“I want some answers now,” he said, glaring at Jake. “Just what the hell have they got you involved in? What did they steal from this person?
“We could have been killed tonight, Jake. Is that why you’re with him? Does he have something on you? You know what? Don’t even answer that. It doesn’t matter.
“You’re coming back to New York with me first thing in the morning!”
“Now, wait just a damn minute.” Kelan jumped to his feet.
“I’m not afraid of you!” Tony shouted.
“Oh really?”
Kelan closed the distance between them, standing nose to nose with Tony, a low, menacing growl rumbling in his throat. Kelan was taller than Tony by a good few inches, but Tony was so mad he didn’t care how big Kelan was.
“Jake isn’t going anywhere with you,” Kelan said. “You get that? He’s mine! I don’t give a shit what you think. In fact, I think it would be better if you did go home to New York and as soon as possible.”
Pete grabbed Kelan and pulled him away. “Hey! Don’t tell him that! I don’t want to fight with you over this, Kelan, so you’d better watch your damn mouth!”
“And what the hell is up with you?” Tony turned his glare on Pete. “You don’t even know me. Why do you keep sticking up for me?”
“Because you’re my mate!” Pete snapped.
Jesus.
These people were all crazy.
“What’s that supposed to mean? And what is going on with all your eyes and teeth, huh?”
“It’s none of your damn business,” Kelan said.
“Can you all for the love of God just shut the hell up!” Jake shouted, stepping between the three of them. “You,”—he said, putting a hand on Kelan’s chest—“need to calm down. You’re not helping any.”
Kelan hung his head, looking suitably chastised.
“You…” Jake said to Pete. “That was really fucking stupid. And Tony, look—I understand how confusing all this must be for you, but there’s a really good explanation, I promise.
“Let’s all go back to the ranch and when we’ve dealt with the situation there we can talk about this calmly, like adults, okay?”
Tony shrugged and averted his gaze.
He didn’t have much choice, did he?
Maybe he would finally get some answers.
He just hoped he liked what he heard.
Chapter Five
The acrid smell of smoke hung heavy in the air as Pete got out of the truck in Kelan’s yard. He tried to help Tony down only to be rewarded with a slap on the back of his hand and a glare that was fierce in its intensity. He knew Tony had to be feeling scared and confused, but he didn’t show any indication that he felt the pull of the mating bond between them and that hurt. For Pete, Tony was like the only light in a dark, bleak world—a bright, shining beacon drawing him home.
Pete hadn’t had the slightest inclination to find his mate.
He liked his job, he had good friends, and he got lucky every once in a while.
He was content.
But the second he’d set eyes on Tony in the parking lot of Jessie’s, it was as if everything he’d ever done in his life had just been a prelude to that very moment. He knew without question that he could never be content again unless Tony was by his side.
But was that ever going to happen?
Kelan believed that Tony was in love with Jake. The idea of that made Pete sick to his stomach. Was it true? Tony certainly hadn’t done anything to convince him otherwise. At first, he’d been proud of Tony for standing up to Kelan until it had sunk in that they were fighting over Jake.
That had hurt.
Pete should have stayed with Jessie at the dancehall, and helped his boss deal with the situation there and comfort the survivors. But Jared and the firefighters seemed to have had everything under control and as soon as he’d told Jessie that Tony was his mate, his boss had insisted he go with him. Pete was grateful because even though Tony was giving him the cold shoulder, he didn’t want to be separated from him.
But now this…
He looked around at the destruction, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
The wooden ranch house was reduced to smoking embers and a pile of rubble. The frame of the building was still upright, but only barely. With the fire out, the firefighters were busy talking to Stefan and Cody while Aaron sat on the porch steps of the bunkhouse, an arm wrapped around Cary’s shoulders, holding him close.
After Jared had assured himself that everyone at the ranch was unhurt, he had stayed behind at Jessie’s to deal with the aftermath of the explosion, but Will Clark, the man who had taken over as deputy when Jared had been elected sheriff, must have responded to the emergency call as he was busy talking to Luke and Mark.
There were somber faces all around.
Pete followed the others to the bunkhouse.
Jake and Tony made their way over to Aaron and Cary, but Pete and Kelan went to talk to Deputy Clark even though Pete’s every instinct was telling him to stay close to his mate.
“Luke, Mark, you both okay?” Kelan asked.
Luke’s pale blond hair was black with smoke. His lip trembled as he nodded. Mark pulled his mate closer and rubbed a soothing hand up and down his arm.
“It’s all gone,” Luke whispered. “Everything. Gone.”
“It’s not important, Luke,” Kelan told him. “It’s just possessions, things. You could all be dead. I don’t care about any of that as long as you’re all okay, ya hear me?”
Luke nodded solemnly then turned fully into Mark’s embrace.
“Will? You got anything?” Kelan asked.
Will Clark was a wolf shifter who had moved into town to take up the deputy position at the sheriff’s station, just as Jared had done before him. Pete didn’t know much about the wolf, but he liked what he saw.
Will seemed like a good guy—honest, decent and fair.
