by A J Jarrett
“What are you up to?” In the back of his mind Damon’s whispered words “don’t trust anyone” kept playing on repeat. But as Lachlan looked at Josh, the kid didn’t look all that sinister. More like afraid with a hint of shame in his handsome features.
Josh looked to the door then back to Lachlan. He tipped his head to the side, indicating for Lachlan to follow him away from the door.
“How did you know you were, you know, into guys?”
Lachlan schooled his expression and crossed his arms over his bare chest. He didn’t want to show his shock at the kid finally admitting he was gay. “Well, Josh. I knew early on that men were more my cup of tea then the ladies. I won’t lie, I have enjoyed the flesh of a woman over my many years, but it’s guys who trip my trigger,” he answered honestly.
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“Oh.” Josh’s eyebrows stretched up to his hairline. He seemed taken aback by Lachlan’s frankness.
“Why do you ask?” He already knew why, but he wanted to bridge the gap between him and the younger wolf so they weren’t just friendly but actual friends.
“I—” Josh started to fidget with his hands. “It’s just…” Josh’s voice trailed off again.
“Yes.” Lachlan nodded, waiting for Josh to spill his guts.
“Fuck!” Josh whispered, but it still came out quite harsh. He fisted his hands in his hair and pulled at the dark strands. “I think I’m in love with Victor.”
“Oh.” It was Lachlan’s turn to be surprised. Josh didn’t strike him as the type of man to love anyone. A screw them and leave them, yes.
The kid was snarky and annoying at times but ultimately cute as hell with his lean, muscled body, shaggy, brown hair, and his adorable honey-brown eyes. A dangerous combination for the single people of the world.
“Is he your mate?” Lachlan found his voice. He watched as Josh paced back and forth.
“No.” Josh shook his head. “But I know what I feel, and it feels like love.”
Lachlan wasn’t going to refute what Josh said he felt. Who was he to tell someone what love was and what it wasn’t? Since finding his mate, Lachlan knew what true and everlasting love felt like, but he couldn’t explain that to Josh. Josh was young and would eventually have to discover that on his own.
“So I take it you want to pursue a more”—Lachlan pursed his lips as he thought of the best way to put what he needed to say—“physical relationship with Victor?”
“No. Yes.” Josh stopped pacing. “I think I do.”
The innocent gleam in Josh’s eyes had Lachlan remembering back to his first time. He was nervous and scared to death but determined.
Josh looked the same way now as he stood before Lachlan.
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“Does Victor feel the same way?” Lachlan felt it best to ask the most important question to this possible hookup.
“Yeah, he does.” A smile as bright as the morning sun lit up Josh’s face. Lachlan had never seen the young man seem so genuinely happy before.
“Then I think you should talk to him and see where things might lead.”
“So you don’t think I’m a pervert?” Josh asked as he rammed his fingers into his pockets.
Lachlan began to laugh. “Dude, I’m a card-carrying member to the I love cock club, so no I don’t think you’re a pervert.”
The sound of a doorknob turning then the creak of a door opening had Josh and Lachlan looking in the direction of Victor’s room.
Victor looked confused then his eyes swung to Lachlan, and he looked terrified and he shut the door quickly.
“Sorry,” Josh offered. “We grew up with families who didn’t approve of same-sex pairings. So we’ve gotten good at hiding our feelings for one another.”
“No worries. I can relate.” Lachlan laid his hand on Josh’s shoulder and gave a light squeeze. “Go to him”—Lachlan shot him a wink—“and have some fun. You’re young, you should be doing shit like this. Just be careful and listen to each other. No one likes a bossy lover.”
Lachlan didn’t have time to react before Josh jumped into his arms, hugging him tight. “Thank you for listening.” Josh pulled pack to look up at Lachlan. “Maybe cats aren’t so bad.”
“Get out of here.” Lachlan ruffled his hand through Josh’s hair as the kid bounded off toward Victor’s room.
