Wolf’s Fall

by E. A. Reynolds

  “You’re crazy if you think you can make them yours,” Chico told him.

  “The ones I can’t own, Jody will have killed,” he said. “I’ll give him his first test after our meeting tomorrow.”

  “Do you think his mate will go for it? Kimble is loyal to the pack, despite what Jody is or isn’t.”

  “Jody will have to take care of him if he becomes a problem,” Manuel said.

  “Well, we’ll have to get rid of their hunter and his team. They’re a threat,” Grace told him.

  “Arrange to take out half of them tomorrow, starting with their leader.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Nic woke the next morning with Mandalay still curled in his arms. He smiled, and Mandalay nipped his jaw before nuzzling him playfully.

  “Morning, mate,” Mandalay murmured.

  “Morning, pretty baby,” Nic replied, rubbing Mandalay’s back. He winced. “I’ve got a cramp in my hip.”

  Mandalay ran his hand down his chest to rest on his hip. He massaged him as he claimed his mouth for a soft kiss.

  “Mmm,” Nic moaned. “Other than the cramp, I could get used to waking up with you.”

  “Me too,” Mandalay said. “Spend the night with me tonight?”

  “I’ll be over unless Jody decides to put me on an extra shift.”

  “Why would he do that?” Mandalay frowned.

  “I don’t know,” Nic said. “I wasn’t supposed to get the call yesterday, but that didn’t stop him.”

  “Do you think he’s up to something?” Mandalay rubbed Nic’s stomach, concern in his gaze. Those pretty blue eyes held him entranced for a second, making it hard to think.

  “I don’t know,” Nic said. Jody was either up to something or he was more concerned about the jackals and hyenas than he was letting on. “I need to get up, though.”

  Mandalay groaned. “What time is it?”

  “Time to get to work,” he said but kissed Mandalay instead of getting up. He couldn’t just get his day started without a real kiss from the man who already owned a piece of his heart.

  Mandalay moaned. “Nic. You’re a tease.” Mandalay pushed to his feet. He groaned at the ache in his back. Sleeping on a couch was definitely a bad idea. “Take me home?”

  “How did you get here yesterday?”

  “Serena,” he said. “She seems determined to like you no matter what our father thinks. What have you done to charm her?” He pushed his hair over one shoulder as he braced a hand on his hip.

  “Her taste in men is bad except where I’m concerned,” Nic said, getting up to take Mandalay in his arms and kiss him again.

  Mandalay laughed, his lips against Nic’s. “You might be right there,” he said. “Oh damn. We’re doubling with her tonight.”

  “If I can’t make it I’ll let you know early enough that she can meet him on her own,” Nic said as he released Mandalay.

  “Okay. I’ll make some coffee while you get changed. I should bring some of my clothes over for next time,” Mandalay said.

  “I’ll make some space in a drawer for you,” Nic said and headed to his bedroom.

  He already had one cleared, but Nic was putting in a request for a place in the family living section as soon as this was settled.

  * * * *

  Mandalay made it the shop on time. He kissed Nic one more time before Nic drove away. Then, he headed inside to the stern look of his father, who’d been looking out the window.

  “Morning, Dad,” he said. “Do you want me to go home and work from there? I think I have enough space in the kitchen to get the teas ready. I’ll just need to grab some things from here.”

  “Manly, this is where you work. So, go on and get to it. Your mother has some donuts ready if you need breakfast.”

  “Actually, I need to get straight to work.”

  “Fine. I guess you spent the night with him.”

  “I—yeah. I like him, Dad, and I really want to see where this goes.”

  He wanted to ease his dad into this. He knew his scent hadn’t changed yet despite the mating. Their feelings—well, his weren’t as strong as Nic’s yet.

  Cross sighed. “I’ll give him a chance on one condition.”

  Mandalay frowned, sure he wasn’t going to like this. “What condition?” he asked carefully.

  He thinned his lips for a moment and then said, “Your mother and I talked last night, and I thought a few things over.”

  “Things like what?”