He fitted in well with the other wolves in the pack and it felt as if he’d always been around. Pete had chatted with him a few times at Jessie’s when the deputy had been off duty. From what Will had told him, he’d put in for the deputy position when he’d found out Wolf Creek was governed by a gay alpha.
Will shook his head. “The firefighters said it looks like arson. There had to have been some form of accelerant used because the house went up too quickly, but we won’t know for certain until the inspector has been around to take a look.”
“When will that be?” Kelan asked.
“Sometime tonight.”
Pete’s gaze drifted to Tony. He was surprised to find his mate staring back at him, but then Tony scowled and looked away.
Pete sighed.
“Have you made any enemies recently?” Will asked.
Kelan blew out a frustrated breath.
“Take your pick. When you hold the title of Alpha there is always someone wanting to knock you down, steal the position.”
Will nodded. “Yeah, I imagine there would be. Okay. There isn’t much else I can do here right now. The fire crew are about ready to leave. I’ve taken statements from your brothers and the hands, but there isn’t much more I can do until the fire inspector gets here.
“I need to go deal with something else right now so I’ll come back later. I’ll let you know if I need anything else. You going to be staying here?” he asked, nodding to the bunkhouse.
“Hadn’t thought about it,” Kelan said with a weary sigh. “But yeah, I guess so. No place else to go.”
Pete felt his chest constrict with Kelan’s words.
He’d been so distracted by finding his mate, he’d hardly spent a thought for everything that Kelan had lost. This was his home and it had been reduced to ashes. Everything he, his brothers and their mates owned had been destroyed.
Pete couldn’t even begin to imagine how that would feel.
He put a comforting hand on Kelan’s shoulder and squeezed, showing his support. And while he watched the somber faces of the Morgan bro
thers, Pete thought about the relatives of the people that had lost their lives at Jessie’s.
How many people had died there that he knew personally?
Men and women he’d been passing the time of day with for the past year since he’d started working there, some, he’d likely known all of his life.
They said their goodbyes to the deputy and all headed into the bunkhouse.
It was crowded with everyone inside the small living area. They were practically tripping over one another. There wasn’t enough space for them all on the sofa and armchairs, so Aaron brought in extra chairs from the kitchen.
Everyone looked worn out.
Tony kept casting cursory glances at him when he thought Pete wasn’t looking. Maybe he did feel a connection between them after all. Pete just hoped he wasn’t feeling revulsion. He’d seen the look in Tony’s eyes when he’d witnessed his teeth and eyes shifted into their wolf form, and it had been sobering.
He had quickly shifted them back to their human form under the scrutiny.
Tony sat on the edge of the sofa next to Jake, and Pete had the insane urge to separate them even though Tony looked far from comfortable there. His brow had a permanent crease and he was watching everyone in the room with wary eyes, even Jake. Pete wanted to comfort his mate, but his attempts up until that point had proven far from successful.
There had to be something he could do.
The silence in the room was killing Pete, but it must be even worse for Tony. Why did this have to be so damn difficult? Why couldn’t Tony have known all about wolves like Jake had when he’d met Kelan?
How did you tell someone you were a creature from a damn fairy tale or horror movie—their worst nightmare come to life before their eyes? He didn’t want to do this, didn’t even know how, but he knew he had to try.
Tony was his mate, so Pete felt he should be the one to tell him the truth about what they all were.
He deserved to know, and sooner rather than later.
He cleared his throat.
“I think we owe you an explanation,” he said when his mate finally met his gaze.
Tony lifted his chin. “I’m listening.”
“Okay, firstly, I know you saw my teeth and eyes shift earlier so I think we should address—”
“Shift?” Tony questioned.
Pete nodded.
He opened his mouth to speak, but the words got caught in his throat. He took a deep breath and tried again.
“They had shifted to my wolf form. I’m a wolf, Tony…that is a wolf shifter. We all are.”
He glanced around the room seeking affirmation.
Damn.
That might not have been the best way to tell Tony, but it had been the only thing Pete could come up with on the spot.
Besides, how else could he have said it?
Jake rolled his eyes, but everyone else in the room nodded their agreement.
“I’m not,” Cary piped up.
“Well, no, Cary isn’t,” Pete confirmed. “He’s a cat shifter, technically, but…”
Tony got up and strode to the door.
“I’ve heard enough. You people must think I’m completely stupid,” he said quietly.
The hurt in his eyes was like a punch to Pete’s stomach.
Pete jumped up from his chair and followed Tony to the door. When Jake stood up, too, Pete was about to tell him to mind his own damn business, but Kelan grabbed his mate’s arm and pulled him back down.
“Pete is Tony’s mate, Jake. Let him deal with it. They need to talk about this alone. Pete will make him understand.”
Jake frowned but nodded and sat back down.
Tony was crossing the yard, heading out towards the corral when Pete caught up with him.
“Tony, wait!” he called. “Please hear me out.”
Tony stopped abruptly then spun around.
“I think I’ve heard enough, thanks,” he spat. “I don’t appreciate being publicly humiliated.”
Pete swallowed down the lump in his throat.
“I would never do that to you.”
“Right, whatever.”
When his mate turned to leave, Pete panicked.
