“It’s not like that,” Seth said quietly. “It’s not his fault.”
“What’s not his fault?” Gregory asked. “Talk to us. Tell us what’s going on.”
Seth sighed and his shoulders slumped forward. He looked at the ground when he spoke. “My pop is ill.”
“Ill?” Jared questioned. “What do you mean ill? In what way?”
“I don’t know,” Seth whispered. “It started a while back. It was just little things at first. He was forgetful. He kept going out, leaving the door unlocked. But he’s been getting worse over the last few months. Twice I found him shifted in the back garden in the middle of the day and when he shifted back he couldn’t remember what he’d been doing there.”
“And the violence?” Gregory asked.
“He’s not violent, really. He has…episodes.”
Gregory met Jared’s gaze and frowned. “Episodes?”
Seth nodded. “It’s almost like a temper tantrum. He doesn’t lash out at me or my mom, exactly. It’s like he doesn’t know what he’s doing. Earlier, for example, he went out to the kitchen to make coffee and when I went to check on him he was just standing there in the middle of the room. When I asked him what he was doing, he got defensive and he started going crazy, throwing things around and breaking things.
“Then my mom came in and tried to calm him down, but it only made him worse. I tried to get hold of him and that’s when he hit me in the face. But it wasn’t intentional,” Seth hastened to add. “He didn’t mean to hurt me, I swear. I just got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Jared sighed. “Has your pop seen a doctor?”
Seth shook his head. “He won’t see one. He doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with him or he won’t admit it. And my mom is worried that a doctor will tell the wolf council and they’ll take him away from us so she doesn’t push him to go either. The thing is, some days he’s fine.”
“How old is your pop?” Jared asked.
“Sixty-eight, why?”
“It sounds like your pop has the onset of dementia. I’ve had some experience with it lately. My mate’s father is suffering from the same thing. When we went to visit him in the nursing home on the weekend, he’d been sedated for attacking one of the nurses.”
“Nursing home?” Seth choked out.
Jared nodded. “It’s really the only way to keep him and everyone around him safe. Wolves with dementia are very dangerous. What if your neighbour had seen him in the yard when he shifted, or some other human? What if he’d hurt them?”
Seth hung his head and stared at his feet. When he eventually looked up there were tears in his eyes. “What’s going to happen to him?”
“He’ll have to see a doctor. I’ll arrange for someone from the pack to come and take a look at him, and I’ll make sure I’m here, too, in case he becomes violent. If he has dementia then he’ll have to go into the home, Seth. I’m sorry, but there really is no other way.”
Seth sniffed and a tear escaped from the corner of his eye. Gregory was about to comfort him when his cell started vibrating in his pocket. He pulled out the phone and got Jared’s attention.
“I’m sorry, I have to take this.”
When Jared nodded, Gregory strode away from the cruiser, frowning at the number on his display.
“Gregory,” he answered.
“What’s your progress?” Dean asked. “Do I need to remind you what could happen to that little kitty Hayden if you don’t do this favour for me?”
Gregory looked over his shoulder at Jared. The wolf had his arms around Seth and was patting him gently on the back, trying to reassure him. At the mention of Hayden’s name, Gregory found a new resolve. He gripped the phone tighter and ground out, “Leave it to me. I’ll take care of it.”
Chapter Seven
“That’s it, grab the reins and hold on tight. Perfect, Hayden, you’re doing good.”
Hayden wasn’t so sure. His horse had looked at him kinda funny before he’d got on. “I don’t think he likes me.”
Nate chuckled. “It’s a she, and she likes you just fine, trust me.” Nate led the horse around the corral. The further they went, the more Hayden began to relax and enjoy himself. This wasn’t so difficult after all!
“Okay, now we’re going to go a little faster,” Nate said. “How about we get the horse to trot?”
Hayden gulped. “Trot? I don’t like the sound of that.”
Nate threw his head back and laughed. “You will—just takes some getting used to is all. You ready?”
“Would it make a difference if I said no?”
Nate snorted. “Probably not, no.”
