by M. A. Church
Tyler tried to pluck that little weed of hope out of his heart, but he was afraid it was already taking root. As darkness gave way to daylight, he returned to camp, his troublesome thoughts dogging his every step.
What was the right thing to do?
Chapter Nine – Brier
“RIGHT ON time.” Hearing Dolf’s ringtone, Brier fished his cell out of his pocket and answered. “Hello?”
“Remi and I are leaving now. Just wanted to let you know.”
“Thanks.” Brier set his morning coffee down, walked to the door, and grabbed his keys from the rack. “I spoke to Breanna earlier. Shannon is already at Breanna’s apartment and waiting on us. I’m leaving now.”
“See you there, then.”
“Yes, Alpha.” Brier hurried to his truck.
It’d taken Heller several days to research Shannon. The good news was, there were no significant red flags. He didn’t think Dolf would refuse to accept Breanna’s mate, but things were tense right now.
Ann, Elder Conrad’s granddaughter, had paid her grandmother a surprise visit a few days ago and accidently overheard a secret meeting of the elders. The topic of discussion was Dolf and the changes he’d allowed. Upset, she barged into Remi’s office the next morning and blurted out everything. She also said not all the elders were invited. Her grandfather spewed troubling, malicious rhetoric about Dolf and his ability as Alpha. Some elders, like Elder Bowen and a few others, agreed with Elder Conrad that something needed to be done. But some hadn’t, she said.
Such secrecy was not how the clowder did things. It was worrisome, and Dolf was pissed. He was also concerned about Ann, especially since she not only held a job, but that job was at Remi’s place of business.
Dolf called a meeting with his betas to warn them there was discontent within the clowder. But these secret meetings were a first, as far as Dolf knew.
Brier had no idea what the elders thought they could achieve. Dolf was Alpha and wasn’t stepping down. The only good thing was that Brier’s dad, Elmer, had applied for an elder position shortly thereafter. He had the age, the experience, and the open-mindedness Dolf needed. There was no reason his dad wouldn’t get the job.
Brier arrived at Breanna’s apartment, and, moments later, Remi and Dolf drove up. After they exchanged greetings, Brier led them to Breanna’s apartment, hoping for the best.
SEVERAL HOURS later, Brier hugged his sister. Dolf had accepted Shannon and welcomed her to the clowder. Breanna asked Dolf several questions about how to turn a human. Dolf promised to come by when she initiated the change with Shannon. Breanna wanted to take a vacation once Shannon had gone through the change too.
Relieved, Brier followed Remi and Dolf to the parking lot. Although he was glad for his sister, he wasn’t fooled into thinking this wouldn’t have repercussions, especially if certain elders were already meeting privately about Dolf.
After saying goodbye to Dolf and Remi, Brier drove around town. He couldn’t settle. His cat was restless, wanting to take to the streets and explore. To hunt, but hell if Brier knew what for. This twitchy, aggravated feeling was something new, and everything from other cars passing to the sounds and smells of city life bothered him.
Disturbed, he drove out of town. He needed peace. Quiet. Maybe he ought to go home, shift, and prowl the woods where he lived. But his cat didn’t care for that idea either. Unsure exactly what he and his cat wanted, he ended up driving the back roads for the better part of the day.
His stomach growled, grabbing his attention. Damn, how long had he been driving aimlessly? He should turn around, head toward town, and—he noticed a stand with yard art and stuff ahead of him.
“Shit. I need to get Breanna and Shannon a mating gift.” It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes, and he was already there, so why not? Knowing his luck, if he tried to find it later, the damn thing would be gone. Breanna liked that kind of stuff too, so he decided to have a look.
He came to a stop and turned on his blinker. He noticed an older model Ford parked next to the stand. Something about the truck rang a bell, but he couldn’t place it. Finally there was a break in traffic, and he pulled up next to the stand and got out.
The redhead behind the table looked up, a practiced smile on his face. “Hey. We’re getting ready to close, but we can stay if you want to look around.”