  “I didn’t take into account how hard it might have been for Nicolane. He’s probably got feelings for you seeing as how he’s thought you were his mate all this time. His wolf already has a reasonable expectation of claiming you, but Nic has to hold him back.”

  “I never thought about that,” Mandalay said quietly.

  “I guess not, but the guy’s probably between a rock and a hard place here. He knows or thinks he knows who his mate is, and he won’t move on until he’s had a chance with you. So, I’ll deal with this, but once it’s over, I want you to agree to date women.”

  “I don’t want to make that promise,” Mandalay said. “I can’t, but after Nic, there will be no other men.” Mandalay knew deep down inside he’d never be able to love anyone if he lost Nic in this mess or even later in life.

  Wolves only mated for life. So, he might be able to form a partnership with a woman, but he’d never love her. He’d only be able to be good friends with her, and no woman would want just that.

  Cross smiled, and Mandalay knew his father had misunderstood. “However you put it is fine,” he said. “I’ll treat Nic the same as I would any guy Serena liked.”

  “Thanks,” he said and hugged his dad. “This means a lot to me.” Maybe his father might even grow to like Nic if he gave him a chance. “Nic really is a nice guy, Dad. You’ll see.”

  “We’ll see,” he said and brushed a kiss over Mandalay’s hair. “Get to work, pup.”

  Mandalay smiled. “Okay. I need to run to Gay Town later on my lunch break.”

  Gay Town was the center of gay life in Peyton City, which wasn’t far from here. The best shops for gays were there along with some eateries. The place was almost like a small town with the homes bordering it, and the square most of the stores were built around.

  “Just don’t go with Cairo,” he muttered. “You won’t get back here before close.”

  “Yes, sir,” he said. If Cairo was working today, he wouldn’t be able to go anyway.

  * * * *

  Nic finished up his meeting and wondered why Kelley hadn’t shown up to work. He decided to swing by her place to check on her before heading out to the remote border Jody wanted him to check. She wasn’t there, so he got underway. It would take twenty minutes to get there.

  He grabbed some supplies before heading out and left a message for Kelley to call him. He was worried she and her boyfriend might have gotten into it last night. Some wolves didn’t take no for an answer.

  Nic made it out to the land near the lake, and the first thing he sensed was hyenas. He slammed the door of his truck, grabbed the pack from the back, and slung it over his shoulders.

  Most wolves would retreat from a pack of hyenas because a single wolf couldn’t take out more than one of them before being killed.

  He was a hunter, though, stronger and capable of not only surviving an attack by two hyenas, but killing at least three of them before having to retreat.

  He tipped his head up to take in the air. The scents were mingled with the water and pine, but he could smell at least three.

  He set about checking the area as he pulled out his phone to call Jody, but as he waited for him to pick up, a scream broke the peaceful silence. He ended the call and took off in the direction of the sound.

  The hyenas laughed, and Nic’s blood chilled. There was a wolf out here.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Manly!” Serena called.

  No, that was a scream.

  “Mandalay!”

  “Seren
a,” Mya chastised. “We have patrons.”

  “What’s going on?” someone asked.

  Mandalay hurried from his lab, praying she wasn’t hurt too badly. Serena nearly ran into him as he stepped into the store.

  “Manly,” she said breathlessly. “Nic’s been hurt. Jody said he couldn’t be moved, but he’s sending men out there now.”

  “Jody told you this?” one of the patrons asked.

  She glared at the man and took her brother’s arm, leading him back the way he’d come. “Rush told me,” she said. “He came into the wood shop to pick up an order.” She drew in a breath, her eyes filled with fear. “Rush said Nic called in. He was attacked by hyenas.”

  “Where?” he demanded.

  “Out by Willow Lake. I’ll go with you. Grab your bag. That jackass healer is only going to take his time because he has issues with gays. Come on.”

  He tore his lab jacket off and grabbed his bag from the cabinet.

  “Be careful, both of you,” Cross warned. “They could still be out there.”

  “We’ll be okay,” Serena said. “Those gutter-rats will scatter once they get whiff of wolves.”