“Then yeah, I’m ready,” Hayden sighed. When the horse began to pick up speed, Hayden started to panic a little. He grabbed the reins tighter in his hands and pressed his thighs firmly to the horse’s back.
“That’s it, Hayden, you’re a natural,” Nate encouraged.
“Is it time to stop yet?”
Nate just chuckled and kept on running alongside the horse. When they turned and started their way back to the other side of the corral, Hayden saw Gregory watching them from beside the barn. He was leaning against the side of the building in that casual way of his that oozed charm and confidence and sex appeal. Hayden’s dick started to harden at the sight. He couldn’t help it. His body always reacted the same way when he was near his mate. But he wasn’t complaining. It was a pleasant sensation and one he didn’t want to end any time soon.
“Hey, there’s Gregory,” Nate said. “Why don’t you go a little faster and show him how much you learnt today?”
Hayden liked the idea of letting Gregory see that he was good at something. He pulled on the horse’s reins, turning him so that they headed in Gregory’s direction.
“Is this right?” Hayden asked, pleased his horse offered little resistance as they headed back in towards the barn.
Nate chuckled. “Perfect. You’ll be an expert at this in no time, you just wait and see.”
Hayden felt himself blush at the compliment. He still wasn’t used to receiving them and it was difficult to accept them from people he didn’t know, but not one of the shifters that worked on the ranch had treated him like a stranger since he’d arrived two days ago. Everyone had done their utmost to make him feel at home, like he was part of a big, happy family. He was grateful for that, and he was starting to believe he could make a good life for himself here on the ranch.
Aside from his worries about the council finding out about him, his only other concern was about Mac. He missed his old boss and he still felt guilty he hadn’t been able to say goodbye. He hoped that the situation in the council would change and that he’d be able to finally get in touch with Mac, but he didn’t envisage that happening any time soon.
He pulled back on the reins just as Nate had taught him as they neared the fence and brought the horse to a stop. Gregory strode towards them. He had a huge smile on his face, but, despite the expression, Hayden couldn’t help but think his mate had something on his mind that he was keeping from him.
He had hardly seen Gregory in the last couple of days despite his assurance before they’ arrived that they’d see each other all the time. Hayden tried not to let it upset him, but he was sure Gregory was avoiding him for a reason. Had he changed his mind about wanting to be with Hayden? They might be mates, but that didn’t mean they had anything in common.
Hayden still had his doubts that he wasn’t good enough for Gregory, but he tried to hide them as best he could. The times they were together were good and Hayden didn’t want to spoil that if he could help it.
“Hey, Gregory,” Nate greeted. “How’s it going?”
Gregory nodded to the wolf. “Nate. ‘S going good. How’s my man doing?” Hayden felt heat creep up his neck. He liked the almost possessive tone to Gregory’s voice when he called him ‘his man’.
“He’s a natural,” Nate said, looking up at Hayden. “He’ll be running this place before long. We�
��d all better watch out if we want to keep hold of our jobs with this one around.”
Gregory chuckled. “Well, it can’t hurt to keep you all on your toes. How’s Jared?”
Nate frowned. “You tell me. I haven’t seen much of him in the last few days. I think you’ve seen more of him than I have.”
“Just been helping him out with a few things is all.”
Hayden looked back and forth between Nate and Gregory as he listened to the exchange. That was the first he’d heard about it. Seemed he was always the last to know what was going on around the place even if it involved his own mate. That made him frustrated. Did everyone think he was this fragile creature they had to hide things from? He was going to have to speak to Gregory about that when they were alone. He wouldn’t do it in front of Nate.
“Thought I’d come by and see if you’d finished for the day,” Gregory said. “You want to catch some dinner tonight?”
Hayden nodded brusquely. “Okay, sure. Let me see to Misty. I’ll meet you in the bunkhouse.”
Nate shook his head and took the reins from Hayden as he jumped down from the horse. “No need, I got it covered. Go and spend some time with your mate.”
“Are you sure?” Hayden asked.
“Yeah. It’s no trouble. You can repay the favour another day.”
“Okay, thanks, Nate, I appreciate it.”
