Chasing Seth

by Loveless, J. R.

  Seth saw her glance at him, and he nodded reluctantly. “It’s fine, Chessie. Go on.” When the door closed behind the sheriff, the room immediately shrank in size. Seth’s chest ached, and he pinched the bridge of his nose.

  “We need to talk,” Kasey snapped.

  “I think we’ve said enough, Sheriff,” Seth replied in a low voice.

  Kasey prowled the room restlessly in front of him. Seth couldn’t quite read the Cheyenne’s face, but it appeared tight with some emotion he didn’t want to identify, and he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “We haven’t finished yet, Doc. We need to talk about the fact that we’re mates.”

  “I am not your mate,” Seth ground out. He glared at the tall, virile man pacing his small office. “And you don’t want me to be, either. You made it blatantly obvious earlier this morning.”

  The man stopped, shoving a hand through his hair in frustration. “Yeah, and maybe I was wrong.”

  Seth’s mouth fell open in shock. “Excuse me?”

  Kasey pinned him in place with a sharp look. “You heard me. Maybe I was wrong.”

  Seth could clearly see the man wasn’t used to apologizing to anyone, and the stiff set of Kasey’s shoulders brought a cynical smile to his face. “I think you reacted correctly, Sheriff. But even if you are willing to ‘accept’ me as your mate, I’m not willing to accept you. Not only do you believe I am a liar, but you also can’t stand me because I’m white.”

  Kasey scowled at his refusal to even listen. “That was before I knew what you are.”

  “Doesn’t change the fact of what I am,” Seth pointed out in a strained voice.

  Before Seth could blink, Kasey stood next to his chair, towering over him. Unable to help himself, Seth flinched. The man gave him a harsh look. “I would never hurt you.”

  “You mean like this morning?” Seth challenged, watching in satisfaction when the older male paled beneath his tan.

  “I let my anger get the better of me,” Kasey bit out. “I never should have touched you in anger.” His eyes took on a strange gleam as he dropped into a crouch next to Seth’s chair, surprising the vet. “I’m sorry,” he murmured.

  The soft words left Seth speechless, not knowing what to say, but his mind whispered to him of his past and caused him to withdraw inside himself again. “Either way, it doesn’t matter, Sheriff,” he said in a voice devoid of emotion. “Now please leave me alone.”

  “I can’t do that,” Kasey said hoarsely. “My father would like to meet you. As another wolf in the pack’s territory, if you aren’t part of it, they will attempt to force you to leave if they know you’re here.”

  Seth wanted to cry. He’d been so sure this place would be perfect for him, a place to live without fear and pain plaguing his every step, but apparently he’d been wrong. “Fine. Give me a few weeks to get my affairs in order, and I’ll leave,” he finally stated.

  A panicked look crossed the sheriff’s face at his words. “No!” Kasey’s hand shot out and lightly encircled Seth’s wrist, and the vet shuddered at the sheer strength in that hand. “You can’t leave. Seth, I—” A growl rumbled in the sheriff’s throat when Seth’s phone buzzed. “Ignore it,” he demanded.

  Seth glared at him and deliberately answered it. “Yes, Chessie?”

  “Doc, there’s an emergency. Mr. Sheffield’s dog’s been hit by a car and is bleeding pretty badly,” she informed him in a crisp voice.

  “I’ll be right there,” he said urgently. He shook off Kasey’s hand and stood. “I can’t talk about this right now. I’d rather not talk about it at all, but somehow I doubt I’m going to get rid of you that easily.”

  “You’re damn right, pup,” the man replied darkly as he watched the vet walk out of the office.

  The dog’s lungs were laboring for breath, and Seth could tell the dog was on the edge of dying. He assured Mr. Sheffield he would do everything he could to save the dog. Kasey stood against the wall by his office as he rushed the animal into the small emergency operating room, but Seth ignored the man. Focusing intently, he laid the small mixed-breed dog on the table. Seth placed both his hands on the animal’s side and reached outside himself. There were severe internal injuries. If he had been anyone but who he was, he wouldn’t have been able to save the dog in this bad a shape.

