Dancing Around The Cop

by Lisa Oliver

  wolves. There are definitely very few wolves here,” Mr. Thorne

  said. “As far as I know only myself and that arrogant bastard

  Samuels who works for the vice squad live in Houston. That

  doesn’t give you many options in terms of protection and care

  though. That can’t be easy for you.”

  “I’m doing okay. I have friends. Plenty of good human friends

  who don’t know what I am, but don’t care. And that bastard

  Samuels as you called him. He’s my mate,” Terry whispered.

  “But he doesn’t want me, and yeah, I can’t do anything about

  that. My human friends are good to me. I don’t need protection

  or a pack or anything else.”

  Mr. Thorne came around the desk, and pulled up a chair next to

  Terry, putting a hand on Terry’s knee. Expecting to feel edgy,

  like he did when anyone else touched him, Terry felt comforted

  instead. He could tell how strong Mr. Thorne’s wolf was, and his

  own wolf was happy to belly up in his head. Unlike Zander, this

  wolf was compassionate and caring as well, and Terry’s wolf

  responded to that, but then his wolf wanted Zander in a big way.

  Why the hell couldn’t his mate have compassion and caring in

  his DNA? Terry pushed those thoughts out of his head and

  focused on the wolf beside him. He needed that contract. The

  ache in his heart at any thought of Zander was becoming an old

  and familiar friend, and Terry was tired of it. So tired. He just

  hoped it didn’t show.

  “I think you had better tell me about it.”

  Mr. Thorne was a stranger, Terry knew that. But somehow his

  wolf knew that the stronger male could be trusted, so he opened

  his mouth and it all spilled out. His meeting with Zander and how

  the man had sent him away. The visit in the middle of the night,

  and how Terry had sent him away. The flowers, the assault, and

  how, when Terry needed him most, Zander hadn’t been there to

  help him. Through it all, Mr. Thorne kept silent, simply patting

  his leg and offering him comfort.

  “Terry,” Mr. Thorne said when he’d finally finished. He felt strung

  out and anxious and it took all of his strength not to burst into

  tears. “There is nothing wrong with wanting a mate who will date

  you and take care of you, especially if you’ve never been with

  anyone else. Not all wolf shifters want to just jump into bed at

  the first sniff. Some of us have values and appreciate getting to

  know someone first. The mate pull makes it difficult with the

  whole lust side of things, but not impossible. You’re not asking

  for too much from your mate.”

  “Zander wanted me to be his dirty little secret. He didn’t want

  us to live together or anything. He just wanted to visit me for

  sex whenever he felt like it. He didn’t want to care for me, or

  protect me like you tell me I need. He just wanted sex. My

  parents weren’t like that, so why should I be treated that way?”

  “Your mate’s problem is that partner of his, Sully Roberts,” Mr.

  Thorne said thoughtfully. “The man is a raving homophobe if

  ever I saw one. He can’t stand me and fortunately we don’t see

  each other that often. But from what I’ve seen since they came

  to Houston, they’re virtually never apart. They even double date

  for goodness sake, far too often to be considered healthy in my

  opinion.”

  “I knew the man was fucking straight. Why did the Fates give

  me a straight mate?” Terry mumbled under his breath. Mr.

  Thorne laughed. It was a pleasant sound, one that Terry

  wouldn’t mind hearing again. For a moment he wished that the

  handsome looking wolf beside him was his mate instead, but

  then he felt a pang at being disloyal to Zander. He wasn’t like

  that and he wasn’t about to start being an asshole, just because

  that seemed to be the only thing Zander was good at.

  “Your Zander is no more straight than I am,” the lawyer said.

  “He goes out of town for his hookups though. I know, I’ve seen

  him in the past, although I will admit I haven’t seen much of him

  lately. I’m guessing that’s because he sniffed you. You’ll be the

  only one who can ring his bell from now on. God, I bet he’s going

  through hell, especially with Sully by his side.” Mr. Thorne

  laughed again, but Terry felt nothing but anger and he let it

  show.

  The only person he’d been able to talk to about the whole stupid

  mess was his mother, and she just kept saying that Zander

  would come to him – unfortunately she couldn’t say when, and

  Terry privately thought that his mate was just stubborn enough

  to go without sex for life, rather than take up with him. And God,

  there were the tears again. He was such a wimp. He clung onto

  his anger, because that was better than showing his weakness.

  “Great, so my mate is a slut who doesn’t do relationships. I don’t

  see how that’s going to help me. You know, my mother said he

  would come back to me, that he wouldn’t be able to stay away.

  I’ve never known her to be wrong before. But Zander is as

  stubborn as a freaking ox, and I can’t see that situation changing

  anytime soon.”

