“You took a chance coming here today, didn’t you?” Gregory asked. “You know Ashton and I work for the council. How do you know we are to be trusted?”
“You have a valid point, Mr. Monroe.”
Dean grinned and for the first time since he’d arrived, his expression changed from one of friendly openness to something Jared couldn’t quite place. Whatever it was, it gave him chills.
“But I assure you everyone in this room has been thoroughly vetted before my arrival here today.”
Jared frowned.
He didn’t like the idea that someone had been nosing around in his personal business. Not that he had anything to hide, but still.
“You said you’ve been investigating members of the council,” Jared said. “What exactly did you find out?”
Dean pursed his lips. “Has anyone here heard of a wolf shifter named Michaels? Stan Michaels?”
When Jared gazed around the room, mostly everyone present was shaking their heads, including him. But Gregory and Ashton’s faces had paled and they stared at one another for a long moment, their eyebrows pulled together in matching frowns.
“We know of him,” Ashton said coolly.
There seemed to be a trace of bitterness in his voice, hatred certainly.
“We’ve never met him personally,” Gregory continued for his partner. “But his name was given to us recently when we investigated…something.”
Gregory’s gaze flickered to Ashton’s and when Jared looked at the bird shifter he saw the same haunted look in his eyes that he’d seen in his office a few days earlier. Neither Gregory nor Ashton elaborated and Dean, it appeared, was watching them both closely through narrowed eyes, his lips pursed. Jared had no doubt the man knew what they were referring to.
He seemed like the type who didn’t let anything go under his radar.
“I’m not surprised that no one in the room but council members has heard of him,” Dean continued.
“Although Stan has been a high ranking member of the Supernatural Council for years, he has always kept a fairly low profile. However, I’ve recently learned that he is one of the key instigators in the bid to expose us all, and he has a lot of supporters.
“Too many. I’d go as far as to say he is right at the top of the food chain, so to speak.”
“But having an opinion as to how shifters should live their lives isn’t a criminal offense,” Jared argued. “Surely there’s nothing that can be done to prevent the man from having his say, even if he is influencing a lot of people.”
Dean nodded. “That’s true, of course, but my investigations have led me to a few discoveries about Mr. Michaels. Let’s just say not all of his actions have been carried out within the scope of the law.”
Jared noticed the silent exchange between Gregory and Ashton.
“Do you have proof?” Gregory asked.
“No. That I don’t, which is where all of you come in.”
“What is it you think we can do?” Pete asked. “Other than Gregory and Ashton, none of us here have any connections in the council. We’d never get anywhere near council headquarters or this Stan Michaels.”
“I have to agree with Pete,” Nate said, “I don’t see what any of us here would be able to do.”
“You’d be surprised.” Dean looked at each of them in turn. “You can all do more than you think. Some of my intel suggests that Mr. Michaels is doing business with someone here in Wolf Creek.
“Their activities are far from legal and this person has also joined the bid to expose us.”
Kelan let out a low growl and his eyes darkened.
Jared could practically feel the anger radiating from the alpha from where he sat.
“Someone in my pack? Who is it?” Kelan demanded.
“A Mr. Joe Walker.”
Gasps and murmurs spread throughout the room, getting louder and louder as each second ticked by.
“Son of a bitch!” Kelan raged.
Jared pursed his lips, his mind wandering to the day of the fight in Jessie’s. “Would Mr. Michaels happen to have a black sedan with tinted windows?”
Dean fixed his gaze on Jared’s and the look he gave him made Jared shiver. “He does, how did you know?”
“I was at Joe’s place, right before a fight broke out at Jessie’s Dancehall the other day. As I was leaving, I passed the sedan.
“At the time I thought it was unusual—you don’t see many cars like that around here—but then I got to Jessie’s and had to deal with all the trouble and it went right out of my head.
“What exactly are they involved in?”
“A number of things, I believe. One being insurance scams, false claims…that sort of thing. But I also know that Joe has been giving Mr. Michaels information about the town and its residents.
“I’m not entirely sure what Stan is doing with that information but I would assume he’s identifying the troublemakers. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been getting someone to pay them a visit, to incite them.”
“Goddamn it. I’m going to kill the old weasel,” Kelan growled.
“I think it’s best not to be hasty,” Dean replied. “It would do us good to observe them together, see if we can catch them doing something illegal. If we can get them that way, it would stop this looking like a personal vendetta against Michaels because we don’t like his views on shifter rights.”
“Would any of these insurance scams have to do with missing livestock?” Jared asked, an idea forming.
“It very well might,” Dean answered. “Why do you ask?”
“That’s what I was doing at Joe’s place that day. He said his bull had been stolen, said it cost him ten thousand dollars. And that wasn’t the only one—he’s reported three others missing in the last month.
“Actually, he pointed the finger at Kelan and his brothers. At the time, I thought it was sour grapes because of what happened with his son and Kelan’s brother, Luke.”
Jared shrugged. “With everything I know now, I wouldn’t mind betting this Michaels told him to accuse Kelan. It would cast aspersions on his character and doubt on his leadership abilities.”
Kelan nodded. “I think you might be right.”
