He would not lose him like this.
He followed the path through the woods. The deeper he went, the thicker the trees grew, until they completely blocked out the light shining down from the moon. Aaron struggled to see with his limited human eyesight, so he shifted his eyes to their wolf form to give him better visibility.
He would find Cary more quickly if he fully shifted to his wolf, as his sense of smell would be better then too, but he knew that wasn’t the wisest thing to do.
Gregory was right. He could not go charging in this time. He had surprised the group earlier. They hadn’t been expecting anyone to turn up and interrupt them.
This time they would be prepared for it.
Aaron closed his eyes and scented the air again.
Before he opened them, a shot rang out followed by a loud howl that ripped through the quiet night, causing the hair on the back his neck to stand on end.
It had to be Nate.
Nate was in wolf form and he’d found something.
But what about the shot?
Aaron reacted instinctively. He sprinted through the trees, pushing away branches that blocked his path and scratched the bare skin on his arms.
Please God, let Cary be all right.
Chapter Twenty
Cary opened his eyes and squinted in the darkness.
Where the hell was he? He felt like he’d been run over by a truck. He shivered as the cool night air wafted over his body…his very naked body.
What the fuck?
He tried to sit up but the action made him dizzy. He reached down to steady himself and his hand came into contact with grass and dirt.
Was he in the forest?
“I didn’t sign up for this, Malachi.”
Cary stopped moving and tried to make out where the voice was coming from and who had spoken.
“Just shut up and do as I say.”
The first man growled and Cary suddenly realized who it was. The wolf from the bar…Lyle. Everything came flooding back. He’d been in his room, just having taken a shower, and the human had been there. He’d shot Cary with something. A tranquilizer dart, Cary assumed. But where had they brought him? What did they want?
More importantly, why was he still alive?
“Look, I agreed to help you find the shifters. You know I hate those faggots as much as you do. But this has gone far enough.”
“It hasn’t gone nearly far enough!” Malachi screeched. “I will not stop until I’ve wiped out every last one of them. They know who we are now, after that fucking cat and his mate identified us. We have to kill them all.”
The thought of Aaron being hurt sent cold shivers through Cary’s body but he tried to remain still, to keep quiet. He didn’t want the men to see he was awake.
“Us and what army?” Lyle snapped back. “Face it, we’re outnumbered. We have to give ourselves up.”
“Don’t be such a fucking imbecile. We’ll do no such thing. The only ones that know about us are on their way here right now. The two council members that showed up won’t have had time to call it in. If we kill the wolves and that cat piece of shit, we’ll be in the clear.”
Lyle sighed and started pacing. “I don’t like this. I don’t like it at all.”
“You don’t have to like it. Just do as I say.”
“There are two alphas, two! How the fuck are we supposed to fight them both?”
Cary kept perfectly still.
He was lying about ten feet away from the two men but he was close enough to see the depraved gleam in Malachi’s eyes. The lunatic’s gaze fell upon a gun, resting on the forest floor near a tall cypress tree.
“Let me worry about that. Just keep your ears open and stop whining. You’re giving me a headache.”
The wolf frowned and began pacing around the small clearing. “Why are we keeping the cat alive?” Cary closed his eyes quickly when Lyle turned to look down at him.
“We’ll kill him soon enough,” Malachi replied. “I want to use him as bait for the young wolf.”
Cary’s nostrils flared.
Heat rose on his neck, ears, and cheeks. They would touch Aaron over his dead body. He had to think of a way out of this. Cary heard the grass crunching under Lyle’s feet as he walked to the edge of the clearing. He cracked open his eyes and saw that Malachi had joined him. The gun was still resting against the tree. It was now or never.
Cary lifted his sore limbs from the forest floor and limped over to the gun. He was about to reach down and grab it when Lyle came charging back into the clearing. The wolf careened into him, knocking him to the floor. The tackle came with such force the wind whooshed out of Cary’s lungs, leaving him breathless.
