He shrugged again. “I have contacts in the right places.”
“So, what, you’re a stalker now?”
“I prefer the term ‘intense investigator.’” Before she could give him any more grief, he gestured to the vehicle. “Like it?”
“It’s all right, I guess.”
His mouth curved at the sound of her reluctant appreciation. “I’m more into all-terrain vehicles, but I couldn’t have fit one in the motor home.”
She frowned. “Then why not just use an SUV or something instead of that big hulking thing?”
“Because an SUV wouldn’t have been much good as somewhere to live over the past six months.”
“You’ve been living in the Winne-thing?” she asked, shocked. He nodded. “So when you said you’d spent six months looking for me, you meant it literally?”
He gave her an odd look. “Of course I meant it.” Realization quickly dawned on him. “You thought I meant I’d had other people tracking you for me.”
She shrugged one shoulder. “You’re an Alpha; you have shit to do.”
“Not anymore, remember. I gave it up the day I found out you’d left. I’ve been searching for you ever since.” Casting a glance at her, he saw her skeptical look. “You don’t believe I gave up the position?”
“I believe you’ll go back.” She wasn’t sure about the rest, but she was pretty certain about that. “Living without your pack and your land is hard.”
“Living without you is harder.”
Instead of sounding soppy or pathetic, it had instead come out sounding cutely possessive and protective.
“Besides, if you want the truth, I don’t much like company.”
That had her double-blinking in surprise. “You don’t like company?” she echoed disbelievingly. “You’re a shifter.”
“People annoy me. I like being alone.” Yeah, he knew that was odd for a shifter—they craved contact and thrived on it. But he’d never felt the same satisfaction from social contact that the rest of his kind did. Then, after spending five years of his life in juvie where there were no such things as space, privacy, or quiet, he’d eventually come to crave those things as opposed to social contact. And he wasn’t good at bonding anyway.
Shaya was about to question how the hell someone who liked solitude could have acted as an Alpha when she caught sight of something in the side mirror. “Is that Derren in the SUV behind us?”
Nick sighed tiredly. “Yes.” He’d noticed his “bodyguard” minutes earlier.
Turning in her seat, she regarded him through accusatory eyes. “Aha. You said you’d left the pack.”
“I have.”
“If that was true, you wouldn’t still have a bodyguard,” she pointed out impatiently. “Which means you’ve only been telling me all this to fool me into mating with you.”
“Sorry, Nancy Drew, but you’re wrong on that one. I’ve been trying to get rid of Derren for years.”
“Why would he stick around to protect you if you’re not Alpha?”
“It was never anything to do with me being Alpha. It’s a personal thing.”
“Really?” she drawled, skeptical. “And what is this personal thing?”
He’d rather not say, would rather not tell her about that period of his life in case it scared her off. “You know, you didn’t answer me last night when I asked you if there was a guy in your life.”
Thrown off-balance by the complete change of subject, she was silent for a moment. Instead of answering, she hit his question with one of her own. “Is there a female in your life?”
Nick would have insisted on hearing her answer first, but it killed him to see the distrust in her eyes. “There hasn’t been anyone since I first saw you.”
She snorted and turned her head away. “Yeah, right.”
He tugged on her hair, demanding her full attention. “I wouldn’t betray you like that.”
She spluttered. “But we aren’t mated.”
“Doesn’t matter.”
“You chose to forsake me.”
“No, I chose to put your safety above everything else. It didn’t change the fact that the only person I wanted was you.”
If that was true, he was going to be seriously pissed off by her answer, and then she’d be stuck in a car with a raging, too-damn-dominant alpha male wolf. That was never a good situation, and her wolf wasn’t looking forward to it. When he raised a questioning brow at her, she averted her gaze as she admitted, “I dated a couple of times.” She braced herself for an explosion. There wasn’t one. Risking a glance at him, she saw him looking calm and cool. Only his white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel betrayed his inner turmoil. “Why aren’t you yelling?”