  Mandalay followed her out to the parking lot. They took the company truck Serena had driven over in.

  “I can’t believe it,” he muttered. “Hyenas?” It was all Mandalay could do not to shake apart in nerves and fear.

  Hyenas could crush a man’s bones, and in a pack they were vicious, they’d tear him apart because they could.

  “He’s strong. He’s probably just wounded too bad to drive. I bet he’s in that cabin just waiting for those bottom-feeders to burst in.”

  Mandalay growled. The wolf wanted nothing more than to rip those fuckers to shreds. And he would if he saw a single one anywhere near his mate.

  “He probably killed at least two,” Serena said. “I bet he wounded two more.”

  The fear in her voice surprised him. “You like him?” Mandalay asked.

  “Why wouldn’t I? He’s never been anything but nice to me. Yeah, I know I shouldn’t because Dad has issues, but that’s not my problem. Anyway, he says he’s going to mate you one day.”

  Mandalay blinked. “When did he say that?”

  “When we talked about your birthday,” she told him and laughed. “I told him not to get his hopes up.”

  Mandalay smiled faintly. “He just told you that flat out?”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, the idiot’s sweet on you,” she replied with a little laugh. “From what I hear, he’s been scaring guys off you for a year now.”

  “What?”

  “Daniel and Beau told me they heard him threaten to beat guys who wanted to go out with you senseless. I just heard about it last night, but I guess it’s too late to do anything about it now.”

  “They’re lying.”

  “Scare off the competition and the field’s wide open. I guess that works.” Serena threw him a grin.

  He didn’t believe a word she was saying, but he loved her for trying to distract him. Keeping up with her conversation kept him from imagining the worst.

  When they arrived at the lake, two trucks were already there. He leaped out and raced for the cabin, which was five minutes away on foot and hidden by a stand of trees. There was a body on the ground, the arm severed, and blood already drying in a pool leading to the body.

  Mandalay fought the scream that tore at his throat as he took slow steps toward the wounded.

  “Mandalay, I’m glad you’re here,” Kimble said. “Leon and Nika were tied up at the clinic with an accident.”

  “Accident?”

  “I don’t have a clue what it was,” he said. “Jody was looking into it, but I hadn’t heard about anything happening before this. Come on. Kelley’s gone, but Nic’s inside.”

  “Oh, my god,” Mandalay said shakily, and Serena took his arm and dragged him forward.

  “How bad is he?” Serena demanded.

  “Bad enough that he’s going to need that leg worked on. He was hit with something, but he’s not showing any signs of being poisoned yet.”

  Mandalay broke away from Serena and ran to the cabin. He burst in and pulled up short. Nic was on the floor, back against a wall with two dead and naked men not far away.

  “Sweetie.” He ran to Nic and knelt next to him. The smell of blood was heavy in the air. “Where are you hurt?” Nic was a little pale and sweat beaded his brow. “You were poisoned.”

  “Hyena had some on him,” he said.

  Mandalay held a hand over Nic’s forehead but didn’t touch him. “I have some antidote in my bag,” he said. “I’ll shoot you up and then heal your arm.”

  “Thanks. One got me in the side, too.”

  Mandalay switched from lover to healer, his mind going to the actions that needed to be taken. He removed several items from his bag and used an injector to administer an antidote. Then, he urged Nic to lay flat on the floor.

  He lifted his shirt. “You’re lucky.”

  Nic snorted. “Not even close. I’m just damn good at wanting to stay alive.”

  “The bite’s deep but not too deep. He didn’t get anything vital.”

  “I bet he wished he had,” Nic muttered.

  “You killed him?”

  “Broke the bastard’s neck.” He grimaced when Mandalay wiped away blood.

  “Sorry, honey,” he murmured. “I’ll give you something for the pain. I’ve got a couple of herbal locals here.”

  “I can’t feel a thing,” he said softly and reached up to touch Mandalay’s face. “The site’s frozen, which is the only reason I’m not in shock from the other wounds.”

  “You froze the sites?”