Lyle’s canines were extended and, as Cary watched, sharp claws tore from his fingers.
He growled.
The sound was low and deep and was meant to scare but Cary wasn’t afraid. He didn’t care for his own safety—his only concern was Aaron. He had to stop Lyle and Malachi before they got the opportunity to hurt his mate…or kill him.
Cary hissed at Lyle.
His own canines elongated and his fingers lengthened as his claws broke free. He swiped at Lyle’s head, leaving behind a trail of deep scratches that immediately began seeping blood.
“You little prick!” Lyle roared.
Malachi walked into the clearing and at the same time, Lyle dived on Cary and pinned him to the ground.
“Get the gun!” he shouted.
Malachi frowned and sauntered toward the gun. “Jesus, Lyle. You call yourself a wolf? Can’t you handle one little kitty?”
“Look what he did to my fucking face!” Lyle snarled.
Cary tried to buck Lyle off before Malachi got to the gun but the wolf was too heavy. He screamed out his frustration and bucked harder, ignoring the intense pain in his ribs and groin.
“Jesus, Malachi, hurry the fuck up.”
Malachi bent to retrieve the gun.
While his back was turned, a large, tawny wolf ran into the clearing and charged him. Malachi screamed and fell, his head narrowly missing the tree trunk. The wolf was knocked over after it made contact but it recovered quickly and turned to charge again.
It was too late.
Malachi had grabbed the gun and had it pointed at the wolf’s chest. He fired and the wolf was sent flying backward. Malachi sneered. As he turned to point the gun at Cary, the wolf let out a loud, tortured howl.
Chapter Twenty
“Aaron, wait!”
Aaron ignored Gregory and continued to run in the direction from which he’d heard the shot fired and the wolf howl.
He had to get to his mate.
“God damn it, wait up!” Gregory fell into step next to Aaron and easily kept up with his pace. “Do not go charging in there. You hear me?”
“I’m not in the mood for a lecture, Gregory.”
Aaron stopped running and let his wolf senses take over.
Gregory stopped at his side. When Aaron inhaled, the grass, cypresses and nearby woodland animals were the first things he picked up on, but then… Cary was close. He could smell him nearby. He turned to Gregory and his eyes widened both in fear and anticipation.
Gregory nodded. “I can smell him, too. Come on, this way.”
Aaron swallowed down the lump in his throat then followed in Gregory’s wake. They moved twenty yards or so deeper into the forest and then Aaron heard it. The sound was faint but there was no mistaking who it was.
Cary.
His mate was close. Aaron could hear the human, too, and the wolf. He was about to take another step when he caught a scent, carried in the air by the small night breeze. The smell made his canines burst through his gums.
Aaron could smell blood.
His eyes shifted and when his skin began to itch and ripple Aaron had to force himself not to shift into his wolf form. He turned to Gregory and the cat looked to be in the same predicament. The eyes that looked back at him were not human. They were the burning, amber eye
s of a cat. Gregory had clearly smelt the same thing and it was affecting him in a similar way. Aaron moved faster through the trees, letting his nose lead him to the source of the smell, to his mate.
They ran on another hundred yards and then Aaron stopped abruptly when he heard raised voices just beyond a wall of tall cypress trees.
“Just fucking shoot him, Malachi!” Lyle shouted. “What are you waiting for?”
Aaron started running.
He couldn’t stand back and listen, there wasn’t time. He broke through into a small clearing and immediately roared out his frustration and anger. Cary was pinned to the floor beneath Lyle and struggling to get out from under his weight. Lyle’s friend—Malachi—was crouched near a tree holding a gun pointed at a large, tawny wolf. The wolf was covered in blood but it was snarling at the human and edging ever closer.
