“Very attractive, actually.” Marcus described him. “Older than you, but aging well. Shifters tend to live longer, so there’s no telling his exact age.”
“Do they?” Tiago asked. “I didn’t know. It isn’t like there’s anyone around for me to ask. Jaguars, I mean.”
“There used to be jaguars in the States,” Marcus said. “If there are any left, I’ve never seen them. There’s never been any rumor of another breed of shifter.”
“We are very much loners,” Tiago explained. “It’s doubtful any would have ever interacted with wolf shifters. There would have been no need, unless, like me and Dallas, they were mates.”
“Well, I think you two are making history, because surely had it occurred before, someone somewhere would have known and passed the story down.” Marcus studied Tiago. With long black hair and chiseled features, the man resembled Butler. Marcus quirked a brow. “You don’t know who your father was?”
“He wasn’t a father. He was a sperm donor,” Tiago retorted. “Why are you all looking at me like that?”
“Because you look a hell of a lot like Robert Butler,” Ryder said.
Tiago’s anger made his pupils expand. “If you’re trying to say I was wherever with him”—he waved a hand at Maarten—“you’re crazy.”
“I am unstable at times, possibly,” Ryder admitted. “That has nothing to do with the fact that you and Butler could be brothers—or sperm donor and son. Butler’s hair is lighter—a brown not black—and he has it cut short. Then again, for all I know, there’s a resemblance for y’all?”
“My mother was a blonde with blue eyes, and we looked nothing alike. At all,” Tiago added. “I couldn’t say about any others. I told you, I haven’t been hanging around with jaguars. We don’t do that.”
“If this guy was related to you, do you think you’d know by scent?” Marcus asked.
Tiago closed his eyes and inhaled, his nostrils flaring. “I can remember to this day the smell of my mother, what it matched in mine, and how it differed. It’s been almost twenty years since I saw her. There’s a chance I would be able to tell if he and I were kindred. If that is the case, then you can rule out any other jaguar shifter in this rainforest. Neither scent is familiar to me at all. Even if it was, what difference would it make to me? Are you concerned that I would regret his death? Don’t be. He is nothing to me, just as he has been all this time.”
“He’d die regardless,” Marcus informed him. “We were hoping you’d have some idea of who Butler really is because there’s no trace of him under that name. Since you don’t associate with any jaguar shifters, you can’t answer the questions we had in mind.”
Ryder leaned forward. “Like where Butler would be hiding, and what did he give my mate. That root helped, but Maarten is still recovering.”
Tiago perked up. “Root? What did it look like?”
“I can do better than that and tell you the name of it.” Maarten did both, and Tiago gave them his first sincere smile.
“I know what those are and where to get them.” He stood, bringing Dallas to his feet at the same time. “We can go get some when you are ready. That reminds me of something I’d like to discuss with you, Ryder, about the pack and rainforest sustainability.”
Ryder was already heading for the door, but he stopped and glanced over his shoulder. “Leaving a smaller carbon footprint?”
“That too.” Tiago stretched, his hands touching the ceiling. “Perhaps you should stay here, Ryder. With Maarten.”
“Why is that?” Ryder bristled at the suggestion, back stiffening and anger tinting his tone.
Marcus knew how hard it was as an alpha to let someone else have any control, especially when that someone was neither friend nor pack member.
“That’s a good idea,” Maarten chimed in with. “Calm down, Ryder. Tiago probably just thought you would want to be with your mate. Marcus and Nathan can go with them, if that’s agreeable to everyone?”
It sounded good to Marcus. It would give him time to become better acquainted with Tiago. And there was the possibility that Ryder would agree because he wanted Marcus to keep an eye on Tiago.
“We can do that.” Marcus gave Ryder a pointed look, knowing Ryder would catch his meaning. Truthfully, he had to believe that Tiago was a decent person. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be Dallas’ mate.
“Wants you to make sure I’m not evil?” Tiago guessed, after Ryder and Maarten had left.
Marcus didn’t deny it. “He’s a good man. I think you must be, too, or else you and Dallas wouldn’t be what you are to each other.”