  “Not all of them,” he said. “Just the leg, the shoulder, and the side. The others aren’t too bad.”

  “How?”

  “We’ll talk sometime when I’m more conscious.”

  “Nic, baby.” Mandalay kissed him, pushing cold into the kiss. He wanted to knock him out, so he wouldn’t have to see him like this. The wolf howled inside him in rage and agony.

  Nic went limp beneath him, and Mandalay got to work.

  “He’s he going to be okay?” Jody asked an hour later.

  Mandalay didn’t know when he’d come in, but one of the healers had arrived about ten minutes into his work. She’d come near but had immediately backed off. Now, they were in the kitchen with coffee as they waited, their expressions tense.

  Mandalay nodded. “The shoulder was badly damaged, but he’ll be okay tomorrow. He might have some nerve damage. I can’t be sure yet.”

  “I’ll have a look when he’s awake,” Nika, the female healer, said.

  He looked at her. “He’ll probably appreciate it. I’m not as good as I could be yet.”

  “You’re better than you think,” Nika assured him. “Your ability is strong, and you’re intuitive enough to let the energy flow where it needs to go.”

  “Which isn’t a bad thing,” Serena said coldly. “He’s saved lives.”

  “I know,” Nika said quickly. “With a little more training, he’d heal others more quickly.”

  Serena snorted. “He’s better than you, and you know it.”

  “Serena,” Jody said in a warning tone.

  She put an arm around Mandalay. “I’ll get you some tea.”

  “Extra sugar,” he said. He’d burned a lot of energy healing Nic, especially after having frozen him first. “Why were there hyenas here?”

  “I don’t know yet,” Jody said. “I’m hoping Nic has something to tell us.”

  “There were six of them dead,” Serena said. “Nic likely got all but one. Kelley probably got him.”

  “She was badly beaten and hyenas attacked in animal form, too.” Nika pushed out a rough sigh. “She fought back, that much is clear.”

  Mandalay took the glass his sister held out to him.

  “Was he on the phone with you when he got here or shortly after?” Jody asked.

  “No. I didn�
�t even know he was coming out here.” He downed half the tea.

  “Why was he out here?” Serena demanded.

  “Serena, you’re starting to step over the line,” Jody said coolly. “Go outside.”

  “No.”

  “Serena,” Jody growled.

  She held his gaze a moment before looking away and slinking out the door.

  “I have a right to ask,” Mandalay said, not meeting Jody’s gaze for more than a second.

  “He was working,” Jody told him. “That’s all I’m going to tell you.”

  He’d ask Nic. Nic wouldn’t lie to him, though he might not tell him everything.

  Mandalay finished his tea before getting up. “I’d like him put on the bed.”

  Jody called in a few soldiers from outside to move Nic, and Mandalay went into the bedroom to sit with him. He cleaned him up first and pulled the sheet over his naked body. Then, he sat on the beanbag chair after pulling it to the bed.

  “I’ll leave a few guards out here with him,” Jody said a little while later. “Have you administered the final tests to the field medics?”

  “Earlier today,” he said. “They’re all ready. This group I’m working with will become the next trainees. Those who can handle it.”

  “Good. We should get ready to leave,” Jody said.

  “I’m staying,” Mandalay told him. “Serena will tell Mom and Dad for me.”

  “She’s already called them,” Jody said, clearly unhappy that he and his sister weren’t taking his direct order to leave. “She’s insisting on staying, too. She’ll take a post in the living room.”

  He nodded. “Thanks.”

  “Tell Nic to call me when he’s up to it,” Jody said. “We’ll talk when you get back about your disobedience.”

  “I don’t care what punishment you give me,” Mandalay said. “Besides, Nic is my mate. I have a right to be with him.”

  Jody cocked a brow at him. “You’re not mated, or I’d scent it,” he said. “So, we’ll talk in a few days.” He exited the room, and Mandalay’s wolf growled.

  He agreed with his wolf. Fuck Jody.

  Mandalay left Nic’s side two hours later when Serena urged him to have something to eat.