  Mr. Thorne looked thoughtful for a moment, and then he said,

  “Your mother is right on the one hand, but so are you. Zander is

  a stubborn fuck. He’s good at his job, and no one else in his

  department would have a problem with his relationship with you,

  except his partner Sully. What he doesn’t realize though, is that

  if he does stay away then he’ll lose his wolf eventually, because

  believe me his wolf will be pining for you and giving him hell. His

  wolf will be as stubborn and as pushy as he is.”

  “But he’ll go mad without his wolf.” Terry was horrified. Zander

  had treated him with nothing but contempt since they met, but

  the thought of that proud wolf shifter losing half of his soul was

  more than Terry could bear. Not that there was anything Terry

  could do about it. He couldn’t force Zander to mate him. He

  didn’t even want to. Zander had made it plain that even if he

  was claimed, then he would be nothing more than a dirty little

  secret, and it broke Terry’s heart to think of living like that. What

  a fucking mess, for both of them.

  “I don’t think Zander understands the importance of an Omega

  wolf, or what would happen to him if you two mated,” Mr. Thorne

  said.

  “What do you mean? I’m sure Zander thinks Omegas are so far

  down the totem pole they don’t even register. He certainly

  treated me like I wasn’t important.”

  “There’s a part in us Alphas that are hard wired to caring about

  their Omegas, especially a mate. That need to protect, to love

  and care for someone not as strong as we are. It’s a part of who

  we are. That’s why so many lone Alpha wolves end up with

  Omega mates.”

  “Zander doesn’t feel like that,” Terry scoffed. “If he did he

  wouldn’t have allowed me to be handcuffed, or put in a jail cell,

  or anything at all. He would have been round t
o see me, at least

  to make sure I was okay after I was hurt. He didn’t do any of

  that.”

  “You just haven’t seen him, little wolf,” Mr. Thorne said kindly.

  “He’ll have been around, I can guarantee it. What I do think your

  friend needs is a bit of a push to stake his claim and that is

  something I can help you with.”

  “I don’t want him to claim me. I don’t want to be his sordid little

  secret. I deserve better in my life than a mate who hides me

  away. I’d rather not have a mate.” Terry felt sick. He’d been

  proud of who he was his whole life and the thought of never

  having the loving relationship he’d seen growing up with his

  parents, was enough to make him want to run off to the

  mountains and live alone the rest of his life. At least his wolf

  would have somewhere to run free.

  “Zander may think that’s what will happen, but that’s not how it

  will turn out,” Mr. Thorne said confidently. “Especially not if I’m

  around. You need a shifter friend little one, and I want to fill that

  position. I don’t doubt that your human friends are marvelous

  people, I know some of them socially and they’re a great bunch.

  But this is a shifter matter, and has to be solved the wolf way.

  So I propose we start again. Hi Terry, my name’s Richard. I think

  you are a truly lovely young man and I would really like to take

  you out to lunch, just as soon as we get your papers signed. Are

  you free?”

  “I’m free.” Terry was stunned by the turn of events, but he had

  to admit he felt safe with Richard. Somehow he knew that the

  Alpha wolf wouldn’t hurt him, even though they weren’t mates,

  and Terry wasn’t stupid. If Zander caught wind of him being

  with another wolf, even as friends, he would go ballistic.

  Unfortunately Terry didn’t think it would make any difference to

  his stubborn mate although he felt compelled to try. Knowing

  Zander could lose his wolf was making Terry totally revisit the

  whole ‘I don’t want to be claimed’ line of thinking.

  Chapter Eight

  “I don’t know what the hell’s wrong with you, but if you don’t

  pull your shit together soon, I swear I am putting in for a new

  partner.”

  “I told you, I’ve got a lot on my mind,” Zander snapped back

  automatically, his attention elsewhere. It wasn’t the first time

  his best friend had ragged at him, and it probably wouldn’t be

  the last.

  “Yeah, shit that for some reason you don’t talk to me about. I

  thought we told each other everything,” Sully grumbled,

  although he went back to eating his meal. Not that Zander cared.

  Sully’s voice had barely registered above the noise in the small

  pizzeria they were having lunch at. The food was lovely, as

  always, but Zander couldn’t stop looking at the small table in the

  back, where that fucking lawyer, Richard Thorne was having

  lunch with his mate, again. That had to have been the third time

  this week, and for some reason the pesky wolf always seemed

  to know where Zander and Sully would be taking a break, and

  he just fucking turned up with Terry on his arm.

  Every time he turned around, that was all he could see. His mate,

  his beautiful shy Terry being escorted around town, Richard

  never far from his side. Zander had never even spotted his mate

  before he met him at that disastrous bar fight, but now. Lunch,

  dinner, movies - Richard had even brought Terry with him down

  to the police station when he came to drop off some papers one

  time. Zander damn near lost his shit in front of his work mates

  at the sight of Richard’s arm casually around Terry’s waist. He

  had to disappear into the bathroom until he could get his teeth

  under control.