  His eyes closed as he sent healing energy through the warm body. The instant he touched the wounds, he knew it would take a lot out of him. It was going to cost him almost all of his energy. He’d be lucky if he could stand afterward. He concentrated on fixing the injuries inside the animal. The outside wounds would need to be stitched so no one was aware of what he’d done. They were superficial wounds, anyway.

  Seth felt the pull on his own energy. It sucked at him like an incubus. Perhaps ten minutes passed before he released the energy back inside himself. A gasp echoed through the small tiled room as he sank to his knees, gripping at the metal table to keep from curling up on the floor and passing out.

  Using the little energy he had left, Seth shakily stitched up the two deepest wounds and bandaged the rest. He could feel the negative energy eating at his insides as he worked. If he didn’t get it out soon, it would render him unconscious. Sweat poured off his body by the time he’d finished. His limbs trembled like he’d been stuck in a blender for an hour and had only just gotten out.

  Seth stumbled out of the emergency room, barely aware of his surroundings as he gripped at the wall for support. A loud roaring in his ears drowned out his name being called as he shoved open the bathroom door. He slammed it shut behind him, dropped to his knees, and retched. The amount of black liquid that came out was three times what it had been the other day. His body heaved with convulsions as he released the negative energy from inside him.

  It was only after the vomiting stopped that he realized someone else was keeping him from sinking to the floor. A cool, wet cloth pressed against the back of his neck and slid along his cheek and forehead. His body trembled fiercely, like he had an intense fever. Seth struggled to his knees, shakily rinsing his mouth out with the little bit of energy he had left. He’d have slumped to the floor if Kasey hadn’t caught him.

  “It’s all right, pup. I’ve got you.” Kasey’s warm, smooth-as-honey voice poured over him soothingly.

  He didn’t have the strength to fight him, to push him away, so he just lay there dazed in his arms. “Can you stand?” Kasey asked gently.

  “No,” he croaked out.

  A small sound of shock left Seth when he suddenly found himself airborne. Kasey carried him into his office, setting him down on the small couch resting underneath the only window in the room. The sheriff brushed a lock of sweat-soaked hair back from Seth’s face. “I’m going to go put Ginger in one of the recovery cages and let Chessie know to cancel the rest of your appointments for the day.”

  “You… you can’t,” Seth panted. “Just… just give me a few minutes. I’ll be all right.”

  Kasey’s lips flattened. “No. Not only is your body still recovering from a broken leg, but you’re obviously exhausted. And we are going to talk as soon as you are able. I want to know what the hell that was all about. And I know it wasn’t because the sight of blood makes you sick.” He didn’t give Seth a chance to respond and merely stalked out of the room.

  Seth lay there, drifting between sleeping and awake. He hadn’t expended so much energy in a long time. With not having truly practiced as a vet in two years, his body wasn’t used to how much it took to repair such injuries. He kept his eyes closed when he heard Kasey enter the room. “I know you’re not sleeping, Seth. I can hear your heartbeat,” the sheriff said sardonically.

  Sighing, Seth opened his eyes to stare at the older wolf.

  “At least now you can’t run away from me,” Kasey added while pulling up a chair to straddle next to where the doctor lay. “So what the hell was that all about back there?”

  Seth rubbed a hand over his face, debating what to tell him. He supposed it wouldn’t do any harm to te
ll him. His lips twisted in a sarcastic smile. “Remember how you said I knew nothing about treating animals, Sheriff?”

  “It’s Kasey, and yes, I remember,” he replied flatly.

  “If all I know about animals had been a rattlesnake, it would have bitten you in the ass. I was born with an ability that allows me to heal. I’ve always had an affinity for animals, which is the reason I became a veterinarian. But healing them does not come without a price.” Seth’s voice grew rougher as he spoke. “When I heal them, I take the negative energy into my body. It weakens me, and I am forced to release them, or they will send me into a coma. I discovered this in a very real way one day when I was a teenager.”

