Finding Forgiveness

Chapter Five

Dave stepped off the plane and into the Orlando airport, a huge grin on his face. The brightly colored mosaic tile on the floor, the sunshine pouring in through the windows, the flip-flops and grins on the faces of those around him let him know he was no longer in Pennsylvania.

He was in the House of Mouse and, damn it, he was going to have fun.

Dave followed the rest of the passengers down the long hallway to the—was that a monorail running through the airport? Holy shit! Dave grinned like a kid given the keys to the toy store. He’d never been to Florida, never had the opportunity to come to Disney World. Rick’s grandfather had refused all requests to leave the Lodge, believing the only way to protect his Pack from outsiders was to keep them isolationist. Dave had hated it, and when Rick challenged the old goat and won, Dave had been right at his side.

He knew Rick missed his grandfather, but the old Wolf had been wrong.

He watched a man walk by in tight jeans and a T-shirt that read Clap If You Believe in Fairies.

He was totally psyched about this. It was going to be great.

“Hey, when do we have to be at our hotel?”

Dave stopped at the monorail doors and grinned at his friend Charlie. “Check-in’s around three.”

“Dude, I still can’t believe you scored us the Contemporary. What did you do, rob a bank?”

Nope. He’d spent the money he’d been saving toward a honeymoon, finally realizing he’d never get the happily-ever-after he’d always dreamed of. Staying in one of the deluxe resorts at Disney with one of his best friends seemed like a good alternative.

All right. It was an okay alternative. Dave would much rather be pounding his mate through the mattress than sleeping a few feet away from his friend. If he succeeded and found a second mate in the ten days he was here, he might just get to do that. “Something like that.”

Bright blue eyes rose heavenward. “Uh-huh. This has nothing to do with the hunka-hunka you’ve been sending me pictures of over the years, does it?”

Dave winced. Charlie was a friend of his from his online college days, and damn if the Lion didn’t have a huge fucking mouth. He couldn’t let himself think of Ben, not when he was hunting a second mate. It made him feel oddly like he was cheating on the Marshall. “Just get on the goddamn train.”

Charlie’s laughter flowed over him. Dave followed his friend to baggage claim, eager to start his vacation.

It was going to be a fun time, whether his wolf liked it or not.

Ben scented his mate and prayed the other man didn’t scent him. He wasn’t ready yet for Dave to know he’d followed him to Florida. Ben grinned, knowing how feral it must look.

Dave could run, but he couldn’t hide. By this time tomorrow, he’d have the man mated and in his bed or he’d die trying. He threw away his cup of coffee and headed for baggage claim, knowing he had to stay far away from Dave until he was ready to show the man that he was here to claim him.

If Dave thought he was going to enjoy himself at Gay Pride Week with anyone other than his mate, he was sorely mistaken.

Dave stepped out of the hotel room and breathed deep. Below him, the monorail rumbled by, shaking the soles of his feet. He could barely hear it, but the knowledge that it, and Magic Kingdom, were mere steps away was worth it.

The hotel room rocked. The flat-screen TV was bolted to a faux fireplace, and when Charlie had flipped a switch the glass tile in the center of that fireplace had lit up. The beds were both queen size, giving him and Charlie plenty of room. The entire room was done in chocolate browns, pale tans and greens in a contemporary style. Dave loved it. It was modern, but it was far from the cold, sterile look many people associated with contemporary design. It was warm and inviting without being kitschy. The bathroom had double sinks with modern, farmhouse-style bowls and a private, enclosed toilet. The brown and white marble tile was cool underfoot.

And best of all, he’d gotten the Magic Kingdom view. He’d be able to sit out on his balcony and watch the fireworks every night if he chose. No lines, no squealing kids, no trying to see over other people’s heads.

