by M. A. Church
HOURS LATER, Tyler was still wide awake. Restless, he slipped out of Seth’s arms, tired of staring at the nighttime sky. After pulling on his shorts and shoes, he started walking. He didn’t plan to go far, since the chances were pretty good Seth would wake up, find him gone, and come looking for him.
Tyler strolled through the woods, the moonlight lighting his path. So many thoughts circled in his head, each demanding attention. Could Brier be talking to his Alpha this very moment? How was it going? Was Brier being told that Dolf wouldn’t accept them? Was he upset? Devastated?
Relieved?
His cat shifted uncomfortably in his mind. Dammit, he and Seth should’ve been there with Brier, standing as a united front. Why did they let Brier go alone?
The snap of a limb pulled Tyler from his musings. A tingle ran down his spine as he glanced around. Damn, he’d walked farther than he had intended. Tilting his head, he inhaled.
Fuck. There was no mistaking the stench of a werewolf.
Tyler froze. Where was the fucker? Should Tyler shift? Yell for Seth? Tyler took a cautious step backward, still trying to figure out what the hell to do, when he spotted the lone werewolf.
The wolf turned its head. Great, now they were stuck in a staring contest. Tyler eased back another step. Vacant yellow eyes followed him. The last thing he wanted to do was startle it into action, but unease spread through him. Its coat was ragged and unkempt. There was no humanity in that gaze. Sweat trailed down Tyler’s face as memories of every wolf he’d ever met raced through his mind, but none had looked at him with such deadness in their gaze.
It growled, and the hair on Tyler’s neck stood. Fuck, he had to be pumping the air full of fear. He needed to get out of there, but no way was he turning his back on a damn werewolf. Despite that one low growl, it hadn’t done anything else. It only stood there, staring sightlessly at him.
Shit, shit, shit. Now what?
The crack of thunder startled them both. A bolt of pure white light struck the ground. Tyler hit the dirt, scrambling out of the way. What the hell? Frantic, he searched for the were, desperate to keep the creature in his sights. There’s the fucker. The werewolf was just standing there like a big bolt of light hadn’t landed between them.
Someone cleared their throat. Tyler jumped as he focused on the person standing in the moonlight, someone who hadn’t been there moments before. The stranger’s hair was shaved on the side and long on top. It was an odd combination whites, grays, browns, and black. Just like a werewolf’s coat. He sported a medium-length beard, piercings above his eyebrow and in his ears, and glowing yellow eyes.
Seth’s scream of rage cut through the night.
A sleeveless T-shirt showed off a full sleeve of tattoos on both arms. Tight denim encased long, muscular legs, and combat boots graced his feet. Leather bracelets hugged both wrists. He was possibly the tallest man Tyler had ever seen.
The werewolf, tail tucked, crawled to the stranger, whimpering, then flopped down, exposing its belly. Sighing, the man knelt, running his hand over the wolf’s back.
Seth stepped from the darkness, fury shining on his face. He grabbed the intruder by the arm and the wolf by the scruff of his neck, then lunged toward the shadows… only neither move an inch.
Horror flitted across Tyler’s features. That had never happened before.
“Run, Tyler!” Seth screamed, still trying desperately to drag his captives to the shadows.
“For the love of…. Would you both chill for a minute? Tyler? Bast sends her regards. Seth? Would you kindly release my wolf? He’s not a threat to you or your mate. It’s just… well. He’s lost his way.”
“Your wolf? Oh shit. Oh fuck. Seth? Let the wolf go. The man is… that’s Fenrir. He’s the werewolf god.”
“I don’t give a flying fuck who he is.” Still, Seth released the werewolf and hurried to help Tyler to his feet. “I woke up and you were gone, and then I saw that fucking light and…. Are you all right? Did it threaten you?”
“Him. Not it. He growled at me, yes, but other than that—Okay, yes, I’m freaked out because, well….” Tyler waved his hand toward the pair. “Werewolf.”
“I am sorry for that,” Fenrir said. “My child is—”
“Feral!” Seth snapped.