“Oh the memories,” Lachlan sang to himself as he headed back to his bedroom. Josh was really starting to grow on him. They bonded over asshole fathers, men, and sex. There was no better way to start a friendship.
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Once in his room Lachlan went to the bathroom to shower up. He needed to wash off the scent of his and Garrett’s lovemaking before they headed to the warrior compound. He didn’t need to be teased by his friends while they were trying to discuss a serious situation. And he didn’t need to hear all the “I told you sos” from them either.
Lachlan’s bossy nature got in the way of his happiness just like his friends always said it would. But everything was different now, so very different.
Lachlan started to hum to himself, and he got cleaned up. He couldn’t wait to lay eyes on his mate and feel the love they shared warm his skin like it always did when he was near Garrett.
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Chapter Twelve
Garrett sat behind his desk, tapping his fingers against the hard surface. The thump, thump, thump sound drowned out all others. He was lost in thought at everything that happened at the moonlit run.
They had one dead wolf, one frightened female, and a shitload of unanswered questions with not even one clue on how to solve the mystery. All they knew definitively was that a witch by the name of Damon was stalking the pack in hopes of causing mayhem.
“I wish I had more to tell you, Garrett, but I don’t,” Wes said as he stared over at Garrett from his seat across the room. “There’s not one single sign that there was ever anyone in the woods. The only lingering scents were Clara’s, but that is to be expected since she was with Lacy. No footprints or beaten-down walking trails. All we have is Clara’s word, and she wouldn’t lie. Hell, I’m not sure she knows how to lie.”
“I know.” Garrett’s gaze grew focused, and he sat up in his chair.
He heard things with his own ears. There wasn’t a question that they weren’t alone in the woods that night. But Garrett thought it odd that they had no signs to prove what they all knew to be true.
“And we heard the laughter coming from the tree line. Something was out there,” Aaron said as if reading Garrett’s mind.
Aaron was still fairly new to the Carrington Pack, but Garrett had grown to trust him in that short time. His loyalty never wavered, and the love he had for his brother spoke volumes of Aaron’s caring nature. There wasn’t a thing Aaron wouldn’t do to protect his family and close friends. Aaron was a good man that Garrett trusted to have at his side in a fight. After Wes, Aaron was Garrett’s go-to guy.
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“So what do we do now?” Wes asked.
Garrett looked toward the door when it creaked open and saw Lachlan standing in the entryway.
“We go to the warriors’ compound and inform Ben of what happened here last night,” Lachlan said with all the gruffness of a warrior.
Damn he’s so fucking sexy.
Garrett swallowed hard, trying to keep from drooling down his chin. He couldn’t think straight with his mate so close.
The man’s hair was still damp from his shower, making the golden-blond locks appear a dark brown. The cotton shirt he wore hugged every contour of his muscular chest. And the jeans he wore, good grief, they fit like a glove and were faded from many years of use. Lachlan looked relaxed and well put together without even trying.
Garrett’s gaze dropped to stare at his mate’s crotch. What he wouldn’t give to free Lachlan from his pants and suck him until he passed out.
&
nbsp; “Hello? Garrett.” Lachlan snapped his fingers. “Are you awake in there?”
“Shit.” Garrett ran a hand down his face, trying to quell his raging hard-on. His solid length ached behind his zipper. “I’m sorry, just lost focus there for a second.” Garrett grinned up at his mate. “But I agree.
We do need to talk with Ben, and that’s why I already called him.
He’s the council’s main contact in this area, and we need their assistance in catching Damon or whoever the hell was out there last night.”
Lachlan’s eyes dropped for a fraction of a second, almost like he was hiding something.
“Lachlan, everything okay?” Garrett stood up and walked over to his mate. He brought up his right hand and caressed the stubble skin of his mate’s cheek with his knuckles.
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“Yes.” Lachlan gave a forced smile. “Everything is fine.”
Part of Lachlan wanted to tell Garrett about Damon and the visit he had from the witch, but he held back. Lachlan looked around the room, not sure who he could trust. He trusted Garrett, and he’d known Aaron for years, and as much as he liked Wes, he still couldn’t bring himself to tell them.
