Black Hollow: Beating Around the Bush Read online

  “Oh.”

  “To be fair there is a small amount here, they mostly bring in some things we can’t or won’t provide and help supplement the supply of what we do offer.” Bishop thought for a moment and nodded to himself. “Yeah, I think that’s how it works at least. I’m a pack member, so I know the basics but not the finer details. That’s up to the Alpha.”

  “We get to see where you work?” Kohen cocked his head, “Wait, I don’t want to see where you get the meat though. Maybe just where we can buy it in those containers or whatever you guys put it in.”

  Bishop loved this kid, he was so honest with feelings and bright as hell. “No worries, I promise you don’t have to see that part. But, I’ll even introduce some of the pack that works there if you want.” He leaned forward to mock whisper to Kohen, “Do you think we could make these two go home first?”

  Kohen covered his mouth with both hands as he tried to hide his laughter as they looked over to see both men glaring at them.

  “Guess not.” Bishop winked and straightened back up. “Back to shopping. If you guys want to go start unloading the cart at one of the registers, I can run and grab the last few items we need and meet you up there. Kohen can help you guys, right?”

  Kohen nodded eagerly. “Yup, I got this. They can watch and learn. And we’ll pay.” He grabbed the cart and started off without waiting for the guys.

  Bishop waggled his eyebrow at the horror on their faces, did an about-face, and went to grab some eggs and milk. The rest of the things they’d need, he’d come back for without them. This would give them enough meals for a few days and Bishop knew they could always go to a restaurant or he could drop off food.

  He growled at himself as he realized he was injecting himself into their lives more and more, that wasn’t his place. None of them were his and weren’t likely to ever be. Shayde was in love with Choal, Kohen was living with them. They were a family, and he wasn’t a part of that. He shook himself out of the melancholy his thoughts had brought on as he got in line behind the guys and listened to Kohen explaining the check-out process to them.

  “So she told me that we should always put things on the conveyor belt that go together. Grab all the vegetables and fruits and put them together, then the boxed stuff, then canned stuff, and finally cold items. That way the bagger can bag things easier.”

  “Where does this go?” Choal asked as he held up a bottle of shampoo. “It’s not in any of those groups you listed.

  Bishop grabbed the bottle and set it to the back of the belt. “Put other similar things with it. Like dish soap, hygiene products, and anything nonedible really.”

  Choal examined the belt as it filled up and smiled, “I get it now. Now, what happens though?”

  “The cashier rings it all up and passes it to the bagger, who puts it in bags. Then we load the bags into the cart and take them to our car…..” Kohen’s shoulders dropped as he met Bishop's eyes. “We don’t have a car, we walked here.”

  “That’s okay, if we can’t carry it all, I can grab the truck.” Bishop did a quick count of the bags and how much still had to be loaded. “I think we can manage it no problem, but only if you help carry a couple of them. You think you can do that?”

  Kohen squinted one side of his face as he contemplated his answer, “I think if you give me some of the lighter bags, then yes I could take a couple.”

  Bishop couldn't stop himself from ruffling the kids' hair, “Kid, you’re something else.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Here let me help you.’’ Bishop offered.

  Shayde watched as the man came to stand behind Kohen and put his hands over the kids so he could help him chop some of the vegetables safely. “Slow and steady until you get good, then you can go faster. Just make sure you keep those fingers tucked away, we don’t want you losing any, okay.”

  Kohen leaned back and looked up at Bishop with a look of adoration and happiness and it almost brought tears to his eyes. The kid probably couldn’t remember the last time he had someone that wanted to spend time with him and teach him. Shayde made a mental note for him and Choal to try harder, and to make sure whoever the kid ended up with, did the same.

  “Can you help me too?” Choal asked shyly from where he stood trying to see around them. “I’d like to learn if you don’t mind that is?”

  Shayde was glad he was behind the counter as he watched Bishop come up behind Choal and slowly wrap his arms around the other man. “You’re a tad bit taller than me, so it’s a little harder. I can’t see our hands that well.”

