I reached down, unbuttoned his jeans, and pulled out his hard cock. I stood up, turning around and dropping my shorts. “Well then, Prez, I guess we won’t have time for a knot. Just fuck me hard and cum on me instead.” We both groaned as I sat and impaled myself on him.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Mako

  One of the many things I prided myself on was being prepared for just about anything. Unfortunately, post orgasm cleanup in my office was not one of them. My mate lay across my desk with his lower back and ass covered with my spunk. As much as I would have loved to bask in the afterglow and kick back in my chair with a scotch staring at the beautiful sight, there wasn’t time. According to my watch, we had about 6 minutes to get out of here and get to church.

  Holding my shirt away from my softened sticky cock, I hobbled to the door. I opened it just a crack and hollered, “Bear!”

  It took all of 30 seconds for Bear to appear with a maddening grin, voice saccharine sweet. “Yes, Boss?” He knew.

  “Wet towel… and keep your trap shut, brother.” I felt like a circus act. One hand holding out my shirt, one holding up my pants and my foot propped against the door to hold it at a 2-inch crack. All so no one could see Theo all fucked out across my desk. As proud as I was about it, it was for my eyes only.

  “I got you, brother.” as he pulled a damp towel from behind his back. Fucker. “Clean up man, we got church.” And he walked away laughing. Yeah, he was a fucker, but my best friend.

  Walking into the room where church had been held since the beginning of Rogue Nation always pulled at my chest. Sometimes it made it difficult to breathe and sometimes it brought a sense of pride welling from deep down. It all depended on why church was being held. Today brought a bit of both. On one hand, I was going to introduce my fated mate to my family and on the other was the hardest. We were going to vote on ending the life of another human being. It didn’t matter what that person had done; it was a hard decision and not one to be taken lightly. Before we voted, I would announce that we were about to vote on something unlawful. That way, any members who wished to abstain or simply not know the details could leave. We didn’t ask anyone to be a part of something that went against their moral compass. Gramps and Pops did the same. It was just one way we fostered loyalty among the brothers.

  The chair at the head of the table would sit empty until I placed my ass in it. To the right sat Bear, but to the left there was an empty chair. Normally our enforcer, Clipper, would sit in that chair, but this time, it was left empty. It sat vacant for the first fated mate in the brotherhood. My father never filled that seat during his reign, but Gramps did. The table was built to accommodate all the officers and their mates. That was Gramp’s intention and mine too now. Even if another would have found their mate first, room would have been made to the left of them.

  All the officers sat at the table. The first layer of chairs around them held the patched members. Beyond that, it was standing room only. Usually, officers and patched members were the only ones to attend, but because of today’s agenda, mates and hang arounds were welcomed. Those without chairs hugged the wall to make room for Theo and me to pass uninterrupted. I walked behind my mate while he clutched the papers from Teach’s file to his chest. My man walked to the head of the table with a grace that said he belonged. My chest puffed out larger with every step as I admired every step he took. I stepped to the side and pulled out his chair so he could sit and stepped over to mine. Taking my seat, I picked up the gavel and banged it once on the table, silencing the room.

  “Who doesn’t know why we’re here?” I waited for a show of hands. It was more than half in the room.

  I looked over at Owen. “What? You told me not to say anything. This it too important to be gossip, Boss.” And he shrugged his shoulders. To my right, a giggle escaped Theo before he could stifle it. I just rolled my eyes.

  “I bring before the brotherhood, Theodore Sharkey, my fated mate. He wears my claim and I his. He is now as much a brother as I am, as all you are. He is to be treated as such.” My Theo pushed out his chest and grinned widely at the entire room. Feet stomped and a roar of ‘Hear, hear’ spread through the room. My soul settled. My mate was completely claimed.

  “Many of you don’t know the entire story, but I’ll keep it brief. Theo is the adopted son of our mayor, Grey Mossdale.” A few gasps and questions of ‘huh,’ came from the members and those standing. “He was kept locked away from the public for years. It was the intention of the mayor to have Theo eliminated before his 25th birthday so he could gain control over the boy’s inheritance from his grandfather. The fatal mistake of his plan was hiring this club to do the deed. This all occurred before I knew the boy was my mate.” Several nods of understanding spread through the crowd. “We don’t eliminate innocents, EVER!” My last word came out as a growl. It was echoed by every man in the room.