“How can I?” His words were like crushed rock. “All you were doing was trying to get on with your life.”
And now she felt bad. She shouldn’t. She knew that. If he’d yelled at her, she could have rightly pointed out that if he hadn’t wanted her to date anyone else, he should have claimed her. But although he was undoubtedly angry, he’d turned that anger inward, had directed it at himself, and was taking responsibility for what he’d done. Dammit. She wanted to stay pissed at him, and he was making it hard.
As he smoothly pulled up outside the salon, Shaya glanced at him to find that he still wasn’t looking at her. “I never slept with any of them.” No, she hadn’t owed him that detail, but he could so easily get to her. It wasn’t just because he was her mate, either. It was his eyes…those pools of dusky green had dark shadows there—scarred by a pain that no person would ever want to feel. Any female with a heart would want to reach out and take that away, not intensify it. She was hurt, but she wasn’t bitter and twisted and didn’t relish the idea of making anyone’s pain worse.
Fighting to keep his touch gentle when anger was overwhelming him and putting a sour taste in his mouth, Nick briefly breezed his thumb across her cheekbone. “Thank you for telling me that.”
“I can’t forgive you for abandoning me.”
“I wouldn’t expect you to.”
“Then why come here? Why do this?”
He swallowed hard, squeezing her thigh gently. “Because I’m determined to earn a second chance.”
“And if you don’t get it?” She tensed as a lopsided, mischievous smile surfaced on his face. It promised bad-boy stuff.
He leaned toward her slightly. “What you don’t understand about me, Shay, is that when I really want something, I’ll do whatever it takes to make it mine. Like it or not, you already belong to me; I intend to make sure that’s not something you want to fight anymore.”
Her wolf liked that. Liked his determination. Liked the idea of being the sole focus of his attention. Liked the idea of the chase. To her utter dismay, a part of Shaya kind of liked it too, but anger and betrayal overshadowed that. Besides, she couldn’t trust anything he said or did.
Resisting the urge to kiss her, he moved back. “Go on, or you’ll be late. I’ll pick you up after work.”
“I’m perfectly capable of getting myself home,” she snapped indignantly.
“Of course you are. I’ll be here waiting when you get out.” He smiled when she growled before getting out of the car. Once she was inside the salon, Nick drove farther down the street and parked outside the diner. He hadn’t been sitting inside a booth for more than thirty seconds when Derren came strolling in. As he approached, grinning, Nick shook his head. “I distinctly recall firing you. Again.”
“I’m trying not to be offended.” He slid onto the seat opposite Nick. “She let you give her a ride to work. Progress.”
“Yeah. This is going to happen in baby steps.”
“How does your wolf feel about that?”
“The wait’s killing him, but he understands that she’s hurting. Like me, he wants her to come to him in her own time.”
Derren gave a satisfied nod. “Your mom has called me three times in the past twelve hours to ask how you’re doing and if your mate has accepted you yet
. It would really help if you could answer your cell phone so she’s not using me as a go-between.”
“Why would I do that? If you’re going to linger like a bad smell, you can make yourself useful.”
Derren laughed. At that moment the waitress appeared, and they both ordered coffees and breakfast. “Your mom found Roni, by the way.”
“Good.” When Nick’s sister was in her wolf form, she would often disappear for weeks at a time. Sadly, Roni spent most of her time as a wolf—she had done so since the incident that led to him serving time in juvie. Although his sister was strong enough to cope with anything life threw at her, it seemed that that one thing would always torment her. It was understandable.
“Your mom’s trying to coax her to change back, but she’s not having much luck.”
“Has Amber tried?” Amber was the pack healer and, as such, the person who had healed Nick. The young female was also a good friend to Roni.
“She’s tried, but she hasn’t been successful. I spoke to Amber briefly. Her theory is that Roni’s reacting badly to you leaving and has shifted to escape facing the true brunt of the pain.”