  “Oh, here does this help,” Choal asked as he spread his legs.

  Shayde almost groaned at the sight of them standing like that. From where he stood he could see the tension that immediately filled Bishop as Choal’s new position put his cock right against the other man's ass.

  “Um… yeah.” Bishop squeaked out, cleared his throat and tried again. “Yeah, though if you just sat in a chair I could probably show you that way just as easy.”

  Shayde choked out a bark of laughter before quickly swallowing the sound at the pained look Bishop shot him. Shayde shrugged as if to say it’s your own fault, now enjoy the consequences of your action.

  “Then we’d have to move the cutting board, veggies. It’s just easier this way.”

  “All right,” Bishop agreed as he started to demonstrate. “Yeah, that’s it, make a claw so your fingertips and nails grip it and it’ll help keep your fingers from getting in the way.”

  Shayde was seriously in trouble, he was so turned on his pants had become uncomfortable. No matter how he squirmed he couldn’t make it any less obvious either. He was stuck where he was, otherwise he might have to give Kohen and Choal for that matter a lesson in anatomy.

  “Yes.” Bishop gritted out through clenched teeth. “You’re doing great. I’m gonna go back to my stuff, you keep going.”

  Bishop stepped away and wiped his sweating brow, he turned to see Shayde. The lust in his eyes almost made Shayde whimper out loud. Damn this man was killing him, add in seeing him wrapped around the man that starred in way too many of his dreams and he was a goner. An oozing puddle of need and want.

  “Excuse me,” Shayde whispered as he raced out of the kitchen and down the short hallway to the bathroom. Before he could get the door shut, Bishop was there pushing it open and following him inside.

  “Stop me now,” Bishop growled as he closed the door and stepped closer. “Tell me this is a bad idea, that you don’t want me as much as I want you.”

  “You want him too.” Shayde acknowledged, “As much as I do.”

  Bishop nodded, “That wasn’t a no or a stop.”

  Shayde waited, holding Bishop’s stare, pleading silently for the other man to make the first move. To give them what they both craved. He licked his lips as he edged closer, he could feel Bishop's lips brush against his; they were so close now. Fuck it, he needed to taste him, needed to know what it was like to kiss this man.

  He pressed their lips together so hard he felt his teeth cut his lip, he didn’t care though. His only thought was he needed more, he parted his mouth enough to let his tongue glide across Bishop's lower lip, begging entrance. He could taste the salt of his skin, and the tang from the pepper he must have snagged a piece of.

  Just when he thought Bishop wasn’t going to respond, he was pushed back against the wall, as Bishop took what he wanted freely. He moaned and pushed his groin against Bishop, begging for more, even when he knew they didn’t have the time for it. Shayde was keenly aware of the hand wrapped in his shirt pulling him close, the feel of their bodies plastered against each other, the smell of this man's scent. A combination of musk, leather, and the woods. It was an aphrodisiac he hadn’t expected, but one he was quickly becoming addicted to.

  Shayde gasped as Bishop moved his mouth to the side of his neck and placed gentle kisses in between his words. “If Kohen and Choal weren’t outside waiting on us, I’d bend you over this counter and sink deep insid
e you until you couldn’t tell where I ended and you began.” Bishop grinned, “You like that, don’t you. Your cock sure does, I can feel it pulse against me.”

  Shayde closed his eyes and groaned, “Yes, I want that, need that. You feel so good, taste so good.”

  “What if I tell you I want to take your ass, make it mine. Hear you scream my name as I fuck you until you can’t walk straight tomorrow.” Bishop bit on Shayde’s ear, making him moan again. “What if I told you, I wanted to tie you down over the edge of your bed so you can’t move and I can watch you squirm as you wait to see what I’m going to do to you?”

  This time Shayde didn’t try to hide his whimper of need, “Gods yes, please. I need it, need you, Sir.”

  Bishop leaned back and patted Shayde’s hard cock. “Good boy. Now, why don’t you stay in here and take care of that, while I go distract the other two.”

