Sei

by Catherine Lievens

  “Damn. They’re going to kill someone if we don’t stop them.”

  “They will. These people were lucky the son is pack security. He managed to get his parents out before they could get hurt.”

  Sei kissed Donovan’s cheek. “Go on. I know you need to talk to Kameron and Nick.”

  Donovan did, but he also didn’t want to let Sei go. Still, he kissed his mate’s forehead and left him there. It wasn’t hard to find Kameron. He was standing far enough from the house that he couldn’t get hurt, talking with a guy Donovan didn’t know. Nick wasn’t far away, but he was directing everyone’s work, so Donovan didn’t interrupt him and went up to Kameron instead.

  Kameron turned toward him when he heard him arrive. “Donovan, this is Andy. He’s part of my inner circle, and it’s his parents’ house that just burned down.”

  Donovan nodded at Andy. “Sorry for what happened.”

  Andy shrugged. “Yeah. You’re the government guy?”

  “That would be me. Donovan Reeves. What happened?”

  “My parents and my younger brother were home. Samuel had just gotten home from his eight-hour patrol shift. He was sleeping upstairs, but my parents were downstairs. My father was sleeping on the couch, my mother was in the kitchen.”

  “She didn’t hear anything?”

  Andy shook his head. “I don’t know. She won’t talk to me. Hasn’t in almost two years, not since I met my mate.”

  There was a story there, but now wasn’t the time for it. “Sei told me accelerant was used?”

  “On the porch. It wasn’t hard to sniff it out earlier, although the fire might have burned it away by now.”

  “So the intention was to burn the house with your parents inside.”

  “Probably.” Andy’s hands tightened into fists. “We can’t be sure because we don’t know who the bastards are. My father retired a few years ago, and my mother has always been a housewife. They spend most of their days at home, especially since Kameron became the alpha.”

  “Why’s that?”

  Andy sighed. “My mate’s a man. My parents hate that fact and the fact that Kameron doesn’t have any problems with same-sex couples doesn’t help. They’ve been sticking to the house and the few friends who think like them. Anyone who observes the house for a few days can find that out, and the house is just on the edge of pack territory. It wouldn’t have been hard to stand out there in the forest, not even stepping into pack territory.”

  “Wouldn’t the patrols have smelled them?”

  “Yeah.”

  Donovan nodded. “So maybe they didn’t want to hurt anyone, and they targeted this house because it was the easiest one to get to.”

  Kameron snorted, and both Donovan and Andy looked at him. “What?” he asked. “They don’t care about hurting people. Look at what they did to Russell.”

  “Maybe it was the same group but not the same people.”

  “Or maybe they observed the house from far enough away we couldn’t smell them. It wouldn’t be hard to climb up a tree with a pair of binoculars. They wanted Andy’s family to die.”

  Donovan shared Kameron’s opinion. Things were escalating, and the reporters in town probably weren’t helping. They were bringing more attention to Gillham and the pack, and while that might help some people get used to the idea of shifters, it also scared other people to death. Some obviously weren’t going to stay put. They wanted shifters out of Gillham, by any means.

  Donovan wanted to help. It wasn’t in his job description, but he didn’t care. The pack was Sei’s family, and some of Donovan’s friends lived there. He’d do whatever he had to do to protect them. “I’m going to call my boss and see what we can do about this.”

  Kameron arched a brow at him. “Your boss? This isn’t a government problem, Donovan.”

  “You suspect the people who did this are human, right?”

  “They are. We caught their scent on Zach’s car and on Russell’s clothes.”

  “Then it is a government problem. We agreed to help keep you safe.”

  “We don’t need you to keep us safe. I have pack security and the enforcers.”

  “And it’s obviously not enough.” Donovan didn’t want to challenge Kameron’s authority, but he wasn’t going to let Sei live in a place that wasn’t safe for him.

  Kameron raised a hand. “Fine. Call your boss and see what he can do. I’m going to increase patrols and ask the council to send me more enforcers. No offense, but I don’t exactly trust your people.”