Nate waved off his gratitude and began leading Misty towards the barn. “See you both later.”
“Yeah, see you, and thanks for all your help today,” Hayden said.
Gregory pulled Hayden to his side as they crossed the yard to the bunkhouse and planted a kiss on his lips. “You looked great out there. Nate’s right, you’re a natural.”
“I like it here more than I thought I would,” Hayden admitted. “The work, the people, feels…right. I hope I don’t have to leave soon.”
Gregory’s brow creased. “What do you mean? Why would you have to leave?”
Hayden shrugged. “I can’t stay here forever, can I? What if the council finds out about me?”
“They won’t,” Gregory replied tersely. “I’ll see to it they don’t. Come on, let’s go and grab dinner. It’s been a long day and I skipped lunch.”
* * * *
“Damn, that was good.” Gregory rubbed his stomach and leant back in his chair, a wide grin stretched across his lips.
Hayden chuckled. “You know, I never figured you for a pizza type of guy.”
“Why not?”
Hayden shrugged. “Don’t know—guess you just seem more refined than that. Thought it would be an à la carte menu and a bottle of red all the way for you.”
“Looks can be deceiving,” Gregory said. “I happen to love pizza. Matter of fact, I like all junk food, sloppy Joes, corn dogs, hamburgers…and I have the biggest sweet tooth. God, don’t even get me started on chocolate or macadamia nut ice cream.”
“I guess there are lots of things we don’t know about each other,” Hayden remarked.
Gregory nodded. “Well, sure, but we’ve got the rest of our lives together to discover them, haven’t we?”
Hayden smiled. “Yeah, I guess we have.”
Gregory leant forward in his chair and cupped the side of Hayden’s face. “You have the most beautiful smile. It lights up your whole face.”
Just as he expected, Hayden’s smile became shy and colour flooded his cheeks.
“And your laugh? Man, when I saw you laughing with Nate earlier my stomach flipped. You know that was the first time I’ve ever seen you laugh? It looks good on you, Hayden, you should do it more.”
Hayden shrugged. “Guess I haven’t had much to laugh about in the last few years.”
“It must be catching,” Gregory said. “I saw Nate do a fair bit of laughing himself earlier, and, you know, I’ve never seen that man laugh before? Seems like you bring out the best in people.”
“I like Nate,” Hayden said quietly.
Gregory felt a stab of emotion in his gut that could only have been jealousy. He’d never experienced it before, but then he’d never been mated before either. “You like him?”
“Sure. I mean, Nate is quiet—hasn’t got a lot to say—but yeah, I like him. He seems like a nice guy. He works hard and he’s good at his job. What is his mate like?”
Gregory tried to take control of these new emotions before they overwhelmed him and he said something he’d regret. He knew he was being irrational and he wouldn’t subject Hayden to his own insecurities.
“Jared is one of the good guys.”
“Nate said you’ve been spending a lot of time with him in the past couple of days. What have you been doing?”
Gregory’s stomach clenched. He did not want to talk about this with Hayden. “Nothing exciting. Just helping Jared with some things he’s got going on in the sheriff’s department.”
Hayden’s gaze dropped. “Is he handsome?”
Gregory shrugged. “I guess… Hey.” Gregory leaned across the table and placed his finger under Hayden’s chin. He lifted his head so that his mate met his gaze. It seemed Gregory wasn’t the only one suffering at the hands of the green-eyed monster. “Not as handsome as you.”
Hayden’s cheeks coloured and he seemed content to let the subject drop, but when he next spoke, Gregory didn’t like the new topic any better.
“You know, you still haven’t told me what your superior said when you went in to work yesterday.”
He squirmed in his seat. “Nothing to tell. Had some paperwork to catch up on. I didn’t get out of the office all day.”
“Didn’t Riley ask about me?”
Gregory nodded. “Yeah. I didn’t like lying to his face like that, but I had to stick to the story. Said I lost you in Vegas. I don’t really want to talk about work right now, Hayden. Can we change the subject, please?”
Hayden shrugged. “If you want. What would you like to talk about?”
“How about what you’ve been doing around the ranch since I’ve been gone?”
