Determined Mate: Holland Brothers 2
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MSCRBK0000014
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By Toni Griffin
Holland Brothers 2
Release Date: November 9, 2013
Word Count: 45,500
Editor: Erika Orrick
Cover Art: Meredith Russell
Jason Matthew's is a broken man. He's lived through hell and barely come out the other side. All he can thing about is getting to his best friend, Brian, after that he has no idea. Jason's scared out of his mind when he's met by not only Brian but two large men as well, he does the only thing he can think to do. He tries to run. One of the men, though, turns out to be his mate. A mate he is in no condition to have or want, a mate that won't allow him to flee.
Alex Holland is forced to stand by and watch as Jason is taken to the safest place they know, too scared to be around him. He knows something bad has happened to Jason and he's going to need every ounce of his Alpha control to give his mate the time he needs to heal and start living again.
NOTE: DM has been re-edited, and expanded by about 19 K.
Holland Brothers 2
Release Date: November 9, 2013
Word Count: 45,500
Editor: Erika Orrick
Cover Art: Meredith Russell
Jason Matthew's is a broken man. He's lived through hell and barely come out the other side. All he can thing about is getting to his best friend, Brian, after that he has no idea. Jason's scared out of his mind when he's met by not only Brian but two large men as well, he does the only thing he can think to do. He tries to run. One of the men, though, turns out to be his mate. A mate he is in no condition to have or want, a mate that won't allow him to flee.
Alex Holland is forced to stand by and watch as Jason is taken to the safest place they know, too scared to be around him. He knows something bad has happened to Jason and he's going to need every ounce of his Alpha control to give his mate the time he needs to heal and start living again.
NOTE: DM has been re-edited, and expanded by about 19 K.
Excerpt - Prologue
Another week had passed without Jason being able to see his best friend. Yes, they talked on the phone whenever they could, but it just wasn't the same. Jason understood that Brian was newly mated and that meant Marcus was his priority, but it didn't stop Jason from missing his friend.
They had been friends since kindergarten, Brian had offered to share his blocks with a shy and uncertain Jason, and they had scarcely left each other's sides since and could barely go two days without seeing each other. Which was why Jason had felt like he'd lost a brother when Brian had been kicked out of their pack. Now though, it had been over two weeks since he'd been able to hang out with Brian and just shoot the shit. They didn't necessarily have to do anything special, but just being together used to bolster their spirits about being gay werewolves in a pack of bigoted assholes.
Jason still could hardly believe the way Brian had been treated when he'd come out to his parents. The fact that Brian's father had turned his own son over to a homophobic asshole Alpha without a second's hesitation had Jason wondering how the man had ever thought he could call himself a father. Jason hated the thought but he knew his own dad would more than likely follow in Clayton Townsend's shoes if he was to find out Jason was also gay.
As it was all he'd heard for the last two weeks from his parents was nothing but gay bashing and desperate fix-up attempts by his mother. Apparently there was a second cousin, twice removed who was in town for the week, or the neighbour's daughter was back from school. Hell, his mother had even given him the telephone number of one of the girls that worked the checkout at the supermarket. Needless to say that had gone straight in the bin.
What Jason needed was his best friend. It just wasn't the same talking to Brian over the phone as it was in person. They couldn't hug or touch or even playfully hit each other. There had never been anything sexual to their relationship; they had never wanted to take the chance that it would ruin the friendship they shared if things between them ended badly. Plus they had both recognised early on when they realised they were gay that they preferred things the same way.
Now that Brian wasn't there though Jason was lonely. He had other friends, but they weren't his best friend and they just didn't get him like Brian did.
Jason looked around the bedroom he'd grown up in and decided then and there that he wanted out. Even after spending his life in this room he couldn't point to a single object that showed who Jason was as a person.