Lachlan came to a silent understanding with himself. When the time was right, he’d tell his mate and the pack what he’d learned from Damon. But first he needed to find out who he could trust. And he still needed to decide if what Damon said was true.
“You already called him?” Garrett nodded. “Great, then let’s head on over.” Lachlan motioned for the men to follow him. When Garrett stood next to him, Lachlan entwined his fingers with Garrett’s. He felt guilty for not confessing everything to his mate, but he needed time to see if what Damon said even held one ounce of truth. There was no need to worry his mate without good cause.
Wes and Aaron followed along behind them, snickering the whole way. Lachlan didn’t mind because one day those two men would find their mates, then god have mercy on their souls.
“Pay up,” Lachlan heard Wes say.
“Okay, okay, you called that one.”
Lachlan looked over his shoulder and saw Aaron giving Wes money. What was this?
“What are the two of you talking about?” Lachlan asked.
Aaron and Wes froze in midstep. They looked at each other then over Lachlan’s shoulder to Garrett.
“It’s nothing really,” Aaron said quickly.
“No, I want to know.” Lachlan strode toward the nervous duo and used his best “don’t fuck with me” stare. “Now,” he growled for good measure.
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Aaron looked to Wes, but Wes just shoved Aaron in the shoulder.
“Wes and I made a bet on how long it would take you to forgive Garrett for punching you in the face last night.” Lachlan had to still his hand from rising to touch the side of his head where Garrett had hit him. The pain had long since faded, but the memory hadn’t. “I said two days and Wes said you’d have forgiven him by morning.” Aaron shrugged his shoulders and smiled wide. “And you did, yeah.”
Behind him, Lachlan heard Garrett’s soft-spoken curse. Lachlan might be a man in love, but he was still a man. And apparently his pride hadn’t lessened with the mating bond.
“Come on, babe, just ignore them.” Garrett tried to tug Lachlan closer to the car.
The only reasonable thing Lachlan could think to do to save face was…
“Ouch!” Garrett shouted as he grabbed his face. “What the hell, man?”
Behind him he heard Aaron mumble a curse and Wes fighting back a fit of giggles.
“I’m going to wager you two didn’t make a bet on me reacting like that, did you?” Lachlan said to a shocked-looking Wes and Aaron. Lachlan reached out his hand to help his mate up. “Sorry, honey, but a man’s got his pride, and I owed you that.”
“Yes you did.” Garrett wrapped his arms around Lachlan’s waist and pulled him close. At the first brush of lips, Lachlan leaned heavily into his mate’s sturdy build. Garrett’s tongue flicked across his lips, and Lachlan let out a long moan. He wished for nothing more than to be able to go back to bed and ravage his mate, but duty called.
Lachlan pulled out of Garrett’s arms and continued the walk to the car. If they didn’t put a halt to the kissing, they’d never leave the house, and there were more important things to deal with currently than their need for sex.
The drive from Carrington Pack lands to the warriors’ compound only took about fifteen minutes. On the way there Wes and Aaron Garrett’s Choice
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talked in the backseat while he and Garrett remained silent. They clung to each other’s hands, not wanting to be separated even for a second.
Once at the compound they got out of the car and walked up the front path. Lachlan tried the door, and as he expected, it was locked.
He rang the doorbell and waited.
They didn’t have to wait too long before Miles answered the door.
“Hey, guys, how’s it going?” Miles asked as he opened the door wider to let them in.
“Good as could be expected with what’s going on,” Lachlan answered.
“Yeah, I heard what happened last night. That poor woman. Is her family doing okay?” Lachlan could see the concern in the vampire’s eyes. Miles had a gentle heart, and he never liked it when someone was suffering.
“They’re dealing. Lacy was their youngest child,” Garrett answered. “She was a delightful young woman. It’s a tragedy for her to lose her life the way she did.”