  Shayde nodded eagerly as he pulled himself off the wall and quickly undid his pants. With a yank he had himself in hand, stroking from root to tip while never taking his eyes off Bishop.

  “Maybe I spoke too soon.” Bishop playfully admonished, “Good boys wouldn’t try to keep me here like this. Are you a bad boy, Shayde? Are you begging to be punished?”

  Shayde hesitated to reply, so instead, he pulled his pants down lower so he could show Bishop just what he was missing out on and continued stroking himself.

  “You’re lucky I can hear Kohen calling for us, otherwise I’d force you to your knees to suck me off.”

  With one last hungry look, Bishop opened the door and was gone. Shayde bit his lip as a soft groan filled the air at the image his words had caused. His erection didn’t even go down when he heard Kohen a few feet from the door ask where he was.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Bishop sauntered into the kitchen as Kohen rattled on about the vegetables and how he hadn't cut himself once. Bishop tuned him out until he heard, “Choal did, but it’s not bad though, I checked it.”

  “He did, did he?” Bishop chuckled absently. He was struggling to keep himself here in the kitchen when he knew what was down the hall waiting for him. Never would he have pegged Shayde as being submissive, but damn if the man wasn’t. At least in the bedroom, which worked perfectly with Bishop.

  “No, well. I mean I did, but it’s just a small one on my knuckle. Nothing to worry about.” Choal shrugged sheepishly, “Where did you two go, everything okay?”

  Bishop nodded, “Nothing to worry about. Let’s finish dinner and then we can work on the dessert. It’s even easier than dinner, you just follow the directions on the box.”

  Kohen wandered off after a few minutes, bored now that there wasn’t anything he could do to help. Bishop watched as Choal told him to clean up and he could watch some TV until dinner was done. For someone who wasn’t used to being around kids, he was learning fast.

  “So, what’s it like being a wolf shifter and being part of a pack? You’re the first I’ve met in person before.” Choal asked as he moved to lean against the counter beside Bishop and watch him cook.

  “It’s pretty amazing for the most part, like having a giant family around you at all times. You know you’ve always got someone to watch your back, to help you and to cheer you up. Outside of Black Hollow things were a bit different, we all lived in one place. Not in the same house, but clustered in houses on a piece of land. But things are easier here, we don’t have to hide. So we can spread out or stay together as we choose. In the outside world, we’d have a pack house. The Alpha and mate would live there, and that's where all pack business would be handled. Here in Black Hollow, the shop is our pack house of sorts. We all come here every day to work, touch base, hold meetings and even to organize pack runs or other events.”

  “That sounds pretty amazing. So different than the world I live in, that’s for sure. Not that I’m saying mine was bad, it was just more isolated I guess you’d say.” Choal paused in thought for a moment, “Yes, isolated I think is the perfect word for it.”

  Bishop arched an eyebrow, “How so?”

  “Our realm is vastly different. Outside of our headquarters, which is massive in itself, there is nothing. Just empty blackness, it swallows sound and light, each second out there feels like a millennia. If you’re not strong enough you don’t make it out, few venture out there though. There really isn’t any point.”

  “Why are you guys there then? Couldn’t you move headquarters to someplace …. Better or at least liveable?”

  Choal shrugged, “Not my call, I just work for the ones who decide that. But I’d think we’re where we are because it’s where we’re needed. It’s hard to explain if you haven’t been there. Just trust me on that one. But, in all honesty, it's not that bad really. Our building is like a city there. It’s huge and has everything we need right there. We can come and go to any other realm we like. But we do spend a majority of our time escorting souls to purgatory so they can be sent on to their next stage per their religion or belief structure.”

  “You do realize you’re contradicting yourself, right?”

  “That’s because our world is a bit of a contradiction in itself.” Shayde offered as he came into view. “We can visit with other realms, but can only be seen when we will it. For some, it takes hundreds of years before they’re able to master that ability. So by then, they’re set in their ways.” He gave Choal a pointed look.