Charlie was enchanted. He was going to have a hard time getting the Lion out of the room. When Charlie declared it was time to test the shower, Dave had bolted, knowing how long a Lion could spend washing their “mane”. He breathed in the rich smells of the three restaurants just a level or two below him. The whole center of the hotel was open, giving a hell of a view over the dark brown railing of the restaurants and the lounge below. The place had three stores on the fourth floor, including two gift shops and a small grocery.

Dave was in love, and he’d barely left his room.

He headed around the corner to the elevators and nodded cheerfully at a woman with two kids. He made note of the artwork on the walls, the modern furniture even here by the elevators.

He’d have to talk to Rick about that. Having artwork near the elevators might not be a bad idea at the Lodge.

He stepped in and pressed the button for the first floor. He was in Disney, and he had every intention of visiting a park. Today he planned on hitting the Magic Kingdom. He had a runaway train to catch, a waterfall to go over and a haunted mansion to explore. And if he got really lucky, he’d run into some handsome pirates.

Ben who?

He chuckled on the way out the doors, following the footpath he’d seen earlier when they’d first arrived at the hotel. Who knew you could walk to Magic Kingdom from his hotel?

He resisted the urge to squeal like a child and practically ran for the magic, eager to let it wash away all his worries. He’d deal with Ben when he got home. Now, it was time to play.

Ben stared around the one-bedroom, one-bathroom timeshare he’d finagled out of Steve. The place was fucking amazing. There was a divider between the huge tub and the master bedroom that acted like a giant window. He could just picture his mate lying there, covered in bubbles and waiting for him, chatting while Ben got ready for bed. The king-sized bed was covered in tan sheets. The front room boasted a sofa and a small kitchenette complete with the food Ben had ordered delivered. The two flat-screen TVs were a bonus he hoped he didn’t wind up watching.

He’d rather watch his mate.

He dropped his bags and dug out his shorts, flip-flops and T-shirt. He had to find Dave. He knew the man was staying at the Contemporary, just a short walk away. It was incredible luck that Steve was able to get him this room at the Bay Lake Towers, right next to Dave’s hotel. Apparently Steve had planned on using the room himself during these two weeks. The wily bastard had made him work for it, though. Ben knew how much this little jaunt was going to cost him. He owed Steve big time. The man was going to get his free stay at the Lodge even if Ben had to bend over and spread ’em for Rick.

He changed quickly out of his jeans and sneakers into shorts and sandals, grabbed his room key and park ticket in one hand and ran for the door. If he knew anything from watching Dave covertly all these years his man would head for the closest park, Magic Kingdom. He wouldn’t be able to resist the lure of it no matter how tired he was from the flight. Ben dashed out the door, confident it wouldn’t take him long to find Dave and begin the process of healing their broken relationship.

After all, how hard could it be to find one lone Wolf in a theme park?

Jesus Christ! Ben glared around the park. He was tired, hotter than he’d thought he’d be, sweaty and ready to kill the next person who bumped into him. He’d been wandering the park for hours. How fucking hard can it be to find one Wolf?

He’d caught elusive whiffs of his mate, but so far he hadn’t found the man. Where the fuck was he? Hell, he’d managed to find two Lions, a Tiger, six Pumas and a Fox, but his mate was nowhere to be found.

He turned in place, staring around. He was at the entrance to Splash Mountain, wondering if the man had been eaten by Br’er Fox or Br’er Bear. Because this was where Dave’s latest scent trail led and, thanks to the fucking water, Ben couldn’t find it anymore. So he waited by the exit for the ride and prayed he didn’t miss him in the press of people that surrounded him.

Fuck.

There was a gasp behind him. “Holy shit. Ben?”

Oh, thank you, God. Ben turned and smiled into the startled, wary face of his mate. “Dave.”

Dave took a step back, his face pale. “Ugh.”

Ben held up his hands. The last thing he wanted to do was stress Dave out and trigger another migraine. “Hey. No worries, Dave.”

Dave blew out a breath, but his shoulders remained tense. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you.”

Dave rolled his eyes. “Yeah. Right. Tell another me another fairy story, Grandma, I ain’t buyin’ that one.”