  Donovan shook his head. “They’re not my people. You are.”

  Kameron smiled, and it was completely at odds with the scene in the background. “Sei.”

  “Of course you know about Sei. But yes, Sei. I might have only met him yesterday, but we’re mated, and I need him to be safe. I need to know he is, and I need to know Bran will be fine too. You’re more my people than anyone but my kids, Kameron, and I’d do whatever I need to do to make sure nothing happens to the pack.”

  Kameron cocked his head. “Are you part of a sleuth?”

  The question surprised Donovan, but it shouldn’t have. It was the next step, right? He had only his job in Washington, and it wasn’t like it was his dream job. He was good at it, but he could do without. Some days, he really wanted to. His ex-wife and two of his kids lived in California, the third kid in Colorado.

  But Sei? Sei had everything in Gillham. He had a job he loved and was great at, his cousin lived in the house in front of his, his friends in the next house over. How could Donovan take him away from all that? He hadn’t even thought about it.

  “No. I haven’t been part of a sleuth in a long time.” He knew it was hard for wolves to be on their own, but bears were different. Yes, he missed romping around the woods with his peers, but he could do without, and he made sure to do it often when he visited his family.

  Kameron nodded. “Now isn’t the moment to talk about it, but you know where I’m going, so think about it. I’d be happy to have you with us.”

  There was no need to think about it, but Donovan didn’t say so. He needed to tie up loose ends before being able to move to Gillham, and the biggest of them was talking to his family and quitting his job. That last one would be especially hard in the light of what Donovan was doing. He’d need to find another shifter who could take his place and liaise with the pack, maybe with him. He already had someone in mind, but he’d need to talk to her first.

  So instead of answering Kameron’s question, Donovan turned around and watched as the house behind him burned to ashes.

  * * * *

  Sei went from one person to another, making sure everyone was fine. The fire had finally been put out, but steam and smoke still rose from the charred remains of the house.

  It hurt to see it. He didn’t know the couple who’d lived there, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t sorry for them. It had to be hell to lose a home they’d lived in for most of their lives, especially since they were shifters. They could have lived there for more than a hundred years.

  He stopped in front of a guy who was staring at the ruins. He was cradling his hand against his chest, so Sei was pretty sure he was hurt. He gently touched the guy’s arm, making him jerk. The guy whined in pain, and Sei held his hands out. “Let me see.”

  The guy breathed deeply, probably to get a hold on the pain, and looked down at Sei. “You’re the nurse.”

  “Yep. I’m Sei. I’m a Nix, so if you let me see that hand of yours, I’ll heal you in a whizz.”

  The guy smiled and uncurled his hand from against his chest. Sei winced when he saw the burns. Something had obviously landed on the hand, since the burn was narrow and long, extending over the guy’s forearm.

  “That looks like it hurt,” Sei said.

  “It does.”

  “What happened?”

  “I went back in to get my dad after I got my mother out.”

  Sei knew the house had belonged to
Andy’s parents. Andy was part of Kameron’s inner circle, and this had to be Andy’s brother. “You’re Samuel,” Sei said. He knew of Samuel, but he didn’t think he’d ever met him. Sei hadn’t lived with the pack long after all, only three months, and apart from his friends, the only people he really knew were his patients. The pack was big, over seventy members, and most of them had never walked into the infirmary.

  “That’s me.”

  Sei nodded and hovered his hand over the burn. “I’m sorry for what happened.”

  Samuel shrugged. “We were lucky. It’s only a house.”

  “At least your parents made it out all right, thanks to you.”

  Samuel slowly nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Do you have a place to go for tonight?” Sei knew Kameron’s house was available, but maybe Samuel needed a more private place.

  Samuel smiled. “Why, are you offering me a place to go?” he eyed Sei up and down, and damn, that wasn’t what Sei had intended.

  “Sorry, but I’m mated. I just wanted to be sure you had somewhere to go.”

