Strawberry Shortcake (BoyxMan - Werewolf)

Chapter Four

The sound of the muffler was his first indication a car was coming. The sun was blazing and Mark was comfortably relaxed in the shade of the strawberry stand, book in hand like most days. Uncle Jacob had the push mower and was finishing up the side of the house.

When the car started to slow down in front of him, Mark sat upright from his lounging position, a stirring sensation running through his body, a feeling he didn't feel before from his wolf. His wolf only ever got restless when wanting to run, but this was a different type of restless.

An average sized man stepped out of the car and instantly the world stopped. Mark's breath caught in his throat and he was stuck. He wanted to stand but his legs were shaking, his head becoming dizzy.

Mark studied the man, not recognizing him like everyone he had seen before in Marbura. His eyes followed the mans body, his eyesight heightening and zoning in on him. The mans black vans, up his skinny legs to his round backside, following the curve of his back as he bent into the back seat. The mans back was to him and Mark craved to see a glance of his face again.

Mark had only seen a glance and wanted to see him again. His breath slowed, his chest tight like someone had just super slammed his chest, shoving their hand into his chest and gripping tight his heart.

Him, it was HIM. MATE.

The man stood up again with a young boy huddled to his side, smiling up at him with glee. Mark froze.

A man.. I wasn't expecting it but I still feel so...attracted.

Is he a dad? Is he gay? Would he be willing to let me into his life?

His head was spinning with so many questions it almost distracted him from the swirling and wrenching feelings in his stomach. Mark wanted to let out a wolffish wine, yearning for the connection to be a part of this mans life, a man he didn't know. His brain was buzzing with the mixed thoughts and emotions and it was all becoming too much in a matter of seconds.

As the man moved closer to the stand Mark found his bearings and stood up, resting his palms against the table supporting the cash register, hoping he wouldn't lose his footing.

The man gave a weak smirk, his mouth lifted in a half smile, and Mark felt that tingle shoot through his body again, making that warm feeling settle in the bottom of his gut.

His jaw was sharp, a faint ghost of stubble brushed his chin and Mark found it noticing, wanting to run his fingers across it. His brown eyes dull, shaped by full black eyebrows that fit his heart shaped face. Mark knew he was already smitten. Imagining how he could trace the lines while they laid together. To take the time and bask in each other's presence, and it made him yearn for that feeling of closeness and content - the feeling of being whole.

"I'm guessing you're not Martha?" His voice was almost as smooth as his skin. Mark sat agape, now shaken from his dizzying stupor, not understanding how to respond.

The mans face had a small pink tint to his full cheeks and Mark reflexively leaned closer over the stand and rose eyed him, trying to make out the exact shade of crimson. His broad stature already towered over everyone and he noticed how much taller he was from his mate.

His mates cheeks seemed to become a deeper shade by the second and it almost had him creaming in his pants, feeling the heavy pulse radiate in his groin. Was he making his mate nervous?

"Uh, how much for the strawberries?" the man continued, ignoring Mark's silence and avoiding his gaze. Does he feel anything like what I feel, Mark doubted.

"Martha's my mother," Mark griped, fumbling over thoughts. He realized how stupid he must have sounded when the man nodded, and looked around the stand sheepishly. "Four dollars a quart for today's berries, but the day old berries are only three twenty-five." Mark caught himself and the man looked back at him again, smiling now and he wished he captured the moment with a camera. The way the mans lips curled into the perfect dazzling smile almost sent him over the edge. It was hot.

"I want this one!" The young boy shouted as he grabbed at a berry and went to put it in his mouth. The man gasped and tried to reach for the berry but it was already too late, he had it in his mouth already and was jumping with happiness.

"Archer! You can't do that!" the man scolded, and the little boys face became red, almost the color of the strawberries.

"It's okay!" Mark chimed in. "We like people knowing what they're buying, it's okay to sample, if you'd like." He wasn't lying, Martha liked to have each quart piled high to be pleasing to the eye, and she mostly wanted everyone to like what they were purchasing. She didn't mind either if people wanted to try some, as long as it didn't become outrageous.

"Thank you." They went back to scanning the strawberries and it took all of Mark's strength not to watch them like hawks, because that would be way too weird. They finally settled on a couple quarts that they wanted and Mark put them in a bag for them, ringing them up on the old cash register.

Mark didn't want the transaction to be over, he didn't even know any vital information about the man, or his son!

"I'm Mark, by the way," he extended his hand in a second greeting and the man took it in his own, warm and inviting, engulfed by Mark's rougher touch. Mark almost tightened too hard at the sheer pleasure from the one contact. The mans skin set a fire blazing throughout Mark's body, warm and inviting.

"I'm Griffin, Fin really, and this is my brother Archer." Archer smiled upon hearing his name and Mark smiled back at him. Griffin. It suited him, and Mark wanted to say it out loud, hear what it would sound like rolling off his tongue. The name of his mate.

Mark didn't know how nervous the thought of this young boy being his mates child was until it almost set his shoulders free from their tense stance. It cleared up any confusion of Griffin being with a woman in a committed relationship, in a relationship with a child involved.

"Actually, this may sound totally weird, but is your mom the one who was watching the animals for the Miller family?"

Mark had to think for a second but nodded when remembering. "Yeah, my mom stoped by a couple times to feed them. It's sad, what happened to them."

"I wanted to thank her for that, is that possible today or should I come back another time?" Griffin's face was not red anymore, no more blush to shield the soft skin. His face looked more hollow now and Mark's stomach dropped.

The realization dawned on Mark and he couldn't help the small grimace cross his face, he didn't mean for it to slip but it's what crosses most people's minds in Marabura when thinking about what happened. The thought of losing his own parents was world crushing but to lose them like that, he could never imagine what it would be like to hear the phone call that his family was no longer together. To hear how they suffered.

Griffin cleared his throat and looked away from Mark, down at Archer as he squeezed his hand. "It's fine, I can come back another time."

"No! You're okay, I'm sorry. My moms inside actually, did you want to come inside for a second to see her?"

Archer wiggled in Griffins hold and pouted, swinging the bag of strawberries around that were now in his possession. "Actually I don't think now is a good time, I should get him home, he's probably tired. But I would love to come back tomorrow if that's okay. Noonish?"

"Yeah that should be good." Mark didn't know what to say, he recognized he messed up. He didn't want to make Griffin feel like he was some spectacle to talk about, but his thoughts get the best of him and he's known for speaking before thinking. Mark wanted him to stay, but couldn't force him to stay with him and talk.

"Okay, see you then." Griffin smiled one more time before walking Archer to their car and securing him in the back, then hopping in the front. They made one last moment of eye contact before he peeled out into the street. Those brown eyes held so much despondency Mark could almost experience what they were saying without saying anything at all.

His chest started aching the farther Griffin was away and Mark had to rub it to make the solicitude go away. It felt like the world was ending, like without him his life was dull. Mark was screwed and he knew it. His mate was a single dad of his younger brother, and his parents just died a tragic and horrible death, and he probably didn't need a werewolf mate to add to the mix.

It was heartrending and he didn't even know what to do. Mark felt trapped in his emotions.

He found his mate, but he didn't know what to do.