  Doc rose from his chair. “Mako, if I may.” I nodded my head, giving him the floor. “Since this is a fated mate situation and the omega in question is under the age of 25, a blood test is required to prove the accuracy of the claim. I have my equipment with me to do the testing. I can have the results back in less than 12 hours. Also, with Theo having no identification with him, we will need the signatures of no less than 10 alphas with no criminal record to attest that the blood was drawn from this omega.” Chairs ground on the floor as 20 men stood, ready to sign. My heart skipped a beat. I looked at my mate and tears ran down his cheeks.

  Theo and I both held out our arms. “Do it.” I growled. Doc picked up his kit and came to our end of the table and began drawing blood while Bear passed around the forms to the men for signatures.

  As he drew blood from my arm, Doc leaned over and whispered, “Do you want the other test done?” I dropped my head in a nod and looked at Theo. He shrugged his shoulder. Once Doc sealed and initialed the samples, he gathered the rest of his stuff and headed to the door. “I’ll get these to the lab and call you as soon as the testing is complete.”

  I addressed the group again. “Now that the formalities are taken care of, there are a few things that need to be addressed. These things will be uncomfortable and may involve questionable decisions. If you don’t want to take part, we understand. The only people who will be required to stay beyond this point are the club officers. You’re all more than welcome to hang out in the bar and have a drink with Theo and I if you want to congratulate us.” I banged my gavel again. “Thank you.”

  Most of the room cleared quietly as I leaned over to Theo. “It’ll be just the officers, Teach and a few of Owen’s group. Much less formal. We’ll all just sit around the table and talk, then vote.” Theo’s breathing softened and his face eased. “It’s OK baby, you’ll get to know everyone, and they’ll love you as much as I do.”

  I was right. Once the room cleared, it was me, Bear, Clip, Spuds, our road captain, Trash, our cleaner, Gates, and Teach. Owen, Bethie, Tina, and Wills huddled around Theo like a protective barrier. I had an affinity for all the members of the club, but this group were my family, my loyal brothers… and sisters. The ones I could count on when there was no one else.

  Spuds, Trash and Gates came over and, one by one, touched Theo’s shoulder. Each introduced himself and congratulated my mate, welcoming him to the family and offering their loyalty. It made me love each of them even more. Theo was in tears by the time everyone settled into their seats. I leaned in and kissed this temple and whispered, “I told you, baby. They’re your family now. These are my closest friends. Trust them as you trust me.” He sighed, looking at the table and nodded his head.

  Teach finally spoke up. “You guys get a look at the information I collected?”

  Theo answered, “Yeah, about that.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Theo

  “Yeah, about that.” I leaned forward and began spreading the pages across the table. “Teach, I’m not gonna even try to figure out how you got all this information. But, looking at it all together proves that Hogg was planning a major move long before my Poppy died almost 10 years ago.”

  “Yeah, some of it dates back almost 20 years. Wasn’t hard to find if you knew where to look.” He looked over to Gates. “Most of it, I got off back up servers after I was taught how to get to it and what to key in to find what I was looking for.” Gates just smirked.

  “Well, however you managed it, you’ve proved a history of inquiries about the easiest way to circumvent inheritance laws. He asks law offices only one question and moved on to another office. These queries are spread out across the state regarding divorcing a woman, omega age of consent, death certificates, both with and without a body for missing persons, and things like that. Mako tells me that if he would have just ask his lawyer these questions, the lawyer would have seen it as a red flag and had to report it to the courts. I think it was a 2-sided coin. He got the advice for free AND discovered the best way to get his hands on my Poppy’s money. I know Poppy left Gavin his business and I’m pretty sure Gavin would have turned it over to his father, but the money he left me was untouchable until I either died or turned 25, so he locked me away.” I shivered and leaned into Owen, who wrapped his arm over my shoulder. Yeah, he’s my best friend. Mako is my heart and soul, but Owen is my confidante.

