On the road: Sometimes the 8-legged freaks are the good guys.
Haben Bello heads for Kansas to help his old friend, Wes. The human attorney deals with child custody in shifter-human cases, protecting shifter secrets. Wes needs help uncovering the true motives behind a young boy’s mother who suddenly wants custody after she’d given up all rights to him twelve years before. When Haben meets the boy’s human foster father, Lou Reynolds, he realizes the man is his mate.
Lou is still coming to grips with the fact that shifters exist. It’s one thing for his son to be able to turn into a lion, but a spider? Lou may be able to accept Haben the man, but can he learn how to accept Haben the tarantula? And what about when Haben’s job in town is done and he decides to move on? Lou has a son and can’t just up and leave to join Haben on his nomadic travels. Can Lou trust Haben’s insistence that he’s willing to turn his life upside down, adopt a lion shifter cub, and settle down after nearly one hundred years of freedom?
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Spider Sense
Copyright © 2012 Charlie Richards
ISBN: 978-1-77111-279-6
Cover art by Angela Waters
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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Spider Sense
Kontra’s Menagerie: Book Five
By
Charlie Richards
To my masseuse, LaNae. For making it possible to sit at my computer without pain in the joints when I rise. Bless you!
Chapter One
“Can you believe how many of our buddies are finding their mates?” Vail’s voice came through Haben’s phone. Though it sounded a bit disjointed through the speaker phone, Haben knew the exasperation in Vail’s tone wasn’t imagined.
Haben glanced up and exchanged a look with Terence. He knew the lion shifter was thinking the same thing. Vail talked a good talk, but if he ever crossed paths with his mate, he’d want the man. Haben tried to keep the envy out of his tone when he replied, “Give mine and Terence’s congrats to Eli and Sam.”
“I will,” Vail replied.
“When are you headed out this way?” Terence asked.
Vail laughed. “What’s the matter? Don’t like Haben’s company?” the wolf shifter teased. “He normally knows how to use that big dick of his.”
Terence rolled his eyes, and Haben shook his head. The only time Vail had seen Haben’s dick was when they shifted. At a hundred-and-eighty-two-years of age, Haben often felt like a grandparent to most of the others in his pack. Many of them were, at most, a third of his age. Even Kontra was only one-hundred-and-twelve. Haben had been alone so long he often wondered if he should just find a man he could be happy with and stop looking for his fated mate. But hope burned eternal, and Haben kept searching the world.
“As if you have any experience with Haben’s dick. We all know he doesn’t want your white cock up his black ass,” Terence growled back. “Now answer the damn question.”
Haben rolled his eyes, remembering the first time he’d shifted with Kontra’s gang. Vail, the resident playboy, had commented about never fucking an African American. Haben had shot the wolf shifter down and none too gently. Fortunately, the rest of the guys had laughed, and after a startled few seconds, Vail had joined in. After that, everyone had shifted and gone for a run.
After a dramatic sigh, Vail replied, “We’re heading out tomorrow afternoon. It took a day longer than planned to prepare Eli’s mate for the road, what with Sam getting kidnapped and all.”
Haben dropped his hand from where he’d been rubbing his temple. “What?”
He could just imagine Vail waving a hand in dismissal as he said, “Some idiot working for the damn scientists the wolves here are fighting caused some trouble, but they got it straightened out. Sam’s fine,” he assured. “We’ll see you by the end of the week.”
“All right,” Haben replied. “We’ll see you soon.” He picked up the phone from the picnic table, disconnected the call and shoved it into a pocket. After looking around the rest stop, he stood up and stretched while eying Terence. “An hour to Salina, then I need to meet with Wesley. If you don’t want to join me in the meeting, you don’t have to. You can find a motel to hole up in or a bar or whatever.”
Haben knew Kontra’s decision to send Terence with him wasn’t a slight against Haben. One of their old gang members had headed off for what was supposed to be only a couple days detour to visit his sister for a while. He’d never made it. The horse shifter had lucked out, finding his mate, but he’d ended up injured and in the hospital. Kontra had ordered everyone to travel in pairs wherever possible from then on. Still, he didn’t know if the lion shifter really wanted to be involved with helping one of Haben’s old friends, so he gave the guy an out.
Terence held his gaze for a few seconds before smirking. “I don’t mind joining you if you don’t have a problem with it. I don’t want to step on your toes, but I don’t really feel like lying around either.”
“Sounds good,” Haben replied, stretching one last time. He strode back to his bike. “Let’s go see what Wes wants.”
He settled his helmet on his head and brought his Harley Soft Tail roaring to life. After giving his fellow biker a nod, Haben led the way out of the rest stop parking area and back onto the road. The miles disappeared quickly under the wheels of his motorcycle. The green grass and rivers made for pleasant scenery. Soon he spotted a sign for Salina.
As he turned off the highway and headed through the business district, the changes to the area reminded Haben that he hadn’t seen Wesley for a number of years. Thinking back, he was surprised to realize it had been nearly twelve years since he’d passed this way.