  Samuel’s smile widened. “Thanks, but you don’t have to worry. I’ll stay with my brother.”

  “Good.”

  “This is your fault!” someone yelled, startling both Sei and Samuel.

  They both turned around, and Samuel groaned. “Not again.”

  Sei checked the burn on Samuel’s hand and arm, making sure it was fully healed before turning to where the voice had come from. Kameron was standing there, his arms crossed over his chest, facing an older man who had to be Samuel’s father, if Samuel’s reaction was anything to go by.

  “Calm down, Patrick,” Kameron said in a steady voice.

  But Patrick didn’t calm down. He pointed at Kameron, his hand trembling. “It’s your fault. This would have never happened if Alpha Erskine were still in charge. You opened the pack to all those other shifters, to fags. You were the reason humans found out about us, and now they’re hunting us in our homes! What are you going to do to pay me back for what I lost? For my house and my son?”

  Sei frowned at that last bit. “His son?”

  Samuel sighed. “Yeah. He thinks it’s Kameron’s fault Andy mated a man.”

  Sei scoffed. “That’s ridiculous.”

  Samuel shrugged. “You’re telling me. He never got over it and blames Kameron because it’s easy. I don’t even want to think how he’ll react if he ever finds out I’m bisexual.”

  Sei brought his attention back to Kameron. An older woman was hanging onto Patrick’s arm now, but that didn’t seem to be enough to calm him. He was seething as Kameron answered him, “I didn’t out us to the humans. Tom did, and he was part of the inner circle you regret losing so much.”

  “He wouldn’t have had to do that if you hadn’t taken his place as the alpha.”

  “I didn’t take anything from him. I challenged Erskine, and I won, fairly. You were there. You saw it. I understand you’re in shock after what happened tonight, Patrick, but I want to be clear with you.” Kameron leaned forward, and his expression shifted. Sei shivered even though it wasn’t turned toward him. “I won’t allow you to talk to me like that again. I’m your alpha, and if you don’t want that, you’re welcome to leave the pack. I’m not forcing you to stay, but if you decide to, then you’ll respect me and my authority.”

  Samuel’s father opened his mouth, but Andy cut him off before he could rant again. “For fuck’s sake, Dad, we get it. You’re a homophobic racist, asshole. Everyone knows that, and everyone knows what you think of Kameron and his leadership. You know what? No one cares. You’re just a bitter old man, and Kam is right. If you don’t respect him and his decisions, you should leave.” He looked at the house. “It’s not like you have anything left anyway.”

  Ouch. That was harsh, especially to tell a parent. It was true, though. Patrick shouldn’t be there if he had so many problems with Kameron. He was lucky Kameron was more lenient than most alphas because many in Kameron’s position would have kicked him out or worse.

  Samuel moved away, walking toward his parents. It looked like Patrick wanted to continue arguing, but Samuel got there first. He shushed his father and grabbed his arm, steering him gently but firmly toward two women.

  Just like that, the situation was smoothed over. Sei looked around the clearing where the house had stood, but he couldn’t see anyone else who might need his help. He walked over to Donovan, who was talking on his phone. Sei wondered if he should give his mate privacy, but Donovan opened his free arm when he saw him, and Sei took it as an invite to bury himself against Donovan’s side.

  He did exactly that, smelling the heavy scent of smoke on Donovan’s sweater. He wanted Donovan’s scent back, but then he probably smelled of the same thing.

  “Everyone’s fine?” Donovan asked.

  Sei sighed and nodded against his mate’s chest. “I think so. I looked around, but I can’t find any other wounded.”

  “They know where to find you if they need help?”

  “They know they should go to the infirmary if they’re hurt. Dallas lives there, and he can call me anytime if he needs me.”

  “Good. Let’s go home. There’s nothing more either of us can do here, and I’m sure tomorrow will be hard enough. Let’s go rest. You can take the rest of the day off, and I can spend it on the phone.”