The room was sparsely furnished with just a bed, side table and desk with his laptop sitting open on it. There were a couple of photos of Jason with Brian and then the pair of them with their other friends, but apart from that there was nothing personal Jason could point to and say 'that's me, that's who I am.' Jason had had to hide who he was from his parents in fear they would react the exact same way Brian's had.
The only reason Jason still lived at his parents' house was because he was trying to save up enough money to move out. But between paying for his education and the board his folks charged him, he wasn't really getting anywhere.
Jason had just taken Brian up on his offer to move in with him when he'd been run out of town. Looking around again Jason realised nothing was going to change unless he actually did something about it. He wondered if Brian had really meant it when he'd told him to come for a visit and whether his friend would let him stay for an extended period, like forever.
This pack was suffocating him and he knew they would never accept him if they found out who he was. The Leyburn pack, on the other hand, sounded just wonderful and Jason really hoped they might have room for one more.
Jason couldn't believe just how much lighter and happier he felt after making the decision to leave. He knew his parents weren't going to like it, but Jason had to live his life for himself and not them.
He smiled for what felt like the first time in days.
They had been friends since kindergarten, Brian had offered to share his blocks with a shy and uncertain Jason, and they had scarcely left each other's sides since and could barely go two days without seeing each other. Which was why Jason had felt like he'd lost a brother when Brian had been kicked out of their pack. Now though, it had been over two weeks since he'd been able to hang out with Brian and just shoot the shit. They didn't necessarily have to do anything special, but just being together used to bolster their spirits about being gay werewolves in a pack of bigoted assholes.
Jason still could hardly believe the way Brian had been treated when he'd come out to his parents. The fact that Brian's father had turned his own son over to a homophobic asshole Alpha without a second's hesitation had Jason wondering how the man had ever thought he could call himself a father. Jason hated the thought but he knew his own dad would more than likely follow in Clayton Townsend's shoes if he was to find out Jason was also gay.
As it was all he'd heard for the last two weeks from his parents was nothing but gay bashing and desperate fix-up attempts by his mother. Apparently there was a second cousin, twice removed who was in town for the week, or the neighbour's daughter was back from school. Hell, his mother had even given him the telephone number of one of the girls that worked the checkout at the supermarket. Needless to say that had gone straight in the bin.
What Jason needed was his best friend. It just wasn't the same talking to Brian over the phone as it was in person. They couldn't hug or touch or even playfully hit each other. There had never been anything sexual to their relationship; they had never wanted to take the chance that it would ruin the friendship they shared if things between them ended badly. Plus they had both recognised early on when they realised they were gay that they preferred things the same way.
Now that Brian wasn't there though Jason was lonely. He had other friends, but they weren't his best friend and they just didn't get him like Brian did.
Jason looked around the bedroom he'd grown up in and decided then and there that he wanted out. Even after spending his life in this room he couldn't point to a single object that showed who Jason was as a person.
The room was sparsely furnished with just a bed, side table and desk with his laptop sitting open on it. There were a couple of photos of Jason with Brian and then the pair of them with their other friends, but apart from that there was nothing personal Jason could point to and say 'that's me, that's who I am.' Jason had had to hide who he was from his parents in fear they would react the exact same way Brian's had.
The only reason Jason still lived at his parents' house was because he was trying to save up enough money to move out. But between paying for his education and the board his folks charged him, he wasn't really getting anywhere.
Jason had just taken Brian up on his offer to move in with him when he'd been run out of town. Looking around again Jason realised nothing was going to change unless he actually did something about it. He wondered if Brian had really meant it when he'd told him to come for a visit and whether his friend would let him stay for an extended period, like forever.
This pack was suffocating him and he knew they would never accept him if they found out who he was. The Leyburn pack, on the other hand, sounded just wonderful and Jason really hoped they might have room for one more.
Jason couldn't believe just how much lighter and happier he felt after making the decision to leave. He knew his parents weren't going to like it, but Jason had to live his life for himself and not them.
He smiled for what felt like the first time in days.