his brother-in-law, Troy, and his fellow
assassins who were also Wyatt’s friends.
Nikolaiwas over sixfeet talland weighed inat
a whoppingtwo hundred thirtypounds. The
guywas covered inmuscles and had tattoos
over most ofhis body. They’d hit it offfrom
the get-go.
“Wyatt?”Nikolaiwhispered. “Anyone
coming?”
“Not yet; hurryup Sebastian.” Sebastianstopped infront ofthe
dean’s door.
“Do your thing, Nik.”
Nikolaipulled the lock-pick set out. “I swear Sebastian, ifI get introuble
for this…”Nikolaigrowled.
“Hurryup!”
Nikolaipicked the door lock and
opened the door. Sebastianslipped inside the
office, lookingfor the baseball. It was onthe
bookshelfbehind the desk. Wyatt came in,
shuttingthe door quietlybehind them. “Someone’s coming,”Wyatt
whispered.
Sebastiangrabbed the baseballinits
case. “Okay, let’s go.”
The door handle turned suddenlyand
Wyatt looked for another wayout. “Out the
window, hurry!”
Sebastianopened the window. The
floor below themhad anawning, and he
jumped for it. “Come on!”
Nikolaiheard the shouts downthe
hallway. Shit, the cops were here. “Go,
Wyatt!”
“No, yougo; ifyouget caught it’s
goingto be tentimes worse!”Wyatt shoved
Nikolaitowards the window. “Get out, hurry!” “I’mnot leavingyou!”Nikolai
grabbed Wyatt’s hand, pullinghimtowards
the openwindow.
“Dammit, Nikolai! You’re a Markov,
youknow what’s goingto happen- now go!”
Wyatt pushed Nikolaiout the window. He turned just as the door to the dean’s office
opened. Four cops stood scowlingat him. “Shit.”
~~ Wyatt looked at the bars ofthe cell and sighed.
Jail.
He was injailfor a stupid prank that he hadn’t evencommitted alone but had taken the blame for. WhenSebastianhad come up withthe idea, Wyatt had beenuncomfortable withit immediately. ThenSebastianhad talked Nik into it.
Wyatt sat downonthe cot and looked around. He’d had to take the blame; Nikolai would have beenput inprison. The authorities would do anythingto get their hands ona Markov. Theyhad brokeninto the dean’s office and takena baseball. It had beena prank and that was all. But infleeingthe scene ofthe crime, Sebastianhad panicked and let Wyatt take the rap because Sebastianhad a scholarship and a future.
Wyatt supposed he didn’t have as muchto lose as his boyfriend, Sebastian, but shit. His dad was goingto come downonhim like a fuckingfreight trainfor this. Wyatt sighed and looked at the time. Two inthe morning. His brother would be here soon. Wyatt had beenoffthe reservationfor four years. Goingto highschoolinSeattle had seento that, and now he was incollege at the UniversityofWashington. At eighteenand a halfhe had good grades and a chance at a real future.
Untilabout two hours ago.
Wyatt heard keys rustlingand then one ofthe police officers was comingtowards the cell. He stood up and grabbed the bars, singing.
“Nobodyknows the trouble I’ve seen…”
“Shut up, Wyatt.”
Wyatt snapped his head to the right and saw his older brother, Sawyer, walking withhis husband, Troy.
“Aw, shit.”
Sawyer gave his brother a menacing stare.
“Couldn’t youhave put himinwith some huge, burlysex-craved men, officer?”
Wyatt rolled his eyes and jiggled the bars. “Lemme out.”
“No cando little brother. Judge’s out for the night, won’t be back untileight inthe morningfor your arraignment.”
Sawyer smiled wickedlyand looked around the jailcell. “Look at that, allthe comforts ofhome, althoughyouhave to pee witheveryone watchingyou.”
“Everyone who?”Wyatt motioned to the emptycell. “Ifyouhaven’t noticed it’s just me inthis rat trap.”
“Would youlike some cheese with that whine, rat?”Troyraised a brow.
Wyatt fixed his brother-in-law witha look.
“Youknow somehow I thought you’d be onmyside, Troy.”Troywas anex-Army sniper and now anassassinworkingfor the government. Thanks to Sam, Dakota and Sawyer, Troyhad beenturned into a
werewolfafter beingmortallyinjured. Troy had become one ofhis closest friends.
“This has Sebastianwrittenallover it,” Sawyer growled at his brother. “And don’t bother denyingit to me, either. WhyamI not surprised that youare left holdingthe bag whenhe gets some fucked up idea inhis head?”