Ben glared at this mate. “I’m here for the nachos.”

He’d managed to startle a laugh out of Dave, easing the tension in his mate’s shoulders. He dared take a small step forward, lowering his hands back to his sides. “I’ve been trying to talk to you for weeks.”

“About?” The wary fear was back in Dave’s eyes.

Ben took a deep breath. He had to figure a way to erase that look from Dave’s face before it became permanently etched there. He’d caused his mate enough pain. “Could we maybe have dinner together? I have a lot of groveling to do, and I think it would be better done over steak.”

Dave blinked, his expression blanking for just a second. His shoulders eased. A relaxed, easy smile graced his lips. “Oh. Sure. You have a Hopper pass?” Ben nodded. “Cool. How about the Brown Derby over in Hollywood Studios? I heard the food there’s really good.”

Ben’s brows rose. This was way too easy. “Are you all right?”

“Oh yeah.” Dave looked up at the sky. “It should start raining pizza soon, so we might want to get under cover.”

Pizza? Ben choked down a laugh. “You’re not dreaming.”

“No?” Dave was still smiling. “In about three seconds you’re going to tell me you’re sorry, you can’t live without me, and you’ve got a naked Gerard Butler stuck in your pocket.”

That forced the laugh out. “Two out of three isn’t bad.”

Dave put his hands on his hips, some of the wariness returning. “So you’re not planning on going down on me on the Merry-Go-Round?”

“Nope.”

“Haunted Mansion?”

“Nuh-huh.”

“Rockin’ Rollercoaster?”

“Rockin’— Are you insane? I’d bite your dick off.” Ben winced and waved an apology at the father of the five-year-old girl staring at him with wide, innocent eyes. “Sorry.” He could feel his face turning beet red. He cleared his throat. “Look, can we go somewhere and talk?”

“Just talk?”

Ben nodded. At this point, he’d take anything Dave handed him. Hell, the man was finally talking to him. That was a step up in Ben’s estimation.

“And you’re sure this isn’t a dream?”

“I just gave a five-year-old an accidental education in sex. Yeah, I’d say this isn’t a dream.”

Dave’s mouth lifted in a shy smile, so at odds with the dominant personality Ben knew existed inside the Beta. Ben knew firsthand exactly how powerful Dave was. No one but Rick had ever forced him to bow down the way Dave had, and that had been while the Beta was in blinding agony.

“What are you doing here?”

He took slow steps until he was right in front of his mate, Dave’s heady scent filling his nostrils. “I’m here to claim you.”

Dave’s jaw dropped. His wide eyes darted upward.

Ben, knowing what Dave was looking for, grabbed his arm and pulled him after him. “Nope, still no pizzas. Jesus, you are such a goof.” And now he got to finally enjoy his mate’s innate goofiness. Before he would have held himself aloof, thinking alcohol was the cause of Dave’s attitude.

Now he knew the man was just weird. Ben couldn’t be happier about that.

Dave laughed and pointed to a teenager wearing a huge green Goofy hat. “Then it looks like I’m in the right place.”

But his hand tightened around Ben’s like he was afraid Ben would let go of him.

Ben grinned. As if.

“Where are you staying?”

Ben winced. This was the only part of the situation he knew for sure would get him into trouble. “Bay Lake Towers.”

“How the hell did you get a room there? And on such short notice?”

Ben wasn’t going to answer that if red hot pizza fell down from the sky and landed on his naked testicles cheese first. “How do we get to the Brown Derby from here?”

“Ben.”

Shit, Dave was using his power to demand an answer. Of all the Betas Ben had met only Dave seemed to have the ability to mimic a true Alpha. “I asked a friend for a favor.”

Dave scowled. “Steve.”

The anger in Dave’s voice worried Ben. “What do you have against him?” Ben turned to confront his mate. “He’s been a good friend for a long time.”

“Sure.” Dave’s smile was tight-lipped. “Is he here with you?”