“Heartbroken,” Fenrir supplied. “He’s suffered a loss no one should have to, and for the stupidest of reasons.” Sadness crept into Fenrir’s voice. “So much pain. He’s shut down his human side.”
Suffered a loss no one should have to? Fuck, was Fenrir talking about the loss of a mate? It was the only thing Tyler could think of that would send a shifter off the deep end like this.
“Who… who is he?” Tyler asked.
“Not anyone you’d know.” He continued to comfort his wolf. “Damn humans and their guns.” Fenrir nudged the wolf’s muzzle up. “I am so sorry. I will fix this, that I promise you.”
The wolf howled, the sound stark and mournful.
“I know.” Fenrir patted his wolf once more. “Go, my child. Mourn. When the time is right, things will work out.”
Tyler watched the wolf leap away. He shuddered from the agony in that cry. It broke his heart and left him chilled to the bone. Then the rest of Fenrir’s words played through his mind. “Wait. Wait! You said Bast sends her regards?” Tyler’s knees went weak. “How the hell do you know my goddess?”
Fenrir winked. “We’ve met.”
“Holy shit,” Seth muttered.
“Yeah,” Tyler added, trying to wrap his head around that fact. “But you’re the god of wolves. How did you meet? And why? What could the two of you have in common? That makes absolutely no sense.”
“Ah, young one. You can’t stop the change, any more than you can stop the sun from setting.”
Tyler staggered against Seth. “Are you seriously quoting Star Wars to me? Seriously? What… oh fuck. She quoted something from that damn movie too.” Tyler’s stomach dropped.
Fenrir chuckled. “When I say ‘you’ I didn’t mean you, per se. No, you will be the instrument of change, child. You’re the one and only. Good luck, kid. I’m depending on you too.” Another flash of light hit where Fenrir stood, and he vanished.
“Oh, fuck me. Fuck. Me!” Tyler snarled at the empty spot. “I’m getting damn sick and tired of hearing those words!” He spun to face Seth. “And what the fuck was that? Just what the fuck was that? Tell me those two are not in cahoots!”
Seth blinked. “Um….”
“Gah!” Tyler yanked at his hair. “I’m going to bed, and by all that’s holy, there better not be any more visits from gods or goddesses tonight. I’ve met my damn quota!” He stomped back to the campsite, with Seth trailing behind.
Chapter Fourteen – Brier
BY THE time the sun broke the horizon, Brier was dressed, had called Dolf to request a meet, and downed a gallon of coffee.
He was a man on a mission.
As tempting as it had been to go straight to Dolf’s, he managed to wait. If he was going to argue for inclusion of Seth and Tyler into the clowder, he needed a clear head, something he hadn’t had last night, thanks to the mating instinct overwhelming him.
The closer he got to Dolf’s home, the more his determination turned to worry. What if Dolf refused to accept Seth? But Dolf knew, firsthand, that mates were a gift from the goddess, and if she paired Brier with not only a hybrid but a shadow walker, there had to be a reason. But damned if Brier could figure out what it was.
Accepting Tyler and Seth into the clowder would bring chaos. The elders would have the ammunition they sought to stand against Dolf. What they hoped to accomplish by such an action, Brier couldn’t imagine, though. Were they hoping to force Dolf out and replace him with another Alpha from outside? Was that even legal? Besides, the majority of the clowder members would contest such a move. Were they wanting to hand-select an Alpha? Dolf’s dad would hit the roof if the elders tried either course of action.
If Dolf did refuse to accept Seth and Tyler, wh
at then? Was Brier willing to give up everything, including his position, for two men he’d just met? He had family in the clowder. Friends. He loved his Alpha and the Alpha-mates. His home was there. Hell, his life was there.
Could he live like Seth and Tyler, drifting from place to place, never having stability? No roots? No friends. Fuck, how had they survived such a lifestyle?
Brier parked in Dolf’s driveway. His hands tightened on the steering wheel. He reminded himself that the goddess gave Seth and Tyler to him. He just needed to find out why, because he had a feeling this time Dolf was going to say no.
He glared at Dolf’s front door. “Fuck that. I will not justify having them as my mates. The goddess gifted me with them, and that’s all that’s important. They are mine.”