Wyatt looked around nervouslyand shushed his brother. “Shut up, Sawyer! I’m almost nineteenyears old and I make myown decisions.”
“Yeah? Eveniftheyare stupid ones?”
Theyallturned as the outer door opened and another uniformed officer made his waydownthe wide white hallway. Sawyer smiled and loosened his grip onthe bars a bit. Nicholas Stevens was a werewolfand a good friend. Whenhe and Troyhad runinto trouble a few years back, Nicholas had gottencaught inthe crossfire but had kept his friendship with the Queets pack allthe same.
“Hey, Ben, I got this,”Nick smiled at the other officer and nodded towards Sawyer and Troy. Nick waited untilBenhad gone back downthe halland the door clicked shut. His eyes fellonWyatt behind bars.
“Not a bad place for you, Junior.”
Wyatt gritted his teeth. “I’mglad you allfind mypredicament so amusing.”
Sawyer smiled and looked at his friend. “What are youdoinghere? I thought youweren’t onuntilmorning? Already champingat the bit to start your new job as a detective?”Sawyer elbowed Nick’s side.
“Are youkiddingme? As soonas the blotter rolled across mydesk and I saw ‘Quinton’ I had to see for myselfwhichone of youit was. Not reallysurprised to see Wyatt here.”Nick furrowed his brows. “Myfirst day onthe job and I see Wyatt’s name,”he sighed. “Myfriends are alreadyinjail, how does that look for me?”Nick cocked an eyebrow at Wyatt.
Wyatt went to his cot and lie down lookingat the ceiling. “Oh, just go away. I’m sure I’llsee youallinthe morningwithhuge smiles onyour faces inthe courtroom.”
“WithStarbucks coffee for sure,” Troywinked. “Don’t rattle the cage allnight, Wyatt.”
“Ugh! Get out!”Wyatt rolled onhis side and faced the brick wall. He heard their footsteps recedingand sighed, staringat allthe graffitionthe jailwall. Some prettygood raunchypoetrywas there and Wyatt tried to remember some ofit for future use.
Okay, so his boyfriend was a
troublemaker. But Sebastianwas a good guy most ofthe time. Besides, he was tired of waitingfor his ‘supposed’ mate who
apparentlydidn’t exist.
Allwerewolves had predetermined mates and he knew he’d smelled his mate whenhe was sevenyears old. But over the years his familyhad managed to convince him he had made the whole thingup. Now at almost nineteen, he was startingto believe they were right.
But he had seenhim, a beautifulwhite wolfwithchocolate browneyes. Evenat seventhe reactionhad beenimmediate. Maybe not ona sexuallevel, but he’d had a reactionjust the same. Wyatt closed his eyes and pulled the coarse woolblanket over his shoulders; he’d have to face the music inthe morning. Untilthenhe’d close his eyes and hope for mercy.
~~*~~
Wyatt was wokenup bykeys jingling inthe celldoor. Nick was smilingat him, a set ofclothinginone hand.
“You’re stillhere?”Wyatt groused. “God, youguys are like a rashonmyass, cornonmyfoot, a pebble inmyshoe…”
“Yeah, I got it, youlittle shit.”Nick handed Wyatt his clothes and sat onthe cot next to him. “Whydo youlet your boyfriend get awaywiththis shit, Wyatt? Jesus!”Nick ranhis fingers throughhis hair. “Youare so muchsmarter thanthis.”
; Wyatt stood up and stretched, wincing at the crick inhis neck. “Save me the speech, please, I just want a shower and some hot food.”
“Wellthenhurryup, youhave to be before Judge Phillips inanhour and he is knownfor makinga statement. This could go verybadlyfor you, Wyatt, so think about that the next time youlet your boyfriend talk you into his wild and crazyshit.”
After takingwhat Wyatt could only describe as the fastest shower he’d ever had and the coldest as well- he was shownto the diningarea. It consisted ofa chair witha card table. He ate runnyeggs, some undercooked baconand somethingthat resembled sausage but at closer glance looked like a smallpiece ofdogshit. Wyatt groaned and ate the cardboard toast instead.
He dressed inhis suit and was shown to the courtroomwhere shame immediately flooded his face whenhe looked at his father. The disappointment was evident inJohn Quinton’s greeneyes. Nadine and Joe, friends who were more like family, sat next to him alongwithWyatt’s three brothers. Nadine gave hima smallsmile as Wyatt took his place onthe benchup front. There were quite a few lawbreakers ahead ofhimand Wyatt couldn’t believe the sentences handed downto them. His hands started sweatingat what could be cominghis way, and for once he reallyhated Sebastian. Finallyhe was called to stand before the judge and he stood withhis lawyer as the judge went over his offense.
