His Perfect Mate [Nehalem Pack 6] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) by AJ Jarrett (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud txt) 📕

“I’m down with that.” Jake nodded his head. “Holden, you okay with this?”

“If it means saving Carl and Casper, then yes. We need to do whatever it takes.” Holden hesitated and Jake could see an uncertainty creep along his friend’s face.

“What’s wrong?” Jake asked Holden.

“I’m wondering if we should call Devon.” Holden held his hands up, silencing Jake’s rebuttal. “All I’m saying is we don’t know exactly how many wolves are in that house. Yes, Carl said Anton was the only wolf that lived with Tobias and we’ve only seen one other person go inside but we’re not a hundred percent certain.”

“We don’t have time to wait.” Jake pointed toward the house. “God only knows what’s going on in there right now. I’m sorry, Holden, this is a chance I have to take but I will not force you to go.” Holden had been a good friend to him and any other time he would agree to call for backup but time wasn’t something they had a lot of. None of them knew what Tobias’s plans were for Carl or his brother. For all he knew the alpha had plans on killing Casper as a form of punishment for Carl. Carl wouldn’t be able to live if that were to happen and Jake couldn’t live without Carl.

“Fuck you.” Holden punched him in the arm. Jake fell to the side from the jolt. “There’s no way I’m letting you go down there without me. I just suggested that because someone needs to be the voice of reason and besides”—Holden grinned at him—“you’re my only friend besides this dickhead here. I don’t want to lose you.”

“Not going to happen.” Jake reached out his hand to clasp with Holden’s.

“Very touching,” Seth said as if annoyed. “And by the way I’m offended you’d refer to me as a dickhead.”

Jake started to laugh. This whole situation was a clusterfuck but for some reason having Holden and Seth with him made him feel like he’d get through this. That they would rescue Carl and Casper and make it out alive.

He hadn’t known Seth long but he totally understood why the man avoided people. Seth was the type that didn’t like to get involved in others’ problems and Jake understood that. The man tried to act tough but Jake could see through the tough-guy armor he wore. Jake started to think it was because Seth cared too much. That was the man’s problem. Sometimes locking yourself away from others prevented a person from getting hurt and Jake felt like an ass for dragging this man into this. Granted it was Seth seeking Holden’s help that started all this but once Carl and Casper were gone Seth could have returned to his hermit lifestyle but he didn’t. He stayed and was willing to put his life on the line to help Carl and Casper. In Jake’s book that made Seth a good man.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Seth asked.

Jake blinked his eyes several times. He hadn’t realized he’d been staring. “Nothing, so when do we attack?”

Chapter Eleven

Carl jumped in fear when the bedroom door slammed shut. The chain bit into the tender swollen flesh around his wrist. By some miracle he had managed to doze off while waiting for Tobias.

“Nice to see you got some rest.” Tobias walked slowly toward the bed. Carl could feel his body begin to quiver in fear. “Anton said you had a surprise to show me. What would that be, my pet?”

In the position he was in his arms reached up past his head to cover the sides of his neck. Tobias had yet to see the mark. He was shocked that Anton hadn’t ratted him out straight away but Carl had to assume this was funnier for the man. To draw out Carl’s punishment no matter if it angered Tobias. Carl often thought at times that Anton wasn’t happy unless Tobias was furious with someone else.

“Come on now, don’t be shy.” Tobias ran his fingers lightly up Carl’s leg starting at the arch of his foot.

He shivered as if a cool breeze cut through the room. If Tobias saw the mating mark the man would be livid. In all the years he’d been with Tobias the man had never bit him. Said that he wanted to wait until Carl became of legal age but by that time Tobias had Carl locked in a cage and the thought of biting him must have slipped the other man’s mind. Not that Carl was complaining.

When Carl first became intimate with Tobias the other man had already convinced him that true mates weren’t a real thing and Carl wholeheartedly believed him. He loved the alpha with everything in him but looking back now he only loved as much as a sixteen-year-old boy could. He had lost his parents and had no other family to call upon for love and acceptance. So that only left Tobias and the man had been good to him back then.

It was only when he started to crave the outside world beyond Tobias’s property lines that his lover became different. It was little things at first, so small Carl hadn’t even thought they were an issue at the time. He and Casper weren’t allowed to go shopping, to go to the movies, or just to walk about town. Tobias forbid it and Carl just accepted it because he would have done anything to please the man he thought he loved.

Carl’s eyes narrowed at Tobias as his mind raced through all the lies and pain he had issued over the years. He now knew Tobias didn’t know the meaning of love nor had the capability to love.

As Tobias’s hand moved up his leg a small growl eased past his lips. The anger and hurt he felt started to bubble to the surface. So what if Tobias beat him blue? At least he’d have the satisfaction of seeing the man’s face when