Page 2 of Kodi’s Keeper

Lane slipped his arm through Lennon’s, guiding him towards Lennon’s office.

“Of course.” Lane’s fresh fragrance was combined with cookie dough, which wasn’t surprising given how often he liked to bake.

They stepped into Lennon’s office and he closed the door as Lane perched his bottom on the edge of Lennon’s desk. His leg swinging, Lane placed the cookie box down and peeled off the lid, filling the room with the scent of chocolate and peanuts.

The divine smell caused Lennon’s tummy to grumble, and he didn’t think twice, reaching into the box to snag a cookie. He took a big bite and groaned in approval. The cookie was just this side of gooey and sticky, with the chocolate stopping the peanut butter being dry in the mouth, like it could be.

“So good,” he mumbled around a mouthful.

Lane’s eyes sparkled with joy as he picked one up and nibbled on it. “They are! I had to hide the box so Laken and Kodi didn’t eat them.”

At the mention of Kodi, Lennon knew he was never going to get a better opportunity to ask his question.

“Would it be okay to ask a personal question?” It felt like Groundhog Day after talking to Hollis.

“Of course, sweet boy.”

“Kodi… does… does he have a… problem with his temper?” Lennon asked, his gaze dropping to the cookie he was holding. That didn’t quite come out the way he wanted, and he chanced a look at Lane.

He didn’t look pissed. If anything, the smile gracing his lips and reached his eyes suggested the exact opposite. “I wondered how long it would be before you asked about his short fuse.”

Short fuse? At times it was nonexistent.

“I’ve been struggling a little.” Understatement, but then Lane read their group chat, so he wasn’t saying anything he hadn’t voiced in the chat.

Lane patted his arm. “It takes a special person to recognize that someone has an issue that isn’t them just being a jerk.”

Lennon had, on an occasion or twelve, thought Kodi was a jerk when he was directing his temper at Lennon for no reason he could see.

“Kodi doesn’t talk about this, so I would ask for your disgression.” At his nod, Lane continued. “As this is affecting you, I feel honesty is best. Kodi was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder, ADD, in his pre-teens. We tried medication, but he didn’t like the way it made him feel. He worked with a therapist for a few years and managed to find ways to cope. To keep himself focused when he needed to. It comes at a cost.

“He has impulse control issues, and the more pressure he is under, the more likely he is to have outbursts. Kind of like a dam when they have to syphon off water to relieve the pressure and stop the protective wall from crumbling. Kodi’s outbursts are how he has learned to function when he gets overwhelmed. Our retirement has added to that pressure. I’m sorry it’s affecting you. I’ll have—”

Oh bugger, now Lennon felt like crap for whining, though it confirmed what Jonny had said.

“No, please don’t say anything to him.” He didn’t want Kodi to feel awkward over this, when Lennon considered how he’d feel. “It’s probably best if he doesn’t know that you’ve told me. I’ll find a way to manage the situation.”

It explained a lot. Now all he needed to do was come up with a way to help Kodi release his emotions in a way that benefited them both.

Easy!

Chapter One

Lennon

Lennon crept out of Wilder’s cabin so as not to disturb him. Jupiter Starling, after one night in the cabins, had left Wilder alone and moved into Silas Starling’s ranch house where they were spending the week team building. They had all been forced to share a cabin with the alpha they worked with as part of the team building experience.

Who thought team building with the brothers would be so hard?

Stop whining.

I’m not whining, I’m just stating the obvious, Lennon explained patiently to his animal, who got a little feisty. And yes, he was whining, but still. White-winged vampire bats got a bad rep, and Lennon could understand it, his was no different.

It’s been a long ass week with Mr Overreactive. He still hadn’t come up with a way to help Kodi. His brother Jonny had a few ideas. Lennon wasn’t sure about the main one when it involved spanking Kodi’s ass!

I’ve told you what you need to do.

Yes, I know you agree with Jonny and think a spanking will work. You have seen our size difference, right?