by Fel Fern
Unlocking the front door, he noticed his mother was in front of the TV, Janine sleeping beside her on the couch. He joined them. Jonathan usually worked late at the power plant and came home while they were all asleep. The old werewolf loved his mother, though. He saw that every time they were alone. Jon only had eyes for his mom, and to him, she was his mate for life.
He’d hoped the same thing from Lyle, except he should have known something was wrong when Lyle kept making excuses to delay giving him the mating mark.
“Hey, honey, you’re home early,” she remarked, noticing him.
He joined Janine on the couch, ran his fingers through her fine blond hair. When he and Lyle adopted her, he hadn’t been too sure he was equipped to handle a shifter baby, but thanks to his mom and Jon’s guidance, she turned out fine.
“Did she give you any trouble?” he asked.
She made a ‘tsk’ sound. “She shifted while we were playing hide-and-seek, nearly gave me a heart attack.”
Jeanine’s second form was a tabby cat. He remembered being so shocked at first, when a kitten, instead of a girl, was in the cot when she turned one, the age most shifters started turning into their animal halves.
“I haven’t heard from the preschool yet,” he told her. “I’m still looking. Thankfully, the schools here are equipped to handle paranormal kids, and there are supernatural teachers, too.”
“Nonsense, a two-year-old needn’t start school so soon,” she said. “Besides, I don’t mind.”
“I appreciate all you and Jon have done for us, but I think we ought to have a serious talk soon. Jon and you have been nothing but amazing, but once I get my first salary, I’m thinking of renting an apartment closer to my workplace. I’m sure you two have plans, too.”
She didn’t seem to sound too happy about that. “We’ll talk on the weekend, with Jon here,” she finally consented.
He beamed. “Good.”
Things were starting to look up for him and his family.
* * * *
Did the house always look so big? Nash wondered. Every room held echoes, memories of him and his brothers growing up. After Isiah died, they fell on hard times, debated on selling the old farmhouse. Nash was usually so practical, but he’d been adamant on keeping their old home, their only one.
In the end, his brothers relented one by one, and they even pitched in in restoring the old farmhouse to its former glory. Now, he was left with a two-floor house, but he only used the bedroom and his home office. Nash seldom cooked, only on Friday nights when he fired up the grill for their usual dinners. His mind went back to Neil.
Nash had been tempted to ask Neil out for dinner, but he’d remembered Neil probably had plans with his family. He let out a breath. It was better this way, except he couldn’t quite forget Neil’s smaller body behind him, warm and nice, and Neil’s delight at his first motorcycle ride.
No, the wolf in him didn’t want to let go of this human just yet, despite the man’s insistence Neil would only get hurt down the line. His inner beast clawed at the surface of his skin. It felt hard to breathe, the house too big and empty.
“Stop it,” he hissed at his animal, but it was angry now, pissed he wanted to cut things off with Neil even before anything had begun.
With a growl, Nash exited the house via the kitchen back door. Without his brothers fighting over who ought to man the grill, their mates quietly talking at one corner, it was eerily quiet. He glanced at the grove of dark trees. This backyard had had a fence once. He decided a run might do him some good.
He stripped out of his clothes quickly, balled up everything, and placed the bundle by the nearest tree. Then Nash reached for his wolf. Running would help ease the frustration building inside of him, a temporary measure but one that would serve for now.
The change came easily, quickly, the wolf eager to run past familiar trees and groundwork. Fur covered his chest and shoulders. Claws emerged, bones and organs re-shifted, re-formed. Finally, Nash landed on all fours.
Nash was a big man, but he always felt more powerful in this form. He sprinted into the nearest line of trees. Branches and bushes brushed against his fur, the uneven ground built for the wolf. He ran faster, pushing himself. Nash could use the workout. Soon enough, he was far from the residential area as possible.
This wooded area was unofficially reserved for the paranormal resident locals who preferred being close to nature. Every shifter respected each other’s space. Nash needn’t worry about being disturbed.