“The deanhas decided not to press charges since his baseballwas returned to him. However, the DA has decided he wants to proceed withpressingcharges against youfor breakingand entering. Instead ofjailtime, I amgoingto give youcommunityservice at the Seattle Fire Department. Youwillbeginthis Fridayat 5 a.m. and willcontinue untilI am satisfied that youhave learned a lesson, Mr. Quinton. There are things inlife that are more precious to some thanothers. I willget weekly reports fromthe chief. Stayout oftrouble, Mr. Quinton, I do not wishto see youinmy courtroomagain.”
Wyatt flinched as the gavelsmacked down. It seemed to reverberate throughthe whole courtroom. He turned to look at his familywitha sad smile. This would staywith himfor a verylongtime.
~~Chapter Two~~ Prestonwoke to the sounds ofthe alarms goingoff. The female voice comingout ofthe ceilinghad himcringing.
“Engine….Ladder.” Grabbinghis turnouts he flunghimself out ofbed and slid downthe pole to the floor below. He had just enoughtime to grab the rest ofhis gear and get onthe truck before theypulled out onto the busySeattle street. Prestonwatched downtownSeattle out ofthe truck and sighed.
Whenhe’d moved here fromDenali, he had done it to be closer to Wyatt Quinton, his mate. Elevenlongyears had gone bysince the dayhe’d shielded Wyatt fromanangry CarsonDrake inthe woods. Allthat time he had waited to take what was his and when Wyatt had turned eighteen, Prestonthought that dayhad finallycome. He had gone to find Wyatt at schoolto tellhimtheywere mates.
To his shock and horror, Wyatt was in the arms ofone SebastianPrice who was currentlythe quarterback ofthe Universityof WashingtonHuskies footballteam. Sebastian was loud and proud and certainlynot inthe closet. Prestonsighed and looked at allthe buildings flyingby. Wyatt would be at the firehouse for his court appointed community service today, a brilliant idea that Nicholas Stevens had come up withand Prestonhad agreed to. Theybothtalked to the judge and he jumped onboard.
Prestonknew it would allow him spend time withhis mate and tryto show him there was more to life thanSebastian. That guydidn’t give two shits about Wyatt and was constantlygettinghiminto trouble, whether it was fightingat clubs or onthe field.
Wyatt had become more beautiful over the years. His longblack hair had been cut short for footballbut his eyes remained the same, those bigbeautifulgreeneyes. Wyatt had filled out quite nicely, too. At sixfeet, he had a broad chest and back and was built with chiseled biceps and welldefined abs. Preston had beenjackingoffto that visionfor years on a nightlybasis.
Once he had seenWyatt shirtless at practice and had to stop himselffromrunning downonto the field, growlingthat Wyatt was his. As it was, it took everythinghe had to keep his lupine side hiddenat alltimes. Now it was becominga missionto not onlytake Wyatt awayfromSebastian, but for Wyatt to fallinlove withhimnot knowingthat they were mates. Prestonwanted Wyatt to fallin love withhimonhis own, not because they were fated to.
“Dalton!” Prestonwas snapped out ofhis thoughts byhis chief. The chiefwas a good guy. He knew Prestonwas gayand had no problems withit. Infact, most ofthe guys didn’t care. As longas he showed up for work and fought fires, theydidn’t give a shit.
“Yes sir?”
“Get your head out ofthe clouds, we’re here.”
~~*~~ The alarmwent offat four inthe morningand Wyatt smacked it offthe night stand. He rubbed his eyes and groaned, gettingout ofbed. He hissed as his feet hit the cold floor. He’d packed his bagthe night before, so he could just get up, shower and head out. His skinprickled and thena scent wafted under the door. Wyatt opened it before Nikolaievenknocked.
“Damn, you’re good,”Nikolai winked.
“It’s four inthe morning, Nik,”Wyatt yawned, stretchinghis arms out.
“I know, and I’msorry. I realize you have communityservice today. Look man, I just want to sayhow sorryI amabout allthis. I’mheadingout to Russia this morningand I didn’t want to miss the chance ofsaying goodbye. I’mtryingto get Bastianto come with.”
“Youdidn’t do anything, Nik. Infact, youwere willingto sacrifice yourself. We both know how the cops would have treated youif they’d gottentheir hands onyou. I appreciate youtryingto take the blame withme.”
“Look, I don’t know what’s goingon withBastian, but I willfind out one wayor another. He’s beenmybest friend since elementaryschool; he befriended me whenno one else would.”