  “I’d rather have you spend it with me.”

  Donovan smiled down at Sei. “Me too, but I have things to do to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again. We were lucky this time, but we can’t fool ourselves we’ll be as lucky next time. I don’t want to wait until someone dies to do something.”

  “Me either.”

  Sei let Donovan steer him toward the path that would eventually lead them home. He could have shimmered them there, but he needed some fresh air after breathing all that smoke. Besides, the forest was calm and mostly silent, and he needed that too.

  He knew the calm would dissolve soon, and he wanted to bask in it before it did. Those people would attack again, and he’d have to meet Donovan’s family. He’d have to talk to his own family, too. He wasn’t sure which one would be more of a mess, and he wished he didn’t have to find out.

  * * * *

  Donovan made sure Sei was asleep before slowly getting up from the bed. No matter how much Sei had protested, all the healing he’d done that day had tired him, and he’d fallen asleep almost as soon as they’d cuddled in his bed.

  Or was it their bed? Damn, they really needed to talk, although things like that one would easily be solved with time. Donovan had slept there the night before, of course, and he had every intention of spending a lot more nights in that bed—all the nights, if he had anything to say about it.

  Since Sei couldn’t talk right now, Donovan left him in the bedroom and headed to the kitchen. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at the table, looking around. The entire house was nice. Not overly clean or neat, but it felt lived in, and Sei’s personality shone through everything. Every piece of furniture, every decorative object, made Donovan think of his mate. He couldn’t wait to see his things mingled with Sei’s, but even like this, it felt more like home than his apartment back in Washington ever had.

  And thinking of Washington, Donovan needed to make a few phone calls.

  The first one was to his boss. They were friendly with each other, so Donovan wasn’t worried. That was why he was surprised when James told him no.

  “They need our help, James,” Donovan insisted.

  “I know that, but I’m not the one making decisions here, not on this.”

  Donovan snorted. “You’re my boss.”

  “And I have a boss myself.”

  “I thought we were supposed to help them.”

  James sighed, and Donovan heard him shift. “You want to help your friends, and I understand that, but you know as well as I do that the government doesn’t have friends.”

  “They said th
ey’d help us.”

  “Oh, Donovan. They’ll help if it benefits them. This doesn’t. It’s just local fighting.”

  Donovan leaned forward in his chair and fought the urge to bang his fist on the table. “People are getting hurt, James. They were lucky they managed to get out of the house with only scratches before it burned to the ground.”

  “Don’t they have people? Those enforcers?”

  “Yes, but they’re up against humans. What’s going to happen if there really is a fight, if someone dies? If a human dies? Are they going to be arrested? That’s why we have to take care of them, James. We need to disband their organization before it does more harm.”

  “Look, I can try to ask again, but I already know the answer, Donovan. You do, too.”

  Donovan shook his head. “I’ve dedicated years of my life to this country, and this is how they thank me? They’re going to put my mate in danger just so they don’t dirty their hands?”

  “I want to do more, Donovan, and I’ll try, but my hands are tied.”

  Donovan had known it’d come to this sooner or later. He’d wanted to quit anyway, to be closer to Sei and spend more time with him, but he hadn’t thought he’d quit like this. “Fine,” he told James. “I’m resigning.”

  “Donovan...”

  “No. I was going to do it anyway now that I found my mate, but this just makes things easier.”

  “There’s no way to change your mind?”

  “No. They’re going to need me if the government doesn’t do anything. I know how everything works, and I can make sure no one gets hurt, at least no more than they have to. And like I said, I want to be able to spend as much time as I can with Sei.”

  James was silent for a moment, and to Donovan’s surprise, he didn’t try to convince him to stay. Instead, he asked about Sei. “What’s it like?”

  “What?”

  “Being mated. I know you said it’s more than marriage.”

  “It is. He’s the most important thing in my life now, along with my kids. I spent so much time focused on my job, but now I’ve met him, and I want to focus on him instead.”