Images of Neil flashed in his head. Somehow, even without knowing how, the stubborn little human had started to get under his skin. Soon enough, he sensed the presence of another predator nearby. He growled in annoyance, dominant enough to fight off any male in town, but the scent was familiar.
His irritation spiked, as he spotted a graceful, lethal black blur above the trees. Damn Malik. Why wasn’t Malik busy, doing God knew what dirty things to his mate? None of them needed to know what Malik and Dale did behind closed doors, but of course, Malik loved exclaiming how awesome his love life was.
Damn curious cat. He snarled at the jaguar shifter again, but his brother flashed his fangs, green eyes flashing in the dark, full of challenge. Fine. If the big cat wanted to play, that was what they’d do.
Back when Malik had been an angry teenager, when Malik hadn’t realized he could utilize his looks to charm the pants off people, Malik loved hiding in trees. Spencer and Cole, were easy to spot. Spencer, being a big grizzly, was the easiest. Cole was a wolf like him, easy to scent, track. Malik, though, was a hell raiser. Nash learned to track his wayward brother anyway, despite Malik being able to climb those damn trees.
They raced deeper into the woods, and his annoyance vanished, replaced by the sheer thrill of the competition.
Finally, the trees ended and opened up to a clearing, a cliff overlooking the entire town. Nash beat Malik to the race. He padded to the edge and looked at the town that had become his home.
“This scene seems familiar, doesn’t it? One interfering brother, pestering the other, giving some love advice?” Malik asked, in human form.
He growled. Nash knew exactly what Malik was talking about. Back when Malik’s relationship with Dale was so new, Malik had a ton of doubts. Nash had been concerned, too, because despite being the joker, Malik also had deep scars left behind by his hateful birth mother. He’d urged Malik to go for a run, think things through.
Nash reached for his human half. “I didn’t give you any damn advice.”
“Aw, don’t say that.”
They said nothing for a few moments, then Nash spoke. “Remember the fence that used to be in the backyard?”
“Of course I do.” Malik didn’t ask why he’d brought up that particular memory. “All of us hated the thought of being walled in, you in particular. So Isiah grabbed a hammer one summer day, growled at all of us to do the same. We took the fence down.”
For Nash, who hadn’t been completely able to deal with his new life, had kept thinking of the cage the hunters had kept him in.
“I felt satisfied after we wrecked that fence down,” he finally said. “It didn’t take much effort, though, because the wood was old, rotting.”
“Isiah knew we had to let out frustration out. Remember what he said after?”
Of course. Nash had never forgotten. “This fence will always stay down. Freedom is yours, boys, but my home will always open to all of you.”
Malik smiled, his genuine one, and Nash curved his lips up too at the poignant memory. “I always felt he did for your sake.”
Nash felt that way, too. Only Malik knew he’d been kept in a cage as a child. Cole and Spencer had never pressed, respecting his decision not to tell. “Now, even without the fence, my wolf wanted to be free.”
“No,” Malik replied. “Your beast is longing for something other than freedom, Nash. Like you told me before, sometimes running away isn’t the best solution.”
Nash growled at his brother for that,
but Malik had a point. Eventually, he realized Malik had left him to his privacy. Back then, he’d thought they were all in the same boat, that none of them would ever find mates, but his brothers had proved them wrong. First, it had been Cole, then Spencer, and eventually Malik.
His wolf had been pleased to see their little family growing. In their own way, they were becoming a pack of their own. Nash began to wonder if he too could wear the same look of happiness and contentment his brothers did when they were with their mates.
Nash turned back to wolf, lingered there a little longer, before running back home. He had plenty more issues to think about, decisions to make about whether or not he was willing to open up his heart to another.
Chapter Six
“Looking for a new apartment?” a familiar deep male voice asked.
