earl slapped a big paw on Jamie's back, startling him. "That's good, kid, ain't no one who could help you better."

Connor smiled. "So anything he asks, you answer."

Earl tipped his hat. "Yes, bossman." And he went on his merry way, while Connor had to go deal with the misbehaving pups.

"Connor!" a shrill voice sounded, making him cringe. She always knew how to find him, the witch. "Hey, you're back early, we all thought you were going to take the rest of the week off."

"You know I don't do that," he said to Beverly, who practically salivated over him. She even leaned forward to show more cleavage than she already was showing, making Connor cringe.

Jamie snorted.

That's when Beverly turned her attention to him. "Who's this?"

"This is James. He's going to shadow me and learn, so you should give him anything he needs, okay darling?"