  Kasey stared at his mate with an expression of awe on his face. His mate could heal? “So that’s how you fixed Samantha’s heart,” he murmured.

  “Samantha?” It took Seth a moment to understand who Kasey was referring to. “Oh, the poodle. Yeah. Her heart was defective. She would have been dead within six months to a year.” He yawned tiredly, snuggling into the pillow that he lay against. He could barely keep his eyes open.

  A low chuckle issued near his ear, and Kasey said softly, “All right, pup. You get a reprieve for now, but soon you and I will talk.”

  Seth was so far gone that he couldn’t do more than sigh when he felt a warm heat against his forehead. He slipped into darkness, letting it swallow him in its comforting embrace.

  Kasey watched his mate sleeping. It’d been a long time since the man had been taken care of by anyone other than himself. The way he didn’t seem to know how to slow down when exhausted made it obvious. Kasey’s lips turned up in wonder at his mate being able to heal. But it did come with a heavy price. He’d felt helpless as he’d watched the delicate form of his mate shuddering beneath his hands and the way the black liquid rushed from his body.

  Kasey was astonished to find such a gift existed, despite the illness it seemed to cause Seth afterward. None of the other wolves in his pack could heal. Charlie had the ability to bring peace among their pack during a fight. Others were able to communicate merely by thought with their mate or with the Alpha of the pack if the Alpha wished it. Seth’s gift of healing gave their story an unexpected twist, one he’d never have believed if he hadn’t witnessed it with his own eyes.

  Over the next few hours, while Seth slept, Kasey had a lot of time to think. His mind shied away from the brutal way he’d treated the smaller wolf earlier. He didn’t blame Seth for being mad at him or frightened of him. He hadn’t exactly kept his promise. His fingers stroked gently over one pale cheek in a light caress. The vet let out a soft sigh and leaned into it, bringing a smile to Kasey’s face. Despite the pup’s attempts to deny it, his unconscious self recognized he was in fact Kasey’s mate.

  His body sang out, demanding he claim Seth, and it left him knowing without a doubt the stubborn, feisty veterinarian was his mate. You didn’t get another one. It wasn’t like walking into a dating agency and picking a new one. Seth had time to come to terms with it, but Kasey would have this slender, infuriating man in his life no matter how long it took his mind to accept what his heart already did.

  He’d already accepted that Seth had told the truth about being born as a werewolf. The only matter at hand still troubling him was Seth’s skin color. The whole reason he’d always despised the white men of this world wasn’t because of how they’d treated his ancestors, though that would have been a very valid reason, but because they cared nothing for other living beings. Money. They raped forests and destroyed the lands and homes of those animals all for the sake of greed and progress. At the rate they were spreading over the earth, there’d be nothing left in another millennium.

  Seth didn’t appear to be like the white men Kasey had met. Seeing the ability his mate possessed and how drained it left him made him realize that if Seth were in fact evil or greedy, then he wouldn’t hurt himself to help the animals he treated. Kasey warred internally over accepting his mate. His pride raged against the destiny of being bound to the vet, but his heart held more power over his will. The resolve he’d felt in the cabin to claim his mate, to protect him from whatever demons haunted him, came back in full force. Even if it took ten years, he’d find a way to complete the binding of their souls into one. To earn the heart of his mate.

  The sun had long since sunk behind the horizon before Kasey switched on a lamp, and its dull glow illuminated the room. He could hear Seth’s breathing become uneven as he stirred. The steady, slow pulse of his heart sped up in equal fashion. Seth carefully sat up, lifting a hand to his head. “Headache?” Kasey asked.

  Seth jumped slightly before croaking, “Yes. I always get one after.”

  A frown twisted Kasey’s lips. Did the healing actually harm his mate? The tremble in Seth’s hand twisted his gut sharply. “Are you certain you aren’t causing your body damage by healing?”