“I’m trying to be a better man,” Tiago muttered. “Dallas pointed out some things.” He didn’t elaborate.
“Dallas tends to do that,” Marcus conceded, smiling at Dallas. “You ready for a run?”
“Heck yeah.” Dallas whipped off his shirt.
They stripped there in the hut then bounded out in shifted form. Marcus made a mental note to make sure Olin had turned the camera back on from last night. He’d shut it down in an attempt to draw Tiago out. It’d worked, and Olin had almost certainly reactivated it, but Marcus would feel better once he had that confirmed.
Tiago was an impressive beast, nearly the size of Marcus. It made him a fearsome jaguar, more so since he was a feline. Marcus felt his wolf clamoring to chase the cat, and he scolded it to behave. Both he and the wolf knew better than to give in to such an impulse. Tiago clearly had sharp claws.
The ground was damp from an early morning rain, which made the jungle more humid than usual. As they ran, silence surrounded them. All the prey animals were hiding and holding their breath, hoping to avoid detection.
Leaves slapped at them, showering water on Marcus’ coat. Not enough to cool him down much. It was still a nice benefit of the rain.
Tiago veered to the right then came to a halt in a flower-filled spot. Sun streamed down through the canopy. The foliage overhead was thinner than in most parts of the rainforest that Marcus had seen. It was a meadow, he realized. All that was missing were the chirping birds.
Tiago nudged one plant then carefully pawed at the ground until he’d exposed the roots.
Marcus recognized the dark clump and yipped.
Tiago replied with a lazy yowl, as if to say, Duh. I told you. He pulled the plant up, roots and all. Without further ado, Tiago sprinted out of the meadow. Something about the way he flicked his tail seemed to be a tease.
Nathan must have thought so, too. He yipped merrily and batted at Tiago’s tail.
Tiago spun around and hissed, spewing dirty plant parts and leaves out.
Marcus snuffled, amused by the scene.
Dallas sat down and wagged his tail.
Nathan lowered his head and, quick as the fox his coloring resembled, ran a rapid circle around Tiago. He then hauled ass back toward the pack compound.
Tiago realized he’d been challenged to a race and was losing it. He sent clumps of dirt flying as he went after Nathan.
Marcus figured Tiago was going to work out just fine as a part of their pack. Eventually. A man used to being alone all his life won’t be able to change immediately.
“He’d better learn to run faster,” Nathan thought, having been party to Marcus’ own musings. “I’m going to have too much fun playing ring around the kitty. Oh. Uh oh. You’re in trouble. Here comes Keegan—and Olin.”
“Shit.” Marcus didn’t mind Keegan. Keegan was going to be mad as hell at him and Nathan for leaving without Keegan as an escort. Of course Nathan just ran right past Keegan, leaving Marcus to catch the bulk of Keegan’s ire.
Surprisingly, Keegan didn’t seem too put out with him. He and Olin merely kept pace with Marcus and Dallas for the rest of the return trip.
Once back to the safety of the pack central, they all shifted again. Tiago and Dallas took the root to Ryder.
Marcus asked Olin about the camera.
“It was back on a second after Tiago passed it,” Olin said with little patience. “I ha
ve to go over this whole goddamned place and check for bugs. Everyone has to get new phones. Everyone. Let me tell you, I’ve been bitched at more this morning than I ever have in my entire life. I’m”—he hooked his fingers in the air—“inconveniencing everyone! Yeah, well fuck you,” he snapped to no one in particular. “I’m not having deaths on my conscience. I’ll make this place impenetrable—or at least unable to be accessed in any way, shape, or form without my or Ryder’s knowledge. Ryder’s, I guess, since I’ll be moving into your place.” Olin pointed his thumb at Marcus. “I want the best suite you’ve got, with a sex swing in it.”
Keegan sputtered and covered his face with his hands. “Olin,” he whined.
Marcus pointed at Olin in return. “You want it? Earn it. I have the best suite, by the way. You can forget that one. The sex swing you can buy out of your salary.” Marcus gave him a two-fingered salute. “Let’s go check on Maarten,” he said to Nathan.