“Gee, I wonder why?”Wyatt laughed, sidesteppingNikolai’s playfulpunch.
“He’s not himselfright now,”Nikolai sighed, runninga hand throughhis hair. “I’ve never seenhimact so recklessly.”
“Fromwhat I hear, that’s your job.”
“Withinreason,”Nikolaichuckled. “I know youneed to get ready, so I won’t keep you. Ifyouneed anything, youcallme okay? I want us to stayfriends.”
Wyatt hugged Nikolai’s massive frame. Eventhoughhe was onlyaninchor two shorter, he was dwarfed inNikolai’s arms.
“Take care, Nik. You’re a good guy.”
“Don’t tellanyone,”Nikolaipoked Wyatt inthe chest.
Wyatt put his hands inthe air in defense. “Never.”
~~ Wyatt stood infront ofthe fire station and waited for someone to openthe door. Five inthe morning. Unbelievable. After taking a lecture fromhis dad for over anhour, all Wyatt had wanted to do was go back to his dormroomand pass out. No suchluck. He was standinginfront ofa fire stationat five in the morningbecause he’d done something stupid. Again.
Wyatt had avoided Sebastian’s calls at everyopportunity. He reallydidn’t want to talk to Sebastianright now and listento his sorryexcuses for leavinghimbehind. The door opened and Wyatt turned to see a guya bit older thanhimself. Black hair withblues eyes squinted at him, givinghimthe once over.
“Um, hey, I’mWyatt Quinton? I’m supposed to start mycommunityservice here today?”
The guynodded and yawned, opening the door. He wandered offscratchinghimself and mumblingunder his breath, leavingWyatt to find his ownway. Wyatt walked around the quiet fire stationand took it allin. He’d always wanted to be a firemanand his first toyhad beena fire truck.
“Kind ofquiet.”
“Yeah, the guys are out ona call. I’m AustinJacobson, better knownas probie.” “Probie?”Wyatt tilted his head and
raised aneyebrow.
“Yup, the new guyas youwould say.
I’mstillonprobationfor the time beinguntilI
canprove myself.”Austinrana hand through
his spiked hair. “So I welcome you, Wyatt
Quinton, thanks to you, theymight layoffme
for a while.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”Wyatt
walked around the row oflockers lookingat
allthe helmets and boots. Equip
ment was
spread out alongallthe walls ofthe firehouse which, true to form, were painted red. “So,
are theycomingback soon?”
“There’s a bigfire over onthe pier.
Some warehouse went up inflames, so it
could be awhile before theycome back. I just
came onshift myself. I’monthree and off
three.”
“Three hours?”
Austinlaughed loud. “Ohhellno, three
days.”
“Oh.”Wyatt felt his cheeks redden.
“So is there anythingI should start doingwhile
I wait?”
Austinlooked around. “Not sure.
Chiefput Daltonincharge ofyou.”Austin
shivered. “Dude, I feelfor you.”
“What do youmean?”Before his
questioncould be answered, Wyatt heard the garage door openingand a veryloud truck was backingup into the far side ofthe garage. Whoever was drivingit eased the bigtruck in like it was a Prius. A group ofmenjumped out ofthe back and thenWyatt’s heart stopped in his chest. A blonde guyjumped out ofthe driver’s seat and barked orders at some ofthe other guys.
Whenhe turned, their eyes met. A look passed betweenthemand Wyatt felt the hairs onhis arms and back ofhis neck stand up. Jesus, but he was fuckingdrop dead gorgeous! Not aninchless thansixthree and rock hard muscle fromhead to toe. Blonde and beautifulstrode over witha relaxed confidence that Wyatt would killfor and he felt his hands beginto sweat. Whenhe opened his mouth, nothingwould come out. Wyatt saw the smirk onthe blonde guy’s face. Those smolderingbrownbedroomeyes were laughingat him.
“YouQuinton?” Wyatt nodded and put his hand out. “Um, yeah, I meanyes. Wyatt Quinton. I was ordered...”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’mPreston Dalton. I’mincharge ofyoufor however long the judge sees fit, so drop your shit and clean the truck.” Withanother smirk onhis face, Prestonjerked his thumb towards the rigthey had just gottenout of. “It needs to be washed thenwaxed.”
“Huh?”Wyatt looked at the monster fire truck covered inmud, mouthagape. “Haven’t youever washed a car? There’s a hose onthe side ofthe buildingand allthe stuffto washher is inthat first cabinet.” Prestonpointed towards the row ofcabinets bythe end ofthe truck. He took his jacket off and threw it onthe benchinfront ofa row of lockers.
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