  “I’m a werewolf, Sheriff. I have accelerated healing abilities, and we don’t get diseases, so I highly doubt it does more harm to me than a white throne session and a massive hangover afterward.” Seth debated standing but thought better of it and carefully leaned back against the couch.

  “Kasey,” the sheriff insisted.

  “What?” Seth gave him a confused look.

  Kasey pushed himself up from the doctor’s desk chair and slowly stalked around the edge of the desk toward the couch. “My name is Kasey.”

  Seth swallowed hard at the husky tone and the strange gleam in those dark eyes.

  Kasey sank down on the couch next to him, one hand coming out to touch Seth’s face lightly. “You keep calling me Sheriff,” he explained further, as Seth still looked confused. “Call me Kasey.”

  He watched as Seth shook his head at his request. The tip of a small pink tongue sliding across his mate’s perfect lips drew his gaze. He almost started in shock at his thoughts. Perfect lips? He could feel the heat coming from Seth’s body and knew his closeness affected the other male. “Say my name,” he whispered silkily, his breath dusting over those same rosy red lips.

  Seth sighed his name just a split second before Kasey’s mouth claimed Seth’s. His hand slipped around to cup the back of Seth’s head, not exerting pressure, keeping it light to keep from scaring his skittish mate. Kasey followed the line of Seth’s lips, requesting access to the warm recesses. Seth’s lips parted on a small sound in his throat, and Kasey’s tongue immediately flooded the smaller male’s mouth. A low moan rumbled in his tanned throat. Seth tasted like sunshine and cinnamon, like the musky scent of rain that clung to the earth after a thunderstorm. Kasey’s cock hardened, screaming at him to take his mate.

  Seth had only been able to watch as the tall, virile Cheyenne walked toward the couch. No, make that stalked, he thought. His mouth went dry when Kasey sat down next to him. It took every ounce of control he had not to lean into the gentle touch on his cheek. Suddenly, he’d found himself giving in to the man’s request. “Kasey,” he whispered.

  Pure heat spiraled through his body at the brush of the sheriff’s lips on his. His hands seemed to have a mind of their own as they clutched at the older male’s strong forearms. Kasey tasted of such sweet fire and spice. Fire flickered along Seth’s skin like a burst of power and left him gasping for more. Everything else fell away from the two of them. Seth forgot his dislike and fear of the other shifter. He became nothing more than a mouth, a tongue, and the hard throbbing between his thighs. He moved slightly, moaning against Kasey’s mouth when the movement caused his legs to squeeze his stiff flesh.

  Reality crashed back in, though, when he felt Kasey’s hand gliding along his thigh. He stiffened and yanked himself away, panting. “No, stop.”

  Kasey stilled, immediately pulling his hand back from the supple leg he’d been exploring. He collapsed back against the couch with a sigh. His fingers itched to return to touching his mate, to push higher and feel Seth’s straining length through his jeans. “Forgive me. I didn’t mean for it to go that far.”

  “I
t shouldn’t have even started,” Seth said roughly. He gathered the little energy he had and moved to the other side of the room. Bracing himself against one of the bookshelves, he leaned his forehead against his arm. He could feel those dark eyes boring into his back but didn’t turn around.

  “You know you can feel it, pup,” Kasey said, his seductive voice rolling over Seth and sending a shudder down his spine.

  “No,” Seth forced out. He would never admit to it. He couldn’t admit to it even though a strange urge inside him wanted him to turn around and go back to the large male sitting behind him. It seemed like a living essence in his stomach, his soul, screaming at him to take what was his. Sweat beaded along his upper lip, and he licked at the salty liquid.

  “Yes,” Kasey breathed hotly against his ear. Seth nearly screamed as his body tightened with need. He’d been so wrapped up in his own thoughts he hadn’t even heard the other shifter approach him. He quivered when he felt Kasey’s hands settle on his hips, gently pulling him back against his chest.