“You’re sarcastic and mean,” Olin hollered after him. “I’m regretting having to move to bumfuck New Mexico less and less. Oh, and I’m going to try to talk my brother and his mate into coming along!”
Marcus’ pack just kept getting bigger. It made him happy, especially after the losses they’d suffered. Those who’d died couldn’t be replaced. Marcus would never forget them.
But he had room in his heart and life to accept changes and that included new pack members, new friends. New chances.
Chapter Fourteen
“Dana still hasn’t found anything,” Nathan said, hanging up the phone. “Olin’s contact hasn’t found anything either. It’s like Butler doesn’t exist, which… Okay, I can see why he’d want that. It’s just really screwing with our ability to find him.”
“If I thought he’d leave my packs alone and if he hadn’t almost killed Maarten, I wouldn’t bother. I don’t think that he’s going to stop until he either does us all in or forces some shifters under my protection to do his dirty work.” Ryder looked a hundred percent perkier since Maarten had healed up completely in the past two days.
Marcus was at his wit’s end and he knew Ryder was feeling the same way. They couldn’t get a lead on Robert Butler. Asking about jaguar shifters was out of the question. Outing shifters simply wasn’t done. Even discrete inquiries could turn into disaster if it came to a human’s attention. That way was off the table.
For now, Ryder’s compound was on lockdown. He’d sent orders to all the packs he ruled over and made it clear in no uncertain terms that no one was to get involved with Robert Butler. A long conference call with the alphas had filled them in on what was happening and the dangers to them all.
Ryder did tell his alphas about Tiago. There was no use in not doing so. He’d already been seen and no doubt gossiped about by many of the shifters in Ryder’s immediate pack. Likewise, Dana had been filled in. Tiago would become known to the pack Marcus lived with. There would be no hiding him.
They were still restricted in their search resources, even more than if they’d been after a wolf shifter. Wolves were pack animals. The lone wolf wasn’t a common one. Therefore, rumors tended to abound. Marcus knew he didn’t hear most of them, but other people did.
No one knew jack shit about jaguars.
No one knew jack shit about Robert Butler.
“We can go back to the mansion, house, whatever you want to call it, or send guards to watch over it, see who comes and goes,” Ryder suggested. “It’s the only connection we have with Butler.”
“True enough.” Marcus looked at Keegan. “Any ideas?”
“I’ve checked flight records, airline sales, the property deeds on that place in Cayenne, and nothing has Robert Butler’s name on it. The house?” Keegan huffed as if he’d been insulted. “It’s registered to the alpha you killed. Dirk. No help there at all.”
“I used his name to search records, and yeah, there was a plane,” Olin said, taking over the conversation. “It supposedly went down in the mountains hundreds of miles from here. No wreckage was ever found. The names of the people on board were all the same—John Doe Senior and Junior, Jane Smith and Jane Doe. Who does shit like that? At least be creative criminals. Jesus.”
Olin continued with barely a pause. “The new cell phones will be in town tomorrow. Mercy from Armoured is bringing them herself, so we know they won’t have been tampered with. Of course, the way Keegan’s and my phones went dead, that means it’s not always the phones themselves that are fucked with. This guy’s got the money and power to get to cell towers and probably servers, at the very least. He’s someone, has to be, someone big to be able to make himself invisible—like Jimmy Hoffa, or Elvis. You know neither of them are dead. Well, maybe they are now, but they weren’t when they disappeared. They just had the money and skills to go invisible.”
That took the air out of the room. Marcus gawped at Olin, as did everyone else with the exception of Keegan, who looked amused.
“Marilyn Monroe, too,” Olin added. “So the cell phones might not be safe. We have to just be careful with our conversation. Can’t do anything about the satellite we use. I did find a handful of listening devices here, and I’m sure they’ve been here for a while. They’re outdated by a couple of years. Still worked, though. I’d like to bring in a few of the people from Armoured—”
“No,” Ryder said immediately. “No humans. We’ve had enough risks lately. We’re not taking more. Train other guards how to look for listening devices—or anything else you need them to do. I’ll increase your salary.”