  “I could do it, but I didn’t see a reason to.” Choal disagreed with a growl, “We’ve been over this, stop rehashing it. We agreed to disagree.”

  Bishop snickered at their bickering, “Foods done, if you guys want to set the table we can eat.”

  Thirty seconds passed and both men stood staring at him, he sighed and called out to Kohen to come set the table, “And teach these two how to do it while you’re at it.”

  Kohen came bounding into the room with a smile, “On it.” He turned and gestured for the two guys to follow him. “It’s easy, you just gotta grab some plates, silverware, and cups. Then you put them on the table.”

  “Oh.” they both let out an awkward chuckle. “We know how to do that, I guess we’ve just never heard that term before.” Shayde rubbed his cheek sheepishly.

  Bishop didn’t say anything but he knew if they looked they’d see his shoulders shaking from holding his laughter in. He quickly grabbed the ingredients for the brownies and threw them together as the other three brought the food to the table.

  “Hey.” Shayde whispered as he came to stand beside him. “I….”

  Bishop leaned over so their shoulders bumped, “Chill, everything’s good. Let’s eat and see what happens. Don’t force stuff okay. We both know where the other stands on this.”

  “That smells great, Bishop,” Kohen announced as he pulled a chair and dropped into it. “A real meal, that’s not out of a can. This is awesome.”

  ***

  Dinner was interesting, Bishop thought an hour later as he watched the guys clear the table under Kohen’s instructions. He’d offered to do it, but they’d refused and he wasn’t going to argue. He was enjoying this way too much.

  “Now you have to rinse them before you can put them in the dishwasher.” Kohen patiently explained.

  “Kohen, that makes no sense.” Choal argued. “If this contraption cleans them, why do we have to rinse them first?”

  “I…” Kohen frowned and looked to Bishop. “Why do we do that? I was just always told I had to. But he’s right, I don’t get it.”

  “Mainly because unless you’re running the dishwasher right away, food can get stuck to the dishes and not come off. So, if you rinse them and get that stuff off, the dishwasher can do its job and you won't have to rewash and scrub them afterward.” Bishop explained, “Or you throw them away and buy new dishes. Or paper plates, which is what I use mostly.”

  “Seems like you could have mentioned getting those plates when we were at the store and saved us a lot of work.” Shayde grumbled as he rinsed a plate and handed it to Choal to put in the mac
hine.

  “Guys, look at what you’re doing.” Kohen cried in frustration. “You have to put them in the right way otherwise you can’t fit anything else in here and if you put the cups up like that, they’ll fill with water.” He glared at Bishop and grumbled, “I should’ve just done it myself, this is taking twice as long.”

  Bishop hid his smile as he got up and ruffled the kid’s hair, “They need to learn to so that you guys can share chores. You’ll be cooking some meals, and they have to clean up on those nights, right?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.”

  “I’ll give you an extra big piece of brownie for having to put up with them, will that help?”

  “I’m not sure, because I don't know what a brownie is, but by the smile on his face, I think we just got jipped, Choal.” Shayde announced as he narrowed his eyes at them as they tried to look innocent.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “What a day.” Choal let out a yawn as he climbed into bed with a sigh. “Maybe tomorrow we can actually venture into town a bit more.”

  “We need to find Seraphine and get some answers or at least figure our story out first.” Shayde mumbled as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it on the pile of dirty clothes they’d started to accumulate. “And we need to figure out what to do with that.”

  Choal sat up to see what he was pointing out and nodded, “How do we find out who does it around here?”

  Shayde cringed, “I really don’t want to do it, but Kohen would probably know. Bishop too, but I don’t want to keep taking him from his life to help us figure this out, you know. I feel like we’ve been monopolizing his time as it is.”

  “Yeah,” he yawned again and flipped on to his side facing away from Shayde. “He’s a good guy though. I like him.”

  “Yes he is, and he likes us too.” Shayde admitted, knowing that Choal wouldn’t get the double meaning there. “But we’re temporary fixtures in his life, so I don’t want to get attached you know. There’s no future.”