Hayden got out of his seat and circled the table. He straddled Gregory’s lap and leaned in close to his ear. His breath was hot against Gregory’s neck and he got hard instantly.
“How about we don’t talk at all?” Hayden rasped. He snaked his tongue out and trailed it lightly up Gregory’s neck. It was blessed sweet torture. Gregory grabbed hold of Hayden’s hips and ground their crotches together. Hayden’s dick felt as hard as his.
Gregory groaned. “What do you want to do instead?”
Hayden leant back until he met Gregory’s gaze. “This,” he whispered and then he pressed his lips against Gregory’s and slipped his tongue into his mouth.
Gregory wasn’t sure who groaned the loudest when their tongues met and caressed. Hayden was writhing above him, grinding into Gregory roughly. Hayden’s fingers bit into his shoulders as he devoured his mouth with a ferocious intensity.
“Let’s go to my room,” Hayden said when he pulled back to catch a breath.
Gregory couldn’t think of anything he wanted more. He nodded his agreement, but he didn’t trust his voice enough to reply.
Hayden got off his lap, grabbed hold of his hand and pulled him along. Once inside, he didn’t give Gregory a moment before he pounced, pinning him to the wall and taking his mouth again. Gregory’s brain shorted out. Hayden’s kisses were exquisite and in that moment he forgot about everything else. All his troubles and cares might as well have not existed. His mate was all that mattered, all he could see or think about. Before Gregory realised they were moving, they were falling onto Hayden’s bed, their legs tangled together.
“Well, this is one way to get to know each another,” Gregory teased, running his hands up Hayden’s thigh.
Hayden’s laugh turned into a gasp when Gregory’s fingers skimmed over his erection. The smell of Hayden’s arousal assaulted Gregory’s senses. Damn he needed. He’d been so busy the past couple of days he’d barely seen Hayden and they hadn’t been intimate since the morning at th
e motel. It was only three days ago but it felt like a lifetime.
“What you thinking about?” Hayden asked, reaching down and running his fingers through Gregory’s hair. The touch sent shivers surging down his spine.
Gregory met his mate’s gaze sheepishly. “Would you think less of me if I told you I was thinking about sex?”
Hayden chuckled. “That depends.”
“On what?”
“On what exactly you were thinking about it. If it was something along the lines of ‘I want to ravish Hayden right now’, then you just went up in my estimation.”
Gregory grinned and crawled up his mate’s body until their entire lengths were pressed together and they lay nose to nose, gazes locked.
“Do you want to be ravished?” Gregory asked, surprised by the deep, husky tone to his voice.
The primal look in Hayden’s eyes spoke volumes. The rawness of it made Gregory’s breath catch in his throat, made his dick ache.
“By you? Always.”
Gregory couldn’t contain the groan that tore from his throat when he leant down and tasted Hayden’s lips. He couldn’t think of anything more perfect than their warm breath mingling together while their tongues sought each other out. Tasted each other. Gregory was in heaven.
“I want you to take me,” Hayden said against his mouth. “I want you to claim me.”
Gregory pressed their foreheads together. “You sure that’s what you want? You know it can’t be undone. We’ll belong to each other forever.”
Hayden chewed on his bottom lip and lowered his gaze. “If it’s not what you want, I’ll understand. I mean, I know I’m not—”
“Don’t even think about finishing that sentence,” Gregory chastised. “I want it more than I can say. I want you more than I can say, but I want you to be sure.”
“I am,” Hayden whispered.
Their mouths met hungrily and their bodies pressed together. Gregory couldn’t get enough of the taste of his mate. They undressed each other slowly between kisses. Gregory took his time, mapping out every inch of Hayden’s body. His fingers traced every line and muscle, every vein and freckle. Hayden was breathtaking in his beauty. Gregory followed the pale blond treasure trail of hair to Hayden’s erection with the tip of his finger, delighting in the moan it elicited from his mate’s lips. The gasps and whimpers only spurred him on, gave him confidence to touch Hayden with more fervour and know that his mate loved every second of his caresses.
Gregory's Rebellion Page 9