Ben studied the look on Dave’s face. The anger there was mixed with…hurt? Ben was shocked. He’d known Dave hated Steve, but surely it wasn’t because of jealousy? “Dave. He’s just a friend.”

Dave’s jaw clenched.

“Seriously. He’s straight.”

One of Dave’s brows rose. “Really?”

“Let me put it to you this way: I’ve been thinking of introducing him to Chela. I think the two of them would get along great.” And if they turned out to be mates, so much the better. He’d love to make Steve Pack, but Rick had turned him down the one time he’d suggested it. They hadn’t been ready to add another Wolf to the fold, especially with the crap Dave’s sister Gina had been pulling at the time. Gina was gone now, and last he’d heard she’d begun an Amazon Pack with herself as the Alpha.

It was what she’d truly wanted in the first place. She hadn’t wanted Rick, she’d wanted power, and all of them had known it.

Still, Ben was planning on bringing his friend into the Pack by hook or by crook. All he had to do was ease his mate’s fears about the man and he knew everything would work out.

“I think Chela would take your friend, chew him up and spit him right back out.”

If they were still talking about Chela he’d eat that Goofy hat. “She might. She also might find he’s a good man who helped a friend when he really needed it.” He toyed with Dave’s fingers, glad when the other man didn’t pull away. “Please. I have a lot of groveling and explaining to do. Dinner?”

Dave looked off to the side, his expression uncertain. “Groveling?”

“Yup.”

“Lots of groveling?”

“Yup.”

“With beds of nails and hair shirts?”

Ben sighed. “I’ll do anything to make things up to you.”

Dave grinned, and Ben didn’t like the look of it. It was evil. The last time he’d seen that expression on Dave’s face the dining hall got painted purple. Rick had nearly blown a gasket. Rumor had it Dave had spent all night fixing the color. He still didn’t know what Rick had done to make Dave paint the hall that hideous shade of Barney. “Anything?”

Ben nodded.

“You’re sure? Because there’s no taking it back.”

“I won’t chop off my left nut or wear a clown nose.”

Dave started to laugh again. “You put clown noses and cut off balls in the same sentence?”

“Hey, those clown guys are creepy.”

Dave bit his lip. His cheeks flushed. “Fine. I’ll meet you at the Brown Derby in an hour and a half. There’s something I need to go get in my room.”

“I can go with you.”

Dave looked guilty for a split second before he smiled. He was a little wild-eyed. “No. That’s okay. I’ve got it covered.”

“Dave,” Ben drawled. He clamped down when Dave tried to pull his hand free. “What are you hiding?”

Dave pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. “Charlie.”

It was like a punch to the gut. “Charlie.”

Dave nodded. “Yeah. Charlie.”

Ben swallowed. God, it hurt to think his mate was here with another man, but it was his own goddamn fault. He just hoped they hadn’t gotten the chance to do anything more than unpack or he’d have to kill the fucker. “Okay. Charlie.” He blew out a breath and tried to reign in his anger. “Is Charlie back in your hotel room?”

Dave nodded, looking guilty as sin.

“How do you feel about moving into the Towers with me?”

“I paid a crap-load of money for my room.”

“Then let’s move Charlie into the Towers, okay?” Ben gritted out between clenched teeth. His jaw was beginning to hurt. It was all he could do not to mark his mate right then and there. His eyes turned, the colors of the Magic Kingdom changing around him. The reddish clay color of Splash Mountain turned a deep, bright gold. The greenery around it altered subtly, taking on a brownish cast. Skin tones became grayer. Even the bright blue sky took on more of a violet cast as green and red blended in his vision. If he were to try driving down the street right now, he knew all the traffic lights would look yellow to him.

Dave sighed. If he noticed that Ben’s nearly black eyes had lightened to his wolf’s golden brown he didn’t react. “I’m not sure Charlie would want to move.”

Ben growled. He really didn’t give two shakes of a rat’s ass what Charlie wanted. But he knew what he wanted.

Charlie gone.