Neil squeaked and jumped in his seat, fumbling with his ham and cheese sandwich, to see one big and sexy werewolf Alpha hovering by his cubicle. He quickly grabbed his mouse, about to shut the opened tabs on his computer, but then remembered it was lunch time. Neil could do whatever he wanted in his free time.
“Are you busting my ass for using the company computer for personal stuff, or are you asking as a friend instead of a boss?” Neil asked.
“You consider me a friend?”
He bit his lip. “You took me home a week ago.”
Neil blushed, aware how those words could be misinterpreted. Thankfully, no one else was in the office. He’d been invited to lunch by Cassie and the others. Half the time he joined them, but the other half of the week, he brought his own homemade lunch to save some cash.
“Now that’s a thought to consider,” Nash said.
Why did he have a feeling Nash was actually flirting with him?
Okay, no way Nash was doing that. He heard the gossip around the office and in town. Nash had never had a serious relationship in his life, according to rumors, and was only interested in one-night stands. Nash’s brothers had been the same, but now that they were off the market, that left only Nash.
Then again, hadn’t Nash’s brothers, for all their wildness, found suitable mates capable of handling them? Lately, he hadn’t heard Nash of seeing other men either. Maybe the Alpha was taking a chance on him? Jesus. These days, his thoughts always veered down the inappropriate path, and why the hell would a sexy eligible male bachelor like Nash consider geeky, mediocre him?
“Back to your question,” Nash spoke. “I’m asking as a friend. At least you’re not downloading anything dubious, merely looking for listings.”
“I don’t know why rent is so expensive, especially the areas around the office.”
“What are you looking for?” Nash asked.
It was odd, talking so casually to his boss like this, but he’d grown used to the Alpha coming by his cubicle more and more often. Some would say that was no longer a coincidence. Don’t presume, he angrily thought, because that always made him start hoping, and too much of that would rebound on him.
“At this rate, I can only rent a room or studio,” he mumbled.
After having that important discussion with his mom and Jon, they’d managed to come up with an arrangement. He and Janine would find a place of their own, but his mom would still look after Janine when he couldn’t find someone to watch her while he was at work.
Eventually, if the company decided he was worth keeping as a regular and his performance level was acceptable, he hoped to have a talk with the HR department and find more time to spend with his daughter. Well, that was how he hoped the future would turn out anyway.
“What’s your budget?”
He hesitated, debating telling Nash it wasn’t his business, but Nash also considered him a friend, right? Neil had so few of those. The regulars seldom spoke to the interns. Now, the interns, people he’d worked with in the past, refused to associate with him. Cassie and the others were slowly warming to him, but that wasn’t the same thing as having a friend to complain or talk to. For some reason, he felt comfortable with Nash and, at times, forgot Nash was his boss in the first place.
Neil named the amount and waited for Nash to tell him that was too low, especially for a prime area.
“I have just the place,” Nash said, much to his surprise.
“Wait, really?” he asked.
“Yup. Come on. I’ll show you the place. Tell me what you think afterward.”
Confused by the sudden turn of events, he could only stare at Nash. He vaguely recalled the company had started experimenting with flipping houses, that Malik Mercer had been in charge of those projects. Logically, it wasn’t much of a surprise that Nash had contacts in the property business.
“What are you waiting for?”
“Do we have time?” he blurted. “I mean, are we going to meet an agent or something?”
The Alpha kept walking, and he had no choice but to grab his sandwich and follow Nash out of the office. He finished the rest of his lunch as Nash handed him the helmet.
“Need help?” Nash asked, wolfish grin on his face.
“I got it,” he said, buckling the helmet straps snuggling against his chin.
His heart started on a staccato rhythm as he rode behind Nash once more. Neil had thought he’d get over his little crush soon, focus on building a friendship instead, but he’d thought wrong. Once he wrapped his skinny arms around the Alpha’s frame, he pressed his head against the powerful muscles of Nash’s back. It seemed his boss paused for a moment, looked like he had something to say, but Nash started the engine instead.