Brier couldn’t shake the thought that everything was about to change again.
He locked his truck and walked to the front of the house. He knocked, and Dolf appeared a few seconds later, holding a streaming mug.
“Good morning, Brier. Up and at ’em kind of early, aren’t you?”
“I needed to speak to you.”
“I gathered.” Dolf moved out of the doorway. “Come in.”
“Thanks.” Brier edged past Dolf.
After Dolf shut the door, he glanced at Brier. “Is this an official visit?”
“Yes.”
“I see. Well, before we get down to business, would you like a cup of coffee?”
Brier shifted from foot to foot. “No thanks, I’ve already had more than enough this morning.”
“All right, then. Let’s go.”
Brier followed Dolf. The house was silent, which was unusual. “Are Kirk and Tal not up?”
“No. It is rather early.” Dolf motioned Brier into his office.
“Sorry about that, but this couldn’t wait.” Brier sat at the nice-sized round table Dolf kept there. Brier ran his hand over the surface. It had been the center of so many things in all of their lives. If it could talk, the tales it would tell.
Dolf settled across from Brier. “Okay, what’s going on? You’re as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.”
Brier rolled his eyes. “It might be early, but I see your sense of humor is still as sharp as ever.”
“Kirk would agree.” Dolf smirked. “So…?”
Brier folded his hands, resting them on top of the table. “Guess there’s no way to ease into this, so here it is: I found my mate. Actually, I have two of them.”
Dolf’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. “Two? Look at you. I can tell you from firsthand experience that two brings double the trouble but also double the pleasure. Congratulations! I’m happy for you.”
“Hold on to that thought, because what I’m fixing to say will not make you happy.”
The smile on Dolf’s face retreated. “Oh? I assumed you were here to ask for permission.”
“If they were human, I would be. One’s named Tyler, who’s a gorgeous redheaded Omega werecat. He’s as sweet as can be, all things considered. Seth is my other mate. He’s boy-next-door sexy, with brown hair and dark eyes. Very handy too.”
“I see.” Dolf lifted his mug to his lips. “And?”
“Tyler had a parent who was human. He’s the one who was sniffing around Sam’s restaurant.”
Stunned, Dolf sat his cup down with a thump. “He’s the half-breed?”
“Okay, it’s been brought to my attention how derogatory that label is. We refer to our human mates as hybrids. So why is it we refer to our own kind as half-breeds? So, please, don’t call him that.”
Dolf opened his mouth, then closed it. He frowned. “You’re right. I’ve never thought of it in such a way, but you’re exactly right, and I’m sorry for calling him that. Brier, I can understand why you’d be worried, but—”
“There’s more.”
Dolf blinked. “There is?”
“And, it gets better. Or worse, depending on how you look at it. Tyler’s a hybrid werecat but—”
“Which you just informed me of. An Omega, you said.”
“I’m pretty sure he’s not your typical Omega. But like I was saying, Tyler is mated. That man is also my mate, of course. His name is Seth, and you’ve met him.”
“I… wait. That name rings a bell.”
“It should,” Brier said. He took a deep breath. “Tal hired him recently to work on his construction crew.”
“I see. He was the human Tal and I interviewed. He never showed up for work.”
Brier nodded. “That’s right.”
“How did you not know he was your…? Oh, right. He was wearing that goddess-awful cologne. And he smoked too. But still, I would’ve thought you’d know.”
“I did have a reaction to him, but it wasn’t like how I’d heard others responded when they met their mate. I was confused because of how I reacted and…. Okay, look, Seth’s not human. Maybe that was part of the problem. That, or I’m just thickheaded.”
“Not human?” Dolf’s forehead puckered. “I don’t see how that can be. I mean, I sat in a room with him. Nothing about his scent said he was anything but human.”
“I know. The kind of paranormal he is… shit.” Brier rubbed his face. He dreaded telling Dolf this part. “He looks, smells, and has the ordinary strength of a human, but he’s a paranormal. I guess you could call it his camouflage.”
“Stop beating around the bush. What is he?”