The wind shifted, blowing into Brier’s face. His cat screamed in his mind. The other man’s words faded into a meaningless buzz. The scent of vanilla, sweet buttercream, sugar cookie, caramel, and chocolate grabbed him by the throat and sank its fangs into him. He breathed deeply, drawing the scent in, and his cock hardened. Every damn cell in his body took notice, and excitement tore through him. His head spun. A yowl bubbled in his chest.
“Sir?”
Brier wanted to sink his canines into that soft, lovely skin and drink the sweet blood of his…. His gums tingled and saliva flooded his mouth. He swallowed, then swallowed again as his head pounded.
His heart rate spiked, though. Something was off. There was the tang of werecat, but it was weak. Diluted. Wrong. Suddenly his cat whined. He was on the verge of shifting, but his cat paced frantically in his mind, tail slashing in confusion.
What the hell? Goddess, he was acting like he’d scented his mate, but his cat didn’t seem to be sure. How is that even possible?
“Fuck.” Shaking his head, Brier leaned against his truck. “Who… who are you?” he growled.
“Oh no. Oh no.” The redhead twisted his hands, his eyes widening. He took a hesitant step backward.
The fear in those few words snagged Brier’s attention. His cat, still confused by the wrongness of the other werecat, nevertheless didn’t like the dread in the redhead’s voice. It wanted to snuggle the other cat and groom him—thoroughly—from top to bottom.
Oh-kkkay, so have you decided that is your mate after all?
Brier stared into lovely golden-brown eyes filled with worry. The need to reassure the other man crashed over Brier. He wanted to lick those kissable lips, count each freckle on that pale face, and run his fingers through that long, gorgeous red hair.
“Babe? What’s going on?”
Brier ignored the other voice. The tinny scent of fear notched up, rolling over Brier, making his stomach cramp. His cat whined, uneasy with the odor. Caught off guard, Brier trilled softly, then damn near slapped his hand over his mouth, he was so surprised. Humans couldn’t make that sound, and here he was, on the side of a road trilling like he would to an… upset mate. But the redhead did seem to settle some, and that calmed Brier’s cat.
“Well, shit. Guess our time just ran out.”
Brier finally glanced at the man who stood next to the redhead, hand resting on the other male’s lower back. He focused on the other male’s lush chocolate-colored hair and startling dark eyes.
“Name’s Brier, right?”
Mouth hanging open, Brier goggled at the guy Tal hired. “You… I know you.” He snapped his mouth closed. Fuck, what was his name? Sam? No. Sonny? No. Seth! Yes, that was right. Seth was his name, and he worked for Tal. Had he known who Tal was when he showed up there? Had he applied there on purpose? Should Brier be worried about that?
Why wasn’t his cat, then?
And why was Seth hanging around with…. Shit, he didn’t know the redhead’s name and—and fuck if the wind didn’t change directions again and another tantalizing smell slapped Brier upside the head.
Desperate, he grabbed onto the truck before he slid to the ground in a puddle. That scent… that scent was seductive and alluring also. It spoke to him, whispering things that made him need. What blood hadn’t already headed to his lower body gleefully headed south.
Brier was so hard, he hurt. This time his cat went nuts. There was no mistaking that scent. Mate! He wanted both of them right now—wanted to strip them, caress every inch of their skin, cover both of them in his scent, and then bury his cock in them.
“Cedarwood.” Brier breathed deeply. The
woody scent had an undertone of citrus, which he’d smelled before but couldn’t remember where. “You smell like cedarwood.” He stared at the redhead. “I don’t know your name, but you smell like vanilla, sweet buttercream, sugar cookie, caramel, and chocolate. You smell like a mate, but you also smell odd.”
Seth frowned.
The redhead’s face fell.
Brier grimaced. The redhead looked like he might cry. Oh no. No, no, no. No crying. Brier scrambled for something, anything, to make the guy not. If he could reach his own ass, he’d kick it. Fuck!
“Sorry, sorry! That was rude. I’m rude. And an idiot. A rude idiot. A rude fucking idiot who didn’t mean to say you smelled…. What I meant was… that is…. Someone stop me from talking already! I’m sorry. Aw, goddess, please don’t—”
“Bast doesn’t like us using her name in vain.” The redhead scowled. “You should know that, seeing how you’re a werecat.”
Brier blinked. Huh?