“I wasn’t getting paid,” Olin stressed, “from you.”
Ryder gave him a narrow look. “You will.”
Olin gestured at Marcus. “I’m contracted with him first. I’ll do what I can while we’re here, but I have to fix his security system.”
“You could send a handful of guards back with me,” Marcus said to Ryder. “Let them train with mine, because Olin will be teaching some of the elite ones how to be security experts.”
“You say that like it ought to piss me off. I did read the contract.” Olin dug a thin stack of papers from his laptop bag. “I have it right here, as a matter of fact.”
“You’re very thorough. Should I pat your head?” Marcus asked.
Olin growled as if he were in his wolf form.
Marcus had at least accomplished something today.
Ryder picked up the conversation. “I can do that. Say, six. I know exactly who to send. Until then, we’ll just have to be extra vigilant.”
Marcus scrubbed his hands against the denim of his jeans. “I hate to leave here with this unresolved.”
“But you’re going to have to,” Ryder said. “Trust me to take care of my packs. You trained me for this position. I couldn’t have had a better role model.”
“Aw, y’all are so sweet.” Olin fanned himself with his contract. “It’s way too serious in here, guys. Like y’all think we’re going to bite it or something. We aren’t, okay? Let’s just agree on that.”
Marcus tried to explain it to Olin. “We aren’t used to this. There’s never been something we haven’t been able to go after and fix.”
“Someone you haven’t been able to go after and kill?”
“That too,” Marcus replied to Olin. “It isn’t like we go out and randomly murder people. We defend our lives, and those of others we are responsible for—at all costs.”
“Right. I knew that.” Olin tucked the papers away and put the strap of the bag over his shoulder. “So when do we leave?”
“After the phones are delivered. We’re having to charter a jet, and there’s only one company available to us for the next week. Thursday is our next chance to head home.” As much as Marcus hated to leave business unfinished here, it was Ryder’s responsibility. To stay would almost be an insult. And, he wanted to get home.
“I want plenty of Xanax for the flight,” Olin told Keegan. “Your method of distracting me from my fear of flying is mind-blowing. I’m now associating the Mile High Club with nea
r-death experiences like crashing and having crazy fuckers trying to shoot us.”
“Xanax it is, then,” Keegan promised him.
“They fit together well,” Marcus observed.
“We all do when it comes to our mates.” Nathan hooked his arm through Marcus’. “Ryder, Maarten, we’ll see y’all later.”
“Sure.” Both men waved them off.
Outside, the sun seemed brighter and hotter than ever. The humidity was the same horrible high as always. Marcus began sweating before he even took a step, and by the time they reached the rooms they were staying in, he was drenched.
“Good thing I like a sweaty man,” Nathan said, as he pulled off his own shirt. “Well. One sweaty man. The rest just stink.”
“I feel like I do, too, so what do you say to a shower together?”
Nathan leered at him. “You really have to ask?”
The cold water did nothing to put a chill on their libidos. Nathan had Marcus bent over the side of the tub and was slicking his hole with conditioner before the sweat had been rinsed off him.
“Figure I should get you dirty before cleaning you up,” Nathan informed him. “You want fingers?”
“Dick,” Marcus requested. “Just that.”
“A little more of this, then.” Nathan applied more make-do lube. “Yeah. It’s purple, you know.”
Marcus tried to peer at his own ass. “My asshole?”
“Well…yeah, with the conditioner on it, because the conditioner is purple.”
“Don’t scare me like that.” For a second Marcus had thought he’d gotten some freaky jungle rot.
“Ew, no.” Nathan stopped him from thinking after that by easing into him one inch at a time.
The burn was perfect, the conditioner a decent lube. Marcus pushed back eagerly, wanting that sharp ache that came from Nathan filling him quickly.
“Someone’s in a hurry.” Nathan grabbed his hips.
Marcus’ pulse accelerated. That grip meant very good things for his ass.
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