Scent : Animal Senses Series Book 2

Chapter 27

27

Gage watched the door close and turned to head back to the shop. He hadn't meant to kiss her. Hell, he'd said he wasn't going to touch her, and then he reached out and grabbed her hand a breath after the thought.

Kissing her had been the best, and worst thing he'd ever done, as far as she was concerned. He hadn't expected them both to ignite. Oh, he'd heard it was all heat with your true mate, but didn't expect to get burned like that. Stopping had taken every ounce of restraint he could muster, and he had to dig really deep to find it.

His cat had almost ripped him to shreds from the inside. He rubbed a hand over his ribs, as if he expected to feel gouges covering them. It still hurt. It was taking all his restraint to keep walking away from her right now. Her taste was on his lips, her scent was all he could smell, and he could still feel exactly where her body had pressed into his.

He let out an exasperated sigh and looked down at the front of his jeans. Not that it was a new state whenever she was near. Or had thoughts of her. Now he had her flavor on his taste buds and he was damned for sure, because he had no desire to wash it away. He was screwed plain and simple.

With a scowl on his face, he stomped back into the yard. Halfway to the shop he spotted Gary, Jake, and Blair struggling to free up the broken track that was jammed in the wheel assembly of the earth mover. Obviously, the operator had tried to keep going after the links had snapped. That wasn't unusual around here.

An annoyed hiss left him as he walked over to help.

Blair and Jake were heaving on a long pry bar, and judging by the growls coming out of them, using their human and animal strength. Gary was literally beating the shit out of the wedged link trying to get it free.

He shouldered his way between the two straining men and grasped the bar with both hands. Pouring all his frustration into his efforts, he leaned on the bar and was rewarded with a loud snap as the track let go. Blair stumbled back as Jake hit the ground with a loud gasp.

Straightening slowly, Gary let the hammer slip from his hand as he exhaled loudly.

"Our own hulk," Jake muttered, trying to catch his breath.

"We just loosened it up for him," Blair quipped as he reached down to pull Jake to his feet.

Dusting off his jeans, Jake took a deep breath. "I didn't think the bitch was ever going to let go."

Blair mopped at the sweat covering his face with his forearm as he eyed Gage. "You take some extra vitamins today, Herc?"

Gary leaned back against the side of the rig, with a large bottle of water resting on his hip; he inhaled deeply and then straightened up, coughing. He gave Gage a wide-eyed look. "I don't think vitamins are responsible for his sudden increase in strength."

Gage watched the other two subtly inhale, then look anywhere but at him. He clenched his jaw, cursing the sensitive sense of smell of his kind. He clearly had Kelsey's scent all over him.

Blair was the first to make eye contact, and knowing how he felt about her, Gage could now see his pain. "So," Blair rubbed a hand over his sweat drenched chest, "Kelsey feeling better after her walk?"

Gage studied him for a moment; tension plainly visible in the way he held himself. Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked down at the broken track. "I showed her that her sense of smell is now heightened."

Jake grabbed the bottle of water Gary held out. "How'd she like that?"

Gage smiled as the image of the excited look in her eyes came to him as she explained what she'd been able to smell. "She was awed."

"Is she all right?" Blair asked quietly.

Turning Gage watched Blair, his jaw was tense. He gave him a serious look. "Yeah. She's still struggling with everything, though."

Blair picked up the bottle of water sitting on his shirt, "She'll get a handle on it," he took a small sip and hesitated, the bottle held away from his mouth. "There's nothing she can't do." Changing his mind, he capped the bottle and turned toward the shop. "I'll go grab the shit we need." The anger in his words hit Gage like a slap.

He watched him walk away, his stride long and not as smooth as it usually was. "Damn," he muttered under his breath.

"Give him time to adjust." Jake said quietly standing beside him.

"He had to know it was coming," running a hand through his hair, Gage looked from one man to the other. "If I could step aside, I would, but..."

Jake shook his head. "He knows it's not a possibility, Gage. His heart just hasn't caught up with his head yet."

"How did I not see this?" Gage said it more to himself then them.

Jake gave his shoulder a light smack. "You were blinded by the sudden drive to mate." He motioned to the door Blair had gone through. "Otherwise you would have noticed the pain radiating off him when you finally confessed why you were acting like a complete asshole toward Kelsey."

Glancing at him out of the corner of his eye briefly, he acknowledged his friend's lack of sugar-coating his words. "But he went to help Bruce..."

"Right after you told us." Jake shook his head. "That's why he did." Exhaling, he glanced at Gary who nodded. "He almost went fucking mad when he realized she was off limits."

Gage groaned and stood there looking at the ground. "Fuck." Taking a deep breath, he rolled his shoulders; the pounding desire to go to Kelsey was still riding him. "Let me know if he reaches his breaking point." He gave both a no-nonsense glare. "Blair in a full-blown rage is something that frightens even me."

Both men nodded they're agreement. Pulling out the phone, he checked the time. "When was the last time someone did a sweep of the boundaries?"

Gary motioned to the track. "I was just going to head out when they needed me."

Nodding, Gage glanced at the shop and then back to him. "I'll go. I need to burn off some frustration right now."

Jake squeezed his shoulder. "He'll get a grip on it, Gage. He doesn't have a choice; he won't risk Kelsey, if not being here puts her safety in question."

Gage closed his eyes, biting down on the anger that flared at the thought of a threat. "Any idiot that would even attempt to come here..."

Jake laughed. "Would be a dead fucking idiot."

Gage grinned, knowing the other men in Kelsey's life would all do everything to protect her. "A bloody slaughter could be therapeutic at this point."

Gary choked on his drink. "Hopefully it won't come to that." He waved his hand in the direction of the road. "Go check the perimeter so we can get back to work."

Giving him a mock salute, Gage started to turn. "Yes, sir!" Stripping off his shirt, he tucked it into his back pocket and turned, jogging out of the yard to the long driveway. Hopefully he'd sweat Kelsey's scent out of his system. Shaking his head, he knew there was about as much chance of that happening as there was for him to turn into a butterfly.