  “Yeah, well, he’ll never see a dime of it now that you’re mated to Mako and under the protection of the club.” Clips’ rough voice was louder than I expected from such a quiet man.

  Gates shook with laughter before speaking. “Besides, Gavin ran the business into the ground within a year of getting his hands on it. He’s broke and living off mommy and daddy now. That 50+ million sitting in your trust is what they’ve been banking on for years.”

  My body froze, and I started shaking. I could hear voices, but I comprehended nothing after 50+ million. Poppy left me 50 million dollars? Bit by bit, my body began shutting down. Mako. Mating. My father. So much money. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t hear, and my vision dimmed to minor points of light. Chairs crashing and the table shaking. Yelling, so much yelling. Then nothing.

  Soothing hands and voices. The smell of my alpha. My stomach cramped. Maybe not my alpha. Was I mated to a lie? That’s how my life went. It’s what I deserved. I was so happy. Too happy. I didn’t deserve happy. My family was right. I was worth more dead than alive. Then growling. So much growling, then I was squeezed into a hard hug.

  “NO! Just no. I don’t give a shit about any money. You are worth it baby; you deserve to be happy. Those people are NOT right, you are worth everything. YOU… not your bank account. I love you, but if you want to go, then I’ll let you go.” Mako whimpered. The hug was released. I felt the cold seep back into my body.

  “No, Mako, you can’t let him go. You’ll both be miserable. For the rest of your lives. You’re mated now.” Owen spoke as he helped me back into my chair.

  Confused, I asked “What happened?”

  Mako was back in his chair with his arms stretched in front of him, palms flat. He stared at the floor between his feet. “You had a panic attack when Gates mentioned how much money your grandfather left you. Before I could get to you, you passed out and fell to the floor. Owen caught your head so you wouldn’t get hurt.” He spoke so softly. As if he were a broken man. “Gates, give him the papers.”

  Gates spoke softly too. “But Prez…”

  Mako slammed his fist on the table. “Give him the goddess damned papers, NOW!” he growled.

  Gates slid an envelope across the table to me. “Open them Theo, look at the dates too.” Mako never raised his head.

  I emptied the envelope onto the table. An ID with no photo, a bank book with 20 thousand dollars, passport, birth certificate and various other things that would allow someone to do, literally anything. “Who is Evan Freeman?” I looked at Gates.

  Shaking his head, “That’s you Theo. Before we even met you, Mako had me contact a guy I know who could give you a new identity and travel documents. To get you away from those people until you could turn 25 and contact the lawyer for your inheritance. That was the plan. That was always the plan. Give you a fresh start somewhere omegas had equal rights. You, being Mako’s fated, changed all that.” Now all the guys were looking at the table. Owen was the only one looking at me.

  “This was only ever supposed to be a pit stop for you. Let you heal and move on with your life. Not that it will be much of a life now. That mate mark will never fade, and you’ll feel our leader’s pain everywhere you go. For the rest of your life.” Owen didn’t even try to hide his disappointment. In either me or the situation.

  “Don’t let me be a determining factor, Theo. I know pain. You’re not the first, but you’ll be the last. Not once did I consider the money beyond being pissed at Hogg for being a greedy bastard. I never wanted it. I wanted you, but I knew I never deserved you. Mating you makes me a greedy bastard too, just for something different.” Mako got up from his chair and headed to towards the door. “Bear, it’s on you, brother. Get the info, hold the vote. You get my proxy.” I knew Mako was walking out of my life. Through our bond, I could feel him shutting down. I broke as the door closed with him on the other side.

  I leaped from my chair and headed for the door. From behind me, Bear spoke. “Theo, we need you here, buddy. You’ve got to give us the information so we can vote.”