“What can we do about all of this?” Nate asked.
“The most important thing, for now, is to ensure the council has no cause for concern where Kelan’s leadership is concerned. That will mean keeping a close eye on the main troublemakers here in town.
“As Mr. Ambrose works for the sheriff’s department, he’ll have a better idea than most who to look out for, and of course Kelan’s betas will need to be more involved should any situations arise.”
Kelan sighed. “I’m down to two betas, Dean. It will be difficult for us to be everywhere at once.”
Stefan was standing near the door and had thus far kept quiet, but after Kelan’s statement, he loudly cleared his throat.
“You know how I feel about pack politics, Kelan, but this is something important—something we all have to fight for if we want to keep hold of the lifestyle we’ve all grown accustomed to.
“You can count on me to help.”
His mate Cody patted his back then slipped an arm around his waist, a proud smile stretched across his face.
Kelan nodded. “Thank you.”
“I agree with Stefan,” Pete said. “This is important. I’d be happy to be more involved.”
“Thanks, Pete.”
“And you have three betas, not two,” Nate said. “I’ll do what I can, too.”
Kelan smiled warmly. “Appreciate that, Nate.”
Jared sucked in a sharp breath.
Did Nate just agree to be Kelan’s beta?
Jared turned to Nate and scowled. “You’ll what? What if you get hurt?”
Nate’s eyebrows skyrocketed and his mouth fell open in surprise. He stared at Jared for what felt like an eternity before his features softened and he chuckled, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled.
“In cas
e you didn’t notice Jared, I’m a big boy.”
When the rest of the room chuckled along with Nate, Jared sank a little lower in his chair, his face filling with heat.
He just couldn’t keep his fool mouth shut, could he?
It was Pete that chuckled loudest. “I can attest to that,” he joked.
Jared’s blood started to boil as his wolf quickly rose to the surface, ready to pounce. He turned on Pete and glared, a low growl erupting from somewhere inside. The fury burst from his mouth before he could rein it in.
“He’s mine!” he roared.
Pete recoiled, holding his hands up in front of him. “Sorry, Jared. I didn’t mean anything by that, I… Wait, what?”
Oh, God.
Jared wanted the floor to open up and swallow him when he looked around the room and realized all eyes were on him. So much for keeping their mating a secret. It was of little consolation that Gregory, Ashton, and Kelan already knew, but even they appeared shocked by Jared’s outburst.
But the one person Jared couldn’t look at was the one person whose opinion mattered most—Nate.
“Uh, sorry,” he mumbled to the room at large.
“Jared,” Nate said quietly. “Look at me.”
Nope.
Jared shook his head.
He was afraid to look at Nate.
He’d made an idiot of himself and he felt wretched with both shame and embarrassment. And he knew everyone in the room was still watching him. He could feel their eyes on him, practically hear their confused thoughts.
Nate sighed and placed his hand under Jared’s chin, forcing his head up. Jared’s face was on fire. He was tempted to close his eyes, anything to block out what he was afraid he might see on Nate’s face, but when he caught Nate’s expression, the wolf didn’t look angry or upset.
He wore the most beautiful smile Jared had ever laid eyes on.
It lit up his entire face and his eyes all but danced.
Nate looked positively triumphant.
Just when Jared thought he might pass out from lack of oxygen from holding his breath for so long, Nate leaned forward and mashed their lips together, stealing what little breath Jared had left in his lungs. Just like that, in front of a room full of people, Nate kissed him.
And it was no small kiss.
It was hard, demanding and fervent, almost as if Nate were staking his claim.
The groan that tore from Jared’s chest when Nate’s tongue slipped into his mouth and he tasted him for the first time surprised even him.
Jared’s wolf howled within, elated.
Eventually, Nate pulled back from the all-consuming kiss and turned to Jared’s right.
“Pete,” Nate said, the dorkiest smile covering his lips. “I’d like to introduce you to my mate.”
Chapter Fourteen
The elation Nate felt from proclaiming Jared as his mate was short-lived.
When his wolf calmed, Nate returned to his senses and turned to Jared, noting the expression on his mate’s face. The room erupted into cheers and back pats and well wishes, but Nate was only dimly aware of them all as he stared at Jared, who looked as if he might throw up.
He wasn’t the only one.
Nate’s stomach was somewhere in his throat.
What the hell had he just done?
It was obvious that Jared’s retort to Pete had been a gut reaction, something instinctual brought on by their mating bond, and one he might have been able to explain away if Nate had kept his big mouth shut. But it was too late for that now. The proverbial cat was out of the bag and there would be no shoving it back inside.
“Why didn’t you say something, old man?” Pete added another slap to Nate’s back.
“Uh…”
Shit.
Nate had no fucking clue how to answer.
“That was my fault,” Jared said, saving him. “I asked Nate to keep our bond a secret. I’d like to make sheriff and I don’t think that will happen if people around town know I’m gay.”
“Well hell, you gotta know it wouldn’t come from any of us,” Pete said. “‘Sides, I don’t think many folks around here would have a problem with it. Look at Kelan—he’s gay and he’s about the best alpha this town has ever had. Folks know it, too.”