And didn’t that make him feel like shit. “I can’t go back, Derren.”
“I know. I told Amber that when she suggested you could at least go back for a little while.”
“Good.” Nick folded his arms across his chest. “Totally off the subject…We’re being very closely watched.” A group of four male wolf shifters in the corner booth had been casting him curious glances since he arrived. Furthermore, a trio of male wolf shifters at the rear of the diner was doing the same.
“The locals are going to want to know what you’re doing in their territory. With or without the status of Pack Alpha, you’re still a born alpha, and it’s obvious in the way you conduct yourself. Hell, you’re like a beacon to shifters with all the power practically humming around you.” Derren paused as the waitress appeared with their orders. Once she was gone, he leaned forward. “Have you noticed there’s a specific divide in the wolf shifters in here?”
Nick nodded. “Either there are divides within the pack, or we’re dealing with two local wolf packs.”
“Two wolf packs in one town…I don’t see how that could work.”
“It’s not. Hence the tension.”
Derren considered that for a second and then shrugged, switching his attention to his pile of pancakes. “Well, I know the main pack here is the Sequoia Pack, so I know who at least one of the Alphas in this town is: Petrus Hadley.”
It took Nick a moment to connect the name with a face. “Ah, the Nazi.”
“Why was he nicknamed the Nazi?”
“Because he’s a Nazi.”
“It’s the ‘drug lord’ rumor surrounding him that bugs me.”
Yeah, admittedly, it wasn’t comforting.
“I’m surprised he hasn’t approached your mate and insisted she join his pack or leave.” Derren took a sip of his coffee. “You know, her wolf’s not easy to sense. If I hadn’t already known she was a half-shifter, I doubt I would have picked up on it.” That was Derren—he missed nothing. “Maybe that’s why she’s been left alone.”
“Her father’s human,” Nick told him after swallowing a piece of toast. “I found that out when I was searching for info on her to try to guess where she might be hiding.”
“You know what that means, don’t you?”
“That the urge to mate won’t be as painful for her.” Half-shifters had heightened senses and accelerated strength and speed just as full shifters did, but they differed in that their animal and primal instincts were diluted. “That’s a good thing. I don’t want her in pain.”
“But it also means she won’t be able to appreciate the kind of pain you’re in by being around her and not claiming her. She’ll be uncomfortable and restless and horny, but she won’t have any idea of what you’re going through. Won’t have any idea how hard life’s been for you since you laid eyes on her.”
That was true. Shaya had it in her head that things had been an easy ride for Nick, that he’d found it simple to step aside. It was half the reason why she was so pissed at him. After demolishing the remainder of his breakfast, he said, “Like I told you last night, I don’t want her to come to me because she feels sorry for me.”
“But if she understands that you haven’t, by any means, had an easy time, she might be a little less harsh on you.” Derren took a long swig of his coffee, having finished his pancakes in record time. “And I still think you should tell her everything. The bigger picture would help.”
Smiling, Nick snorted. “What, you’re trying to be my advisor now, too?”
Derren cocked his head. “Do you think I’m smart enough?”
“Fuck you.” There was no heat in his words. “I need to use the bathroom.” Seeing that Derren was about to accompany him—most likely due to the gathering of snarling shifters—Nick threw him an impatient look. “I don’t need you to hold my hand while I take a damn piss.”
Derren chuckled. “Have fun, then.”
Oh it would be fun if one of the shifters confronted him. Blowing off steam would be pretty helpful.
He got his wish. Nick had just finished buttoning his fly when four dominant male wolves entered the restroom. Not intimidated by their scowls or aggressive postures, he ignored them, went to the sink, and washed his hands. As he dried them, they formed a semicircle around him, blocking him in. Turning, he looked at them all curiously…like they were bugs. They didn’t like that.
The one in the middle stepped forward slightly, tilting his bald head. “Who are you?”