“Shadow walker.” Brier rushed on when the color drained from Dolf’s face. “But he’s not a threat. I mean, yeah, I just met him, but if you could see how he treats Tyler, then you’d know he’s harmless! I swear, he’s not, like, some insane killer.”
“Fuck, Brier. A shadow walker? By the goddess, of course he isn’t harmless. Son of a bitch!” Dolf shoved back from the table and stood. He paced behind his chair. “Son. Of. A. Bitch. Do you have any idea what they can do?”
“Ah—”
“Goddess have mercy. They might be as weak as a human, but that doesn’t much matter when they have the ability to step out of a shadow, grab someone, and disappear with them within seconds. Seconds. It can be day or night too!” Dolf exclaimed.
Time to man up and admit it. “Okay, yes, I’m uneasy. But they’re mine, Dolf. How can I walk away?”
Scowling, Dolf clutched the back of his chair, leaning his weight against it. He stared at Brier. “They’re feared for a very good reason. Perhaps even more so than the Vetala.”
Brier crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you saying you won’t accept Seth?”
“Seth may not be dangerous, but his abilities damn well are. Possibly the deadliest in the paranormal world.” Dolf walked around his chair and collapsed into it. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Shit, Brier. A shadow walker.”
Brier shivered. This was going exactly as he feared. “So, you have no problem with Tyler, huh? It’s Seth. I’d like to point out that you accepted Janelle and Marshell, so how can you not accept Seth? How can you justify that?” Worried, Brier did the one thing he thought he never do. “Please.” For them, he’d beg. “Please. He’s my mate.”
“I’m sorry, but I need time to think about this.”
Oh goddess, he was going to be sick. Dolf couldn’t do this, dammit. “Shadow walkers are dangerous, but hell, so are the Vetala. Let’s be honest—dangerous could be applied to any paranormal.”
“I’m not arguing that point, but being the kind of paranormal Seth is… well, it’s a problem.”
Brier’s jaw clenched. Along with the sick feeling, anger also burned in his gut. “A problem? Marshell and Janella drink blood, for goddess’s sake, and that problem didn’t prevent you from accepting them.”
“They have to in order to survive. Totally different thing here, Brier. And stop comparing the two species, because it’s not the same.” Dolf’s voice dropped, a noticeable growl edging its way into his words. “Neither of them are able to disappear into a shadow, dammit, never to be seen again. How does one fight agains
t something like that? The answer is one can’t.”
Stunned, Brier stared at Dolf as Brier’s world started to crumble. “Dolf, please.”
Dolf thrust his hands through his hair. “This might be the very thing that sends some of the elders right over the edge. They’re already plotting against me.”
“This is my mate.” This couldn’t be happening. Even though he’d thought it might, Brier was completely unprepared for the reality of it indeed taking place. “You know how important that is. Hell, it was you who stood in this very room several years ago, talking about how mates were a gift from our goddess when you found Kirk.”
“I am very aware of that. I’m also painfully aware of how I had to fight my own father, who was Alpha at the time, for the right to mate Kirk. When I assumed the position, I wanted things to change, and some have. And more changes loom, it seems,” he whispered. Then he straightened up, once more pulling his mantle of Alpha around him like he would a heavy coat. “I’m not saying no, Brier. I’m saying I need time.”
“I understand.” The fuck he did. Dolf hadn’t had to think on the other mates. Okay, maybe he did to some degree with Marshell, but screw it. This was different. At least it was in his mind.
“Brier—”
“While you’re thinking, keep this in mind: I won’t refute them. Tyler, in particular, has been rejected—hell, from what little I know, he’s been ridiculed, harassed, and threatened by our kind and other paranormals—his entire life. The goddess gave them to me for a reason. I’m telling you right now I won’t deny her gift.”
Dolf flushed. “Careful, Brier. While we may be friends, I am still your Alpha.”
But for how long? The thought left Brier weak in the knees. But on the other hand, standing up for Seth and Tyler felt right, all the way to his soul.
“Again, what I am asking for is time. I assume Seth didn’t show for work because he figured out Tal and I were werecats after he interviewed with us?”
“How, I have no idea, but yeah, I’m guessing so. And to save you the embarrassment of asking, Seth isn’t planning on showing up at all.”