  Zander knew enough about the mating curse to know that

  Richard was playing with him. He knew that the only other lone

  Alpha wolf in town wouldn’t be having actual sex with his mate.

  Although any human seeing the two men together would

  certainly think they were fucking like bunnies. Terry would never

  be aroused by that arrogant son of a bitch, or by anyone but

  him. The mating curse bit both ways. But lately a more

  disturbing thought had been teasing Zander’s brain. There was

  nothing to stop Richard claiming Terry through a bond mating if

  he cared about him.

  Zander didn’t think the man was heartless enough to try and

  have sex with Terry when Terry would never be able to feel any

  sense of arousal, but if they exchanged bites, the two men would

  still be mated. Richard would be the one looking out for Terry.

  Shit, Terry would probably move in with him, which would mean

  Zander would never ever have a chance of getting close to him.

  Every time the idea of Terry wearing a mating scar that didn’t

  result from Zander’s teeth hit his head, his own teeth clenched

  and his wolf was getting right stroppy about the situation. For a

  wolf the case was simple – Terry belonged to them and that

  meant any other wolf that went within ten feet of the little man

  was fair game for teeth in his throat of a different kind. Zander

  was worn out simply trying to keep his other half under control.

  What Zander didn’t expect to feel was the pain in his heart when

  he saw how Terry seemed to be responding to the attention from

  the other Alpha wolf. He positively glowed, chatting away to

  Richard like they were old friends, with Richard looking on

  adoringly like Terry was the best thing since raw steak. It was

  making Zander sick as he battled his own feelings of

  possessiveness, and anger. But it wasn’t as though he could say

  or do anything, because Richard seemed to only turn up when

  he was with Sully, and Sully, his best friend and work partner,

  was totally oblivious to everything that was going on. Zander

  was trapped, and hurting and that was not a good way for a wolf

  shifter to be. Someone was going to get really hurt if something

  didn’t change soon, and Zander had a horrible feeling it might

  be his mate.

  Zander watched as Richard excused himself and disappeared in

  the direction of the bathrooms. Finally, an opportunity to talk to

  the bastard alone. Standing up, Zander ignored the shocked look

  on Sully’s face, as he headed towards the back of the restaurant.

  He didn’t dare look at Terry. Although the urge to talk to his

  mate was so strong it was almost unbearable, with Sully in the

  restaurant, he couldn’t do it. But he could deal with that swarmy

  lawyer who seemed determined to stake a claim on his mate.

  Slamming open the bathroom door, he wasn’t surprised to see

  Richard leaning against the sink bench, his arms crossed and a

  smug smile on his face. Yeah, the asshole knew exactly what he

  was doing. What Zander wanted to know was why.

  “What the hell are you doing with my mate?” Zander growled,

  keeping his voice low. Even now he was conscious of the fact

  that Sully could follow him at any minute, and that was the last

  thing he
wanted. Plus which there were humans around, lots of

  them, so Zander had to keep his claws and teeth under control.

  “Looking after him, caring for him, taking him out on dates

  because that’s what he likes to do. What’s it to you? You’ve

  already made it plain you don’t want him. Someone should be

  caring for him, why not me?”

  “You can’t touch him, you can’t have sex with him, so why are

  you wasting your time with him?”

  Richard shook his head and stepped closer, lowering his voice.

  “You don’t know anything about Omega wolves do you, you

  stupid smuck? You don’t understand how it makes me stronger

  just being with him, caring for him the way an Alpha should.

  There’s a whole lot more to being mates than sex, my friend.

  Warmth, companionship, caring. Terry’s a fun person to be with

  and my wolf wants to look after him. I’m spending time with him

  because I want to claim him as a bond mate. And when the time

  is right, I will. You’ve had long enough to make things right.”

  Zander was stunned for just a moment. The thought of someone

  else marking his mate’s beautiful neck, when it should be him,

  had the hairs growing longer on his arms, and he felt his teeth

  drop. “You’ll find your own mate. What will happen to Terry

  then?” He said, desperately trying to control his shift.

  Bond mates were common in a world where fated mates were

  hard to find, but if a fated mate did come along, they trumped

  everything. That was a sacrosanct wolf law that no pack ever

  broke. Mates were the most important aspect of a shifter’s life.

  A flash of pain crossed Richard’s face but he quickly collected

  himself and his handsome face was an impassive mask once

  more. “My mate’s been dead some ten years now. Our bond

  broke with his passing, and I know I’ll never have another one.

  Terry will make the perfect companion and my wolf would never

  forgive me if anything happened to him, I want to keep him safe,

  and you won’t do it.”

  Zander felt a momentary pang of sorrow for the other wolf. It

  was never easy losing a mate, and the fact that Richard survived

  meant that he had to be stronger than he looked, which did not

  auger well for him.

  “But he’ll never be able to get a hard-on with you. Don’t you

  care?” Zander understood the need to take a bond mate, but at