“You guys are confronting me. I’ll ask the questions. What do you want?” That seemed to have knocked his confidence a little. Good. Stupid shit was dominant, but he wasn’t an alpha, and yet here he was practically challenging one, endangering himself and his packmates. He should know better. He should have been taught better.
“Our Alpha would like to speak to you.”
“Really?” drawled Nick. “And why is that?”
“You’re on our turf.” He clenched his fists, snarling fiercely. “He wants to know why.”
“Is that right?” Nick ensured he sounded bored. In truth, he was. When he was Alpha, there had been lone wolves who had drifted in and out of town occasionally. Unless they had bothered him in some way, he had left them alone. And if he had needed to speak with them, he hadn’t done this whole song and dance in an effort to intimidate them. There was nothing big and bad about it. In fact, it was plain disrespectful and showed a lack of good leadership.
“So you need to come with us.”
Nick stepped toward him. “If your Alpha wants to speak to me, he’s welcome to come and find me.”
“You really don’t want to play this game. We’re members of the Sequoia Pack. Our Alpha is the Nazi.”
Nick just looked at him blankly. “As I said, if he wants to speak to me, he’s welcome to come find me.”
“You have no idea who you’re fucking with.”
“Neither do you.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You’re either very brave or very stupid.”
“I’m bored.”
“You’re crazy,” he decided.
Nick smiled. “How can you tell?”
“Listen, I follow orders. That means I’ll take you to him conscious or unconscious. Do the smart thing and make the right choice.”
No one was taking him anywhere. In a sharp yet fluid movement, Nick delivered a hard punch to the wolf’s temple, knocking him out cold. Before any of the others could react, he yanked the hand dryer from the wall behind him and bashed it over the head of the wolf on his left, sending him dizzily crashing to the tiled floor with a hard thud. Just as Nick turned, one of the others charged at him. But Nick was faster. He used the hand dryer to shove him backward and simultaneously knock the wolf behind him off-balance. Nick then dealt his opponent a solid kick to the ribs, pretty sure at least one of them cracked. As the wolf keeled over
slightly, Nick grabbed him by his hair and bashed his head on one of the urinals. The male went instantly limp and slumped to the floor.
Nick cursed in surprise when water suddenly sprayed at his face; the remaining wolf had turned on the faucet and curled his hand in the flow of water to make it spray at Nick. Taking advantage of Nick’s distorted vision, the wolf aimed a mean kick at his face. Nick managed to dodge the move, but the kick still caught him on his shoulder. Totally pissed, Nick grabbed the next leg that came at him and twisted sharply, breaking the bone. The wolf screeched through his teeth and fell flat on his ass, satisfying Nick’s enraged wolf.
Nick glanced around, taking in the scene in front of him. The wolf with the broken leg was getting paler by the second. Both the bald wolf and the one who had a close encounter with the urinal were still unconscious. And the male who had suffered a blow from the hand dryer was on the floor, moaning and cradling his head. He looked at Nick, who then arched a brow at him, daring him to get up. He didn’t.
Nick sighed. “And that, children, is why you shouldn’t pick a fight with an alpha—whether he’s outnumbered or not. Your own Alpha should have taught you that. Consider this a lesson learned that your own Alpha should have taught you.”
Strolling out of the restroom, Nick cast a quick glance at the three wolf shifters at the rear of the diner. They looked back at him, but there was no challenge in their gazes. Satisfied, he continued to his table.
Spotting him, Derren rose from his seat. “Did you let them live?”
Nick placed the money for his food on the table. “If I hadn’t, then they couldn’t explain to their Alpha that I’m not an easy target, could they? I don’t need this shit right now.”
“Not that I disapprove of you teaching the wolves a lesson,” said Derren as they exited the diner, “but if you want to win your mate over, it makes sense to stay alive rather than go around pissing off drug lords.”
“I don’t know—I think she might prefer me dead.”
CHAPTER FOUR
You seemed a little distracted today,” Kent told Shaya as they were slipping on their coats at the end of a long shift. “And you look real tired.”