  I turned to him like a viper, ready to strike. “Fuck that shit, Bear! Owen knows everything.” I turned to Owen. “Tell them everything I told you. I’m going after my mate, goddess dammit.” I slammed the door behind me as I headed to the office.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Mako

  How I made it to my office upright, I’ll never know. Every ounce of my being burned, and for the first time in my life, I saw nothing to live for. Not even the deaths of Gramps and Pops affected me this way. Fuck, not even the shit show that Pacey put me in hurt this badly. I needed a drink. After popping the cork on the bottle, I poured an entire glass to the brim and downed it. I didn’t even feel the burn in my throat that I knew should be there. Nothing could overshadow the hurt in my chest.

  As I was finishing my second glass and pouring the 3rd, there was a light knock at the door. “Go the fuck away. I’m not in the mood right now.” Hopefully, the person on the other side got the hint. The knock came again. “I said, go away!” Even I could hear my speech slurring a bit. Meh, who the fuck cares. I deserved to get piss drunk to not think about the shit show that was my life.

  “Mako? Please let me in. The door is locked.” Theo was the last person I wanted to see right now. Seeing him would hurt too much. Best to leave things as they were and let him go on his way. Shit, my rooms, my bed would smell like him. Fuck, maybe Bear would change rooms with me. He always liked my bathroom. “I’m not leaving. We need to talk.”

  “Nuffin to talk bout Feo. Go on wif your life, be happy.” Goddess knows I won’t be happy.

  “If you won’t open the door, I’m just gonna sit here and talk. You just need to listen. When I’m done, I’ll go away. Forever.” After his last word, I heard a hitch in his breath. “I’m sorry I hurt you, Mako, so sorry. There is no excuse for my reaction to hearing about the money. No one ever said anything to me about it. I assumed that Poppy left me a few thousand dollars. Gavin was the oldest and an alpha. I figured he got left with the lions share of the estate. To say I was shocked is an understatement. I panicked.” I listened as his back slid down the outer side of the door.

  I made my way across the room, bottle in hand. No glass needed anymore. I’d drink straight from the bottle. I sat with my back against the door, hoping to feel his warmth one last time.

  “My mind was spinning and for the first time in my life, everything made perfect sense. I saw it like they did. I’m worth more dead than alive.” He was crying from the stutter of his voice as he spoke.

  “Yeah, you was mumbling as you woke up. You think I mated you for your money? I didn’t. I love you. It’s OK Feo. I’ll let you go to prove it to you. I wants you happy.” Crying just wasn’t my way, but getting pissed and tearing up was OK as the alpha to a club of bad ass bikers.

  “No Mako. I don’t think it was for the money. My mind tried to go there, but I stopped it. I love you too. I don’t want the money. I want you. I don’t want to leave.” Between my drunk brain and his sobs, it was hard to make out everything clearly. I turned and fumbled the lock on the door and opened it a crack.

  “Want me? You sure? I got nothing to give but love, baby.” I couldn’t see his face, but I could smell him, and it settled me a bit.

  “You got everything to give. You love me. You’re my mate. Besides, I’ve got a shit ton of money apparently and when the test comes back, it’s yours.” He tried to laugh, but it came out as a wet sob. I pulled the door the rest of the way open and saw we were both sitting on the floor. I lunged for my mate and hugged him to me. “Mako, you smell like alcohol. I like your natural smell better.” His words were muffled against my chest. I might have been clenching him.

  “You lub me no matter how I smell. Jus like I lub you if you broke or not.” Yep, drunk me could still try to be funny.

  Pushing away and patting my chest, “100% big guy. 100%. Wanna go up and get in bed. It’s been a long day.” That was an offer I wouldn’t refuse.

  “Yep.” Who knew I could pop my P better than smartie Owen? “Bed wif, my mate. Gon knot you over and over. Make you scream my name, baby. Gon feel me for days.” My dick was attempting to perk up. He might need a pep talk.

  “Mmm. Phone babe.” Theo held out his hand.

  “Pocket.” I patted the pocked of my jeans. Theo reached in and snagged my phone, then pressed my finger against the screen to unlock it. He text someone and stared at the screen. As soon as a ping came back with an answer, he closed the screen and put it in his pocket.