“I agree.” Miles started off down the hall toward Ben’s office. He waved a hand for them to follow.
Miles knocked once then opened the door. Ben sat behind his desk talking on the phone. The heated expression on the man’s face tipped Lachlan off that it must be a serious conversation. Lachlan prayed it didn’t involve his brother.
Lawson had been sent out on a mission with Elias and Cason, two fellow warriors. The last Lachlan heard the three men were in Louisiana. They were following clues that had come to them from council headquarters involving sightings of the man who they suspected had taken Sayer, their missing warrior.
Cason was a wolf shifter and Elias a chameleon shifter. Both men were skilled in fighting and battle tactics, but Lawson was his brother.
No matter what, Lachlan would always worry about him.
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Where Lachlan was more reserved and thoughtful, Lawson would fly by the seat of his pants and jump headfirst into danger if the occasion arose. Lawson’s cold-as-steel nerves and fearless attitude always caused Lachlan to stress out because his twin never took proper precautions. Yes, they were immortal and it took great effort to seriously hurt them, but they could still die. Beheading, long exposure to fire, copious amounts of silver injected into their bodies, or heart removal was all it took to kill another paranormal.
“Dad, I promise, I’ll call back if any new information arises.” Ben rolled his eyes. “Yes, sir.”
Lachlan and Garrett took the open seats in front of Ben’s desk, and Aaron and Wes stood behind them. Miles walked around to sit on Ben’s lap. Lachlan wished he had the courage to sit that way with Garrett, but Lachlan was a lot bigger than Miles and thought it might look a little ridiculous, him sitting on his mate’s lap.
“Well, guys, I told my dad about what happened last night and he thinks that since there aren’t any definite leads, we need to assume this Damon is the culprit,” Ben said as he wrapped his arms around his petite mate.
Not that Lachlan should care, but he thought it didn’t feel right blaming Damon. The man obviously looked like a victim, not some sort of mastermind. He still thought it too soon, but he had to tell them about Damon coming to his room. If they put all their bets on Damon, and he wasn’t the evil coming after them, it may be too late to repair the damage.
Lachlan cleared his throat. His nerves made him feel shaky, and a good dose of guilt sat heavily on his chest.
He should have told Garrett everything right after it happened.
“I don’t think Damon’s who we should be worried about.”
Lachlan shot a glance at his mate before looking back to Ben.
“Why’s that? He’s the one that sent that Rhett asshole after Logan and nearly got Finn killed.” Ben held Lachlan’s stare, not wavering for one second.
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“Because”—Lachlan couldn’t help but look at Garrett as he answered—“Damon came to me this morning and was trying to warn me.”
“What!” Garrett shouted as he sat forward in his chair and turned to look head-on at Lachlan.
“Huh?” was all Ben could manage to say.
Lachlan could feel everyone’s eyes on him, and he didn’t like being put center stage. Lachlan kept all his focus on his very upset-looking mate. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you first thing, but what I have to say is going to sound crazy, and you all are going to think I’ve lost my marbles for even considering it being real.” Lachlan could see the deep creases lining his mate’s mouth that usually held a happy smile.
Garrett was disappointed in him, and he had every right to be.
“No we won’t,” Ben offered. “But regardless of what we might think, you need to tell us.”
He dragged his attention away from Garrett and looked at Ben and Miles, where he sat perched on Ben’s lap. “This morning when I woke up, Garrett had already left the room, but I could feel a distinct presence in there with me. I caught sight of a young, sickly looking man crouched in the corner.”
“Well what happened then?” Ben asked when Lachlan took a long moment to breathe, replaying everything in his head so that he didn’t leave out one single detail.
“That’s where it gets weird. I tackled him to the floor, and then he started to change.”
“Change?” Miles asked, scooting forward to lean across the desk.
He was totally engrossed in what Lachlan had to say.
“Into a wolf.” Lachlan turned his attention to Garrett, but the man’s face was like an iron mask. Lachlan couldn’t tell what his mate was thinking.