That had been for Wes’s sixtieth birthday. It was still hard for Haben to wrap his mind around the fact that his human friend was nearing the end of his life.
Locating a spot near Wesley’s firm, he parked and locked up his helmet. Terence lifted a light brown brow in question, and Haben shrugged. “Haven’t been here in years,” he explained. “Don’t know the area anymore.” A glance around showed the old business district was still in good repair, but they were on the edge of it, so better safe than sorry.
Terence grunted his acknowledgement and locked his saddlebags. Haben led the way down the street, checking street numbers as he went, and stopped in front of a brownstone turned office building. The red brickwork was still in decent shape, the windows were clean, none of them boarded, and everything that needed paint had a fresh coat of dark green. Inhaling, Haben realized he could still smell the acrid scent of the paint, telling him it had been done within the week.
He gripped the door handle, pressed the thumb lever, and pushed. Terence followed him up the stairs in the foyer to the second level. Haben swept his gaze over the doors and saw his old friend’s office hadn’t move
d. Smiling, he strode to the door and knocked.
“Come!”
Pushing the door open, Haben grinned. He glanced around the room, took in the empty reception desk and the open door in the back, and headed that way. Stopping in the doorway, his heart constricted as he took in his old friend. Haben wasn’t certain how he kept his grin in place, but he managed it.
Wesley stood and grabbed a cane in one bony hand, looking every one of his seventy-two-years. His thin gray hair was cut short, showing off his bald head. Age spots dotted Wesley’s thin skin, and reading glasses perched on the end of his hawk-like nose.
The human limped around the desk, his free hand outstretched. “Haben! You made it. Thank you so much for coming,” Wesley greeted. His voice was soft with age, but the man’s green eyes were bright with the keen intelligence Haben knew still existed in the man’s brain.
He ignored the man’s hand, opened his arms, and wrapped Wesley in a hug, careful not to squeeze too tightly. “Hey, old friend,” he murmured thickly. Haben leaned back and cupped Wesley’s cheek, feeling suddenly nostalgic. “You know I’d always drop anything for you.”
Wesley laughed, his eyes dancing with amusement. “Ah, you old charmer. We both know I’m not what you wanted.”
It was true, sadly enough. Haben dropped his forehead to Wesley’s and sighed. Pulling away, he nodded and let his old lover go. He was right. Wesley had grown up with shifters, had understood mates, and he hadn’t been Haben’s. Too bad, because Wesley was an amazing man, and in Haben’s own way, he’d loved him.
Stepping back, Haben relegated the past to just that, his past. He waved toward Terence, and saw many questions in the lion shifter’s eyes, but Haben had no intention of answering them. “This is Terence Williams, a friend who’s agreed to help me on this trip.”
“A friend?” Wesley said, a speculative look on his weathered face. He held out his hand to Terence.
“Nice to meet you, Wesley,” Terence said, taking the human’s hand and giving it a quick shake.
Haben chuckled. “He really is just a friend, you old coot. Sit down there before you fall down and tell me what’s going on with you?”
Wesley cackled, as only an old man could. He winked at Terence and moved around his desk. “Okay, okay. Always spoiling my fun,” Wesley grumbled good-naturedly.
Haben couldn’t help but laugh. Gods, he’d missed this man. “I’m just tired of having to bail your ass out of jail,” he teased right back.
That had Wesley pausing, a far-away expression crossing his face. “You were right there with me a time or two,” he said softly. “I remember.”
“I was, at that.” Haben leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Now, then, what’s got you so up in arms that you’re dragging me back to this Podunk town?” he asked, winking to soften his words.
Wesley laughed, knowing he meant no offense. “I’ve got a shifter problem I need you to check out.”
“Oh, yeah?” he asked, his curiosity piqued. “What’s up?”
“There’s a lion pride living fifty miles northwest of here,” Wesley said.
Haben wondered how long they’d been there, but held his peace.
Wesley winked. “Almost fourteen years,” he said, as if reading the tarantula shifter’s mind. “When they first moved in, one of their lionesses took up with a human male. They had a kid together. She thought it was fully human, so gave away all rights at birth.”
Terence actually rolled his eyes. “Damn lionesses. Don’t know anything. Let me guess—she’s changed her mind now that he’s fourteen and has shifted for the first time.”
Wesley pointed at him, but looked at Haben. “You’re friend’s good, but he’s got the age wrong.” Wesley looked at Terence. “The boy is twelve and a half,” he said. “He just shifted three weeks ago. I have no idea how his mother found out, but Vivian wants Damon back.”
“By the gods,” Terence whispered. “He’s not yet thirteen?”
Haben frowned. “Does that have some relevance?”
Terence nodded quickly. “Oh, yes. Lions are pretty uniform. They’ll normally shift for the first time, between fourteen and sixteen, maybe even as late as mid-seventeen,” his friend explained.
Haben still didn’t understand the significance and made sure his expression showed that.