Seth grinned. “She really doesn’t. I’m Seth Galloway, as you know. This is Tyler Smith. So, your name is Brier, right?”
Shit, he hadn’t answered earlier. “Yes, it is. Brier Fendon.”
“Well, Brier Fendon, today’s your lucky day. We’re your mates, and yes, I know what you are.” Seth’s grin dropped. “But if you try to hurt him, I’ll make you wish you hadn’t. Just saying.”
If Brier hadn’t already been pressed against his truck, he might’ve taken a step back at the coldness of those words. But mates can’t hurt each other. Someone obviously needed to tell Seth that, because he sounded like he wasn’t kidding.
Brier shook his head. His cat didn’t know if he wanted to jump up and down now that he’d found his mate—mates—or fuzz up and hiss at Seth for what he said. Then maybe bite him. On the ass. Hard. And speaking of hard, he so was.
Holy hell, he’d reacted like this last time he was around Seth, but this time there wasn’t the stench of cologne and cigarette smoke to cover up Seth’s natural scent. Everything was still a jumbled mess, but there was no mistaking Seth, who Brier was sure was his mate, just threatened him.
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Stop it, Seth. You can’t hurt a mate,” Tyler said.
“How about scare him straight?”
“Jeez.” Tyler poked Seth in the ribs. “Scaring him ‘straight’ is the last thing you need to do.”
There was a pun in there somewhere, but Brier’s brain was still too scrambled to deal with it. He latched onto what Seth said earlier about mates. “What do you mean, you know what I am?”
“You’re a werecat, just like Tyler.”
Tyler stiffened. “Well, not exactly, but Seth does know about paranormals.”
Brier’s eyes narrowed to slits. “We’re not supposed to expose our species to humans. You have to know this. They can’t be trusted.”
Tyler outright laughed. “It’s not the humans who worry me.”
Brier opened his mouth but closed it again. That laugh was bitter and full of pain. There was something going on there, something he was missing, but going by the defensive posture of both men, whatever it was, it was going to have to wait.
“Okay, even I can tell there’s some hidden meaning in that, but let’s address that later. You say we’re all mates, but I’m confused by what I’m sensing, and my cat is a damn wreck. I need some help here. Seriously.”
Tyler massaged his temples. “It’s a long story.”
Brier had a feeling it would be, and damned if he wanted to get into it here on the side of the road. “Okay, then why don’t we go to where you guys are staying and—”
Tyler was already shaking his head. “Not happening.”
Brier certainly wasn’t expecting such an adamant refusal. “Ah… okay, then. Can I ask why? I just thought you both would like to discuss this on what you considered your territory.”
“I don’t trust you.” Tyler crossed his arms over his chest. “Until I have a reason to, you don’t get to know where we’re staying.”
Staggered, Brier rested against his truck. He was pretty sure it was the only thing keeping him on his feet. The absolute anger and distrust in those words stunned him, and he hadn’t done anything to deserve it. For crying out loud, he just met the guy. Dammed if it didn’t hurt.
“I… yeah, that smarted some.” Brier rubbed his chest. “I mean, if I know you’re my mate, then you have to feel it too, right? So, where’s all this hostility coming from? I heard you tell Seth—and who is he to you is something else we need to talk about—that mates couldn’t hurt one another. You don’t know me, but I’m getting the feeling you’ve already judged me, and I have no idea why or on what.”
Tyler’s shoulders hunched. “I have my reasons.”
“Babe, Brier has a point.” Seth slipped his hand around Tyler and pulled him into a hug. He shot Brier a look. “But Tyler feels the way he does for a reason too. We need a neutral place to meet. Somewhere private where we can talk. I think we’d feel more comfortable.”
Nothing was comfortable about the entire situation, but Brier would do whatever they needed. “Guess that leaves out anything public. Let me think for a moment.” Brier thought about several places, then discarded them. Huh. The road. “I was staring at this road, thinking, and it hit me. About twenty minutes from here is a reservoir with several walking trails. One in particular has a little bridge over a stream. It’s a nice place and private. How does that sound?”
Tyler looked at Seth. Seth nodded. “That sounds fine. Let us pack up, and we’ll follow you.”