They breezed past streets, turned past the shops, city hall area, local park, and finally into a neighborhood area. Neil tried to remember why they’d made this little side trip in the first place, but for some reason, all he wanted to do was rub his head against Nash’s back like some kind of kitty cat.
Right. Neil had been looking for apartments, and this residential district was certainly not far from the main town area. However, he wasn’t looking to rent a house and couldn’t afford this neighborhood certainly. How should he break that little detail to his boss gently?
Nash parked the bike in front of a gorgeous-looking farmhouse. Curious, Neil dismounted. The house had certainly seen a few years, but someone had apparently restored it with loving care.
“Um, boss? I can’t afford to rent a place like this,” he admitted.
“You told me your budget,” Nash ventured, beginning to walk up the house.
Neil began to follow the Alpha werewolf, halting in his footsteps when he caught sight of the mailbox. The word ‘Mercer’ was painted on it. He swallowed. Was this some kind of joke?
“Nash, whose house is this?” he had to ask, not moving an inch.
“Mine.” Nash gave him that scarily sexy smile again, one that showed a bit of fang, the invitation clear as day.
The mischievous look in the Alpha werewolf’s eyes should have scared him away, but no. He remained standing there, rigid as a statue.
“You look scared, little human, like I’m about to eat you.”
“Okay.” He managed to recover his voice. “That statement doesn’t help at all.”
Anger sparked in him. Was Nash making fun of him? Neil didn’t know Nash to be the cruel sort though. In fact, Nash seemed level-headed most of the time, the no-nonsense sort who ran his company with an iron fist.
“Look,” Nash stated, running a hand through his hair. “It’s a big house. This was our childhood home—Cole, Spencer, Malik, and mine—but they all moved out a long time ago. I’ve been thinking of renting the place out anyway.”
That made sense. The Alpha, Neil realized, was lonely. Like most, he’d heard the rumors around town that Nash had helped raise his brothers after their foster father had passed away. This town held no secrets. That also meant when one of their own was hurt, everyone would drop what they were doing to help out. It was the same reason why he’d lingered in Snow Valley, instead of picking a new location to settle down.
Nash heaved a heavy sigh. “Th
is was a bad idea. I get it now. I’ll drive you back to the office.”
An Alpha werewolf compromising?
Neil shook his head. If he was being rational, the location was fantastic, ideal. It wasn’t even a long walk to the main town area. A car wasn’t necessary to get around either, and along the way, he’d glimpsed a nearby playground, a small park beside it. Neil could imagine taking Janine there during weekends.
“No, since we’re here, why don’t you give me a grand tour?” he asked.
In response, Nash unlocked the door and held it open for him. Despite knowing this was a bad idea, that Nash probably hadn’t given him the full explanation, he walked inside. The colors were warm, white and teal, and the furniture comfy and well-worn.
Nash didn’t speak at first, letting him walk around.
“Tell me about this place?” he asked.
“Old farmhouse, practically falling apart when we moved in, but we started doing little repairs, fixes,” Nash explained.
He could see a lot of love had been put into the house. The kitchen seemed well-equipped but least used, he noticed.
Neil lingered in the living room, at the shelf of photographs. More were hung on the walls, all featuring the Mercer brothers and the man they called father.
“This wall, these shelves used to be empty,” Nash continued. “Isiah insisted we make good memories, because back then, all of us had so few.”
Nash sounded casual about it. Neil always saw the big Alpha werewolf as a quiet force of nature to be reckoned with. Hard to believe this confident, successful, and surprisingly thoughtful man used to be the scowling, scarred, and skinny boy with angry glacial-blue eyes in the pictures. He didn’t know about Nash’s background, but it must have been rough.
Unthinkingly, he reached out and touched the lone picture of Nash in it. The boy in the photo looked haunted, the scars on his neck still an angry red. So many questions hovered in Neil’s head, but he wasn’t sure he had the right to ask them. Ridiculous as it sounded, it felt like Nash had shown him a piece of his heart that he seldom revealed to others.