Aaron ignored the gun and ran to help Cary, his hands shifting into claws as he went. He had just made it to the large wolf when another shot rang out behind him. He didn’t turn to see who had been shot—if anyone. Instead, he sliced his claws down Lyle’s neck, cutting deep into the flesh and causing the wolf to cry out. Lyle relinquished his hold and Cary was able to push him aside but Aaron could tell the action had been difficult for his injured mate—his lowered eyebrows and raised upper lip were evidence of his pain.
“Are you okay?” Aaron asked.
Cary gave a brief nod of his head to the wolf lying still on the ground. “Help him, please.”
When Aaron turned, he saw Gregory and Malachi grappling with the gun. Nate was lying on the ground beside them in wolf form, still unmoving. Malachi had managed to get a good hold on the gun and when he turned it to point at Gregory’s chest, Aaron jumped up and ran to his aid.
He crashed into the two men and made a grab for the weapon.
The three of them fell to the floor and the gun went off. A blinding pain shot through Aaron’s shoulder but he ignored it. He threw himself on top of Malachi and bit into his neck, tearing at the man’s jugular with his extended canines. Malachi screamed but the sound turned into a gurgle.
His eyes rolled back and his head fell to the ground.
Just when Aaron thought the ordeal was over, Cary cried out. Aaron watched in horror as Lyle grabbed Cary’s arm and twisted it behind his back. He dragged Cary backward on the forest floor and opened his jaws with the intention of biting into his neck with his sharp canines.
There wasn’t enough time to get to him. Aaron felt his entire life with Cary flash before his eyes. If something happened to his mate, he wouldn’t survive it.
In the blink of an eye, Gregory grabbed the discarded gun and fired. The shot was loud to Aaron’s ears as the bullet sailed through the clearing and hit Lyle between the eyes.
Chapter Twenty-One
The beautiful, black panther purred loudly and rubbed his body against Aaron’s leg. Aaron chuckled and reached down to stroke his mate’s silky coat. Cary was stunning in his cat form.
Aaron would never tire of looking at his mate this way.
Cary pushed his head into Aaron’s hand and the purring got louder.
“Oh, you like that, do you?” Aaron asked, scratching behind Cary’s ear.
In response, Cary snaked his tongue out and licked the palm of Aaron’s hand.
Aaron threw his head back and laughed.
“Cut that out, it tickles.”
He looked through the tree line to the ranch and bunkhouse beyond.
He sighed. “Come on, Cary, you have to change back. The council members are going to be here soon.”
Cary lowered his gaze and hissed, showing his disapproval, but he stepped away from Aaron and his body began twisting and contorting. A few moments later, Cary kneeled before Aaron in his very naked human form.
“Spoilsport.”
Aaron chuckled. “Don’t blame me. I don’t want to meet with them any more than you do.”
Cary thrust out his bottom lip. “Then let’s not. We could put it off. How about I call Gregory and tell him I’m sick or something.”
“As tempting as it sounds, we have to do this. We can’t put off the inevitable. We’re going to have to meet with them sooner or later.”
“I vote for later.”
Aaron shook his head. “The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can eat lunch. I’m starving.”
That made Cary chuckle. “You’re always starving. But at least you’re positive everything is going to be okay with the council. I wish I had your confidence.”
“I have to be confident,” Aaron said. “I can’t think of the alternative—it’s too terrible. Now that we’re together, nothing can ever separate us.”
“I like that idea,” Cary began purring again. “I like it a lot.”
Aaron smiled and reached out, pulling Cary to his side, He kissed him full on the mouth. When he pulled back, Cary raised his eyebrows in question.
“Not a chance,” Aaron whispered against Cary’s lips. “Come on, let’s go to this meeting.”
Cary winced. “Uh…”
“What’s wrong?” Aaron followed Cary’s eyes down his slim, lithe body to the very impressive erection pointing in Aaron’s direction.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Cary balked. “I can’t go back like this.”
Aaron groaned, his own hardening cock starting to resemble his mate’s. “Cary, we haven’t got time.”