Brier offered to help, but they refused. Feeling a little like an outsider, he waited in his truck. His mind was a swirling mass of confusion. He hadn’t expected two mates—two mates who apparently came with all sorts of complications. One was a werecat who smelled…. He remembered how Tyler reacted when he said he smelled odd. It was something Brier had never scented before. An uncomfortable feeling grew in Brier’s chest as he rethought that.
But he had, hadn’t he? And recently too. That werecat sighting he’d been sent to investigate…. That werecat’s scent had been off… just like this. And his cat was confused then too. But there hadn’t been a mate scent. But the cat had been in shifted form, not in human form… like now.
“Shit.”
Was Tyler and that werecat at the dumpster one and the same? Or was he totally off the rails with that line of thought? Could Tyler be the werecat Dolf’s father mentioned? Goddess, what if Tyler was the half-breed? Was he a half-breed? If he was, it certainly explained a lot about Tyler’s defensiveness.
“Double shit.”
What must Tyler’s life have been like? Brier clutched the steering wheel as one unpleasant thought after another assaulted his mind. The wheel groaned under his hands, and he carefully released it before he bent the damn thing out of shape. He couldn’t stand to think about it. He also couldn’t bear to think about how not only his Alpha would react to Tyler but the elders too.
There was no way Brier could ask Dolf to accept Tyler, not with the current situation with the elders as it was. They could possibly riot against Dolf, and Brier was only kidding a little. They would never accept a half-breed. Never. Hell, they might even try to hurt his mate. And with how Tyler acted, Brier guessed it wouldn’t be the first time.
That pissed his cat right the fuck off.
Then there was Seth. Brier was fully aware how the elders felt about humans.
Brier bit his lips as he watched Tyler and Seth finish packing their stuff. There was something about Seth that made the small hairs on the back of his neck stand up sometimes, but Brier couldn’t put his finger on why. Seth smelled human, so what the hell was it about him that disturbed Brier—disturbed him but also made his dick hard? Was it the Alpha tendencies he noticed Seth displayed? Or the sense that Seth wasn’t as uncomplicated as he appeared?
Seth waved toward Brier, then climbed into the truck. Tyler was on the passenger side. Seeing they were ready, Brier started his
truck and pulled out, with them following behind. Almost twenty minutes on the dot, he took the exit to the reservoir. He found a spot and parked. Seth pulled in next to him. Brier locked his truck and joined them.
“This is Crowley’s Creek reservoir. It’s part of the Crowley’s Mountains State Park.”
Tyler stood next to Seth and looked out over the water. “Is it natural or man-made?”
“Man-made. The West Falls clowder encompasses most of the state park,” Brier said.
“It’s really beautiful. Your clowder is lucky to have so much space.”
“We really are.” Brier stuck his hands in his pockets, then withdrew them. He rocked from foot to foot. The yearning in Tyler’s voice was painful to hear. Brier wanted to hug him but wasn’t sure how that would go over. Tyler gave off serious no-trespassing signals. “Are you guys ready? The trail isn’t hard, and where I want to go isn’t too far.”
“Lead the way,” Seth said.
Chapter Ten – Tyler
AT LEAST Brier hadn’t tried to kill him on sight, which was an improvement from how things usually went. But Brier had questions, questions that Tyler dreaded.
He studied the surrounding area. It was quiet. Very private. The land was healthy with mature trees and an abundance of wildlife. His cat itched to hunt. Being off in the woods alone might worry others, but not Tyler. Shadows were always nearby, so he wasn’t threatened. He’d also spent the better part of his life in places like this.
Brier led the way down the trail. They walked, not talking, but that made the most sense since the trail was narrow and they were in single file. That didn’t mean there was no noise. The woods were alive with music.
Tyler marginally relaxed. Surrounded by the goddess’s bounty always put him in a better mood, and well, he trusted her. No way she led him to Brier, only to have Brier try to hurt him. She wanted Tyler there for a reason, so maybe this was part of the coming events he was supposed to do something about?
Would’ve been nice if she’d given me a heads-up on the whole mate thing, though. Could’ve used it. Even though he kept an eye on Brier, Tyler let the peacefulness of the place seeped into him.