He grabbed hold of Tony’s arm, spun him around then kissed him hard.
Tony gasped against his mouth, but he didn’t pull back… Quite the opposite, in fact. He pulled Pete closer and opened his mouth in invitation.
Pete didn’t hesitate to take up the offer.
He groaned and deepened the kiss, pushing his tongue inside, getting his very first taste of his mate. It was the sweetest thing he’d ever known. He felt dizzy from it. When they broke apart they were both breathing heavily.
At some point during the kiss, Pete had been aware of his eyes shifting to their wolf form, but he hadn’t been able to stop it from happening. His incisors were stinging his gums, threatening to elongate, too.
He’d never had so little control over his wolf before.
When Tony opened his eyes, they widened and he jumped back.
“Jesus,” he whispered. “You… Your…”
“Don’t be afraid,” Pete coaxed, reaching out his hand.
“You were telling the truth, weren’t you? About being some sort of wolf.”
Pete nodded. “Yes. I’m a wolf shifter—we’re all wolf shifters,” he said nodding to the bunkhouse. “But I promise you, you don’t have anything to fear from any of us.”
“This is too much.” Tony let out a long sigh. “How can this be real?”
“There have always been shifters.” Pete shrugged. “But, yeah, I can see how it would be hard for a human to comprehend.”
“Is Jake a wolf too?”
It rankled that Tony’s first thought was about Jake, but he tried to reason with himself that they’d been friends for a long time.
“No,” he answered. “Jake is human, but he’s Kelan’s mate.”
Tony’s brow knitted together. “What does that mean?”
“Wolves and shifters like us mate for life. I guess you could call it destiny or fate. It means there’s one person in the world that was meant for us and when we find that person, we know instantly they are our mate.
“Our wolf knows. It recognizes that person. Jake is Kelan’s mate.”
“But…that’s what you called me,” Tony said. “You said I was your mate. Is that…?”
Tony searched Pete’s face for the answer.
“It’s true,” Pete breathed. “You’re mine.”
He couldn’t fail to notice the shiver that ran over Tony’s body when he made the declaration.
It excited him, gave him hope…until Tony shook his head.
“I think you made a mistake,” he said. “I can’t be…”
Pete swallowed down the lump that had formed in his throat.
“It’s not something we can mistake. It’s instinctual. I know it as surely as I know I’m a wolf.”
Tony frowned. “I can’t deal with this right now. I can’t… I don’t want…”
“You don’t want me,” Pete said, finishing Tony’s sentence. “Is it because you’re in love with Jake?”
“What?” Tony shook his head. “No. I mean, I was, yes, but not anymore. Not for a long time.”
Pete let out the breath he’d been holding.
He couldn’t think of a time that he’d been more relieved. Tony could always be lying, of course, but somehow Pete sensed the truth in his words. He didn’t know how he could be so sure, but he thought he would know if his mate was lying to him.
It was as if he could smell the truth of what he’d said.
“Let’s go back inside and talk to the others. Maybe later I can shift so you can see what we look like in our wolf form.”
Tony looked even more confused. “In your wolf form? Do you mean like an actual wolf? It’s not just your eyes and teeth?”
Pete grinned.
“No, not just that. We shift fully into wolves, or, in Cary’s case, a cat. Cary is a panther shifter.�
��
“Oh, God. This can’t be real. It—”
“Come on,” Pete said, with a nod of his head. “Let’s go back inside.”
He could sense that Tony was starting to panic and pull away from him. He longed to put his arms around his mate and comfort him, but he didn’t think the gesture would be appreciated. It would take Tony time to come to terms with everything he’d learned and Pete didn’t want to see him upset any more than he already was.
Tony only hesitated for a second before following Pete back towards the bunkhouse. They were nearly inside when a car came hurtling into the yard. The black sedan screeched to a stop just a few feet from them and Gregory got out.
He strode towards them, his face grim.
“I think I know who is behind all this,” he said by way of greeting.
Pete sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face.
He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
Chapter Six
“What have you learned, Gregory?” Kelan asked when they were all seated in the den. “Did you get the results from the forensic lab?”
Tony had met Gregory a time or two when he’d come by the ranch to speak with Kelan, but he didn’t know anything about him or what it was exactly he did for a living. Tony had taken a seat on the sofa next to Jake, and Pete was kneeling on the floor by his feet, his shoulders pressed against Tony’s legs. His proximity was strangely comforting.
Cary seemed more shaken by what had happened than anyone else, so Aaron had taken him to their room. Everyone else looked tired—they were quiet, but all hanging on Gregory’s reply.
“No, nothing from Forensics yet,” Gregory replied. “But I’ve discovered something else. A couple of days ago, Evelyn Armstrong stopped showing up for work. Nobody thought anything of it at first, but a couple of her co-workers have come forward and said they’re worried about her.
“It seems her behavior over the last couple of months has grown more and more erratic. They were going to speak to her superiors about it, but they were hoping she’d get better with time.”
“Who is she?” Kelan asked.
Gregory sighed. “Dean White’s mate.”
The room broke out into gasps and muttered curses, but the name meant nothing to Tony.
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