Aaron watched as Cary smoothed a hand across his own chest, stopping to tweak one of his nipples. Then he trailed the hand down his torso until it reached his cock. He grabbed hold of it and stroked lightly.
“Trust me, it’s not going to take long.”
Aaron groaned again, his pulse quickening.
He glanced nervously back at the house. While his head was turned, a sleek, black sedan made its way up the drive to the house.
“Can you be, like, two seconds quick?”
Cary followed Aaron’s line of sight. “God damn it!”
Aaron chuckled and reached for their discarded clothes. “Here you go. We’d better hurry.”
They dressed quickly and crossed the yard to the ranch house. Gregory was leaning on the hood of his car talking to Kelan when they approached.
“How is Nate doing?” he asked.
“He’s good,” Kelan replied. “Another day or so and he’ll be right as rain.”
“Good to hear.”
“Gregory.” Aaron nodded his welcome to the cat.
Gregory turned and smiled broadly at him and Cary. “Hey, how you both doing?”
“Good,” Cary replied. “Ribs have healed completely. But it has been a couple of weeks.”
“And you?” Gregory asked, looking at Aaron.
“Good as new.” Aaron flexed his arm. “It was only a surface wound.”
“I’ll leave you guys alone to talk,” Kelan said, turning to walk back to the house.
“Yeah, thanks Kelan.” Gregory turned and studied Cary and Aaron in turn.
“You came alone?” Cary asked.
Gregory nodded. “Yep, seems I’m man enough to deal with a cub and one little kitty.”
When Aaron growled, Gregory threw his head back and laughed, his eyes sparkling with mischief.
“Jesus, Gregory, will you get it over with, please?” Aaron crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at the panther. “You’re killing us here.”
Gregory’s mouth curved up into a smirk. “It’s good news. In light of all that has happened to you both, the council has agreed not to bring charges against you.”
Cary gasped. “Are you for real?”
“Yep. They took everything into account. The fact that Aaron saved my life featured heavily in their decision, of course. And I thank you for that,” Gregory added, meeting Aaron’s gaze. “But in the end, they agreed that the law was archaic—certainly in the case of a same-sex mating where there wouldn’t be any children born from the pairing. We’re even working to change the law for opposite-sex cross-species m
ating. We have council members arguing that it should be the individual’s choice to decide. They know the risks going into such a partnership.”
“Wow, that’s wonderful,” Cary sighed. “So that’s it. It’s all over with.”
“Yep, you’re free men. Now you can actually enjoy your mating and the rest of your lives together.”
Aaron reached out his hand and Gregory shook it. “Thank you. This means a lot to us. I don’t know how we can ever repay you.”
“Welcome. And I’m sure I’ll think of something.”
Aaron looked from Gregory to his mate.
Cary was grinning. “He’s joking.” His eyes widened and he turned to Gregory, mouth agape. “You are joking, right?”
Gregory chuckled and opened the door of his car. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”
He slid into the driver’s seat and started the engine.
When he turned back, he winked.
“Thank you, Gregory.” Cary smiled and slid his arm around Aaron’s waist.
Gregory nodded. “Oh, I almost forgot. The council have finished their questioning of the two men that beat up Cary with Lyle and Malachi. We’re sure now that they didn’t know about any of the murders. So the only thing we can hold them with is assault and battery…that is if you want to press charges against them.
Cary shook his head. “No. I just want to forget about everything and move on with my life.”
Aaron pulled Cary closer to his side.
They’d argued about this a few times over the last couple of weeks but Cary was adamant—he’d been through so much in the past few years and didn’t want to be dragged through a council tribunal.
Aaron hadn’t been able to change his mind.
“Fair enough, if that’s what you want. I’ll let my superiors know. I imagine they’ll be bringing their own charges against the men though, especially when they take into consideration the family members of the men who were killed. They might not have known about the murders, but they had a hand in what happened to those men.”
Aaron nodded. “I hope they get what’s coming to them.”
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