“Yes, but the humans and…”
Jared pleaded with his eyes for Nate to help.
“Look, everyone, thanks for the congratulations and all, but can we ask you to keep this among yourselves, please?”
When Nate looked around the room there were a lot of confused faces and he couldn’t say he blamed them.
Cody was the first to speak up about what they all must have been thinking.
“If that’s what you both want, then, of course we will, but a mating bond is something to be celebrated. You might regret keeping it a secret.”
“Cody,” Stefan chastised. “It’s their choice. If they don’t want anyone to know, well…that’s up to them.”
Cody’s shoulders sagged and his expression became contrite. “Sorry,” he mumbled. “You’re right, of course. Just ignore me.”
“On that note,” Kelan said, “I think we can call an end to this meeting. I’ll liaise with Dean to see what information we can discover on Joe and Stan and if we need help from anyone, we’ll call on you. Oh, and Nate, Jared?”
When Nate turned, the alpha smiled encouragingly at him.
“Congratulations,” he said. “I’m happy for you both.”
Nate returned the smile but he was too afraid to look at Jared to see what his expression might be.
The bunkhouse kitchen cleared out pretty quickly but Jared remained seated, so Nate stayed where he was, too. When the last wolf had exited, Nate finally lifted his head to look at his mate. Thankfully Jared didn’t look upset or angry but there was definitely confusion clouding his features.
“I’m sorry,” Nate said. “I don’t know what came over me. I shouldn’t have kissed you, I shouldn’t have said that.”
Jared lifted the corners of his mouth but the smile was devoid of humor. He shook his head. “It was my fault. When Pete made that comment about you, it made me angry and I guess my wolf reacted badly.”
“Yeah, I realize that. Pete was just goofing off, so’s you know. There’s nothing going on between us, hasn’t been for a lot of years now.”
“Was that the real reason you were so upset when you saw Pete and me together in the yard earlier? Are you in love with him?”
“Jesus, no Jared.” Nate grabbed hold of Jared’s hand and squeezed it tightly in his own, his eyes pleading with his mate to understand. “When I saw you together and I thought there was something going on between you, my first reaction was that I wanted to kill Pete.
“It was about jealousy, sure, but not in the way you think, not for Pete. I swear to God.”
Jared nodded and lowered his gaze. “Okay.”
Where the hell did they go from here?
Nate sighed heavily.
Essentially nothing had changed. Sure a few more people knew of their mating, but if Jared was so set on making sheriff, then they could never be fully open about any relationship they might form. And Nate wasn’t even sure it was a relationship he wanted, didn’t even know if he was capable of one.
Nate didn’t know what the hell he wanted.
But he knew what he wanted for Jared. He wanted him to smile again, to be happy, and as he stared at his mate—who looked so deflated, so torn—Nate knew he’d do whatever the hell it took to accomplish that.
“Nate, about your house… When I put the bid in, I had no idea. If I’d known, I… I’d be happy to sell it back to you. I’m sure Tristan and I will be able to find something else.”
Nate shook his head.
He didn’t even have to think about his reply. Yes, he’d been sorry to lose out in the bidding, but Jared was his mate and he and Tristan needed a home. That was all there was to it.
“Thank you for asking, I can’t tell you how much it means to
me that you did, but no. I’m happy you and Tristan are going to be living there. It feels… right.
“I wouldn’t want it any other way. Besides, it’s a big old house, too big for me to be rambling about in on my own. No, this is perfect.”
“Thank you,” Jared said simply.
His mouth slowly curved up into a smile that was so warm and so bright it set Nate’s heart alight. It made him forget everything. All his worries, cares, insecurities… They all vanished as though they’d never been there at all. Nate could gladly spend a lifetime looking at that smile. As soon as the thought flashed through Nate’s mind, it made him both unbelievably joyful and inconsolable, all at the same time.
Nate knew without question that Jared could make him happy for the rest of his life, but could he do the same for Jared? If only it were that simple. Nate was a realist. Life wasn’t always the bed of roses people wanted it to be. But the longer Nate looked at that smile—drank it in, basked in it—the more he wished for a happy ending for them both.
A low growl carried through the door, and then something that sounded like…purring? When Nate looked across, he saw Aaron was backing Cary into the room, their mouths fused together, while Aaron’s hands disappeared into the back of Cary’s pants.
After a moment, Aaron broke the kiss.
“I’ve been wanting to get you alone all day,” he rasped.
Nate cleared his throat. “Uh, I hate to tell you this but you’re not alone.”
Cary yelped and leaped out of Aaron’s arms, dislodging the wolf’s hands. Mouth agape, his gaze flitted back and forth between Nate and Jared and a furious blush spread across his cheeks.
Nate felt for the kid.
“Crap,” Cary squeaked.
“Uh, yeah, we thought—”
“You were alone?” Jared said around a chuckle. “Yeah, we got that part.”
Aaron grinned, seemingly amused by the look of mortification on his mate’s face. “Sorry,” he said with a slight shrug of his shoulders. Being caught didn’t appear to bother Aaron in the slightest.
“Thought everyone had cleared out. Hey, Tristan’s looking for you outside.”
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