Terence shook his head and leaned close. “The younger the age a lion shifts, the stronger he will be, because the cub has more time to develop its skills,” he explained.
The old human’s white brows creased. “Skills?”
Running a hand through his honey-brown hair, Terence nodded. “A lion shifter pride’s hierarchy is based completely on strength. Even if you’re the mate of the alpha, either male or female, you still have to fight for your rank. Those on top don’t have to do shit.” He shrugged. “Those on the bottom, they get all the shitty jobs.”
“How do you know all this?” Wesley asked, frowning.
Terence grinned at the old man. “I’m a lion. I shifted when I was fifteen.” He leaned back in his chair and threaded his fingers together. “Since I’m gay, they didn’t like me much. I got into plenty of fights,” he added ruefully.
“Oh, now that’s understandable,” Wesley said, nodding.
Haben cleared his throat. “I’m assuming the boy’s father isn’t too pleased with the mother trying to come back and take him away, after all this time.”
“The father is dead,” Wesley replied bluntly. “The boy was adopted by the father’s lover. Lou Reynolds has been guardian over that boy for five years now. Damon is like Lou’s own son. And you’re right,” he said, pointing at Haben. “He is not pleased that the mother is trying to take him.”
Uh, oh. This could spell trouble. Haben frowned. “Did he know about shifters before Damon shifted? It didn’t happen in a public place or anything, did it?” he asked urgently.
Wesley shook his head. “The boy’s biological father, Jay, well, he tried to explain shifters to Lou. But, well…” The old man shook his head. “Without proof, Lou says he didn’t believe his lover and just humored him. He’s convinced now,” he finished dryly. Wesley met Haben’s gaze. “And the change happened in the safety of their living room. That boy will never forget the first time he saw Captain America.”
Terence’s snort of laughter mirrored how Haben felt, although he kept his response restricted to a smirk. Wesley also smiled and gave Haben a hopeful look. “Will you go to them? I explained shifters to Lou, but I think it would settle some of his tension if he knew some shifters are willing to help, too.”
He understood the request, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. He exchanged a look with Terence, who lifted one shoulder in a negligent shrug. Haben sighed and nodded. He’d never been able to deny his ex-lover anything—it didn’t matter that it had been almost fifty years since they’d been intimate. “Yeah, Wesley. I’ll meet with them. Did you want to set something up?”
Haben should have known better. He really should have, but Wesley still took him by surprise by standing and grinning. “Well, I’m headed over there now to have supper with them. You should come with me.”
His words may have sounded like an invitation, but Haben knew they weren’t. He looked at Terence. “You up for visiting?”
Terence grinned. “And miss a home cooked meal? Not a chance.”
He followed Wesley’s hobbling figure out of the building. His friend surprised him again when he accepted Terence’s offer to ride behind him on his Royal Star Venture S. Terence gave Haben a wink, promised to be careful with him, then tore off down the street.
Haben chuckled as he followed.
Chapter Two
Lou stirred the spaghetti sauce simmering on the stove and hummed distractedly. Damon was busy finishing his homework. School had started again, and his son was none too pleased at having to drop out of football until they could get a handle on what was happening to him. He’d always been bigger and stronger than the other boys, but it had gott
en to dangerous levels. Lou knew Damon hadn’t meant to break that boy’s arm when he tackled him, but they couldn’t let something like that happen again.
Wesley was coming over that evening. He’d said he knew some shifters, someone other than those associated with Damon’s mother, and maybe they’d be willing to talk to Damon, help him get control. He hoped so. Lou also hoped it wouldn’t take long for Wesley to track his friends down. He said the man was a nomadic sort, always traveling.
His son’s snort came from the doorway. “Did you make enough?” Damon asked.
He turned around and grinned at the boy. Wow, he really is growing like a weed! “Well, spaghetti makes great leftovers,” he pointed out.
Damon groaned. “I hate leftover spaghetti,” he whined.
“It’s for me to take to work, and quit your belly-aching,” he admonished. Lou glanced at his watch. “Uncle Wesley should be here soon. Set the table.”
Without a word, Damon went to the cupboard and pulled out dishes. Lou watched for a moment, then turned to the oven and pulled out the garlic bread. Damon really was a good boy, but it was a trying time for both of them.
His deceased lover had given Wesley the honorary title before he’d met Lou. A pang of regret hit when he thought of Jay, Damon’s biological father. He’d been dead for five years now. The lonely ache left by his passing wasn’t always that bad, but Lou could really have used his lover’s help. Jay had tried to explain shifters to Lou, but he hadn’t believed him. Woo boy, he believed him now. Having his adopted son turn into a lion cub, in the middle of their living room, was a real eye-opener. He’d do anything to protect Damon, even from his own mother. The woman hadn’t wanted anything to do with him all his life—how dare she try to take Damon now!
The doorbell rang, yanking him out of his thoughts before he could get too worked up. “Will you get that?” he called to his son.
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